Sometimes life slows down without warning—plans change, timelines stretch, and we find ourselves stuck in circumstances we can’t control. In this episode, Dr. James Spencer reflects on how “winter seasons” expose our limitations and invite us into a deeper kind of trust. Drawing from a long, weather-delayed drive that became unexpectedly peaceful, we’re reminded that slowdowns can create space to be present, to listen, and to rest in God’s care. Trust doesn’t always arrive in dramatic breakthroughs. Often it grows quietly—through steady prayer, patient obedience, and daily dependence on the God who sees the whole road ahead.
Originally published January 29, 2026.
James Spencer earned his PhD in Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and an MA in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College. By teaching the Bible and theology, as well as evaluating modern social, cultural, and political trends, James challenges Christians to remember that we don’t set God’s agenda—He sets ours. James has published multiple works, including Serpents and Doves: Christians, Politics and the Art of Bearing Witness, Christian Resistance: Learning to Defy the World and Follow Christ, Useful to God: Eight Lessons from the Life of D. L. Moody, Thinking Christian: Essays on Testimony, Accountability, and the Christian Min, and Trajectories: A Gospel-Centered Introduction to Old Testament Theology. His work calls Christians to an unqualified devotion to the Lord. In addition to serving as president of Useful to God, James is a member of the faculty at Right On Mission and an adjunct instructor at Wheaton College Graduate School. Listen and subscribe to James’s Thinking Christian podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Life Audio.
