Stress is often seen as the enemy—but what if God wants to use it for our growth?
In episode 98, Drew and Tim talk with Dr. Charles Stone, a veteran pastor and leadership expert, about how stress, when understood and managed well, can lead to spiritual maturity and emotional resilience. With wisdom from Scripture and neuroscience, Dr. Stone offers practical tools and godly insight to help us stop letting stress define us and start letting it refine us.
Rather than avoiding or resenting stress, we can learn to embrace it with wisdom and faith. Dr. Charles Stone shares how our brains are wired by God to respond to stress and how practices like emotional naming, metacognition, and intentional joy can help us stay grounded in God’s presence. This episode reminds us that in a world driven by pressure and performance, we can find peace, purpose, and strength through surrender and spiritual discipline.
Stress has two sides: the event and your response—you can’t always control the first, but you can grow in the second.
Naming your emotions (affect labeling) helps reduce anxiety and increase mental clarity.
Think about your thinking (metacognition) to discern truth from lies and realign with God’s Word (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Build a “pleasure piggy bank” by savoring daily joys that strengthen your soul (Nehemiah 8:10 – “The joy of the Lord is your strength”).
Prayer and surrender shift us from fear to faith, allowing God to work in our stress (Philippians 4:6-7).
Pastors and leaders must release the need to please people and embrace their God-given calling (Galatians 1:10).
Learn more about Dr. Charles Stone’s ministry at charlesstone.com
Grab his book Stress Less on Amazon
🙏 Support the Podcast
If this episode encouraged you, make sure to LIKE 👍, SUBSCRIBE 🔔, and SHARE it with a friend who needs this message!
https://kingdomandwill.com/
Use code: EYESONJESUS for 15% off
Get all our links in one easy place! https://linktr.ee/eyesonjesuspodcast
Get the Eyes on Jesus 90 Day Discernment Devotional
Join our Group on Facebook- Eyes on Jesus podcast community https://www.facebook.com/groups/eyesonjesuspodcast
Email feedback, questions or show topic ideas to eyesonjesuspodcast@outlook.com
For more information on Drew Barker: Follow Drew on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pastordrewbarkerDrew's church's website https://yes.online/
For more information on Tim Ferrara: Get all his links in one place- to his social media, all 3 of his books, and more at https://linktr.ee/discerning_dad
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.