A Woman’s Heart with Lisa Granger

Heather O'Brien: Transform Your Heart With The Simple Act Of Putting God First

In this episode of A Woman’s Heart, we sit down with Heather O’Brien for a powerful conversation about spiritual growth, healing, repentance, and staying moldable in God’s hands.Heather shares how our hearts can either stay soft and teachable—or become hardened over time—and why daily habits rooted in faith matter more than we realize. Together, we talk about what it truly means to put God first, how seasons of life require different rhythms, and why understanding sin is essential to real repentance and freedom.This episode is an invitation to examine what’s filling your heart, what no longer belongs there, and how God uses your passion to serve others.Key Takeaways from the Conversation:• Why Bible, worship, prayer, and community are foundational—not optional.• How being full of God leaves no room for what doesn’t belong.• Why habits must change with each season you walk through.About Heather O’Brien:Heather O’Brien is a prophetic healing coach, minister, author, and speaker who helps Christians heal with God by learning how to hear His voice. She is the author of No Fear Allowed and the host of the top-ranked podcast Heal with God. Heather believes that with God’s help, it is possible to forgive the unforgivable and experience deep healing from trauma. https://heatherobrien.net/ To connect with Lisa: www.lisagranger.com

Joni Topper: Yes To God For A Surprisingly Joy-filled Way

In this encouraging episode of A Woman’s Heart, we welcome author, speaker, and storyteller Joni Topper, also known as the GloryTeller. Joni joins us to share insights from her book, The Power of a Well-Placed Yes: God’s Abundant Faithfulness in a Small Church, and reminds us that every yes matters in the Kingdom of God.Through heartfelt stories and lived wisdom, she shows how God honors faithfulness in small, unseen moments in ways we could never imagine. This conversation is filled with hope, encouragement, and practical reminders that faithfulness to small tasks truly matters—and that God’s goodness is always at work, even when we can’t yet see it.In this episode, you’ll hear about:• Why every “yes” to God matters, no matter how small it feels• The joy that comes from leaving the results in God’s hands• Why faithfulness to small tasks is deeply importantJoni Topper, also known as the GloryTeller, radiates the glory of God by sharing everyday moments in compelling storyteller fashion. A Granna, author, worship leader, speaker, and cofounder of Uprooted Women, a Spirit-filled one-day women’s event, Joni is passionate about “being” the Church. She and her pastor husband, Ernest, have faithfully served in the same church for over thirty years. Learn more at www.jonitopper.com .Connect with Lisa: www.lisagranger.com

Alexandra Hoover: Breaking Free from Offense to Live Abundantly

What if the very thing weighing down your heart is something you were never meant to carry?In this powerful episode of A Woman’s Heart, we’re joined by author and speaker Alexandra Hoover to talk about her book, You Can Let Go, and the freedom that comes when we release offense instead of holding onto it.Together, we explore how easily offense can take root and how carrying it impacts our relationships, our emotional health, and our spiritual lives. Alexandra gently helps us understand the difference between experiencing hurt and carrying offense, reminding us that healing doesn’t require denial, but intentional release.We also unpack what it truly means to set healthy boundaries without building walls that isolate us, and how learning to “live loved” changes the way we navigate conflict, disappointment, and connection.In this episode, we discuss:• The difference between acknowledging hurt and holding onto offense• Healthy boundaries vs. emotional walls that isolate• What it means to “live loved” instead of guardedAlexandra Hoover is a compassionate writer, sought-after speaker, and the author of Eyes Up, Without Wavering, and You Can Let Go. A proud Latina, Alexandra serves her local church and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Women and Theology at Northern Seminary. As a wife and mother of three, she treasures balancing family life with ministry and finds joy in serving and encouraging others to live anchored and free.🔗 Learn more at AlexandraVHoover.com 📲 Connect on social media: @AlexandraVHooverConnect with Lisa: www.lisagranger.com

Lynn Jackson: Simple Recipe To Feed Your Weary Soul

When life feels heavy and your energy is low, even opening the Bible can feel overwhelming. In this encouraging episode of A Woman’s Heart Matters, host Lisa Granger welcomes Lynn Jackson to talk honestly about weariness—and the simple, grace-filled way God still meets us there.
Lynn shares her heart for women and her deep desire for them to know that God is lovingly present and actively at work in their lives. We talk about her book, The Recipe, and a practical, bite-sized method for engaging Scripture when you’re too tired to do “all the things,” but still hungry for spiritual nourishment.
This conversation is filled with hope, permission to slow down, and reassurance that even small moments with God matter deeply.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why so many women feel weary in their walk with God
The Recipe and how it offers simple, nourishing time in Scripture
How God meets us in small, faithful moments
About Lynn Jackson:Lynn finds deep joy in encouraging and challenging women. Her greatest desire is for women to know that God is lovingly present and active in their lives. Together with her husband, Scott, Lynn co-founded Thrive Leadership Foundation, a ministry of encouragement to couples and individuals serving in full-time ministry. Their hearts are full with their four adult children, three married-ins, and eight grandchildren.
Learn more about Lynn and her ministry at:👉 https://thrivelead.org 
Book Mentioned: The Recipe: Food for Your Soul by Lynn Jackson
Connect with Lisa: www.lisagranger.com

Marnie Swedberg: How to Reach Goals And Tame Time

We often begin the New Year with big goals, only to lose momentum and find ourselves discouraged or frustrated. In this encouraging episode of A Woman’s Heart, Lisa welcomes Marnie Swedberg—international leadership mentor, speaker, and author—to talk about both the challenges and solutions to navigating purpose in today’s fast-paced world.
Marnie shares practical wisdom on setting meaningful goals, managing time wisely, and cultivating a mindset rooted in joy, flexibility, and faith. Whether you’re balancing personal and professional responsibilities or seeking fresh inspiration to walk more fully in your God-given purpose, this conversation offers encouragement and actionable insights for the year ahead.
Marnie Swedberg embodies faith in action while creating powerful “aha” moments of perspective transformation. An author of 14 books, mentor to millions, and host of one of the largest online directories in the world, Marnie brings joy, energy, and clarity to every conversation. Her life story includes navigating fires, floods, a tornado, car wrecks, business setbacks, burglary, a lightning strike, sudden loss in her family, and more—modeling resilience, possibility thinking, and deep trust in God.
🎧 Want more New Year encouragement?Be sure to check out additional New Year conversations with Cheryl Anderson and Darlene Larson and all of these episodes are also available in the New Year playlist on the A Woman’s Heart with Lisa Granger YouTube channel.
Connect with Marnie Swedberg www.marnie.com
Connect with Lisa / A Woman’s Heart www.lisagranger.com

Promises of Christmas, Brian Johnson: Christ in the Promise

In this final episode of our Christmas series, Pastor Brian Johnson helps us explore the powerful connection between Jesus and the ancient promise God made to Abraham — a promise to bless and redeem the entire world.We discuss how Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise, the true substitutionary sacrifice who pays the price for sin and keeps both sides of the covenant on our behalf. Through this conversation, Brian invites us to see Scripture — and our own lives — with Christ-centered eyes.Key Themes & Quotes• Blessed to bless: “God says I’m calling you to be a blessing for the whole world.”• Christ in all of Scripture:“The early church was so obsessed with Jesus that they read their Bible, the Old Testament, and saw Jesus everywhere.”• A Jesus-shaped lens for life:“What does it mean to look at life and be so obsessed with Jesus that we see Jesus everywhere?”• God’s faithful love:“God is always faithful and faithfulness doesn’t always look like what we want it to look like… faithfulness can sometimes be painful.”• Jesus as covenant-keeper:“Jesus is the one person who can keep both sides of the promise.”About Pastor Brian JohnsonBrian Johnson serves as Lead Pastor at Williamsburg United Methodist Church. Whether organizing local service projects or crafting meaningful sermon series, Brian’s heart is to make the gospel tangible through both words and action. He lives in Williamsburg with his wife and their two sons. Together, they love sports, Star Trek, Tex-Mex nights, exploring historic trails, and adventuring through Busch Gardens.Connect with Williamsburg UMCVisit: williamsburgumc.org Connect with Lisa: www.lisagranger.com

Promises of Christmas, Dean Woodward: Christ in the Fire

In this episode of A Woman’s Heart, we continue our Christmas series, The Promises of Christmas, by exploring “Christ in the Fire” with Pastor Dean Woodward, lead pastor of Eastside Church in Williamsburg.Dean helps us revisit the powerful story of the three men in the fiery furnace from Daniel 3—and how Jesus met them in the fire. Their courage didn’t come from sheer willpower but from a deeper, truer worship. As Dean says,“The reason they wouldn’t bow was because they already had something in that place. They were already worshipping something so much more wonderful.”We talk about how these men lived in a world surrounded by idols, temptations, and cultural pressure—much like the world we live in today. And yet, their steadfast love for God preserved them.Dean reminds us, “We live in the midst of a place where we need Jesus to preserve us.”Together, we explore what it means to walk through our own “fiery trials” with Jesus right beside us:“I remember when there used to be that fire… and Jesus, you walked with me then.”And how God can redeem what feels destructive:“He turns a fire that could destroy you, into a fire that could warm you.”You’ll be encouraged to love Jesus above all else because, as Dean puts it,“God is that good. He’s better than our life. He is the best, so we should love Him the most.”“Jesus is so good. He’s worth dying for.”We also discuss how God works uniquely within each of our lives—“God deals with us all differently. The results should be similar… but not the experience.”This conversation will strengthen your faith, deepen your love for Jesus, and remind you of the promise that He is always with us—even in the fire.About Pastor Dean WoodwardDean Woodward has been a pastor for 38 years and currently serves as the lead pastor of Eastside Church in Williamsburg. He and his wife, Lynn, have been married for 42 years and have three children and seven grandchildren.Learn more or connect with Eastside Church at eastsidechurchwmbg.org .Connect with Lisa: www.lisagranger.com

Promises of Christmas, Hunter Ruch: Christ in the Tabernacle

In this Christmas series, The Promises of Christmas, we continue exploring the ways Jesus is revealed throughout the Old Testament. In this episode, Pastor Hunter Ruch helps us look deeply at Christ in the Tabernacle—the sacred place where God dwelt with His people in the wilderness.Hunter explains the purpose and design of the Tabernacle, how it represented God’s desire to be present with His people, and how every part of it ultimately points to Jesus. We reflect on the truth that God’s heart has always been to dwell with us, and that Christ fulfills every promise of God’s presence.Key Themes & Highlights• The Tabernacle as a dwelling place for God among the Israelites—and a foreshadowing of Jesus.• God’s consistent heart across Scripture: “That’s always been His heart. To dwell with His people.”• Jesus as the fulfillment of every Old Testament symbol and promise:“Jesus Christ is better. He is the better priest, and the better King, who brings better promises.”• The challenge and beauty of living humbly:“Humility is the most important virtue in the Christian life, but the least practiced because it’s hard.”• The incredible reality of God’s nearness today:“The person of the Holy Spirit, God is personally present within each of us.”• The message of Emmanuel—God with us at Christmas and always:“God with us. That’s the beauty of Emmanuel and the season of Christmas, but all the time as well.”• Hunter’s three simple, powerful truths for believers:“Jesus loves you. Jesus is with you. Jesus is the King.”• A reminder to stay rooted in Scripture:“If you want to get to know the heart of the Father, read His love letter to us. Read the Scriptures.”About Pastor Hunter RuchHunter Ruch is the Associate Pastor of Care and Connection at Williamsburg Community Chapel, where he serves alongside a dedicated team helping people grow as disciples of Jesus Christ by connecting them to God’s Word and His body. He holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Dallas Theological Seminary. Hunter and his wife of over 25 years are parents to four children and the owners of a very energetic golden doodle.Connect with Williamsburg Community Chapel• Website: https://wcchapel.org/ • The Chapel Institute: https://wcchapel.org/resources/the-chapel-institute// Connect with Lisa: www.lisagranger.com

Promises of Christmas, Colin Curtis: Christ in Passover

In this episode of A Woman’s Heart, we continue our Christmas series, The Promises of Christmas, by looking back into the Old Testament to see how Christ’s coming was woven into God’s story from the very beginning. My guest, Colin Curtis of Coastal Church, helps us uncover the history and significance of Passover—and how it points directly to Jesus.
Colin explains how God’s pattern of salvation is revealed through it. As he shares,“God in instituting the Passover is laying out for us His pattern of salvation.”We talk about Christ as our Passover Lamb, the meaning of the blood, the role of a substitute, and God’s desire to bring His people out of bondage.
Colin reminds us that:
“God saves through a substitute, through the shedding of blood, and by bringing us out of bondage.”
“Jesus has come to be the ‘Yes’ and ‘Amen’…to every single one of the promises.”
“Our salvation is not dependent on the strength of our faith, it’s dependent on the object of our faith.”
Colin encourages us to faithfully steward the gifts God has given us—without letting our gifts take priority over Jesus Himself:“God has wired us up differently…our job is to steward those giftings for His glory.”“We don’t pursue our passions or our giftings more than we pursue Jesus himself.”
To find out more about Colin and Coastal Church: https://gocoastal.org/williamsburg/
Show notes and links can be found at: www.lisagranger.com

Promises of Christmas, John Morgan: Christ in Creation

In this special Christmas series kickoff, Promises of Christmas, Lisa welcomes Pastor John Morgan, Lead Pastor of Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. With a heart for preaching and a love for restoring his classic 1960 Austin Mini, John brings warmth, clarity, and deep biblical insight to this conversation as we look for Christ throughout the Old Testament.John begins the series in Genesis, exploring Christ's presence in creation and reminding us that the story of Jesus didn’t begin in Bethlehem—it began “in the beginning.” Together we talk about how Christ has always been part of God’s plan and what it means for us to bear the image of God in our everyday lives.Key Themes• Christ was present in creation—“Jesus was not an afterthought of God, but actually part of the whole beginning of creation and God’s plan for us all along.”• God brings order out of chaos—“Before God came to bring order and form to creation, things were in chaos.”• Even in a chaotic world, God is near—“There’s a lot of chaos and things going on but the Spirit is still present with us.”• The miracle of the Incarnation—“He knew that one day, He would enter that fragile flesh to show us what the image of God is like.”• Our identity and calling—“We have the image of God in each of us… We were created to be image bearers of God in this creation, in this world.”• Faithfulness in daily life—“Each and every day follow that passion even if it’s just for a few moments. Keep it the main thing in your life.”About Pastor John MorganJohn serves as Lead Pastor of Williamsburg Presbyterian Church. After pastoring congregations in New Jersey, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, he continues to live out his passion for preaching and shepherding people. He and his wife are proud parents of two married daughters and grandparents to one beloved granddaughter. https://www.mywpc.org/