How do we keep growing when following Jesus has become familiar? How do we remain faithful when life doesn’t turn out the way we expected?

In this six-episode series of the Be Still podcast, Still Becoming: Six Conversations about Spiritual Maturity, Lisa explores the ways God may be asking us to keep growing—not simply so we can follow Jesus faithfully for most of our lives, but so we can finish well.

Because life can test our faith in ways we never anticipated. When our hearts break, our stories take unexpected turns, and God doesn’t give us the answers we want, what happens to our faith? Through Scripture, great books, and honest reflection, Lisa explores what it means to grow in faith, embrace spiritual maturity, and remain faithful to Jesus through every season of life.

What happens when experience quietly turns into certainty—and we stop believing we have anything left to learn?

In this episode, Lisa explores the humility required to remain teachable as we grow older. Drawing from James 1:19, the story of Joseph, and the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas, she considers the subtle ways experience and expertise can make us quicker to speak, defend, and correct—and slower to listen.

Spiritual maturity doesn't mean questioning everything we believe. It means holding tightly to what God has revealed while remaining humble about how much we still have to learn. Because no matter how long we've followed Jesus, we remain disciples—and a disciple is a learner.

Perhaps one of the simplest and most important prayers we can continue to pray is: Lord, keep me teachable.

In this episode, Lisa explores:

• Why being sincere, intelligent, and experienced doesn't mean we can't be wrong
• How the “expert hat” can quietly crowd out curiosity
• What James means by being “quick to hear, slow to speak”
• The difference between being deeply rooted and being rigid
• Why defensiveness may reveal an area where we've stopped listening
• How changing seasons invite us to become beginners again
• What Joseph's story teaches us about interpreting our lives too quickly
• Why our teachability matters to the people coming behind us
• What St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us about remaining a beginner before God

Journaling Questions

1. Who or what tends to make me defensive, irritated, or quick to explain myself? What might that reaction be revealing about where I have stopped being curious?
2. When was the last time I genuinely changed my mind, admitted I was wrong, or realized I had more to learn? What made that possible—and where might God be inviting me to have that same openness today?

Key Scripture
James 1:19. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.

Show Mentions
If your parish does not have a Walking with Purpose program, there’s still time for a fall launch. Join us on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 12:30 pm ET OR 7:30 pm ET for a Learn about Walking with Purpose event. In just 25 minutes, you will discover how easy it is to launch a WWP parish program, find meaningful community, and deepen your own relationship with the Lord. Register today!

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