About this episode

The episode explores the impact of trauma and shame on the perception of God's love, featuring a personal story from guest Mike Pennington.

Send us Fan Mail Why do we feel like we have to "perform" to be loved by God? In this third part of our series, I’m joined by my cousin Mike Pennington to tackle the heavy weights of trauma and shame. Mike opens up about his own childhood trauma and how it created a cycle of shame that took years to break. We discuss why shame is a "slap in the face to God's grace" and how to return to the reality that you are already 100% attached to Him—not because of what you’ve done, but because of who He...

People in this episode

Host: W. Austin Gardner

Guest: Mike Pennington

Topics covered

• trauma
• shame
• God's love
• childhood experiences
• grace

Keywords

• trauma
• shame
• God's grace
• childhood trauma
• self-worth

More episodes of Followed By Mercy

• Learning a Person, Not a Religion: The Lifelong Discovery of Christ · June 3, 2026 · 36 min
• You Were Created for a "Love Party": Rethinking the Gospel · May 29, 2026 · 1h 5m
• Fig Leaves and Fake Religion: Why We Still Hide from God · May 28, 2026 · 52 min
• The Dangerous Prayer That Changes Everything | Austin Gardner & Steve McVey · May 27, 2026 · 48 min
• Spiritual Direction: Finding a Safe Place for Your Story · May 26, 2026 · 33 min
• From Burnout to Beloved: Practical Soul Care with Austin Gardner & Mike Pennington · May 25, 2026 · 33 min

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