Are you ready to rethink what prayer actually is—and how it can completely change your relationship with God?

In this episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin talks about what prayer really is, how to pray, and how to build a personal relationship with God through everyday conversation instead of religious routines or pressure.

If you’ve ever searched for how to talk to God, wondered why prayer feels boring or forced, or struggled with how to connect in a real way, this episode breaks it down simply and honestly. Leigh shares how she learned that prayer is not a ritual or performance. It’s just talking to God and learning to recognize how He responds.

Through her personal journey, she explains how prayer shifted from something she avoided to something that became part of her everyday life. This episode also explores how to hear God’s voice, how prayer includes listening, and how your connection grows through consistent conversation.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• What is prayer really supposed to look like?
•   How do I pray in a real and simple way? 
•  How do I hear God when I pray? 

This episode offers a practical, honest look at prayer as the foundation of a personal relationship with God—not religion, pressure, or performance. Leigh shares how everything changed when she stopped separating prayer from everyday life and started including God in everything she does.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

•   Why Prayer Is Actually a Simple Conversation With God
•  How to Pray Without Overthinking It 
•  Why Prayer Is a Relationship, Not a Ritual 
•  Why Honesty With God (Even Anger or Doubt) Matters
•  The Importance of Learning How God Speaks to You
•  How Prayer Becomes a Natural Part of Everyday Life
•  Why Relationship With God Grows Through Ongoing Conversation
•  How Prayer Shifts From a Ritual Into a Real Relationship

Take the Next Step:

• • 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
  • 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram
• Resources & Links:
  • Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
  •  Website:
    👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
  • Book:
    👉Dear New Believer, Love God

Are you giving advice without including God—and could it be leading someone in the wrong direction? 

In this episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin shares a powerful personal lesson about Christian advice, spiritual guidance, and why we should seek God before offering advice to others. Through personal experiences involving her daughter, her own spiritual struggles, and conversations with people searching for answers, Leigh explains why giving advice without including God can lead people in the wrong direction, even when our intentions are good.

If you’ve ever struggled with knowing how to give godly advice, wondered how to hear God’s voice before making decisions, or found yourself relying more on people than on God, this episode is for you. Leigh discusses the importance of seeking God first, praying before offering advice, and learning how to point people toward a personal relationship with God instead of becoming their source for answers.

This episode encourages listeners to become more intentional about both giving and receiving advice and explains why only God can truly heal, guide, and transform someone’s life. You’ll also learn how suffering, hardship, and difficult circumstances can strengthen your relationship with God and teach lessons that people cannot.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• How do I know if I’m giving godly advice?
•  Why should Christians pray before giving advice?
•  How do I stop depending on people instead of God?

This episode offers a practical perspective on Christian advice, spiritual discernment, and seeking God first before offering guidance to someone else. Leigh shares how God taught her the importance of directing people to Him rather than becoming dependent on other people's opinions and guidance.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The Danger of Giving Advice Without Seeking God First
•  Why Good Intentions Can Still Lead Someone in the Wrong Direction
•  How God Used Leigh’s Spiritual Struggles to Strengthen Her Faith
•  Why Christians Should Point People to God Instead of Themselves
•  How to Pray Before Giving Advice to Others
•  Why Depending on God Brings Clarity Instead of Confusion

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources & Links:

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God

When God speaks through your circumstances

In this episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin shares a personal story about the cost of moving ahead of God. Through the experience of her daughter’s attempted move to New York, Leigh explains how God speaks through circumstances and why we often struggle to hear Him when we are focused on our own desires or the opinions of others.

If you’ve ever felt like nothing is going right or you’ve wondered why God feels silent during a big decision, this episode is for you. Leigh addresses the common struggle of how to hear God clearly and why relying on people causes confusion rather than clarity. You’ll learn how to discern whether you are moving ahead of God’s timing or simply trying to force a plan that isn’t working.

This episode encourages you to pay attention to how God may be guiding you through the circumstances in your daily life and why growing in your personal relationship with Him helps you recognize His voice more clearly.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• How do I know if I’m moving ahead of God?
•  Why does God allow closed doors in my life?
•  How can I become confident in hearing God’s voice for myself?

This episode offers a fresh perspective on how God speaks through your circumstances and encourages you to become confident in your own relationship with Him rather than relying on the opinions of others.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The Pitfall of Relying on People’s Opinions
•  How to Recognize When God Is Closing a Door
•  The Consequences of Forcing a Plan That Isn't God’s
•  Why God Uses Circumstances to Redirect You
•  How to Become Confident in Hearing God’s Voice

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources & Links:

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God

How do you build a personal relationship with God—and is it really available to everyone?

In this episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin answers one of the most common questions people ask: how to have a relationship with God and how to connect with God personally. After a conversation with someone who grew up in church but never experienced God in a real way, Leigh addresses the truth—a personal relationship with God is not reserved for a select few. It’s available to everyone.

If you’ve ever struggled with how to hear God, why you don’t feel close to God, or how to start a relationship with God, this episode breaks it down in a simple, honest way. Leigh shares how her own relationship with God developed outside of religion and explains why you don’t need a middleman to connect with Him.

This episode focuses on building a relationship with God in everyday life, not just in church, and shows you how to begin taking small, intentional steps to grow spiritually.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Is a personal relationship with God really available to me?
•  Why have I never experienced God personally, even though I’ve been in church?
•  How do I actually start building a relationship with God in my everyday life?

This episode gives you a clear starting point for developing a relationship with God and learning how to recognize His presence daily. 

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What It Really Means to Have a Personal Relationship with God
•  Why This Connection Is Not Reserved for a Select Few
•  How Religion Can Cause People to Miss Knowing God Personally
•  The Importance of Inviting God Into Your Everyday Life
•  Simple, Practical Steps to Begin Building Your Relationship with God

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources & Links:

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God

Can alcoholism, pain, and a broken past truly be redeemed?

In this moving episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin shares the powerful and miraculous story of her Uncle Jimmy—a man who transformed from alcohol addiction and being an absentee father into a devout man of faith and deep conviction

While Leigh has often shared how she found freedom by going straight to God after traditional religion failed her, this episode explores how God works in unexpected ways—including the very deliverance ministries that didn't work for her. Through her uncle's journey, Leigh illustrates that God’s grace isn't a one-size-fits-all formula, but a personal encounter that can happen when you least expect it.

Instead of being defined by his past as an alcoholic, Leigh explains how her uncle’s story serves as proof that addiction recovery, redemption, transformation, and deliverance are available to anyone. This episode highlights how God can work through any circumstance—even a deliverance ministry—to restore what was broken. This episode provides an honest look at the power of forgiveness.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Is deliverance real, and can God heal addiction?
• Can God really heal a relationship that feels unforgivable?
• Is it ever too late to change the course of my life?

This episode offers an inspiring perspective on the power of God's redemption.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

•  The Miracle of Quitting Alcohol and Lasting Sobriety
• Redemption Over Reputation
• Healing of a Relationship That Seemed Impossible to Repair
• God's Radical Transformation of a Broken Family

This episode is dedicated in loving memory to my Uncle Jimmy. Your story inspires me to inspire others.

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources & Links:

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God

Do you feel following God is boring? Do you believe faith is only about church, Bible reading, and rules?

In this honest episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin shares how she discovered that a personal relationship with God doesn’t have to be stiff, restrictive, or “all about rules.  Many Christians feel pressured to follow a checklist of religious practices, but Leigh explains why faith is meant to be personal, joyful, and included in every part of your life.

Instead of rigid rules, Leigh shares how inviting God into her everyday activities—work, chores, music, movies, and fun—transformed her understanding of faith and made her relationship with God vibrant and real.

Rather than trying to follow tradition or perform perfectly, Leigh describes how letting God guide her daily life allows her to enjoy faith in a new, exciting way.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Can faith actually be fun?
 • Is Christianity just about rules and checklists?
 • How can I include God in my daily life?

This episode offers an honest perspective on building a personal relationship with God, practical ways to invite Him into your life, and how faith can feel alive instead of boring.

In this episode, you'll hear:

•  How faith can be enjoyable and part of your everyday life. 
•  Why a personal relationship with God matters more than religious performance. 
•  How Leigh includes God in music, movies, work, and daily activities. 
•  How being open to God’s guidance transforms ordinary moments into opportunities to grow closer to Him. 

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources & Links:

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God
• Contact Leigh:
  👉E-mail

God isn't transactional and tithing isn't a requirement.

In this honest episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin talks openly about the fear, guilt, and confusion many people feel around tithing. Many churches teach that giving 10 percent is required, but Leigh explains why financial giving should never come from pressure, obligation, or fear.

Instead, she shares how asking God directly about giving changed her perspective on tithing, generosity, and personal relationship with God.

Rather than following any rules, Leigh describes how she began allowing God to guide when, how and even IF she gives financially.

If you’ve ever wondered:

 • Do Christians have to tithe?
 • What happens if you don’t tithe?
 • Is giving 10 percent really mandatory?

This episode offers an honest perspective on faith, money, tithing, and generosity, while encouraging listeners to focus first on building a real relationship with God.

In this episode, you'll hear:

•   Whether tithing is mandatory for Christians.
•   Why many believers feel fear or guilt about tithing.
•   Why Leigh stopped treating tithing as a rule or requirement 
•   Why relationship with God should come before financial giving.

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources & Links:

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God

Why does God correct judgmental thinking instead of condemning us? 

In this deeply personal episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin shares how God corrected her judgmental thinking after she questioned whether helping someone whose lifestyle she did not agree with was spiritually right. Through prayer and reflection, she discovered that God’s correction is often gentle, relational, and focused on transformation rather than condemnation.

This episode explores the difference between religious judgment and a personal relationship with God, encouraging listeners to move away from fear-based faith and toward compassion, kindness, and spiritual growth. Leigh also shares testimony from her own life, including struggles with lust and how God slowly changed her over time without anger, pressure, or harsh correction.

If you have ever felt confused about how to respond to people living lifestyles you disagree with, or if you are searching for a more personal understanding of God, this episode offers honest insight and encouragement drawn from real spiritual experience found in her award-winning book Dear New Believer, Love God 

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How a personal relationship with God is different from fear-based faith.
•  The story of how Leigh questioned helping someone whose lifestyle she    disagreed with. 
•  How God corrected her thinking without shame or harsh conviction.
•  Personal testimony about transformation through relationship with God.

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources & Links:

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God

Do I have to love God to have a relationship with Him? 

In this episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin shares a deeply honest and personal story about how her relationship with God does not always look the way others might expect.

Leigh explains how she was judged by someone who was disappointed when she said she did not love God yet. Through this experience, she reflects on the idea that a relationship with God does not require pretending to feel something you do not genuinely feel.

Through her own journey, Leigh shares that God is not judging her for where she is spiritually. Instead, God continues to work in her life, teach her, and help her grow — even while she is still learning what it means to love Him.

If you have ever felt pressured to love God before you are ready, or worried that your faith does not look like someone else’s, this episode encourages you to start where you are and take one step at a time.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How Leigh was judged for saying she does not love God yet. 
• Why God is not judging her for not loving Him.
• How her experience shaped her understanding of a personal relationship with God.
• Why you do not have to pretend to love God to begin walking with Him.
• The importance of starting your relationship with God honestly and without pressure.

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources :

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God 

Do I need to go to church to have a relationship with God? 

In this episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin takes time to clarify something she often shares on the podcast — that building a relationship with God doesn’t have to start with church attendance, religious routines, or dependence on others.

Leigh explains that her message is not meant to criticize the church or discourage people from attending. Instead, her heart behind the podcast is to encourage people to develop their own personal relationship with God and learn to walk with Him directly.

Through her personal journey, Leigh discovered that a genuine relationship with God comes before religious structure. God can meet us anywhere — inside a church building or outside of it — and He often teaches each of us in deeply personal ways.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you must attend church, follow strict routines, or rely on others to grow spiritually, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on what it means to truly know God.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How personal experiences shaped Leigh’s understanding of relationship with God.
• Why this podcast is not meant to discourage church attendance.
• The difference between spiritual dependency and personal relationship with God.
• Why developing your own connection with God is more important than religious performance.

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources:

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God 

 Is Satan real and how can I be free from spiritual oppression? 

In this powerful and eye-opening episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin shares her personal story of encountering the reality of Satan and how ignorance about the enemy allowed him to take control of her life. Leigh opens up about her four-year struggle with demonic possession, the confusion she faced, and the moment she learned that true freedom comes only from calling out directly to God.

If you’ve ever wondered whether Satan is real or how to develop a personal relationship with God without relying solely on church or religious rituals, this episode is for you. Leigh emphasizes that understanding both God and the enemy is crucial for spiritual growth.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How ignorance of the enemy can open doors you never intended to open.
• Leigh’s personal journey through demonic possession and how she finally found deliverance.
• The importance of calling out directly to God rather than relying only on others.

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources:

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God

How do you know when God is speaking to you? 

In the very first episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin shares the moment that changed everything—the first time she clearly felt God speak to her.

This episode is about discovering that God is personal, present, and able to communicate with you directly—without religious performance, church attendance, or spiritual checklists.

Leigh shares a real-life encounter where an unexplainable sense of urgency led her to save her dog, Cha-Chi—marking the beginning of her journey toward learning how God speaks. She also shares a second moment, inside a church, where God spoke to her during anger, confusion, and spiritual struggle, revealing that He can meet us exactly where we are.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How God can speak to you outside of religious settings
• Why you don’t have to be “doing everything right” for God to show up
• Why it’s okay to be honest—even angry—with God
• How to begin recognizing God’s voice in your own life

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources:

• Get the free guide for this episode to take practical baby steps in developing your relationship with God.
•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God

What is the difference between religion and a personal relationship with God? 

In this introductory episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin—author of the award-winning book Dear New Believer, Love God—shares why this podcast exists and who it’s really for.

Although created with new believers in mind, this podcast is for anyone who has been conditioned to believe that knowing God is about rules, church attendance, Bible reading, or religious performance—rather than a personal relationship with Him.

Leigh opens up about her own journey: not growing up knowing God, believing Christianity was nothing more than expectations and religion, and trying to “do everything right” after encountering God—only to become overwhelmed, confused, and spiritually lost. What followed was a painful, life-altering spiritual battle that no church, book, or well-meaning advice could fix.

It was only when Leigh learned—directly from God—that relationship comes first, that real healing and understanding began.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why religion is not the same thing as relationship
• Why church, Bible reading, and tithing are not prerequisites to knowing God
• How spiritual confusion can happen when we skip the beginning stages
• Why baby steps matter in your walk with God
• The heart behind this podcast and the community Leigh hopes to build

This podcast isn’t about pressure, performance, or getting it all right. It’s about learning who God is, one step at a time, in a way that’s personal, honest, and real.

If you’re new to faith, spiritually curious, wounded by religion, or simply tired of feeling like you’re “doing it wrong,” this podcast is for you.

Take the Next Step:

• 👉 Listen & Follow on Your Favorite App!
• 👉 Follow on Facebook and Instagram

Resources:

•  Website:
  👉 BabyStepsWithChrist.com
• Book:
  👉Dear New Believer, Love God