What does it look like to trust God when He says no? Sarah Stephens spent years learning how to change people’s minds, first as a producer at Fox News, then as a senior staffer on Capitol Hill for a decade. Today she’s the Director of Ministries and Chief of Staff at Celebration Church of The Woodlands and a Bible teacher to women around the world. Along the way, she turned down the kind of opportunities most people only dream about, because she didn’t have peace about them.
In this conversation, Sarah sits down with Emily and Alison to talk about what it actually cost to trust God’s no, why He’s a God of order even when your path doesn’t look ordinary, and the “feelings detector” she uses to tell whether she’s making a decision out of faith or fear. Plus: the expensive D.C. apartment lease she signed in her twenties that taught her a lesson she’s never forgotten. Opportunity does not equal obedience.
Chapters:
0:00 Trusting God When He Says No
1:26 Meet Sarah Stephens
3:47 From Capitol Hill to Full-Time Ministry
5:59 How a Campaign Led to Fox News
8:21 Turning Down Her Dream Job in New York
9:14 Becoming a Press Secretary on Capitol Hill
11:33 The Number on a Piece of Paper: Moving to Texas
13:33 Leaving Politics for Ministry
15:02 Peace Is a Person You Follow
16:37 How to Hear God’s Voice in a Hard Decision
17:35 A God of Order, But Not Ordinary
19:37 Why God’s Path Isn’t a Straight Line
22:58 Going Into Ministry: What It Meant for Their Finances
26:35 “The Pie Is the Pie”: Living on a Budget
27:16 When Generosity Becomes Reckless Spending
28:55 Read Your Bible With a Highlighter, Not a Sharpie
29:59 Why Money Means Power to Men and Security to Women
32:02 The Feelings Detector: Are You Deciding Out of Faith or Fear?
33:48 3 Signs Your Feelings Are Making the Decision
35:15 Opportunity Does Not Equal Obedience
38:11 Not Every Good Idea Is a God Idea
38:50 The Peace That Guards Your Heart and Mind
40:40 What Stewardship Means Beyond Money
43:13 Where to Find Sarah
Resources:
Visit Sarah’s website: https://sarahstephens.com
Start your day with Sarah’s Two Minute Devotionals: https://sarahstephens.com/two-minute-devotionals/
Watch Sarah’s Bible study sessions: https://sarahstephens.com/bible-study-sessions/
Download Emily’s free budget worksheet and other practical tools at: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources
Buy Emily’s Book: Purchase Faithful Finance by Emily Stroud on her website: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources/
Support the Show:
✅ Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode
✍️ Leave a review and share your biggest takeaway
📲 Share this episode with someone standing at a crossroads decision
Connect With Sarah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sstephenstx/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.t.stephens.5
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahStephensMinistries
Connect With Emily:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilygstroud
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilygstroud
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@emilygstroud
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@faithfulfinancepodcast
Connect With Alison:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amgengelbach
Credits
A Faithful Finance production.
Executive Producer: Emily Stroud
Produced by Griffith Media
© COPYRIGHT 2026 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Emily G. Stroud, LLC
Emily G. Stroud, MBA, CFA is a Registered Representative
Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member SIPC sipc.org
In this conversation, Sarah sits down with Emily and Alison to talk about what it actually cost to trust God’s no, why He’s a God of order even when your path doesn’t look ordinary, and the “feelings detector” she uses to tell whether she’s making a decision out of faith or fear. Plus: the expensive D.C. apartment lease she signed in her twenties that taught her a lesson she’s never forgotten. Opportunity does not equal obedience.
Chapters:
0:00 Trusting God When He Says No
1:26 Meet Sarah Stephens
3:47 From Capitol Hill to Full-Time Ministry
5:59 How a Campaign Led to Fox News
8:21 Turning Down Her Dream Job in New York
9:14 Becoming a Press Secretary on Capitol Hill
11:33 The Number on a Piece of Paper: Moving to Texas
13:33 Leaving Politics for Ministry
15:02 Peace Is a Person You Follow
16:37 How to Hear God’s Voice in a Hard Decision
17:35 A God of Order, But Not Ordinary
19:37 Why God’s Path Isn’t a Straight Line
22:58 Going Into Ministry: What It Meant for Their Finances
26:35 “The Pie Is the Pie”: Living on a Budget
27:16 When Generosity Becomes Reckless Spending
28:55 Read Your Bible With a Highlighter, Not a Sharpie
29:59 Why Money Means Power to Men and Security to Women
32:02 The Feelings Detector: Are You Deciding Out of Faith or Fear?
33:48 3 Signs Your Feelings Are Making the Decision
35:15 Opportunity Does Not Equal Obedience
38:11 Not Every Good Idea Is a God Idea
38:50 The Peace That Guards Your Heart and Mind
40:40 What Stewardship Means Beyond Money
43:13 Where to Find Sarah
Resources:
Visit Sarah’s website: https://sarahstephens.com
Start your day with Sarah’s Two Minute Devotionals: https://sarahstephens.com/two-minute-devotionals/
Watch Sarah’s Bible study sessions: https://sarahstephens.com/bible-study-sessions/
Download Emily’s free budget worksheet and other practical tools at: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources
Buy Emily’s Book: Purchase Faithful Finance by Emily Stroud on her website: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources/
Support the Show:
✅ Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode
✍️ Leave a review and share your biggest takeaway
📲 Share this episode with someone standing at a crossroads decision
Connect With Sarah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sstephenstx/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.t.stephens.5
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SarahStephensMinistries
Connect With Emily:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilygstroud
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilygstroud
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@emilygstroud
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@faithfulfinancepodcast
Connect With Alison:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amgengelbach
Credits
A Faithful Finance production.
Executive Producer: Emily Stroud
Produced by Griffith Media
© COPYRIGHT 2026 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Emily G. Stroud, LLC
Emily G. Stroud, MBA, CFA is a Registered Representative
Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member SIPC sipc.org