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What if God is less interested in giving us the one perfect answer and more interested in forming us into people who can choose wisely?

In this episode, Elliot Sands talks with Alan Noble, author of To Live Well: Practical Wisdom for Moving Through Chaotic Times, about decision-making, virtue, contentment, justice, faith, doubt, and what it means to live faithfully in a chaotic world.

Alan helps reframe big life decisions—not as paralyzing “one right answer” moments, but as opportunities to practice prudence, pursue what is good, and walk resolutely with God. The conversation also explores why social media fuels inadequacy, how contentment frees us from regret, why justice requires grace, and how Christians can live with faith even when every question is not fully resolved.

Dr. O. Alan Noble is Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, a fellow at the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics, and the author of On Getting Out of Bed, You Are Not Your Own, Disruptive Witness, and To Live Well. He holds a PhD from Baylor University and writes on faith, culture, literature, technology, mental health, and Christian cultural engagement. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, First Things, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and other outlets.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

Connect with Alan Noble

Alan Noble website: https://www.oalannoble.com/

Book: To Live Well https://www.ivpress.com/to-live-well

Substack: https://newsletter.oalannoble.com/

Oklahoma Baptist University profile: https://www.okbu.edu/directory/alan-noble

Connect with Live Faith First

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YouTube: youtube.com/@livefaithfirst

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“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

Our culture wears exhaustion like a badge of honor. But what if our constant striving, stress, scrolling, and overwork are actually disconnecting us from the way God designed us to live?

In this thoughtful and deeply practical episode of the Live Faith First Podcast, Elliot Sands sits down with author, speaker, and justice advocate Ken Wytsma to discuss his book, The Sleep You’re Longing For.

This isn’t just a conversation about getting better rest. It’s a conversation about being human.

Ken explores the “elemental” nature of sleep — why it’s as fundamental as air, water, and food — and how our modern culture has drifted far from healthy rhythms of work, rest, peace, and trust in God.

Together they discuss:

• Why sleep is essential for emotional and spiritual health

• The hidden effects of stress and overstimulation

• Anxiety, social media, and the “Anxious Generation”

• Trauma, nervous systems, and what happens while we sleep

• Why “trying harder” often makes sleep worse

• Practical ways to improve sleep with grace instead of pressure

If you’ve struggled with insomnia, stress, burnout, or simply feeling emotionally exhausted, this conversation offers both wisdom and hope.

Ken Wytsma is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, and justice advocate passionate about helping people live integrated, thoughtful, and spiritually grounded lives. Born in Maine to a Dutch immigrant father who grew up in Nazi-occupied Holland, Ken spent portions of his childhood in both the United States and the Netherlands, developing a lifelong love of history, culture, and theology.

Ken is the author of several books including:

• The Sleep You're Longing For

• Pursuing Justice

• The Myth of Equality

• Create vs. Copy

He is the founder of the justice conference movement and has spent years working at the intersection of faith, culture, leadership, and human flourishing. Ken lives in Oregon with his wife and family.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

Connect with Ken Wytsma

Website: ⁠Ken Wystma⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/kjwytsma/⁠

Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/kenwytsma/⁠

Connect with Live Faith First

Website: LiveFaithFirst.com

Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

TikTok: @livefaithfirst

Facebook: facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

YouTube: youtube.com/@livefaithfirst