Happy New Year, Pursuers! In this very short episode, I am inviting you to begin the year with intentional pursuit of Jesus. In the next few weeks, we will be diving into what to expect from the podcast in 2026. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this content with others! Connect with us: Website: https://www.narcelyruiz.com/podcast Instagram: http://instagram.com/upstreampursuit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPursuit/

2025 was a year of change, growth, and unexpected blessings. In this episode, I reflect on the highs and lows of a year that reshaped my life—stepping into solo podcasting, getting married and adjusting to married life, becoming a dog mom, and navigating shifting spiritual rhythms. Join me as I share personal stories of waiting, change, and God’s faithfulness in every season. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this content with others! Connect with u...

In this episode, we connect Simeon’s story in Luke 2 with the history of this ancient Advent hymn, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and discover how both call us to trust God’s timing, remain attentive to His Spirit, and recognize His presence even when He comes quietly. If you are in a season of waiting and are feeling uncertain, weary, or tempted to rush ahead, this episode will encourage you. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this content with others! Conn...

In this episode, we sit with Simeon in Luke 2:25–32, a righteous and devout man who waited faithfully for the consolation of Israel in a season marked by political tension, spiritual dryness, and generations of unanswered longing. We explore what it meant to wait during the time of Jesus’ birth, how the Holy Spirit guided Simeon’s obedience, and why God often fulfills His promises through ordinary faithfulness rather than extraordinary moments. Please leave a comment or review for this epis...

In this episode, we take an honest look at the subtle ways the Santa myth shapes our understanding of goodness, gifts, behavior, and belief. We explore how the lie of Santa contradicts the Truth at the heart of the Gospel and how it can unintentionally distort the way children view God, grace, and His love. This isn’t an episode about legalism or fear — it’s about discernment, discipleship, and elevating the beauty of Jesus above cultural myths. Please leave a comment or review for this episo...

This episode explores how gratitude is more than a holiday feeling — it’s a spiritual discipline rooted in Scripture. Through an exegesis of 1 Thessalonians 5:18, the story of the woman with the alabaster jar, and practical ways to stay grateful during the Christmas rush, you’ll learn how to cultivate a thankfulness that lasts long after the season ends. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this content with others! Connect with us: Website: https://www.narce...

In this final episode of our Gen Z series, the girls turn the tables and ask me the questions. We talk about navigating spiritual dry seasons and staying rooted in Christ while juggling the many roles we carry. It’s a reminder that no matter our age or stage, pursuing Jesus is a journey. Tune in! Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this content with others! Connect with us: Website: https://www.narcelyruiz.com/podcast Instagram: http://instagram.com/upstrea...

In today’s episode, I sit down once again with Sebathany, Mikaela, Ana Karina, and Yasmine—four teenage girls from my church who have been sharing boldly and beautifully about pursuing Christ in their generation. Instead of focusing on where they stand on individual cultural issues, we take a deeper approach and talk about how they navigate a world whose messages often contradict Scripture. Tune in and be encouraged by what God is doing in the hearts of the next generation. Please leave a com...

In today’s conversation, Yasminee, Mikaela, Sebathany, and Ana Karina share how community strengthens our walk with Christ and how faith in Him leads to real transformation — the kind that shows up in how we serve, give, and love others. Tune in and be encouraged by their stories of growth, faith, and genuine community. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this content with others! Connect with us: Website: https://www.narcelyruiz.com/podcast Ins...

In a world that tells Gen Z to “do what feels right,” my teenage guests are choosing something different — obedience to Jesus. In this conversation, Yasminee, Mikaela, Sebathany, and Ana Karina share what it means to walk in obedience and follow Christ even when it costs them something. Their honesty and conviction will challenge all of us to reflect on what obedience looks like in our own walk with God. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this conte...

In this episode, we continue our conversation with four incredible Gen Z girls from my church. This time we are hearing from Sebathany and Karina. Both young women share how Christ became real to them in powerful and personal ways. The audio can’t fully capture the emotion we felt in the room as Karina opened up about an experience that changed her life, one that ultimately drew her closer to the Lord and deepened her hunger for His Word. Then, Sebathany invites us into her spiritual rhythms,...

I sat down with four amazing teenage girls—Yasmine, Mikaela, Sebathany, and Ana Karina—to talk about what it looks like to Pursue Christ, community and change in their generation. In this first episode, Yasmine and Mikaela share how Christ became real to them. Their honesty will remind you that no matter your age or season, following Jesus is always about pursuing a faith that’s real, alive, costly and transforming. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this conte...

We’re stepping away from our regular programming for a special episode in honor of Pastor Appreciation Month. I sat down with four Gen Z girls from our church to share heartfelt encouragement and gratitude for our pastors. Their words beautifully reflect the impact of godly leadership and the seeds being planted in the next generation. This episode also marks an exciting milestone—the very first recording in our brand-new CDP Studio at Camino de Paz Christian Church! Join me for this sh...

I had the opportunity to visit the memorial set up outside the Turning Point USA building in Phoenix, Arizona. In this episode, I talk about what I saw, felt, and experienced, share some thoughts on the memorial service and reflect on how God can use even the deepest tragedies to awaken hearts and bring about His good. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this content with others! Connect with us: Website: https://www.narcelyruiz.com/podcast Instagram: ht...

In this closing episode of our Repentant Lament series, we explore the final verses of Psalm 51, where David’s prayer shifts from personal forgiveness to the restoration of God’s people. Sin is never just private—it weakens families, churches, and even nations. But repentance not only cleanses the heart, it rebuilds the walls of community and strengthens God’s people for worship that truly delights Him. Together, we’ll trace the psalm’s flow from guilt to grace, from brokenness to renew...

What if the very thing you’ve been running from, your guilt, your failure, your brokenness, was the one thing God actually wanted you to bring Him? Forgiven people become worshipers and witnesses. In this episode, we explore how David moves from guilt to praise in Psalm 51:13–17. Learn how God uses our brokenness not to shame us but to point others toward His grace. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this content with others! Connect with us: Website: https...

In a world full of division, anger, and grief, how do we respond as followers of Christ? In this episode, we reflect on the tragic death of Charlie Kirk not to dwell on politics, but to examine our own hearts and the sin that dulls our awareness of God’s presence. Using Psalm 51:7–12 as our guide, we explore David’s model of repentant lament—confessing without excuses, seeking cleansing we cannot achieve on our own, and asking God to renew our hearts and spirits. This episode is a call to tur...

No excuses. No blame-shifting. Just honest confession before God. In this episode, we continue our journey through Psalm 51, David’s raw and honest prayer of repentance after his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. We unpack David’s words in verses 3–6 and learn why true repentance requires truth in the inward being. Discover the freedom that comes when we stop hiding and agree with God about our sin. Next week, we’ll cover David’s cry for renewal: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” Don’t m...

In this episode, we begin our journey through Psalm 51 with David’s opening cry: “Have mercy on me, O God.” After being confronted with his sin, David doesn’t excuse or justify himself; he throws himself on the mercy of God. Whether you feel the weight of past failure or the daily struggle of following Jesus, this episode will remind you that God’s mercy is greater than your sin. As disciples, we are called not to run from Him in shame, but toward Him in honesty, where mercy meets us, cleanse...

What does true repentance look like? Before we dive into Psalm 51, this introduction sets the stage with David’s backstory, the structure of the psalm, and the themes of mercy, confession, renewal, worship, and corporate revival. Discover why this psalm of repentance matters for your walk with Christ today. Please leave a comment or review for this episode to help us share this content with others! Connect with us: Website: https://www.narcelyruiz.com/podcast Instagram: http://instagr...