What if the very thing that makes your dream feel different is the reason God gave it to you?
Samantha Wells is a writer, speaker, and Bible teacher with a deep love for Scripture and a heart for drawing women into comprehending God’s restorative work in the world. In this episode, she shares how she stepped out in faith to write a Bible study on the book of Nehemiah, not as a leadership guide or wall-building blueprint, but as a tender invitation to see God’s goodness in the rubble.
IF YOU’VE WONDERED WHETHER YOUR UNIQUE APPROACH COULD MAKE A KINGDOM DIFFERENCE, THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU!
In this honest and faith-filled conversation, Samantha shares how God stirred this dream in her heart to teach and encourage women through the lesser-known parts of His Word and how she walked in obedience even when the path didn’t look like anyone else’s.
Her story will encourage you if you’ve ever felt like your ideas were too different or questioned whether your dream really matters. May it also help you trust God with your unique gifts and deepest desires.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
📖 How embracing God’s bigger story in all of Scripture can deepen your faith
✨ Why stepping out with your unique gifts—even if your approach looks different—truly matters
🤲 What it means to surrender control and trust God’s purposes with your deepest dreams
If you’ve been longing to take bold, faithful steps in your calling—especially when it looks different from others—this episode will renew your confidence that God is writing something beautiful through your life. Press “play” and be reminded that He wants to use you in His story of restoration.
CONNECT WITH MERRITT:
Website || Facebook || Instagram
CONNECT WITH SAM:
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Come to the next Dream Out Loud call where you can practice talking about your dream with other dreamers.
Get your hands on a copy of Sam’s new Bible study: Nehemiah: Labor, Longing, and the Promise of Restoration.
Enjoy This Episode?
Here are some others you might also like:
Ep 268: How Weakness Will Show Us the Way Back to Ourselves Apple | Spotify
Ep 283: Why Taking Action Is the Secret to Clarity for Your Dream Apple | Spotify
Ep 313: How to Feel More Capable When You’re Starting a Dream Apple | Spotify
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The unedited transcript for this episode of The Devoted Dreamers Podcast follows:
Hey, dreamer—
Welcome to episode 346 of the Devoted Dreamers Podcast. Today we are talking about
Why Your God-Given Dream Doesn’t Have to Look “Typical”
What if the very thing that makes your dream feel different is the reason God gave it to you?
This conversation is all about the importance of embracing the uniqueness of how God created you!
Sometimes our dreams feel out in left field. A one-of-kind idea or something that just doesn’t fit the mold of those perfectly curated Instagram profiles. You might think that disqualifies you. But this conversation will turn that on its head.
Your dream doesn’t have to fit into a mold. And I cannot wait to introduce you to my guest, Samantha Wells, who is proof of that!
She’s a first-time author of a brand-new Bible study and defier of the “typical” at least when it comes to choosing the big idea for this very first Bible study that she’s written. And I just know you’re going to be so inspired by her and her story!
Sam and I attended the same church for a short time before Covid, and though our paths haven’t really crossed much in the last 5 years, I’ve been keeping a quiet eye on her and her writing dreams.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a guest on the podcast who’s in her 20s, so whether you’re Sam’s age, in midlife, or beyond I invite you to listen closely to this example of how God wants to use our unique gifting and our unique approach to going after a dream, especially because it doesn’t look just like everyone else’s.
Then, if you’re ready to take the next step, you can get acquainted with our growing Devoted Dreamers community by coming to the next Dream Out Loud call. RSVP at merrittonsa.com/dreamoutloud
Hey there, I’m your host Merritt Onsa – a Christian life coach — I’m kinda like the Joanna Gaines for women of faith who have big dreams about how God might re-order the second half of your life — so you can use your gifts and life experiences to usher in beauty, redemption, healing and service to others.
It’s not a re-design of your home that we’re working on….
It’s a brand-new way to live — in freedom… free from fear, free from second-guessing yourself all the time, and free from the lies that the enemy has used to keep you quiet and playing small in the past.
And isn’t it about time more of us who believe in Christ started living that way?!
I’m on a mission to engage 10,000 women worldwide to start taking intentional and purposeful steps that will bring their God-shaped dreams to life!
If you believe in Jesus, and you see His work in your life and you’re aware that you’ve been given gifts, talents, and a life story that could serve and benefit others. … maybe you’re among those 10,000.
I hope that you are…
Because you’re here listening to a podcast about dreams – maybe you’re looking for a chance to see if your dream has LEGS. You want to try it on for size and figure out if it’s possible. You want to be inspired and encouraged that there’s hope for what you’ve been dreaming all these years.
Maybe you’ve been too fearful in the past. Or someone dashed your dreams with a comment that hit too close to home. Or you just haven’t had time to figure out how to proceed.
Well, my friend…This is your time. This is your space.
If you have big Ideas for how God could use the gifts He’s given you and the years of your life that remain, and you have a dream that would serve others – let’s figure out how to turn that heartfelt hidden dream into real, actionable plans with impact for God’s kingdom work in the world.
Hey, dream believers,
I am excited to introduce you today to Samantha Wells, a writer and Bible teacher who is passionate about helping women deepen their faith and find hope through the storyline of scripture. She lives in Colorado, not too far from me, with her husband, who she says is the most people-oriented engineer you'll ever meet. I haven't met him, but would like to because that sounds cool. And she really likes to escape the noise of the city for the stillness of a long mountain trail whenever she can.
And I am with you on that, Sam.
Sam recently released a verse-by-verse Bible study on the book of Nehemiah to help women see how God's redemptive story runs through all of scripture—even in the books we're tempted to skip—and how that story invites us to join his work of restoration in the world.
Welcome Sam, to the Devoted Dreamers Podcast.
Samantha Wells:
Thank you, Merritt. So good to be here.
Merritt Onsa:
It is awesome to have you. I feel like I've been watching your journey a little bit from afar for the last several years. But you've written a Bible study and congratulations, by the way! Yeah, it's so exciting. And would you just start us by talking about how this Bible study relates to your God shaped dream?
Samantha Wells:
Yes, definitely. So I, let's see. I have known I wanted to write for so many years, and I didn't know exactly what I wanted that to look like and it kind of evolved over time. But I knew that I also cared deeply about teaching the Bible and I really wanted to, I wanted to equip women to know and love God more through His Word.
And so ultimately over time I realized, okay, I think a Bible study really is the means that will allow me to do that. And so when I decided one day I'm going to write a Bible study, I sat back and kind of was thinking through, how can I do this? What? And this, this all relates to my God shaped dream of not just writing a Bible study, but how do I do this in a way that's intentional?
And what I really care about was I wanted to, I wanted to help women go to the parts of the Bible that they might be tempted to skip or skim. And so it can be really easy to say that “I don't know how that one relates to my life” or “I don't know how, you know, why I should spend time reading a list of names in the Old Testament,” but I really wanted to see, help them see how God's story of redemption is there.
And so that's part of my God-shaped dream is just helping women explore all the parts of scripture and see that those parts are related to this bigger story of redemption that God's invited us into.
Merritt Onsa:
I love how you put that. I mean, yeah, it's in your bio, but to hear you talk about it in that way where. And I've, you know—side note, I've read the Bible study. I went through it—so I know what you're talking about as far as those clues in there. But yeah, how important to see, like it's not just words on a page. It's, you know, not there by accident. It's all deliberate and intentional and it's tied into the heart of God. And what a cool, what a cool way to live out this dream.
So will you kind of rewind and take us back to when you first recognized God calling you in this direction? If I recall, you were young, young girl. So maybe just talk about like, how old were you? What was going on in your life? How did you know this was a direction that was going to be significant for you?
Samantha Wells:
Yeah, I was young. I really was interested in faith from a really young age. And so obviously at that point was not thinking, I'm going to teach this one day.
Merritt Onsa:
Right, sure.
Samantha Wells:
But it was always this, there was this internal bend inside of me where it was, I'm just curious. And my parents say that I had a lot of big questions that they didn't know how to answer and they didn't know why they were coming out of a seven-year-old.
But over time started to, you know, as I grew up and started to understand a little bit more about my faith, I realized as well that I really love to write. And again, at that time, those two things weren't really connected. But I really loved words. I loved putting them on a page and I loved my faith.
And it's been interesting, now looking back, to see how I am sure that fifth grade Sam's writing was nothing to really get excited about. But my fifth-grade teacher really encouraged me to write and she would—I don't know if she was allowed to do this, but she let me not do as much science things or she, she would. Not me personally, but our whole class; she enjoyed writing more and so she would kind of hurry through science and get us to the writing and I got to work on some special projects and I just thought it was so fun.
And at that point I just thought, I just love words. And then over time, as things changed, I realized I can use words. Words are really powerful. And that's when it kind of, again, things started to solidify. Of I could use this as a means of bringing glory to the Lord and helping other people see how amazing He is.
Merritt Onsa:
Fifth grade teachers are so special. Oh, I mean, are you still in touch with her? Do you have a way to reach out to her?
Samantha Wells:
No, I went to a different school and so I haven’t talked to her in years.
Merritt Onsa:
Okay, well, you never know. You never know.
So as time went on. Let's see, I'm assuming you're in your 20s now, maybe late 20s.
Samantha Wells:
I’m 26.
Merritt:
Okay, mid-20s, along the way. Like, I don't know when you decided or how old you were when you decided, I'm writing a Bible study, so there's probably a decade or so in there. But what were some other external clues that you feel like now kind of pointed you towards what you're doing today?
Samantha Wells:
Yeah, let's see. So I didn't necessarily know I would specifically write a Bible study, but I did know that I would write something relating to faith when I was about 16 years old. And so it is that decade that you talked about, it was 10 years ago.
And the funny thing is I do remember thinking about, you know, I'm way too young to be sharing these things. And I remember thinking, well, maybe if I get it 10 years when I'm like 26, then I'll feel like I have something to say.
And now that I'm 26, I hope I had something to say. But still, I'm like, I'm so young.
That's a side note.
But when I was around that 16-year mark, I was actually at a Christian school for just a couple of years to finish out high school. And I started taking this Bible class and it was actually kind of funny because I wasn't supposed to be in this Bible class. It was this, it was a Lutheran Bible class. I'm not Lutheran and only the Lutherans were there except for me. But it was the only one that fit in my schedule. And so I end up in this class. And the teacher, he's amazing.
Again, another teacher who I'm not in contact with, but he really opened my eyes to the Bible in a deeper way. And so it was really cool because he took this class of 16-year-olds and he basically said, I trust that you all are… I don't know how to say it necessarily, but he trusted us to go deeper at a level that most other teachers weren't taking us. And so he was talking about theology in this bigger sense. And I think a lot of the students were kind of bored at times. I thought it was the coolest thing on the face of the planet. And so we. I just learned so much. And it was through that class that I realized, you know what? I don't want to write fiction. Which is what I had been thinking before. I really want to just teach the Bible because there's so much to unearth here.
And so that was that first clue of, okay, I have direction. It was. There was some help and guidance from my parents of what does it look like practically? What skills do I need to learn outside of writing in order to actually do this? Because you can't just write.
And then as I went to college as well, there were professors that helped guide me, and encouraged me to say, okay, this is something that I should pursue. It's not just a whim that, you know, this idea that I have. But there are people older and wiser than me saying, don't give this up.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah.
And so when did Nehemiah, as the subject of the first one, when did that come to you?
Samantha Wells:
That's kind of a funny story.
Merritt Onsa:
Glad I asked then.
Samantha Wells:
And it's mostly just because you would think it would be a lot, maybe more intentional than it was. But when I decided to write a Bible study, I, like I said I was trying to… I wanted to go to a book that are more. Or choose a book that was more easily skipped or skimmed. And so I wasn't going to pick the Gospels or Romans. Not that it's bad to do a Bible study on those. I just knew it's easier to pick those up and read on your own. I wanted to go to a book that was a little bit more challenging, but I also wanted one that had enough story to draw someone in, so maybe they read the story and they think this is a good story. I just don't get it. I don't get why it matters. And so I wanted to kind of help bridge that gap.
And back when I was 16, I randomly read through the Book of Nehemiah with my childhood best friend and thought it was such a great book. And I remembered that and I decided, you know what? That sounds like a good one. And it's also only 13 chapters, so I don't have to write a whole Bible study on like Isaiah or something like that.
Merritt Onsa:
Oh, my gosh.
Samantha Wells:
So practical reasons that led to it. But I'm so grateful because I am in love with the book of Nehemiah.
Merritt Onsa:
Yes. Oh, it's so good.
So at this phase of having written this Bible study, like, what are you most excited about right now?
Samantha Wells:
So at the time that we're recording, it just released yesterday, so. So it's kind of a weird time. Not. Not a bad weird, but a good weird time.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah.
Samantha Wells:
Where it's okay, we're past the push. What next? And obviously there's still so much more to do in terms of marketing and getting it out there and different things, but I think something that I'm really excited about, and this fits into my God shaped dream. You know, I didn't really talk about this earlier, but I love teaching through writing, but I also do really enjoy teaching through speaking. And so something that I'm excited about is when I get to start bringing this Bible study into a local church and start equipping women face to face.
It's really fun to write something and then pass it off, but there's also just something really special about being in a room with people and seeing their eyes light up. I've seen that on a small scale when I just talk about Nehemiah with all of my, you know, friends and acquaintances who might be sick of it at this point, but I'll tell them things that I'm learning or just new, exciting discoveries from the book of Nehemiah.
And it is so fun to see their eyes light up when they realize, I didn't know you could find that in that book. I didn't know that was there. And so I'm just really excited to get to eventually some more face to face ministry.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah. Okay, so that's the next step then. That, that's cool. I can visualize you doing that and being able to speak with passion about what God's taught you through this book.
One of the things that I really, I don't. Not that I was surprised about, but as one of your beta readers and I went through the study, there was so many echoes of things that we talk about here in the Devoted Dreamers land that I don't know, I. And maybe, you know, that's the lens I had on while I was reading it, of course, but I think in the past it's like, oh, well, Nehemiah is about Nehemiah and his leadership and helping rebuild the wall.
And I think my takeaway was everyone has a way in which God has wired them to be part of his kingdom work.
And I just found myself like cheering and like drawing big circles around stuff and just being like really excited. Like it would never occur to me to be like, hey, Devoted Dreamers, go read the book of Nehemiah. You'll really relate to it as you're following a God shaped dream. And yet that's exactly what I got out of your study.
Samantha Wells:
I love that. I actually. So it's, it's funny that you bring that up because I was talking to someone from my church who has a lot more experience in ministry than I do and more decades behind her of studying the Word. And I remember asking her, is it okay that I'm not focused on the leadership theme through this study? Because that feels wrong. Like everyone talks about Nehemiah being about leadership and it is about leadership.
But I told her what the big idea was of the study and how the frame I was… and the theme I was looking at throughout it. And she said no, that's also true. If you try to do both, it'll actually be a worse study. You need to. It's good that you're focusing on this one, and you're letting others focus on the others. It's just funny that you brought that up because I did grasp that.
Merritt Onsa:
That's perfect. I'm so glad I did too, because I think we, because in 2025, we have access to so much right, media, social media, we know what everybody's having for breakfast and where they're walking their dog and like what they're reading in the Bible. Like, it's just a proliferation of information. And I think it would be easy to think what you said, like, oh, well, all studies about Nehemiah are about his leadership. So maybe that's what I should do too.
And it feels like I should just do what's been done; when in fact, clearly God was putting on your heart something else to draw out of that story and those words.
So I think that's a really powerful point that like, just because it doesn't look like what somebody else has done or the way somebody else has done it or the theme that they've used, like, doesn't mean it's wrong. And praise God for that person that gave you that feedback that, yeah, you can't be all things to all people and if he's put it on your heart in a specific way, it's actually for a reason.
Samantha Wells:
It's true. I've even been thinking about that since it's been released. The way that I write questions I know isn't going to relate with every person. I am not the Bible study writer that wants to give you the answers, which I think is good. That's what I'm. That's my goal, is to help someone search for the answers themselves. And so even in that sense, I can't and shouldn't be all things to all people. And that's a good thing for our dreams when we recognize, okay, I'm not trying to appeal to everyone. I have my specific audience and a specific call, and I can step out in that way.
Merritt Onsa:
That is honestly one of my favorite things about your questions, like the Bible studies that, like, you read the question and then you answer the question, and the answer that you gave is actually in the next question, and you're like, oh, well, I didn't even have to do all that work. You were already giving me the answer. So. No, I appreciated your style so much that it would, like. I have a very thick journal, I think, that I walked away with, of notes and things that I learned and ways that you helped me pull out stuff that I would not have gotten without it.
Samantha Wells:
So I'm really grateful.
Merritt Onsa:
Way to go. Yeah. Way to stay faithful to what God gave you.
Well, I probably should have you say the name of the study.
Samantha Wells:
Yeah, that's helpful. So the Bible study is called Nehemiah, and the subtitle is Labor, Longing, and the Promise of Restoration.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah. And so you tweaked that a little bit from the beta testing. Talk about, like, why that subtitle.
Samantha Wells:
Definitely. So for context, for everyone else, the former name that I was playing around with was Labor and Longing, a study of on the Book of Nehemiah. And there was a part of me that liked the more poetic feel of that, but the reason I shifted was because it's true that the book of Nehemiah is about labor and longing. There's, you know, people rallying together to rebuild this wall led by Nehemiah. And it takes hard work. And there's longing because they're waiting for the promised Messiah. They want the kingdom to come. And so both of those things are true, but it's a little bit depressing if you stop there.
And not everyone sees it that way. Some people see it as, you know, all labor and longing. What does God, what does the Bible and God through the Bible have to say about my labor and longing? Like, there is that sense that some people feel. And other people feel, I don't want to do a Bible study about labor and longing. I want something that's a little happier.
So the content of my study did not change, but I added the hope of restoration. Because the theme that you see throughout Nehemiah, too, is God is fighting for his people and he is the one bringing restoration.
And we get to be a part of it. And there's just, just this underlying sense of what, you know, the ultimate goal is of this project that we get to follow along with in Nehemiah. So that's the story behind the name.
Merritt Onsa:
I love that. That's so cool. And see, like, now that you say it, it does seem like it totally fits that, like the, whatever the prefix, the first part was there and you're like, no, no, that's not totally all of it. So the hope of restoration. I love that. So beautiful.
It's interesting. Oh, this is such a side note.
I may not, I may not keep this in the podcast, but I was on a call yesterday and people were sharing, like, what's their top three values? And I always, I don't struggle with that question. It's just there's so many, like, how do you get three? And I said one of mine was restoration, because I'm, in the CliftonStrengths Finder, one of my top five strengths is called Restorative. And it, the way I see it manifest for me is: I see broken things and I can imagine and desire to fight for those things to be made whole. And it's a very kingdom-focused idea because that's what Jesus is going to do. And so I said it on this call yesterday and multiple people were like, I don't know what you mean by that word. And I realized, like, this was. This is a believer's concept that in the broken world, that doesn't exist for people.
You know, the concept that this will all be restored one day back to its original perfect way. Anyway, I've been mulling that over quite a bit and like, what a gift that we have access to that truth. And I had no idea that other people didn't know about that.
Samantha Wells:
Well, and that makes it. That makes me think how easy it is to take it for granted because. And I, I don't know, I kind of go back and forth on this, I guess. When I was growing up, I didn't think about the Bible as the story of redemption or the story of restoration. It is that. But it took me until college to see it.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah.
Samantha Wells:
But when I saw it. I was. I was just thinking, oh, my goodness, this changes everything, because my life is now, I can see my life through the lens of this story where, okay, there's God made this beautiful world. It's broken. And now the whole. We see that happens in Genesis 3. Then the whole rest of the Bible is God redeeming and restoring creation, and we're not there to the end.
There's still promise even now of when it'll be fulfilled fully. But I love that you mentioned that, because that really is through the Bible study. I see now why you related to it, because the Bible study is, you know, God is restoring what was lost, and we get to be a part of it. And that is the, honestly, the greatest privilege. It makes.
Merritt Onsa:
Oh, my gosh.
Samantha Wells:
Yeah, it makes life. It brings so much purpose to life. And you probably see this in your work as a dream coach of just being able to help people see that what God has put on their heart can be a means of restoring the goodness and beauty that he has designed.
Merritt Onsa:
Mm-hmm, yes. And showing his face to the world, you know, a world that's basically hopeless without this truth.
So, yes, it is why I love your study so much.
Oh, Sam, I've got one more question for you, and we're coming back for a part two.
So if you're just hearing this one today, definitely come back next week or in your podcast app and find part two, because we're going to talk about the practicalities of what it looked like to have you, for you to start this dream and carry it forward.
But before we go today, would you just think about who you were before—this is that transformation question, like, how has God used this dream in you to completely remake who you are and to change you?
Samantha Wells:
That is such a good question. I would say one big thing that has come out of this whole process is God has taught me how much I want control and how little control I have and how beautiful it is when I sit back and surrender and entrust the dreams that are really close to my heart to Him.
And so I've put in a lot of work. I realized yesterday I got a college degree faster than I wrote this Bible study, which is ridiculous. But I put a lot of years and just prayer and early mornings and late nights into this study. And there were also, you know, months of writer's block within there.
But I can get to the end of those three and a half years of working on it and see, or I can think that I should control how this turns out. I should make sure that it gets to all these people and make sure that it has this effect and make sure that, you know, all of these things are a certain way.
But it has been so good to see how things don't always go as planned. And that doesn't stop God from doing what he's going to do with my obedience.
And so it's actually been good for there to be hiccups along the way of things not going well. Because he reminds me, hey, this isn't about you looking amazing. This is about faithfulness to what I've called you to. And I can trust that he's going to take that faithfulness and do something, even though I don't know exactly what.
Merritt Onsa:
Praise God for that. I love it. Thanks for sharing your story.
Can you tell why I adore this woman and the dream that God has revealed to her?
26 years old and pursuing this dream with excellence, obedience and a heart to bring glory to the Lord. Would you pray with me for Sam and for many more studies like Nehemiah: Labor, Longing, and the Promise of Restoration, to draw more of God’s women closer to His heart.
Father in Heaven,
Thank you for your word. Thank you for how you desire to teach us through the written word of the Bible. And thank you for Sam; we pray over this beautiful study, that more women will have a chance to see your restoration plan in action through studying Nehemiah, through Sam’s Bible study. And God, would you just bring fruitfulness, continued fruitfulness to her, give her new ideas for additional studies that she can write that would open up scripture, the often skipped or skimmed parts that feel difficult to read on our own.
God, would you just do a beautiful work through this precious daughter, Sam, and the women who encounter the studies she’s already written and the ones that are to come.
We thank you, God, for the dreamer listening to this message and pray that the God-shaped dreams on her heart would come to be.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
This was just part 1 with Sam.
Come on back next week or Part 2 – where Sam and I unpack the real, practical steps behind pursuing a God-shaped dream.
She shares how she leaned into her calling, navigated perfectionism and procrastination, and pushed past fear to launch her Nehemiah Bible study.
Her story is a powerful reminder that it’s not about how far our work spreads, but about the depth of impact we can make when we trust God with our dreams. If you’re feeling stuck or afraid to start, Samantha’s journey is your encouragement to take that next step, no matter how small.
~~
If you’re looking for support to bring that God-shaped dream to life? You’ve got to join us at the next free Dream Out Loud call where you’ll hear how other image bearers of God are stepping into dreams that will shine His light to the world. Get all the details when you sign up at merrittonsa.com/dreamoutloud
Finally….
Daughter of the King,
You were made for a beautiful purpose, your identity and security rest in Him, as does your dream because the Lord is good and His ways are always good! No weapon formed against you will prosper because you belong to Him.
Until next week, stay faithful, keep dreaming and remember: trusting God with your next step doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be scary. It means taking the step anyway. That’s what faith is.
You are welcome here among women braving those scary steps in faith, knowing our dreams matter because they are His.
Until next time,
I’m Merritt Onsa, your dream coach and sister in Christ, walking by faith, with you, in the dream. Have a great week!
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