Out of Focus

About Out of Focus

From chasing perfection to discovering grace — this is my story. I’m Shannon Stewart — runner-up on America’s Next Top Model, Miss Ohio USA, and a woman who once tried to earn love through performance. Out of Focus is a podcast for anyone who’s ever felt disqualified, disappointed, or too far gone. We talk about identity, performance-based faith, the weight of shame, and the grace that meets us in the mess. This is for the ones who silently wonder: “Does my story still matter?” It does. Even when life feels out of focus… God brings clarity. Real stories. Deep truth. Radical grace. New episodes every week — with honest conversations and hope-filled moments that point to Jesus.

Publisher

Shannon Stewart

Category

religion & spirituality · society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Aug 2025

Latest episode

28 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

17 of 65 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   28 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   When Life Breaks Your Heart, Is God Still Good? | Amber Smith

   How do you keep believing God is good when life doesn’t feel good? In this episode of Out of Focus, Shannon Stewart sits down with Amber Smith for an incredibly honest conversation about grief, faith, surrender, and finding hope after unimaginable loss. After losing her son River in a drowning accident in 2019, Amber found herself crying on the bathroom floor, trying to understand how to keep moving forward while carrying a pain she never imagined she would have to endure. But in the middle of her heartbreak, she began searching for God—not the version of Him she had heard about, but who He really is. Amber shares what grief revealed about her faith, why she chose to keep opening her Bible even when she didn’t feel like it, and how discipline eventually became desire and devotion. She and Shannon talk about wrestling with unanswered questions, learning to trust God without understanding Him, and discovering that grief and joy can somehow exist in the same heart. They also talk about the shame Amber’s husband, Granger Smith, carried after River’s death, the dark season Amber didn’t fully know he was walking through, and what their story taught them about loving each other when neither person could fix the other’s pain. This conversation is tender, raw, and full of truth. Amber’s story is a reminder that heartbreak does not mean God has abandoned you. Your suffering is not the end of your story, and even when you cannot see what God is doing, He is still present. If you are in a season where life looks nothing like you thought it would, let this conversation encourage you to keep turning toward Jesus. You don’t have to have all the answers to trust Him. You can bring Him your questions, your anger, your grief, and your broken heart. There is still hope. There is still light. And your story is not over. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18 RESOURCES & LINKS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_shannon_stewart (https://www.instagram.com/_shannon_stewart) Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outoffocuspodcast (https://www.instagram.com/outoffocuspodcast) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannonstewartmodel (https://www.facebook.com/shannonstewartmodel) TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/shannon_stewart (http://www.tiktok.com/shannon_stewart)_ 🎙️ All platforms & freebies: https://linktr.ee/shannonstewart (https://linktr.ee/shannonstewart) 📩 Booking inquiries: info@shannonstewartmodel.com #OutOfFocusPodcast #ShannonStewart #ChristianPodcast #Testimony #Redemption #Grace #Faith

2. 

   21 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   When Her Father Left, God Stayed | Micah Maddox on Abandonment, Forgiveness & Healing

   Host Shannon Stewart interviews author and speaker Micah Maddox about navigating abandonment, forgiveness, and finding God's presence amidst deep personal hurt.

3. 

   14 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Do You Want God—or Just What He Can Give You? | Psalm 27 with Mary Ann Stewart

   Shannon Stewart interviews her mother, Mary Ann Stewart, exploring Psalm 27's call to seek God's presence over His provision, offering insights into genuine intimacy with the divine.

Inside a recent episode

When Her Father Left, God Stayed | Micah Maddox on Abandonment, Forgiveness & Healing

Published 21 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] I carried that broken little girl in that church office who experienced this great loss. but I didn't talk about it and I didn't share it and I didn't know how to process it or deal with it. And so as a teenager continued to pretend like I was good, even as an adult woman, my husband, I got married, my husband and I, we went into church ministry, we're serving. I still was like, I'm good. I'm fine. Everything's okay. And it really wasn't until I had my own child, And I looked into her eyes. She was about six years old. And I saw myself in that office. And I had a flashback moment. And the Lord really spoke to me and was like, if you don't deal with the pain, if you don't deal with the abandonment, and the loss and the brokenness that you experienced as a child, you know, it's childhood trauma. […]

Who has been a guest on Out of Focus

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Micah Maddox
• Mary Ann Stewart
• Breanna Nix
• Adrianne Curry
• Shannon's mom

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

34 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

18 ratings

Contact Out of Focus

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about Out of Focus