Life and the Uni-Verse

Ever had one of those weeks where everything goes wrong and you’re left wondering… is this spiritual warfare or do I just need an early night and something to eat? 😴😬 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Alex, Nathan and David to unpack what spiritual attack actually looks like in everyday student life. From crystals and Harry Potter to prayer, Scripture and standing firm, we’re chatting about what Christians should take seriously and what probably doesn’t need a deliverance session. 🪄🎓⚠️ And in this week’s Campus Conundrum… your Christian friends are very open about how much money they ha...

Ah yes… Christian dating. The eye contact across church. The 'are they just being friendly?' spiral. The hang outs that definitely feel like a date... 👀☕ This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Austin, Alex and Nathan to chat all things dating as a Christian at uni. We’re getting into the big questions: who actually makes the first move? 🏃‍♂️💬 How do boundaries work in real life? Does physical attraction matter? And how on earth do you break up well? 💔🙏 And in this week’s Campus Conundrum… your Christian friend swears. Like… a lot. 🤐💥 Do you call it out? Ignore it? Or hope that th...

Uni life and dealing with money… name a more chaotic combo. 💸😂 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Hannah, McKenna and Michelle to chat all things finances on campus. Constantly in your overdraft? Feeling guilty about not having enough money to tithe? Caught in the comparison trap when everyone else seems to be splashing the cash? We're tackling the taboo this week and chatting about what Jesus would do with moneyyyyy 💬✨ And this week’s Campus Conundrum… 😅 Your Christian friend keeps heading on big nights out and getting drunk. Do you step in? Say nothing? Drop a gentle hint? Or is...

Something has been stirring on university campuses since the beginning of 2025... God is doing something new and people are calling it 'The Quiet Revival'🔥📖 This time on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by David, Austin and Michelle to unpack what’s really going on. Why are so many students newly open to church? Why are young men showing up in ways we haven’t seen in years? And what do you do when your friends don’t share the curiosity and the disappointment hits harder than expected? 💬✨ And this week’s Campus Conundrum… brace yourself. 🫣 Your housemate’s boyfriend/girlfriend is al...

Between all-nighters, society socials and the abundant supply of Pot Noodle… student life doesn’t always scream healthy. 🍜😂 But how do we actually take care of our minds, our bodies and our faith while at uni? This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Joseph, Ria and Michelle to dig into what wellness looks like as Christians on campus. 💬 From gym culture to God’s design for rest, and even the sneaky way social media shapes how we view fitness, nothing’s off limits. 🏋️‍♀️📱🙏 And this week’s Campus Conundrum… drama alert! 🚨 You’re starting to rekindle a friendship with your mate’s ex. Do you ke...

The future: exciting, mysterious… and just a tiny bit terrifying. Whether it’s career paths, calling, or just what you’re having for dinner tonight, the unknown can feel like a lot. 🍝🤷‍♀️ This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Michelle, Joseph and Naomi to dive into all things future-planning. We’re talking navigating God’s calling, what to do if you make a decision and instantly regret it, and how to dream with God. 🗺️✨ We’ll unpack the pressure to “have it all figured out” and why it’s okay if your five-year plan currently says: “????” 📝❓ And this week’s Campus Conundrum, someone slid...

To live with your best friends or not to live with your best friends? 👯‍♀️That is the question! 🤔 Because nothing says friendship like sharing a bathroom and a bin rota. 🗑️🧼 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, it’s somewhat of a family affair as Lydia is joined by Benjamin and brothers, Rob and David to chat all things housing. 🏡 From deciding whether to live with Christians or non-Christians to figuring out your role in the house (Mum? Dad? Weird uncle?)👩👨🧓, we’re diving into the good, the bad and the ugly of shared uni living. 🛋️📝 And this week’s Campus Conundrum might raise a few eyebrows… 🤨...

Is home where your mum still does your laundry? Where your friends know your coffee order? Or just wherever your favourite mug lives these days? ☕🧦 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Rob, Benjamin and Yimika to unpack the concept of home at university. We’re chatting about everything from feeling stuck between two places, balancing your mates from home with your new uni friends, to picking up your housemate’s bizarre family traditions. 🤯 And in this week’s Campus Conundrum… you notice your close Christian friend is getting super into fitness and healthy eating—but it’s starting to f...

We know the Bible’s an important part of the Christian life… but let’s be real, sometimes it’s overwhelming, sometimes it’s confusing, and sometimes it just feels like more work. 🙃🧠 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Marta, David and Yimika to ask the big question: what’s the point of reading the Bible? Do we have to read it every day to be a “good” Christian? What if we don’t understand it? And is it cheating if we just listen to it on a walk? 🎧🚶‍♀️ And this week’s Campus Conundrum is all about THEFT!!!… You find out th...

Uni life comes with its own set of norms—drinking, hookup culture, doing anything for the plot… but what happens when following Jesus calls you to go against the grain? This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by John and Rob to chat all about living counterculturally for Jesus at university. ✝️🏫 They dive into what it looks like to stand out for all the right reasons! Should church be cooler to reach more students? Do you have to ditch your Christian mates to be a good witness? And is it possible to live differently without coming across as judgy or...

Scroll. Tap. Repeat 👀 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, we’re talking all things social media—FOMO, screen time, digital burnout and what it actually looks like to live for Jesus online. 🙏💻 Lydia is joined by Marta and David to unpack whether it’s time for a break from the apps, how social media might be shaping our identity without us realising, and why a digital detox might be what we need. 🧠📉🕊️ And in this week’s Campus Conundrum… your two closest mates have started dating and suddenly you’re the awkward third wheel. 😬💘 What now? We chat friendship shifts, feeling left out, and how to h...

Holy huddles, church cliques, CU squads… are Christians a bit too good at sticking together? 🤔🫶 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia Bennett is joined by Toby and Yimika to chat all things friendship, tribes and finding your people at uni and church. 💬👯‍♂️ How do you build real community without becoming exclusive? And is it possible to be in the gang without being in a bubble? 🫧 And in this week’s Campus Conundrum... you realise all your friends at uni are Christians. 🙃 How do you burst the bubble and start building friendships outside your church crew? 🫶🌍 Join us to navigate Life and the Uni-verse! 🚀...

Woman of God? What does that even mean??? 🤷‍♀️ Does a Christian girly have to look, sound, speak or act in a certain way? 🤔 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Hannah, Lily, and Marta to chat about being a woman of God. 💃🙏 They chat about who they looked up to when they were little (spoiler: a lot of animated characters), 🧚‍♀️🧜‍♀️ what the Bible says about women 📖 and why your faith isn’t waiting for Prince Charming. 👑💍 And in this week’s Campus Conundrum… gossip girl mode activated. 💬😬 Your friends are chatting about people you actually know—do you shut it down or just sip your tea? ☕👀 Plenty to c...

Strong. Confident. A leader. But also kind, humble, and servant-hearted… 🤔 With so many different messages about masculinity, how do we figure out what it actually means to be a man of God? This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Toby and Hudson to chat about what Biblical masculinity really looks like. Does being ‘strong’ mean hiding emotions? 💭 What makes a great male role model? And when it comes to dating and relationships, should guys always take the lead? 👀❤️ And in this week’s Campus Conundrum… you fancy your housemate. 👀🏠 Do you shoot your shot or accept that it could make flat life...

When life feels heavy and difficult, where is God? 💔😞 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Rob, Yimika, and Lily for an honest and real convo about mental health. They begin unpacking the big questions like, why is our generation struggling so much with their mental health? Do guys and girls have the same or different struggles? And does being a Christian make any difference? Plus, they chat about the importance of community, prayer, and when it’s totally okay (and necessary!) to seek wise professional help. 💡🛋️ And in this week’s Campus Conundrum… strut or sit out? 👠👙 Your uni...

Spiritual gifts - are they like superpowers for Christians? And if so… how do we know if we have them? 🤔🎁 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, we're getting theological again! Lydia is joined by Rachel and David to unwrap this topic of spiritual gifts. They’ll be chatting about what the spiritual gifts actually are, whether you can ask God for them and how we can grow in them at university. 🎓 And in this week’s Campus Conundrum… to kiss or not to kiss? 🎭💋 If you’re in a uni play, would you be okay with a stage smooch? And would it be different...

Calling all reality TV fans out there…! 📺 Big questions, big convo this week on Life and the Uni-verse as Lydia is joined by Marta, Rob and Michelle to explore the fascinating world of Christian influencers and celebrity culture. 💬🤩 
They chat about why we are so invested in the lives of celebs, whether we’re putting too much emphasis on style over substance in the Church 💒 and Love Island is mentioned once or twice…! This week’s Campus Conundrum: Picking a church as a fresher. 🤷‍♀️
How do you find a home church that’s right for you when there are so many to choose from? 🏠
Rob, Marta a...

You know the saying - ‘comparison is the thief of joy’. 😞 And it’s so true! But if we know that comparing ourselves to others can be damaging for us, why do we constantly do it? Students Benjamin and Naomi join Lydia Bennett this time on Life and the Uni-verse to chat all about comparison, why we do it, and how we can break the power it holds over us! They chat comparing academic ability, 📚comparing appearance 💄and even comparing yourself to other Christians! 💒 This week’s Campus Conundrum is all about that small group co-leader who doesn’t seem to be pulling their we...

Failure. Flunking. Falling short - never words you wanna hear, right? 😩 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia is joined by Yimika, Rachel, and Hudson to chat all things failure and what God thinks about it!💬 They dive into the sting of academic failures 📚, what to do when other people fail us 💔and whether failure can ever be a good thing (😯)! And for this week’s Campus Conundrum: Not finding your people at uni. 🤷‍♀️ You were told you were gonna meet your besties at university, but that hasn’t really happened… 
How do you deal with feeling out of place when everyone else seems t...

Finding it hard to figure out whether that thought/picture/dream was God or just you? Us too! 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ It’s time to get a tad theological on Life and the Uni-verse this week as Lydia chats to students, David and Michelle about hearing God’s voice. 💬 They chat about how God speaks to them, 🤗 dealing with God’s silence 🤐 and whether we should ever be suspicious when someone says ‘God told me…’ (!!!) 😳 Interesting convo indeed. 🤔 And for this week’s Campus Conundrum: Street preaching - but with a sprinkle of controversy. 🌶️ Christian street preachers in your university city are saying some pretty fiery🧯and controversial things as you an...

We’re diving into controversial territory on Life and the Uni-verse as we chat FASH-ION and modesty on this episode!👗🤔 This week, Lydia is joined by Marta, Naomi, and Marcus, 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️ 3 students who are here to discuss whether modesty is still important in the 21st century. Is it just about clothes, or is there more to it? 🤷‍♀️ Are Christians allowed to show any skin? And why does it always feel like modesty standards are different for guys and girls? 👀 oooooo… But that’s not all—we’ve got a juicy Campus Conundrum this week: there’s a rumor going around about you at church… 😱 How do you respond? Do you confront it h...

It’s the return of the graduates this week on Life and the Uni-verse! 🎓 They brought so much wisdom and maturity last time that we thought we’d have them on again to bring more fire to the podcast.🔥 Or to be real with you, we just ran out of time last week… only joking! Alex, Rob & Marcell are all very wise beans.🫘 Lydia sits down with the grads to chat about entering the big wide world on this episode. They discuss their hopes and fears about *proper* adult life, how to navigate friendships post-uni, adjusting to a 9-5 and how amazing air...

We’re feeling extra mature 🧀 on Life and the Uni-verse because on this week's episode, Lydia Bennett is joined by three fresh graduates to discuss and reflect on their time at university! Nostalgia is most definitely on the cards in part 1 of this conversation as grads Alex, Rob and Marcell sit down with Lydia to have a chinwag about making future plans in final year, the lasting lessons of student-life and how God has transformed and shaped them over their time at university. Only a light chat then! 💡 Our Campus Conundrum this week = Feeling overlooked in church life 🤷‍♂️ What do you do when it fe...

Ever raised an eyebrow at a close guy and girl friendship who insist they’re ‘just friends’? 🤨 Yep, us too. We’ve all noticed when two friends start to get a little bit flirty with each other despite them claiming it’s completely platonic! 🙄 This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia Bennett sits down with students Toby, Lily and Sophie to talk about whether it’s really possible to be friends with a member of the opposite sex without catching feelings. 💔 We cover setting boundaries with our friends, Church culture and friendships and taking that leap from friends to something more…😏 F...

It’s that time of year again…Freshers’ Week is on the horizon (or it’s already happened) for universities around the UK! 🌅🏫 It’s a BIG deal for all the new students out there, and preparing well for the week is important! ✅ On this episode, Lydia chats with Sasha, Lily and David who were all wee freshers last year. 👶 They reflect on how they made friends, 👯how they navigated clubbing and drinking in Freshers’ Week 🕺and how they tried to be authentic about their faith in the first week of uni. 🙏 They also give some handy advice to incoming fresh for good measure! This...

There’s no denying that the Church can be messy! 😵‍💫 Christian community can be complex, demanding and sometimes downright difficult! 💀 But it’s a really significant (and often joyous!) part of the Christian life. ⛪️ Lydia Bennett chats with students, Katie, Joe and Yimika this time on Life and the Uni-verse to begin discussing the role of the Church for young Christians and whether it’s worth investing in. 💒 They cover online church 💻 dealing with cliquiness in church community 👯 and what it looks like to have unity in the Church. 🔗 And for our Campus Conundrum, there’s some competition going on...💕 Imagine you’re trying to win the heart...

Pull up a chair and Bring Your Own Beverage (soft drinks allowed) because this week on Life and the Uni-Verse we’re talking about alcohol. 🍻 Jesus is famous for turning water into wine 🍷 and His followers drink alcohol whenever they take communion but lots of Christians at university choose to hold back on the booze and many are completely tee-total. 🙅 Lydia Bennett speaks to students, Nancy-Rose, Toby and Yimika to ask whether drinking culture and living a Christian life blend well. 🍸 We shake and stir things up by discussing the pressure to drink in some uni societies, 🏑🏉 clubbing 🕺🪩 and whether it’s ok for fellowship to...

Ever feel like an imposter in the lecture hall? 🥷 Or like that one bad grade means you’re not as clever as you thought you were? 😳📝 We’ve all been there! This time on Life and the Uni-Verse, Lydia Bennett sits down with university students Alban and Michelle to chat through these very feelings. 🧑‍🏫 Today’s learning objectives: discuss the pressures of academia, talk about the status that comes with going to some unviersities and think and how knowing Jesus changes the way we view our work. 📚✏️ Accountability and calling out sin is the topic of today’s Campus Conundrum! 🫣 Our students chat through a scenari...

We’re staying on brand for this episode because we’re thinking about the planet! 🪐 🌍🍃 Climate justice is the topic of today’s discussion on Life and the Uni-Verse and we’ve got our feet firmly planted on the earth 🌱🌏 for this conversation as Lydia Bennett chats with students, Alex, Shanti and Michelle. Climate anxiety 😟, apathy 😑 and advocacy 🫡 are on the cards as we get to grips with what Jesus would do if he was faced with the Climate Crisis, why Christians are do divided on global warming and whether it’s ok to protest as a follower of Jesus. 🪧 And get ready for insults in our Camp...

It’s the return of Life and the Uni-verse! 🎓🪐   For our first episode back we thought we’d dive into the wonderful (and often confusing) world of Christian dating and relationships. 💕   This time though, we’re talking singleness…   Lydia Bennett chats to students Toby, Nancy-Rose and Katie about navigating being single at university, and whether we’re too young to contemplate a life of it!   They cover whether there are enough good role models for singles in the Church, whether we should take our dating lives into our own hands if God isn’t giving us what we want, and whether it’s ever right t...

Big questions this time on Life and the Uni-verse as we go head to head with *doubt* today on the podcast.❓ University students Joe, Alex and Alban sit down with Lydia Bennett to discuss the realities of doubting your faith at uni. Conversation this week covers deconstruction, 👷🏗️ the shame and guilt that can come with doubt 😖 and the involvement of spiritual warfare. ⚔️ An easy Campus Conundrum this week? I think not! 🫣 This time our students have to choose between a high-payed, glamorous job 💅and a low-payed job they feel God is calling them to … a harder decision than you’d think!   Join us to navi...

It’s time to get to grips with evangelism this week on ‘Life and the Uni-Verse’… Lydia Bennett is joined by students, Hudson, Sasha and Katie to talk about sharing faith with friends at university. Is university the time and place for sharing the Gospel? They talk about tough Jesus conversations with housemates, being shocked at people’s responses and whether there are wrong or right ways to do evangelism. Our Campus Conundrum this week – too much booze on a sports social! What would you do if your sports team was forcing you and your teetotal teammate to drink loads of alcohol...

Romance is on the cards this week here on ‘Life and the Uni-Verse’! University students Toby and Michelle chat with Lydia Bennett about the wonderful (and slightly scary) world of Christian dating! The conversation this week covers Christian dating apps, the pressure to marry young and whether ‘flirt to convert’ really works. We’re discussing burnout this week for our Campus Conundrum! How many Christian commitments should we say yes to? How much time should we spend doing CU or Church events? Join us to navigate Life and the Uni-verse!

We’re talking TV this week on ‘Life and the Uni-Verse’! Lydia Bennett is joined by students, Sasha, Alex and Nancy-Rose to discuss the media we consume as Christians and whether there are set dos and don’ts of things we can watch. In this episode they discuss Harry Potter, how Christians have been portrayed on screen and whether we can separate art from the artist (and with Lydia around, Disney had to be mentioned as well). A tricky Campus Conundrum this week where the students grapple with friends that have been hurt by other Christians. What do you do when you...

This week on Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia Bennett is joined by students, Nancy-Rose, Toby and Michelle to navigate the online world of social media. Conversation this week covers Christian influencer culture, SwiftTok (Taylor Swift TikTok) and whether Jesus would be on the ‘Gram! Messy housemates are the topic of discussion for our weekly Campus Conundrum. How would our students respond to housemates who have *very* different levels of tidiness to them? Join us to navigate Life and the Uni-verse!

In the second episode of Life and the Uni-verse, Lydia Bennett is joined by students, Katie, Alban and Joseph to chat money, money, money! They chat about financial peer pressure at university, being a Christian in a possession-obsessed world and whether students should tithe to the Church, even if it’s money from a student loan. Our Campus Conundrum this week asks the students what they would do if they caught their Christian friend plagiarizing… do you confront them? Or let them get away with cheating? Join us to navigate Life and the Uni-verse!

Welcome to Life and the Uni-verse! In our first episode, Premier’s Lydia Bennett is joined by fellow students Alex, Toby and Hudson to discuss the growing problem of loneliness at university, and what God has to say about it. They discuss the Term 2 Blues, the pressures of living in a digital world and combatting the myth that ‘university is the best time of your life’. For this week’s Campus Conundrum, they deal with friends falling away from the faith. What do you do if your Christian friend seems to be disengaging from church and from the faith they profess...

The podcast where we find out what it’s REALLY like to be a follower of Jesus at university today. Hosted by Lydia Bennett, Life and the Uni-Verse lets you in to the joys, challenges and complexities of living out the Christian faith on campus. Join us to navigate Life and the Uni-Verse!