Life is Hard, God is Good

Send us Fan Mail TW: abuse, s*xual assault Lusu grew up in a Christian household, going to church but didn’t understand her “borrowed faith.” She had a tough relationship with her parents due to verbal and physical abuse growing up.  For university, Lusu moved to a different country for school and was sexually assaulted. She was in a very rough mental space. She wasn’t going to church anymore and...

Send us Fan Mail Hey friends! Thanks for listening! This is part 2 of Drew & Rachel answering your questions. Today’s episode covers Christian community, Bible passages and worship songs that have helped us in our faith journey, and how to practically maintain purity & keep Christ at the center of dating relationships. Let’s dive in together! Christian Community Youth Group Memories Stayin...

Send us Fan Mail Hey friends! Long time, no see! In this episode, my husband Drew & I talk about how God has been taking care of us through the massive transitions of moving back to the U.S. from Japan and being pregnant! We also answer the first couple of questions that you guys submitted, this time addressing how we saw God moving in Japan and memories we want to take back with us to the Uni...

Send us Fan Mail No matter what your past looks like, you are always just one call away from a new life. Trigger warning: su*cide, drugs Keith felt this hole in his heart from a young age. His parents divorced and Keith struggled with anger and depression. After going to rehab for suicidal thoughts, he attempted to fill the whole and numb the pain with anything and everything - drugs, marijuana, p...

Send us Fan Mail Yoji grew up in a family full of fighting, especially due to his father’s love of women and alcohol. When he was eleven years old, Yoji’s mother died of cancer. In his first year of middle school, his father’s company went bankrupt so he ran away, leaving Yoji and his three siblings to take care of themselves, which was difficult both emotionally and financially. Yoji felt like he...

Send us Fan Mail Kaz did not grow up in a Christian home, his family actually did ancestor worship. After getting trapped for 4 hours in the aftermath of an earthquake and being rescued, Kaz’s life was changed. He made some Christian friends who invited him to church. It started out as Kaz’s little secret, but then he finally invited his sister to join at Christmastime. They both ended up giving t...

Send us Fan Mail I’m so excited for you to hear Mami’s story of how she encountered Jesus. In Japan, only 1% of the population is Christian, so Mami had the rare & miraculous experience of growing up in the church.  She knew about God, but it wasn’t until later that she actually felt God’s nearness and knew His love in her heart. With having Jesus in her life, God guides her life and she knows...

Send us Fan Mail I'm so excited to share Julie's story with you! The Lord has been so faithful to her from a young age. Originally, Julie was not interested in going to Japan at all, but God worked in her heart, and she ended up becoming a missionary in Japan!  Through being a missionary in Japan, Julie shares some amazing stories of loss & forgiveness, falling in love & getting...

Send us Fan Mail Hello friends! This week, our Bible study leader, Andrew, shares his story of how he encountered Jesus. Although he grew up in a family that attended church, Andrew tried to seek faith on his own and as a teenager, he ended up turning his back on God. He called himself an atheist and really wrestled with some tough questions: Does life have any meaning? What happens when we die? I...

Send us Fan Mail Zoe is one of the most joyful people you will ever meet, but she wasn't always that way. Zoe first heard about God when her mom was bedridden with a spinal disease, and some Christians came to pray for her and she was healed. She discovered God's power and attended church & Christian activities, but she did not know God's love until she met some very loving Chri...

Send us Fan Mail Taylor grew up knowing about God, but she felt like she had to be a good Christian girl because she was afraid of God and afraid of messing up. When she heard the story of the prodigal son in a new way, God worked in her heart and changed her life. For the first time, she met Jesus. Taylor realized how much Jesus loves her and wants not religious acts, but He wants a relationship...

Send us Fan Mail 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” Ola found God because she heard His voice. He spoke to her, and her life has never been the same. Through Him, she found freedom, forgiveness, and joy.  God has worked through Ola in incredible ways all around the world.  The same as He has done for Ola...

Send us Fan Mail Trigger warning: s*xual assault, su*cide My friend, no matter what you are going through right now, please know that you are not alone and that you are so loved. Even in the face of hardship, God is good. It seems that in the most dark, difficult times, God met Rosie. God protected his life, God gave him friends to encourage him at just the right time, and God helped him find a ne...

Send us Fan Mail Happy Easter! If you are in darkness, if you are stuck, if you feel hopeless - listen to this episode to hear 3 key encouragements for YOU! Spoiler alert: you cannot do it on your own, but you are not alone! We also go through the ABCs of God's attributes, which is a tool we can use to keep our eyes on Jesus. If you like listening to the podcast, please rate, write reviews, a...

Send us Fan Mail Hey all! Just wanted to share some updates from living in Japan for nearly 6 months now! Check out this episode to hear what I’ve been up to, brief updates from Drew, the hard parts of living in a foreign country, and some encouragement for you! I’ve been asked a lot what I’m doing in Japan. At first I felt like I had to explain or prove myself; it took a while for me to learn tha...

Send us Fan Mail Church hurts. Cancer. Family health crisis. Loss of parents. Loss of a friend. How can you find God in the midst of such hardships? Gené wrestled with the logic of Christianity until her world came crumbling with the decline of her mom's health. She gained faith in God and He miraculously healed her mom. With having God by her side, Gené knew she was not alone even when she l...

Send us Fan Mail Check out this episode to hear how Jesus changed Isabelle's life. She grew up in a home with different religious views and was not sure what she believed for herself until a new friend offered to do a Bible study with her... After learning more about Jesus and how He truly died for our sins and rose to life again, Isabelle has been given new life and a fresh perspective throu...

Send us Fan Mail Dustin once lived a very different life. But then he encountered Jesus. After walking with the Lord and learning about His love & His word, he is now one of the most servant-hearted people you'll ever meet. Listen to hear how God transformed Dustin's life! Now it is hard to imagine what he was like before knowing Jesus. Thanks for listening! If you like listening to...

Send us Fan Mail Hey friends! Jesus has the power to change lives. Before knowing Him, we were once dead in our sins, but now because of Him, we are alive in Christ. The purpose of this podcast series is sharing stories of people who have been marked and changed by Jesus. They once lived one way, and now they have new life. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has pass...

Send us Fan Mail Taking some time to reflect on the 2022 year (my word for the year was "peace"), and trusting God with the new 2023 year - step by step. "Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the dawn from on high will visit us to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:78-79). "Step by step You lea...

Send us Fan Mail Often we do not want Jesus to be Lord of our lives because: we do not want someone else telling us what is right and wrong we want to be in control of our own lives we don't understand how a good God could allow evil to exist But when we see His heart, we see: A holy & worthy Lord who lives up to His own standards and helps us when we fall short A compassionate Creator wh...

Send us Fan Mail A tale of three atheists who argued against God and instead found evidence for Jesus: 1. C.S. Lewis | atheist turned Christian theologian who wrote many books: Mere Christianity The Problem of Pain 2. Dr. Jay L Wile | atheist nuclear chemistry PhD turned Christian who shares science as evidence for creation: Science Blog Apologia Science Textbooks 3. Lee Strobel - atheist journali...

Send us Fan Mail Jesus claimed to be God & man, claimed to die & raise to life again, and said some other really strange things... how do we know He's not a lunatic? Join us as we find answers in His word and in who He is is.

Send us Fan Mail A lot of people think Jesus was a liar because of the things that He claimed while He was on earth. In this episode, we find what scripture says about His claims: 1. He claimed to be God and man 2. He claimed to fulfill scripture 3. He claimed to die on the cross and raise to life 4. He claimed that He is coming back Thanks for joining us! 

Send us Fan Mail With Christmas approaching, it's important to remember why we are celebrating and why we believe what we believe. Especially as conversations arise with your family over holiday meals, when co-workers ask about your faith, or your friends share their different beliefs.  In this Advent series, we are exploring C.S. Lewis' argument that Jesus claiming to be both God and ma...