Rough Drafts: How God Writes His Love in Our Stories

Meet my church neighbor, Mary Jo Harvey who serves the Burns United Methodist Church just up the road from us. Mary tells about the surprising joys of ministry. She shares her real credentials: teaching preschool and raising daughters. She tells the story of a ministry where she walked beside a church in its final months...and of the moment when God really got her attention when she was 8 months p...

Be aware that there are discussions of sexual trauma and orientation.   In a world that demands we define ourselves by our struggles or our labels, Syvanna offers a refreshing alternative: finding ultimate identity as a child of God. From debates about church camp dress codes to deep insights on how God heals the wounds we can’t even fully remember, this episode is a masterclass in progressive san...

"Our success as a society is dependent on our reliance on one another. We've been hijacked by political extremism and algorithms, but that's not who we really are."   We're going political on this week's Rough Drafts--but not exactly how you'd expect. Matthew's college friend, Dr. Lauren Pinkston joins us to tell her story of evolving faith, life on the mission field, and her decision to pursue fa...

When a tornado ripped through Selmer, Tennessee, the Wood family lost almost everything material—but they walked away with what mattered most.   In this special episode of Rough Drafts, Matthew sits down for a unique two-part conversation. First, you'll hear from the youngest daughters, Abby and Morgen, as they share their memories of that chaotic night (featuring wardrobe issues and legendary fat...

How do you transition from climbing the corporate ladder at Apple Computer to installing wheelchair ramps and overhead lifts? For Steve Weaver, the shift happened the morning his daughter Cassi was born.   In our latest episode, Steve shares how a traumatic birth launched both his faith journey and a 25-year career in home accessibility. He doesn't hold back—talking openly about the joys of raisin...

"The only difference between me and them is that either no one was there to help them to not make that choice or mistake, or no one was there when they were in need of someone."   What happens when you transition from managing a Subway to coordinating programs inside a county jail? For Deputy Program Director Michelle "Shelly" Corlew, the job description hasn't actually changed that much—it's stil...

What does it mean to "be the church" when you're nowhere near a church building? This week, Matthew sits down with his friend Vance Hardin—school teacher, welding instructor, legendary camp cook, and a man who simply doesn't know how to say "no" to serving his community. Vance opens up about the powerful legacy of the resilient women who raised him, shares a life-changing lesson about feeding chic...

"I don't feel comfortable doing up-in-front-of-people stuff... I don't mind cutting trees. I don't mind parking cars in the rain. I don't mind doing the work stuff."   That's pure Dennis Brunett--one of the best shepherds I've gotten to know. Dennis shares some crazy stories form the chemistry lab, his love for the Burns Church family, and why it is that the police got called about him at a nearby...

It's not every day you get to take the journey from bigfoot to Jesus, but that's exactly the journey Kaitlin's faith journey takes us on! Join us as we talk about the "Blurry" moments in the Bible and how community makes all the difference in times of struggle. You don't want to miss it!

What begins on a sharecropper's farm travels through universities, counseling centers, five continents of missions, and more than 50 years of ministry. That's Dr. Hinkle's story. You'll hear his faith and simple wisdom and be blessed!

History isn’t just dates and dead people—it’s the story of how we got here. 🌍 This week on Rough Drafts, I’m talking to my old friend Zack Martin. We discuss everything from our college antics to the serious theology of why history matters. We cover why "unprecedented" times usually aren't, why we need to read the Bible with the "dead," and yes... why Zack read obituaries for fun in the first gra...

The "Pizza and Relationships" Episode On this episode of Rough Drafts, we welcome Samuel Yocum to the studio (fresh off a heavy breakfast burrito from Janine’s). Samuel shares his journey from being a "theater kid" with big dreams to finding his calling in youth ministry. We dive deep into what it looks like to grow up with "dual citizenship"—raised by parents fully committed to two different chur...

My favorite daughter joins us for this week's special Kid's Rough Drafts. Katie tells all the cool things about life in WBES and some of her favorite Bible stories, too.

This week's episode is a special episode, honoring a friend who passed away in 2018.  Juanita Woodson was a Burns Church staple. In this episode, you'll hear a special interview conducted by Charlie Dauphin where she tells of her life, family, and faith. She talks about making her own toys from clay, some memorable childhood spankings, and love at first sight. 

Matthew welcomes special guests Stephen and Julia Pate for a two-for-one conversation that spans the Dateline (literally, they're in Japan!). Stephen, a Navy Chaplain, and Julia, a Navy Pharmacist, share their incredible journey from the Bible Belt to a battleship, experiencing military life in Okinawa, Pearl Harbor, and beyond. They pull back the curtain on the scars and triumphs of local ministr...

Get ready for an episode that proves the most ambitious endeavors start with the simplest of questions: "How hard could it be?" Meet Angela Moore, the self-proclaimed "Turkey in Chief" of the Given Gobble 5K, Dickson County's massive Thanksgiving Day race benefiting the local Help Center. What started as the dream of a few runners at church has mushroomed into an annual event that raises nearly $1...

"I prayed every night for 32 weeks for a happy and healthy baby. And I got everything but that." What happens when a prayed-for joy becomes an unexpected trauma? In this deeply honest and vulnerable episode, Jessa Gossett shares the story of her daughter, Addie. An emergency C-section at 32 weeks brought Addie into the world, but the effects of an unknown CMV infection months before meant her life...

The 5.8 Centimeter Catalyst: From Wild Youth to Spiritual Wisdom Todd Steen was "10 foot tall and bulletproof" as a young man. As an adult, he became a relentless questioner, demanding to know why God allows things to happen. His perspective was shattered by an unexpected medical "cascade": a series of events starting with a sore shoulder that led to open-heart surgery that saved his life from a t...

Josh’s story began at the dentist's office and progressed through military service, PTSD, opioid addiction, and a DEA drug trafficking indictment. He shares the chilling story of hitting rock bottom, being "rescued, not arrested" through incarceration, and the pivotal moment in a Hope Center bedroom where the Holy Spirit changed everything. His message is clear: recovery is a byproduct of Jesus, a...

Welcome back to Rough Drafts! In this week's story, Chazz Jackson opens up about how a simple postcard became a catalyst for change. He shares about his deep dive into Christian apologetics, and the challenges he encountered on his way back home.

Welcome to the first Rough Drafts of 2025! Today's guest is a church leadership guru and an all-around great guy. You get to hear from Bob Turner as he shares a few moments that changed his life forever.

**This is the last episode of 2024 - we'll take a two week hiatus and be back on January 7 for the new year!** Do you know Taylor Rhodes? If not, you should! In this week's episode, Taylor shares the twists and turns of his life and how God used them to bring about something really beautiful.

She's not boring! There's a lot in this episode, so you don't want to miss it. Join us as Brianna Ramseur shares from her God stories!

Ever wonder what a preacher does? So did we... This week, Thomas Southerland, Minister at Water Street Church of Christ in Charlotte, TN and Chris McCurley, Minister at Walnut Street Church of Christ in Dickson, TN join us for a conversation about our God stories in ministry. What's up with this weird job?

Guess what! Rough Drafts is coming back with a brand new episode next Tuesday. To get us back in the swing of things, we're re-releasing a favorite, our Thanksgiving 2023 episode where we hear not from 1 or 2 guests...but more than 20 who share moments of gratitude, buth small and large. Thanks for listening! We've got some great stories yet to come!