Candid Conversations with Dr. Jonathan Youssef

After six incredible years of open, honest, and Christ-centered dialogue, Candid Conversations with Jonathan Youssef  is coming to a close as Jonathan Youssef looks back on six years of candid conversations about life and faith. In this final episode, he expresses gratitude to every guest and listener who made this journey so meaningful and shares what’s next as he steps into his new role as Senio...

This Christmas season, many of us are carrying more than gifts and traditions. We’re carrying fear, weariness, uncertainty, and unanswered questions. We sing the familiar words, “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight,” but what do they really mean when the world feels anything but peaceful? In this special Christmas reflection, Jonathan Youssef explores the meaning behind th...

Our culture doesn’t just move fast—it demands that we keep up. But what do our souls, our families, and our faith lose when we never slow down? Jonathan Youssef is joined again by author and nonprofit leader Kristen Welch for a deeply honest discussion about busyness, spiritual burnout, and the life-giving invitation to sit with Jesus. Kristen shares how years of faithful work and constant activit...

Do you ever feel like you’re doing all the right things, but you still feel tired, anxious, and spiritually stretched thin? Jonathan sits down with Justin Whitmel Earley for part 2 of an insightful conversation on why your body's habits may be the missing piece in your walk with Christ. Justin shares how a season of panic attacks and sleepless nights exposed deeper spiritual needs and how rediscov...

What do your everyday habits —your screen time, your schedule, your workload—have to do with your spiritual life? In this two-part conversation, Jonathan sits down with Justin Whitmel Earley author of The Common Rule , Habits of the Household , and his newest book, The Body Teaches the Soul . In Part 1, Justin shares how a season of crippling anxiety and mental collapse as a young lawyer forced hi...

Every Sunday, the preaching and singing of the Word work together as a powerful discipleship tool for the church.  In this special Thanksgiving week episode of Candid Conversations , Jonathan Youssef sits down with four members of the Apostles Worship team—Jeremy Ezell, Sean Crawford, Amy Miller, and Seth Rice—to talk about the heart behind their ministry, the theology that shapes their songwritin...

What if the biggest obstacle to raising grateful kids… is our own entitlement? In this episode, Jonathan sits down with author and Mercy House Global founder Kristen Welch , whose journey from “comfortable Christian mom” to global nonprofit leader started with a single, terrifying yes and a life-altering moment in the largest slum in Nairobi. What she discovered there forced her to confront a hard...

In a world where spiritual claims come from every direction—podcasts, platforms, pulpits, and social feeds—it’s becoming harder to discern what’s truly biblical. Many ideas sound close to Christianity yet miss the mark in ways that quietly reshape what we believe about Jesus. If you’ve ever heard something that didn’t sit right with you, you’re not alone—and your instincts matter. And believe it o...

We live in a world that tells us happiness is always just one more step away—one more raise, one more purchase, one more answered prayer. Yet even when we finally get what we thought we wanted, peace still feels out of reach. In this powerful reflection, Jonathan Youssef invites you to pause and consider a radically different kind of joy, the kind that doesn’t depend on circumstances. He takes us...

What happens when faith becomes about performance rather than grace? In this heartfelt and eye-opening conversation, Jonathan Youssef sits down with Cameron Cole, President of Rooted Ministry and author of Heavenward: How Eternity Can Change Your Life on Earth , to talk about breaking the cycle of performance-based Christianity and rediscovering the freeing power of the Gospel for parents and kids...

In a culture where identity has become fluid, how can Christians respond with Biblical Truth with both conviction and compassion? In this episode of Candid Conversations, Jonathan Youssef sits down with Dr. Katie McCoy, author of To Be a Woman: The Confusion Over Female Identity and How Christians Can Respond . Together they unpack one of the most pressing questions facing the next generation: Who...

What happens when faith collides with a world changing faster than ever? In this episode, Michael Keller and Jonathan Youssef wrestle honestly with AI, digital isolation, and the fractured search for meaning, offering real hope and practical wisdom for anyone longing for true connection and honest community with grace at the center.​ Jonathan and Michael dig into the spiritual and cultural shifts...

Can faith survive doubt, family legacy, and the rush of modern technology? In this compelling conversation, Dr. Michael Keller, pastor of Redeemer Lincoln Square , theologian, council member of the Gospel Coalition and a Fellow for the Keller Center for Apologetics. He is also the son of the late Tim Keller. In this conversation, Michael describes his journey from inherited belief to authentic, gr...

Discover how union with Christ transforms our identity, reshapes our approach to discipleship, and calls every believer to costly faith. Pastor and author Sam Allberry joins Jonathan Youssef to share candid insights on navigating same-sex attraction, authentic holiness, and the challenges facing today's church. Whether wrestling with faith or longing for deeper purpose, this conversation offers pr...

What if the habits shaping your daily scroll are quietly shaping your soul, and your church, for the next generation? In Part 2 of our conversation with Brett McCracken and Ivan Mesa, editors of Scrolling Ourselves to Death: Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age , we take a deeper look into the ways digital technology forms our hearts, relationships, and communities. From "main character syndrome" to t...

Are we scrolling ourselves numb while our souls quietly starve? On this episode of Candid Conversations, Jonathan Youssef talks with Brett McCracken and Ivan Mesa, editors of Scrolling Ourselves to Death: Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age , about how digital overload is quietly shaping who we are—often more deeply than we realize. Dive in as they reveal why technology’s grip is so persistent, how e...

Are you equipped to stand firm in the Christian faith in today’s ever-changing culture? Jonathan Youssef welcomes Trevin Wax, co-author of The Gospel Way Catechism , to discuss the importance of Christian catechism as a tool for spiritual formation in today’s world. Trevin is a vice president at the North American Mission Board (NAMB), a visiting professor at Cedarville University, and a regular c...

This special episode re-airs Jonathan Youssef’s engaging visit with Rick Probst on 2 Pastors Unplugged. Jonathan—shaped by a legacy of ministry and global training—digs deep into what makes preaching truly life-changing, drawing from experiences that span Atlanta to Sydney. Hear how opening God’s Word becomes more than a message; it’s an invitation to personal transformation and lasting impact for...

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the challenge of raising children to stand firm in their Christian faith because the culture pushes back at every turn? You’re not alone. Today, countless parents, teachers, and mentors are searching for hope-filled answers and practical, Biblical guidance for the next generation. In this episode of Candid Conversations, Jonathan Youssef offers practical insights for...

Welcome back to Candid Conversations! After a refreshing sabbatical, Jonathan Youssef returns with a brand-new episode to kick off this new season of Candid, diving into one of the Bible's most powerful stories of transformation, Simon Peter. Jonathan is joined by author and Candid listener favorite, Dave Hubbard. His new book, “ You Are, You Will Become: A Character Study of Simon Peter, ” invite...

A man lands in Dublin for a job interview. That night, in a hotel room, Jesus appears to him in a vision. The next morning, he stands weeping at a church gate, waiting for someone to explain what just happened. That’s not fiction. It's just one of the stories Pastor Joe Kerrigan shares in this unforgettable episode of Candid Conversations . From deliverance ministry to revival in the heart of Irel...

Jonathan welcomes Dr. Bill Davis of Covenant College back to Candid Conversations to explore the rich Biblical basis, spiritual significance, and transformative power of Sabbath rest, both personally, as a family, and as a faith community.  Dr. Davis shares insightful, real‑world practices from raising children to enjoy delight-filled Sundays, to intentional worship rhythms, and honoring the Sabba...

“There has never been a better time to evangelize the next generation.” That’s a bold statement, but one Dave Jensen stands behind with passion, clarity, and decades of ministry experience. In this energizing episode, Australian evangelist Dave Jensen returns to Candid Conversations to share why now, yes, right now , might be the most wide-open moment in our lifetime to reach Gen Z and Gen Alpha w...

What happens when we stop pretending we’re fine and start getting honest with God? Jonathan Youssef sits down with Joy Chapman, West Coast Development Director for Leading The Way , to hear her powerful story of transformation. From a childhood faith shaped by Scripture to life-altering experiences of loss, fear, and forgiveness, Joy shares how God met her in moments of deep pain to bring true hea...

What do Listerine strips, backyard barbecues, and cartoon characters have to do with kids meeting Jesus? More than you might think. In this lively and insightful episode of Candid Conversations , host Jonathan Youssef welcomes back Zack Carden—pastor, storyteller, and creator of Grey Bobby Ministries—to explore the incredible opportunity churches have with Vacation Bible School (VBS). Zack shares...