UNDISTRACTED with Laura Bennett

By 2030, it’s estimated 45 percent of women will be single and child free. It a contrast to previous generations where marriage and kids was the expected norm, but for many reasons a lot of women aren’t in the relationships they were brought up to assume were guaranteed. Sydney author Sheree Joseph wants a husband and family, but an ill-timed breakup and medical diagnosis has so far se...

British cook Rachel Khoo is known to Australians fans for her work on 'The Great Australian Bakeoff', but many years before she appeared on our screens it was cooking out of a small kitchen in her Parisan flat that gave Rachel her first TV role. 'The Little Paris Kitchen' became a hit BBC series and now a memoir of the same name. Rachel speaks to us about the effect of food on culture, knowing whi...

Our guest today is author and former Hope 103.2 journalist Clare Bruce. In memoir ' Sinner, Saint, Servant' , Clare tells the story of Troy White. A onetime policeman, pastor and military chaplain who struggled with PSTD, anxiety and depression, and a growing alcohol addiction his admirers had little awareness of. Clare talks about how to have faith in tandem with struggle, the pressure on ministr...

After the #MeToo movement emboldened victims to speak up about gendered violence, survivors found themselves silenced by defamation laws being used to stop them sharing their experiences. In Silenced , International human rights lawyer and co-author of How Many More Women? Jennifer Robinson shows us how the legal system is used to discredit and financially ruin survivors and journalists reporting...

Our guest today is Embrace Grace founder Amy Ford. In her teens Amy fell pregnant unexpectedly and, as happens for many young women in the church, was met with judgement, shame and rejection. Her goal since, has been to equip churches to support women in choosing life at such a crucial time in their lives, and see the church as the first place women turn to and not run from. Listen to more from ou...

Do you ever feel stuck? You’re a Christian who loves Jesus, you believe God has a good plan for your life, and yet you feel like something has stalled. Today we’re welcoming back minister and host and author of the Heal with God podcast and book Heather O’Brien.   After years of struggling with depression and leaning into Scripture and prayer, Heather began hearing God&rsquo...

Our guest today is a photojournalist with Compassion International. For more than 20 years, Edwin Estioko has documented children and families living through poverty, disaster and recovery in the Philippines - one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. His work takes him into communities after typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other crises, often after the initial headlines...

This episode relates to end-of-life care. In his memoir ‘As She Chose’, guest Oliver Christen tells the story of his 86-year-old mum and her choice to, in his words, “consciously end a life well lived”. He explores end of life choices through his journey as a son supporting his dying mum. Who, when she can no longer live independently, choices an alternative to a prolonged...

As July starts, so too does a commitment by many to embrace Dry July. In today’s episode we’re dipping into the archives for a chat with sobriety advocate and wellness coach Justine Santowiak. In 2012 she almost lost her life when her alcohol addiction became too much, entering rehab and forever cutting ties with the substance the controlled her. Justine found a way forward and wants t...

How do you become, and have, a quality friend? Why are adult friendships exhausting sometimes, and could we be better off talking to A.I.? Our guest today is Sheridan Voysey. Author, broadcaster and founder of Friendship Lab, a platform empowering people with the resources they need to make friendships thrive and invest in one of our most neglected relationships. Listen to more from our Hope Podca...

Our guest today is former Standford lecturer, author and entrepreneur Nir Eyal. His latest book, 'Beyond Belief', looks at the science behind motivation and achievement, how prayer and ritual effect belief and when quitting is the best option. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagr...

Our guest today is adoptive mum and founder of Forever Projects Anna Dombkins. Together with her husband Mark, Anna moved to Tanzania and adopted three babies in need of urgent care. Anna’s book 'Home Forever' tells the story of why they left Australia to grow their family, the reality of having six kids now and why she wants adoption to happen less. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts col...

Today, we’re jumping into end time theology about the return of Christ and getting a dose of Bible school with Christian author, speaker and founder of Messenger International, John Bevere. John admits to avoiding the potentially controversial subject for 40 years, but his new book ' The King is Coming' covers what he thinks is a pressing need for people to prepare for the return of Christ a...

CEO of Hope Economy - formerly CAP Money - Rosie Kendall explores the connection between our money and our identity, and how our spending can be better aligned with our values. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagram . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest today is Bible teacher and 'New York Times' bestselling author Jennie Allen. She's with us to help uncover 'The Lies We Don't Know We Believe' and what truth to replace them with.  Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagram . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Our guest today isn’t an academic, he’s not a public figure, he’s a Sydney truckie and former Navy-man whose lived experience of professional collapse, personal trauma and discovery of Christian faith inspired him to write ‘ Mistakes a Like Fertiliser ’, a journey into some of history’s biggest mishaps, and how mistakes can grow us not break us. Listen to more f...

Today we’re going back into the archives to a chat I had with John Mark Comer about 'The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry'. Released in early 2020 the book pre-empted what became a time of serious reflection about what we filled our days with and how rushed modern life had become. 6 years on the “hurry sickness” John spoke about I would say is even more prevalent, combined with an a...

Our guest today is filmmaker Andrew Erwin. Together with his brother Jon, Andrew has been a part of some of the biggest faith films of the last decade including 'Jesus Revolution', 'I Still Believe' and 'Ordinary Angels'. His latest project, 'I Can Only Imagine 2', is the sequel to the 2018 hit that follows the true story of Christian band MercyMe and the family trauma singer Bart Millard faced al...

Author of 'Why Are All My Boyfriends Fictional', Jessica Kate joins Laura to talk about bad flirting, red flags in Christian dating and how - whether for a season or for life - you can find joy in singleness. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagram . See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

Our guest today is Australian actor George Xanthis, who plays John on 'The Chosen', the global hit series about the life of Jesus and his disciples. The next season is one the biggest as they face the crucifixion of Christ and in this episode, George not only talks about that, but about how a local Sydney boy got this gig, pressure to be a religious icon and how his spirituality has evolved during...

Our guest today, Sita Walker is a high school literature teacher and award-winning writer, whose 20 years’ experience in education frame her debut novel 'In a Common Hour' - The story of a single lunch time that unravels a school community. It prompts discussion about masculinity, truth and difference, and how we shape the world with our words. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collectio...

Have you ever woken form a dream and wondered if it meant anything? Was it just your brain processing life, or was God speaking to you? And if He was, what was He trying to say through what you saw? Paige Collins is usually a publicist and filmmaker, but she’s added author to the list with Awaken, a dream journal that explores scriptural dream symbolism, how dreams affect our waking hours, t...

In this episode, Christian educator and identity coach Dr. Eric Moyer explains how our view of God affects our sense of identity, and why he sees a problem with the cultural idea that we can "be who want to be". Pre-order 'Redeeming Identity' and get a 15% discount: https://redeemingidentity.com/product/redeeming-identity-book/ Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts...

Our guest today is Dean Keaney. Together with his wife Becky, Dean moved from Ohio in the late 70’s to establish the Australian arm of Christiann aid organisation Open Doors. He was inspired by the organisations founder Brother Andrew who distributed countless Bibles throughout the communist countries of Europe, and spent 47 years helping persecuted Christians in Asia, the Middle East and ma...

Newcastle writer and filmmaker Kyle Portbury helps bring epic Biblical musical David to life, detailing how an international team made it happen, how AI is affecting creativity and why he's willing to wait for big breaks. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagram . See omnystudio.co...