Finding Something Real Podcast

On today’s episode, Ruby and Janell sit down with Alex Davis. Alex tells a little about her faith journey and how she became interested in apologetics. They have a great conversation about the problem with universalism, why Jesus loves to bring us to Himself, why God did not hide salvation from anyone, and more! We hope you like this episode! ___________ We would love to thank our Patrons for all...

Ruby’s former high school teacher joins us on the podcast today! Louie Van Praag was atheist for most of his life, but came to faith in Christ only a few years ago. He tells his story and what helped him learn to trust God. We hope you like this episode! ___________ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon,...

Today, we introduce September’s co-host — Ruby! Ruby is a good friend of Janell. They talk about Ruby’s story, how she met Janell, and Asian culture. Ruby also shares her concerns about Christianity and Jesus and the questions she seeks to answer during her time as co-host. We hope you like this episode! ___________ This episode of the Finding Something REAL podcast is sponsored by Laurel Denise....

Today’s episode is a fantastic conversation about faith deconstruction. Janell, Byrnese, Hans, and Janel talk about creating space for questions in the church, the importance of finding community, why this cultural movement has a lot to do with the lack of Christian education, the intimacy that comes with persecution, and more. We hope you enjoy this episode! ___ We would love to thank our Patrons...

Scott McKnight and Laura Barringer join Janell and Byrnese on the podcast today! They talk about loving the church, intoxication with celebrity pastors, what the word “Tov” has to do with the church, why the church is more of a hospital for sinners than a resort for the holy., and more! We hope you enjoy this episode! ___ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn m...

Today on the podcast, we have Caleb Kaltenbach. Caleb tells the story of being raised by three gay parents, how he joined a Bible study and ended up giving his life to Christ. He is now a pastor who helps Christians connect with the LGBTQ+ community. They talk about the importance of making sure Jesus is the center of our life, finding our identity in Him, empathizing with those who have been hurt...

Happy August, friends! Today we are pleased to share with you Byrnese’s story! She grew up in New Hampshire with her mom. Though she was raised in a church, it was a very emotionally unsafe environment. She shares her story of coming out of that environment. Some of the questions raised in this podcast are: How can we reform churches so that spiritual abuse does not grow? Can people disagree on th...

Angela Pitnikoff joins us on the podcast today! She talks about her love for Jesus and her passion for helping others know who they are in Christ. We hope you enjoy this episode! ___ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! Special thanks to our friends Brian & Jill Wilson. To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here! Mentioned in this...

On today’s episode of the Finding Something REAL podcast, Janell talks with Abigail Houston about her scripture memorization ministry called Melodically Memorizing. Abigail talks about her passion for Jesus Christ and discusses the message of the Gospel. We hope you enjoy this episode! ___ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! Special thanks to our friends Brian & J...

On today’s episode of the Finding Something REAL podcast, Janell has a great conversation with Molly Oswald and Isaiah Guerero. They discuss the frustrations about attending college during a pandemic and the challenges of building community during the pandemic. They also talk about dating during the pandemic, how their faith has been impacted during COVID, and more! We hope you enjoy this episode!...

Today, Janell has a great conversation with Tiffini Hawkins. Tiffini is a recent college grad who is passionate about serving in ministry. Recently and very unexpectedly, she lost her father. In this podcast episode, she and Janell talk about grief, having grace for people, pressing into vulnerability, finding your people, and more! We hope you enjoy! ___ This episode of the Finding Something REAL...

This week, we end our journey with Mariah with a spatular conversation with Rebeca Metzler! Rebeca shares a little about her faith journey, what it’s like being involved with a counter cultural movement, and how the pandemic changed church life. They talk about finding a Christian community and Rebeca shares about her ministry called Resonate. We hope you enjoy this episode! ___ We would love to t...

Today, Janell and Mariah sit down with Drew Berryessa. Drew shares about his ministry and some of the challenges he has faced, his experience with sexuality and the Biblical position on it, and more! They also talk about the Gospel and living for Christ requires sacrifice. We hope you enjoy this episode! ___ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! Special thanks to our fr...

Today, we’re sharing a wonderful conversation between Janell, Mariah, and apologist Alycia Wood. Alycia talks about what Apologetics is and why she is passionate. Then they talk about suffering, how a good God could allow bad things to happen, free will, the character of God, and more! This is truly an edifying conversation. There may also be mention of eating cicadas… but you’ll have to listen to...

In this episode of the Finding Something REAL podcast, Janell and Mariah sit down with Zach Verritt. Zach shares his story of pursuing perfection, discovering his brokenness and finding grace. He shares his story of growing up in a christian home, being same sex attracted, and shares how pornography has effected hsi life. He shares a powerful story of how his sexuality has actually helped him be h...

New Month, New Co-Host! Today Janell sits down with Mariah. Mariah is kind enough to share her faith journey and a few questions that she has about Jesus Christ and Christianity. ___ This episode of the Finding Something REAL podcast is sponsored by Laurel Denise. Handmade with love in Charlottesville, VA since 2005. Check out her beautiful meaningful jewelry here ! We would love to thank our Patr...

Mature Theme Warning Today, Janell and Becca sit down with Jason Earls. Jason shares his story of coming from a life of partying , drugs, and sexual promiscuity and how it contradicted the life he wanted to live. They talk about the need for authenticity in faith communities. struggling with the desire to be accepted, the desire to sin, and how a life defined by christian disciplines leads to joy....

Today, Janell and Becca sit down with Michelle Watson to talk about trust. They talk about struggles with the family, the church, and what it means to truly seek God. Some of today’s topics include: dealing with conviction, discovering Grace, how Michelle talks to God throughout the day, and more! We hope you enjoy today’s episode! ______ We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing su...

Today, Janell and Becca sit down with Lou Phillips to discuss the biblical view of sex. Lou shares how he learned that he was more interested in what he could get from God than in God Himself. He also shares how he got into apologetics. Some of today’s topics include: purity culture, pornography, the biblical reason for marriage, the idolization of relationships and marriage, and why community is...

Today, Janell sits down with May’s cohost Becca Schultz. Becca grew up in rural Pennsylvania & Ohio with her mom (a catholic) and her dad (a protestant) and two sisters. She is currently studying science with the intent to be a middle school science teacher. Even though her university is one if the most known party-schools, Becca has found a great biblical community on her campus. She has been...

What if you were an agnostic who was starting to- maybe- see the world differently? What if you had asked God to help you and you thought He had answered in a tangible way? What if you saw the beauty of the world around you and felt like it had to be caused more than chance? What would come next for you in a faith journey? In this bonus episode, this month’s special podcast co-host (Dagmar) and Ja...

Would you follow Jesus if it seemed like everyone around you was choosing to follow something else? Or how would you stay anchored to faith in Christ when you are constantly bombarded by big questions about Christianity, not just by friends and culture, but instead by some of the highest regarded intellectual thinkers of our time? In this episode, this month’s special podcast co-host (Dagmar) and...

Lindsey is the executive director and resident world religion expert of Mama Bear Apologetics. She holds a Masters in Apologetics & Ethics from Denver Seminary, a Masters in Public Health, and a degree in Law. Recently, Lindsey wrote a chapter about Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Popular Handbook of World Religions (Harvest House). Lindsey and her apologist husband have been married for 13 years a...

Today’s episode is super special! Janell and Dagmar sit down with German apologist Julia Garschagen. Julia shares how she came to a relationship with Jesus and how the secular culture she grew up in affected her. The ladies talk about questions and objections that are aimed at Christianity and how a Biblical worldview can provide answers. They have a thought provoking conversation that covers God’...

Another month, another co-host! Today, we are introducing you to Dagmar. Dagmar is young woman who lives in the Netherlands. She shares a little about her faith journey and about the secular culture she lives in. In this first episode, she presents a few of the questions she has about faith and shares about her desire to know if God is real. A few of her questions include: What are the differences...