Halfway There

Engel Jones is a podcaster and the best networker you’ve ever seen. He has to be because his podcast is all about 12 minute conversations and he’s done 2460 of them. Last year, he and his wife traveled the continental United States and Canada throughout the summer. I was privileged to sit down with Engel and his wife at Red Rocks park in beautiful Colorado while they were on that epic journey. Tod...

Laura Flanders is the Associate Lecturer and Chair of Training and Mentoring Curriculum and one of my personal mentors. Today, we talk about mentoring, what mentoring is, and how to go about it as both a mentor and a mentee. We take questions from my friends on Facebook about mentoring, and Laura reaches to her bookshelf to share the books and resources that have shaped her ministry in mentoring....

Dave Ebert is a comedian and founder of Well Versed Comedy, and a fellow podcaster. Today, Dave shares the story of how he learned improv in professional wrestling, faced depression and suicidal thoughts, and found a new start in comedy. Dave is transparent about going through the dark seasons and we spend a few minutes talking about why the funniest people are sometimes the most depressed. It’s a...

Kelly Albright is a friend from long ago. We used to be coworkers and at the time, she did not know Jesus. A few months ago, she got in touch on LinkedIn and mentioned that she was now following him. Well, I couldn’t possibly miss the opportunity to learn how that happened so I invited Kelly to come on the show to share her experience. Today, Kelly shares that she was always somewhat curious about...

Subscribe to Podcast Magazine where I’m the Category Director for Religion & Spirituality Cody Dakota Wooten is a coach, teacher, and speaker with a passion for leadership. Today, Cody shares how growing up without his father affected him, the night a coyote led him to Jesus, and why he loves helping people find their true selves. Cody tells us about how learning the lives of the saints gave h...

Sarah Geringer is a blogger, speaker and author of Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus. Today, Sarah shares how the Lord helped her overcome depression, why being a child of divorce stinks, and how she invested in her dream to become a writer. Sarah’s practice of Christian meditation using Scripture is a wonderful tool that will help you focus your thoughts in productive...

Jeffrey Tacklind is a pastor, spiritual director, and author. Today, Jeff shares his journey from trying to be his dad to serving a congregation as Jesus intended him to. Jeff shares how he chose a small church to serve, discovered spiritual masters, and why he wrote a book on the process of transformation. We also discuss the tension between the longing for glory and the humility of submission to...

Karen Gonzalez is a native of Guatemala and is a speaker, writer and immigrant advocate. Karen works for World Relief and attended Fuller Theological Seminary, where she studied theology and missiology. Her first book is The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong. Today, Karen shares what it is like moving to a new country, how Christians can help immigrants, and what the B...

Steve Bremner is an author, sometime podcaster, and Supreme Galactic Emperor? We had a good laugh about that one! Today, Steve shares his journey from a conservative denomination to a charismatic one. You’ll hear his heart to see God and be inspired by his following the next right step even as it led him around the world. Steve currently has an online business while he serves in Peru – that’s mode...

Gill Bentham is an author and journaler and a nurse for over 30 years. Today, Gill shares the story of how she found life in Christ as a young woman, how the Lord was faithful through a difficult divorce, and the redemptive role of writing in her life. Gill shares with us why she wrote her latest book As If: Steering Your Life Without Strife, Navigating from Fantasy into Faith and Rising from Delu...

Karl Forehand is an author, former pastor, and podcaster. Today, Karl shares the story of his deconstruction, an idea that has been bantered around a bit lately. But what is it? Deconstruction is simply the process of letting go of false beliefs about God, the world, and yourself and discovering the reality of all three. As Karl shares in his story, it can be painful and you can lose friends when...

Julie Court is an author, speaker and motivational coach. Today, Julie shares how she gave up on God after it seemed like he never came through, the friend who loved an angry girl, and how she learned to forgive. Julie has a very intimate relationship with Jesus and often talks with him and listens to where he wants her to go. She shares why she went to Kenya after an uprising to speak on forgiven...

Os Guinness is an author, speaker, and prominent social critic whose work has profoundly affected many including me. Today, Os shares the story of his rich spiritual heritage. He came to faith as a young man while reading C.S. Lewis, learned from Francis Schaeffer, and has written many books. We also discuss what a Christian view of time looks like and his new book Carpe Diem Redeemed. This is a c...

Dr. Corinne Weaver is a chiropractor helping patients get healthy through holistic methods. Today, Corinne shares the story of the bicycle accident that damaged her health seemingly permanently, how the Lord directed her to chiropractic care, and why it’s important to take care of our bodies. She also teaches us her technique for how to breathe properly and why that is so important for good health...

In this bonus episode, we catch up with Steve Simms, an author, pastor, and previous guest on Halfway There. Steve’s heart for relationship with Jesus will inspire you to walk a little more closely to him, too. Steve writes books and in this conversation, we talk about his last two books, one about a Christian response to racism, and the other about returning to early Christianity. I think you’ll...

Joseph Agliata is an IT guy and podcaster. Today, Joe shares his story of mental illness, being close to suicide, and potentially hurting others. But his story doesn’t end there. Joe was seeking the peace of Jesus and you can see the Lord’s faithfulness to bring it to him even in a mental ward where Joe clung to his Bible. If you struggle with mental illness, listen to Joe’s story and know that th...

Laura Padgett is an author, dancer, and public speaker, and sometimes an elf. Today, Laura shares how she found the Lord after resisting him for years, the woman who invested deeply in her, and why she started to write stories. Laura is a passionate believer who reminds us of the power of solid mentor relationships and the joy that’s possible if you just trust the Lord. By the end of this episode,...

Ryan is a Pastor at Tenth Church in Vancouver BC. He is the author of Being is Greater than Doing, and an Enneagram Coach. Today, Ryan shares how the Enneagram helped him discover and accept himself including the unique ways he contributes to the Kingdom of God. We also talk about how the spiritual practices we are drawn to may differ based on our personality and why we need to embrace ourselves t...

If the MeToo movement has shown us anything, it’s that the problem of sexual abuse is not just something for others to handle. It’s easy to pretend that the problem belongs to Hollywood or the Roman Catholic Church. But now, Evangelicals also admit to covering up and shuffling around predators in the name of forgiveness. What are the guidelines for redemptive handling of sexual abuse allegations a...

Caroline Abbott is an author, domestic violence advocate, and counselor. Today, she shares the story of how she found the Lord, walked away, and found him again. Along the way, Caroline found herself in an abusive marriage but found little help from the people who she turned to including her church. She recounts some of the misguided things her pastors did and said and gives us tips and resources...

It’s time, my friends, to let go of some bad beliefs. This episode is a special bonus edition with Cliff Ravenscraft  that will challenge you to reconsider the idea of beliefs. Cliff often says “All beliefs have consequences” but what is a belief exactly? And how do bad beliefs affect us? And, what if some of the Christian doctrines we consider important are actually holding us back from enjoying...

Hey friends! This month’s bonus episode is with Chris Copeland. Chris and his wife Joi appeared on Halfway There episode #98 back in July 2018. They had been raising support to go to Ireland as missionaries for four years at the time. Yesterday, they shared a special update that they finally reached 100 % of the funding they needed to begin the process of moving to Ireland. If you’re wondering why...

Jim Bowman is a missionary to people who learn orally which makes sharing the Gospel a different process than most of us in the West are used to using. Today, Jim shares the story of learning to trust God as his father because his own father was less than trustworthy (hint: he stole a diamond later worn by Elizabeth Taylor). He also shares how he and his wife discovered that written words are not...

Amy Jackson is founder and director of The Perch, which provides space and skills for soul care. She is a former publisher at Christianity Today and has served in pastoral ministry. Today, Amy shares how she went from kid who didn’t think God was worth it to all in on him. Her story teaches us how faithful the Lord is to lead even when we question whether or not he knows what he’s doing. If you ha...

Wesley Ross Harris is an author and personal trainer. Today, he shares his story struggling with mental illness. Wes began to give up his identity as he joined the football team in high school. In time, the Lord began to reorient him toward others which slowly changed his perspective. Things really began to change when he decided to write his story and share it to help others. Now, he writes to de...