Hope Unlocked 🔑 | Christian Testimonies, Hope & Healing, Faith-Based Inspiration, Purpose & Calling, Kingdom Business & Ministry

Send us Fan Mail Filmmaker and advocate Joel Sheagren joins Kristin Kurtz for a powerful conversation on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), prenatal alcohol exposure, adoption, mental health, neurodiversity, and the hidden struggles many families face. Joel shares his family’s story, the heartbreaking reality of misdiagnosis, and why many children with brain-based differences are mislabeled...

Send us Fan Mail When your child says, “Mom, I’m transgender,” everything can change in an instant. In this powerful episode of Hope Unlocked , Kristin Kurtz talks with Debra McNinch about faith, grief, prodigal children, LGBTQ family journeys, spiritual warfare, prayer, and learning to stand on Jesus when life feels shaken. Debra shares her heart behind Battlecry Moms, a Christian support communi...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a layoff becomes God’s invitation into something deeper? In this episode of Hope Unlocked , Kristin Kurtz talks with David Tucker Whitaker about career disruption, faith, purpose, impostor syndrome, discipleship, men’s ministry, and trusting God when life doesn’t go as planned. David shares how God used unexpected transition, chronic pain, and health transformati...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode, Kristin Kurtz talks with Rivka Kaveny about faith, waiting on God, inner healing, deliverance, and trusting His timing when promises feel delayed. Rivka shares her journey of marrying for the first time at 59, building a debt-free ministry center and house of prayer in rural Missouri. Together, they explore Passover, crossing into new seasons, healing tra...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of Hope Unlocked , Kristin Kurtz and Kurt Uhlir explore faith-based leadership, workplace culture, and redefining success beyond achievement. Topics include servant leadership vs authoritative leadership, building healthy teams, overcoming father wounds, navigating corporate pressure, entrepreneurship, and finding purpose through faith. Kurt shares his tes...

Send us Fan Mail Celebrate the 200th episode of the Hope Unlocked podcast with a powerful conversation on faith, obedience, and courage with Heidi Heino—corporate leader, mom, and Chapter President of Fellowship of Extraordinary Women (FEW) Twin Cities. We dive into why Christian women’s community matters and how to take the next step when God calls you higher. Heidi also shares her bold journey i...

Send us Fan Mail Discover how entrepreneur Matt Flegler learned to hear God in business, find peace beyond performance, and unlock breakthrough in leadership, relationships, and finances. In this Hope Unlocked episode, Matt shares how divine guidance shaped property development deals, funding, decision-making, and everyday strategy. From healing past trauma to mentoring founders through Salt and L...

Send us Fan Mail In this Hope Unlocked episode, entrepreneur and philanthropist Kurt Avery shares how Sawyer Products grew from humble beginnings into a global force for clean water, disaster relief, and purpose-driven business. We explore water filtration technology, humanitarian innovation, faith-led entrepreneurship, disaster response, global health, succession planning, leadership, integrity,...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of Hope Unlocked , Jason Heinritz shares his journey from workaholism, numbing, and chasing status to living set apart through surrender, spiritual discipline, and trust in God’s provision. We talk about faith, marriage, fatherhood, Sabbath rest, boundaries, business, and building a life rooted in peace instead of performance. Jason also shares the heart b...

Send us Fan Mail Celebrate 3 years of Hope Unlocked with Cindy Nicholson as we unpack how to break free from old labels and embrace your God-given identity— loved, chosen, redeemed, and called . Cindy shares her 20-year journey from publishing in South Africa to launching Embracing Grace magazine , including a wilderness season, healing from trauma, shame, and perfectionism, and learning print mag...

Send us Fan Mail Jason Lyle (former pastor, founder of Adventures in Recovery and Sacred Grit) shares how cold water exposure, breathwork, and backcountry brotherhood help men break cycles of addiction, trauma, and emotional numbness to rebuild identity and courage. We explore nervous system regulation, triggers and the amygdala, and how intentional breathing can restore the prefrontal “steering w...

Send us Fan Mail A second chance rarely comes how we plan it and Kayla Rose Masteller proves it. In this Hope Unlocked episode, Kayla shares her powerful testimony of a midnight accident, recovery, and the moment Philippians 4:13 became her lifeline. Hear how physical therapy, unexpected provision, and renewed calling led her from Bible college doubts to missions and seven years as a missionary-ed...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve felt trapped in your body, your mind, or your own home—this episode is for you. Janell Kremer shares her unfiltered story: gallstones during pregnancy, a terrifying postpartum spiral, public panic, and a mysterious illness that left her wasting away while doctors ran out of answers. Then the battle turned spiritual—an oppressive heaviness in her house and suicidal though...

Send us Fan Mail Think your past disqualifies you? This episode will challenge that lie. Roosevelt Sargent opens up about leaving gang life, becoming a teenage father, and walking through grief, addiction, and the kind of endurance that looks like crying in a bathroom stall, praying, and getting back up anyway. We talk imposter syndrome, learning to trust discernment, and how Roosevelt turned test...

Send us Fan Mail When the story you tell yourself shifts, your life can follow. In this episode of Hope Unlocked , minister, author, and former college educator Connie Tresedder shares how inner healing, brain rewiring, and Holy Spirit–led perspective break cycles of fear, comparison, and doubt. We explore triggers, thought patterns, and how the brain treats reminders like reality, plus practical...

Send us Fan Mail What if the loudest story in your mind isn’t the truth? In this powerful episode, performance coach Heather Sanchez unpacks how hidden belief systems fuel perfectionism, shame, and silence—and how renewing the mind with God’s truth brings freedom. We explore the difference between feelings and truth, why waiting to feel forgiven keeps us stuck, and how lies like “I’m not enough” a...

Send us Fan Mail In this Hope Unlocked episode, Kristin Kurtz sits down with Marnie Swedberg to explore calling versus qualification, discerning peace as a guide, and leading with faith when clarity feels foggy. Marnie shares the origin story of Christian Women Speakers, overcoming comparison and perfectionism, and stewarding your voice whether on a platform, in ministry, or at the kitchen table....

Send us Fan Mail What if the ending you never wanted wasn’t the end at all? In this powerful episode of Hope Unlocked , Kristin Kurtz sits down with Bethany Spencer—remarried widow, mother of five, coach, and author—for a raw conversation about grief, lament, and reimagining life after loss. After losing her husband to cancer in just eleven months, Bethany shares how learning to lament with honest...

Send us Fan Mail In this raw, hope-filled episode, Cindy O’Rourke shares a powerful testimony of healing after devastating betrayal, spiritual warfare, and rebuilding discernment through faith. We talk about how God can redeem trauma into purpose—leading Cindy to adopt children with complex needs and launch Grace and Wellness, a med spa and wellness center in Burnsville, Minnesota with a mission t...

Send us Fan Mail What if your childhood “trouble” was actually a clue to your calling? Bill Dickerson shares how God-given design shows up early...and how understanding your gifts can unlock purpose, courage, and lasting joy. Learn the three layers of gifts and how they shape relationships, leadership, and work. Bill also unpacks faith-filled obedience, focus in a noisy world, courage that catches...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful Hope Unlocked episode, Kristin sits down with Kimberly Joy for a hope-filled conversation on emotional maturity, Kingdom leadership, and staying spiritually stable when life shakes you. You’ll learn the difference between instant breakthroughs and long-term growth, why humility and emotional stability mark true maturity, and how the Holy Spirit meets you as Counse...

Send us Fan Mail Christian counselor Kathryn Lichty, founder of One Hope Counseling, shares a powerful journey of listening prayer, inner healing, and faith-led obedience. Kathryn opens up about leaving a secular counseling agency to build a practice rooted in hearing God’s voice—confirmed through Scripture, signs, and timely encouragement. This episode explores trauma, parts work, taking thoughts...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode, I sit down with Tim Hunt, whose journey through FSHD muscular dystrophy, respiratory failure, and a silent ICU season became the catalyst for his calling as a Christian author. Tim shares how faith, prayer, and unexpected “angels” helped awaken a novel decades in the making. We explore Fields of Faith , a faith-filled historical novel, and dive into pract...

Send us Fan Mail Former PBR bull rider turned worship leader, comedian, and keynote speaker Nick Morrison shares how resilience shaped his journey from rodeo arenas to rebuilding his brain after over 50 concussions and a hypoxic injury. We explore faith, mindset, rural ministry, neuroplasticity, and the work ethic that fueled his recovery. Nick reveals the power of laughter as healing, the three c...

Send us Fan Mail In this inspiring conversation, prophetic artist Claudette Ross shares how creativity can become a pathway to peace, healing, and deeper connection with God. We explore how art, worship, and spiritual sensitivity intersect—and how simple obedience can unlock bold expression, renewed confidence, and surprising breakthroughs. Claudette opens up about cultivating a creative lifestyle...