Pastor Plek's Podcast

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. Lydia Vadez doesn’t tell a polished story. She tells the true one, the kind that starts in survival mode and slowly learns what safety feels like. We sit down and trace her journey from a childhood marked by physical abuse, secrecy, and being blamed for things she couldn’t control, all the way to the moment she realized...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. A gospel booklet shows up in the mail behind the Iron Curtain and it changes a teenager’s life forever. Sergei grew up in Belarus under the USSR, where the aftershock of World War II, state propaganda, and restricted Christianity shaped everything from what people believed to what they feared. We talk through what “free...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. A single moment can split your life into “before” and “after” and you do not get to vote on the timing. Don and Susan Thayer know that kind of turning point firsthand, and they share their story with a level of honesty most people only admit in a counselor’s office: childhood trauma, adoption, ministry life, and the sud...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 384: The news cycle keeps daring Christians to pick a side fast, speak loud, and “own” someone online. We slow it down and ask better questions: what does Scripture actually say about rulers, war, and the temptation to turn political leaders into religious symbols? We start with Pope Francis, Vatican II, and the claim t...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 383: A certified letter can do what years of denial never will. When David Hennig opened mail warning him he was years behind on taxes and could lose his home. The “nice life” illusion cracked, and the real story surfaced: pride, hidden debt, emotional shutdown, and a marriage that quietly ran out of road. David walks t...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 382: A single question in a prison bunk rewired Cameron’s future: “Are you safe?” From there, everything changed. What began as a teenager’s slide into weed, cocaine, and quick money hardened into years of county time and a near-OD his own father—an EMS captain—responded to. But that stark wake-up call in a trustee camp...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 381: A war zone will test your body, your marriage, and your faith—and sometimes all three at once. Bruno DeCanto sits down with us to unpack a wild, unfiltered journey: anti-trafficking missions on Ukraine’s front lines, a marriage unraveling under pressure, and a stage 3 cancer diagnosis he hid so he could keep rescui...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 380: What does it take to move toward the world’s darkest places and bring people back alive? Covert missionary Bruno DeCanto is back to continue sharing a wild, human story that runs from South Sudan’s conflict zones to Ethiopia’s Tigray region and into the heart of Ukraine’s war. The mission is simple and brutal: extr...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 379: A nameless voice, a battered past, and a purpose that won’t quit. Bruno sits with us to unpack how a jailhouse encounter with Jesus turned a prize fighter into a quiet force against trafficking from Oaxaca and Panama City to the airstrips of South Sudan. This isn’t a highlight reel built on bravado; it’s a ground-l...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 378: Matt Badgley's life began with unimaginable trauma - conceived through rape to a drug-addicted mother. His childhood was marked by poverty, abuse, and abandonment, leading to a suicide attempt at 14. However, God intervened through Young Life ministry, where Matt encountered the unconditional love of his Heave...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 377: Discover how one man found hope after losing his wife, daughter, and son in just six years. This powerful testimony explores finding God in the midst of unimaginable grief and trauma. Kenneth Monroe's story addresses childhood abuse, military PTSD, sudden death, losing a child, grief counseling, and spiritual...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 376: A woman's powerful journey from religious extremism to authentic faith reveals the stark difference between controlling religion and true Christianity. Growing up in the Fraternal Society of St. Peter meant living under strict rules, complete isolation, and predetermined life paths. At 12 years old, she was to...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 375: What happens when a stay-at-home dad with a decade of youth outreach experience decides to run for the Texas House? We sit down with District 50 candidate John Hash to map the road from everyday life to the state Capitol, translating committee-speak, ballot rules, and campaign realities into plain English. If you’v...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 374: A 15-minute walk into a Venezuelan church changed everything. Manny grew up in Iran with loving, educated parents, a strict culture, and a head full of questions no one would answer. Kickboxing and Muay Thai gave him structure; wrestling shaped his base; but joy in worship—clapping, singing, smiling—gave him a firs...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 373: What if your most generous years aren’t behind you, but right in front of you? We sit down with Jake Ridley, a faith-driven wealth advisor and church board treasurer, to unpack how a clear plan and a grounded theology of money can turn fear into purposeful action. From estate strategies that nudge giving upward tod...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 372: Pride shows up in strange outfits, and ours wore a white dress. We share how engagement exposed pride, how confession and forgiveness changed the room, and why gratitude lowers anxiety. Then we answer a listener’s question on the parable of the ten virgins and explain why oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit and readines...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 371: A throwaway line about “mutual submission” sparked a storm—and a much-needed deep dive. We open the Bible, sit with the tension, and then walk into the real-life mess of engagement, decision-making, and what loving leadership actually looks like when two strong people share a future. No formulas, no clichés, just a...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. A Supreme Court fight, a crisis of conscience, and a hard look at justice—this conversation moves fast and cuts deep. We open with Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for minors and why the 10th Circuit’s framing of “harmful professional conduct” raises alarms for counselors who practice faith-informed talk therapy. Wh...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 369: A simple question about “priests before the Law” opens a door into one of Scripture’s most fascinating arcs. We trace the roles of prophet, priest, and king before Sinai, explore Jethro’s surprising faithfulness, and sit with the mystery of Melchizedek—king of Salem, priest of God Most High—who foreshadows Jesus as...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. 368: A stadium filled with worship, national leaders in the room, and the gospel preached without flinching—some moments refuse to stay “cultural.” We unpack why Charlie Kirk's memorial became a spiritual inflection point and how it’s stirring unexpected courage, repentance, and renewed interest in church across th...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. Pastor Plek and guest co-host Ruben Campos from Lifeway navigate the challenging intersection of faith and politics in an increasingly polarized world. They explore how Christian leaders should respond to political violence, cultural controversies, and personal questions of faith in everyday life. • Discussion of the Ch...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. When is deception morally justified? It's a question that challenges our understanding of biblical ethics. In this thought-provoking episode, Holland and Chris tackle the fascinating case of Samuel in 1 Samuel 16, where God himself instructs his prophet to conceal his true mission of anointing David as king. Ready...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. What if everything you thought you knew about angels, demons, and the spiritual realm was just scratching the surface? This episode dives deep into Michael Heiser's groundbreaking book "The Unseen Realm" and explores how it transforms our understanding of the Bible's supernatural worldview. Ready to...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. What happens when ritual replaces relationship? When a nation embraces death as a solution? When God is removed from governance? These profound questions drive our latest conversation about faith, culture, and the sanctity of life. We begin by examining how easily Christians can fall into the trap of treating Scripture...

Have a question or comment for Pastor Plek or one of his guests. Send it here. In today's episode we explore the dangers of neglecting our salvation and how to navigate cultural tensions as Christians in today's complex world. • How spiritual and material worlds converge in our daily lives • When we neglect our salvation, we miss seeing God at work around us • The challenge of navigating...