Sermons on the Side

Episode 75 is a special one - not only because it marks another milestone in the Sermons on the Side journey, but because it features an incredibly encouraging conversation with Mike Gunter.  Mike, his wife Amber, and their three children call the Columbus, Georgia area home. He is the owner of Energy Savers in Columbus, GA, and has faithfully attended and served as a Sunday School teacher at Nort...

A quiet afternoon on a park bench overlooking the Hudson River became an unforgettable lesson about the power of our choices.  In this episode, Richard takes us back to his days in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he watched one of the largest barges he'd ever seen make its way down the Hudson River. Within minutes, it had disappeared around the bend and out of sight. But the story wasn't o...

The gospel is a story of transformation.  Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly reminds His people of who they once were compared to who they have now become because of His grace. Once dead... but now alive. Once slaves... but now free. Once far away... but now brought near. Once in darkness... but now in the Light in the Lord.  In this episode of Sermons on the Side , Richard and Brad explore one...

Sometimes God leads us down roads we've never traveled before. Other times, He takes us back down roads we know by heart.  In this episode, Richard reflects on a recent trip to Lynchburg, Virginia - a journey that unexpectedly began with a detour through Birmingham, Alabama. While the route from Columbus to Lynchburg has become familiar over the last thirteen years, the road from Birmingham t...

In Part Two of our conversation with Tray and Shelley Lovvorn, the spotlight turns to Shelley's remarkable story of faith, perseverance, and learning to steward life's deepest wounds.  As a wife, mother of six, health coach, and follower of Christ, Shelley shares candidly about grief, loss, relationships, family, and the challenges that inevitably shape every life. Rather than allowing p...

This week on Sermons on the Side , we begin a powerful two-part conversation with Tray and Shelley Lovvorn. For Richard, this interview is especially meaningful. Tray has been a mentor, friend, and influential voice in his recovery journey for nearly two decades. As the founder of a recovery ministry in Birmingham that helped shape Richard's early steps toward healing - and the same ministry...

What started as a simple conversation about “echoes” with the 'Divine Miss B' years ago would later become something far more personal and powerful. In Episode 69, Echo of My Days , Richard reflects on a day that once felt impossible - sitting in the same church, on the same row, surrounded by family, honoring his sister at Liberty Church. This same church that served as a beacon of hope...

This week on Sermons on the Side , we sit down with Jacob P. Kelly - a career military serviceman stationed at Ft Benning, a man of deep faith, and the author of The Spurs of Service . In this powerful and honest conversation, Jake shares his journey through military service, fatherhood, faith, and the inspiration behind his collection of poetry and writings that explore the raw emotions many men...

What happens when life goes dark, direction feels lost, and the path forward seems impossible to navigate?  In this episode of Sermons on the Side, Richard shares how a recent viewing of Apollo 13 sparked a powerful spiritual realization that neither of us could shake. As the crew of Apollo 13 fought to survive after catastrophic damage in space, there was one unforgettable moment during their jou...

What happens when the story doesn’t get easier - but God is still just as present?  In Part 2 of this powerful conversation, Elliott and Emily Yancey share the rest of their adoption journey with Jojo - walking through the tension, the unknowns, and the moments that tested everything they thought they could handle. But through it all, one truth remained: their calling wasn’t to control the outcome...

What does it look like to follow God… when you don’t know how the story ends?  In this powerful first part of a two-part conversation, we sit down with one of Richard’s dearest friends, Elliott, and his wife, Emily, as they share their journey into the world of fostering and adoption - a path filled with uncertainty, surrender, and deep trust in God.  This isn’t just a conversation about outcomes....

What if the way you describe your life… isn’t actually yours to define?  This week on Sermons on the Side , Richard shares a simple but profound moment with a friend named Jamal. When asked how his day was going, Jamal responded, “It’s not for me to call.”   That phrase sparks a deeper conversation about who truly has the authority to name our circumstances - and ultimately, our identity.  We jour...

What happens when a simple trip to the store turns into a moment you never forget?  In this episode, Brad shares the now-legendary Bed, Bath & Beyond story - from a wedding with hundreds of people, to stacks of gift cards, to a checkout moment that didn’t make sense on paper… but made perfect sense in real life.  What started as a routine shopping trip with a plan quickly became something much...

What do you hold onto when the weight feels unbearable?  In this episode, Richard takes us back to the early days of his recovery journey - when everything felt raw, heavy, and uncertain. During that time, he was encouraged to come up with a mantra… but something about that language never quite fit.  Instead, through a perfectly timed Sunday morning and a single, powerful verse, he discovered some...

As Holy Week comes to a close, we arrive at Good Friday.  There’s no new concept here. No fresh perspective to uncover. Just the reality at the center of our faith -  A perfect Savior stepped into an imperfect world. The only sinless One took on the sin of all. Jesus willingly became the sacrifice. In this episode, we don’t rush past the cross. We sit in it. We reflect on the weight, the cost, and...

As Holy Week continues, we arrive at Maundy Thursday - the night of the Last Supper.  The word Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum , meaning “mandate.” And in this sacred moment around the table, Jesus gives exactly that - new commands for His followers. From loving one another, to remembering Him through the breaking of bread and the sharing of the cup.  What begins as a meal becomes something s...

As Holy Week continues, we step into one of the heaviest and most sobering moments in the story - Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.  For thirty pieces of silver, Judas trades relationship for control. Disappointed that Jesus didn’t meet his expectations of what the Messiah should be, he turns away - choosing his own path over trust.  It’s easy to judge. Easy to distance ourselves from the story. But if we...

As Holy Week continues, we step into one of the most intimate and powerful acts of worship found in the Gospels - Mary anointing the feet of Jesus.  With a jar of perfume worth nearly a year’s wages, Mary pours out everything she has in a moment of deep gratitude, humility, and love. It’s extravagant. It’s costly. And to some, it doesn’t make sense.  But when we remember what Jesus had just done -...

As Holy Week begins, we step into one of the most powerful and paradoxical moments in all of Scripture - the Triumphant Entry.  Jesus rides into Jerusalem not on a warhorse, but on a humble donkey. The crowds gather, laying down cloaks and palm branches, shouting “Hosanna!” - praise, celebration, expectation. It feels like a coronation… but it’s leading to a cross.  In this episode, we slow down a...

What does it really mean to surrender?  In this episode of Sermons on the Side , a simple but powerful moment sets the stage - Richard wakes up from a dream singing the timeless hymn “Have Thine Own Way.”   From that moment, a deeper conversation unfolds around surrender, trust, and what it looks like to truly place our lives in God’s hands.  We also share a story from our recent conversation with...

In this powerful and inspiring episode of Sermons on the Side , Brad and Richard sit down with missionary and ministry leader Jacques Van Bommel, founder and CEO of Reaching a Generation.  What started as a vision in South Africa has grown into a global movement - impacting more than 28 million children over the past 16+ years through public school outreach, AIDS prevention education, and strategi...

On construction sites, there’s a simple safety rule: always maintain three points of contact . Whether climbing a ladder or stepping onto heavy equipment, the idea is straightforward - stay anchored in three places so you remain stable and secure.  Recently, while serving as chaplain on a construction job site, Richard sat in on a safety briefing led by a friend responsible for the well-being of h...

After spending a weekend in Birmingham with his father, who is currently battling dementia, Richard had the opportunity to sit down for a simple Saturday morning breakfast with his dad and his cousin - someone they’ve always just called Uncle Damar. Around that table came story after story. Some were ones Richard had heard many times before. Others he hadn’t heard in years, and a few may have even...

We’re back to our regularly scheduled programming after an unforgettable birthday week - and first of all, thank you! The ratings, reviews, messages, coffee support, shares, encouragement… it meant more than we can possibly say. You all showed up in such a generous way, and we are deeply grateful. Now onto to YEAR 2!  Richard recently had a dream where he was the main character in a full-blown Mis...

This is Part 5 of a special 5-part bonus series celebrating one year of Sermons on the Side .  In the final moments of John chapter 21, after Peter has been restored and recommissioned, something subtle - but familiar - happens. Peter looks over at John and begins to compare his story to someone else’s. Even after a mountaintop encounter with Jesus, the comparison game creeps in - and just like th...