Space for Life

Today we're revisiting one of the more meaningful early episodes from Space for Life, a conversation with friend and co-host Patricia Clark recorded shortly after a full year sabbatical he called a Year of Jubilee. Tommy reflects on why he needed to step away, what he discovered when God took the year in a completely unexpected direction, and how creating that space led to a health transformation...

Tommy Thompson brings back one of the earliest and most beloved episodes from Space for Life, a conversation with his brother and 40-year business partner, Litt Thompson. After a business crisis in the early 1990s pushed Litt to his breaking point, one desperate morning spent alone in a university library set him on a path he has been following for over 25 years. In this episode, Litt shares his f...

Keith McCurdy is back on Space for Life for a follow-up to his episode on raising sturdy kids. This time the focus shifts to the adults, because it takes a sturdy adult to raise a sturdy child. After 40 years in mental health and tens of thousands of families, Keith shares why healthy struggle is the engine of growth, how to stop letting your emotions run the show, and the practices that build the...

In this episode, Tommy sits down with Shola Richards, known as The Kindness Extremist and Brother Teresa, to talk about what kindness actually looks like when life gets hard. Shola shares his story of moving from bullying, burnout, and a near tragic moment on an LA freeway to building a global mission around freakishly practical kindness. The conversation gets into the real difference between nice...

Tommy reunites with close friend and collaborator Patricia Clarke for a rich, wide-ranging conversation on one of life's most important and most misunderstood questions: what does it actually mean to find and live a life of purpose? They bring two completely different approaches to the table, one intuitive and spontaneous, one intentional and structured, and together they land on something that ap...

Tommy sits down with Katherine Wolf, stroke survivor, author, and co-founder of Hope Heals, for one of his dream conversations. At 26, Katherine had a massive brain stem stroke that left her permanently disabled, and nearly two decades later she is one of the most compelling voices on suffering, hope, and what it means to live a truly good life in the middle of an impossibly hard one. This is a co...

Tommy sits down with Drew Daniels, founding pastor of Boulevard Church in Richmond, Virginia, to explore what the resurrection of Jesus Christ actually means, not just theologically, but historically and personally. They walk through the evidence, wrestle with the hard questions, and land on why a 2000-year-old event still changes everything about how we live today. Drew brings an honest, grounded...

Loneliness is rising in a world that has never been more connected. In this episode, Tommy sits down with longtime friend and recently retired pastor Dr. Nelson Ould to explore the power and practice of presence. Drawing from decades of pastoral ministry and personal experience, Nelson shares a simple insight: in life’s most difficult moments, people rarely remember the exact words that were spoke...

Fifteen years ago, Pastor Steve Ruetschle was left paralyzed after a catastrophic motorcycle accident. Doctors told him he would never walk again. But this episode is not primarily about a medical outcome. It is about something deeper. In this conversation, Steve reflects on the different ways God heals, the power of community, and what it means to participate in the fellowship of suffering. He sh...

So many people carry the quiet dream of writing something meaningful. A book. A devotional. A story that has been sitting inside them for years. But the question lingers Where do I even begin? In this episode of Space for Life, Tommy sits down with Terry Whalin, acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing and author of more than 60 books, to talk about what it really takes to move from dream to...

Your 30s can feel like a decade full of tension. The tension between freedom and responsibility, living fully now and preparing wisely for the future, wanting clarity without becoming rigid. In this episode of  Space for Life , Joe joins Tommy for an honest conversation about what it really means to live well in your 30s with freedom and intention. Rather than offering formulas or life h...

In this episode of  Space for Life , Tommy sits down with  Mia Sundstrom , CEO of the  National Institute for Play  and granddaughter of renowned play researcher  Dr. Stuart Brown , for a powerful conversation about why play is not childish, frivolous, or optional, but essential to human health, creativity, resilience, and fulfillment. They explore the science of play, the...

This is one of the most difficult and meaningful conversations Space for Life has ever held. In this episode, host Tommy Thompson is joined by David Dwight , Senior Pastor at Hope Church Richmond, and Ray Paul , National Board Chair of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Together, they share deeply personal stories of losing close family members to suicide and reflect on what it means...

In this episode of  Space for Life , host Tommy Thompson is joined by Dan Allan, Executive Director at Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru), for a wide-ranging conversation about faith, renewal, and what’s unfolding across college campuses today. Dan shares his personal journey in ministry, how  The Chosen  has become a powerful catalyst for gospel conversations, and why collab...

In this episode of Space for Life, host Tommy Thompson is joined by  Dr. Wendi Lord , Vice President of Localization for the  Come and See Foundation , the organization responsible for taking  The Chosen  to the world. Wendi shares her journey from the corporate and publishing worlds into a calling that sits at the intersection of faith, technology, and human flourishing. The c...

In this episode of  Space for Life , Tommy Thompson sits down with  Stan Jantz , Global Ambassador for the  Come and See Foundation , the nonprofit behind the global production, translation, and distribution of  The Chosen . Stan shares firsthand stories from around the world showing how  The Chosen  is reaching people across cultures, denominations, and generations....

In this episode of Space for Life, Tommy Thompson is joined by pastor and longtime ministry leader Tuck Knupp for a thoughtful conversation on kindness. Drawing from a men’s Bible study on the fruit of the Spirit, they explore how kindness is often misunderstood as niceness or weakness, when in reality it is rooted in strength, humility, and generosity of spirit. Together, they discuss kindness in...

In this episode, Tommy is joined by bravery expert, leadership developer, and author  Jill Schulman  to unpack  The Bravery Effect —the idea that bravery isn’t something you’re born with, but something you can train. Jill shares her unconventional path from Marine Corps officer to positive psychology expert, blending personal stories, scientific research, and practical tools to show...

In this episode of  Space for Life , Tommy and Joe dive deep into one of the most overlooked drivers of personal transformation:  the environment you build around your life . Instead of focusing on tips, hacks, or quick fixes, they explore how habits, self-coaching, meaningful relationships, and spiritual spaciousness create the kind of “rich soil” where long-term growth actually happens...

In this episode of  Space for Life , Tommy welcomes entrepreneur Jeff Johnson for a deeply moving conversation about surrender, resilience, and the ways God reaches us through life’s hardest moments. Jeff shares the powerful story of hitting the breaking point in his fourth-generation steel fabrication business, kneeling alone on the shop floor, and asking God to take over. What follows is a...

In this conversation, Tommy welcomes back author and teacher Gary Thomas to talk about his new book,  The Life You Were Reborn to Live: Dismantling 12 Lies That Rob Your Intimacy with God . Building on Gary’s deep engagement with Christian classics and spiritual theology, they explore how many sincere believers unconsciously live by “old rules” and assumptions, even after being spiritually re...

In this episode of  Space for Life , Tommy sits down with parenting expert  Keith McCurdy , founder of  Live Sturdy  and CEO of  Total Life Counseling , to unpack what it really means to raise  sturdy kids . Keith shares decades of experience counseling more than 15,000 families, guiding parents toward raising emotionally mature, capable, and resilient children. Toget...

In this episode of  Space for Life , host  Tommy Thompson  sits down with  Meg Hunt , Senior Director of Strategic Services at  Wycliffe Bible Translators USA , to explore how faith, technology, and community intersect in the mission to make God’s Word accessible to every language on Earth. Meg shares Wycliffe’s incredible progress toward its  Vision 2025  goal—e...

In this episode, Tommy sits down with pastor and good friend  David Dwight  to talk about his new book  Field Notes from the Letter to the Ephesians . Together they explore what makes Ephesians one of the most profound writings in Scripture, offering fresh insight into faith, the Church, and life in Christ. David shares how his book came to life, what the Greek word  sozo &nbsp...

Recorded live at Hope Church’s Volunteer Appreciation Day in Richmond. Tommy shares two life-giving disciplines that help “always yes” volunteers find margin, joy, and balance. You will hear how Sabbath rest and intentional celebration can move you from burnout to sustainable service, plus a practical Q&A on making this work in real life and work. Key Takeaways God did not design you to live o...