The Gordon & Cherise Show

Perspective can totally transform your life and situation from a place of hopelessness to REAL hope. But, how can you shift your perspective when all you see is your brokenness and pain? You must look BEYOND yourself and to God. He has chosen you for something much higher. Your suffering is testing your faith and preparing you for an eternity in His kingdom. It's teaching you to focus less of...

We all will face pain and death someday. No one is exempt from this fact. All of us must adopt as much responsibility as possible for our individual lives, as well as our purpose as it relates to society and the world. And most likely, we’ll have to take responsibility for our acute pains that are treatable, as well as for our chronic afflictions that seem to straggle much longer than we ever desi...

Like the oceans, we have unexplored depths in our own lives. There is a vast ocean within us that reaches far beyond our chronic suffering. We may be afraid of finding “monsters” lurking there, but God dwells in these depths through His Spirit. If we never explore them, we will remain unaware of who we are and untouched by the love and grace that God has for us. Join us in this rich conversation o...

Pain makes you and your world feel smaller than you felt before. You feel like you lose power and control over your ideas about this world and what life represents. Your meaning about life and purpose are severely challenged.  The walls of pain can make you feel hopeless, defeated, and damaged. We want to encourage you that freedom can be found WITHIN the walls of your suffering! Christ will walk...

Our new book, Pursue Real Hope, will be launching in June but you can get the Kindle version NOW! This book is small, power-packed, and full of information for those walking through suffering. Our hope is that you will go back to this book year after year as you walk through trials. We've walked through years of chronic pain together and know that our only source of HOPE is through God.  This...

Today, we're discussing the differences between adversity and suffering. Adversity is temporary; it seems to come and go. But, suffering is a long-lasting enemy. You have to endure it for extended periods and it can feel like you're up against impossible odds. You may be able to overcome adversity with the force of your will, but prolonged suffering isn't a force you can conquer wit...

Christ is our source of power in our journey through pain. Like Paul, it is by our suffering that we can come to understand the depth and riches of Christ's suffering and love for us. Today, we're diving into how we can be conformed to Christ through his death. When we dedicate our lives to Christ, we begin to follow him, which then leads us to grow in character. As our character grows,...

Have you ever noticed how pain seems to gain power the more you try to push it away from you? Pain is undoubtedly a complicated journey. We struggle when our prayers seem unanswered. We try to fall back into our old patterns of life. We feel that our healing is based only on our physical circumstances. What we fail to realize, is that healing is actually about wholeness. Wholeness encourages us to...

In this episode, we're discussing Gordon's journey from doctor to patient, non-surgical specialist to surgical patient, an athletic lifestyle to sedentary. The journey from being self-sufficient to dependent on others for your needs is never easy. It can lead to defeat and depression. Yet, even on our darkest days God IS working. Bring your bitterness and broken parts to the surface and...

When we are walking in pain, there are practical things that can be done. We can gain knowledge, listen to experts, and make wise decisions. We also have the authority to take our painful suffering to the cross of Christ. But we shouldn't try to be the god over our pain and control every aspect of what we do.  No matter what we do, we are ultimately powerless over the outcome of our pain. Rat...

Our knowledge about God can lack due to either our position on intimacy or the sense that there is a great distance between God and us. We must recognize that our brokenness does not hinder us from growing in the knowledge of Christ. Our times of impoverishment, regardless of where that exists in our lives, provide an opportunity to shorten the distance between God and us. This is when we grow fro...

No matter the significance of the story, we all have had to make some type of comeback, especially after being knocked down. Comeback stories are full of overcoming victories – no matter the size.  Once you relieve yourself from you worst fears and the self-doubt, you'll begin to find your true self, as you walk out your faith more confidently. Your obstacles will begin to diminish and you&ap...

“But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God” (1 Peter 2:20b) We can't abandon the cross nor escape our painful trials to experience the life-giving presence of God. God is in the trials with us and uses them to change us from the inside out. Like the metamorphosis of of a butterfly, Christ's power works in us to create new life....

How would you live your life differently if you were actually fully cured from all of your ailments? For those of us who have lived with chronic pain for a long time, we don't know what being pain-free, or living happily actually means anymore. Your pain belongs to God, and it is not yours always to keep. One day, you will no longer live in the pain of this world and will step into the FULLNE...

When we're walking in pain, it can be easy to look at the lives of more "successful" people around us and want them to save us. Yet, most people can't fully understand our journey through pain. There is no person that can get you out of the pain pit and make your life perfect again. Only God's grace is sufficient for our weakest parts – God alone meets us in the darkest of...

How do you see your pain? As evil or good? Your pain can be transformed into a place for learning, growth, healing, forgiveness, and redemption. In this episode, we walk through some of the steps you can take to transform how you view your pain. From identifying the enemy, to recognizing the enemy's presence, and taking steps toward forgiveness, you don't have to continue feeling trapped...

Do you ever feel like your pain is some kind of divine punishment? Are you tired of walking in seasons of darkness? Instead of automatically assuming that the difficult seasons are meant to punish you, consider the dark times as an opportunity to develop a clearer understanding of your faith. We can find hope in the fact that God meets us in our darkness, and that's where salvation resides. ...

Are you burnt out from years of walking in physical suffering? Can you experience freedom, though chronic pain and problems may persist?  As long as we live in this sinful world, there is going to be darkness and broken places. Instead of complaining and protesting our trials, we must shift our focus to seeing the darkness as an opportunity to learn and grow. When we find ourselves walking in the...

In pain, we have to move our battlefields to where the Holy Spirit resides. Then your fight will happen with Jesus beside you. It's also important to remember that your battle isn't really against the pain...it's against the quest to discover your true self and your real purpose.  God does not see the darkness in the same way we do. He uses our suffering and hard seasons to grow us...

Today we're sharing about the recent loss of a friend and his impact in our lives. Normal, healthy people find it difficult to sympathize with our life in the pit of pain, because that's not where they live. Millions of members of the chronic pain population escape our notice because they appear reasonably healthy. It’s only when you listen to their stories that you learn how pain advers...

It seems like pain is a betrayer to our faith because we tend to lean on our inclinations to insist upon evidence. We revert our focus to what is in front of us in the present moment. We have to remember that God will work His purposes through who we are – no matter the degree of brokenness. Pain does not have to stand between you and your relationship with God. Pain does not have to create long-t...

If you’re living with chronic pain, you can pay more attention to the spiritual dimensions of life. As a result, you can develop a deeper understanding of how your suffering leads to spiritual purification and transformation. In our world today, it can be easy to get caught up in the need for success and instant healing. Yet it is crucial that you do not completely discard the broken pieces of you...

First and foremost, we want to let you all know that we will now be launching full episodes Mondays and Thursdays. We are excited about these changes and look forward to you joining us! In this episode, we're discussing our views on physical healing and faith. Our bodies are absolutely incredible and you'll be blown away by some of the facts we share. Just like we may never fully compreh...

Most of our marriage, Cherise has experienced great health in comparison to the backdrop of Gordon's cascading health challenges. However, we recently experienced a reversal of health challenges. Through this journey, we were led to reflect on the things we've been holding on too tightly for too many years that we cannot control – “cutting the rope” as Mark Batterson says. We asked the L...

We are all part of one gigantic narrative - God’s story of life. Nonetheless, we can make the choice to create history-changing decisions for our individual lives. Consistent small steps can change the course of your future, and will build your vision, and will give you unexpected rewards - both now and evermore. God’s in the small steps, the whole way with you. So, how do you remain self-discipli...