The Kingdom & Its Stories Podcast

Reverend Anita Kristy, Director of Counseling at a Center in India, receives many calls at all hours of the day from people who are depressed and contemplating suicide. "When they call, we listen. We give them the words from the Bible; healing, hope, and God who we can depend on." Anita shares her own story of transformation; in addition, she shares about the  spiritual challenges from those...

Laurel Pritch, Teacher of Arts Education in Northern Canada with children ages 6 to 12, explains the creative work of the Spirit, about "getting down on their level and really accepting not only their ideas, but what is important to them; that changes hearts and lives."  "It's one way that Jesus is alive and well in the secular classroom."  Laurel continues, "Does what we do in the world...

Linda Hollinshead, collection coordinator for Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child at their church in Chandler, AZ, shares about how needy children around the world, receiving a shoe box at Christmas time, get to know Jesus. "We've heard from many who have gotten boxes... their pictures are up in our room at church."  Linda shares, "It isn't like we just send this vessel with the gos...

Scott Allen, President of Disciple Nations Alliance (DNA), shares a story of how impoverished communities begin to flourish through the application of Biblical truth, demonstrated in love. After the reformation, "Christians for the first time opened up their Bible and they began to do their farming and their banking and all these different things on the basis of Biblical truth." "If God exists, an...

Munkhuu from Mongolia shares his experience of staying with nomads, helping them, cleaning their felts, going after their horses and sheep to assist them in their daily lives. "Can I go with you?" Munkhuu asks of a nomad while visiting. "I helped him with his animals",  Munkhuu says about his stay. "Along the way we talk about faith and life." "Come for them, do for them. Just obey; I believe...

Ron Friesen, Sr. Chaplain for Ecumenical Chaplaincy for the Homeless in Phoenix shares simple stories of working among the homeless. Ron says, "I believe that we're transformed to give." Ron asked one lady who found herself homeless due to a mental health breakdown, "Do you know that God gives back the years the locust ate?" He prayed and believed with her that God would give her back her life! Ro...

Ryan Thurman, International Director of Antioch Network, shares his personal stories with A2J, relocating into a neighborhood that had real, tangible needs near the homeless shelter and the Arizona State Capital, to learn what it means to love God and love your neighbor. "We really believe that the early church and the Acts-like living in community can be done today."  What our homeless frien...

Rev George Miley returns to share his bottom line: be available to Jesus and ask Him to show you what he wants you to do, particularly in reconciliation. George shares a story of coming to the cross, repentance, telling the truth about acts, words, and things that have not been with the keeping of the teachings of Jesus, and then looking for opportunities to build friendships with those of other r...

Neil Montgomery, Congregational Care Pastor at Scottsdale Bible Church, quoting Larry Crabb, defines agape love as "putting the needs of another person ahead of my own at any cost." Neil says the true expression of our worship is without doubt the way we relate to one another.  Neil articulates, "We are simply to be like Christ in walking with people through their problems", rather than fixin...

Elly Oliveira, Global Coordinator for Samaritan Strategies, and her husband Cleiton share how people learn by experiencing something new, especially concerning proclamation vs demonstration of the gospel. Cleiton says, "The demonstration of God's love to a broken world is a message we communicate without words. When we talk about proclamation and demonstration, we remember the story of Jesus turni...

George Miley explains the supernatural power of God to love one another. What would happen if two parties who were locked in bitterness were to kneel together before the cross and say, "Lord Jesus, we both have sinned, we both are wrong, we both have treated each other with anger, contempt, and bitterness. We don't have the power to overcome this.  We bring it to you on the cross.  And w...

Pastor Julian Gibb interviews Dr. Bishnu Regmi, Pastor of Himalayan Community Church in Phoenix, AZ; Bishnu shares about a time when he was in seminary and on that day, he was not in a situation to help someone, but God talked to him. Bishnu recalled the teaching of Jesus, love your neighbor as yourself, and says, "Even though you don't have anything, you should go and listen to his problem." Bish...

Guest: Hanna Zack Miley | Bob Moffitt interviews Hanna Zack Miley.  Hanna shares her personal journey, starting at age 6, of her experience as a Jew in Nazi Germany, one of 10,000 children who were sent by train from Germany to Britain. She would never see her parents again. She speaks about unbearable unforgiveness and anger. "I thought my parents had abandoned me. But instead it was an extr...

Guest: Corey Kasperson | Bob Moffitt interviews Corey Kasperson. Corey Kasperson, Pastor of Young Adults at Redemption Church Tempe, tells his own story about how life to the full is living sacrificially for others. "When we love our brothers and sisters and neighbors who don't know Jesus, we're representing who God is to the world.  When we're living under the rule of Jesus, the reign of lov...

Chris Croswhite, Director of the Rescue Mission in Salt Lake City, says "I believe we are joining God in God's ministry." Chris encourages us to ask, "How is my path intersecting with what God is doing?"  Chris continues, "Most days of the week, I have this sensation that I can't do this. In my weakness, He's made strong. I do the best I can, and what I can't do, God will do the rest." ...

Ruth Orlale, herself a widow and the Assistant Director of Ebenezer Life Center in Kenya shares how - with the Word of God and some partners - her team cares for widows and nearly 1,000 vulnerable children. "As a widow, you are treated as a foreigner; dispossessed and disinherited. We begin to talk about the Word of God and this brings back self-esteem, and we help them with meaning in life by inv...

Eduart "Eddie" Demo, Director of the Illyricum Movement in Albania, says we can either waste our lives or we can invest it into the lives of others. He tells the story of his own sons, 10 and 13, who spontaneously got together on their own and gave their savings, everything, to a widow with two grown, disabled sons, and through that, they came to know the Lord.  Eddie says by fulfilling the n...

Tyler Johnson of Redemption Church and one of the founders of the Surge Network talks about discipleship - how we change as we try to do the things Jesus told us to do. Tyler shares several stories as he addresses the question, "What does it mean to be the church?" and adds, "Always meet needs in proximity, and when the need surpasses the proximity, go to a wider network of relationships." Tyler g...

Tammy Abernathy, CEO of Hope Women's Center, shares how she cares for women who are hurting, in pain, and have experienced difficult situations. "To see how God draws in the lonely, lost, the least, and how they get first priority in His Kingdom, at His table. That gives me expanded vision and hope."  Tammy shares what it looks like to walk alongside a hurting woman.  "Make a human conne...

Guest: Trish Karpurk | Bob Moffitt interviews Trish Karpurk. Trish Karpurk shares stories of changed lives over the past 14 years through Celebrate Recovery, and how God takes what is stopping us from living the life God designed us to do, and changes us. People who know they're broken, in the midst of the worst place, see that God is there. Trish tells people, "There is a different life that is a...

Simon Nziramakenga, Bishop in Rwanda, shares his story. After the genocide, 25 of his relatives died, 87 of his wife's relatives died, and God impressed on him, "Go back and minister to those who have killed your relatives and your friends."  He shares stories of forgiveness and reconciliation -- how 2 tribes who were once enemies, killing husbands, wives and relatives -- have repented and de...

22 year old Julian Wahl describes starting out as one of 7 boys at the age of 14 who wanted to serve a very small number of people in his community. He talks about the ripple effect, serving with no stipulations, and how one of the most valuable things a person gains in serving those with needs is perspective; the Burrito Boys has now grown to serve over 300,000 homeless in downtown San Diego. Jul...

Madan Shaw, former Hindu, now a follower of Jesus, says, “People are interested in seeing your life, seeing the model.”  "God has blessed you so much to be a blessing for someone else. Jesus has set a good example by sacrificing himself on the cross for our sins", showing us how to sacrificially love someone.  Madan gives several examples to illustrate what can be done to bui...

Beth Weise explains how she trusts the Holy Spirit, and then instead of closing the spiritual deal, just being a friend. Beth continues, "I'm learning to ask questions and listen to people, and then I try to put a rock in their shoe."  One lady in her Airbnb responded with, "Maybe you can help me." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pastor Chris Gonzalez, Pastor of Missio Dei Community Church, Tempe, trains his people to ask: who are the vulnerable people in our community, where are gaps in service, and how we can help; for example, helping seniors to stay in their homes, and inviting a homeless man into his home, who became like a big brother to his son. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.