The Scattered Seeds Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes we share stories of the kind of faith that follows a call across the sea. Sometimes we share stories of steady faithfulness of quieter lives of service. And today we are sharing a story with ties to both.   Reverend Zachary Kail has been a presbyterian pastor for a church on the Island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea for over a decade but the first time he was mention...

Send us Fan Mail Storytelling is an artform that has been passed down through generations. For thousands of years the stories were shared through the spoken word, and then the written word. And in the last hundred years we’ve also begun to tell stories through the medium of film. Today’s guest is Scott Sander, the executive producer, and creator of Pense Productions , a film production companies t...

Send us Fan Mail Throughout the lifetime of our show we have covered many hard topics. From death and dying, to illness and injury. And we have heard about despair and triumph. But perhaps never quite so clearly as we have on today’ show.  David Caldwell is a longtime friend of both Tom and Nate. He is a stalwart follower of Christ, and he knows the depths of depression and despair and has walked...

Send us Fan Mail Since our show began over four years ago, we have had many notable Grovers as guests — that’s Grove City College alumni for those not in the know. And today’s guest exemplifies the same pattern of a life in service to Christ and others that we have come to expect from our Grove City guests. In 2006, the United States Senate unanimously confirmed Paul McNulty to the position of Dep...

Send us Fan Mail For over a quarter of a century Steve and Melissa Lamie have been a fixture on the athletic fields of Grove City College. Mr. and Mrs. Coach head the men’s basketball and women’s soccer teams respectively and together they have been building a culture of Christian living in their teams on and off the field.   So join Tom, Nate, Steve and Melissa as they share their journey to Grov...

Send us Fan Mail From starting the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the Naval Academy, to starting a bible study in Pittsburgh that has been helping Christian businessmen and women grow in grace and truth for years , Today’s guest has spent nearly 8 decades in service to the Lord. Bruce Bickel is a name that has come up in past episodes. And today Bruce is finally a guest on our show. So join T...

Send us Fan Mail A man in California, and a woman in Amsterdam are both called to the same city in Thailand. They meet, become friends, and eventually get married. And the story doesn’t end there. Chris and Esther Hoagland are today’s guests. Still missionaries to the same area in Thailand they are perfect examples of God’s sovereign plan in action.  So join Tom, Nate, Chris and Esther as they wea...

Send us Fan Mail There are stories that whose enduring messages of hope, renewal, and redemption transcend time and space. Stories like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Lewis’s the Chronicles of Narnia. And today’s guest is an expert on both men and the times and battles that shaped them into the culture creators we know and love.    Joseph Loconte is the author of the book A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, an...

Send us Fan Mail Large families are a rarity these days. People now consider two children a handful let alone three or four. So what would compel a couple to have 10 children and counting? Courage and faith that the Lord has a plan and that he will provide.    Amber and Garr Baker are expecting their eleventh child, which is remarkable in an age where many value convenience and ambition over the j...

Send us Fan Mail How far would you go to be able to freely worship the Lord? The next town? Another country? How about the other side of the world? That’s how far today’s guest had to travel. Farshid Rezaee was born to a Muslim family in Iran. His first encounter with Jesus was a publication of the Sermon on the mount in a newspaper. Eventually his journey of faith led him out of Iran and into a m...

Send us Fan Mail How does a bouncer with a reputation for fast cars and a fast temper become an international Christian apologist? That’s the story we’re bringing you on today’s episode.    Stuart McAllister has been serving the Lord across the world. He was behind the iron curtain before the fall of Communism and ministering to Europe and America in the years since its fall. And he has much to sh...

Send us Fan Mail  Today’s episode marks the fourth anniversary of our show and what better way to celebrate than with a guest we’ve been hoping to interview since the very beginning. And what’s better than one guest? Two of course.    Mother and daughter Marilyn Meek and Micki Cantine have been at the heart of the ministry here at Beverly Heights for decades. They have impacted the lives of countl...

Send us Fan Mail 20 years is a long time to wait for a foreign mission field to blossom. Especially for two Pittsburghers who had never lived further than the next state over. What does it take to wait for the Lord to work? Patience and perseverance grown through years and years of prayer.  This is the story Ken and Carolyn Muckle brought to us today. They had been called to the mission field of s...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine having to hand your child to a surgeon for open heart surgery at only 16 months old? Now imagine that same child growing up to help countless other infants heal from the same affliction years later. That’s the story we’re bringing to you today.   Dr. David Hoganson was born with a rare heart defect, and if it wasn’t for the life saving surgery he received at 16 months old...

Send us Fan Mail What qualities make a good leader? That’s the question at the center of today’s episode. John Stahl-Wert (not to be confused with the Pittsburgh Steeler) has spent the last few decades helping leaders of business, non-profits, and nations learn to be the best they can for their people.    Join Tom, Nate and John as they follow his path from the Mennonite communities of Pennsylvani...

Send us Fan Mail The 100th episode is a major milestone in the life of any show. And today we have been blessed to have reached that milestone! And in light of such a momentous occasion we decided to interview our very own Tom O’Boyle. So join Tom, Nate and I as we discuss some of the key moments in Tom’s faith journey as well as the role adversity plays in Christian growth. And be sure to stay tu...

Send us Fan Mail We’ve had many interesting guests on our show over the last few years. We’ve had parents, children, doctors, missionaries, an Olympian and even Miss Pennsylvania. And today we are adding a congressman.    Keith Rothfus served our nation as the U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district. Today he joins Tom and Nate as they discuss the state of the United Sta...

Send us Fan Mail Over the past few years we have had the privilege of sharing many stories on our show. Some were stories told by household names, others were about lives lived in quiet spaces. But today’s show is about a man that anyone who has followed our podcast from the beginning will be familiar with. Dr. Byron Bitar was a mentor of Pastor Nate’s when he was in undergrad. And Dr. Bitar was a...

Send us Fan Mail Adoption is a contentious topic in the world today. And for this episode we have the privilege of sharing a story about a child of adoption, who grew up to be a pastor with a unique view on the doctrine of adoption.  Kevin Haley has been a United Methodist pastor for more than 40 years. He’s a father, husband, Grove City College graduate, and the son of both a loving pair of adopt...

Send us Fan Mail The death of a loved one, and the grief that comes with it, is hard for the human heart to bear. It isn’t something we were created to endure, but in our fallen world it is a universal experience. For today’s guest, Victor Lee Austin, it was the death of Susan, his wife that put him on the path of having to come to grips with grief.   So join Tom, Nate and Victor as they talk abou...

Send us Fan Mail It takes a leap of faith to start your own company, especially one that offers parents a Christian alternative to the content offered by the current culture. But Erick Goss, CEO and Co-Founder of Minno, the Christian Children’s Streaming Service, knows about leaps of faith.    Join Tom, Nate and Erick as they explore his adventures in faith from the Navy to corporate America and b...

Send us Fan Mail Ancient Artifacts, archaeological digs, and a college professor, put together, that sounds like something straight out of Hollywood. And today’s guest, Dr. Mark Graham is remarkable. He teaches in the history department at Grove City College, has worked multiple summers in digs at Carthage, Tunisia and Sardinia, Italy, and he has told us that he doesn’t own a fedora. So join Tom,...

Send us Fan Mail What do football and faith have in common? According to today’s guest, quite a lot. Jon Kolb played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1969 to 1981 as Terry Bradshaw’s left side tackle. He was on the field for the Immaculate Reception, competed in two strongman competitions  and has four Superbowl rings with the 1970’s Steelers. Now Jon works with people recovering from injuries and...

Send us Fan Mail We live in an interesting moment in time, as today’s guest states, ours is a world post Christendom and we have to learn how to navigate it. But take courage, because the Lord is still on the Throne and the early church faced similar political pressure and thrived.    David VanDrunen is a professor at Westminster Seminary in California. He is the author of books such as “Living in...

Send us Fan Mail Numinous. It’s a word we’ve used on this show many times. It means being filled with a sense of the divine. And what can be more numinous than a life touched by the Lord.  Today’s guest is Todd Loizes, a graphic designer by trade, but a follower of Christ by lifestyle. And anyone who has spent any amount of time with Todd can recognize the peace and joy of a divinely touched life....