The von Helms Show

How should a church measure faithfulness and success? What happens when the attendance numbers of a congregation increase so rapidly that the leadership cannot properly care for its members? In this fascinating conversation, Mike Ashcraft, pastor of Port City Community Church in Wilmington, North Carolina, describes for Todd von Helms what it was like to see a gathering of a dozen people meeting i...

Chad Hudson graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and had a stellar career before a series of choices while living in the fast lane of life led him into a world of trouble and pain. In 2021 Chad experienced a mysterious form of paralysis from the waist down that has bound him to a wheelchair and nursing care facilities ever since. Recently, a longtime friend invited Chad to join a Bible...

In this episode, Todd von Helms talks with Gavin Ortlund about the highs and lows of becoming a popular YouTube host, as well as how to overcome burnout and criticism, extend kindness to all people, and choose gratitude each day. Gavin also talks about apologetics, spiritual disciplines, favorite books, and goals for his growing ministry.

In this episode, “Recovering From the Bible,” Tommy Nelson describes why he is still recovering from the Bible, as well as how he prepares his sermons. Tommy Nelson served as the Senior Pastor of Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas for nearly 50 years, which included preaching to thousands each week and mentoring hundreds of future leaders through the Young Guns discipleship program. Today, Tommy...

In this episode, “Replacing Loneliness with Joy,” Todd von Helms talks with influencer Julie Hildebrand about how she was able to replace loneliness with true joy during college. Today, Julie is a faithful wife, mother of three, and spends much time mentoring and helping communities grow in faith and love for others. Check out her writing at www.goodwordproject.com

What is a revival? Are they divinely inspired, the product of human effort, or something in between? In the episode, Todd von Helms sits down with Asbury Seminary President and New Testament scholar David Watson to discuss the history and nature of revivals, including highlights from the Book of Acts, First and Second Great Awakenings, Asuza Street, and recent Asbury Revival.

John as the Fourth Synoptic Gospel? In this episode, Todd von Helms talks with New Testament scholar Mark Goodacre about his latest book, The Fourth Synoptic Gospel: John’s Knowledge of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Mark Goodacre is Professor of Religious Studies at Duke University. He specializes in the New Testament and Christian Origins. He earned his MA, M.Phil and DPhil at the University of Oxford...

Is there legitimate historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus? In this episode, Dr. Todd von Helms interviews Dr. Dave Newton about this topic. From 1984-2012, Dr. Newton was a full-time university professor of entrepreneurship, finance, and strategy – first in the Pepperdine MBA program, then at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and until 2012 at Westmont in Santa Barbara, CA. H...

Is healing somehow tied to prayer, a result of Divine intervention, related solely to doctors and medicine, or merely a coincidental part of life? What happens when people fervently pray for healing and it does not happen? “Divine healing” is at the core of a movement within Christianity called Pentecostalism. In this episode, Dr. Todd von Helms and emeritus historian Dr. Grant Wacker discuss Pent...

Speaking in tongues? Divine healing? Gifts of the Spirit? Some believe these topics to be outdated, weird, or residing only in the imaginations of overly religious people. Today, there are more than 600 million adherents to Pentecostalism, a worldwide movement within Christianity. What are we to make of these topics? Few are better qualified to discuss these issues than Emeritus Historian, Dr. Gra...

Who is Peggy Wehmeyer? She was the first full-time religion correspondent for a major news network in the United States. Her captivating reporting in the 1980s and 1990s garnered the attention of renown journalist Peter Jennings of ABC News, who invited Peggy to join the network. For many years, award winning journalist Peggy Wehmeyer reported on the most pressing religious issues and news of the...

Todd von Helms sits down with Dr. Michael Strauss to discuss his research, as well as his faith in God. Dr. Strauss (PhD, UCLA) is an award winning tenured professor at the University of Oklahoma. He is an experimental particle physicist who studies the fundamental particles and forces in the universe. He is currently analyzing data from the ATLAS detector using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at...

Fr. Michael Ward of Oxford University is regarded by many to be the world’s leading C.S. Lewis scholar today. This conversation features Dr. Todd von Helms talking with Michael Ward about the life, conversion, friendships, writings, and legacy of C.S. Lewis, as well as what advice Lewis provides regarding suffering, honesty, prayer, and how Catholics and Protestants can unite despite differences.

Dr. Todd von Helms asks renown C.S. Lewis scholar Fr. Michael Ward of Oxford University to explain C.S. Lewis’s view of the devil and why The Screwtape Letters remains such an influential work. 

Todd sits down inside the famous Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke University to interview teenager Thomas Hash, who talks about his courageous battle with brain cancer, and how many organizations, celebrities, doctors, nurses, friends, family, and even strangers, have rallied around him. This conversation encourages us to consider what it means to believe in God, the power of prayer, and importance...