UNDISTRACTED with Laura Bennett

This episode relates to end-of-life care. In his memoir ‘As She Chose’, guest Oliver Christen tells the story of his 86-year-old mum and her choice to, in his words, “consciously end a life well lived”. He explores end of life choices through his journey as a son supporting his dying mum. Who, when she can no longer live independently, choices an alternative to a prolonged...

As July starts, so too does a commitment by many to embrace Dry July. In today’s episode we’re dipping into the archives for a chat with sobriety advocate and wellness coach Justine Santowiak. In 2012 she almost lost her life when her alcohol addiction became too much, entering rehab and forever cutting ties with the substance the controlled her. Justine found a way forward and wants t...

How do you become, and have, a quality friend? Why are adult friendships exhausting sometimes, and could we be better off talking to A.I.? Our guest today is Sheridan Voysey. Author, broadcaster and founder of Friendship Lab, a platform empowering people with the resources they need to make friendships thrive and invest in one of our most neglected relationships. Listen to more from our Hope Podca...

Our guest today is former Standford lecturer, author and entrepreneur Nir Eyal. His latest book, 'Beyond Belief', looks at the science behind motivation and achievement, how prayer and ritual effect belief and when quitting is the best option. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagr...

Our guest today is adoptive mum and founder of Forever Projects Anna Dombkins. Together with her husband Mark, Anna moved to Tanzania and adopted three babies in need of urgent care. Anna’s book 'Home Forever' tells the story of why they left Australia to grow their family, the reality of having six kids now and why she wants adoption to happen less. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts col...

Today, we’re jumping into end time theology about the return of Christ and getting a dose of Bible school with Christian author, speaker and founder of Messenger International, John Bevere. John admits to avoiding the potentially controversial subject for 40 years, but his new book ' The King is Coming' covers what he thinks is a pressing need for people to prepare for the return of Christ a...

CEO of Hope Economy - formerly CAP Money - Rosie Kendall explores the connection between our money and our identity, and how our spending can be better aligned with our values. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagram . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest today is Bible teacher and 'New York Times' bestselling author Jennie Allen. She's with us to help uncover 'The Lies We Don't Know We Believe' and what truth to replace them with.  Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagram . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Our guest today isn’t an academic, he’s not a public figure, he’s a Sydney truckie and former Navy-man whose lived experience of professional collapse, personal trauma and discovery of Christian faith inspired him to write ‘ Mistakes a Like Fertiliser ’, a journey into some of history’s biggest mishaps, and how mistakes can grow us not break us. Listen to more f...

Today we’re going back into the archives to a chat I had with John Mark Comer about 'The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry'. Released in early 2020 the book pre-empted what became a time of serious reflection about what we filled our days with and how rushed modern life had become. 6 years on the “hurry sickness” John spoke about I would say is even more prevalent, combined with an a...

Our guest today is filmmaker Andrew Erwin. Together with his brother Jon, Andrew has been a part of some of the biggest faith films of the last decade including 'Jesus Revolution', 'I Still Believe' and 'Ordinary Angels'. His latest project, 'I Can Only Imagine 2', is the sequel to the 2018 hit that follows the true story of Christian band MercyMe and the family trauma singer Bart Millard faced al...

Author of 'Why Are All My Boyfriends Fictional', Jessica Kate joins Laura to talk about bad flirting, red flags in Christian dating and how - whether for a season or for life - you can find joy in singleness. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagram . See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

Our guest today is Australian actor George Xanthis, who plays John on 'The Chosen', the global hit series about the life of Jesus and his disciples. The next season is one the biggest as they face the crucifixion of Christ and in this episode, George not only talks about that, but about how a local Sydney boy got this gig, pressure to be a religious icon and how his spirituality has evolved during...

Our guest today, Sita Walker is a high school literature teacher and award-winning writer, whose 20 years’ experience in education frame her debut novel 'In a Common Hour' - The story of a single lunch time that unravels a school community. It prompts discussion about masculinity, truth and difference, and how we shape the world with our words. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collectio...

Have you ever woken form a dream and wondered if it meant anything? Was it just your brain processing life, or was God speaking to you? And if He was, what was He trying to say through what you saw? Paige Collins is usually a publicist and filmmaker, but she’s added author to the list with Awaken, a dream journal that explores scriptural dream symbolism, how dreams affect our waking hours, t...

In this episode, Christian educator and identity coach Dr. Eric Moyer explains how our view of God affects our sense of identity, and why he sees a problem with the cultural idea that we can "be who want to be". Pre-order 'Redeeming Identity' and get a 15% discount: https://redeemingidentity.com/product/redeeming-identity-book/ Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts...

Our guest today is Dean Keaney. Together with his wife Becky, Dean moved from Ohio in the late 70’s to establish the Australian arm of Christiann aid organisation Open Doors. He was inspired by the organisations founder Brother Andrew who distributed countless Bibles throughout the communist countries of Europe, and spent 47 years helping persecuted Christians in Asia, the Middle East and ma...

Newcastle writer and filmmaker Kyle Portbury helps bring epic Biblical musical David to life, detailing how an international team made it happen, how AI is affecting creativity and why he's willing to wait for big breaks. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagram . See omnystudio.co...

Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women has been adapted for film nearly 10 times since it was published in 1868. This year, it’s got a reimagined Christmas twist in A Little Women’s Christmas under the direction of feel-good romance genre icon Brian Bird. Behind the scenes of projects like Touched by Angel, The Case for Christ and Hallmark phenomenon When Calls the Heart , Brian...

Join us for this special episode of UNDISTRACTED recorded live at Hopen-Day 2025, with Executive Director of the Centre for Public Christianity, Simon Smart.  Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts.com.au . And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app , Facebook or Instagram . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dame Quentin Bryce is a trailblazer, feminist, reformer, and Australia’s first female Governor-General. Our guest Juliet Rieden, the author of  Quentin Bryce: The Authorised Biography, unpacks not just Quentin’s career achievements, but the values and practices that define her intentions and made her resilient. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at  hopepodcasts...

For more than 20 years, Matt Crocker toured with Hillsong UNITED writing many of the songs they became known for. With 'Interlude' he steps out as a solo artist continuing his love for worship in a new way and in a new country. Matt talks with Laura about trusting God in transitions, his non-negotiable "sure things" and how he almost became a farmer. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collectio...

Love on the Spectrum cast-member Ronan Soussa is not only known for his warmth and humour on the show but also for his advocacy as an ambassador for the Autism Community Network. In this conversation, Ronan opens up about life with autism, what inclusion really looks like, and how important it is to create spaces where everyone feels seen, heard and valued.  Listen to more from our Hope Podca...

Journalist and author Greg Sheridan talks about How Christians Can Succeed Today . Greg takes us on a journey back to the world of the early church and draws out lessons for Christians navigating life in our modern world. From the resilience of the first Christians, to the wisdom of St Augustine, to what it means to hold onto faith in a society searching for meaning, Greg shares how the message of...

Heather O’Brien is a prophetic healing coach, deliverance minister, author and host of the Heal with God podcast who turned her own long journey out of anxiety and depression into a practical, faith-centered road map for others. After years of struggling with depression and leaning into Scripture and prayer, she began hearing God’s voice and developing step-by-step tools - later shapin...