Where did you see God?

In episode 182, Anney Ngugi reveals the unconventional pathway to hope: surrender. Typically, we seek hope by ensuring control; we have to know what will happen, why, and what we must do. For Anney, God has invited her to instead surrender all that and seek only Him -- once during a harrowing hospital emergency -- and the hope the she experienced was beyond her expectations. What has God invited y...

In episode 181, Caleigh Weichbrodt opens up about the illusion she had that she could control her life, and how relinquishing control to God transformed everything. Identifying as atheist and wrestling with addiction, life quickly slipped from her grasp until an unexpected encounter with Jesus showed the "abundantly more" he had for her. How has God invited you to relinquish control? Con...

In episode 180, Brenda Seefeldt reveals the grace that exists for our trust issues with God. Throughout her life she's learned what it means to step towards God despite her level of trust (or distrust), and she's discovered her ability to trust growing over time and through hardships. If you are struggling to trust God, it's okay! Keep listening for how to take the next step in the mid...

In episode 179, Rev. Dr. David Chotka says something counter-cultural: "It's not me... I just tripped into what God was doing!" In a culture that emphasizes the individuals, to forego credit can seem foolish and irresponsible; however, to misunderstand our role in God's work can lead to a pride or avoidance that could cause us to miss out on His activity. When we embrace the idea...

In episode 178, Rev. Cheryl Kincaid shares of how violence in her life tried to rob her, but God revealed there was a piece of her that no one could take, and this led to a peace amidst the violence. When horrendous things happen it can be hard to trust God, and her story can show us not just how, but why, we should. Have you experienced unexpected peace? Connect with Rev. Cheryl: revcherylkincaid...

In episode 177, AmiLynne Carroll invites us to consider how we are seeking God. How do we know if we are authentically seeking Him? How do we seek when questions go unanswered and hardship intensifies? AmiLynne pressed into this when she was unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and given 6 weeks to live; it was in this raw, vulnerable space that she came to seek and know God more fully than...

In episode 176, Audrey Dutton invites us to consider what evangelism actually is. When she identified as an atheist, she encountered many forms of it, but it was the authentic love of two friends that truly softened her heart to the good news, and prepared her for an unexpected encounter with God in the mountains. Now, she knows that genuine evangelism requires two things: Love and the Spirit. If...

In episode 175, Morgan McCarver helps us navigate those seasons when we ask God, "why did you make me this way?" Today Morgan is known as a fantastic potter, but that was not the plans she had for herself; when a diagnosis of scoliosis and a resulting surgery took dance off the table, she wrestled with how God was molding her away from her dreams. It was in this space where she stumbled...

In episode 174, Michele Okimura invites us to consider the impact of hidden trauma. There are moments in our lives when our thoughts and actions don't match -- or even oppose -- who we aspire to be, and when we realize it we can feel confusion and shame. "How could I have done that?!" What if those moments are not a result of our intentions, but hidden trauma within us? And what if G...

In episode 173, Jack Maher's story leads us to consider when the simple, the random, and the coincidences may actually be the God of the universe communicating to us. After the sudden loss of his wife, Jack encountered God in unexpected ways, and found himself in deeper relationship than ever before. In what simple or random ways is God speaking to you today? Connect with Jack: https://www.san...

In episode 172, Dub Karriker helps us explore the reality that we can be authentically "all in" for Jesus, and then... not. Through his story, we explore the journey aspect of a relationship with Christ that extends beyond the initial "yes", and how we can learn what it really means to be "all in" for him, even amidst doubt and hardship Is God inviting you to a deeper...

In episode 171, Andrea Herzer invites us to discover the ministry in the midst of lament. When hardship hit, it can be easy to spiral in emotion, and miss the blessing healthy lament can bring. What if God wants to do something beyond us in that space? What if He is actually equipping us to love and serve others, even while we long to be loved and served? This is what Andrea discovered through sev...

In episode 170, Nic shares the importance of creating space for doubt. "Doubt" has a stigma on it in the church; yet if "the wisdom of God is foolishness to man", it shouldn't be surprising that we wrestle with understanding. Unfortunately, that stigma can lead to shame and rejection rather than love and presence. After a difficult season where he felt abandoned by the chur...

In episode 169, Aaron challenges us to confront our understanding of what it means to be "all-in" with discipleship; we may think we are committed, but what if we aren't? And if we aren't "all-in" for Jesus, how can we get there? Pulling from his experiences in combat, Aaron has learned what it means to put your life on the line, and wants the Church to have that same m...

In episode 168, Ty-Shaun-Dra Davis invites us into her step of obedience: allowing God to make her a city on a hill that can't be hidden. She isn't one to pursue the spotlight, yet over and over God has invited her to come out of the shadows and "let her light shine." She's come to discover that when she trusts Him, He is able to do amazing things with that light... of which...

In episode 167, Dr. Leoma Gilley pulls from her decades of experience with Wycliffe Bible Translators and ministry in the Sudan to press us into our understanding of the Word and prayer. More, she invites us to consider that it's perhaps not about the "how", but the "Who"; when we recognize that relationship with God is the point, it gives freedom for those seasons when rea...

In episode 166 , Miriam Washington accepts God's invitation to share her story, but it was not easy. Health issues, hospital stays, and even a mic refusing to connect became obstacles to what she sensed God saying: "share of your faith amidst disability and chronic illness." Throughout her life, Miriam has known hardship, yet she's known something greater in the midst: God's...

In episode 165, I break the months-long hiatus to reveal that this is not a podcast... at least not as you understand it. What you are hearing is a by-product of the true ministry: an authentic, accessible space -- with a twist -- to process who God is, who He's made us to be, and what that means for life. This space is for anyone -- perhaps for you -- because it is not about making an "e...

In episode 164 -- the series finale -- we address what is the quintessence of suffering, hell, through an unexpected conversation. For nearly 17 years, my wife Becca Granger has been navigating something that is difficult -- if not impossible -- to share, yet arguably one of the heftier experiences of suffering we've explored this season. She shares of the moment she fell into an experience of...

In episode 163 , we do something different. I felt like God was inviting me to have one more guest before the finale, and I had several exciting options in mind. Then, every single one said no. I was left with a sense there was one more episode, but no clue who to invite. Then, on the morning of my self-determined deadline, I felt like God wanted me to read the verse of the day, and immediately I...

In episode 162 , Blaine Lay helps us process how -- amidst suffering -- we're not just invited to engage with community, but engage AS community. Scripture invites us to step in to the hardships around us as a Body, and through God's wisdom and power we can see Him do amazing things. But how do we engage as a community? What makes it difficult? Why does it matter? How has God invited you t...

In episode 161 , Colleen Faul hits us early with a phrase that would catch many off-guard: "blessed with special needs." When she describes her daughter's journey with Infantile Spasms and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, she is aware many would see Gracie's life as unfortunate; yet God has shown her and her family how He is doing abundantly more than they could ask or imagine. You ma...

In episode 160 , Susan Johnson invites us to confront how we understand Bipolar Disorder and other mental health conditions. As we've explored in several episodes, mental health conditions are frequently stigmatized, misunderstood, and seen as disqualifying. What if, though, God is calling us to serve Him not INSPITE of our struggles, but WITH them in mind? What if the things we see as limitin...

In episode 159 , Marti and Louis Williams share how not even near-death experiences could keep them from being "one" in the midst. Hardships have a tendency to isolate us, but the reality is that God has created us to be in relationship with one and with others; while isolation can weaken us, oneness can bring us to abundantly more than we could ask or imagine. How do we remain one in th...

In episode 158 , Dan Coe shares how a season of suffering seemed to strip them of a thriving ministry... until they discovered a new ministry in the midst.  We've heard often this season of folks who held traditional jobs, experienced suffering, and landed in a new ministry after; but what if you're already IN a ministry, and the hardship bring things to a halt?  Dan and his family...