... with Him Podcast

What happens when one of the most painful moments in your life becomes the place where God meets you and begins something new? In this episode of the With Him Podcast , Raz and Jamie sit down with Michelle Smith, founder of Faith Freedom Life, to talk about faith, incarceration, inner healing, family, and what it means to stop simply “playing church” and go all-in with Jesus. When Michelle’s son w...

What if God is speaking more often than we realize, but we’re simply not recognizing His voice? In this episode of the With Him Podcast, Raz and Jamie talk about the unexpected ways God can get our attention in everyday life. Sometimes we intentionally sit down to pray and listen. Other times, God seems to interrupt what we’re doing by bringing a person to mind, giving us a picture, reminding us o...

What happens when you love Jesus , but your story is still messy? In this episode of the With Him Podcast , Raz and Mike sit down with longtime friend John Palazzolo for an honest conversation about faith, addiction, ministry, failure, community , and a God who simply refuses to give up on us. John shares his journey from growing up Catholic and struggling with drugs and alcohol at a young age to...

What if evangelism wasn’t something intimidating or awkward, but an adventure you get to experience with Jesus? In this episode of the With Him Podcast , Raz and Jamie talk about making evangelism a natural part of everyday life. Drawing from their recent Kingdom Lab experience with Jason Scott, they explore a simple idea: you don’t have to be responsible for someone’s entire journey toward Jesus....

What does it actually look like to live a naturally supernatural life with Jesus? In this episode of the With Him Podcast, Jamie and Raz talk about healing, faith, and what it means to live as ambassadors of God’s Kingdom in everyday life. They explore why Jesus still invites ordinary people to participate in His work, why praying for someone doesn’t have to be complicated or weird, and how our fe...

Can faith and modern trauma therapy work together?  This week on …with Him , Jamie and Raz welcome licensed trauma therapist Kristen Wooten for a fascinating conversation about healing from trauma through both evidence-based counseling and a vibrant relationship with Jesus.  Kristen shares her personal testimony, explains how God led her into counseling, and discusses how therapies like EMDR , neu...

Jamie and Raz explore the story of King Josiah and ask a fascinating question: Why did one man develop such a tender heart for God while an entire nation remained spiritually hardened? As they unpack Josiah's discovery of the Book of the Law, the conversation moves beyond simple obedience to reveal a much bigger story. Josiah's reforms couldn't change the hearts of God's people...

What kind of leader are you becoming , and where is that leadership actually coming from? This week on the ...with Him podcast , Jamie and Raz pull back the curtain on one of the most important leadership conversations we can have: the difference between leading from an orphan mindset and leading from the secure identity of being a son or daughter of God. Drawing from their Kingdom Lab internship...

This week, Jamie and Raz sit down with Anderson High School teacher Bailey Schaaf for a conversation filled with laughter, honesty, and powerful reminders of God's faithfulness. Bailey shares her journey of growing up in church, finding Jesus in the middle of a difficult childhood, and learning that God is truly "the God who sees." From riding her bike to church as a middle schooler...

Most people assume great conversationalists are born that way. What if they're not? In this episode, Jamie and Raz explore a simple framework from Harvard researcher Alison Wood Brooks that can help anyone grow in meaningful conversations. The framework is called TALK: • Topics – What matters to the other person? • Asking – What questions can help you learn their story? • Levity – How can you...

Have you ever prayed, sought God sincerely, and heard… nothing? Many followers of Jesus assume silence means something is wrong, that God is distant, disappointed, or unwilling to answer. But what if His silence isn't absence? What if it's an invitation? Big Idea God's silence doesn't always mean God isn't speaking. Sometimes His silence invites us to lean in, trust Him mo...

What do you do when Jesus changes the plan? In this episode, Jamie and Raz talk about the moments in leadership and life where you stop and realize: “I didn’t see that coming.” Throughout Scripture, people who walked with God were constantly surprised by where He led them. Abram didn’t see coming the call to leave home, the birth of Isaac at 100 years old, or the command to place the child of prom...

In this episode, Raz and Jamie share the heart behind The Kingdom Lab — a 12-week summer internship designed to help young adults become deeply rooted in the Father’s love, formed by the voice and ways of Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and equipped to lead well in every area of life. We talked about why this internship is so much more than leadership training or ministry experience. Our hear...

Raz and Jamie sat down for an honest conversation about the painful reality of unhealthy church leadership—and the deeper heart issues that often fuel it. We discussed how easy it can be for leaders to build identity around ministry success, control, growth, productivity, or the opinions of people, rather than resting securely in who they already are in Christ. When leaders are not rooted in Jesus...

Raz and Jamie sat down again with Ann Thompson to talk about her new book, Faith at Work: A Practical Guide to Aligning Your Career with Who God Created You to Be. With nearly 30 years of experience in business, leadership, and coaching, Ann helps professionals discern God’s voice in their work, navigate seasons of transition, and discover how their career can align with the way God uniquely desig...

We sat down again with our friend John McCarthy for a rich and timely conversation about what God has been doing in his life in this season. We explored the idea of “liminal space” — those in-between moments where one door has closed, but the next hasn’t fully opened. Instead of rushing through these uncomfortable seasons, John invites us to slow down and stay connected to Jesus right in the middl...

Every spring, thousands gather in Cincinnati for the unforgettable Flying Pig Marathon—and it’s not just local hype. In 2024, USA Today named it the best marathon in the U.S., highlighting both its scenic course and its one-of-a-kind, joy-filled, pig-focused spirit. But for the last 15 years, Mariemont Church has shown up in a different way. Not inside a building… but out on the streets. On the co...

In this episode, we sit down with NFL tight end Josiah Deguara to talk about his journey of faith—growing up as a preacher’s kid, walking away from the Lord, and encountering Him again in a powerful way during college. Josiah shares what it was like playing football at the University of Cincinnati, where God began moving not just in his life, but among teammates and friends. What started as person...

In this episode, Raz and I dive into one of the most important—and often confusing—questions in the Christian life: How do I know God’s will?  We start by reframing the way we think about it. God’s will isn’t first about making the “right” decision—it’s about living with the Father who is already at work. Jesus isn’t distant, waiting for us to figure things out; He is present, inviting us into rel...

How do you discern what’s really going on when your soul feels . . . off? We’ve all experienced it. Something just feels off. You can’t quite explain it. You’re not necessarily sick. Nothing obvious is wrong. But internally something feels wonky, heavy, or out of alignment. In this episode, Raz and Jamie talk about the very real human experience of those moments—and what we can do when they happen...

In this episode, Raz and Jamie talk about the difference between gospel-motivated obedience and performance-driven holiness. Many of us approach sanctification like self-improvement — try harder, be better, do more. But Scripture paints a different picture.  In Epistle to the Romans 12:2 , Paul says: “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...

In this episode, we sit down with Vic Clesceri —practitioner, scholar, and evangelist—to explore the way of surrender as the foundation of discipleship. Who is Vic? Founder of The Management Sherpa https://www.themanagementsherpa.com Professor of Marketing at Miami University Farmer School of Business Founder of The Surrender Project https://www.surrenderproject.com Author of The Way of Surrender...

In this second episode with Kristen Schumacher, we zoom out to focus on the story and impact of Nehemiah Manufacturing — a company that has trail-blazed second-chance hiring practices since 2009, long before fair-chance employment became a mainstream conversation. Founded on the conviction that meaningful work restores dignity, Nehemiah intentionally built its business model around hiring individu...

In this episode, we get to know Kristen Schumacher (Chief Marketing Officer, Nehemiah Manufacturing) on a personal level. Kristen shares her story of growing up in a Catholic family where faith was present and her relationship with Jesus became profoundly personal at a very young age. As early as six years old, she experienced Jesus as her closest friend — journaling prayers and conversations with...

Our first guest of Season 3 is Kristin Scott , a spiritual director who—along with her husband Jason Scott—leads Activation Ministries . This episode is a tender, deeply formative conversation about intimacy with God, learning His voice, and following Him with courage and trust. Kristin’s Story: God as Her Personal “Rabbi” Kristin shared how she came to faith early in life and, from the beginning,...