The manger is quieter than our calendars, and that’s the point. We sit with Dr. Ben Porter to explore how the Nativity’s simplicity, an ordinary place, a young family, and the presence of God, can reset our pace, heal our hurry, and restore what matters most. Instead of chasing perfection, we trace a gentler path toward presence, where spiritual growth often happens off‑schedule and in stillness.

We share practical ways to make room for God in daily life: early‑morning rhythms, dim spaces that reduce visual noise, and simple habits that invite unhurried prayer and Scripture. The conversation follows the Gospel thread from Bethlehem to today; God meets people in ordinary places and uses overlooked people for extraordinary purposes. The shepherds become our teachers; availability beats acclaim. Along the way, we talk about entertainment versus engagement and why our best days end with meaningful connection rather than passive consumption.

This episode leans into the heart of Advent themes: hope, peace, love, and joy, as lived realities, not seasonal slogans. We unpack how unconditional love is revealed in Christ’s birth, why presence uncovers the needs beneath words, and how everyday interactions build relationships that last. For our school community and beyond, Dr. Porter’s “dash” metaphor challenges us to steward this season well: show up for one another, celebrate generously, support steadily, and let quiet faithfulness point to Jesus.

If this conversation helps you breathe a little deeper and choose presence over performance, share it with a friend, subscribe for more thoughtful episodes, and leave a review to help others find the show. What simple practice will you start this week?

Love that only lives in feelings fades fast. Love that takes action changes homes, classrooms, churches, and neighborhoods. In this Advent conversation, we sit down with Cliff Evans, high school Bible teacher and pastor, to map a clear, practical path from affection to action and from good intentions to habits that actually serve people. We start with four anchors of biblical love: sacrificial, unconditional, committed, and active. Then we bring them to life with stories from marriage and parenting, where small choices, like how you handle a tense moment or even a load of laundry, become the training ground for a love that stays when it’s hard.

From there, we widen the lens to our shared life. How do we love neighbors who don’t think or vote like we do? What does disciplined love look like in a school on a tired Friday, or online when outrage is easy and empathy is rare? We connect the practices of patience and service to the heart of Advent: God’s decisive act of love in sending Jesus. The Nativity scene becomes more than a tradition—it’s a study in love that listens and moves, with Mary’s pondering, Joseph’s faithfulness, and shepherds who run to witness good news. That same pattern calls us to small, consistent acts that open doors for the Gospel in ordinary places.

This is a warm, candid, and deeply practical reflection for anyone who wants to move beyond hollow sentiment into a love that heals. You’ll leave with a renewed vision of love as disciplined practice, a challenge to cross social lines with genuine care, and a fresh appreciation for Advent as love in motion. If this conversation helps you, share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe so you don’t miss the next step in our Advent journey.

Joy that survives sorrow is not a mood; it’s the steady life of Christ in us. We open our Advent series episode on Joy by tracing where joy comes from, why it holds when happiness fails, and how ordinary people can practice rejoicing without faking smiles or denying pain. Our guest, Joey Caldwell, a high school Bible teacher at Ben Lippen, shares a vulnerable story of years-long infertility, heartbreaking loss, adoption, and a slow return from depression and panic. Through it all, a surprising truth emerges: joy never moved, because Jesus never moved.

We unpack the core difference between happiness and Christian joy, using Scripture to ground the idea that joy is a gift of the Spirit, deeply tied to peace, love, and abiding. From Luke’s “good news of great joy” to Revelation 21’s promise of God dwelling with his people, we explore why joy can coexist with grief and how rejoicing becomes a spiritual discipline. You’ll hear practical ways to “rehearse the gospel” in daily life; gratitude that names grace, prayer that keeps the heart soft, obedience that aligns our loves, and worship that trains our desires. We also talk about Advent rhythms that keep the season focused: fasting from distractions, telling the story clearly to our kids, singing, serving, and slowing down to rest.

If you’ve confused joy with feelings or wondered how to choose joy when your heart feels numb, this conversation offers clear language, honest testimony, and doable practices. Walk away with a renewed vision of joy as a state of being in Christ; Peace at rest, Love in action, and hope that endures. If this encourages you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Peace isn’t the same as quiet. Together with high school Bible teacher Nathan Aylestock, we unpack why Scripture’s vision of shalom is more than a calm moment; it’s restored relationship with God that reshapes our inner world and our everyday conflicts. From Genesis 3:15 to Isaiah 9:6 and John 14:27, we trace the promise of a Prince of Peace who bridges the gap sin created and offers a wholeness the world can’t replicate or revoke.

Nathan helps us draw a clear line between circumstantial calm and Christ-centered peace. We talk through what it means to let Jesus guard our hearts and minds, why his presence, not our control, anchors us, and how trust grows when circumstances refuse to change. Then we get practical: listening before reacting, forgiving as we’ve been forgiven, answering gently, and seeing every person as an image bearer. Those practices aren’t niceties; they’re the visible fruit of peace at work in a reconciled heart.

We also step into the stories of Moses and Peter, two people with public failures who encountered God’s restoring peace and stepped into renewed purpose. Their journeys remind us that past mistakes don’t get the final say. Finally, we name the quiet thieves of peace, comparison, envy, fear, and the urge to control, and offer Advent-ready habits to turn your focus back to Jesus. If you’re hungry for a peace that outlasts chaos and heals relationships, this conversation will help you live it with courage and love.

If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs peace today, and leave a review to help others find the message.

In this episode, we sat down with Dale Angstadt, longtime Ben Lippen teacher, husband, and honest disciple of the Word, to trace the true meaning of biblical hope. Mr. Angstadt names hope as a chosen trust in God’s character, not a thin optimism, and walks us through the tangible ways God meets us in the waiting: Abraham’s dust and stars, Mary’s sign in Elizabeth, and the cross anchored in history. These are the handholds that keep faith steady when feelings wobble.

Across the conversation, Scripture frames reality without denial. Romans 8 points to present suffering and future glory, clarifying that the “good” at work is our transformation into the likeness of Christ. Mr. Angstadt shares a raw year marked by illness, surgeries, and helplessness, and yet a paradox emerges: greater hardship creates deeper joy. That shift comes from a crucial question: do we define God by our circumstances, or interpret our circumstances by who God is? From Zechariah’s hesitation to Mary’s trust, perspective becomes discipleship in real time.

We also unpack the practices that grow durable hope: reading the Bible until it shapes our inner speech, abiding in Jesus with a daily conversation, and letting tried faith mature into quiet wisdom. Then comes the outward turn. Jesus calls us salt and light; we cannot share what we do not live. When a life is flavored with hope, people notice. They ask. And we answer with gentleness about the hope within us. This Advent, come learn how to anchor your heart in a God who does not move, even as the world keeps spinning.

If this conversation encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review with one practice that helps you keep hope.

A mountain of trust, a school reborn, and a community knit together by generosity—this conversation with Kelly Davis, Ben Lippen’s development director, uncovers how giving has guided the school from its Asheville roots to a thriving, multi-campus community in Columbia. We revisit the origin story, from summer conferences to a boarding school, the heartbreak of the 1980 fire, and the decision that set a new course. Through it all, one thread remains: a mission to educate from a biblical worldview and prepare students to impact the nations.

Kelly offers a candid look at development as more than fundraising. It’s stewardship of relationships, a heart posture that views resources as God’s and giving as discipleship. You’ll hear unforgettable stories: a retired teacher’s unexpected six-figure gift that honors decades of faithful classrooms, a trembling $5 check that moves a team to tears, and Jim’s life changed by a church collection that led him to Christ and later to launch a scholarship so others could follow. These moments show how generosity—small or large—creates a lasting ripple across generations.

We also unpack the Falcon Fund, Ben Lippen’s annual giving program that delivers the margin of excellence beyond what tuition covers. From classroom tools and teacher support to student programs across all campuses, the Falcon Fund turns vision into everyday impact. Whether you’re an alum, parent, or friend of the school, you’ll come away with a deeper sense of how prayer, service, and financial gifts work together to sustain kingdom education and shape whole lives.

If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who loves seeing students thrive, subscribe for more stories like this, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Parenting gets harder when life does too—divorce, grief, tech overload, and the daily strain can leave even steady homes frayed. We sat down with Dr. Seth Scott to unpack a different path: lead with grace, lean on community, and parent the whole child—body, mind, relationships, and spirit. Rather than trying to be the sole fixer, we focus on building a circle of care and setting clear, shared expectations that calm chaos and help kids thrive.

Dr. Scott breaks down practical co-parenting strategies after separation, including unifying house rules across homes and agreeing on consequences ahead of time so decisions aren’t made in anger or fatigue. We talk about how kids actually grieve—often through play and uneven waves of emotion—and how to model sadness without overwhelming them. You’ll hear how to teach an emotions vocabulary, guide appropriate expression, and use the “rule of five” adults to give children a wider net of support. When trust has been broken, he offers a simple script for repair that restores connection without shame: apologize clearly, ask for forgiveness, and make amends.

We also explore wise transparency—what to share, how much, and why it matters to show our kids that we seek help from peers, pastors, and counselors when needed. Dr. Scott outlines when professional counseling makes sense, especially when past wounds block present growth, and why the church is uniquely positioned to provide sustained encouragement, presence, and practical care. Through it all, we return to hope: God’s love and sovereignty hold our families, and perspective grows when we’re not walking alone.

If this conversation helps, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a quick review so more parents can find practical hope. Your support helps us keep these deep, honest conversations coming.

What if the thing making parenting feel impossible isn’t you, but the way our world flips risk and connection on their heads? We sit down with Dr. Seth Scott—counselor educator, assistant dean, and dad—to unpack why raising kids in today’s culture can feel like sprinting uphill with a phone in each hand. From earlier individuation and eroding community to the tug-of-war over when to give a child a phone, we trace how isolation sneaks in, why symptoms deserve curiosity, and where parents can reclaim steady ground.

We walk through the biggest modern pressure points: the myth of constant safety, the very real hazards of unfiltered online life, and the rising expectation that parents should always know, always respond, always fix. Dr. Scott offers a whole-child framework—biological, psychological, social, and spiritual—that helps reframe “acting out” as a signal. Sometimes the right move is protein and bedtime, not punishment. We dig into how tech can numb discomfort just enough to stall growth, and how to rebuild the muscles of boredom tolerance, conflict repair, and resilience so kids can handle real-life stress without spiraling.

Parents aren’t sidelined in this story. Using the reservoir-and-dam metaphor, we explore emotional self-awareness, practical outlets that prevent evening meltdowns, and the power of tag-teaming with a spouse or trusted community. The aim isn’t perfect parenting; it’s “good enough” parenting grounded in consistent love, clear limits, and thoughtful repair. You’ll leave with language for tough transitions, ideas to delay or right-size phones, and confidence to see behavior as information, not defiance.

If this conversation helps you breathe a little easier, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a quick review so more parents can find it. What hard place are you navigating right now?

What happens when God redirects your carefully laid plans? Dr. Bill Jones knows this redirection intimately. Once determined to serve as an overseas church planter among unreached people groups, a pivotal conversation with three seminary graduates forever changed his trajectory, leading him to Columbia International University and an unexpected leadership path.

Dr. Jones shares how a simple yet profound analogy—comparing the world to waffles rather than pancakes—revolutionized his understanding of missions. This new perspective inspired him to found Crossover Global, one of the first mission agencies focused specifically on reaching cultural groups rather than countries. Today, that organization has planted more than 6,000 churches among Muslims and Hindus across over 30 countries—far exceeding what he might have accomplished alone.

The thread of breaking generational cycles runs powerfully through Dr. Jones' testimony. Having grown up in what he describes as an "unchurched, non-Christian, dysfunctional home" marked by addiction, mental health struggles, and broken relationships, he now leads a family transformed by faith. His daily prayer from Isaiah 59:21—that God's Spirit and Word would remain with his offspring and his offspring's offspring—reflects his passion for multi-generational impact.

As president of CIU and champion of Ben Lippen School, Dr. Jones advocates for education that equips students "from a biblical worldview to impact the nations." He believes deeply in developing both "professional ministers" and "ministering professionals," recognizing that all believers have a divine platform for influence regardless of vocation. His own family experienced the transformative power of Christian education, particularly through Ben Lippin's specialized learning support that dramatically improved his son's academic performance and life trajectory.

Listen as Dr. Jones shares practical wisdom on staying faithful in your current sphere, developing spiritual disciplines through his "five fingers" approach to Scripture, and embracing God's redirection for kingdom impact that spans generations and continents. His journey reminds us that sometimes our greatest contribution comes through surrendering our original plans to God's greater vision.

Ever wondered how faith holds up when life throws its worst at you? Joe Polek's story might just give you the answer you're seeking.

When Joe and his family relocated to Columbia in 2012 for a Christian radio position, they couldn't have anticipated the journey ahead. What began as a simple school choice for their daughters evolved into a profound testimony of God's provision through impossible circumstances. Now, with one daughter approaching graduation as a "lifer" at Ben Lippen and another entering high school, Joe reflects on the divine orchestration that kept his family connected to this special community.

The conversation takes a powerful turn as Joe candidly shares about losing his job when the radio station was sold, followed by a seizure that led to brain surgery—all while lacking health insurance. Yet through these harrowing challenges, the Ben Lippen and broader Christian community surrounded the Pollock family with remarkable support. Most astonishingly, the anonymous financial gifts they received totaled exactly $10,000—precisely matching the pay cut Joe had taken when forced to change jobs.

Joe's spiritual journey began at a snowy Young Life camp where a former NYC police officer's presentation of the gospel resonated in ways church never had. This connection to Young Life came full circle years later when, at his first Ben Lippen parent dinner, Joe found himself seated next to the local Young Life director—one of many "divine appointments" that confirmed his family's path.

With over two decades in Christian radio, Joe offers valuable insights about authentic faith communication. He emphasizes the Young Life philosophy of "earning the right to be heard" by building genuine relationships before sharing spiritual truths—an approach that guides his work on air and in his diverse neighborhood community.

For anyone navigating uncertainty, Joe's go-to scripture provides timeless wisdom: "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34). Having weathered job loss, relocation, financial strain, and serious health challenges, Joe's testimony demonstrates how this biblical principle translates into daily trust.

Listen to this episode for a powerful reminder that sometimes our greatest challenges reveal God's most remarkable provision—and that authentic community plays an essential role in the journey of faith.

Do you have a story of unexpected provision during difficult times? We'd love to hear about it! Share your experience in the comments or reach out to us on social media.