Calibrate Conversations w/ Brady Cone

Patrick Silvis spent years hiding his struggle with same-sex attraction—even while serving as a Christian missionary. But when he finally sought help, he discovered deeper questions about shame, identity, and whether he could truly be known and loved.

In this episode of Calibrate Conversations, Patrick joins Brady Cone to share his story, the turning point that led him to open up, and how Scripture and Christian community reshaped his understanding of himself.

They discuss the difference between honesty and repression, the damage of narrow masculinity stereotypes, and finding purpose in singleness while still desiring marriage.

Whether you’re navigating these questions personally or walking alongside someone you love, this conversation offers a personal perspective on faith, vulnerability, and hope in Christ.

Timestamps:

00:00 Same-Sex Attraction Wasn’t My Main Issue

00:47 Meet Patrick Silvis

01:40 Growing Up Feeling Different

07:10 Faith, Attraction, and a Hidden Struggle

17:34 The Belief Beneath the Shame: “I Am Broken”

18:49 A Turning Point on the Mission Field

21:53 Finally Opening Up and Finding Hope

26:19 Moving to Portland and Facing Deeper Issues

44:20 Singleness, Marriage, and Finding Purpose

50:17 Repression, Authenticity, and Supporting Loved Ones

Explore more episodes and ministry resources:

https://calibrateministries.com

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Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! 

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#SameSexAttraction #Christianity #Truth #LGBTQ

Heather O’Brien went to a church event looking for hypocrites. She introduced herself as a lesbian and waited for the rejection she expected.

But the response challenged everything she thought she knew about Christians.

In this episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady Cone talks with Heather about growing up as a pastor’s daughter, walking away from God, military trauma, relationships with women, and the unexpected encounter that began her return to faith.

Heather shares an honest story of gradual transformation, difficult setbacks, and discovering what it means to be loved by God. Her testimony offers encouragement for anyone wrestling with faith, identity, family relationships, or how to walk alongside someone they love.

CHAPTERS

00:00 She Expected Rejection

01:53 Childhood and the Fear of Abandonment

05:26 A Tomboy Becomes a Pastor’s Daughter

08:50 Military Life and Questions of Identity

11:57 Deployment Trauma and Life Back Home

15:03 Coming Out to Her Christian Parents

24:30 Reconnecting With Her Family

27:23 Looking for Hypocrites at Church

34:06 The Encounter That Changed Her Direction

51:36 What God Taught Her About Healing and Hope

Connect with Heather:

https://tattooedrevivalist.com

More episodes and ministry resources:

https://calibrateministries.com

Subscribe to Calibrate Conversations for more honest conversations about faith, sexuality, and the hope of Christ.

This episode includes discussion of trauma, abuse, and a past suicide attempt.

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! 

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#CalibrateConversations #ChristianTestimony #FaithJourney

In this episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady Cone sits down with journalist and podcaster Brandon Showalter of The Christian Post to discuss what Brandon describes as “one of the worst medical scandals in human history.”

Brandon shares what he has uncovered after nearly a decade of reporting on the transgender movement—from the influence of WPATH and major institutions to puberty blockers, surgeries involving minors, public schools, parental rights, and the stories of families caught in the middle.

They also discuss why Brandon believes many churches have remained silent, why Christians must be willing to speak truth even when it comes at a cost, and how the gospel offers real hope, forgiveness, healing, and restoration to those who have been harmed by transgender ideology.

This is a difficult conversation, but one Christians, parents, pastors, and church leaders cannot afford to ignore.

Timestamps

00:00 – The reality Brandon says we can’t stay silent about

02:06 – How Brandon began investigating the transgender movement

04:00 – “Are you ashamed of the gospel?”

10:14 – One of the worst medical scandals in human history

15:59 – Have churches been asleep at the wheel?

21:45 – The pressure being placed on parents

27:03 – What is WPATH and how influential is it?

34:02 – How many children are actually being affected?

39:50 – The role public schools are playing

46:39 – Detransitioners, the church, and hope in Jesus

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! 

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Daniel Mingo has spent decades following Jesus while navigating unwanted same-sex attraction, sexual addiction, marriage, recovery, and ministry.

In this conversation, Daniel joins Brady Cone to share his story and discuss what it actually looks like to pursue Christ when same-sex attraction doesn't simply disappear. They talk about prayer, repentance, accountability, identity in Christ, sanctification, and why Daniel rejects the label “gay Christian.”

They also discuss Side B Christianity, Revoice, the difference between temptation and identity, and why genuine discipleship requires more than simply changing behavior.

This is a conversation about what it means to deny yourself, take up your cross, follow Jesus, and trust God with the process of sanctification—even when that process takes a lifetime.

Learn more about Daniel Mingo and ABBA's Delight.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:00 Daniel’s Story of Same-Sex Attraction

09:08 Following Jesus While Attractions Remained

17:00 Marriage, Temptation & Secret Struggles

27:20 Confessing to His Wife

29:17 Recognizing Sexual Addiction

36:59 God Calls Daniel Into Ministry

44:22 Is Change Actually Possible?

47:24 “Pray Away the Gay” vs. Side B Christianity

49:44 Why Daniel Rejects the “Gay Christian” Identity

51:17 Daniel’s Warning About the Gay Christian Movement

54:15 The Problem With Side B Christianity

56:18 Sanctification Takes Time

1:02:48 Why Discipleship Requires Community

1:03:37 Helping Christians With Same-Sex Attraction

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! 

Other ways to listen:

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#Christianity #SameSexAttraction #FollowingJesus

Social media is shaping what people believe about truth, sexuality, gender, abortion, faith, and the world around them. So should Christians simply walk away from it?

For years, the common advice was that social media wasn't the place for meaningful conversations and that nobody's mind was going to be changed online. But what happens when we see people's beliefs being radically shaped by what they encounter on social media?

In this episode, we look at social media as the modern public square and why Christians need to be part of the conversation. That doesn't mean becoming argumentative, harsh, or consumed by online debates. Christians are still called to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, speak with grace, build real relationships, and examine their own hearts.

But if social media is where worldviews are being formed and cultural conversations are happening, Christians cannot simply surrender that space.

How can we be bold without being belligerent? How can we speak truth while honoring Christ? And how can social media be used as a tool for God's glory?

It's time to think seriously about our role in the digital public square.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why My View of Social Media Changed

00:44 Can Social Media Actually Change Minds?

01:23 How Social Media Shapes Beliefs

02:10 “Where Were the Christians?”

02:42 When Christians Are Silent

03:34 Speaking Truth Without Becoming a Blowhard

05:00 Seeing Real Fruit From Social Media

06:29 Why Christians Need to Join the Conversation

07:08 Social Media Is the Modern Public Square

10:11 Be Bold Without Being Belligerent

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! 

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#Christianity #ChristianWorldview #SocialMedia

Conceived in rape and scheduled for abortion — until a law saved her life. Now Rebecca Kiessling fights to make sure every child conceived that way receives the same protection. A conversation on the "rape exception," adoption, and what it actually looks like to support a woman through an unplanned pregnancy.

Support Save the One: savetheone.com

More episodes: calibrateministries.com

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

00:42 The story — adoption, searching for a birth mother, and the discovery

02:24 The devastation of learning the truth

05:42 Finding identity in Christ

07:39 The mission behind Save the One

08:53 Why "Save the One" — and the problem with the rape exception

12:14 The women who regret their abortions

15:44 The exchange: "Did I deserve the protection I received?"

19:41 How to actually support a woman pregnant by rape

25:52 The Rape Survivor Child Custody Act

28:33 Practical ways to support single mothers

31:06 Resources and how to get involved

33:24 "Happy birthday — I'm so glad you were born."

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! 

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#adoption #adoptionstories #unplannedpregnancy #everylife #savetheone #Abortion #Abolition

Can parenting influence a child's sexuality? It's one of the most debated questions in Christian circles—and one that's often answered with extremes.

In this episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady Cone responds to the claim that "bad parenting doesn't make kids gay" and explores what Scripture, discipleship, and years of ministry reveal about family dynamics, childhood wounds, and same-sex attraction.

This conversation is not about blaming parents. It's about understanding how emotional attachment, trauma, and the lies we believe can shape our hearts while remembering that every person is responsible before God and that true healing is found in Christ.

If you're a parent, someone wrestling with same-sex attraction, or simply trying to think biblically about these issues, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

Do parents cause same-sex attraction?

Can childhood trauma influence sexuality?

What role do emotionally distant fathers and anxious mothers play?

Why grace for parents matters.

Understanding the difference between influence and blame.

How Romans 1 informs discipleship and healing.

Shepherding your child's heart with humility and truth.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

00:45 Responding to the Facebook claim

03:17 Parents aren't to blame

06:38 Family patterns that matter

07:07 The role of sexual abuse

09:35 Three parenting categories

13:23 Romans 1 and believing lies

15:31 Why ignoring root issues is dangerous

18:00 Understanding the past without excusing sin

20:10 Encouragement for parents

22:48 Final encouragement and ministry invitation

If this conversation encouraged you, like this video, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs biblical clarity and hope.

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! 

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#Parenting #Discipleship #BiblicalTruth

What if one of the biggest debates surrounding abortion isn't happening between pro-choice and pro-life—but within the pro-life movement itself?

In this episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady Cone sits down with Kristine Harhoef, founder of Not A Victim, to discuss the growing abolitionist movement, the push for equal protection legislation, and why many Christians are rethinking what it truly means to defend the unborn.

This conversation explores difficult questions about justice, accountability, biblical ethics, and the role of the Church in ending abortion. This is a discussion every Christian should hear before forming an opinion.

Watch until the end and decide for yourself.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why This Conversation Matters

01:15 What Makes Abolitionism Different?

03:55 Why Immediate Abolition?

05:14 Calling Sin What It Is

12:23 What Equal Protection Actually Means

16:32 Common Misconceptions About Equal Protection

20:35 Why the Pro-Life Movement Is Divided

23:06 Kristine's Viral Texas GOP Speech

28:09 Is Equal Protection Compassionate?

35:18 Resources for Learning More

Resources Mentioned:

Abolish Human Abortion

https://abolishhumanabortion.com

Abolitionist Rising

https://abolitionistrising.com

Not A Victim

https://notavictim.org

Things You Say To...

https://thingsyousayto.com

Calibrate Ministries

https://calibrateministries.com

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! 

Other ways to listen:

https://linktr.ee/calibrateconversations

#Abolition #ProLife #Abortion

Is the pro-life movement the same as the abortion abolitionist movement? No — and the difference matters.

In this episode of Calibrate Conversations, Brady Cone sits down with constitutional attorney Bradley Pierce, president of the Foundation to Abolish Abortion and Abolish Abortion Texas, to discuss why Christians should support the abolition of abortion and equal protection for preborn children.

Bradley explains how abortion abolitionism differs from the mainstream pro-life movement, why many pro-life laws still fall short, and why equal protection is both a biblical and legal issue. Brady and Bradley also discuss justice, mercy, repentance, the role of pregnancy resource centers, and what Christians can do to faithfully protect life.

At Calibrate Ministries, we agree with Bradley that Christians must pursue biblical justice without partiality while also extending mercy and gospel hope to those who repent.

Learn more about Bradley and his work here:

Website: https://faa.life/

Website: https://abolishabortiontx.org/

Timestamps:

00:00 — Introducing Constitutional Attorney Bradley Pierce

01:56 — Why Abortion Matters to Biblical Sexuality

03:59 — How Bradley Became an Abolitionist

07:14 — Equal Protection and Impartial Justice

08:39 — Why Abolitionists Reject Blanket Immunity

10:31 — Toxic Empathy and the Abortion Debate

17:18 — Why Laws Are Meant to Deter Evil

20:19 — Justice and Mercy Can Work Together

28:28 — The Problem with Pro-Life Incrementalism

34:34 — The Texas GOP Fight for Equal Protection

Watch more from Calibrate Ministries:

calibrateministries.com

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! 

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#Abolitionism #BradleyPierce #Abortion 

When Jesse Ridgway and his wife publicly shared their decision to abort their child after a Down syndrome diagnosis, the internet erupted with outrage.

But does this controversy reveal a much bigger problem?

In this episode, we examine the deeper issues behind the headlines: abortion, equal protection, the divide between the pro-life and abolitionist movements, and whether our laws should treat unborn children the same as every other human being.

This conversation isn't about internet drama. It's about justice, compassion, truth, and the value of every human life.

Timestamps:

00:00 Jesse Ridgway Sparks National Debate

01:17 Why This Story Hit So Hard

02:12 The Divide Between Pro-Life and Abolitionism

02:48 Has the Pro-Life Movement Failed?

03:55 Can Society Function Without Justice?

05:07 Why Government Has a God-Given Role

05:33 Justice, Mercy, and Changed Hearts

06:23 Why Compassion Isn't Enough

07:03 Should Christians Call Abortion Murder?

08:09 The Case for Equal Protection Laws

08:45 Why Criminalization Is So Controversial

09:20 What Christians Should Do Next

Join us weekly as we strive help people embrace God's standard for sexuality! 

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#Abortion #ProLife #JesseRidgeway #ChristianPodcast #Abolitionism #EqualProtection #BiblicalTruth