What happens when anger, disappointment, and painful family experiences shape your understanding of God?

For Rich Robison, faith wasn't something he was searching for. Raised in a fractured home and moving 26 times before graduating high school, Rich eventually rejected God altogether. His anger toward his earthly father became anger toward any heavenly Father, and atheism seemed like the obvious conclusion.

But an unexpected encounter during a concert changed everything.

What followed was a journey through different world religions, hard intellectual questions, and a growing fascination with the person of Jesus. Along the way, Rich discovered that Christianity's message was unlike anything else he encountered, not a story of striving to reach God, but the story of God coming to us.

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Guest Bio:

Rich Robison blends engineering leadership, entrepreneurship, and faith. For the past two decades, he’s been navigating the software industry through tech companies big and small. A serial cofounder, Rich has helped launch multiple companies with successful exits. He sees his work as a mission field in itself.  Based in Northern Colorado, Rich has been married for 22 years, and he’s the proud dad of two daughters, Abby and Chloe, and the owner of three dogs, Porter, Stout, and Hefeweizen. 2026 year marks his 30th spiritual birthday!

 Resources Mentioned:

Rich’s Resources:

•        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richrobison/

•        Email: [email protected]

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What would cause someone with both emotional and intellectual reasons to reject God to reconsider?

Mark Haville grew up in the UK in an abusive home with no religious foundation and little reason to believe God was real. Science, suffering, and life experience all seemed to point him away from faith. But an unexpected encounter with a persistent Christian neighbor, a strange answer to prayer, and a growing hunger for truth opened the door to a life he never expected.

In this episode, Mark shares his journey from a painful childhood and practical atheism to faith in Christ. He and Jana talk about suffering, forgiveness, science, evolution, apologetics, and why belief is not just a matter of evidence, but of the whole person - mind, will, and emotion. 

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Guest Bio:

Mark Haville has worked in Christian media for more than thirty years as a producer, writer, and filmmaker. A graduate of Hampstead Bible School in London, he also holds two work-equivalency degrees in Directing and Film Studies from Montana State University. He is an award-winning producer and author of Life’s Story, a wildlife documentary presenting a creation perspective, and has engaged in public debates on questions of origins of life. Now based in Nashville, Mark continues developing feature film projects exploring faith and the deeper questions of life.

Resources Mentioned:

Mark’s Resources:

•        Timeless Life Ministries: [email protected]

•        Film: Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed - https://www.amazon.com/Expelled-Intelligence-Allowed-Ben-Stein/dp/B003LMSSVC

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What does it cost to build a life without God?

For Anh Le, it meant carrying everything - his identity, purpose, success, and morality, alone. Raised without religious commitment and shaped by a worldview rooted in self-reliance, Anh believed meaning and fulfillment was something you created and earned.

And for a while, it seemed to work.

Driven by ambition, relationships, and the pursuit of pleasure, he chased everything that promised satisfaction. But underneath it all, he was crumbling with anxiety, emptiness, and a quiet realization that nothing he built could hold the weight he was placing on it.

Then, unexpectedly, everything changed.

In this episode, Anh shares his journey from atheism and self-reliance to a living relationship with Jesus, one that redefined identity, restored purpose, and brought a peace he never thought possible.

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Guest Bio:

Anh Le is the host of The Real Life Radio Show, a nationally syndicated program airing on both Christian and secular radio networks across the United States. With over a decade in broadcasting, Anh explores the question: Is Jesus still real and active today?

Once an atheist shaped by science, self-reliance, and personal ambition, Anh now shares his story of encountering Christ and discovering a radically different way to live, rooted in relationship with God.

He is also a business owner and communicator passionate about helping others move from skepticism to honest exploration.

Resources Mentioned:

 Host, The Real Life Radio Show - https://therealliferadioshow.com/home

•        Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anh.le.3192

•        Twitter/X: @evangelistanhle

•        YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@therealliferadioshow

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What if the biggest barrier between you and God are the quiet lies you’ve believed about Him your entire life?

Jeremy Gronau carried those lies for years, formed through trauma, loss, and a lifetime of trying to prove his worth. After growing up without a clear understanding of the gospel, Jeremy built his identity on achievement, strength, and performance, ultimately serving as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. But beneath the surface were deeper questions about suffering, identity, and whether God could truly be good. In this conversation, Jeremy shares his journey from shallow, cultural Christianity and skepticism to a life transformed by a personal encounter with God.

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C.S. Lewis Institute Summer Academy: https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/?event=global-event-c-s-lewis-institute-summer-academy&event_date=2026-07-12

Guest Bio:

Jeremy Gronau is a former U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot who served nearly a decade in the military, including a deployment to Afghanistan. After leaving the military due to severe physical injury, Jeremy pursued a Master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling from Liberty University, specializing in crisis and trauma intervention.

He is the founder of Warriors in Christ, a Christian counseling practice dedicated to helping veterans, first responders, and individuals navigate trauma, restore relationships, and discover their God-given purpose.

Jeremy is passionate about helping others experience healing, identity in Christ, and the transforming power of the gospel.

Resources Mentioned:

Jeremy’s Resources:

•        Website: Warriors for Christ - https://warriorsinchrist.one

•        YouTube Bible study: https://www.youtube.com/@Warriors-In-Christ

Atheists Finding God: https://exskeptic.org/atheistsfindinggod/

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What if being brilliant, successful, and disciplined still isn’t enough to save you from fear, obsession, and self-destruction?

From the outside, Lisa’s life looked enviable—PhD, postdoctoral research at a leading medical school, and a rising career in behavioral health. But beneath the surface, she was unraveling: anxiety, eating disorders, addiction, and relentless obsessive fear followed her for years.

Convinced that intelligent, rational people didn’t need God, Lisa tried everything except faith. It wasn’t until desperation forced her to confront the limits of her own limits that she became open, reluctantly, to the possibility she might be wrong. 

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Guest Bio:

Dr. Lisa Stanton is a social psychologist, researcher, and writer. With a PhD in social psychology and a career in behavioral health, she brings a rare blend of empirical insight and personal honesty to questions of identity, meaning, and human flourishing. Her recent work centers on her personal experiences in recovery from not only addiction, but also eating disorders, anxiety conditions, ADHD, irritable bowel syndrome, alopecia areata, and more. Lisa writes at drlisastanton.com, shares reflections on Instagram at @drlisastanton.

Resources Mentioned:

Lisa’s Resources:

•        Website:  drlisastanton.com

•        Instagram: @drlisastanton

•        Book: 52 Life-Changing Lessons I Learned in Recovery: A Journey Towards Sobriety, Honesty, and Radical Forgiveness

Lisa’s recommended resources:

•        Alpha Course – https://www.alpha.org

•        OCIA - https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/264519/becoming-catholic-everything-you-need-to-know-about-ocia

•        Bible Study Fellowship - https://www.bsfinternational.org

•        Wes Huff, Christian Apologist - https://www.wesleyhuff.com

Atheists Finding God: https://exskeptic.org/atheistsfindinggod/

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What happens when atheism is taken seriously all the way to its logical conclusions?

For Luke Thornton, raised in a deeply secular culture in the UK, honesty about those implications led not to certainty but to discomfort and eventually to an argument he couldn’t ignore.

Luke Thornton grew up in northern England in a culture where belief in God felt irrelevant at best and irrational at worst. An intellectually curious student, Luke embraced atheism not out of apathy but out of a commitment to truth. Science, progress, and reason seemed to leave no room for God.

But as Luke followed atheism to its logical conclusions questions about morality, free will, meaning, and human value began to press in. When a philosophical argument for God’s existence challenged assumptions he’d long held, Luke was forced to reconsider whether disbelief was as intellectually satisfying as he once thought.

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Guest Bio:

Luke Thornton is a Christian creative entrepreneur and evangelist.

Raised in Yorkshire, England, in a non-Christian home, Luke was an atheist until he embraced Christianity as an adult.

He runs a marketing agency full-time while dedicating his spare time to studying apologetics and enjoying life with friends in London.

Resources Mentioned:

Luke’s Recommended Resources:

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/lukethornton___/

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What if the worldview you trusted most began to crumble under its own weight?

By the time he reached college, Chris was confronted by bold professors, each insisting that Christianity was intellectually weak, morally suspect, or simply outdated. But instead of convincing him, their hostility toward Scripture and the dismissal of the faith of his childhood awakened something unexpected: a desire to test everything for himself.

Guest Bio:

Chris Wright is a writer, apologist, and creator of the Allegiant Faith Network Substack, where he focuses on apologetics, theology, biblical studies, and worldview formation. After a season of deep doubt fueled by cultural pressures, academic skepticism, and personal struggles, Chris set out on a rigorous search for truth that led him back to Christianity through evidence and reason.

He holds a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and writes to help skeptics, seekers, and believers think clearly, question well, and understand why Christianity offers a coherent, intellectually grounded view of reality. Chris is active on Substack and X, where he engages thoughtfully with skeptics and equips Christians for meaningful conversations about faith.

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Resources Mentioned:

C.S. Lewis Institute: https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/

Chris’s recommended resources:

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What if denying Christianity felt like freedom—but that path slowly revealed itself to be hollow?

In this episode of eX-skeptic, Jana Harmon sits down with Grenville Kent, an Australian theologian, filmmaker, and former skeptic who once believed Christian faith would restrict his joy rather than enrich it.

Grenville shares how a hedonistic, achievement-driven worldview eventually collapsed under its own weight, and how unexpected conversations, honest doubt, atheist thinkers, and a simple prayer cracked the door open to something more. Come and hear how Grenville began to experience the personal, loving God who was already pursuing him.

Guest Bio:

Grenville Kent, PhD, is an Australian theologian, filmmaker, and storyteller who blends rigorous scholarship with creative, accessible communication. He holds a PhD in Old Testament from the University of Manchester, a Doctor of Ministry in Apologetics, and several additional degrees across film, commerce, and education. He is the author of God Walks Into a Bar, a lively and engaging exploration of evidence for belief, and the creator of the internationally broadcast documentary series Big Questions. Grenville has taught Old Testament and apologetics and continues to speak and write in ways that resonate deeply with skeptics, seekers, and Christians alike.

Resources Mentioned:

Grenville’s Resources:

•        Book: God Walks Into a Bar…

•        Film documentary series: Big Questions  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Grenville+Kent+Big+Questions

•        Academic research: https://morlingcollege.academia.edu/GrenvilleKent

 Grenville’s recommended resources:

•        Apologists: C.S. Lewis, Frances Schaeffer, William Lane Craig, John Lennox, 

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What if the questions that once pulled you away from faith could be the very questions that lead you back?

That’s exactly what happened to Matt Schmidt. As a naturally inquisitive kid, Matt felt the weight of questions that no one around him could answer — questions about science, origins, morality, and whether the Bible could be trusted. With no guidance or satisfying explanations, he walked away from Christianity and embraced atheism.

But the same relentless curiosity that distanced him from belief slowly began to unravel the foundations of his atheism. How do you get something from nothing? Where does morality come from? Why do humans care about meaning at all? Listen to what Matt discovered through his journey.

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Guest Bio:

Matt Schmidt is the co-founder and CEO of Engage 360, a ministry dedicated to helping everyday Christians share their faith with clarity, confidence, and compassion in everyday conversations. Matt holds a master’s degree in philosophy with studies in theology, apologetics, and biblical studies from Southern Evangelical Seminary.

Resources Mentioned:

Matt’s Resources:

•        Website: Engage 360 www.e360m.org. Engage 360 Core Training online courses and community: www.e360m.org/reset . A course track designed to help people learn to lead an investigative Bible study in their home or church: www.e360m.org/bible

Matt’s recommended resources:

•        Alistair Begg, www.truthforlife.org

•       R.C. Sproul on the reliability of scripture: https://www.truthnetwork.com/show/renewing-your-mind-rc-sproul/44894/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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Before she became one of today’s leading Christian thinkers, Nancy Pearcey walked away from Christianity. Disillusioned by shallow answers and a painful home life, she turned instead to atheism, relativism, and Eastern spirituality in search of something she could truly believe. After studying at Francis Schaeffer’s L’Abri in Switzerland, her search led her back to the exploration of a robust, intellectually grounded faith.

Listen and hear Nancy share how rigorous thinking, honest doubt, and lived experience converged to reveal Christianity as not only true, but as the most coherent explanation of reality.

 Guest Bio:

Nancy Pearcey is a professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University and a former fellow at the Discovery Institute. Once a skeptic who abandoned her childhood faith, she became convinced through careful study that Christianity offers the most rational account of reality.

She is the award-winning author of Total Truth, Finding Truth, Love Thy Body, and The Toxic War on Masculinity. Her work has been described as “C. S. Lewis for the modern age,” helping believers think clearly and helping skeptics see the intellectual and moral depth of the Christian worldview.

Resources Mentioned:

Website: www.nancypearcey.com

Mentioned Books:

Nancy’s recommended resources:

America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): https://americaschristiancu.com/Jana/

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