Finding Something Real Podcast

By Janell WoodReligion & Spirituality Christianity Education Self-Improvement

Finding Something Real Podcast episodes

July 12, 2023 When Life Doesn’t Go the Way You Expected with Jillian Benfield
Happy Wednesday, friends! We hope you are having a wonderful Summer!
Today on the podcast, Dagmar joins Janell as we welcome Jillian Benfield. Jillian shares her faith journey and about how the events of her life encouraged her to write a book about embracing the unexpected. She shares about the grief and emotions she experienced when she found out that she was expecting a son with disabilities and how she experienced peace and God’s presence at the time of his birth.
The group also talks about how the Psalms relate to our relationship with God, how God brings life in our circumstances, and why resurrection is a theme of this life, not just the life to come. We hope you enjoy!
About Jillian
Jillian is a former journalist and news anchor. She holds a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Georgia. As a freelance writer, her essays about living an unexpected life have appeared on sites such asTODAY,Good Morning America,Yahoo! News, andABC News. Jillian regularly advocates for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in her writings, in her community, and as a part of the National Down Syndrome Congress’s NationalDown Syndrome Advocacy Coalition. Jillian and her husband, Andy, and their three children make their home on Florida’s Space Coast.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
Dagmar’s previous FSR episodes
Jillian’s website
The Gift of the Unexpected - Jillian Benfield
Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis
Tim Keller
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
56 min
July 05, 2023 Before You Meet Your Future Husband with Tricia Goyer
Finding Something REAL Podcast!
Today, Janell and Sevanna have a conversation with Tricia Goyer! Tricia shares some of her story of being a teen mom, her experience praying for her future husband, and how God has played a part in that. They also talk about the proper place of physical intimacy in relationships, what to do if you feel like God is leading you out of a relationship, and more!
We hope you enjoy this podcast!
About Tricia
Tricia Goyer writes out of her passion for God and her love for family and others. The author of more than 70 books, she writes both historical fiction and nonfiction related to family and parenting.
This USA-Today Best-selling Author has also won a two Carol Awards and a Retailer’s Best Award. She was also an ECPA Gold-Medallion Nominee and a Christy Award Nominee and won Writer of the Year from the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers Conference.
Tricia’s contemporary and historical novels feature strong women overcoming great challenges. She recreates historic wartime eras with precise detail through comprehensive research and is a beloved author of Amish fiction, as well, having written the Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR Nov 2021 with Sevanna
FSR Nov 2021 with Sevanna and Jason
FSR Nov 2021 with Sevanna and Janel
FSR Nov 2021 with Sevanna (bonus episode)
FSR Dec 2020 with Tricia Goyer
Tricia Goyer
Robin Jones Gunn
Before You Meet Your Future Husband - Goyer
Praying For Your Future Husband - Goyer
Jannette Oke books
Psalm 139
Psalm 121
Zephaniah 3:17
56 min
June 28, 2023 God’s Redeeming Love with Francine Rivers
Happy Wednesday! Thanks for joining us on the Finding Something REAL Podcast!
Today, Janell and Leonie have a conversation with Francine Rivers the author of Redeeming Love. Francine shares about her faith journey and how it is reflected in her writing. She talks not only about the story of Redeeming Love, but also about the Redeeming Love Foundation and the recently released Redeeming Love movie. They also discuss topics such as how Christians can still be imperfect, pushback Francine has received from the Redeeming Love movie, the Christian publishing market, and more. We hope you enjoy!
** Please note that today’s episode does cover topics such as sex and sex trafficking. **
About Francine
New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers had a successful writing career in the general market for several years becoming a born-again Christian; she then wrote Redeeming Love as her statement of faith. A retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea set during the time of the California Gold Rush, Redeeming Love is now considered by many to be a classic work of Christian fiction and it continues to be one of the industry’s top-selling titles year after year. Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published numerous bestselling novels with Christian themes—including The Masterpiece, Bridge to Haven, and A Voice in the Wind —and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the world. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for Inspirational Fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Francine’s novels have been translated into over 30 different languages, and she enjoys bestseller status in many foreign countries. Francine and her husband live in Northern California and enjoy time spent with their grown children and grandchildren. She uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and she desires that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Gaia’s Intro
FSR: Gaia & Dr. Erik Thoennes
FSR Gaia & Robby
FSR: Gaia and Zach
FSR s5e26 with Leonie
FSR August 2022 with Leonie and Frank Turek
Francine's website
Redeeming Love Foundation
Redeeming Love (Book)
Redeeming Love Movie
The Scarlett Thread (book)
The Atonement Child
Dan in Real Life (movie)
The Chosen series
Expository Preaching
Hosea (BibleGateway)
1 hr 6 min
June 21, 2023 How do you Trust God when Life is Relentlessly Hard? with Vaneetha Risner
Welcome to Wednesday! Today on the podcast, Gaia chats about her podcasting journey. She mentions what has been most impactful for her and what her biggest takeaways are.
We also welcome Vaneetha Risner to the podcast! Vaneetha shares her story of having polio and the suffering it caused throughout her life. She talks honestly about struggling with the idea of faith and how she came to believe in Jesus. She also talks about how losing her son, Paul, caused her to angerly turn from God and her experience of returning to him. Vaneetha graciously shares this and so much more of her story in today’s episode. We hope you are encouraged.
About Vaneetha
Vaneetha Risner is passionate about helping people find hope in their suffering. All her books: the Bible Study, Desperate For Hope, her memoir, Walking Through Fire, and the devotional, The Scars That Have Shaped Me, encourage readers to turn to Christ in their pain. Some of her greatest joys are being a wife to Joel and a mother to Katie and Kristi. She writes regularly for Desiring God, and has been featured on Family LifeToday, Joni & Friends, and Christianity Today.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Gaia’s Intro
FSR: Gaia & Dr. Erik Thoennes
FSR Gaia & Robby
FSR: Gaia and Zach
FSR March 2021 with Brenna Blain
FSR August 2020 with Josh White
FSR: April 2021 with Josh White
FSR: December 2022 with Josh White

Vaneetha’s website
Desperate for Hope - Vaneetha Risner
Walking Through Fire - Vaneetha Risner
The Scars That Have Shaped Me - Vaneetha Risner
Desperate For Hope Podcast with Vaneetha Risner
Grace Enough Podcast with Amber Cullum
Joni Eareckson Tada
Priscilla Shirer
Believing God Bible Study - Beth Moore
When God Weeps - Joni Eareckson Tada
Hymn: Trust & Obey
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
1 hr 2 min
June 14, 2023 Can you really trust the Bible? with Lindsey Ponder
Another Wednesday, another episode! We are excited to bring you a new episode of the Finding Something REAL Podcast! In today's episode, Gaia shares some of her current feelings about faith and how her Journey is going so far. We are also excited to introduce Lindsey Ponder. Lindsey talks about her personal faith journey and a bit about The Bible Project. Then the group has a discussion about the Bible and seek to answer questions such as; Why should we read the Bible? How can we trust the Old and New Testaments? They also chat about authoritative vs submission issues, sin, and more. We hope you enjoy the episode!
About Lindsey
Lindsey Ponder is a teacher and author passionate about understanding the Bible in its original context so that we can glean its wisdom for our own. A producer at BibleProject, Lindsey helps manage the organization’s internationally acclaimed podcast. Lindsey is part of the family at Kessid Church, where she serves as a member of the teaching team and as a worship leader. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Lindsey is currently in pursuit of a Masters of Divinity at Western Seminary. When she’s not studying or teaching, Lindsey enjoys hiking with her beloved dog and hearing someone’s story over (copious amounts of) coffee.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Gaia’s Intro
FSR: Gaia & Dr. Erik Thoennes
FSR Gaia & Robby
FSR: Gaia and Zach
FSR March 2021 with Brenna Blain
The Bible Project | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok
Bible Project Paradigm Series: Who Wrote the Bible?
Kessid Church (Vancouver WA)
Moody Bible Institute
Western Seminary
1 hr 4 min
June 07, 2023 Who Goes to Heaven? with Dubois Du Toit
Hello, Happy Wednesday! Today on the podcast, we welcome back both Dagmar and Dubois! After catching up with Dagmar, we get to hear about Dubois’ ministry in Namibia.
Janell, Dagmar, and Dubois talk about what the Bible says about who goes to heaven. They talk about the pluralistic views, what happens to someone who has never heard of Jesus or grew up in a culture where Christianity is unknown. They also talk about how creation is God’s general revelation and what that means for us. They talk about the Christian image of heaven and how it compares to the views from other religions, and how we wrestle with hard teachings from the Bible.
We hope you enjoy this episode!
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Gaia’s Intro
FSR: Gaia & Dr. Erik Thoennes
FSR Gaia & Robby
FSR: Gaia and Zach
FSR s5e35 Introducing Dagmar and her Faith Story
FSR s5e36 with Shea and Michelle
FSR s5e37 with Phoenix Hayes
FSR s5e38 with Dubois
FSR Dec 2022 with Josh White
Cross Examined Instructor's Academy
Alisa Childers conversation with Dr. Jeff Myers
Douglas Moo’s commentary on Romans

I Don't Have Enough Faith the Be an Atheist - Geisler & Turek
Mere Christianity - C. S. Lewis

RC Sproul
Charles Spurgeon

Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

Acts 17:30
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

Romans 1:18
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

Romans 2:14 &15
(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)

James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
1 hr 9 min
May 31, 2023 Young People, Ministry, and Questions about Faith with Dr. Joe Miller
Today on the Finding Something REAL Podcast, we are excited to share an interview with Dr. Joe Miller. Dr. Miller shares how he got involved in apologetics and teaching worldview at Grand Canyon University. They talk about the importance of apologetics and preparing kids for college, major questions answered by the Christian worldview, and some of the questions (or the lack of questions!) he encounters. They also talk about suffering—why does God allow it? Why doesn’t He intervene? Is there purpose in our suffering?
We hope you enjoy this episode!
About Dr. Miller
Dr. Joe Miller earned a B.A. in architectural engineering from Pennsylvania State University, an M.Div. from Oral Roberts University, a M.A.S.R. from Southern California Seminary, a D.Min.  from Biola University, and a Th.M. and Ph.D. in ethics from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has taught in higher education for more than a decade and has worked in pastoral ministry for over 20 years. He has authored multiple books on leadership, church history, and biblical theology.  
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Ljuca’s Intro
FSR: Ljuca and J. Warner Wallace
FSR: Ljuca and Dr. Keith Oglesby
FSR: Ljuca and Tim Barnett
FSR: Greg Koukl (October 2021)
FSR: Frank Turek (August 2022)
FSR: Josh White (August 2020)
FSR: Josh White (April 2021)
FSR: Josh White (December 2022)

MoreThanCake.org
Grand Canyon University
Stand to Reason
Ratio Christi
Cross Examined
Alisa Childers Podcast with Joe Miller (Aug 2021)
Alisa Childers Podcast with Joe Miller (Jan 2022)
Alisa Childers Podcast with Joe Miller (April 2023)
When God Weeps - Joni Earickson Tada
Bruce Almighty
1 hr 28 min
May 24, 2023 The Bible is Full of Crazy, Um, Real Stories? with special guest, Tim Barnett
Hello! Happy Wednesday! Today, we are delighted to share an interview with apologist Tim Barnett. Time shares a bit about his faith journey and tells how a question about his faith pushed him to better understand the Christian faith and why he believes. He shares about the ministry he does in partnership with Stand to Reason and how Red Pen Logic with Mr. B got started.
Tim shares some advice for those who have doubts about Jesus or Christianity, why he thinks Christianity is the best explanation for reality, and how our feelings do not determine verity. He also talks about whether there is evidence for the stories in the Bible and why he continues the work he does despite the backlash. We hope you enjoy this episode!
About Tim Barnett
Tim Barnett has worked as a speaker for Stand to Reason since 2015. He is a dynamic speaker who provides a perfect blend of expertise and humor in each talk. Using easy-to-follow and visually engaging presentations, Tim trains Christians to think clearly about what they believe and why they believe it. Tim has worked as a professional teacher since 2008, employed in both the private and public sector. He has earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from York University, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Southern Evangelical Seminary. Tim serves as an adjunct Bible and Science teacher at Innova Academy, a classical Christian school, and serves on the pastoral staff at Cedarview Community Church.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Ljuca’s Intro
FSR: Ljuca and J. Warner Wallace
FSR: Ljuca and Dr. Keith Oglesby
FSR: Greg Koukl - Oct 2021
FSR: Jon Noyes - March 2023
FSR: Robbie Lashua - April 2023

Stand to Reason
Reality Apologetics Student Conference
Norm Geisler
Sean McDowell
Frank Turek
Francis Shaeffer
Miracles - Craig Keener
The Case for Miracles - Lee Strobel
There is a God? - Anthony Flew
A Fortunate Universe - Geraint F. Lewis
Is Atheism Dead? - Eric Metaxas
1 Corinthians 15
1 hr 25 min
May 17, 2023 Why Not Just Keep Your Personal Faith to Yourself? with Dr. Keith Oglesby
Hello! Happy Wednesday! Today, we have a wonderful conversation for you! Dr. Keith Oglesby joins us again to talk Christian evangelism and why it’s important that our Christian faith is lived out and intentionally shared with others. Janell an Dr. Oglesby talk about how we can know what’s true, Dr. Oglesby’s passion for evangelism, sharing the gospel with gentleness and respect, and how we can be good stewards of the gifts given to us by God. We hope you enjoy this episode!
Hello! Happy Wednesday! Today, we have a wonderful conversation for you! Dr. Keith Oglesby joins us again to talk Christian evangelism and why it’s important that our Christian faith is lived out and intentionally shared with others. Janell an Dr. Oglesby talk about how we can know what’s true, Dr. Oglesby’s passion for evangelism, sharing the gospel with gentleness and respect, and how we can be good stewards of the gifts given to us by God. We hope you enjoy this episode!
About Dr. Oglesby
Dr. Keith Oglesby is an Associate Professor and the Director of Camp and Outdoor Adventure Leadership (COAL) in the Department of Christian Leadership and Church Ministries at Liberty University. He's a speaker and author. His new book is called, "Live Your Purpose."
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Ljuca’s Intro
FSR: Ljuca and J. Warner Wallace

FSR: October 2020 with Dr Oglesby
Live Your Purpose book by Dr. Keith Oglesby
Liberty University
Nick Hall
Billy Graham
Franklin Graham
Luis Palau
GotQuestions.com
TrueLife.org
1 Peter 3:15
”But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

John 14:6
”Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Acts 4:12
”Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Romans 10:13
”For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
John 17:3
”And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
1 hr 12 min
May 10, 2023 How can you believe in the miraculous stories? with J. Warner Wallace
This week on the podcast, we are delighted to welcome J. Warner Wallace. Jim shares his story of coming from a contentedly non-christian worldview and not feeling like Christianity was relevant to him to believing in Jesus. He explains how marriage and becoming a father started turned his head towards the need for a solidified worldview. They talk about Jim’s work as a detective and how his experience thinking things through in an evidence based way led him to belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They talk about how the agnostic worldview can work for a time, but can eventually fall through, the six atheistic explanations for the resurrection and how the explanations do not work, how suffering fits into the Christian life, and more. We hope you enjoy the episode!
About J. Warner Wallace
J. Warner Wallace is a Dateline featured cold-case homicide detective, popular national speaker and best-selling author. He continues to consult on cold-case investigations while serving as a Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He is also an adjunct professor of apologetics at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) and Southern Evangelical Seminary, and a faculty member at Summit Ministries. J. Warner became a Christ-follower at the age of thirty-five after investigating the claims of the New Testament gospels using his skill set as a detective. He eventually earned a Master’s Degree in Theological Studies from Gateway Seminary.
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We would love to thank our Patrons for all their amazing support! To learn more about supporting Finding Something REAL via Patreon, click here!
To learn more about Faithful Counseling and if it is a good fit for you, you can click here!
FSR: Ljuca’s Intro
Cold Case Christianity (website)
Cross Examined Instructor's Academy
Cold Case Christianity - J. Warner Wallace
Forensic Faith book - J. Warner Wallace
God's Crime Scene - J. Warner Wallace
Person of Interest- J. Warner Wallace
Person of Interest - talk given by J. Warner Wallace
Damar Hamlin (Buffalo Bills) collapse
Dateline Episodes featuring J. Warner Wallace
Jim Wallace speaking to students at Kings Academy
FSR s2e15 with Lu and Allen Crostic - Part 1 and Part 2
FSR s4e5 with Lu and Allen Crostic
FSRs4e9 with Lu and Stéphanie Rousselle
Tim Keller
1 hr 4 min

About Finding Something Real Podcast

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Maybe you’ve grown up as a Christian going to church or maybe you’re not interested in religion at all. But when you’re scrolling, hanging out with friends, trying to sleep, or overwhelmed with your…