Finding Something Real Podcast

By Janell WoodReligion & Spirituality Christianity Education Self-Improvement

Finding Something Real Podcast episodes

February 22, 2023 REPLAY: Questions Christianity Answers with Abdu Murray
Apologist Abdu Murray joins the podcast today! Though Totti could not be present for this recording, two other wonderful young women, Zoe and Leonie, join Janell and Abdu!
Abdu shares his story of growing up Muslim, how he came to pursue Christianity, and what ultimately solidified his decision to follow Jesus. They discuss questions regarding God’s existence, how we can choose one religion without exploring all of them, the how and why of our existence, and so much more! We hope you enjoy this episode!
Abdu Murray offers the credibility of the gospel message as a speaker and writer with Embrace the Truth. He has authored several books including Saving Truth, Grand Central Question, Apocalypse Later, and the forthcoming More than a White Man’s Religion. For most of his life, Abdu was a proud Muslim until a nine-year historical, philosophical, theological, and scientific investigation pointed him to the Christian faith. Abdu has spoken to diverse international audiences and has participated in debates and dialogues across the globe. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School. Abdu lives in the Detroit, Michigan area with his wife and their three children.
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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!
Are you interested in having Janell speak at your event? Click here!
FSR s5e17 Totti’s Intro Episode
FSR s2e18 part 1 with Totti and Brandon
FSR s2e18 part 2 with Totti and Brandon
FSR s3e22 with the Exchange Ladies
Embrace The Truth
Abdu Murray - YouTube
”Was Jesus Raised from the Dead?” - Abdu Murray and John Loftus Debate
Grand Central Question - Abdu Murray
Saving Truth - Abdu Murray
More Than a White Man’s Religion - Abdu Murray
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus - Nabeel Quereshi
God is not One - Stephen Prothero
Steps to the Cross - John C. Scott
“Free Will” by Rush - Song Lyrics
Psalm 139
1 hr 29 min
February 15, 2023 REPLAY: Do Christians and LDS Believe The Same Thing?
Today we have a very special returning guest. Lindsey Medenwaldt is Director of Ministry Operations at Mama Bear Apologetics, where she’s the resident worldview and world religion specialist. She has a master’s degree in apologetics and ethics from Denver Seminary, as well as a master’s in public administration and a law degree. She’s also a full-time children’s pastor, an editor and writer for the Christian Research Journal, and a member of the Pelican Project. She recently contributed a chapter about the Jehovah’s Witnesses to the Harvest House Popular Handbook of World Religions (March 2021). Lindsey and her husband, Jay (who is also an apologist), have been married for 14 years. They have three daughters and live in Texas. In her spare time, Lindsey loves watching British reality television, especially The Great British Baking Show, and she’s an avid reader.
Today on the podcast, they talk about the differences between Christianity and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We hope you enjoy!
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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!
Are you interested in having Janell speak at your event? Click here!
Maria’s Season 4 Intro
Mariah & Zach
Mariah & Alycia
Mariah & Drew
Mariah & Rebecca
FSR s4e14 with Lindsey Medenwaldt
FSR s1e7 with Hilary Morgan Ferrer
Mama Bear Apologetics
The Mama Bear's Guide to Biblical Sexuality
Sandra McGee Tanner
Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
1 hr 28 min
February 08, 2023 REPLAY: Was Jesus Just an Illusionist? with Bryan Drake
Bryan Drake, a Christian illusionist, joins Janell on the podcast today!
Bryan and Karla Drake have performed for hundreds of thousands of people over the past 10 years. They have witnessed the amazing grace of God first hand as thousands of people at their shows have surrendered their lives to follow Jesus. Their unique mix of comedy, mentalism, and illusions have mesmerized audiences all across the United States and around the world. The Bryan Drake Show gives Bryan and Karla a bizarre and unique platform to live out their calling.
On today’s podcast, Bryan and Janell discuss whether or not Jesus was an illusionist instead of a miracle worker. They touch on the difference between magician and illusionist, whether Jesus’ suffering was a ruse, and the theory of illusion itself. He also shares his advice for those who have questions or find themselves far from faith.
We hope you enjoy!
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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!
Are you interested in having Janell speak at your event? Click here!
FSR s2e16 with Lieke
FSR s3e22 with Lieke
FSR s5e13 with Lieke
Bryan Drake's Website
FSR April 2021- Justin Brierley
Unbelievable? Is Christianity a trick of the mind? TikTok hypnotist Zach Pincince and Christian illusionist Bryan Drake
Bart Erhman
Derren Brown
This Present Darkness - Frank Peretti
Provoke & Inspire Podcast
Romans 1:19-20
”…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
56 min
February 01, 2023 REPLAY: About Big Conversations Between Skeptics and Believers with Justin Brierley
Though Totti could not be present for the recording of Today’s episode, Lu is back. She and Janell have the pleasure of speaking with the host of the Unbelievable? Podcast, Justin Brierley! They talk about The Big Conversations Season 4 (over on Justin’s YouTube), the concession Richard Dawkins made about Christianity, the fine tuning of the Universe, making the leap between deism and Christianity, why it’s more dangerous to believe in a personal God than an abstract intellectual idea of Him, and so much more! 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!
Are you interested in having Janell speak at your event? Click here!
FSR s5e17 Totti’s Intro Episode
FSR s2e18 part 1 with Totti and Brandon
FSR s2e18 part 2 with Totti and Brandon
FSR s3e22 with the Exchange Ladies
FSR s5e14 with Bryan Drake
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
Unbelievable? with Justin Brlerley
Unbelievable? with Phillip Yancey
Richard Dawkins and Francis Collins: Biology, Belief and Covid
Unbelievable?: Why After Ten Years of Talking with Atheists, I'm Still a Christian - Justin Brierley
Against the Tide (movie)
John Lennox
Richard Dawkins
Christopher Hitchens
C. S. Lewis
1 hr 5 min
January 25, 2023 REPLAY: Jesus: More Than Fire Insurance with Gernot Zeilinger
Happy New Year, friends! This January, we are replaying a few of our favorite episodes from 2022! We hope you enjoy the replay!
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Hey Friends! Today, Gernot joins Janell for another podcast!
Janell talks a little about why Leonie chose not to record this episode and a little about the puddle ocean analogy when it comes to faith.
Gernot shares his faith journey, how he started living his Christian faith, and his personal story about loss. Janell and Gernot talk about the question “Do you want God?” and they discuss the idea that for some, spending eternity with a God they do not love will be hell.
Janell and Gernot also talk about how the goodness of God leads people to salvation, choosing to trust Jesus, and how Jesus changes everything. We hope you enjoy this episode!
About Gernot Zeilinger
Gernot has a B.A in International Business Administration as well as a Certificate in Theological Studies from Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford and a Certificate in Christian Apologetics from the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Systematic and Philosophic Theology at the University of Nottingham and has started the process to become ordained in the Lutheran Church in Austria. He is currently working for Campus für Christus (the Austrian subsidiary of CRU) to create an apologetics ministry there named PROFUNDUM, focused on building bridges and dialogue between Christianity and secular perspectives to show the truth and relevance of Christianity for the world.
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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!
FSR s5e26 with Leonie
FSR s5e with Leonie and Frank
FSR s5e with Leonie and Stephanie
Far June 2022 with Abdu
FSR May with Shannon Moore
FSR April 2021 with Julia Garschagen
The Great Divorce- C. S. Lewis
Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
John 17:3
Revelation 21:23
1 hr 4 min
January 18, 2023 REPLAY: Beauty, Math, & Human Rights: Clues that Point to a Creator with Andy Bannister
Happy New Year, friends! This January, we are replaying a few of our favorite episodes from 2022! We hope you enjoy the replay!
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Happy Wednesday, friends! Today on the podcast, we are excited to share a conversation with Andy Bannister! Andy shares about his faith journey and his experience going from an “undercover Christian” to working in public Christian ministry. They talk about the types of questions young people are asking about faith, and the complications surrounding the decline of Christianity in western culture. They also talk about beauty, math, human rights, and how they relate to God, why performance based acceptance has no place in the message of Jesus, and more! We hope you enjoy this episode!
About Andy
Dr. Andy Bannister is the Director of Solas and an Adjunct Lecturer at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. Andy holds a PhD in Islamic studies and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at Melbourne School of Theology. Andy is the author of an academic book, An Oral-Formulaic Study of the Qur’an, and two popular-level books: The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist (or: The Terrible Consequences of Really Bad Arguments), and his latest: Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?. When not travelling, speaking, or writing, Andy is a keen hiker, mountain climber, and photographer. He is married to Astrid; they have two children, Caitriona and Christopher.
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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 follow Finding Something REAL on instagram, click here!
If you are interested in becoming Finding Something REAL a co-host, click here!
Interested in having Janell speak at your event? Click here!
FSR s5e39 Introducing Zoe
FSR s5e40 with Allen
FSR s5e41 with Mary Jo
FSR s5e42 with Xandra
FSR June 2022 with Justin Brierley
FSR April 2021 with Justin Brierley
Solas Center for Public Christianity
Pep Talks Podcast
Pod of the Gaps Podcast
How to Talk about Jesus without Looking Like An Idiot - Andy Bannister

Are religious funerals 'empty and platitudinous'? Ian Dunt & Andy Bannister -Unbelievable? with Justin Brierley
Douglas Murray & Jonathan Pageau - Jordan Peterson’s Podcast
The Chosen Series
Whose Religion is Christianity? - Lamin Sanneh
"Seeking Allah Finding Jesus" - Nabeel Quereshi
Mathematics Through The Eyes of Faith - Russell Howell
Dominion - Tom Holland
The Unreasonable Effectiveness Of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences -Eugene Winger
Mark 16:15
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…”
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Revelations 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
1 hr 1 min
January 11, 2023 REPLAY: Are Christians Judgier than Jesus? with Cynthia Beaudry & Drew Berryessa
Happy New Year, friends! This January, we are replaying a few of our favorite episodes from 2022! We hope you enjoy the replay!
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Today on the podcast, Janell and Castin chat with returning guest Drew Berryessa and his colleague Cynthia Beaudry. As a warning, this conversation discusses some topics that may be too mature for some.
Cynthia shares her story of growing up with two moms, dealing with the murder of her dad, and how she came to be set in her belief in Jesus. Drew shares his story of struggling with his sexuality, starting a ministry, and what happened when he attended his brother’s wedding.
A lot of topics are addressed in this episode such as:
Can a Christian identity as Gay?
What does God teach about sexuality?
Are Christians judgier than Jesus?
What about pride month?
Does Jesus have the authority to define us?

And more! We hope this episode ie helpful for you all!
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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!
Castin’s Intro Episode
Castin & Pastor Michael
Castin & Melanie
FSR s4e8 with Drew- Same-Sex Attraction and the Church
FSR s4e24 with Drew- Holy Tension and Tough Topics
A Living Letter Ministries
Are We There Yet? by Drew Berryessa
The Dialogue Sessions

The Chosen
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Untamed by Deborah & Alen Hirsch
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Proverbs 27:7
One who is full loathes honey from the comb,
but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
1 hr 21 min
January 04, 2023 REPLAY: The Most Amazing Story Ever Told with Frank Turek
Happy New Year, friends! This January, we are replaying a few of our favorite episodes from 2022! We hope you enjoy the replay!
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Frank Turek joins the podcast today! Janell, Frank, and Leonie have a fascinating conversation about Frank’s New book, how Harry Potter parallels the Bible, what C. S. Lewis and Tolkein discussed about fantasies and myths, and more!
They also talk about how we can dedicate our lives to something we cannot prove exists, how we can know God by his effects. They talk about design and moral law point to a creator. They talk prayer, Bible reading, Frank’s testimony, the difference between trusting in God and intellectual knowledge of God, the challenges facing Christian young people today, and more! We hope you enjoy this episode!
About Frank Turek
Dr. Frank Turek is a dynamic speaker and award-winning author or coauthor of five books: Hollywood Heroes How Your Favorite Movies Reveal God, Stealing from God: Why Atheists Need God to make their Case, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, Correct, Not Politically Correct and Legislating Morality. As the President of CrossExamined.org, Frank presents powerful and entertaining evidence for Christianity at churches, high schools and at secular college campuses that often begin hostile to his message. He has also debated several prominent atheists including Christopher Hitchens and David Silverman, president of American Atheists.
Frank hosts an hour-long TV program each week called I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist that is broadcast Wednesday nights on DirecTV Channel 378 (NRBTV). His radio program called CrossExamined with Frank Turek airs on 186 stations every Saturday morning at 10 a.m. eastern and is available continuously on the free CrossExamined App
Frank is a widely featured guest in the media as a leading apologetics expert and cultural commentator. He has appeared on hundreds of radio programs and many top TV programs including: The O’Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, Faith Under Fire, and Politically Incorrect. He also writes a column for Townhall.com and several other sites.
A former aviator in the US Navy, Frank has a master’s degree from the George Washington University and a doctorate from Southern Evangelical Seminary. He and his wife, Stephanie, are blessed with three grown sons.
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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!
If you are interested in becoming Finding Something REAL a co-host, click here!
Are you interested in having Janell speak at your event? Click here!
FSR s5e26 with Leonie
Cross Examined.Org
Cross Examined Instagram
Frank Turek debate with Christopher Hitchens
Frank Turek interview with Alisa Childers
Southern Evangelical Seminary
Hollywood Heroes - Frank Turek
Evidence that Demands a Verdict - Josh McDowell
More than a Carpenter -Josh McDowell
I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist - Norman Geisler
Reason for God - Tim Keller
Harry Potter
Lord of the Rings
The Chronicles of Narnia
Iron Man
Star Wars
Norman Geisler
Proverbs 4:23
”Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
1 hr 1 min
December 28, 2022 Loving Jesus & Stumbling Towards Eternity with Josh White
Hello Friends! Happy last week of 2022! Today on the podcast, Janell and Dagmar welcome returning guest Pastor Josh White. Josh talks about his recent sabbatical, things he’s learned from being a Pastor during COVID, the premise of his new book, and why he believes the topic is important.
Janell, Dagmar, and Josh have a great conversation about suffering, the value of a good memoir, and why sinning less is not the ultimate goal—Jesus is. They talk about whether or the Church is a place where young people can come and actually meet Jesus and how pride keeps us from properly acting as Christians. There are so many challenging and beautiful subjects discussed in this episode—we hope you will give it a listen!
About Josh White
Josh White is the founding pastor of Door of Hope Church in Portland and currently serves there as the Vision and Teaching Pastor. Audiences engage quickly with his profound perspective of scripture. Josh is also the founder of Deeper Well Records. When not making music or leading the church, Josh loves to spend his time reading and hanging out with his wife, Darcy and 2 children.
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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 follow Finding Something REAL on instagram, click here!
If you are interested in becoming Finding Something REAL a co-host, click here!
Are you interested in having Janell speak at your event? Click here!
FSR s5e35 Introducing Dagmar and her Faith Story
FSR s5e36 with Shea and Michelle
FSR s5e37 with Phoenix Hayes
FSR s5e38 with Dubois du Toit
FSR May 2021 with Michelle Watson
FSR April 2021 with Josh White
FSR April 2021 with Justin Brierley
FSR April 2021 with Lindsey Medenwaldt
FSR April 2021 with Julia Garschagen

Stumbling Towards Eternity -Josh White
Door of Hope PDX website
Josh White @ Cannon Beach Conference Center
FSR - Call of a Self-Described Amateur with Josh White
FSR - Authentic Gospel with Josh White

There is a Light - Liz Vice
The Bible Project
Speak Memory: An Autobiography Revisited - Vadimir Nabokov
Darrell Brook's Sentencing (YouTube)

St. Augustine
CS Lewis
GK Chesterson
Martin Luther letter to Melanchthon
Romans 7:24
”O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
1 hr 3 min
December 21, 2022 REPLAY: Talking about Love with my Exchange Daughters
Mentioned in this Episode
FSR S3E19 with Alycia Wood
FSR S3E7 with Julia Garschagen
FSR S3E2 with Josh White
FSR S2E16 with Richard Dahlstrom
FSR S2E15 with Allen Crostic Part 1 & Part 2
1 hr

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…