Are you afraid to address that one thing in your life, even though you know your life would be better if you did?

Our guest today says it's time to open the door to change, no matter what mess waits for us on the other side.

Jason VanRuler is the author of Get Past Your Past: How Facing Your Broken Places Leads to True Connection. Jason is known for his ability to relate and connect with his clients and offer hope to those who have felt hopeless. Today, Jason shares how he ignored God for many years, the quiet way the Lord spoke to him, and how meeting his wife gave him the willingness to open up. Jason challenges us to find community and within it, the true love of Jesus for the broken hearted. Jason's story reminds us that no matter how far we go from God, it's only one step back.

Listen to Jason's story wherever you get your podcasts, right now!

Stories Jason shared:

• Working as a therapist and becoming an author

Great quotes from Jason:

Life distracts us from the truth.

When we become willing, things can change.

Community is really the secret sauce to growth and change.

Fear is a teacher.

Resources we mentioned:

• Jason’s website

Related episodes:

• Sarah Geringer and Transforming Your Thought Life

Does how we think about humanity—ourselves included—really matter? 

A bad understanding of the human person has led to everything from indifference to unspeakable atrocities. Worse still, some theological camps look at human beings so negatively that it shows in their interactions with others. 

Fortunately, the Bible gives us a way of viewing humanity through God's lens. Our guest today reminds us how to see humanity as the image of God that the Bible reveals us to be and what it means for us.

Dr. Carmen Joy Imes is associate professor of Old Testament at Biola University. She is the author of Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters and Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters. Today, Dr. Imes shares with us the deep sense of calling she had as a girl, where it took her around the world, and how she entered biblical studies. She shares what the Bible says about the image of God and why it may not be what you've been told.

Dr. Imes' reminds us to treat everyone with the respect the image of God in them deserves.

Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts!

Stories Carmen shared:

• Growing up in Colorado in a Christian family

Great quotes from Carmen:

My worth does not come from what I do or what I produce.

We are fully embodied, three-dimensional people with loves and desires, and we need to actually attend to our loves and desires; those say much more about us than the doctrinal statements we affirm.

There is something that is truer and goes further back [than sin] and that is the imago dei.

Resources we mentioned:

• Carmen’s website 

Related episodes:

• Beth Allison Barr and Christian Curiosity

What does your soul long for? Have you ever been hit with a wave of longing, at a loss for words for what to call it?

What if I told you that those moments are deeply formational and there's even special word for it?

Our guest today says that those longings of the soul need special attention and calls us to listen up.

Jeff Crosby is the president and CEO of ECPA, the trade association of Christian publishing, and the author of “The Language of the Soul: Meeting God in the Longings of Our Hearts,” published by Broadleaf Books. Today, Jeff shares how he found mentorship in his father-in-law, the season of life when his faith moved to more spiritual formation focused, and where he discovered the words to describe that soul level longing for Jesus to make all things right.

Jeff's story reminds us that our faith is already and not yet but that Jesus can be trusted to meet us in the longing.

Listen to Jeff's story in your favorite podcast app today!

Stories Jeff shared:

• Growing up in Indiana and other places

Great quotes from Jeff:

When we are operating out of a strong sense of who God has made us to be, it isn’t hard, it’s joy.

"If those are my longings, how has God met me in them, which is different than saying, 'How has God met them?'"

Be in touch with the longings of your heart and the ways God is leading you in the midst of them.

Resources we mentioned:

• Jeff’s website

Related episodes:

• Suzanne Stabile Shares How the Enneagram Helps Relationships

Have you ever felt pressured to choose a cause over the Lord? Whether it's today's charged political culture or even certain theological camps, fitting in can be more attractive than staying faithful Christ alone.

Our guest on Halfway There today reminds us that we're called to live for Christ and his cause, alone.

Shadia Hrichi is a Bible teacher, award-winning author, and speaker who is passionate for seeing lives transformed through the power of God’s Word. She holds a master’s in biblical and theological studies as well as a master’s in criminal justice. Today, Shadia shares what it was like growing up in a mixed culture home, how she found Jesus later in life, and the calling she received to go to seminary to become a teacher. She also shares her own moment of feeling separated from God and how that led her to a life-changing insight. Shadia's story reminds us that following the Lord has it's ups and downs but he he never leaves us alone, even if it feels that way sometimes.

Listen to Shadia's story wherever you get your podcasts, right now!

Stories Shadia shared:

• Growing up in New York as the daughter of immigrants

Great quotes from Shadia:

There is no regular life. It’s all with God.

We’re not called to live for a cause. We’re called to live for Christ.

Having Bible knowledge does not prepare you to teach.

Resources we mentioned:

• Shadia’s website 

Related episodes:

• Rob Burns and Crossing Cultures

Have you ever wondered why the Bible says that Christians are aliens and strangers in this world? How can the Gospel spread through people without power in their land?

Our guest today reminds us that the Kingdom of God often operates silently and without notice but is never inactive.

Britt Mooney is an author, podcaster, and pastor who thrives on telling great stories. Today, he share how he rebelled against cultural Christianity, discovered what it was like to really be an alien, and the theological truth about God that changed how he operated. Britt works to help believers like you understand just how counter-cultural the faith Jesus calls us to is and how beautiful a story it tells.

Listen to Britt's story wherever you get your podcasts!

Stories Britt shared:

• Growing up in Alabama and Georgia

Great quotes from Britt:

When God accepts you, you don’t need to be part of anyone else’s club.

We, of all people, should know that law does not change hearts.

Giving up on the Church is the first step to giving up on your faith.

Resources we mentioned:

• Britt’s website

Related episodes:

• Bill Brown and Waiting on the Lord

Ever wished you had a mentor to guide you through life and faith? Feeling isolated and trying to figure everything out on your own is not what Jesus intended for His church.

Our guest today reveals how mentorship can transform lives, including your own.

Nancy Lindgren is the Founder and CEO of MORE Mentoring, and author of Mentoring Made Real: The Power of Authentic Connection. In this episode, Nancy shares her journey from a young woman with a calling to the leader of a mentoring ministry. She opens up about learning to listen to the Lord in prayer and the pivotal moment that turned mentoring into her mission.

Listen as Nancy shares the trials and triumphs of waiting on God’s timing, and how her story exemplifies the need for intentional relationships in the Church. These connections, spanning different ages and experiences, help us grow in our faith in profound ways.

Download now to hear Nancy’s inspiring story on your favorite podcast platform!

Stories Nancy shared:

• Growing up in Nebraska

Great quotes from Nancy:

Be a mentor for a season and friends for life.

I knew he was a God who speaks.

You're absolutely qualified because Jesus qualifies you.

Resources we mentioned:

• Nancy’s website 

Related episodes:

• Laura Flanders and The Mentored Life

Have you ever wondered about your purpose on this planet? Do you feel destined for more, yearning to accomplish something meaningful, even if you can't quite pinpoint what it is?

In today's episode, our guest is Paul Ybarra, a coach dedicated to helping people uncover their gifts and live up to their full potential. Paul's path to becoming a coach wasn't straightforward; it was a winding, sometimes bumpy road shaped by his faith in Jesus.

Paul Ybarra's story is one of redemption and empowerment. Growing up in the Jehovah's Witnesses, Paul later turned to a life of drug dealing before a pivotal encounter led him to Christ. This profound change allowed Paul to embrace his true self in Christ, bringing a newfound sense of freedom. Today, Paul is passionate about seeing others win and, more importantly, empowering the younger generation.

Paul's story teaches us that no matter where we come from, finding ourselves in Christ opens us to so much more.

Listen to Paul's story wherever you get your podcasts right now. 

Stories Paul shared:

• The importance of mindset in the Christian journey

Great quotes from Paul:

If I can’t experience the God of the Bible, I may as well go back to San Jose and live the live I want to live.

As I submit to Christ, there's a calling on my life and I don't have to hide it anymore.

I can still be Paul...except my character is different.

Resources we mentioned:

• Paul’s website

Related Episode:

• Christina Dent and the Spark of Curiosity

Christina Dent is the founder & president of End It For Good and author of Curious: A Foster Mom’s Discovery of an Unexpected Solution to Drugs & Addiction. She was previously with us on episode #235 which can be found below. Today, Christina shares with us about why she chose to write a book to support her endeavors, the integral link between connection and drug use, and why fear needs to stop being our motivator when addressing addiction issues. Christina paints a vision of creating a health-centric approach to helping people overcome addiction. Hers is a movement rooted in the way Jesus sees them not behavior modification that we can all learn from.

Listen to this important conversation with Christian Dent where you get your podcasts right now.

Stories Christina shared:

• The work of End It For Good

Great quotes from Christina:

If we want to help people move away from addiction…we have to shift away from

Fear is the only thing that’s been used to think about drugs.

It doesn’t matter where you fall on the political spectrum. A health centered approach to drugs gets you more of what you want.

None of us change the way we think without going through a process of asking how it changes everything else.

We are in the image of God and not made to (55)

Resources we mentioned:

• End It For Good’s website

Related episodes:

• Christina Dent and Compassion for Other

Have you ever found yourself bored with life? Maybe you're going through the motions but just not feeling it anymore?

Our guest today was slumbering through his life until a radical encounter with revival changed everything...and him.

Scott Brown is an author, historian, documentarian, and entrepreneur. Scott serves as the Director of Development for Globe International, an independent missions sending agency. In this episode, Scott shares how his early years on the farm shaped him, the health issues that became a dark time, and the revival that set his life ablaze for Jesus.

Whether you are feeling bright and alive in Christ or need a fresh wind of faith, Scott's story will remind you that the Lord does amazing things if we're open to them.

Listen to Scott's story FREE in your favorite podcast app now!

Stories Scott shared:

• The work he does with Globe International

Great quotes from Scott:

If you don’t have the function and function of God’s Spirit…it doesn’t matter how powerful the words are on a page, it doesn’t matter how many miracles you’ve seen. If you’re not active in it yourself, it means nothing.

That agrarian community I was part of shaped everything about who I would become.

I was a computer and rebooted. Not everything was arranged the same on the screen as it was before.

You don't know what other people are going through so we walk with grace and mercy.

Resources we mentioned:

• Globe International

Related episodes:

• Billie Jauss and Home is Where We Are

Caris Snider is a speaker, author, coach, and podcaster. Her latest book is There’s an Elephant on My Chest, a picture book for children she wrote to help kids understand what anxiety feels like. Today, Caris shares her story of growing up in a Christian home in the Bible belt feeling like she had to be perfect. Trying to live up to her beliefs led to anxiety and depression until she was willing to accept help. Caris shares with us how she found hope over anxiety and the Lord’s closeness during the process. Caris’ story reminds us that we need community and don’t have to be perfect to be loved.

Listen to Caris’ story in your favorite podcast player today!

Children's Picture Book- There's an Elephant on My Chest

Stories Caris shared:

• Overcoming anxiety and helping others

Great quotes from Caris:

When I looked up the things I was believing were proven to be lies.

I had to recognize that help was not bad.

I had to stop believing that I had to be perfect to be loved by Him.

Those struggles are real but there is real hope.

Resources we mentioned:

• Caris’ website

Related episodes:

• Edith Leland and Intimate Friendship with God

The post Caris Snider and Hope Over Anxiety appeared first on Eric Nevins.