Nephtali Matta is the ministry coordinator of Koinania house, a ministry that helps men after they get out of prison. I first met him in a seminary class at Denver Seminary. Nephtali was the guy who seemed to have it all together with a bright future in ministry. Today he shares the story of discovering the dangers of people pleasing and trying to look like you have it all together. He let people in but never “gave them all the cards,” as he says, which meant no one knew his situation. When he went to jail on a domestic violence charge and spent 16 months there, his life was irrevocably changed.

Please listen to Nephtali’s story and share with a friend!

Stories Nephtali shared:

• Growing up with a difference between (Expectations)

Great quotes:

The people of God are a lot more willing to accept you for your flaws and your sins, if you let them, than you’re probably giving them credit for.

I’m really bad at changing people and if I do then I’m probably messing them up.

I wasn’t lying about anything but I was hiding a lot.

Tell anybody. Tell everybody. I’m tired of hiding.

Resources mentioned:

• RadicalTimeout.info

The post Nephtali Matta God Brings Redemption and Restoration appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Ronda Nelson is an advocate for the power of the grace of God. Her story is the perfect example of the reason for Christmas. While most of us will never experience the dramatic fall that Ronda shares today, we all need to know that God sent his son for us because he loves us. In Ronda’s life love and acceptance came through community. She wants everyone to know “that we don’t have to waste time away from God in shame” because his grace is enough for us no matter what you’ve done.

Please listen and share, my friend. And Merry Christmas!

Stories Ronda shared:

• How she got into music and abandoned opera for rock

Great quotes from Ronda:

I knew that I was coming back. I felt like I was turning around.

I knew God wanted me back.

It’s really satisfying to know that God does not waste experiences.

Resources Ronda mentioned:

• South Fellowship sermon podcast feed

The post Ronda Nelson and the Gift of Grace appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Mike Elder is an old friend from back in the day and a gifted conversationalist. Today, he shares the story of the legacy of faith he inherited, the unexpected way he learned about grace firsthand, and what he hopes to pass on to his family. You will hear his struggle with a calling and how events led him is a direction he never wanted to go. His passion for sharing truth through words extends from a gracious social media presence to the dream of writing a book one day and when you hear him share it, you’ll know why.

Please listen and enjoy!

Stories Mike shared:

• Growing up in a Christian family with a solid church foundation

Great quotes from Mike:

It taught me I could be disciplined and not rejected.

That’s how God uses those terrible things, they either remain terrible or the become neat as you look back and see how God uses them.

Even in the darkest times…it can actually be his mercy saving you from something worse and at the same time directing you to something so much better.

It was really mercy because he didn’t leave me there.

We’re the Elder family and we love Jesus.

Resources mentioned:

• What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancy

The post Mike Elder and the Legacy of Faith appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Henry describes himself as a business guy and a recent author of One: Unfolding God’s Eternal Purpose from House to House (Amazon affiliate link). He even invented a folding bicycle. His passion today is the oneness of the body of Christ and he raises good questions about why many churches operate as they do. We spend time unpacking what Henry sees in Jesus’ prayer in John 17 and the unity found in Romans 16, one of the more neglected chapters in Scripture.

Please listen and enjoy!

Stories Henry shared:

• Emigrating to the United States as an 8 year old

Great quotes from Henry:

A lot of the joy is in helping someone else.

It’s a powerful oneness that would convince the world to believe in Jesus Christ.

If you don’t get Jesus Christ, God, and the Spirit from the Bible, you’ve got good teaching…but it’s not the Truth.

Resources mentioned by Henry:

• One: Unfolding God’s Eternal Purpose from House to House (Amazon affiliate link)

The post Henry Hon and the Oneness Body of Christ appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Dr. Douglas Groothuis is a professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary and author of 13 books including his latest Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness–A Philosopher’s Lament(Amazon affiliate link). Today, he shares why he wrote the book and why Christians need to recover an understanding of lament. Dr. Groothuis shares about how to deal with anger toward God, the passages of Scripture that have given him comfort, and things people do and say that are helpful. He has an active Facebook presence and if you haven’t followed or friended him yet, I highly recommend doing so. More than that, get Walking Through Twilight, read it, and pass it on to a friend.

Stories Doug shared:

• His early interest in spirituality through music and how he found Christ

Great quotes from Doug:

The pain of living with someone with dementia is deep and searing and God seems absent sometimes.

I know too much to go back.

Sometimes poetry is the best way to express these difficult, hard to describe feelings.

Resources Doug mentioned (Amazon affiliate links):

• Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness–A Philosopher’s Lament by Douglas Groothuis

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