Julia Gentry is the Founder of The Dream Factory and Co & author of a best-selling book in Christian Leadership, Dream-I Dare You. Today, Julia shares about how her mom’s faith influenced her, the dream that moved her to action, and the beliefs she had to let go in order to embrace the life God had for her. Julia also shares how failure builds endurance and why it was a leap of faith to write her own book. Julia’s story reminds us that God’s dreams for us are bigger than we could imagine if we’ll listen.

Listen to Julia’s story wherever you get your podcasts!

Stories Julia shared:

• The work she does with The Dream Factory

Great quotes from Julia:

Growth is about unlearning what we think we know that isn’t so.

He will blow our minds in order to get to our hearts.

The hard is designed to be a blessing in our lives.

We want the dream. God wants our hearts.

The in-between is not designed to break you; it’s designed to make you.

Resources we mentioned:

• Julia’s website

Related episodes:

• Bill Brown and Waiting on the Lord

The post Julia Gentry the Freedom of Dreaming appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Bob Wheatley is a bestselling author, podcaster, and former professional athlete. He serves as a co-host of That Singles' Show a singles ministry sponsored by KCBI Radio in Dallas and his work has been featured on nationally syndicated radio outlets like WAY-FM and THE FISH. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Bob played four years of professional baseball in the Toronto Blue Jays' and St. Louis Cardinals' minor league systems. Today, Bob shares the focus he had to have to become a professional athlete, knowing the right things to say and do, and the moment when the Gospel got ahold of his heart. Bob’s story reminds us that conviction of sin is part of the process when living life with the Lord.

Listen to Bob’s story in your favorite podcast app today!

Stories Bob shared:

• Moving to Nashville, Tennessee

Great quotes from Bob:

I know there’s more but back then, I didn’t know.

It was casual Christianity; it wasn’t a relationship.

My heart was not ignited until I was 25 and it didn’t happen until I was convicted of sin.

Resources we mentioned:

• Bob’s website

Related episodes:

• Karen Swallow Prior and the Spiritual Practice of Reading Fiction

The post Bob Wheatley and The Moment of Conviction appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Lisa Woolery is a mom, author, and widow. Today, Lisa shares how her life changed when her husband died and the spiritual journey she took as a widow. She tells us the story of finding faith as a teenager, meeting her husband in high school, putting her faith on hiatus and living the “good life,” and how adopting children changed all that. Then, Lisa relays how the Lord was with her through the valley of the shadow of death even when she was mad at him. It took small steps of faith and courage to find herself and her faith again. Lisa’s story reminds us that the Lord cares about the widow and so should we.

Listen to Lisa’s story in your favorite podcast app now!

Stories Lisa shared:

• Growing up in a Christian family in Southern California

Great quotes from Lisa:

I’ve never had a problem trusting God.

I decided not to do the why and to do the acceptance instead.

I realized that my acceptance was actually submission.

Resources we mentioned:

• Lisa’s website

Related episodes:

• Harriet Miller and A Fierce Faith

The post Lisa Woolery and The Widow and the Orphan appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers. With nearly forty years of ministry experience, Thom has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of the local church and its leaders. He has been a pastor of four churches and interim pastor of ten churches He is the author of numerous books, including I Am a Christian and I Believe. Today, Thom shares how he ended up in ministry instead of banking, the difficulty of losing his father, and his thoughts on the changing nature of the American church. He reveals what he’s seeing as churches struggle to come back from the pandemic and the problems pastors are asking to be solved. Thom has been steeped in American Evangelical churches for decades and has a finger on the pulse of the local church. His story reminds us that the local church is still a vital institution for growing in Christ.

Listen to Thom’s story in your favorite podcast app now!

Stories Thom shared:

• Hearing the Gospel from his high school football coach

Great quotes from Thom:

I was probably my pastor’s both best and worst church members.

One of the surprises since Covid is that digital attendance has fallen off the cliff.

With expectation should come equipping and empowering.

Resources we mentioned:

• Thom’s website for Church Answers

Related episodes:

• Jonathan Carone and Unlearning and Relearning

The post Thom S. Rainer and The Changing American Church appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Becky Castle Miller is a PhD student in New Testament at Wheaton College with Esau McCaulley, researching emotions in the Gospel of Luke. She did her master’s thesis on emotions and discipleship under Scot McKnight. She writes and speaks on emotional, mental, and spiritual health in the church. She and her husband and their five kids and cat returned to the US in 2020 after living in the Netherlands for eight years, where she served as a discipleship director at an international church. Today, Becky shares about growing up homeschooled, the moment God loved her and the belief she had to let go of, and some practices to try when church gets difficult. Plus, she encourages you to learn and understand your emotions because Jesus cares about them, too.

Listen to Becky’s story in your favorite podcast app now!

Stories Becky shared:

• Moving back to the US during the pandemic

Great quotes from Becky:

If we’re suffering under legalism, that’s not an easy yoke.

I had to face the fact that I had believed that God loved me less because I was female.

When Scriptures are used against you, it is hard to read the Bible.

Retraumatizing yourself is really unhealthy.

Resources we mentioned:

• Becky’s Substack

Related episodes:

• Noble Gibbens and Emotional Healing for Growth

The post Becky Castle Miller and Trusting Your Emotions appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Kent Sanders is a ghostwriter who helps leaders grow their impact and influence through books and other content. He is the host of the Daily Writer podcast and the founder of the Daily Writer Club, a membership community that helps writers build a business with their skills. Today, Kent shares how his faith was shaped by spending time in Ukraine, the season of doubt and searching he had while pastoring others, and how learning about the history of worship shaped him. Then, Kent tells us how he ended up as a creative and writer including the work he does today to support writers. Kent’s story reminds us that while the Lord provides at every step, some of where they lead will surprise you.

Listen to Kent’s story in your favorite podcast app now!

Stories Kent shared:

• Growing up in Missouri in the woods

Great quotes from Kent:

As a kid, you don’t appreciate the sacrifices adults make for you.

The more challenges you have the more opportunities  you have to grow.

I was starving for beauty but didn’t know it until I experienced it.

Resources we mentioned:

• Kent’s website

Related episodes:

• Sarah Geringer and Transforming Your Thought Life

The post Kent Sanders and The Beauty of the Written Word appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Christy Boulware suffered a nervous breakdown caused by severe panic and anxiety disorder in 2011. Today, Christy shares the story of her first panic attack sitting on a beach when everything should have been fine. Then, the anxiety got worse and changed her life. Christy tells us bout her holistic approach to healing, the passages of Scripture that helped her, and the moment she understood God’s love for her for the first time. Plus, we discuss what you can do to redefine success and pay attention to your body and heart when you need to. Christy’s story reminds us that while we may have anxiety, fear does not equal a lack of faith and God is still with us.

Listen to Christy’s story in your favorite podcast app now!

Stories Christy shared:

• Growing up in Missouri in a Catholic family

Great quotes from Christy:

Surrender is a daily choice.

When fear is operating, love can’t freely flow.

Fear is an indicator not a dictator.

Anxiety will isolate you more if you are not vulnerable about it.

Resources we mentioned:

• Christy’s website

Related episodes:

• Alicia Michelle and the Renewing of Your Mind

The post Christy Boulware and Love That Casts Out Fear appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Collin Hansen serves as vice president for content and editor in chief of The Gospel Coalition, as well as executive director of The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics. His new book is a biography of Tim Keller titled, Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation. Today, Collin shares how studying theology shaped him, his grief at sin and struggle to grow, and the consolation of knowing Jesus as a friend. We also talk about his friend and mentor Tim Keller including his influences from a variety of traditions and writers. Learning from across Christianity’s traditions helps us grow to be more well-rounded, empathetic, and joyful. Collin’s story shows us that follow the steps of the greats of the faith leads to our growth, too.

Stories Collin shared:

• Growing up in South Dakota in a Methodist family

Great quotes from Collin:

Unless I’ve tasted His goodness for myself, then clearly something has not happened.

None of us has a friend like Jesus.

If it’s not a faith that I’m willing to lose my life over, it can’t be the faith that’s in the Bible.

We’re more likely to see blind spots today if we’re learning from a hundred people than if we’re learning from two people from a specific era.

Resources we mentioned:

• Collin’s profile 

Related episodes:

• Marc Schelske and the Wisdom of Your Heart

The post Collin Hansen and A Library of Influences appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Dr. Amy Sherman directs the Center on Faith in Communities at the Sagamore Institute. She’s the author of seven books, most recently, Agents of Flourishing: Pursuing Shalom in Every Corner of Society. Today, Amy shares how her diverse denominational background shaped her worldview, what she learned from health challenges that have affected her productiving, and what we need to know about shalom and human flourishing. The Kingdom of God that Jesus taught and brought has room for every human being to thrive with the Lord and we get to participate in it’s unfolding. Amy’s story reminds us how that works and encourages us to show up and pursue a life of flourishing.

Listen to Amy’s story now!

Stories Amy shared:

• Working as a minister to ministries at the Sagamore Institute

Great quotes from Amy:

Flourishing involves resting.

The biblical concept of flourishing is not contingent on circumstances.

Shalom is the world as God wants it to be.

God desires your flourishing.

Resources we mentioned:

• Amy’s website at Sagamore Institute

Related episodes:

• Amber Cullum and the Journey to Grace

The post Dr. Amy Sherman and The God of Shalom appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Thorsten Moritz is a theology and hermeneutics professor who started Warehouse Theology. Today, Thorsten shares his story of growing up as “a good Lutheran” in Germany, going to the United States in high school, and studying theology at a fundamentalist school. As he began to question the institution, he knew he needed more perspectives and pursued theology until he got a PhD. He shares his philosophy and practice of interpreting the Bible and why it’s so vital that each believer learn how to move beyond proof texts to interpretation.  Now, Thorsten shares about what he’s doing with Warehouse Theology and why he’s working to decentralize theological education. Thorsten’s story reminds us that how we read is a critical skill for all of us.

Listen to Thorsten’s story in your favorite podcast player now!

Stories Thorsten shared:

• Growing up in Germany in a picturesque town in the Black Forest

Great quotes from Thorsten:

Christians apparently have decided by majority that they want to go for a managed humanity and that’s the opposite of what I saw in the New Testament.

Interpretation requires imagining of oneself into the other including the implied author.

No matter how intellectual my approach might be, I know my limits.

We need to start reading each book as one thing.

Resources we mentioned:

• Thorsten’s website

Related episodes:

• Noble Gibbens and Emotional Healing for Growth

The post Thorsten Moritz and Created to Interpret appeared first on Eric Nevins.