The Bible is the most-read, most-loved, and yet most misunderstood book in history. Is it just a collection of ancient writings, or is it truly the living Word of God? In this episode, we’ll explore what the Bible really is, why it matters, and how we can approach it in a way that not only informs our minds but transforms our lives.

We’ll uncover how all 66 books come together as one unified story pointing to Jesus, and I’ll share practical steps for reading with the right posture, the right tools, and the right goal.

🎶 Featured Hymn: Gentle Shepherd (Hymns on Ukulele)

🎶 Background Music: Break Thou the Bread of Life (Kaleb Brasee, piano instrumental)

Join me as we begin this foundational journey into HIS Story — Told in Scripture, Lived in Us!

The Christian life isn’t powered by willpower — it’s fueled by abiding in Christ daily. In the final episode of our Lord, Teach Us to Pray series, we explore the Tabernacle Prayer Pattern — a biblical, step-by-step pathway into God’s presence. From thanksgiving in the outer court to intercession in the Holy of Holies, each station points to Jesus and shows us how to draw near to Him every day.

We’ll walk through all seven stations, accompanied by short example prayers, as we discover how this pattern helps us remove barriers, deepen intimacy, and live in the Spirit’s strength instead of our own.

Hymn Feature: Abide With Me

Primary Scripture: John 15:4–5
Supporting Scriptures: Psalm 100:4, Psalm 103:2–5, Romans 12:1, Isaiah 11:2, Joshua 1:8, Proverbs 18:10, 1 Timothy 2:1–4

Listen and learn how to turn prayer from a duty into a daily abiding relationship with Jesus.

Featured Music:
🎵 Abide With Me – Reawaken Hymns – Watch here
🎵 Abide With Me (Piano Instrumental with Lyrics) – Kaleb Brasee – Watch here

Intercession is love in action — especially when we pray for others to know Jesus. In this episode, we explore 1 Timothy 2:1–4 and discover five biblical ways to pray for the lost, drawn from the Pray First guide. You’ll learn how to align your prayers with God’s heart, invite His power into someone’s life, and participate in the miracle of salvation.

Featuring the hymn Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me by Three Reds, and background piano by Kaleb Brasee.

In this episode of HIS Story, we explore what makes some prayers powerful while others fall flat. From Jacob wrestling with God to the woman with the issue of blood, Scripture shows that God honors fervent, faith-filled, and even desperate prayer.

We’ll learn from the examples of Jesus, the prophets, and ordinary people whose prayers moved heaven—and how our own prayer life can grow deeper when fueled by faith.

Featuring insights from E.M. Bounds and R.A. Torrey, we’ll see why prevailing prayer is about relationship, persistence, and confidence in God’s ability to act.

Featured Music:

• I Am Thine O Lord, I Have Heard Thy Voice (Draw Me Nearer) | BEKOFI Creative Hub – Watch on YouTube

• I Am Thine O Lord (Draw Me Nearer) – Piano Instrumental Hymn with Lyrics | Kaleb Brasee – Watch on YouTube

Primary Scriptures: James 5:16–18; Genesis 32:24–30

Supporting Scriptures: Luke 8:43–48; Luke 7:1–10; Luke 18:1–8; Mark 9:24; Luke 22:44; Hebrews 11:6; Matthew 15:21–28

Too often, prayer becomes our last resort—something we turn to when nothing else works. But Jesus modeled a different approach: prayer as our first response, not our last resort.

In this episode of HIS Story, we contrast the reactive prayer of King Saul with the proactive posture of Nehemiah, explore the transformative “Pray First” pattern, and reflect on how beginning each day with surrender brings peace, clarity, and strength.

You’ll learn how to:

• Make prayer your first response in every situation
• Root your day in God’s promises and presence
• Pray Scripture with boldness and trust
• Start each morning as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1–2)

Plus, we close with a timeless reminder from the beloved hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour.”

Let’s stop reacting—and start responding.

Let’s pray first.

🎵 Featured Music:

“I Need Thee Every Hour” – Reawaken Hymns

Piano Instrumental with Lyrics – Kaleb Brasee

Episode 46 – The Power Is in the Secret Place

We long for spiritual power—but are we willing to meet God in the secret place? In this episode of HIS Story, we explore the life-changing power of private prayer. Jesus said to pray in secret—and promised our Father would meet us there. We'll unpack the hidden strength that comes from being alone with God, explore the practice of praying Scripture, and highlight the wisdom of prayer warriors like E.M. Bounds and R.A. Torrey.

You’ll also hear about how quiet morning hours—once filled with delivering newspapers—have become sacred time for prayer, creativity, and communion with God.

This episode features the hymn “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” with music by LoudVoice (Linus, Randy, Shaun, and Rap) and Kaleb Brasee’s piano instrumental accompaniment you'll hear in the background.

Whether you’re feeling dry, busy, or burned out—this is your invitation to return to the quiet place where the real work gets done.

Music Credit:

“Sweet Hour of Prayer” by LoudVoice | Linus, Randy, Shaun, Rap

Piano background: “Sweet Hour of Prayer (and thanks to you all!)” – Kaleb Brasee

Welcome to Episode 45 of HIS Story — In the Garden: Where Prayer Becomes Communion.

Before we embark on a journey through the Bible in chronological order, we pause for a 6-part series on something essential: prayer. This series is called Lord Teach Us to Pray, taken from Luke 11. In this episode, we explore Jesus’ model prayer and discover that prayer is far more than a spiritual discipline—it’s the lifeline of the believer.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Why pray if God already knows?”—this episode is for you. We’ll walk through the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern of intimacy and surrender, reflect on the beautiful names of God, and hear a testimony of how a life was transformed by prioritizing prayer.

We’ll close with the cherished hymn “In the Garden,” a timeless reminder that prayer is not just about talking to God—but walking with Him.

Church of the Highlands Prayer Guide

Featured music:

🎷 In The Garden Hymn | Saxophone Instrumental Cover – Emmanuel Garilus

🎶 In the Garden – Songs and Everlasting Joy

Let’s draw near and rediscover prayer as communion—not just communication.

In this special relaunch episode of the HIS Story Podcast, host A.J. Herrmann shares a deeply personal testimony, marking 25 years since placing his faith in Jesus Christ. From childhood church memories and teenage rebellion to a transformative encounter with the gospel and a lifelong journey of discipleship, this episode is both vulnerable and victorious.

Using the story of Jacob's wrestling with God and the clear call of Jesus in Luke 9:23, A.J. unpacks what it truly means to follow Jesus—by faith, through surrender, in obedience, and with the power of the Holy Spirit. This episode officially launches a new era for the podcast: telling the Story of JESUS through Scripture, Song, and Testimony.

Whether you're new to faith, wrestling with doubt, or desiring deeper surrender, this heartfelt message will encourage and challenge you to reflect on your own walk with Christ—and to make the bold declaration: "No turning back."

Show Notes

Featured Hymn: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus – A powerful declaration of surrender and discipleship.

Primary Scripture:

• Luke 9:23 – “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

Supporting Scriptures:

• Genesis 32:24–28 – Jacob wrestles with God

• Genesis 47:9 – “Few and evil have been the days of my life…”

• Acts 8:35–37 – Believing and being baptized

• John 21:19 – Jesus says, “Follow me.”

• Matthew 7:24–27 – The wise man builds on the rock

• John 14:15 – “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

• 1 John 2:6 – Walking as Jesus walked

• Galatians 5:16, 22–25 – Life in the Spirit

• Romans 12:1–2 – Present your bodies as a living sacrifice

• Romans 5:5 – The love of God poured into our hearts

• John 13:34–35 – Love one another

• Matthew 22:36–40 – The greatest commandments

  
  

Episode Highlights:

• A.J.'s testimony of salvation at age 17

• Struggles with self-love, sin, and surrender

• Lessons from Jacob’s transformation

• Five biblical marks of following Jesus: Faith, Surrender, Obedience, Replication, and the Holy Spirit

• The invitation to walk in love and live HIS Story

  
  

Call to Action:
🎧 Share this episode with a friend
📩 Submit your testimony or story of how you decided to follow Jesus
💬 Comment on YouTube or your podcast app—what did this episode stir in you?
Let’s live lives that tell HIS Story.

Episode 30 – Stand Firm

Series Finale | Season 2 Conclusion

In this powerful conclusion to our July series, "The Unseen Battle: Standing Firm amid Spiritual Warfare," we explore what it means to stand firm in faith, even when the battle is long, the pressure is heavy, and the outcome seems uncertain.

From Paul’s call in Ephesians 6:13 to Moses’ question in Exodus 32:26, this episode challenges us to hold the line, stay loyal to Christ, and resist the enemy with enduring faith. We draw on Warren Wiersbe’s The Strategy of Satan for deeper insight into how Satan attacks and how we stand in victory.

Our featured hymn is "Who Is on the Lord’s Side?" performed by Acapella Hymns — a stirring reminder that our loyalty belongs to the King.

🎵 Featured Hymn: Who Is on the Lord’s Side – Acapella Hymns

This episode also marks the end of Season 2—and the beginning of a new chapter. In the future, we’ll move from seasonal episodes to focused series that walk through God’s Word chronologically. At the end of today’s episode, I share some of what I’ve been praying through for the future of HIS Story, including a study called The Sequential Story—designed to guide us through the Bible, one unified narrative at a time.

Final Charge:

Take a stand. Hold your ground. And live a life that tells HIS Story.

Episode 29: Know Your Weapons

Series: The Unseen Battle: Standing Firm amid Spiritual Warfare

Hymn: Onward, Christian Soldiers – Performed by Fountainview Academy

In this episode of HIS Story, we explore the powerful spiritual weapons God has given His people—and how unity is one of the most overlooked. Based on Ephesians 6:10–18, this teaching reminds us that spiritual warfare is not just a solo battle; it's a collective stand. Drawing on insights from Warren Wiersbe’s The Strategy of Satan, we learn how Satan deceives, divides, and isolates—but also how the Church can stand strong together.

We’ll examine the early Church in Acts, the importance of corporate worship and prayer, and how unity sharpens our spiritual weapons. Our featured hymn, Onward, Christian Soldiers, boldly declares our identity as the army of Christ.

Are you marching in step with the Body—or are you fighting alone?

🎵 Featured Hymn: Onward, Christian Soldiers by Fountainview Academy

📖 Main Text: Ephesians 6:10–18

🛡️ Theme: The power of God’s Word, prayer, and unity in spiritual warfare