Life Issues

What must it be like to find and experience Jesus’ love, when you live under an oppressive regime in your country and your nearest and dearest don’t believe? Marziyeh Amirizadeh wanted others in Iran to have such a relationship, but her passion led her to be sentenced to death by hanging for the crime of converting to Christianity. Vicky Gibbens was joined by Marzi to find out how Jesus helped her to survive in this week’s Life Issues.

What does it mean to be known, seen and loved by God?

Should I be worried that God knows the secrets of my heart and hears the things my inside voice says? Or encouraged that He sees the true me when others don’t? It’s this week’s Life Issues podcast with Paul Hammond who is joined by Co-Team Leader at NXT Move Europe, Dan Randall.

We all want to be understood, cared for and valued. But why? Vicky Gibbens asks Biblical Counselling UK’s Helen Thorne-Allenson in the first episode of a four-part Life Issues series exploring what it means to be ‘known, seen, loved’, inspired by the lyrics of Christian artist MŌRIAH.

AI is all around us. But what is the ethical response to its development, and what is the faith response? Can the Holy Spirit speak through Chat GPT? It’s the Life Issues podcast with Presenter Paul Hammond and Revd Dr Chris Goswami, Founder of AI Christian Partnership.

Our societal support systems, intended to protect the most vulnerable, are creaking at the seams. So, what is the solution? Could the clue be in the name: CARE? Tarn Bright, Co-CEO at Home for Good and Safe Families, tells Helen why LOVE must be at the centre of a redesign of the children’s care system in this week’s Life Issues.

There seems to be a growing passion for living in the moment, for seizing the day, Carpe` diem as it were. But it seems to be less about “redeeming the time” and more of an excuse to chase a consumerist or self-focused lifestyle… So, given that you only live once – how can we make that life the best and most productive it can be? It’s the LI podcast – available now on UCB player and this week entitled. YOLO – so could life be better?

Cathy and Mark Madavan are authors of Up and Alive: Living The Life We Are Made For

[Originally broadcast the week of 12th September 2022]

Kindness has connotations of sweetness and softness, but does this make us prone to overlook the dynamic power of kindness and the legacy it leaves? Paul takes up the discussion with Debbie Duncan and Cathy Le Feuvre in this week’s Life Issues.

Do you have unfulfilled dreams? Maybe life hasn't turned out as you'd hoped? From becoming a parent, to owning a home, getting married or pursuing a certain career... 
How do we deal with these unfulfilled desires?
Can we rewrite the narrative and find a new vision for our lives? 
And is it ok to grieve something you've never had? Helen Lea is joined by midlife mindset coach Helen Louise Knight who's passionate about helping people who feel invisible - embrace and make the most of the life they have.

Have you ever had a go at keeping a journal? What if it could be more than a record of what we’ve been up to and instead was used by God as a missional tool? On this week’s Life Issues, Vicky Gibbens speaks to Bishop Matthew Porter and Dr Christopher Williams on the role reflection can plays in our everyday lives.

Words are one of the most powerful tools we have but often they can escape us. Particularly when it comes to prayer. But what if we don't need the "right" words or even our words? In this week's Life Issues Helen Lea is exploring the ancient practice of liturgy with authors of Liturgies for Hope & Liturgies for Wholeness Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore.