Open Doors: Conversations with Heart of the Father

If you’ve ever wondered how to obey God when it feels costly, confusing, or scary, this episode provides clarity and hope. Neal shares how small acts of obedience shaped his calling, birthed Unbound, and carried him through seasons of resistance, fear, and spiritual testing.

• Obedience begins small, often with the next step right in front of you as God brings to completion your calling.
   
• Obedience comes from relationship — not performance. Feeling resistance and hesitation is normal but Jesus meets us in the desert place. 
  
  
• Fear isn’t a barrier. Tell God honestly about your fears and then pray, “Your will be done.” 

Hearing the still small voice of the Lord is something the Christian can learn over time. Listen to this episode and hear how Jacqueline’s obedience to God ‘s nudge involved chocolate cake!

Trivia question: A publisher in what country has recently expressed interest in translating and printing Unbound? Find out in this episode!

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"Abiding" playlist

Episode Scripture John 15:1-8

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Release: October 2026
Music by Christian Harper
Production by Jacqueline Harper

When life feels tangled with fear, old habits, or spiritual desolation, Fr. David Rider’s story offers a clear path back to intimacy with Christ. This episode shows how God used Unbound to free a former tap‑dancer turned priest from anxiety, unforgiveness, and the lies that kept him from abiding deeply in Jesus. 

Listeners seeking renewal, clarity, or a spiritual “reset” will hear how the Five Keys became the greatest grace of his priesthood!

Fr. Rider shares how:

• Leaving show business mirrored the disciples leaving their nets: total surrender to Jesus.
  
  
• Using the Five Keys personally, even without a leader, is a spiritual reset.
  
  
• A powerful Unbound session with a dying woman showed that God receives whatever we can give.

What are Fr. Rider’s tips for abiding in Christ daily? Partake in prayer, confession, and dwell in the Lord’s presence. Instead of treating your spiritual life like a marathon, be like the Apostle John: just sit and rest on the breast of Jesus and let Him lead you to the Father. 

Listen today and learn how Fr. Rider first heard about Unbound MInistry!

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"Abiding" playlist

Episode Scripture John 15:1-8

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Release: October 2026
Music by Christian Harper
Production by Christian Harper

Have you ever felt spiritually disconnected? Jesus gives the clearest path back in John 15 when he invites us to remain in His love. That connection isn’t about emotions, but is grounded in  relationship, trust, and choosing to stay close to the One who already holds you fast. This episode explores why we sometimes feel disconnected and how Jesus gently restores us to abiding in union with Him.

• Disconnection is often perception, not reality. Shame, busyness, fear, or disbelief can cloud our awareness of God’s nearness, but Jesus never withdraws His love.
• Abiding restores fruitfulness and lightness. When we drift, prayer can feel rote and life heavy. When we return, His yoke becomes easy again, and fruit begins to grow.
• Small acts of worship reopen the heart. Magnifying the Lord, remembering His kindness, and starting with simple gratitude (even “God gave me breath today”) re‑center us in His love.

How do you start abiding again when your relationship with God feels dry? We talk about beginning small: worship, honesty before the Lord, and magnifying Him. Matt suggests praying “St. Patrick’s Breastplate” prayer to re‑anchor your heart in Christ’s presence.

Listen to this encouraging episode and be reminded that we can humbly approach the throne of grace in our time of need.

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"Abiding" playlist

Episode Scripture John 15:1-8

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Release: October 2026
Music by Christian Harper
Production by Christian Harper

Have you ever felt pressure to perform for God or wished your spiritual life felt more rooted? Centered on John 15, this episode offers a freeing reset by exploring how abiding, not achieving, is the true path to intimacy, peace, and genuine fruitfulness in Christ.

• We are called to remain in God’s love, and this means Christ-likeness, not numbers or accomplishments. 
• Being like Christ is walked out within the family and Christian community as the fruits of the Spirit mature within our relationships with others. 
• As we offer to God our imperfect, honest selves, He can reshape the clay of our lives into His likeness.

This honest episode explains how staying, listening, and resting in Scripture anchors your soul in Christ, and the result is spiritual fruit.

Have a listen, and you’ll also find out why Jenn loves the month of October!

 ABIDE Conference registration March 5-7, 2027

"Abiding" playlist

Episode Scripture John 15:1-8

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Release: October 2026
Music by Christian Harper
Production by Christian Harper

If you've ever wondered whether your hardships mean God is disappointed in you, this conversation offers a beautiful reminder: the Father prunes because He desires your life to overflow with good fruit.

In this episode, Lisa, Matt, and Jacqueline explore the deep imagery of vines, branches, and abiding. They discuss how God tends, prunes, and nourishes His people so that true life can flourish. 

In light of John 15:1–2, they explore the Father’s loving work as the vinedresser, the Son as the true vine, and the Holy Spirit as the life flowing between them.

Pruning in our lives is a life-giving process when examined in the light of viticulture, the science of growing and cultivating grape vines to make them fruitful. When growing grapes, “sucker shoots” appear healthy but drain life from the vine. This offers a vivid picture of the things we cling to that look life‑giving but are actually destructive. Lies, fear, shame, false identities, and unhealthy striving can become "sucker shoots" that drain spiritual life

God lovingly exposes these areas, not to shame us, but to restore communion and vitality. Listen to some beautiful personal stories of conviction, surrender, forgiveness, and deeper freedom.

 ABIDE Conference registration March 5-7, 2027

Newark, Delaware Unbound One-Day Conference

"Abiding" playlist

Episode Scripture John 15:1-8

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Release: September 2026
Music by Christian Harper
Production by Jacqueline Harper

Season 6 of the Open Doors Podcast premieres with its theme: The Abiding Life!

Our first episode launches a four‑week study of John 15 where we explore Jesus' invitation to "abide in me." 

What does it really mean to abide? Is it simply spending time with God, or is it something much deeper?

Jenn, Matt, and Lisa discuss what it means to abide. Together, they reflect on the intimate relationship Jesus offers, the Father's desire to dwell with His people, and how abiding is less about striving and more about remaining open to His presence.

Drawing from his recent time in Hungary, Matt describes abiding as deep time with a friend, a communion marked by mutual indwelling, and spiritual intimacy through the Holy Spirit.

Abiding means open receptivity to the Lord’s presence. Jenn reflects on growing in her identity in Christ,  learning to sense His indwelling presence as she moves through the world.

In our day to day, abiding can be a challenge amidst constant noise. Matt offers the simple practice of “recalling God’s presence” by slowing down, detaching, and acknowledging  Him, saying: You are with me.

Lisa remembers the hymn Abide with Me, expressing the Christian’s heartcry and invitation for the Lord to dwell with us. She closes with stanza four, making it a prayer.

Come rediscover the joy of living from Him not just for Him.

 ABIDE Conference registration March 5-7, 2027

Newark, Delaware Unbound One-Day Conference

"Abiding" playlist

Episode Scripture John 15:1-8

Abide with Me Hymn

 Christ at Heart’s Door by Warner Sallman 

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Release: September 2026
Music by Christian Harper
Production by Jacqueline Harper

In this final episode of Season 5, Neal sits down with Kevin Kuster, author of From Playboy to Prodigal Son which recounts how the former Playboy photographer turned devout follower of Jesus. Kevin shares how an undiagnosed learning disability in childhood planted the lie that he was “stupid” and how that false belief caused decades of striving, shame, and imposter syndrome.

Through a powerful encounter with God and the gentle deliverance at an Unbound Conference, Kevin gained freedom from fear and self-condemnation. He recounts the moment he sensed God saying to him, “I will never leave you.” 

From the elaborate parties in Hollywood to receiving prayer, he pulls back the curtain on power, celebrity, and pornography, sharing how he
found salvation where he least expected it, in the arms of a loving God.

Kevin’s story tells of childhood humiliation, then worldly success, and finally the grace of confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation — including a profound healing moment with his father. 

He is now an inspirational speaker and co-founder of Watts of Love, a global nonprofit that distributes life-changing solar lights to people living in extreme poverty.

This episode speaks directly to anyone carrying hidden shame, battling addiction, feeling trapped in hopelessness, or wondering if freedom is truly possible. With compassion, humor, and profound honesty, Neal and Kevin remind listeners that no wound is too deep, no past too broken, and no person beyond the reach of the Father’s love.

Find From Playboy to Prodigal Son 

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Release: May 2026
Music by Christian Harper
Production by Christian Harper

In this episode, Jenn shares a message she gave at a recent women’s retreat about God’s invitation to experience His blessed life through Jesus. Every invitation calls for a response, and Jenn explores that response through three powerful “R’s”: Return, Repair, and Rest.

Return reminds us that God is always pursuing us in love. It begins with recognizing our need for Him. Jenn and Jacqueline discuss the ways God draws us back to Himself, sometimes through dreams or interventions.

Repair requires acknowledging what happened and then problem-solving about what to do differently. Jesus emphasized repentance, or metanoia, the Greek word for a transformed mind that leads to a changed action. Through Him, true repair and restoration are possible in our relationships with others and with the Lord.

Rest invites us to live rooted, knowing that God’s love does not waiver. We can dwell in the Father's blessing—knowing that we are sons and daughters. Jesus himself rested and showed us that letting go of the 'to-do' list can sometimes be a path to provision.

And for a little trivia fun: True or False — Matt Lozano is surprisingly handy with home improvements? Listen to this episode to find out!

*We had some technological issues with sound on this one, so it's good, but not our A game. 

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Release: May 2026
Music by Christian Harper
Production by Jacqueline Harper

Join Neal Lozano in this powerful and deeply personal conversation as he speaks with Kim Zember, speaker, missionary, and author of Restless Heart: My Struggle with Life and Sexuality. Kim shares her powerful message about the greater love and freedom found in Jesus, which is the foundation of her ministry, Boldly Beloved.

Kim describes the boldness of her ministry as coming from the radical love she is continually learning and receiving from God the Father. She explains that her ministry helps people move from feeling unloved to becoming "beloved" by God, emphasizing that the word beloved comes from two words: Be Loved. The heart of her message is to trust that God is good and ask Him for an encounter.

During the discussion, Kim shares her personal struggles, wrestling with identity, sexuality, and brokenness. She highlights that the opposite of any sin is God, saying “Come as you are. Let Him encounter you, because when you meet a greater love, the lesser loves aren't as appealing.” 

Together, they unpack themes of shame, intimacy, spiritual healing, and the power of experiencing God personally, not just knowing about Him.

Kim concludes by sharing about her mission work in Africa through Unforgotten Faces,  helping orphans and widows, and encourages listeners toward "Complete Victory" by trusting that God is not finished.

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Release: April 2026
Music by Christian Harper
Production by Jacqueline Harper

Join Matt and Jenn as they discuss the upcoming film,That They May Be One, with Heart of the Father board member Adriana Gonzales. The film — which features contributors like Francis Chan, Dr. Ralph Martin, Dr. Mary Healy, and our own Matt Lozano — examines Christian unity as an important pursuit and burden for the Church today.

The discussion emphasizes that unity is not just an idea but an obedience we must live out, fulfilling the prayer of Jesus in John 17. The film explores the Holy Spirit’s work since 1901, demonstrating how historical outpourings, such as Azusa Street, broke down barriers, proving that God uses unity for His outpouring. Matt notes that when we recognize Christ as the head, we find our family in the body.

Adriana also shares personal and practical suggestions for pursuing unity along with a 10-day prayer plan following the film's release that concludes on Pentecost 2026!

That They May Be One will be released in theaters May 19 and 20. Find more information at thattheymaybeonefilm.com and flourishyourfaith.org.

Come join us as we hope to align our hearts with Jesus’ final prayer: that we may be one.

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Find the trailer for That They May Be One

Release: April 2026
Music by Christian Harper
Production by Christian Harper