That They May Be One

What does a third-grade classroom in segregated Tuscaloosa, Alabama, have to do with unity in the body of Christ? Everything, according to Pastor James Ward.

In this episode, Dr. David Cole and Adriana Gonzalez sit down with Pastor James Ward, co-founder and pastor of Insight Church outside Chicago, chairman and CEO of TLN Media, founder of National Prayer Altar, and author of Zero Victim: Overcoming Injustice with a New Attitude. Pastor James shares the moment that changed the course of his life as a child, and how it grew into a message rooted in the cross: Jesus, the only truly innocent man, prayed “Father, forgive them” while He was still being crucified.

Together they explore why victim thinking keeps rebuilding the walls Christ tore down (Ephesians 2), what diversity and reconciliation look like in a local church, why Christ is returning for one Bride and not many, and how the Holy Spirit is preparing her. Pastor James also tells the story behind National Prayer Altar at the Museum of the Bible, and closes with a call to the one thing that makes unity possible: total personal surrender.

The episode ends with Pastor James praying for the Church and for the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17.

Want to show our film That They May Be One, featuring Pastor James, to your group? License a screening here!

Want to experience in person the unity and renewal we talk about on this podcast?

Join us at the Flourish Your Faith Conference, April 22nd through 24th, 2027, in Weston, Florida.

Christians from all different parts of the Body of Christ will gather to worship, pray, and cry out together, "Come, Holy Spirit!"

Speakers this year include Barbara Heil, Deacon Ralph Poyo, Jim and Jonna Schuster, and Jonathan Friz. 

Register now, and come expecting God to move! Click here to learn more!

Is Christian unity just agreeing that we all believe in Jesus and leaving it there? In this episode of That They May Be One,Fr. Michael Trummer says the Holy Spirit wants something far deeper. Fr. Michael is a Roman Catholic priest, pastor of 40 Martyrs, St. John the Baptist, and Sacred Heart parishes in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, and co-host of The Normal Christian Life podcast.

Fr. Michael names two temptations on the road to unity. One is the us-versus-them mindset that writes off other Christians. The other is a shortcut that minimizes real differences for the sake of looking united. He makes an honest call for Catholics to humble themselves, honor the fruit God is bearing in other churches, and learn from fellow believers.

Mentioned in this episode:

🎙️ The Normal Christian Life podcast

🙏 Global Awakening Conference on unity, Harrisburg, PA, October 21, with Fr. Mathias Thelen

🎧 Our episode on receptive ecumenism with Dr. Nathan Smith

🎬 That They May Be One film

What does it look like for believers from different traditions to walk together as one? In this episode of That They May Be One, we sit down with AJ Swoboda, a pastor, author, and professor with a heart for the renewing work of the Holy Spirit and for raising up the next generation of young leaders in the faith.

AJ shares his own journey of how he came to know the Lord, how he has encountered and grown into the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and how his calling has drawn him into rich friendships with believers across the streams of the Church. 

Adriana share about AJ's book The Gift of Thorns: Jesus, the Flesh, and the War for Our Wants. The book looks at how our desires are shaped and pulled in a culture that tells us to "follow your heart," and how Jesus leads us toward desires that bring life and freedom.

Whether you are longing for a fresh move of the Spirit in your own life or praying for greater unity among Christians, this conversation will encourage you to seek the unity Jesus prayed for, "that they may be one" (John 17:21).

🌐 Learn more about AJ Swoboda: https://ajswoboda.com
📖 The Gift of Thorns: https://ajswoboda.com/book-details/#the-gift-of-thorns

What happens when someone spends years running from God, only to discover that God never stopped pursuing them?

In this powerful episode we sit down with Benny Lopez, Spanish and Prison Context Director for Alpha USA, to hear his extraordinary testimony of redemption.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Patti and Al Mansfield to hear their personal testimonies of encountering Christ and being baptized in the Holy Spirit. They share the story of the historic Ark and the Dove outpouring and how God revealed to them the vital importance of unity in the Body of Christ.

Patti and Al discuss the intersection between their baptism in the Holy Spirit and their passion for Christian unity, offering insights on persistence in prayer and what the Holy Spirit is doing today.

If you've ever wondered how the gifts of the Spirit connect to Christ's prayer "that they may be one," this conversation is a must listen!

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Learn more about our film, That They May Be One and join our email list to stay up to date on the release information, here!

Here are links to the books mentioned!

They Speak with Other Tongues by John Sherrill

The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson

In this powerful episode of the That They May Be One podcast, we sit down with Fr. Mathias Thelen, founder of Encounter Ministries, to hear his remarkable testimony of encountering Christ and being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Fr. Mathias shares how God called him to a ministry that today “exists to unleash the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in the world through teaching, equipping, and activating disciples to demonstrate the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Through that ministry, Fr. Mathias also answers the urgent call to proclaim and pursue unity in the Body of Christ.

Discover how spiritual charisms and baptism in the Holy Spirit connect to our call to Christian unity, why humility is essential for bridging divides, and what Fr. Mathias sees for the present and future of unity in the Church. This conversation will inspire you to seek deeper renewal and work toward the unity Christ prayed for.

In this episode, hosts Dr. David Cole and Adriana Gonzalez sit down with Dr. Ralph Martin, a renowned theologian, author, and featured voice in the upcoming docudrama, That They May Be One, to explore the Holy Spirit's work in fostering Christian unity.

Dr. Martin shares his personal journey with baptism in the Holy Spirit and how it radically changed his life and deepened his understanding of God's desire for unity in the Body of Christ. He also reflects on his experience in Charismatic covenant communities and the prophetic word he delivered at the historic 1977 Kansas City conference that called the Church to renewal and unity.

Not only has Dr. Martin prophesied powerful words from the Lord in the past, he is also a prophetic voice today. Listen in to hear Dr. Martin’s spiritual sense of the current state of the Church and what her future holds.

In this inspiring conversation, we welcome Valerie Sagheddu! Valerie is a joy-filled evangelist, spiritual growth coach, and founder of The Divinely Designed Life. In this episode, we are privileged to explore the remarkable life of Blessed Maria Gabriella Sagheddu!

Listen in as Valerie shares how this “silent herald of unity” offered her life in prayer for the reconciliation of Christians. Valerie also points out that in his encyclical, Ut Unum Sint, Pope St. John Paul II highlights Blessed María Gabriella as an example for Christian unity. Valerie also reflects on her own calling to foster Christian unity and how aligning with God’s divine design ultimately brings peace, power, and passion.

In this episode, Adriana Gonzalez is joined by guests Dr. David Wells and Barbara Heil for a Spirit-led conversation on the glory of God. Together, they explore what it means to encounter God’s glory, how to posture our hearts with humility, and why the Lord may be inviting His people in this moment of history to cry out, “Show us Your glory.” 

Drawing from Scripture and personal testimony, they reflect on how God transforms us in His presence and then sends us out in unity for mission in His Body.

We’re kicking off Season 2 with a very special guest: Bishop Joseph Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, PA. In this epsiode, Bishop Bambera shares his personal journey of faith, from his early experiences of evangelical encounters in college to his present role as a shepherd of renewal and unity within the Church.

We explore Bishop Bambera’s work in his diocese, including his support of the long-standing Catholic Charismatic Renewal Conference, and his broader service to the Church as Chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs and Catholic Co-Chair of the International Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue.

Together, we reflect on the Lord’s work in the Church today, the gift of renewal, and the hope of Christian unity.