In this episode, we welcome our very first guest—and we couldn’t be more honored. We sit down with Ken Helser, the founder of A Place for the Heart and The 18 Inch Journey, for a conversation that was so rich, we decided to release it in parts.

In Part One, Ken shares his powerful testimony and the journey that led him to become the follower of Jesus he is today. He opens up about his past in music, how it became his god, and the how the Lord lovingly convicted him and completely transformed his life. Ken walks us through how that surrender set him on the path of obedience and ultimately led to the birth of The 18 Inch Journey and Cageless Birds.

This episode is full of wisdom, honesty, and depth, and we’re so grateful for the honor of learning from Ken and sharing his story with you.

A Place for the Heart — A ministry devoted to helping people encounter God’s heart and grow in relational intimacy with Jesus

18 Inch Journey — A resource encouraging believers to walk closely with Christ by focusing on the journey from the head to the heart

In this episode, we talk about what it truly means to build your house with Jesus. We look at Matthew 7:24–27 — the scripture about building on the Rock — and we get honest about how easy it is for believers to get caught up in the form of building. Sometimes we think we’re building on the Rock just because we’re doing all the “right” things, but in reality, we’ve left Jesus out of the process brick by brick. We dig into how going through the motions can quietly disconnect our hearts, and how Jesus never asked us to build out of routine — He asked us to build out of affection. At the end of the day, the most important part of living this life for Jesus is staying in love with Him. Without love, everything else becomes empty and meaningless. This episode is a call to reevaluate, realign, and put love back in first place, trusting that when our hearts remain anchored in Him, everything else will naturally follow. 

In this episode, we dive into the importance of forgiving yourself and the quiet trap of self-condemnation. Fedhii paints a powerful picture of what it’s like to sit in a prison cell even though the door is wide open—freedom has already been purchased for us, but we often choose to stay inside. Whether it’s fear of God’s punishment or a distorted idea of how to “earn” righteousness, we remind listeners that no amount of self-punishment will ever make us clean. If you’re covered in mud, you can’t wash yourself with muddy hands. It’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance, not shame. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed, and Jesus is eager to see His children step out of the prison of self-condemnation and finally live in the forgiveness He’s already given.

In this second part, we continue our deep dive into the danger of doubt and explore a sobering reality: sometimes we are the very thing hindering God’s plans from coming to pass in our lives. Yes, God is sovereign—and as seen in the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, He can still move even in the midst of our unbelief. But we also discuss an often-overlooked truth: God desires to co-labor with us. There are things He intended to birth in our lives that may have never manifested simply because we didn’t have the faith to partner with Him.

We reflect on the tension between God’s power and our participation, asking hard questions like:

How many opportunities or callings were delayed—or never realized—because we chose comfort and doubt over courage and supernatural faith?

How often has doubt kept us from stepping into something God uniquely designed for us?

Could this be why we’re not seeing the “greater things” Jesus promised we would do through the Holy Spirit?

This conversation challenges us to confront the subtle ways doubt shapes our decisions and limits our impact. God can act whenever He wants—but He often chooses to work through us. The question is: Are we willing to believe Him enough to step into what He’s planned?

In this episode, we talk about the danger of doubt and how it can quietly take root in our hearts like weeds that need to be uprooted. Doubt hinders and delays a move of God in your life. Just as Jesus was unable to do many miracles in His hometown because the people doubted Him, we too can limit what God wants to do through our unbelief. James reminds us that “the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6–7).

It is not safer to doubt God or to have a plan B—sometimes, that plan B is the very thing blocking our prayers. How many times does God have to come through for us before we have wholehearted faith in Him? Doubt is sneaky—it often starts small, but if left unattended, it can grow and become detrimental to our walk with God.

In this episode, we dive into the mystery of joy in the midst of trials. Beginning with James 1 — “Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds” — Fedhii opens by asking, “What kind of person looks at suffering and chooses to rejoice?” Together, we explore how true joy in hardship flows from an eternal perspective — from knowing that every trial is shaping us into a dwelling place worthy of the Son of Man. Is Jesus worth the suffering if it means becoming more like Him? If it means the Son of Man has a place to lay his head within you? We talk about how seeing the worthiness of the Man of Sorrows draws us into deeper intimacy with Him as we face trials—until our lives become the very home for His presence.

In this episode, we explore the vital role of grace in replacing unhealthy, false beliefs with the truth of who God is. We discuss the importance of showing yourself patience and not condemning yourself, because spiritual growth is a process—undoing years of lies takes time, and your heart has its own pace. Criticizing or condemning yourself in the process doesn’t actually help you grow; real transformation happens through grace and truth. God, as the author and finisher of our faith, is near throughout this process, guiding and shaping us. Just as the Son of God, though perfect, learned obedience through His suffering (Hebrews 5:8), we too grow through trials and challenges. This episode is a gentle but powerful reminder that transformation is a journey, and God’s truth is worth the patient work of aligning our hearts and minds with Him.

In this episode, we talk about how difficult seasons often become the very places where God reveals more of who He is—and how that revelation can completely shift our heart posture. From Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane to Hagar encountering El Roi, Scripture is full of moments where people met God in their lowest places and walked away strengthened to endure what was ahead.

Sometimes God delivers us out of hardship, and other times He reminds us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Either way, it’s always unto something—unto knowing Him more deeply. As Paul wrote, “In all things, we would grow into Christ.” If every trial leads us into a greater revelation of God’s character, then even the inconvenience becomes worth it.

In this episode, we pick up where we left off and talk about why having the right beliefs about God is so important. Everything in life flows from what we believe about Him. If you don’t believe that God is protector, then everything that happens will seem to prove that false belief. We also talk about how easy it is to idolize our emotions—letting how we feel about life shape how we see God, instead of letting God define Himself. When we choose to believe the truth about who He is, it actually creates space for His presence to come in and change everything.

In this episode, we talk about why having the right beliefs about God is so important. Drawing from the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel, Fedhii unpacks how their unwavering faith in God didn’t just change their circumstances—it shifted the spiritual atmosphere around them. Their belief created space for King Nebuchadnezzar and the entire nation to encounter the true nature of God. We explore how belief attracts God’s presence, cultivates true worship, and builds an altar for others to experience Him too. Worship isn’t just a response to what God has done—it’s a declaration of who He is, even when circumstances don’t align with what we hope to see.