The Faith of the Father(s) w/ Karl Gessler

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What does it mean to “bind the strongman”—and how do you do it?

Pastor Mark Vanderlip joins Karl Gessler to discuss the importance of getting past the smaller demons to confront those with the most authority for a more complete deliverance.

Drawing on his background in trauma and relationship counseling and his work in deliverance and inner healing, Mark shares his approach to getting to the strongman. Together, we explore generational patterns, demonic hierarchy, and the significance of authority as it relates to demons and fragmented parts of the human soul.

With an emphasis on compassion, discernment, and dependence on Jesus, this practical conversation gives real help for accomplishing what Jesus said to do: “Bind the strongman.”

In this episode, we discuss:
• Why getting to the strongman matters
• How Mark approaches identifying and confronting the strongman
• Demonic hierarchy and the significance of authority
• Generational patterns in deliverance ministry
• Authority as it relates to fragmented parts of the human soul
• Ministering with compassion and discernment

Follow The Faith of the Fathers for more conversations about following Jesus, deliverance, and inner healing. Share this episode with someone seeking freedom or learning to minister to others.

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What does it mean to be free? Is freedom found in detachment from life and relationships—or in their healing?

Former yoga teacher John Immel joins Karl Gessler for a personal and philosophical conversation about yoga, Ayurveda, and his return to Christianity. John pursued physical benefits, emotional insight, and spiritual growth. But as he went deeper, he began questioning the teachings he had embraced.

A painful turning point came when his community failed to support his child. That experience led him to reconsider how his beliefs shaped love, relationships, and responsibility.

Together, Karl and John examine maya, moksha, Brahman, and karma, exploring how the spiritual claims John encountered contrast with the Christian understanding of creation, human identity, and relationship with God.

In this episode:
• John’s journey into yoga and Ayurveda—and why he left
• Detachment, liberation, and the meaning of the self
• How spiritual beliefs affect families and communities
• The difference between escaping life and finding healing in Jesus

Listen, share, and follow The Faith of the Fathers for more conversations about faith, healing, and freedom in Christ.

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Lindsay Heard was raising five children through her husband Otis’s addiction, repeated incarceration, and abuse. Desperate for answers, she turned to tarot and New Age practices while trying to hold her family together. Eventually, she reached her limit and prepared to leave.

Then Lindsay and Otis independently cried out to God. Otis describes an encounter with Jesus, and Lindsay shares how she immediately recognized a change in him. But his breakthrough also revealed her own need for healing.

In this episode of The Faith of the Fathers, Karl Gessler explores their testimony and offers practical teaching for people praying for a miracle in their own families. Together, they discuss repentance, deliverance, rebuilding trust, and the continuing healing that follows a breakthrough.

In this episode:

• The strain of loving someone struggling with addiction
• Lindsay’s search for answers in tarot and New Age practices
• The turning point when both cried out to Jesus
• Why Lindsay needed healing after Otis changed
• Repentance, deliverance, and walking through ongoing struggles

If you’re praying for someone you love, this conversation offers hope and insight for the road ahead.

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If you’ve been through deliverance ministry again and again but still can’t get free, this episode may reveal the missing piece.

Karl Gessler shares the story of a young man tormented by condemning voices, fear of hell, and the belief that he had committed the unforgivable sin. But when Karl listened more closely, he began to suspect that the voice speaking was not a demon—it was a wounded and fragmented part of the young man’s soul.

In this episode, Karl explores the difference between demonic oppression and fragmentation connected to childhood trauma. He explains why deliverance efforts can stall when ministers try to cast out something Jesus wants to heal.

Trauma and demonic oppression can overlap, but healing and deliverance are not the same thing. Some voices need to be confronted, while others need to be heard, healed, and brought to Jesus.

No sin is beyond His forgiveness, and no broken part of you is beyond His healing.

 00:00 — A deliverance case that did not resolve
 01:26 — Why one “demon” sounded different
 02:25 — Calling out the person, not the demon
 03:25 — Speaking from experience rather than credentials
 03:54 — Childhood trauma and soul fragmentation
 05:21 — Fragmentation, memory gaps, and survival
 06:18 — Why inner voices can feel demonic
 07:14 — Self-hatred and internal division
 08:39 — When deliverance tactics do not work
 10:05 — Why painful memories remain hidden
 11:04 — Healing before casting out a demon
 12:03 — Condemnation and the fear of unforgivable sin
 13:20 — Jesus will not leave any broken piece behind
 14:15 — An invitation to receive prayer 

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Do you want freedom but feel uncomfortable with deliverance ministry? Let’s begin with something every Christian can embrace: repentance.

In this episode, Karl walks you through a simple, honest prayer of repentance designed to expose agreements with darkness, remove spiritual strongholds, and open the door to the freedom Jesus provides. The episode concludes with practical deliverance prayers you can follow from wherever you are.

You don’t need to understand everything about deliverance to begin experiencing freedom. You simply need to come honestly before Jesus.

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Have you ever worked desperately to become a better person, only to end up feeling worse about yourself?

When our identity becomes tied to our performance, even our best efforts can leave us feeling ashamed, defeated, and never good enough. The harder we try to prove our worth, the more deeply failure can wound us.

In this episode, Karl shares honestly about his own struggle with self-hatred and explores the spiritual roots of performance-driven shame. You’ll discover why improvement alone cannot heal rejection, how condemnation distorts the way you see yourself, and why receiving the love of God must come before lasting transformation.

Your failures are real—but they are not your identity. Jesus did not come merely to make you perform better. He came to restore you to the Father and teach you to live as someone who is already loved.

If your best never seems good enough, this episode is for you.

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Are Christians recognizing the spiritual battle unfolding in America—or have we mistaken passivity for love?

In this episode of The Faith of the Father(s), Karl Gessler examines the growing influence of Islam in America, the cultural changes taking place in cities such as Dearborn and Chicago, and the urgent need for the Church to respond with courage, discernment, and the authority of Jesus.

Using the “camel in the tent” parable, Karl explains how influence can advance gradually while those affected remain unaware of what is happening.

This episode explores:

• Why being loving does not require Christians to be passive
• The difference between loving Muslims and opposing the teachings of Islam
• How spiritual principalities influence cultures and cities
• Why public worship, Jesus Marches, and Gospel proclamation matter
• Practical ways Christians can push back darkness and advance God’s Kingdom

This is not a call to fear or hostility toward Muslims. Christians are called to love Muslims, share the Gospel with them, and demonstrate the love and power of Jesus. But loving people does not mean remaining silent about spiritual ideas that oppose Christ.

The Gospel was never merely about escaping this world—it is the announcement that Jesus is Lord and that His Kingdom has come.

It is time for the righteous to be as bold as lions.

NEXT EPISODE on the Faith of the Father(s) SHOW: We’ll examine “non-resistance” and why Karl believes it has become a serious mistake within parts of the Church.

Need prayer, ministry resources, or ways to support The Faith of the Father(s)? Visit KarlGessler.com.

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Thirteen years of addiction ended with one honest, desperate prayer of repentance—and an entire family came to salvation.

In this powerful episode of The Faith of the Fathers, Karl Gessler talks with Otis Heard about the prayer that changed everything. After more than a decade of struggling with addiction, Otis discovered that freedom was possible through repentance and the power of Jesus.

But his deliverance didn’t stop with him. What God began in one person reached an entire family.

This conversation highlights:

• The power of honest repentance.
• How Jesus brings freedom from addiction.
• Why no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy.
• How one person’s encounter with God can change an entire family.
• The hope available to anyone who feels trapped, ashamed, or unable to change.

If you have struggled with addiction, prayed for someone you love, or wondered whether genuine freedom is possible, Otis’ story will encourage you.

Your life can change now, just as Otis’ did.

Subscribe to The Faith of the Fathers for conversations about deliverance, inner healing, spiritual freedom, and the transforming power of Jesus.

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 You experienced freedom—but a few weeks later, you fell back into the same struggle. Does that mean deliverance didn't work? Karl Gessler examines why freedom can be followed by relapse, the role of unbelief, and what must happen after deliverance if you're going to learn to walk free. 

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I sensed in my spirit what God wanted to say to you this morning. Be encouraged, the key to your turnaround is not complicated or difficult. The hardest part is that it is too easy.

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