The Kanakuk Podcast

For those who are parents that have lost a child, the depths of the pain seem unfathomable. A part of your heart has been ripped from your chest, and the crushing despair caves in on your emotions, your faith, and your soul. Questions creep out of the shadows and doubts encircle your head. Where is God in death that is so poignant and personal? We may find that where we imagined an empty room in our heart, God is there, gazing at us with open arms and the heart of a Father who knows what it is like to lose his only Son. Therefore, as Joe and Beth Ann are joined by Melissa Pardeck, Emily Sizelove, and Corey Cozart, we can be encouraged and reminded of how God gives us a hope "[that] does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 3:5).

College. There are a lot of connotations that come with that word. College can be a place of growth and exploring new things, but it can also be a dark place for young adults. As we discussed in our part one episode, we see God working in the hearts of this generation. Joe and Beth Ann are joined by Delaney O'Shea, Shorey Nguyen, Libby Featherston, Tommy Harper, Mason Collett, and Bennett Ulm as they share how God meets them in the light and dark places on their college campuses. We hope you are encouraged!

It seems like every other day, the news is publishing some article that says doom and gloom is coming for the next generation. More and more it seems we hear how the kids and young adults are leaving the church in droves. It seems pretty bleak! But while our culture seems demoralized, we see a glimmer of hope through what God is doing in this next generation. Here at Kanakuk, we get a front row seat to how God is still changing lives from kindergarten to college. Today, Joe and Beth Ann are joined by summer staffers, Jenna Beasley, Carson Wasemiller, Clara Boydstun, Davis Lee, Easton Brown, and Luke Bowerman to talk about the hope they have in Jesus and how they see God working in their generation.

Has this ever happened to you? You go to look something up on the internet, maybe a recipe or a news article, and you find an overload of information. You begin to scroll and scroll and before you know it, it's been two hours and you forgot what you originally wanted to look up. How do you keep the main thing, the main thing? This is the question today that Joe and Beth Ann discuss with some of our director team, featuring Robert Bruce, Jake Sizelove, Connor Wilkins, Patrick Cone, and Lindsey and Michael Sloan. We hope you are encouraged with their insights and walk away with ideas for how to keep your relationship with God the main thing in your life.

In the age of social media, "keeping up with the Jones's" isn't just something we have to fight in ourselves, it's constantly on our screens and feeds as well. "Would've, should've, could've" are words that constantly fill our minds as we try to keep our heads above water amidst the torrential storm of parenting. For those who feel like you don't have it all together when it comes to raising kids, you are not alone and God is with you. Joe and Beth Ann are joined today by an ensemble of guests featuring Michael and Lindsey Sloan, Jake and Emily Sizelove, Collin Sparks, Matt Houston, and Ward and Beth Wiebe. To all the parents out there, we hope you are encouraged and know God's grace and mercy, which is new every morning.

If you're familiar with the book of Esther in the Bible, you might be familiar with the phrase, "for such a time as this". For Esther, God placed her at the right place at the right time, giving Esther an opportunity to be part of God's plan and protect the Israelites. In our lives, God places our own opportunities in front of us so that we can be a part of God's plan, whether that be speaking in front of hundreds or in a conversation with someone who just needed someone to talk to after a rough day. Today, Joe and Beth Ann are joined by Rachel Wilkins, who shares her experience of God and his sovereignty "for such a time as this". We hope you are encouraged today.

If you asked yourself how you really felt about social media, what would you say? If you were to take an inventory of your time with social media and your smart phone in general, what do you think you would find? As our culture is seeing continuing rises in anxiety, depression, and addiction, it is time to re-evaluate our digital relationship with our screens. If you're wondering "how do I do that?", join Joe and Beth Ann as they pick up the conversation about social media with Adam Donyes. While finding freedom from your smart phone and social media might seem overwhelming, we are reminded by verses like 1 Peter 5:7 to cast our anxieties on God, who is more powerful than our smart phones and addictions. We hope you listen and are encouraged today!

This episode talks about the reality of some of the negative impacts Smartphones can have on individuals. As a result there are some mature topics covered that may not be suitable for a younger audience.

How do we get to know God? Just like in a relationship with a friend or a spouse, when you spend time with God, you listen to what he has to say. God gave us his word, the Bible, so that we can know him and his character. While studying scripture can seem daunting, Chad talks with Joe and Beth Ann about how meditating on God's word starts by us simply setting time aside to read the Bible. For whatever your time with God and his word looks like, we hope you are encouraged by today's conversation!

Do you ever feel like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? For most of us, we feel the weight of the world in our pockets, on our smartphones. An incredible piece of technology with nasty side effects, smart phones are ingrained into our culture and the way we communicate. But is this new communication really worth it? Joe and Beth Ann are joined by Adam Donyes, founder of Link Year, to talk about the dangers of smart phones and how you and your family can start having conversations about smartphones and real relationships.

This episode talks about the reality of some of the negative impacts Smartphones can have on individuals. As a result there are some mature topics covered that may not be suitable for a younger audience.

When you enter into a time of worship on Sunday at Church, where does your mind go? A worship service can be comprised of many different factors, including instruments, hymnals, or even just acapella voices. But worship is more than singing songs on Sunday. Worship is more than what, worship is about who. Joe and Beth Ann are joined by Nadia Cole as they discuss worshipping God not just with our voices in a church building, but with our hearts in whatever we do. We hope you are encouraged by the discussion and spurred on to meditate on God and his word.