The Unfolding

Do you feel responsible for keeping everyone happy, or like you have to prove your worth whenever you walk into a room?

Bestselling author and Bible teacher Angie Smith, known for Seamless and Matchless, learned early to put others' needs and emotions ahead of her own. Through painful experiences and honest conversations with God, she began recognizing how those patterns shaped her relationships, her faith, and the way she saw herself.

With humor and vulnerability, Angie shares her ongoing struggle with approval, control, and changing seasons, and how she's learning to live in the identity God has given her. Her newest book, Into the Deep, offers a practical path toward recognizing those patterns, working through them with God, and growing in freedom.

Show Notes:

Website: https://angiesmithministries.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialangiesmith/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angiesmithministries

Book: https://angiesmithministries.com/books/into-the-deep/

Pastor Allen Ratta was teaching on the Lord's Prayer when bullets began striking his church, with children at the other end of campus. Everyone survived, but a different crisis later left Alan a single father of four, stepping away from ministry to care for his family. Through both experiences, that familiar prayer became deeply personal. Alan shares how God protected his congregation and why "Give us this day our daily bread" became an invitation to reconnect with God.

We'd love to hear what God has done in your life. Share your story.

What happens when the wounds of your past shape what you believe about yourself and God?

As a child, Stasi Eldredge learned to be invisible and need nothing. Later, abuse and betrayal deepened her belief that she wasn't worth loving. Even after encountering Jesus, she spent years trying to earn God's acceptance.

Stasi shares the journey that helped her face those wounds and begin to receive God's love personally. Through counseling, prayer, and Scripture, her sense of identity changed from unwanted to cherished.

A New York Times bestselling author and coauthor of Captivating with her husband, John Eldredge, Stasi also introduces her new book, The Ladder of Love. Hear a story of faith, emotional healing, and growing closer to Jesus on this episode of The Unfolding.

Content note: Discussion of abuse, sexual assault, suicide, substance use, and abortion.

Show Notes:

Website: https://wildatheart.org/the-ladder-of-love

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stasieldredge/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StasiEldredge/

Book: https://wildatheart.org/the-ladder-of-love

Shame convinced Crystal Renaud Day that she was the only Christian woman struggling with pornography. For years, she loved and served God while keeping that part of her life hidden, until another woman shared that she had struggled, too. That conversation helped Crystal speak openly about her own experience, and today she helps women around the world through SheRecovery. If you're facing this struggle, or know someone who is, learn more at SheRecovery.com.

Marcel Patillo seemed born for a life in music. His father, Leon Patillo, sang with Santana before launching a Christian music career. His mother, Jackie, became president of the Gospel Music Association. And his brother, Gabe, toured with TobyMac for decades.

But talent, opportunity and a childhood surrounded by faith couldn't give Marcel an identity, or a faith, of his own. He chased record deals, recognition and a future in Los Angeles, while God became someone he planned to get back to "eventually." When his dreams unraveled, and later when the death of his brother brought profound grief, alcohol pulled Marcel's life in a dangerous direction.

In this episode, Marcel shares how God patiently drew him back through Scripture, Christian community and a series of small acts of obedience. Today, he creates music and films as I AM ABLE, including his newest song, "High," a cinematic depiction of the spiritual battle between darkness and light.

Show Notes:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarcelPatillo

Website: https://www.iamablemusic.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcelpatillo/

"I witnessed the tragic shooting of my fiancé."

Diana Kannady was 22, pregnant, and planning a wedding when her life changed in an instant. More than 20 years later, Diana would face another devastating loss when her husband, Chris, drowned just hours before their daughter's wedding. In both moments, Diana made the same decision: to trust God. Her story is a powerful picture of the peace Philippians says "transcends all understanding," and of God's faithfulness when life is anything but peaceful.

https://www.dianakannadyauthor.com/

Content Warning – not appropriate for children.

Bruce Van Natta's childhood was filled with abuse and trauma, but he had one encounter with Jesus that marked him. He knew God was real. What he didn't understand is why God didn't rescue him. As he got older, he clearly heard God call him into ministry, but he was angry, skeptical, and cynical. As a diesel mechanic, Bruce regularly worked on big rigs. On a fateful day in 2006, he was lying under a logging truck that weighed 18,000 pounds. What happened on that day can only be described as other-worldly; an accident, a near-death experience, and an encounter with the supernatural. This is a graphic story that is not appropriate for younger listeners. Bruce Van Natta is the author of Saved by Angels and the founder of Sweet Bread Ministries.

Website: https://sweetbreadministries.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetBreadMinistries

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Saved-Angels-Expanded-Everyday-People/dp/076844134X

Tara Sierra Mosely didn't feel equipped when she was asked to pray for a dying woman in a remote village in Uganda. But she said yes, and God used that simple act of obedience as part of a much bigger story of salvation and new life. Tara's new book is House of the Forest: Life-Giving Declarations for Strength and Abundance in Every Season.

At seven years old, Lauren Burns was taken by her father from Texas to the Middle East, and her mom had no idea where she was. When the United States government couldn't help, Lauren's mother- supported by private investigators Rick and Beverly Lambert, parents of country artist Miranda Lambert- turned to a team of former military operatives for an extraordinary international rescue.

The rescue made international headlines. But coming home was only the beginning. Lauren still faced childhood trauma, father wounds and a difficult question: She knew God was real, but was He good?

Lauren Burns is the author of Stolen: A True Story of Kidnapping, Rescue, and Redemption, a powerful true crime memoir. Her story later inspired a television movie. Today, Lauren is a speaker on trauma, redemption, and faith, and the host of The Redeemed Podcast

Learn more at laurenburns.net.

This episode discusses childhood abduction and trauma and may not be appropriate for young listeners.

Show Notes:

Website: https://www.laurenburns.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenburnsredeemed/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenBurnsAuthor

Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GT9VMK3Z?lv=shuf&channelId=520&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Before Roland Warren became CEO of Care Net, one of the largest networks of crisis pregnancy centers in North America, he was just a scared 20-year-old college student facing an unplanned pregnancy with his girlfriend. The pressure to choose abortion was intense. But they made a different choice. And that one decision changed everything.

Roland's story is a powerful reminder that when we follow God's way, something good always comes from it.

He has a new book you can check out, called "The Alternative to Abortion: Why We Must be Pro Abundant Life".