The Way UK

Join Izzy, Michelle, and Zach as they unpack the Parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18, exploring what it truly means to pray without giving up, why God is nothing like the unjust judge, and how persistence in prayer transforms us rather than persuading a reluctant God. This episode kicks off week two of the parables series, diving into Jesus' powerful story about a widow who relentlessly pursues justice from a judge who neither fears God nor cares about people, and what it reveals about God's heart for us when we cry out to Him.

Discover why Jesus tells us the explicit purpose of this parable before He even begins the story, what it means to always pray and not give up when prayer feels like hard work, and why spiritual disciplines like prayer are more like going to the gym than we realise. The conversation tackles the reality of unanswered prayers, the tension between God's power and our experience of waiting, and why delays in answered prayer are often about changing us rather than convincing God. Learn what it means to fall back on love when prayers feel dry, how to reflect on God's faithfulness in the small things, and why no one is disqualified from coming to God in prayer no matter how much hurt, rejection, or distance they've experienced.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
00:54 Reading Luke 18: The Parable of the Persistent Widow
02:02 Jesus Knows We Struggle with Prayer
08:02 The Unjust Judge: Understanding God's Opposite
11:22 God is Not Reluctant: He Wants to Answer Prayer
12:54 What to Do When God Seems Silent
13:31 Prayer is Like Going to the Gym
15:05 Prayer Changes Us, Not God
20:35 Falling Back on Love: Why We Keep Praying
21:58 The Story of the Shoes: God Cares About Small Things
26:32 The Widow: No One is Disqualified from Prayer
31:16 When the Son of Man Comes: Faith and Persistence
33:54 Closing Thoughts and Next Week's Parable

STRUGGLING WITH PRAYER? YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS

THE POWER OF PERSISTENT PRAYER | LUKE 18

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Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Zoe and Michelle for an incredibly powerful and deeply moving conversation with Martha Stringer as she shares her radical journey from striving to be the best Christian, burning out in ministry, suffering with chronic pain and learning what it truly means to rest in God's love rather than perform for it. This episode unpacks what it looks like to move from competitive faith to surrendered trust, from ministry burnout to sustainable discipleship, and from believing God's love is something you earn to discovering it's something you receive.

Martha opens up about her journey with chronic illness, from a mysterious tropical illness that left her sick every day for seven years to severe asthma, debilitating knee pain, and life-threatening allergies. This podcast is for anyone who has struggled with striving in their faith, experienced burnout in ministry, wrestled with unanswered prayers for healing, or simply wants to understand what it means to trust God's love regardless of circumstance.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
01:24 Growing Up Christian: A Family Shaped by Faith and Struggle
02:20 The Prodigal Son Moment: Encountering God as Father
04:00 All In: Missionary Life and the Competitive Christian
05:17 The Danger of Christian Competition and Performance
06:44 Complete Burnout: When Your Body Says No
09:02 Redefining Success: The Hem of Jesus' Garment
11:07 Going Slow in Ministry: A Youth Worker's Awakening
13:08 Success in Discipleship, Not Numbers
18:01 Remaining Mouldable: The Clay in God's Hands
20:44 Seven Years of Illness: When Healing Becomes an Idol
22:21 Laying Down the Idol: Even If You Don't Heal Me
23:46 The Year of Trust: Learning God's Love Beyond Healing
25:40 Healed in a Hospital Gown: God's Unexpected Timing
26:49 God's Love Isn't Conditional on Healing
29:53 The Bonkers Year: Asthma Healed After 25 Years
34:38 The Smoothie Incident: Accidentally Healed from Strawberry Allergy
37:38 Chronic Knee Pain Gone: The Weight Lifted
40:08 Blown Away by God's Goodness
42:46 Encouragement for Those Waiting: God Sees Your Pain
43:54 Closing Prayer and Final Thoughts

HEALED FROM ASTHMA, ALLERGIES & CHRONIC PAIN | MARTHA STRINGER

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Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Zach, Zoe, and Izzy for an eye-opening exploration of the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14, unpacking what it means to accept God's invitation, why people say no to Him without even realising it, and how we're called to extend radical generosity and hospitality to those on the margins. This episode kicks off a brand new parable series, diving into Jesus' powerful story about a master who prepares a lavish feast, sends out invitations, and watches as everyone makes excuses to avoid coming. Discover what it reveals about our own priorities, the cost of following Jesus, and the incredible truth that God's invitation is open to absolutely everyone.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
01:46 What Are Parables? Understanding Jesus' Teaching Style
03:47 The Boy Who Cried Wolf: Parables in Modern Culture
05:30 Reading Luke 14:12-24: The Parable of the Great Banquet
08:39 Invite Those Who Cannot Repay You: Radical Generosity
12:24 Jesus at a Dinner Party: A Controversial Teaching
13:45 Blessed Is Everyone Who Eats in the Kingdom of God
16:07 The Master and the Invitation: God's Open Arms
16:45 The Foolish Excuses: When People Say No to God
21:38 Your Excuses Reveal Your Priorities
28:30 Go to the Streets and Country Lanes: The Second Invitation
30:29 The Gentiles and the Unexpected Guests
32:54 Everyone Is Invited: The Gospel for All Nations
35:25 We Are the Servants: Extending the Invitation
36:56 Living with Costly Generosity: Practical Application
39:18 Isaiah 25: The Feast of Rich Food and Closing Thoughts

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Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Izzy and Zoe as they conclude their deep dive into 1 Thessalonians, unpacking chapter 5 and exploring what it means to stay spiritually awake, prepare for Christ's return, and live out faith with radical intentionality in a world that desperately needs hope. This episode tackles one of the most discussed yet misunderstood topics in Scripture: the second coming of Jesus, why we don't need to fear it, and how preparation isn't about knowing the details but about staying awake to what God is doing right now.

Discover what it truly means when Paul says the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, why being children of light changes everything about how we live, and the difference between spiritual sleepiness and the sleep of death. The episode dives into the armor of God, the importance of staying prepared not through fear but through faith, love, and hope, and why Jesus' return should motivate us to live with urgency, love others well, and share the gospel boldly. This is for anyone who has ever been anxious about the end times, wondered what it looks like to be spiritually awake, or struggled with how to live faithfully when the future feels uncertain.

The conversation also unpacks Paul's final instructions to the Thessalonian church, from respecting leaders who serve sacrificially to making peace in community, rejoicing always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances. Learn what it means to not repay wrong for wrong, how practicing thankfulness leads to humility, and why the shortest verse in the original Bible is "rejoice always." Plus, the episode answers the burning question: what on earth is a holy kiss, and are we actually supposed to greet each other that way?

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Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Michelle and Zoe for an incredibly powerful and deeply moving conversation with Jordan Deen as he shares his radical journey from growing up without a father in Slough to discovering what it truly means to be a son through the transformative love of Jesus and the faithfulness of the church. This episode unpacks what it looks like to move from spiritual orphanhood to divine sonship, from performing religion to experiencing Jesus as a person, and from carrying wounds in secret to being met by a God who redeems every broken piece of your story.

Jordan opens up about his mum's arranged marriage, his dad's abandonment when he was just eight years old, and growing up in a performative church culture where faith felt more like an Instagram bio than a real relationship. Discover how God used friendship and the body of Christ to restore what was lost, from a man gifting him expensive fragrance and inviting him into vulnerable conversations, to a friend's dad in California teaching him how to drive and redeeming a childhood promise his father never kept. This is a story of scars becoming lighthouses, of God's intentional humor in writing redemptive stories, and of learning to live for an audience of one.

The episode also dives into what it means to carry an ache for the fatherless, how branding and storytelling can affirm people's true identity beyond their achievements, and why Jordan is moving to New York City to continue proclaiming a different narrative over those trapped in an orphan spirit. This is for anyone who has grown up without a father, who struggles with performance and proving themselves, who is learning what it means to be seen and loved by God, or who wants to understand how the church can step in and meet the deepest needs in people's lives.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
01:20 Growing Up in Slough: A Mother's Arranged Marriage
03:46 God's Redemptive Story: From Fatherless to Son
05:11 A Praying Mother and Early Faith Exposure
06:27 The Performative Jesus: Growing Up in Pakistani Indian Church Culture
09:12 Jesus Becomes a Person: The Transformation
09:59 God's Promise: Father to the Fatherless
11:56 The Impact of Fatherlessness: Seeing God as Father
14:10 True Redemption: Identity Over Achievement
18:51 Living as Daniel in Babylon: Audience of One
27:18 The Fragrance Story: How Jacob Pursued Him
32:20 Learning to Drive: God Redeems Childhood Wounds
34:11 Five Years of Freelancing: Restoring Childhood, Not Building Adulthood
38:12 The Church as Lighthouse: Scars Become Beacons
40:06 The Calling: Fighting the Orphan Spirit
41:44 Moving to New York: A New Chapter in the Mission
42:54 Closing Prayer: Father to the Fatherless

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Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Izzy and Zach as they continue their deep dive into 1 Thessalonians, unpacking chapter 4 and exploring what it means to live in holiness, honour God with your body, and hold onto hope in the face of death and the return of Christ. This episode tackles some of the most challenging and countercultural teachings in Scripture, from sexual morality in a culture that looks nothing like God's design, to the radical hope we have when loved ones die, and the promise of Jesus' second coming.

The episode also dives into Paul's teaching on work, humility, and minding your own business, before unpacking the hope we have in Christ's return. Discover what the Bible says about believers who have died, what the rapture actually means, and why the second coming of Jesus is the climax of the entire story of Scripture. This is for anyone wrestling with what it looks like to live countercultural lives, struggling with sexual purity, grieving the loss of a loved one, or simply wanting to understand what Christians believe about the end times.

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Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Zoe and Zach for an incredibly powerful and practical conversation with Glen Scrivener as he shares what it truly means to be an evangelist, why storytelling is the most aggressive form of communication, and how evangelism flows from being captivated by Christ rather than mastering techniques. This episode is for anyone who feels like evangelism is the most talked-about but least practised thing in the church, who struggles with fear or awkwardness in sharing their faith, or who wants to learn how to scatter seeds into conversations without being jarring or manipulative.

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CHECK OUT THE 321 COURSE: https://321course.com/

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HOW TO SHARE JESUS WITHOUT BEING CRINGE | GLEN SCRIVENER

THE POWER OF STORY IN EVANGELISM | GLEN SCRIVENER

Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Izzy and Zach as they unpack 1 Thessalonians 3, exploring what it means to encourage one another in faith, stand firm through persecution, and pray with passion and purpose. This episode examines Paul's powerful example of sending Timothy to strengthen the Thessalonian church, the importance of preparing believers for suffering rather than promising easy faith, and the radical call to pray night and day for those we love.

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Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Izzy and Zach for an incredibly powerful conversation with Luke Thornton as he shares his radical journey from being a passionate atheist who debated Christians to encountering the truth of Jesus and discovering that faith is not opposed to reason but deeply grounded in it. This episode unpacks what it truly means to search for truth with intellectual honesty, the moment everything changed when watching a debate that challenged his atheism, and the transformative power of community and Alpha in bringing head knowledge to heart transformation.

Luke opens up about growing up in a completely secular household in Yorkshire, his frustration with Christians who claimed to believe but lived no differently, and the philosophical crisis he faced when realising that atheism left him with no free will, no objective morality, and ultimately no purpose. Discover how a two-hour debate between Sam Harris and William Lane Craig cracked open his worldview, how a Christian in a co-working space invited him to Alpha, and why he stopped swearing overnight the moment he said yes to Jesus.

FOLLOW LUKE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lukethornton___

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Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Michelle, Zoe, and Sam as they continue their deep dive into 1 Thessalonians, unpacking chapter 2 and exploring what true ministry looks like—boldness in the face of opposition, humility in leadership, and love that mirrors both a nursing mother and an encouraging father. This episode examines Paul's powerful example of proclaiming the gospel with pure motives, not seeking praise from people but approval from God alone, and serving sacrificially without being a burden to others.

This conversation is a blueprint for anyone involved in ministry, leadership, or simply living out their faith in everyday life. It's a commissioning to stand firm, take back ground, and proclaim the gospel with boldness, knowing that Jesus has already won the battle and we are equipped through the Holy Spirit to fight against the schemes of the enemy.

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Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]