This episode feels really special to me.

Today I’m talking to a mother and son I’ve known for over thirty years which means I haven’t just heard their story, I’ve watched it unfold.

It’s a story of healing. Of stepping out prophetically. Of the quiet, steady impact of decades of faith.

Judy is extraordinary, widowed with two small boys, building and running a hugely successful recruitment business, navigating grief and resilience with courage and humour.

Bill is her son, now the father of grown-up boys himself. He’s been a teacher, an ordained church leader, a therapist, and has written two books - Catching His Breath . But at the heart of it, he’s someone who loves people deeply and isn’t afraid to take risks for them.

Talking to them reminded me how lucky I’ve been, to grow up surrounded by people like this. And it reminded me of the beauty of the church when it truly loves others well.

Here’s Judy and Bill.

Bill's books -

Catching His Breath https://muddypearl.com/product/books/discipleship/catching-his-breath/

That Gentle Whisper - https://muddypearl.com/product/books/prayer-and-spirituality/that-gentle-whisper-hardcover/

Calum moved to Vietnam to escape a life that looked good on paper but felt empty inside. After years of chasing meaning through work, travel, self-improvement, and spiritual experiments, a serious motorbike accident left him temporarily blind and completely shaken.

In that moment, he prayed for the first time . What followed changed the direction of his life. This episode traces Calum’s journey from corporate burnout and scepticism to faith, church, and eventually Bible school in the Philippines.

This is someone who added so much fun and joy to my childhood.

In this episode, I sit down with Tricia Neill, President of Alpha International, to talk about what it really looks like to trust God one step at a time. Trish shares her journey from the corporate world into an unknown calling, how a simple invitation changed the direction of her life, and what it’s like to say yes before you feel ready.

Along the way, we talk about legacy, the power of small decisions, and how faithfulness in ordinary moments can end up impacting millions of people around the world.

This episode sits you right at the family table as I interview my own mum and dad Nicky and Pippa Gumbel about their wild, winding journey of faith, calling, and building community from a converted garage to a global movement. It’s an honest, funny, and deeply personal look at how two very normal people learned to follow God one small step and (one leaky gas cooker) at a time.

3 Main Takeaways

1. Big callings usually start in tiny, messy rooms.
The real beginnings were homemade soup in a garage, a leaky gas cooker, and thirty people squeezed into a single room because they said yes to what was in front of them.

2. How to discern what is next
They made lists, prayed, asked wise friends, tried things that flopped, tried things that flew, and learned to follow the fruit. The Holy Spirit often leads by blessing what works and quietly closing what doesn’t.

3. The front line is wherever you already stand.
Whether you’re a lawyer, a barista, a musician, a parent, or a plumber, you’re already in ministry.

What happens when a bike ride turns into a near death experience and how does that moment reshape everything in your life?

In this episode of What You Set in Motion, Matthew shares how a cardiac arrest on a bike ride threw his life into coma and memory loss, yet gave him a profound second chance. If you’ve ever wondered how to rebuild from trauma, regain purpose, or live with deeper gratitude, his story speaks directly to you.

By listening you’ll discover:

• How facing mortality can sharpen your priorities and reveal what truly matters.

• The way memory loss and recovery can redefine identity and show the power of resilience.

• Why gratitude and urgency often become the driving forces after a life‑threatening event.

Click play now to hear Matthew’s remarkable journey and learn how to turn a crisis into mission driven living.

Here is a link to his book Second Chance - https://amzn.eu/d/bBpP8RT

This is a story of miracles in one family’s life — from sneaking out to gamble in pool dens, to revival among a tribe in Borneo.

It’s about finding hope when life feels hopeless, and navigating faith when our own journey seems ordinary in the shadow of the extraordinary.

Leon runs a podcast with his Dad, Idris Jala, called The Game of Impossible - https://www.youtube.com/@TheGameOfImpossible

Abel and Jacintha run a large church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is their stories and the impact of faith on them, their family and community.

This is a new podcast telling the stories of how people'e lives change and what the impact is on them and others.

Eli is a clinical phycologist and the co founder and CEO of Kids Matter. A charity working to reduce impact of poverty on children and equip parents.

We talked about the rise in mental health diagnosis of young people, rising child poverty, permissive parenting and what every parents need to be thinking about.

To find out more about the charity, Kids Matter visit: kidsmatter.org.uk

Jules talks about Jules's journey with anxiety and how she has found tools, and created a course to help others. She talks about what anxiety is, how to manage panic attacks, fear and negative thoughts. How we can change the way we think. How do faith and anxiety work together.