Have you ever been surrounded by people you love and still felt lonely? You may have experienced moments…or long seasons of heartaching loneliness. And it hurts. It can hurt to the core. In this lonely world is it possible to live with a deep sense of belonging? Becky Harling , author of Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World, joins us to talk about loyalty in friendship, how our beliefs about ourselves impact how we show up with others, and how choosing not to be offended can...

Without denying the real pain we carry, Lina shows Christians how to rediscover joy…how God’s presence is promised in every valley, trial and tribulation. Lina Abujamra is a Pediatric ER doctor & the founder of Living with Power Ministries. Her latest book is Still Standing - Following Jesus Even When it Hurts. She joins Perry & Shawna for an honest conversation about our desire to control all of life, how following Jesus doesn’t look like what we thought it would, wrestling with...

As we grow older, we become more and more independent. That’s maturity. But the kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom where maturity is relying more and more on God. Something Shawna learned a bit more of stuck in a snow drift. Perry got a text from his 15-year-old friend Colton: “I hope you are doing well. It’s been a while.” Perry’s first instinct was to give him the “I’ve got it all together” response. Instead he shared about his right now wrestling and got of bucketload of wisdom...

At 8 years old he started to plan to take his own life and at 10 he executed his plan. But God also had a plan for Nick. Nick Vujicic, founder of Nick V Ministries and author of Life Without Limbs, was born without arms and legs and God is using him globally to be His hands and feet. He is bringing hope to the world championing the cause of the brokenhearted and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. If you’ve ever wondered why God made you the way He did this conversation with Nick will...

You can mark it down. Satan will bring up your past sins, and he will keep on bringing them up. Perry’s so familiar with this and though it never gets easier to stand firm, he’s grateful he knows what to do when the fiery darts relentlessly pelt him. Then, have you ever struggled to discern God’s timing? Shawna was challenged by Esther’s resolve to draw close to God and wait on Him. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” We are encouraged to come to him with the heart of a child....

There are passages in the bible that warn us about assuming we’re a child of God, other passages seem to indicate that only God knows. How do we balance these super unsettling passages with the gospel that tells us we can know we are God’s children? Bible scholar Jeremy Grinnell joins the team to answer tough bible questions. Jeremy has his PhD in Systematic Theology from Calvin Seminary and shares his amazing story of redemption in The Bellowing of Cain. Dr. Jeremy also takes on the...

More than anything Shawna wanted to be a great mom. That’s why she’s struggled with forgiving herself in her failings as a mother more than anything else. How do we forgive ourselves? Diya was as wicked as they come and her wickedness made her extremely wealthy. Then she has a vision of herself in hell and it crushed her. It’s a conversation about how following Jesus is not a ticket to heaven but about life transformation. Maybe you’ve grown up ending prayer with the words, “In Jesus name...

We’ve already been made perfect through Christ’s one sacrifice, and at the same time we are being perfected. God counts us as fully forgiven and righteous and yet it takes a lifetime to become who God says we already are! Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the gap between who you are today and being like Jesus?  What if, for today, we chose to love others by listening well and being curious about their lives? In putting others first, we’re becoming a little more like Jesus. Maybe you find it...

Lee Strobel, former award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, would have answered that question with a confident “no”. Today he loves and follows Jesus. In fact, he’s dedicated his life to helping those with questions find The Truth. Lee Strobel is an evangelist and a New York Times best-selling author. His book The Case for Christ has sold over 5 million copies. His newest book Is God Real? is for anyone with questions or anyone who loves someone with questions and...

Are there lies you’re believing about yourself that are keeping you from stepping into all God has for you? Shawna remembers the first time she thought her life didn’t matter and how that one thought has influenced her. Perry and Shawna talk about how to take captive those poisonous thoughts. Perry’s excited about the release of his new song “Crashed Into Grace (Acoustic Version).” He admits thinking that maybe this is the song that will put his music on the map. But then wonders, “If that...

It’s reality for Perry. Like yesterday, within 90 seconds of waking up his worries went from trivial, “How am I gonna get my Starbucks app to work again?” To heavy, “I wonder if dad’s gonna be OK after his 2 ER visits.” And everything in between! Steve Norman joins the team, and he, Perry, and Shawna kick off the podcast with a conversation about what to do with those trivial and overwhelming worries. Steve works with Winning at Home and is host of The New Norm podcast. Then, Shawna admits...

Perry had just fouled Chris hard in a hoops game. Chris made a move toward him but Perry had the ball in his hands. That’s when he said to Chris, “Don’t even think about it.” It’s a conversation about all the ways we try to get the verdict that we’re a good person by our performance! Shawna has a distinctive desire to protect herself, to be safe. Because of people who have hurt her she’s leaned to protect her heart. A few years ago she realized that she had transferred that hurt onto her...

Raeanne Newquist and her family sold their home in Southern California and gave up everything to serve God on Mercy Ships. In the early days on the ship there were some tears which made them wonder, “What have we done to our children?”  But those tears were nothing compared to the tears that were shed when they had to leave the ship ten months later. If you trust God, He will provide for you. Globally, 5 billion people lack access to safe surgery,  Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to...

Yep! Shawna had the Muppets song stuck in her mind for months before looking up the lyrics . As she read them, she knew God was speaking to her, “It’s time!” In  Perry’s senior year at college he became acutely aware of the sins of his teenage years. He felt he deserved judgement. That’s when his heart really came alive to the truth of “No condemnation!” Shawna’s friend has been feeling anxious and fearful about the election, what it will mean for her, for our country. Perry’s been feeling...

You can have an ongoing conversation with the God of the universe. Shawna woke up in the middle of the night in a youth hostel in Vienna, Austria to find she was already praying, while she slept. Is that possible? Is that biblical? Perry shares the wrestling match he’s been in with God through his journey between the lie of shame and the love of God and how that in the wrestling we come to really know God. So much of our time is spent regretting the past and worrying about the future. What...

Perry felt prompted to share God’s love with a barista at a favorite coffee shop. The moment came, he took the risk, shared what was on his heart, and faceplanted. Or did he? God is working out the immaturity in us, but it takes time. Take heart my friend, as we mature spiritually, we are becoming more and more like Jesus! Perry woke up last week with an ancient sin on his mind. It was like stepping on a thorn. But it reminds him how much he needs Jesus and how much we need to remind one...

In honor of all who have served and in remembrance of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 we are joined by retired Air Force Lt. Col., Damon Friedman. After serving four tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, within the Special Forces Operations community, Dr. Friedman  returned home to his family for much needed rest and peace. Instead, the war raged on in his body and mind making rest and peace nearly impossible. With gun in hand, and the lies of the enemy attacking his thoughts,...

When your heart is aching and crying out for answers, “Where are you?”, “If you love me, then why?” and “How long, oh, Lord?” where do you go with those feelings? With your anger? With your disappointment? With your despair? Author and speaker, Sharon Garlough Brown, in her new illustrated children’s book Not Finished Yet encourages us to go to the God who loves us. Sharon tells several stories of God meeting her in her questions, and her anger, speaking the truth to her heart about His...

A listener asks, “From my understanding when we ask for forgiveness, God will forget us as far as the east from the west… I also understand that there will be a judgment day… If he forgets as far as the East on the west and why will we have to stand before Him in judgment for our actions?” Does she mean forget or forgive?  Are our sins remembered, or not. Dr. Jeremy Grinnell, who earned his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Calvin Seminary in Grand Rapids, MI, and taught theology at a local...

Hardship and adversity touch everyone. Illness, grief, accidents, trauma, loneliness, relationship struggles, financial crises, sin, loss, anxiety and so much more can leave us feeling lost, isolated, and hopeless.  But we are not alone.  Everything in Ben’s life was lining up for him to play professional soccer, until it wasn’t. He was diagnosed with a disease, sexually abused by his athletic trainer, and survived a car accident which blew up his soccer dreams. In his darkest days, Ben...

There’s this idea in God’s family that ministry is just for the few and not for most of us. Perry says, “That view is dead wrong and not biblical.” The bible says to us that every believer is a priest, every believer is a pastor, and that our congregation is anywhere we have influence! Over the holiday weekend Shawna found herself lost in the endless sea of possibilities of online shopping when the thought occurred to her, “What are you hoping to find?”  The honest answer: comfort, rest,...

They were the perfect southern church-going  family. They checked all the boxes of who a family ought to be. But for Jay, it was empty religion. As a young man, having lost his job, his car, and his girl and battling addiction, he didn’t want to die, but he didn’t want to live anymore either, so he decided to take his life. Though Jay wasn’t a believer when he had suicidal thoughts, many Christians do. Some have been told “You don’t have enough faith!” or “You must not be praying enough.” ...

You know the feeling… worry snowballing into panic, debilitating stress literally harming your health.  It’s the crushing weight of anxiety. Anxiety can make everyday tasks difficult. It can make ordinary challenges seem insurmountable. It robs you of peace, sleep, confidence, and productivity. Anxiety robs you of life. But God offers relief from your fears, hope in your heartache, and yes…even joy in your anxiety. Author and Speaker, Linda Buxa, shares insights from her new devotional How...

He was getting ready to leave for church to share the message, with a baptism service and potluck to follow when he sensed God telling him to bring extra towels. As the service was ending God let him know what the extra towels were for as he felt led to ask if there was anyone else who wanted to be baptized that afternoon. There’s room at the table for you. You don’t have to have yourself all put together, just come as you are. Then, Perry’s been noticing something about Shawna, she gets...

Anger, slander, hatred, de-humanizing your political opponents, pride. This is how America does politics. But for the Jesus follower there is a completely different way! Brian Aulick, lead pastor at Engedi Church and host of the Made to Advance podcast joins us with a conversation about the Jesus way of doing politics. It’s starts with realizing that our identity is not first as an American but as beloved child of God. Then it’s realizing that our calling is not first to win political...