Ordinary People Extraordinary Things

A heart monitor goes blank, the hallway feels empty, and the next minutes stretch into something you never forget. We’re releasing this on Mother’s Day on purpose, because this holiday can carry a lot of emotion, and sometimes the most honest gift is a real story told with trembling gratitude. My mom joins me for a vulnerable conversation about why it’s hard to share personal testimony, how easily people can misread our intentions,...

This is a shortened version of episode 113 for Content Christian Media Conference. Thanks for listening!

Listen to the entire conversation:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1882033/episodes/18236499

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The Lord’s Prayer might be the most memorized Christian prayer in the world, which also makes it dangerously easy to skim. We sit down with Brad Nelson to slow it all the way down, chasing the original context, the translation details, and the lived implications that hit hardest when life is ordinary and messy.

We explore Brad's favorite Hebrew root word, kaved, and how “heavy” burdens can somehow become “glory.” We a...

Today we sit with Nicole, a mom who once doubted modern miracles, as she walks us through a delivery room where time stalled, medicine strained, and prayer broke through. Her daughter’s shoulder locked, her head delivered but body stuck, and for three minutes there was no breath and no heartbeat. Two zero Apgar scores, a room full of experts, and the sound of bagging and compressions—then, finally, life. What happened next is just ...

Michele, a three-time tongue cancer survivor, reframes identity from performance to the promises of God. Her story moves through pain’s lies, Scripture’s ballast, and the freedom of saying “I am” as God defines it.

• high-capacity habits meeting holy dependence
• rescued as identity amid cancer, pain and recovery
• pain’s loud lies and how to answer with truth
• “I Am” beyond roles, titles and appearance
• ...

Ever felt unseen or misunderstood? Erin, a public school teacher, was falsely accused & a single song reframed the battle and renewed his calling. Hear how faith steadied him and why being seen by God restored the soul.

• why stories help us spot God’s work
• how a Christian teacher navigates public school boundaries
• the weight of a false accusation and internal fallout
• the moment a song became a shield...

We speak with Carli about renewing the mind through Scripture and science, from naming lies to practicing daily tools that reshape the brain. 

• identifying recurrent lies and replacing them with Scripture
• how childhood labels become adult identity loops
• bridging faith and neuroscience
• media, fear, and the mental health aftershock since 2020
• gratitude, kindness, and training attention toward good

Re...

We've curated a calm, hope-filled Christmas set that blends classic carols with original songs focused on light, peace, and love.

Have a Merry Christmas and don't forget to share the podcast. Even though it's a busy season, it's actually a great time for people to start listening to podcasts, so please share.

🎤Emily Hope is on all the major streaming platforms…
YouTube:
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We trace how a hidden lie—“I am not loved”—can take root even when life is full of love, and how God gently replaces it with truth. Through journaling, Scripture, breath, and a picture of a Father’s heart, we move from head knowledge to heart knowledge.

• naming I am statements that wound 
• pairing each lie with a clear biblical truth 
• using Scripture to anchor identity 
• breathing practices to embody truth...

A warm note of gratitude sets the stage for a frank, grace-filled conversation about church hurt...what it is, what it isn’t, and how we heal without denying hard truths. We welcome Scott Martin, who opens up about the loneliness of leadership, the danger of pedestal culture, and the quiet ways identity drift turns pastors into performers. Scott draws a clear line between abuses of authority and the everyday bumps of human communit...

Five women share how they build ministries, write hard stories, and stay obedient when timing, support, and strategy don’t go as planned. Courage meets clarity as we trade hustle for trust and learn to let God promote what He starts.

• practical lessons on starting, scaling, and structure
• perseverance through fear, delay, and warfare
• hustle versus surrender and Spirit-led timing
• promotion that points to Jesus, not ...

A life can harden long before it ends. Stephen grew up in chaos, violence at home, abandonment, and abuse, then stumbled into his own storm of crime, grief, and addiction. Facing a possible 30-year sentence, he met a pastor whose quiet authority and lived joy cracked something open. What followed wasn’t a neat turnaround; it was a rugged apprenticeship to grace that reshaped how he saw God, himself, and the people who had wounded h...

Sarah-Jane's journey begins in the unexpected transition from England's Sherwood Forest to Australia's Sunshine Coast, a bold move that ultimately led her to a life-changing encounter with Jesus. Growing up in a nominally Christian household but facing trauma and depression in her youth, Sarah-Jane spiraled into unhealthy patterns before making the decision to travel across the world for a fresh start.

What ...

Legin shares how God completely transformed his life, turning his name (Nigel) backward to symbolize how the gospel changed his direction and purpose. Through raw stories of forgiveness and divine appointments, he demonstrates how authentic faith can reach people who might never enter a church.

• After years of bitterness, Legin forgave his absent father just before his unexpected passing
• Experienced a divine appoint...

Katie Hauck's powerful testimony will transform how you view faithfulness and purpose in seemingly small acts of obedience. With raw vulnerability, Katie shares her journey from deep shame about her blended family to discovering beauty in brokenness, ultimately reaching millions through prison ministries after years of apparent ministry failure.
 
Her perspective on Isaiah—who prophesied faithfully for sixty years, lik...

Dr. Titus Kennedy, a biblical archaeologist specializing in the Eastern Mediterranean, reveals how archaeological discoveries provide tangible evidence of the Bible's historical accuracy. His journey from childhood fascination with Troy to uncovering Canaanite altars demonstrates how archaeology transforms abstract biblical narratives into concrete historical realities.

• The discovery of a 9th century BC "House ...

What happens when secrets protected for survival become the very chains that imprison us? Cecilia McCaw knows this journey intimately. Smuggled into the United States as a child and living undocumented for years, she guarded family secrets out of necessity. But even after gaining legal status, those secrets morphed into shame-filled barriers that prevented authentic connection and perpetuated lies about her worth.

"Kn...

We've all been caught in the trap of responding "crazy busy" when someone asks how we're doing. But what if our obsession with busyness is actually preventing us from living our true purpose?

In this soul-stirring conversation, Nancy Brusher reconnects with her high school friend Muffie Kruse to explore how simplifying our lives can lead to greater fulfillment. Muffie, a registered dietitian and homesch...

Do you ever wonder if Sunday church attendance is enough to build lasting faith in your children? This question lies at the heart of my conversation with Shawna Goldstein, a passionate Bible teacher and mother of three teenage boys who's on a mission to equip parents for their most important role - discipling the next generation.

Shauna shares a startling statistic that changed her perspective: while about 60% of Americans iden...