Halfway There

Have you ever wondered if God really can turn your pain into purpose? Our guest today shares the peace he felt when he found Jesus after a lifetime of violence and how he uses it now to help others get free. Hector "Lefty" Perez is a mental health and sobriety advocate. He works installing HVAC systems and helps as many people as he can know the love of Christ. Today, Lefty shares what it was like growing up in East Los Angeles among violence, gangs, and drugs. He tells how he got sucked into the life, the moment he decided to get out, and turning his life over to Christ once and for all. Left also shares the difficult times he's experienced including relapse at times and how it led him to a life where he encourages others to give up drugs and live for Christ. Lefty's story reminds us that God loves us no matter what we have done. Listen to Lefty's story wherever you get your podcasts! Stories Lefty shared: Moving states to Colorado Being diagnosed with ADHD at seven and how it’s helped him with a career in trades Growing up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles in an immigrant family His family’s Roman Catholic background Feeling angry as a child at God and his parents The violence he experienced in the neighborhood The neighbor who groomed him to become a criminal Beginning to get involved in crime Working as a bodyguard and making more money than he’d seen before Achieving everything he wanted and feeling anxious about it Attempting suicide and surviving Being given a choice about his future Getting married and struggling with drug addiction Meeting a pastor who shared the Gospel with him Reading John and feeling God’s presence Leading his father to Christ His mother’s disappointing reaction to his new faith Struggling with drug addiction Breakthrough with vulnerability Great quotes from Lefty: Every word I read was like painkiller for my soul and I wanted more. I was searching for peace and I only found it when I allowed Christ in my heart. I prayed, "I've done worse things for a nobody, let me do something good for you, a somebody." Resources we mentioned: Lefty's Instagram (DM him) Related episodes: Christina Dent and Compassion for Others Randy Mortensen and Removing the Stigma of Addiction Mike Bolton and the Power of Yes

You grew up in church but suddenly, you can't tell if God cares about you. What do you do? Our guest today shares the moment when she didn't recognize herself, didn't feel God's presence, and what she did next. Ciara Laine Myers is an award-winning business owner, blogger, and author of Glasses Off: Seeing God When Your Vision Is Gone. Today, Ciara shares with us her reaction to trauma, the moment her secrets became known, and the practices that brought her back to health. Plus, we talk about calling and why it may not mean what you think. Ciara's story reminds us that no matter how far we feel from God, it's only one step back. Listen to Ciara's story wherever you get your podcasts now!   Stories Ciara shared: Struggling with calling and asking God for fresh insight Growing up on a little ranch in Texas in a Christian family Getting saved when she was five Being abused sexually by a friend at seven Processing her experience in college Deciding to be “bad Ciara” and where that led her Realizing that she didn’t feel God anymore and how that felt Going to the hospital with severe pain being forced to confess her drug use to her grandma Getting back with a previous boyfriend and getting pregnant Deciding to have a date with God for 60 days Getting “serious” about finding her calling Why humility is so important in an influencer culture The vision of her purpose from the Lord The urgency test and the action you need to take Great quotes from Ciara: If good Ciara is being abused, I’m going to be bad Ciara. There was one moment that I looked in the mirror and thought "I don't really feel God anymore, and it was cold." Calling is not a career. It’s a space on Earth to live out your purpose. Resources we mentioned: Ciara’s website Glasses Off: Seeing God When Your Vision Is Gone by Ciara Laine Myers Related episodes: Mary DeMuth and Her Avenue for Healing Chuck DeGroat and The Invitation to Obscurity Dan Rudman and Ripples of the Gospel

What was the experience for you that changed your faith dramatically? Our guest today shares the moment that moved his faith from his head to his heart and how it changed how he sees everything. Jeff Haanen is a writer and entrepreneur. He’s the founder of Denver Institute for Faith & Work, an educational organization that creates content and experiences around topics related to faith, work, the economy, and modern culture. Today, Jeff shares how he found faith while recovering from an injury, his funny response to praying aloud for the first time, and how he started thinking about faith and work. Plus, Jeff shares his process as he learned humility. Jeff's story reminds us the Gospel is best infused into every aspect of our lives. Listen to Jeff's story anywhere you get your podcasts!  Stories Jeff shared: Growing up in a Minnesota without a strong faith experience Getting hurt before his senior year and reading the Bible and other books Praying in a group for the first time Joining a missions organization and going to Ecuador Learning how to pay attention to people Deciding to go to seminary with an insatiable curiosity Starting the Denver Institute for Faith and Work Noticing “cracks” in his armor Realizing that he was looking for his identity in his work Going on a self-awareness journey Deconstruction how he lived his Christian life Leaving Denver Institute for Faith & Work How serving is crucial for work Great quotes from Jeff: My brain was way ahead of my heart and that's been a lot of my own faith journey.  We need to go on a journey of seeking deep spiritual health. A critical element of that self awareness journey is simply opening ourselves to what is and noticing what's there and not trying to fix it.  Resources we mentioned (Affiliate links): Jeff's website Working from the Inside Out by Jeff Haanen Francis Schaeffer's work The Critical Journey by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society by Leslie Newbigin Bernard of Clairvaux  Wellspring Church, Englewood With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani Related episodes: Skye Jethani and Eternity Breaks In Laura Flanders and The Mentored Life Matt Fagioli and Beyond Check Box Faith

Sometimes life just doesn't go the way you planned. Give me an amen if that resonates! When the unexpected happens, it's tempting to believe that you did something wrong or that God is punishing you.  Our guest today says that community, communion with God, and even medication helped her overcome life's unexpected speed bumps. Sarah E. Frazer is author of several books including her latest I Didn’t Sign Up for This. Today, Sarah shares about her friend from another denomination helped her grow, finding God while struggling through postpartum depression, and the moment she learned God isn't angry with her.  Sarah's story reminds us that while we are sometimes surprised by life, God isn't and he's always there with us. Listen to Sarah's story wherever you get your podcasts! Stories Sarah shared: Moving overseas in January 2020 and how that inspired her new book How the journey of suffering shapes us Growing up in Charleston, WV in a Christian family Giving her life to Christ at AWANA on a Wednesday night Deciding on following Jesus during college Meeting her husband at church and getting married Finding a friend from another denomination The pastor couple who helped them through early marriage Struggling with postpartum depression Wondering if God was even real How her doctor helped her with medication How Scripture helps her to reframe and Learning that God isn’t angry at her Why we need the whole character of God Great quotes from Sarah: God isn’t angry at me. God is a lot bigger than our black and white. When we face interruptions, we are tempted to question God’s sovereignty and his goodness. We need both as we move forward into a life we didn’t plan. Resources we mentioned: Sarah’s website  I Didn’t Sign Up for This: How to Rest in God’s Goodness When Your Story Shifts by Sarah E. Frazer Lessons in the Desert by Sarah E. Frazer The Glorious Ordinary by Sarah E. Frazer A Small Book for the Anxious Heart by Ed Welch Related episodes: Rachel Joy Welcher and the Spiritual Formation of Unmet Longings Jeff Brown and the Exponential Value of Reading Becky Castle Miller and Trusting Your Emotions

How often do you think about the end times? Ever come home to an empty house and wonder if you'd been left behind? If so, you're going to love this episode because our guest explains where that theological belief—and others you probably hold—came from. Dr. Dan Hummel is the director of The Lumen Center in Madison, WI and a research fellow in the History Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He authored The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle of the End Times Shaped a Nation.  Dr. Hummel shared his own experiences including how he developed a global perspective as a missionary kid, growing up in a cessationist tradition, and the humility he developed by studying different traditions in Israel. We also talk about dispensationalism, a theological framework that you're probably more affected by than you realize. He details where it came from, how it still influences us today, including how you read your Bible. Dr. Hummel's work and story reminds us that understanding our theological tradition is essential for our spiritual growth. LIsten anywhere you get your podcasts! Stories Dan shared: Growing up as a missionary kid and developing a global perspective How his family of origin shaped his perspective Praying the “sinner’s prayer” as a seven year old How his college experiences in a small church shaped his faith Deciding to study Middle East history The humility he had as he read different traditions Growing up in a cessationist tradition Spending a year in Israel and the experience of being in the minority How studying Christian Zionism led to studying dispensationalism The effect of dispensationalism’s “hermeneutical innovation” Examples of the effects of dispensationalism in America today Great quotes from Dan: Christianity is an inherently eschatological religion. Resources we mentioned: Dan’s website  The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle over the End Times Shaped a Nation by Dr. Dan Hummel How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture by Francis Schaeffer The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate by John Walton With by Skye Jethani Related episodes: Skye Jethani and Eternity Breaks In Peter Englert and Discipleship Ministry and Mentorship Chuck Malott is a Hippy Turned Saint