Halfway There | Christian Testimonies | Spiritual Formation, Growth, And Personal Experiences With God

Celebrate the New Year with these fresh start stories about how God changed the lives of three past guests of Halfway There. Many were happy to see 2016 go and a new year begin. Admittedly, the year was a strange one in many ways between a vicious U.S. election cycle featuring unpopular candidates, Trump’s win in spite of (or because of?) his political incorrectness, celebrity deaths, and an otherwise uneasy feeling many of us seemed to have. But for me, 2016 will forever be the year Halfway There became more than just an idea; it became a reality. The two years between idea and the eventual realization of the dream seemed like forever and at times I did not think it would ever happen. But I believe God has a reason for this show and so on June 6, 2016 it finally came to pass. Before I get to the notes for the show, I want to share with you a few highlights of the year: 2 seasons complete and available in the archives in iTunes, Google Play Music, or Stitcher Radio 25 guests who shared their personal stories

In our family Christmas lasts for a week so it’s okay to add one more reflection after the official day. Today is the last of our Advent series and the focus is on love. Don Owsley and I talk about love and Simeon. Then, we finished up our series on imaginative prayer in the Nativity story. Merry Christmas, my friends! The post Advent Reflections: The Good News of Love appeared first on Eric Nevins.

On today’s episode Don Owsley and I reflect on the joy of Simeon at seeing Jesus for the first time. Of all the people who worshiped God because of the newborn Jesus, Simeon reaches furthest back to the founding promise God made to Abraham. Finally, everything Israel existed for had come to fruition. Then we practice imaginative prayer through the experience of Joseph in Matthew 1:18-25. I hope this episode adds to your experience of Christmas this year! The post Advent Reflections: At Long Last Joy appeared first on Eric Nevins.

On today’s episode we reflect on the peace of God and explore Mary’s experience. To help us guys understand what it’s like to become a mother, I invited a very special guest on the show: my wife Jodi! She shared the many thoughts that go through a newly expecting mother’s mind – especially the first time. Then we talk to Don Owlsey about Simeon and the kind of peace that God’s righteousness brings: shalom. Don does a great job taking us into the mindset of this first-century waiting prophet. Be sure to follow Don on Facebook and let him know you heard our conversation. If you want to hear the full story of how Leonard Nimoy I found the video for you. Fascinating story: If you enjoyed this show please share it with a friend  (or lots of them on social media). It’s the best endorsement you could give. The post Advent Reflections: Peace for the Waiting appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Advent is a season of waiting, expectation, and most of all hope. Today, we take a break from the usual format to explore those themes with Don Owsley and talk about the life of Simeon (Luke 2:22-35). We also spend some time in imaginative prayer to help us experience the hope from the perspective of Zechariah. If you’re looking for a way to experience the story of Christmas in a way you never have before, be sure to listen and share this one with a friend. Also, pick up Don’s book Thanksliving at Amazon today and let him know you heard it about it on Halfway There! The post advent reflections: hope for the waiting ones appeared first on Eric Nevins.

In last week’s episode, Doug Hazen shared with us part of his story and his calling to the mission field where he and his wife encountered unexpected adversity as the country was torn by war. Those events changed Doug’s perspective of God and his protection for the worse. Today, Doug shares how God revealed his goodness to Doug once again, the emotional work it took to understand evil from God’s perspective, and how God led him to his current position in ministry. Great quotes from Doug: God said “I didn’t do this for Ruth. I did this for you because you have to know I’m a good God and I love you…” It didn’t erase all the pain but it was a major turning point. [Speaking of understanding the depths of evil in the world] I always thought God approached that with anger. I think he approaches it with grief. Satan, you have had control of my family for 80 years. No more. I’ve known for years that most people read the Scriptures for information. I read it to worship and find the presence of Christ. From Andrew Mur

I didn’t plan on this episode but decided to share with you Psalm 107 today as a reflection of God’s goodness to us. It’s all about how good the Lord is to rescue us from all kinds of trouble. It’s easy – and right – to be thankful for the good things in our lives. And it’s good to remember the hard things and that God was faithful to rescue us when we needed him. It may not have looked as we would have designed but it’s always good. The post Bonus episode: Happy Thanksgiving! appeared first on Eric Nevins.

Doug Hazen serves as the National Director of Mobilization Prayer at World Venture. His job is to pray that God would bring people who want to share the Gospel around the world. Today, he shares the story of how God has led him to this position. The stories that Doug shares of the big events in his life that challenged his trust in God like resisting God’s call to ministry, finally surrendering, and serving as a missionary in the Republic of Congo (then Zaire) where refugees streamed across the boarder from the civil war in Rwanda. He and his family were robbed at gunpoint, he almost killed a child, and felt like a complete failure which caused him to face his brokenness. And that’s where this episode ends. There’s a lot more to the story and we’ll pick it up the next episode because Doug and I spent another hour or so talking through his story from the brokenness he left the mission field with to the ultimate restoration and the fruit God brought in him. Great quotes from Doug: I would say the greatest part

Zac Medeiros shares his story of growing up in a Christian family in Quebec, struggling  through depression, and finding life in God’s Word again. In Quebec, evangelical Christians represent less than one percent of the population. Zac and I talked about how that’s different from the United States where there may multiple churches of varying denominations even in small town. While most people call themselves Catholic, few have any faith in God to speak of. Zac was on a path of losing a faith instilled by a Christian family when a series of mentors came into his life at the right times. Then while he struggled with a serious depression he discovered Christian podcasts (see the links below) which reignited his love for God and Scripture. Now, Zac is trying to make a difference whenever he can, and he even preached a sermon recently that God is using to spread the message of the Gospel in his sphere of influence. Great quotes from Zac: Christianity was kind of a puzzle. Even at that young age, God touched my he

Jesse Bean shares why an experience of God’s grace is more powerful than all the knowledge in the world. When all his role models fell apart, Jesse gave up all but his faith that God existed and lived “without God at all.” But God wouldn’t let him go. Even when Jesse decided to live his life working as hard as he could to be moral and just a good guy, he knew that God was reaching out to him. His crisis moment came after he got married. Jesse felt the weight of caring for another human being’s needs in addition to his one purely from his own effort. After realizing that he could not continue on his own without expecting the same kinds of moral disasters that plagued his childhood role models Jesse sought help first from a counselor then eventually from God. Jesse takes us to the watershed moment when God wrapped his arms around him and he finally came back. Today, Jesse serves as the accountant at South Fellowship Church and is studying to become a counselor himself. Great quotes from Jesse: In hindsight, I’

What would you do if God asked you to do something strange for awhile? Not a small step out of your comfort zone but a huge leap from it? Today’s guest is a man of action who God has used to bring joy to many children through Joy International. Jeff Brodsky founded the organization in 1981 and he shares today several stories about how God led him to start his own ministry and how it evolved over the years to the work they do today rescuing girls caught in sex trafficking around the world. (Note: be cautious as you listen to this episode. Jeff shares his story about how God led him and while there is nothing too explicit, the nature of his work means we have to mention sex slavery. I wouldn’t listen to this one with the kids in the car if you don’t want to answer any questions about that topic.) That’s a difficult enough task, but Jeff also does something unique to show his solidarity with those children that need to be rescued: he goes barefoot all the time. Listen to the show to hear him explain how he deci

Today’s conversation is with Amy E. Patton who shares how she learned to see God in her story. While she was a believer, it took a special community accepting her faults and all to help her understand the God could accept her too. Amy began to believe that God could use her, too, which led her in the direction of missions, story, and words. We often talk about books that impact us and Amy had a unique list. She shared fiction books God used to connect her to people who have to find purpose in their story which make her come alive. Here are links to the book Amy mentioned (Amazon affiliate links): Non-fiction books Amy mentioned: Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess Great quotes from Amy: Jesus, this has nothing to do with heav

Have you ever been pushed to your limit? What if you got there by helping others in a way you felt called by God to do? Was he far away and distant. Or, close as you learned he was taking care of you deeply? Today’s guest is Lynn Byk who shares the experience of going to the limit of herself only to find that God led her to an unlikely relationship that changed her life. In fact, all the relationships that Lynn shares in this episode will move and inspire you from her days as a missionary in South Africa at the end of apartheid, to the way she led her husband to Christ, and finally, how God healed her after a painful estrangement with her neighborhood. God showed Lynn that he uses even our most painful experiences to bring us back to Him, together for our good, and that she can trust Him in that process. Lynn wrote a book about one of those relationships called Mr. B: Living with a 98-Year-Old Rocket Scientist which you can get at Amazon (affiliate link).Lynn wrote a book about one of those relationships cal

Today my guest is Rob Karch. Rob has served, with his wife and family, as a global worker sharing Jesus with people in Quebec for twelve years. In today’s conversation, he shares the story of how he got there, why he fell in love with God through reading Scripture with emotion, and the most recent unexpected turn in his life. Listen closely to Rob as he shares his heart of trust in God who so clearly has led him to share Christ with others. Even as he faces what can only be described as one of the most difficult challenges in his life, he tells stories of real hope based on the truth of the Gospel. That trust is so powerful. Rob is a friend and every time I talk to him this passion for God’s mission in the world lights up his face. I hope you enjoy him as much as I do. Great quotes from Rob in our conversation: We do a huge disservice when we worry we’re going to miss God’s will somewhere because throughout Scripture when God makes himself known, it is unmistakable. Simultaneously, there’s blessing and there

When you think of the mission field, what countries come to mind? Africa? South America? Maybe Asia? What about France? Today’s guest is Carol Wilson, a woman who heard God’s call to go so she gave up her beloved teaching job and took a step. We talk about how the end is never really clear until much later. Instead, you just take one step toward what you sense God calling you to and see what happens. Carol did just that and He took her all the way to France where she served as a missionary for 36 years. In today’s episode, Carol shares the story of her conversion at a Billy Graham crusade in Des Moines, Iowa, her call to the mission field, and stories from her ministries including what made her question whether she was in the right place and meeting Francis Schaeffer. Books mentioned (Amazon affiliate links): Great quotes: Little by little, over the year, I can say things happened in my life…that caused me to see the need in France. When I got there I learned it was called the graveyard of missionaries beca

How does a Michigan farm boy turn into a travelling minister who builds up the church around the globe? Today’s story is proof that you just never know how God is going to use the events in your life, even the ones you don’t think are for your good at the time. The story belongs to Dell McDonald who I call the elder statesmen of our church. In our conversation, Dell shares the story of how he came to Christ in the middle of plowing a field, why he entered the Air Force, and how his sudden departure from the military was actually perfect timing for the work God would call him to do. That work involved ministering to Christian members of militaries around the world with an organization called Association for Christian Conferences, Teaching, and Service.  He shares a remarkable story about a time when their work prevented potential slaughter. Once again, God was working even when it was difficult for anyone to know. Dell and I talk about the Holy Spirit and his conviction that sometimes we just make it too comp

Today my guest is Laura Flanders who serves as the director of the training and mentoring program at Denver Seminary. This was a special conversation to me because Laura served as my training center director during my time at DenSem. Her commitment to honesty in spiritual formation shaped me and planted the seeds of many of the ideas that show up in the show each week. Christians of all varieties are always working on learning more about God, who He is and how He works. That’s why we are always reading the Bible and spending time in prayer. Good ways to learn and grow, right? But what happens when our ideas about God are challenged by events that make no sense to us? Or even makes us angry? In 2001, Laura’s family had an experience that was deeply troubling and caused her to reconsider God. She was “furious” that God did not protect her family after the event which led her on a year long journey to trust God again. She shares the way God has brought her through the anger to a new perspective using Hebrews an

Matthew Rennels shares his story of overcoming bipolar and anxiety. He grew up in a Lutheran family but, like many, gave up any connection to God in college. But then while working as a newspaper reporter in the Bible Belt, Matthew worked with a Christian. At first, he was was wary but then one day he just asked if he could go to church with the guy. And that was it. He gave his life to Christ not in a moment but in a flash. Matthew shared several of his hardest times including the last year when his life has changed dramatically through divorce, the sudden loss of his father, and a change of scenery from Florida to South Dakota. When asked what his experience of God is through this he gave the most honest answer: “It’s been a little back and forth.” Sometimes the life of faith is back and forth. The trick is to keep going. In a recent blog titled How to Find God’s Shining Light after a Divorce, Matthew shared his experience of divorce, wavering faith, and getting through to see God again. He’s a gifted writ

My guest today is Richard Jacobson who is a former pastor turned artist, animator, and now author. His book Unchurching: Christianity without Churchianity is written for the millions of Christians who are leaving organized churches. They aren’t alone and in Richard they may have found a leader. You may expect that someone writing against the current structure organization of churches to be bitter and angry at the church, with an axe to grind because they were hurt at some distant point in the past. Richard’s heart is not that way at all. I once heard a professor say to a class on church leadership that if you want to criticize the church, go ahead, but make sure you love her first. Richard’s heart is 100% there. He loves the church and believes there are better ways to create disciples than the present corporate structures. When the Holy Spirit speaks, he speaks with power. Wouldn’t a God who is omnipotent  and omniscient that can do anything, be able to make you know [when His presence is near]? It’s kind o

This episode is a “betweenisode” to get us through to Season 2 of the show. Season 1 was great as we heard from 13 different people sharing their stories about God in their life and what it’s really like to walk with Him. Over 1600 downloads later, we’re ready to move into the next season. In this episode, I share about what to do when you are mad at God. It’s a moment that we all experience at some point. How we choose to respond is critical. We have three choices: Run away and reject faith altogether Redouble our efforts to please and impress God hoping to get better results Remain in the tension and take our issue directly to Him I share from the book of Habakkuk that deciding to press into the tension by wrestling with God, waiting for Him to respond, and worshiping is the best choice. Habakkuk’s example is a good one to follow. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content. The post What to Do When You’re Mad at God appeared first on Eric Nevins.