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

Suppose for just a moment that you came home from a long day at work. You're exhausted and just want to sit down. You collect the mail and look through it. Mostly junk but one piece sticks out. It is a notice that a package too valuable to be left when you're not here awaits you at the Post Office. All you have to do is pick it up and the package is yours. That moment between knowledge and possession of the package is wild. The package is there for the taking but not yet fully yours. Waiting can be excruciating. Now imagine living most of your life in that moment. It's my pleasure to introduce you to Ed Squire. Ed shares his testimony with me and described the long period of time when he was one foot in, one foot out with the Lord. He was a believer and knew that God loved him but he struggled constantly with living in His love. He knew the package was his but took his time picking it up. You'll hear him struggle with God and share with an intensity that few can. We also have a pretty deep theological conv

Without a burning bush, how do you know God is directing you? Today, my guest and I discuss this question. Andy McClure has held a number of interesting positions including working on air at a local radio station, public address announcer, pastor, and managing a ReStore for Habitat for Humanity. I invited him to be on the show after we met at a Habitat conference. His story will be a helpful one. God doesn’t always speak in the burning bush. He’ll say something very quietly through someone else and you just nod and say that’s it. God’s providence is all over Andy’s life. His childhood was difficult due to parents who were separated leaving him with no father figure. God provided one for him in a pastor who just happened to have kids the same age living down the street. As he grew up, Andy made friends with another pastor who mentored him in the early years of his faith. When he felt called to move to Colorado, God provided housing, funding, and a church in miraculous ways. Listen to hear his full story. Gre

I loved interviewing today’s guest. You will hear a story of one woman’s life with God that proves peace really does come through trusting God in the hardest times. Jane Grifasi relates her story of struggling with cancer, a wayward husband, and learning to love God with such a pure heart that I know you will be encouraged by hearing it. In 2014, Jane was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer which had spread through her body. She knew something was wrong and saw 11 doctors before she had a diagnosis. Her relief at the diagnosis surprised her doctors. “There was a lot of trouble before I came to Christ,” Jane says. She grew up in a Lutheran church but left and got married. Her marriage faltered and they divorced after seven years. During this time a friend invited Jane to her church. She and her ex-husband both came to the Lord, they remarried and had a family. I’ve had a wonderful, amazing, adventure-filled life. Our conversation became very personal as Jane described her last five years when marital issues c

Doug grew up a military kid moving often as so many do. A Christian camp was where he found life and the “light of Christ.” At home he had plenty of love and acceptance but did not have a supportive Christian community and so found a constant dichotomy between his life at camp and the one at the college fraternity. Eventually, he moved to Colorado from Michigan. Longing for something more, Doug kept returning to camp to get recharged but still did not have authentic community outside. Doug grew up volunteering and once in Colorado he put this value to work with foster children. It was through this commitment that he became part of a real Christian community and also met his wife. Shortly before he married Doug went to an event by Marked Men for Christ which changed how he deals with life’s issues and living in the world. Again, solid, Christ-centered friendships grew out of the experience. He can take a wretch like me and move me from steeped in the world to be led by the Spirit. Books mentioned by Doug (af

Greg Boyd – Racism: Why Whites Have Trouble “Getting It” Today’s guest is a classic suburban Christian kid with a passion for others. Jordan Vargo grew up with parents who loved the Lord. She was involved in a church youth group and wrestled with the disparity between her life there and at school. Jordan knew early in life that she wanted to be involved in mission so as soon as she could Jordan began to explore opportunities in college. When her mission trip to India was derailed by a typhoon she visited Vietnam with family friends instead. There fell in love with the people and the tangible faith of those who have little else. Her pastor saw that her ministry would benefit from more training so Jordan applied to Denver Seminary seeking a foundation in Scripture. The experience put words to her feelings for the marginalized and prepared her for a lifetime of service. I asked Jordan about specific passages of Scripture that influenced her as she pursued her studies. She cited the Jubilee of Leviticus 25:8-13

Jonathan Monsour grew up in a Roman Catholic family and rejected the church when his parents divorced. He came to Christ in middle school when his older sister signed him up for summer camp without asking him. It turned out to be a huge moment in his life because there he first heard about a relationship with Jesus leading him to give his life to Christ. You’ll hear us talk at some length about how long this process took and why. Jon describes his early relationship with the Lord as “one-sided” and derivative of his sister’s faith so that he had to learn to grasp the Lord on his own when she went to college. But then, Jon’s life changed again when one of his best friends died suddenly causing him to question God’s goodness and shaped his soul in ways he never expected. The result was a new calling to full-time ministry. Great quotes from our talk: God is always going to work in our lives. It took me awhile to release that to Him. * If I were in his position [and passed away] would my funeral be a couple of f

Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Following Jesus is never a one time event. Today’s guest describes her journey as one of learning to surrender not just once but as a practice of her discipleship. Sue Muckley is a mother, grandmother, and mentor to young people. She shared how the Lord showed her that He wants her heart through a move, a vision of how she approaches life with her husband, and the one role she plays. Great quotes from the interview: Run fast back to Jesus as soon as you know you’ve taken your eyes off of him. * God is greater than anything we can face but it’s when we believe the lie that we don’t need God that our focus is not on the Lord. * The holy of holies is in my heart. Books mentioned by Sue (Amazon affiliate links): The Last Addiction by Sharon Hersh The Calvary Road by Roy Hession Isaiah 43:1-5 I totally biffed a quote from Tim Keller when Sue and I were talking. Here’s

Is it possible to hear directly from God? A few weeks ago I shared with you a conversation with Iain Bradbeer about how he learned to interact with God to powerful results. I met today’s guest at the same time and he was generous enough to share the story of how he learned to hear and trust God. Todd Johnson is a pastor today but even getting to that role was a series of events of saying yes to leadership opportunities one at a time. He was the church kid who grew up loving the youth group at church and never remembers a time without the Lord. As you listen to Todd describe diving into leadership roles you’ll hear the joy in his voice and the peace of allowing events to develop while he trusts God. How does God direct him? That, Todd says, is the most dramatic part of his journey. And the stories he shares about the way God taught him to listen will inspire you, too. Great quotes: God is directing us all the time. * The problem with not having a category for actual leading is I can come up with this great id

Shari Malott is a mother, teacher, and artist who is married to last week’s guest Chuck Malott. This marks the first time I’ve interviewed a husband and wife about their journey. This beautiful couple have been through the journey together but responded in very different ways. Shari grew up with no connection to the church but she knew something was missing. As a girl she would go sit in a nearby Catholic church and enjoy the peace she found there. She did have a Bible at home and started reading it at the beginning like you would any other book. During her junior year of high school she noticed that one of the popular girls was nicer than usual. On December 17, 1971 she asked that girl why she was being so nice and in study hall that day she met Jesus. She joined a church in Denver where she met her husband Chuck. The 80’s, Shari says, were a blur and her spirituality was lived out as a mother raising her children. I Fight Everyday for Hope When asked about darker times in her journey, Shari freely admits t

Chuck grew up in a home so troubled that at his first opportunity he bought a one-way ticket to Hawaii where he lived under a makeshift shelter he fashioned from a washed up boat. When he finally returned home he met Christ through a pastor who just wouldn’t give up. As he returned to his seat after giving his life to Christ a woman met him with tears streaming down her face. She saw him weeks ago at a 7-11 and though he was “the most distraught human being” she had ever seen. So she prayed for him. God had answered her prayers. His life began to change as he realized going to church on Friday night and partying on Saturday night did not mix well. “It was through the Word and the Holy Spirit,” Chuck says that he came out of his wild lifestyle. His passion about the early years of walking with Christ can be heard in his voice as he describes praying with people, ministering on Colfax, and encouraging his friends. As Chuck shares in this interview, he learned to trust the Lord through the hard times including

How do you know when it’s God speaking to you? And what if you misinterpret what you heard? These are critical questions of discernment as you experience life with God. My friend Bill Brown spoke to me about learning to discern the Lord’s leading in his life. It’s one of those elusive concepts ingrained in church language but is not often taught as a matter of course in discipleship. That’s why it’s so valuable to hear Bill’s story of praying, waiting, and responding to what God seems to be doing in his life. He generously shared about the time he probably waited too long and what he learned from the experience. Bill is a godly man and I know his story will encourage you. Quotes from our conversation: “It’s in the training not the trying.” Dallas Willard * “I think we’ll develop throughout eternity.” * “The most valuable thing that came out of this was a greater sensitivity to that genuine peace.” * “Who can hold you better than God?” * “Inputs make a difference.” That last quote is great because Bill and

Why is it that the experience of following Jesus looks so completely different in the New Testament than it does today? It’s a question many of us wrestle with. I did and it led me to study spiritual formation in seminary. If you’ve ever wanted more of God, or whispered a late night prayer hoping God would intervene somehow in your life then this episode is for you. Hobbled with a theology that said he was still a sinner though redeemed, my guest today faced the dual weights of success he did not feel he deserved and chronic illness. His theology couldn’t make sense of it so he began to reach out to the Lord. Iain Bradbeer was born in Australia, raised the son of a Scottish Presbyterian pastor, and today is an author and traveling teacher. He asked God for more and shared the surprising ways God answered that prayer. Surprising, that is, only if you’ve never experienced it. Here are a few quotes from our conversation: What amazed me was that there would be a direct response to my prayers…The gap between my

Spiritual maturity is one of those elusive things that all followers of Christ hope and strive after but can sometimes be difficult to know what it is really like. After all, everyone we know is in process, right? So how do you know a spiritually mature person when you meet them? Is it by their age or the number of decades since they made that fateful decision to follow Christ? Either sounds good until you think through all the people you know who have believed for many years and still, for one reason or another, know much about God but do not seem to know Him at all. If you can’t tell a spiritually mature person by the number of years they have been a declared Christian, how do you tell? Today’s guest (our first!) is a fine answer the the question. When you meet her you will be inspired by her story of coping with a difficult childhood through the church, learning about herself through parenting, suffering loss, and serving diligently in one church for over six decades. (You read that right. 60 years!) But

Halfway There is a podcast dedicated to sharing the stories of ordinary Christians and their experience with God. Every Christian has a story to tell about how God entered into their lives but they don’t always get the opportunity to share it. Our discipleship suffers for lack of knowledge about how God works even today. Halfway There changes that by giving voice to ordinary Christians. Think of it as the pulpithood of all believers. Season 1 is packed with over 300 years of experience walking with God and features people in a variety of stages in life and Christian maturity. You will find a useful gem in each episode that will help you live more faithfully. If you like the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review in iTunes. And tell a friend who could use some encouragement. The post Halfway There Season 1 Preview appeared first on Eric Nevins.