grandawakening

Bill Elliff is the founder and National Engage Pastor of The Summit Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. His passion is to see both genuine revival and methodological renewal in the church—both new wine and new wineskins. He is a frequent conference speaker, writer, and consultant to churches drawing from his 50+ years of pastoring and revival ministry. Bill is also the Pastor/Church Director for OneCry, A Nationwide Call for Spiritual Awakening and the author of fifteen books and booklets and numerous articles. He lives to faithfully and effectively communicate the whole counsel of God to as many people as possible through preaching, writing, church development, and personal equipping that they may become intimate, reproducing disciples of Jesus Christ. Bill and his wife Holly are parents to eight children and grandparents to 27. Five of their sons are in fulltime ministry. In this podcast, Bill shares about the incredible joy and blessing we experience when we abide in the manifest presence of God. Sadly, it is all too easy for us Christ-followers to be distracted from pursuing that sweet spot of His presence, thereby causing us to lose the treasure that is freely offered to us by our loving Lord. Bill continues by suggesting what practical steps we can take to help us increasingly rest in God's wonderful presence. Bill ends our conversation by sharing briefly how the revival and spiritual awakening many of us have been seeking for years is now happening, especially among Gen Z young people throughout America. He encourages us to not miss the growing opportunity for prayer and evangelism that this exciting movement of God provides.

Dean Vander Mey serves as the Executive Director of Set Free Ministries located here in West Michigan but touching lives around the world. Set Free guides individuals through the process of finding freedom from various forms of spiritual and emotional bondage. Not only does Dean oversee his dynamic staff, he also personally meets with individuals in crisis, offering them comfort and direction based on the truths of Scripture. In addition, Dean has a teaching ministry in which he shares the profound wisdom of God revealed through Freedom Ministry. In his personal life, Dean finds joy in his marriage to his beloved wife, Sharie. Together, they are blessed with six daughters, four sons-in-law, and eighteen grandchildren. Before dedicating himself to ministry, Dean successfully ran a business called Action Packaging for 23 years. When he's not fulfilling his calling, Dean takes pleasure in spending quality time with his family and pursuing outdoor activities. As an enthusiastic sportsman, he cherishes moments spent hunting, fishing, and retreating to “Deer Camp” in the UP of Michigan. In this podcast Dean tells how Set Free Ministries continues to touch thousands of lives both locally and around the world. He says that a vast majority of the people coming into their West Michigan offices are followers of Christ but who are being held captive by lies they have embraced either intentionally or unintentionally. Ultimately, lies enslave, but truth sets us free! And so many of the people who engage in freedom appointments at Set Free do in fact receive a wonderful measure of God's healing touch. Dean also describes how their Set Free Global division is seeing so many lives come to faith in Christ and growing into dynamic leaders for Christ who are passing His truth onto many more, all for His glory. The stories are truly exciting! Finally, Dean shares how, in our age of growing anxiety and worry, we can find God's peace and joy as we concentrate on His truth and His promise to be with us and care for us. So we can take those scary steps of faith as we keep our eyes on Him.

Michael P. Farris is a litigator, educator, public advocate, and communicator, and is widely recognized for his successful work on both the national and international stage. He was founding president of both the Home School Legal Defense Association (1983) and Patrick Henry College (2000). Michael served as the President and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom from 2017 to 2022. He is currently General Counsel to the National Religious Broadcasters. For over 40 years, Michael has practiced constitutional appellate litigation specializing in religious freedom and parental rights. In that capacity, he has argued before many state appellate courts, federal circuit courts of appeal, and even the Supreme Court of the United States! Of particular note is that Mike was CEO of the Alliance Defending Freedom organization while ADF was serving as co-counsel to the Attorney General of Mississippi for the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health which reversed Roe v. Wade! For his work, Michael has received numerous awards and honors, including two honorary doctorates. He is the author of over fifteen books, as well as law review and other scholarly and popular articles. He and his wife, Vickie, have ten children, 31 grandchildren and one great-grandchild (with more to come!) In this podcast, Michael talks about how as an attorney he helped me (Randy Hekman) in 1982 when I as a Juvenile Court Judge faced potential consequences due to my ruling on a case involving a 13 year old girl who sought an abortion. Michael also talks about the incredible blessing of children, a concept that far too few Christian parents fully embrace. Why should we Christians buy into the world's lie that children are more a burden than a blessing and therefore should be minimized? Finally, Michael shares about a trip to the Soviet Union in 1988 where he met many Christian couples who had very large families. And they explained to Michael that they chose to have many children to show the distressed world around them that, with God and His blessings, we can have genuine hope for the future rather than despair.

Karla VanOtteren is an author, speaker, and prophetic teacher with a calling to equip and activate the body of Christ to know God's voice, live out healthy prophetic ministry, and seek the Father's heart for inner healing. She has authored a book “God Conversations: Prophetic Journaling that Ignites Transformation.” Karla is the National Day of Prayer Task Force Coordinator for the State of Michigan, where she is blessed to reside with her amazing husband of 31 years, Jim, and their rescue dog Ellie. Jim and Karla have one remarkable son, Alex, an exceptional musician and powerful man of God, of whom they are extremely proud every single day. In this podcast, Karla describes her amazing conversion to Christianity in the midst of struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. And how, thereafter, she has been growing in her faith in and love for God. Karla also shares how God has been consistently and increasingly speaking to her by the Holy Spirit through various visions and words in her heart. But she cautions that what we sense God is saying to us must never be allowed to contradict the written Word of God, the Bible. Karla also describes how it was that she became connected to the National Day of Prayer and the importance of prayer for our region, state, nation and world. We see revival and spiritual awakening happening! May we continue to pray toward that end!

Mark Blocher is the co-founder and CEO of Christian Healthcare Centers, Inc., a Grand Rapids, MI-based non-profit organization providing primary and specialist medical services in Michigan. His educational background includes undergraduate and advanced degrees from Cornerstone University, Western Michigan University, Dallas Theological Seminary and Kennedy-Western University. Mark has personally taught at many colleges and universities in Michigan and has founded and run a number of non-profits concerned with pro-life and health related matters. Mark has authored a number of articles and books and is well known nation-wide as a speaker on issues dealing with life, health and bioethics. Mark and his dear wife Julie are parents of 4 grown children, and they are the proud grandparents of now 6 grandkids! In this podcast, Mark talks about one of the areas we American Christians have largely bought into the lies of our culture. And that is the area of children: being open to having a large family should God so lead. Our American culture says we should minimize child-bearing. But more and more books and studies are showing we face a very bleak future as a nation and a world due to insufficient numbers of children being born. Yes, it takes a lot of work and a lot of resources to raise even one child. But Scripture makes it abundantly clear that each precious child is created by God and in His image, and has the potential of impacting our world for good and then living forever in His eternal kingdom! And God has promised to meet all our needs as we put Him and His Kingdom first. So why not have a “quiver full” of kids (Psalm 127)? Bottom line, we American Christians need to repent of our lack of having God be the Lord of this area of our lives. For more information, check out our book: Sweeter by the Dozen: Making Jesus the Lord of Our Family Size.

WILLIAM J. FEDERER is a nationally known speaker, best-selling author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc., a publishing company dedicated to researching America's noble heritage. Bill's AMERICAN MINUTE radio feature is broadcasted daily across America and on the Internet. His Faith in History television airs on the TCT Network on stations across America and via DirectTV. He is the author of many books, has appeared on numerous television and radio network programs, has spoken in scores of places around the globe and has received numerous awards from various organizations for his great work. On a personal note, William was the fifth of eleven children, growing up in St, Louis, Missouri. He is a graduate of St. Louis University High School, and ultimately obtained a degree in Business from St. Louis University in 1980. He is married to his sweet wife Susie. Prior to his current work in ministry, William worked in real estate, oil & gas, and other religious organizations. You can learn more by going to his website AmericanMinute.com. In this podcast, William tells how most of the world's history is about nations being ruled by a king or dictator who, to maintain order, assumes virtually all authority, thus depriving citizens of almost all of their freedom. One exception was the nation of Israel before King Saul was anointed. At that time, Jewish men and women, knowing they were created and loved by God and were accountable to Him, were able to enjoy relative freedom as long as they sought to follow God in obedience. William also points out how America's history shows a similar background that was memorialized in our founding documents and which place ultimate authority in the hands of “we the people.” Contrary to what our modern “woke” culture suggests, America's founding, while not perfect, was based on solid Biblical truth about the value of each human being created in God's image. He points out that this continues to work until we citizens lose track of our accountability to God and start causing hurt to each other. Then government needs to step in to restore order. William also talks about the essential difference between angels and humans. That we are superior to angels in many respects because we are created in the image of God and have the capacity to choose to love Him, which our loving Heavenly Father is seeking.

Pastor Arthur Guice received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1980, while attending Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL. It was during this season in his life that Arthur sensed a call to ministry. As a result, he changed his major from Business Administration to Theology. On March 23, 2003, Arthur was installed as the Senior Pastor of Spirit of Liberty Church of God, Markham, IL. A few years after serving as Senior Pastor, Arthur faced personal tragedy as his lovely and devoted wife of nine years went home to be with the Lord after a very courageous and lengthy battle with cancer. By the grace of God, Pastor Guice continued to serve as the Senior Pastor of Spirit of Liberty of God in Markham, IL until retiring in February 2023. Arthur also serves as the Great Lakes Regional Prayer coordinator for the Church of God, Cleveland Tennessee, and was ordained as a Bishop through the same ecclesiastical hierarchy. He is the founder and President of Full of Glory Ministries, Inc., a teaching ministry committed to developing fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ as well as the Illinois State Coordinator for Cry Out America. Art is a man who is deeply committed to fulfilling the “Great Commission” of our Lord Jesus Christ by making disciples of all nations. He has an anointing to teach and preach the Word of God with simplicity and with accuracy. He is a much sought-after speaker for conferences, seminars and workshops throughout the Chicago area and the nation. In this podcast, Pastor Art shares how he believes Black History Month (February) is actually helpful for people of color to help them see more clearly that some of the things they have been taught about their identity by a less than godly culture are simply not true. And that, with God and the truth of His Word, they can become all that He wants them to be. Art also emphasized the importance of the Church in America to have the true spiritual unity that Jesus prayed about in John 17:20-23, and that, unless we move quickly toward genuine unity, God's judgment is close at hand.

David Blok helped found and is now the Executive Director of a ministry called Plant 616. His ministry journey has been driven by 3 burdens: a love for the city, a passion for church planting, and a fascination with movements. This has led him through 20 years of urban ministry experience, pastoring and church planting in an urban neighborhood in greater Grand Rapids. David received his Master of Divinity degree in 2010 from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary with an emphasis on Church planting. He is a certified dean of the Evangel School of Urban Church Planting, a Send Network church planter trainer, and a church planting coach. David has been married to his lovely wife, Amanda, for almost 16 years. Together they have embarked on a journey of neighborhood ministry, foster care and adoption. As a result, they are the proud parents of Anthony, Melvin, and Elliana. Through his work with Plant 616, David is excited to connect with and encourage mission minded leaders in the 616 area code, equip the next wave of missional adventurers, and catalyze a movement of missionary disciples in every crack and crevice of the 616 area code. In this podcast, David talks about how Plant 616 was formed and how it increasingly is bringing together a wide variety of genuine Christ-followers in greater Grand Rapids to do all they can to “make Jesus famous on every block” in our area. David is so excited to see how God is calling so many diverse people to work together toward this goal, including younger Gen Z believers along with older saints. Truly, we are seeing revival and spiritual awakening springing up all for His glory and our joy!

Allen Heneveld has an amazing background! He now is a practicing attorney in the greater Grand Rapids area, focusing on helping small businesses thrive. But he also has prior experience as a CPA accredited accountant. Allen has an undergrad degree from Hope College, an MBA degree from Duke University, and a Juris Doctor (law) degree from George Washington University Law School. Allen is married to his dear wife Nina, and together they have four wonderful children. Beyond that, Allen states on his law firm website that he is a very blessed man. Why? He says it's because he has a deep relationship with the Father, with Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And that his desire is that all of his life would flow out of that relationship – just like Jesus. In this podcast, Allen shares a wealth of godly wisdom for us. He begins by relating how he personally went from being a lukewarm Christ follower to being wholehearted in his pursuit of Jesus and His way of living. As a result, Allen followed the leading of the Holy Spirit to preach at a number of churches in various places of America, encouraging those in attendance to similarly give all to Christ. Many responded positively to his exhortation. In recent months, Allen has been working on a book that is much needed in our world: it's about our need to forgive, to rid ourselves of ALL bitterness. Allen has personally helped many folks process the lack of forgiveness in their lives resulting in their having much greater peace, joy and love. Even our secular world is seeing a correlation between bitterness and cancer! Bitterness is truly a cancer of the soul and, apparently, the body as well! Finally, Allen shares how we can best do what Jesus commanded in Matthew 6:19-21, where Jesus tells us to lay up treasures in heaven, not on earth. We need to do it for Him, in love, and for His name's sake. The result is possessing eternal blessings!

Nadia Gordinsky is a native from Ukraine. She founded and now runs Save A Life international, a life-saving organization that helps women in crisis pregnancies, and also those who have survived sexual abuse or domestic violence. In the past 10 years, Nadia has shared with many groups in the U.S., Ukraine and Europe her personal story of loss, overcoming obstacles, and fully thriving in her new country of America. She has also summarized her life story and heart in a book she recently released entitled: ”Little Feet, Big Hurt: One hour that changed my life.” Women in crisis situations can count on Nadia to assist them because of her passionate heart to promote the sanctity of life, women's dignity, and love itself. In this podcast, Nadia shares her faith story as a teenager in Ukraine and how a very painful experience in her life led her, step-by-step, to launch the ministry of Save A Life International. You will be amazed at how God has blessed this growing work to touch thousands of lives in Ukraine and many more nations in our world as it draws women to the love and grace of God. With the result that many unborn children are being born instead of being aborted, and many of their mothers coming to saving faith in Jesus.

Rev. Tim Vink lives in Zeeland, Michigan and is a Disciple Making Movement Catalyst. He has been married to Dana for 37 years and together they have three adult daughters, two sons-in-law and now seven grandchildren. Tim has served churches in southern and central California, Iowa and Michigan. He has been part of starting hundreds of new churches with thousands of new believers grounded in Christ. He has also been engaged in healing and deliverance ministry for over 38 years. In this podcast, Tim describes his passion for making disciples who, in turn, make other disciples, with the result that the church grows via multiplication rather than merely by addition. Tim longs to see the attendees of American churches doing more than just attending church and expecting the church staff to do the job of sharing the Gospel. He has seen the huge difference that results when every church member does his or her part to spread the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ by making disciples in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is truly the heart of revival and spiritual awakening!

Jonah Engle is a graduate of Spring Arbor University, and he now makes his home in the Grand Rapids area. About six years ago, God began to move deeply on Jonah's heart and he became, in his own words, “passionately in love with Jesus.” This passion grew to the point where he knew he had to share this good news of Jesus with others. So together with some close friends who likewise loved Jesus, they formed the EveryHeart movement. It started with just Jonah and his best friends traveling the country to share Jesus with people in America during the summer and also organizing a worship night at 9pm on Mondays during the school year. This past summer, over 100 young people went out on tour across the US sharing the Gospel and saw over 600 folks come to new faith in Jesus! In the past 3 years, well over 1000 have received Jesus. Jonah is married to his amazing wife Haley and he says that he continues to fall more in love with her and with Jesus daily. He desires nothing more than to go forth making disciples of all nations and proclaiming the Gospel to all creation. In this very encouraging podcast, Jonah Engle tells how, a number of years ago while a college student, he and a small group of friends decided to say “yes” to anything Jesus was leading them to do. It resulted in them giving up their summer plans and their career goals in favor of traveling the nation and sharing the love of Jesus with as many people as possible. The result has been an incredible, growing movement of God--both locally, and across the nation--as Gen Z young people from here and from other areas as well have been moved by God in similar ways! And this powerful movement continues to grow and spread! Near the end of the podcast, Jonah also shares a personal answer to prayer as well. Dear friends, much needed revival and spiritual awakening is here now and it's growing!

Karl House grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He graduated with a Master of Divinity from Calvin Theological Seminary. Karl has planted a Christian Reformed Church near Toronto and a Vineyard Church in Tampa. He is back in Grand Rapids planting The Way MicroChurches—A new family of simple churches in Grand Rapids and beyond. Karl's passion is to pour into a new generation of disciples, leaders and MicroChurches. In the various places where Karl has lived, one of the many things he has done has been to encourage pastors in that geographical area to unite on a regular basis in prayer. In this podcast, Karl describes our upcoming one day prayer gathering for pastors, leaders and intercessors to be held at Venue3Two in Kentwood, MI on October 23, 2024. In Karl's previous ministries, he saw how God can use these sorts of gatherings to build on-going prayer among otherwise diverse Christian groups with the result that the area becomes much more saturated with God's manifest presence and more people are impacted with the Gospel of Christ. And that makes so much sense in light of Christ's prayer in John 17:20-23 where He prayed for us to have unity that, He said, will result in much greater blessing.

Rick Warzywak is the founder and director of Transformation MI, whose mission it is to connect Michigan's 83 counties in day and night prayer. As one way of accomplishing this goal, Rick hosts a nightly prayer call that began on November 4, 2020 and continues to the present time bringing literally hundreds together nightly at 9PM EST. Believe it or not, this call has been going on for over 1420 nights in a row! Rick also hosts prayer at the MI State capitol the Last Thursday of each month at 10AM in Room 426, as he and those in attendance pray for those in authority consistent with I Timothy 2. In the past, Rick was also an open-air preacher on various university campuses for more than 20 years, debating and contending with atheists, agnostics, liberal professors, witches, occultists, Muslims, and other young people whose faith had been shipwrecked. Rick believes a "Great Awakening" is underway in our nation and we are in a season of time where God is now preparing the way. His website is TransformMI.com. In this podcast, Rick talks about how he got involved in open air preaching at Michigan's universities, a ministry that he did for over 20 years and the lives God impacted as a result. Rick also talks about a major stroke he recently had that could easily have ended his ministry and even his life altogether. But God used that stroke to tell Rick he needed to forgive many people who had offended him in his past. When he forgave, God wonderfully healed him! His healing allowed Rick to continue sharing his faith in various ways, including through the publication of an 80 page booklet entitled, “The Bible IS True.” Rick is now joyfully giving copies of this book away for anyone who asks for one. His heart's desire is that all of us Christ-followers courageously and lovingly share our faith, using his book, our testimonies, and whatever else to draw people to Jesus so that the Spiritual Awakening we have been praying for grows very large. Bottom line as you will see from this podcast, Rick remains on fire for Jesus!

Geoff Eckart lives in Grand Rapids, MI with his wife, Arianna. Together they have 3 daughters. He is the Lead Pastor at Daybreak Church in Hudsonville, MI, and the Founder & CEO of “Never The Same,” a national youth ministry. Geoff is also the Chairman of the Board for the National Day of Prayer Task Force. In this podcast, Geoff talks about how he is God is helping him to juggle his various job responsibilities, keeping a top priority on his walk with Jesus and his family. Geoff has led a ministry for young people for a number of years called “Never The Same.” Geoff tells about the major impact this ministry made even this past summer in the lives of thousands of high school age young people. In fact, he strongly senses that there is a real movement of God, especially among high school and college aged folks in our day. This, he says, is part of a real revival that is happening in our land which may well have begun with the events over a year ago at places like Asbury University. Geoff also talks about the amazing power of prayer that we American Christ-followers often neglect to take full advantage of. His church is putting increasing emphasis on prayer and, already, they are seeing a very positive impact. Finally, Geoff mentions an upcoming movie premier that he has helped produce about his prayer walk a few years ago across much of America. The movie is called The Justice Trail and will be premiered on September 4, 2024 here in Grand Rapids.

Jason and Jennifer Rykse were High School sweethearts. They have been married for 22 years. Together they have 11 children, 7 boys and 4 girls. For many years they were neighbors with Randy and Marcia Hekman. Marcia shared the gospel with Jen who received Jesus in the front yard of their home and was freed from a crippling anxiety. She was led to the knowledge that Jesus loves her children more than she does. This was a turning point for their family and for their relationship with Jesus. Together with Randy and Marcia they met in a house church for several years watching many come to a relationship with the Father. This led to a deepening in their walk with the Lord and valuing the power of scripture. Jason and Jen continue to value this closeness with the Father and sharing this with others. They have opened a Youth Center in Howard City, to which they share the love of Jesus with teens in this area. This is part of the ministry City Impact led by dear friends Jonathan and Kelley Bergsma. They have a heart to raise their children (the best kids ever) to walk in step with Jesus and for teens to do the same. They believe God is on the move and enjoy being vessels used by Him. They value the power in a relationship with Jesus and teaching others the power of this closeness with Jesus, our King, Savior and Redeemer. In this podcast, Jason and Jen tell of the amazing day many years ago when Jen's emotional and physical pain she was experiencing ultimately led to her coming to faith in Christ. And that, in turn, greatly influenced Jason's walk with the Lord and, ultimately, has impacted their family and has touched hundreds of other lives as well! Also in this podcast, Marcia shares how, while a Freshman in college, she came into a life-changing relationship with Jesus and how others can do the same.

Clare DeGraaf is truly an amazing person! He is a native of Grand Rapids, MI where he still makes his home. Clare has been married to his high school sweetheart Susan for over 50 years, and they are parents to six children and grandparents to 20 amazing grandkids. Clare is a graduate of Calvin College, and, early in his career, one of Clare's top priorities was to have a successful business and make a lot of money, which he did! But a life-threatening encounter with cancer at that point got his rapt attention and ultimately led him to discover a real, life-saving relationship with Jesus Christ. In his own words, Clare said, “I fell in love with Jesus and fell out of love with my “mistress” – my business.” A few years later, he felt the call of God to sell his business and devote full time to serving the Kingdom of God. Since making that decision, Clare has been involved in many ministries, touching literally millions of lives around the world. At his core, Clare has a heart for evangelizing and discipling men, leading them to following Jesus, as Clare does, wholeheartedly. He is the author of a best-selling book, “The 10 Second Rule.” So much more I could say, but to learn more, I encourage you to go to his website, ClareDegraaf.com. In this podcast, Clare describes how a severe cancer diagnosis at age 30 motivated him to seek a genuine faith in Jesus that was truly life-changing and resulted in great joy. Not only did God miraculously heal him of his cancer, but a few years after surrendering His life to Christ, Clare felt led to sell his very successful and profitable business and devote his life to full-time serving the Kingdom of God. That included starting a ministry providing special Bibles to deaf people in the world who, because the vast majority of them are illiterate, would otherwise not have a Bible they could read and comprehend.

Pastor Thomas Wilson, with the support of his wife Pastor Adriane, established Word of Faith-Grand Rapids on December 8, 1996. It is Pastor Tom's heartfelt passion to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ by “Teaching the Word, Doing the Work, and Touching the World” one life at a time. Pastors Tom and Adriane are both graduates from the Pistis Bible School under the auspices of Bishop Keith A. Butler who heads Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, MI. Both Tom and Adriane were ordained in 1994. They have two adult children and one awesome grandchild! In this podcast, Tom and Randy discuss the challenging issue of racism and how both of them have grown to better understand this issue from a Biblical perspective. Specifically, Tom shares how God has shown him how Satan desires to use this issue to bring division to the church in America. But Tom goes on to show how, by the power of God's Spirit, we Christians can defeat our archenemy's strategies and usher in the beautiful unity that will impact our world in a most powerful way.

Andrew Brunson and his wife Norine were involved in starting churches, training, giving aid to refugees, and holding a house of prayer in Turkey for 23 years. But that came to an abrupt end in October of 2016 when Andrew was falsely accused of terrorism and arrested. This resulted in him being held without trial for two whole years in various Turkish prisons. However, due to a worldwide prayer movement and significant political pressure from the US government, Andrew was finally sentenced and then dramatically and wonderfully released in October 2018. Andrew and Norine's current ministry, WaveStarters, is focused on the Muslim world, the persecuted church, and in helping to prepare believers everywhere to stand strong for Jesus in difficult times. He and Norine have three children and now live in the Washington, DC area. In this second podcast with Andrew, we talk about where the American Church is heading in our day. Andrew believes we will be facing increasing persecution and opposition in our culture. Certainly we can see that happening as Biblical Christians are increasingly marginalized and viewed as being “Christian Nationalists,” bigots, homophobes and haters. Andrew believes this may result in fewer real believers in our nation; but it will also serve to strengthen the faith and resolve of those believers who remain. Is revival coming that will expand the church? Andrew is not sure, but he believes the numbers of believers could grow along with increasing persecution and opposition by culture. God does desire “all men to come to saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:4). Will there be a huge revival before Christ's second coming? We pray so!

Jared Blauwkamp is the young adult's pastor at Resurrection Life Church here in West Michigan. He has a degree in Exercise Science from Grand Valley State University and will be graduating this December with a bachelor's degree in ministry from the International School of Ministry. Jared has a deep hunger and desire to know Jesus and make Him known, to fight for a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit, and to restore the identity of the Father in the next generation. In this podcast, Jared describes how he came to faith as a young child of age 4. But how, after a season of sinfulness, at age 10 he had an encounter with the living God that launched him into an intimacy with Christ that continues to the present day. Jared also shared how his parents provided an incredibly godly example that, along with their prayers, has resulted in Jared and his 4 brothers all serving the Lord wholeheartedly. Finally, and most importantly, Jared lays out what it will take for America to experience a true revival and spiritual awakening. He says we need two things: (1) Character Change: for us Christ-followers to be genuinely loving and serving the Lord with all our hearts. But we also need to see (2) God's Power on Display: in the form of lives being miraculously transformed and other miracles like healings and the like that point people to Him. The latter will certainly garner the attention of the crowds. But the ultimate goal is not to be fixated on the miracles as much drawing our hearts to loving God with all that we are. Jared concludes by saying, with joy, that what he is observing here in West Michigan and beyond leads him to believe that revival is genuinely coming closer to us every day. Amen!

Vernon Spears was born in Louisiana, but his family moved to the Kalamazoo, Michigan area when he was four years old. There they attended the Second Baptist Church until, when Vernon was in 9th grade, they switched to a First Assembly of God church. Two years later, his family moved to Wyoming, MI, which is a suburb of Grand Rapids. After relocating to Wyoming, Vernon's family attended The First Assembly of God Church in that town. After graduating from Wyoming Park High School in 1990, Vernon went on to Michigan State University, graduating from there in1994 with a degree in Psychology. Since 1996, Vernon has been making a positive difference in people's lives by working as a Probation Officer for the 61st District Court. Vernon is married to his dear wife Angie, and together they have 2 daughters, ages 18 and 21. He and his family began to attend Calvary Church in the year 2000. For “fun,” Vernon loves to exercise. In fact, he has successfully run 4 marathons and 20 River Bank Runs! He also enjoys memorizing Scripture, which he finds useful when running. On a part-time basis, Vernon coaches a middle school girls' basketball team. Finally, he also enjoys acting, and has actually been part of two commercials and even had a small speaking role in a movie a few years ago. In this podcast, Vernon shares about his role as a Probation Officer for the 61st District Court here in Grand Rapids. He talks how he does his best to help those he is working with to make better life choices in the future. We also chatted about the “defund the police” movement that is growing in America. We agree that this trend only tends to increase crime rates because all we humans are born as self-seeking sinners who need the “certainty of punishment” to deter us from crime. We also discussed the contrast between two newer trends in American culture today: (1) The gender identity movement, which emphasizes how gender is fluid; and (2) The racial issue, which insists that people of different races can never truly be united. REALITY: God created two genders, male and female that is decided at our birth. Having said that, we do need to love all people, even those who struggle with this reality. And, regarding the race issue, the reality is that we are all members of the human race regardless of the color of our skin. And those who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord have been lovingly adopted into God's family, which makes us all forever brothers and sisters of each other. Bottom line: truth sets us free, while lies enslave us.

Andrew Brunson and his wife Norine were involved in starting churches, training, giving aid to refugees, and holding a house of prayer in Turkey for 23 years. But that came to an abrupt end in October of 2016 when Andrew was falsely accused of terrorism and arrested. This resulted in him being held without trial for two whole years in various Turkish prisons. However, due to a worldwide prayer movement and significant political pressure from the US government, Andrew was finally sentenced and then dramatically and wonderfully released in October 2018. Andrew and Norine's current ministry, WaveStarters, is focused on the Muslim world, the persecuted church, and in helping to prepare believers everywhere to stand strong for Jesus in difficult times. He and Norine have three children and now live in the Washington, DC area. In this podcast, Andrew talks about his experience in Turkish prisons for those two long years. He describes how disillusioned he became in prison, not knowing when, if ever, he would get out, and the physical, emotional and spiritual pain he was required to endure. In a real sense, he is still processing his past experiences with the Lord on a regular basis. He believes we need to love God and be faithful even when we can't see God's love and faithfulness. And that requires God's Spirit to empower us as we daily die to self. I encourage Christ-followers to pray for Andrew and his dear wife Norine. For them to experience God's wonderful healing and comfort as they continue to courageously and faithfully spread the Gospel around our needy world.

Judith E. King was raised in Canada, but is now a Christian therapist in Grand Rapids, MI. Her interests include women's issues, substance abuse, and caring for professionals in ministry. She has traveled extensively in her ministry of teaching, counseling and music, as she applies sound psychological principles, spiritual concepts, and a very biblical worldview. Presently, Judy works in her own private practice called “Sonlife Associates” which was founded by her and her late husband Dr. Stephen King, a medical doctor psychiatrist. She is the author of three books and numerous journal articles about her research and interventions. Judy is the mother of two children and she has seven precious grandkids. In this podcast, Judy describes God's calling on her life that actually began when she was only four years of age. It grew further as she came to full faith in Jesus when she was eleven years old, at a Billy Graham Crusade in Toronto. Years later, after marriage to her husband Stephen, they together ministered to many people around the world. One of their primary interests was for those in ministry who were in need of spiritual, emotional, and even physical help. Judy describes the phenomenal move of God's Spirit in Western Canada during the season we now call “The Jesus Revolution” in the 1970s. During this time they also witnessed a number of amazing miracles, two of which Judy recounts in this podcast. Finally, Judy shares what she senses American Christians need to be doing in our day for revival to happen again.

Sydney Faber has worked as a pastoral administrator and writer at ResLife Church in Grandville, MI for the past five years. After graduating from Grand Valley State University with a degree in Literature and Writing, she joined the Missions Department at ResLife and enjoys working with over 70 missionaries from around the world. Recently, she has had the honor of witnessing a massive move of God in the brick kilns and slums of Pakistan. In this podcast, Sydney relates her amazing ministry in Pakistan as she and her team courageously and wholeheartedly followed the leading of the Holy Spirit in that largely Muslim nation. She describes how their team has helped many Pakistanis who have literally been enslaved to now begin to experience real freedom. Freedom from their human captors and, more importantly, also freedom from the burden of their sin as they have embraced Christ. I guarantee you will be blown away as you hear how the power of God has drawn thousands—including a number of former witch doctors—to genuine faith in Jesus!

Jadon Fowler is now a teacher and film director from Grand Rapids Michigan. After spending eight years in Mortgage Finance and Real Estate area, Jadon decided to pursue his life passion of film making. He then started and now owns a film academy for kids called the Children's Theater Company. Jadon previously attended Word of Life Bible Institute where his passion for God was really strengthened. He is also the proud father of two sons. In this podcast, Jadon tells the story of his life that includes a very dark time about seven years ago when he came very close to ending it all. He overdosed drugs and alcohol that resulted in him being in a coma that appeared to be fatal. BUT GOD! God answered the fervent prayers of his loved ones and many others and He literally brought Jadon back from what the medical community was sure would be certain death. In fact, after only a few months of therapy, Jadon came back to being virtually normal! He now loves leading, teaching and encouraging many young people in the area of theater and film. For more about his current work, go to https://fusionfilmacademy.org/

Aaron Bolduc is currently an evangelist with Ambassadors for Christ International (AFCI). Previously, Aaron served as a pastor in West Michigan for nearly 15 years. He has also served with Dare2Share, a national youth evangelism ministry. Aaron's current ministry of Ambassadors for Christ International has a vision of bringing revival in the church, evangelism through the church, and training for the church. Through his ministry, Aaron works with local churches by providing evangelism training, pulpit supply, and the coaching of pastors. Aaron also serves as a conference speaker. Aaron is married to Emily and, together, they have four children and now make their home in Hudsonville Michigan. In this podcast, Aaron shares about the importance of evangelism for all true Christ-followers. While we don't all have the spiritual gifting of evangelists, we are all called to be salt and light and share the Word to those who don't yet know the Lord. Remember how Jesus, just before His ascension, said to ALL the disciples “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Aaron also shares briefly how he came to faith in Christ and how God called him as an evangelist. He also helps us understand the seeming paradox in evangelism: is it God's role or man's role to lead someone to faith in Christ? Answer: both have a role to play! The burden is on God, but He uses us to do His work for His glory. And prayer is so critical in all this. Finally, Aaron talks about his ministry, Ambassadors in Christ International, in which he helps encourage and train pastors to equip their members so they can better share their faith with others.

Byron Paulus is the Founder of OneCry, a nationwide call for revival and spiritual awakening. For over three decades, Byron served as President and CEO of Life Action Ministries. As an author, speaker, and proven leader, he is passionate about mobilizing God's people to seek Him for another revival and spiritual awakening. Byron is married to Sue, and they have three married children, and 13 grandchildren. They live in Niles, MI. In this podcast, Byron shares why, after close to 50 years in revival ministry, he is now actually growing in his belief that our merciful God will soon bring another revival and spiritual awakening to our nation such as He has done in the past. What has been especially encouraging to Byron has been the growing numbers of Gen Z followers of Christ, like those who began a year ago at Asbury University, and who are passionate about Jesus and so excited about sharing the Gospel with others. Byron also shares how cultural change comes as a result of revival in the church, not the other way around. The next step for healing in America must come from us in the Church as we unite, pray, repent of our sin, and wholeheartedly follow our wonderful Lord and Savior in the power of the Spirit.

Greg Dempster is the director of ChristLife ministries. He's married, has two boys, and has served in full-time pastoral ministry for the past 23 years. He's been a senior leader, elder, ministry director, and has played an instrumental role in developing the ChristLife experience and vision. In this podcast, Greg begins by sharing the amazing story of his own conversion to Christ as a teenager. While raised in a solidly Christian home in California, as a young teen, Greg began to wander from God. Eventually, he was pursuing a very sinful lifestyle that included immorality, psychedelic drugs and the like. But, in His incredible love and grace, God miraculously answered the fervent prayers of Greg's parents even while Greg was “tripping out” on his drugs at a California beach. That turned out to be the significant turning point in his life! Gradually, as he grew in his faith, Greg began to move toward fulltime Christian ministry. He now oversees Christlife Ministries (ChristLifeUSA.org) which ministers primarily to pastors and ministry leaders in many places around our nation and elsewhere. Folks might wonder why Christian leaders need help, but the fact is that ALL of us come with a degree of brokenness. And when pastors and ministry leaders get God's healing for their wounds, there can be such a positive ripple impact not only in their own families, but also to the many they serve in their ministries. Christlife Ministries continues daily to touch scores of lives, all for the glory of God!

Dr. William "Bill" Brownson Jr., was a long-time voice of the West Michigan-based radio ministry "Words of Hope" and was a former seminary professor. While he passed away at the age of 93 in 2022, I was able to get to know Bill and greatly appreciated his love of the Lord and his desire for revival and spiritual awakening. A little more about Bill Brownson: following his own seminary training, Bill served in two church pastorates. He moved to Holland, MI in 1964 to become a professor of preaching at Western Theological Seminary. He also took his pastoral approach to his role at the Words of Hope ministry, which he joined in the early 1970s. In his years at Words of Hope, Bill anchored hundreds of weekly radio broadcasts and also wrote devotionals for the ministry's printed outreach before retiring in 1994. Bill also authored many books, perhaps the best known was his book "Billy and Dave," a memoir written with his wife Helen about their life journey with their sons Billy and David, who sadly died in 1977 and 2003 respectively. Bill was a familiar and beloved figure, especially in Reformed Church circles. He served as president of the denomination's General Synod in 1984. In this podcast, Bill describes how he came to faith in Christ at the age of 16, and how that decision began to profoundly impact his life. Over time, Bill became a powerful proponent of prayer. He describes how important prayer should be to all of us Christ-followers as we cry out for God to impact not only our lives, but also the lives of our family, our community, our nation and our world.

Jay Jones is a church planter, speaker, author, and senior pastor of the Pentecostals of Kentwood Church in West Michigan. His training included studying at the Christian Leaders Institute, and he has instructed at the Purpose Institute. Jay is a passionate worshipper of Jesus Christ, a husband, and a father. He has a genuine heart for fervent prayer, for selfless service, and for seeing the Gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout his community, state and nation for the glory of God. In this podcast, Jay recounts a trip last fall to Africa where he contracted typhoid fever which was so overwhelmingly serious that he was quite sure it would be terminal. But calling his wife Angela from Africa, she reminded him of dream that brought him great hope. He very soon recovered his strength and health! Jay also talks about a balanced biblical view of miraculous healing. He has personally seen amazing cases of people healed instantly by God. But he has also seen situations where people are not healed. And it is not a matter of a lack of faith. God is totally sovereign and does what is the ultimate best for those He dearly loves. Finally, Jay briefly shares his hope and belief that God is truly bringing revival and spiritual awakening to our region, state and nation.

Hany Ammanoeiel leads a ministry focusing on discipleship and leadership training events in Egypt and Spain. He and his wife Natalie now reside in the U.S. with their two children. He has a college degree in business. His passion is for the global church to receive God's heart for the millions of the sons of Ishmael scattered around the world so they will be drawn to Jesus. In this podcast, Hany tells how God has given him a heart for all people, regardless of their background, to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. That includes many of the “children of Ishmael” in the Mideast and northern Africa. Hany shares how the numbers of people coming to faith in Christ is accelerating around the world in what could become a great spiritual awakening prior to Christ's second coming. It's time for all Christ-followers to be bright lights in an increasingly dark world.

Jason Botbyl currently serves as the Minister and Director of Men's and Marriage Ministries at Calvary Church of Grand Rapids, MI. Jason was raised in Muskegon, Michigan, growing up in a single-parent home where he regularly witnessed physical abuse, alcoholism, and brokenness. By God's grace and the loving input of a Christian neighbor, Jason came to know Jesus as a young adult. A few years later, while attending his mother's graduation ceremony at a rehab program, Jason sensed the call of God on his life to preach the Gospel. So, in obedience, he moved to Grand Rapids in 2001 and began to pursue this call. Since moving to Grand Rapids, Jason has led men's and marriage small groups and retreats. He has preached at men's conferences, churches, high schools, jails, and juvenile detention centers. Prior to coming to Calvary Church, Jason served for a number of years as the Lead Chaplain at the Kent County Correctional Facility in Grand Rapids. Jason has a Masters Degree in Ministry Leadership from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. He is married to his wife Julie, and together they have three children and three grandchildren. Jason has a heart to preach the Gospel and minister to those who are lost and broken. He longs for people to know Christ personally and continue to grow more deeply in love with Him. In this podcast, Jason describes his challenging background that, humanly speaking, would likely have resulted in Jason now being in prison or worse. But God had better plans for him! As a result, Jason is now positively impacting the lives of many people as he leads them to a life-giving relationship with Jesus who alone has the power to heal and restore. Jason particularly calls fathers to resist the temptation to desert their families, but rather for them to show up and lovingly provide the example and training each child needs.

Mark Blocher is the co-founder and CEO of Christian Healthcare Centers, Inc., a Grand Rapids, MI-based non-profit organization providing primary and specialist medical services in Michigan. His educational background includes undergraduate and advanced degrees from Cornerstone University, Dallas Theological Seminary and Kennedy-Western University. Mark has personally taught at many colleges and universities in Michigan and has founded and run a number of non-profits concerned with pro-life and health related matters. Mark has authored a number of articles and books and is well known nation-wide as a speaker on issues dealing with life, health and bioethics. Mark and his dear wife Julie are parents of 4 grown children, and they are the proud grandparents of now 6 grandkids! In this podcast, Mark recounts how the Church has a lengthy history in faithfully following the example of Christ who went everywhere healing people, but also how the modern church has largely lost track of this calling. And that is one of the primary reasons that Mark sensed the leading of God along with a small group of fellow believers to start Christian Healthcare Centers (CHC). Mark also shares how God has greatly blessed this ministry since its humble beginnings, touching the lives of many people locally and beyond. After sharing about CHC, Mark expands the topic by talking more generally about the state of our world today and how we Christians need to understand the spiritual nature of our battles rather than assuming it is merely about politics. It is time for Christians to get prepared for battle with our invisible adversaries, and to speak the truth to our culture, courageously and with love.

Randy and Marcia Hekman have been married for 54 years, but only have 12 children (and 37 grandkids) to show for it!  They now lead The Grand Awakening, a nonprofit, with the goal of calling the Church of West Michigan to revival, with the hopes and belief that this will truly lead to another Great Spiritual Awakening. After graduation from MIT and GWU Law School, Randy served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and then was a Probate-Juvenile Court Judge for 15 years before leaving the bench to serve various roles in the Christian nonprofit world. Prior to the birth of their firstborn, Marcia taught at Thomas Jefferson High School in Northern Virginia. Since then, she has continued to be an amazing wife and an awesome fulltime mother of their growing family. She is also a gifted artist and an incredible evangelist, daily sharing the Gospel with many who don't yet know Jesus. In this podcast, Randy and Marcia share about what has kept them close as a couple for their entire marriage, particularly the amazing role that Marcia has played in keeping them best friends. Marcia gives all the credit to Jesus who has consistently empowered her to both trust and love Randy who is still very much “in process.”

Matt Guy is a graduate of Grandville High School and Grand Valley State University. He worked briefly for the Walker and Grandville police departments before he was hired as a Kent County deputy in 1987, where he served with distinction until a life-changing event occurred that set him on a very negative path, ultimately resulting in a prison sentence. But it was in prison that Matt's life began to change. Upon his release, God began to do some wonderful things in his life that he shares with us about on this podcast. Matt and his wife Tanya have 2 children, and he continues to trust God to use him daily to touch the lives of other men who are struggling with addictions and sin. The program he works with is called The Avenue. If you want help, you can email him at avenuegr@att.net. In this podcast, Matt describes how, after a challenging childhood, he decided to make something of his life by become the best police officer he could ever be. He followed through with gusto and was highly regarded by his fellow law enforcement personnel. But all this came to a screeching halt when, after some very painful experiences, he began to feel that he couldn't measure up to the impossible standards he had set for himself. And, since he had no real faith in God at the time, his life began to unravel, and he ended up breaking the law. After conviction, Matt was sentenced to 22 month in prison! But, looking back on all that now, Matt insists that going to prison was actually the best thing that happened to him! Because it was at his lowest point that he was drawn to the arms of our all-loving Heavenly Father! As a result, through giving to others in need, Matt now has touched the lives of thousands of men who likewise struggle with an addiction to pornography. His top goal now is that God will continue to use him to touch the lives of others for the glory of God.

John “Barney” Barnes grew up in East Tennessee graduated from Carson-Newman University in 1968. Barney then joined the Navy as an Aviation Cadet earning his commission as a Naval Officer in April of 1969, earning his Navy “wings of gold” in April of 1970. Barney fought in the Vietnam War, flying helicopters there in support of navy SEAL teams, Swift Boats, and other allied units. His squadron, known as The Seawolves, was the highest decorated Navy squadron of the Vietnam War. Subsequent to his time in Vietnam, Barney's 25-year Navy career included flight instruction and leading Navy Corrections efforts in Washington, D.C. and Charleston, SC. After retirement from the Navy, Barney has used his leadership skills and experience to bring needed reform to various criminal justice efforts in America. He also now serves as the “National Ambassador for the Military and Prisons” for the Promise Keepers ministry. As a result of his outstanding service both in the Navy and civilian life thereafter, Barney has been the recipient of numerous awards and medals. Barney is the author of two books: Born to Be a Warrior and The Sacred Art of Leadership: Turning the Soul Toward a Noble Purpose. In these books and through his numerous talks to men's groups, Barney seeks to motivate men to be all that God has called them to be. Barney and his wife Pat have been married for 52 years and reside in Summerville, SC. In this podcast, John “Barney” Barnes talks about the incredibly courageous and humble leadership of our nation's founder, George Washington in the early segment of the Revolutionary War. When all looked hopeless, Washington inspired his men not to give up but to give in to God's call, and the result was amazing! Barney uses George Washington's example to call American men today to have courage and be all that God wants them to be.

Randy Hekman currently directs The Grand Awakening, an organization seeking revival and spiritual awakening in West Michigan. Previously, he served 15 years as a Kent County Probate-Juvenile Court Judge and then directed a succession of Christian non-profits. Randy's writing includes these books: Justice for the Unborn, Truth that Sets America Free, and Sweeter by the Dozen: Making Jesus the Lord of Our Family Size. He and his wife Marcia are the proud (and grateful) parents of 12 children and grandparents to 37. In this podcast, Randy calls the church of America to wholeheartedly repent for its part in unintentionally, but nonetheless still significantly supporting abortion through our own pro-sex, anti-child attitudes and actions.

James Kyle Sherbin is an attorney who is employed by the Van Den Heuvel Law Office here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. James was born in the state of Maryland. He attended college in North Carolina, earning his BA from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He subsequently obtained his Juris Doctor (Law) degree from Cooley Law School, in Lansing, Michigan. For enjoyment, besides fellowshipping with other Christ-followers, James enjoys going to the beach, playing pick-up basketball, and riding bikes on a summer day. His faith story is amazing and I'm sure you will be touched by how God moved in James' life and drew James to faith in Him. In this podcast, James shares the amazing way in which God, almost immediately and in a very supernatural way, answered his humble prayer about how to start a genuine relationship with Jesus. He also shares how God amazingly led him to work for a law firm that is centered on Christ.

This is Part 2 of a podcast that is a bit different from most of those we have done in the past. As we did in Part 1, Marcia and I start with a brief introduction, talking about how we first met with Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, and his wife Shirley back in February of 1990 at a conference in Phoenix, AZ. After a very warm and friendly breakfast together, Jim invited Marcia and me to be guests on his daily radio program. So, in April of 1990, we took our whole family—Marcia and me and our 10 kids—to Southern California to be interviewed. We had a blast. And the two programs we recorded ultimately impacted scores, if not hundreds or even thousands, of families around the world, especially about the challenging area of making Jesus the Lord of our family size. We share some of that impact on this podcast. Note: because the program with Jim was for the radio, after Marcia and I give a brief intro, like we did in Part 1, most of the rest of what you will experience will be audio not video. But, regardless, I'm quite sure that what is said will still touch your heart and life as it continues to touch ours even as we listen again. ALL glory to God alone!

This podcast is a bit different from most of those we have done in the past. Marcia and I start with a brief introduction, talking about how we first met with Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, and his wife Shirley back in February of 1990 at a conference in Phoenix, AZ. At the time, I was a Probate-Juvenile Court Judge here in Kent County (greater Grand Rapids area) Michigan. His team had invited us to resign our judgeship and become the founding Executive Director of Michigan Family Forum, which was connected to Focus on the Family that Jim was head of at the time. But, before Marcia and I could feel comfortable with that major career change, we sensed we needed to talk directly to Jim himself, so this meeting was set up. Bottom line, we were very impressed with Jim and Shirley's hearts, and they were likewise touched by our view of family and children. So much so that Jim invited Marcia and me to be guests on his daily radio program. So, in April of 1990, we took our whole family—Marcia and me and our 10 kids—to Southern California to be interviewed. We had a blast. And the two programs we recorded ultimately impacted scores, if not hundreds or even thousands, of families around the world, especially about the challenging area of making Jesus the Lord of our family size. Note: because the program with Jim was for the radio, after Marcia and I give a brief intro in this podcast, most of the rest of what you will experience will be audio, not video. But, regardless, I'm quite sure that what is said will still touch your heart and life as it continues to touch ours even as we listen again. ALL glory to God alone!

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs is an internationally known public speaker on the topic of male-female relationships. Based on over three decades of counseling as well as scientific and biblical research, Dr. Eggerichs and his wife, Sarah, developed the Love and Respect Conference which they present to live audiences around the country. This dynamic and life-changing conference is impacting the world, resulting in the healing and restoration of countless relationships. Dr. Eggerichs has authored several books, including the national bestseller Love & Respect, which is a Platinum and Book of the Year award winner, selling over 2.1 million copies. Emerson is the Founder and President of Love and Respect Ministries and his wife Sarah serves as Vice President. Married since 1973, they live in Grand Rapids, MI and have three adult children. In this podcast, Emerson shares about how his Bible-centered teaching on Love and Respect have brought wonderful healing to thousands of troubled marriages, and have made so many good marriages even better. Truth does, in fact, set us free!

Stephen Nylen is a fulltime Street Preacher of Frontline Street Ministry in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a street ministry he founded a decade ago. He is also the Veterans Chaplain for Equine Assisted Development of the Great Lakes. Stephen is sent out as an evangelist by the Reformed Evangelistic Fellowship and is a member of Harvest Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Stephen is the joyful husband of the beautiful Jessica Nylen and the proud father of 4 wonderful daughters (one through adoption) and the grandfather to 3 grandsons. You can find Stephen in various contexts in the streets of Grand Rapids as he and his team evangelize, minister and disciple in the public square and herald the glad tidings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In this podcast, Stephen describes how, on active duty in the Army, he came to amazing faith in Christ and how he loves to share the Gospel with anyone who will listen. He is joyous in his calling to be a “street preacher” and longs for all people to come to faith in Christ. He also briefly shares how he amazingly uses the example of horses in reaching the hearts of veterans (and others) with Jesus' grace and truth. Anyone who hears Stephen's story will be challenged either to come to faith in Christ yourself or, if you already are a Christ-follower, to do more to spread the Word to those who don't yet know Him.

Jordan Sweezer married his dear wife Marie back in 2014. They have been blessed with four children Jordan (Jr), Caleb, Charles, and Calvin. Jordan started doing outreach in 2016, and has felt a strong conviction from the Lord to preach the gospel to the lost. By God's grace his heart has grown to have a deep love for Christ, for Christ's followers, and the sinners who don't yet know Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Jordan feels called to stand in the gap for the Lord, to hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter, and to be a voice for the voiceless. Through the sending of One Life For Life to our area, Jordan sees this external call being matched by his inward calling. So he daily chooses to confidently go out in service of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In this podcast, Jordan discusses his calling to preach God's grace and truth at abortion clinics on a daily basis. He describes the incredible number of women seeking abortion who have responded positively to the Gospel and have chosen to keep the child they are carrying. He tells how his wife Marie then holds a baby shower for these women and their church blesses these women by meeting their tangible needs and continuing to lead them to their growing faith in Christ. Jordan and Randy also discuss the underlying mentality for abortion: emphasizing the value of sex while demeaning the value of the child God may wish to produce through one's sexual intimacy. Regrettably, most Christians in our day sympathize with this mentality. While most Christ-followers reject abortion, they nonetheless are totally fine with choosing other means to reach the very same result: sex—yes, but child created in the image of God—no! Isn't God the One who creates children in the womb? (Psalm 139:13). And shouldn't Jesus be Lord of every area of life, including our family size?

Dean Luurtsma is a lifelong resident of Ottawa County, Michigan. He senses a call and equipping from the Lord to follow the Lord and love the Lord with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength. Dean is a small businessman, father, and lay evangelist. When the baby body parts from abortions scandal broke in 2015, he believes he was awakened fully from his slumber to diligently try to let his light shine in the greater Grand Rapids area. Dean is grateful that, through God's providential leading, the Lord connected him with his co-laborers in the Gospel, including Stephen Nylen and Jordan Sweezer. In this podcast, Dean describes his call to ministry, his heart for the unborn, and his grief for our arch-enemy Satan rejoicing over the shed blood of the innocent. He also describes a miraculous answer to prayer which totally removed surgical abortions from Grand Rapids just a few weeks ago. He hopes this answer to prayer could be the start of a growing move of God in our region through revival and spiritual awakening. Also, in this podcast, Randy briefly shares what is the heart behind legal abortion—insisting we build a wall between sex and the children God might wish to be produced through our sexual intimacy. While most Christ-followers don't abort, they do take deliberate action to have sex without the possibility of producing a child thereby. So, same goal as those who have abortions; same result (no baby born alive); just a different means. No wonder many Christians are ambivalent about those who have abortions. We sympathize with their motivation; we just don't like the means used.

Pastor Arthur Guice received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1980, while attending Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, IL. It was during this season in his life that Arthur sensed a call to ministry. As a result, he changed his major from Business Administration to Theology. In May of 1983 Pastor Guice received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Elmhurst College with a double major in Theology and Psychology. On March 23, 2003, Arthur was installed as the Senior Pastor of Spirit of Liberty Church of God, Markham, IL. A few years after serving as Senior Pastor, Arthur faced personal tragedy as his lovely and devoted wife of nine years went home to be with the Lord after a very courageous and lengthy battle with breast cancer. By the grace of God, Pastor Guice continued to serve as the Senior Pastor of Spirit of Liberty of God in Markham, IL until retiring in February 2023. Arthur also serves as the Great Lakes Regional Prayer coordinator for the Church of God, Cleveland Tennessee, and was ordained as a Bishop through the same ecclesiastical hierarchy. He is the founder and President of Full of Glory Ministries, Inc., a teaching ministry committed to developing fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ as well as the Illinois State Coordinator for Cry Out America. Art is a man who is deeply committed to fulfilling the “Great Commission” of our Lord Jesus Christ by making disciples of the nations. He has an anointing to teach and preach the Word of God with simplicity and with accuracy. He is a much sought-after speaker for conferences, seminars and workshops throughout the Chicago area and the nation. In this podcast, Pastor Art shares his personal testimony of coming to faith in college and his call to ministry. He then challenges us American Christians to be the salt and light God calls us to be in our increasingly dark and secular culture. While we are on the ultimate winning team, we often live as though we are not. We Christ-followers need to repent of our cowardliness and lack of unity and choose, by God's power, to live courageously and lovingly all for His glory and the building of His eternal Kingdom.

Mark Schaap lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is currently the minister for College and Young Adults at Calvary Church. He is married to his college sweetheart Megan and together they have four awesome kids. He previously graduated from California Baptist University in Riverside, California with a major in Theology and then completed his Masters Degree at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota. Besides seeking to be a godly husband and father and also desirous of leading a large group of young people at Calvary to become wholehearted disciples of Jesus, in his spare time, Mark enjoys playing basketball, golf, and riding motorcycles. In this podcast Mark tells about his own faith experience and call to ministry as well as his heart for encouraging a large group of young adults to be all in with Jesus in our increasingly dark world. He shares his joy in seeing spiritual growth among those he ministers to as they grow in their walk with our Lord and as they seek to share the Gospel with their peers.

As the Vice President of Presales for Global Accounts at AVEVA, an international information technology consulting company, Ganesh leads a team of high-performing professionals who deliver innovative solutions to the world's leading industrial and engineering companies. With over 20 years of experience in the simulation and training domain, he has a proven track record of growing internal businesses from less than $1M to over $50M by building talented teams and systems that enable rapid execution. Ganesh is also the author of a fictional book entitled “Let Me Into Heaven” that explores the journey of three computer scientists chasing the truth. With his background in science and experience in working with highly analytical teams, Ganesh found that scientific explanations, while fine in themselves, lacked depth and human meaning. In his attempts to better understand life, Ganesh stumbled across religion and then Jesus. In this podcast, Ganesh describes how he went from growing up as a Hindu in India and then becoming an atheist in college. But then, when he came to the U.S., he tells the amazing story of how he gradually began to learn about the claims of Christ. It took four years of serious investigation using his scientific methods, but he ultimately came to the conclusion that the Gospel is true, and he needed to quit putting the decision off and totally commit his life to Jesus. He has hopes that his book and life will encourage others in the scientific and engineering fields to do the same!

Lud Golz has been a pastor for over 50 years. Prior to that, he was a Bible teacher at Wheaton Academy where Randy Hekman was one of his students. He is now focusing his time on his daily radio program, “Getting God's Message” that is heard on hundreds of stations around the world. Over the years, Lud has traveled extensively to many foreign countries on mission trips. The churches he pastored always had a substantial missions' ministry. He has authored articles and books and some of them have been translated into foreign languages. Lud was married for 63 years to Muriel. She passed into glory in September of 2022. Lud and Muriel have four married children, 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. In this podcast, Lud begins by looking back at the 1960s during which time he taught numerous Bible courses at Wheaton Academy in the Wheaton, IL area. Randy expressed his great gratitude to Lud for being such a great Christian example and powerful teacher and mentor to him in those days. Lud also shared the importance of Christian parents to raise their children in godliness and with fervent prayer. Lud also tells of his concerns about where American culture is currently moving and what we Christ-followers must do in response. He tells how God has helped him deal with the loss of his best friend and wife Muriel. Finally, Lud shares some great wisdom on how we Christians can do our best to be like the Apostle Paul and finish strong in our faith at the end of our lives here on earth.

Maranda (her stage name) is the WOTV 4 Women kids and family expert. She hosts a daily segment, “Where You Live” which features a combination of information, inspiration and insights for West Michigan parents. It's taped around West Michigan and is about real family life. “I love the new challenges everyday and connecting people with services they want and need,” said Maranda. Maranda joined WOOD TV8, WOTV4 and WXSP-TV in January of 2001 as Children and Family Services Manager, but has served the community as an advocate for kids and families for more than 25 years. Maranda oversees the development of station projects on-air, online and in our community that target kids and families. Besides finding Maranda on-air and online, she is on the radio too. She is the co-author of Maranda's Guide to Family Fun in West Michigan, a book for parents and children. Maranda also offers weekly family fun updates on STAR 105.7 and Daybreak on WOOD TV8. Maranda serves on several community advisory boards. These include the John Ball Zoological Society Board of Directors, Cornerstone University Board of Trustees, Wedgewood Christian Services Board of Directors, Equest Center for Therapeutic Riding Board of Directors, Careforce International Advisory Board and is the spokesperson for CampFire Boys and Girls Club Incredible Kid Day. Maranda is the recipient of three Gracie Allen Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Women in Radio and Television West Michigan Chapter, an Emmy nomination, the Hope College Distinguished Alumni Award, a 2011 YWCA Tribute! Award, the 2014 Van Andel Institute Angel of Excellence Award, and 2019 Education Advocacy Award from Kent Intermediate Association of School Boards. In this podcast, Maranda shares how, many years ago, God called her to a career in TV and radio media. She says that speaking the truth in love to her many audiences is a great and constant joy to her. While our forms of media change almost daily, Maranda emphasizes that quality content is always in demand. She hopes young people who are Christ-followers will find the calling God has for them, and that some will truly be called into media.

Rev. Bob Fu, Ph.D, was a former student leader during the Tiananmen Square democracy movement in 1989. In 1993, he graduated with a law degree on international relations from Renmin University of China in Beijing. He was a faculty member at the Beijing Party School of the Chinese Communist Party from 1993-1996. He was also a house church leader in Beijing until he and his wife, Bochun “Heidi” Cai, were imprisoned in 1996. In 1997 he was exiled to the U.S. In 2002, he founded ChinaAid in Philadelphia to promote religious freedom and rule of law in China. He graduated with Ph.D. from St. John's College at the University of Durham in the U.K in the field of religious freedom. His autobiography, God's Double Agent, was published in 2013 by Baker Publishing Group. His academic book The Politics of Inclusive Pluralism was published in 2021. Bob regularly testifies and briefs foreign policymakers and legislators on religious freedom, foreign policy, national security, and rule of law as well refugee issues in the free world. Bob Fu is a recipient of William Wilberforce Award by the Colson Center (2020-2021). In 2022 he received the “Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Award” by the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative. He is a consultant to both the Heritage Foundation and Family Research Council. He is a life member of Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Law and Religion Monitor journal. In this podcast, Bob describes how the persecution against Christians in China is the worst it has ever been, with many followers of Christ there being tortured and imprisoned merely for following Jesus and sharing His Gospel with those who do not yet know Him. He also describes the ministry he has begun ChinaAid.org that offers help to the persecuted church in China. Yet, despite persecution, the church in China has been growing rapidly as non-believers there are drawn to Christ as they see real Christians willing to sacrifice so much for our Lord. It is the hope of Bob that the same will happen in America!

Mark Gottlieb is one amazing man! I will summarize some of the highlights of his life. While raised in a culturally Jewish, but spiritually atheistic home, Mark, later in life, came to genuine faith in Christ. Mark did his undergraduate studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Then he earned two Masters Degrees in technical areas from Stanford University. From there, Mark moved to the Washington, DC area where he worked with SRI International assisting a governmental agency on its technology. He also taught some graduate courses at GWU on the side. In 1985, Mark launched his own technology firm called DesignTech International, which focused on the design and production of innovative products in the consumer electronics field. His business was a huge success making millions and employing over 100 folks. He then created another company LogicMark in 2006 that was later sold to a private equity group. Mark is happily married to his wife Sharon, and together they have 4 wonderful children and 12 grandkids. He is very active in his local church and for fun enjoys being an incredible photographer and 3D design and printer expert. He has traveled to 88 countries in the world and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as an Underwater Violinist! But, on a much more negative side of things, a little over 3 years ago, in the middle of his travel and other activities, Mark had a very tragic mountain biking accident that left him paralyzed at the time from the neck down. But after many hours of physical therapy and the help of technology, Mark is actually able to walk again! In this podcast, Mark describes how he now maintains a solid trust in and love for God despite his on-going physical limitations and pain resulting from his biking accident.