Hope Cast

In this episode, Ricky and Bonnie are joined by Leah, a Living Hope participant, to talk about her testimony, what brought her to the ministry, and the healing she has found being a part of groups, but ultimately at the feet of Jesus. They discuss that although struggles do not disappear after surrendering to Christ, there is still hope and healing to be found in trusting in the One who gave His life for all sins.**Trigger Warning: There is an extremely brief reference to self-harm to talk about the healing afterward. Skip from 8:57 to 9:19 if needed**

Ricky is back from Kenya! In this episode, he updates Bonnie and all listeners about the amazing people he was able to meet, the ways in which he was able to minister and share truth and hope to believing parents, faithful ministers, and even government officials.

Ricky Chelette is in Africa! Bonnie and Ricky talk about how Living Hope Ministries has made a connection in Kenya who asked Ricky to come and teach the Christian families there how to respond to their children being taught LGBTQ+ ideologies in school, especially when some of them decide to identify as LGBTQ+. They are excited to share how God is preparing the way for this ministry in Africa, starting in Kenya.

In this episode, Ricky and Bonnie discuss ways that parents and those who might struggle with LGBTQ+-related desires might prepare for the conversations and spiritual challenges that might come up during Pride Month, a month in which the secular culture around us celebrates and promotes LGBTQ+ ideology.

Ricky and Bonnie discuss one of the most frequently asked questions of Living Hope Ministries: Is being gay a choice? They discuss more recent ideology in the secular world that promotes the LGBTQ+ lifestyle as a choice and how believers might look at their own sinful tendencies and how biblically we are all to approach our sin and temptations.

Ricky and Bonnie discuss doubt and how it is normal and necessary to the Christian walk, but how we should engage our doubts and respond to them. They talk about how God knows that we have doubts and struggle with understanding and believing, but that, ultimately, he is bigger than even our doubts.

Ricky and Bonnie talk about what to do after sexual boundaries have been crossed in a same-sex friendship. They discuss the hope and forgiveness found in repentance, but also talk about the importance of determining what preceded the boundaries being crossed and the need for accountability in general. They also talk about how to proceed with that friendship after those boundaries have been crossed.

Ricky and Bonnie discuss some beneficial ways that the church can respond to people within the church who may be struggling with sexual brokenness or temptations. They explain some of the perspective of people who struggle, as well as some actionable responses.

Ricky and Bonnie discuss the Supreme Court agreeing on March 10th to hear a free-speech challenge to Colorado's ban on “conversion therapy,” counseling that seeks to dissuade people from identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. California has a similar law.You can view more information on the case here: https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/us-supreme-court-hear-conversion-therapy-case-could-overturn-californias-ban#:~:text=NewsLink-,%5BU.S.%5D%20Supreme%20Court%20to%20hear%20conversion%20therapy%20case,that%20could%20overturn%20California's%20ban&text=The%20Supreme%20Court%20agreed%20Monday,%2C%20gay%2C%20bisexual%20or%20transgender

Ricky and Bonnie discuss the importance of honest and genuine confession within a community of believers. They mention some of the more common fears associated with real confession, but also talk about the incredible freedom and redemption that follow honest confession.

In this episode, Ricky and Bonnie discuss the importance of vulnerability for children of God, and how true vulnerability, although hard to find, can encourage others to practice vulnerability as well. They also discuss how to approach vulnerability without overwhelming the people receiving the information.

In this episode, Ricky and Bonnie talk about setting perfectly acceptable boundaries with coworkers at work with regards to topics of conversation and involvement in celebrations. They talk about how to love coworkers well while still holding to personal convictions and protecting the witness of Jesus Christ.

In this episode, Ricky and Bonnie discuss the lie that is often believed that people that "feel different" will never fit in in a community. They encourage listeners to continue to do the work it takes to find commonalities in a community of believers and to not believe that their different expression of their God-given gender means that they are not meant to belong to that gender.

In this episode, continuing in a series for parents, friends and family, Ricky, Bonnie and Marsha discuss what to do while waiting for God to do redemptive work in a loved one. Marsha mentions that God is also doing a work in you during this season as He is also doing a work in your loved one who is identifying as LGBTQ+, and the three discuss how to hope in our powerful God who loves our loved ones more than we do.

In this episode, Marsha Inman, Living Hope's Friends and Family Director, returns with Ricky and Bonnie to discuss how to go about letting other family members know about a child's decision to come out as LGBTQ+ and how to honor the child while still maintaining Scriptural and family values. They also discuss some hypothetical, healthy boundaries for children who may want to bring their partners home for the holidays.

Continuing in the series of helping parents as they begin the journey with their child coming out as LGBT+, Ricky, Bonnie, and Marsha talk about helpful, yet redemptive (and not destructive) ways to interact with a child wanting them to affirm them in their LGBT+ lifestyle. They talk about things that are good to say, as well as what not to say in these interactions.

Continuing in discussion for parents, Ricky, Bonnie and Marsha discuss learning about the why behind a child's struggle - things in childhood that may contribute to the now-adult child's sexual struggles. They discuss the Living Hope videos entitled "Why?" Understanding Homosexuality and Gender Development in (Women and Males)" that discuss common root problems not to lay blame, but to help parents better understand the struggle their child is facing. You can find these videos here: https://www.livehope.org/courses/

In this episode, Ricky, Bonnie, and Living Hope's Friends & Family Director, Marsha Inman, continue to offer wisdom for parents who have children struggling with sexual brokenness. They discuss how parents should carefully identify people within their community to share their burdens with, if only in part, for prayer and encouragement, as well as finding counselors to share these issues with who have the same biblical worldview on LGBTQ+ issues.

In this episode, Bonnie & Ricky are joined by Marsha Inman, Friends & Family Director at Living Hope Ministries to discuss how parents can begin the journey of response to a child coming out. They discuss that not only that it is okay to grieve and that the stages of grief are not necessarily linear, but also how to let the Lord and others into this unique grieving process that can often feel very lonely.

Happy New Year from Living Hope Ministries! Psalm 19:14 says, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." In this episode, Bonnie and Ricky talk about how we can refocus our minds on the things of the Lord in 2025. We are all being discipled by something, and it is important for that to be the Word of the Lord. We hope this episode encourages you to shift your mindset to the hope we have in Christ and to set your mind on the Lord and His promises.

On this Eve of Christmas Eve, Ricky, Bonnie and Bruno from Living Hope come together to recap a year of blessings at Living Hope and to discuss Christmas traditions.

In this episode, Bonnie and Ricky discuss the common problem of loneliness during the holiday season, and offer insight how to create space for community, even if that community is not technically family. They talk about how the holidays are ultimately not even about family, but about Jesus and celebrating Him coming into the world to redeem us.

On this episode, Bonnie and Ricky acknowledge how going "home for the holidays" may be quite triggering for a lot of people. They discuss practical ideas to prepare to deal with a variety of difficult situations that might arise when spending time with loved ones in the holiday season.

Bonnie and Ricky dive into the current trend of "no contact" or the practice of people cutting off their families because of hurt or disagreement. They talk about the damage this can do, but also discuss how God-fearing parents can respond to their children cutting them off, particularly in the case of an adult child identifying as LGBTQ+ and cutting off their parents because they know their parents will not agree with their lifestyle.

Ricky and Bonnie address the difficulty of the recurring holiday season for people who might be experiencing familial brokenness. They discuss the "no-contact" trend and challenging call in Scripture to honor our mothers and fathers, and how that can be carried out still today as we enter the holiday season.

In this episode, Bonnie and Ricky talk about the lies that circulate in our culture that can be easy for those who struggle with same-sex attraction to believe, and how to combat those with the truth of the gospel.

Ricky and Bonnie talk about some of the most significant things they have learned through journeying with people seeking sexual and relational healing and wholeness throughout the years they have served at Living Hope Ministries.

Ricky and Bonnie talk about how to develop healthy friendships and how to discern the types of relationships you build with other people. Ricky compares friendship development to the process of making good sourdough - it is a long, slow process and the richness of the friendship grows with time.

Ricky and Bonnie talk about how to discern between a sexual attraction and a desire for human connection with someone. They explain how attraction can often be bodily responses linking to past trauma or experiences, rather than actual desire.

Bonnie & Ricky talk with Kristen Miele, the founder of Sex Ed Reclaimed about the importance of starting conversations about sex with kids early and naturally. They discuss how these topics should be part of normal, regular, and organic dialogue within the home. Kristen Miele has created curriculum and additional resources for parents to share with children at different age levels throughout their life and you can find all of that at SexEdReclaimed.com

Ricky and Bonnie talk about what temptations are and what our response to temptation should be.

Ricky and Bonnie dive into the topic of self-control and how it affects so much of our lives. The ever-diminishing practice of self-discipline is so needed in our world, but particular for those desiring to walk with and imitate Christ!

Ricky and Bonnie discuss tips for teaching kids how to respond well to emotional reactions from early stages so that they are equipped to regulate their emotions in healthy ways in adulthood. Parents need to acknowledge their kids' emotions, and teach (and model!) healthy practices for regulation, both spiritual and physical.

Ricky and Bonnie talk about important conversations to have early on with your kids. Age of exposure is earlier and earlier, and it is important to begin having appropriate conversations to prepare your kids before they are confronted with these things through other sources.

In this episode, now at the end of PRIDE Month, Ricky and Bonnie discuss special thoughts and considerations for pastors.

Ricky and Bonnie discuss thoughtful responses for parents to teens who might want to participate in PRIDE, even simply identifying as an ally.

Ricky and Bonnie invite Bruno to tell you a little bit about the Institute of Biblical Sexuality and the organization's first conference coming in October 2024. Listen to hear more about the speakers and more all happening during this incredible 3-day event. You can learn more and register for the conference by going to https://biblicalsexuality.net/ibsconference

Ricky and Bonnie share their perspectives on PRIDE month participation, and how parents can respond when their teens show interest in participating in PRIDE. They share some interesting research, and give some good food for thought in this timely episode.

Ricky and Bonnie discuss how sexual abuse and the trauma that comes with it shapes you as a person and how it shapes your story.

How pornography shapes your story and the many different aspects that come with that.

Exploring what your sexual narrative is, being aware of it, how it's shaped you, and how you can walk in God's design for sex.

How to have healthy and productive conversations with your children about sex.

What are some of the obstacles that prevent healthy discussions with our kids in regards to sex? How can we overcome the roadblocks? Ricky and Bonnie help navigate the conversation as we strive for victory in this topic.