The Restoration Road with Mitch Kruse

Hurry is the enemy of life and is the condition of a spiritual heart that is out of alignment.

Are you puffed up, pretending, or repeatedly promoting your own opinion as the gospel?

The single greatest challenge to endure on this side is the death of someone close to us. The finality of the loss, combined with no longer being able to speak with that person, weighs heavily on our hearts. Whether their passing occurred suddenly or after suffering over a long period of time, the pain is severe. We live in a world that has fallen short of our Creator's design. Consequently, God wants to bring us together with Him free from the death that breaks His heart.

Huntington University's doctor of occupational therapy program prioritizes the Kingdom of God as the professors and degree candidates travel abroad to serve patients who otherwise would not receive treatment.

Do you ever think about where your soul goes when you die? The Bible is unmistakably clear that we have two options: eternal life with Christ or eternal separation from Him (see Matthew 25:46). If you took your last breath on this side today, where would you be? It’s the most important question you will ever answer.

This week's guest is truly an Indiana Jones, charting innumerable discoveries, including the world's oldest known synagogue. You will not want to miss author, professor, archaeologist, photographer, and filmmaker, Dr. Mark Fairchild, as he brings the New Testament to life.

Do you see God as a taskmaster who slaps you around after every evil thought? Would you like to know the truth about the heart of a loving heavenly Father?

We either live inside God’s circle of love in intimacy with Him or outside it in idolatry. When we thrive in our heavenly Father’s grace, He uses us to bring His life to future generations (Exodus 20:6), as is the case with this week’s guest.

Are you carrying around the burden and weight of your most heinous acts? Maybe you took something that wasn’t yours, leading to a life of deceit. Perhaps you made a string of foolish choices that destroyed your closest relationships. Possibly, addiction has captured your soul.

During these trying times, are you bringing joy to your relationships?

Is something shiny capturing your attention to draw you away from God? Each of us risks abandoning our desires to physical pleasure, power, or pride (1 John 2:16), and the results of doing so are devastating.

This week, our guest shares a story only God could write. The resulting ministry is amazing.

When you endure painful circumstances, do you see God as being far away or unwilling to help? King David offered insight into that perspective. My longtime friend and former radio partner stops by to discuss both the problem and the solution.

This week, a legendary entrepreneur shares how God led him through the loss of his father when he was only eleven years old and carried him, along with his wife, through an amazing miracle that recently brought him back to the memory of his greatest childhood loss.

Grace is the best deal ever offered, and each of us needs it: God's Riches At Christ's Expense.

How much of your life do you give to seeking and saving the lost? For many of us, this is a challenging question. Now think of the person who led you to Christ. What did they do to engage you? Is there anyone in your world who would benefit by you doing the same?

When we surrender our lives to Christ, He uses us to represent Him to a lost and hurting world. Shirley Woods describes this Divinely-inspired effort as re-presenting Jesus, often most vividly amidst life's trials. You will not want to miss her insights of how God transitions us from hurt to hope.

This week, County Line Church of God worship arts pastor Kevin McIntire transparently shares his story of how God walked with him through anxiety and depression in order to use his life to draw others to restoration in Christ.

What is stopping you from the journey God has for you? Too often, tragedy, fear, or addiction barricade us from experiencing His best for our lives, namely to shape us to be more like Christ. This week’s guest vulnerably shares his story of loss, numbing the pain, and recovery, only to discover there was more to surrender.

Do you see God as weighing your heart against others on His scales of justice, providing rewards and penalties depending on who is more righteous?

Shachah is the Hebrew word most frequently translated as worship in the Old Testament. It means “to bow down.” This week’s guest learned that bowing down to the God of the Universe in every moment was a prerequisite to leading others in worship of Christ the King.

This week’s episode is an absolute must-watch for any coach or athlete. Golf pro and Apex Golf Lab founder Quinn Griffing provides mental, physical, and spiritual insights into golf, sports, and life as he shares his transformational story and Core 4 philosophy.

Why do bad things happen to good people? This week, we begin a series of ten biblical insights that address this question, including how each of us has forged a gap in our connection with God (Isaiah 59:2). When He blesses us with an eternal relationship with Him, we receive more than we deserve.

Jesus taught that in this world, we will have trouble, but we can take heart in our relationship with Him. This week’s guest has lived those words through unspeakable tragedies, only to discover the truth of God’s promise to walk through the valley with us in order to bring His restoration to a lost and hurting world.

This week, my cousin, Dane Kruse, family connections pastor at County Line Church of God, stops by to share his story and the most prevalent issues facing our students today. This is a must-watch for anyone with children at home!

As a father of four daughters, I have coached girls in sports most of my life. My good friend, Ernie Bojrab, state championship football coach and father of an awesome young woman who was the Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette Glass Spike award-winner for the volleyball player of the year, joins us to discuss the God-given differences in female athletes and how to coach and compete with Christ-centered excellence.

This week, my good friend, president of Huntington University Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, joins us to share her story and offer vivid insights on Christ-centered leadership. She is one of the most innovative leaders in higher education today.

When God prompts you toward something new in your life, how long do you wait before taking action? This week's guest is a rapid Holy Spirit-responder. His sensitivity to God's leading has guided him from the marketplace to ministry and now to a different hemisphere. You will be inspired by his story!

What is the opposite of love? While many would see it as hate, the answer might actually be apathy. This week, my daughter, Kelsey, stops by to discuss our source of love and the inspiration He provides.

This week's guest is a longtime friend of mine who is an amazing wife, mother, author, speaker, blogger, podcaster, and Christ-follower. She stops by to share the most challenging moments of her life where God met her face-to-face.

This week, recording artist, Jensen Snyder, and her mother Michelle share their message of God's healing and ministry through music.

As we prepare for the 2020 Global Leadership Summit, August 6-7, Kelly Byrd stops by to discuss four amazing leadership traits.

From the depths of her pain, recording artist, Niyoki Chapman, who had toured with Prince, penned these timeless lyrics: "It feels like the walls are caving in and I can't escape. I'm trying to catch my breath so I don't suffocate. I'm hurt and confused but holding on cuz I know he'll never leave me alone. Although right now I see less sunshine and more rain, but it'll be over soon so I'll Praise Him In My Pain!” —Praise Him In My Pain

Amidst our pandemic and the need for a unifying voice of healing, our communities benefit from the wise leadership of my very good friend, Ben Miles, president of Parkview Regional Medical Center and Affiliates. A believer, husband, and father of three daughters, his insights to the Holy Spirit’s guidance during life’s transitions are powerful for any leader. It doesn’t hurt that he looks like Superman.

Marriage is like a pyramid with the husband and wife at the bottom and Christ at the top. The closer they grow to Christ, the closer they grow to each other.

So many of us ask God what He wants us to do next, but we rarely prioritize listening to His still small voice. My good friend, Larry Lance, senior advisor and president emeritus of Northern Indiana Youth For Christ, sits down with us to share an incredible encounter with his Heavenly Father when he took the time to hit the pause button on the busyness of life and listen. You will not want to miss what God said during this transition in Larry’s life when he focused on God's will for the next steps of his journey.

This week’s guest is an extremely gifted Bible teacher. His passion for God has created a thirst for His Word, which has motivated him to teach and shepherd God's people. Underneath his humility is an amazing story God has used to lead many people to Christ through his position as lead pastor of Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne where he has led dozens of educational trips to Israel.

Guilt says, “I did wrong.” Shame says, “I am wrong.” God is not a god of shame. Before you are too quick to dismiss whether you struggle with shame, you might want to take this week’s test and learn what the Bible teaches about the topic.

This week, author and speaker, Christy Cabe, shares her powerful story and the deep insights she has gleaned along the way.

After losing 80 percent of his congregation from a series of foolish choices, this week's guest experienced God's transformation to become a leader in restoring our community through Joshua's Temple and Joshua's Hand Ministries. God met him in the valley, so he would do the same with those in need, guiding them to economic, social, and spiritual freedom in Christ. Teaching the Bible so that parishioners will live, invest, value, and expect God's best for them, he brings a fresh, entrepreneurial approach to ministry.

Legendary ESPN SportsCenter Anchor and Golf Host Scott Van Pelt insightfully described the eldest son of this week's guests: "Tyler's unshakable faith in Jesus Christ was the source of his strength in the face of a fight that could have extinguished it. His hope in sharing his story and his faith is that they might strengthen yours." You will not want to miss this incredible story only God could write.

Dating, marriage, and sex challenge our deepest vulnerabilities. However, God desires that we experience intimacy, fulfillment, and wisdom in His design for our lives. Everyone wants to know and be fully known. That's intimacy, the connection of our innermost being with another. Nestled in his teaching about how we are called to steward our spiritual gifts, Paul revealed the ultimate intimate experience in the Bible's love chapter: "For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Not I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12). Only God can satisfy our longing for intimacy, so we cannot place that burden on another person. Paul taught that believers not only know God, but are also known by Him (see Galatians 4:9). In essence, our heart needs to be so wrapped up in God that our partner, or suitor, needs to wholeheartedly pursue Him in order to find it.

Jesus conquered death so that we may have eternal and abundant life. His resurrection is a proven historical fact evidenced by His empty tomb. Each of us must respond to the pursuit of His Holy Spirit who meets us wherever we are to provide His gracious gift of life when we surrender to Christ in faith and repent of our sin. None of us is beyond the reach of the arm of our Heavenly Father. This mother and daughter transparently share how He met them amidst their addictions and pain to restore their lives and lead them to bringing Christ's restoration to everyone they encounter.

When the natural chronology of life is out of order, everything seems to fall apart. A parent should never have to bury their child. Still, God can supernaturally redeem any tragedy we surrender to Him, as He walks through the valley with us, shaping our hearts to be like Christ's.

From running one of the midwest's largest illegal drug operations to giving his testimony throughout the Western Hemisphere, this week's guest has been through the fire where he heard the voice of God. Then everything changed.

Few have ever experienced the trials and triumphs of this week's guest. After illegal activity as a young man on the streets that led to imprisonment, escape, and a suicide attempt, God brought a fugitive from justice to Bible college and the pulpit to plant churches who share the restorative message of Jesus Christ. In today's uncertain times, we can discover true inspiration and hope in his transformation, including the founding an international business. His life is truly a miracle of his Heavenly Father.

Does the word father immediately conjure up an emotion inside you? When we hear it spoken, we seem to feel a strong electrical current through our inner beings as a result of our encounters, or lack of them, with our earthly patriarch. Whether our dads were present or absent, peaceful or volatile, faithful or adulterous, we can focus on our Heavenly Father who brings us as believers into His loving family and uses us to draw others to Christ.

This week's guest is flat-out amazing! Whereas many would choose to see themselves as a victim, he has chosen to be a victor. Accordingly, God has taken his willing heart and initiative to impact the world. What began with a tour of city sewers led to hikes throughout Europe and China, garnering the attention of 40 million people, including Ashton Kutcher, Tim McGraw, and Will Smith. You will not want to miss the inspirational life of this author, speaker, counselor, and nonprofit founder!

I've known this week's guest since she was a young girl when I served as a teaching pastor at Blackhawk Ministries. Enduring more than any woman should ever experience at her age, including the loss of her mother and father in a tragic plane crash, she has chosen to share her passion for Christ to help women find identity and purpose in Him through Named Free Ministries. Both her mother and her Heavenly Father are clearly evident in her spirit.

Usually, if a coach of female athletes corrects the team, each girl attributes the perceived criticism to herself. However, if the same scenario occurs with men, most players think the coach is talking about one of their teammates. This week, my daughter Kelsey, Head Coach of Huntington University Volleyball, will discuss how to wisely lead women in sports.

This week's guest takes us across the globe to experience her amazing journey to Christ and how He revealed His plan for her life, all through the ministry of a family who responded to God's call as church planters in Russia. This is a story only God could write.