The Grand Awakening Podcast
In this podcast, we talk with ministry leaders both locally and elsewhere, asking the basic question: What is God saying to the American Church today? We do this because we long for the revival and spiritual awakening that alone can bring healing to our hurting nation. We strongly sense the reason we haven't yet seen the answer to our prayers for revival and awakening is that we haven't been listening to what God has been saying to us. We need to respond with repentance and wholehearted obedience.
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Jared Blauwkamp shares what true revival requires and how it is coming closer daily!
04/23/2024
Jared Blauwkamp shares what true revival requires and how it is coming closer daily!
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!
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Vernon Spears shares how his faith in Christ helps him be an effective Probation Officer
04/18/2024
Vernon Spears shares how his faith in Christ helps him be an effective Probation Officer
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.
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Andrew Brunson shares about the lessons learned through two painful years in Turkish prisons
04/09/2024
Andrew Brunson shares about the lessons learned through two painful years in Turkish prisons
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.
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Judy King has seen God perform amazing miracles, giving us huge hope for our time
03/25/2024
Judy King has seen God perform amazing miracles, giving us huge hope for our time
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.
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Sydney Faber shares God’s power in freeing thousands of Pakistanis from bondage
03/18/2024
Sydney Faber shares God’s power in freeing thousands of Pakistanis from bondage
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!
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Jadon Fowler shares the power of prayer to bring what seems dead back to life
03/11/2024
Jadon Fowler shares the power of prayer to bring what seems dead back to life
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
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Aaron Bolduc shares about the importance and joy of evangelism for all Christ-followers
03/04/2024
Aaron Bolduc shares about the importance and joy of evangelism for all Christ-followers
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.
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Byron Paulus shares how God is powerfully moving among Gen Zers, ideally leading to Revival!
02/13/2024
Byron Paulus shares how God is powerfully moving among Gen Zers, ideally leading to Revival!
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.
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Greg Dempster shares how God is powerfully bringing God’s healing grace to ministry leaders
02/05/2024
Greg Dempster shares how God is powerfully bringing God’s healing grace to ministry leaders
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!
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Bill Brownson calls the American Church to Pray with Great Power for Revival
01/23/2024
Bill Brownson calls the American Church to Pray with Great Power for Revival
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.
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Jay Jones shares how God rescued him from the grip of near-certain death
01/16/2024
Jay Jones shares how God rescued him from the grip of near-certain death
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.
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Hany Ammanoeiel shares how the number of people coming to faith in the world is accelerating
01/05/2024
Hany Ammanoeiel shares how the number of people coming to faith in the world is accelerating
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.
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Jason Botbyl calls fathers to seek God’s power to bless their families and not abandon them
12/21/2023
Jason Botbyl calls fathers to seek God’s power to bless their families and not abandon them
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.
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Mark Blocher calls the American Church to awaken and fight the spiritual battles of our time
11/27/2023
Mark Blocher calls the American Church to awaken and fight the spiritual battles of our time
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.
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Randy and Marcia share how God has helped them stay best friends for 54 years
11/22/2023
Randy and Marcia share how God has helped them stay best friends for 54 years
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Matt Guy shares how going from law enforcement to prison inmate was actually good
11/20/2023
Matt Guy shares how going from law enforcement to prison inmate was actually good
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John “Barney” Barnes calls American men to courageously take that next step of obedience
11/14/2023
John “Barney” Barnes calls American men to courageously take that next step of obedience
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.
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Randy Hekman calls the American Church to repent for its ungodly views of sex and children
11/02/2023
Randy Hekman calls the American Church to repent for its ungodly views of sex and children
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.
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James Sherbin shares how God quickly answered his prayer about how to know Christ
10/23/2023
James Sherbin shares how God quickly answered his prayer about how to know Christ
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.
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James Dobson talks with Randy and Marcia about the Joys of a Large Family, Part 2
10/17/2023
James Dobson talks with Randy and Marcia about the Joys of a Large Family, Part 2
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!
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James Dobson talks with Randy and Marcia about the Joys of a Large Family, Part 1
10/10/2023
James Dobson talks with Randy and Marcia about the Joys of a Large Family, Part 1
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!
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Emerson Eggerichs shares how God’s truth about marriage continues to bless many couples
10/03/2023
Emerson Eggerichs shares how God’s truth about marriage continues to bless many couples
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!
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Stephen Nylen challenges us to pass onto others the greatest gift we have received: Jesus!
09/26/2023
Stephen Nylen challenges us to pass onto others the greatest gift we have received: Jesus!
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.
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Jordan Sweezer lovingly proclaims the grace and truth of God to women seeking abortion
09/19/2023
Jordan Sweezer lovingly proclaims the grace and truth of God to women seeking abortion
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?
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Dean Luurtsma describes the amazing answer to prayer that stopped surgical abortions in Grand Rapids
09/12/2023
Dean Luurtsma describes the amazing answer to prayer that stopped surgical abortions in Grand Rapids
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.
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Art Guice calls American Christians to courageously be salt and light in our dark world
08/26/2023
Art Guice calls American Christians to courageously be salt and light in our dark world
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.
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Mark Schaap shares his joy seeing young adults become true disciples of Jesus
08/18/2023
Mark Schaap shares his joy seeing young adults become true disciples of Jesus
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.
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Ganesh Venkataramanan tells how he went from atheist to whole-hearted Christ-follower
08/11/2023
Ganesh Venkataramanan tells how he went from atheist to whole-hearted Christ-follower
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!
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Lud Golz, while a senior, is very young in heart and shares how we can finish strong in Christ
07/28/2023
Lud Golz, while a senior, is very young in heart and shares how we can finish strong in Christ
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.
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Maranda shares how a wholehearted Christ-follower can still be a bright light in media.
07/27/2023
Maranda shares how a wholehearted Christ-follower can still be a bright light in media.
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.
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