Stories of Freedom

Stories of Freedom is a podcast about discovering and embracing who you are in Christ. Join Dan Studt, President of FICM-USA, and co-host Lauren Boyt as they talk to people who have overcome obstacles, gained freedom, and found abundant life. After each interview, they discuss what Biblical principles are evident in each person's story and how they can apply to your life. At Freedom in Christ Ministries, we believe that growth and transformation is possible for every believer—and that's what this podcast is all about. Wherever you are in your faith journey, we pray that these “stories of freedom” inspire you to trust God to a greater extent.

Sue & Phil Huber: Reconciliation & Restoration in Marriage & Ministry 05/22/2024

Brian Westphalen: Dealing With Personal Spiritual Conflict in Ministry 05/08/2024

Alison Cullen: How the Power of Renouncing Can Transform Families 04/24/2024

Rodney Woods: Perseverance in Leadership 04/10/2024

(Re-Run) Neil Anderson: How Identity in Christ, Repentance, and Spiritual Warfare Shaped Freedom in Christ Ministries 03/27/2024

Chris Campbell: How Freedom in Christ Can Be Partnered With Licensed Counseling 03/15/2024

Kat Rodman: Finding Healing After the Loss of Her Father 02/28/2024

Matt Massingale: Finding the Root of Sin Patterns 02/14/2024

Beverly Wilburn: Atheist Turns Evangelist When She Encounters a God of Love 01/31/2024

Josh and Mandy Shaarda: Seeing Lives Transformed in the Prisons of Uganda 01/17/2024

Sarah Keel: A Former Addict Finds Her Calling Ministering to the Broken 12/13/2023

Billy Burleigh: Leaving Transgenderism and Finding His Identity in Christ 11/29/2023

Amber Ward: Learning Forgiveness Amidst Abuse 11/15/2023

Lauren Boyt: Understanding the Power of Forgiveness and Letting Christ Be Our Defender 11/01/2023

Rosemary Davidson: Overcoming Abuse and Experiencing the Unconditional Love of God 10/18/2023

Pati Colston: A Women’s Story of Healing from Fear, Shame and Childhood Wounds 10/04/2023

Jamesetta Roach: Becoming a Leader Who Looks for Validation in Christ Alone 09/20/2023

Rachel Kyriazis: How A Young Women Overcame Crippling Anxiety & Learned to Resist the Enemy's Lies 09/06/2023

A GenFree Roundtable: Our History, What’s New, and Why We Care About Helping Gen Z find freedom in Christ 08/23/2023

A GenFree Roundtable: Our History, What’s New, and Why We Care About Helping Gen Z find freedom in Christ Our interview today was a special one—we didn’t just talk to one guest; we talked to three! Dan sat down with Chris Campbell and James and Melissa Presley to discuss getting the Freedom message to younger generations. Chris Campbell is founder and president of Resolutions Counseling and originally founded and directed Generation Freedom, the youth arm of Freedom in Christ. James and Mellisa Pressley have worked with youth for over 20 years and head up GenFree, which is what Generation Freedom is now called. Chris, Mellisa and James start off talking about what first led them to get involved working with youth. From there, we cover a wide variety of topics. We talk about everything from the history of Generation Freedom (now GenFree), general characteristics of Gen Z, the new vision of GenFree, how to incorporate Freedom in Christ principles and practices into working with youth, and what makes GenFree curriculum different than other youth curriculum. Mellissa, the Director of GenFree, expresses the heart of GenFree: for young people to be shaped from the inside out, not from the outside in. Their vision is to see young people have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and be rooted and grounded in their identity in Christ. GenFree is also committed to helping parents, grandparents, youth pastors, counselors and anyone else working with youth. EPISODE LINKS: Interested in getting involved with Gen Free? Check out their website at . Register for the GenFree Intensive on October 9-10 in Spring Hill, TN: genfree.ficm.org Subscribe to Stories of Freedom on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you never miss an episode! Learn more about Freedom in Christ Ministries USA and the discipleship resources we offer: . For those outside the United States: . Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/ficpodstoriesoffreedom/id/27809106

Mark Eshelman: A Crisis of Faith Leads to Casting Off Idols & Fully Receiving God’s Love 08/09/2023

Amanda Thompson: Embracing the Truth of Being Chosen and Loved By God 12/14/2022

Amanda Thompson: Embracing the Truth of Being Chosen and Loved By God Our guest today is Amanda Thompson. She serves as a Field Staff with Freedom in Christ, discipling women both locally and around the country through Zoom. She lives in Texas with her husband, Valiant, and her three sons. Amanda gave her life to Christ at 12 years old, but prior to that, she was abused by a relative for many years. This left her with a deep sense of shame and guilt, and she carried this over into her relationship with the Lord. For 20 years, Amanda tried hard to be a “good Christian girl” so that God wouldn’t regret His decision to make her His child. But that didn’t work. Eventually, in her second marriage, during a season of infidelity and self-hatred, Amanda hit rock bottom and was confronted with the question: did God actually exist? In that moment, she decided that yes, God was real, and since He was real, He must be big enough to fix everything she had messed up. Not long after, Amanda’s mom gave her a copy of the book Victory Over the Darkness by Neil Anderson, and she found herself crying her way through it as she learned that she was loved, accepted and significant to God. God used this truth to revolutionize her life, marriage, and relationship with Him as he led her to greater freedom and healing. Today, Amanda sees all of life as a journey towards Christ likenesses, and she’s passionate about helping others on this journey, too. Let’s dive in to our conversation with Amanda Thompson. EPISODE LINKS: To sign up for our Weekly Email Newsletter and stay up to date with what’s happening at Freedom in Christ: . To give a donation to our Year-End campaign: or text the word ‘LEAD’ to 865-345-3355. For more information about TRANSFORM, our 8-month program for leaders, and to apply: . Subscribe to Stories of Freedom on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you never miss an episode! Learn more about Freedom in Christ Ministries USA and the discipleship resources we offer: . For those outside the United States: . Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/ficpodstoriesoffreedom/id/25312233

Mary Antony: The Remarkable Transformation of a Skeptical Missionary Kid Who Didn’t Need God 11/30/2022

Steve Goss: Writing the Freedom in Christ Course, Stronghold Busters, and International Leadership 11/02/2022

Steve Goss: Writing the Freedom in Christ Course, Stronghold Busters, and International Leadership Our guest today is Steve Goss. Steve is the president of Freedom in Christ International and oversees the work of Freedom in Christ around the world. He also wrote one of our core discipleship resources called The Freedom in Christ Course. But before all of this, Steve was a successful businessman who served in his local church. One day, his pastor asked him to disciple a couple in their church who were struggling. Week after week, Steve went through the material with them but with little real progress. The couple was really trying to grasp hold of God’s truth, but they just couldn’t. Shortly after that, Steve picked up a copy of the book The Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson at a Christian bookstore. With the help of his pastor, he took the couple through the prayer and repentance process at the back of the book called The Steps to Freedom in Christ. The couple was dramatically changed, and Steve began teaching the material to others in the church too. What he found was that the so-called “good Christians” also started changing and gaining a new zeal for the Lord. This was the beginning of a new calling for Steve which led him to open a Freedom in Christ UK office, write the Freedom in Christ Course, and eventually take over leadership of the international ministry 10 years ago. Today, he is passionate about getting the message and materials of Freedom in Christ into the hands of pastors and church leaders around the world. As Steve himself said, “We all need real freedom in Christ.” EPISODE LINKS: For more information about TRANSFORM, our 8-month program for leaders, and to apply: . Watch a Stronghold Buster Training put on by our Care & Training Team: Make your own Stronghold Buster: Check out the Freedom in Christ Course: Subscribe to Stories of Freedom on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you never miss an episode! Learn more about Freedom in Christ Ministries USA and the discipleship resources we offer: . For those outside the United States: . Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/ficpodstoriesoffreedom/id/24866949

Hannah Marks: Finding Freedom From Anxiety in the Midst of Health Problems 10/19/2022

Hannah Marks: Finding Freedom From Anxiety in the Midst of Health Problems We’re really excited for you to hear Hannah Marks share her story with us on today’s episode. Hannah grew up in the UK as a pastor’s kid, and she gave her life to Jesus at age 7. Eventually, she moved to the States to go to college, and while studying for her Masters degree, she was diagnosed with Graves disease and had her thyroid removed. But that was just the start of her journey with medical problems. In 2018, she had a stroke and for the next couple of years, Hannah was in and out of the hospital, on multiple medications, and struggling with severe anxiety. It got so bad that Hannah didn’t want to leave her house, and she hit the lowest point she’d ever been at in her life. Although she was walking with Jesus the whole time, she truly believed that God had forgotten about her or that she had disappointed God in some way. A few months later, Hannah was given the Bondage Breaker, a book written by Neil Anderson, and she learned who she was in Christ, the reality of the spiritual world, and how to deal with her fear and anxiety. Through that process, God set Hannah free from her anxiety. As other health issues have come up in her life, Hannah’s learned that the body can be out of control, but the mind can be at peace. Today, she’s passionate about sharing her story & helping other women like herself learn these powerful Bibilical truths. EPISODE LINKS: To sign up for the 12-week online study of Unraveling the Lie-Knot led by Sheryl Giesbrecht Turner: . To purchase Unraveling the Lie-Knot: . For more information on the difference between the physical and the spiritual, check out our course, Keys to Health, Wholeness and Fruitfulness: Subscribe to Stories of Freedom on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you never miss an episode! Learn more about Freedom in Christ Ministries USA and the discipleship resources we offer: . For those outside the United States: . Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/ficpodstoriesoffreedom/id/24727260

Seth Broadhurst: A Pastor Finds Freedom from Perfectionism and Embraces a New Perspective on Ministry 10/05/2022

Seth Broadhurst: A Pastor Finds Freedom from Perfectionism and Embraces a New Perspective on Ministry On today’s episode, you’re going to hear from Seth Broadhurst. He currently serves on staff with Freedom in Christ USA as our National Director of Ministry Relationships. He’s been married to his wife, Stacy, for 21 years and they have three children. Seth grew up attending church with his family, and trusted Jesus as His Savior on a youth retreat. After the death of a childhood friend, God ignited in Seth a passion to share the Gospel with others, and eventually, he became a church planter. While his drivenness helped him grow the church and see a lot of positive results, his identity soon became wrapped up in his success as a pastor and people’s perception of him. Sundays were the hardest. If he felt like a sermon didn’t go well or he didn’t receive enough affirmation from others, he would wallow in shame and guilt for a few days. This went on for many years, until Seth stumbled upon Freedom in Christ material and had an encounter with God he’ll never forget. As he embraced his identity in Christ and replaced lies with truth, he experienced freedom from the need to please people and be perfect, and his perspective on ministry radically changed. If you struggle with perfectionism, people-pleasing, or you work in ministry, we believe Seth’s story will be an encouragement to you. EPISODE LINKS: To purchase The Steps to Freedom in Christ booklet: . Before going through The Steps to Freedom in Christ, we recommend going through one of these resources: Freedom in Christ Course, Restored, or Victory Over the Darkness and The Bondage Breaker. For details and to purchase: . Subscribe to Stories of Freedom on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you never miss an episode! Learn more about Freedom in Christ Ministries USA and the discipleship resources we offer: . For those outside the United States: . Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/ficpodstoriesoffreedom/id/24571071

Sunee Kim: Learning to Embrace Both Her Identity in Christ and Her Ethnic Heritage 09/21/2022

Sunee Kim: Learning to Embrace Both Her Identity in Christ and Her Ethnic Heritage We’re joined today by Sunee Kim. She’s a military wife and mom with a passion for seeing women grow in Christ and walk in freedom. Sunee was adopted from Korea as a baby and grew up in a loving, Christian home here in the U.S. At age 13, she put her faith in Jesus Christ and trusted Him as her Lord and Savior. But Sunee always struggled to accept her Korean heritage. As a teenager, she experienced a disconnect between how she looked on the outside and who she was on the inside. It was until she went off to college and was around other Asian-Americans that Sunee had to come to grips with her Korean heritage. Suddenly, she was lumped together with other Asian people and repeatedly asked whether she was Korean or not. Over time, she felt like she had to prove that she was a good Korean. This led to anger and resentment towards Korean people that was triggered by any interaction Sunee had with them. As a young mom, she and friend decided to read through The Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson. Soon after, God led her to forgive her birth parents, and she started experiencing freedom in many areas of her life. But it took years, and a whole lot of prayer & repentance, for her to finally accept her Korean identity and reconcile her inner self with her outer self. Today, she’s learning to walk this out on a daily basis. And she tells us all about it on this episode! EPISODE LINKS: For more information about the 2022 National Disciple Making Forum and to sign up: . To purchase the book The Bondage Breaker that Sunee mentioned in the episode: . Subscribe to Stories of Freedom on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you never miss an episode! Learn more about Freedom in Christ Ministries USA and the discipleship resources we offer: . For those outside the United States: . Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/ficpodstoriesoffreedom/id/24440346

Harold Webb: Overcoming Fear, Rejection, and Panic Attacks 09/07/2022

Jonathan VerSchneider: How a Teenager Found Freedom From the Need to Escape 08/24/2022

Sarah Davidar: Leaving Behind a Performance-Based Faith to Embrace Something Better 08/10/2022

Britni Boyce: A Woman Addicted to Drugs Embraces Freedom Beyond Sobriety 07/27/2022

Britni Boyce: A Woman Addicted to Drugs Embraces Freedom Beyond Sobriety Britni Boyce is an author, speaker, and recovery coach, who runs Level Up Recovery, a faith-based program for those coming out of substance abuse. Britni grew up attending church on the weekends, but didn’t actually put her faith in Jesus until sixth grade. Sadly, it was actually at church a few years later where she met someone who introduced her to smoking weed. From there, she started experimenting with different types of drugs, and before long, her life started to spin out of control. For the next ten years, she remained in bondage to drug addiction. Although she tried to stop, she just couldn’t get over the addiction on her own. After a scary experience with a bad batch of heroin, God finally got Britni’s attention. She checked herself into rehab, got sober, and then went on to get her Master’s degree in social work. But even though she was living sober, she was not living free… until an encounter with God while going through The Steps to Freedom in Christ changed that and gave her a passion to help other addicts experience the same freedom—a freedom in Christ that’s better than just being sober. On this episode, Britni shares her story of transformation—from a drug addiction that threatened to destroy her life to leading a coaching program for people who are “sober and stuck” as she was. You’ll also hear her talk about how anyone can take hold of the abundant life in Christ through surrendering everything to God, forgiving those who’ve hurt you, and living out of your authority and identity in Christ. EPISODE LINKS: For more information about TRANSFORM, our 8-month program for leaders: . Subscribe to Stories of Freedom on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you never miss an episode! Learn more about Freedom in Christ Ministries USA and the discipleship resources we offer: . For those outside the United States: . Instagram: Facebook: /episode/index/show/ficpodstoriesoffreedom/id/23866515

Stories of Freedom

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