Find "Faith Under Construction" here:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaegu1hNDATwjQKtLLwJShEksOFiB7867
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/faith-under-construction/id1881603583
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7znNvLYXFSdqcx6e2wkDT8

Guest Bio:

Sandra Maria Van Opstal is a second-generation Latina and the executive director of Chasing Justice. She is an author, pastor, and activist reimagining the intersection of faith and justice. Her work centers on chasing justice under the mentorship of the global church, for the mobilization of the next generation of leaders. 

She holds a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently pursuing doctoral work in urban leadership and transformation. She is a contributor to the New York Times bestselling book A Rhythm of Prayer, and she’s also the author of The Next Worship, 40 Days on Being an Eight, and more. 

Notes & Quotes:

• “What I saw [when first studying Scripture] was a God who cared. I connected for the first time, the deep understanding that God is present with us, and that God is going to do something about the world that we live in.” 

• “I would say at every point in time of my formation, it has always been understanding the Bible in its context that has liberated me to a deeper and deeper relationship with God.” 

• “Unless the work that you're doing is rooted in the Spirit and in your faith, it will never be fruitful.” 

• “[Certain Bible passages] invite us to connect that our walk with God, our worship of God, our connectedness with God invites a way of living in the world that is kind and compassionate and good and just and right.” 

• “Connection with God moves us to pursue the flourishing of others.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Learn more about Sandra’s work with Chasing Justice.  
• See all of Sandra’s books on Amazon. 
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.  
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Esther’s Story: Esther 1-10 
• Moses’ Beginnings: Exodus 1-3 
• Isaiah 58, 60, 61 
• Matthew 5:6 
• Luke 4:18 
• Hebrews 11 
• James 1:19 
• Micah 6:8 
• Amos 5:1–17 
• Luke 24:32

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Guest Bio:

Born and raised in Cuba, Dr. Justo L. González was ordained as a minister within the Methodist church in 1957. In 1961, he became the youngest person to earn a doctorate in Theological History from Yale University. For thirty years, Dr. González taught at various theological institutions, beginning with eight years at the Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico (1961-1969).

He has given hundreds of lectures across the world and has also written over one hundred books. His two-volume set, History of Christianity, and his three volumes, History of Christian Thought, have been translated into eight languages.

Since retiring from teaching full-time and ministry, he has dedicated his time to research, writing, and promoting Hispanic theological education. Dr. González was involved in the founding of the Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana (AETH), the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI), and the Hispanic Summer Program (HSP). He values mentoring and encouraging Latinas and Latinos and other minority students.

Notes & Quotes:

• "The place where I most clearly meet absolute truth is in a very contextual moment in history, some 20 centuries ago, in a very contextual man whose name is Jesus. And that if you cannot take Jesus's contextuality, you cannot take His truth either.” 

• “The way you understand the kingdom of God is connected with that yearning. A yearning of fellowship, of easy understanding among others, of experiences that are fruitful and edifying . . .”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Check out Dr. González’s books here. 
• Learn more about the Association for Hispanic Theological Education. 
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.  
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Acts 10: Story of Peter and Cornelius 
• Exodus & Moses 
• Luke 22:54–62 
• Philippians 3:20 
• Acts 22 
• John 14:2 
• Hebrews 11 
• Acts 28

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Guest Bios:

Dr. William Pannell was professor emeritus of preaching at Fuller Seminary, where he taught from 1974 until his retirement in 2014. Fuller recognized his service to the school and the whole church with the January 2015 renaming and dedication of the William E. Pannell Center for African American Church Studies. Previously serving in leadership roles with Youth for Christ and Tom Skinner Associates, his books include My Friend, the Enemy; Evangelism from the Bottom Up; and The Coming Race Wars: A Cry for Reconciliation, recently expanded. Dr. Pannell passed away on October 11th, 2024. 

Dr. Jemar Tisby is a public historian, national speaker, and author of the New York Times bestselling book The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church's Complicity in Racism. His writing has been featured on CNN, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The New York Times. He is the founder and former president of The Witness—a Black Christian Collective and the cohost of the Pass the Mic podcast. He has recently received his PhD in history at the University of Mississippi.

Notes & Quotes:

• “Whatever experience we go through, the Holy Spirit understands it all. He's been there before. Ours is not all that unique in history, for crying out loud. It's our story, and it's the only one we have, but God's been working on this for a long time.” 
• “I'm sitting there as a follower of Jesus, saying, ‘Well, if I'm supposed to love my neighbor, then what does that look like in this context? And where do I get the tools to understand this theologically and take action?’” 
• “Where love is the beating heart of justice, I always say we have to have a priestly proximity to people, particularly suffering people, because that breeds empathy, and empathy births love.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Check out Dr. Tisby’s book, How to Fight Racism. 
• Get your copy of Dr. Pannell’s book, The Coming Race Wars. 
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.  
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram. 

Verses Mentioned:

• Mark 12:31 
• Ephesians 
• Colossians 
• Proverbs 27:17

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Guest Bio:

A testament to how a life can be shaped by generosity, optimism, and unshakable faith, Dr. Carey H. Latimore IV served as an associate professor of history and co-director of the African American studies program at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. In addition to his long list of accolades and accomplishments during his 18 years at Trinity, Dr. Latimore also served as an associate pastor of his local church and was frequently invited to serve as a commentator and consultant on current topics such as race, land ownership, political identity, and religion for local and state media and organizations.  

During his time as a leading contributor to the VOICES collection at Our Daily Bread Ministries, Dr. Latimore authored the book Unshakable Faith, and served as special guest on the award-winning documentary, Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom. 

Dr. Latimore went home to be with the Lord on July 26th, 2022, leaving behind a legacy of community, ministry, and celebrating God as the author of freedom for all past, present, and future generations.

Notes & Quotes:

• When I felt that I was worthless, I felt that [God] loved me, and that He had never left me or forsaken me. 
• “When one group becomes free, we all become freer.” 
• “And so my faith impacts the way that I look at history and the questions that I bring. My historical training impacts the way that I read and interpret the Bible. I believe that the Scripture is God-bound and that it is inspired word of God. But I’'m not going to lie, I read it as a historical text too.” 
• Juneteenth is a stone as a memorial, and they took it and they never forgot it. And then the feeling of God being invested in our liberation, and that God cares about us enough that in His time, His place, that this has happened.

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Dr. Carey Latimore’s book, Unshakeable Faith: African American Stories of Redemption, Hope, and Community. 
• See Dr. Latimore’s interview with Rasool in Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom.  
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.  
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Psalms 
• 1 and 2 Samuel 
• 1 and 2 Kings 
• Exodus 
• Exodus 6:5 
• Acts 10-34 
• Philemon 
• Hebrews 11 
• Joshua 4

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Guest Bio:

Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Mali Music began creating and arranging his own material at the age of twelve. Since then, he’s gone on to receive acclaim in both the sacred and secular music worlds with his albums, 2econd Coming, Mali Is…, and The Book of Mali. His song “Beautiful” also made the Billboard charts and propelled him into the mainstream music industry.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I loved falling into just the shadow of the Most High. Like just disappearing in worship.” 
• “I just never wanted the word of God, or the words of God or the things of God, to be detested or underestimated like I was for carrying it, loving it, valuing it.” 
• “And I just love that music is going to be connected to what God is doing.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Listen to Mali’s music on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever else you stream your music. 
• Mali’s Instagram 
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.  
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

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Guest Bio:

Ekemini Uwan is a theologian and writer who has dedicated her life to combating racism and bringing awareness to the issues of colorism, microaggressions, and white supremacy. She is a host of Truth’s Table, a popular podcast for black women, and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary.

Notes & Quotes:

• “So I was praying, praying, asking the Lord, ‘What’s going on? What is the deal?’ And I just sensed that the Lord was saying, ‘Ministry.’” 
• “I was able to endure because I knew the Lord. I knew He called me here.” 

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Learn more about Ekemini’s work with her website. 
• Listen to Ekemini’s podcast, Truth’s Table. 
• Check out the award-winning book, Truth’s Table, co-authored by Ekemini Uwan. 
• Learn more about Rasool’s time in South Africa with this In Pursuit of Jesus episode.  
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.  
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

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Guest Bio:

Ruth Naomi Floyd is a vocalist and composer who has created a discography dedicated to a sacred jazz expression that highlights theology and justice. Her progressive ensemble jazz sound and mezzo-soprano voice has received high praise for its messages of hope, redemption, and love. In addition, Ruth continues lectures and performs her music internationally while also being an award-winning photographer specializing in black and white portrait images. Ms. Floyd lives in Philadelphia, where she continues her creative work and justice work.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I think the root of it goes to loving our neighbor as ourselves. I think the more interesting question is who we as Christians—those followers of Christ—who we deem not our neighbor. And so, I think we really need to look with renewed eyes, with the Holy Spirit, and really examine where Jesus went, where He was born, where He escaped to, who He came through, who He spent time with.” 
• “The Bible is very clear. And Jesus is very clear in His words and in His actions. And we should open our arms to our brothers and sisters. Those who don't embrace Christ in His cross, and those who do.” 
• We have that great Scripture that says [Jesus] sees and He collects our tears in a bottle, and He cares for them, and He treasures them. Jesus understands our suffering, and He actively knows what you’re going through.  
• Just as the gospel has emancipated us, we’re willing to help use the gospel to emancipate others as on earth as it is in heaven. So, we don’t have to wait till heaven to experience that freedom and that emancipation. What is stopping us?

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Learn more about Ruth’s fusion of music and justice with The Fredrick Douglass Jazz Works. 
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.  
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Lamentations 3:22-23 
• Genesis 1:1

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Guest Bio:

Daniel Hill is the founding and former senior pastor of River City Community Church located in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. The church members long to see increased spiritual renewal as well as social and economic justice in the neighborhood and city, demonstrating compassion and alleviating poverty as tangible expressions of the kingdom of God. Daniel has a business degree from Purdue University, an MA in theology from Moody Bible Institute, and a DMin from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of White Awake and White Lies. Daniel is married to Elizabeth, and they are the proud parents of Xander and Gabriella. 

Notes & Quotes:

• “When I learned about race outside the church, I realized that without Jesus there’s no way to have these conversations.” 
• “I think that's the easiest way to bottom line what race is. That it's a story about human value that says this is how it is in direct contrast with God.” 
• “The Bible says human values [are] tied to the doctrine of the Imago Dei. Race says that your value is not tied to the Imago Dei, it's tied to where you fall on the racial hierarchy.” 

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Hear more wisdom Daniel Hill with his two books, White Awake and White Lies, available on Amazon.  
• Get your free download of the This Far by Faith devotional.  
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.  
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Colossians 1 
• Genesis 1 and 2 (Imago Dei) 
• John 14:6 
• John 8:44

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On this Best of Where Ya From? episode, we’re throwing it back to a thought-provoking conversation we had with speaker and author Mark Charles. He talks about the journey of navigating personal trauma and how it inspires the ways he continues to learn and invite others to see the trauma and racism that still impacts Native Americans today. Come join us as we are given an in-depth education about the history of his people and America but hear the hopeful message that the unhealthy roots of the past don’t define our future.  

Guest Bio:

Mark Charles is a speaker, writer, consultant, former presidential candidate, and dual citizen as an American and a Navajo Native American. Mark teaches the complexities of American history regarding race, culture, and Christendom in order to help forge a path of healing and reconciliation for the nation.   

He is a co-founder of the Would Jesus Eat Frybread? college-conference series and has served on the boards of the Christian Reformed Church of North America and the Christian Community Development Association.

Notes & Quotes:

• “Jesus did not come to create a Christian empire. He came to make disciples. He came to offer his body as a living sacrifice. He came to plant a church.”  
• “I had never thought, okay, Jesus said this. So that means I now go out and try to do something like this. And I would say that year, the difference in my faith is Jesus went from being my luggage to becoming my Lord.” 
• “I can keep the humanity of everybody in question in front of me. It allows me to treat people better, allows me to speak the truth without using the truth as a weapon.” 

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Get your copy of Mark’s book, Unsettling Truths, here. 
• Watch Rasool’s adventures through the In Pursuit of Jesus series. 
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.  
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Acts 10

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Guest Bio:

Carolyn Custis James is an advocate for women worldwide and an award-winning author. She specializes in strengthening relationships between men and women and writing about what it means to be a female follower of Jesus in a postmodern world. Additionally, her speaking and writing ministry is dedicated to addressing the deeper needs and issues confronting both women and men as they endeavor to extend God’s kingdom together in a messy and complicated world. She serves as an adjunct faculty member at Missio Seminary in Philadelphia and is married to Frank James. 

Notes & Quotes:

• The moment the word why crosses your lips, you are doing theology. And if you've been trying to survive on fluff, you don't have anything that's going to hold you.” 
• “If you are created to image God, it means that your first calling is to know the God who created you to be like Himself. That He is to be our study.”  
• “Our first calling is to know [God]. And to find out, you know, what He loves and to look at the world through His eyes. And to love what He loves and to join His mission in the world.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Get your FREE copy of Marching Forward here!  
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here! 
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram. 

Verses Mentioned:

• Genesis 1 & 2 
• Ruth 1-4

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Guest Bio:

Lisa Fields is one of the world’s most sought-after Christian apologists. She combines her passion for biblical literacy with her heart for sharing God’s love to all those she meets. Lisa is a graduate of the University of North Florida with a bachelor of science in communications and religious studies. She also graduated from Liberty University with a master of divinity and a focus in theology. Her time in seminary propelled her into her calling as an apologist. 

During her last year of seminary, her passion to teach others how to defend their faith became very clear. It was then that the Jude 3 Project was born. As founder and president, Lisa’s primary mission for the Jude 3 Project is to help the Black Christian community know what they believe and why they believe.  

Since starting the Jude 3 Project, Fields has received several honors, most notably, Christianity Today’s recognition of her work as an apologist in the African American community. Though these accolades have been encouraging, Fields continues to break new ground for the sake of the gospel by adding production to her resume. She helped produce and create two documentaries, Unspoken, an in-depth look into the Christian heritage of Africa and people of African descent; and Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom, the groundbreaking documentary presented by the Voices Collection and Our Daily Bread Media. Additionally, Lisa also published her first book, When Faith Disappoints: The Gap Between What We Believe and What We Experience, this past summer.

Notes & Quotes:

• “So I feel like a faith that can’t be tested, can’t be trusted. And so I continued to test it and put it under scrutiny because I believe that if it was truth, it will always be found to be true.” 

• “Relationship shows you what’s going on in people’s lives and people’s world, and it helps you not to have such a narrow view of concepts, I think. Because you’re like, ‘Okay, this is a great concept in theory. How does this flesh out in a person’s everyday life? What is this person experiencing?’ It helps you be able to speak to some of the issues differently and with a level of empathy because you actually know people in these situations, and you’re not making these rigid kinds of statements that aren’t considerate of other people’s experience.” 

• “The tendency for people that have bad experiences is to overcorrect; and when you overcorrect, you’re still not corrected.” 

• “I think, relationally though, it is easier for people to receive hard truths from people they are in relationship with versus strangers. And so it doesn’t mean that I water down the message. It means that when I share the message, people trust me enough to believe that I’m not trying to do them harm with the message that I’m sharing.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Learn more about Lisa’s work with the Jude 3 Project here. 
• Get your copy of Lisa’s book When Faith Disappoints on Amazon.   
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.  
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.  
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.  
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow VOICES on Instagram. 

Verses Mentioned:

• John 6:68 
• 1 Peter 3:15 
• Jude 3

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Host Bio:

Rasool Berry is a teaching pastor at The Bridge Church in Brooklyn, New York; the host of the Where Ya From? Podcast; a co-host on the Discover the Word Podcast; a contributor on “The Whole Man Project”; and the director of partnerships and content development at Our Daily Bread Ministries.

Notes & Quotes:

• “What would happen in a world of intensifying hostility if the church modeled what it looked like to be quicker to listen than to speak? Well, from my experience and hosting Where Ya From?, it would result in us having a greater appreciation for each other in spite of our differences. It would result in more love and less hate.” 
• “Multiple perspectives help us see God’s goodness.” 
• “The questions we often come to God with reflect our culture, regardless of where we’re from. And God’s timeless answers offer universal wisdom that we can all benefit from.”
• “The fact that struggle is the birthplace of strength reveals why the best art often comes from hard situations. God blesses the broken and restores beauty from ashes.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here. 
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• James 1:19-20
• Proverbs 12:30
• Romans 8:28

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Guest Bio:

Rev. Dr. Nicole Massie Martin holds degrees from Vanderbilt University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She is the chief impact officer at Christianity Today and founder and executive director of Soulfire International Ministries. She is an accomplished writer and author, serves on various boards and councils, and leads the Grow Ministry at Kingdom Fellowship AME Church in Maryland. 

She and her husband, Mark, are proud parents to two amazing daughters.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I think everyone has to do their own work of seeking God through the Word of asking the Holy Spirit for revelation. And what you’ll find is that the gospel is full of examples of ways that God builds our identity in Him beyond the confines of the world.”
• “But redemptive leadership says actually who you are and who Christ has called you to be is represented by your lows. The cross becomes the core of our identity.”
• “The world says power makes you who you are. That needs to be crucified. The world says perfection makes you who you are. That needs to be crucified. When we crucify the things that the world says make us great, then we get to become who God calls us to be—people shaped according to the cross. People who are dependent on Christ.”
• The depth of your integrity shows up in how you handle your low moments. And we don’t learn that from a generation. We learned that from Jesus, who says, ‘I am Lord. Not because I came in riding on a horse. I am Lord because I died on the cross. Because I literally went to the depths for you. And if you want to be like me, then you’ve got to take on what I take on.’”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Dr. Martin’s work with Christianity Today.
• Get your copy of Dr. Martin’s book, Made to Lead, on Amazon.
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Romans 8:28 
• John 15:13
• John 20:11-18
• Romans 16:1-2
• 1 Timothy 2:11
• 1 Corinthians 11:5

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As a singer, songwriter, CEO, founder, entrepreneur, and president of The Witness Foundation, Danielle excels at wearing a lot of different hats. But for every success she’s had, there was first the invitation to surrender and become attuned to God’s voice—even when what she was being called to do went against what she thought the plan was. Each pivot has required Danielle to first step out in trust—having no clue how God was going to work things out but being absolutely sure He will.

Guest Bio:

Danielle Marck, President of the Witness Foundation, is an emerging leader in the nonprofit sector with over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, three of those years at the Witness Foundation, holding various roles within the organization. Danielle is also the Founder and CEO of The Didoc Group, a consultancy firm dedicated to empowering BIPOC leaders and helping them scale their organizations effectively. 

An alumnus of West Chester University, Danielle also holds a certification from the Yale School of Management, with a specialization in Fostering Diversity and Inclusion. Additionally, she is in the process of obtaining her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification. Her journey is marked by a commitment to fostering change through ingenuity and compassionate responses. 

Danielle has been named one of Radio One’s (formerly known as Urban One’s) Boom 30 Under 30, highlighting her impactful contributions and leadership in the Greater Philadelphia community through music and campus ministry.

Recently married, Danielle resides close to Philadelphia with her husband, Josh. She enjoys going out to eat and making music in her spare time.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I had these real experiences with God and with people seeing how one word, one moment, one act of obedience can really change somebody’s life. And I wasn’t in charge of that change. I was just in charge of doing my part.” 
• “Just because you’re not excelling in one area doesn’t mean you’re not intelligent. Just may not be your area of expertise when it comes to intelligence. That’s where God was like, ‘You never sought me about what I wanted you to do. You just pursued your plan B instead of asking me for my plan A for your life.’” 
• “God has given me glimpses of where He wants to take me. Some of them I’ve seen come to pass. Some are still yet to come. But there’s always that element of we have to trust Him, and we have to believe that what He says is going to happen. And whether we believe it or not, there are things that God’s going to make happen anyway. But there’s a beautiful intimate invitation that he gives us to trust Him.”
• “It’s the forming [of us to be like Jesus] that makes us more like [God] and where we find joy and peace.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Danielle's work with The Witness Foundation.
• Check out Danielle’s consultancy firm, The Didoc Group.
• Visit the VOICES website to learn more about our partnership with The Witness Foundation and sign up to receive emails.
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Luke 16:10
• Romans 8:28-29

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Yet Brady’s biggest test of holding steadfast to the example of Jesus came to a dramatic crossroads. Only 100 days into his new job, he had to comfort his congregation through the devastation of gun violence that shook the entire community—a community that had just gone through a dramatic scandal that played out on the front page of every national newspaper.

Guest Bio:

Brady Boyd is married to his college sweetheart, Pam, and is the dad to great kids named Abram and Callie. He has written several books, including Remarkable, Speak Life, Fear No Evil, Addicted to Busy, Let Her Lead, Sons & Daughters, and Extravagant. He has most recently published the book, Life-Minded: 8 Intentional Practices for Belonging to God and Each Other, and its complementary Bible study with Our Daily Bread Publishing. He’s also really serious about caring for the people of Colorado Springs by opening numerous Dream Centers.

He has a degree in Journalism from Louisiana Tech, has been a radio announcer for professional baseball and basketball teams and was the sports editor for his college newspaper. Before coming to New Life in 2007, he served Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas for almost seven years.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I’ll look back on this part of my life and I’ll say, the church is more resilient than we think. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church. That what Jesus said about the church is true. That we can overcome anything if we will stay faithful and stay steady and believe in Him and trust Him.”
• “The kingdom of heaven is not an independent work. It’s interdependent. It’s built around community. It’s built around trust. It’s built around self-sacrifice.”
• “We need Jesus. We need His kingdom. We need His power. We are not enough. Jesus is still enough and we still need Him.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Check out Brady’s new Life-Minded book and Bible study with Our Daily Bread Publishing. 
• Brady Boyd’s Instagram
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• 1 Corinthians 1:26-27
• Revelation 22:20
• Ephesians 4:3
• 2 Corinthians 12:10
• Matthew 22:37-39
• Matthew 28:18-20
• Psalm 22
• Psalm 23
• Psalm 91
• Psalm 51

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Guest Bio:

Maya Moore and Jonathan Irons’ story has all the makings of a modern fairytale: full of faith, friendship, a fight for justice, and ultimately the triumph of love. 

Maya is a basketball icon—a two-time NCAA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time WNBA champion, and WNBA MVP. Jonathan was just 18 years old when he was wrongly convicted by an all-white jury for a crime that occurred when he was 16. With no physical evidence tying him to the crime, Jonathan was handed a 50-year prison sentence, of which he served 23 years. Their lives juxtaposed, it might seem unlikely that their paths would cross.

Yet, it was right before her freshman year at UCONN that Maya was introduced to Jonathan by her family involved with prison ministry. She heard his story, and over the next decade, as Maya graduates from UCONN and is drafted into the WNBA, Jonathan pours himself into earning first his GED, then develops a deep understanding of law. The two forged a close friendship, grounded in their shared faith and cultivated through their dedication to finding his freedom. Then, in 2019, at the peak of her career, Maya shocked the world when she decided to step away from basketball to focus solely on Jonathan’s case. 

After a winding, yearlong effort, Jonathan was finally released. The next day, Jonathan proposed to Maya, and weeks later, they were married. Maya was the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2021 ESPYS, and the story of her fight for Jonathan’s freedom was told in the ESPN 30 for 30 film “Breakaway.” In 2023, Maya and Jonathan welcomed their first child, Jonathan, Jr. (“JJ”), and published their joint memoir, Love and Justice.

Together, they are dedicated to using their now shared platform and social action nonprofit Win With Justice to raise awareness and advocate for issues surrounding criminal justice reform, the important role district attorneys play in the judicial system and the power of each individual to live out their purpose and impact change.

Notes & Quotes:

• “But faith has to become your own. You have to have your own personal relationship with God. I would feel His presence, and just things would line up in a way where I’m like, that can’t be nothing but God, talking to me and looking out for me.” 
• “When you’re in a situation where you feel dehumanized, the only way that you can feel human is if people treat you like you’re a human being. And when you treat someone like they’re a human being, they care about life, and they care about what happens to other people. That inspires them to change and have a lasting change and to strive for the stars and to have hope and to have vision and to have dreams.” 

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT 
• Learn more about Jonathan’s work with Win with Justice.
• Check out Jonathan and Maya’s book, Love and Justice.
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/experiencevoices/

Verses Mentioned:

• Proverbs 22:6
• Habakkuk 1:2-4
• 1 Kings 19:1-9
• Matthew 25:40-45

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Guest Bio:

Maya Moore and Jonathan Irons’ story has all the makings of a modern fairytale: full of faith, friendship, a fight for justice, and ultimately the triumph of love. 

Maya is a basketball icon—a two-time NCAA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, four-time WNBA champion, and WNBA MVP. Jonathan was just 18 years old when he was wrongly convicted by an all-white jury for a crime that occurred when he was 16. With no physical evidence tying him to the crime, Jonathan was handed a 50-year prison sentence, of which he served 23 years. Their lives juxtaposed, it might seem unlikely that their paths would cross.

Yet, it was right before her freshman year at UCONN that Maya was introduced to Jonathan by her family involved with prison ministry. She heard his story, and over the next decade, as Maya graduates from UCONN and is drafted into the WNBA, Jonathan pours himself into earning first his GED, then develops a deep understanding of law. The two forged a close friendship, grounded in their shared faith and cultivated through their dedication to finding his freedom. Then, in 2019, at the peak of her career, Maya shocked the world when she decided to step away from basketball to focus solely on Jonathan’s case. 

After a winding, yearlong effort, Jonathan was finally released. The next day, Jonathan proposed to Maya, and weeks later, they were married. Maya was the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2021 ESPYS, and the story of her fight for Jonathan’s freedom was told in the ESPN 30 for 30 film “Breakaway.” In 2023, Maya and Jonathan welcomed their first child, Jonathan, Jr. (“JJ”), and published their joint memoir, Love and Justice.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I was like, ‘Oh, this is. . . I’m more like Jesus than I’ve ever been in my life.’ And I wasn’t just like, I’m going to be Jesus in this picture. Like we’re all helping each other, but I’m getting a chance to relate to the gospels and relate to some of these things I’m seeing in Scripture because I need [Jesus]. Because I am seeing this oppression.” 
• “I don’t know what’s going to happen necessarily, what’s next to do, but I know [God] is going to provide. He’s going to show up every season, every year. You get heartbreak, but then He’d show us something, and then hold on nothing’s happening, and then something, and then He would just keep us going. He’d show himself really undeniably in different ways where it was like, we’re on the right track.” 
• “The goodness of God and the goodness of this story is what’s going to win.”
• God’s heart is about justice, and mercy, and dignity, and caring for the vulnerable. . . this is what the Kingdom of God looks like at its purest.

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Maya’s work with Win with Justice.
• Check out Maya and Jonathan’s book, Love and Justice.
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Colossians 3:23
• Esther 4:14

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Guest Bio:

Orsika Fejer-Baas’ childhood was magical. As an adult, her choices were less than amazing. 

She moved from one failed relationship to another, had three children, and lost direction in life. She felt as though she let everyone down. Having experienced domestic violence, Orsika knew something had to change. She hit rock bottom and clearly understood the years of abuse were going to drastically transform her life for the better. 

Her healing journey began well after escaping the abuse. Orsika lived through the pain, the shame, and the guilt of making decisions, which brought sorrow and potential unforgiveness. She understands, firsthand, the feelings of loneliness and desperation. Yet Orsika also knows the journey to healing is through our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

Notes & Quotes:

• I just knew I wasn’t alone. I looked back in the sand and it was the one set of footprints, and it’s God carrying me through it. So it wasn’t ever, “Oh lord, why have you forsaken me?” You know, it was like, “Thank you Lord for carrying me.”
• “It was truly just by the grace of God that we made it through. God made sure that we were as safe in each situation as possible. And God protected me from, and us, the kids and I, from the free will of those who chose differently than maybe they should have.”
• “It’s important to share, to give people the hope that there can be a better life and escaping is the best option. You just have to be determined to not go back. And it is important to be able to tell God’s story in all of it, realistically, because that’s how I made it through.”
• “I found a peace through forgiveness, and that happened only through Christ, and that happened only through God.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• National Domestic Abuse Hotline
• Learn more about Orsika’s work with Out of the Quicksand at her website.
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

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Guest Bio:

Driven by a passion for intentional living, Lily Meschi dedicates herself to serving in ministry for Iran Alive as the director of partner relations. 

Born and raised in a Muslim family in Tehran, Iran, Lily’s life took a transformative turn when her family relocated to the US at the age of 18. Amidst struggles and hardships related to her identity as an Iranian woman, Lily discovered Christianity, finding solace and freedom in her newfound faith in Jesus Christ. This experience ignited her compassion for Iranian women who have faced similar oppression, abuse, and isolation. 

By drawing from her personal journey as an Iranian woman, Lily provides profound insights into the challenges surrounding women’s rights in Iran. She has become a vocal advocate against practices such as arranged marriages of young women to older men in the Middle East, shedding light on societal norms that perpetuate injustice.

Introduced to Iran Alive Ministries through a satellite TV program, Lily’s faith journey was further nurtured by the Gospel message presented by an Iranian woman, leading her to pursue education in Bible college to deepen her understanding of Christianity’s teachings and history. Additionally, Lily has shared her story and insights in various media outlets like CBN News, Today’s Christian Living, The Christian Post, and others.

Notes & Quotes:

• “Growing up, I always knew Jesus was one of the greatest prophets who performed many miracles. I had great honor for Him, but he was nothing but a prophet. . . when she read to me that in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, it was resolved for me. Jesus was God because He was from the beginning, was God, and was with God.”
• “I needed to understand that there's a loving Father that wants His children to live in complete peace and tranquility with Him, partnering with Him on this earth. And there's a purpose for everyone that is definitely not trauma. His purpose and plan for us is not to harm us, but to bless us, and to give us a hope and a future.”
• “It all boils down to our intimate walk with our Heavenly Father through the Holy Spirit and the work of Jesus Christ; to really become intimate with Him and learn about our purpose, our destiny, our assignment. So that on the day when we are taken up to heaven, we can say that I did faithfully what you have and the assignment that you have put before me.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• National Domestic Abuse Hotline
• Find out more about Lily’s work with Iran Alive Ministries
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• John 1:1
• John 1:14
• John 15:5

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Guest Bio:

Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with over seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. Rich holds a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. He enjoys reading widely, preaching, and writing on contemplative spirituality, justice-related matters, and the art of preaching. 

He’s been married to Rosie since 2006 and they have two beautiful children, Karis and Nathan. His books, The Deeply Formed Life and Good and Beautiful and Kind, are available wherever books are sold.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I came to Jesus not because I believe that He rose from the dead. I came to Jesus because [the preacher] said to me that there is hope. There is life if you put your trust in Him. In that moment, all he said was “God can put you back together,” and that’s all I needed to hear.”
• “We have global historic theology and expressions of faith within Christianity, and lots of folks just want their tradition. There’s a feast before us, but there’s something missing here.”
• “I think I learned a lot from my failures in 2016 and 2017 with how I alienated a group of people in our church unwittingly, that I changed course in 2020. I was able to be faithful to what I believe are gospel values, but in a way, do my best pastorally to remain emotionally connected to people.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Check out Rich’s books, The Deeply Formed Life, Good and Beautiful and Kind, and The Narrow Path.
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Ezekiel 37
• Matthew 17:1-13
• Malachai 4:5-6
• Micah 6:8
• Luke 4:1-28
• Isaiah 61:1-3

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Guest Bio:

Dr. Jeanne Porter King is called to lead and make a difference in the lives of others. Through the ministry of the spoken and written word, Dr J, as she is affectionately called by her congregation, is a preacher, teacher, author, and business owner. Her messages have been called transformative, helping listeners unlock issues of identity, purpose, and destiny.

Dr. Jeanne Porter King currently serves as the executive pastor at Christ Community Church, along with her husband, Dr. Carl E. King, Sr., the senior pastor. Additionally, she is the founder and principal consultant of the TransPorter Group Inc., with over 30 years of consulting and training experience in a variety of industries as well as with community groups, governmental agencies, churches, and other faith-based institutions. Through TransPorter, she has been blessed to travel across the world, training seasoned and aspiring leaders.

In addition to her other work, Dr. Jeanne Porter King has authored numerous books and articles on leadership and is committed to developing and coaching leaders for the kingdom. Her books include Leading Well: A Black Woman’s Guide to Wholistic, Barrier-Breaking Leadership and Caring Well: 90 Self-Care Devotions for the African American Caregiver. 

Dr. Jeanne Porter King received both her bachelor’s and master’s of science degrees from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She has also received her master of arts in theological studies from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and a doctor of philosophy in communication with an emphasis in cultural studies from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Notes & Quotes:

• “We can care for others, but we have to do it in a way that we also care for ourselves and we don’t harm ourselves.”
• “If Jesus found [the women at the well], He could find us as Black women. And what we bring to the table are gifts that, through spending that time with the Lord, we bring out and can lead out of.”
• “We don’t have to mask up and be more than we’re supposed to be. We can draw from this inner strength that comes from that well of the Holy Spirit and from the cultural traditions that are given to us.”
• “I try to work toward excellence, but the notion of trying to be perfect came out . . . . I had to give myself permission to step away from that.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Jeanne’s leadership work here.
• Check out Jeanne’s newest book with Our Daily Bread Publishing, Caring Well: 90 Self-Care Devotions for the African American Caregiver.
• Get your copy of Jeanne’s book, Leading Well.
• Jeanne’s Instagram
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• John 4:1-26

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Guest Bio:

Cameron Arnett is an award-winning actor in television, film, and theater hailing from Port-Au-Prince Haiti. Starting a successful career in the arts and entertainment in the late '80s and '90s, Cameron has appeared on almost every major network. Past television credits include NBC’s Miami Vice, Fox’s Star Trek: The Next Generation, ABC’s China Beach and Doogie Howser MD, VH1's Single Ladies, and Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns.

Today, Cameron travels an average of thirty weeks a year shooting faith-based and family-friendly projects, appearing in at least 35 films in the last ten years alone. Through Camy Arnett Production Studios (CAPS), he and his wife, Mrs. BJ Arnett, continue to occupy an ever-growing space within the content building of faith and family-friendly films. Cameron is also an author, speaker, film director, producer, and voice-over artist.

Notes & Quotes:

• “The church that I was going to gave me a watered down, no power, regular existence, kind of a Jesus that could save you, but that couldn't change you. . .that's the Jesus that I wanted on the inside. I received that one, and that one converted me. I started making converted decisions, and those converted decisions started giving me anti-world results.”
• “Following God had to cause us to unravel all the stuff that we had put together in our personal lives. And then He re-raveled what He wanted.”
• “I look back at my life and deliberately call God my orchestrator. Between being my orchestrator and being the faithful God, those two things have been like the continual demonstration of God in my life.”
• “[God] has put together every dot, and every dot has meant something. Even the things I thought were not good and didn't think they were a promotion, prosperity, or going forward. It was a dot that He had planned to reconnect at some point in time.

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Cameron’s newly released film, The Forge.
• Follow along with The Forge on Instagram.
• Cameron’s Facebook
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:22
• Matthew 16:25
• Exodus 3:1-10
• Ephesians 4:13

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Guest Bio:

Dr. Danny Carroll is half-Guatemalan and was raised bilingual and bicultural. In his youth, he spent many summers in Guatemala and later taught at El Seminario Teológico Centroamericano in Guatemala City for thirteen years. The realities of Central America sparked Dr. Carroll’s fascination with the Old Testament. 

The relevance of the biblical text for the challenges of poverty, war, and politics in those developing countries led him to a passionate focus on Old Testament social ethics and the social sciences. Additionally, his studies in English literature and literary theory have generated an ongoing engagement with literary approaches to the Old Testament and critical studies. Experiences in this country and abroad have led him to a deep appreciation for the unique contributions that ethnic minorities, women, and the global church make to the interpretation of the Old Testament. 

Dr. Carroll has been involved with Latino/a believers and teaching on the Bible and immigration for many years. His research focuses on prophetic literature and Old Testament social ethics. He has recently published a major commentary on the book of Amos and a book on the prophetic voice for today. Currently, Dr. Carroll is co-editing an extensive project on the state of Old Testament studies in addition to working on a volume on Old Testament ethics. He also is the senior editor of a new Old Testament commentary series, The Bible in God’s World (Wipf & Stock).

Notes & Quotes:

• “Because once you begin to look at it, you begin to realize that the history of humanity is the history of migration—whether it’s voluntary or forced.”
• “Migration is actually used as a metaphor for the Christian faith, like in 1 Peter. We were all foreigners and strangers. All of us are. This is not our homeland. We have a different king. We have a different citizenship. We are strangers in a strange land.
• “We know what it means to be strange. Language, food, nonverbal language, with how you dress, how you celebrate Christmas and birthdays. We know what it means to be strange. . . and maybe God has brought us to this place to help them remember.”
• “Oftentimes, in evangelical circles, [theology] is receiving what has been given to you and then applying it or something. Whereas, liberation theology is about rethinking how you do theology and you’re doing it from your context in a commitment to that context.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Get your copy of Dr. Carrol’s book, The Bible and Borders, here. 
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Romans 13
• Genesis 12
• Genesis 1:28
• Exodus 2:22
• Exodus 23:9 
• 1 Peter 2:13–14

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Guest Bios:

James White has served as the senior pastor of Christ Our King Community Church in Gardner, North Carolina since its inception. In addition to his role as the executive vice president of the Center for Social Impact for the YMCA of the North in Minneapolis, he is a highly sought-after consultant, concerning cultural transformation through diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Pastor Jerome Gay is the lead pastor of Teaching and Vision at Vision Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is also the Founder and President of The Urban Perspective and the author of four books, Church Hurt, Talking to Your Children About Race, The Whitewashing of Christianity, and Renewal.

Dr. Maliek Blade, a compassionate author, and CEO of the Whole Brother Mission, is passionately dedicated to improving mental wellness for Black men and their families through a nationwide network of culturally competent mental health professionals.

Dr. Nii Addy is the Albert E. Kent associate professor of Psychiatry and an associate professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at the Yale School of Medicine. In addition to his campus work, Dr. Addy hosts the Addy Hour podcast, discussing topics at the intersection of neuroscience, mental health, faith, culture, and social justice.

Notes & Quotes:

• “Being whole is what’s possible when we take all the different pieces of ourselves—our past, our relationships, our inner world, our work, our need for rest—and offer those up to God. He can take those broken pieces and make artistic restoration out of them.”
• “The thing about the Scriptures is it has a lot to say about our thought life, our meditations, about the things that we think about and how when we offer those things to God, he can give us a greater sense of reality and a better sense of ourselves.”
• “[Jesus] reiterates in the gospels that when we put everything—all of our whole selves—through the lens of the gospel, our head, our heart, our hands, and our soul, then we’re able to be whole men.”
• “God has value for me being accepted, loved, and forgiven. These are the things that God thinks about me.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Go deeper into the resources of The Whole Man Project here. 
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Deuteronomy 6:5
• Mark 12:30-31
• Isaiah 43:4
• Proverbs 20:5

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Guest Bio:

Aitina Fareed-Cooke was told at a young age that she would be a "failure to thrive" as a result of her biological mother's addiction to drugs. But despite being labeled emotionally handicapped by the system, Aitina refused to be defined by it. Instead, she found solace and empowerment through her faith in God and her voice within the creative arts, rewriting her own narrative. 

Aitina now serves as a Creative Arts Strategist, National Recording Artist, and founder of Get Fokus'd Productions (GFP), an award-winning media arts production company that has been recognized for its exceptional work within the community of Buffalo New York. Get Fokus'd Productions is a company in which creatives partner together to capture 'human-first' stories, a method that prioritizes empathy and connection. In collaboration with a collection of creatives, and through the mentorship of emerging artists, Aitina amplifies community voices using a social design approach, creating a ripple effect of positivity within the creative arts.

She earned her BA in English and MS in Education at Buffalo State University and currently serves as a foundation board member utilizing her educational experiences as a mechanism to forge her own creative path. 

Her musical career has led her to executive produce four full-length albums and collaborate with Grammy award-winning artists, resulting in an impressive collective stream count of over one million through distribution services. Aitina's remarkable accomplishments have firmly established her as a beacon of inspiration and a catalyst for positive transformation within the creative arts industry.

Notes & Quotes:

• “These are tools that I can use to showcase . . . the truth and what I believe which is you know at the end of the day, [that] God is agape love, unconditional love. All of these different moments and things that happen in my life, utilizing the creative arts is an opportunity to share that.”
• “The more that I learned about love through the gospel, the more that I put people in my circle that had love for themselves, for God, and for me. The more that I learned from that circle of individuals, the more it led me to understanding, “I love me.”
• “I don’t have to accept the chains. I'm literally free. There's freedom in Christ. Freedom in this space of creativity or whatever the case is. I have this freedom and ability. Now what do I do?”
• “You come from a creative being who created you. We all have. That's privilege. Period.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Aitina’s work with production company Get Fokus’d Productions
• Listen to Aitina’s song Privilege off the Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom deluxe soundtrack on Spotify, or watch the full music video on YouTube.
• Follow Aitina on Instagram
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Genesis 50:15-21
• Romans 8:14-15

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Guest Bio:

Dr. Nii Addy is the Albert E. Kent Associate Professor of Psychiatry and an Associate Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology at the Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Addy directs a federally funded research program investigating the neurobiological basis of substance use disorders, depression, and anxiety. His team also studies the ability of tobacco product flavor additives to alter nicotine use behavior and addiction. 

Dr. Addy is the inaugural Director of Scientist Diversity and Inclusion at the Yale School of Medicine, focusing on supporting the faculty development of basic scientists from underrepresented groups at the School of Medicine. He also contributes to graduate student and postdoctoral training and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives through his efforts on campus and in professional scientific societies. 

In addition to his campus work, Dr. Addy hosts the Addy Hour podcast, discussing topics at the intersection of neuroscience, mental health, faith, culture, and social justice. He has presented scientific lectures at universities throughout the United States and Europe, and he serves on the Board of Trustees for The Carver Project, aimed at empowering and connecting individuals across university, church, and society.

Dr. Addy is also a contributor to The Whole Man Project, a book and video series provided by VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. You can learn more about The Whole Man Project—and preorder the book—here!

Notes & Quotes:

• “I've also noticed over the years that as I've been in different environments, there are lots of people who’ve had intellectual or scientific oppositions to faith. But getting back to the relationship, whenever I get to know those folks more, every single time, there's always something deeper.”
• “God has opened opportunities where I've been able to bring people back into relationship with God because they were able to watch me as a scientist operate in both places, and [they] have enough curiosity where before they were told that their faith and their science were in opposition, and [now] have realized that's actually not the case.”
• “We keep setting up these different dichotomies. Like, either it's science or it's God as if the two don't meet.”
• “God has given us different tools where we can use our faith and spiritual practices—prayer, meditation, being in community. All those things can help people navigate through addiction. All those things also impact the brain.” 
• “If we do [think about ourselves and situations] from a perspective that God has given us through the Scripture, that's going to change how we actually approach those situations. If we do that long enough, it's actually going to change aspects of our brain as well.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Dr.Nii Addy’s involvement in the upcoming The Whole Man project, provided by VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Explore all the powerful topics and guests featured on Dr. Addy’s video and audio podcast, Addy Hour, here.
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Philippians 4:6-8
• Mark 14:32-36

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Guest Bio:

Pastor Jerome Gay Jr. was raised in Southeast Washington, DC before moving to Raleigh, NC in 1997 to attend Saint Augustine’s College—graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. While there he founded a campus-wide ministry that emphasized the gospel and biblical orthodoxy in the urban context, resulting in the decision of many students to profess Christ as Savior. 

Upon graduating, Jerome served as an elder for several years. After fervent prayer, he was led to plant Vision Church in Raleigh, North Carolina in October of 2010. As the Lead Pastor of Teaching and Vision, Vision Church has grown by God’s grace and is impacting the inner city by missionally engaging people with the gospel of Jesus Christ through discipleship, leadership development, service, and holistic empowerment. Jerome has a vision to see gospel-centered churches and leaders raised within the urban context and sent out to plant other gospel-centered churches. 

Jerome is also the Founder and President of The Urban Perspective and the author of four books, Church Hurt: Holding the Church Accountable and Helping Hurt People Heal, Talking to Your Children About Race, The Whitewashing of Christianity: A Hidden Past, a Hurtful Present and a Hopeful Future and Renewal: Grace and Redemption in the Story. 

Jerome is also a lead contributor to The Whole Man Project, a book and video series provided by VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. You can learn more about The Whole Man Project—and preorder the book—here!

Jerome is the proud husband to his wife Crystal and father of two.

Notes & Quotes:

• “Uncertainty is what makes you walk by faith and not by sight.”
• “I believe you most aptly understand God's will in hindsight. He knows the end from the beginning. We don't. We're living it.”
•  “My contention for the church is we're saying that there's one way, which I concur, that there's one God, I concur, and that there's one book. Again, I concur. We're saying that that's just one for 8 billion people. If we're going to make that claim, and we are, we need to be able to defend it. We should not make that claim that there's one book for 8 billion people and not be able to answer questions.”
• “We must stop giving faith-based answers to fact-based questions.”
• “We want to come back to that gospel foundation so that we can have men that are mentally, emotionally, and relationally well and whole.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Jerome’s involvement in the upcoming The Whole Man project, provided by VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• You can order any of Jerome’s books, Church Hurt, Talking to Your Children About Race, The Whitewashing of Christianity, and Renewal using these links. 
• Check out Jerome’s work with The Urban Perspective and listen to the podcast on your preferred streaming platform. 
• Jerome’s Instagram
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Psalm 77
• 1 Corinthians 7:32
• Jude 1:20
• Ephesians 6:17
• Hebrews 4:12 
• Genesis 2:18
• Matthew 5:13-16
• Mark 1:15

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Guest Bio:

Jermaine Wilson is the Mission Ambassador for Prison Fellowship and former two-time mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas. As a servant leader, his passion for helping others stems from his humble beginnings and troubled childhood. Jermaine spent seven years behind bars—four of them as a juvenile. 

While incarcerated as an adult, Jermaine participated in biblically based programs through Prison Fellowship and experienced the life-transforming power of God’s Word. With renewed purpose and vision, he no longer saw himself as a failure and a mistake. After his release from prison, Jermaine created a nonprofit organization, Unity in the Community, to establish trust between citizens and law enforcement. When his criminal record was expunged, he increased his political and civic involvement. In 2017, he was elected city commissioner for Leavenworth, Kansas, and Mayor in 2019. In 2020, he became the first formerly incarcerated person to serve on the Kansas Sentencing Committee. 

Jermaine is an ordained minister, husband, and father of five children.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I’ve learned that I had to be broken down and stripped away from everything I had in order for God to get my attention. I tell people that I lost my freedom, but discovered my purpose.”
• “God didn’t create me to fail. God [has] a plan and a purpose for my life. But it took me going to prison, losing time to find a better time and to have quality time with him.”
• “We spend so much time preparing returning citizens for society, but not enough time preparing society for returning citizens.”
• “God will use and choose whoever he wants to use . . . and he’ll take the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and the process prepares us for our purpose in life.”

Links Mentioned:

• FINAL TRANSCRIPT LINK
• Learn more about Jermaine’s work with Prison Fellowship.
• If you’re interested in getting more information about Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program, check out the program’s homepage. 
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Malachai 2:14
• Story of Joseph: Genesis 37-50

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Guest Bio:

MŌRIAH is a Mexican-American recording artist, actress, and producer from Los Angeles, California. After signing with SONY/Provident in Nashville, Tennessee, her sophomore album BRAVE hit number 9 on Billboard’s CCM Charts and included a collaboration with GRAMMY award-winning rapper Andy Mineo. Her film credits include the starring role in Because of Gracia (2017) and legendary singer Loyce Whiteman in the upcoming Ronald Reagan biopic alongside Dennis Quaid (2024). She plays the role of Bathsheba in the television series The Chosen (2023). Earlier this year, MŌRIAH wrapped filming Journey to Bethlehem, a cinematic musical starring Antonio Banderas released through Sony Affirm this past November.

As a music and film producer, MŌRIAH co-hosted K-LOVE/AccessMore’s most successful podcast called BECOMING:us alongside her GRAMMY AWARD-winning husband Joel Smallbone. She co-produced the film Unsung Hero which is set to release in Spring 2024. She has fully self-produced and written her latest EP Curtain Call as well as all accompanying live performance videos. MŌRIAH is currently writing songs for a country album in her home in Nashville, TN with GRAMMY AWARD-winning producer Paul Mabury.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I think we’re such a purpose-obsessed culture, right? Like, we want to find our purpose, but sometimes I wonder if it’s way more simple than that. Sometimes I wonder if it’s just like, how can you help the world around you? How can you help the people around you?” 
• “I think there’s a difference between suffering and misery. And we can’t avoid suffering. Life is going to be hard. Things are going to be disappointing. We are going to be mistreated. But how we choose to respond to suffering can grow our character.”
• “In my experience, I’ve been most miserable when I have forced myself to stay in a situation where I did not need to be”. 
• “If I’m living in love, if I’m in that place where all that I’m doing is coming from a place of love, then, is there the grace to keep going in this relationship, in this project, in this work, in this path? Or is it time to cut the cord?”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Follow along with Moriah’s current and future projects through her website. 
• Hear more of Moriah’s story in the Unshakable Moxie video series, created by Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Listen to Moriah’s music with this Spotify playlist
• Follow Moriah on Instagram
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

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Guest Bio:

Maliek Blade, a compassionate author, and CEO of the Whole Brother Mission, is passionately dedicated to improving mental wellness for Black men and their families through a nationwide network of culturally competent mental health professionals. With a doctoral-level background in counseling, he brings expertise and empathy to the cause, driving initiatives that destigmatize mental health and enhance access to crucial support.

Maliek is also a lead contributor to The Whole Man Project, a book and video series provided by VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. You can learn more about The Whole Man Project—and preorder the book—here!

Notes & Quotes:

• “We need to not allow our experiences with people that say they're representing God to frame how we see God. . .and that's not an indictment on God, but that's further evidence of the brokenness of people.” 
• “Wholeness is having the posture to pivot where necessary. The awareness that I may need to change certain aspects of myself, and then also the fortitude and ability to pour into the lives of others.”
• “Your mental and emotional health matter, but we have this soul element [and] spirit, [and] salvation is a huge piece.
• “You can have Jesus and a therapist the same way that you have Jesus and a primary care physician.”

Links Mentioned:

• FINAL TRANSCRIPT LINK
• Learn more about Maliek’s work with Whole Brother Mission.
• Check out Maliek’s book, Whole Brother, on Amazon.
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Isaiah 64:8
• Hebrews 11:1
• Colossians 1:28
• Philippians 4:8
• Proverbs 20:5
• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
• Genesis 2:24

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Guest Bio:

Lina AbuJamra is a pediatric ER doctor who now practices telemedicine. In her “spare” time, she enjoys attending her nephews’ football games, traveling, and lingering over a fine meal. 

As a podcaster, conference speaker, and a popular Bible teacher, she founded Living with Power Ministries to provide medical care and humanitarian help to Syrian refugees and others in disaster areas. She also hosts a radio show and is the author of several books.

Notes & Quotes:

• “When a person's life is radically changed by Jesus, you cannot stay the same.”
• “I thought I knew what it means to be a Christian. I thought I knew what God wanted for my life. And that was the beginning of what has been a life that is above and beyond what I could have asked or thought. But that in it, I thought was at seasons, the worst thing that could be happening for me.”
• “So I look back and I think, yeah, we were all abused in that system. But I think the biggest gift that comes out of leaving those places as hard and mucky and chaotic as it is, is that God then finally gets you to a place where He shows Himself to you afresh.”
• “We have confused what comfort is, what success is, what faithfulness is, all these concepts, and it has been harder for us to decipher the goodness of God in the American church than it is in an Assyrian refugee camp.”
• “If we want to see the goodness of God and experience survival, we're going to have to be willing to suffer a lot more than we are right now.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Lina’s Ministry Living With Power
• Listen to Lina’s podcast, The Hope Podcast, on your preferred streaming platform.
• Hear more of Lina’s story in the Unshakable Moxie video series, created by Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Invite your friends, family, or church group to go through Lina’s newest Bible study, Unshakable Moxie, provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Follow Lina on Instagram
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• 2 Samuel 11
• Psalm 22
• 1 Timothy 6:3-5

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Guest Bio:

James White has served as the Senior Pastor of Christ Our King Community Church since its inception. He is a gifted expository Bible teacher, speaker, historian, thought leader, writer, and culture creator. He is originally from Barco, North Carolina, and is a graduate of East Carolina University. After graduation, he joined the full-time staff of Cru, formally known as Campus Crusade for Christ. 

Through his work, life, and leadership, God has truly cultivated his calling as a grace-filled leader. As a marketplace leader, he serves as the Executive Vice President of the Center for Social Impact for the YMCA of the North in Minneapolis. In addition, he is also a Senior Fellow for The Sagamore Institute. He is a sought-after consultant, speaker, and facilitator for several organizations and companies on issues concerning cultural transformation through diversity, equity, and inclusion. James is also a contributor to The Whole Man Project, a book and video series provided by VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. You can learn more about The Whole Man Project—and preorder the book—here!

James’ life continues to be shaped and graced through his 36 years of covenant partnership with his wife, Cynthia, and his three adult children.

Notes & Quotes:

• “[The realities of my racial identity and faith] were always intertwined because the Bible in many ways is a tool that provides freedom and hope.”
• “God often does things with unnamed, unknown people, but then He creates something. He does something . . . and the only way you could explain it is God.”
• “A lot of my Bible teaching came out of not wanting to distort what God is really saying and really honoring both. . . liberation, but the expectation that the gospel and Scripture really have.”
• “Change happens when we create systems so that all can thrive.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about The Whole Man Project here.
• Learn more about James’ work with the Equity Innovation Center of Excellence.
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Matthew 5:38-39

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Guest Bio:

Toni Collier is the founder of an international women’s organization called Broken Crayons Still Color and helps women process through brokenness and get to healing and hope. Toni is a speaker, host of the Still Coloring podcast, and author of two books: Brave Enough to be Broken and her latest release, a children's book, Broken Crayons Still Color. 

Toni is teaching people all over the globe that you can be broken and still worthy, or feel unqualified and still be called to do great things.

Notes & Quotes:

• “We're human. We just can't handle what we weren't made for and we weren't made for trauma. We weren't designed for darkness. We were made to just be frolicking around, just basking in the goodness and having an endless supply of glory.” 
• “It's not our success that gets us to perfection. It is going to be our surrender.”
• “If we're just bypassing people's emotions by throwing a little Scripture on it, we aren't being like Jesus either.” 
• “A part of being a victim is thinking that you don't have control. Whoever's controlling you and whatever's going on in your life, you don't have control. But the truth is God's given us dominion and he never took that away. And we are co-laborers with him in helping to make beauty from these fragile, broken, pieces of our lives.”
• “We are just now discovering that [being] mad is not bad and our feelings matter and we can sit in sorrow like the psalmist did and God is still present in that.“

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Toni’s latest project with Our Daily Bread Ministries, Unshakable Moxie
• Check out both of Toni’s books, Broken Crayons Still Color and Brave Enough to Be Broken, on Amazon
• Listen to Toni’s podcast, Still Coloring on your preferred streaming platform
• Follow Toni and her ministry, Broken Crayons Still Color, on Instagram
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow VOICES on Instagram

Verses Mentioned:

• John 8:1-11
• Luke 7:36-50
• Psalm 34

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Guest Bio:

Russell Moore is Editor-in-Chief of Christianity Today and is the author of the upcoming book Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America (Penguin Random House).

The Wall Street Journal has called Moore “vigorous, cheerful, and fiercely articulate.” He was named in 2017 to Politico Magazine’s list of top fifty influence-makers in Washington D.C. and has been profiled by such publications as the New York Times, the Washington Post, TIME magazine, and the New Yorker.

An ordained Baptist minister, Moore served previously as President of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and, before that, as the chief academic officer and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he also taught theology and ethics.

Moore was a Fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics and currently serves on the board of Becket Law and as a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum in Washington, D.C.

He also hosts the weekly podcast The Russell Moore Show and is co-host of Christianity Today’s weekly news and analysis podcast, The Bulletin.

Russell was President of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention from 2013 to 2021. Before that role, Moore served as provost and dean of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also taught theology and ethics.

A native Mississippian, he and his wife Maria are the parents of five sons. They live in Nashville, where he teaches the Bible at their congregation, Immanuel Church.

Notes & Quotes:

• “[Some will say] ‘Well, there's a golden age back there in the past and somebody's keeping us away from it and we've got to get back to it.’ And the stakes are so high that we can morally adjust in order to get there. And I think biblical eschatology, you know, is calling us away from all of that.” 
• “I think I had a sense of the way that God works in the long term, which is often to bring a kind of crisis and then to rebuild and recreate out of that. And that's what you see are communities that are broken up, but then new communities that are reformed and are coming together.”
• “You know, nobody would choose to go through that, but nobody would choose to go through any crisis in his or her life. But almost everybody, if you say, where are the times that God has really been active in ways that have changed your life, it's usually in a time of crisis that they would have never chosen.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Learn more about Russell’s current role as editor-in-chief with Christianity Today.
• Listen to Russell’s podcast, The Russell Moore Show, on your preferred podcast platform. 
• Check out Russell’s latest book, Losing Our Religion, on Amazon. 
• Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

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Guest Bio:

Chriscynethia Floyd is Vice President of Publishing at Our Daily Bread Publishing. Her more than twenty-year career spans both secular and Christian publishing, where she’s served as a vice president in sales, marketing, and editorial for organizations such as Simon and Schuster Publishing, HarperCollins Christian Publishers, and David C. Cook.  

She leads and collaborates with a tremendously talented group of editors and publishing professionals. Together they work to fulfill the mission of Our Daily Bread Ministries: to make the Bible's life-changing wisdom understandable and accessible to all.  

Chriscynethia is a classically trained singer and has traveled the world where she performed for such dignitaries as Desmond Tutu and President George Bush. When not with her ODBP team, Chriscynethia loves attending arts performances, being outdoors, watching sports, and hanging out with her English Springer Spaniel, Thelonious (Theo) Monk.

Notes & Quotes:

• “[God is] going to find us. It's always light. You know, whether we go high or whether we go low, God is there. And God knows us.”
• “No matter the situation that someone might find themselves in—good, bad, or whatever, indifferent— it's important to understand that God is faithful through all of that.”
• “If [God] was going to take him away, I just couldn't, you know, I couldn't comprehend that. And I think the lesson from all of that was that for a girl who felt alone in her childhood, He wanted me to know that I could be loved.”
• “So when I think about Psalm 139, I think about folks understanding that God is always with them, and that God is always present, that God is always knowing, and that to me is a running theme through the Bible, that God is.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• To explore some of the books Chriscynethia has worked on, check out Our Daily Bread Publishing
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Psalm 139

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Guest Bio:

A regular contributor to Our Daily Bread, Katara Washington Patton currently serves as the Executive Editor of the VOICES Collection by Our Daily Bread Publishing, and is the author of eight books, including her latest book, the best-selling title Navigating the Blues. 

After graduating summa cum laude from Dillard University in Mass Communication and English, Katara went on to complete her Master of Journalism at Northwestern University and receive her Masters of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. She has worked in the editorial and acquisitions departments at Weekly Reader Corporation, Jet Magazine, Urban Ministries, Inc. (UMI), McGraw-Hill, The African American Pulpit, The Chicago Defender, Tyndale House Publishers, and Christian Century Magazine. In 2014, she was named Nonfiction Editor of the Year by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

Katara is a native of Thibodaux, Louisiana. She and her husband, Derrick, reside on the south-side of Chicago. They have one daughter, Kayla. Katara is a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. As much as possible, she tries to enjoy a Zumba class and a competitive game of Scrabble to keep her life balanced.

Notes & Quotes:

• “There's highs and there's lows. . . we know we pray real hard in the lows and we rejoice real high in the highs. But what happens when life is years upon, years upon years of being in the middle? How do you deal with that?
• “Jesus is the answer. But at the same time, Jesus gives us people. Jesus gives us medicine and technology to help us in the midst of [struggles]...in the midst of things that we cannot handle.”
• “I can have my Bible, I can have my faith, I can have my Jesus and I certainly can have my therapist helping me unpack some of those things.”
• “[God] let me know that He still had me and He still had people that He was placing in my life to fill that void.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Check out Katara’s best-selling book, Navigating the Blues.
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Psalm 51
• Psalm 22:1

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Guest Bio:

Vince Bantu is the Ohene (President) of the Meachum School of Haymanot and is Assistant Professor of Church History and Black Church Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. Vince’s assignment from the Lord is to proclaim that the Bisrat (Gospel) of Yeshua is for all nations, tribes, and tongues and to do this by teaching on the earliest history of Christianity in Africa and Asia. Vince is the author of A Multitude of All Peoples (IVP), Gospel Haymanot (UMI), and The Bisrat (Jude 3 Project). 

Vince is also the Ohene (President) of the Society of Gospel Haymanot (SGH), an academic society of theological Gospelism—Afro-rooted theology committed to the universal Lordship of Jesus, biblical authority, and the liberation of the oppressed. Vince also serves as the Katabi (Editor) of the publication of SGH—the Haymanot Journal. 

Vince, his wife Diana, and their daughters live and minister at Beloved Community Church in St. Louis and they love to travel, watch movies, and bust some spades.

Notes & Quotes:

• “Because I grew up in a white church, I did not have any context for Black Christians. I knew Black people and I identified as a Black person, but nobody in my neighborhood went to church. Nobody in my family on that side or either side really went to church. . . it wasn't like I thought all white people were Christians, but I felt subconsciously that all Christians were white because that was my little microcosm world.”
• “I think that reconciliation needs to go both ways. It shouldn't just always be like people of color going into white platforms to help diversify them, but it should also be white Christians going under Black platforms or Hispanic or Asian or indigenous.”
• “We need to know that Christianity is not just from the West to the rest, but it's always been in Africa and Asia and taking diverse forms. And so, that was really when I just knew I had to dedicate my life to learning about that and sharing it with the world.”
• “The word Haymanot means faith, but it actually means a lot of things. It means theology, it means faith, it means doctrine, it means lifestyle conduct. It speaks to how in an Ethiopian mindset, action is not divorced from belief, but right belief and right action have to go together, and practice and orthodoxy go together.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Check out Vince’s books, A Multitude of All Peoples and Gospel Haymanot, on Amazon. 
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Acts 10:9-23 
• Psalm 19:1-6

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Guest Bio:

Michelle T. Sanchez (M.Div., Th.M.) has served in various discipleship and evangelism leadership roles for more than a decade, most recently as Executive Minister of Make and Deepen Disciples for the Evangelical Covenant Church. She’s the author of a trilogy of books that provides Christ-centered racial discipleship for all ages: Color-Courageous Discipleship, Color-Courageous Discipleship Student Edition, and the picture book, God’s Beloved Community. 

After studying international business at NYU, Michelle worked as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs and ministered to international students with Cru in New York City. She has served in various capacities with the Institute for Bible Reading and the Lausanne Movement for World Evangelization. She is a frequent conference speaker, a regular columnist with Outreach Magazine, and a contributor to The Message: Women’s Devotional Bible (forthcoming).

Michelle completed seminary degrees at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, spiritual direction training at Boston College, and field studies on the life and times of Jesus at Jerusalem University College. She’s thoroughly enjoyed experiencing colorful cultures in thirty-eight countries and territories worldwide—and counting! Michelle and her husband, Mickey, live with their two children in greater Chicago.

Notes & Quotes:

• “Your coming to Jesus is just the beginning. He doesn't invite us to make converts. He invites us to make disciples who can, in turn, eventually grow and make more disciples.” 
• “The reality is the Bible is full of references to ethnicity, to injustices related to ethnicity, the need to heal and to mend these things. It's all over the word of God, and it's a vital need in our world today, but we don't always see it.”
• “The Lord created difference within us, ethnicity as a gift, as a source of joy and enrichment for humanity really, and to bring glory to himself. But the reality is that in a fallen world, things that were meant for good can become twisted. So our differences in a broken world tend to lead to disparities.”
• Beloved community is a phrase popularized by Martin Luther King . . . he wanted to see people both in a diverse community and an equal community, but one in which people are willing to lay down their lives for one another in the very love that God has shown to us.
• “When it comes to race and ethnicity, these are embodied concepts. These are embodied ideas, flesh ideas of the real flesh and blood. So, in order to transform or to have an awakening, what I have seen is it often involves some kind of real-life experience, with real-life people, in actual geographic places, so that we can see, we can experience, so we can understand.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Visit Michelle’s website to purchase and further explore various Color Courageous Discipleship books and resources. 
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Acts 2:1-13 (Pentecost) 
• Acts 6:1-7

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Guest Bio:

Dr. Heather Thompson Day is an interdenominational speaker who has been a contributor for Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Newsweek, and the Barna Group. She is also the host of Viral Jesus, a podcast with Christianity Today, that is in the top 200 of all Christian podcasts in the country.

Heather is an Associate Professor of Communication at Andrews University. She is passionate about supporting women and runs an online community called I’m That Wife which has over 270k followers.

Heather’s writing has been featured on outlets like The Today Show and the National Communication Association. She has been interviewed by BBC Radio Live and The Wall Street Journal.

She believes her calling is to stand in the gaps of our churches for young people. She is the author of 8 books; including It’s Not Your Turn, and I’ll See You Tomorrow.

She resides in Michigan, with her husband, Seth Day, and their three children, London, Hudson, and Sawyer Day.

Notes & Quotes:

• “We have to talk about things like post-traumatic growth because more people experience growth from trauma than PTSD, which if we don't say that, if we don't name it, I just think people don’t know what's possible and what's available to them.”
• “You will pour into a career and I think that's okay, but it cannot be where you find your worth or your fulfillment. And I've realized that the biggest picture, the most important thing to me is….the people that I've gone through life with.” 
• “When we have Christians who are truly living out what it means to be a relationship builder, to carry somebody else's burdens as if it's your own, you can survive the things you thought you would never be able to get through.”
• “So when we are able to refocus our thoughts into what we're so grateful for and shift away from what we still don't have, it can make all the difference. And actually, your brain is not able to experience stress. And I think some of the best ways that we do that is in a relationship with each other. I know my life has been held together by two to three people.”
•  “I texted my husband and I said, ‘Heaven is a small town.’ It is a place where when you walk in the room, people know your name and they recognize that you've come and they missed you when you weren't there. And if there's something to be done, if somebody needs something, anybody else, it doesn't even have to be my job, will get up and help you because this is ours. This is our community."

Links Mentioned:

• FINAL TRANSCRIPT LINK
• Check out Heather’s website to learn more about her books and other resources
• Listen to Heather’s podcast, Viral Jesus, on your favorite podcast platform
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Galatians 6:2

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Guest Bio:

Dr. Dhati Lewis serves as the Vision and Multiplication Pastor of Blueprint Church as well as the Founder and President of MyBLVD, an organization focused on helping disciples thrive where they live, work, and worship. Dhati is passionate about bringing contextualized resources to disciple-makers through coaching, consulting, cohort training, and church planting. He is married to his best friend, Angie, and they live in Atlanta, Georgia, with their children and church family. He is the author of Among Wolves: Disciple-Making in the City and Advocates: The Narrow Path to Racial Reconciliation.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I was going to these studies and I started hearing words like evangelism and discipleship. I was like, ‘Man, I knew my friends, they loved the Lord, but they ain’t talking about this.’ You see, Christianity to them was don’t go to the club, don’t drink, don’t have sex outside of marriage, don’t join a fraternity or sorority, don’t, don’t, don’t. . . . I was just like, ‘God, I'm real clear on what not to do. I just don’t know what you’re calling me to do.’ ”
• “It was like either I was around people who got my context but didn’t have that same commitment to theology and mission, or I was around people who got my mission in theology, but they didn’t get my context.”
• “And many of us define God’s will by the path of least resistance. It is like, God, why does it feel like we are always calling Christians to easier and better? It’s never harder and worse. And I recognize that for many of us, our North Stars are comfort, and we’re addicted to our comfort.”
• “We wanted to establish a blueprint and we want it to be a church that’s planting other churches because we want to be a church that’s going to be the last generation to leave the urban context for sound discipleship. And so that’s what we did.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Check out Dhati’s books Among Wolves and Advocates on Amazon. 
• To learn more about Dhati’s passion and vision for urban ministry, check out MyBLVD’s website 
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Matthew 16:18

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Guest Bio:

Ally Henny is a writer, speaker, advocate-minister, and vice president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, an organization committed to encouraging, engaging, and empowering Black Christians toward liberation from racism. Her new book is titled I Won't Shut Up: Finding Your Voice When the World Tries to Silence You. 

She completed her MDiv from Fuller Seminary with an emphasis in race, cultural identity, and reconciliation, and she hopes to lead a church someday. Ally has been leading conversations about race on her social media and blog, The Armchair Commentary, since 2014, and her posts reach millions each month. She is a proud Chicago Southsider.

Notes & Quotes:

• …I recognize that the impulses that God has placed in me to do His will… a desire to make those things in my faith, those aspects of my faith, not just to be a personal, individualized, kind of thing, but for it to really be an aspect of the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of God being within me and bringing the Kingdom and the reign of God… 
• God didn’t want me to experience all these different traumas…God wasn’t the author of that, but I realized that God can use that.
• … I realized that the Lord has brought me into the work, it’s not been people. And so the Lord is the one who can also take me out of the work. And at whatever point He decides to take me out of it, okay.
• There were times when I wanted to give up, there were times whenever I wanted to just be like, “I’m not doing this anymore,” and the Lord was the one who kept giving me the words, who kept pushing me, who kept encouraging me. 
• …being able to be that source of nourishment, to be that river in the desert for some people, it’s really an assignment that I don’t take lightly because we see this every day where so many people, they’re fainting because they’re not seeing the goodness.

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• To learn more about Ally’s work with The Witness, check out their website.
• Check out Ally’s book, I Won’t Shut Up, on Amazon. 
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Psalm 35
• Matthew 13
• Isaiah 40

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Guest Bio:

Justin Brierley has been working in radio, podcasting, and video for two decades. He cohosts the Re-enchanting podcast for Seen & Unseen and is a well-known speaker and broadcaster. Justin founded the popular Unbelievable? faith debate radio show and podcast, and has also hosted the Ask NT Wright Anything podcast. 

Justin’s first book, Unbelievable? Why, after Ten Years of Talking with Atheists, I’m Still a Christian, was published in 2017. His latest book, The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God, has just recently been released. Justin and his family live in Surrey, England.

Notes & Quotes:

• Christianity lifts rather than crushes different cultures around the world when, in its best forms, Christianity can liberate and bring out God’s diversity in a way that honors and transforms people in where they are and the culture that they’re part of.
• Christianity without emotion would be pretty soulless. If it’s purely intellectual, you're getting the balance wrong. At the same time, I think to a large degree, we weren’t catechizing Christians anymore with what they believed and why.…They [the church] didn’t know how to respond to this sudden upsurge in quite militant Atheism…. It forced the church to pick up its Thomas Aquinas again and start reading C. S. Lewis again and everything else.
• The New Atheists had come along and said, “God doesn’t exist. Science is our best route to understanding the world.” What we discovered is that it didn’t really satisfy any of our deepest longings or questions and that we’re starting to see, especially with the rise of technology and everything else, a real kind of meaning crisis emerge in our culture.
• The problem with apologetics has always been that it can lead to a form of idolatry where you think, “I can just have the answer to everything, and as long as I can kind of give you a rock-solid philosophical argument for God, you must accept my conclusion and become a Christian.” That’s not the way people work in reality. You can show an intellectual case for faith, for God, for Christianity, but if people don’t want it to be true, there is always going to be another intellectual objection they can reach for.

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Keep up to date with Justin’s latest projects at his website
• Listen to Justin’s newest podcast Re-enchanting here or on your favorite podcast platform. 
• Check out either of Justin’s two books, Unbelievable? and The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God, on Amazon or his personal website. 
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

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Guest Bio:

Propaganda’s music and prose is all about divergence and connection. Born and bred in Los Angeles, Prop witnessed and now celebrates the intersection of all things. His music is like the man himself, the result of many elements coming together.

As he spent most of his childhood in a predominantly Latino neighborhood of LA, there was a sense of multiculturalism from the very beginning. After graduating with degrees in illustration and intercultural studies, he taught high school for six years and helped found two charter schools in LA, one of which focused on the arts. 

Prop joined up with the hip-hop collective Tunnel Rats in 2003. By 2007, he resigned from teaching to pursue music full-time and began touring as a solo artist. He joined the Humble Beast family and unveiled a series of four albums that put his music on the map. His 2014 album, Crimson Cord, topped several billboard charts even after being released for free. Over his career, he has toured with some of the largest artists in hip-hop and has played tours and festivals across the country. 

In addition to his music, Prop is a published author, podcast host, social activist, and bonafide coffee nerd. His debut book, Terraform, reached #1 in Amazon’s poetry section and earned him a Distinguished Lecturer award from Cal Baptist University. Prop’s podcast, Hood Politics with Prop, is featured on the iHeart Radio Network and receives thousands of downloads per week. 

Notes & Quotes:

• We were LA kids, you know what I mean? For us, it was like, “You ain’t got nobody pregnant? Great. You are not out here shooting your neighbors? Great.” So for us, the situation was so dire that, again, a lot of the things that one would think would make you a church kid, we were just over that…. It was like our experience was so intense that it was like we were really leaning on grace. 
• If you can find a decent enough tribe, it’ll keep you safe from so much. So I think there was that warm blanket of having a thing and a lot of the things that I’m interested in, those dudes go to my church. I was into hip-hop. Those guys [who enjoyed it] were at my church too. So I was able to be like, “Well, I can spend time there rather than running the block.”
• I’m going to defend this dude no matter what. Why? Because he’s from my hood, it doesn’t matter... Of course, when it came to the beloved community, I was just like, “That’s just my folks.” And it’s almost like, this is what Christ is trying to say, it’s like, “Man, this ain’t no empire, man. Y’all not conquered, homie. This is a kingdom, you’re a part of this.”

Links Mentioned:

• FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Explore Prop’s music on Spotify and Apple Music
• Listen to Prop’s podcast, Hood Politics with Prop, through iHeart Radio
• Check out Prop’s poetry book, Terraform, on Amazon. 
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• John 13:34
• Proverbs 27:17
• Matthew 6:10

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Guest Bio:

Vivian Mabuni is a national speaker, author, Bible teacher, and podcast host. With over 30 years on staff with Cru, Viv loves teaching about the Bible and its practical application to ministry and life. Author of “Open Hands, Willing Heart”, she also serves on the Board of Trustees for Denver Seminary and is the founder & host of “Someday Is Here”, a podcast for AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) leaders. 

Viv loves drinking coffee with her husband of 31 years, Darrin. They serve together as speakers for FamilyLife’s “Weekend To Remember” marriage conferences. They are proud parents to three young adult kids. And recently welcomed a daughter-in-law to the family!

Notes & Quotes:

• I remember getting into the car after one of the [play] rehearsals and my dad just saying, “It’s just too bad you’ll never play Juliet because you’re Chinese.” That just underscored for me, growing up in Boulder, that there were things that were going to not be possible for me because of how I looked. 
• These little prayers were lifted up to the Lord in Hong Kong of all places. Wouldn’t you know… God came through in Hong Kong.
• I dream in English, my values have been shaped by growing up in the United States. My identity is still not true of this country of origin, even though Hong Kong wasn’t my country of origin, but being with other Chinese people did not make me feel like I fit in either. There’s that tension again of like, “Well, where do I fit in?” When I read material about third culture kids, that resonates as an Asian-American. That resonates, like…I don’t feel like I fit in neither here nor there.
• What I picture the body of Christ in a healthy way is that we are all linking arms facing out. So we have each other’s backs, but we're not so bent out of shape about the music. Yes, music is important, and I don't want to downplay that, but there was something bigger going on, that we would make a little bit of a difference in our university but have our whole vision shifted to live for more than just our own happiness.

Links Mentioned:

• EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Visit Viv’s website to discover timely wisdom shared on Someday is Here and other resources.
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verse Mentioned:

• Deuteronomy 31

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Guest Bio:

Renee Kylestewa Begay is from the Pueblo of Zuni in Southwest New Mexico. She is a mother to three daughters and married to high school sweetheart Donnie Begay. During her undergrad, she founded the Nations movement—a national ministry that seeks to build relationships with the Native American community.

Renee currently works as the national director for Nations, is a conference speaker, and manages a resource website called The Talking Circle with her husband.

Notes & Quotes:

• And so just being respectful by praying the way they prayed and listening to their prayers. . . . My ears and eyes were open to just this new experience. But then also knowing like, “Oh, I have a different way of living when I go back home. And these people don’t know that.” And somehow I wish that they did. 
• If I do decide to follow Jesus, it’s a very different introduction into what could be. And I know that even being in Christian environments, the gospel was always presented as it’s an individual decision that you need to make. But to me it wasn’t. It was like, this is a very collective decision. It might be an individual decision for me to make, but I know that it’s going to affect the rest of my community.
• So then what does that do to my identity? Am I not really Zuni? And so a lot of it was just like, if I do decide to follow Jesus, am I going to be kicked out of Zuni? Am I going to be denied my Zuni identity? And it was a really big fear that I had.
• There were times where I was just so overtaken by this zealous faith, but I didn’t really know how to do it in a way that was loving and respectful. . . . that really paved the way for a lot more trust-building with my family in the later years, because our silence together has really opened up a lot more engagement of the senses of not just the speaking, but more watching the hearing, the posture of how we interact as a family.
• We [Indigenous people] need that space, because, over hundreds of years, we’ve been told how to believe. We’ve been told what to believe. We’ve been told what to wear. We’ve been told how to wear it. We’ve been told how to speak. Those things were stripped of us, and there needs to be a place or a chance or a season or just an awareness for Indigenous peoples to be able to self-theologize. We need a space to be able to make mistakes theologically. We need a space to be able to pose questions that are hard. If we can’t do that, then where can we do it?

Links Mentioned:

• EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
• Visit Renee’s The Talking Circle website to learn more about her and Donnie’s work with Nations and indigenous communities around the country.  
• Learn more about 
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

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Around that same time, Chaz began stepping out into the Vine scene and has since found both success and purpose. That journey has led him to many life-changing opportunities, but it certainly hasn’t been easy along the way. 

Join us as we’re reminded that God will continue to lead and show up so we can carry out His greater purpose, even when we question where He is leading us. And yes, sometimes all we need is just a good laugh.

Guest Bio:

Chaz Smith has been making people laugh and sharing stories for years! Starting back in 2013, Chaz committed himself to creating uplifting videos and quality entertainment to bring joy to people around the world, amassing up to 3.2+ million followers across various social media platforms, and has no plans to stop. 

For the past two years, he has been working on a special project called What Had Happened Was. This is a colorfully animated, comedically narrated web series that retells beloved biblical stories in ways that entertain, inspire, and make people of all ages and backgrounds laugh as they make sense of the world and who they are in God’s eyes.

Chaz is also a contributor to The Whole Man Project, a book and video series provided by VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries. You can learn more about The Whole Man Project—and preorder the book—here!

Notes & Quotes:

• And after that, I was like, “Okay. It’s not enough to just read the Bible. You need to study it. You need to know Scripture, for the sake of knowing Jesus, of course, but also so that you’re not deceived and led astray by false doctrine.” And that was a really good experience ultimately, because it protected me from a lot of stuff later on.
• Fears started coming up, and these questions started coming up in my mind, because I realized I had never studied Scripture before. So I started asking myself, “Hold on. Why do I really believe what I believe?”
• I had experiences and encounters with the Lord before, very significant ones, but there were still questions in the back of my mind that I just brushed off and never asked… because I was scared to. Because if I asked these questions and I get an answer that doesn't line up with what I believed, the entire foundation that I've built my life on comes crumbling down, and I come crashing down with it. But I couldn't avoid them anymore.
• I think a lot of times when people come at us, I think in our flesh we want to respond with seeing justice or retribution in some way. But there are times to just let it happen and recognize, “You know what, Lord, I’ve done nothing wrong. I’ve walked rightly with you. You handle the situation how you want to see it done.”
• We need to have a relationship with and be reconciled back to the Father. We need Jesus, but sometimes we just need to laugh.
• I just believe there’s a great power that laughter has, especially in storytelling. It disarms people, it lets people’s guards down. You can communicate a deep message to somebody through comedy and laughter, in ways that a serious approach may never do.

Links Mentioned:

• Watch the teaser for Chaz’s What Had Happened Was series coming soon!
• Chaz's website.
• You can find Chaz’s content on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and Tik Tok.
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries.
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Proverbs 17:22
• Matthew 7:1–6
• 1 Samuel 17:32–51 (Story of David & Goliath)

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Guest Bio:

Ya’Ke Smith, known for his unflinching and veracious style of storytelling, is a rising voice in independent cinema. His films have received world-wide acclaim, screening, and winning awards at over 100 film festivals. Ya'Ke’s short, Katrina's Son screened at over 40 film festivals and won 14 awards. In 2022, he directed Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom which was widely critically acclaimed. His debut feature, Wolf, which NPR called “an impressive piece by a young director,” premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and has gone on to screen and win awards at festivals across North America.

Ya’Ke has been featured on NPR, CNN, HLN, Ebony Online, Indiewire, Filmmaker Magazine, Variety Magazine, Vogue Magazine, and Shadow&Act. He graduated with his BA from the University of The Incarnate Word, where he later became the youngest recipient of the Alumni of Distinction for Professional Achievement award. He received his MFA from the University of Texas at Austin’s film program, where he is currently an Associate Professor of film.

Notes & Quotes:

• I began to realize, “Oh, this is God shaping me, allowing me to experience these kinds of tragedies,” but not experience them in such a way that they would damage the human being that I, ultimately, was meant to become. But they would inform that human being. That they would in many ways allow him to see the world and to see people in a very, very different way than most do.
•  I was just making films from the point of view of wanting to save people. And I don’t mean save in the sense of church, but save people out of certain circumstances and free them out of whatever bondage they found themselves in. 
• I always knew that, “Nah, people want to hear about how to be delivered from their current circumstances.” They want to know, “How can you help me get a job?” “How can we deal with the drugs that are taking over our communities?” That’s how you enter those kinds of conversations. And then from there, then we can start talking about God. 
• Our family reunions were centered around Juneteenth for a season because my uncle believed in family getting together, but he also believed in family legacy. We understood our family lineage because of him. And doing this on Juneteenth, and also celebrating the emancipation of enslaved people in Texas, becomes a part of that family narrative, it becomes a part of that family story.
• When we drove up to the plantation, I honestly started to feel slightly uneasy. I started to walk in front of the big house, and I could just feel the weight of what these individuals had endured to keep this place pristine. The fact that that house is still there, yet the houses that they lived in, basically the wind and rain have just washed it away. 
• Without love, they would’ve just been bitter and then gone around killing everybody they could find. And that was not what they wanted. They just wanted to live and be free. And you can only get to that place out of a place of love.

Links Mentioned:

• Check out Ya’Ke’s film Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom, produced with Our Daily Bread Ministries. 
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Romans 8

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Guest Bio:

Joyce Dinkins recently retired from serving with VOICES (ExperienceVoices.org) at Our Daily Bread Ministries (ODBM). In 2017, she began serving the ministry’s effort to develop resources for diverse African American audiences, as well as to champion content by Black writers for general audiences. Joyce acquired authors, edited, and wrote content for the ministry. This content includes special editions of the Our Daily Bread devotional, for Our Daily Bread Publishing books, and she collaborated in content development for audible and film productions at ODBM’s US headquarters.

Before joining ODBM in 2015, Joyce dedicated nine years managing editorial for New Hope Publishers books and media; four years as a NavPress magazine editor; and thirteen years as a David C. Cook curriculum and book editor. Her freelance writing has included projects for a number of other Christian publishers.

She earned her BA magna cum laude from Northern Michigan University and a masters in curriculum development and instruction from Colorado Christian University. In 2014 and 2015, Joyce received awards for fiction and nonfiction editing from the American Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

Joyce is associate director of the Academy of Christian Editors, is a member of the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association Board subcommittee on diversity and inclusion, and has served the Publishing in Color conference since its inception. By collaborating with peers in a range of publishing conferences, she enjoys sharing her enthusiasm and experiences.

Notes & Quotes:

• “Just a little of God’s Word goes a long way.”
• “My voice will tell the stories of my grandparents, my great-grandparents, my story, my siblings, and all with the goal of pointing to the Father . . . our God who made us in His image and wants us to shine for Him.”
• “God gets the credit for. . . you see what I’ve come out of . . . . God’s word in His power and His faithfulness does prevail.”

Links Mentioned:

• Learn more about Our Daily Bread Ministries’ VOICES. 
• Read Our Struggle, Our Hope, Our Victory and Our Help.
• Hear from Joyce and more African American women of faith in Our Daily Bread Publishing’s Blessed Is She book.
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Hebrews 4:12
• Ephesians 2, 8, 9, and 10
• Revelation 12:11
• Psalm 150:6
• Ephesians 2:10

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Guest Bio:

Sandra Maria Van Opstal is a second-generation Latina and the executive director of Chasing Justice. She is an author, pastor, and activist reimagining the intersection of faith and justice. Her work centers on chasing justice under the mentorship of the global church, for the mobilizing of the next generation of leaders.

Sandra has given leadership in global movements, such as Lausanne, The Justice Conference, and Urbana Missions Conference. She has also had a strong domestic presence as an executive pastor at Grace and Peace Church and as an activist on the west side of Chicago.

Sandra serves as a board member for the Christian Community Development Association. She holds a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently pursuing doctoral work in urban leadership and transformation. She is a contributor to the New York Times bestselling book A Rhythm of Prayer, and she’s also the author of The Next Worship, 40 Days on Being an Eight, and more.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I want to have that type of faith that is described in the Scriptures like oaks of righteousness with their roots so deeply rooted and so grounded that people around you, they know . . . that your praise to God isn’t an escapism from what is real in life. It’s deeply rooted in your experience of what has happened in life.”
• “When people ask me, ‘How did you get to live a lifestyle of justice?” I say, ‘Because it’s in the Bible.’”
• On the combination of worship and justice: “[If] you go to church, and your life is not marked by kindness, compassion, and justice, then I’m going to ask a question about who it is you’re worshiping.”

Links Mentioned:

• Visit Sandra’s website. 
• Browse Sandra’s books. 
• Learn about InterVarsity’s campus ministry.
• Watch Our Daily Bread Media’s “In Pursuit of Jesus” docuseries, hosted by Rasool Berry. 
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Isaiah 61:3
• Matthew 5:6
• The Gospel of Luke
• Luke 4:18
• The story of Esther
• The story of Moses
• Hebrews 11
• James 1:19
• Micah 6:8
• Amos 5:1–17
• Isaiah 58, 60, 61
• Luke 24:32

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Guest Bio:

Born and raised in Cuba, Dr. Justo L. González was ordained as a minister within the Methodist church in 1957. In 1961, he became the youngest person to earn a doctorate in Theological History from Yale University. For thirty years, Dr. González taught at various theological institutions, beginning with eight years at the Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico (1961-1969). 

He has given hundreds of lectures across the world and has also written over one hundred books. His two-volume set, History of Christianity, and his three volumes, History of Christian Thought, have been translated into eight languages. 

Since retiring from teaching full-time and ministry, he has dedicated his time to research, writing, and promoting Hispanic theological education. Dr. González was involved in the founding of the Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana (AETH), the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI), and the Hispanic Summer Program (HSP). He values mentoring and encouraging Latinas and Latinos and other minority students.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I think, perhaps the greatest theological discovery of the 20th century is that all theology [is] contextual. And there’s no such thing as general theology.”
• “. . . . when I talk to mostly White Christians in this country, . . . [there] is sort of an overpowering sense of guilt. ‘How can we get rid of who we are or being who we are?’. . . . that's not the way to go. The way to go is, ‘how can we use who we are for what we all ought to be?’”
• “The only way that we have, in order to live into the future wisely, is to know the past. The better we know the past, the more prepared we are for the unexpected eventualities of the future.”

Links Mentioned:

• Browse Dr. González’s books.
• Check out Dr. Catherine Gunsalus González’s books.
• Explore the Association for Hispanic Theological Education.
• Learn about Dr. González’s former professor, theologian Karl Barth.
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Story of Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10)
• Peter’s Betrayal (Luke 22:54–62)
• Exodus & Moses
• Jubilee Laws (Exodus 25)
• Philippians 3:20
• Acts 22
• Joseph of Arimathea
• John 14:2
• Hebrews 11
• Acts 28

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Guest Bio:

Donal Cogdell Jr., also known as “Reflect,” is a passionate educator, hip-hop artist, motivational speaker, and minister of justice/advocacy. He serves as the National Director of Development for the K.I.N.G. Movement founded by Chris Broussard and as the Director of Justice for Hope Astoria Church in Queens, NY. As a hip-hop artist, he’s also released three albums, the latest of which is called “New History.” 

Donal aims to be a pioneering Christian leader and in the spirit of community reform and revitalization, he hopes to one day open an educational institution focused on empowering African Americans to fulfill their potential and to combat systemic injustices harming Black & Brown communities. In his free time, Donal enjoys debating sports, writing, and playing basketball.

Notes & Quotes:

• “When you don’t anticipate the fruit coming from a destination the way you expected, it doesn’t mean that God is not moving . . . .”
• On seeking justice, “I think sometimes as Christians we feel like, “Okay, it’s just good enough to do good works, and love people, love your neighbor.” But in the Bible, we see firsthand prophets that speak out against kings . . . .”
• “Justice is not just an Old Testament thing. Justice is central to the New Testament as well because it’s who God is.”

Links Mentioned:

• Explore Reflect’s music on Spotify and Apple Music.
• Listen to Our Daily Bread Media’s Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom soundtrack on Spotify and Apple Music. 
• Check out Reflect’s work with K.I.N.G. Movement and Hope Astoria Church in Queens, New York.  
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Story of Moses (Exodus)
• Story of Joseph (Genesis 37–50)
• Story of King David (1 and 2 Samuel) 
• John 9
• Mark 6:14–29
• Matthew 21:12–17
• Luke 4:18
• Michah 6:8
• Luke 18:1–8
• Exodus 3:7
• Isaiah 30:18
• Luke 4:18
• Isaiah 61:1
• John 1:1

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Guest Bio:

Rebecca McLaughlin is the author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (2019), which was named book of the year by Christianity Today. She has also authored three additional books which encourage Christians to face uncomfortable questions in their faith. She holds a PhD. in renaissance literature from Cambridge University and a theology degree from Oak Hill College in London. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband, Bryan, and their three children.

Notes & Quotes:

• It feels really distressing and alienating to feel like the culture around you is kind of actively hostile to Christianity in certain ways. I’ve always lived in spaces where there was active hostility to Christianity, so it’s not surprising or unsettling to me, it feels much more normal. 
• What I experienced from my father was the idea that Christians should definitely be the most intellectually curious people in town. There was no sense of faith being the opposite of intellectual inquiry or exploration.
• It’s typical for people to say—in order to respect somebody, you need to affirm their beliefs and choices. I don’t think that’s true. I think actually it’s ultimately a sign of disrespect to someone if you think, “Well, because of their cultural background, they couldn’t possibly make their own choice to repent and believe in Jesus.”
• I think that if we look closely, we will find that Christianity is the original and best foundation for love across racial difference. 
• I wrote “Confronting Christianity” in many ways as a love letter to my non-Christian friends. I wanted it to be something which I could put into their hands and say, “This is what I’ve been trying to say very inadequately for the last however many years that we’ve known each other."

Links Mentioned:

• Check out Rebecca’s book Confronting Christianity, and see her other books on her website.
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• 1 Peter 3:15

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Guest Bio:

1K Phew is among a new breed of Atlanta artists taking the trap sensibility and elevating it to great effect. 

At twenty-seven years old, Phew’s rise from a local rapper with swagger to a compelling artist equipped with a message, has been refreshing to watch. He’s fun and engaging, no doubt, but he’s so much more, as evidenced by his mixtapes Sunday Night (2015) and Life (2016). Phew’s got plenty of swag and wisdom to impart. Tracks like “TGIF” and “Church Gone Wild,” his biggest releases to date, show an artist who is vibrant and dynamic. His sing/rap flow has an infectious quality that is as catchy as it is alluring, and commercially viable as it is street-wise. 

His new mixtape Never Too Late is sure to build on his recent momentum, with hits like “Back Then” and “Load of Me,” an anthem for those not afraid to embrace their individuality. It’s no surprise that his sound—which Phew has dubbed “New CHUUCH”—is equally at home in the club or the church, and rappers like 1K Phew are proving that faith expressed with authenticity can be a welcome treat for listeners.

Notes & Quotes:

• (On his song “Church Gone Wild”) “I feel like we got to go to church and just be in the shell and kind of act fake . . . [but] God knows us for who we are. He’s going to see us regardless [of] whether we put on or not.”
• (On church) “You got to go in and you go to be yourself because the more you be yourself, the stronger you get . . . the more you just all the way around become a better person and a better child of God.”

Links Mentioned:

• Learn more about 1K Phew on Reach Records’ website.
• Follow 1K Phew on Instagram.
• Listen to 1K Phew on Apple Music and Spotify.
• Explore music produced by Zaytoven.
• Check out how to get involved in Kids Across America sports camps. 
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• The life of David, 1 & 2 Samuel
• Acts 16:25–40

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Guest Bio:

Duke Kwon is the lead pastor of Grace Meridian Hill, a neighborhood congregation in the GraceDC Network in Washington, DC, and co-author of Reparations: A Christian Call to Repentance and Repair. He completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University (AB, Political Science) and received his MDiv and ThM degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Duke has been active in public conversations around race, equity, and racial repair in the American church, and lectures on these topics around the country. He and his wife Paula live in the Columbia Heights neighborhood together with their three children.

Notes & Quotes:

• …To be able to walk alongside folks and not have a latent scorn for their view of the world or their political convictions or of their moral differences. To actually be able to say, “Let’s walk, let’s talk” and not to have a quiet contempt for them in my heart.
• Every person is crowned with dignity because of whatever belief system they subscribe to, whatever difference they might have with the Christian faith, they are crowned with glory. And we need to treat them that way.
• Reparations are built on the root word repair. So specifically, it’s talking about the repair of broken things. It comes to mean the deliberate repair of theft.
• There’s been a theft of power and there’s also been a theft of truth, the truth about African American identity, the truth of God’s Word in the Christian context, the truth about American history that too has been robbed where we need to then restore and repair each of these different spheres and dimensions of theft.

Links Mentioned:

• Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org
• Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346
• Check out our Voices Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? podcast on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast

Verses Mentioned:

• Luke 19
• Luke 10:25–37
• Psalm 23 
• Psalm 1:21
• 1 Corinthians 13
• Isaiah 53

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Guest Bio:

Chris is an internationally-known sports analyst, commentator, and broadcaster for the FOX Sports 1 television network and FOX Sports Radio. He is co-host of the daily morning show “First Things First’’ and can also be seen regularly on FS1’s “Undisputed’’ and “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.’’ Chris also co-hosts the nationally-syndicated FOX Sports Radio show “The Odd Couple’’ with Rob Parker on weeknights.

A Board member for Athletes in Action, Chris is a frequent speaker at colleges, high schools, charitable fundraisers, youth-related events, and churches. He is also the founder and president of a National Christian Men’s Movement called K.I.N.G., which stands for Knowledge, Inspiration and Nurture through God.

Chris has twin daughters and lives with his wife of more than twenty-five years in New Jersey.

Notes & Quotes:

• “I’ve been blessed to meet so many famous and incredible people, but meeting all of them combined has not given me a fraction of the joy, the peace, the value to my life that meeting Jesus Christ did on my 21st birthday.”
• “. . . . no matter what comes, I’m rooted and grounded, and I know I’m founded on Christ.”
• “. . . you could reach the highest pinnacle in sports, but if you don’t have the Lord, it’s not going to fulfill you.”

Links Mentioned:

• Learn more about Chris’ ministry, K.I.N.G. Movement.
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Ecclesiastes 3:11
• Matthew 7:24–27
• 1 Corinthians 9:24–25

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See how it all starts with using what God has given you in this very specific moment.

Guest Bio:

The Where Ya From podcast producers Mary Jo Clark, Jade Gustman, and Ryan Clevenger highlight high-impact podcast sessions with guests like KB Newton, Ekemini Uwan, Jenn Peterson, Kierra Sheard-Kelly, Dr. Christina Edmonson, and more.

Notes & Quotes:

• “We’re going to have to actually love them for a long time, before the Gospel will even have a context.” —Beth Guckenberger
• “Hardship, for some people, actually can reveal who they really are. And it can really push them, it can really inspire them.”—Dr. Christina Edmonson
• “The family system that we are a part of, their stories, their experiences, they come right into who we are, right into our literal DNA and our emotional DNA, into who we are.”—Dr. Christina Edmonson
• “In the event that God doesn’t call you or allow for marriage, what does that mean for you in intimacy and deep meaningful connections with other people? Does that mean you forfeit that, because I’m not married yet or won’t get married?”– KB Newton
• “Though I am not your cup of tea, that doesn’t say that I’m not a cup of tea. Whatever your big is, embrace that and be bold about it.”—Kierra Sheard-Kelly
• “After a while, you just begin to believe it. Maybe I’m not attractive, maybe I am ugly. There was a lot of self-hate for me. Hating my dark skin, to the point where I started bleaching my skin.—Ekemini Uwan

Links Mentioned:

• Check out Beth Guckenberger's ministry: Back2Back Ministries
• Here is Kierra Sheard-Kelly's book: Big, Bold, and Beautiful: Owning the Woman God Made You To Be 
• Listen to Ekemini Uwan's Podcast Truth's Table
• Learn more about International Justice Mission that Jenn Peterson supports
• Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org
• Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346
• Check out our Voices Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? podcast on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast

Verses Mentioned:

• Proverbs 31
• Psalm 27
• Exodus 3-4

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Guest Bio:

Sheila Wise Rowe is a graduate of Tufts University and Cambridge College with a master’s degree in counseling psychology. For over 25 years she has counseled abuse and trauma survivors in the United States. Sheila ministered to homeless and abused women and children in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she also taught counseling and trauma-related courses for a decade.

She is the cofounder of The Cyrene Movement, an online community for people of color seeking healing for racial trauma. She is the author of Young, Gifted, and Black; Healing Racial Trauma; The Well of Life: Heal Your Pain; Satisfy Your Thirst; Live Your Purpose; and The Wonder Years. She lives in the Boston area, where she is a writer, counselor, speaker, and spiritual director.

Notes & Quotes:

• “God meets us in those places of pain and . . . He grieves with us.”
• “The Lord is inviting us to come to Him with that and . . . He will give us what we need.”

Links Mentioned:

• Learn more about Sheila on her website.
• Read Sheila’s books, Young, Gifted, and Black and Healing Racial Trauma.
• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• Psalm 56:8
• Matthew 11:28–30
• John 14:25–27

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Guest Bio:

Dr. Debbye Turner Bell is a veterinarian, journalist, corporate trainer, minister, motivational speaker, wife, and mother. Her enduring passion is motivational speaking. Since being crowned Miss America in 1990, Dr. Turner Bell has spoken to millions of students at countless schools, youth organizations and college campuses. Dr. Turner Bell divides her time doing leadership development, motivational and Christian speaking, and television broadcasting. 

In addition to her speaking and media work, Dr. Turner Bell is the founder and CEO of Debbye Turner Bell Consulting, through which she provides leadership development training in communications, influence, and diversity to corporate and business leaders, managers, and executives.

Dr. Turner Belle graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a doctor of veterinary medicine degree. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from Arkansas State University. Dr. Turner Bell lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband and daughter.

Notes & Quotes:

• When you don't know if you’re capable of making the step, but you know God is faithful. So you do it anyway with every fiber of your being, screaming, “I don't want to do this. I’m afraid of this. This is going to hurt me again," but you do it anyway.
• That is a place of intimacy and relationship with the Lord that defies human understanding. It’s that place, though You may slay me, God, I’m still going to trust You because You are holy and you are worthy. 
• That might be counseling. That might be medication. It might be a better diet. It might be exercise. It might be more sleep. It might be fasting and praying, but we have to admit, “I can’t do this by myself.”
•  What got me through that period was being just raw and unflinchingly honest with God. I prayed and I raged and I cried and I begged, but I never stopped communicating with Him.
• We might not be able to run in that season, but walk. And if you can’t walk, crawl. And if you can’t crawl, get on the floor and roll. But just keep moving. Don’t stop because really stopping is going backwards.

Links Mentioned:

• Read Debbye’s book Courageous Faith
• Check out Debbye’s website
• Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org
• Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346
• Check out our Voices Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? podcast on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast

Verses Mentioned:

• Psalm 13 
• Hebrews 12:1
• Philippians 4:12–13

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Guest Bio:

Justin Giboney is an attorney, political strategist, and ordained minister in Atlanta, GA. He is also the Co-Founder and President of the AND Campaign, which is a coalition of urban Christians who are determined to address the sociopolitical arena with the compassion and conviction of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mr. Giboney has managed successful campaigns for elected officials in the state and referendums relating to the city’s transportation and water infrastructure.

He’s the co-author of Compassion (&) Conviction—The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement and has written op-eds for publications such as Christianity Today and The Hill.

Notes & Quotes:

• I’m seeing Black Christian candidates who want to run for city council in Black districts being forced to run as secular progressives. And I’m like, “I know you don’t believe that.” It just really made me feel uncomfortable.
• Because I’m in one party or the other, do I have to deny my witness? I just thought Christians weren’t having the opportunity to bring their whole witness into the conversation.
• if you’re going to love your neighbor as yourself, then you’ve got to care about their wellbeing. You’ve got to be socially concerned about your neighbor. Politics isn’t the only way to do that. But it’s certainly a robust way to show that you care about your neighbor.
• You need to know what you believe and you need to, regardless of the circumstances, be able to speak the truth in love.
• The gospel is love and truth. And in many instances, these two ideologies that we’re fighting over and we’re somehow trying to fit ourselves into are missing one or the other. That’s where AND comes from—the love and truth. It’s the compassion and the conviction. It’s finding a way to combine the social justice and the moral order.

Links Mentioned:

• Visit AND Campaign website: https://andcampaign.org
• Explore Church Politics podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4DpmN1RMOH9aCpj3ZKl3nu
• Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org
• Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346
• Check out our Voices Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? podcast on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast

Verses Mentioned:

• Matthew 22:37–39
• Ephesians 4:14–15

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Guest Bio:

Carvens Lissaint is a Haitian American award-winning poet & actor. Most recently Carvens completed his run as George Washington in the Tony Award winning musical Hamilton. He was selected as an honoree by Blavity & Shadow and Act at the first annual Shadow and Act RISING Star Awards, featured on the second, third, & fifth seasons of the hit television series Verses and Flow and debuted his original poem “Embers in The Dark” on NBA on TNT’s show: The Arena. Carvens’ most recent work Target Practice was featured on Huffington Post, Broadway.com’s Front Row, and the Build Series. He is a graduate of The American Academy for Dramatic Arts, St. John’s University and holds an MFA from NYU Tisch School of The Arts Graduate Acting Program. He gives all glory and honor to Jesus.

Notes & Quotes:

• There was overwhelming evidence that there was something far beyond this world that was at play. It’s just evident. No one goes through a poverty like that and gets out on their own volition.
• I have never not struggled for everything that has been remotely beautiful in my life. 
• I taught myself how to sing by listening to “End Of The Road” and memorizing that song. And I just knew every time I expressed something, I felt overwhelming freedom. I felt overwhelming catharsis. 
• Walking off stage, I remember saying to myself, oh, wait a second. If I have a gift that means someone gave me that gift. That suggests a gift giver. Right? Who’s the gift giver?
• That’s what really moved me about being in Hamilton, that I got to tell stories the way that I felt like God designed me to tell stories was through this medium. I think God’s a poet. I think God has lyrical dexterity.

Links Mentioned:

• Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org
• Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346
• Check out our Voices Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? podcast on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast

Verses Mentioned:

• Matthew 5–7
• Mark 4:39
• John 11
• Luke 23:34

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Guest Bio:

Nona Jones is a rare combination of preacher, business executive, author, and entrepreneur. In her day job she serves as the Director of North America Community Partnerships and Global Faith Partnerships at Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook. She is the bestselling author of two books; Success from the Inside Out, chronicling her unlikely story of success after a childhood filled with physical and sexual abuse, and From Social Media to Social Ministry, the globally acclaimed guide to digital discipleship for churches.

She is the founder of Faith & Prejudice, a social justice organization that is equipping local churches across North America to build bridges to racial equity. She and her husband, Pastor Tim, lead Open Door Church in Gainesville, FL and are the proud parents of two boys, Timothy, Jr. and Isaac, and one Goldendoodle, Shiloh.

Notes & Quotes:

• She was like, “you’re never going to amount to anything,” and I was living down to her words. “Well, if I'm not going to be anything, what’s the point of trying?”
• I knew what the Bible said. I totally knew fearfully and wonderfully made and all that, but it wasn’t what I knew in my mind that was the problem, it’s what I believed in my heart. And so much of what I believed in my heart was shaped by what happened to me as a child.
• The problem is you’re pursuing this because you want other people to approve of you. And as long as you want other people to approve of you, you’re not going to get what you want. 
• The hero of the story is Jonathan because he found a way to secure his identity to who God says he was. And because he did that, he wasn’t insecure. He was like, David, you could have my garment, have my weapons, man, I’m going to pray for you. I hope it all works out.
• There is no one on earth who has a big enough vision to see all that God has placed within you. So don’t allow anyone on earth to make you diminish your understanding of who you are, because they can’t even see it.

Links Mentioned:

• Visit our website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email. 
• Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review. 
• Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries
• Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram.
• Follow VOICES on Instagram.

Verses Mentioned:

• 1 Samuel 13 & 14
• Psalm 1
• Psalm 27:10
• Proverbs 18:21

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Gues Bio:

Jamie Winship has decades of experience bringing peaceful solutions to some of the world’s highest conflict areas.

After a distinguished career in law enforcement in the metro Washington, DC area, Jamie earned an MA in English and developed a unique process called the Identity Method. This process of identity transformation is the key to resolving inner conflict and acquiring new levels of learning and creativity in any field. His unconventional efforts to bring about societal and racial reconciliation led him to Indonesia, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Israel and back to the US. 

Jamie has worked with leaders in professional sports, business, education, law enforcement, government, non-profit, and other sectors. He is the author of Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God.