In two years, he’s gone from virtual obscurity to having 450,000 followers, collaborating with major universities, and being featured on ESPN and CBS Sports.

All because his videos – most of which poke fun at the college football powerhouses and their fanbases – make people laugh.

Wanting to make people laugh is what persuaded Josh Mancuso to go from behind the camera to in front of it. He sees humor as a high calling, because God wants everyone to laugh . . . especially those who know Him best.

Our interview with Josh will encourage you to follow God’s calling on your life. And it will make you laugh. Because that’s what Josh does.

You can follow Josh on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, his website, and . . . what, you need other places, too? Seriously?

Brett Baker was on a self-destructive path until he joined the military, which gave him discipline, structure, and goals. It wasn’t until he was medically retired from the military, however, that Brett discovered his true purpose: serving others.

In this interview, Brett explains how putting other people first and maximizing their success has had a tremendous positive impact on his business, his relationship with his wife, and his faith.

With his wife Mary Elaine, Brett co-founded and runs VA USA, which enables military spouses to become virtual assistants for businesses and other organizations.

The Hebrew word “shalom” appears 237 times in the Old Testament. The usual translation is “peace,” but the word also means completeness or wholeness.

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament make it clear that true peace — true wholeness — comes only from God.

In the second part of our two-part interview with Joel Hanson, he draws from the Bible and from his own experiences to explain how each of us can enjoy the wholeness that God offers.

Joel is a singer, songwriter, and musician who has won a Dove Award and been nominated for a Grammy. His years fronting the band PFR brought much critical acclaim, and after three decades he is back in the studio with that band. He also has recorded several solo records and produced and assisted with records for other bands and artists. For nearly two decades Joel was the worship pastor at Church of the Open Door in Maple Grove, Minnesota; in summer 2022 he left that role to begin the next chapter of his life.

Joel and Kathy have been married for 34 years and have two adult daughters. Connect with Joel on Instagram and Patreon.

He got his first job when he was 10. At 14, he took his 12-year-old brother to Beijing for six weeks to attend a conference. He graduated high school early, left home, and at age 17 started running a retail store. At 19, he went to Turkey to “find himself” and came back a Christian. Since then, he’s done restaurant management, started and run non-profits, served as a pastor, and helped The Bible Project (website, YouTube channel) reach people around the world.

All while fighting against a core belief that he’s not good enough and doesn’t have what it takes.

In these highlights from our September 2023 interview with Mike McDonald, he shares that “getting in the mud” – stepping outside your comfort zone to follow God’s call – is a key part of understanding your true identity in Christ.

Mike leads The Bible Project’s global focus team, which is localizing nearly 200 videos into 56 different languages. Before The Bible Project, Mike spent 11 years leading a global development organization and served on boards for international compassion and justice organizations. To learn more about The Bible Project, read this article penned by podcast co-host Chris Bolinger.

He’s leading missions trips to deliver humanitarian aid and provide trauma medical training in some of the world’s most challenging environments, including Iraq, Ghana, and Nepal. In The States, he’s taking on the absence of young men (ages 18-35) in the church.

His headquarters: a fight club eight miles from Hershey, Pennsylvania.

At 5 Stones Fight Club – which offers boxing, mixed martial arts, wrestling, and strength training – Shane Manney uses a team atmosphere to grow trust and build a sense of belonging. Once friendships are established, relational evangelism and discipleship flow naturally.

In this interview, Shane explains why he started 5 Stones, why it’s effective, and what’s coming next.

Shane has over 20 years of experience coaching and instructing wrestling, boxing, submission grappling, and strength training. He has been an infantry machine gunner in the United States Marine Corps, a police officer, and a private security contractor and has worked in the field of drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Shane is married with three children and has a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Lancaster Bible College. Learn more at 5stonesfightclub.org.

A little over a decade ago, as he was struggling with a crisis in his faith, Richard Ramsey was given the opportunity to write and direct a feature film that presented the life of Solomon in a modern-day context. He threw himself into the project and delivered what he thought was a solid film, The Song.

When it lasted only two weeks in theaters, Richard felt like a failure. And he spent the next seven years in a wilderness of projects that never came to fruition.

Then came the chance to co-write and co-direct Unsung Hero, which opens on April 26. As Richard shares in this interview, putting your life together in the aftermath of failure is a main theme in this film . . . just as it has been in Richard’s life.

With a BA in Theatre from the University of Houston, Richard spent his early career impacting the independent film world in Texas. His feature film debut, The Song, was released in 2014 in theaters nationwide. He is the co-director and writer of the upcoming feature film, Unsung Hero. After a six-year tenure as Artistic Director of the award-winning City on a Hill Studio in Louisville, Kentucky, Richard relocated to Nashville where he served four years on the creative staff of Kingdom Story Company. He and his wife live in Tennessee and have five children all named after Beatles songs.

When you experience a significant loss, such as the death of a loved one, you may try to replace your grief and guilt with something that provides meaning and purpose. But replacement isn’t healing. And you need healing.

After Tim Tucker’s wife Laura died, he wrote a book, Grief and Grace, to chronicle the six months of deep pain, loss, and grief that he experienced. He then remarried, welcomed a new child to join his three children from his first marriage, and took on a new job. But he felt God calling him to write another book on grief. In that book, Finding Life after Death, Tim shares more lessons he’s learned and provides more support to others who are struggling with loss.

You’ll find healing and hope in our discussion with Tim.

In 2013 Tim joined The Message Trust, founding the first international hub of The Message in Cape Town, South Africa, to reach urban youth through Gospel-centred and holistic discipleship programs. Recently, Tim joined The Message’s global development team to guide operations across Africa.

Tim is passionate about Africa and, in particular, investing in African leaders. His books include The Pace Setter, Grab a Towel, Grief and Grace, and his latest, Finding Life after Death.

Tim is married to Christina. The couple and their four children reside in Cape Town. A wealth of resources from Tim are available at the Grab a Towel site. Connect with Tim on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

What role does God play in your personal and family finances?

When he lost his job during the financial crisis of 2008, Bob Lotich heard God calling him to do something crazy: make his blog his full-time job. There was just one problem: the blog was bringing in less than $100 a month. But Bob trusted God, and within nine months he was earning more than he had working for a big financial firm.

 In our interview, Bob shares what God has taught him through that experience and other experiences with giving God control of his finances.

Bob Lotich is an award-winning author, podcaster, financial coach, and Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®). He has been named a top-20 influencer in personal finance, and his writing and advice have been featured in Focus on the Family, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Inc., Beliefnet, Time, and many others. He shares his best lessons with over 52 million readers and listeners on his blog, SeedTime.com, and the SeedTime Money Podcast.

00:00-03:45 introduction
03:45-12:15 Bob’s fence-post story: turning point in his financial life
12:15-18:00  losing a job and starting a new career
18:00-22:10 building the business
22:10-27:00 one thing that financially successful people do
27:00-35:00 highlights from Bob’s book, Simple Money, Rich Life
35:00-49:25 what the Bible says about money . . . and why