Great Stories by Haven Today

#68: Nancy Guthrie Wants to Teach Your Kids How to Pray

Prayer is an essential part of every Christian’s life. It’s also a mysterious and intimidating practice for believers both young and old. What’s the problem? Nancy Guthrie says, “Praying to God is so simple a child can do it, but grown-ups often make it needlessly complicated. God wants an honest conversation.”

To help you get a better handle on what every Christian — both young and old — should know about prayer, Charles Morris invited Nancy Guthrie to join him for an insightful conversation on prayer. Even if you already have a healthy prayer life, this interview will help you gain a deeper understanding of what we are actually doing when we talk to God.

You can also learn more about Nancy’s biblically inspired picture book What Every Child Should Know About Prayer at haventoday.org. 

#67: Russia & Ukraine - Hear from Christians on Both Sides

Will Russian troops invade Ukraine? Or will they pull back? Are we on the verge of a great war in Eastern Europe? Or are tensions beginning to cool. Only time will tell. But one thing remains certain ... Christians on both sides of the border are praying for peace — and for each other — as they hold strong to the gospel.

On today's episode of the Great Stories podcast, Charles Morris speaks with two FEBC broadcasters, one in Ukraine and the other in Russia. As you continue to hear news and updates of what seems like imminent war in Eastern Europe, this conversation will help you remember the millions of Christians stuck in the middle as their countries verge on the brink of large-scale conflict.

#66: Juana Mikels Offers Hope for Broken Marriages

One of the saddest statistics about marriage is its bleak success rate in the western world. Even in the church, marriages end at an alarmingly high percentage. But on today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, Charles Morris turns the tables on this narrative by sharing a story of a marriage that ended only to be redeemed later down the road. 

Recorded in 2015, Juana Mikels (author of Choosing Him All Over Again) tells Charles Morris about how she reached a point where she was unhappy with her life, and so she decided to leave her husband, house, and friends to search for happiness. Instead of finding a new Mr. Right, she found Jesus. But what happened next? Would her husband take her back? Listen in to hear this incredible story of how Christ’s love can transform the way we love each other.

#65: A Christian Psychologist and Counselor Talk Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety. Two words that are all too familiar for so many of us. And the statistics have only gotten more bleak in recent years. But what is the depressed or anxious Christian to do? Do we pray? Seek help? Take a prescription? Christian counselor Ed Welch and clinical psychologist Tim Sisemore join today's episode to offer practical advice and tangible hope for anyone struggling with one or both of these debilitating conditions.

Ed Welch, M.Div., Ph.D. is a counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation. He's written a number of books and articles about depression, fear, and biblical counseling. Today, he speaks with Charles Morris about anxiety and how Christians suffering with this condition can find relief and heed Jesus' command: "Do not fear." 

Dr. Tim Sisemore is a clinical psychologist who served as Professor in the PsyD program at California Baptist University, and now works as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist at St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute. In this conversation, he speaks with Charles Morris about how Christians struggling with depression can find hope in our constantly changing world. 

#64: John Dickson Shares the Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission

Evangelism. There are few words in the English language that have sparked as much fear — in the hearts those on the giving and receiving end — than this common Christian practice. And yet Jesus calls all believers to share the good news.

But what if it didn’t have to be so intimidating?

On today's episode of the Great Stories Podcast, Charles Morris returns to a conversation he had at Regent College with Dr. John Dickson, a scholar and an author from Australia with a heart to engage unbelievers with God's Word. In this interview originally recorded in 2015, Dickson shares what he believes is the best kept secret of Christian mission. 

If you've ever wanted to share your faith with others but have been too intimidated to start, then you’re not going to want to miss this podcast on how you can share the gospel with more than your lips.

#63: Dane Ortlund on How Christians Grow

Spiritual growth is an important part of any Christian’s journey of faith. But how does it actually happen? Some believers think it is a product of better behavior, intellectual pursuits, or felt experience. Dane Ortlund argues that all three are good, but real growth transcends them all. 

In today’s episode, you’ll hear how Christians grow when they go deeper into the gospel and fix their eyes on Jesus. According to Dane Ortlund, to experience this, you must bring what you do and say and even feel into line with what, in fact, you already are — united with Christ. 

To learn more, visit haventoday.org to request your copy of Dane Ortlund’s newest book Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners.

#62: Journeys Through Scripture: Bible in 90 Days Success Stories

Scripture has the tendency to change people’s lives in unexpected ways. For those who have read the Bible from cover to cover, the benefits are endless. In today’s episode, Charles Morris speaks with several people who started and finished the ambitious, but doable, challenge to read the Bible in 90 days. When you listen, you'll hear about their struggles and triumphs as they read through all of Scripture in just three months. You'll also hear how taking in God's Word quickly and consistently changed their lives forever.

If these conversations inspire you to make 2022 the year you read the Bible all the way through, will you consider joining us in reading the Bible in 90 days? You can visit haventoday.org to sign up to receive the reading plan and get weekly encouragement along the way. You can also get your own copy of the print edition of the Bible in 90 Days while you're there.

#61: Ted Cooper: How Reading the Bible in 90 Days Led Him from Agnosticism to Faith

Ted Cooper was an agnostic who decided to put the claims of Christianity to the test by doing what so many have tried and failed to do—read the Bible all the way through. Knowing how many who attempt Bible reading plans often abandon their goal, he devised an ambitious, yet doable plan to make it from Genesis to Revelation in 90 days. This is his story. It's also the story of a Scripture reading movement being born. 

If you want 2022 to be the year you read the Bible all the way through, will you consider joining us in reading the Bible in 90 days? You can visit haventoday.org to sign up to receive the reading plan and get weekly encouragement along the way. You can also get your own copy of the print edition of the Bible in 90 Days while you're there. 

#60: Brandon Kimber Deconstructs the Prosperity Gospel

Scripture has been interpreted many different ways over the years, but how can you tell the difference between false gospels and the one Jesus lived and taught? 

Brandon Kimber, the director of the American Gospel documentary series, argues that the gospel is simple, but we sometimes like to make it complicated by adding on to what Jesus said and did. He also discusses how the modern gospel being preached within the prosperity gospel (the Word of Faith movement) has become corrupted with promises of “the American dream” of health, wealth, and prosperity. 

In this interview, you'll hear Brandon Kimber describe his own experiences within this movement and why it’s important to hold firm to a gospel that simply comes down to Christ alone.

#59: Christmas Special: The Son of David

Why do the gospels of Luke and Matthew begin with someone’s family tree? Why is it so important that Jesus come from the line of David? 

Looking at the gospels as well as the prophets of old, Charles Morris seeks to answer these questions about the lineage of Christ. The stunning answers show us that Christmas isn’t just something that happened unexpectedly — it was planned by God, foretold in the Old Testament, and fulfilled by Jesus.