Halfway There

372: Lefty Perez and Finding Peace in Christ

Have you ever wondered if God really can turn your pain into purpose?
Our guest today shares the peace he felt when he found Jesus after a lifetime of violence and how he uses it now to help others get free.
Hector "Lefty" Perez is a mental health and sobriety advocate. He works installing HVAC systems and helps as many people as he can know the love of Christ. Today, Lefty shares what it was like growing up in East Los Angeles among violence, gangs, and drugs. He tells how he got sucked into the life, the moment he decided to get out, and turning his life over to Christ once and for all.
Left also shares the difficult times he's experienced including relapse at times and how it led him to a life where he encourages others to give up drugs and live for Christ.
Lefty's story reminds us that God loves us no matter what we have done.
Listen to Lefty's story wherever you get your podcasts!
Stories Lefty shared:
Moving states to Colorado
Being diagnosed with ADHD at seven and how it’s helped him with a career in trades
Growing up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles in an immigrant family
His family’s Roman Catholic background
Feeling angry as a child at God and his parents
The violence he experienced in the neighborhood
The neighbor who groomed him to become a criminal
Beginning to get involved in crime
Working as a bodyguard and making more money than he’d seen before
Achieving everything he wanted and feeling anxious about it
Attempting suicide and surviving
Being given a choice about his future
Getting married and struggling with drug addiction
Meeting a pastor who shared the Gospel with him
Reading John and feeling God’s presence
Leading his father to Christ
His mother’s disappointing reaction to his new faith
Struggling with drug addiction
Breakthrough with vulnerability
Great quotes from Lefty:
Every word I read was like painkiller for my soul and I wanted more.
I was searching for peace and I only found it when I allowed Christ in my heart.
I prayed, "I've done worse things for a nobody, let me do something good for you, a somebody."
Resources we mentioned:
Lefty's Instagram (DM him)
Related episodes:
Christina Dent and Compassion for Others
Randy Mortensen and Removing the Stigma of Addiction
Mike Bolton and the Power of Yes

371: Ciara Laine Myers and When You Can't See God

You grew up in church but suddenly, you can't tell if God cares about you. What do you do?
Our guest today shares the moment when she didn't recognize herself, didn't feel God's presence, and what she did next.
Ciara Laine Myers is an award-winning business owner, blogger, and author of Glasses Off: Seeing God When Your Vision Is Gone. Today, Ciara shares with us her reaction to trauma, the moment her secrets became known, and the practices that brought her back to health. Plus, we talk about calling and why it may not mean what you think.
Ciara's story reminds us that no matter how far we feel from God, it's only one step back.
Listen to Ciara's story wherever you get your podcasts now!
 
Stories Ciara shared:
Struggling with calling and asking God for fresh insight
Growing up on a little ranch in Texas in a Christian family
Getting saved when she was five
Being abused sexually by a friend at seven
Processing her experience in college
Deciding to be “bad Ciara” and where that led her
Realizing that she didn’t feel God anymore and how that felt
Going to the hospital with severe pain being forced to confess her drug use to her grandma
Getting back with a previous boyfriend and getting pregnant
Deciding to have a date with God for 60 days
Getting “serious” about finding her calling
Why humility is so important in an influencer culture
The vision of her purpose from the Lord
The urgency test and the action you need to take
Great quotes from Ciara:
If good Ciara is being abused, I’m going to be bad Ciara.
There was one moment that I looked in the mirror and thought "I don't really feel God anymore, and it was cold."
Calling is not a career. It’s a space on Earth to live out your purpose.
Resources we mentioned:
Ciara’s website
Glasses Off: Seeing God When Your Vision Is Gone by Ciara Laine Myers
Related episodes:
Mary DeMuth and Her Avenue for Healing
Chuck DeGroat and The Invitation to Obscurity
Dan Rudman and Ripples of the Gospel

370: Jeff Haanen and Faith in Technicolor

What was the experience for you that changed your faith dramatically?
Our guest today shares the moment that moved his faith from his head to his heart and how it changed how he sees everything.
Jeff Haanen is a writer and entrepreneur. He’s the founder of Denver Institute for Faith & Work, an educational organization that creates content and experiences around topics related to faith, work, the economy, and modern culture.
Today, Jeff shares how he found faith while recovering from an injury, his funny response to praying aloud for the first time, and how he started thinking about faith and work. Plus, Jeff shares his process as he learned humility.
Jeff's story reminds us the Gospel is best infused into every aspect of our lives.
Listen to Jeff's story anywhere you get your podcasts! 
Stories Jeff shared:
Growing up in a Minnesota without a strong faith experience
Getting hurt before his senior year and reading the Bible and other books
Praying in a group for the first time
Joining a missions organization and going to Ecuador
Learning how to pay attention to people
Deciding to go to seminary with an insatiable curiosity
Starting the Denver Institute for Faith and Work
Noticing “cracks” in his armor
Realizing that he was looking for his identity in his work
Going on a self-awareness journey
Deconstruction how he lived his Christian life
Leaving Denver Institute for Faith & Work
How serving is crucial for work
Great quotes from Jeff:
My brain was way ahead of my heart and that's been a lot of my own faith journey. 
We need to go on a journey of seeking deep spiritual health.
A critical element of that self awareness journey is simply opening ourselves to what is and noticing what's there and not trying to fix it. 
Resources we mentioned (Affiliate links):
Jeff's website
Working from the Inside Out by Jeff Haanen
Francis Schaeffer's work
The Critical Journey by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich
The Gospel in a Pluralistic Society by Leslie Newbigin
Bernard of Clairvaux 
Wellspring Church, Englewood
With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani
Related episodes:
Skye Jethani and Eternity Breaks In
Laura Flanders and The Mentored Life
Matt Fagioli and Beyond Check Box Faith

369: Sarah E. Frazer and God is Not Disappointed

Sometimes life just doesn't go the way you planned. Give me an amen if that resonates!
When the unexpected happens, it's tempting to believe that you did something wrong or that God is punishing you. 
Our guest today says that community, communion with God, and even medication helped her overcome life's unexpected speed bumps.
Sarah E. Frazer is author of several books including her latest I Didn’t Sign Up for This. Today, Sarah shares about her friend from another denomination helped her grow, finding God while struggling through postpartum depression, and the moment she learned God isn't angry with her. 
Sarah's story reminds us that while we are sometimes surprised by life, God isn't and he's always there with us.
Listen to Sarah's story wherever you get your podcasts!
Stories Sarah shared:
Moving overseas in January 2020 and how that inspired her new book
How the journey of suffering shapes us
Growing up in Charleston, WV in a Christian family
Giving her life to Christ at AWANA on a Wednesday night
Deciding on following Jesus during college
Meeting her husband at church and getting married
Finding a friend from another denomination
The pastor couple who helped them through early marriage
Struggling with postpartum depression
Wondering if God was even real
How her doctor helped her with medication
How Scripture helps her to reframe and
Learning that God isn’t angry at her
Why we need the whole character of God
Great quotes from Sarah:
God isn’t angry at me.
God is a lot bigger than our black and white.
When we face interruptions, we are tempted to question God’s sovereignty and his goodness. We need both as we move forward into a life we didn’t plan.
Resources we mentioned:
Sarah’s website 
I Didn’t Sign Up for This: How to Rest in God’s Goodness When Your Story Shifts by Sarah E. Frazer
Lessons in the Desert by Sarah E. Frazer
The Glorious Ordinary by Sarah E. Frazer
A Small Book for the Anxious Heart by Ed Welch
Related episodes:
Rachel Joy Welcher and the Spiritual Formation of Unmet Longings
Jeff Brown and the Exponential Value of Reading
Becky Castle Miller and Trusting Your Emotions

368: Dr. Dan Hummel and Leaving Behind Dispensationalism

How often do you think about the end times? Ever come home to an empty house and wonder if you'd been left behind?
If so, you're going to love this episode because our guest explains where that theological belief—and others you probably hold—came from.
Dr. Dan Hummel is the director of The Lumen Center in Madison, WI and a research fellow in the History Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He authored The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle of the End Times Shaped a Nation. 
Dr. Hummel shared his own experiences including how he developed a global perspective as a missionary kid, growing up in a cessationist tradition, and the humility he developed by studying different traditions in Israel.
We also talk about dispensationalism, a theological framework that you're probably more affected by than you realize. He details where it came from, how it still influences us today, including how you read your Bible.
Dr. Hummel's work and story reminds us that understanding our theological tradition is essential for our spiritual growth.
LIsten anywhere you get your podcasts!
Stories Dan shared:
Growing up as a missionary kid and developing a global perspective
How his family of origin shaped his perspective
Praying the “sinner’s prayer” as a seven year old
How his college experiences in a small church shaped his faith
Deciding to study Middle East history
The humility he had as he read different traditions
Growing up in a cessationist tradition
Spending a year in Israel and the experience of being in the minority
How studying Christian Zionism led to studying dispensationalism
The effect of dispensationalism’s “hermeneutical innovation”
Examples of the effects of dispensationalism in America today
Great quotes from Dan:
Christianity is an inherently eschatological religion.
Resources we mentioned:
Dan’s website 
The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism: How the Evangelical Battle over the End Times Shaped a Nation by Dr. Dan Hummel
How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture by Francis Schaeffer
The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate by John Walton
With by Skye Jethani
Related episodes:
Skye Jethani and Eternity Breaks In
Peter Englert and Discipleship Ministry and Mentorship
Chuck Malott is a Hippy Turned Saint

367: Angela J. Herrington and Accepting Your Questions

Have you ever tried to ask hard questions about your faith only to run into a roadblock somewhere?
Sometimes it's simple answers. Sometimes it's others who don't want to acknowledge the questions. Sometimes it's your own heart begging to keep life simple.
Our guest today says it's worth asking the questions and offers a path through the uncertainty.
Angela J. Herrington is a faith deconstruction coach and host of The Deconstructing Faith Summit who helps people break free from toxic religious culture & empowers them to recover from church hurt.
Today, Angela shares the situation that caused her to wonder if everyone could be included in her community and the questions that arose from it. She explains how an accepting community can help, and why you can't outrun yourself. Avoiding the questions doesn't work so Angela shares how she helps others release the stigma and follow where the questions lead.
Angela's story reminds us that following Jesus isn't always easy but it is always worth it.
Listen to Angela's story now in your favorite podcast app!
Stories Angela shared:
Growing up in Indiana around the church
Being a VBS kid, steeped in Christian culture and giving her life to Christ as a young girl
Getting involved in youth group in high school and college
Deciding to raise her children in church for their good
Finding a groundedness in her faith as she got more connected
The decisions that started to crack her understanding of faith worked out
Why viewing others as “projects” is harmful
The Bible study that became a safe place to ask questions
Deciding to go to a more liberal church and finding the same problems
Feeling weary about finding safe places to discuss and the church that created that space
The ten years of deconstruction she experienced
Growing wiser about her involvement
Why fundamentalism isn’t good on either side of the spectrum
Learning how much her pursuit of connection was driven by trauma
Why you can’t outrun yourself
What she does as a deconstruction coach
Great quotes from Angela:
Would I have been welcomed? Or would I have been a project?
What’s missing is a really humble understanding of how much in the church is influenced by power.
The more you try to outrun yourself, the more damage you’re doing to yourself.
The longer you've been in an environment that says you're bad, the longer it will take to discover your own goodness.
Resources we mentioned:
Angela’s website
Deconstructing Your Faith without Losing Yourself by Angela J. Herrington
Angela’s free Facebook group for people experiencing deconstruction
Related episodes:
Brian Zahnd and The Beauty of Christ
Jacci Turner and Tumbled People
Paul Ybarra and Discovering Kingdom Character

366: Skye Jethani and Eternity Breaks In

Is heaven a far away place that you'll go to someday or an imminent reality?
Depending on what you were taught, you might have strong feelings about this. You may even wonder why the question is being asked at all.
Our guest today explains how Jesus viewed the idea of heaven and why it's a crucial idea to understand biblically.
Skye Jethani is the co-host of one of the most popular podcasts in the Christian space, The Holy Post, and author of some of the best books with the Kingdom of God in mind. His book With is a must read. And now he’s published his fourth in the What if Jesus was Serious? Series with What If Jesus Was Serious About Heaven. 
Today, Skye discusses common misunderstandings about heaven, how those ideas can malform us, and what the biblical view actually is. He also shares how a biblical worldview of eternity changes our public discourse and decisions. 
If you're interested in heaven, this episode is for you.
Listen now wherever you get your podcasts!
Stories Skye shared:
How to join Skye's mailing list
The surprising reaction he found when he talked about heaven
Where misunderstandings about heaven come from
How our theological context shapes our spiritual formation
Why training can help us understand much
What Jesus meant by heaven
How a first century view of citizenship helps us understand heaven
How to be a conduit of heaven on earth
The antidote to cessationism and spectacularism
 Why the values of nations are different from those of the Kingdom of God
What to call this way of thinking 
The importance of the Resurrection
Great quotes from Skye:
When we make that vision of heaven the goal of our faith, it displaces what ought to be the real goal of our faith which is Jesus himself.
It's the vocation of every Christian to be a priest, to be that conduit between God's presence in heaven and the reality of the earth.
The Kingdom is breaking in all the time and often it's really subtle.
The values of any nation state is going to be opposed to the values of the Kingdom of God.
Resources we mentioned:
Skye’s website 
What If Jesus Was Serious about Heaven?: A Visual Guide to Experiencing God’s Kingdom among Us by Skye Jethani
With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani
The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
N.T. Wright's works
The Blue Parakeet by Scot McKnight
Related episodes:
Skye Jethani and Living Life With God
Kaitlyn Schiess and Why Everything is Spiritual
James Bryan Smith and Loved Beyond Imagination

365: Michelle Nezat and Building Faith Through Song

It's the new year! Were you one of those who made a commitment to read your Bible more frequently and regularly this year? If so, you're not alone.
Our guest today offers a resource to help you reach your goal easier this year.
Michelle Nezat is passionate about inspiring you to read, study, and understand the Bible. She is the host of the More Than a Song podcast where she helps you use the songs you listen to on the radio to meditate on God's Word.
Today, Michelle shares her story including how she felt called to missions, the difficult conversation that shifted her direction, and the church situation that hurt her. Along the way, Michelle shares how it all led to embracing her calling in a way she never anticipated. 
Michelle's story reminds us that a biblical worldview starts in what we consume and that God is always shaping us if we're paying attention.
Listen to Michelle's story in your favorite podcast app now!
Stories Michelle shared:
Growing up in Idaho going to church
Her mom’s spiritual journey
Believing that the Heavenly Father is enough
How her grandfather mentored her
The conversation with her professor that shifted her course
How she ended up in Louisiana
How church trauma confused her
Learning not to want the platform anymore
Beginning to think more deeply about theology
Starting her podcast and how the Lord led her through it
What she’s learned about herself through podcasting
Great quotes from Michelle:
Sometimes it takes the uncomfortable to get us off a course.
This was really hard so whatever you want to teach me, don’t let me miss it.
You’re not going to have a Biblical worldview unless you actually read the Bible.
Resources we mentioned:
Michelle’s website
Related episodes:
Andrew Klavan and The Truth and Beauty
Karen Swallow Prior and The Spiritual Practice of Reading Fiction
Traci Rhoades and the Case of Holy Envy