Halfway There

292: Amy Debrucque and Conquering Fear

Amy Debrucque is a wife, mom of four, cancer survivor, and co-author of Embolden. She is the founder of the Life On Purpose Movement and host of the Life On Purpose Podcast where she encourages women to live on purpose instead of fear. Today, Amy shares how she found a personal relationship with Jesus, how a cancer diagnosis changed that relationship, and her mission to help women live in courage. Amy’s story reminds us that whatever you’re afraid of, the Lord is bigger.
Listen to Amy’s story now!
Stories Amy shared:
Growing Roman Catholic in Central New York
Leaving the Roman Catholic church to find more engagement
Why she still loves getting on her knees to pray
Learning what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus
Receiving a cancer diagnosis at 40 that caused her to surrender to the Lord
How cancer was her wake up call
What the Lord said to her that brought surrender
Starting Life on Purpose
Finding the root of your fear
Deciding to write a journal because she couldn’t find what she was looking for
Great quotes from Amy:
Fear is real but courage can get the final say. Unknown
I had two boxes: my whole life and I had God. I didn’t realize they were so disconnected.
Embrace those awkward and uncomfortable moments because it does get easier.
For as much time as we spend scrolling through other people’s lives on social media, we can take some time for ourselves.
Resources we mentioned:
Amy’s website
em.bold.en by Amy and Blair Debrucque
Related episodes:
John Morgan and How to Overcome Fear
Dr. Michelle Bengtson and Overcoming Anxiety
Rodney Olsen and Kicking at the Darkness
The post Amy Debrucque and Conquering Fear appeared first on Eric Nevins.

291: Allen Taylor and Giving Up Control

Allen Taylor is an author, editor, and publisher. His most recent release is I Am Not the King, a personal testimony of his faith in Jesus Christ. Today, Allen shares with us the pentecostal church he was raised in, how study helped him escape legalism, and how he became a writer. Allen shares that grace is the key that helped him overcome sin. Allen’s story reminds us that the Lord is always working even when we struggle.
Listen to Allen’s story today!
Stories Allen shared:
Working as a freelance technology author
Growing up in a pentecostal church with a rageaholic father
Joining the army and going to college
How his life unravelled in college
Asking God for a sign and the spontaneous praise he experienced
How his Bible reading challenged his received faith
Finding a church family after college
Why grace is important as a concept
Getting fired from a Christian bookseller
Developing his resistance to temptation
Struggling with God as father because of his relationship with his own father
Dealing with anger as he matured
Writing his testimony to his mom and how that became his book
Great quotes from Allen:
Legalism is evident to everyone except those who are in it.
God breaks down barriers.
Resources we mentioned:
Allen’s website
I am Not The King: A Personal Testimony of Growth in Jesus Christ by Allen Taylor
Related episodes:
Travis Johnson and World Changing Community
Shá Sparks and Finding Purpose
Mark Karris and Stop Being Superstitious 
The post Allen Taylor and Giving Up Control appeared first on Eric Nevins.

290: Heather Oncken and How to Be a Friend

Heather Oncken is an entrepreneur, a nurse, and a fellow podcaster. Her show Connecting in the Chaos is about how to develop and maintain friendship as an adult. Today, Heather shares how her family came to Christ, why she walked away from Christ as a young woman, and how the Lord redeemed all the pain it caused. We also talk about why she started a podcast about friendships and some ideas for how to make friends and be a good one. Heather’s story reminds us that your intentional action matters in your relationships with God and others.
Listen to Heather’s story today!
Stories Heather shared:
Heather’s heart for friendship
Becoming a Christian family in sixth grade
Deciding to reject Jesus for three years in her mid-20s
Being rejected by her daughter’s father
The moment of surrender during the pregnancy
Deciding that God was enough for her
The gratitude she has for her family
The pain of her parent’s relational struggles and the anger that goes with it
Learning to let go of needing to understand
The simple gesture of a friend that changed her life
How she started to listen to others
The value of intention in relationships
Great quotes from Heather:
She saved me because she’s what brought me back to the Lord.
I think He is honored with our honesty.
The brokenness showed me how much I needed other people.
We think of friendships as a luxury but they are essential.
Resources we mentioned:
Heather’s website
Related episodes:
Merritt Onsa and the Patient Love of God
Jay Kim and Why We Need Real People
Sue Donaldson and the Welcoming Heart of God
Thomas Umstattd Jr. and Untwisting the Gospel
The post Heather Oncken and How to Be a Friend appeared first on Eric Nevins.

289: Chris Martin and How Social Media Shapes Us

Chris Martin is an editor at Moody Publishers and a social media, marketing, and communications consultant. He writes regularly in his Substack newsletter, Terms of Service, and is publishing a book by the same name in February. Today, Chris shares how he was led into ministry, got a job working in publishing, and why he thinks social media does more harm than good. We have an extensive conversation about what social media is doing to us, common misconceptions, and what we can do to think more critically about it. Every Christian should be asking and seeking answers to these questions. Chris’ story reminds us that God often leads through our circumstances to the exact place we need to be.
Listen to Chris’ story now!
Stories Chris shared:
Growing up in a Christian family in Indiana
Thinking of faith in very transactional terms as a child
The Sunday School teacher who led him to Christ
Choosing to go to Taylor for college
The intervention his friends staged to go into ministry
How having theological debates shaped him
Not getting a scholarship to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Getting a job in social media and going to seminary
The car accident that gave him a sense of reverence for the Lord
Coaching authors on how to use social media
How social media is shaping us
Great quotes from Chris:
I want you to steward your gifts better on the internet.
Even though I’d grown up in church, I’d never been taught theology.
Man created social media to serve man; but man has come to serve social media.
Social media are not neutral tools that can be used for good or evil.
Resources we mentioned:
Chris’s website
Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media by Chris Martin
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power by Shoshana Zuboff
Related episodes:
Jay Kim and Why We Need Real People
Felicia Song and Digital Discipleship
Phil Mershon and the Creative’s Journey
The post Chris Martin and How Social Media Shapes Us appeared first on Eric Nevins.

288: Marjorie Gunnoe and Integrating Faith and Science

Marjorie Gunnoe is a psychology professor at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI. Her book The Person in Psychology and Christianity, is soon to be released. Today, Marjorie shares the story of how her fundamentalist background shaped her, the moment that allowed her to ask more questions, and why she was so interested in psychology. We also talk about the concept of original sin and why it’s time to rethink it. Marjorie’s story reminds us that Christian faith and sciences like psychology are not inherently locked in conflict.
Listen to Marjorie’s story now!
Stories Marjorie shared:
Growing up in Michigan into a conservative, fundamentalist family
Going to a Christian Reformed school
Making a comment about the rapture in 9th grade and the results
Her mother’s faithfulness to her understanding of Scripture
The moment her husband gave her permission to ask questions
Driving on the DC Beltway that shifted her perspective
Allowing her hermeneutic to change
How the last couple of election cycles rattled her
Doing divorce research in graduate school
Coming back to the two greatest commandments
Studying the idea of original sin and how the doctrine affects us
How our early experiences shape our views of God
Great quotes from Marjorie:
In some ways, the God that I knew growing up was always far away.
Every Christian prioritizes different Scriptures
I need the central orientating theme of love.
You don’t need to compartmentalize your faith and science.
Resources we mentioned:
The Person in Psychology and Christianity: A Faith-Based Critique of Five Theories of Social Development by Marjorie Gunnoe
Related episodes:
Cyd & Geoff Holsclaw and the God Who Likes You
Alexander Lowry’s Journey in Faith and Finance
Laura Flanders and Jesus and Her Bleeding Heart
The post Marjorie Gunnoe and Integrating Faith and Science appeared first on Eric Nevins.

287: Alec Kassan and Planting Your Purpose

Alec Kassan is a podcaster, author, and  consultant for online ministries. Today, Alec shares how he experienced the leading of God, found his purpose while exploring many options, and began serving online ministries. Alec also shares that busyness does not always equal accomplishment. He learned to rest in what God wanted even if it meant moving on from a project. Alec’s story reminds us that his ways are not our ways.
Listen to Alec’s story now!
Stories Alec shared:
Growing up in New Jersey in a Christian family
The mission trip that began to help him see God more clearly
Getting caught with his phone on the trip
How he learned to listen to God over his family
The time God spoke to him about a printer
Inviting Joey to a mission trip
Attending a Vineyard church and finding a spiritual mentor
Seeking his fulfillment via busyness
Great quotes from Alec:
I was trying to feel fulfilled by filling my schedule.
You don’t focus on the fruit first; you have to focus on the root.
Resources we mentioned:
Alec’s podcast
Alec’s YouTube
Planting Your Purpose: A 20 Day Guide to Discovering God’s Calling by Alec Kassan
Related episodes:
Jonathan Monsour and How Faith Became His Own
Nancy Kay Grace and Trusting the Peace
Katie Hornor and Rain as a Blessing
The post Alec Kassan and Planting Your Purpose appeared first on Eric Nevins.

286: Michelle Lazurek and Learning to Let Go

Michelle Lazurek is a multi-genre, award winning author, and literary agent. Today, Michelle shares the story of the high cost she paid to follow Jesus in a tradition other than the one she grew up in. She also shares the moments when had to surrender to the Lord and the path that led her to a writing career. Her latest book is I Surrender All (Sort Of), and we talk about those moments when we don’t want to, even when it’s good for us. Michelle’s story reminds us that the Lord is gentle especially when we struggle.
Listen to Michelle’s story now!
Stories Michelle shared:
Growing up going to church with her grandmother
Going to Catholic school
Doubts that began to creep in as a high schooler
Asking questions about Lent
The friend who helped lead her to a new relationship with Jesus
Deciding that she wanted to follow Jesus on her own
Going forward after a sermon about communion
Arguing with her family over becoming a Protestant
Being thrown out of her family’s house
Getting into a small group that discipled her
Planting a church and how God felt distant
Getting into writing as a career
Why writing is a marathon not a sprint
Struggling with anxiety and how that produced her latest book
Great quotes from Michelle:
I had been in Catholic school my entire life and I couldn’t touch the Bible.
I thought to myself, “What else do I need to know about my faith?”
The church has always be family to me.
You’re a writer whether you write for ten people or ten thousand.
Jesus does what he wants to do with his books when he wants to do them.
Resources we mentioned:
Michelle’s website
I Surrender All (Sort Of) Laying Down Our Agendas So God Can Do the Impossible by Michelle Lazurek
Righteous and Lost: Finding Hope for the Pharisee Within by Michelle Lazurek
Related episodes:
Hope Johnson and Waiting For God to Answer Prayer
Brandon Andress and the Controversy of Love
Lisa Kohut and Clarity Through Surrender
Erica Wiggenhorn and Learning to be Brave
The post Michelle Lazurek and Learning to Let Go appeared first on Eric Nevins.

285: Robin T. Jennings and the Light of the World

Robin T. Jennings is an ordained Episcopal minister and author of 3 books on spiritual growth through vision and renewal. Today, Robin shares his unexpected journey to seminary and the priesthood, discovering spiritual renewal and formation, and learning to surrender to the Lord. Robin’s heart is to serve the next generation as they face new challenges to their discipleship to Jesus. Robin’s story reminds us that walking with the Lord is a partnership.
Listen to Robin’s story now!
Stories Robin shared:
Finding himself in a season of solitude and silence
Growing up on the North Shore of Chicago in an Episcopal family
The impression he had of reverence for God
Working for an Episcopal boys home
The mentor who suggested he go to seminary
How seminary shaped his faith
Going to Memphis to serve a church
Becoming the rector and “playing the role”
Being mentored by Gerald May
Getting spiritual direction
Resolving the outer and inner tension he felt
How his children helped him
Learning to surrender to the Lord and love
Deciding to use new media to reach the next generation
Great quotes from Robin:
What silence has done for me is allow the Lord to have a word.
Once you love someone, you find yourself  closer to something you call holy.
When it comes to surrendering to God, that’s the source of love.
Resources we mentioned:
Robin’s website
A Letter to the Church and the Next Generation: Spiritual Growth through the Witness of James by Robin T. Jennings
May You Live in Christ!: Spiritual Growth Through The Vision of St. Peter by Robin T. Jennings
The Door To Renewal: Spiritual Growth Through the Mind of St. Paul by Robin T. Jennings
Care of Mind/Care of Spirit: A Psychiatrist Explores Spiritual Direction by Gerald May
The Dark Night of the Soul: A Psychiatrist Explores the Connection Between Darkness and Spiritual Growth by Gerald May
Related episodes:
Phileena Heuertz and Christian Contemplation
Jeff Tacklind and the Winding Path of Transformation
Laura Flanders and The Mentored Life
The post Robin T. Jennings and the Light of the World appeared first on Eric Nevins.