Halfway There

332: Rose Ann Forte and Letting Go of Shame

Rose Ann Forte, Best Selling Author and Founder of The Plans He Has For Me Coaching Program which focuses on how to put alcohol to the side for 12 consecutive weeks. Today, Rose Ann shares how she began going to church during her difficult marriage, realized her drinking was out of control, and found a twelve week program that worked for her. We also discuss the reasons people become addicted to substances and why there is hope if you want to stop. Rose Ann’s story reminds us that Jesus is with us even when we do things that we’re not proud of and invites us to trust him.
Listen to Rose Ann’s story in your favorite podcast player now!
Stories Rose Ann shared:
Writing a book called The Plans He Has for Me
Growing up in New Hampshire going to a Catholic school
Being in a difficult marriage and going to church
Choosing to drink to deal with her problems
Using alcohol over time and how it developed
Her gratefulness for never hurting anyone
Suffering in silence hoping to solve the problem for herself
Why she didn’t want to go to Alcoholic Anonymous
Why a 12 week program is better for recovery
The shame she felt while stuck in her relationship and drinking
The joy she feels now every morning
Great quotes from Rose Ann:
I already had a higher power. His name is Jesus.
Shame comes from the inability to forgive yourself.
My story is the collision of God’s Word, personal suffering, and the science of the brain.
Resources we mentioned:
Rose Ann’s website
The Plans He Has For Me: A 12-Week Daily Devotional for Freedom from Alcohol by Rose Ann Forte
The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter, and Miracles by Bruce H. Lipton PhD
Related episodes:
Christina Dent and Compassion for Others
Rob Lohman and Breaking Addiction
Alicia Michelle and the Renewing of Your Mind
The post Rose Ann Forte and Letting Go of Shame appeared first on Eric Nevins.

331: Keith Ferrin and Relational Bible Study

Keith Ferrin is an author and speaker who has been speaking at conference, churches, universities, and banquets for 25+ years. His passion is helping people not just read and study the Bible, but deeply enjoy it! He uses live events, books, and online courses to equip individuals and families to not just read and study the Bible, but deeply enjoy it! He is also the founder of the BibleLife Community, an online community where people read, study, and discuss the Bible together. Today, Keith shares how he discovered this relational practices, the events that led him to start a membership, and why psycology is important in Bible study. Keith’s story reminds us that God wants to live with us and that’s a beautiful thing.
Listen to Keith’s story wherever you get your podcasts!
Stories Keith shared:
Growing up all over the United States before settling in Washington State
Never knowing a time without faith
Going to youth group as a kid and having an active faith
Realizing that he had never talked to anyone about Jesus while playing soccer
Heading to college to study psychology
Using psychology to learn the Bible
His father’s call to tell him that he was leaving his mother
Solidifying his relationship with God through college
Serving as a youth pastor when his personal journey with the Bible was rocked
April 18, 1993 when he saw a presentation of Luke being recited
Deciding to read Philippians every day for the summer
Presenting the Gospel of John as an entry point for studying the Bible
Seasons that were difficult with the Lord
Starting BibleLife Community during the pandemic
Great quotes from Keith:
The living word of God went from being a phrase to a reality.
God is good even when I’m confused.
The more relational our approach, the more information we will learn.
Resources we mentioned:
Keith’s website
Try BibleLife Community for only $4
Related episodes:
Skye Jethani and Living Life with God
Jodie Niznik and Creating Space for God
Marjorie Gunnoe and Integrating Faith and Science
The post Keith Ferrin and Relational Bible Study appeared first on Eric Nevins.

330: Michelle Ferrigno Warren and Life on the Jericho Road

Michelle Ferrigno Warren is an author and president of Virago Strategies, which provides strategic direction and project management community support. Today, Michelle shares her journey from a fundamentalist church to leading as a social activist. She shares what it was like to realize her success in ministry was limited by her gender, how she and her husband were led to found an important ministry in Denver, and how she learned about the systems that silently oppress in our society. Plus, she shares about her latest b0ok, Join the Resistance: Step Into the Good Work of Kingdom Justice. Michelle’s story reminds us that proximity always develops our empathy.
Listen to Michelle’s story in your favorite podcast player now.
Stories Michelle shared:
Working in community development and advocacy
Growing up in an Italian family with Roman Catholic roots
Landing in a fundamentalist Bible church as a child
Learning to love and study Scripture
How her neighborhood made her aware of diversity
Realizing that she had a ceiling because she was a woman
Moving out to Colorado in high school and noticing cultural differences
Getting married and moving to Dallas while living in a diverse community
Teaching in middle school and what she learned there
Meditating on the prophets one summer
Working at Open Door Ministries
Having a son who was very sick resulting in a step back from ministry
Going back for her masters degree
Realizing that there are systems that oppress some in our society
Great quotes from Michelle:
I was taught to love God, love my neighbors, and be a good Pharisee.
Most of my early adult life was alarmed discovery.
When you’re living in community, love is reciprocal.
Injustice does not just happen and does not just repair itself.
Resources we mentioned:
Michelle’s website
Join the Resistance, Step Into the Good Work of Kingdom Justice by Michelle Ferrigno Warren
The Power of Proximity: Moving Beyond Awareness to Action by Michelle Ferrigno Warren
Open Door Ministries
Christian Community Development Association
Related episodes:
Karen Gonzales and Beyond Welcome
Craig Greenfield and Good News for the Poor
April Diaz and Power and Justice in the Kingdom
Christina Dent and Compassion for Others
The post Michelle Ferrigno Warren and Life on the Jericho Road appeared first on Eric Nevins.

329: Jesse Eubanks and Relationships in the Enneagram

Jesse Eubanks is a certified Enneagram coach and host of The EnneaCast, a podcast exploring personality and relationships through the lens of the Enneagram. Jesse is also the founder and executive director of Love Thy Neighborhood,a discipleship and missions agency mobilizing people to follow Jesus and serve the poor in modern culture. Today, Jesse shares how he discovered his love for social action, his difficult path to relational health, and the contentious moment that led him to spiritual formation. Plus, we discuss why rightly knowing yourself is a deeply Christian thing to do and how the Enneagram helps on that journey. His new book How We Relate: Understanding God, Yourself, and Others through the Enneagram is out now. Jesse’s story reminds us that Jesus loves and calls us to be our true selves in Him.
Listen to Jesse’s story in your favorite podcast player now!
Stories Jesse shared:
Writing a book to help people understand how they relate to others
How our personality changes our relationship with God
Growing up in a broken home in a divorced family
Going to a conference in DC that changed his concern for the poor
Studying about other perspectives in the world and how it hurt his faith
Why social action, relational health, and spiritual formation became really important for him
What happens to people in positions of power without spiritual formation
Why self-awareness is important for growth
Working at a shelter for nine years and what he learned
Learning the truest and deepest thing about us is love
Entering spiritual direction and how it helped him grow
Reading about the Enneagram for the first time
Launching Love Thy Neighborhood when he was funded
Writing How We Relate and what people will get from it
Why empathy is critical for relationships
Great quotes from Jesse:
The antidote for fear is God’s presence.
You can have all the right theology, your Gospel will be seen as bankrupt unless you are relationally healthy.
It is impossible to have spiritual maturity without self-awareness.
While I was surprised by some of my shortcomings, Jesus was not.
Empathy plus authority equals trust.
Resources we mentioned:
Jesse’s website
How We Relate: Understanding God, Yourself, and Others Through the Enneagram by Jesse Eubanks
The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey
The Relational Soul by Richard Plass and James Cofield
StoryBrand by Donald Miller
Me on the Enneacast
Related episodes:
Suzanne Stabile Shares How the Enneagram Helps Relationships 
Jim Gum and Healing Through Enneagram
Drew Moser and Enneagram Type is Just the Beginning
The post Jesse Eubanks and Relationships in the Enneagram appeared first on Eric Nevins.

328: Lori Ann Wood and Questions in the Silence

Lori Ann Wood is a Christian author and heart failure survivor. Today, Lori Ann shares her beginnings in a Christian family doing all the right things, how her life was rocked by a heart failure diagnosis, and what she learned about God when he seemed silent. Her faith took a turn from doing to relating with the Lord in intimate ways. Plus, she shares the three main questions that she asked and the practices that helped her thought them. Lori Ann’s story reminds us that even when our lives don’t look how we’d like, God is still there, working, and loving us.
Listen to Lori Ann’s story in your favorite podcast player now!
Stories Lori Ann shared:
Growing up in Kansas on a wheat farm
Realizing the blessing of her childhood in a secure family
The note her dad gave her while walking her down the aisle
Feeling peace for the first time in her faith
Running her faith and life through lists
Focusing her life on her kids and doing the right things
Receiving a medical diagnosis of heart disease
Having heart failure and landing in the hospital three weeks later
Not praying or experiencing God during 16 months
Learning that it’s okay to borrow words to pray
Getting better at entertaining questions with her kids as a result
Discovering the three questions she was asking in different ways
Great quotes from Lori Ann:
I heard the voice of God first from the lips of my mother.
God was silent and I gave him the silent treatment right back.
I equated the goodness of God with how well my life was matching this plan I made.
Resources we mentioned:
Lori Ann’s website
Divine Detour: The Path You’d Never Choose Can Lead to the Faith You’ve Always Wanted by Lori Ann Wood
Related episodes:
Chuck Malott is a Hippie Turned Saint
Traci Rhoades and a Firm Foundation
Phileena Heuertz and Christian Contemplation
The post Lori Ann Wood and Questions in the Silence appeared first on Eric Nevins.

327: Jonathan Carone and Unlearning and Relearning

Jonathan Carone is the host of two podcasts and an entrepreneur of a marketing and website design company helping churches, nonprofits, and ministries. Today, Jonathan shares how he resisted going to church, gave in to the Lord’s leading after a difficult season, and ultimately landed on a church staff. Just when he thought he was thriving, his time in ministry ended. He also shares how the Lord used that season of doubt in himself to teach him trust and changed his faith significantly. Jonathan’s story reminds us that we often have to unlearn what we’ve learned in order to move ahead.
Listen to Jonathan’s story in your favorite podcast app now!
Stories Jonathan shared:
Creating his own marking company
Growing up in North Carolina in his grandpa’s church
Leaving church after 15
Moving to Myrtle Beach and realizing he didn’t ask God if he should go
Hearing from God to get training
Discovering a church that spoke his language
Hitting rock bottom after a break up and other challenges
Praying in surrender to go to seminary
Growing his first youth group in Tennessee
Working on the church staff in a creative role
Leaving church staff after being hired over
The identity crisis that his being “coached out” led to
Wondering what it would look like to serve the global church not just the local church
How working with Christians around the world changed him
Learning to stick with principles over methods
What he’s learned from his podcasts
Great quotes from Jonathan:
While the situations are all different, the feelings are the same across the board.
Because we’ve been so dogmatic on some issues, we’ve run people away from following Jesus.
I’m okay with knowing that sometimes faith takes actual faith.
Resources we mentioned:
Jonathan’s website
Unlearning Youth Group
Unlearning Church Staff
Carone Designs
Related episodes:
Shá Sparks and Finding Purpose
Peter Englert and Digital Ministry & Mentorship
James Bryan Smith and Loved Beyond Imagination
The post Jonathan Carone and Unlearning and Relearning appeared first on Eric Nevins.

326: Kate Berkey and the Humility of Honor

Kate Berkey is a writer, speaker, and missionary living on the north side of Chicago where she works with refugees and immigrants with Devon Oasis Ministry. Today, Kate shares about doubting her faith in high school, the unique way God called her to Thailand, and finding a ministry that fits her heart for the marginalized. She also shares how learning from other cultures can help bring much needed humility especially when the family with a foreign culture lives right next door. Kate’s story reminds us that when we honor the imago dei in our fellow humans, we become the Father’s ambassadors of friendship.
Listen to Kate’s story in your favorite podcast app now!
Stories Kate shared:
Growing up in a Christian family in rural Indiana
Deciding to figure out why she believed in Jesus as a high schooler
Wrestling with doubts about whether to trust the Bible
Her mentor Kristy Mikel who helped her through wrestling with faith
Going to Taylor University and looking to the future
Experiencing the kindness of God
Quitting her job and becoming a missionary to Thailand
The moment God directed her to Braverly
Raising money to become a missionary
Creating resources for women in Thailand
Deciding to publish their book in the United States as well
Experiencing the micro-culture shocks that happen in new cultures
Learning about herself through interaction with another culture
Humility and honor in other cultures
Great quotes from Kate:
You can’t underestimate the value of dignity and the image of God in people.
The number one need of refugees is friendship.
Your courage matters to the Lord.
Resources we mentioned:
Kate’s website
A Place Called Braverly: Daring to Live Courageously, Dream Boldly and Influence Bravery by Kate Berkey and Kristy Mikel
Devon Oasis Ministry
Related episodes:
Ty Wyss and the Kindness of God
Amy Fritz and the Community of the Broken
Karen Gonzales and Beyond Welcome
The post Kate Berkey and the Humility of Honor appeared first on Eric Nevins.

325: Dan Luigs and Faithfulness is Enough

Dan Luigs is the founder of The Journey of a Christian Dad Podcast and FB Community. Today, Dan shares how he found faith, the moment he decided to stop keeping his appointment with God on Sunday, and the gentle way he led his family back to church. Dan is passionate about showing up for the people in your life and encourages men do the little things well and faithfully. Dan’s story reminds us that a life of faithful service is a life worth living.
Listen to Dan’s story wherever you get your podcasts!
Stories Dan shared:
Growing up in a Christian family in St. Louis, MO
Feeling like his dad was working a lot
Deciding that he didn’t have to go to church anymore as a young man
Choosing to go to church ten years after he was married
Conversations with God as a child and the vision he had in church
Hearing about leadership in his family
Realizing that he needed to love his wife better
Finding people who he could model his life after
Learning how to serve other people
Listening to the Lord before every service
How to love your wife better
Great quotes from Dan:
When you want to build a habit, find people whose normal behavior is your desired behavior.
You need to put your wife as a priority in your day.
Resources we mentioned:
Dan’s Facebook group
Related episodes:
Lori Morrison and God’s Compassion for the Hurting
Jon Fugler and Ditching Performance Christianity
Courtney Lowman and Building a Culture of Discipleship
The post Dan Luigs and Faithfulness is Enough appeared first on Eric Nevins.