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Let's Pray

Big Questions of Faith

Pastor Mike Speegle, joins Season to discuss his co-authored book "Big Questions," which tackles faith's hardest doubts, including whether God exists, why people suffer, and how to find purpose in life. The conversation explores honest, practical approaches to prayer and doubt, emphasizing that uncertainty is a natural and valuable part of any faith journey.

In this episode of Let's Pray, Season sits down with Pastor Mike Speegle, lead teaching pastor at New Hope Fulton, to discuss the book "Big Questions," which Spiegel co-authored with his longtime friend Walt Grof. The two share a background of coming to faith without religious upbringings, and the book grew out of the questions they wrestled with personally: Does God exist? Can the Bible be trusted? Why do people suffer? What is the purpose of life?

Pastor Mike reflects on his own formative experiences, including a painful breakup in his early twenties and a season of material success that left him asking deeper questions about meaning. He and Season discuss how doubt is not the enemy of faith but an honest and necessary part of the journey. The conversation challenges the cultural tendency to shield people, especially young people, from difficulty, arguing instead that discomfort often opens the door to the most important questions.

The episode explores how someone without a settled faith can approach God in prayer, drawing on author Anne Lamott's framework of three simple prayers: help, thanks, and wow. The story of Matthew the tax collector is used to illustrate Jesus's consistent posture of invitation rather than demand. Pastor Mike and Season also discuss John 11 as a vivid example of how Jesus engages with grief, struggle, and the uncomfortable stretches of life before a breakthrough. The Bible is presented not as a rigid doctrinal manual but as a collection of honest human encounters with God, inviting readers to bring their own questions to the text.

Videos

Big Questions of Faith

Pastor Mike Speegle, joins Season to discuss his co-authored book "Big Questions," which tackles faith's hardest doubts, including whether God exists, why people suffer, and how to find purpose in life. The conversation explores honest, practical approaches to prayer and doubt, emphasizing that uncertainty is a natural and valuable part of any faith journey.

Exactly Enough

Shelley Ringstaff, social worker, missionary, and pastor's wife, joins Season to share how God has guided her through poverty, bullying, and seasons of uncertainty. She reflects on simple, honest prayer, the power of compassion shaped by hardship, and a remarkable story of God providing food for refugee communities during Covid.

I Wasn't Looking for God

Jerry shares his remarkable journey from atheism to faith, recounting how a series of unexpected nudges led him to buy a Bible, discover the Sabbath, and eventually get baptized. Season and Jerry discuss the realities of new faith, including a serious health crisis shortly after baptism, an honest prayer life, and the beauty of answered prayers for community and marriage.

When God Answers Late

Justin Woods, a long-time Hope Channel team member, shares his remarkable journey of waiting on God through years of unanswered prayer. From a dinosaur dig in Texas to a surprise call to India, Justin recounts how bold, specific prayers led to unexpected doors, a career in Christian media, and a family he never imagined he would find in Maryland.

Claiming God's Promises

In this episode of Let's Pray, Ruthie Reeves shares her personal journey from a faith-filled Kansas upbringing through a serious situation in her teen years, into a place where scripture promises and prayer carried her through. The conversation turns practical, exploring how to "claim the promises" of God's word, with a concrete example of applying James's wisdom promise during high-stakes academic testing. The episode closes with two heartfelt prayers: one for those needing to apply God's word, and one for those longing for a trusted Christian friendship.

The Road Back From Fool's Hill

Pastor Shawn Boonstra joins the Let's Pray program to share his personal journey from a rebellious youth to a television evangelist, tracing how prayer shaped every turning point in his life. He discusses the importance of building a genuine relationship with God rather than treating prayer as a wish list, drawing on Matthew 6 and his own experiences in public evangelism. The episode closes with a heartfelt prayer for anyone hesitant to take a step of faith toward Jesus.

Prayer, Grief, and Growing Closer to God

In this heartfelt conversation on Let's Pray, Season and guest Tom Luttrell, a psychologist and educator, share candid reflections on their personal prayer journeys. Tom recalls early skepticism, transformative answered prayers, and the grief of unanswered ones, while both explore what it means to pray authentically rather than perfectly. The episode closes with two warm, sincere prayers for listeners who feel disconnected from or uncertain about prayer.

Beyond Childhood Checklists

Ivan Omania sits down with Season to discuss the nature and power of prayer. Drawing from his experience as a pastor's kid, a young pastor, and a hospital chaplain, Ivan shares how prayer evolved from a childhood checklist into a vital lifeline. The episode closes with a heartfelt bilingual prayer for Venezuela following the recent earthquakes.

Out of Hollywood, In Faith

Rico Hill, Senior Producer for Hope Channel International, shares his journey from a successful Hollywood career at MTV, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network to Christian media ministry. He reflects on how God used dark seasons, answered prayer, and called him to be a light in difficult workplaces. The conversation closes with an encouragement for believers still in the marketplace.

"Even If" Faith

Gladys Guerrero, joins Season to share her ongoing journey with a brain tumor diagnosed in 2013 and surgically treated in 2018. She speaks candidly about fear, faith, and the "even if" outlook of the three Hebrew boys from the book of Daniel. The episode closes with heartfelt prayer for Gladys, her upcoming medical appointment, and all viewers facing uncertain diagnoses.

Glorify Your Name

So often we pray for our desire, but what about God’s? We will tackle this question and more, as we bring you another episode of Let’s Pray.

Strange Fire

Is it strange to think that pain has a purpose? We will talk about this during our program tonight. Join us with your prayer requests and praise reports, we are here for you.

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Exactly Enough

Let's Pray

Exactly Enough

Shelley Ringstaff, social worker, missionary, and pastor's wife, joins Season to share how God has guided her through poverty, bullying, and seasons of uncertainty. She reflects on simple, honest prayer, the power of compassion shaped by hardship, and a remarkable story of God providing food for refugee communities during Covid.

When God Answers Late

Justin Woods, a long-time Hope Channel team member, shares his remarkable journey of waiting on God through years of unanswered prayer. From a dinosaur dig in Texas to a surprise call to India, Justin recounts how bold, specific prayers led to unexpected doors, a career in Christian media, and a family he never imagined he would find in Maryland.

Claiming God's Promises

In this episode of Let's Pray, Ruthie Reeves shares her personal journey from a faith-filled Kansas upbringing through a serious situation in her teen years, into a place where scripture promises and prayer carried her through. The conversation turns practical, exploring how to "claim the promises" of God's word, with a concrete example of applying James's wisdom promise during high-stakes academic testing. The episode closes with two heartfelt prayers: one for those needing to apply God's word, and one for those longing for a trusted Christian friendship.

The Road Back From Fool's Hill

Pastor Shawn Boonstra joins the Let's Pray program to share his personal journey from a rebellious youth to a television evangelist, tracing how prayer shaped every turning point in his life. He discusses the importance of building a genuine relationship with God rather than treating prayer as a wish list, drawing on Matthew 6 and his own experiences in public evangelism. The episode closes with a heartfelt prayer for anyone hesitant to take a step of faith toward Jesus.