Ashley Martin is a teacher-turned writer and speaker, and she is not writing from a safe distance. She is writing from the wreckage and the redemption of her own life. I've spent time with Ashley, I've heard her story, and I've now read her book. And I can tell you: this one is real.

Ashley's story starts in a seventh-grade pew, feeling completely alone in a room full of people. It winds through almost two decades of using alcohol to fill a hole that was always there, a God-shaped one. And it bottoms out at 3 a.m. in a detox center, suicidal, broken, and finally out of answers. Which is exactly where God showed up.

In this conversation, we talk about what young Ashley was really searching for and how alcohol became the answer for nearly 20 years. We talk about the moment she finally surrendered, and what she said to a nurse in that detox center that stopped the room cold. We talk about running from a calling not because you doubt God, but because you doubt yourself. About perfectionism as a spiritual trap. About the difference between managing your life and living it surrendered.

We also get into her book Lost No More, built around three pillars she calls surrender, prayer, and service, and what it practically looks like to build a daily path to God that doesn't require perfection to maintain. One of my favorite lines from the whole conversation: prayer is the GPS, not the spare tire. That one hit me hard.

And we talk about what God has done on the other side of her rock bottom. Because that part of the story is just as important as the wreckage.

This episode is for anyone who has been filling a hole with something that was never meant to fill it. Get Ashley's book, Lost No More, and follow her.

Ashley’s Website: https://ashleymartinministry.com/
Ashley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleymartinministry/
Ashley’s Book: https://tinyurl.com/3crf3sz8

I've known Rachel Faulkner Brown for close to 25 years. I still remember standing on a sidewalk at a retreat, hearing her casually drop the details of her story, and staring with my mouth open, because Rachel was full of joy as she told her unbelievable story.

Here's what you need to know going in: by the time Rachel was 31, she had been widowed twice. But the grief isn't actually the headline. Because underneath all of it was something Rachel had been carrying alone since childhood, a secret she had quietly made a deal with God never to tell. And as long as she kept it, she kept performing. Out-serving everyone. Never fully known, not even by the two men she'd loved and lost.

We talk about what it took for that to change, what it means to encounter the actual gospel instead of the performance-based version so many of us were handed, and how a Kroger meltdown cracked something open that two decades of Bible studies hadn't touched.

We also get into Never Alone Widows, now the largest Christian widows ministry in the US with chapters in over 90 cities, and her new Bible study Seen: From Desperation to Destiny.

This one is for anyone who is grieving, performing, or quietly wondering if anyone actually knows them. Enjoy this vulnerable and freeing conversation!

Rachel’s Website: https://www.rachelfaulknerbrown.com/

Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelfaulknerbrown

Never Alone Widows: https://www.neveralonewidows.com/
Seen Bible Study: https://www.neveralonewidows.com/seen
Widow’s Might Devotional: https://www.rachelfaulknerbrown.com/book
There is More Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/there-is-more/id1599884540

I’m so grateful to have Dr. Joel Muddamalle on the podcast. He has a gift for making theology genuinely accessible without dumbing it down. Real scholarship plus real humility. That combination is rarer than it should be.

Joel holds a PhD in theology, serves as Director of Theology and Research at Proverbs 31 Ministries, co-hosts the Therapy and Theology podcast with Lysa TerKeurst and Jim Cress, and is the author of The Unseen Battle, which is exactly what we get into today.

We start with humble theology and what it actually means to come to Scripture in submission rather than mastery. Then we move into spiritual warfare, and if you grew up in a church that either blamed everything on the enemy or avoided the subject entirely, this conversation is going to reframe a lot. Joel frames spiritual warfare not as individual skirmishes, but as a long-running conflict between rival households: God's family versus a counterfeit one ruled by rebel powers. We also talk about isolation as one of the enemy's most effective tactics, the tension of living in the already-but-not-yet, and how to wait well in the middle of prolonged seasons that just won't resolve. Listen to this episode and then get the book. And go ahead and get the paper copy so you can underline it.

Dr. Joel’s Website: https://www.muddamalle.com/
Dr. Joel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muddamalle/
Dr. Joel on Substack: https://humbletheology.muddamalle.com/
Dr. Joel’s Books and Bible Studies: https://www.muddamalle.com/books
Therapy and Theology Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/therapy-and-theology/id1641587501

Lisa Harper is one of my favorite humans on the planet, and I mean that. I've known her in the back rooms and on the platforms, through the hard things and the hilarious ones. She is exactly who you think she is. Exactly.

In this episode, we go deep on what it actually looks like to stay faithful in ministry for over thirty years without burning out. Lisa is honest about the self-dug pits, the shame, the orphan spirit she carried for decades, and how God met her in every single one of them. We talk about the difference between accruing knowledge about God and actually knowing Him, and why that distinction changes everything.

We also get into her adoption of Missy, what it means to hold trauma and redemption in the same hand, and how Lisa has built deep friendships across the theological spectrum in a culture that keeps trying to divide us into camps.

And because Lisa is Lisa, we end with her perfect beautiful day. Which involves Fritos, wake surfing, and a fire. You're going to want to plan that day for yourself immediately.

This one is a gift. I hope you feel that.

Lisa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisadharper
Lisa's Website: https://www.lisaharper.org
Kerygma Summit Website: https://www.kerygmasummit.com
Kergyma Registration Link: https://kerygmasummit.ticketspice.com/the-kerygma-summit-2026

Masi is back! We recorded this one in our Christmas pajamas from Deep Woods Refuge, and it's less like a podcast and more like two friends processing life over coffee. We started with a question I think about every holiday season: everyone's singing about peace on earth, but how do I get peace on me?

We talked about the difference between positional peace (knowing where we stand with Jesus) and practical peace (the day in, day out kind when things are a total cluster of mayhem). I shared about my dad, a man I would describe as a person of peace, and how he made it a practice of his life to be unoffendable. Not because he didn't have reasons to be offended, but because he cared more about his peace than he did about his point.

Masi walked us through the Peace Index and we landed on people, place, and purpose... and how assessing those things can help us show up differently this season. If you're heading into the holidays with a lot of opinions converging around one table, this one's for you. Life is hard, but God is good and He is making everything beautiful in its time. Peace.

Chapters

00:00 | Christmas Pajama Crossover

04:08 | Positional vs. Practical Peace

07:06 | Navigating Family Dynamics at Holidays

10:49 | Assessing Your Peace: The Five P's

14:02 | Building a Support System

16:06 | Evaluating Your Relationships

20:26 | Creating Your Ideal Space

24:10 | Understanding Your Purpose

27:45 | Understanding Identity Beyond Titles

32:03 | Embracing Transformation and Growth

35:19 | Identifying Your Unique Gifts and Purpose

38:12 | Intersecting Gifts and Heartbreak for Purpose

41:24 | The Power of Love and Connection

43:19 | Understanding the Peace Index

44:22 | Setting Boundaries for Inner Peace

45:52 | Choosing Peace Over Points

46:51 | Celebrating Encouragement

46:53 | Navigating Grief During the Holidays

48:31 | The Beauty of Giving

49:58 | Life's Hardships and God's Goodness

Masi's Website: https://www.masiwillis.com/
The Lead Like You Mean It Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-like-you-mean-it-with-masi-willis/id1826446460
Masi On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masiwillis/

What happens when you become empty nesters and realize you need less house and more... something? In this deeply personal episode, I'm sharing the full story of our recent move, from endless house showings and a fallen-through contract to eating Chinese food on the floor and discovering what my soul was really crying out for.

This isn't just a story about downsizing or real estate. It's about what happens when God takes your practical plans and invites you into something much bigger. It's about learning that refuge isn't passive, it's active. And it's about taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.

Whether you're in your own season of transition, feeling a low-grade restlessness you can't quite name, or wondering if it's okay to need something different than what you currently have, I hope this episode will encourage you to trust God's timing even when it makes absolutely no sense in the moment.

We'll have one more holiday episode airing in mid-December, and that will round out 2025's episodes. We'll look forward to seeing you in 2026!

This is a very special crossover episode airing on both the Everything Made Beautiful podcast and Masi Willis's Lead Like You Mean It podcast. Masi is one of my longest friends (we're talking almost 30 years), and this conversation is one of my favorites.

As we head into Thanksgiving, we knew we wanted to talk about gratitude, but not in the superficial way our culture often does during November. Instead, we get honest about what it looks like to practice gratitude when the holidays bring as much pain as they do promise. We talk about the gaps... the empty chairs, the relationships that aren't what we hoped, the seasons that feel more heavy than celebratory.

Masi and I both share vulnerably about our own Thanksgiving realities this year, the grief we're carrying, and how we're choosing gratitude as a daily formation rather than a seasonal performance. We also dig into how leadership coaching has transformed both of our lives, helping us know ourselves and lead ourselves well before we can truly lead others.

If you're walking into this season with a full heart or a broken one, or both at the same time, this conversation is for you. Pain and promise can coexist, and they don't have to be hopeless.

Chapters

00:00 | Introduction to the Crossover Episode

05:20 | Navigating Emptiness During the Holidays

09:08 | The Role of Faith in Gratitude

12:32 | Coexisting Pain and Promise

16:51 | Entitlement and Gratitude in Life

20:27 | The Importance of Care in Communication

24:51 | Celebration as a Communication Code

28:38 | The Importance of Celebration and Affirmation

32:28 | Hope and Purpose in Daily Life

34:51 | Influential Leaders and Their Impact

36:37 | Excellence in Leadership

37:37 | The Role of Mentorship

39:53 | Wisdom in Decision Making

42:36 | The Power of Feedback and Affirmation

43:58 | Embracing Authenticity in Leadership

45:24 | Navigating Triggers and Personal Growth

47:20 | The Ongoing Journey of Self-Improvement

49:38 | The Role of Coaching in Personal Development

52:57 | Gratitude and Vulnerability in Relationships

54:50 | Finding Peace Amidst Life's Challenges

Masi's Website: https://www.masiwillis.com/
The Lead Like You Mean It Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-like-you-mean-it-with-masi-willis/id1826446460
Masi On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masiwillis/

Today, my conversation is with my dear friend Yancy Wideman Richmond and honestly, it feels so necessary. I think it's because she's shining a light on something that’s often overlooked if you’re not experiencing it firsthand: the kids growing up in the fishbowl of ministry.

Yancy is a worship leader who's been creating music for kids and families for years. But lately, God has put something else on her heart that she couldn't shake… pastor's kids. The ones who sacrifice in ways no one asks them to. The ones who notice when their parent is different on stage than at home. The ones who get overlooked for discipleship because everyone assumes they're fine.

So she's launched Stained Glass Kids: a podcast for and about ministry kids. It's so helpful and needed and it's a case study handed to church leaders on a silver platter about how to better care for their staff families.

In our conversation, Yancy shares some of the wisdom she's already gleaned: Celebrate staff kids for the sacrifice they make. Remember that your staff members are someone's spouse, someone's parent. First-borns often carry pressure in hard seasons even when parents never asked them to. And kids absolutely notice when they're treated differently because of their last name.

This episode is a big bear hug for anyone who grew up in ministry. It's also a necessary conversation for anyone in church leadership who wants to do better.

Yancy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yancynotnancy/
Stained Glass Kids on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stainedglasskids/
The Stained Glass Kids Podcast: http://stainedglasskids.com

Yancy’s book “Sweet Sound: The Power of Discipling Kids in Worship": yancyministries.com/sweetsound

Curriculum to teach the heart of worship: yancyministries.com/heartbeat

Worship for Preteen/elementary ages: kidminworship.com

Worship for young children: yancyministries.com/readysetgo

Live events, family concerts, leading worship: yancyministries.com/events