Interview

One of the saddest statistics about marriage is its bleak success rate in the western world. Even in the church, marriages end at an alarmingly high percentage. But on today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, Charles Morris turns the tables on this narrative by sharing a story of a marriage that ended … only to be redeemed later down the road.

Recorded in 2015, Juana Mikels (author of Choosing Him All Over Again) tells Charles Morris about how she reached a point where she was unhappy with her life, and so she decided to leave her husband, house, and friends to search for happiness. Instead of finding a new Mr. Right, she found Jesus. But what happened next? Would her husband take her back? Listen in to hear this incredible story of how Christ’s love can transform the way we love each other.

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We all have an internal need for something greater in our lives, but we can’t expect our spouse to fill that void. Look to Jesus, instead. Only He can fill your deepest need—the need for Him.

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Where is Jesus when you need Him most? Whether it’s a chronic condition or a tragic accident, even believers find themselves ill-equipped to handle the myriad of afflictions that often catch us by surprise. That’s why it’s so important to learn now from those who have come before us, people like Joni Eareckson Tada who discovered just how essential it is to practice daily closeness with Christ.

“Suffering has a way of heaving you beyond the shallows of life where your faith tends to feel ankle-deep. It casts you out into the fathomless depths of God, a place where Jesus is the only One who can touch bottom.” —Joni Eareckson Tada, The Practice of the Presence of Jesus

In this conversation with Charles Morris and David Wollen, Joni discusses the many ways she experiences the presence of Jesus in her own daily life—even when overwhelmed with pain and fatigue. Whatever you may be going through right now, we pray this conversation will help you discover new ways to experience Christ daily, even when He seems far away.

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What does it mean to practice the presence of God? Rather than relying on “cafeteria-style spirituality,” Joni Eareckson Tada reminds us that God shares His joy on His terms—and His terms call for us to, in some measure, suffer like Jesus.

In fact, Joni goes on to describe how Christians too often want to numb or run away from pain and discomfort. But if we want to get to know this “man of sorrows,” God wants us to feel our own afflictions deeply.

Listen in to the full Haven Today radio series featuring Joni’s full interview to hear more about practicing the presence of Jesus.

The Practice of the Presence of Jesus by Joni Eareckson Tada

Daily Meditations on the Nearness of Our Savior

Discover the joy of intentionally dwelling in the presence of God as Joni Eareckson Tada weaves contemporary insights with the timeless wisdom of seventeenth-century monk Brother Lawrence.

“Suffering has a way of heaving you beyond the shallows of life where your faith feels ankle-deep. It casts you out into the fathomless depths of God.” — Joni, from the Introduction

The Practice of the Presence of Jesus ushers in wisdom from two everyday saints—Joni and Brother Lawrence—to teach and inspire you to experience the nearness of God in your life. Through rich devotional content from Brother Lawrence’s The Practice of the Presence of God, accompanied by original art and never-before-published insights from Joni, you’ll experience a unique blend of past and present wisdom on such themes as humility, thankfulness, fear, worship, obedience, and more. Each devotion ushers you into the peace of the Good Shepherd.

Most online lists covering what children need most include things like education, good health, and self-esteem. These are all good, but something’s missing . . . prayer. Yet when it comes to praying for our children in the midst of our hectic daily lives, it’s often difficult to know where to start. That’s where Melissa Kruger comes in.

A Christian author and mother herself, Kruger has many helpful insights on biblical ways to pray for our children — many of which are captured in her book 5 Things to Pray for Your Kids. In this episode of the Great Stories Podcast, she reminds us that our children’s spiritual health comes first. She also offers tools to help the busy parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle begin praying more intentionally for the kids God has placed in our lives.

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When was the last time you sat down to read a sonnet? Many of us love a good poem, but poetry is rarely ever a significant part of our lives of faith. Malcolm Guite would like to change that.

Author of several books, Malcolm Guite is a Cambridge scholar, Christian theologian, pastor, and poet. On today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, he and Charles Morris delve deeply into how the poetry of Scripture — as well as the poetry inspired by Scripture — helps us experience Jesus and engage God’s Word in profound new ways.

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Laura Story and her husband encountered a life-threatening illness early in their marriage. She may have written the song Blessings in just thirty minutes, but she needed to go through five years of ups and downs, trials and grief, to get there. This hit song has now gone on to inspire countless Christians who have been struggling through their own trials in life.

In this interview from the Haven Today archives, Laura talks about the story behind this song, as well as how she incidentally became an award winning singer-songwriter in the first place. She’s appeared on Haven Today several times now, but this 2011 interview was her first time speaking with Charles Morris. It’s our prayer that no matter what you may be going through today, you might experience God’s blessings through this all about Jesus conversation.

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After just two seasons, the hit television show “The Chosen” became the #1 highest crowdfunded media project of all time. Now, with Season 3 released and Season 4 underway, today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast revisits a conversation with Dallas Jenkins about how it all began and where it’s headed.

Listen in and discover how the first ever multi-season TV show about Jesus got started, the impact it’s had on the world, what it was like to film during a pandemic, and what lies ahead for the final seasons.

Going Deeper

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THE CHOSEN (SEASON 1-3)

AS THE BIGGEST CROWDFUNDED PROJECT IN TV HISTORY, THE CHOSEN IS THE FIRST-EVER MULTI-SEASON SHOW ABOUT THE LIFE OF JESUS.

This series allows viewers to see the life of Jesus through the eyes of those that knew Him. Follow the transformations of His followers through the ministry of Jesus as He journeys to change the world.

“Come and see” the global phenomenon that is changing tens of millions of people with each new episode. Click here if you already have the first two seasons and just want Season 3.

Prayer is an essential part of every Christian’s life. It’s also a mysterious and intimidating practice for believers both young and old. What’s the problem? Nancy Guthrie says, “Praying to God is so simple a child can do it, but grown-ups often make it needlessly complicated. God wants an honest conversation.”

To help you get a better handle on what every Christian — both young and old — should know about prayer, Charles Morris invited Nancy Guthrie to join him for an insightful conversation on prayer. Even if you already have a healthy prayer life, this interview will help you gain a deeper understanding of what we are actually doing when we talk to God.

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Have you ever heard it said that you have to be a fool to believe in God? John Lennox has come toe-to-toe with many of Christianity’s harshest critics, some of them colleagues at Oxford where he is a Professor of Mathematics (emeritus). Many of those critics argue that science and faith are like two ships passing in the night — John Lennox wholeheartedly disagrees.

Charles Morris conducted this interview with Lennox at C.S. Lewis’ old home, “The Kilns,” which seemed an appropriate place to have a conversation about how those who believe in God can absolutely live and work in the world of science. It’s an inspiring conversation that proves how science and belief have more in common than meets the eye.

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You may not know his name, but you’ve definitely sung his music. Known for writing songs like “In Christ Alone,” “How Deep the Father’s Love,” and “The Power of the Cross,” Stuart Townend has given the church many modern hymns that will draw believers closer to Jesus for years and years to come.

In this conversation, you’ll hear him discuss what goes into writing a memorable hymn that is theologically sound and has the power to resonate in the hearts of worshipers of every generation around the world.

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