Podcast

What is truly worth living and dying for? For Lilias Trotter, this question led her to consider two diverging paths. Would she turn her back on a promising future as one of the greatest artists in the Victorian era? Or embrace relative obscurity in service to her Lord? Lilias Trotter chose the latter, and it defined her legacy that—until recently—was all but lost to history.

On today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, David Wollen is joined by Miriam Rockness—an author and historian who has devoted three decades of her life to researching this little-known artist and missionary. It’s in large part thanks to Miriam’s diligent work that we can now learn Lilias Trotter’s incredible story. When you listen today, you’ll hear how this multi-decade journey came about, as well as how Miriam learned that the best life is one that is surrendered to Christ with no reservations, caveats, or holdbacks.

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Many Beautiful Things: The Life and Vision of Lilias Trotter

Discover the untold story of missionary Lilias Trotter, how she became a one of the world’s greatest women artists, and why her name was nearly lost to history.

Set against the backdrop of Victorian England, Many Beautiful Things introduces viewers to Lilias Trotter, a trailblazing artist and devoted follower of Christ who defied all expectations. In an era when women were often dismissed as incapable of creating high art, England’s foremost art critic, John Ruskin, declared that Lilias’s work could achieve immortality. Yet, as her artistic future hung in the balance, Lilias made a life-altering decision to follow the Lord’s calling on her life to become a missionary in North Africa.

Featuring the voices of Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey) and John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones), this film highlights Lilias’ faith and talent as she makes her remarkable journey to French Algeria in the late 1800s, where she encountered transcendent beauty and dedicated herself to pioneering missionary work among women and children.

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What do you do when the unthinkable happens? When your faith is tested and you are confronted with your greatest fears? On today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, David Wollen speaks with three widows who know this grief well. They all lost their husbands around the same time, but then they found each other.

In their church community, Cherrie, Linda, and Susan are known collectively as “The Strand of Three.” Each of their testimonies are unique, but together they also have a shared testimony of loss, grief, and the Lord’s unending mercies. It’s a touching conversation that we pray will give you hope and encouragement for your own dark valleys.

A Grief ObservedA Grief Observed

A Grief Observed is C.S. Lewis’ honest reflection on the fundamental issues of life, death, and faith in the midst of loss.

Written after his wife’s tragic death as a way of surviving the “mad midnight moments,” this short but powerful book is a beautiful and unflinchingly candid record of how even a stalwart believer can lose all sense of meaning in the universe … and how he can gradually regain his bearings. To read it is to come alongside him in his spiritual journey through grief.

In what may be one of Lewis’ most personal books, he deals honestly with the difficult questions raised by suffering, while confronting the anger and heartbreak we all feel when we experience a great loss. A Grief Observed helps us through our own spiritual journeys through grief by showing us how such times can be used by the Lord to lead us into Christlike maturity.

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Can evidence and faith go hand-in-hand? When Lee Strobel was an award-winning journalist for the Chicago Tribune, he would have said ‘no.’ This idea led him down a path to investigate the truth claims of Christianity. The result was life-altering.

Many know his story through the bestselling book “The Case for Christ.” Today, Lee Strobel joins Charles Morris to revisit what led him to Jesus and how that reshaped the way he lives out each day. This conversation will give you hope for the atheists and agnostics in your own life who have yet to call Jesus Lord.

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There are many Advent devotionals and activities for children to prepare their hearts for Christmas, but Easter is not often given the same level of care and attention — despite it being a foundational holiday for Christians. This is one reason Marty Machowski is rethinking the way families celebrate Easter with his new upside-down family devotional Darkest Night, Brightest Day.

Marty Machowski is a bestselling Children’s devotional author and pastor. In this episode of the Great Stories podcast, you’ll hear him discuss the creative ways that families can make the days leading up to Easter, as well as the days following, become a cherished tradition that will help the kids in your life carry their faith into adulthood.

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The word ‘revival’ has been on countless minds over the past month when Asbury University students carried on a multi-week prayer and worship service that brought 50,000 pilgrims to the sleepy town of Wilmore, Kentucky. Though it is now being called an outpouring, Christians around the world have a renewed interest in what revivals are, how God works through them, and what basis they have in Scripture and history.

On today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, Charles Morris is joined by Jeremy Walker to explore these historic movements of God — from Pentecost to present day — as they both also pray for revival to take hold in the hearts of the next generation. Jeremy Walker is a pastor, author, and host of the new documentary Revival: The Work of God.

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When we celebrate Christmas, we usually concentrate on a very specific moment in time when a young married couple traveled to Bethlehem and delivered a child in a manger. But Christmas didn’t start there. We can trace the promises and events of our Savior’s arrival all the way back to the beginning of time.

On today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, Charles Morris returns to a Christmas special from 2017 where he traced the line from Christmas to the very beginning in Genesis with special guests Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ), Sally Lloyd-Jones (The Jesus Storybook Bible), Randall Goodgame (Sing the Bible), and Senate Chaplain Barry Black (Nothing to Fear).

Going Deeper

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No matter how hard we try to avoid it, tragedy will strike us all. Even Christians are not immune to the trials and sufferings that life presents us. In fact, the Apostle Peter says we should expect it.

So what is a Christian to do when faced with tragedy and loss?

On today’s episode of the Great Stories podcast, Charles Morris speaks with author and pastor Robert J. Morgan about the themes covered in his bestselling book The Red Sea Rules: 10 God-Given Strategies for Difficult Times. Using the Israelites’ story in Exodus 14, as well as several real-life examples, Morgan shares how the Bible offers several effective strategies to help us go from fear to faith.

It is our prayer that this episode will remind you that the same God who walks with you into hardship will also guide you out.

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MAY 2, 2022 — Politico released a leaked draft opinion that gave an unprecedented preview of what is likely the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This would have major implications in every state. But even as the law of the land concerning abortion is on the brink of change, what about the hearts those who support it?

On today’s episode, Charles Morris shares an interview he did in 2019 with Carey Solomon, Chuck Konzelman, and Chris Jones, the filmmakers behind the hit movie “Unplanned.” It tells Abby Johnson’s story of how she went from the youngest Planned Parenthood director in the country to an ardent pro-life advocate. But even as the movie was gearing up for release, the project was hit with an R rating by the Motion Picture Association that the filmmakers say was an unfair attempt to keep the movie from reaching a wide audience. Find out how the Lord used this to reach many more people.

As a bonus, you’ll also hear a short interview with the real Abby Johnson. The movie about her life story has given her a unique platform to help women and children all over the world.

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Almost 50 years ago, to avoid impeachment, Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States. At that same time the former legal counsel to Richard Nixon had already gone to jail for his participation in the Watergate scandal. His name was Chuck Colson, and this is exactly what the Lord used to bring him to faith in Jesus Christ.

In this episode of the Great Stories podcast, Chalres Morris returns to a classic conversation he had with the late Chuck Colson about how he went from a Watergate felon to born again Christian. Listen in as Chuck shares the story behind the scandal, his conversion, and the ministry he founded to minister to prisoners and their families.

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  • See a timeline of his life and learn more about Chuck Colson’s ministry at prisonfellowship.org.

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The most startling claim of Christianity is that Jesus rose from the dead after being brutally executed on a Roman cross two thousand years ago. Could it possibly be true? And if it were, what difference could it make to us today? Dr. N.T. Wright, a leading New Testament Scholar and retired Anglican Bishop, joins Charles Morris to answer these questions on a special Easter episode of the Great Stories podcast.

In this conversation about the historical resurrection of Christ, you’ll hear one of the best explanations for why we can be certain Jesus really rose from the dead and why that matters today.

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