The Unfolding - podcast cover

The Unfolding

Meridith Fosterwww.wbgl.org
God is writing a great big story and you have a standing invitation to be a part of it. Every week, host Meridith Foster sits down with a guest to share their chapter in God’s Unfolding story.
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Episodes

Unfolding Short Stories: "Go deeper in Jesus and prioritize your family" - David Smallbone

David Smallbone is the father of Luke and Joel Smallbone (For King and Country) and Rebecca St. James. In today's short story, he shares about his family's journey from Australia to Nashville. After losing everything on a large Christian tour, David's family moved to the U.S. to pursue greater opportunities. But when they got there, they faced even more hardship, until they finally found provision in faith and community, through the generosity of a local church. From humble beginnings in Christi...

Apr 30, 202411 min

Page 159: Helen Smallbone: Mother of For King & Country and the Story behind Unsung Hero

Helen Smallbone and her husband David were living in Australia when his business unexpectedly collapsed. With six kids, they took an enormous leap of faith and moved to the United States with everything they had in 16 suitcases. Within a couple of months, David’s new job fell through. They were forced to live by faith and trust God in ways they never had before. Helen is the mother of Grammy-winning artists Rebecca St. James, and Joel and Luke Smallbone of For King & Country, along with four...

Apr 26, 202450 min

Unfolding Short Stories: "I drink from a well I didn't dig." Rebekah Albaugh

Rebekah Albaugh recounts the rich legacy of faith that precedes her, beginning with her grandparents, who first met at a Moody Bible Institute rally in the 1940s. This legacy continued with her parents, who remained steadfast in their devotion to Jesus until their final moments. Tragedy struck when Rebekah lost her father at the young age of 18, yet her mother never stopped praising God. Even as her mother battled cancer and endured suffering and memory loss, she recalled the hymns from her yout...

Apr 23, 20249 min

Page 195: Christopher Cook: Healing What You Can’t Erase

True, lasting change is hard. When we are trying to change in our own strength, it can feel impossible. Christopher Cook is a pastor, leadership coach, podcast host, and author who is passionate about transformation. As a young man, he experienced great adversity that resulted in depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. For some people, those challenges could have resulted in losing faith in God. But God used those experiences to teach Christopher about true transformation. Christopher Cook is th...

Apr 19, 202430 min

Page 194: Jenn Pooler: A Life-Changing Accident and Surrendering Control to God

Jenn Pooler had always tried to play by the rules. Like many of us, she believed if she did all the right things then God would protect her from bad things. For Jenn, it was about trying to be in control. When she was 17, she was in a bus accident that altered her life forever and left her angry. Why would God allow this bad thing to happen? She never imagined God could take something bad and use it to change her life for good.

Apr 12, 202436 min

Page 193: Abby Mingus: From Addiction & Torment to Freedom & Joy

Abby Mingus says torment is the best way to describe her mental state during decades of addiction. For years she was chasing the next high, driven by desperation to keep the feelings of torment at bay. During one of her lowest moments, she jumped off an overpass onto a busy interstate, trying to quiet her demons. At first, drugs helped her escape from fear, depression and loneliness. But what started as fun, soon became bondage. It stole years of her life. Now, Abby Mingus loves to tell her stor...

Apr 05, 202444 min

Page 192: Andrew Ripp: Addiction, Desperation, and the One Who Saves

After Andrew Ripp’s family broke apart, he moved to California just to get away. His alcohol addiction eventually led to the destruction of every important relationship in his life. He had grown up in religion, but never had a relationship with a god who could help. He was alone and desperate. But Andrew says even the broken and difficult things in life can be a blessing if they steer you toward the God who loves you. Today Andrew is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, known for songs like “Jericho,”...

Mar 29, 202440 min

Page 191: Christine D’Clario: Mental Health, Hope and Healing

By the time Christine D’Clario was a young girl, she had experienced more than her share of brokenness. She suffered sexual abuse, the death of her alcoholic father, her mother’s remarriage, moving from the only home she’d known in New York to Puerto Rico, and then bullying and rejection. By the time Christine was a teenager, she was angry with God. She couldn’t imagine He would take the broken pieces of her life and write a story that would become a source of hope for the nations. Today Christi...

Mar 22, 202453 min

Unfolding Short Stories: "...my middle son with a ten-year prison sentence."

Ken Guidroz is the author of "Letters to My Son in Prison". At one point, Ken was a pastor, and he never thought he'd have to worry about his kids ending up in serious trouble, let alone prison. After his middle son, leading a wayward life, became addicted to heroin, this led to a car crash resulting in the taking of another man's life. That led to a series of letters to his son in prison, a road for their own reconciliation, and a rebirth and strengthening of faith for both.

Mar 19, 20249 min

Page 190: Nikki Davis: Surrender and Trusting God with the Plan for My Life

Nikki Davis discovered her passion for Hip Hop radio when she was in college. She was good at it. She loved it and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. But a series of failed relationships and jobs that just didn’t satisfy made it clear, she was longing for more. Then she started growing in her relationship with Jesus. Her life and priorities changed. Nikki realized she couldn’t stay in a job where she was promoting negative things. But how could she walk away from the safety and security of a ...

Mar 15, 202456 min

Page 189: Molly Stillman: How Death, Debt, & Comedy Led to a Life of Faith

One hard event after another marked the childhood and early adult years of Molly Stillman. After serving as an army nurse in Vietnam, Molly’s mother was diagnosed with a fatal disease related to exposure to Agent Orange. At 21, Molly received an unexpected inheritance which she squandered in less than two years. Molly’s go-to coping mechanism was humor, so she masked her pain and depression with stand-up comedy and even pursued her dream of making it on Saturday Night Live. But instead of the su...

Mar 08, 202443 min

Archive Page 18: Samuel Worden: A Barrier Between Him and Jesus

When Samuel Worden was 14 his life tragically changed in an instant. It devastated his family and his faith. Why would a good God allow this kind of pain? The hurt, sadness, and anger seemed like an impossible barrier between him and Jesus. But when he desperately needed a father’s love, Samuel had an encounter that changed him forever.

Mar 01, 202427 min

Unfolding Short Stories: "I'm sorry about everything that happened.." (Bill Sammons starts a Christian radio station)

Bill Sammons wanted to start a Christian radio station, but there was a lot of opposition in his Delaware town. So much so, that Bill was attacked by a man named Spyro. He was beaten and thought he was going to die. That's not the end of the story, though. Through God's help, Bill was able to launch the station, and Spyro did a full turnaround and even requested to be baptized by Bill's father who was a pastor.

Feb 27, 20248 min

Page 188: Bret Beherns: A Near-Death Accident & Surrendering to God’s Plan for Your Life

In a moment your life can change forever. Bret Beherns was a guy with a dream, a plan, and the drive to make it all happen. As a teenager, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. His dream job was to think, talk, and write about sports every day. He was on his way to achieving that dream when a near-death accident altered the course of his life. One day while he was working to help construct a cell tower, he fell 6 stories- a trauma very few could survive. In those few seconds, everything in Bret’...

Feb 23, 202450 min

Unfolding Short Stories: "..Whatever you have to do to get my attention" (Saying "Yes" to Jesus)

Lindsey Capperune leads the episode with stories of people saying "Yes" to Jesus. There are names you'll recognize, like Michael W. Smith and Matthew West. There are others you might not recognize, like Erin and Ryan. In God's kingdom, we are all equal, and He invites each of us to say "Yes" to a life with Him. Lindsey also shares when she said "Yes" to Jesus at an early age.

Feb 20, 202412 min

Page 187: Stories of Waiting for Love: Melodee Yaklich & Mary Potter Kenyon

Waiting is hard. If you have been waiting, hoping and praying for something, it can be frustrating. When is God going to answer? On this Valentine’s week episode of The Unfolding, we are sharing stories of waiting for love. They are stories about a dream, an urgent prayer, and a one-word answer from God. No matter what you are waiting for, these stories will encourage you to wait with hope and anticipation that God is doing something good.

Feb 16, 202433 min

Unfolding Short Stories: "Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite." (Joe and Tara Buchanan)

https://www.wowgod.com/podcasts/behind-our-smiles/ Joe and Tara Buchanan host the Behind Our Smiles Marriage Podcast, where they vulnerably open up about their marriage journey, including the struggles along the way. With Valentine's Day coming up, we wanted more love stories to be encouraged and strengthened by inviting you into their story. Subscribe to the Behind Our Smiles Marriage Podcast today!...

Feb 13, 202411 min

Page 151: Stories from Asbury: Students Share Their Experiences at Asbury Outpouring

On February 8, 2023, a normal chapel service for students at Asbury University turned into something extraordinary. A small group of students stayed afterward and began sharing struggles, confessing sin, and praying for each other. From those humble beginnings, an outpouring of God’s love and presence began and within days thousands had traveled from across the U.S. and beyond to experience it. Host Meridith Foster traveled to Wilmore, Kentucky to hear about it from the students themselves....

Feb 09, 202449 min

Unfolding Short Stories: "..a planet where diamonds rain down.." Christina Hannan's provision story, plus an invitation to "Praying Through Scripture"

Join Christina Hannan on her new podcast, and discover a new rich prayer life in Praying Through Scripture . https://www.wowgod.com/podcasts/praying-through-scripture/ This week on Unfolding Short Stories, Christina shares what she learned teaching science to her kids as a homeschool mom. A planet that rains DIAMONDS! The God who can make a planet rain diamonds, is also the God who cares for our needs....

Feb 06, 20248 min

Archive Page 87: Adam & Christina Hannan: Building Your Family on a Foundation of Faith

Jesus said everyone who hears his words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down and the winds blew, yet it did not fall. Adam and Christina Hannan were trying to raise their family on a firm foundation. For years they made a habit of reading Jesus’ words and putting them into practice. They didn't know how firm that foundation would be until they walked through the storms that came with the birth of their precious son Myles.

Feb 02, 202445 min

Unfolding Short Stories: "I was free, and I was free indeed!"

When Michelle's mother passed away, the weight of new responsibilities forced her to mature quickly, taking on the role of caregiver for her baby brother. But by the time she was a teenager, she had grown up too quickly. At the age of 16, she had become pregnant. At 18, she became addicted to drugs. This eventually led to prostitution, and it would take a moment with Jesus to wash her free from her addictions and set her on a new path to healing, and ultimately, helping other women like her. To ...

Jan 30, 202411 min

Page 186: Naomi Raine: Maverick City Artist Talks about Walking with God and Hearing His Voice

Naomi Raine has been singing about God since she was two and writing songs since she was seven. Her parents were worship leaders, so she literally grew up going to rehearsals and hearing powerful worship songs. Even before she was born, there was a word spoken over her parents that their children would bless the earth. That word, combined with a stirring in Naomi, gave her a sense that God was going to use her songs to reach the nations. But for many years her songs, just like her relationship w...

Jan 26, 202456 min

Unfolding Short Stories: "I'm Alan, and I was numb" (One Child)

Meridith Foster and Alan Bonde talk about a recent trip to a OneChild Hope Center in Nicaragua. We invite you to learn about becoming a child champion through OneChild , and to pray if God is asking you to consider sponsoring. https://my.onechild.org/wowgod-search

Jan 23, 202410 min

Page 185: Granger Smith: Country Music Star Finds Faith After Tragedy

Granger Smith had always found it easy to work hard on the things he was passionate about. Country music was at the top of that list. Last year after 24 years of touring as an award-winning, platinum-selling, singer and songwriter, Granger made the decision to leave the music business to pursue a future in ministry. That was something that a few years ago would have seemed impossible. But a tragic accident at his family’s home in 2019 had forced Granger onto a new path. He finally understood tha...

Jan 19, 202448 min

Unfolding Short Stories: "Ireland's life belongs to the Lord."

On a snowy April day, while driving through the countryside, Ireland’s car slid, hit a fence, and flipped multiple times. Amidst the chaos, she braced for impact, fearing for her life. Miraculously, she survived without any serious injuries.

Jan 16, 202410 min
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