Join Jonathan Youssef on a dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity as he welcomes Ash, a former Muslim and one of Leading The Way's follow up coordinators, to the Candid podcast.

Join Jonathan Youssef on a dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity as he welcomes Ash, a former Muslim and one of Leading The Way's follow up coordinators, to the Candid podcast. Ash grew up in a loving Islamic family. He was chosen to be the future leader of his tribe of over 800 family members. He was mentored by his grandfather for years. But everything changed when Ash began to question his faith and his future. In Part 1 of this two part interview, you will learn why Ash began questioning his faith and how he came to faith in Christ. In Part 2, Ash will recount the danger he faced as he shared his new faith with his family and you will discover how God uses our most difficult circumstances to answer our most fervent prayers.

Are you struggling to find direction? Do you have a vision for your life? Do you know how to align your vision with God's plan? Join Jonathan Youssef and his father, Dr. Michael Youssef, as they discuss the importance of having a God-focused vision for life and provide insight to help you align your vision with God's plan.

Are you looking for a way to study God’s Word consistently? Do you need a new Bible reading plan? Join Jonathan as he shares his favorite plan, as well as the potential pitfalls and rewards of a Bible reading plan by Robert Murray M'Cheyne: Daily Bread. We pray that this episode encourages you in the general reading of God's Word and that choosing a reading plan will help you grow in your relationship with Christ.

What comes to mind when someone mentions church? For some, it's a positive thought full of love, warmth, and community. For others, it immediately sparks feelings of judgment and rejection. Through the local church, we should experience Christ, meet our heavenly family, and grow in faith and love as we are stretched by one another, but is this happening? In this episode, Jonathan Youssef unpacks God's purpose and design for the church. He shares why going to a Biblical church can help you build a healthy and vibrant relationship with the Lord. He also provides valuable insight into finding a body of believers rooted in the Word of God.

Let's celebrate the real reason for Christmas and hear how Christ's saving work continues around the world today. Join Jonathan for this episode of Candid Conversations as he shares incredible testimonies of lives that have been transformed by the Gospel. A great episode to lift your spirits and remind you of the real joy of the season. Listen and then share it with a friend! We hope that this Christmas the beauty of Christ's first coming stirs your heart with hope and expectation for his second coming. May these testimonies of the power of His Gospel bring you joy and hope this Christmas.

Christ's birth is worthy of our time and attention, but it can be difficult to stay centered on Christ with all of the activities designed to celebrate the season. Join Jonathan this week as he shares seven simple ways to center our hearts and minds on Jesus this season. Choose one or a few that resonate with you and focus on Christ in this season of celebration of the incarnation of Christ.

How do we truly count our suffering as joy and draw near to God in our trials? Today's guest, Julie Chapman offers insight into the incredible power of worshiping God in the midst of difficult times. Julie is a three-time cancer and brain tumor survivor. She's also the friend you would call if you got bad news or needed your spirits lifted. Her optimism, determination to point others to the light and Truth of Jesus, and unwavering faith will inspire you to dive deeper into your relationship with Christ—especially in difficult times.

When it comes to ensuring the spiritual well-being of our children, how do we go beyond just “raising them in church”? As the next generation navigates unprecedented issues surrounding gender identity, doubt, and resistance to the Christian faith—it won’t be enough for them to simply have the faith of their parents. How do we equip them to become disciples of Jesus Christ in a hostile world? According to Barna and USA today, nearly 59% of youth leave the church after they graduate, and only17% maintain a Biblical worldview. According to a Lifeway survey, the most common catalysts for leaving the church are moving to college, witnessing hypocrisy within the church, and no longer feeling connected to the body of Christ. This week, Jonathan welcomes Hillary Morgan Ferrer to Candid Conversations. Her passion is to help equip parents to answer the questions their children will inevitably ask and teach them how to “demolish arguments raised against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:5). She is the founder and Mama-Bear-in-Chief of Mama Bear Apologetics, and she has a burden to help provide accessible apologetics resources for busy parents. Together, Jonathan and Hillary discuss how we can better equip families with resources and critical thinking skills, including her own methodology called “ROAR,” to help recognize unbiblical ideas and develop discernment. Hillary is the chief author and editor of the bestselling book, Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies and Mama Bear Apologetics Guide to Sexuality: Empowering Your Kids to Understand and Live Out God’s Design. Hillary has her master’s degree in biology from Clemson University and is working on her master’s in apologetics from Biola University. She loves helping parents discern both truths and lies, understand science and culture, and understand the root causes of doubt.

November rolls around and we all think about giving thanks. Jonathan welcomes Mary Mohler to Candid Conversations to discuss what Biblical gratitude really is – a gratitude that is more than thanking God for all the good things in our lives. Mary Mohler serves in ministry alongside her husband, Dr. Al Mohler, at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. She is also the founder and director of Seminary Wives Institute, an academic program for students' wives that she started over 20 years ago at Southern Seminary. A native of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Mary is a summa cum laude graduate of Samford University where she earned a BS in Biology. She is a proud mother of two children and several grandchildren. She is also the author of the book, Growing in Gratitude, Rediscovering the Joy of a Thankful Heart - a book you won't want to miss on Biblical gratitude. Join the conversation now and be encouraged to cultivate a heart of gratitude that goes far beyond our usual gratitude checklists.