Link to Google form for guest submissions:  https://forms.gle/bJqjKjBUBCAYwNg68  A grizzly bear attack in the Canadian wilderness nearly took Jim VanSteenhouse's life.  As he was being flown to safety, Jim found himself confronting a question he could no longer avoid: If he died that day, where would he spend eternity?  But this story begins long before the bear attack.  When Jim and Liz met, their relationship was, in their words, "a high-speed train wreck." There was addiction, heartbreak, years of unanswered prayers, and a marriage that seemed unlikely to survive. After Liz gave her life to Christ, she spent years praying for her husband while God transformed her own life in ways she never expected. Then came the phone call that changed everything.  In this episode of The Unfolding, Jim and Liz share their remarkable story of addiction, redemption, healing, a grizzly bear attack, and a God who never stopped pursuing them.  If you've ever prayed for someone you love, wondered whether God was listening, or needed a reminder that no one is beyond His reach, this conversation is for you.  Show Notes:   Website: https://thebearman.com/ 

    Emily Wierenga grew up sensing that God was close, but one careless comment about her body helped lead her into a long battle with anorexia. At five foot eight, Emily dropped to 60 pounds, and yet God kept reaching into her life with reminders that she was loved, chosen, and not forgotten. Today, Emily is using her words and her story through her book God Who Became Bread and through The Lulu Tree, where she helps feed mothers and children in Africa while pointing them to the hope of God's Word. 

  In 1 John 3:1 it says, "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" God is our Father.  Sometimes that can be challenging to comprehend.  It's easier to grasp when you've had a good relationship with your earthly dad.  It can be more complicated if your relationship is unhealthy or strained. This week on The Unfolding we are sharing three stories of fathers, from Mark Schulz, Gina Copeland and Jeremy Rosado.  Each story gives a perspective of how God works healing in and through fathers, whether they are biological, adoptive, or those who simply choose to step into the role of dad.     Show Notes:   Mark Schultz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markschultzofficial/ Mark Schultz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markschultzofficial/ Gina Copeland Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gina.d.copeland  Jeremy Rosado Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjeremyrosado/ Jeremy Rosado Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAMJEREMYROSADO/ Link to Google form for guest submissions:  https://forms.gle/bJqjKjBUBCAYwNg68 

    For most of her life, Rebecca Corwin called herself an agnostic, and sometimes even an atheist. But looking back, she could see moments of protection, peace, and unmistakable prompting that kept pointing her toward God. At 56 years old, after a lifetime of being pursued, Rebecca finally gave herself completely to Jesus.

  How do you learn to recognize God's voice?  Michael Boggs has spent much of his life asking that question. Long before he became a member of the Christian music group FFH or wrote the beloved Christmas song "Come You Unfaithful," Michael watched God transform his family through his father's dramatic conversion and began discovering for himself what it means to follow Jesus.  In this episode of The Unfolding, Michael shares the pivotal moments that shaped his faith, from walking away from athletic scholarships to joining FFH, touring the world, serving in ministry, and eventually becoming a worship pastor in Oklahoma.  Along the way, Michael learned powerful lessons about God's leading, identity, and unconditional love. He talks about comparison, loneliness, calling, and the freedom that comes from understanding that our worth isn't found in what we accomplish, but in being loved by God.  Show Notes:   Website: https://michaelboggs.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelboggs_music/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boggsmusic  YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/MichaelBoggsMusic  Book: https://www.amazon.com/What-Would-Jesus-Michael-Boggs/dp/0891126244 

"We began to… say the Nicene Creed."  That decision changed everything for pastor and researcher Glenn Packiam, when a 2006 scandal rocked his Colorado Springs church. In this Unfolding Short Story, the Barna Group scholar and host of The Resilient Pastor podcast recounts how repeating the Creed each week knit a fractured congregation back together, and how its ancient words still steady believers facing today's confusion and corruption.   Want to dig deeper? Check out Glenn's book What's a Christian, Anyway?: Finding Our Way in an Age of Confusion and Corruption. 

  When Brandon Heath heard the Gospel as a teenager, he was hungry for truth, love, and healing. His parents' broken relationship had left him hurting and carrying a heavy load of resentment. When he heard God is love, and more specifically, God loves him, it was life changing. But transformation and healing take time. God was putting people in Brandon's life, including a guy named Bob Goff. They were mentors who saw things in Brandon he couldn't see in himself. Brandon Heath is a singer and songwriter who's been nominated for multiple Grammys and won eight Dove awards for songs like "Give Me Your Eyes," "See Me Through It," and "I'm Not Who I Was."  Brandon's latest project is called The Ache.   Show Notes:  Website:  https://www.brandonheathmusic.com/  Album "The Ache" - https://brandonheath.lnk.to/TheAche

    "I believe God gave me this dream because He has healed your body."  When David Stine was fifteen years old, doctors gave him about six weeks to live. His family was bracing for the worst. Then David's grandfather, one of the only strong Christian believers he knew, called with a dream and a deep conviction that God had done something. Years later, David can look back and see how this moment became part of the story God used to draw him closer to Jesus.  David also writes about this story in his new book, The Way of the Ox. 

At 25 years old, Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and worship leader Tim Timmons was diagnosed with incurable stage 4 cancer and told he likely had five years to live. More than two decades later, Tim is still here and still learning what it looks like to trust Jesus in the middle of grief, doubt, fear, and uncertainty. In this conversation, Tim talks about wrestling with God, living with unanswered questions, and why he believes faith isn't about pretending everything is okay. He shares how suffering reshaped his understanding of God, the daily practices that help him walk through worry, and why he stopped "working for Jesus" and started simply learning to join Him. Tim also talks about: surrender, contentment, and trusting God grief, loss, and suffering the story behind 10,000 Minutes MercyMe, I Can Only Imagine 2, and his journey as a Christian artist If you've ever struggled with disappointment, uncertainty, or questions about faith, this conversation is for you. Show Notes:  Website:  https://www.timtimmonsmusic.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timmonsmusic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timmonsmusic "Waking Up Again" Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKG1SGHN "I Can Only Imagine 2" Movie: https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/i-can-only-imagine-2

"We're craving hamburgers."  Frank Agundes helps lead Lily of the Valley Children's Home in Mexico. When the kids asked God for hamburgers, He answered in a big way. In this Unfolding Short Story, Frank shares how God called him to serve at the orphanage and how he keeps seeing God provide in both big and little ways. To learn more about the orphanage or give, visit https://www.lilyofthevalley2.org/