Today’s story is how a problem from the past can inform hope for the future. Reverand Joshua C. Robretson was a child that the school system failed. Having been passed through year after year based on athletic prowess, Joshua entered college with a second grade reading level. It took the intervention of a mentor to get him back on track. And now Re…

Hands on, Heads up, Hearts open, that’s one of the motto’s of Kenny Erb’s physical therapy practice. And it means that to help people heal from injury and pain you have to treat more than the muscles and sinews that are damaged. You must help their minds and hearts heal as well. And one of the ways that Kenny’s practice helps that to happen is by o…

It isn’t often that we have a guest return to the show, but having just passed our fifth anniversary its fitting to bring back one of the firsts. Dr. T. David Gordon is a recently retired Grove City College professor, theologian and author with a new book to discuss entitled Choose Better: Five Biblical Models for making ethical decisions. And he w…

The family is the basic building block of society. It stands as one of the three pillars of our culture, along with the church and the government. But in recent years, the family has increasingly come under attack. Which is where the PA Family, and our guest today, President Michael Geer, come in. PA Family stands in the gap to advocate for school …

Today’s episode is a faith journey that starts in Brazil and ends in a thriving congregation in Pensacola, Florida. Uri Brito has been senior pastor of Providence Church in Pensacola for 16 years, which is Presbyterian in affiliation. Uri did his graduate and doctoral work in pastoral ministry at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, u…

Today’s story takes us from a life addiction and crime, through the valley of despair and onward to the heights of the joys of loving and serving the Lord. Ron Laffey is 35 years clean from Narcotics, and his purpose now is letting others know that they don’t have to be stuck in a life of addiction and despair any longer. And he gives the glory for…

In our culture its almost frowned upon to get Married in college. Our young adults are told that it’s a time to explore themselves, and their options as far as partners are concerned, rather than settling down so soon. But today’s guests wanted to do things God’s way, and so Hannah and Wes Seo married young, and now are on the eve of the birth of t…

Today’s guest is well known to many of our listeners through Beverly Heights as well as the Coalition for Christian Outreach, or CCO at Duquesne University. He is a father of 5, the leader of next generations ministries at the church, and sometimes he even portrays Larry the Christmas star in front of the entire congregation. Peter Chace is witty, …

A tough, hardworking, man with a 3rd grade reading level who was known to be quick to a fight, a drink or a new daring stunt, and a man used by God to speak to people across the world about the Lord. These two seem like different characters being introduced in a story. And in a way they are, because today’s episode is all about the Transformative p…

Prayer is a powerful gift and an awesome responsibility. The apostles saw prayer as one of their most important duties in their service to the Lord and to His church. The Psalms are full of songs of prayer. And today’s story centers on the importance of prayer, particularly in the lives of the next generation of believers. Sally Burke is a former N…

Music is a universal language. It spans cultures and eras and has the power to bring people together or divide them. It is a thing of beauty and a gift that echoes creation. And music is also at the heart of today’s episode. Jeffrey Tedford has lived a life that revolves around music. He began playing the violin at the age of 4, and studied music a…

There are many ways to praise the Lord. On the show we’ve heard from musicians and vocalists and composers, and today we are adding our first dancer. Danielle Black has been dancing since she was a child. And as she grew older the Lord led her to combine her passion for dancing, her skills as an educator, and her love for the Lord, to create a Chri…

We have had heard many stories of individuals sent to various parts of the globe on our podcast. We’ve had guests who lived in Ethiopia, Thailand, Slovenia and Spain. And guests who traveled here from India, Uganda and Iran. All showing the wondrous plan of God and the many diverse places obedience to his leadings can take you. Today we hear the st…

Sometimes we share stories of the kind of faith that follows a call across the sea. Sometimes we share stories of steady faithfulness of quieter lives of service. And today we are sharing a story with ties to both. Reverend Zachary Kail has been a presbyterian pastor for a church on the Island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea for over a decade bu…

Storytelling is an artform that has been passed down through generations. For thousands of years the stories were shared through the spoken word, and then the written word. And in the last hundred years we’ve also begun to tell stories through the medium of film. Today’s guest is Scott Sander, the executive producer, and creator of Pense Production…

Throughout the lifetime of our show we have covered many hard topics. From death and dying, to illness and injury. And we have heard about despair and triumph. But perhaps never quite so clearly as we have on today’ show. David Caldwell is a longtime friend of both Tom and Nate. He is a stalwart follower of Christ, and he knows the depths of depres…

Since our show began over four years ago, we have had many notable Grovers as guests — that’s Grove City College alumni for those not in the know. And today’s guest exemplifies the same pattern of a life in service to Christ and others that we have come to expect from our Grove City guests. In 2006, the United States Senate unanimously confirmed Pa…

For over a quarter of a century Steve and Melissa Lamie have been a fixture on the athletic fields of Grove City College. Mr. and Mrs. Coach head the men’s basketball and women’s soccer teams respectively and together they have been building a culture of Christian living in their teams on and off the field. So join Tom, Nate, Steve and Melissa as t…

From starting the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the Naval Academy, to starting a bible study in Pittsburgh that has been helping Christian businessmen and women grow in grace and truth for years , Today’s guest has spent nearly 8 decades in service to the Lord. Bruce Bickel is a name that has come up in past episodes. And today Bruce is final…

A man in California, and a woman in Amsterdam are both called to the same city in Thailand. They meet, become friends, and eventually get married. And the story doesn’t end there. Chris and Esther Hoagland are today’s guests. Still missionaries to the same area in Thailand they are perfect examples of God’s sovereign plan in action. So join Tom, Na…

There are stories that whose enduring messages of hope, renewal, and redemption transcend time and space. Stories like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Lewis’s the Chronicles of Narnia. And today’s guest is an expert on both men and the times and battles that shaped them into the culture creators we know and love. Joseph Loconte is the author of the…

Large families are a rarity these days. People now consider two children a handful let alone three or four. So what would compel a couple to have 10 children and counting? Courage and faith that the Lord has a plan and that he will provide. Amber and Garr Baker are expecting their eleventh child, which is remarkable in an age where many value conve…

How far would you go to be able to freely worship the Lord? The next town? Another country? How about the other side of the world? That’s how far today’s guest had to travel. Farshid Rezaee was born to a Muslim family in Iran. His first encounter with Jesus was a publication of the Sermon on the mount in a newspaper. Eventually his journey of faith…

How does a bouncer with a reputation for fast cars and a fast temper become an international Christian apologist? That’s the story we’re bringing you on today’s episode. Stuart McAllister has been serving the Lord across the world. He was behind the iron curtain before the fall of Communism and ministering to Europe and America in the years since i…

Today’s episode marks the fourth anniversary of our show and what better way to celebrate than with a guest we’ve been hoping to interview since the very beginning. And what’s better than one guest? Two of course. Mother and daughter Marilyn Meek and Micki Cantine have been at the heart of the ministry here at Beverly Heights for decades. They have…

20 years is a long time to wait for a foreign mission field to blossom. Especially for two Pittsburghers who had never lived further than the next state over. What does it take to wait for the Lord to work? Patience and perseverance grown through years and years of prayer. This is the story Ken and Carolyn Muckle brought to us today. They had been …

Imagine having to hand your child to a surgeon for open heart surgery at only 16 months old? Now imagine that same child growing up to help countless other infants heal from the same affliction years later. That’s the story we’re bringing to you today. Dr. David Hoganson was born with a rare heart defect, and if it wasn’t for the life saving surger…

What qualities make a good leader? That’s the question at the center of today’s episode. John Stahl-Wert (not to be confused with the Pittsburgh Steeler) has spent the last few decades helping leaders of business, non-profits, and nations learn to be the best they can for their people. Join Tom, Nate and John as they follow his path from the Mennon…

The 100th episode is a major milestone in the life of any show. And today we have been blessed to have reached that milestone! And in light of such a momentous occasion we decided to interview our very own Tom O’Boyle. So join Tom, Nate and I as we discuss some of the key moments in Tom’s faith journey as well as the role adversity plays in Christi…

We’ve had many interesting guests on our show over the last few years. We’ve had parents, children, doctors, missionaries, an Olympian and even Miss Pennsylvania. And today we are adding a congressman. Keith Rothfus served our nation as the U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district. Today he joins Tom and Nate as they discu…

Over the past few years we have had the privilege of sharing many stories on our show. Some were stories told by household names, others were about lives lived in quiet spaces. But today’s show is about a man that anyone who has followed our podcast from the beginning will be familiar with. Dr. Byron Bitar was a mentor of Pastor Nate’s when he was …

Adoption is a contentious topic in the world today. And for this episode we have the privilege of sharing a story about a child of adoption, who grew up to be a pastor with a unique view on the doctrine of adoption. Kevin Haley has been a United Methodist pastor for more than 40 years. He’s a father, husband, Grove City College graduate, and the so…

The death of a loved one, and the grief that comes with it, is hard for the human heart to bear. It isn’t something we were created to endure, but in our fallen world it is a universal experience. For today’s guest, Victor Lee Austin, it was the death of Susan, his wife that put him on the path of having to come to grips with grief. So join Tom, Na…

It takes a leap of faith to start your own company, especially one that offers parents a Christian alternative to the content offered by the current culture. But Erick Goss, CEO and Co-Founder of Minno, the Christian Children’s Streaming Service, knows about leaps of faith. Join Tom, Nate and Erick as they explore his adventures in faith from the N…

Ancient Artifacts, archaeological digs, and a college professor, put together, that sounds like something straight out of Hollywood. And today’s guest, Dr. Mark Graham is remarkable. He teaches in the history department at Grove City College, has worked multiple summers in digs at Carthage, Tunisia and Sardinia, Italy, and he has told us that he do…

What do football and faith have in common? According to today’s guest, quite a lot. Jon Kolb played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1969 to 1981 as Terry Bradshaw’s left side tackle. He was on the field for the Immaculate Reception, competed in two strongman competitions and has four Superbowl rings with the 1970’s Steelers. Now Jon works with peo…

We live in an interesting moment in time, as today’s guest states, ours is a world post Christendom and we have to learn how to navigate it. But take courage, because the Lord is still on the Throne and the early church faced similar political pressure and thrived. David VanDrunen is a professor at Westminster Seminary in California. He is the auth…

Numinous. It’s a word we’ve used on this show many times. It means being filled with a sense of the divine. And what can be more numinous than a life touched by the Lord. Today’s guest is Todd Loizes, a graphic designer by trade, but a follower of Christ by lifestyle. And anyone who has spent any amount of time with Todd can recognize the peace and…

It would be a drastic change going from working as a vice president of a college to a janitor sweeping floors. But sometimes the Lord has to remove our ambitions so we can instead follow His path for us. And when he does, it’s only the beginning of the story. Today’s guest is David Silk, currently a chaplain serving in a hospice role, formerly a co…

How do we determine the value of a life? We talk about how all lives are valuable, but by which scale do we measure once a child comes into the world? Do we view them by what they can do, what they can become, or produce, or do we view them through God’s eyes. These are questions that come forward in today’s episode as Tom Kneier talks about his so…

In a world that seems to be falling apart, where friendships are a brittle as glass and can shatter if one side of the relationship makes the mistake of sharing an opposing political view, it’s important to understand the value of Christian relationships. Which is the main theme of today’s interview. Dr. Kyle Bennett is a philosopher, and an educat…

From A shipwreck in shark infested waters, to a trip to heaven, today’s guest knows good stories. After all, Lynn Vincent as co-written 4 books on the New York times best sellers list. But today the story we are interested in sharing is Lynn’s. And with a tale that includes a rocky childhood with periods of homelessness, a stint in the Navy, and a …

Rarely on our show have we had a guest as well connected to Pittsburgh’s pastoral and ministerial structure as John Guest. John has had a hand in founding ministries across Pennsylvania and at 86 still has as much passion for the Lord and for evangelism as he did the day he was saved at a Billy Graham crusade. So join Tom, Nate and John for this we…

There is a particular kind of pain involved in watching your child suffer. But it’s a remarkable story when that pain is transformed into a ministry to help others in the same situation. That’s the kind of story our guests Richie and Regan Reeder told us today. So join Tom, Nate, Richie and Regan as they discuss their faith journey to find the purp…

How does one handle the loss of a loved one? The loss of two? Or three? How do you keep going after tragedy knocks you down? Today’s guest will tell you that you do so by trusting the Lord. Justine Campanga is a talented young woman with a loving husband and a beautiful little girl. But Justine’s story is one that brings the book of Job to mind. Sh…

The path to Hollywood isn’t one we usually cover on our show. But rarely is the path to Hollywood so full of evidence of God’s hand on someone’s life as it is in the story of Byrne Offutt. Burn is a native Arkansan who’s journey took him to the stage and screen before recently bringing him here to Pittsburgh. His is a story of trusting in the Lord …

It took years for the first of the Prai people to come to the Lord, and the growth was slow. But if you ask today’s guests if they would change anything they had done, they would tell you no. The Jordan’s have no regrets in the life the Lord has called them to. Decades in Thailand among the Prai people has seen hundreds of people added to that firs…

What does it take to walk into a war zone? Courage. That’s what Father Jason Charron needed when he and one of his parishioners entered the Ukraine on day 4 of the invasion in their efforts to rescue 22 orphans, their 4 caretakers, and the additional women and children they met in their two days there. Join Tom, Nate and Father Jason as they discus…

The American Justice System isn’t a place where you want to find yourself. It’s a harsh place that doesn’t care about intention as much as outcome, and sometimes what is fair and right is swallowed up by logic and the opinion of the jury. But can good still come from a prison cell?That’s the story that today’s guests, father and son duo Matt and Ho…

You could say that when we started this show three years ago, that statistically speaking, the odds were not in our favor. Only half of all shows produced ever make it past their seventh episode, and its estimated that only one in four podcasts in existence are still making content. And that 75% that fail , usually stop before the first year is up.…