Encouraging you in your discipleship one book at a time as we chat with some amazing Christian authors about their books, their lives, and their faith on this twice-monthly podcast.
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ep66 - Say Goodbye to Anxiety with Elle Limebear and Jane Kirby
39:08
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In this episode of The Christian Book Blurb, host Matt McChlery interviews authors Ellie Limebear and Jane Kirby about their book 'Say Goodbye to Anxiety.' The authors discuss the prevalence of anxiety among Christians and the rising levels of anxiety in today's culture. They share their personal experiences with anxiety and the tools they have fou…
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ep65 - Reframing the Prophetic with Christine Westhoff
36:59
36:59
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In this episode of the Christian Book Blurb podcast, host Matt McChlery interviews author Christine Westhoff about her book 'Reframing the Prophetic.' They discuss the definition of the prophetic, its purpose, and its relevance in today's world. They also explore the difference between the office of a prophet and operating in a prophetic gifting. T…
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ep64 - How to Live for Jesus in a Changing Culture with Stephen McApline
31:42
31:42
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In this episode of the Christian Book Blurb podcast, host Matt McChlery interviews author Stephen McAlpine about his book 'Future Proof.' They discuss living for Jesus in a changing culture and the challenges Christians face in navigating societal changes. McAlpine emphasizes the importance of the church in providing a framework for Christians to n…
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ep63 - The Importance of Speaking Life-Giving Words with Jo-Anne Berthelsen
37:45
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In this episode of The Christian Book Blurb, host Matt McChlery interviews author Joanne Berthelsen about her book Swan Song. They discuss the importance of speaking life-giving words and the impact our words can have on others. Joanne shares that there is so much negative talk in society and that our world needs hope, which can be provided through…
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ep62 - Making a Home Where People can Find God with Jamie Erickson
32:22
32:22
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In this episode of Christian Book Blurb, host Matt McChlery interviews author Jamie Erickson about her book 'Holy Hygge' and the importance of hospitality in our relationship with God and others. Jamie shares her journey of discovering the art of hospitality and how it is linked to her faith. She explains the concept of hygge, a Danish word that en…
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ep61 - Attraction, Identity and Relationships with Jennifer Kvamme
33:25
33:25
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In this episode of the Christian Book Blurb podcast, host Matt McChlery interviews author Jennifer Kvamme about her book 'More to the Story: Deep Answers to Real Questions on Attraction, Identity, and Relationships.' They discuss the importance of understanding the biblical perspective on sexuality and relationships, the significance of the body in…
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ep60 - How to Talk About Jesus Without Looking Like an Idiot with Andy Bannister
35:19
35:19
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In this episode of the Christian Book Blurb podcast, host Matt McCleary interviews author Andy Bannister about his book 'How to Talk About Jesus Without Looking Like an Idiot.' They discuss the fear and panic that often accompanies conversations about faith, the importance of asking questions, and the role of the Holy Spirit in evangelism. Banniste…
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In this episode of Christian Book Blurb, host Matt McChlery interviews author Kevin Elliott about his book 'See Miracles.' They discuss the definition of miracles, whether miracles still happen today, and the reasons why some prayers for healing may not be answered. Kevin shares stories of miracles he has witnessed in Macedonia and emphasizes the i…
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ep58 - Exploring the Connection Between The Sound of Music and God with Bryony Wood
37:18
37:18
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In this episode of the Christian Book Blurb podcast, host Matt McChlery interviews author Bryony Wood about her book, The Sound of Musings, which explores the connection between the Sound of Music movie and God. Bryony shares her love for the film and how it inspired her to write a devotional book. She discusses the symbolism in songs like 'Edelwei…
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ep57 - Building a Healthy Marriage with Claire and Steve Musters
38:41
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In this episode of Christian Book Blurb, host Matt McChlery interviews authors Claire and Steve Musters about their book, Grace-Filled Marriage. The couple shares their personal journey of building a healthy marriage and the challenges they faced along the way. They discuss the importance of hard work, taking responsibility, and dying to self in a …
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ep56 - The God Who Sees You with Georgie Tennant
33:20
33:20
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In this episode of Christian Book Blurb, host Matt McChlery interviews author Georgie Tennant about her book 'The God Who Sees You.' The book is a devotional that speaks to those who feel unseen and draws inspiration from biblical characters who may have felt the same way. Georgie shares her personal experiences of loss and grief and emphasizes the…
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ep55 - Finding Strength in Weakness with John Hindley
37:31
37:31
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In this episode of Christian Book Blurb, host Matt McChlery interviews author John Hindley about his book 'Weakness Our Strength: Learning from Christ Crucified.' The conversation explores the misconceptions surrounding strength and weakness, the role of weakness in creation, and the importance of embracing weakness instead of running away from it.…
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ep54 - Discipleship is for Everyone with James Poch
43:17
43:17
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In this episode of the Christian Book Blurb podcast, host Matt McChlery interviews author James Poch about his book 'Holy Grit: Gaining Traction on Life's Journey with Jesus.' The conversation explores the definition and importance of discipleship, the role of walking with others, and the concept of grit in discipleship. They discuss roadblocks to …
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ep53 - The Language of Love with Dr. Gary Chapman
35:41
35:41
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Summary In this episode of the Christian Book Blurb podcast, host Matt McChlery interviews Dr. Gary Chapman about the language of love. They discuss the importance of celebrating relationships, the difficulties in relationships, and the role of selfishness in causing problems. Dr. Chapman shares his personal experiences in marriage and how changing…
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ep52 - Discovering God for Yourself with Russ Ewell
38:12
38:12
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I had a wonderful discussion with author Russ Ewell about how we can discover God for ourselves, based on his book 'He's Not Who You Think He Is'. We speak about how to build relationship with God as well as how to form a deeper connection with Him. We also discuss his love of music, basketball and his favourite TV show Downton Abbey. Listen now. H…
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ep51 - Truth-Telling and Cancel Culture with Katherine Blessan
31:13
31:13
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Author Katherine Blessan takes some time out from an Air BnB retreat to chat with me about truth telling and cancel culture - two big topics that are explored in her novel 'T for Tolerance'. We also talk about her love of travelling, how the Holy Spirit communicates with her as well as her involvement with the social enterprise 'Kaleido Arts For We…
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ep50 - Preparing for Revival with Malcolm Macdonald
33:38
33:38
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Welcome to our 2024 New Year's Special episode! I chat with author and church leader Malcolm Macdonald about his passion for revival and his book 'Saturated with God'. We also speak about the importance of prayer and a return to a dependence upon Jesus for every Christian. He shares his heart for the local church and we hear about his involvement w…
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We could all use a bit of forgiveness in our lives, as well as learning how to give it away a little better too. In this episode I chat with award-winning author Chris Fabry about his new novel 'Saving Greyson'. We chat about forgiveness and reconciliation as well as Alzheimer's disease, working on talk show radio, rattlesnakes in the back yard and…
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ep48 - Soul Care for Parents with Anna Hawken
30:00
30:00
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Anna Hawken shares her heart as well as practical tips on how parents can learn about God and about being His child by observing their children, based on her book 'Being God's Child: A Parents Guide'. We also chat about Christmas season mayhem, how to hear God's voice, the importance of asking questions as well as the Great British Bake Off (also k…
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ep47 - An Advent Journey for the Whole Family with Rachel Yarworth
30:10
30:10
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Rachel Yarworth talks about how we can celebrate advent as a family and her new book that she has compiled containing the writing of 25 different Christian authors, 'The Jesse Tree Anthology'. We also chat about home-schooling, seeing dolphins, her love of Cornwall and a precious family advent tradition she has in her own family. Listen now. Help k…
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ep46 - Hearing the Christmas Story Through Mary’s Voice with Amy Orr-Ewing
35:31
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In this episode I chat with acclaimed theologian, author and speaker Amy Orr-Ewing about how Mary, the mother of Jesus, is uniquely placed to tell the nativity story as we discuss her new Advent devotional book 'Mary's Voice'. We discuss advent, the role of women in the church. her love of coffee and art as well as some of her favourite family adve…
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ep45 -Your Worth is not Defined by how Useful You Feel with Liz Carter
24:52
24:52
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This is a fascinating discussion about identity and self-worth that is completely countercultural yet deeply biblical. I chat with Liz Carter about her life and the things she has learnt including that our worth is not defined by how useful we feel centred around her new book 'Valuable'. We also talk about the power of words and her love of the Nin…
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ep44 - Reclaiming Masculinity with Matt Fuller
35:45
35:45
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In this episode I chat with Matt Fuller about reclaiming a biblical view of masculinity within our toxic western culture. We discuss why friendships are important, why the church should be addressing the topic of masculinity and how the bible helps us gain a more positive understanding of masculinity. We also chat about the 'Barbie Movie' (Spoiler …
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ep43 - Can faith and doubt co-exist? with Kat Wordsworth
30:12
30:12
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Doubt is an area we all find difficult from time to time. Can doubt and faith co-exist? Is it bad to doubt, or is it a normal part of the Christian experience? Kat Wordsworth shares very openly in this authentic interview where she discusses these very topics. Based on her personal experiences of faith and doubt, and her book 'Let's Talk About Doub…
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ep42 - Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes with E. Randolph Richards
32:23
32:23
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Misreading scripture by placing our own cultural bias and worldviews onto it is very easy to do. By recognising the times when our culture gets in the way of an accurate understanding of The Bible, we can learn to read it better. Listen to this fascinating discussion with author, theologian and scholar E. Randolph Richards and start to open your ey…
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ep41 - Why Less Means More with Cathy Madavan
35:40
35:40
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This episode is jam-packed with golden nuggets on how to live life well. I speak with Cathy Madavan, author of 'Why Less Means More' about how we should define success, our culture's busyness addiction, the importance of prioritising and pressure performance - all from a biblical worldview. We also chat about her love of live music and Christian fe…
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ep40 - Understanding Rest as Worship with Sam Hargreaves
38:53
38:53
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In this episode chat with Sam Hargreaves about rest and worship and about his and his wife, Sara's book 'The Rest is Worship'. We also chat about Star Wars, music and other creative projects he is involved in all finished off with a Christian Book Blurb first - a song. It is well worth a listen. Help keep this podcast on the web by simply buying me…
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ep39 - Keeping Your Faith in Difficult Times with Heather Leslie Hammer
32:11
32:11
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In this episode I discuss how to keep your faith in difficult times with author of 'Shetland Mist' Heather Leslie Hammer. We talk about her love of the Shetland Islands, her family history and their links to the islands, the Methodist movement and her love of 'Call The Midwife' TV series. Listen now. With thanks to this episode's sponsor Standing i…
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ep 38 - Responding to Scripture Creatively with Drew Jackson
36:40
36:40
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In this episode I explore creativity and how we can use it to respond to scripture with poet, Drew Jackson. We also discuss poetry as a spiritual practice, his love of New York City and basketball and find out how hip-hop music led to his love of poetry. Drew also reads two of his amazing poems for us on the show. Don't miss this. With thanks to th…
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ep37 - Helping children to pray and be a good friend with Gemma Hunt
33:40
33:40
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I am a bit start-struck this episode as I speak with Gemma Hunt (a UK children's TV personality and author - CBeebies, Songs of Praise, Alpha Course etc). This episode is packed full of creative prayer tips and retelling of some of the parables from the Bible within a modern context. We chat about mixed-race representation in Christian books as wel…
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ep36 - God isn’t finished with you yet with Catherine Campbell
41:23
41:23
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An honest discussion about some of the big things that make life difficult, yet finding God in the midst of it all. I chat with Catherine Campbell about success and failure, ageing, coping with a bad health diagnosis and how when we may think God has finished with us - he really hasn't at all. We also chat about Call The Midwife and her love of wom…
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ep35 - The eternal power of remembering answered prayer with Richard Gamble
36:41
36:41
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A compelling discussion with author and visionary Richard Gamble about his book 'Remember: Revealing the eternal power of answered prayer'. We also talk about his project where he and his team are building a national landmark in the centre of the country as a memorial to God's goodness, his love of Leicester City Football Club, sausage rolls and th…
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ep34 - Navigating singleness with Paula Halliday
32:48
32:48
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A frank and honest discussion about singleness in the church and what we can do to navigate it well (as well as what not to say when trying to be helpful). Paula Halliday speaks from personal experience as we discuss her book 'Singled Out: Navigating your season of singleness'. We also chat about dating apps and competitive games nights with her fa…
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ep33 - Is Kindness Killing the Church? with Hugh Osgood
31:44
31:44
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What is church unity? Why is it so important? What is getting in the way of true, robust unity today? Hugh Osgood answers all these questions and more as we discuss his new book 'Is Kindness Killing the Church?' We also hear about some of Hugh's life story as well as his enjoyment of playing Chopin on the piano and his love of curry. Listen now. He…
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ep32 - Christian Wellness and Good Mental Health with Jo Acharya
31:44
31:44
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This episode sees a fascinating discussion about wellness and mental health for Christians with author Jo Acharya. We also chat about her love of singing, gardening and her new-found obsession with roasting tin recipes. Have a listen. Help keep this podcast on the web by simply buying me a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattmcchlery Advertise …
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ep31 - Including psychology and faith in fiction with Annie Try
25:00
25:00
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An insightful discussion with the author Annie Try about how including psychology and faith in fiction writing can provide real-life answers and help. We also chat about her love of dance and family and we find out how she likes her fish and chips. Have a listen. Help keep this podcast on the web by simply buying me a coffee https://www.buymeacoffe…
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Is bigger really better? Seth Lewis chats with me about what Godly success looks like and why it is more important for us to be faithful and to dream small rather than to relentlessly pursue things just because they are bigger and supposedly better. We also chat about camping and his (and my) love of all things dessert. Have a listen. Help keep thi…
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ep29 - David and Bathsheba: Affair or Abuse of Power? with Amanda Bedzrah
38:16
38:16
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Hear the heart and passion of author Amanda Bedzrah and discover her understanding of the story of David and Bathsheba as she discusses her new biblical fiction novel 'Becoming Queen Bathsheba'. We chat about the work that goes in to writing biblical fiction as well as her love of Christmas movies, charity work and more. Help keep this podcast on t…
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ep28 - A Voice for the Voiceless: Reframing Disability with Jonathan Bryan
20:15
20:15
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Jonathan Bryan is a remarkable young man and I had the privilege of interviewing him for this episode. We speak about what it is like to be non-verbal, how disability affects perception and expectation of others, how to write a book when you can't control your limbs and why a teenager has set up a national charity. A truly remarkable episode that y…
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ep27 - Pointing Children and Teens to Jesus with Joy Vee
33:20
33:20
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In this episode I have a fascinating discussion with author Joy Vee about her time living in Ukraine, translating books, her coffee house hobby and she even offers up some sage parenting advice (we also talk about her books and about writing of course!) I found this episode fascinating to record and I hope you enjoy listening to it just as much as …
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ep26 - Staying Positive in Challenging Circumstances with Zach Windahl
26:23
26:23
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Happy New Year! In order to start of 2023 with a big dose of positivity, I speak with Zach Windahl about his book 'See The Good' as well as his love of good food, rest, how he came to faith and his tiktok daily devotionals. Listen now. Help keep this podcast on the web by simply buying me a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattmcchlery Advertise…
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ep25 - Coping with Grief at Christmas with Penelope Swithinbank
26:30
26:30
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Christmas can be a difficult time of year especially for those who have lost a loved one. In this episode I chat with author Penelope Swithinbank about her book 'Scent of Water' written specifically to help those who are grieving. We also chat about the Royal Family, Bath Abbey and her love of long distance hiking. Listen now. Help keep this podcas…
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ep24 - The Christmas Story as Told from the Stable Animals Point of View with Nigel Desmond
28:06
28:06
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It's December! Christmas is coming so I have had a chat with South African author Nigel Desmond about his series of picture books 'The Stable Stories'. We also chat about family, miracles, Cape Town food culture and encountering God personally. You can't miss it - listen now. Help keep this podcast on the web by simply buying me a coffee https://ww…
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ep23 - Finding Jesus in the Busyness of Advent with Lucy Rycroft
31:02
31:02
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What joy it was to chat with Lucy Rycroft about her Advent devotional 'Redeeming Advent' written for busy people (like me!). We also spoke about laundry, Netflix and her love of chocolate cake! You've just got to listen to this episode and it may just help prepare you for the approaching Advent season. Listen now. Help keep this podcast on the web …
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ep22 - All About Advent with Amy Scott Robinson
28:25
28:25
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It was great to chat with author Amy Scott Robinson about a number of her books including some Advent devotionals that may come in handy in the coming weeks. We also spoke about Christmas carols (how soon is too soon?), her love of dress making and the art of ventriloquism. Have a listen to this great episode now. Help keep this podcast on the web …
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ep21 - The Counter-Cultural sayings of Jesus with Isaac Portilla
29:45
29:45
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In this episode I speak with theologian and scholar Isaac Portilla about his new book 'What Christ Said: The counter-cultural sayings of Christ Jesus' as well as meditation, the differences between writing in English and Spanish, and a shared love of playing the guitar. Help keep this podcast on the web by simply buying me a coffee https://www.buym…
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ep20 - Embedding Christianity in Historical Fiction for Children with P.S Daunton
28:29
28:29
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I chat with children's author, P.S Daunton about her new book 'The Dove Stone' that covers themes of prayer and bullying. We also speak about critical thinking, bird watching and taking long walks in the countryside. If you know a child whom you are encouraging in the Christian faith, have a listen to this episode. Help keep this podcast on the web…
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ep19 - How Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss Affects Men with Eric Schumacher
35:37
35:37
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A deep and heart-felt chat with Eric Schumacher about his book 'Ours: Biblical comfort for men grieving miscarriage'. We speak about our experiences of miscarriage and grief as well as some more up-beat topics such as Johnny Cash and Formula 1 racing. An insightful and important conversation - this is a must-listen episode, so don't miss it. Help k…
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ep18 - Learning about Good and Evil in Young Adult Fiction with Steven Barr
28:53
28:53
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We journey to bonnie Scotland and chat with author Steven Barr about Laydbugs, superhero flamingos, how he includes Christian content in his teen/adult fiction and his love of dunking biscuits (or cookies) into his cup of tea. Join us. Help keep this podcast on the web by simply buying me a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattmcchlery Advertise…
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ep17 - Using Imagination to Explore the Concept of Heaven with Rob Seabrook
28:23
28:23
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Today I chat with Christian fiction author Rob Seabrook about his first novel 'Beneath the Tamarisk Tree'. We speak about heaven, the correct way to put cream and jam on your scones and how his girlfriend led him to Christ - listen now. Help keep this podcast on the web by simply buying me a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattmcchlery Advertis…
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