Candid Conversations with Dr. Jonathan Youssef

Latest Episodes:

Episode 125: Spiritual Growth in 2022: Jonathan Youssef Jan 04, 2022

Show notes

Do you hope to grow spiritually in 2022?

Jonathan encourages you to take some time to reflect on and plan the ways you can grow spiritually this year--finding your hope, joy, peace, and contentment in Christ alone.

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Also, join the conversation on our social media pages:

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For more original podcasts from Leading The Way, please visit ltw.org/subscriptions

Episode 124: Courage to Answer the Call of God: Bruce Deel Dec 28, 2021

Show notes

Would you follow God away from comfort and security into hard places? Would you welcome prostitutes and drug users into your home? Do you lead with trust in relationships or is trust earned? For believers, these are hard questions that can only be answered when someone is rooted in Biblical wisdom and is seeking answers from God.

Today's Candid Conversations guest has had to trust God for the answer to each of these questions and God has led him into hard places. In these places, he has seen miraculous life transformation. Bruce Deel joins Jonathan on the final episode of Candid for 2021.

Bruce is the CEO of City of Refuge in Atlanta, Georgia. Bruce is also the Senior Pastor of The Mission Church and a graduate of Lee University. Bruce spent 14 years as a pastor in the suburbs of Atlanta until God boldly moved his heart into the struggling inner city to join the fight against the darkness and hopelessness found there. He founded The City of Refuge in 1997 with a mission to bring light, hope, and transformation to individuals and families in Atlanta.

Join Jonathan as Bruce walks us through his powerful story of giving up everything to follow the call of Christ to serve God’s people. We pray this testimony will leave you inspired to follow the call of God on your life in this new year – trusting that with God, nothing is impossible.

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Also, join the conversation on our social media pages:

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpod

To give to Leading The Way's Triple Matching Challenge, please visit us at https://ltw.org

For more original podcasts from Leading The Way, please visit ltw.org/subscriptions

Episode 123: Do You Make Room for Christ?: Jonathan Youssef Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

Could you be missing a miracle of God? Are you too busy for God's intrusion into your life?

God took on flesh in Bethlehem on a night when the streets were bustling with congestion created by a mandatory census. People were busy, but the Messiah quietly came into the world. Some stopped what they were doing and followed God's prompting, but so many missed it.

How will you spend Christmas? Will you join the hustle and bustle and miss the true gift of the season? Or, will you slow down, seek the heart of the Father, and prepare to encounter the living Christ?

Join us as Jonathan shares a special Christmas reflection and reminds us that the true beauty of the Christmas story is this- Gods power makes regular intrusions even when we make no room. No room in the Inn? God still took on flesh. No room in your holiday traditions? God still calls to your heart. No room in your isolation? The Savior still invites you to intimacy with Him. We pray this episode will encourage you to make room for Christ this Christmas and each day that follows.

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Also, join the conversation on our social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candidpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candidpod

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpod

To give to Leading The Way's Triple Matching Challenge, please visit us at https://ltw.org

For more original podcasts from Leading The Way, please visit ltw.org/subscriptions

Episode 122: A Very Candid Christmas with Jeremy and Lauren Ezell Dec 14, 2021

Show notes

The closer we get to Christmas, the more preoccupied we can become with the trappings of the season - diverting our attention away from the true meaning of Christmas.

Today, we offer another gift to help you center your heart on Christ - A Very Candid Christmas with special guests Lauren and Jeremy Ezell. They are accomplished musicians, song writers, and worship leaders. Jeremy leads worship with Mac Powell and the team at The Church of The Apostles and Lauren occasionally accompanies. Lauren is also the Candid Podcast producer and the coordinator for several ministries at The Church of The Apostles.

Join Jonathan as he invites Lauren and Jeremy to lead us into a place of worship this Christmas season. We hope you enjoy this place of rest, as well as hearing some of the stories behind some classic Christmas hymns.

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Also, join the conversation on our social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candidpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candidpod

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpod

For more original podcasts from Leading The Way, please visit ltw.org/subscriptions

Episode 121: Candid Christmas Caroling with Mac Powell Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

Christmas time is here and we are excited to share a couple of fun, festive, and encouraging Christmas episodes recorded with some of our favorite worship leaders. We hope these episodes will offer a relaxing break in what can be a chaotic time of year.

This week, we welcome Mac Powell back to Candid to kick off some Candid Christmas Caroling.

Mac Powell is the worship leader at The Church of The Apostles. He is also a Grammy award-winning recording artist. He recently released a new Christmas single, Jesus Christ is Born and his first solo album entitled, New Creation. He is currently on a K-Love Christmas tour, but took time out of his busy schedule to sit down with Jonathan for a few minutes.

In this episode, Mac and Jonathan have a lot of fun talking about their favorite Christmas traditions, songs and the incredible reality of God’s saving love through His son Jesus. Oh, and yes… Mac will be serenading us with a few of his favorite tunes! It's a special episode you definitely don’t want to miss!

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Get Your Copy of Preparing for the King: A 4-Part Advent Devotional

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Episode 120: Preparing for the King: An Advent Reflection with Jonathan Youssef Nov 30, 2021

Show notes

It is the first week of Advent in the liturgical Christian Church. It is a season of celebration of the first coming of Christ but also a time of expectant waiting in preparation for the second coming of Christ.

Excerpted from the new Advent devotional by Dr. Michael Youssef, Preparing for the King, this reflection offers four things to reflect on during this Advent Season.

We pray that you'll take time in this busy season to ponder both the wonder and humility of the Christ child and the glory of Christ in his second coming.

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Get Your Copy of Preparing for the King: A 4-Part Advent Devotional

Also, join the conversation on our social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candidpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candidpod

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpod

For more original podcasts from Leading The Way, please visit ltw.org/subscriptions

Episode 119: Following God into the Hard Places: Hammond McEver, Part 2 Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

Last week Jonathan began a conversation with a longtime friend, Hammond McEver. Together, they discussed the call God put on Hammond's life to minister to children in the inner city of Atlanta. The Lord planted a dream in his heart to start a school to help the children thrive in the Lord and then in their education.

Today, Jonathan and Hammond finish their conversation as Hammond unpacks more of the incredible story of what God has been doing through Thrive Academy. Together, they discuss the importance of community, the difference one person can make, and how to keep moving ahead in the face of opposition.

Join Jonathan as he and Hammond jump back into this powerful conversation about how his heart of gratitude to the Lord moves him to serve his local community. We hope this episode encourages you in your calling!

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Get Your Copy of Preparing for the King: A 4-Part Advent Devotional

Also, join the conversation on our social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candidpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candidpod

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpod

For more original podcasts from Leading The Way, please visit ltw.org/subscriptions

Episode 118: Following God Into Hard Places: Hammond McEver Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

How do you know your calling? Do you have the right calling if you hit roadblocks and opposition?

Today, Jonathan welcomes a longtime friend, Hammond McEver, who shares his story of prayerfully considering and answering God's call to disciple and help educate inner-city children.

Hammond shares how the Lord led him to break idols of personal achievement and comfort in favor of God’s call to disciple children in desperate need of care and direction. If you are struggling to hear God’s voice or accept His call, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Hammond McEver has a Master of Arts in Religion from Reformed Theological Seminary and is the founder of Thrive Academy in Atlanta, GA.

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Get Your Copy of Preparing for the King: A 4-Part Advent Devotional

Also, join the conversation on our social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candidpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candidpod

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpod

For more original podcasts from Leading The Way, please visit ltw.org/subscriptions

Episode 117: Cultivate a Heart of Biblical Gratitude: Mary Mohler Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

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.

Get Your Copy of Growing in Gratitude: Rediscovering the Joy of a Thankful Heart

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Get Your Copy of Preparing for the King: A 4-Part Advent Devotional

Also, join the conversation on our social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candidpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candidpod

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpod

For more original podcasts from Leading The Way, please visit ltw.org/subscriptions

Episode 116: How a Violent Klansman Came to Christ: Thomas A. Tarrants, Part 2 Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

Join Jonathan for part two of a real life story that has kept us on the edge of our seats. Today Jonathan finishes his two-part conversation with Thomas Tarrants, a former white-supremacist and Klansman, once infamously called the "most dangerous man in Mississippi".

If you missed last week's conversation, we encourage you to go back and listen to the first part of this conversation with Thomas. Then, join us to uncover the power of prayer in Thomas' conversion, his path to racial reconciliation, and his heart for discipleship.

Thomas A. Tarrants is President Emeritus of the C.S. Lewis Institute. After serving twelve years as president and nine years as vice President, he retired from his position as Vice President for Ministry and Director, Washington Area Fellows Program, with CSLI in June 2019. Tom holds a Master of Divinity Degree, as well as a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Christian Spirituality. He is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Church Alliance and a member of the Evangelical Theological Society.

Get Your Copy of Consumed by Hate, Redeemed by Love

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Also, join the conversation on our social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candidpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candidpod

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpod

For more original podcasts from Leading The Way, please visit ltw.org/subscriptions