Musician and Pastor Tauren Wells has a passion for teaching people about the joys of knowing and serving Jesus Christ. Once known as part of the praise team for Pastor Joel Osteen at Lakewood Church in Houston, Wells now co-pastors his own church, Church of Whitestone in Austin, Texas, with his wife Lorna. His new book takes a deep dive into the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, exploring how happiness comes not from external things but from a changed heart, a heart that's growing in closeness to Jesus. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Pastor Wells explains his new book, "Joy Bomb: Unleash Jesus's Explosive Joy for an Extraordinary Life," that true joy is "rooted in God's unchanging character and boundless love for us." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For parishioners and staff of St. Rita's Catholic Church, making sense of tragedy and trauma alongside the belief in a loving God is not a spiritual exercise, but a stark reality in the wake of the devasting flood waters that took the lives of two young parishioners, Blair and Brooke Harber. The sisters, 11 and 13, were found fifteen miles downstream from the cabin they slept in with their grandparents; their bodies still clinging to one another. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Fr. Joshua Whitfield, pastor of St. Rita's, talks about faith in a God who would allow young children with so much passion for their faith to die so suddenly and tragically. Father Whitfield explains how their faith in so many ways has been deepened; how the girls' heartbroken parents have been comforted through the Catholic Mass, knowing that Jesus is not some distant deity, but the God who died on a cross and is with them in their sorrow and pain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Experts warn that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamani is fighting a long-haul Holy War against Israel and the West. In this kind of campaign, bombs and bullets are bound to have limited success against the Islamic Republic. It's good for securing peace for a few months or years; that resembles more the absence of conflict, rather than the presence of true shalom lasting for countless generations. That's why Christian missionaries Tom and JoAnn Doyle are meeting the challenge, mounting a struggle with an arsenal of biblical proportions; meeting on the battlefield of spiritual warfare, hearts and minds. Their Uncharted Ministries is taking the Word of God into some of the most dangerous zones in the Middle East, Iran being one of them. From smuggling in Bibles — which are illegal to own — to supporting house churches — also illegal — to setting up a ministry for teenage girls to help them avoid being married off to Muslim men who are sometimes many times their age. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, the Doyles unwrap the current conflict, revealing what the people of Iran, Israel, Jordan and beyond are telling them about the Ayatollah's regime, and how most are applauding America for military moves against the Iranian regime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Israel has been strategic in its fight with Iran, targeting its proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, before going after the source itself, the Islamic Republic. But there is a spiritual strategic operation underway in Iran as well. It's moving under the radar and may do more to bring down the terrorist regime than any bomb or military arsenal. It's the movement to convert the people of Iran. The organization "Transform Iran" was founded by ex-pats, Christians who fled the country soon after the 1979 revolution. Their sole mission and purpose is to reach the people of Iran with the message of the Gospel. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith, Lana Silk, CEO of Transform Iran and the daughter of its founders, talks about the politics of what's happening in Iran as it wages a Holy War against Israel and the West, but also how the more effective victory is the message of Jesus Christ being embraced by the people looking to free themselves from under the oppressive government's control. Silk says while Iran is officially 99.4% Muslim, the reality is fewer than half of the people practice the faith. And in a country where it is illegal to convert from Islam or own a Bible or go to a Christian house church, people are accepting Christ by the thousands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Supreme Court's decision to affirm Tennessee's ban on so called "Gender Affirming Care" was a victory for people like activist/attorney Lois McLatchie Miller. On June 6, police in Brussels, Belgium arrested her and child protection advocate Chris Elston (aka "Billboard Chris") for peacefully displaying signs promoting the protection of children against transgender medical treatments. Their signs read “Children are never born in the wrong body” and “Children cannot consent to puberty blockers.” The pair went to the EU capital to engage members of the European Parliament about the dangers of puberty blockers for children. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Miller, an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom International, reacts to the Justices' decision, and also talks about her experiences being arrested for standing up for her deeply held beliefs that "children are made in the image of God, and they are made as beings that should be loved and cherished."  Miller shares how instead of addressing the mob threatening them, the police arrested the two holding signs. She says it's a blatant example of how deep Western culture has aligned itself with the transgender movement and pushes back aggressively against any who challenge its orthodoxy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The most patriotic day for America is July 4th when we celebrate the country's birthday commemorating the Founding Fathers' signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But the month of June that precedes it is filled with three commemorative days also steeped in faith and patriotism, made possible because of what happened at the Second Continental Congress as America woke up to its power as a free Republic, and its even greater responsibility to bow down to Divine Providence. Flag Day, Father's Day, and Juneteenth. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, historian, best-selling author and speaker William Federer explains how all three of these special days exist only because of the authority the signers gave to the vital importance of faith in an Almighty God, and the value of the family. Hear how Father's Day began because of the worst coal mining explosion in the nation's history; how the American flag stands as a standard that should unite all Americans; and how Juneteenth celebrates the day the last slaves were told they were free from bondage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Ohio Governor John Kasich believes the power of faith is not just a tool for personal happiness and fulfillment, but a great resource to help build communities and solve some of our most pressing concerns like poverty, health care, and building strong neighborhoods. Not content to leave civic involvement to government agencies, Kasich, who's also a former Fox News Channel contributor and GOP presidential candidate, sees religious institutions as the best hope for trench warfare against the evils of our time. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Kasich discusses his book, "Heaven Help Us," and how faith groups don't need government to strengthen communities; only a person with a great idea whose willing to work, like the man who was inspired by his meeting with Mother Theresa and went home and delivered groceries to a couple of homes, and now is feeding over a half a million daily. Good works are infectious. And it's the kind of virus that brings positive changes all around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Celebrity marriages come and go... and they do so rather quickly and often. But a true power couple is one where both man and woman, individually, are first devoted to God. So says Grammy Award-winning Christian artist Rebecca St. James and her filmmaker and pop band co-founder Cubbie Fink. Each found success in their careers before they even met, and both held up a godly standard for dating and for potential mates. Now married for 14 years, they have three children and full schedules. In this season of weddings and the hope in a love that lasts forever, St. James and Fink offer advice to couples on what gives a marriage the power to succeed. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith, the couple talks about their new book, "Lasting Ever: Faith, Music, Family & Being Found By True Love." The book's title is the giveaway, because the only true love available to the whole of humanity, is the love that survives into eternity, the love of Jesus Christ. Through ups and downs and sickness and health, marriage is a journey that needs Divine Guidance, to give it the best chance to not just survive, but thrive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Torah is made up of the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Both Christians and Jews revere these books as containing incredible wisdom and a wealth of knowledge of who God is and His purpose for humanity. But theologian and author Mark Gerson actually thinks the Torah should be in the self-help section of bookstores for its wealth of common-sense instructions on how we can have fulfilled lives. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Gerson, entrepreneur and Jewish leader, unpacks his book "God Was Right", explaining how social scientists today prove the Torah true; not just subjectively, but objectively. When it comes to marriage, dating, money management, etc., the Torah (the book Moses penned several millennia ago) is true to its Word. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Attorney Vernadette Broyles knows her biology and science when it comes to gender and sexuality. She has an undergraduate degree in biology from Yale and was headed to medical school before the legal profession became her passion. She now advocates for children and parents, walking alongside them in their legal battles against the powerful lobby and juggernaut of the gender ideological movement that’s pushing transgenderism on children in schools, government, and the culture at large - stripping parents of their rights to determine their children's care. Broyles is the President and General Counsel for Child & Parental Rights Campaign. She and her team have created tools for churches, pastors and parents called The Church Transgender Response Guide. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Broyles explains the deeper evil fueling the transgender movement, its historical roots, and the legal cases she’s now taking on. She’s sounding the alarm, offering churches videos, in person training, and even zoom calls. A full court press to fight back and give parents and churches the ammunition to live out their God given authority. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney Thursday evening, Fr. Roger Landry, like millions around the world, waited to see who among the 133 cardinals had just become the 267th successor to St. Peter. He knew to listen for the Latin version of the Cardinal's birth name in order to translate to a media outlet. He knew there were only four Cardinals with the first name Robert. But he was listening for "Petrus", thinking that getting white smoke on the fourth ballot of the conclave must mean that the frontrunner, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, had secured the needed two thirds vote. But instead, he heard Robertus... And he was shocked! This is the drama that unfolded in St. Peter's Square as tens of thousands packed into the piazza and the Via della Consilizione, cheered as the Basilicas bells peeled with joy knowing Habemus Papem, "We have a Pope!" On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast coming to you from Rome, Italy, Fr. Landry, the National Director of Pontifical Missions Societies USA, talks about that moment when he realized the first American born pope had just been elected. The former Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, surprised the world. Who is he? Why did he impress the electors so thoroughly? Fr. Landry has insights and predictions about this American made pontiff who truly is more citizen of the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The movie Conclave, stocked with A-list Hollywood talent, has attracted much more attention since the death of Pope Francis and the impending Conclave to choose his successor. But how closely does the movie mirror the actual secretive event that has taken place for centuries under the frescoed walls of the Sistine Chapel? For veteran Vatican journalist and author John Allen, the only truth that is in the movie is that "Cardinals do vote for the pope." Unlike the election of a new president of the United States which occurs every four years, electing a pope occurs only when the person occupying the throne of St. Peter dies. St. John Paul II was pope 27 years, a very long period of time. Pope Benedict XVI was pope eight years, and Pope Francis, twelve years. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith, coming to you from Rome in the shadows St. Peter's Basilica, Allen talks about what the movie got wrong, which is most of it, and some of which was true to form. He also elaborates on some of the top contenders from the College of Cardinals who are papabile, Pope-able. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Courtney Walsh is an American who has lived in Rome for most of her adult life. She speaks Italian fluently, is married to an Italian, they have three children — one of which is getting married this summer in the Italian countryside — and for several decades, Walsh has covered the Vatican, reporting on the popes, traveling on the papal plane coordinating coverage for several networks. She is the consummate producer, the often-unsung hero, and the source of a plethora of inside information that other journalists rely on to do their jobs best. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Walsh reflects on Pope Francis, his death, his life, and what it's like working with the Vatican Press Office, covering one of the most historical events of modern day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus Christ rising from the dead. That day changed the trajectory of a world drowning in sin. God broke through the barrier separating Him from His highest and most valuable creation... humanity. But believing in the Resurrection of Jesus means believing in the supernatural, in a vast world of power that exists outside the realm of physical matter. Author Lee Strobel says the Resurrection is part of the plethora of spiritual mysteries in the Bible and also in our modern world today. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Strobel talks about his book, "Seeing The Supernatural". The Supernatural includes angels, demons, mystical dreams, near-death experiences, and of course, the Resurrection. Many of these mysteries have been investigated and studied separately. But putting them all together as part of a massive metaphysical reality is a game changer, because it means all these mysteries point to One Being who controls it all.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How many Roman soldiers does it take to arrest one man? If the man is Jesus of Nazareth... hundreds. On the night of His arrest, Jesus's reputation was that of power and miracles. The Romans were taking no chances. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see the Lord of all creation humbling Himself to take the place of humanity. He knows His arrest will end with death by crucifixion. But what happens on that night in that Garden has far more inciteful details than most biblical readers have fathomed, like who was that young man who ran away from the soldiers naked after being stripped of his loin cloth? Or the High Priest's servant whose ear is cut off? Why are these and more events even included in the biblical narrative? On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, theologian Rick Renner explores his new book for adults and children, "Easter: The Rest of the Story." He explains how even the most minute details of the various scenes in the Garden are important to understanding who Jesus is and what He came to do. He is God incarnate, come into the world to pay the penalty of sin for all of humanity, for all time. Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is the cornerstone of Christianity. Without it, nothing in the Garden makes sense.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Polls show the vast majority of people believe in miracles. But what is a miracle? When does a healing defy the laws of medicine? Investigative journalist and author Billy Hallowell journeyed through the realm of the supernatural and the natural to find out if miracles do happen, why they happen, and why they don't happen. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Hallowell talks about his documentary "Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles", now streaming on Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN). Hallowell says the bar was set pretty high to determine if someone indeed was miraculously healed, that there could be no other scientific reason for the healing. The investigation focuses on several different people including the case of Dr. Chauncey Crandall, a cardiologist who prayed over a patient who suffered a massive heart attack and had no pulse for 40 minutes. The patient was given one more jolt from the defibrillator after Crandall's prayers and his heart began beating. But that was only part of the miracle... The patient had no resulting brain damage. But why was Crandall's prayer for his patient answered, and yet years before his prayer for his own dying child was not? That, Hallowell says, is part of the mystery of our walk with God in searching for a miracle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thirty-two years ago, finance expert Art Ally got tired of investing in companies that had a track record of diverting from biblical moral principles. So, he created The Timothy Plan, an investment firm that would screen out companies that pursued "unholy agendas," like abortion, pornography or sex trafficking. And the biblical directive has been profitable... to the tune of nearly $3 billion in the fund. But that's not the first priority. The often-misquoted verse in the Bible, Timothy 6:10, doesn't say money is the root of all evil, but that the "love of money" is the root of all evil. It's a big distinction. It means people of faith should put God first and make decisions about investments that align with God's Word. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Ally speaks frankly about the spiritual warfare going on in the financial world, and that companies like Disney and Target have lost their way morally. They are not even considered as part of a Timothy Plan portfolio. While supporting Israel, as the land of God's chosen people is the basis of their Israel Common Values Fund. Why is it important to care about where your money goes? Ally says, because there's nothing more central to anyone's life than money. And there's nothing more important than glorifying God. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a spiritual battle waging in the world today. It's the same ancient warfare waged since the beginning of time. Today's manifestation is targeting our children. Christian author and speaker Laine Lawson Craft is out to give parents the spiritual ammunition they'll need to bring their prodigal child back into the fold of faith. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, Craft talks about her devotional "Warfare Parenting" and the book it's based on "The Parent's Battle Plan." Craft says her "aha moment" came during several fights with her three children. There would be screaming and shouting over how each wanted to live their lives. Then she realized... she wasn't fighting against her child, but with the forces of evil that are out to kill and destroy them. Drugs, alcohol, sexual promiscuity, depression and thoughts of suicide are part of the spiritual forces of evil today. Craft says, prayer and handing a child over to God, is one of the first steps a parent must take. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A split-second look in the direction of a screaming baby out of the corner of the bride's eye became a viral TikTok video and sparked a wave of heated debates about 'childless' weddings. Texas bride Claire Kendall Taetz now regrets posting the video, which she thought would be a lighthearted way to 'get over' the crying baby interruption at the most important event of her life. But instead, it's become a source of pain. The video has had more than 3.5 million views online, the story surfacing on Facebook, People, New York Post and more, while garnering more than three thousand comments; the majority of which are positive. But the small percentage of haters has shaken her. The comments were mean and spiteful, and some even questioning whether or not she's a 'good Christian'. On this episode of Lighthouse Faith podcast, newlywed Taetz talks about the ordeal that has shocked her to her core, while also driving her deeper into her identity in Christ, and helped along the way by the devotional "Light For Today", written by the host of this Lighthouse Faith podcast, Lauren Green. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your faith and your finances don't have to live in two separate worlds. In fact, counter to popular opinion, the Bible has some very positive things to say about the accumulation of wealth. But it also, of course, has some negative things to say as well. One of the most misquoted verses in the Bible is 1 Timothy 6:10. It's quoted as "Money is the root of all evil." But that's not actually what the verse says. It actually says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil." What's the difference? Well, having money is not a bad thing, it's when money has you. It's when money becomes your fundamental trust instead of the God who allowed you to prosper. Fox Business anchor Charles Payne joins this special edition of Lighthouse Faith podcast to discuss a special episode of his show "Making Money" this week. It's called "A Matter of Faith," about how more and more people are using their faith to guide their portfolios. Catch the special Tuesday, March 11th at 2pm ET on FBN! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices