In Good Faith BYUradio

Steven Kapp Perry speaks in-person with the Smiths. They each share how they were called to ministry and answered that call. They describe how to discern the voice of God in our lives, including how He has helped them and their children find a higher purpose. Dr. Welton Smith is the pastor of the Greater Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is involved in AIDS Awareness and Men’s Health issues. Reverend Debra Smith focuses on women’s issues and education.

Pastor Welton Smith and Reverend Debra Smith have labored together in ministry for over twenty years. Both have served Churches, Conventions, and the U.S. Military as Facilitators, Messengers, and Instructors. They are anointed to teach, preach and heal through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Currently they serve at the Greater Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church in Las Vegas.

This week, Steve meets Sam Wilkinson, author of "Purpose: What Evolution and Human Nature Imply about the Meaning of Our Existence." They discuss the idea that knowledge, both in science and in religion, are ever expanding. They also explore the psychological connection between serving a greater cause and feeling joy.

Samuel T. Wilkinson is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Yale Depression Research Program. He received his MD from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His articles have been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.

In this episode of In Good Faith, Steven Kapp Perry speaks with Antonia Tomao. She shares a touching story of recovery from a brain tumor. During this difficult time, she learned to lean on God. After her recovery, she started a business to help others who are enduring a difficulty realize that they are not alone.

Antonia is the CEO of Antonia’s Promise, originally creating cross jewelry as a symbol of “brokenness” and a reminder that prayer and our trust in God will help us heal as a symbol of hope. She hopes that wearing or having these crosses will remind people that they are not alone in their suffering because God is with them.

How do you teach kids spiritual values? How do you have conversations that increase their empathy with other religious traditions? Steve sits down with podcaster and curriculum developer Jon Ogden. Jon shares how his religious upbringing inspired him to create a method to help families practice spirituality by drawing on the world's wisdom literature.

Jon has worked as a teacher, curriculum creator, content director, and writer. He’s coupled that work with a decades-long study of the world’s wisdom traditions. John seeks for ways to keep the best of the past alive while evolving beyond its limitations. At Uplift Kids, he’s taking this interest in wisdom literature from around the world to help create community, alongside his spouse, for his two sons.

Why do bad things happen to good people? How can we wrestle with God in times of trial? In this episode of In Good Faith, Steve sits down with local friend Susan Murphy. The discussion follows her journey with Catholicism and Christianity. Susan Murphy shares what she has learned in helping victims of sexual assault and incest, and how religion can provide a unique sense to healing.

Susan Murphy is on the Children’s Church Committee at the Provo Community Congregational United Church of Christ. She holds a seminary degree from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis and is a co-founder of Daughters of Lot, an abused women’s resource in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Steve speaks with Philip Goldberg about spirituality and how it can affect our understandings of other religions. Never before has the spiritual landscape been as diverse and abundant as it is today. Philip explains his anti-religious upbringing, how he learned about Eastern traditions, and how hosting an interfaith podcast has changed his life.

Philip Goldberg is the author or co-author of numerous books, public speaker, spiritual counselor, and ordained Interfaith Minister. A resident of Great Barrington, MA, in the heart of the Berkshires, he leads American Veda Tours to India, conducts online courses and workshops, and contributes regularly to several publications. He also hosts the Spirit Matters podcast.