Cedarville Stories

Cedarville University
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  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Cedarville Stories podcast shares the stories of individuals who have been impacted from their experiences at Cedarville University, all for God's glory. Each week you’ll hear unique stories of how Cedarville’s mission of transforming lives through excellent education and intentional discipleship in submission to biblical authority is being lived out in the lives of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the University. Listen in each Wednesday and be blessed by some of the amazing ways God is working in and through the lives of the Cedarville family.

  1. 1D AGO

    S14:E16 | Renee Sallee: A Song of Worship in the Midst of Motherhood

    A Song of Worship in the Midst of Motherhood  In the quiet, faithful work of motherhood, Renee (O’Neal) Sallee ’10 has learned a truth strong enough to carry both a family and a song: God is enough. That conviction now rests at the heart of her music, ministry, and home.  A 2010 graduate of Cedarville University with a degree in early childhood education, Renee records music as Renee Leanne, creating songs that rise out of worship and gently invite others to do the same. Her album, Lift Your Eyes, carries that invitation with warmth and hope, urging listeners to turn from the weight of their burdens and fix their hearts on the faithfulness of God.  She and her husband, fellow Cedarville grad Brian Sallee ’07, are raising four boys in a season full of noise, movement, and holy responsibility. In the middle of that full life, Renee has learned that worship is not confined to a platform or a microphone. As she shared on the Cedarville Stories podcast, worship begins with a surrendered heart, “on your knees, looking up.” That posture has shaped the way she sings, mothers, and serves.  There is a homespun tenderness in the way Renee talks about ministry to women. She hopes her music can travel “from one rocking chair to another,” meeting mothers in the quiet places where much of their faithfulness unfolds. She understands the ministry of repetition, the long afternoons, the whispered prayers, and the deep need for strength that does not come from self. Her message is simple and deeply comforting: The Lord sees, stays near, and is worthy of praise in every season.  That is why Renee especially wants to encourage mothers who are carrying the quiet weight of daily faithfulness. She knows many women are pouring themselves out in unseen ways, and she wants them to remember that worship is not one more task to accomplish; it is a grace that lifts the heart and roots the soul.  In worship, believers are formed by truth. In worship, parents learn to lead with humility and hope. In worship, children begin to see what faithful love looks like in daily life. Homes grow stronger when they are shaped by the joy of belonging to the one true God.  Through Lift Your Eyes, her testimony, and the life she is building with her family, Renee offers a hopeful witness. God receives every surrendered voice, strengthens every trusting heart, and uses worship to build faithful believers, godly parents, and children who learn to follow Him. https://share.transistor.fm/s/81469219 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkbN0kvq078

    36 min

  2. APR 15

    S14:E15 | Houser, Young, and Shore: Behind the Music

    Behind the Music Behind the scenes at K-LOVE and Air1, ministry feels deeply personal. What listeners hear as a song, a familiar voice, or a timely word starts long before the microphone turns on. It begins with a team that believes what people listen to really matters because what fills the mind often shapes the heart. That belief fuels the work of Cedarville University graduates Jim Houser ’91, Chief Radio Officer; Mandy Young ’99, Vice President of Radio; and Steve Shore ’02, Music Platform Program Manager. Together, they help lead a ministry that reaches far beyond radio towers and playlists. Every song choice, on-air moment, and programming decision is shaped by a clear purpose: to bring hope, encouragement, and the truth of Christ into everyday life. What gives the ministry its reach is the thoughtful work that happens long before a song ever plays. Off the air, teams are praying, planning, listening, and asking what people need most. They understand that music does more than fill silence. It can reset a home after a hard day, bring peace into a tense commute, or turn someone’s thoughts back toward God when anxiety starts to rise. That daily care shapes every part of the network, creating a sound that is hopeful, grounded, and centered on Jesus. That is why K-LOVE and Air1 continue to make such a lasting difference: In a noisy world, they offer something steady and life-giving. They encourage believers who need hope for today and welcome people who may be hearing about Jesus for the first time. The ministry’s future is just as inspiring as its present. As K-LOVE and Air1 keep growing across radio, digital platforms — now reaching 18 million people a week — and new ways of connecting with listeners, their mission remains clear: meet people where they are and point them to Jesus. Houser, Young, and Shore recently talked about the impact of Christian radio on the Cedarville Stories podcast. Their conversation offered a warm glimpse into a ministry that keeps showing up, serving faithfully, and changing lives one song or story at a time. https://share.transistor.fm/s/733ca10f https://youtu.be/OkQlfbPKsps

    37 min

  3. APR 8

    S14:E14 | Houser, Young, and Shore: From Cedarville to K-LOVE

    From Cedarville to K-LOVE Three Cedarville broadcasting alumni now serve in senior leadership at K-LOVE and Air1 Media Networks — and their shared story is as meaningful as it is remarkable. Jim Houser ’91, Chief Radio Officer; Mandy Young ’99, Vice President of Radio; and Steve Shore ’02, Music Platform Program Manager, are each helping lead the largest contemporary Christian music radio network in the country. When the three joined the Cedarville Stories podcast, they shared memories, laughed about their college days, and reflected on the people and moments at Cedarville that helped shape them long before they stepped into executive leadership. Again and again, their conversation pointed back to the same theme: Cedarville prepared them for the industry and ministry. Through the broadcasting program, influential faculty, and the University’s steady commitment to biblical truth, they developed the skills, conviction, and faith that continue to guide their leadership today. For Jim Houser, that journey was especially personal. He recalled coming to Cedarville after losing his father and feeling spiritually untethered. On the drive to campus, he heard Christian radio for the first time — a moment that became part of God’s gentle redirection in his life. Looking back, it is easy to see how the Lord used that season, and Cedarville itself, to shape both his calling and his future in Christian media. The trio also spoke with deep gratitude about Cedarville’s commitment to “the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ.” That foundation, they shared, has remained a constant anchor in both life and leadership. Today, Houser, Young, and Shore are serving at the highest levels of Christian radio, reaching more than 18 million worldwide each week with excellence, humility, and purpose. Their story is a powerful reminder that Cedarville graduates are not only entering the field — they are helping lead it. https://share.transistor.fm/s/58f0cbbc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKhcIb68NeA

    37 min

  4. APR 1

    S14:E13 | Dr. Will Smallwood: Celebrating $205.8M and Future Cedarville Sphere

    Celebrating $205.8 Million and Future Cedarville Sphere The future of Cedarville University seems to rise right out of the waters of Cedar Lake on the latest Cedarville Stories podcast. The conversation opens with the kind of news that gives Cedarville plenty to celebrate. Dr. Will Smallwood, Cedarville’s Vice President for Advancement, reflects on the strong finish of the 1000 Days Transformed Campaign, which raised a record-setting $205.8 million. He describes a campus humming with momentum — scholarships are transforming students’ lives, new facilities reshaping daily routines, and generous gifts strengthening Cedarville’s mission for years to come. That momentum is already showing up across campus. Students are learning in new and upgraded spaces, living in expanded housing, and stepping into opportunities that would have seemed out of reach only a few years ago. Smallwood points to the growing number of students serving with Global Outreach teams, discipleship thriving in residence halls and chapel, and a University determined to remain faithful to its mission. Cedarville, he explains, is not simply enjoying the success of a completed campaign. It is stewarding those gifts carefully and putting them to work right now. That makes the next part of the conversation sound even more believable. As attention turns to rumors about Cedarville’s future, one idea begins to loom larger than the rest: the Cedarville Sphere. Not a simple bridge over the lake. Not merely another campus building. A sphere. A striking, immersive, 100,000-square-foot venue rising in the middle of Cedar Lake, wrapped in a 360-degree LED display and designed to reimagine chapel, classes, concerts, and even athletic events. With talk of renderings, architectural conversations, innovation, and a projected $400 million price tag, the vision sounds ambitious but not impossible for a University riding a wave of growth and generosity. In fact, it sounds like classic Cedarville — daring, distinctive, and centered on student transformation. The vision feels bold, but not outlandish for a University fresh off a historic campaign and full of forward-looking energy. For most of the episode, the Cedarville Sphere stands there in the imagination like the next big step, a landmark-sized symbol of a campus already expanding in remarkable ways. But beware of the loftiness of the idea. In fact, you’ll want to stay tuned to the entire program to dissect fact from fiction on this special April podcast. Clearly, the playful ending of the Cedarville Sphere does not take away from the larger story. It sharpens it. Cedarville may not be building a glowing globe on Cedar Lake, but it is clearly building something lasting in the lives of its students. https://share.transistor.fm/s/77f2c625 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5JI5Gi4NlY

    31 min

  5. MAR 25

    S14:E12 | Eric and Kara Gilmore: Helping Foster Teens Find Their Place

    Helping Foster Teens Find Their Place Fifteen years ago, Eric ’03 and Kara (Howe) ’04 Gilmore began noticing a pattern that would not let them rest. Teenagers in Arkansas entered foster care or aged out with little consistent support. In fact, many reached legal adulthood without housing, reliable work, or someone to call family. Their Cedarville University years had planted a conviction in them to care for the vulnerable and pursue those who are forgotten. That conviction took on a new urgency as Eric and Kara opened their home to teens as foster parents and watched how quickly hope could fray without steady relationships. Those up-close experiences led them to launch Immerse Arkansas in Little Rock. Immerse Arkansas opened as a small, hospitable space and grew into a community that mixes practical help with consistent presence. A teen’s first visit often looks practical and tender: a hot meal, a warm shower, clothes, if needed, an offer of prayer, and someone who will listen. These small acts of kindness create room for trust. A weekly Tuesday gathering anchors that trust. Around a shared meal, mentors, volunteers, and participants trade stories, celebrate milestones, and sometimes sit in silence. The rhythm of the gathering — familiar faces, ordinary conversation, and steady hospitality — provides many young people with the only place where they feel seen. Staff and volunteers continue to walk alongside young people in a hands-on way — listening, encouraging, and celebrating small wins while helping with interviews, applications, and connections to housing or transportation. Some teens stop by once; others stay for months and even join an alumni circle that still calls Immerse home. On average, participants engage for about a year, a season the team uses to open doors and plan next steps. The Gilmores measure success in human terms: a steady paycheck, a key to an apartment, or a returned smile. They also carry a clear aim — if a teen must enter foster care, Arkansas should be the best place in the nation to be there. Churches, state partners, and local organizations have embraced that vision and are working with Immerse to strengthen the safety net. Eric and Kara recently shared the story of Immerse on the Cedarville Stories podcast, reflecting on how their campus seasons shaped their calling and how, 15 years on, Immerse keeps offering practical support, steady relationships, and a place many young people can call home. https://share.transistor.fm/s/1f11b28a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq75Ira96d0

    38 min

  6. MAR 18

    S14:E11 | Sam Sofio: Walking With Lyme, Walking With God

    Walking With Lyme, Walking With God Sam Sofio carried a simple dream of attending Christian university where faith wasn’t an accessory but the air everyone breathed. He pictured chapel worship and professors who prayed before class. He also sensed a calling to tell stories that point people to God. Then his health took a hard turn, and money worries crept in. He woke up bone-tired no matter how long he slept. Headaches throbbed behind his eyes, his joints ached, and his mind stayed foggy. Ordinary days started to feel like hills with no summit, and his dream began to look expensive and impossible. Sam refused to pretend it didn’t hurt. He carried his questions to the Lord, sometimes through clenched teeth, and he learned a quiet truth: God never stepped back. In long nights and slow mornings, Sam found the Father near — steady, faithful, and kind. He spent many hours searching for answers. He clicked through articles and forums. He tried to name what was stealing his strength and hope to attend a Christian university. When Lyme disease finally entered the conversation, it brought relief and new complexity at the same time. Treatments took patience, and setbacks took humility. Chronic illness demanded daily courage. Still, God met Sam in his struggles and comforted him so he could comfort others. Little by little, God kept Sam’s dream alive. Doors opened, and provision came when it mattered most. Strength arrived in measured portions — enough for the next step. As the fog lifted just enough to see forward, one path came into focus: the Christian campus he had prayed for. That path led him to Cedarville University. The suffering didn’t end, yet God kept Sam steady through it. Cedarville became the place where Sam could keep healing, learning, and walking with the Lord. Now, Sam studies professional writing and information design as a junior. He hopes, Lord willing, to serve a Christian nonprofit like Samaritan’s Purse after graduating in 2027. He wants to tell on-the-ground stories that help prayer partners and donors see what God is doing. Sam doesn’t waste his scars. He advocates for others battling Lyme disease and other chronic illnesses, speaking up so they don’t feel invisible, and he’s shared his journey in places he never imagined. From a Health and Human Services panel to a conversation with HHS Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., Sam carries one steady message wherever God sends him: The Lord meets people in suffering, and He stays. https://share.transistor.fm/s/8aeede8b https://youtu.be/6y9qK0R8LbY

    34 min

  7. MAR 11

    S14:E10 | Marlee Benson: A Story Bigger Than Football

    A Story Bigger Than Football Redemption opens like a familiar football story — with helmets, stadium lights, and the pressure to win — but quickly clarifies its real focus: Jesus changing lives inside The Ohio State Buckeyes’ program. Available through The Wonder Project on Amazon Prime, this docuseries follows an ongoing spiritual revival that can’t be measured on a scoreboard. Behind it are two unlikely executive producers: Marlee and Matt Benson, a husband-and-wife duo who stepped into filmmaking because they believed the message mattered. When Marlee shared how Redemption became a reality on the Cedarville Stories podcast, she made one thing clear: She and Matt didn’t start as film professionals. Marlee is a 2021 Cedarville University graduate with a degree in communication, and she and Matt are simply people who love sports and Jesus. They were surprised to find themselves telling a story so much bigger than their own experiences. The docuseries idea was sparked at church. Marlee and Matt listened as former Buckeye tight end Gee Scott Jr. shared his testimony, and the idea arrived with clarity. They needed to share what God has been doing in and through these players. Marlee and Matt didn’t have a roadmap, so they prayed. They prayed when they felt unqualified, when the logistics looked impossible, and when the responsibility of representing real people and real faith felt heavy. Then, the prayers started turning into tangible steps. A production company came alongside them. Funding followed in the form of hundreds of thousands of dollars that seemed out of reach for two newcomers. And as the project grew, it gained the backing of former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow, lending his credibility and support to a story centered on Christ rather than fame. Even with resources, the hardest work stayed relational. Marlee and Matt had to tell the stories of multiple players who stood for Christ without flattening them into slogans. They had to earn trust deep enough for players to share truthfully, not carefully. They chose transparency because the message mattered more than the optics: Jesus transforms lives, and that transformation gives hope in the middle of pressure, performance, and public scrutiny. As the story took shape, Marlee kept noticing how the players talked about prayer: not as a lever to pull for wins but as a way to stay close to God when life doesn’t go the way they want. Gee Scott Jr. puts words to it near the end of the series: People sometimes treat prayer like a path to a national championship, but God doesn’t promise that. What He promises, as Romans 8:28 says, is to work all things together for good for those who love Him, even when the “all things” include delays, doubts, and hard conversations. By the time Redemption was finished, Marlee realized the story had been working on her, too, reshaping how she saw faith in the middle of pressure and performance. Watching players talk about Christ’s joy shook her out of spiritual routine. Their excitement renewed her own faith and reminded her that God still changes people in the present tense. That’s the quiet thread running through the whole project. Two fans stepped forward with open hands, not because they were experts, but because they were willing storytellers for God’s glory. They pursued excellence, faced obstacles honestly, and kept praying through every unknown, driven by the belief that if even one person met Jesus through this story, it would be worth it. And in the end, Marlee and Matt watched God create hope on the screen through testimonies that kept echoing long after the credits rolled. https://share.transistor.fm/s/f5a8343b https://youtu.be/tqF2jbZdyAc

    33 min

  8. MAR 4

    S14:E09 | Dr. Megan Brown and Malena Ball: Stocking Classrooms, Building Futures

    Stocking Classrooms, Building Futures A first-year teacher stands in an empty classroom with a key in her hand and a knot in her stomach. Twenty-six desks. Bare walls. One loud thought: School starts soon, and the room has almost nothing. Dr. Megan Brown, an associate professor of education at Cedarville University, knows that moment well. Coursework can cover research and best practices. Training can shape strong habits. Still, the first year in a real classroom brings a different kind of weight — especially when the space begins as a blank slate. Megan teaches literacy courses to future educators, and she talks plainly about what teaching requires. Learning is hands-on. Students need materials in their fingers so ideas can stick in their minds. Yet school budgets only stretch so far. Families can only do so much. Teachers often fill the gaps with their own money: pencils, tissues, notebooks, cleaning supplies, even backpacks. For a new teacher, those costs add up quickly. That’s where Malena Ball comes in. A 2022 Cedarville graduate with a degree in strategic communication, Malena now serves as marketing director for Crayons to Classrooms. In that role, she helps connect educators to practical, personal support. The Dayton-area nonprofit provides free classroom supplies for teachers in 144 schools, reaching more than 50,000 students through the teachers it serves. Malena has watched teachers push carts down the aisles and still expect a bill. “How much do I owe?” they ask, looking at the price tags left on some items to show their value. Volunteers smile back. “Nothing.” Relief softens shoulders, and gratitude shows up as tears. Being seen does that. Crayons to Classrooms stocks the consumables that disappear by October — glue sticks, erasers, paper, pencils. But Malena calls it more than a resource center. It’s a care center. Teachers find air filters, hygiene products, Band-Aids, sanitizer, and tissues. Those supplies don’t just serve learning. They support dignity, comfort, and confidence. Megan watched one new teacher arrive after visiting her classroom for the first time. Empty room. End of July. No paycheck yet. She left with two full carts squeezed into a small car and a face filled with relief. Now there was something to build with. That “something” reaches far past academics. A spare notebook helps a student keep up. A backpack handed quietly to a child in foster care says, “This is yours.” A pencil offered without a lecture says, “You matter here.” Megan and Malena shared these stories on the Cedarville Stories podcast. Their message? Equip teachers with training, care, and supplies. When teachers feel supported, students feel it too. And that feeling can shape those students’ futures. https://share.transistor.fm/s/7fa1e2bd https://youtu.be/_4X2P8hjSuk

    42 min
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Trailer

4.6
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

Cedarville Stories podcast shares the stories of individuals who have been impacted from their experiences at Cedarville University, all for God's glory. Each week you’ll hear unique stories of how Cedarville’s mission of transforming lives through excellent education and intentional discipleship in submission to biblical authority is being lived out in the lives of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the University. Listen in each Wednesday and be blessed by some of the amazing ways God is working in and through the lives of the Cedarville family.

Information

  • Creator
    Cedarville University
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    343
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Cedarville University 2019

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