MercyCast

Let My People Go
  • 5.0 (21)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
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Have you ever hit a wall and asked yourself, "What do I do now? How will I ever get past this?" If you are human and have a pulse, you probably have. The MercyCast is a podcast dedicated to learning the subtle art of compassion through the adversity of everyday life. Join Raleigh Sadler, the host, as he has honest and thought-provoking conversations with friends he has met along the way. Each Wednesday, listen to the encouraging true stories of people, like you and me, who are learning compassion through hard times. For more information and show notes, go to mercycast.com.

  1. Genee Francis on staying connected in relationships.

    12H AGO

    Genee Francis on staying connected in relationships.

    Two people can sit at the same table, raise the same kids, and still slowly drift apart. Schedules replace conversations. Logistics replace intimacy. And somewhere along the way, two people stop feeling seen. In this episode of the Mercycast, I talk with Genee Francis, Assistant Director for Content and Programming at WinShape Marriage. We discuss marriage, emotional connection, faith, and how couples can quietly drift apart over time. Genee offers useful advice from her years of helping couples reconnect before distance turns into disconnection. We discuss building healthy marriages through regular connection, emotional safety, good communication, identity, sacrifice, and the idea that consistency matters more than perfection. One idea stood out to me in the course of our conversation: drifting apart can happen gradually, but it does not have to last forever. That matters because many couples assume distance means failure. Often, it simply means the relationship needs intentional care again. Key Takeaways Healthy marriages require intentional connection.Emotional safety creates deeper communication.Shared rhythms help couples stay current with each other.You can grow individually without growing apart.Drift happens slowly, but reconnection is possible.Covenant love calls for sacrifice, grace, and consistency.Memorable Quotes “You can still be you in marriage.”“The marital drift is a progressive loss of connection, but it is not permanent.”“Marriage is a selfless journey.”“United goals and vision help navigate tension.”Healthy marriages do not happen by accident. They are built on honesty, grace, and the choice to keep showing up for each other. If you’ve ever felt cut off, unseen, or unsure how to reconnect with your spouse, this conversation will encourage you. Please subscribe to the Mercycast, leave a review, and share this episode with anyone who could use some hope for their marriage, faith, or relationships. Learn more about Genee and her work at Winshape Marriage.  You can follow MercyCast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can follow Raleigh on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for listening. We want to hear from you! Email us at info@mercycast.com. For more conversations like this one, check out my book, Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-mercycast/exclusive-content

    44 min
  2. Brigitte Shipman on letting go.

    APR 29

    Brigitte Shipman on letting go.

    What happens when the life you planned slips through your hands? In this episode of the MercyCast, I sit down with author, speaker, and autism advocate Brigitte Shipman, host of The Mother’s Guide Through Autism podcast and author of A Mother's Guide Through Autism. Together, we talk about grief, letting go, self-compassion, and the long road of learning how to love without conditions or expectations. Brigitte shares the quiet moment that changed everything after her son Joseph’s autism diagnosis, and how decades of caregiving, exhaustion, pain, and grace reshaped her understanding of love. We explore what it means to stop white-knuckling life, to listen to your body, to practice gratitude, and to embrace grief rather than outrun it. This conversation is honest and deeply human. It’s about the stories we lose, the people we become, and the healing that happens when we finally let go. Key Takeaways Why unconditional love grows deeper through hardshipHow caregiving can disconnect us from ourselvesThe importance of self-regulation and gratitude practicesWhy grief wears many hats beyond death aloneHow awareness and acceptance create lasting changeWhat it means to “know better, do better.”How pain can become a teacher instead of an enemyWhy letting go is often the beginning of healing.If you’ve ever found yourself on the floor wondering how to stand back up, this episode is for you. Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with someone walking through grief, caregiving, or uncertainty. Your support helps us continue learning the art of compassion through the adversity of life. Learn more about Brigitte’s podcast, A Mother’s Guide through Autism. Also, don’t miss her book! You can follow MercyCast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can follow Raleigh on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for listening. We want to hear from you! Email us at info@mercycast.com. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-mercycast/exclusive-content

    39 min
  3. Rebecca Taguma on healing wounds of the heart.

    APR 22

    Rebecca Taguma on healing wounds of the heart.

    What do you do with pain that you can’t fix? In this episode of the MercyCast, I sit down with Rebecca Taguma from the American Bible Society to explore how God meets us in the middle of trauma, grief, and suffering. From refugee camps to local churches, we talk about how Scripture doesn’t avoid pain—it steps directly into it, offering real healing through truth, grace, and community. Rebecca shares her journey from serving vulnerable communities in Zimbabwe to leading trauma healing efforts around the world. We discuss how “heart wounds” impact our lives, why many of us struggle to face our own pain, and how God uses ordinary people to become safe, healing presences for others. I also reflect on how easy it is to isolate when life gets hard—and how the Gospel calls us back into community. Healing isn’t something we achieve alone. It happens when we bring our wounds into safe spaces and allow God to work through His people. This conversation is a reminder that you don’t need to be an expert to help—you just need to be willing, present, and rooted in God’s Word. Key Takeaways: You don’t need professional training to care for others—just a willingness to listen and be present.Trauma often isolates us, but healing happens in a safe, Christ-centered community.“Heart wounds” affect every part of our lives and need to be acknowledged, not ignored.Scripture provides a framework for understanding suffering, grief, and lament.God uses our own stories of pain to help us walk alongside others.Emotional resilience grows through vulnerability, not avoidance.Healing is a process—there are no quick fixes, but there is real hope.Listen, subscribe, and share the MercyCast—because what you’re facing isn’t the end of your story. Learn more about Rebecca’s work with Trauma Healing Institute and Restoring Hope. You can follow MercyCast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can follow Raleigh on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for listening. We want to hear from you! Email us at info@mercycast.com. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-mercycast/exclusive-content

    40 min
  4. Brendan McClenahan on loneliness, connection, and creation care.

    APR 15

    Brendan McClenahan on loneliness, connection, and creation care.

    The work seems small: hands in the dirt, neighbors gathered, scraps transformed into new life. But this care needs more than good intentions—it needs presence and staying power. In this episode of The MercyCast, Brendan McClanahan, Church Engagement Manager at Plant With Purpose, discusses creation care as living discipleship—not just environmentalism. His words challenged how I view mentoring, community, and even the earth. Brendan starts not with programs, but with people, identity, and the conviction that God restores all things and invites us in. Through stories of composting, shared meals, and daily faithfulness, we explore how creation care heals land, relationships, and the Church. This is not theory—it is gospel with dirt under its nails. Key Takeaways Discipleship is more than an idea; it is practiced tangibly with our hands, with our neighbors, and with the land.Creation care restores more than the environment. Tending the earth also means tending what is broken, whether systems, communities, or hearts.Community takes shape through practices like composting, shared meals, and being present with others. These foster a sense of belonging and enable personal change.The gospel reconnects what’s fractured. God’s mission is restoring all creation—including our relationships with one another and the world.The life you long for lies beyond discomfort. Invitation, vulnerability, and presence may cost you, but they lead to Jesus’s abundance. Call to Action If you feel disconnected—from God, others, or yourself—start small. Invite someone over, take a walk, or share a meal. Notice the ground beneath your feet. Want to go deeper? Explore Tend by Plant With Purpose and practice a faith that stays. The work may look small. But this is where restoration begins. Learn more about Brendan’s work with Tend.  Follow Tend on Facebook and Instagram You can follow MercyCast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can follow Raleigh on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for listening. We want to hear from you! Email us at info@mercycast.com. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-mercycast/exclusive-content

    46 min
  5. Elli Oswald on reimagining child welfare.

    APR 8

    Elli Oswald on reimagining child welfare.

    We say children belong in families—but our actions tell a different story. Nearly 90% of Christians believe kids thrive in a home, yet billions are still poured into orphanages. There’s a gap… between what we believe and what we build. That gap matters—and it’s shaping the lives of vulnerable children around the world. In this episode, I sit down with Elli Oswald, Executive Director of Faith to Action, an organization equipping churches to move from institutional care to family-based solutions. Elli brings data, theology, and real-world experience to a conversation the Church can’t afford to ignore. Here’s the tension: Nearly 70% of believers acknowledge that institutional care can actually hinder a child’s development, yet we keep supporting it. Why? Because it feels like the easiest way to help. But there aren’t silver bullets. Orphanages may meet physical needs—but they can’t replace family, connection, and belonging. And the reality is more complex than we think. Eight out of ten children in orphanages have a parent. Poverty, lack of access, and broken systems—not lack of love—are often the real drivers. Which means the solution isn’t separation. It’s support. Key Takeaways: “We’re not called to keep an orphan an orphan.” We’re called to restore families. This episode reframes orphan care, challenges outdated models, and offers practical ways the Church can lead in global child welfare—through family reunification, community support, and sustainable, faith-based solutions. So here’s the invitation: rethink what you’ve been taught, realign your mission, and take one step toward family-based care. Because children don’t need better institutions—they need families. If this episode speaks to you, subscribe to MercyCast for more stories about how we learn compassion through adversity. Share it with someone who cares about vulnerable children. You never know how one story can change a life. Leave a review to help others find these conversations. Learn more about Elli’s work at Faith to Action. Here is the book mentioned in the episode by Bryant Myers. We also referred to the MercyCast episode with Nabs. You can follow MercyCast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can follow Raleigh on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for listening. We want to hear from you! Email us at info@mercycast.com. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-mercycast/exclusive-content

    47 min
  6. Jermaine Wilson on going from prison to purpose.

    APR 1

    Jermaine Wilson on going from prison to purpose.

    Sometimes it feels like your past mistakes have already determined your future. But what if the place you thought was the end is actually where God starts something new? In this episode, I talk with Jermaine Wilson, whose journey moves from prison to purpose, rejection to leadership, and ultimately to impact. Early on, he reframes his story: “I lost my freedom, but God helped me discover my purpose.” What seemed like an ending became the foundation for everything after. After prison, Jermaine faced rejection. He couldn’t find a job or a place to live, and doors kept closing. Still, he kept going: “No does not mean you’re not qualified. N-O simply means next opportunity.” That way of thinking helped him keep moving forward, no matter what stood in his way. He embraced each step of the process. Whether janitor or dishwasher, he chose faithfulness: “If you become too big to swing a mop, you’re too small to serve at the top.” Even when questioned, he stayed grounded, repeating, “You don’t know where I came from—so you’ll never understand where I’m going.” That focus helped him avoid distractions. Step by step, he stayed faithful. Over time, because he was ready, doors opened. In other words, the process prepared him for his purpose. What happened next is remarkable: leadership, public service, and prison ministry. At the heart of it, surrender means letting go of what holds us back. As Jermaine says, “Your scars will either reflect shame… or strength.” His story shows that real change happens when you bring your past into the open. For anyone weighed down by regret, remember his words: “Just because you have fallen does not mean you are a failure.” Key Takeaways: Your lowest place doesn’t disqualify you—it often prepares you. Rejection isn’t the end—it’s redirection.Faithfulness in small things leads to bigger opportunities.Community changes everything.You can’t transform your community without first confronting yourself.Surrender isn’t weakness—it’s release. If this episode speaks to you, subscribe to MercyCast for more stories about hope and new beginnings. Share it with someone who might feel stuck. You never know how one story can change a life. Leave a review to help others find these conversations. You are not disqualified. You are not forgotten. And what feels like the end might actually be the place where everything starts. Learn more about Jermaine’s work at Prison Fellowship. You can follow MercyCast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can follow Raleigh on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for listening. We want to hear from you! Email us at info@mercycast.com. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-mercycast/exclusive-content

    42 min
  7. Telicia Maxwell on the power of vulnerability.

    MAR 25

    Telicia Maxwell on the power of vulnerability.

    When the world goes quiet at night, most of us feel safe. But for many women and children, that’s when the hardest questions begin: Where will I sleep? Who will protect me? Will tomorrow be any different? In this episode, I sit down with Telicia Maxwell, director of My Sister’s House at Atlanta Mission—and her perspective will challenge the way you think about service, faith, and people. This conversation isn’t just about homelessness. It’s about what it means to truly see someone. Telicia shares how real transformation doesn’t begin with programs or quick fixes—it begins with presence. With trust. When choosing to show up in someone’s life, not as a solution, but as a person. Because often, the moments that change everything aren’t big at all: It’s remembering a name. It’s offering a small act of kindness. It’s simply sitting with someone long enough for them to feel safe. Key Takeaways:People don’t need to be fixed—they need to be seen.Trust is built through consistent, genuine presence.Healing often starts with small, human moments.Vulnerability creates connection—not weakness.Community is essential—we were never meant to do life alone.So here’s the challenge: Don’t just listen—act. The next time you encounter someone in a vulnerable place, pause. Look them in the eyes. Learn their name. Because that moment might be where healing begins. Listen now—and start seeing people differently. Learn more about Telicia’s work, My Sister’s House, and the Atlanta mission at Atlantamission.org. You can follow MercyCast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can follow Raleigh on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for listening. We want to hear from you! Email us at info@mercycast.com. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-mercycast/exclusive-content

    41 min
  8. Cally Logan on the power of quiet moments.

    MAR 18

    Cally Logan on the power of quiet moments.

    In this episode, I sit down with Cally Logan to talk about something I think we all wrestle with—how God actually works in our lives. Not just in the big, obvious moments, but in the quiet, unseen ones beneath the surface. We get into calling, identity, and what it looks like to trust God when you don’t have clear answers. Because if I’m honest, most of my life hasn’t been marked by burning bush moments—it’s been shaped in the slow, ordinary steps. We talk about surrender, about learning to listen, and about how God reroutes us—even when we think we’ve gone the wrong way. We look at stories like Jonah and reflect on how God uses even our resistance and mistakes for something bigger. This conversation is really an invitation—to slow down, to trust God’s timing, and to believe that even the small moments are forming something deep in you. Key TopicsThe hidden work of God beneath the surface I talk with Cally about how most of what God does in us isn’t loud—it’s quiet. It’s beneath the surface. And if we’re not paying attention, we’ll miss it. Trusting God when clarity isn’t there We unpack what it looks like to trust God when you don’t have a clear answer. Not every moment is dramatic or obvious—sometimes it’s just taking the next step. Surrender as a daily practice Surrender isn’t a one-time decision. It’s something I have to come back to every day—letting go, little by little, and trusting God with what I’m holding. When God reroutes your life We talk about how God uses detours—how even when we think we’ve messed things up, He’s still at work. Nothing is wasted. What Jonah teaches us about obedience and resistance Jonah’s story reminds me that even when we run, God still pursues, redirects, and works through us in ways we couldn’t plan. Embracing the “side quests” of life Some of the most meaningful growth happens in the things that don’t seem connected. Those side paths? God uses those too. Taking the next small step We end with something simple but powerful—don’t try to figure everything out. Just ask God to show you one thing, and take that step. Learn more about Cally’s work at her website, callylogan.com. Buy her new book. You can follow MercyCast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. You can follow Raleigh on Twitter and Instagram. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-mercycast/exclusive-content

    44 min
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5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Have you ever hit a wall and asked yourself, "What do I do now? How will I ever get past this?" If you are human and have a pulse, you probably have. The MercyCast is a podcast dedicated to learning the subtle art of compassion through the adversity of everyday life. Join Raleigh Sadler, the host, as he has honest and thought-provoking conversations with friends he has met along the way. Each Wednesday, listen to the encouraging true stories of people, like you and me, who are learning compassion through hard times. For more information and show notes, go to mercycast.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Let My People Go
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    174
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    MercyCast

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