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Have you ever found yourself desperately trying to fill a void in your life but nothing seems to work? You work more hours, drink just a bit more alcohol, give into that toxic relationship one more time, restrict one more meal, and the more action you take trying to fill that void... the more empty you feel? Beyond feeling empty you might even find yourself in a self-destructive cycle, caving to whatever thing it is you came to believe would satisfy your soul, so where can we safely turn when our souls are hungry for authentic spiritual sustenance. Lara Watson is you host for a meaningful chat with Writer, Artist, and President of global non-profit humanitarian relief organization "The Lulu Tree". Lara and Emily discuss family life, living in small-town in Alberta, Canada., The Lulu tree, how she developed that non-profit and the work they do and how God taught her how to run that ministry. She details going to the Congo as a child with her missionary parents and what that taught her about life, church, and who God is. She shares on coming back to Canada and experiencing the coldness of a different world and the impacts those changes made to her world and her faith and becoming self-focused. With all of this it birthed something different in Emily and she began to restrict her eating leading into and eating disorder.  And eating disorder that led her to almost lose her life, God protected her life. She also shares stories on the ground in Africa through "The Lulu Tree", the miracles God has done, and a curse that was placed on her life, and the power we have in Christ and how we can impact the world around us with the knowledge of the power we have in Christ.  

Lara Watson is your host for this chat with Pastor J.D. Greear. It’s not unusual to have questions about life. For believers living in a fallen world, many wrestle with challenging questions that seem impossible to answer. Why isn’t God answering my prayers? How can I know God’s will for my life? How should Christians handle political differences? The list goes on and on. In 12 Truths and a Lie: Answers to Life's Biggest Questions Pastor, Author and apologist J.D. Greear tackles some of the most frequently asked questions he’s received throughout his ministry and offers thoughtful, scriptural and practical insight.  

Have you ever wondered what happens in the moments after someone passes away? Do you wonder if there is truly life after death?   Today on the podcast, New York Times Best-Selling Author John Burke shares from his book, “Imagine the God of Heaven” and details stories and experiences from various voices of people who have lived through a near-death experience.   John shares on what defines a “near-death experience”, the different stories he has heard from people of varying religious backgrounds and the commonalities their stories share with each other’s.   He shares what led to his interest in the topic, and the evidence he has found to prove the truth behind these stories, and how through them all God shares his love, grace, and forgiveness. Guest Website: www.imagineheaven.net   Prayer LINES: 1-866-273-4444 / Or connect with us online at www.crossroads.ca/247prayer  

Dan Carter is the mayor of Oshawa a bustling city centre in the heart of Ontario, he joins us on the podcast to share his vision for unity in Canada and his personal story of heartache, healing and redemption. He discusses one of the biggest problems facing Canadians today with affordability, how Canadians need to come together in these difficult times.   Dan also shares his personal story from growing up with a severe learning disability and struggling with his self-esteem, the death of his brother and the pain that led to drug and alcohol abuse, the death of his sister and how through all the pain he discovered that God had a plan and could save his life.   Guest Website: www.oshawa.ca   Prayer LINES: 1-866-273-4444 / Or connect with us online at www.crossroads.ca/247prayer

If you are in a season of suffering and you need encouragement then this conversation is for you. On the podcast we have Best-Selling Author and Thinker Philip Yancey. Philip has more than 17 million books in print, in over 50 languages and joins us to share about his life-changing devotional, “Undone: A Modern Rendering of John Donne’s Devotions.” A 30 day devotional based on a 400 year old manuscript (Devotions Upon Emergent Occasion) written by a scholar and poet named John Donne. Philip wanted to bring his wisdom to more people and share that the journey is the same today when it comes to a person and how they wrestle with God. We all have the same sort of questions for God, universal human themes about finding meaning and suffering. We all have the same promise of hope. Phil also shares his journey of being recently diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and making the decision to trust God with it, trusting that he could grow closer to God through his challenge. He shares how we can all stay motivated through suffering if we truly believe that God can work in what is going on around us.   Guest Website: https://philipyancey.com   Prayer LINES: 1-866-273-4444 / Or connect with us online at www.crossroads.ca/247prayer

When Jesus was dying on the cross, he prayed one of the most powerful prayers recorded in human history. He said “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” But, how do you forgive someone when they know what they are doing. Today on the podcast Joe Amaral speaks with Orlando Bowen who shares his story as a new immigrant from Jamaica, to his time as a football player in the CFL. He goes on to share on very scary night when he was approached by two armed men, beaten, resulting in his football career coming to an end, discovering those who harmed him were some of the people he had mentored, and the road he took to forgiveness.   Guest Website: www.orlandobowen.com   Prayer Lines: 1-866-273-4444   Or connect with us online at www.crossroads.ca/247prayer

Often we are afraid to touch on the topic of grief with someone facing it, or even giving ourselves time to face it. Worried to say the wrong thing, or not say enough, worried to upset the person even more, worried that we won't be able to hold ourselves together, or that we are grieving in the "wrong way".   Today on the podcast prolific author and speaker and former Grief Counsellor, Dr. Bill Webster joins us to share from his book, "Grief: The Unwelcome Journey".   He shares about what it means to grieve, the normality of journeying through grief, how we all grieve differently and at different times, the position of guilt when it comes to grief, and the reality that you never truly get over grief but through it.   Guest Website: www.griefjourney.com   Prayer Lines: 1-866-273-4444 / Or connect with us online at www.crossroads.ca/247prayer  

Today on the podcast we hear stories of the impact God can have when facing health challenges in our lives. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada and Janet Campbell joins us to share her journey facing stage 3 cancer , she shares on getting her diagnosis cancer, preparing for surgery and treatment, and how she felt Gods hand upon her through it all and how her faith carried her through that journey to healing. Time Hague Sr. joins us to share his personal story of getting diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. Having watched his father go through the same diagnosis Tim was scared but he chose to trust God in his health crisis, he talks about not asking "why me" and embracing his diagnosis as something other than a curse. Join Lara Watson as she shares these inspiring stories with you. Guest Websites: Janet Campbell: www.joysmithfoundation.com / Tim Hague Sr.: www.uturnparkinsons.org Prayer LINES: 1-866-273-4444 / Or connect with us online at www.crossroads.ca/247prayer

Joe Amaral joins us for the first time on the podcast to dive into the connection between Passover and Easter. Although many may wonder why these two events should hold the same space, one being a Jewish holiday and one being a Christian holiday. Joe delves into the fact that many forget about the deep and enduring connection that Christianity and first temple Judaism have. He shares some history and background to help us understand the connection deeper. 24/7 Prayer Line: 1-866-273-4444 www.crossroads.ca/247prayer

How can someone find peace when faced with great turmoil, in the midst of war? Today on the podcast we bring you inspiring stories from Ukraine. Natasha was in Ukraine when Russia attacked in February of 2022. As a person with a disability, she could not flee on her own, she quickly connected with an aid organization she knew from her days as a child in an orphanage through a ministry called “Loads of Love”. Through this organization not only did Natasha find peace and a way out of her war-torn country but also her purpose in life through art. She shares more of her miracle story and how she discovered the peace that could only come from a relationship with God. We also bring you the story of Olga who had to flee her home country and went to Ukraine only to have to flee again when the war broke out. She stayed in the Ukraine during the war with nothing but prayer to keep her safe until she made the difficult decision to leave. The journey to Canada was anything but easy but she shares with us her story of finding hope and peace. Prayer LINES: 1-866-273-4444 / Or connect with us online at www.crossroads.ca/247prayer