Jim Burgoon is a speaker, author, certified leadership coach, military veteran, former pastor and host of the Unshakeable Life podcast. Behind those titles is a man who has lived through childhood trauma, complex PTSD, chronic illness and devastating loss, including the deaths of his mother and sister within six months of each other and his wife's suicide attempt soon after. In this conversation, Jim shares how he moved from believing the lies trauma had taught him to telling a far better, truer story about who he really is.

Jim talks candidly about growing up with an abusive father, relentless bullying and a fractured image of God, and how that led him first to atheism and then briefly into witchcraft before encountering Jesus at 25. He explains the crucial difference between being transparent and being translucent, why his PTSD diagnosis doesn't define him, and what he's learned interviewing entrepreneurs and high achievers about burnout, insecurity and fear. For anyone who feels like a lost cause, Jim offers a simple, grounded place to start.

WEBLINKS Lead with Jim Website The Unshakeable Life Podcast Jim on YouTube Jim on Facebook Jim on Instagram Tell a Better Story

Robert Ruesch has been putting words to paper since the mid-1960s, but nothing prepared him for the story he'd one day write with his daughter. Growing up at the world's largest YMCA resort in the Colorado Rockies, surrounded by college professors, world travellers and breathtaking mountain views, Robert's love of storytelling took root early, sparked by a school bully and a creative writing class years later. He went on to become an award-winning author, speaker and humourist, but it's his most personal work, The Long Road Home, that forms the heart of this conversation.

Co-written with his daughter Jennifer, the memoir traces her thirty-year battle with addiction, the overdose that nearly took her life, and the slow, faith-soaked journey toward healing and forgiveness for them both. Robert speaks candidly about the fear of late-night phone calls that went unanswered, the grief of watching someone he loves dig her heels into self-destruction, and the unexpected "coincidences" he believes were God's hand at work all along. It's a raw conversation about fatherhood, faith, forgiveness, and the difference between sobriety and true recovery, and a reminder that hope is never out of reach.

WEBLINKS Robert Ruesch’s Website Robert on Instagram

We live in the most connected era in human history, yet loneliness has become a defining crisis of our time. In this episode, Rodney sits down with Keith Spurgin, international speaker, church planter, and author of Unknown: Finding Connection in a Disconnected World, to get to the heart of why genuine community is so hard to find and even harder to build. Keith traces his own story from a childhood encounter with Jesus on a farm, through the distractions of his teenage years, to a radical re-commitment to faith in college that sparked a movement in his own apartment and eventually led to 27 years leading a thriving church in Texas. His journey is honest, funny, and deeply human.

Drawing on the relational wisdom in his new book, Keith unpacks why social media gives us the illusion of connection without the substance, why the natural drift of every relationship is toward disconnection, and what it actually takes to build an inner circle that can carry you through life's hardest moments. He also brings fresh eyes to familiar stories, from the Good Samaritan to the disciples Jesus chose, showing just how radical and countercultural genuine love for others really is. If you've been feeling the ache of isolation or wondering whether real community is still possible, this conversation offers both honest perspective and a practical path forward.

WEBLINKS Keith Spurgin’s Website Growth Resourcing Group Keith Spurgin on Facebook Keith Spurgin on LinkedIn

Gary Janzen grew up in a construction family with an expected future mapped out for him, but God had very different plans. From managing a sporting goods store to pastoring youth, taking teenagers to Mexico for eleven summers, and eventually ministering in Rwandan orphanages still raw from the wounds of genocide, Gary's journey is marked by a willingness to say yes to God at every turn. He shares how a young Rwandan man named Jackson, a genocide survivor who came to live with Gary and his wife, became the unexpected connection that drew them deep into ministry across that remarkable country.

Today, Gary leads International Christian Mission Services (ICMS), growing it from 25 missionaries to nearly 90 agents serving in around 50 countries. With a commitment to financial accountability and a tagline of "quiet strength, global impact," ICMS supports an extraordinary range of gospel work, from a concert pianist ministering through music across three continents, to church builders in Cuba, water well drillers in Liberia, and daycare workers in the toughest neighbourhoods of Brazil. Gary's story is a vivid reminder that when we follow God's leading faithfully, the impact reaches far further than we could ever imagine.

International Christian Missions Service

Dr Mike Ayers grew up without a present or affirming father, but instead of repeating that cycle, he dedicated decades of his life to understanding what intentional fatherhood actually looks like. Drawing on his background as a researcher, a pastor of 25 years, and a dad of three, Mike shares the framework behind his upcoming book Father Friend, a research-backed guide built around seven core competencies to help dads show up well at every stage of their child's life. This is a conversation full of both honesty and genuine encouragement for dads who want to do better.

From the critical 7-to-12 age window where a father's influence peaks, to the importance of finding mentors and building community with other dads, Mike covers practical ground that any father can act on today. He also speaks to those who love and support dads, including partners who want to encourage the men in their lives without pushing them away. Whether you're a brand new dad, deep in the parenting years, or looking back with a few regrets, this episode will leave you feeling seen, motivated, and better equipped for the journey ahead.

WEBLINKS Father Friend Website Father Friend Instagram Father Friend Facebook

Bill Nienhuis, President of Childcare Worldwide, joins Rodney Olsen for a conversation about what it really means to make disciples, not just decisions. Drawing on his own formation as a young believer shaped by Sunday school teachers, choir directors, and a Bible-reading grandmother, Bill reflects on how God used decades of seemingly unrelated experience, including 25 years in the Bible software industry, to prepare him for his true life's work amongst children in Kenya, Uganda, Peru, and India. Through Childcare Worldwide's Life Center model, local churches come alongside children for up to ten years, planting seeds of the gospel and trusting the Holy Spirit to bring the harvest in His own time.

Bill shares the moving story of Diana, a withdrawn girl from an abusive home whose encounter with a caring Life Center teacher eventually led her entire family to faith and baptism. He also challenges listeners to rethink their role in the Great Commission, not as something that requires expertise or overseas travel, but as a daily posture of availability to God. Whether through prayer, relationship, or resourcing organisations like Childcare Worldwide, Bill believes every believer has a part to play in the worldwide work of making disciples.

WEBLINKS Childcare Worldwide Childcare Worldwide on Facebook Childcare Worldwide on Instagram

Wesley Farnsworth grew up in a pastor's home with a deep faith, a desire to fit in, and a set of expectations he placed entirely on himself. A chance online search as a teenager opened a door to addiction that he would quietly battle for the next 20 years, all while building an impressive career as a US Air Force photographer, capturing everything from war zones to presidential inaugurations. In this honest and moving conversation, Wesley shares how shame kept him locked in silence, what finally pushed him to walk through the doors of a Celebrate Recovery meeting, and the extraordinary moment when telling the truth set him free.

Now an author, speaker, and Celebrate Recovery leader, Wesley Farnsworth is on a mission to help others take off their masks and step into the life God has for them. He talks about his book The Blueprint of Becoming, which uses the metaphor of stars and navigation to explore how our choices shape our lives and why God needs to be our North Star. He also gives a glimpse into his upcoming book When Faith Meets Fire, a deeply personal reflection on maintaining faith through unemployment, illness, and loss. This is a warm, candid, and deeply encouraging episode for anyone who's ever felt too broken or too ashamed to ask for help.

Wesley Farnsworth’s Website

In this episode of Bleeding Daylight, Rodney Olsen sits down with Doug Moore, a man whose 30 years across three wildly different worlds, wilderness trail guiding, youth ministry, and nursing as a registered sexual assault nurse examiner, have uniquely equipped him to speak into one of the most urgent crises facing families today. Doug is the author of The Vanguard Project: Equipping Fathers to Fight for Their Sons, a practical field manual for dads who want to lead their boys through the minefield of digital addiction, pornography, and a culture that is quietly numbing the next generation to the things that matter most.

Doug and Rodney explore how the developing brain is genuinely incapable of handling what it's being handed, and what fathers, present or imperfect, can actually do about it. They also discuss the challenges facing single mums, the alarming trends emerging among girls, the dangers of outsourcing our children's formation, and the hope that comes from understanding that our scars don't disqualify us from leading our families well. This is a conversation for every parent who wants to move from fear to action.

The Vanguard Project