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"We face unanswered prayer through sadness and loss, searching Scripture for resilient comfort — Paul’s thorn, resurrection hope, shared grief. Question: When prayers end in "no", how does God’s grace sustain faith?"

We share a hard week with our Plays On Word family: praying for baby Samuel, grieving with James and Sara, and holding to the comfort God promises when the answer is "no". Scripture, story, and prayer lead us to a hope that outlasts storms, diagnoses, and silence.

• the God of all comfort amid affliction
• storm updates and travel plans put on hold
• the story of our dear brother James Serpico
• pleading for a miracle and facing a "no"
• Paul’s thorn, weakness, and sufficient grace
• the Gospel as hope stronger than death
• Joseph and Job as patterns for endurance
• community duty to help by prayer
• a closing prayer and blessing over the grieving

To find out more, check out our Plays On Word website at: https://playsonword.org/

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EP 120

Ep 121

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"Imagine if your name meant “God is with us!” This is the meaning of our dear Brother Emmanuel Agyemfra's name. We visited with him on our last Christmas Joe Tour. Listen in!"

We sit down with Pastor Emmanuel to trace a faith journey from a Ghanaian living room church to Korean seminaries to New Jersey congregations, and we cast a vision for bringing Plays on Word Theater to Ghana. Along the way we explore “dinner church,” bivocational ministry, and how unity in Christ thrives across many languages.

• early discipleship in a home church in Ghana
• starting a campus fellowship and owning calling
• bivocational mentors and NGO-minded service
• seminary studies and ministry posts in Korea
• transition to New Jersey churches and community care
• dinner church as practical evangelism and hospitality
• vision for a Ghana theater outreach powered by Scripture
• diversity as a gift and unity in Christ as center
• language, culture and the shared “hallelujah”
• closing prayer and pastoral blessing

Information for Emmanuel’s church, Leonia UMC, is in the show notes.

(Please click on the underlined links below.)

Leonia UMC Church: https://leonia.church/

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The Plays on Word Theater team is always setting up new performance dates! If you want us to visit your church/venue/community, please reach out with your inquiries here: https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/event-submission-form

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"Today we look back on our time with our dear brother Vinnie Whitehead. His life touched multitudes of people for eternity. He is now in glory with his Lord, and we look forward to seeing him again."

A good life leaves footprints you can follow in the dark. We remember Arthur “Vinnie” Whitehead — coach, teacher, elder, and friend—and trace the quiet choices that turned classrooms, gyms, and retreats into places where faith took root. Grief is honest here, but hope has the last word. We share the first handshake that felt like a challenge and a welcome, the late-night Bible study with an open door that drew men into Scripture, and the simple ways one person’s courage can become a community’s backbone.

You’ll hear how a high school coach redirected a student from detention to Fellowship of Christian Athletes and changed the arc of a life. We revisit ministry threads that span Calvary Chapel Old Bridge, Crossfields, and local camps, and we include Vinnie’s own testimony—from a religious routine to a living walk with Jesus, through battle and breaking, to a faith rebuilt by steady, verse-by-verse teaching. It’s a picture of discipleship that grows slow and strong: prayer, Scripture, accountability, and service.

This is also a frank look at time. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, relationships need repair, and the Gospel is too good to hoard. We hold sorrow and joy together, anchored by the promise of resurrection and the conviction that a life can preach long after the voice is quiet. If you’ve ever wondered whether small acts matter, this story says yes—welcome the newcomer, open your Bible, keep the door ajar, and finish strong.

If this tribute encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can hear Vinnie’s legacy and meet the hope that carried him. Then tell us: whose faith shaped yours, and how will you pass it on? Let us know here: https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/podcast-reviews

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Calvary Crossfields interview #1
Calvary Crossfields interview #2

To honor Vinnie’s life and legacy, and in gratitude for the faith and values he lived out, donations in his memory may be made to a ministry close to his heart: Fellowship Of Christian Athletes - New Jersey: https://www.fcanj.org/donate

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"How can seeing Jesus as rescue, not restriction, reshape your faith this coming year? Today we kick off season four with global gratitude, gospel clarity, stories from the road, and practical discipleship, urging renewed joy and courage."

Season four launches with gratitude, a global roll call, and a clear gospel reset for the new year. We share stories from tours and church planting, celebrate salvations at the plays, and call believers to renewed power, purity, and purpose.

• how the podcast began and stayed weekly
• listener reach across 75 countries
• reading scripture in multiple languages
• 2025 interview highlights and takeaways
• church planting and touring balance
• salvations during performances and follow-up
• the cross as perfect justice and mercy
• Christ as the only way to the Father
• practical counsel for repentance and purity
• identity, resilience, and pressing forward
• upcoming plays and plans for Keswick

This program was made possible by the Plays One Word family of supporters. To find out more, check out our website at playsonword.org

(Please click on the underlined links below.)

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To Support Plays On Word Radio & Plays On Word Theater, please visit: https://playsonword.networkforgood
The Plays on Word Theater team is always setting up new performance dates! If you want us to visit your church/venue/community, please reach out with your inquiries here: https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/event-submission-form

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"Today, we are going to share what we affectionately call 'CHRISTMAS JOE'. This is a recent performance from our 2025 tour. Merry Christmas Y'All!"

We share Joseph’s first-person journey from shock to trust on the night the shepherds arrive, weaving Isaiah, Micah, Ruth, and Boaz into the birth that fulfills ancient hope. A carpenter’s resolve turns from fixing problems to carrying promise as prophecy meets a manger.

• the shepherds’ announcement and angelic chorus
• Joseph’s plan to divorce and the dream’s command
• Isaiah’s sign of the virgin and Emmanuel
• Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and the Magnificat
• Zechariah’s silence, Gabriel’s message, and John’s calling
• journey to Bethlehem and Davidic lineage
• Ruth and Boaz as the pattern of redemption
• no room in the houses and the stable birth
• Micah’s promise of a ruler from Bethlehem
• the names of the child and Joseph’s calling

(Please click on the underlined links below.)

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To Support Plays On Word Radio & Plays On Word Theater, please visit: https://playsonword.networkforgood
The Plays on Word Theater team is always setting up new performance dates! If you want us to visit your church/venue/community, please reach out with your inquiries here: https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/event-submission-form

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"Today we continue our Spirit Filled conversation with our dear brother and sister Orlando & Gloria Burgos. Two people who the Lord used to greatly influence us for the Lord and even make Plays on Word Possible!"

A single sentence can rattle a life. When a friend calmly said, “Believe what you want; I’m at peace with Christ,” it set off a time bomb that exposed our compromises, challenged our assumptions, and led to an eight-hour encounter with Scripture that changed everything. We share the journey from trying to cram the Bible into evolution to trusting the God who speaks, designs, and rules with purpose. The conversation is candid, funny in the way only old friends can be, and unflinching about the hard parts: idols, money, fear of people, and the offense of the cross.

You’ll hear how a simple testimony outperformed a thousand arguments, why quiet conviction often does more than debate ever could, and how reading the Bible with an open heart can reorder your loves. We talk about contentment when jobs vanish, stewardship when opportunities appear, and the difference between using money as a tool and letting money use you. Proverbs 3:5–6 becomes a lifeline, reminding us to trust the Lord, refuse self-reliance, and acknowledge Him on every path. We also recover a neglected word—born again—returning to John 3 to explain new birth, daily surrender, and the war between flesh and Spirit that every believer must face.

If you’ve ever tried to make faith “fit” cultural narratives to keep the peace, this story will nudge you toward a better peace—the kind rooted in God’s authority and the reliability of His Word. Come for the laughter, stay for the clarity, and leave with renewed courage to live a consistent witness. Listen now, then share this episode with someone who’s wrestling, and leave a review to help others find the show. Subscribe for more conversations that put Scripture at the center and spark real change.

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Contact Chef Christina @ Boritina Products!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boritinaproducts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuenProvechoRestaurantCafe

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"Today, on Plays On Word Radio, we are visiting with our dear dear brother and sister in Christ, Orlando and Gloria Burgos."

Two friends revisit the long road from jealousy and fear to peace and purpose, tracing how a rainy night, a persistent invitation, and Psalm 103 sparked a lasting change. We weigh family tension, the war between flesh and spirit, and why truth holds when emotions fade.

• Orlando’s move from Puerto Rico and early struggles
• The breakup, the floor, and the friend who kept inviting
• Psalm 103 and a quiet, lasting conversion
• Distaste for old habits without legalism
• Family pushback and seeking truth in Scripture
• Gloria’s welcome, rebirth, and shared commitment
• Practicing God’s presence to halt the flesh
• Romans 7’s struggle and hope in Christ
• Mourning, mortality, and gospel opportunities
• Creation’s witness, Romans 1 and 8, and urgency
• Testing big claims about heaven and origins

(Please click on the underlined links below.)

Plays On Word Newsletter Sign Up: https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/newsletter-sign-up
Does any of today's podcast resonate with you? Let us know here: https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/podcast-reviews
To Support Plays On Word Radio & Plays On Word Theater, please visit: https://playsonword.networkforgood
The Plays on Word Theater team is always setting up new performance dates! If you want us to visit your church/venue/community, please reach out with your inquiries here: https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/event-submission-form

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"Today, we get urgent updates from Haiti along with requests for prayer leading into this Christmas season: How does Emmanuel’s promise of “God with us” shape the way we pray amid real-world fear and crisis?"

We rally prayer for Haiti’s spiraling crisis, name missionaries on the ground, and intercede together. We trace Emmanuel through Matthew, unpack Jesus’ “I am” claim in John 8, and find grace in the messy genealogy that leads to Christmas hope and courageous mission.

• updates from Haiti’s lawlessness and risk to missionaries
• corporate prayer for protection, boldness and deliverance
• praying for persecutors as an offensive act of faith
• Emmanuel as Matthew’s opening and closing promise
• “Before Abraham was, I am” and Jesus’ deity
• genealogy of Jesus and grace through broken stories
• Joseph’s royal line and the kingly claim to David’s throne
• call to ongoing intercession during the Christmas season

Shoot us a text or an email if you’ve answered the call to lift up our brothers and sisters and their persecutors!

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Previous Podcast with Brian McDaniel

Previous Podcast with Bastia Part One & Part Two

Pam & Patrick Hess Podcast Part One & Part Two

To find out more, check out our website at playsonword.org

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Does any of today's podcast resonate with you? Let us know here: https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/podcast-reviews
To Support Plays On Word Radio & Plays On Word Theater, please visit: https://playsonword.networkforgood
The Plays on Word Theater team is always setting up new performance dates! If you want us to visit your church/venue/community, please reach out with your inquiries here: https://playsonword.dm.networkforgood.com/forms/event-submission-form

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Email us: team@playsonword.org