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The Pastor’s Studio with Paul Basden

The Pastor’s Studio with Paul Basden

Written by: Paul Basden
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About this listen

The Pastor’s Studio is a space for honest conversations, meaningful questions, and stories that reveal how faith meets real life. Hosted by pastor and author Paul Basden, this podcast brings together authentic dialogue, spiritual reflection, and real-life experiences to help listeners navigate what it means to follow Jesus in a complex world.

Across every season, the aim is the same: to help listeners see God more clearly, understand themselves more deeply, and live out their faith with wisdom, humility, and grace.

Thoughtful, grounded, and full of heart, Pastor Paul invites you to slow down, listen well, and pay attention to the story God is writing in and around you.

Season 1: Uncomfortable Conversations with Christians
Season 2: Why Do I Do What I Do - Exploring the Enneagram
Season 3: This is My Story


Paul Basden is an author and serves as co-senior pastor of Preston Trail Community Church in Texas. A native of Dallas, Texas, Paul earned his BA from Baylor University and his Master of Divinity and PhD from Southwestern Theological Seminary. Paul also served as university minister and a professor of theology at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He and his wife, Denise, have two grown daughters and four grandsons.

Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
Christianity Ministry & Evangelism Spirituality
Episodes
  • From Skeptic to Surrender: Jarod Taylor’s Christian Testimony of Faith After Doubt
    Feb 19 2026

    What if the life you built on your own terms still left you empty?

    Jarod Taylor grew up in chaos — broken homes, addiction, instability, and learning early that if anything was going to work out, it would be on his terms.

    God wasn’t someone he hated. God just wasn’t real.

    Through his teens and 20s, Jarod became his own authority — chasing women, music, nightlife, success, and control. Eventually, he built a strong career, a home, and a family.

    And still felt hollow.

    What followed wasn’t a dramatic conversion. It was curiosity.

    Jarod decided to “try on” Christianity — reading Scripture analytically, wrestling with doubt, logic, science, and reason.

    Somewhere in the process, he fell in love with Jesus.

    If you’ve ever:

    • Lived life on your own terms

    • Believed faith and logic were opposites

    • Felt spiritually numb or hardened

    • Wanted proof before belief

    Jarod’s story is a reminder:

    You don’t need all the answers. You just need an open heart.

    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • S3E6: Addiction, Identity & Abundance: Jason Kanapkey’s Story of Surrender
    Feb 12 2026

    What if the faith you thought you had wasn’t the same as surrender?

    Jason Kanapkey grew up in church. Baptized at eight. Knew the language. Believed in Jesus.

    But by 12, he was experimenting with drugs. By 16, chasing highs. By 17, couch-surfing and barely holding life together.

    He believed in God. He just wasn’t following Him.

    Years later, sitting on his couch as a young adult, reading Scripture with fresh eyes, everything shifted. And when he finally let go of the identity he was clinging to, he discovered something unexpected: obedience felt like abundance.

    In this episode, Jason shares:

    • Growing up around religion but discovering relationship

    • Addiction, identity, and the quiet drift from God

    • The surrender moment that transformed everything

    • Serving before fully understanding

    • Finding deep discipleship and brotherhood

    • Navigating open-heart surgery and learning to receive grace

    • Living out faith in the marketplace, not just the church

    This isn’t a story about having it all figured out. It’s about daily transformation.

    Resources & References

    Connect with Virtuous Cycle Coffee

    Follow Virtuous Cycle Coffee on Instagram, Facebook & YouTube

    Read: Romans 12:1–2, Matthew 6:33, Hebrews 11:6, Revelation 3:20

    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • S3E5: Suzanne Hancock on Leaving Mormonism and Finding True Peace
    Feb 5 2026

    What do you do when the faith you inherited never brings the peace you’re promised?

    Suzanne Hancock was born and raised in the Mormon (LDS) church. She followed the rules, did what was expected, and built her identity around a faith tradition handed down for generations—yet peace always felt just out of reach.

    In this episode, Suzanne courageously shares her long, honest journey of seeking truth:

    • Growing up Mormon and quietly questioning what didn’t sit right

    • Feeling trapped between loyalty, identity, and unanswered questions

    • Wrestling with shame, anxiety, and depression while searching for peace

    • Stepping into a Christian church for the first time—alone and uncertain

    • Discovering Jesus not as a system, but as a relationship

    • Walking away from a lifelong identity and choosing Christ for herself

    • Experiencing baptism as freedom, joy, and new life

    • Learning to trust God daily with anxiety, parenting, and purpose

    This is not a story about switching religions. It’s a story about seeking truth, finding peace, and choosing Jesus—no matter the cost.

    If you’ve ever:

    • Felt spiritually restless even inside a faith tradition

    • Feared disappointing people by asking hard questions

    • Struggled with anxiety, shame, or identity loss

    • Wondered whether Jesus could really bring peace

    Suzanne’s story is a powerful reminder that Jesus keeps His promise: “Seek, and you will find.”

    🎧 Listen now to hear how surrender, courage, and grace reshaped one woman’s faith—and future.

    RESOURCES & REFERENCES 📖 Bible Verses
    • Matthew 3:17
    • Matthew 7:7–8
    • Jeremiah 29:11
    • Psalm 103
    🔗 Helpful Resources & Next Steps
    • Rooted
    • Alpha
    • Shalom Message Series
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
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