About a year ago, my wife bought me an anniversary gift that most people would probably consider questionable—a tarantula known as an Orange Bitey Thing.

What started as a fascinating pet led to an unexpected reminder about sin, fear, spiritual warfare, and the victory we have in Christ.

In this episode, I share a few observations from living with one of the world's more infamous spiders and how those observations point to a deeper spiritual reality: the things that destroy us are often more dangerous than we realize, but when we belong to Jesus, we don't have to live in fear.

Jesus didn’t come for the polished, the self-righteous, or the people who think they have everything together. He came for sinners.

In this verse-by-verse teaching through Matthew 9:9–13, we look at the calling of Matthew the tax collector and what it reveals about grace, repentance, freedom, and the love of God. Why would Jesus choose someone society despised? What does that say about us? And what does this passage reveal about how God calls people to Himself?

This episode also explores difficult but important questions about salvation, free will, grace, and the sovereignty of God—not as a debate to win, but as an invitation to better understand the heart of God revealed in Scripture.

At the center of it all is this truth: Jesus came to call sinners. The broken, the rejected, the exiled, and the lost are exactly the people He invites to the table.

Raw. Honest. Scripture-centered. And ultimately rooted in the freedom found in Christ.

What starts as a childhood story about wanting a horse turns into a deeper reflection on temptation, hidden costs, and the deceptive nature of sin. In this episode of the Unshackled Life Podcast, I share a lesson my father taught me years ago: there’s no such thing as a free horse.

The enemy is skilled at making destructive things look harmless, exciting, or worth the price. But beneath every temptation is a cost we often fail to count. This episode explores the reality that sin always brings death and destruction in some form—but also the hope found in Christ, who paid the debt we never could.

Raw, reflective, and grounded in Biblical truth, this episode is a reminder that God’s warnings are not about withholding good from us, but protecting us from counterfeit promises.

Why did Jesus intentionally sit down with tax collectors and sinners?

Why did the Pharisees stand outside criticizing Him?

And what did Jesus mean when He said:

“I desire mercy and not sacrifice”?

In this verse-by-verse teaching through Matthew 9:10–13, we look at the feast Matthew threw after Jesus called him to follow Him—and the controversy that followed. This passage reveals the difference between religion that keeps people at a distance and the heart of God that calls broken people home.

A look at grace, mercy, self-righteousness, and the Great Physician who came for the sick.

What if you believe in Jesus… but don’t feel anything?

How do you know you really have the Holy Spirit? Is it proven by emotions? Spiritual gifts? Signs and experiences? Or does Scripture point us somewhere deeper and steadier than feelings?

In this Q&A episode of the Unshackled Life Podcast, I explore the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit through the lens of Ascension Day, Pentecost, and the transition from the Old Covenant to the New. Looking at passages from Ephesians, Romans, and 1 Corinthians, this episode examines what Scripture actually says about the Spirit dwelling within believers—and why assurance rests in the promises of Christ rather than fluctuating emotions.

This is an encouraging and grounded conversation for believers who struggle with doubt, uncertainty, or the fear that they somehow “missed” the Holy Spirit because they haven’t experienced dramatic signs or feelings.

The same Jesus who promised the Spirit to the disciples in the upper room is the same Jesus who promises that those who trust in Him are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Raw. Real. Rooted in Truth.

In this verse-by-verse teaching through Matthew 9:9, we look at the calling of Matthew the tax collector and why this short verse may actually be one of the greatest miracles in the Gospel of Matthew.

Jesus had already demonstrated authority over disease, nature, demons, and even sin itself. But here, He does something just as powerful: He calls a sinner, an outcast, a traitor, and restores him to relationship and purpose.

This episode explores:

• Why some count Matthew’s calling as another miracle
• The connection between Matthew and Levi in the Gospels
• What tax collectors were really like in first-century Israel
• How Matthew’s calling fits the larger theme of Jesus “reversing the curse”
• The connection between Matthew 9 and the Sermon on the Mount
• Why Jesus calls the unqualified instead of the qualified
• How Matthew’s story points to grace, restoration, and the invitation to follow Christ

This isn’t ultimately a story about Matthew. It’s a story about Jesus — the One who seeks sinners, forgives rebels, restores the exiled, and still says, “Follow Me.”

Raw. Real. Rooted in Truth.

On this special Mother’s Day episode, we take a brief look at the heart of God toward women, mothers, children, and humanity itself. Far from devaluing women, Scripture repeatedly reveals the honor God gives them—and even uses the love of a mother as one of the clearest earthly pictures of His own compassion and protection.

This message traces that theme from Eve to Mary, from Abel’s blood crying out for justice to the blood of Jesus crying out that justice has been paid. It’s ultimately a call to draw near to Christ, to rest under the shelter of His wings, and to trust the God who loves us enough to give Himself for us.

Raw. Gospel-centered. Hope-filled.

Why did God give Moses those specific signs?

In this Q&A episode, we take a deep dive into Exodus 4 and wrestle with a layered question: the staff turning into a serpent, the leprous hand, water becoming blood—and the strange reality that Egypt’s magicians seemed able to do something similar.

Were these just illusions? Real supernatural power? And if so… why don’t we see things like that today?

This episode explores the purpose behind the signs, the spiritual battle happening beneath the surface, and what it all reveals about God’s authority over every power—seen and unseen.

But more importantly, it points to a greater sign that makes all the others look small by comparison.

If you’ve ever wrestled with miracles, spiritual warfare, or why God works the way He does, this one’s worth your time.