• surrender, contentment, and trusting God
• grief, loss, and suffering
• the story behind 10,000 Minutes
• MercyMe, I Can Only Imagine 2, and his journey as a Christian artist

"We're craving hamburgers."

Frank Agundes helps lead Lily of the Valley Children's Home in Mexico. When the kids asked God for hamburgers, He answered in a big way. In this Unfolding Short Story, Frank shares how God called him to serve at the orphanage and how he keeps seeing God provide in both big and little ways. To learn more about the orphanage or give, visit https://www.lilyofthevalley2.org/

She's the voice behind the hit song Desperate, a powerful anthem that soared to number one and struck a chord with thousands. But Jamie MacDonald's story runs much deeper. In this episode, Jamie shares about growing up in a house where singing was banned and hope felt out of reach. After being kicked out at 15 and dropping out of high school at 16, she spent years bouncing between couches and group homes, no phone, no address, no one in her corner. But even in the darkest moments, a flicker of faith from a childhood church camp refused to go out. Join us as Jamie shares how one desperate prayer changed everything and how her pain gave rise to a song that's giving hope to so many.

Show notes:

Website: https://www.jamiemacdonaldmusic.com/#/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamiemacdonaldmusic/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=jamie%20macdonald%20music

Some stories sound almost impossible to believe. Terrell Scott was in prison after a life of drugs and crime when God sent Brandy, the woman he had robbed at gunpoint during a drug deal, to share the gospel with him. Brandy had every reason to hate him, but after meeting Jesus, she began praying for the man who had hurt her and asking God to help her forgive. What followed was repentance, transformation, marriage, family, and ministry in the same community where so much damage had been done. Terrell and Brandy share more of their story in their book, The Power of the Broken Road, about how God turns pain into purpose, tragedy into triumph, and a mess into a message.

What happens when the person you love encounters Jesus, and you want nothing to do with it? On this episode of The Unfolding, Chevas Phillips shares her powerful story of addiction, brokenness, marriage struggles, and the unexpected way God completely transformed her life.

Chevas was drinking every day, hating church, and watching her husband Josh become someone she barely recognized after he gave his life to Christ. As tension grew in their marriage, Chevas found herself wrestling with questions of identity, control, surrender, and whether real freedom was even possible.

Now a wife, mom, worship leader at Bethlehem Church in Bethlehem, Georgia, and recording artist, Chevas shares how Jesus met her in the middle of her pain and changed what she could never change on her own.

Show Notes:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__chevas__/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chevas.phillips

Share your Unfolding story: https://bit.ly/UnfoldingStories

"This was like a week only with me and God." Geony Rucker was in full-time ministry, with plenty of work waiting, when she kept sensing the same message every time she opened God's Word: step away and rest with Him. At first, it didn't seem to make sense. But when the unexpected loss of her mom came just weeks later, Geony realized God had been preparing her all along, giving her time with Him, time with family, and the strength to grieve while knowing He was holding her.

Jennie Allen has spent her life helping people follow God, find purpose, and experience freedom in Christ. As a bestselling author, Bible teacher, and founder of IF:Gathering and Gather25, her influence has reached millions.

But beneath the surface there was a lie she didn't even know she believed. A lie about her identity, her worth, and what she had to prove. In this conversation, Jennie shares the moment God exposed that hidden belief, and how it had been shaping her thoughts, her confidence, and her calling.

You'll hear how negative thoughts- feeling not enough, striving for approval, questioning your purpose, can take root without you realizing it, and how recognizing them can lead to real freedom. If you've ever struggled with insecurity, comparison, or wondering if God could really use your life, this story will remind you that freedom is possible.

Show Notes:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennieallen/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniesallen

Book: https://www.jennieallen.com/lies-book

Website: https://www.jennieallen.com/

THE LIES QUIZ: LINK

Share your Unfolding story: https://bit.ly/UnfoldingStories

"He showed me on that day that His goodness is running after my daughter."

Jill Tracey shares what happened as her daughter Alyssa was struggling with faith, and Jill was learning to let go of control. Through the song Goodness of God, God gave Jill a picture of hope she would carry for years. It was a reminder that even when she couldn't reach her daughter, God still could.

What happens inside someone who walks away from faith? For Jakob Happs, it wasn't sudden. Long before he stepped away, there were questions, doubts, and a growing sense that something wasn't working the way he thought it should. Over time, that tension led him further and further from God, and from the people who loved him most.

In this powerful and honest conversation, Jakob shares his story from the inside. The wrestling, the distance, the decisions that followed, and the unexpected moments that changed everything. Alongside his mom, Suzanne, this episode offers a rare, deeply personal look at both sides of a prodigal story. What it felt like to walk away, and what it meant to come home.

This episode explores what doubt and deconstruction can feel like from the inside, the tension between belief and questions, and how God continues to pursue even in the middle of distance. For anyone praying for a prodigal child, a loved one who has walked away from faith, or anyone wrestling with belief, this story offers both honesty and hope.

Show Notes:

Jakob Instagram https://www.instagram.com/whatshappsin.n?igsh=MXRtNjUwOG1hMDdkaQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Jakob Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Df1sbwviJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Suzanne Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzanne.happs

Book: https://www.amazon.com/We-Who-Wrestle-God-Perceptions/dp/0593542533

YouTube Channels:

https://www.youtube.com/@bibleproject

https://www.youtube.com/@RuslanKD

https://www.youtube.com/@ExpeditionBible

Share your Unfolding story: https://bit.ly/UnfoldingStories

"The more I pushed, the more my body said no."

Stephanie shares how God used cancer, chronic illness, cardiac arrest, and a season of forced rest to redirect her life. Today, she helps others slow down, live with intention, and care for the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Recently, she wrote Faith and Health Devotional Bible Study Workbook.

What do you do when your child walks away from everything you've raised them to believe?

For Suzanne and Alan Happs, that question became deeply personal when their son told them, "I'm not exactly sure I believe any of that anymore." What followed was 13 and a half years of praying, waiting, questioning, and learning what it really means to trust God with someone you love.

In this episode, Suzanne and Alan share:

• What it felt like to watch their son deconstruct his faith

• The mistakes they made, and what they wish they had done differently

• How they learned to love without controlling or pushing

• What sustained their faith through years of heartbreak and uncertainty

• The moment everything began to change, and the powerful way God brought their son back

If you are praying for a prodigal child, a loved one who has walked away from faith, or someone who feels far from God, this story will meet you right where you are.

Next week, don't miss Part 2—Jake Happs shares his side of the story. What led him away from faith? And what ultimately drew him back to Jesus?

Show Notes:

Suzanne on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzanne.happs

Praying for Your Prodigal book: https://www.amazon.com/Praying-Your-Prodigal-Kyle-Idleman/dp/1434707717

Share about your Unfolding story here: https://bit.ly/UnfoldingStories