The Kingdom Effect: Ordinary People Living with Extraordinary Purpose

Episode 30 | "I Cried, I Begged, I Tried Baking Bread" - But God Wouldn't Let Me Off the Hook and Now I'm Running for Governor

Lauren Pinkston [https://substack.com/profile/8898850-lauren-pinkston] is a Missionary Mom of Four and the Most Courageous Gubernatorial Candidate in Tennessee. Connect With Our Hosts & Guest: Kevin Beasley — Co-host, Kingdom Effect Podcast & Discipleship Network Leader 🌐 Website: kevinebeasley.com [https://kevinebeasley.com]📘 Facebook: facebook.com/kevinebeasley [https://facebook.com/kevinebeasley] Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley — Co-host & Former Law Enforcement 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/rambler113.6 [https://facebook.com/rambler113.6] Lauren Pinkston — Independent Gubernatorial Candidate, State of Tennessee 🌐 Campaign Website: pinkstonfortn.com 📞 Schedule a Call with Lauren: Available Tuesdays at pinkstonfortn.com Kingdom Effect Podcast Community 👥 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/472921304143638 [https://facebook.com/groups/472921304143638] Helpful? Buy the Guys a Coffee! [https://buymeacoffee.com/kevinebeasley] Show Notes What happens when a woman who spent years on the mission field, working with trafficking survivors on three continents, begging God to make her good at baking sourdough, finally stops running from the one thing she was built for? You get one of the most unexpected political stories in Tennessee history. Lauren Pinkston isn’t your typical candidate. She’s a seventh-generation Tennessean, a faith-driven independent, a mom of four, a former missionary, and a woman who has said yes to Jesus every single time He’s asked, even when the ask made zero sense on paper. In this episode, Kevin and Buckshot sit down with Lauren Pinkston for a conversation that starts with politics but quickly becomes something much bigger, a raw, honest discussion about obedience, identity, calling, humanizing our enemies, and what it actually looks like to let God write a story you could have never written for yourself. 🎯 What You’ll Discover: The Woman Behind the Campaign * Kids born on three continents, a PhD pursuit in international development, and a desk at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime * The prayer that broke her: “Lauren, it’s cute that you want a flashy ministry, but if you haven’t learned to love the people you come from, you haven’t learned to love at all” Why an Independent? Why Governor? Why Now? * The math that made her angry: how a potential new governor could win office with as little as 7-8% of the popular vote, and why that felt like an injustice she couldn’t ignore * Why she tried everything else first, county office, state legislature, jobs that “made more sense,” and how every door closed except this one * What Kevin asked her over coffee that reframed everything: “How do you define success?” Faith, Obedience, and Running the Improbable Race * The Abigail principle: why Lauren doesn’t have to be the best man in the room, just an obedient woman * What the Enneagram revealed about her marriage and her ministry (and the legendary comeback her husband gave her in Laos) * God doesn’t call us to the finish line; He calls us to the starting line. Healing a Divided State (and Nation) * The grassroots plan to host 510+ living room events across Tennessee before November * Why the cul-de-sac was a tragedy for American connectedness, and what we’ve lost without our front porches * The legislative accountability tool Lauren plans to launch from the governor’s office to make every vote public and every citizen heard Grace, Politics, and Speaking Truth in Love * Lauren’s response to people who say politics is too ugly for Christians to touch * How she holds firm on her beliefs while building some of the deepest relationships of her life, including with people who disagree with her completely * Why stripping people of dignity strips you of the authority to speak love into their lives The Kingdom Effect is a listener-supported podcast. Support our Work and consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 💡 Standout Moments: “I tried so hard to be a quiet, meek Southern woman. I even tried to bake sourdough through COVID. God refused.” — Lauren Pinkston “I don’t think God cares who’s governor of Tennessee. But I do think that who is better for us to serve than the image-bearers of God around us every day?” — Lauren Pinkston “He doesn’t call us to something and show us the outcome. He calls us to the starting line.” — Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley 🔥 Key Moments in the Conversation: Lauren described the first week she’d spend in the governor’s residence if elected, inviting every legislator in Tennessee, their spouses, their kids, and making sure every person at the table sits next to someone from across the aisle. Not a policy meeting. Not a debate. A meal. Because you cannot write legislation together if the only time you talk is inside a debate circle. You have to humanize each other first. That one image said more about Lauren Pinkston’s vision for Tennessee than any policy platform ever could. 📚 Resources Mentioned: * Book: The Great Good Place — Ray Oldenburg * Book: Bowling Alone — Robert Putnam * Campaign Website & Open Office Hours: pinkstonfortn.com * Policy Positions (all 91 of them): pinkstonfortn.com Want to Get Involved? * Schedule a personal call with Lauren on Tuesdays at pinkstonfortn.com * Host a living room event in your community * Share this episode with someone who feels like they have no one to vote for “I am not okay if someone doesn’t vote for me because of how I’ve used my faith among them. That’s something I have to answer to God for.” — Lauren Pinkston Kingdom Effect Podcast — Where ordinary people say yes to extraordinary things. Available on all major podcast platforms. Thanks for listening to the Kingdom Effect Podcast! This episode is feel free to share it. Get full access to Missional Disciple-Making Collective at www.kevinebeasley.com/subscribe [https://www.kevinebeasley.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 29 | Human Trafficking Is Happening at Your Kid's School | The Uncomfortable Truth

Forget everything Hollywood taught you about human trafficking. In this raw and eye-opening episode of The Kingdom Effect, hosts Kevin Beasley and Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley sit down with Jared Miller, founder of Freedom Aviation Network, to expose the massive gap between dramatic movie rescues and the brutal reality of helping survivors actually get free. While films like Sound of Freedom are bringing awareness to trafficking, there’s a crisis happening after the credits roll that no one’s addressing: How do you safely transport a survivor with no ID, no resources, and a trafficker who knows exactly where to find them? Jared’s answer? Build a network of 100+ private pilots willing to donate their planes, fuel, and time to fly survivors to safety. But this conversation goes deeper than logistics—it confronts the uncomfortable question every listener needs to ask themselves: How have I contributed to the problem? Connect With Our Hosts & Guest Resources Mentioned: 📖 The Truth About Sex Trafficking [https://amzn.to/4rorAXM] by Melanie Patterson - Available on Amazon 📖 The Insanity of God [https://amzn.to/4abf6f3] by Nik Ripken [https://amzn.to/4abf6f3]📖 To Be Told [https://amzn.to/49Xp2Kp] by Dan Allender [https://amzn.to/49Xp2Kp] Kevin Beasley - Co-host, Kingdom Effect Podcast & Discipleship Network Leader🌐 Website: kevinebeasley.com [https://kevinebeasley.com]📘 Facebook: facebook.com/kevinebeasley [https://facebook.com/kevinebeasley] Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley - Co-host & Former Law Enforcement 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/rambler113.6 [https://facebook.com/rambler113.6] Jared Miller - Founder, Freedom Aviation Network 🌐 Website: freedomaviationnetwork.org [https://freedomaviationnetwork.org]📘 Facebook: Freedom Aviation Network [https://www.facebook.com/freedomaviationnetwork] 📸 Instagram: @freedomaviationnetwork [https://www.instagram.com/freedomaviationnetwork] Kingdom Effect Podcast Community 👥 Facebook Group: Kingdom Effect Podcast [https://www.facebook.com/groups/472921304143638] 👆 Support the Guys with a Couple of Cups of Coffee 👆 The Uncomfortable Truth: It’s Happening in Your Backyard Glenn drops a sobering reality check: trafficking isn’t just happening in Colombia or overseas. It’s happening in Spring Hill, Tennessee. At Summit High School. In every major American city. “We do want to make sure that those people listening understand that trafficking is a real thing. It happens globally, internationally... But it’s happening right here in Nashville, and Jackson, and Memphis, and every major city across the United States.” Kevin admits his own awakening—hearing stories from Glenn and Harmony at Rescue One Global about incidents at his own kids’ high school. The enemy’s greatest lie? It’s somewhere else. Not here. What Happens After the Sex Trafficking Rescue (The Part Nobody Talks About) Both Glenn and Jared emphasize that rescue is the easy part—and it’s over quickly. The hard work is restoration, which can take years. The typical survivor journey: * Addiction recovery - Most survivors struggle with narcotics, alcohol, or sex addiction * Trauma processing - Can only begin after addiction is addressed * Multiple facility transfers - Rehab → safe house → restoration programs * Ongoing accountability - Survivors often want to run rather than face more counseling * Security management - The trafficker is often still looking for them “The rescue part... that’s the Hollywood, attractive thing. But the hard work in my opinion—and I’m a rescue guy, give me a machine gun and let’s go—the hard part is walking alongside somebody through the recovery process and the restoration process.” Glenn explains why he hasn’t watched Sound of Freedom: “When you’ve seen and experienced a lot of that firsthand in real life, watching it depicted on a screen triggers a lot of emotion... I haven’t worked up the courage to watch it and deal with all those emotions.” Human Trafficking Signs Every Parent Needs to Know Glenn offers practical guidance on identifying potential trafficking situations in children: 🚩 180-degree behavior changes - Extroverted kids becoming reclusive, or vice versa 🚩 New, unexplained possessions - Clothes, electronics, gifts you didn’t buy (grooming) 🚩 Friend group changes - Sudden shifts in who they’re hanging out with 🚩 Appearance changes - Dramatic shifts in how they present themselves Critical action: Monitor internet activity and electronic devices. Glenn notes most parents are “behind the learning curve” on what happens on their kids’ devices.The Movie That Changed My Mind The episode opens with each host sharing a film that shifted their worldview. Jared points to End of the Spear, the story of Jim Elliot and the missionaries martyred in Ecuador—and how their sacrifice led to generations of transformation, including in Jared’s own life. Glenn references Machine Gun Preacher and his own trip to Kenya that radically reordered his priorities about Western church culture. Kevin recalls Hotel Rwanda and the haunting scene where a journalist admits Americans will see footage of atrocities, say “that’s so sad,” and go back to eating dinner. This sets the stage for the real conversation: What’s actually happening in anti-trafficking work that the movies don’t show? The Transportation Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight Jared shares the origin story of Freedom Aviation Network. After years working alongside Glenn in anti-trafficking operations, one 30+ hour rescue operation pushed him over the edge. A survivor with “compounding levels of risk” needed to be moved to safety, but the logistics put everyone—the team and the survivor—in unnecessary danger. “I was angry for a few days. And I’m not an angry person. Glenn will tell you that... It was like a final straw. Why is transportation hard for us?” What Jared discovered: Most shelters and case management agencies had been putting survivors on buses or trains and hoping they’d make it to the other side. A survey of 233 trafficking-dedicated shelters revealed they didn’t even recognize transportation as a significant problem—they’d just been doing “whatever it takes.” The barriers are real: * No identification (traffickers withhold IDs as a control mechanism) * Safety concerns (perpetrators can track public transportation) * Cost (who pays for tickets?) * Accessibility (survivors can’t buy tickets without ID) Jared’s solution? Become a private pilot himself and build a network of aviators willing to donate flights. By the Numbers: Freedom Aviation Network Today 🛫 100 pilots recruited across 30 states (announced for the first time on this episode) 🛫 47 passengers flown to date 🛫 100% US citizens - every survivor flown has been domestic 🛫 More than half had no identification 🛫 $1,500 average in-kind donation per flight from volunteer pilots Under FAA public benefit flying regulations, pilots must pay their “pro rata share” of each flight—meaning they cover fuel, aircraft costs, parking, and their own time. These pilots aren’t getting reimbursed. They’re donating flights worth $500-$2,000+ because they want to use their skills for eternal impact. “Instead of going to get what we call a $100 hamburger—which now is more like a $300 hamburger—flying to the beach for the weekend... now you have an opportunity to actually affect a life indefinitely, permanently.” The Hardest Question: How Do You Reconcile Evil with a Good God? Kevin asks the question many are afraid to voice: How do you witness this level of abuse and still believe in God’s goodness? Jared’s response: “I believe that everything happening in our world is not a surprise... But in the midst of all that, the Lord is redeeming people’s spirits, hearts, minds, and bodies every single day in miraculous ways.” He shares how God allowed him to go through his own “very, very, very dark, abusive, painful, used and abused time” before calling him into this work. That personal suffering gave him the compassion and insight to sit with survivors in their pain. Glenn’s confession: “There were times where I was angry at God... I felt like he didn’t protect me. You called me into this, gave me the heart and the passion to do it. But yet you’re not protecting me from all this trauma.” Glenn had to remove his “selfish glasses” and trust that God’s faithfulness might not look like what he expected. He references The Insanity of God and the misconception that Christians won’t face persecution—when Scripture actually promises we will. “We’re Not Superheroes—We Just Said Yes” One of the most powerful themes of the episode: the people doing this work are ordinary. “Not a single person in the world of anti-trafficking is a superhero, nor an action hero. That is not who we are. We are regular people who just made a decision to be obedient... to be his hands and feet.” Jared pushes back against the “kick down doors” mentality: “Every day when someone asks me what I do: ‘Oh, so you’re the one that goes and kicks down doors.’ No, actually, not at all. I just love on people as long as they let me.” Both guests emphasize: God chooses people for this work. Glenn says if he could remove the calling and choose again knowing what he knows now? “I would say heck no. I want to stay as far away from that as I can.” The Human Trafficking Call to Action That Will Wreck You Jared closes with the most uncomfortable challenge of the episode: “The most painful thing that you can do is ask yourself a very hard question: How have I contributed to the problem?“ This means examining: * Have I clicked on exploitative content? * How have I devalued human life? * What do I consume that’s produced through exploitation (labor trafficking, not just sex trafficking)? Glenn echoes: “If there’s not a consumer, then there’s no need to have the product.” The bottom line: You don’t need to be a rescue operator to make a difference. Pray. Give. Support. Champion those on the frontlines. Ask hard questions about your own consumption. And if God’s calling you into this work—say yes. Key Quotes Worth Remembering 💬 “A person is not fully healed from their trauma until they can tell the story to someone else going through a similar trauma.” — Dan Allender (referenced by Kevin) 💬 “It’s a great tragedy to see others go through trauma. It’s a greater tragedy to go through trauma yourself. And it’s the greatest tragedy to go through trauma and it never be used for someone else’s good.” — Kevin Beasley 💬 “We experience trauma through the survivors... We share as much of that burden as we can without actually being the survivor. And that stuff sticks with you.” — Glenn Buckley 💬 “God never promised, ‘Hey, become a believer, and it’s easy sailing.’ It’s actually probably quite the opposite.” — Glenn Buckley Next Steps ✈️ Want to fly for freedom? Visit freedomaviationnetwork.org to learn how pilots can join the network 💰 Want to fund a flight? Connect with Freedom Aviation Network to support survivor transportation 📖 Want to learn more? Read The Truth About Sex Trafficking by Melanie Patterson (available on Amazon) 🙏 Want to get involved locally? Reach out to Kevin, Glenn, or Jared to get connected with anti-trafficking organizations in your community Kingdom Effect Podcast - Where ordinary people make extraordinary decisions to impact others for good. Available on all major podcast platforms and Substack. Get full access to Missional Disciple-Making Collective at www.kevinebeasley.com/subscribe [https://www.kevinebeasley.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 28 | Healing and Deliverance. You Can Love Jesus and Still Be In Chains (but you don't have to be)

Show Notes Four months ago, they released an episode on healing and deliverance that reached 5x their typical listenership. The topic exploded. The DMs flooded in. And the body of Christ started asking hard questions about what’s really happening behind the veil. Now Kevin Beasley and Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley are back—this time with Kevin’s ministry partner Tyler Hardy—for the most vulnerable, practical, and paradigm-shifting conversation they’ve ever had about the unseen realm. This isn’t theory. These are two guys who are currently doing 5-7 deliverance sessions per week, watching demons flee, seeing marriages restored, and discovering why the Western church has been doing spiritual malpractice for generations. 🛑 Warning: This episode will challenge everything you thought you knew about why prayer, worship, and Bible study aren’t bringing the freedom you desperately need. 💡 Game-Changing Insights: “How have we thought for years that we could effectively disciple people without freeing them from oppression? That is almost spiritual malpractice.” - Kevin Beasley “There is neither height nor depth, angels nor demons, past nor future that can stand between us and the love of God. Either take that at face value or admit there’s a wall—and ask God to reveal it.” - Tyler Hardy “People say ‘this is my cross to bear’ about their anger or lust. That’s heretical. The cross isn’t your sin—it’s losing your life daily to follow Jesus.” - Tyler Hardy “If that’s our best response—’man, that sucks, I’ll pray for you’—then that’s where people get disillusioned. That’s not what Jesus did. Jesus walked around making things right.” - Tyler Hardy 🎯 What You’ll Discover: The Thing the Western Church Won’t Talk About * Why “pray harder and read your Bible” is spiritual malpractice for oppression * The DNA of vulnerability crisis in institutional church: “Church is where I met God, and it’s where I learned to judge” * How the Enlightenment stripped spirituality from American Christianity (but not the rest of the world) * Why Kenyan revivals see instant deliverance but American churches put people on prayer lists The Legal Battle You Didn’t Know You Were Fighting * 🤯 Mind-blowing framework: Your spirit is sealed, but your soul (mind, will, emotions) is the enemy’s playground * 🌴 The Garden of Eden pattern: How one agreement with a lie opens doors for decades of oppression * 🖊️ Why breaking “legal contracts” with the enemy changes everything * 🔗 The 12-year-old locker room memory that was controlling Tyler’s marriage 20+ years later It’s Not What You See on YouTube * “I walked up my stairs feeling like 10 pounds instead of 1,000 pounds”—Kevin’s first deliverance experience * Why 9 out of 15 people who went through sessions immediately asked “What’s next?” and entered discipleship * The two-hour session that gave a woman more freedom than 20 years of therapy * Claire’s story: Why packing away her trophies broke a spirit of pride that wouldn’t leave during the session The Follow-Me Model That Actually Works * Why Jesus pursued the demoniac but only answered religious people’s questions * How one conservative church got a deliverance ministry (hint: not from outside convincing) * The paradigm shift from “seeing is believing” to experiencing transformation * Why the most powerful work happens BETWEEN sessions, not during them Missional Disciple-Making Collective is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 🚨 Red Flag Warning Signs You Might Need This: * You’ve been a faithful Christian for 20+ years but still struggle with the same triggers, anger, fear, or shame * “I just don’t hear God’s voice like others do” (but John 10 says you should) * Irrational patterns that persist despite prayer, worship, and Bible study * The thought “this is just my cross to bear” about a recurring struggle * You feel stuck in cycles that forgiveness and repentance alone haven’t broken * Physical heaviness, unexplainable weight, or feeling like you’re “trudging through life” * You know something’s blocking you from loving Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength 🔥 The Breakthrough Moment: Tyler’s Experience: “I was sitting on my couch having a disagreement with my wife. I asked Jesus to show me where this anger started. He brought me back to age 12—cowering in a locker room, terrified of a bully. The lie I believed: ‘I don’t have what it takes.’ Jesus walked me through forgiving 3-4 different people from my past. Then suddenly, I felt like a baby in the fetal position being held by the Father. I didn’t know how much I needed to be nurtured by Him. The unforgiveness was the wall keeping me from feeling His love.” Kevin’s Discovery: “After my first session, nothing dramatic happened. I didn’t even know if it worked. Then I got home and walked up my stairs—and I felt like I weighed 10 pounds instead of 1,000. A spirit of heaviness I didn’t even know was there had left.” 📚 Key Framework - The Legal Battle: The Three Parts of Deliverance Work: * Breaking Agreements (60-70% of the work) - Identifying lies you agreed with and breaking those contracts * Forgiveness & Repentance - Closing doors that unforgiveness keeps open * Commanding Demons to Leave - Once legal rights are broken, they have no choice but to flee The Soul vs. Spirit Distinction: * Your SPIRIT (if born again) = Sealed, demon-proof, redeemed * Your SOUL (mind, will, emotions) = The enemy’s playground where oppression happens How Doors Open: * Childhood traumas and lies believed about yourself * Unforgiveness that creates walls * Agreements with the enemy (conscious or unconscious) * Curses spoken over you or that you’ve agreed with Thanks for reading Missional Disciple-Making Collective! This post is public so feel free to share it. 🎬 The Quotes That Hit Different: On Church Culture: “Church is where I met God, and it’s where I learned to judge.” - NF lyrics shared in the episode On Vulnerability: “We don’t even know what we’re dealing with. We don’t understand the weight of the battle for this person in a Sunday gathering. Most young ladies we work with have been divorced. A large number have had abortions. Guaranteed nobody knows that.” On The Enlightenment’s Damage: “Non-Christians around the world don’t have problems believing in the spiritual realm. Village witch doctors do things, and people see it. But Western Christianity has been devastated by the Enlightenment’s insistence that everything must fit into rational boxes.” On Trust-Building: “We worked with a guy last night who had something he wanted to confess from the beginning—but didn’t tell us until 1 hour and 45 minutes in. That’s the trust-building process.” ✨ What Makes This Different: Not YouTube Exorcisms This isn’t people writhing on the ground or foaming at the mouth. It’s gentle, Spirit-led conversations where Jesus reveals lies, unforgiveness is released, and illegal contracts are broken. Sometimes there are manifestations. Usually there aren’t. The Work Between Sessions Claire couldn’t break free from a spirit of pride during her 6-hour session. Days later, she packed away all her trophies and accolades. Next session? The spirit was gone. The Holy Spirit does profound work between sessions. The Discipleship Accelerator 9 out of 15 people who went through sessions immediately asked “What’s next?” and entered the 21-Day Challenge discipleship pathway. It’s not just about freedom—it’s about launching people into lifelong discipleship. 🛠️ Resources & Next Steps: Schedule Your Own Session: 📍 ourbeststory.com/prayer [https://ourbeststory.com/prayer](Zoom sessions available—you don’t have to be in Nashville) Previous Episodes Referenced: * Episode 9: [https://www.kevinebeasley.com/p/i-was-counseling-demons-and-didnt] https://www.kevinebeasley.com/p/i-was-counseling-demons-and-didntJared Gregory - “I Was Counseling Demons and Didn’t Know It” * Episdoe 10: [https://www.kevinebeasley.com/p/fame-witchcraft-deliverance-redemption-clare-cunningham] https://www.kevinebeasley.com/p/fame-witchcraft-deliverance-redemption-clare-cunningham“I Was Feeding Demons and Didn’t Know It” Support This Ministry: Both Kevin and Tyler are faith-based missionaries. Donate at ourbeststory.com/prayer to help them continue offering sessions and training others. Training Opportunities: Contact Kevin and Tyler about upcoming training sessions for those who want to learn to facilitate this work. Ready to Get Honest? Here’s the hard question: Are you a Christian who’s been faithful for years—going to church, praying, worshiping—but still struggling with the same anger, fear, shame, or triggers? Have you convinced yourself “this is just my cross to bear” or “I’m just not wired to hear God’s voice”? What if those aren’t true? What if there’s illegal spiritual oppression that forgiveness and Bible study alone won’t break? The invitation is simple: Get desperate enough to ask Jesus what He wants to reveal. Be willing to consider the possibility that there’s more freedom available than you’ve experienced. “Either I take God at His word that there’s freedom for me and I need to go find it, or I walk away from the faith because He promised me something I’m not experiencing.” - Tyler Hardy Kingdom Effect Podcast - Where we don’t shy away from the hard conversations about what following Jesus actually looks like. Available on all major podcast platforms and at kevinebeasley.com. [http://kevinebeasley.com] Get full access to Missional Disciple-Making Collective at www.kevinebeasley.com/subscribe [https://www.kevinebeasley.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 27 | Losing My Parenting Pride Was the Best (and Hardest) Thing That Ever Happened to Me

Show Notes Rachel Van Hook thought she had parenting all figured out. Three beautiful daughters, a thriving youth ministry alongside her husband Chuck, and everything running smoothly—until God interrupted her comfortable life with a phone call she almost didn’t answer. What started as a casual catch-up with an old friend turned into a divine appointment that shattered her pride, tested her marriage, and ultimately transformed her understanding of what it means to follow Jesus into uncomfortable places. In this raw and honest conversation, Rachel shares how twin boys from the Arizona foster care system landed in her lap exactly as she’d prayed—and why that answered prayer nearly broke her. Was this Episode Helpful? Buy us a Coffee and Support Our Work! Connect With Our Hosts & Guest: Kevin Beasley - Co-host, Kingdom Effect Podcast & Discipleship Network Leader 🌐 Website: kevinebeasley.com [https://kevinebeasley.com] Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley - Co-host & Former Law Enforcement (Sex Trafficking) 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/rambler113.6 [https://facebook.com/rambler11] Rachel Van Hook - Teacher, Grad Student & Adoptive Mom 📸 Instagram: @RachelJVanHook and @OpenBookVanHook Kingdom Effect Podcast Community 👥 Facebook Group: Find our Facebook Group Here [http://facebook.com/groups/472921304143638] The Phone Call That Changed Everything Rachel had been praying about adoption for years, but her husband Chuck wasn’t on board. She knew if it was meant to be, God would work on Chuck’s heart in His timing. After finally getting aligned as a couple, Rachel called a friend on New Year’s Day 2016 to start the adoption process—but told her they’d begin after their Disney cruise in February. They weren’t home five days when Rachel got a call from Lori Collins, someone she hadn’t spoken to in three years. Rachel almost didn’t answer. But she did—and discovered Lori had step-grandsons, twin boys in Arizona foster care, about to be lost in the system. Lori was looking for someone to adopt them. What Rachel hadn’t told anyone: she’d been praying for adoption to come “like Moses in a basket, just floating down the river, falling into our laps.” God didn’t just send Moses. He sent Moses and Aaron. When Confirmation Becomes a Crutch One of the most powerful moments in Rachel’s journey came during her morning commute when she was begging God for confirmation that adoption was right for their family. “If you’re waiting on confirmation to adopt, which is in my Word, then you’re gonna miss out on an incredible opportunity. Stop waiting, I’m not gonna confirm this.” Rachel realized she’d already prayed about it. God had already spoken. She was using the need for “confirmation” as an excuse not to step out in faith. “I’m going to walk out on the water, but I don’t have a life jacket. It’s dark and stormy. I’m just going to go.” Missional Disciple-Making Collective is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. The Humbling Reality of Trauma-Informed Parenting Rachel is brutally honest about how adoption shattered her confidence as a parent. With three biological daughters, she thought she had it figured out. The twin boys revealed how little she actually knew. “I have become more patient and understanding and humbled from feeling like I had my parenting ducks in a row with those girls to, I don’t care what kind of parent you are anymore. I don’t do it better than you. I am gonna good-game your butt all day long because I got nothing anymore. I got no wisdom for anybody.” She describes the difference in parenting children with trauma backgrounds using a powerful illustration from her dyslexia training: while her daughters might need to hear a rule seven times to understand it, the boys need closer to one hundred repetitions. “I’d rather you have a hundred of these consequences now that are hard... than a night in jail when you’re 18.” The Cost to the Whole Family Before the twins arrived, the Van Hooks had a teenage boy, Josh, living with them for 3 years. When that relationship ended painfully, it was traumatic for the whole family, especially their youngest daughter, Millie, whose first words included “Josh” and “ball.” Six months later, they were pursuing adoption again. Rachel worries about the impact on her daughters. She checks in with them regularly. She acknowledges the truth most people won’t say out loud: “Are they okay? And I talk to them. I try to check in with them and just say, are you really okay? Because they know... it’s been hell. It really has.” But she also sees it as the most authentic discipleship her daughters could ever experience, watching their parents cry, pray, and have hard conversations while choosing to love sacrificially anyway. Chuck: The Unsung Hero Rachel repeatedly credits her husband, Chuck, as the anchor for their family through the chaos of adoption. “Chuck is a real saint. He is a real king when it comes to parenting those boys because he is firm and loving and he teaches and he respects them. And he won’t give them an inch... He is everything that those boys could ever need.” She describes the moment Chuck changed the boys’ last name to “Van Hook” at the church check-in system and how she kept that little sticker and put it in her Bible. Self-Care Isn’t Optional Rachel doesn’t sugarcoat her mental health journey. She takes medication. She goes to counseling. She’s currently in grad school for mental health psychology specifically because of what she’s walked through. She describes herself as a “ledge jumper”—someone who hits a wall and wants to quit everything at once. The pandemic amplified this tendency. Learning to identify stress, write it down, and evaluate what can actually be released has been essential to her survival. “Counseling really did help me to see some of those things from the outside that I couldn’t really see on the inside.” Key Takeaways For Those Considering Adoption: * Stop waiting for confirmation if God has already spoken * The bigger the yes, the bigger the blessing * It will be harder than you imagine—and more rewarding than you can comprehend For Anyone Feeling Overwhelmed: * Write down everything causing stress and evaluate each item individually * Find a counselor who can see what you can’t from the inside * Small acts of self-care matter—don’t dismiss them * It’s okay to say no; the world won’t fall apart without you For Parents Struggling with Comparison: * Your best looks different from someone else’s best—and that’s okay * Parenting children with trauma requires different tools, not better parenting * Every consequence is an opportunity for long-term protection Quotable Moments “The bigger the yes, the bigger the bless.” “Following Jesus is not easy... the way that He loved people was sacrificial.” “What’s the worst that could happen? I say that often these days.” “We’re all really truly just trying to do our best. And your best looks different from my best.” Kingdom Effect Podcast - Where we talk about the Christ-followers who said yes when it would have been easier to say no. Available on all major podcast platforms. Get full access to Missional Disciple-Making Collective at www.kevinebeasley.com/subscribe [https://www.kevinebeasley.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 26 | "How a Childhood Tragedy Became This Man’s Mission to Save Lives"

🔥 Show Notes 🔥 On May 14, 1988, seven-year-old Daniel Breeden stood on his front porch watching flames engulf a school bus. Twenty-seven people died that day in the Carrollton bus crash. But amid the screaming children and chaos, something miraculous happened. Daniel felt an unexplainable peace wash over him, and he heard God speak: “You’re going to spend the rest of your life rescuing kids off that bus.” Three decades later, that calling has taken Daniel through youth ministry, working with abused and trafficked children, devastating burnout, and a supernatural reunion that reignited his passion. Now, as Executive Director of Tennessee Right to Life, Daniel is on a mission to unite the church across denominational lines and rescue lives across an entire state. This episode isn’t just about the pro-life movement; it’s about what happens when ordinary people say “YES” to an extraordinary calling, even when fear tries to shut them down. It’s about persistence through burnout, God’s perfect timing, and why the battle for life is far from over. Like this Content? Support the Guys and Buy Them a Coffee with the Button Below! ✏️ Connect With Our Hosts & Guest: 🎤 Kevin Beasley - Co-host, Kingdom Effect Podcast & Discipleship Network Leader 🌐 Website: kevinebeasley.com 🎤 Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley - Co-host & Former Law Enforcement (Sex Trafficking) 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/rambler113.6 ❤️‍🔥 Daniel Breeden - Executive Director, Tennessee Right to Life 🌐 Website: TNRTL.org 📧 Email: Daniel@TNRTL.org [Daniel@TNRTL.org] Kingdom Effect Podcast Community 👥 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/472921304143638 Ready to Say Yes? Tennessee Right to Life is onboarding around 30 new chapters across the state, but there are still many counties to go. This isn’t just Tennessee’s fight; Right to Life organizations exist across the entire country. Next Steps: * Visit TNRTL.org to learn more and find resources * Email Daniel@TNRTL.org [Daniel@TNRTL.org] if you want to start or lead a chapter in your county * If you have connections to the Carrollton bus crash (May 14, 1988), reach out to Daniel * Pray this prayer: “God, break my heart for the unborn and vulnerable.” * Don’t just listen and do nothing; this is your invitation to say yes Missional Disciple-Making Collective is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 🎯 What You’ll Discover: The Moment Everything Changed * The Carrollton bus crash: 27 lives lost and one divine calling given to a 7-year-old * How Daniel’s father was a first responder and turned tragedy into a message * The miraculous healing of Daniel’s bowed legs through prayer, going from a predicted wheelchair to dunking basketballs * Why does God sometimes give us glimpses behind the curtain to sustain us From Calling to Crisis: The Burnout Journey * Moving from youth pastor to working with mentally and physically abused kids at Kentucky United Methodist Children’s Home * The heartbreak of kids so traumatized that they couldn’t even speak or be touched * When “serving” becomes “punching a clock,” the six-month burnout period when Daniel wanted to quit everything * The danger of neglecting fasting and prayer when doing difficult kingdom work The Breadcrumb That Changed Everything * The supernatural encounter at his son’s basketball practice * Harold Dennis walks into the gym, a survivor from the bus crash Daniel witnessed as a child * How their sons became friends, and Harold became Daniel’s best friend * God’s reminder: “This is why I had you everywhere, every step along the way” Tennessee Right to Life: Uniting a Divided Church * The shift from Operation Saving Life (frontline abortion ministry support) to statewide advocacy * Why fear is the number one obstacle, not the opposition, but fear within the church * The challenge of bringing Protestant and Catholic churches together in unity * Pastors who won’t meet at their own churches because they don’t want to be seen with pro-life advocates The Battle After Roe: Why We Can’t Stop Now * The misconception that overturning Roe v. Wade meant “we won.” * How the enemy just changed strategies, now it’s the abortion pill in your mailbox * The real battle isn’t against procedures, it’s for people’s hearts * Why “I thought we won” is the most dangerous phrase in the pro-life movement 💡 Game-Changing Insights: “My greatest fear isn’t the abortionist. My greatest fear isn’t the pill. My greatest fear isn’t euthanasia. My greatest fear is when people who agree with us listen to this podcast and turn it off and do nothing.” - Daniel Breeden “When you see that, even in those moments when I was 20% or 30%, now I see my two adult sons asking me about fasting and prayer. They want to know how to get into this pro-life movement. So, although I went through those times and would beat myself up, I think it was God saying, Stay the course.” - Daniel Breeden “We’re not citizens of the United States of America. You’re a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom has a king, and you’re a servant to the king. We are refugees in a foreign land, but our citizenship is with a king.” - Kevin Beasley “A good prayer, a consistent prayer in your prayer life is: God, break my heart for [fill in the blank]. When my heart’s broken, my passion ignites because I want to do things that heal my broken heart.” - Glenn “Buckshot” Buckley “Don’t tell me God can’t. Don’t tell me that when I get so depressed and so down and ready to give up, I got to be reminded of those things in the past.” - Daniel Breeden 🔥 The Breakthrough Moment: A retired OBGYN who delivered thousands of babies recently came into Daniel’s life with a confession: “I delivered babies. That’s what I did. But I knew right down the hall, right across the street, that abortions were happening every day by the hundreds of thousands here in Tennessee. And I didn’t do anything about that. I was convincing myself that what I’m doing is what I’m supposed to be doing. I’ve spent the last four or five years of my life committing fully to this movement. I’m gonna give everything that I’ve got for the remainder of my time here on earth to save as many babies as I can.” This is the wake-up call for the church; you can’t sit in the pew and do nothing while the battle rages just outside your door. 📚 Key Topics Covered: * The importance of proximity in discipleship and community * Male loneliness epidemic and the need for intentional brotherhood * Creating “Great Good Places” for healthy conversation across differences * Balancing family and ministry and when to share the hard stories with your kids * The spiritual discipline of remembering God’s faithfulness (communion as a daily practice) * Why the church struggles with controversial topics and how to overcome fear * Finding unity across denominational lines for kingdom causes * The ongoing need for volunteers and chapter leaders in every county “We’ve become comfortable with the uncomfortable and kept going back to scripture. Let God meet you right where you’re at.” The battle isn’t over. The enemy just changed strategies. Will you be part of the army that refuses to sit down? Kingdom Effect Podcast - Where ordinary people discover they can do extraordinary things for the Kingdom. Available on all major podcast platforms and Substack. Get full access to Missional Disciple-Making Collective at www.kevinebeasley.com/subscribe [https://www.kevinebeasley.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]