grandawakening

Tripp Hurst tells how God’s wonderful mercy now compels him to share God’s grace and truth with many

Tripp Hurst has been married to Nhung for 25 years and they are blessed with a daughter, Lexi. Tripp is a former Radio DJ with 20 years of experience, most of that taking place in Memphis, TN where he was raised. Now that Tripp lives in West Michigan, he currently serves inside the Kent County Jail with Reach the Forgotten Ministries. He also reaches out to other incarcerated folks inside the State Prison in Muskegon. In the past, Tripp has interacted with a number of evangelistic ministries, all of which helped develop his faith and equipped him to share the Gospel with those who don’t yet know Him. He also trained with Living Waters Ministries about doing open-air preaching. And, recently, Tripp did an open-air service in Indianapolis, Indiana during the Final Four basketball series held in that area around Easter time. Finally, another one of Tripp’s interests is theater. He loves acting in plays and even serves on the Board of Directors of Master Arts Theatre here in West Michigan. In this podcast, Tripp shares how, while his parents raised him in the church, he never became a true follower of Jesus. Twenty-five years ago, Tripp married Nhung, who was a true Christian. She soon realized her husband had only been faking his faith, so she began to pray earnestly that he would soon become a true Christ-follower. It took 10 painful years of addictions and other awful issues to finally see God answer Nhung’s prayers. And not only did Tripp then come to Christ, he began to be on fire for Jesus, and that passion continues to this day! He absolutely loves sharing the Gospel with anyone who needs to hear.

Brad Formsma shares about the incredible benefits and blessings that flow from a life of giving

Brad Formsma is the founder of I Like Giving, an organization which has inspired millions of people to live generously through its Generous Business, Generous Family, and Generous Classroom initiatives. He’s also the host of The WOW Factor, a podcast for business leaders, and a popular speaker at corporate, church and community events. Brad’s most recent projects include the “Generous Students” curriculum for grades K-5 (plus a 26-week homeschool edition) and the Generous Kids Book Club, teaching children seven ways to live generously. Brad and his wife Laura live in Southern California and are the proud parents of 3 adult children. In this podcast, Brad talks about how the example of his grandfather’s generosity was so instrumental in Brad himself becoming a generous and giving man of God. Brad also shared how, through various media platforms, his ministry is now encouraging many young people to learn the life and joys of giving that will ideally start them on a lifetime of being generous to others. It truly is more blessed to give than to receive!

Peter Hoekstra shares the joy of serving God by serving America and its close neighbor Canada

Prior to his nomination to his current position as the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra served as Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party during the 2024 elections, where his leadership did much to deliver a Republican victory. During the first Trump Administration, Pete served as Ambassador to the Netherlands. Previous to that service, Pete was elected as a Member of Congress from 1993 to 2011, representing Michigan’s 2nd District.  In Congress among other responsibilities, Pete was Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2004 to 2007. Pete is a graduate of Hope College in Holland, Michigan and then worked to receive an M.B.A. degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.  Subsequent to that, Pete was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Grand Valley State University and has also been the recipient of many other outstanding awards. Pete and his wife Diane recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and are grateful to God for their three adult children. In this podcast, Pete Hoekstra describes his heart for America as well as his gratitude for our close neighbor Canada, the nation in which he now is required, as our ambassador, to make his home. As we approach our nation’s 250th birthday, Pete shared how God’s blessing has kept America relatively prosperous and blessed in the past, and how we need constantly to renew our passion for Him and His ways to continue to receive God’s blessing. When I asked him about his relationship with his “boss” Donald Trump, Pete described some of his periodic one-on-one interactions with the President. Finally, Pete helped conclude our discussion by leading us in a sincere prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matt Goehler shares how Jesus rescued him from imminent death to a life full of joy and peace

Matt Goehler was raised in Coldwater, Michigan in a household of five folks, which included his parents, an older brother, and younger sister. While his family identified as Catholic, their faith was rather superficial, feeling more like a task to check off "the list" than a relationship with our Creator. As a young adult, Matt attended Grand Valley State University, where, sadly, he adopted many habits and behaviors he knew were wrong in an attempt to find fulfillment. He sought to hide his many struggles for fear he would be labeled a "disappointment" or "failure". Graduating from GVSU in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences, he then considered himself an atheist. That all changed in the years that followed as we will discuss in this exciting podcast. By God’s grace, Matt is now a devoted follower of Jesus. He also runs a thriving business called Lake Effect Lure Company. He is married to his dear wife Kalie, and together they have three awesome children and another on the way. I’m quite sure you will be touched as you hear his amazing story. In this podcast, Matt shares how a major crisis earlier in his life left him feeling totally hopeless, to the point that he came very close to intentionally taking his own life. But just before pulling the trigger on his gun, God spoke out loud to him! And that, amazingly, resulted in him beginning to choose to move in a totally new and life-giving direction. He is so grateful for all that God has done, and continues to do, in and through him. And because he can totally identify with people who are struggling with addictions and pain, he can help them find the only real cure: a life-giving relationship with Jesus!

Travis Lambright shares how God rescued him a life of total chaos to one of deep purpose

Travis Lambright is of Irish and Italian descent. He and his older sister were raised in a succession of places, including California, Maine, and Seattle, Washington. His professional background involved both commercial fishing and sales. Currently, Travis is studying ministry leadership, since he is sensing the call of the Lord to become a pastor. His goal is to give support to individuals who are seeking a better life and who desire to receive healing from past trauma and addiction. Travis has a 25-year-old daughter. For fun, Travis enjoys good food and activities by the water. In this podcast, Travis describes how, after his mother died, his life went downhill in a major way. At age 14, his father kicked Travis permanently out of the home. Living much of his teen years either on the streets or, due to his lawbreaking, incarcerated, Travis tried in vain to numb his pain through various drugs, alcohol and unhealthy relationships. But God! Yes, God used the prayers and caring of various people to ultimately call Travis to faith in Christ and now even a call to ministry!