What does it truly mean to follow Jesus?

In this episode of the Always Rising Podcast, Andrew Rosen and Nathan Curry sit down with Tony Acevedo to explore one of the most important questions every Christian will face: Who am I in Christ?

Through stories of serving family, caring for aging parents, raising children, and learning to surrender control, Tony shares how God's grace transformed the way he views identity, stewardship, marriage, and relationships.

00:00 Preview

00:30 Welcome Tony Acevedo

01:20 What is your identity?

02:00 Serving an atheist brother-in-law

07:00 Why Christians must show Jesus, not just talk about Him

12:30 We serve because Christ first served us

17:00 The secret to a lasting marriage

18:30 Loving difficult neighbors

26:00 How God transformed Tony's marriage

33:00 New York vs. Georgia and building community

38:00 Caring for an aging mother-in-law

45:00 Learning to serve without making it about yourself

49:00 Discovering your identity in Christ

53:00 Grace changes how we love people

58:00 Tony's childhood in Puerto Rico and New York

01:09:00 Parenting through stewardship

01:15:00 Finding joy in everyday life

01:16:00 Final encouragement

01:17:00 Closing prayer

What happens when you've searched everywhere for peace—and nothing works?

In this episode of the Always Rising Podcast, Andrew Rosen and Nathan Curry sit down with Bailey Croom—musician, mechanical engineer, and follower of Christ—to hear his remarkable testimony.

After pursuing philosophy, experimenting with psychedelics, and searching for answers through different beliefs, Bailey found himself battling fear, spiritual attacks, and years without real rest. Everything changed after one sincere prayer to Jesus.

00:00 Preview

00:19 Welcome Bailey Crew

01:24 Bailey's background and testimony

03:11 Searching for answers in the world

04:43 Spiritual attacks and sleepless nights

07:24 The prayer that changed everything

10:25 Is Jesus really the only way?

13:19 Why Bailey chose Christ

15:18 Grace instead of condemnation

18:16 A deeper relationship with Jesus

21:51 When God redirected Bailey's life

30:01 Finding a church community

33:07 Sharing Christ through music

39:31 Fame vs. purpose

44:45 How the world shapes our thinking

49:22 Speaking truth with grace

58:24 Bailey's biggest lesson about grace

01:02:30 Final encouragement

01:04:52 Closing prayer

What does it mean to trust God with your children, your marriage, and your future?

In this episode of the Always Rising Podcast, Andrew Rosen and Nathan Curry are joined by Jonah and Dakota from the Called and Running Podcast for a powerful conversation about faith, parenting, discipleship, Christian marriage, biblical leadership, and why so many young adults are returning to Jesus.

00:00 Introduction & Opening Prayer

1:01 Meet Jonah & Dakota (Called and Running Podcast)

3:14 Why Gen Z Is Returning to Jesus

5:26 Radical Faith at a Young Age

8:12 Learning From Different Generations

11:16 Parenting in Today's Culture

14:00 Challenges of Blended Families

17:33 Children Learn More From Actions Than Words

19:06 Trusting God With Your Children

23:48 When Your Kids Think You're the Mean Parent

24:46 Biblical Leadership in Marriage

29:43 Tough Love, Consequences & Parenting

33:34 Keeping Christ at the Center of Family

34:51 Choosing God First in Marriage & Parenting

40:57 Supporting Your Spouse's Calling

48:52 Christian Dating in Today's World

52:29 Becoming the Right Person Before Finding One

57:00 How Faith Changed a Marriage

1:01:10 Why We Still Need Grace Every Day

1:04:14 The Power of God's Grace

1:06:12 Faith Before Understanding

1:08:41 Learning to Trust God's Plan

1:10:43 Plant Seeds and Trust God With the Results

1:12:04 Final Thoughts & Prayer

One of the most powerful themes from this episode is that our responsibility is not to control the outcome. Our responsibility is to faithfully plant seeds, water them, and trust God with the results.

📩 Submit questions or topic ideas: suggestions@always-rising.com

In this episode of Always Rising, Andrew Rosen and Nathan Curry sit down with Pastor Jonathan McKinney of The Harvest Church for a powerful conversation about calling, prayer, grace, revival, church culture, biblical conviction, and the lifelong process of becoming who God created you to be.

Jonathan shares his testimony of growing up under the influence of a pastor grandfather, being unexpectedly called into ministry, and learning the power of intimate prayer. The conversation explores the state of the modern church, the importance of biblical truth, the role of grace in the Christian walk, and how God often prepares us through seasons of struggle before revealing His purpose.

From the Brownsville Revival to the lives of Abraham, Joseph, Peter, and Paul, this episode is filled with biblical insight, personal stories, and challenging truths about faith, obedience, humility, and spiritual growth.

00:00 Opening Prayer & Introduction 01:34 Meet Pastor Jonathan McKinney 03:40 Growing Up in a Pastor's Family 05:05 Learning from His Grandfather 05:55 The Unexpected Call to Preach 09:11 When God Confirmed His Calling 11:13 Letting Your Gift Make Room for You 13:00 The Power of Prayer in Ministry 16:47 Prayer, Anointing & Hearing God's Voice 18:05 Living Off Yesterday's Prayers 20:22 Finding Alignment With God's Purpose 22:13 Why So Many Churches Are Struggling 23:01 The State of the Modern Church 26:41 Preaching Truth Instead of Pleasing People 28:11 Church Culture, Family & the "Kid Trap" 30:06 Discussing Andy Stanley & Church Compromise 37:08 The Search for Authentic Faith 37:50 Why Young People Are Turning to Catholicism 40:16 Lessons from the Brownsville Revival 45:49 Conviction That Produces Transformation 46:00 Paul, Peter & the Need for Grace 48:21 God Shows the Promise Before the Process 51:42 Wrestling With Calling & Feeling Unworthy 52:43 Grace, Failure & God's Faithfulness 57:15 Nathan's Testimony and Understanding Grace 1:00:57 Paul vs. Peter, Different Paths to Grace 1:04:16 Repentance, Humility & Transformation 1:05:58 Joseph's Story and God's Preparation Process 1:09:17 Abraham, Faith & Embracing the Promise 1:13:21 Living as a Peculiar People 1:15:04 Results vs. Faithfulness 1:16:26 Abraham, Melchizedek & Seeing Christ 1:20:26 Why the Old Testament Matters 1:21:29 Biblical Typology Explained 1:23:12 Seeing the Entire Story of Scripture 1:26:18 Final Reflections 1:28:18 Closing Prayer

Always Rising is a podcast focused on Faith, Family, Business, Leadership, and Personal Growth, featuring authentic conversations that challenge listeners to pursue purpose, truth, and continual growth.

Subscribe for more conversations that help you keep rising, no matter where you are on your journey.

#AlwaysRising #Faith #ChristianPodcast #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #BibleStudy #Grace #Prayer #Revival #ChristianLeadership #AndrewRosen #NathanCurry #JonathanMcKinney #HarvestChurch #KingdomBusiness #ChristianLiving

What if the biggest issue facing our prisons isn't crime... but fatherlessness?

In this powerful episode of the Always Rising Podcast, Andrew Rosen and Nathan Curry sit down with Harry Booth and Richard Young, two men who have spent decades serving in prison ministry through Kairos Prison Ministry.

From dramatic stories of life transformation behind bars to the impact of discipleship, small groups, and spiritual mentorship, this conversation reveals how God is changing lives in places most people never see.

Whether you're interested in discipleship, ministry, fatherhood, prison outreach, or simply growing deeper in your walk with Christ, this conversation will encourage and challenge you.

"Whenever you have done this for the least of mine, you have done it for me." – Matthew 25:40

00:00 – Introduction & Meet Harry and Richard

2:03 – Finding Faith Later in Life

6:00 – The Prayer That Changed Everything

8:55 – How Prison Ministry Became Their Calling

15:25 – Inside Kairos Prison Ministry

20:27 – Knowing About Jesus vs. Knowing Jesus

25:58 – Surrendering Control to God

30:25 – Can Anyone Join Kairos?

34:39 – How Kairos Reduces Recidivism

35:52 – Seeing Jesus Behind Prison Walls

39:28 – Grace, Judgment & Life Transformation

43:58 – Why Denominations Miss the Point

44:42 – The Power of Small Groups & Discipleship

50:46 – Success Stories From Inside Prison

51:57 – Death Row, Redemption & Second Chances

54:39 – The Greatest Commandments in Action

55:48 – Fatherlessness and the Prison System

58:35 – How Earthly Fathers Shape Our View of God

59:49 – Final Thoughts & Closing Prayer

We sit down for a powerful conversation on faith, parenting, surrender, relationships, grace, and what it means to truly trust God through life’s hardest moments.

From raising children and dealing with prodigal seasons to struggling with doubt, anxiety, and the weight of wanting loved ones to know Christ, this episode dives deep into the reality of walking with Jesus in a broken world.

This conversation explores how God uses relationships, suffering, tests, and trials to transform our hearts and draw us closer to Him.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Relationships, Parenting & Faith

05:43 Rebuilding a Relationship After Years Apart

12:54 Surrendering Your Children to God

16:05 “The Burden Is Not On You”

20:35 Wanting Loved Ones to Know Jesus

25:04 Being Born Again & Spiritual Transformation

31:16 Doubt, Faith & Trusting God

42:14 Why Does God Allow Suffering?

49:18 Why God Tests Us

55:05 Grace, Forgiveness & Eternal Life

1:00:02 Asking God “Why?”

1:04:43 Why Relationships Matter Most

1:07:27 Closing Prayer

If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who needs hope today and subscribe for more Christ-centered conversations seeking truth through Scripture.

What happens when you stop chasing your own plans… and finally let God lead?

In this episode of the Always Rising Podcast, AJ Alfonso Hicks shares how his life changed when he stopped living by timelines, goals, and personal ambition, and started waking up each day asking God what He wanted instead.

This is a real conversation about surrender, obedience, faith, and learning to follow the Holy Spirit daily.

If you’ve ever struggled with control, purpose, or trusting God’s direction, this episode is for you.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Opening Prayer

00:51 Welcome + Introducing AJ Alfonso Hicks

02:00 AJ’s Story Begins

06:40 From Goals & Hustle to Surrender

12:15 Learning to Follow God Daily

18:45 Obedience Over Personal Ambition

25:10 Community, Brotherhood & Faith

33:30 Identity Through Christ

41:20 Final Thoughts + Encouragement