What does it really mean to surrender?

In this episode of Sermons on the Side, a simple but powerful moment sets the stage - Richard wakes up from a dream singing the timeless hymn “Have Thine Own Way.” From that moment, a deeper conversation unfolds around surrender, trust, and what it looks like to truly place our lives in God’s hands.

We also share a story from our recent conversation with missionary Jacques Van Bommel - one that didn’t make last week’s episode but felt too meaningful not to revisit. It’s a powerful reminder that surrender isn’t just a portion of our life... it's ALL of our life.

If you’ve ever wrestled with control, uncertainty, or letting go of your own plans, this episode will meet you right where you are.

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In this powerful and inspiring episode of Sermons on the Side, Brad and Richard sit down with missionary and ministry leader Jacques Van Bommel, founder and CEO of Reaching a Generation.

What started as a vision in South Africa has grown into a global movement - impacting more than 28 million children over the past 16+ years through public school outreach, AIDS prevention education, and strategic partnerships with local churches to ensure the gospel takes deep root.

Jacques shares his personal story of faith - how he first came to know the Lord, the calling that led him into missions, and the goodness and faithfulness God demonstrated in those first few months of building a ministry that is now transforming communities around the world.

We also dive into what God is doing today through Reaching a Generation, including exciting new initiatives like church planting and the development of a community family center.

Jacques, along with his wife Lizzie and their family, embody what it looks like to say “yes” to God’s calling and follow Him wholeheartedly.

This conversation is filled with encouragement, faith, and a reminder that God can use ordinary obedience to accomplish extraordinary things.

You don’t want to miss this one!

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Thank you for being part of the journey with us!

On construction sites, there’s a simple safety rule: always maintain three points of contact. Whether climbing a ladder or stepping onto heavy equipment, the idea is straightforward - stay anchored in three places so you remain stable and secure.

Recently, while serving as chaplain on a construction job site, Richard sat in on a safety briefing led by a friend responsible for the well-being of hundreds of workers. During the talk, the director of safety emphasized the importance of this rule, and it sparked a meaningful conversation between Richard and Brad about how the same principle might apply to our spiritual lives.

In this episode, we explore three important points of contact for a healthy life of faith: our connection with the Lord, our connection with community, and our connection with ourselves. When those anchors are strong, we’re far more stable - no matter what life throws our way.

Sometimes the most meaningful spiritual lessons show up in the most unexpected places… even in a construction site safety talk.

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After spending a weekend in Birmingham with his father, who is currently battling dementia, Richard had the opportunity to sit down for a simple Saturday morning breakfast with his dad and his cousin - someone they’ve always just called Uncle Damar. Around that table came story after story. Some were ones Richard had heard many times before. Others he hadn’t heard in years, and a few may have even been new. But in that moment, it was a beautiful reminder of just how powerful stories really are - how they carry memories, identity, and meaning across generations.

That conversation led us to one of the more poignant moments in Scripture. After John the Baptist is arrested and imprisoned, he sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus a question that feels almost unthinkable: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” It’s a difficult passage to sit with, because John has spent his entire life proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah. Yet when circumstances become confusing and painful, even the most faithful among us can find doubt creeping in.

Jesus’ response is simple but profound: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and what you have heard.” In other words, tell the story. Tell the truth of what God is doing.

In this episode, we reflect on the power of stories - both the ones passed down around a breakfast table and the ones God is still writing in our lives today. Because the story of Christ’s redemptive work in us may be one of the most powerful testimonies we ever share!

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Love the show? If you’re enjoying the stories, laughs, and conversations we share here, we’d be so grateful if you’d consider “buying us a cup of coffee” to help keep things brewing. It’s a simple way to show your support and keep the podcast going strong!

Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/sermonsontheside

Thank you for being part of the journey with us!

We’re back to our regularly scheduled programming after an unforgettable birthday week - and first of all, thank you! The ratings, reviews, messages, coffee support, shares, encouragement… it meant more than we can possibly say. You all showed up in such a generous way, and we are deeply grateful.

Now onto to YEAR 2!

Richard recently had a dream where he was the main character in a full-blown Mission Impossible–style action movie. You know the type: the clock is ticking, the stakes are impossibly high, the best friend might secretly be the villain, and the critical weapon or intel always seems to “fall into the wrong hands.”

But right before he woke up, something shifted.

Instead of the chaos, instead of the betrayal, instead of the fear that everything was spiraling out of control, there was this overwhelming sense that God was speaking love and reassurance over him - a reminder that he was never in danger of falling into the enemy’s hands in the first place. He was - and always has been - in God’s hands.

In this episode, we talk about how sometimes it feels like we’re one misstep away from disaster, one failure away from being lost, one bad decision away from falling beyond redemption. But the truth of the Gospel tells a very different story. We are held. We are known. We are secure — not because of our grip on God, but because of His grip on us.

It’s a simple reminder. A sweet one. But sometimes those are the ones our hearts need most.

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Love the show? If you’re enjoying the stories, laughs, and conversations we share here, we’d be so grateful if you’d consider “buying us a cup of coffee” to help keep things brewing. It’s a simple way to show your support and keep the podcast going strong!

Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/sermonsontheside

Thank you for being part of the journey with us!

This is Part 5 of a special 5-part bonus series celebrating one year of Sermons on the Side.

In the final moments of John chapter 21, after Peter has been restored and recommissioned, something subtle - but familiar - happens. Peter looks over at John and begins to compare his story to someone else’s. Even after a mountaintop encounter with Jesus, the comparison game creeps in - and just like that, the joy of the moment starts to unravel.

Jesus’ response is both gentle and freeing: follow Me.

It’s a reminder that each of us has a sacred story being written by God - one that doesn’t need comparison, competition, or qualification. Just faithfulness.

That truth brings us to our final birthday invitation.

Friday’s challenge: give us your story.
Not your rating. Not your money. Your story!

Whether you’ve been listening since episode one or you just found the podcast this week, we would love to hear how God has met you in the everyday. Send us a DM, an email, or a message through the text feature. We want to sit around a charcoal fire with you and celebrate what God is doing in your life.

This podcast started as two friends sharing stories about finding meaning in ordinary moments - and the more stories we hear, the more we’re reminded that none of us are alone.

That’s worth celebrating.

Thank you for an incredible first year. We can’t wait to hear your story!

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Sermons on the Side Bible Readings

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Love the show? If you’re enjoying the stories, laughs, and conversations we share here, we’d be so grateful if you’d consider “buying us a cup of coffee” to help keep things brewing. It’s a simple way to show your support and keep the podcast going strong!

Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/sermonsontheside

Thank you for being part of the journey with us!

This is Part 4 of a special 5-part bonus series celebrating one year of Sermons on the Side.

In John chapter 21, Peter finds himself in what could have been one of the most painful conversations of his life. Face to face with Jesus, carrying the weight of past failure and deep shame, he’s asked a simple question - three different times: “Do you love me?”

There’s no shaming. No condemnation. Only love.

With each response, Jesus doesn’t just forgive Peter - He restores him, reaffirming his calling and inviting him back into the work of the Kingdom: feed my sheep. It’s a powerful reminder that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and that redemption doesn’t disqualify us - it recommissions us.

That’s the moment we reflect on today.

And since it’s our birthday week, we also want to say this:

Thursday’s challenge: if you’ve ever wanted to support the show financially, you can do so by heading to our Buy Me a Coffee page and literally buying the birthday boys a coffee. There’s no pressure and no expectation - just a simple way to help cover hosting costs, equipment, and support the future of this podcast as we continue to dream about what’s next.

Every dollar given goes directly toward Sermons on the Side. (link below)

Thank you for listening, for supporting, and for being part of this community.
Part 5 drops tomorrow.

Send a text

Sermons on the Side Bible Readings

Connect with us on our FACEBOOK page

Connect with us on INSTAGRAM @sermons_on_the_side_podcast

Check out our website HERE

Love the show? If you’re enjoying the stories, laughs, and conversations we share here, we’d be so grateful if you’d consider “buying us a cup of coffee” to help keep things brewing. It’s a simple way to show your support and keep the podcast going strong!

Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/sermonsontheside

Thank you for being part of the journey with us!

This is Part 3 of a special 5-part bonus series celebrating one year of Sermons on the Side.

In John chapter 21, Jesus invites the disciples to come ashore - and before a word is spoken, before anything is explained, breakfast is already waiting for them. There’s a fire. There’s food. And there’s something deeply intentional about that moment that can’t be rushed or overlooked.

It’s one of the most tender, redemptive scenes in all of Scripture - and to fully understand why, you’ll have to lean in and listen.

That’s the moment we sit with today.

And since it’s our birthday week, we’ve got another way to celebrate.

Wednesday’s challenge: blow out the algorithm candles.
Scroll back into the archive and revisit an older episode - the one that made you pull over in a parking lot, set your coffee down, or grab your Bible. Download it. Re-listen to it. Share it. Leave a comment if your platform allows.

Every time someone interacts with an older episode, it tells the algorithm world, “This still has life.”

And that’s been the heartbeat of this podcast from the beginning - believing that ordinary moments can still carry meaning, hope, and redemption.

Thanks for celebrating with us, for revisiting the story, and for helping breathe fresh life into the journey.
Part 4 drops tomorrow.

Send a text

Sermons on the Side Bible Readings

Connect with us on our FACEBOOK page

Connect with us on INSTAGRAM @sermons_on_the_side_podcast

Check out our website HERE

Love the show? If you’re enjoying the stories, laughs, and conversations we share here, we’d be so grateful if you’d consider “buying us a cup of coffee” to help keep things brewing. It’s a simple way to show your support and keep the podcast going strong!

Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/sermonsontheside

Thank you for being part of the journey with us!