Wayne Jacobsen
Wayne has been on a life-long search to find out just how real God wants to be in my life and how I can connect with his church in a way that fulfills the promises of Scripture. For forty-two years I tried to sort that out in various conformity-based institutions, trying to figure out what God expected of me and do my best to give it to him. There were many wonderful moments on that stretch of the journey, but they were also filled with frustration when the reality of my relationship with him fell short of what I hoped it could be. In 1994, after serving as a pastor of two different congregations over twenty years, my world collapsed in a painful betrayal, and with it my confidence that my approach to him was what he had in mind. I discovered that I didn't have to try to get God to love me but to simply wake up in the reality each morning that he already did. That love invited me into the relationship that I longed for and transformed me in ways that my human effort never could. I’ve chronicled that story in my articles at Lifestream.org, and in books I’ve written, most notably He Loves Me.
Now, as a writer and teacher, I travel the world helping believers sort out what it means to live freely in the life of Christ. I’ve written numerous books including He Loves Me, So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore, Live Loved Free Full, A Language of Healing for a Polarized Nation, Authentic Relationships, In Season, A Man Like No Other, and Finding Church. I also collaborated on the writing of The Shack and helped create Windblown Media, the publishing company behind the phenomenon. I was a Contributing Editor to Leadership Journal during much of the time I pastored. My articles and audio recordings on spiritual growth and relational community can be found at my home website, Lifestream.org. You can also follow my blog there. I have been married to my college sweetheart, Sara, since 1975. Growing in our relationship with each other and sharing together whatever life throws at us is the single greatest joy of my life. We reside in Newbury Park, CA where we enjoy our adult children and grandchildren. Email Wayne.
Kyle Rice
Kyle Rice is a passionate Christ Follower who has been learning to walk in the love of Christ for the last sixteen years. His journey with Christ has taken him all over the world, helping others engage with a deeper, more wholehearted life experience. He has been serving others in a variety of different avenues including higher education, secondary education, private practice counseling, pastoral leadership, and international missions. Kyle received a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University in Southern California.
Kyle, Jess, and Eliyanah are currently living with their two dogs in a small town in Southeastern Wyoming. Kyle and Jess, in collaboration with Wayne, started Blue Sheep Media, a company with a heart to see people who are living authentic adventures share their message with the world. Kyle has a unique passion for combining life-coaching/counseling with outdoor adventure sports. Kyle enjoys hiking, fly fishing, archery, hunting, spending time with his wife and daughter, cooking, dancing, creating new things, and talking to people about life. Kyle grew up in a variety of different places around the United States before his family settled in Eastern Wyoming/Western Nebraska. He spent his early years helping run his family’s cattle ranch. Email Kyle.
Julie Williams
Julie is Wayne's daughter and has hosted a number of podcasts with him. We've seen less of her as she has helped her young family navigate the pandemic. She has a passionate relationship with Jesus and a heart of love that reaches out to anyone around here. Julie grew up in a traditional church as a pastor's kid but spent her later teenage years learning to live outside of those walls. She spent some time wrestling with what that looked like and found a deep love and desire to know Father more each day.
Julie has spent the past 16 years at home with her 3 children. Currently, she runs her own business as a creative designer and social media contractor. She lives with her husband, Tyler, their three children (and two dogs) in Moorpark, CA. When she finds a few moments to herself she loves long walks with her dogs, relaxing with a good book, soaking up the quiet moments of her day, or enjoying the people around her.
Brad Cummings
Brad and Wayne have celebrated a friendship since 2000 when they met in Southern California and he was the regular co-host of the podcast through 2012. Since then, Brad has frequently returned to the podcast to share his insights and wisdom. He was a pastor for twelve years, a regular conference and college campus speaker, and took teams of young people into UK, Europe, India, and Africa.
Brad also helped write The Shack and is the president of Windblown Media. He was a producer on the theatrical release for The Shack, and now focuses his efforts on books and films that express the life of Jesus in today’s culture. Brad graduated from Pepperdine University with a B.A. in Telecommunications, Film & TV Broadcasting and received his Masters of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary. He resides in Newbury Park, CA with his wife Kelly where they celebrate life with their three children and new grandchild.