The Faith of the Father(s) w/ Karl Gessler
The Faith of the Father (s) is a podcast devoted to proclaiming and demonstrating the reality of Jesus Christ—risen from the dead and actively at work today, healing the sick and casting out demons just as He did in the Scriptures.Rooted in the careful study of the Bible and the witness of the Church throughout history, this podcast seeks to learn from the faith of the fathers—from the earliest believers to faithful witnesses in the present day. We hold that the ministry of Jesus did not end in the Gospels, but continues through men and women indwelt by t...
Is Calvinism the Root of Your Spiritual Anxiety?
Send us Fan Mail
Can specific theological doctrines actually be the root cause of deep spiritual anxiety, OCD, and a crippling fear of hell?
In this episode of The Faith of the Father(s), Karl Gessler sits down with guest Joanna Chandler to unpack her testimony of growing up under strict Calvinist teachings. Through their conversation, Karl examines and challenges foundational Calvinistic beliefs, demonstrating how doctrines of election, limited atonement, and depravity can distort God’s character and breed spiritual bondage.
Together, they look at who God truly is—a loving Father who desi...
Why You Must Get to the Strongman in Deliverance | Pastor Mark Vanderlip
Send us Fan Mail
What does it mean to “bind the strongman”—and how do you do it?
Pastor Mark Vanderlip joins Karl Gessler to discuss the importance of getting past the smaller demons to confront those with the most authority for a more complete deliverance.
Drawing on his background in trauma and relationship counseling and his work in deliverance and inner healing, Mark shares his approach to getting to the strongman. Together, we explore generational patterns, demonic hierarchy, and the significance of authority as it relates to demons and fragmented parts of the hu...
Yoga and Christianity: Two Visions of Human Freedom | John Immel
Send us Fan Mail
What does it mean to be free? Is freedom found in detachment from life and relationships—or in their healing?
Former yoga teacher John Immel joins Karl Gessler for a personal and philosophical conversation about yoga, Ayurveda, and his return to Christianity. John pursued physical benefits, emotional insight, and spiritual growth. But as he went deeper, he began questioning the teachings he had embraced.
A painful turning point came when his community failed to support his child. That experience led him to reconsider how his beliefs shaped love, relationships, an...
I Was Ready to Leave My Husband—Then Everything Changed
Send us Fan Mail
Lindsay Heard was raising five children through her husband Otis’s addiction, repeated incarceration, and abuse. Desperate for answers, she turned to tarot and New Age practices while trying to hold her family together. Eventually, she reached her limit and prepared to leave.
Then Lindsay and Otis independently cried out to God. Otis describes an encounter with Jesus, and Lindsay shares how she immediately recognized a change in him. But his breakthrough also revealed her own need for healing.
In this episode of The Faith of the Fathers, Karl Ge...
Some Voices Need Healing, Not Deliverance (When trauma and fragmentation sound like demonic oppression)
Send us Fan Mail
If you’ve been through deliverance ministry again and again but still can’t get free, this episode may reveal the missing piece.
Karl Gessler shares the story of a young man tormented by condemning voices, fear of hell, and the belief that he had committed the unforgivable sin. But when Karl listened more closely, he began to suspect that the voice speaking was not a demon—it was a wounded and fragmented part of the young man’s soul.
In this episode, Karl explores the difference between demonic oppressi...
Deliverance for People Who Don’t Like Deliverance
Send us Fan Mail
Do you want freedom but feel uncomfortable with deliverance ministry? Let’s begin with something every Christian can embrace: repentance.
In this episode, Karl walks you through a simple, honest prayer of repentance designed to expose agreements with darkness, remove spiritual strongholds, and open the door to the freedom Jesus provides. The episode concludes with practical deliverance prayers you can follow from wherever you are.
You don’t need to understand everything about deliverance to begin experiencing freedom. You simply need to come honestly before Jesus.
Support the...
Why Your Best Effort Feels Like Failure
Send us Fan Mail
Have you ever worked desperately to become a better person, only to end up feeling worse about yourself?
When our identity becomes tied to our performance, even our best efforts can leave us feeling ashamed, defeated, and never good enough. The harder we try to prove our worth, the more deeply failure can wound us.
In this episode, Karl shares honestly about his own struggle with self-hatred and explores the spiritual roots of performance-driven shame. You’ll discover why improvement alone cannot heal rejection, how condemnation distorts the way yo...
Islam Is Changing America—Is the Church Ready?
Send us Fan Mail
Are Christians recognizing the spiritual battle unfolding in America—or have we mistaken passivity for love?
In this episode of The Faith of the Father(s), Karl Gessler examines the growing influence of Islam in America, the cultural changes taking place in cities such as Dearborn and Chicago, and the urgent need for the Church to respond with courage, discernment, and the authority of Jesus.
Using the “camel in the tent” parable, Karl explains how influence can advance gradually while those affected remain unaware of what is happening.
This...
13 Years of Addiction Ended with One Desperate Prayer
Send us Fan Mail
Thirteen years of addiction ended with one honest, desperate prayer of repentance—and an entire family came to salvation.
In this powerful episode of The Faith of the Fathers, Karl Gessler talks with Otis Heard about the prayer that changed everything. After more than a decade of struggling with addiction, Otis discovered that freedom was possible through repentance and the power of Jesus.
But his deliverance didn’t stop with him. What God began in one person reached an entire family.
This conversation highlights:
• The power...
Why You Fell Again
Send us Fan Mail
You experienced freedom—but a few weeks later, you fell back into the same struggle. Does that mean deliverance didn't work? Karl Gessler examines why freedom can be followed by relapse, the role of unbelief, and what must happen after deliverance if you're going to learn to walk free.
Support the show
❤️ SHOW YOUR SUPPORT - LINKS BELOW...
➡️ Email me: https://www.karlgessler.com/deliverance
➡️ DONATE ➡️ Join our team!
https://www.givesendgo.com/karlgessle...
/ karlgessler
...
A Prophetic Word: This is the Key to Your Turnaround
Send us Fan Mail
I sensed in my spirit what God wanted to say to you this morning. Be encouraged, the key to your turnaround is not complicated or difficult. The hardest part is that it is too easy.
Support the show
❤️ SHOW YOUR SUPPORT - LINKS BELOW...
➡️ Email me: https://www.karlgessler.com/deliverance
➡️ DONATE ➡️ Join our team!
https://www.givesendgo.com/karlgessle...
/ karlgessler
...
The “Perfect Prayer” You Aren’t Using: Breaking Mental Blocks to Speaking in Tongues
Send us Fan Mail
Have you struggled to receive the gift of tongues—or wondered why it seems beyond your reach?
The barrier may not be spiritual. It may be mental.
In this episode of The Faith of the Fathers, Karl Gessler exposes the “Western rationalist block” that can prevent believers from yielding to the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is more than a missionary tool or an optional spiritual experience. It is a powerful gift for intercession—allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through you beyond the limits of your natural understanding.
In...
God’s Will Isn’t Automatic—Here’s Why
Send us Fan Mail
Does God’s will always happen—or can fear, hesitation, and disobedience cause us to miss what He intended?
After returning from a transformative 6,650-mile ministry trip across the country, Karl and Susie Gessler sit down to discuss the divine appointments they experienced, the opportunities they almost missed, and the lessons they learned about partnering with God.
Many Christians assume that everything that happens must be God’s sovereign will. But Scripture reveals that God has given human beings genuine authority and responsibility. Our prayers, choices, courage, and obedience truly...
Why the Attacks Keep Coming | Why Satan Wants You in Bondage
Send us Fan Mail
Why does it seem like the attacks never stop?
If you’ve ever wondered why Satan appears to focus so much attention on your life, you’re not alone. Spiritual attacks can leave us feeling discouraged, forgotten, and convinced that God has abandoned us.
But that is exactly what the enemy wants you to believe.
In this episode, Karl Gessler explores the biblical purpose behind spiritual warfare and explains why Satan fights so hard to keep God’s people in bondage. More importantly, you’ll discover the greater...
A Deliverance Minister’s Confession: Deliverance Isn’t the Answer
Send us Fan Mail
You didn’t fail at deliverance.
Many people go through deliverance only to find themselves struggling with old habits, addictions, or bondage again. Then shame sets in: I failed. Deliverance didn’t work. Maybe I’ll never be free.
That’s wrong thinking.
Deliverance is something you receive, not something you do. And deliverance itself isn’t the Gospel—it is a byproduct of the Gospel.
The bedrock truth beneath all freedom is this: God loves you right now.
This me...
What Is Sin? It’s More Than Breaking Rules
Send us Fan Mail
What if sin isn’t simply breaking God’s rules? In this episode, Karl Gessler explores the Bible’s definition of sin and argues that sin is fundamentally falling short of humanity’s glorious calling to bear the image of God. Understanding sin this way transforms how we see repentance, salvation, and the mission of Jesus.
Support the show
❤️ SHOW YOUR SUPPORT - LINKS BELOW...
➡️ Email me: https://www.karlgessler.com/deliverance
➡️ DONATE ➡️ Join our team!
https://www.givesendgo.com/karlgessle...
/ karlgessler
...
The Sleeper Cells the Church Can't Ignore | Kelly Hawley
Send us Fan Mail
What happens when survivors share experiences that challenge our assumptions about trauma, spiritual warfare, and the unseen realm?
In this episode, Karl Gessler sits down with Kelly Hawley of Warrior Bride Ministries to discuss her journey from childhood sexual abuse to healing, freedom, and a calling to help survivors of severe trauma.
Kelly shares how Warrior Bride Ministries ministers to those recovering from ritual abuse, fragmentation, and complex trauma through biblical inner healing, deliverance, prayer ministry, intensives, free classes, and the annual Counting the Cost Conference.
Karl...
Your First Deliverance Session: Where to Begin
Send us Fan Mail
What do you do when someone comes to you for help?
Many Christians believe in deliverance, but when a friend, family member, or church member begins struggling with fear, oppression, destructive habits, or spiritual bondage, they aren't sure where to start. In this episode, Karl Gessler shares a simple, practical framework for leading your first deliverance session.
Rather than focusing on advanced techniques or difficult cases, this teaching is designed to equip ordinary believers with the confidence to begin helping people find freedom in Jesus.
In this...
What Fasting Does to Your Spirit with Joe Roraff
Send us Fan Mail
What happens to your spirit when you fast?
In this episode of The Faith of the Fathers, Karl Gessler sits down with Joe Roraff to discuss one of the most powerful and often neglected spiritual disciplines in the Christian life: fasting.
Joe shares the remarkable story of how his father's 21-day fast became a catalyst for his own spiritual transformation and pursuit of God. Together, Karl and Joe explore the purpose of fasting, common misconceptions surrounding it, and why so many believers struggle to make it a regular part...
3 Easy Steps to Emotional Healing | Dave Hayes (The Praying Medic)
Send us Fan Mail
Can emotional wounds keep us from experiencing the fullness of healing and freedom that Jesus purchased for us?
In this conversation, Karl Gessler sits down with Dave Hayes (The Praying Medic) to discuss what he calls "3 Easy Steps to Emotional Healing." Dave shares how he first began seeing miracles and healings, why emotional and inner healing are so important, and a simple process believers can use to partner with Jesus in bringing healing to the soul.
We also explore the connection between emotional wounds and physical health...
Why Renouncing Matters in Deliverance | Breaking Agreement With Darkness
Send us Fan Mail
Why do Christians renounce sin, lies, occult involvement, vows, or demonic agreements during deliverance ministry?
In this episode, Karl Gessler explains that the reason we renounce things is because deliverance is a legal battle in the Courtroom of Heaven. Agreements matter. Words matter. And writing or speaking your renunciations out loud is vital to breaking agreement with darkness.
Topics include:
What it means to renounce something Why we renounce things in deliverance Deliverance as a legal battle in the Courtroom of Heaven Why speaking or writing words out loud ma...Deliverance Explains What Therapy Misses | Mark Vanderlip
Send us Fan Mail
Former professional counselor turned pastor and deliverance minister Mark Vanderlip joins Karl Gessler for a deep conversation about trauma, fractured soul parts, spiritual oppression, and healing through Jesus Christ.
After years working in trauma counseling, Mark began to discover that many struggles could not be fully explained through psychology alone. In this interview, he shares how his journey led him into deliverance and inner healing ministry—and why compassion is essential when ministering to wounded people.
Topics include:
• Trauma and fractured soul parts
• Deliverance and demonic oppression
•...
Why Your Prayers Aren’t Working (And What To Do Instead)
Send us Fan Mail
The other night I attended a large Christian concert filled with powerful music, uplifting messages, and songs about freedom, healing, and breakthrough.
But as I looked around the room, I realized something troubling:
Many of the people singing about freedom were still deeply bound.
Why?
In this episode, Karl Gessler explores the difference between proclaiming truth and exercising the authority Jesus actually gave believers. Why do so many Christians pray for breakthrough but never experience it? What does it mean to move from passive hope...
She Was Dying for 12 Years… It Wasn’t Medical
Send us Fan Mail
What if the root of chronic sickness isn’t just physical—but spiritual?
In this powerful and emotional testimony, Kathy Foreman shares her incredible journey through years of suffering, chronic illness, and 12 years in hospice care. Doctors had few answers, and her condition continued to deteriorate. But beneath the physical symptoms was a deeper spiritual battle involving trauma, unforgiveness, bitterness, and demonic oppression.
Everything changed when Kathy began confronting the spiritual roots connected to her pain and suffering. What followed was a shocking breakthrough and dramatic healing that challenged ever...
How to Activate Your Spirit & Hear Directly From God (with Valerie Picerno)
Send us Fan Mail
What does it actually mean to live from your spirit—and not just your soul?
In this episode, I sit down with Valerie Picerno, a deliverance coach trained under Dan Duval, who now helps people find freedom from abuse and walk in deeper spiritual clarity and healing.
We explore the often-overlooked reality of the human spirit—how it functions, how it can be wounded, and how it connects directly with God.
In this conversation, we cover:
The difference between living out of the soul and living out o...The Mets Tried to Break a Curse | A Warning About Playing with the Occult
Send us Fan Mail
When the New York Mets used sage and rituals to “break a curse” during a losing streak, many saw harmless superstition.
I saw a warning.
In this episode, I use that moment to confront something modern people often treat too casually: the occult.
What happens when people reach into the spiritual realm apart from God? Are practices like sage spiritually neutral? Can “harmless experimentation” open real doors?
We discuss:
What curses are and how they work Why casual occult activity is spiritually dangerous ...Why Christians Think the World Is Getting Worse (The Lie Killing Gen Z Faith)
Send us Fan Mail
Many Gen Z Christians have been taught to expect a future with no victory—only survival.
But that’s not what Jesus taught.
Somewhere along the way, a subtle but powerful lie took root in the Church: that everything is destined to get worse and worse, that darkness will inevitably win, and that believers are simply holding on until the end.
In this episode, we confront that belief head-on.
We look at what Scripture actually says about the victory of Jesus, the authority given to His...
This Is More Than Deliverance: The Process of Deprogramming the Soul (With Sandy Martin)
Send us Fan Mail
What does real freedom look like when the damage goes deeper than most people realize?
In this powerful conversation, Karl sits down with Sandy Martin to explore the process of deprogramming—the slow, intentional work of helping people break free from layers of trauma, lies, and control.
This isn’t just about casting out a demon and moving on.
This is about walking someone out of darkness that has been built over years—sometimes decades—of manipulation, fear, and broken identity.
Together, they discuss...
A Christian Struggled with Same-Sex Attraction—Until God Healed the Root | Sandy Martin
Send us Fan Mail
Can someone love Jesus—and still struggle deeply?
In this powerful conversation, Sandy Martin shares her journey from encountering Christ during the Asbury revival of 1970 to walking through a deeply personal and unexpected struggle with same-sex attraction while committed to her faith.
What she discovered changed everything.
Her struggle wasn’t just about behavior—it was rooted in deeper wounds of trauma, abandonment, and unmet emotional needs. And those roots had to be addressed to experience true freedom.
Sandy’s testimony highlights the importance of discip...
Inside North Korea: What They Don’t Want You to See | Jamin Hendrix & Eugene Bach
Send us Fan Mail
What is North Korea really like—and why does it matter for the Gospel?
In this eye-opening conversation, we go beyond headlines and into the reality of one of the most closed nations on earth. Through firsthand accounts and insight, this episode takes you inside North Korea to better understand the people, the system, and the spiritual darkness that defines life there.
But this isn’t just about politics or history.
It’s about people—real men and women living under intense control, cut off from truth, and in d...
Why Most Christians Never Walk in Power | Healing, Deliverance & Revival (James Thayer)
Send us Fan Mail
Most Christians believe in the power of God — but few actually walk in it.
In this powerful conversation, James Thayer shares his radical journey from success and spiritual emptiness into a life fully surrendered to Jesus — now marked by healing, deliverance, and revival. From real stories of miracles to practical insights on activating spiritual gifts, this episode challenges the idea that the supernatural is rare or reserved for a few.
We explore the intersection of faith and healing, the role of demonic influence, and why so many believers remain spir...
Stop Burning Down Your House: Exposure Culture and Church Leadership
Send us Fan Mail
In this episode of The Faith of the Fathers, Karl Gessler discusses church leadership, church scandal, and the growing “exposure culture” within modern Christianity. Drawing from recent controversies surrounding ministries like Bethel Church and leaders such as Bill Johnson, Karl examines the increasing tendency of believers to tear down entire ministries and permanently disqualify pastors when failures or controversies arise.
While accountability and truth matter deeply in the church, a culture of constant exposure and condemnation can become destructive. Many Christians are quick to attack leaders, ministries, and...
Why Gen Z Is Different: Revival, Evangelism & a Hunger for the Holy Spirit
Send us Fan Mail
What is happening to Generation Z — and why are so many young people suddenly hungry for real faith?
In this episode, we sit down with Ethan Sherrer to talk about Gen Z’s impact on the Church, the rise of bold evangelism, and the growing hunger for authentic encounters with the Holy Spirit. We discuss church planting, signs and wonders, personal testimony, and what it looks like for a new generation to take the gospel seriously.
If you care about revival, discipleship, and the future of the Church, this conv...
Epstein, Spiritual Warfare, and the Church’s Responsibility
Send us Fan Mail
In the wake of renewed public discussion surrounding the Epstein files, Christians and secular voices alike have called for accountability and justice.
But do we understand the true nature of the battle?
In this episode, we explore:
• The shared longing for justice across political divides
• The difference between political accountability and spiritual authority
• What the Church is actually up against
• Whether Christians are equipped to confront spiritual evil biblically
Governments can investigate crimes. But the Church has been entrusted with: authority over spiritual d...
Iran Is Bleeding — But the Church Is Rising | Eugene Bach
Send us Fan Mail
Iran is bleeding.
The world has watched protests, crackdowns, executions, and the brutal suppression of dissent under the Islamic regime. Many see only darkness, fear, and instability.
But there is another story unfolding.
In this powerful conversation, Eugene Bach shares the deeper reality of what is happening inside Iran — a rising underground church, a hunger for truth, and a revival that is spreading even under persecution.
We discuss:
• The historical connection between Persia and the gospel
• The growth of Christianity inside Iran
•...
This Is Why Prayer For Healing Hasn’t Worked — The Missing Step | Beatty Carmichael
Send us Fan Mail
Why does healing prayer feel sincere—but still ineffective for so many Christians?
In this episode, we sit down with Beatty Carmichael to explore why prayer for healing often seems to produce little change—and what may be missing in our understanding of biblical healing.
This conversation focuses on The Prayer of Freedom as a structured, Scripture-based process of inner healing and repentance—not a quick fix or emotional moment. Beatty explains why faithful believers can pray for years and remain stuck, and how confusion about spiritual author...
Is There Hope After Suicide? | A Testimony of Faith and Healing
Send us Fan Mail
In this deeply honest and compassionate episode, Teresa McMillan shares her journey through unimaginable grief after losing her father to suicide.
Teresa loved her dad and was close to him. Just days after a warm and ordinary phone conversation, her world was shattered when he took his own life. The shock, grief, and sense of rejection that follow suicide are difficult to put into words—and despite Teresa’s strong faith, this season tested her in ways she never expected.
As she walked through the valley of loss, Teresa disc...
She Was Bound by Fear—Now She’s Preaching Jesus in the Most Dangerous Nations
Send us Fan Mail
Teresa McMillan grew up in a Catholic home—but she didn’t know what the Bible actually taught or what the Gospel truly meant. When her parents divorced, anger and rebellion took root. Teresa turned to partying, drinking, and destructive relationships, searching for freedom in all the wrong places.
Everything changed when someone took the time to clearly explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
After fully surrendering her life to Jesus, Teresa began experiencing freedom from the fear that had bound her since childhood. What followed was a radical tran...
Cursed Objects: When What You Keep Blocks God’s Blessing
Send us Fan Mail
Are there spiritually dangerous items in your home? Could objects in your possession be blocking God’s blessing on your life?
In this episode, we examine the biblical reality of cursed and occult objects and the spiritual consequences of holding onto them. Drawing from the story of Achan in Joshua 7, we explore how Israel lost God’s favor—not because God changed, but because forbidden items were hidden in the camp.
Scripture shows that God takes spiritual agreements seriously. Objects devoted to false worship are not neutral, and wh...
A Father Fasted A Son Came Home
Send us Fan Mail
Fasting is often treated as an optional discipline—or an extreme one. But in Scripture, fasting is a quiet act of humility that creates space for God to move in ways we cannot force.
In this episode, Karl Gessler shares a brief but powerful testimony about how his friend Joe Roraff returned to Jesus after his father completed a 21-day fast. This is not a story about earning miracles or manipulating outcomes—it’s about surrender, intercession, and the unseen spiritual effects of obedience.
Sometimes fasting doesn’t change our circ...
