Outside of Sunday

What happens when God takes you somewhere you never expected to go?

In Part 1 of our conversation with Nathan Seiuli from Pillar NZ, we hear the story behind how Nathan went from working in church ministry, to the Free Speech Union, and eventually to founding Pillar NZ.

Nathan shares about his Christian background, the unexpected doors that opened for him in political spaces and the media, and why he believes Christians can have a meaningful voice in places of influence.

We chat about faith, politics, civil liberties, speaking truth, the importance of living...

In this Insights episode, Laura and I unpack some of the big themes from Emma Robinson’s interview - from hospitality and opening our homes to others, to the much harder questions we wrestle with when life doesn’t go the way we hoped.

Laura talks about spending time in the Word and shares about her miscarriage. We also discuss infertility, grief and the question “What happens to babies who die in the womb?”, as well as what it looks like to trust God when we don’t understand why something has happened. We chat about find...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Emma Robinson, we’re getting into some of the harder and more faith-stretching parts of her story - learning to pray bold prayers while still trusting God with the outcome, navigating seasons of waiting, and finding purpose even when life doesn’t look the way you hoped it would. We also talk about the words that can hurt when you’re walking through infertility, and why sometimes simply showing up, listening and acknowledging someone’s loss can mean so much.

We also dive into Emma’s calling to speak and preach, what it ha...

In this episode, Laura and I are taking you behind the scenes of the Thinking Matters No Rivals conference in Auckland! We chat about some of our highlights from the weekend - from meeting the next generation of Christian thinkers to hearing from speakers like Annaliese and Nic Blackie, Dave Mann, Dr Luke Barnes and Abdu Murray, and recording some really great conversations along the way.

More than anything, we left the weekend so encouraged by what God is doing in the Christian space here in New Zealand. We talk about the importance of knowing...

What happens when the life you thought you’d have doesn’t go according to plan? In this episode, I’m sitting down with Emma Robinson from Your Jesus Time to hear her story of growing up in a Christian home, coming to personally understand the gospel, studying at Bible college, meeting her husband, and finding your purpose in God. 

Emma also shares vulnerably about her journey of trying to start a family, the questions and disappointment that came with waiting, and the moment she realised that her purpose couldn’t be dependent on becoming a mum. Then, in...

In this week’s Insights episode, Laura and I are talking honestly about motherhood, postpartum struggles and trusting God through the changing seasons of life. Laura shares her own experience with postpartum depression as we discuss the heartbreaking Lindsay Clancy case, the challenges many new mothers face, and the importance of support, understanding and taking postpartum mental health seriously.

We also reflect on the bittersweet reality of seasons coming to an end. As Laura prepares for her youngest child to start school, we talk about motherhood, identity, laying down passions for a season and remembering that the th...

Click here for part 1!

In Part 2 of our conversation with Aleisha, we unpack some of the lessons she learned from her Christian dating experience. From protecting your heart and not rushing relationships, to navigating boundaries, spiritual intimacy and learning to enjoy the season of singleness, Aleisha shares honestly about some of the things she wishes she had done differently - and the advice she would give Christians navigating dating today.

We also hear how Aleisha found her purpose and passion through creativity and photography. From unexpectedly discovering a love for photography, to building a successful...

In this Insights episode, Laura and I are talking teen dating! After reflecting on Aleisha's story of growing up in a Christian home and navigating dating, we're chatting about the blessings of a Christian heritage and teen dating - should Christians date young??

We get into the big conversation: what should Christian dating actually look like? Is having a crush wrong? How do we talk to our kids about relationships and dating without making the conversation awkward or shame-filled? We unpack boundaries, waiting, treating one another with purity, and why the goal of dating should...

I’m joined by Aleisha Liebezeit for a fun and very honest conversation about growing up Christian and the tangle of Christian dating. We’re reminiscing on growing up as a millennial Christian, making her faith her own as a teenager, and even how she “stalked” her future husband and got his number at 13! But behind the funny stories is a much deeper conversation about teenage relationships, heartbreak, and learning to keep God at the centre.

We talk about getting emotionally dependent on another person, dating non-Christians, the influence of romantic books and movies, and what Aleisha now thin...

What if finding your purpose isn’t about discovering one big thing God wants you to do?

In this ‘Insights’ episode, we’re starting today by discussing the recent spectator ban at Saturday netball in Tauranga. Then Laura and I unpack what purpose really looks like for a Christian, reflecting on Ine-Marí Venter’s story of identity, netball and learning to glorify God through her sport. We explore why we can put so much pressure on ourselves to “figure out” our purpose, why purpose doesn’t equal importance, and why both Christians and people in the world can have such a d...

Click here for part 1!

In Part 2 of our chat with professional netballer Ine-Marí Venter, we dive deeper into her journey in professional sport, from the highs of representing South Africa at the Commonwealth Games to the disappointment of being benched, losing her contract and eventually reaching a point where she almost walked away from netball. Ine-Marí shares how God changed her why when it comes to netball, and how she has learned that her identity and worth cannot be found in her performance, selection or success.

We also chat about what it looks like to be...

In this Insights episode, Laura and I are going places we honestly never thought we’d go on the podcast...

Starting today by reacting to some intense videos from Abolitionists Rising and the discussion around abortion, conviction, compassion and the beautiful truth that forgiveness is found in Christ. Then we're unpacking our conversation with Ine-Mari Venter, particularly her incredibly honest story about pornography, masturbation, and finding freedom in Christ. 

This gets real, awkward and probably a little more personal than usual as we talk about sexual sin, lust, marriage, temptation and why Christians nee...

In this episode, I’m joined by professional netballer Ine-Marí Venter for a VERY honest chat about faith, netball, purpose and a secret struggle she carried for years.

Ine-Marí shares her journey growing up in a Dutch Reformed Church and not really understanding what it meant to have a relationship with God, before discovering a deep and personal faith in Christ. We chat about her professional netball journey, the disappointments and doubts she faced along the way, and how she came to realise that netball isn’t her purpose - it’s simply one of the ways she can...

Following our chat with Chantelle Baker, we're reflecting on what it means to navigate politics, disagreement and public controversy as followers of Christ.

In this episode, we share some of our own thoughts on what Scripture says about authority, forgiveness and righteous anger. We're also talking about the importance of listening and extending grace to those we disagree with.

Whether you agreed with everything discussed in our conversation with Chantelle or not, our hope is that this episode encourages you to love the person more than the politics, pursue truth with humility, and keep Jesus...

Click here to listen to part 1 or here to listen to part 2.

In Part 3 of our conversation with Chantelle Baker, we explore some of the most challenging experiences she's faced over recent years.

Chantelle reflects on her time reporting from Ukraine, the backlash that followed, and why she believes it changed her perspective on war and human suffering. She also shares why she chose to take legal action against the New Zealand Herald and Stuff, what motivated that decision, and what she hopes it will achieve.

The conversation finishes by looking at the...

The 2022 Parliament protest became one of the most significant and divisive events in New Zealand's recent history. But what was it like to be there?

In Part 2 of our conversation, Chantelle Baker shares her firsthand account of the protest, reflects on the media coverage and political response, and responds to some of the biggest claims surrounding those 23 days. We also discuss the importance of treating those we disagree with as human beings, the role of prayer and action for Christians, and how the events at Parliament eventually led Chantelle to travel to Ukraine.

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Chantelle Baker became one of New Zealand's most recognisable - and controversial - public figures during the COVID years. But behind the headlines, who is she really?

In Part 1 of this conversation, Chantelle reflects on life before the spotlight, what it's like being labelled a "conspiracy theorist," whether trust in the media and politicians can be restored, and how a Christian upbringing eventually led her back to God. She also shares the experiences that ultimately set her on the road to the Parliament protest.

In Part 2, Chantelle takes us inside the Parliament protest itself, sharing...

In this Insights episode, Laura and I reflect on Part 2 of our conversation with Paris Vashti, unpacking some of the questions that came up around healing, miracles, prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit. We have an honest conversation about the tensions Christians often wrestle with - from being cautious because of counterfeits, to potentially missing out on biblical practices like prayer, laying on of hands and seeking God for healing.

We discuss the importance of holding onto Scripture, approaching spiritual gifts with humility, and trusting God even if we don't get the answer we are...

In Part 2 of our conversation with Paris, after sharing her own miraculous healing journey, Paris opens up about why some people experience healing while others continue to wait, what it looks like to trust God through suffering, and why she believes Christians should continue praying boldly and believing that God still moves today.

Paris also shares remarkable stories of healing she's witnessed firsthand, the heart behind her Yesterday, Today and Forever project, and why she's unashamed to share her faith publicly. The episode finishes with a powerful encouragement to carry the name of Jesus into everyday life...

In this Insights episode, we reflect on the huge response to our recent conversation and social media content with Henare Whaanga, and why it's so important to weigh everything against Scripture and truth rather than assumptions.

We also unpack Paris Vashti's testimony about one comment that left her believing she was worshipping God "wrong" for years. It leads us into a deeper conversation about what biblical worship really is, why our words carry so much weight, and how we can honour God both online and in everyday life.

Whether you're navigating disagreements, wrestling with worship...

Growing up as a pastor's kid, Paris Vashti loved Jesus - but after one  comment at a Christian conference, she spent years believing she was "worshipping wrong." What followed was a long battle with fear, insecurity, and feeling unable to freely worship God.

Later, chronic migraines turned her world upside down. After years of daily pain, hospital visits, scans, and unanswered questions, Paris reached the end of herself. With nowhere else to turn, she cried out to God - and what happened next changed everything.

In this episode, Paris shares her powerful testimony of freedom, h...

This week Laura and I tackle a couple of topics we've genuinely been wrestling with. We discuss Brian Tamaki's suspended firearms licence, what role Christians should play in politics, and whether we're called to fight for our beliefs—or faithfully suffer for them.

We also reflect on part two of my conversation with Henare Whaanga, including his thoughts on Matariki, Māori culture, and why Christians need to think carefully about the traditions we embrace. I'd love to hear your thoughts, but above all, my prayer is that this episode encourages you to seek the Lord, search His...

In Part 2 of our conversation with Henare Whaanga, we move into some of the practical questions New Zealand Christians are wrestling with today.

Should Christians celebrate Matariki? What does Toitū te Tiriti actually mean? How should believers respond when they're expected to participate in Māori religious practices at work, school, or community events?

Henare also shares his own journey after returning to Christ, including a season where he rejected his Māori identity entirely, before discovering that following Jesus doesn't require abandoning your culture completely, rather, letting go of anything that conflicts with Him.

In this Insights episode of Outside of Sunday, Laura and I chat through a couple of topics that have been getting a lot of people talking lately: viral conversions and what it really means to keep Christ above culture.

We start by discussing Alex Reads Tarot's recent testimony and what the Bible shows us about genuine repentance. How should we respond when someone publicly professes faith? What do we do when people later walk away? Looking at examples from Scripture, we unpack why discernment matters and how we can celebrate what God is doing without jumping to...

Last year, I had the privilege of interviewing Henare at the Thinking Matters Conference. Clips from that conversation reached hundreds of thousands online, sparking passionate discussion from people on all sides. Recently, Henare joined me again to unpack some of the biggest questions surrounding Māori identity, Christianity, and colonisation - and to respond to some of the criticism.

In the first of this two-part conversation with Henare, we revisit some of the biggest objections raised by viewers. Together we explore whether Māori were forced to speak English, whether Christianity was simply a strategic tool of co...

In this special 200th episode of Outside of Sunday, Laura and I sit down for another Insights conversation as we reflect on some of the themes that surfaced in part two of Sonia Barrish's testimony and unpack a topic that keeps coming up again and again: our tendency to rely on ourselves instead of God.

We begin by talking about the recent backlash surrounding Israel Folau and the double standard Christians often face in today's culture. From there, we discuss why the more our world rejects Christianity, the more it risks losing some of the very things...

In this episode of Outside of Sunday, Sonia continues her testimony by sharing the frightening reality of severe sleep deprivation and the mental and physical toll it took on her life. As her health rapidly declined, she experienced terrifying blackouts, medical intervention, and a season of being completely stripped back.

Sonia opens up about what recovery looked like, how her family navigated this difficult time, and why she chose not to share her struggles publicly while she was in the thick of it. Through her suffering, she discovered a deeper dependence on God and now reflects on...