Where Ya From? Podcast

• Where Ya From? Special Announcement

  Hey Where Ya From? fam, Rasool Berry here. I wanted to take a few seconds to let you know about a big surprise we’ve been working on. Drumroll . . . Starting June 10, 2025 you can watch some of your favorite episodes from Where Ya From? on the VOICES YouTube channel! You’ll see the faces behind the voices from our most memorable conversations, and get a better sense of how their story and experiences continue to shape them today. Curious to see which episodes made the cut? Make sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel to find out! Link: https://www.youtube.com/@experiencevoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  1:33
• 95. Chasing Justice with Sandra Van Opstal | Best of WYF?

  What does the Bible actually say about justice? Is it something we should care about? Inspired by her own family’s journey from Latin America to the United States, author and pastor Sandra Van Opstal has dedicated most of life chasing justice locally and globally. Being on the margins for most of her life—and being an advocate for those underserved in her own congregation and backyard—has shaped her definitions of compassion, kindness, and worship. And she desires to paint the picture of how they are all beautifully intertwined in God’s Word. Hear how her deep love for Scripture fuels her mission to make change and mobilize the next generation of leaders. Guest Bio: Sandra Maria Van Opstal is a second-generation Latina and the executive director of Chasing Justice. She is an author, pastor, and activist reimagining the intersection of faith and justice. Her work centers on chasing justice under the mentorship of the global church, for the mobilization of the next generation of leaders.  She holds a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently pursuing doctoral work in urban leadership and transformation. She is a contributor to the New York Times bestselling book A Rhythm of Prayer, and she’s also the author of The Next Worship, 40 Days on Being an Eight, and more.  Notes & Quotes: “What I saw [when first studying Scripture] was a God who cared. I connected for the first time, the deep understanding that God is present with us, and that God is going to do something about the world that we live in.”    “I would say at every point in time of my formation, it has always been understanding the Bible in its context that has liberated me to a deeper and deeper relationship with God.”    “Unless the work that you're doing is rooted in the Spirit and in your faith, it will never be fruitful.”    “[Certain Bible passages] invite us to connect that our walk with God, our worship of God, our connectedness with God invites a way of living in the world that is kind and compassionate and good and just and right.”    “Connection with God moves us to pursue the flourishing of others.” Links Mentioned: FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT  Learn more about Sandra’s work with Chasing Justice.   See all of Sandra’s books on Amazon.  Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.   Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.   Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.   Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.  Follow VOICES on Instagram. Verses Mentioned: Esther’s Story: Esther 1-10  Moses’ Beginnings: Exodus 1-3  Isaiah 58, 60, 61  Matthew 5:6  Luke 4:18  Hebrews 11  James 1:19  Micah 6:8  Amos 5:1–17  Luke 24:32 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  1:04:05
• 94. Hispanic Theological Education with Dr. Justo González | Best of WYF?

  If the Bible is humanity’s source of absolute truth, why do so many readers interpret it differently? How do we overcome the hurdles of our differences to understand the full picture of unity that Scripture paints? In this classic WYF conversation from Season 4, Cuban American theologian Dr. Justo González shares how our contexts—and even Jesus’ context—shape the way we read, interpret, and engage with God’s Word. Guest Bio: Born and raised in Cuba, Dr. Justo L. González was ordained as a minister within the Methodist church in 1957. In 1961, he became the youngest person to earn a doctorate in Theological History from Yale University. For thirty years, Dr. González taught at various theological institutions, beginning with eight years at the Seminario Evangélico de Puerto Rico (1961-1969). He has given hundreds of lectures across the world and has also written over one hundred books. His two-volume set, History of Christianity, and his three volumes, History of Christian Thought, have been translated into eight languages. Since retiring from teaching full-time and ministry, he has dedicated his time to research, writing, and promoting Hispanic theological education. Dr. González was involved in the founding of the Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana (AETH), the Hispanic Theological Initiative (HTI), and the Hispanic Summer Program (HSP). He values mentoring and encouraging Latinas and Latinos and other minority students. Notes & Quotes: "The place where I most clearly meet absolute truth is in a very contextual moment in history, some 20 centuries ago, in a very contextual man whose name is Jesus. And that if you cannot take Jesus's contextuality, you cannot take His truth either.”    “The way you understand the kingdom of God is connected with that yearning. A yearning of fellowship, of easy understanding among others, of experiences that are fruitful and edifying . . .” Links Mentioned: FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT  Check out Dr. González’s books here.  Learn more about the Association for Hispanic Theological Education.  Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.   Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.   Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.   Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.  Follow VOICES on Instagram. Verses Mentioned: Acts 10: Story of Peter and Cornelius  Exodus & Moses  Luke 22:54–62  Philippians 3:20  Acts 22  John 14:2  Hebrews 11  Acts 28 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  1:02:34
• 93. Where Racial Justice and Faith Meet with Dr. William Pannell & Dr. Jemar Tisby | Best of WYF?

  Even though their stories happened decades apart, Dr. William Pannell and Dr. Jemar Tisby’s church experiences start off in a very similar place. Growing up in their beloved Midwest communities, they both experienced a polite ignorance that worked to keep them “in their place” among their classmates and church family. They knew there was something deeply wrong, but there wasn’t the language or space to speak about it. Using their distinct voices and ministries, they’ve finally broken the silence. Listen as Dr. Pannell and Tisby share their expertise on changing culture and developing language to foster wholeness in their brothers and sisters in Christ. Guest Bios: Dr. William Pannell was professor emeritus of preaching at Fuller Seminary, where he taught from 1974 until his retirement in 2014. Fuller recognized his service to the school and the whole church with the January 2015 renaming and dedication of the William E. Pannell Center for African American Church Studies. Previously serving in leadership roles with Youth for Christ and Tom Skinner Associates, his books include My Friend, the Enemy; Evangelism from the Bottom Up; and The Coming Race Wars: A Cry for Reconciliation, recently expanded. Dr. Pannell passed away on October 11th, 2024.  Dr. Jemar Tisby is a public historian, national speaker, and author of the New York Times bestselling book The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church's Complicity in Racism. His writing has been featured on CNN, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The New York Times. He is the founder and former president of The Witness—a Black Christian Collective and the cohost of the Pass the Mic podcast. He has recently received his PhD in history at the University of Mississippi. Notes & Quotes: “Whatever experience we go through, the Holy Spirit understands it all. He's been there before. Ours is not all that unique in history, for crying out loud. It's our story, and it's the only one we have, but God's been working on this for a long time.”  “I'm sitting there as a follower of Jesus, saying, ‘Well, if I'm supposed to love my neighbor, then what does that look like in this context? And where do I get the tools to understand this theologically and take action?’”  “Where love is the beating heart of justice, I always say we have to have a priestly proximity to people, particularly suffering people, because that breeds empathy, and empathy births love.” Links Mentioned: FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT  Check out Dr. Tisby’s book, How to Fight Racism.  Get your copy of Dr. Pannell’s book, The Coming Race Wars.  Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.   Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.   Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.   Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.  Follow VOICES on Instagram.  Verses Mentioned: Mark 12:31  Ephesians  Colossians  Proverbs 27:17 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  53:44
• 92. Juneteenth with Dr. Carey Latimore | Best of WYF?

  Have you ever wondered how one event in history shaped who you are today? For many of us, the first celebrations of Juneteenth more than 150 years ago continue to inspire faith, courage, and hope of generations—and speak into what’s possible for our future. With this special Best of Where Ya From? episode, we are revisiting the conversation with late author and historian Dr. Carey Latimore. Join us in reflecting on his conversation sharing the legacy of Juneteenth, and how God’s freedom remains active and alive throughout all of history.  Guest Bio: A testament to how a life can be shaped by generosity, optimism, and unshakable faith, Dr. Carey H. Latimore IV served as an associate professor of history and co-director of the African American studies program at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. In addition to his long list of accolades and accomplishments during his 18 years at Trinity, Dr. Latimore also served as an associate pastor of his local church and was frequently invited to serve as a commentator and consultant on current topics such as race, land ownership, political identity, and religion for local and state media and organizations.   During his time as a leading contributor to the VOICES collection at Our Daily Bread Ministries, Dr. Latimore authored the book Unshakable Faith, and served as special guest on the award-winning documentary, Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom.  Dr. Latimore went home to be with the Lord on July 26th, 2022, leaving behind a legacy of community, ministry, and celebrating God as the author of freedom for all past, present, and future generations. Notes & Quotes: When I felt that I was worthless, I felt that [God] loved me, and that He had never left me or forsaken me.  “When one group becomes free, we all become freer.”  “And so my faith impacts the way that I look at history and the questions that I bring. My historical training impacts the way that I read and interpret the Bible. I believe that the Scripture is God-bound and that it is inspired word of God. But I’'m not going to lie, I read it as a historical text too.”  Juneteenth is a stone as a memorial, and they took it and they never forgot it. And then the feeling of God being invested in our liberation, and that God cares about us enough that in His time, His place, that this has happened. Links Mentioned: FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT  Dr. Carey Latimore’s book, Unshakeable Faith: African American Stories of Redemption, Hope, and Community.  See Dr. Latimore’s interview with Rasool in Juneteenth: Faith and Freedom.   Want to tell us about your favorite episodes? Email us here.   Visit the VOICES website to sign up for emails. Get new episodes sent straight to your email.   Tell us how much you love Where Ya From? by rating us five stars and leaving us a review.   Check out VOICES from Our Daily Bread Ministries.  Follow VOICES on Instagram. Verses Mentioned: Psalms  1 and 2 Samuel  1 and 2 Kings  Exodus  Exodus 6:5  Acts 10-34  Philemon  Hebrews 11  Joshua 4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  --------  

  50:18

More Religion & Spirituality podcasts

Trending Religion & Spirituality podcasts

About Where Ya From? Podcast

Where Ya From? Podcast: Podcasts in Family