God Conversations with Tania Harris

Ps. Adam Dyer grew up with the "Titanic Gospel.” Here, the only thing that mattered was people’s “souls.” The "ship was going down" so, you had to get as many people to heaven as possible before they died. This perspective failed him as a child and, along with the moral failure of his pastor (his father!), led him through a process of deconstruction as a young adult. Later, God called him into pastoral ministry and he reluctantly obeyed. His question at the time was, "where did the church go wrong and how can we do it differently?" On this episode of the God Conversations podcast, Tania and Adam discuss a much bigger gospel than the "Titanic Gospel" and show how the Spirit works both inside and outside the church to bring about the reconciliation of all things. The Gospel.. “should be good news for everybody, not just good news for a few and terrible news for everybody else.” In the podcast, Adam: Tells his personal story of deconstruction as he struggled with the person of Jesus and the church who had failed him. Shares his hearing God experiences and how as a young boy, he just “knew stuff about people. For Adam, “sensing the Spirit moving was like sherbet running through my veins.” Reminds us that the Spirit isn’t just what shows up when “we sing the right songs and get the right key change.” The Spirit shows up in families who are trying to navigate chaos and brokenness. “When you encounter Jesus in the homeless person, you encounter a different Jesus to the sanitised version you might sing about on Sunday morning.” Tells the story of woman on suicide watch and how volunteering with the church’s homeless program (even as a non-Christian) saved her life. Shares the conviction that if God is involved in community, the whole community should be blessed whether they believe in Jesus or not. Tells a story about the signs of spirit at work when a formerly homeless woman bought a stack of potato crisps (chips!) from the supermarket and insisted on giving them out. Shows us how to work with the Spirit inside and outside the church. “It’s not about about choreographing the Spirit. We create space for God to do things. It’s a posture shift… God is saying 'Stop trying to do things for me!'" Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! Ps. Adam Dyer is leader of Yeovil Community Church in the south west of England. YCC is a vibrant church who is pioneering in community transformation. Adam is also the executive director of Jesus Collective and the author of Unknown: What if God’s Not Like That? He is married to Rachel who also leads at YCC, and together they have four children and two grandchildren. Find Adam at: Jesus Collective Yeovil Community Church UK Adam's Book: Unknown: What if God’s Not Like That?

God Told Arthur Guinness to Make a Better Drink and other Famous God-conversations in History God is and always has been a talking God. The Hebrew Scriptures alone record over 3500 different God-conversations. Then in the New Testament, we read of at least another 30 more. But God continues to speak beyond the stories of ancient Israel and the early church. God has spoken throughout history and the stories continue to be thrilling. On this episode, I join North American evangelist and filmmaker Reverend Carl Wesley Anderson, to talk about God conversations in history. You’ll hear about Carl’s own life-changing God-conversation in his journey through cancer as well as three others that changed the course of history. 1. Carl Anderson (21st C): “Choose this cancer treatment” God spoke to Carl throughout his recovery from Stage 3b skin cancer, including a dream of his oncologist revealing which cancer treatment he should opt for. 2. Evan Roberts (20th C): “Preach this sermon” God told Evan Roberts to preach to the young people of his hometown. God even gave him the four key points. When Evan did what God said, it sparked a powerful revival that led to 100,000 people coming to faith in 5 months. 3. St Patrick (5th C): “Go! Your ship is ready" Patrick was an English slave in Ireland when God spoke to him in a dream, “Go, your ship is ready!” Patrick escaped during the night and walked 100 miles to the coast where he found the ship from his dream ready to return him to England. Some years later, Patrick had another dream - this time, he saw a group of people on the shores of Ireland beckoning him to return. Again, Patrick heeded God's voice, moving back to Ireland to preach. So began the transformation of a nation. 4. Arthur Guinness (18th C): "Make a better drink" God spoke to Arthur to make a better drink than gin with minimal alcohol and high levels of nutrients. And so Guinness was born. The profits from this God-conversation and Arthur’s very successful drink was used to finance a range of philanthropic projects including missions to China and beyond. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! Watch Carl's series: Love Speaks, Episode 1 for free! 20% discount on Love Speaks Documentary Film Series. Use the CODE "TANIA20" at the checkout! SUBSCRIBE to Carl's YouTube channel "To the Ends of the Earth.” About Carl Wesley Anderson Rev. Carl Wesley Anderson (B.Comm Arts, M.Div) is an international equipping evangelist and documentary filmmaker. His vision is to inspire and equip believers for passionate discipleship and hearing God’s voice through itinerant ministry and as a “media missionary." Carl is the Founder and Executive Director of Born to Blaze Ministries, the author of the book Love Speaks, the writer/director/producer of two television series, Love Speaks & From History to Hope and documentary Does God Talk Back? He resides in Buffalo, Minnesota, USA with his wife Sarah and their three children.

We’re called to become more like Jesus. But does that mean we’re supposed to become more like a Middle-Eastern man? When we become a Christian, we learn that the goal is to grow “more like Jesus.” As a young person, I used to wonder what that meant. I wasn’t very enthused by the thought that I should aim to become like someone other than myself! So what does it look like to become spiritually mature? Spiritual growth is work of the Spirit and involves deep and thorough transformation. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, “if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor 5:17). But that doesn’t usually mean that God snaps his fingers and the work is done. Formation is a process outworked in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. In other words, we have an important role to play too. In this episode of the God Conversations podcast, Tania explores the process of spiritual formation and how we co-operate with the Spirit to make us new. Her guest is Ps Ally Cawthorn from Western Australia. Ally pastors a church with her husband and is the founding director of ‘The Immersion Academy’, a spiritual formation academy that seeks to reimagine ancient Christian formation practices for a contemporary context. The episode covers: Ally’s story and how spiritual formation came to be a key part of her leadership journey. The goal of spiritual formation - to become our true selves. That involves letting go of false ways of being and removing the masks we often wear. The Spirit works to set us free from death-producing behaviours and become the person we’ve been created to be. The pathway of spiritual formation as individualised. While the goal is spiritual maturity, the pathway will look different for every person. Spiritual practices that facilitate the work of the Spirit - including contemplative practices such as slow-down prayer and slow reading of Scripture, journalling, silence and spiritual direction. The way triggers in our behaviour such as anger, jealousy and anxiety can act as opportunities for reflection and growth. In following Jesus and allowing the Spirit to work in us, we become more like true selves. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! Ally Cawthorn (D.Min, MA. Bib. Stud.) pastors Urban Church in Western Australia along with her husband. She is the Vice President of Australian Christian Churches (ACC), Western Australia and was elected as a member of the ACC National Executive in 2021. She is also the Founding Director of ‘The Immersion Academy’ (www.theimmersionacademy.com), a spiritual formation academy that seeks to reimagine ancient Christian formation practices for a contemporary, Pentecostal context. Ally is passionate about equipping believers to live a prophetic life and is seeing Christians experience a deeper relationship with God.

If God truly is the Creator, that makes him the supreme artist. We’ve all enjoyed the beauty of a world that never ceases to amaze and delight. But if God sent his Spirit to fill us and speak to us, what does that mean for human creativity? How does having God’s creative Spirit make a difference in our lives? On this episode, we’re talking all things Holy Spirit and creativity. Our guest Ps. Bruce (Robbo) Robertson is a unique combination of pastor, prophet and a creative! After many productive years in youth ministry and a variety of church leadership roles, he is currently serving as a pastor at Hope Unlimited Church (Hope UC) in the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. In the podcast, we talk about: The creativity of God! “God the most dynamic, creative being imaginable. All our creative urges derive from God. We call God the "Ancient of Days", but God is not old. God is ever present and infinitively beyond our capacity for imagination. We must not reduce the communicative side of God into our very small condensed, ritualised world.” The link between hearing God’s voice, creativity and the diverse ways God speaks How God speaks through the beauty and diversity of creation. "The whole universe resonates with the incredible sound of God’s creativity. This utterly creative God wants to communicate to us and speak through us. What an incredible privilege. We mustn’t dumb that down. We cannot miss the beauty of what God is like!" Bruce’s story from agnostic to Jesus-follower and how God has brought out his creativity. His spiritual journey led him to become a musician, then a script writer, advertising agent and a minister. He even wrote his first song after learning the guitar for two weeks! Bruce shares how his divinely inspired creativity has flowed in both the church and the corporate world through media and advertising. What it means to be an artist "for God’s sake” rather than for its own sake. The role of vulnerability in creativity. To create something new is to risk rejection and mockery as it leads us into the unknown. The role of creativity in mission. “We’ve become so boring as churches that we’ve sometimes lost our capacity to communicate what God is really like. We are too mundane, too monotone. Yet none of those words would be used to describe God!” Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! About Ps. Bruce (Robbo) Robinson Robbo is a unique combination of pastor, prophet and a creative! He has been involved in in youth ministry and several church leadership in a long and productive ministry career. Currently, he is a pastor at Hope Unlimited Church in the Central Coast of New South Wales. He and his wife Kate function as part of the leadership team with emphasis on the teaching and prophetic ministries of the church and leadership coaching across Hope UC’s campuses. Bruce is a writer and creator of a whole range of media. For several years, he headed up the Church Media Association in the Hunter region, and produced a range of media including community TV ads and press articles. Bruce also has a passion for mission and consults to the Hope Global Board on mission projects and the delivery of community aid and church planting.

There’s a lot of talk around discipleship at the moment, but what does discipleship actually look like? We know it’s all about following Jesus. But if Jesus isn’t here, how do we follow? This is where the Holy Spirit comes in. Before Jesus left the planet, he said that the Spirit would come to remind us of everything Jesus said and then to speak about things to come (John 14:26, 16:13). So to follow Jesus is to heed his continuing voice, the Holy Spirit. In this episode, we talk to Prophet and Pastor Murray (Muz) Newman about the relationship between hearing God's voice and discipleship. We learn that hearing the Spirit and discipleship is essentially about building intimate relationship with God. "There’s no topic that’s taboo. There’s no topic that the Lord won't talk to you about.” Listen to Muz and Tania talk about: How everyone experiences the voice of the Spirit differently. Therefore, discipleship involves helping people recognise how God speaks to them. How a sense of love and concern for others led to the development of the gift of prophecy in Muz’s life. Hearing God involves "keeping our eyes open to what God is saying and doing in other people.” The need to “exercise” our spiritual senses; it’s “lots of practice doing a very simple thing.” “…that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14) The exposing God! In our walk with Holy Spirit, there’s no topic that’s taboo. “Holy Spirit gets under our skin to transform us from the inside out." Muz talks about an everyday example of what this looks like in his own life: In the midst of our problems, ask God, “what are you doing in the midst of this?” Hearing God’s voice involves following through and acting on what we've heard. What stops us from following the Spirit? Pride, unbelief and maybe, a motorbike… Murray Newman, known locally as “Muz,” is both an expert in hearing the Spirit and discipleship. He helps to pastor a church in the central coast of NSW Australia, travels and consults in many other churches around the world and is passionate about communication, healing and the miraculous. Find out more abut his ministry here. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode!

A Dream of a Child’s Toy and Feet Full of Maggots One Christmas morning, Nicola had a dream that would change her and her family’s life. It involved a Buzz Lightyear toy, a child in the African slums and feet infested with maggots. In this podcast episode, Tania talks to Nicola Neal about her journey into ministry, beginning in a church in the town of Bath, UK and finishing in the slums of Africa. You’ll hear the dramatic way God turned Nicola’s life around through a vivid God conversation, how that same God-conversation was confirmed multiple times and how it led Nicola and her family to pack up their life in the UK and move to an unknown region of the world in just eight weeks. There Nicola began to understand the dream she had experienced so many years earlier. She and her family saw the supernatural work and grace of God in the face of extreme poverty, violence, sickness and death. You’ll be inspired as Nicola shares God’s heart for the poor and how the kingdom transforms at the deepest level. We also talk in the episode about everyday God-conversations and how each of our interactions with the Holy Spirit lead us step by step into God’s plan. Nicola shares how we hear God’s voice most of the time through the small, quiet and the everyday. A lot of time it feels like tuning into a whisper and sense on the inside that God is with us. As with any relationship, with time and intentionality, we gain clarity. About Nicola Neal Nicola and her husband Simon served as church leaders up until 2009 when they followed God’s calling and moved with their two children to Uganda. There they got to see life as it really is for those living in the slums of Kampala and became passionate about bringing the God-given potential to light in people’s lives. Not only through partnering with them to see change in their homes and families but by helping them encounter their heavenly Father. Since then, Every Life has grown into the team of over 50 dedicated men and women it is today. Simon and Nicola have now relocated back to the UK with their family, where they work with the International Office, guiding and overseeing Every Life’s mission bases around the world. Nicola regularly speaks at churches and conferences around the country. Learn more at everylife.org.uk. Nicola’s books Gold and Journey into Love are available at nicolaneal.uk Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode!

We all know that we should do it, but the question is how? Prayer - one of the main callings of Christians and the key means to relationship with God. The question is how do we approach this mystical thing called prayer: What works and what doesn’t? And how does prayer connect with listening to the Holy Spirit? Today’s podcast is all about prayer and we have a brilliant guest to guide us. Ps Stacey Hilliar is on the Executive team at Neuma Church in Melbourne, Australia and looks after the prophetic leadership of her church. We talk about: Stacey’s church and their innovative “fivefold model” which means her job title is the “prophetic pillar” of Neuma Church. The story of how God led Stacey to work in prophetic ministry in the local church. Stacey became familiar with the voice of God as early as 8 or 9 years old. As she tells the story, she just “knew” things. But growing up in church that didn’t believe in Spirit speech made her experience difficult. Let’s just say it was a messy start. How a demonic encounter led Stacey and her husband to return to church after a dark season. The truth that prayer fuels power. A key question is to always ask; “Have you prayed about it?” Specific spiritual practices inspired by ancients such as Ignatius of Loyola - reading the Scripture slowly four times slowly out loud (also known as “Lectio Divinia”). This involves picturing yourself in a scene with Jesus and allowing Holy Spirit to speak to you. How God can speak to us through our redeemed imagination. Why discipline is important for our prayer-life. This means we pray regularly even when we don’t feel like it. ie. Put the phone away! The role of music in prayer. How the Holy Spirit spoke to Stacey about her own personal development through a Jesus story. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! We highly recommend Stacey’s podcast: available here on Apple and Spotify. Ps Stacey Hilliar and her husband Jai live in Melbourne with their four children. Stacey is on the Executive team at Neuma Church, overseeing the Prophetic Pillar globally. Neuma Church has multiple locations across Australia, Bangkok, Thailand and San Francisco. Stacey is passionate about equipping and empowering individuals, churches, families and teams to grow in freedom, intimacy with Jesus, and build prophetic cultures with excellence in their love for the Church. Whether it is preaching, teaching, worship leading, podcasting or writing, Stacey loves to represent the fullness of joy and freedom found in Jesus, and she’s always up for a good laugh.

I grew up in a church that believed that God had stopped speaking outside of the Bible. This teaching, known as Cessationism, is seen throughout the church world today and has appeared periodically in history. But the question is, why would someone believe God has stopped speaking, given that the New Testament is clear that the Holy Spirit was given to everyone to hear from God on the Day of Pentecost? (Acts 2:16,17). The Apostle Peter himself said that this promise was for all generations - beyond the early church and beyond Jerusalem and Judea (and beyond the canonisation of Scripture!) (Acts 2:39). One of the answers lies in the theological problem of how Spirit relates to Scripture. That is, how do my Spirit-speaking experiences today relate to the Spirit speaking experiences of Scripture? God’s words are both a vessel of his power and a reflection of his character. Therefore, any claim to hearing God’s voice today represents a claim to divine authority. This looks as if we’re placing our experience on par with the Bible, something most Protestant Christians would emphatically reject. This episode of the podcast begins to resolve the problem by featuring a reading from my new book, The Church who Hears God’s voice: equipping everyone to recognise and respond to the Spirit. It’s the third in a 3-part series that features readings from the book - a bit of an entree before you enjoy the main meal! In the episode, you will learn about: The questions of a real life situation. If God said it, should I obey it? Four answers to the theological problem. The first answer to the theological problem: “God on Mute” (Cessationism) The second answer to the theological problem: Christians who don’t read the Bible! (Why would you if you have the Spirit) The remainder of the chapter goes on to discuss a third (“Good but not as good”) and fourth answer (“This is that”). The fourth option is the one I arrived at and expand at more detail in the rest of the book. You’ll begin to see why this question is so important and how it has practical implications for how we experience the Spirit today as well as how we read the Bible. The theological conundrum can be solved and it all starts with looking at how the early church dealt with it. I pray it is a blessing to you! Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode!

The concept of hearing God’s voice for yourself bears enormous potential, but it is also fraught with pitfalls. Indeed, the entire scope of history tells of the problems associated with claims to divine revelation. Torrid tales of manipulation, deception, and even murder have all been justified by the claim: ‘God told me’. The proliferation of a wide range of unorthodox beliefs and abuses of power have been so heinous, it’s not surprising that many church leaders throw their hands up in the air and reject any idea of personal communication with God! The dynamic experience given at Pentecost not only has the power to bring God’s kingdom to earth but can also work astoundingly against it. How are we to harness the potential of hearing God experiences in our churches and deal with the problems that arise from them? This episode of the GC podcast is the second in a three-part series that features readings from my new book, The Church who Hears God’s voice: equipping everyone to recognise and respond to the Spirit. It’s a little entree before the main meal! In this episode, you'll learn about: The potential for breaches in theological orthodoxy in hearing God. The book tells of two men and their spiritual experiences. One heard from God and changed his world. The other made claims that added to Scripture and we still live with the consequences today. The pastoral fallout that occurs when people try to hear God's voice, You may have seen and heard about these kinds of problems in your own life. When I was writing the book I felt the Holy Spirit say to tackle the "hard stuff" in church life. To that end, the book contains both the good stories and the bad! The good news is that there are some simple ways to address the ministry issues that arise when we seek to hear the voice of the Spirit. Admittedly, they won’t all disappear - the fallenness of our humanity guarantees that(!) - but there are certainly things we can do to mitigate the problems. I pray it helps you in your own walk and in the life of your church! Enjoyed the excerpt? Purchase the book here. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode!

Hearing God’s voice may well be the most powerful experience on earth. Think about it. How was the earth created? It began with God speaking (Gen. 1:1). How are people healed? It is the word ‘sent forth’ that overcomes disease and death (Ps. 107:20; Mark 7:34; 9:25; John 11:43). How are people saved? It is made possible through the living Word, Jesus, who became flesh to atone for our sin (John 1:1). This is the pattern throughout the Scriptures. It all starts with God speaking! This episode of the podcast is a special one. It’s the first in a three-part series that features readings from my new book, The Church who Hears God’s voice: equipping everyone to recognise and respond to the Spirit. It’s a little entree before you may choose to enjoy the main meal. In the episode, we learn about A God-dream that saved a drought-stricken Australian farm The power of hearing God's voice in biblical history and, The impact of "love energy": what sociologists tell us about the power of hearing God's voice in the contemporary church. Hearing God is powerful because God’s words are powerful. The Scriptures present the experience of the revelatory Spirit as central to God’s plan. That truth calls us to listen to what the Spirit is saying to us. Enjoyed the excerpt? Purchase the book here. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode!

During my time in church life, I’ve heard some pretty interesting prophecies. Some of them have been couched in a strange “King James” language. Others have been so vague in content that they count for little. But I’ve also received some breathtakingly accurate prophetic words that are unmistakably from God. Prophecy is when we hear God’s voice on behalf of another person. We become like a “messenger” for God. But how do we prophesy? Can we all hear God’s voice for others? And how do we improve our ability to prophesy? Pastor and friend Roma Waterman joins us in this episode of God Conversations to talk about the gift of prophecy. Roma has an unusual ministry mix. She has been one of Australia’s foremost Christian artists for over 20 years and is also an internationally recognised prophet. She combines these two passions to lead worship and teaching on the prophetic, worship leading and songwriting. Her passion is to “release heaven's song over the nations” and to teach others to do the same. In this episode we talk about: Roma’s story - how she became a worship leader, songwriter and prophet. Roma compares finding your calling to taking off a pair of 6 inch heels and replacing them with a comfy pair of slippers. The difference between the gift of prophecy and the calling of a prophet. The misplaced idea of prophecy as telling the future - akin to visiting a fortune teller or looking into a crystal ball. Prophecy is primarily a “message from God.” God may speak about the past, present or future. Jesus - the best example of a prophet we have. Some tips on how to prophesy. How God speaks in different ways: through seeing, hearing and feeling. We often have a predominant spiritual sense and should avoid copying others. A simple key for growing in the prophetic. To find out more about Roma’s ministry and her prophetic school, go to romawaterman.com Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode!

"Listen to the Holy Spirit" is not the usual advice you hear at a business seminar. Yet this is the approach pastor and business consultant David Balestri takes every time he goes into an appointment. It’s a practice he’s also applied to his own career with great success. On one occasion, God told him to say just one word to address the lack of productivity at a company who was struggling to meet its targets - work performance increased so much that David was tasked with rewriting the training manual! When we think about hearing God’s voice, we often think about the times when we’re sitting in a church or singing worship on a Sunday. But God can speak to us anywhere at any time. So what happens when we hear God’s voice outside of church - when we’re going about our everyday activities during the week? On this episode, Tania talks with David, a man who has one foot in the church and another in the business world. He is a nationally recognised prophet with 20 years of ministry and works as the Executive Pastor of Hope Unlimited Church on the Central Coast in NSW, Australia. David is also a “marketplace minister” and heads up several businesses with his wife Nicole. This episode is full of incredible God conversations! Tania and David talk about: David’s spiritual journey - how he came to God through his Mormon girlfriend, the unwavering prayers and clever intervention of his mother and when he read the bible story of the woman caught in adultery. Am I a pastor or a business person? - how David reconciled a call to church ministry and a call to the business world by breaking down the unhelpful divisions we make between sacred and secular spaces. David redefines sacred space as “anywhere God is.” This understanding effects how we live, and how we speak! (No “Christianese” here) How the Holy Spirit helps David advise CEOs! The reason why God initially asked David not to coach Christians in business, and how leaders described David as a “futurist” and a man who “knows things about people.” Some great advice about hearing God for others outside the four walls of the church. David’s thoughts on a person who had a dream about the stock market and made a lot of money as result. Is this Holy Spirit insider trading?! Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! David is a recognised prophet and works with senior pastors, networks and denominations in building functional prophetic architecture and strategies for the extension of the kingdom in the context of local church, territorial and national expressions. He sits on the national leadership of the Australian Prophetic Council and travels extensively around the globe as an advocate for the apostolic and prophetic ministry. See more at: www.newpropheticdimension.com www.marketplaceinvasion.com.au www.elitehumandevelopment.com.au

What does hearing the voice of the Spirit look like in the business world? How do you balance the tension between working with the natural and and the supernatural in starting and building a business? On this episode of the podcast, we talk to someone who knows the answers to these questions... Meet the man behind the coffee! Peter Irvine cofounded the Gloria Jeans Coffee franchise in 1996. By the time the company was sold in 2014, there were over 400 Gloria Jean's stores across Australia and over 800 coffee houses in 39 countries worldwide! Today, Peter is currently the CEO of Kingdom Momentum LTD and has more than 50 years of experience in business at a high profile management level. He is passionate about providing tools, encouragement, advice and expertise to businesspeople both inside and outside the church. On the show, we talk about: Peter’s business journey and some highlights of his work co-founding Gloria Jeans’ coffee. The Holy Spirit as the Great Problem Solver. Peter shares a time when God spoke to him from a passage in the Bible (Isaiah 48:6,7) about his ability to give us creative and innovative ideas for business. The ultimate purpose of business to be a blessing to others. As Peter says, “It’s not about us.” Prosperity has a purpose! The importance of patience and clear communication. Success comes not so much by financial growth, but by our own growth and development. The dynamic of God-connections and how to watch out for them. How to partner with the Holy Spirit - allowing for the supernatural input of God as well as our own natural input from Proverbs 21:31: The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord. Learn more about how to connect Christian faith to business via Peter’s YouTube channel. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode!

In a dream, a man saw a vision of Jesus. To his surprise, Jesus gave him a "Liverpool kiss” (a head-butt in English football terms!) The dream led him to make a decision to follow Jesus. But how does a dream about a head-butting Jesus result in someone becoming a Christian? Dreams and visions are the most common form of God-conversation in the Bible, but they’re the one we know least about. Dreams are often full of weird and wonderful scenes and symbols. How do we know when they’re from God? And then, how do we know what they mean? On this episode, we talk to Ps Zoran Paunovich, a well-known Australian church leader who has been teaching on the topic of dreams and visions for over 30 years. Zoran has also been involved in a wide range of ministries, including youth work and Bible College lecturing. He is currently the senior pastor of New Life Chapel in Victoria, Australia. This episode will help you understand your dreams and recognise God’s voice in them. It will also explain why a dream of a head-butting Jesus could change your life... Listen to hear more about: Zoran’s personal journey into hearing God in dreams and visions. Zoran shares a fascinating experience of how God answered his question about relocating to another city. God’s answer came in the form of a dream with three men dressed in suits conversing around the dinner table! Why Christians are often skeptical of hearing God in dreams and visions. The power of picture language and why God might use visual imagery and symbols. Zoran’s advice for those who say they can’t hear from God in dreams. The key to understanding symbols and how they are tailored to the individual. How dreams reflect the God who incarnated himself in Jesus who walked and talked among us. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! Notes The story of Elisha and his servant Gehazi is found in 2 Kings 6:8-20. Herman Riffel’s book, Dreams, God’s Neglected Gift mentioned in the podcast is no longer available. An updated version, Dream Interpretation: A Biblical Understanding is recommended and available here. Zoran’s book, In Your Dreams - both hard copy and e-version - is available here.

In church life, there seems to be two groups of people. There’s the group who seem to hear from God easily… God’s speaking about this; God’s speaking about that. It’s like God is speaking every day! Then there’s another group who struggle to hear God’s voice. They heard God speak five years ago and there’s been silence ever since. Which group do you fall into? If you find it hard to hear God's voice, this episode is for you. We have the perfect guest to learn from! Ps. Pernille Liland is a prophet, teacher, author and business leader from Denmark who has many years of ministry experience and prophetic expertise. On the show, Pernille distinguishes between two types of experiences - the first - a distinct voice that seems to interrupt your thoughts and comes on God’s initiative; and second - the experience that seems to occur on our initiative when we create space to connect with God through the imagination. During the process, we take time to wait on the Spirit and develop our spiritual senses, including hearing, smell, taste, touch and feeling. We become aware of our thoughts, meditate on Jesus and allow the Spirit to take it from there. Some may have questions about using our imagination in the process of hearing God, but all this means is that we are engaging the Spirit in the realm of our minds. Scripture itself alludes to this process (eg. Daniel 7:1,15). Where our spirit meets with God, revelation comes. Pernille takes time to break down the experience simply and clearly, making it accessible to everyone. She reiterates how personal God is and how the gift of the Spirit is for everyone, not just a prophet, priest, pastor or pope. We can all hear the Spirit for ourselves! Reference Gregory A. Boyd, Seeing Is Believing: Experience Jesus through Imaginative Prayer. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2004. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! About Pernille Pernille has been preaching and prophesying in Northern Europe for 25 years. She has been involved with the planting of several local churches and a bible school. She leads the Nordic Prophetic Apostolic Network, runs the Danish School “Prophets In Training”, serves on the “European Council of Prophets” and the “Global Council of Prophets”. And just recently, her and her husband Andreas, launched a new church in the city of Sorø, Denmark. Photo by MART PRODUCTION from Pexels

God is speaking to Muslims all over the Middle East and he’s doing it through dreams of Jesus! You may have heard the stories. In a vision, Jesus appears in a robe of blazing white. The dreamer is filled with a deep sense of love and is drawn to follow him. Missiologists tell us that between 1 in 2 and 1 in 3 Muslims have become Christians because of a dream. The Spirit is at work drawing people to himself and it’s all happening while they are sleeping! In today’s podcast, we have two special guests all the way from Texas, USA. Tom and JoAnn Doyle have been reaching out to the people of the Middle East for 20 years. Their ministry inspires the church to share the good news with Jews and Muslims in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and the Palestinian territories of Israel. On the show, you will hear some of the incredible stories coming of the Middle East. Many of them are hard to believe! Tom and JoAnn tell of how a dream of Jesus often marks the beginning of a journey for Muslims to discover more about the man they call Issa. For Muslims, Jesus is an important prophet, but not the Son of God. They also believe the Bible has been corrupted. But when they experience the love of Jesus for themselves, these arguments are instantly dashed and they become motivated to find out more. One woman had been having dreams of Jesus for 30 years and was waiting for someone to tell her what they mean. She finally received answers when she met Tom at a petrol station and prayed a prayer of submission to Jesus. Another woman said “I have never felt so safe with a man in my life as I have in dreams of Jesus. He loved me like a father.” This episode will not only inspire you to worship the God who is constantly reaching out to people, but to become like him in connecting with Muslims in your own neighbourhood. A great way to start the conversation is, “Have you ever had a dream of Jesus?"! Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! About Tom and JoAnn Doyle Tom Doyle fell in love with the Middle East on his first Bible tour of the Holy Land. In 1995 he became an official tour guide for the state of Israel and developed a passion for ministering to the Israeli people, Arabs and Jews alike. He and his wife, JoAnn, felt a call from God to full-time ministry there in 2001. In 2017, the Doyles launched Uncharted Ministries, which seeks to inspire the church to reach Jews and Muslims in the Middle East and uncharted territories around the world. They serve in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Palestinian territories of Israel and often lead groups to the Middle East through their Lands of the Bible tours. Tom is a master storyteller with several books highlighting God’s miraculous work among the Muslim people. His best-known books are Dreams and Visions, Killing Christians and Standing in the Fire. Learn more about their ministry at https://unchartedministries.com Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash

"My Mum was clinically dead for 8 minutes. She saw a beautiful light and moved towards it, but then she heard a voice say, 'you don’t have access here.'" "An inmate who was deaf in one ear prayed for his friend who was blind in one eye and they were both healed." How is God real for us? Stories like these reveal the reality of God and his heart for people. But how does this work for us? I can still remember how at 21, I sat on a beach in New Zealand reflecting on my life up until that point. I believed in God, Jesus and the Bible, but God wasn’t real to me - I couldn’t put my finger on a single incident where I’d experienced God's reality in a tangible way. Thankfully, since then I’ve witnessed God in action and it’s changed my life. But I’ve also watched as others have lost their faith, particularly as they’ve moved from childhood into adulthood. How do we help people experience the reality of God? In this episode we’re talking with a man who's made it his life mission to make God real for people. Pastor Andrea di Meglio is a local church pastor, itinerant speaker and film-maker who oversees several ministries focussing on the supernatural in his hometown in Bern, Switzerland and beyond. Andrea and his team have made two life-changing documentaries about the reality of God. The first, Christ in You, depicts ordinary people experiencing signs and wonders and healing on the streets. The second, The Voice, looks at how to hear God’s voice for others, including those who don’t know God. Both films are full of inspiring stories and interviews with world leaders like Bill Johnson, Heidi Baker and Randy Clark. Andrea also shares the story behind the movies and their unlikely beginnings in a Filipino prison. His own journey began as a child being raised in a home where unusual and frightening spiritual happenings were part of the norm. He tells the story of his Mum, who began her spiritual search after a near death experience and dabbled in witchcraft and New Age practises before she found the source of light in Jesus. Andrea also shares how to experience God’s reality in your own life and in the lives of others. You’ll be encouraged to seek after the God who continues to show himself powerfully to those who seek him! You can find out more about Andrea’s ministry at https://andreadimeglio.com. The Film: Christ In You - The Voice The voice of God changes everything! This documentary features a captivating exploration of the power of prophecy. It shows ordinary Christians, who set an example by partnering with the Holy Spirit and releasing God’s perspective wherever they go. Amazing interviews with Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton, Lisa Bevere, John Bevere, Graham Cooke, Bob Hazlett, Raniero Cantalamessa and more provide wisdom in navigating towards a prophetic lifestyle. Check the films out here: https://www.christinyoumovie.com Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! Andrea di Meglio is an author, filmmaker, leader and itinerant revivalist. He is on pastoral staff within his local church, the Vineyard Bern, where he has served since August 2012 and leads, coordinates and oversees several ministries related to the supernatural. He is passionate about equipping the Body of Christ to live supernaturally. Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor.

“Everybody’s looking for something,” the Eurythmics once sang. Augustine referred to a “god-shaped hole” within each one of us that longs to be fulfilled. There seems to be a universal human need to find meaning and purpose in our lives. But where do we find it? During the time of the first Christmas, people were searching too. The wise men, King Herod, Simeon and Anna were all “looking for something” around the time Jesus was born. As we celebrate the festive season, this podcast reflects on the journey of each of the Christmas characters to see if they found what they were looking for. Their stories give us insight into our own. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! Photo by Jonathan Meyer

"The root of disappointment is misplaced expectations. The question is, what should our expectations of God be?" - Lynn Moresi What does God promise when we sign up to follow Jesus? I still remember as a young woman dreaming of the future. We had such expectations for "greatness." God was going to give us the desires of our heart. He was going to make all our dreams come to pass. The future was guaranteed and it was bright. But, then the future hit and it was full of disappointment. Death, sickness, loss, divorce. We felt attacked, let down and betrayed. Did God fail us? Or was our disappointment due to misplaced expectations about what God had promised in the first place? On the show this week, Rev Dr Lynn Moresi from Melbourne Australia joins me to talk about disappointment and what God is saying in the midst of it. Lynn is a preacher, prophet, lecturer and someone who knows how to hear God’s voice. She is also a biblical scholar who has experienced all the joys and disappointments of life and has thought about these questions for a long time. We talk about: Lynn’s journey hearing from God and some of the God conversations that have defined her life and ministry Why we are often disappointed by the challenges of life and how they begin with misguided expectations The “abundant life” (John 10:10) Jesus promised and what it actually means. We compare the meaning of "success" in our current culture compared to the meaning of success in God's kingdom. Some great advice for those who are going through a time of disappointment. Subscribe to God Conversations with Tania Harris and never miss an episode! Dr. Lynn Moresi is a popular itinerate minister and bible college lecturer with a prophetic edge that opens ministry moments in people’s lives. Lynn has the unique ability to combine strong biblical teaching with relevant personal stories that ensure her messages are always challenging and engaging. Her meetings are characterized by fun, laughter and a deep awareness of God’s presence where people are encouraged to engage personally with the Spirit. She is based out of CityLife Church where she pioneered the "School of Ministry” internship program, and travels regularly to teach and minister in seminaries and churches both here in Australia and overseas. She is married and has two adult children. Image by Lisa Runnels

Recently I completed my PhD in practical theology, examining the theology and practice of hearing God’s voice. Since then, people have asked me about my thesis and what I’ve learnt from it. As with all PhDs, it’s a long and sometimes complex read, so instead of you having to fossick through 80,000 words, we’re bringing you the highlights! In this podcast, I look at three surprising theological insights from my PhD on hearing God’s voice. I first of all introduce the thesis itself including its general approach and methodology. The research involved approximately 100 people from three different Pentecostal churches on their hearing God experiences. A major focus was on experiences that occurred directly, without the mediation of other people or objects such as books, sermons or nature. These are the experiences that tend to cause the most problems in the church, but can also be the most life-changing! Here are the three major insights from the thesis that stood out from the many discoveries I made: 1. The Neglect of Revelatory Experiences in the Protestant Academy and its Place in Catholicism One of the most surprising insights I discovered in my research was the neglect of the topic of hearing God’s voice in the Protestant academy. While, there’s plenty of related material available (such as the gift of prophecy, tongues and Spirit baptism and hermeneutics (the effect of revelatory experiences on Biblical interpretation)), there’s very little on the experience of hearing from God through experiences like dreams, visions and voices (also called “auditions”/“locutions”). In fact, it took four years of reading before I finally found a theologian whose work aligned with the experiences of participants in the study! Even more strangely, this theologian hailed from the Catholic tradition. This unexpected discovery only makes sense when you realise that Protestantism originally rejected revelatory experiences in their debates with the Catholics back at the Reformation in the 16th Century. This way of thinking has formed a trajectory that has shaped scholarly and popular works ever since. 2. The Central Place of Revelatory Experiences in the New Covenant and Discipleship The second insight in my research was the central role hearing from God plays in discipleship. Often in churches today, we see hearing God’s voice as kind of an “optional extra” to the Christian experience. But when we understand that the primary feature of the New Covenant was the ability for every person to hear God’s voice in the same manner as the Old Covenant prophets (Acts 2:16,17) and how Jesus described the role of the Spirit as a continuation of his ministry (John 16:7), we see how important hearing from God is for discipleship. Like the disciples of Jesus’ day, we recognise God’s voice and follow (John 10:27). This connection between Jesus’ ministry and the Spirit’s outpouring at Pentecost is missing in both the academic and popular literature (read any book on hearing God’s voice and see if you can find it). That means we don’t always link our Spirit experiences to the work of sanctification and mission. The Spirit speaks today to lead us to the cross, to crucify our old selves and make us into new creations. That means I’m more likely to hear God speak about forgiving my father than showing me the new red sports car I’ve been dreaming of. Hearing from God will always lead us down the path of discipleship and make us more like Jesus. 3. The Unnecessary Conflict Between the Scriptures and Spirit The final insight in my research provides an explanation for the conflict that people often see between the Bible and ongoing experiences of hearing God’s voice. This conflict is so significant that many churches around the world reject extra-biblical Spirit-encounters altogether (a position known as “Cessationism”). This was the position of the church I grew up in. In order to protect the uniqueness of the Bible,