Grow and Go with Em Tyler

Emma Fowle grew up in London’s East End, the daughter of a four-time world champion powerlifter whose steroid addiction spiralled into cocaine and amphetamines, and then into something that blew her whole family apart. Emma is the deputy editor of Premier Christianity, the UK’s largest Christian magazine, as well as an author, broadcaster, and speaker. Her debut memoir, All the Times You Were Not There (SPCK), tells her story of finding faith in the depths of family betrayal. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation. We talk about what it’s like to discover faith right at the moment your world falls apart, and why Emma didn’t experience the crisis of God, why are you doing this to me? that you might expect. We talk about: ✨ How God placed people and provision in Emma’s life literally weeks before everything fell apart✨ What the church can look like at its best ✨ The messy, non-linear reality of forgiving someone who keeps breaking your trust✨ Why forgiveness and reconciliation are two different things✨ What it took for her dad to change (and what real repentance actually looks like)✨ The thing Emma didn’t expect people to keep asking her ✨ How unresolved pain from our past can shape our present Have you ever seen God’s kindness and provision in the middle of a season that to outside eyes looked like he had deserted you? Leave a comment Connect further with Emma: Website | Instagram Connect further with Em: powerofagain.com ⁠Substack⁠ | YouTube | ⁠emtyler.com⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | Facebook | Email Interested in having Em come speak at your event? ⁠Book Em today! ⁠ One-off Donation Coming Up! October 8, 20267.30-9pm BSTLive Online Grab a Ticket here Have you ever wondered . . . “Was that really God or just my own thoughts?” Most Christians long to hear God’s voice but aren’t sure how to recognize it with confidence. The good news is that God is not trying to hide from His children. Jesus promised that His sheep would know His voice and the Holy Spirit continues to guide, comfort, convict, and lead us today. Join author, speaker, and Kingdom Life Coach Megan Nilsen for an interactive 90-minute Grow + Go masterclass where you’ll discover a practical, Scripture-centred process for discerning God’s voice through Beautiful Exchange Journaling. Together we’ll learn how to: • Quiet internal and external noise• Recognize the difference between God’s voice, your own thoughts, and fear• Anchor every prompting in Scripture• Practice listening prayer without striving• Experience Beautiful Exchange Journaling in real time• Leave with a repeatable process you can continue using in your daily walk with Jesus Whether you’re making an important decision or simply longing for a deeper relationship with God, this experience will help you cultivate greater confidence in recognizing the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit. Secure your spot here. Men and Women welcome. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emtyler.substack.com/subscribe

This week I sit down with Kat Wordsworth — author of Let’s Talk About Doubt and passionate advocate for making doubt a more accepted and less feared conversation in Christian culture. Kat spent nearly two decades hiding her questions, convinced she was the only one, sure that something was wrong with her. She wasn’t, and there wasn’t. And if you’ve ever felt that way, this episode is for you. We talk about what it’s like to grow up in the church, look around at everyone else seemingly on fire for Jesus, and wonder why your experience looks so different. We talk about shame, isolation, comparison and why bringing doubt into the light might be the bravest and most faith-building thing you ever do. We talk about: ✨ Why doubt and faith are not opposites and what the opposite of faith actually is ✨ How Jesus responded to doubt in Scripture (it’s not what you’d expect) ✨ What to say — and what not to say — when someone opens up to you about their doubts ✨ Why isolating your doubt makes it so much more powerful than it needs to be ✨ How to find anchor points for faith even when feelings aren’t cooperating ✨ What it looks like to make your faith genuinely your own Have you ever felt shame around doubt — and what helped you most in that season? Leave a comment Connect further with Kat: https://www.instagram.com/about_doubt Connect further with Em: ⁠Substack⁠ | YouTube | ⁠emtyler.com⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | Facebook | Email Interested in having Em come speak at your event? ⁠Book Em today! ⁠ One-off Donation This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emtyler.substack.com/subscribe

Have you ever found yourself reacting to someone you love — your child, your spouse, a close friend — and thought, where did that come from? Why do I keep doing this? Chances are, it didn’t start with you. This week I sit down with Gina Birkemeier — trauma therapist, counselor educator, PhD candidate, and author of Generations Deep: Unmasking Inherited Dysfunction and Trauma to Rewrite Our Stories Through Faith and Therapy. Gina is one of those people who manages to hold the clinical and the personal and the deeply spiritual all in one breath, and she does so with warmth, honesty, and hard-won lived authority. We talk about: ✨ Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance ✨ Why the things that trigger us most are usually the people closest to us✨ The difference between big T and little T trauma and why we dismiss the little ones at our peril✨ What spiritual bypassing looks like in the church and why it keeps people stuck✨ Why going to therapy is an act of faith, not a failure of it✨ How to love someone who is bleeding on you from wounds they haven’t healed✨ What to do if you feel like it’s too late and you’ve already broken the cycle in the wrong direction✨ Why the estrangement culture worries Gina deeply Is there a pattern in your family — a way of relating, a belief about yourself, a repeated story — that you’ve always wondered where it came from? Leave a comment Connect further with Gina: Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Substack | Website Connect further with Em: powerofagain.com ⁠Substack⁠ | YouTube | ⁠emtyler.com⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | Facebook | Email Interested in having Em come speak at your event? ⁠Book Em today! ⁠ Coming Up! October 8, 20267.30-9pm BSTLive Online Grab a Ticket here Have you ever wondered . . . “Was that really God or just my own thoughts?” Most Christians long to hear God’s voice but aren’t sure how to recognize it with confidence. The good news is that God is not trying to hide from His children. Jesus promised that His sheep would know His voice and the Holy Spirit continues to guide, comfort, convict, and lead us today. Join author, speaker, and Kingdom Life Coach Megan Nilsen for an interactive 90-minute Grow + Go masterclass where you’ll discover a practical, Scripture-centred process for discerning God’s voice through Beautiful Exchange Journaling. Together we’ll learn how to: • Quiet internal and external noise• Recognize the difference between God’s voice, your own thoughts, and fear• Anchor every prompting in Scripture• Practice listening prayer without striving• Experience Beautiful Exchange Journaling in real time• Leave with a repeatable process you can continue using in your daily walk with Jesus Whether you’re making an important decision or simply longing for a deeper relationship with God, this experience will help you cultivate greater confidence in recognizing the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit. Secure your spot here. Men and Women welcome. One-off Donation This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emtyler.substack.com/subscribe

Most miracle stories come packaged with ‘fancy faith’: big, bold, mountain-moving faith. The person prayed, believed, stood on the word, and God showed up. Hallelujah! And don’t get me wrong, those stories are fabulous, but they can also feel totally out of reach if that’s not your experience. This story is different. Lucy is a mum of two boys from Nottinghamshire who, in November 2024, was facing major surgery following a scan that showed cancer on her ovary and her liver. The medical team were so certain of what they would find that they warned her the surgery could be a long road, and to begin planning what would happen to her boys if it was. She didn’t expect healing. She doubted, questioned, wrestled with God, all alongside years of finding faith complicated (through divorce, through working in church safeguarding and seeing its darkest corners, through a long season of feeling like she didn’t belong in a church building). And then the results came back. And the doctors had no explanation. What makes this conversation so remarkable isn’t just the miracle. It’s the honesty around it. Lucy didn’t believe it. She asked them to retest. She asked why me? And even now she’s still figuring out how to process it. We talk about: ✨ What it looked like to face a cancer diagnosis with complicated faith and no easy answers✨ What worship and gratitude can look like in hard seasons✨ The prayer spoken over her by a stranger who didn’t know her name and the video that proved it happened before the operation✨ What it means to receive a miracle you didn’t dare believe in✨ How this experience changed what Lucy thinks actually matters✨ Why even a miracle doesn’t make the intentional choices easier and why we have to keep returning again and again (powerofagain.com) Is there something you’ve been praying for (or struggling to even let yourself pray for) that feels too big or too unlikely? Leave a comment Connect further with Em: powerofagain.com ⁠Substack⁠ | YouTube | ⁠emtyler.com⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | Facebook | Email Interested in having Em come speak at your event? ⁠Book Em today! ⁠ One-off Donation This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emtyler.substack.com/subscribe

The word “supernatural” makes a lot of Christians nervous. I get it. It’s been misused, misunderstood, and in some corners of the church, badly abused. But here’s the thing — the life Jesus lived was, by any measure, wildly supernatural. And he told us to eagerly desire the gifts he left us. So what are we actually missing out on? This week I sit down with Lauren Crook, senior leader of Kingdom Living Ministries. I met Lauren when she led a prophecy training day for a team at work, and I watched her ground every single moment of it in love, scripture, and the gentlest possible invitation to step out in faith. We talk about what prophecy actually is and what it isn’t. We talk about why Lauren is convinced that God is speaking to you right now and why the problem isn’t him going quiet, it’s us not knowing what we’re tuned in to. And we talk about what it looks like to move from doing things for God to actually knowing him which, as Lauren points out, are not the same thing at all. We talk about: ✨ Why the word “supernatural” scares so many Christians✨ What prophecy is, what it isn’t, and why Paul says we should eagerly desire it✨ How true biblical prophecy should always strengthen, encourage and comfort and what to do if yours didn’t✨ The difference between doing things for God and actually knowing him✨ Practical ways to build intimacy with God when five minutes feels like a lot✨ How to hear God’s voice ✨ Why love is the non-negotiable foundation of any prophetic gift✨ What “what if you’re right?” could change for you Looking back has there been a moment where you think God might have been speaking to you but you didn’t recognise it at the time? Leave a comment If you’ve ever been curious about the gifts of the Spirit but felt too nervous, too unqualified, or just not sure it’s for you then this episode is a gentle, grounded, genuinely exciting invitation in. Connect further with Lauren: Kingdom Living Ministries | KLM Instagram | Email | Upcoming Events Connect further with Em: ⁠Substack⁠ | YouTube | ⁠emtyler.com⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | Facebook | Email Interested in having Em come speak at your event? ⁠Book Em today! ⁠ One-off Donation This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emtyler.substack.com/subscribe

What if grace isn’t something you earn and . . . it never was? And what do you do when the God you’ve trusted for decades leads you into your deepest season of loss? This week on the Grow + Go with Em Tyler podcast, I sit down with Kimberly Stuart — author, podcast host, and speaker — to talk about grace that actually sets you free, praying honestly when life falls apart, and what it means to keep growing and going when you’re barely keeping it together. Kim is the author of Star for Jesus and Other Jobs I Quit: Rediscovering the Grace that Sets Us Free, and she brings all the warmth, humour, and hard-won wisdom you’d hope for. Here’s what you’ll take away from this episode: ✨ Why so many believers accidentally slip into performing for God ✨ How to stop talking at God and start talking with him ✨ The grief that changes everything and what “everything belongs” really means ✨ What Hagar and Jesus on the cross have to say to anyone who feels unseen or alone ✨ Why grace will not play with your own effort Where do you most feel the pull to perform for God rather than simply be with him? Leave a comment Connect further with Kim: Website | Instagram | For Real with Kimberly Stuart Podcast Connect further with Em: ⁠Substack⁠ | YouTube | ⁠emtyler.com⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | Facebook | Email Interested in having Em come speak at your event? ⁠Book Em today! ⁠ One-off Donation This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emtyler.substack.com/subscribe

What if the problem with discipleship isn’t that we’re not trying hard enough but that we’ve been thinking about it completely wrong? This is Jessica Cruickshank’s second visit to Grow + Go, and to be honest, I’d have her back every single week and not be sad about it. Jessie holds a master’s from Harvard in mind, brain and education, and she has co-written the newly released Becoming Good News: Reimagining Discipleship Through Identity, Story and Science with Julia Schmalz. What she brings to the table is unique. A brilliant mind, a deep love for Jesus, and the ability to connect neuroscience and theology in a way that genuinely sets people free. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation. We talk about why the good news is a story we live, not merely a nugget of information we hand to other people. We get into how our brains are wired to learn (and why sitting passively in a pew won’t cut it). We talk about fear . . . where it comes from, how it spreads without us realising, and what it’s doing to our children. And we talk about what it actually looks and feels like to hear from God. One absolute belter from Jessie: “If our life doesn’t demonstrate it, we don’t know it.” Eeesh! We talk about: ✨ Why discipleship was never meant to be about information✨ The two types of long-term memory and why one of forgets everything you learn at church ✨ How false narratives get wired into us and how God rewires them through experience ✨ Why we are only born with two fears, and how every other fear is learned by mirroring the people around us ✨ How to practically hear from God, including what to do when you’re not sure it’s him ✨ Why shame shuts your soul down and what Jesus actually wants to do with your doubts and your mess Is there something you know in your head about God that your life hasn’t quite caught up to yet? Leave a comment If you’ve ever felt like you should be further along by now, or wondered why knowing the right things still doesn’t seem to change the deep stuff — this conversation is going to help. Give it a listen. Connect further with Jessie: Becoming Good News | Instagram Connect further with Em: ⁠Substack⁠ | YouTube | ⁠emtyler.com⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | Facebook | Email Interested in having Em come speak at your event? ⁠Book Em today! ⁠ One-off Donation This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emtyler.substack.com/subscribe

Loved this faith-stirring conversation with Paul and Becky Harcourt about what it really looks like to live a Spirit-filled life. And, fun fact, I’m actually on site with them at the New Wine Festival this week! We talk about the journey from simply understanding God in our heads to actually walking with Him day by day, learning to hear His voice, trusting His leading, and stepping out in obedience, even when it feels uncomfortable. Paul and Becky share so openly from their own story, including experiences of healing from shame and trauma, and how the Holy Spirit has transformed not just their personal lives, but their ministry and relationships too. We also explore the beauty and challenge of long-term discipleship . . . why growth with God is often slower than we’d like, and how faith is built through small, consistent steps rather than big, dramatic moments. This episode is such an encouragement if you’re longing to hear God more clearly, grow in confidence with the Holy Spirit, or simply feel less alone in the process. We talk about: ✨ How to recognise and discern God’s voice in everyday life✨ Moving from head knowledge to a lived, Spirit-filled relationship with God✨ Finding healing from guilt, shame, and past experiences through Jesus✨ Why obedience in the small things builds lasting faith✨ The role of community in encouraging and strengthening spiritual growth✨ Understanding and embracing spiritual gifts in a healthy, grounded way✨ Trusting God in long-term discipleship and seasons that feel slow Where might God be inviting you to take a small step of obedience and what would it look like to trust His voice in that today? Leave a comment Whether you’re new to the idea of hearing God or have been walking with Him for years, this episode invites you to lean in, listen closely, and rediscover the joy of life with the Holy Spirit. Connect further with Paul: Instagram | Paul’s latest book: Spirit Filled Churches Connect further with Em: ⁠Substack⁠ | YouTube | ⁠emtyler.com⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | Facebook | Email Interested in having Em come speak at your event? ⁠Book Em today! ⁠ One-off Donation This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emtyler.substack.com/subscribe

This was such a rich, faith-filled conversation with Jen Becker about identity, hearing God, and what real transformation looks like when we let Jesus rewrite the stories we believe about ourselves. Jen shares her journey of identity exchange — moving from false narratives into truth — and how encounters with God, imagination, and confession have shaped her faith and freedom. We explore the power of hearing God’s voice, reinterpreting painful experiences with Him, and why community is essential in the journey of becoming who He says we are. We talk about: ✨ Why identity is the missing link in personal and spiritual transformation✨ How imagination can be a doorway to hearing God✨ The power of confession in unlocking truth and freedom✨ Reinterpreting painful experiences through God’s redemptive lens✨ Living generously and interruptibly with the Holy Spirit✨ How curiosity about God leads to transformative encounters✨ Why we become what we believe—and how Jesus reshapes that belief✨ The role of community in forming and affirming identity What story about yourself might God be inviting you to rewrite and what would it look like to receive His truth about your identity this week? Leave a comment Whether you’re exploring faith, longing for deeper encounters with God, or wrestling with old narratives, this episode invites you into a gentler, braver, more honest journey of becoming who you already are in Christ. Connect further with Jen: Instagram | Email | Website Connect further with Em: ⁠Substack⁠ | YouTube | ⁠emtyler.com⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | Facebook | Email Interested in having Em come speak at your event? ⁠Book Em today! ⁠ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emtyler.substack.com/subscribe

If you’ve ever looked at the children or teenagers in your life and thought I don’t even know where to start then this conversation will help. Gen Alpha are the kids born between 2010 and 2024. They are the most anxious, most hyper-connected, most AI-shaped generation in history. They grew up through a pandemic that nobody has really finished processing. They have never known a world without smartphones. And 65% of them will work in jobs that don’t yet exist yet. Don’t panic friends, but instead, let’s pay attention. This week I sit down with Dave Boden — creative pioneer, author, educator, and leader of Grace Foundation, a UK charity transforming young lives through Christian ethos education in 15 secondary schools across the country. A former pastor, Dave co-created Kleer Series, a video resource that has sparked faith conversations with thousands of young people, and he’s the author of four books including Raising Gen Alpha, Parallel Faith, Like or Follow, and What You Are Made For. He is warm, direct, and genuinely hopeful about this generation — and he has the expertise and the on-the-ground experience to back it up. We talk about what actually defines Gen Alpha, why the church is at risk of being behind on this conversation, and what it looks like to stop treating children as people to manage until they’re old enough for the ‘real thing’. We get practical on screen time, family rhythms, and how to have the conversations that actually matter. We talk about: ✨ Who Gen Alpha are and why they need a different approach than any generation before them✨ The difference between a teaching community and a learning one and why it matters ✨ Why removing social media won’t fix anything unless we create something worth showing up for✨ Practical, doable steps for building family rhythms that compete with screens✨ What to do if you feel like it’s already too late and the battle is lost✨ How Jesus entered the world of the people he came to reach and why He is the answer for all Gen Alpha needs What is one rhythm or habit you’ve built in your home or church community that genuinely helps the children and young people in your life engage? Connect further with Dave: Raising Gen Alpha | Substack Connect further with Em: ⁠Substack⁠ | YouTube | ⁠emtyler.com⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | Facebook | Email Interested in having Em come speak at your event? ⁠Book Em today! ⁠ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emtyler.substack.com/subscribe