The Inspiration Project: Recent Episodes
ACC
Welcome to The Inspiration Project, a podcast designed to inspire the next generation of young people through the real world stories of well-known Christians. People who have extraordinary stories of faith, life, tragedy and triumph. People that God has used to achieve great things.
We want to inspire the next generation to see that by trusting God, they will achieve His purpose in their life and that through Him, all things are possible. The podcast is hosted by ACC Principal, Mr Brendan Corr, and behind the scenes, ACC Graduate, Jarred Fantom, organises the guests and edits the episodes.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to music artist Riley Clemmons about becoming famous at a young age. They discuss what it’s like to grow up in a talented musical Christian family, becoming a Christian and choosing to serve God through music. Riley considers how to handle fame with humility and grace, how to find your purpose in life and when Riley knew that music was her life’s calling. Riley also discusses why going through hard times will lead you to where you need to be and how Riley’s parents felt about her going through the hardships of the Christian music industry.
Episode Summary
- What it’s like growing up in a talented musical Christian family
- Becoming a Christian at a young age
- Why Riley chose to serve God with her music
- How to handle fame and rejection with humility and grace
- How to find your purpose in life
- When Riley knew that music was her life’s calling
- Why going through hard times will lead you to where you need to be
- How Riley’s parents felt about her going through the hardships of the Christian music industry
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Pastor Mark Varughese the founder and senior leader of Kingdomcity about the humble origins of Kingdomcity, why Mark left Australia to start a church in Malaysia, Mark’s “burning bush” experience, how can someone have a deep understanding of faith, how Mark became a Christian, walking away from a law career to pursue a life dedicated to Jesus, having a crisis of identity and what that taught Mark about Jesus, we are all ordinary but have an extraordinary God, understanding the phrase, “God willing” and what that means and how Mark’s years as a lawyer prepared him for life as a pastor.
Episode Summary
- Why Mark left Australia to start a church in Malaysia
- Mark’s “burning bush” experience
- How someone is able to have a deep understanding of faith
- How Mark became a Christian
- Walking away from a law career to pursue a life dedicated to Jesus
- Having a Crisis of identity and what that taught Mark about Jesus
- The meaning of we are all ordinary people but we serve an extraordinary God
- Understanding the phrase, “God willing”
- How Mark’s years as a lawyer prepared him for life as a pastor
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to best-selling author Derrick Kinney about the importance of money, how to manage money well, how Christians should view money, how to help young people manage their money well, how Derrick has been able to make money easy to understand, how Derrick became a Christian, why he’s interested in finance and why he wants to help people get more money, why money isn’t bad but in fact good, why some Christians believe money is evil, and Simple Teen Success.
Episode Summary
- How Christians should view money
- How to manage money well
- How Derrick became a Christian
- The importance of money
- How to help young people manage their money well
- How Derrick has been able to make money easy to understand
- Why Derrick became interested in finance and why he wants to help people get more money
- Why money isn’t bad but good and why you need more of it
- Why some Christians believe money is evil
- Simple Teen Success - Setting up your child for a bright financial future
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Australian Lawyer, commentator, Preacher and former head of the Australian Christian Lobby now CEO of Answers in Genesis, Martyn Iles about the issues surrounding the Israel Folau comments, dealing with the difficult question of, “Do gay people go to hell?” on ABC Q&A, why he moved to America, his time with The Australian Christian Lobby, how Martyn became a Christian, navigating his calling to serve God early in life, why he chose to become a lawyer, why Martyn decided to start preaching the Gospel on social media, how Christians should deal with the new anti-Christian propaganda being pushed today, why we are living through the book of Daniel today and seeking the providence of God today.
Episode Summary
- Dealing with the issues surrounding the Israel Folau comments
- Why Martyn left Australia to move to America and become the CEO of Answers in Genesis
- How Martyn was able to navigate the difficult question of, “Do gay people go to hell?” on ABC Q&A
- Martyn’s time with the Australian Christian Lobby
- How Martyn became a Christian
- Navigating his calling to serve God early in his life and why he chose to become a Lawyer
- Why Martyn decided to preach the Gospel on Social Media
- How Christians should deal with the new anti-Christian propaganda being pushed today
- Why we are living through the book of Daniel today
- What seeking the providence of God looks like today
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Rumbi Mabambe executive officer of the Chain Reaction Foundation in the Mount Druitt Learning Ground about how Rumbi got involved with Chain Reaction Foundation, What life was like growing up in Zimbabwe to then coming to live in Australia, life as an Immigrant, giving children in disadvantaged homes better opportunities to thrive, helping children feel like they are able to do and be more than they think, how to help children who struggle with their identity and how Rumbi continues to find strength to show up for disadvantaged children in tough situations.
Episode Summary
- How Rumbi became a Christian
- How Rumbi got involved with Chain Reaction Foundation in the Mount Druitt Learning Ground
- Growing up in Zimbabwe and then coming to Australia as an Immigrant
- Giving children in disadvantaged homes better opportunities to thrive
- Helping children feel like they are “Able” to do and be more than they think
- How to help children who struggle with their identity
- How Rumbi continues to find strength to show up for disadvantaged children in tough communities and households
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Dr. Owen Strachan about the current war on men. They discuss what led Dr. Strachan into ministry, how he became a Christian, what it means to be a biblical man, why men are under attack in today’s culture, why Toxic masculinity is actually a toxic idea, where and how the war on men began, what it would take to fix this issue in society today, how Dr. Strachan would answer a modern feminist who disagrees there is a war on men, and What does Dr. Strachan mean by the notion of re enchanting the world.
Episode Summary
- The current war on men
- Why men are under attack in today’s culture
- Where and how the war on men began
- What is means to be a biblical man and why that’s important
- Why toxic masculinity is actually a toxic idea
- What it would take to fix the war on men
- How Dr. Strachan would answer a modern feminist who disagrees there is a war on men
- What does Dr. Strachan mean by the notion of re enchanting the world
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to former Premier of New South Wales Mike Baird about modeling good Christian leadership. They discuss why Mike decided to enter into politics, how he became the 44th Premier of New South Wales, what the job involved, The Lindt Cafe Siege and the responsibility to look after the families and communities impacted, how Mike became a Christian, why faith has played an important role in Mike’s life and career, Mike’s new role as CEO of HammondCare, and the contrast between public service vs private service.
Episode Summary
- How to model good Christian leadership in life
- Why Mike decided to enter into politics
- How Mike became the 44th Premier of New South Wales
- What being Premier involved and the pressures the job carried with it
- The Lindt Cafe Siege, how Mike was able to look after all those impacted
- How Mike became a Christian
- Why Faith has played an important role in Mike’s life and career
- Mike’s new role as CEO of HammondCare
- The contrast between public service vs private service. Is there a difference?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Dr Chris Watkin about his latest book Biblical Critical Theory. They also discuss why Dr Watkin studies medieval languages in French and German, how Dr Watkin became a Christian after growing up a “happy Atheist”, The intellectual critique about Christianity being just about blind faith, choosing to see meaning in the face of anguish instead of nihilisim, whether Dr Watkin believes tackling big ideas and concepts is God’s chosen commission for his life and how critical theory is appropriately applied to the Bible.
Episode Summary
- What Biblical Critical Theory is about
- How Dr Watkin became a Christian after being a “Happy Atheist”.
- Why Dr Watkin studied medieval languages in French and German
- The intellectual critique about Christianity being just about blind faith
- Why Dr Watkin chose to see meaning in the face of anguish instead of nihilism
- Whether Dr Watkin believes tackling big ideas and concepts is God’s chosen commission for his life
- How critical theory is appropriately applied to the bible
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to CEO of Destiny Rescue Paul Mergard about the harsh realities of Human Trafficking, how Paul got involved with Destiny Rescue and Human Trafficking, why Human Trafficking is such a major problem, how Destiny Rescue helps to end Human Trafficking, whether Human Trafficking will ever end, how Paul became a Christian, how faith plays an important role for Paul when dealing with Human Trafficking, and how Paul reconciles his faith with God and the abuse of Children.
Episode Summary
- The harsh realities of Human Trafficking
- Why Human Trafficking exists
- How Human Trafficking has become a multi-billion dollar industry
- How Paul got involved with Destiny Rescue
- How Destiny Rescue helps to save kids and end Human Trafficking
- Whether Human Trafficking will ever end
- How Paul became a Christian
- How Paul reconciles his faith with God and the abuse of Children
WARNING: This episode contains highly sensitive information about child sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Emeritus Professor Nigel Biggar about what attracted him to an academic life, why books became an important part of Nigel’s life, what captured him about History, why Nigel went from studying history to ethics and morality instead, How Nigel became a Christian, the deep existential question about what draws you to faith, religion and God, How Nigel sees the sea of humanity wrestling with this idea about what is right what is ethical and what is moral, wars and religion, Colonialism and the West, And why the West should be grateful for Colonialism.
Episode Summary* What captured Nigel about History * Why Nigel went from Studying History to ethics and morality instead * What attracted Nigel to an Academic life * Why books became an important part of Nigel’s life * How Nigel became a Christian * The deep existential question about what draws people to faith, religion and God * How Nigel sees humanity wrestling with the ideas of what is ethical and what is moral * Wars and Religion * Colonialism and The West * Why the West should be grateful for Colonialism
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Dr Vishal Mangalwadi founder and president of Revelation Movement about why the Indian Government tried to kill Vishal and his wife, why they had to flee their home in India, whether the bible is under threat in today’s culture, the arrival of Christianity in India, how Christianity shaped Indian society and the rest of the world, the current crisis of gender identity as being a type of new sexual revolution, and much more.
Episode Summary
- Why The Indian Government tried to kill Vishal and his wife
- Why they had to flee their home in India
- Whether the bible is under threat in today’s culture
- The arrival of Christianity in India
- How Christianity shaped Indian culture and society and the rest of the world
- The current gender identity as being a type of new third sexual revolution
- What is a woman? And why it’s such a controversial question
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Dr Georgia Purdom, a Molecular Genetics professor who works for Answers in Genesis. They discuss the idea of Conservative vs Liberal ways of thinking about the world, what led Georgia to earn her PhD in Science, how she came to faith, how Molecular Biology and Science prove the Creation story to be true, the danger of scientism, what role sciences play in our world, understanding how unique we all are and how genetic code reveals how we are created in the image of God.
Episode Summary
- Conservative vs Liberal ways of thinking about the world
- What led Georgia to earn her PhD in Science
- How she came to faith
- How Molecular Biology and Science prove the Creation story to be true
- The danger of scientism
- What role does science play in our world
- Understanding how unique we all are
- How our genetic code reveals that we are created in the image of God
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Eric Agyeman about his life growing up and being bullied in primary school, how he dealt with the bullying, facing the challenges of identity, how growing up in a Christian home helped Eric navigate the bullying, deciding to join a gang in order to fit in, turning his life around for Christ and working with the youth in schools across Australia.
Episode Summary
- What it was like for Eric to be teased and racially bullied in primary school
- Why Eric joined a gang
- How Eric dealt with the racial bullying
- Growing up in a Christian home
- How Eric accepted Christ as his Saviour
- Facing the significant challenges of identity
- Why Eric works with young people today
- The power of Prayer & how it’s changed Eric’s life
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Reverend Kiran Skariah (also known as PastorSKAR) about his ministry witnessing to the online gaming community, why Kiran started his online gaming ministry, whether there is a typical gamer he’s trying to reach, how to establish a connection with a young person online, how he’s been able to spread the gospel to a unique community of about 100,000, and whether Kiran sees himself as a pastor or missionary.
Episode Summary
- Starting SKAR ministries to the online gaming community
- How to reach 3.2 billion gamers with the gospel
- Whether there is a typical gamer or a broad community he’s trying to reach
- How to establish a connection with a young person online
- Are there any boundaries with online gaming and sharing the gospel
- Whether Kiran sees himself as a pastor or missionary
- Why Kiran wants to reach the gaming community specifically
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to author, speaker and broadcaster Sheridan Voysey about his career in broadcasting, what lead him to working for the BBC, becoming a Christian at 19, how being a DJ helped him with his use of language, the differences between entertainment and analytical communication and what to do when life doesn’t go according to plan.
Episode Summary
- When Sheridan realised that words were something that excited him enough to pursue a career in broadcasting and writing.
- Becoming a Christian at age 19, and realising that winning the 1990 DMC DJ mixing championships wasn’t fulfiling and rather lonely.
- Why school wasn’t a great experience for Sheridan.
- How being a DJ helped Sheridan with the use of language.
- The differences between entertainment and analytical types of communication.
- Exploring the conception of our humanity and our sense of responsibility that we have in the moment when life doesn’t go according to plan.
- Understanding what it means to be a human that goes through hardship.
- Does Sheridan believe that having plans are a good thing or are they inherently problematic and whether they lead to disappointment.
- Dealing with the disappointment of not being able to have kids.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to director, writer and actor Jason Perini about what attracted him to the entertainment industry, being comfortable with the unknowns of acting jobs, finding work life balance, what school life was like for Jason, the time he became aware that he needed God, the role of entertainment in the Church and what it means to entertain people.
Episode Summary
- How to respond to the unknowns in life
- What attracted Jason to the entertainment industry
- What school life was like for Jason
- Growing up in a Christian home and when Jason realised his need for Christ
- What it means to entertain people
- Understanding the nature of people through storytelling
- The different expressions of entertainment
- The role of entertainment in the Church
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Mark A. Hadley, a professional journalist who has been writing for over 30+ years. They talk about his early life, why Mark wanted to do something significant, stories being a big part of his childhood and how they impacted him, when the Gospel story became personal for Mark, the power of stories, how even in fictional stories there needs to be an element of truth told, and how God is the ultimate storyteller.
Episode Summary
- Why Mark wanted to do something significant with his life.
- Growing up being surrounded by stories and how that impacted Mark’s view of life.
- When the Gospel story became part of Mark’s story.
- God is the ultimate storyteller and why that’s important to understand.
- The idea that there is still an element of truth to fictional stories.
- How Mark’s English teacher inspired him to become a journalist.
- The power of story and why they can be so moving.
- The current meta-narrative for Christians.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Broadcaster and commentator Stephen O’Doherty about why you can’t fake compassion, the importance of God’s compassion towards us, being aware of his talents for music and communication early in life, how God remade Stephen in his early 20s and why people need to communicate with a more authentic voice.
Among other things, Stephen shares:
- What led Stephen to his early awareness of his talents for music and communication.
- Why you’ve got to find your own voice in the world.
- Why Stephen believes you can’t fake compassion.
- The importance of God’s compassion towards us.
- Why people need to communicate with an authentic voice.
- How faith intervened in Stephen’s life and career.
- How God remade Stephen in his 20s.
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Rev. Dr. Chris Mulherin about the supposed conflict between Christianity and science. What it means to reconcile truth against an objective reality, understanding the shared nature of faith, how Chris came to faith and whether Chris has had to deal with doubt questions about what is true and what is not.
Among other things Chris shares:
- How Chris came to faith
- The conflict myth
- What is truth and what is not
- What it means to reconcile truth against an objective reality
- How to understand the shared nature of faith
- Losing his son Ben and dealing with the question of where is God in this tragedy?
- What is it about the story of Christ - incarnation, salvation and redemption that speaks to Chris?
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to High Performance Coach, Rory Darkins about the importance of mentors, positive psychology in high performance, how to deal with and manage disappointment and the differences between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset and the science of success.
Among other things Rory shares:
- The science of positive psychology in high performance
- The differences between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset
- Why mentors are important for growth and maturity
- Looking at success from a different perspective
- The psychology of well-being
- How to manage disappointment
- Rory’s story of faith and it’s importance in his life and career
Episode Description
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Australian Theatre Actor and Australian of the year finalist, Daniel Widdowson about his early work for Saturday Disney, Hope 103.2, and why he started acting in the first place. To what it’s like experiencing some high highs and some low lows in the acting industry. Along with how experiencing intense emotions have helped Dan craft stories and influence other’s emotions.
Among other things Dan shares:
- How Dan got the role at Saturday Disney
- What it’s like being an actor experiencing a range of emotions
- What entertainment is
- How Dan views influencing other’s emotions
- What are the things that form the bedrock of experience or of life
- Does Dan think that there are a relative morals in film? Is there right and wrong? Are there things that are good and bad?
- Dan’s particular God moment that lead him to faith
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Producer Jarred (Jay) Fantom talks to Psychologist Sue Bartho about the intersection of Christian faith and human psychology, why our core sense of self will influence every aspect of our lives, and how to attain core beliefs about self based around the word of God.
Episode Summary
- How to attain core beliefs about self based around the word of God
- The intersection of faith and human psychology
- Bringing spirituality into psychology to help people with mental health issues
- How Sue became a Christian
- What it’s like working as a Christian Psychologist and what she loves most about this vocation
- What working in a rehabilitation centre taught her about human psychology
- Helping people through depression and anxiety
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episode Description
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to bestselling author and president of The Grace Message, Dr Andrew Farley about living in Texas, the naked gospel, church without religion, how grace is the answer, how certain writers became mentors to Andrew and why the deity of Christ is important.
Episode Summary
- Knowing the importance of the deity of Christ.
- The Naked Gospel and Church without religion.
- Andrew coming to Christ for salvation.
- What sin is and isn’t.
- Life in Texas for Andrew.
- What is applied linguistics and how Andrew got interested in that field of study.
- How Andrew has been able to understand the language of God, the language of scripture, the person of Jesus and his message.
- Why It's so vital that we choose the right words to describe our relationship with Jesus.
- Andrew’s favourite scripture and why.
Episode Description
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, ACC Graduate and Podcast Producer Jarred Fantom talks to Professor Kim Oats about how he came to faith, what lessons he learned in school from his teachers, why he wanted to become a doctor and enter into the field of Paediatrics, and what does it mean to be an effective Christian role model. Plus so much more!
Episode Summary
- What does it mean to be an effective Christian role model?
- How Kim came to faith in God
- Important life lessons from his school teachers
- Why Kim wanted to become a doctor and enter into the field of Paediatrics
- Kim’s role in the child abuse field
- Three pieces of advice for a young person struggling, starting out or just needing a boost
- How has Kim’s faith played an important role in his career
- Why Fear of failure actually inspires Kim
Episode Description
On this episode of The Inspiration Project, Brendan Corr talks to Darlene Zschech the acclaimed singer and songwriter about where her love for music came from, coming to Christ at age 15, realising what God’s unconditional love meant to her, finding her voice in Christian Worship and what was life like for Darlene after her song ‘Shout To The Lord’ was discovered.
Episode Summary
- What were some lessons Darlene learned from School growing up
- How she discovered her talent for singing
- How Darlene became a Christian
- What does it mean to achieve excellence in Christian Music
- What it was like for Darlene starting out in a small startup Christian Worship group assembling extraordinary talent
- Where does a good song come from?
- What has it meant for Darlene to carry on the Legacy of the song ‘Shout to the Lord.’ And is it something that she is still able to celebrate
- Is Darlene happy about the next generation of God-inspired songwriters whether they are recognising the continuation of the Spirit in the lyrics and the worship and intent
Episode Description
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Claire Rogers the CEO of Oho about the nature of leadership and how her faith plays an important role in leading larger organisations. Claire’s understanding of purpose and faith and why failure is a beautiful gift. Plus so much more!
Among other things Claire shares:
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What was school like for Claire
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Why leadership skills and principles are so important to Claire and where she learned those skills
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Why failure is a beautiful gift
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How did Claire come to faith and what has being a Christian meant to her?
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Claire’s understanding of purpose and faith
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How faith has shaped what Claire prioritises and what she has pursued in terms of her work.
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How Claire’s faith has helped her lead.
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The connections between doing what you love and finding what you are good at.
Episode Description
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Professor Michael Adams about how Michael got into the corporate law specialisation, the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law, what is good law in the first place. And so much more.
Professor Michael Adams Episode Summary
- The absolute concept of law and a local generic expression of it
- How Michael got into studying his specialised field of corporate law
- The differences between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law
- What is a good law? What would be the hallmarks of good law?
- What is the universal concept of morality in law?
- How Michael became a Christian
- How does Michael bring together his faith and a life that's beyond our own?
- How does Michael make sense of the conception of law and the Christian experience?
Episode Description
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Brooke Prentis, the CEO of Common Grace, about the origins of the organisation, having a voice into justice issues for Aboriginal peoples and how we can bring about reconciliation in this country.
Brooke Prentis Episode Summary
- The beginnings of Common Grace almost 7 years ago.
- What does it mean to pursue Jesus and Justice?
- How Brooke makes the distinction between having a voice into a social issue, and what might be the politics around the issue?
- Finding a sense of identity and self.
- Brooke’s own experiences with racism growing up and how she dealt with it.
- How Brooke came to a saving faith in Jesus at age 21.
- Brooke’s view on some of the historical work with Aboriginal peoples of the Australian church.
- How young people can get more involved in work for the common good.
Episode Description
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Australian Olympic Athlete Eloise Wellings about overcoming stepbacks, finding faith in God and the importance of good coaches and mentors.
Eloise Wellings Episode Summary
- Growing up in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire
- Finding faith in God
- Why Eloise chose running as her profession
- The importance of coaches and mentors in Elosie’s life
- How a setback can become a set up
- Going to Rio and doing well
- Missing out on several Olympic games and what that taught Eloise
- Starting her foundation in Uganda
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Tim Mannah the former Captain of the Parramatta Eels about how growing up in a Christian Family and in Church helped shape his decisions on and off the Football field. Plus who made the biggest impacts in his life and an encouragement to young people about living for God.
- How Tim got started playing rugby league
- Key people that helped shape Tim’s life
- What it was like for Tim growing up
- When and how God saved Tim
- The importance of faith in Tim’s life
- Tim’s life-changing commitments on and off the field
- Adjusting to life after retirement from professional rugby league
- The importance of education and studying
- What is next for Tim Mannah?
Episode Description
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Mike Gore the CEO of Open Doors Australia about faith and persecution, how you can identify your purpose and what it’s like confronting the stories from suffering brothers and sisters in Christ.
Mike Gore Episode Summary
- Mike Gore’s story from Hindu to Christ (11:00)
- What Open Doors does to support the persecuted church (29:03)
- How Open Doors Started (01:32)
- Faith and persecution (21:24)
- Identifying your purpose (40:24)
- What it’s like for Mike to confront stories from suffering brothers and sisters in Christ (05:38)
- Confronting racism in our culture and society (16:17)
- Why fear is the genesis to hate, discrimination, violence and racism (18:12)
- How we can support the work of the persecuted church (43:09)
Episode Description:
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to actor, director and musician Peter Cousens about serving others through performing arts, and how losing everything financially led Peter to a deepened faith.
Peter Cousens Episode Summary
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Peter discovering his "happy place" at 16 years of age.
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Musical theatre was part of Peter's family heritage.
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Music gives Peter a heightened sense of the universe.
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How you can serve others through the performing arts.
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How losing everything financially led Peter to a deepened faith.
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A moving story of Peter praying in the middle of the night.
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How theatre can change peoples' lives.
Episode Description:
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Associate Professor Elissa Deenick who works at the Garvan Institute where she is the head of Immunity and Inflammation. Dr Deenick talks about going to a Christian School, where her interest in science originated and following Jesus.
Episode Summary
- How an interest in the human body led to immunology.
- How studying science at a Christian school led to her becoming a scientist.
- Science explores the natural world; God created the natural world.
- How Christianity makes more sense of the world than other religions.
- What was it like as a young Christian studying science at a secular university?
- Pursuing the truth no matter the cost.
- What does it mean to be created in the image of God?
- Where true peace is found in an uncertain world.
- How Christians should view vaccines
Episode Description:
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Kate Bracks the winner of the 3rd season of MasterChef Australia. Kate shares why she decided to go on MasterChef and how God played an important role in her winning the show.
Kate Bracks Episode Summary * What was Kate doing before her MasterChef experience? * Why food is so important to Kate * The process leading up to being a contestant on MasterChef * How God has been part of Kate’s life even while on MasterChef * What is Kate’s purpose in life? * What it was like being a Christian in that heady world of reality TV * Kate not calling The Dalai Lama “His Holiness” * Life after MasterChef
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Ken Ham about debating Bill Nye, the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum and how Ken handles personal attacks from those who don’t understand what he believes.
Ken Ham Episode Summary * What was it like for Ken to grow up in an Australian Christian Family? * What influenced Ken to become a teacher? * “It's only what's done for Jesus that lasts” * Why Ken still teaches at the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum * What does Ken see as the possible contention between faith and fact and the need to prove the things of God? * How Ken handles personal attacks for what he believes * What is the complimentary side of knowing the Word and having a personal relationship with God?
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Claire Madden about what led Claire into the field of Social Research particularly focusing on Gen Z’s, how faith plays a role in her life as a social researcher and is there still a generational gap in our society today.
Claire Madden: Episode Summary * What is Claire’s particular focus area?
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How do social demographers come up with fantastically obscure labels?
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What were the characteristics of Gen Zs that captured Claire’s interest?
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Is there still a generational gap in our society today?
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Do younger generations have less place for God in their shared lives?
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Are there Gen Zs and Millennials in church?
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Who is setting today's cultural narrative?
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to John Ford about what failure has taught John about life and faith and about working with some of the leading global companies.
On this episode of ‘The Inspiration Project’, Brendan Corr talks to Mark McCrindle about what led him to work in the field of social research and how generations respond differently to faith, COVID-19 and technology.
Nick Farr-Jones was captain of the Wallabies that won the Rugby Union World Cup in 1991, the Bledisloe Cup in 1992 and defeated the Springboks in 1992. He was capped 63 times for Australia, including 36 as captain. Nick completed a Law degree at the University of Sydney before practicing law while pursuing his amateur rugby career. In 1992, he became a Member of the Order of Australia, in 1999 was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame and in 2001 was awarded a Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through Rugby Union. After hanging up his boots, Nick has worked in investment banking and funds management for Societe Generale and Taurus Funds Management, respectively.
Dr Michael Spence is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney. Under his leadership, the University has risen to 1st in Australia and 4th in the world for graduate employability. An alumnus of the University, Dr Spence has a BA with first-class honours in English, Italian and Law. He is recognised internationally as a leader in the field of intellectual property theory and holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Oxford. In 2017, Dr Spence was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours List for leadership of the tertiary education sector and to the Anglican Church of Australia. He was ordained an Anglican priest in 2007.
Originally from the Blue Mountains, Clare studied a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering at the University of Western Sydney before also earning her Master of Divinity from Sydney Missionary & Bible College. She had a diverse career working in corporates like Accenture and Macquarie Bank as well as in local preschools and churches before starting as the CEO of Compassion Australia in 2020. Immediately before taking up the position with Compassion, Clare was the Chief Operating Officer of Anglican Deaconess Ministries, a role she held for three and a half years. Clare is married with three children.
Brett began his career as a registered nurse where he served in ICU and Accident Emergency at various hospitals around Melbourne for 14 years. He then moved into full-time ministry, working as the Children and Family Pastor for CityLife Church for 12 years before commencing as CEO for Focus on the Family Australia in 2013. Brett is an accomplished public speaker on relationships, parenting, mental health, suicide, sexuality, addictions and work-life balance. Brett and Kate have been married for three decades and have raised 3 adult sons. Kate works alongside Brett in Focus on the Family, regularly co-presenting marriage and family workshops.
Comedian Ben Price is a national talent who performs at an international level. Ben has performed his 200+ impersonations on television networks around the world and at functions for corporate clients such as Telstra, AMP, Commonwealth Bank, Mercedes Benz, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Cadbury. He was also a finalist on Australia’s Got Talent in 2011. As well as live performance, Ben has also acted in several television commercials and featured in 4 feature length films. He first discovered his talent for impersonating voices when he was at primary school where he used his talent to entertain and prank classmates.
Dr Luke Barnes is a John Templeton Fellow at Western Sydney University. With a PhD in astronomy from the University of Cambridge, he has published papers in the fields of galaxy formation, the fine-tuning of the Universe for life and the philosophy of science. Luke is the co-author of "A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos” and the recently released “The Cosmic Revolutionary's Handbook”. Luke is an accomplished public speaker and also a committed Christian who believes that the fine-tuning in our universe points to a Creator God.
Andrew Scipione is a former police officer who served for 10 years as Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force. He was born in London and his family immigrated to Australia when he was an infant. Upon leaving school after his father’s death, Andrew commenced work as an electrician's apprentice to help with household expenses. He shifted to policing in 1980 and worked his way up through the ranks. Andrew holds a master's degree in management and is known for his leadership skills. For his service to policing, Andrew received the Australian Police Medal in 2003 and an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2016.
Sally Irwin founded The Freedom Hub in 2014, a business dedicated to ending modern slavery in Australia. Sally is committed to raising awareness of modern slavery, helping people escape the injustice of slavery, rehabilitating people who have survived slavery and inviting others to help fight this crime. With over 10 years experience working with survivors of human trafficking in Australia and Europe, Sally has expanded The Freedom Hub to include a survivor school for victims of slavery, an ethical cafe and event venue and ethical business services. In 2017 Inside Small Business listed Sally as one of Australia's Top 50 Small Business Leaders.
Cindy McGarvie has been the CEO of Youth for Christ Australia since 2015. She has a long history working with Christian non-profit organisations. For 12 years she and her husband served in Uganda and Tanzania with SIL International in the work of Bible translation and language development among marginalised people groups. On returning to Australia in 2010, Cindy worked as Missions Director at Nexus Church. Cindy serves on the board of Wycliffe Australia. Beyond her professional responsibilities, Cindy loves the great outdoors. She and her family reside in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. Cindy has published two books: #JESUSREVOLUTION and Lost Boys.
Margaret Court is a retired world No. 1 tennis player. Margaret won 24 Grand Slam singles titles in her career, which is more than any other player in history. She is also the only player to have won all 12 Grand Slam events at least twice and to have won the Grand Slam in both singles and mixed doubles. Margaret is a Member of the Order of the British Empire, an Officer of the Order of Australia and an inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Margaret is the senior pastor of Victory Life Centre, Perth.
Brian Pickering grew up on the Mid North Coast of NSW in Wingham. After school Brian started a career in banking, where he progressed through the ranks to become a senior executive with NAB. At about 40 years of age while working in banking, Brian knew God was calling him to a ministry of intercessory prayer. He is now the National Coordinator of the Australian Prayer Network (APN), which facilitates, trains and encourages as many as 100,000 intercessors to pray for Australia. APN has thousands of registered members, representing churches of all denominations. He also coordinates the National Day of Thanks.
To see the National Day of Thanks winning entries head to the episode page at https://www.acc.edu.au/podcast/brian-pickering/
Roger Corbett has more than 50 years experience in retailing, rising from unloading trucks at Grace Brothers to the position of CEO of Woolworths (which he held from 1999 to 2006). Roger graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce from UNSW and in 2008 was promoted to an officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to business, particularly through leadership roles in the retail sector. Roger remains actively involved in the business world as the chairman of several boards. He was previously on the boards of Fairfax Media, the RBA, Wal-Mart and the Salvation Army Advisory Board.
Rev Tim Costello is an Australian Baptist minister, qualified lawyer, current Executive Director of Micah Australian and Chief Advocate of World Vision Australia (where he formerly served as CEO from 2004 to 2016). Tim studied at Monash University, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws in 1978. From 1981, Tim studied theology at the International Baptist Seminary in Switzerland, graduating with a Bachelor of Divinity before returning to Australia to become the minister of St Kilda Baptist Church, and later Collins Street Baptist. He was made an officer of the Order of Australia in June 2005.
Duncan Armstrong is an Olympic champion swimmer and former world record holder. He is most fondly remembered by the Australian public for winning a gold and a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics under the coaching of Laurie Lawrence. For his service to swimming, Duncan received a Medal of the Order of Australia in 1989. Since retiring from competitive swimming, Duncan has worked as a swimming commentator for Channel Nine and Fox Sports. He is currently employed by Telstra as an Executive Coach.
Professor Ian Harper is the Dean of Melbourne Business School at The University of Melbourne and also Co-Dean of the University’s Faculty of Business and Economics. In 2016 he was appointed to the Board of the Reserve Bank. Ian was a Partner of Deloitte Access Economics from 2011 to 2016 and from March 2014 to March 2015 chaired the Australian Government's Competition Policy Review. He authored “Economics for Life”, which won the Australian Christian Book of the Year Award, and “Confessions of a Meddlesome Economist”. Ian’s career has spanned academe, government and business.
Wendy is an experienced business leader and entrepreneur. She received a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2013 for service to the community through a range of women's and youth organisations. That same year, Wendy was inducted into the Australian Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame and named as one of the Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence. She has also held global leadership roles with QBE Insurance, Alcatel and TNT International. Wendy is on the organising committee of the annual Sydney Prayer Breakfast and the board of World Vision Australia.
John Anderson was the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the National Party from 1999 to 2005. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 1989 to 2007, serving as Minister for Primary Industries & Energy (1996–1998) and Minister for Transport & Regional Development (1998–2005) in the Howard Government. In 2011, Mr Anderson was named an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the Parliament of Australia. Having retired from formal politics before the 2007 election, he now hosts the popular podcast ‘Conversations’.
Patricia Weerakoon is a Sexologist, sex educator and writer with a Christ-focussed, Biblical framework. Patricia trained in medicine in the University of Sri Lanka and did a postgraduate study in Sexology at the University of Hawaii.
Patricia spent 25 years as an academic at the University of Sydney, during which time she was the director of an internationally recognised postgraduate program in sexual health.
Patricia is now retired and continues to follow her passion to educate people of all ages on good holistic sexual health by speaking and writing.
Found of Jim's Mowing, Jim Penman started a part-time gardening business while earning his PhD in history at Latrobe University. He launched a full-time mowing business in 1982 with a $24 investment. He originally aimed only at taking on subcontractors, but his business grew and he gradually began to specialise in the building up and selling of lawn mowing rounds. By 1989 he franchised his business, and since then Jim’s Mowing has become the largest franchise chain in Australian and the largest and best-known lawn mowing business in the world. Jim’s Cleaning was launched in 1994, followed by more than 50 other divisions which now operate in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. Jim’s Group now has over 3,800 Franchisees and a turnover of approximately $500 million.
As Co-founder of Gloria Jean's Coffees in Australia and as one of the team members who helped launch McDonald's in Australia, Peter Irvine has over 40 years' experience in building businesses to phenomenal levels of success. Today he is a sought-after keynote speaker and business consultant who travels the world challenging audiences to dream bigger and to achieve greater success in life and in business. He is the author of two business books and a regular speaker at industry forums and events, including Franchise Council of Australia events, the National Retailers Convention and the BRW Franchising Round Table. He and his wife live in New South Wales.
Jonathon Douglass or ‘JD’ (as he is known by his childhood nickname) is one of Hillsong Church’s foremost worship leaders and Creative Pastors, and has been a part of the UNITED team since its beginning. He credits the love and encouragement he experienced growing up at Hillsong, as playing a vital role in the development of his passions – the greatest of which is a firm belief in the power of a healthy local church in seeing God’s Kingdom established across the earth. His wife Lauren partners him in ministry, and his two beautiful daughters Indie Bo and Sailor Rose are always along for the ride. When JD is not leading worship in church or somewhere else on the globe, or discipling others pastorally, you can find him with his family at the beach or cycling.
Rev. David Robertson is a Scottish minister who was Minister of St. Peter's Free Church in Dundee, Scotland. He graduated from both the University of Edinburgh with a degree in History and from Free Church College (now Edinburgh Theological Seminary) with a degree in Theology. He was also a former club chaplain of Dundee F.C. In 2019, David left St Peters to become the Director of Third Space, a new evangelism initiative of City Bible Forum. In 2014, 2015, and 2016, David was voted as one of the 100 most influential Christians in the UK on Archbishop Cranmer's Top 100 List. He has authored several books and regularly debates atheists on various topics related to God.