Reset Ministries Podcast: Recent Episodes
Carissa Raderstorf
Many Christians today are not living the life Jesus paid for. They are bound to their past and repeating old patterns, stuck in cycles that prevent them from experiencing deep, meaningful relationships with God and people. Join Jeff and Carissa as they provide biblical insights and practical tools to help you deal with your past, develop your character, and deepen your relationship with God.
In Ruth 2, what looks like coincidence is actually God’s providence at work. As Ruth faithfully takes ordinary next steps, God quietly orchestrates one of the most significant moments in redemptive history. This message explores the relationship between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, revealing how God accomplishes His purposes through ordinary people taking ordinary steps of faithfulness.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
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Whether you’re walking through loss, waiting on God, or simply longing to see Him at work in your own story, Ruth offers hope that ordinary faithfulness matters. When life doesn’t make sense, faithfulness can feel costly and even unreasonable. In Ruth 1, Naomi is overwhelmed by grief, while Ruth chooses covenant faithfulness without knowing what the future holds. What appears to be one small step of obedience becomes part of God’s redemptive plan for generations to come. This message explores how pain can narrow our vision, how hesed invites us to choose covenant faithfulness over self-protection, and how God is still writing a larger story beyond what we can see.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
When Stories Collide shows how God’s covenant faithfulness unfolds in the midst of real human suffering. In Genesis 16, Hagar and Sarah each carry deep hurts that shape how they respond to one another, reminding us that our own pain can also wound those around us. Yet God meets each of them personally, revealing a God who does not ignore our struggles but enters them with compassion, holding our broken stories within His greater purpose and inviting us to trust Him with both where we’ve been and where we’re going.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
Have you ever found yourself disillusioned with the idea of experiencing lasting change? Freedom is possible if you learn how to identify and avoid the traps of attempting to change yourself. In this session, you’ll discover God’s strategy for changing your life from the inside out. True change happens when we believe God’s voice in the deepest parts of who we are.
Sources Hamp, B. “Levels of Change.” (2011). Foundations of Freedom. Gateway Church. Nee, W. (2000). The Release of the Spirit. Christian Fellowship Publishers.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
What happens when life feels broken, God seems silent, and the path forward is unclear? In this episode, Carissa dives into the “silent spaces” of life—the dark nights of the soul—where God seems distant but is quietly at work. This message offers hope and perspective for anyone navigating spiritual crises, life transitions, or periods of waiting, showing that these seasons are not the end—but the beginning of restoration and new life.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
When people go through difficult times, how we show up especially matters. It can be challenging to figure out what to say or how to offer comfort. However, the truth is that these aren’t moments for expert advice or words of wisdom. What people truly need is for us to simply be present with them in the hard. In this episode, we explore what it means to support others during life's most challenging seasons.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
What does authority have to do with our character and our growth into the person God created us to be? In our latest podcast episode, we will explore the answer to that question as we examine God's design for authority and how family dynamics influence our authority style in the adult world.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
God wants to speak to you personally and the Bible makes it clear that you can hear Him. Our first session is intended to help you recognize His voice and receive the full impact of communicating with a God who loves you.
To download the participant's guide, please go to resetministries.us/retreat
References
Hamp, B. “Hearing God.” (2011). Foundations of Freedom. Gateway Church.
Prince, D. “How to hear the voice of God.” Derek Prince Ministries. derekprince.com.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
Our parents provide the closest human relationship we have to understand God as Father. This means that whether we had great (though imperfect), absent, or even abusive parents, the filter through which we view God is shaped by our experiences with them.
In this podcast, Amy Rinta explores this topic to help you develop a healthy perspective of your Heavenly Father. (This episode is a replay from our Fall 2024 Reset Retreat).
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
The most effective communication requires understanding both spoken words and unspoken messages. Just as a tuning fork helps adjust a musical instrument, we need to attune ourselves to what others are communicating on a deeper level. By attuning to physical, emotional, verbal, behavioral, and relational cues, we can understand far more than what is being explicitly communicated. In this episode, we explore the importance of understanding the things that are left unsaid.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
In this episode, Jamey Stiefel shares his personal journey of breaking free from the stronghold of legalism to embracing the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This message was delivered during the final session of the Reset Retreat. True freedom is not the absence of our problems but the presence of Someone. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." — 2 Corinthians 3:17.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
In this episode, we learn the importance of surrendering to God, even when it doesn't make sense. When we are guided by the Holy Spirit, we consistently lay down our lives for the sake of mission and people. It is a reflection of the life of Christ in us. Giving God our “yes” always yields a harvest if we don’t lose heart.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
In this episode, Carissa shares a message on true and false prophets from the Sermon on the Mount. As Jesus nears the end of his sermon, he teaches us that our blind spots must be revealed in order to navigate the narrow road and discern true and false prophets. Only when we have clear spiritual vision can we see people through God’s eyes and discern the fruit of what they say and do.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
A fictional character once told his son, "Never look back. The past is a wilderness of horrors." Scripture often advises the same, minus the whole "wilderness of horrors" part. That's because looking back can take our eyes off what God has for our future, not to mention the pitfalls our flesh can fall into: reliving past hurts, returning to harmful situations or relationships, etc. Yet there are also times in Scripture and in our walk with God when looking back is a good thing. It helps us remember the times we saw God's faithfulness in our lives, his comfort, care, and protection. In this roundtable podcast, Carissa, Jeff, and Julie will discuss both the good and bad parts of looking back.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
The last chapter of Jonah has a lot to teach us about the intersection of our stubbornness and God's love. What should we do if we discover we have wrong beliefs about God? What if we discover that God and His love are bigger than we thought? The Book of Jonah expands our understanding of God and deepens our understanding of repentance.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
The story of Jonah being swallowed by a huge fish can seem unbelievable to many people, and it's often used to criticize the Christian faith. How can a man survive for three days and nights inside the belly of a fish? And what’s up with the Ninevites repenting so quickly and so thoroughly? After the fish story, this seems like another logical barrier to taking Jonah seriously. But when we enter the polytheistic world of the Ninevites, it makes a little more sense. And after that, when we remember what Jesus said of their repentance, it not only makes more sense, but it's also a gut-check moment for Christians.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
Jonah stands out among the prophets due to his questionable decisions despite being a prophet. In this message, Jeff and Carissa will explore Jonah's world to gain a better understanding of him. Then, we will use his story as a mirror to reflect on our own tendencies to make similar mistakes, going against the teachings of Christ's Sermon on the Mount. We will also explore what the first chapter of Jonah reveals about God's character and His sovereignty to accomplish His will in our lives.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
In this episode, Jeff and Carissa discuss the ancient contemplative tradition of our faith and the three stages of our spiritual journey. Although these stages are not necessarily linear, the first stage often lasts for the first several years of our walk with God, and for some people, it can last their entire lives. The second stage is where we truly understand what contemplation means. It's a prayerful state of rest and passivity on our part when God bypasses our thoughts and emotions and speaks to us in deeper places than either of them can go. The final stage is a perfect union with God. To reach perfection on this side of the grave, one must be able to share Christ's pain and glory and endure a dark night of the soul and spirit.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
Navigating difficult conversations is essential for maintaining healthy relationships. If we can lean into the discomfort, there are benefits on the other side. This episode explores the barriers to engaging in hard conversations and provides tools for navigating them effectively.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
We are designed for meaningful relationships with life-giving people, but not everyone should have full access to our hearts. It is important to prioritize healthy relationships and set clear boundaries in harmful relationships. In this episode, we discuss the importance of guarding our hearts and cultivating relationships with safe people.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
According to God's plan, we are meant to have meaningful relationships with people that help us grow. These connections should be mutual and loving, and everyone should have the freedom to be themselves. However, things can go wrong when we become entangled with someone who mixes love with harm or when our affection for them overshadows our love for Jesus. In this Reset Retreat teaching and testimony, learn the differences between healthy and unhealthy soul ties, and how to get free from unholy bonds.
For additional information on the topic, check out the sources below.
· Eldrige, John. “Soul Ties.” https://wildatheart.org/rhplay/audio/soul-ties-download
· Young, Adam. The Place We Find Ourselves. “60 Warfare Part 9: Soul Ties.” March 16, 2020. https://sites.libsyn.com/118541/60-warfare-part-9-soul-ties
For more of our resources and event info, please go to resetministries.us
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
Once we have a spiritual breakthrough, we must be ready to face the enemy's backlash. His goal is to challenge our newfound freedom and regain the territory we have just gained in Christ. God wants not only to ‘cleanse the house' but also work with us to defend and sustain our newfound freedom.
For more about our upcoming events and resources, go to resetministries.us
We are all part of an unseen war, fighting an enemy we are powerless against on our own. But in Christ, we have total triumph over every force of darkness. In this message, Carissa explains the crucial role of prayer in spiritual warfare, and Rocky shares his powerful testimony of overcoming evil in Jesus' name.
To learn more about the Reset Retreat, go to resetministries.us/retreat
Follow us on social media: @resetministries.us
Although we experience many things that shape us, our family of origin has the most profound impact on our formative years. Families are designed to reproduce themselves, and what happens in one generation often repeats itself in the next. That’s why our present experiences are often a window to the past.
When we put our faith in Jesus, we are radically adopted into God's family, regardless of what our earthly parents may have afforded us. It is a radical reset. Join us in this podcast episode to learn how to experiece a new life by embracing your identity as a member of God' family.
For more resources and event info, please go to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
When we experience traumatic events, it can divide our lives into two parts - before and after the event. These crises can change who we are on the inside and how we relate to God and people. However, it's important to know that God has designed us to experience post-traumatic growth on the other side of our suffering. While the crisis may come with pain, it can also be a gift if we're willing to embrace it. Join Jeff, Carissa, and Julie for a round table discussion on the positive growth that proceeds traumatic events.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media: @resetministries.us
We've all been in situations where there's an elephant in the room in personal relationships. It's that awkward feeling when something significant is being ignored, and it's affecting everything. We may choose to ignore it for many reasons, but as long as it remains unaddressed, it prevents us from being fully connected with the other person. Relationships are built on mutual trust and surrender, and the same can be said for our relationship with God. We can only experience true intimacy when we allow God full access to our lives. In this episode, we discuss how to address the things that stand in the way of full communion.
Helpful Resources:
Prayer of Lament: https://resetministries.us/storage/2023/04/7_Prayer-of-Lament.pdf
Prayer of Examen: https://resetministries.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Prayer-of-Examen.pdf
Praying Your Emotions: https://youtu.be/vl-0vdyi080?si=p3uZ5fbWcdtISVqI
Brave Conversations: https://resetministries.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Brave-Conversations.pdf
For more resources or to learn about our upcoming events, please go to resetministries.us.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @resetministries.us
It's easy to express gratitude when life is going well, but when we face trials and uncertainty, it's common to exchange gratitude with worry. In this episode, we'll explore the spiritual practice of thanking God in all circumstances, including trials, and discover how it can help us overcome anxiety.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to resetministries.us
Follow us on social media: @resetministries.us
When someone has an inflexible, stubborn thinking style, it can feel like conversations—and even your whole relationship—is running into an invisible concrete wall. It doesn’t matter what the topic is, when there is rigid thinking, there is no flexibility. And that’s because rigid thinking is the opposite of being open-minded and empathetic. When someone is a rigid thinker, their unmet expectations lead to frustration and often confrontation. Join Jeff, Carissa, and Julie for a round table discussion on the dangers of being a rigid thinker and how to become more flexible so you can have healthier relationships and experience greater satisfaction in your life.
Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram: @resetministries.us
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, please go to resetministries.us.
One of the first steps toward freedom is identifying the things that stand in the way of experiencing God's grace. When we find the courage to step out from behind the shadows we can experience the person of Grace and find the freedom our hearts desire. Join us for a special message from the recent Reset Retreat with Jeff Raderstorf followed by a powerful testimony from David and Elizabeth.
For more resources and info about upcoming events, go to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media @resetministries.us
Shame has a way of driving us into deeper and deeper darkness when, really, the only way to be free of its life-sapping power is to expose it in the light. Join us for a special message from the recent Reset Retreat to learn how to identify and overcome shame.
Recommended Resources:
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
https://brenebrown.com/book/the-gifts-of-imperfection/
I Thought it Was Just Me (But it Isn’t) by Brené Brown
https://brenebrown.com/book/i-thought-it-was-just-me/
For more resources and info about upcoming events, go to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on social media @resetministries.us
When we consider the Trinity, most of us understand the Father and Son. However, there tends to be much confusion or even mysticism surrounding the Holy Spirit and His purpose. Join Carissa and guest speaker Vincent "Rocky" Medina as they discuss who the Holy Spirit truly is and how we can experience His empowerment.
To learn more about the Reset Together program, please go to resetministries.us/together.
Follow us on social media: @resetministries.us
Sometimes it may seem like God's miracles came to an end after the Bible was recorded, but God has never stopped working! The same God who raised Lazarus from the dead and healed masses is still moving today. Tune in for an interview with Kathie Knapp, the executive director of Sunshine Rescue Mission, for an encouraging word as she shares the testimonies of lives she's seen transformed by the power of Christ at her recovery center for the homeless.
Learn more about Sunshine Rescue Mission: srm-hc.org
Register for the Reset Retreat at resetministries.us/retreat
Follow us on Facebook & Instagram: @resetministries.us
Did you know God wants us to have fun and enjoy our lives?
For most of us, when we become adults the concept of "play" fades behind all our responsibilities and the need to perform. We forget how important it is for us to relax and enjoy life. In fact, many of us probably don't realize that our Heavenly Father permits us to do this.
Join Jeff, Carissa, and Julie for a round table discussion on how incorporating play into our lives can enrich and heal us.
For more resources and event information, go to resetministries.us.
Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram: @resetministries.us.
Most of us are eager to reach our "greatest potential" and become who God created us to be. However, in order to prepare us to reach that potential, we must endure trials. These trials are circumstances or seasons of hardship in our life, when it may feel like we are going in the opposite direction. But, if we stay attuned to Jesus, He can lead us through the trials and strengthen us through them to help us become who we are meant to be. Join Jeff, Carissa, and Julie for a round table discussion on what God is doing through these seasons of testing and how to endure.
For more resources and event info, go to resetministries.us.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook: @resetministries.us
In the Christian life, the dark night of the soul isn't exactly what most people assume it is. It's not an existential crisis... exactly. It's not depression... exactly. It's a season in your spiritual life when God makes everything dark and obscure so that none of your old "tricks" to communicate with Him work anymore. Prayer doesn't "work." Neither does worship or going to church or to any place you used to go that helped you feel God's presence. In short, there's nothing you can "do" to make God give you comfort in the dark night. You have to be passive and let Him work. You can't see what God is doing because he doesn't want you to. You must let Him strip you of the attachments and perceptions of Him that will not serve you anymore. That's how he makes more room in your soul for Himself. So even though you might feel like you're in an existential crisis and even though you might feel depressed, the dark night is a spiritual place of immense grace -- if you'll let it be.
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Find more resources and learn about our upcoming events: resetministries.us
In this episode, we discover how embracing brokenness is essential to mending the soul and becoming all God created us to be. When we suffer, we must understand the true cause of our suffering. If we don’t diagnose our pain properly, we will apply the wrong remedy and delay the growth process. We can do a lot of damage and extend the pain, when we apply the wrong remedy to ourselves or others.
References: Cloud, H. & Townsend, J. (2012). Life Journey Bible. Zondervan.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, go to resetministries.us
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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @resetministries-us
If we want lasting change - we have to maintain the effort of practicing what we hear. Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount to remind us that both our physical and spiritual lives require continual practice and effort. It's one thing to be inspired but another to apply that knowledge.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, go to resetministries.us
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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @resetministries-us
Why should we retrain our minds? Today we talk about neural pathways and dismantling the worry roller coaster track.
Have you ever met someone who exudes the presence of God? To be in their presence feels like being with Jesus. Our goal as believers should be to carry God's presence in a way that changes the atmosphere around us. In this message, we explore King David’s journey carrying the Ark of the Covenant – the symbolic presence of God. By studying his story, we learn how do things God's way and experience God’s favor.
For more resources and information about our upcoming events, go to resetministries.us
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Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @resetministries-us
What is at the source of all you do? In this episode, we will explore how the origin of our plans affects the outcome.
Check out our website resetministries.us for more resources and information about our upcoming events.
In every good story, there comes a point where the hero appears to be overcome by overwhelming obstacles. At this point, the storyteller leaves a silent space for us to wonder if and how the character could possibly overcome struggle. This is not meant to be the end of the story. But rather, it is an opportunity for the hero to rise from suffering into the person they are meant to be. The reason this storyline is so effective is that it resonates with our own lives. At some point, all of us encounter the "silence space" where we lose hope and want to give up. In fact, we may experience this many times throughout the course of our lives. In these dark nights of the soul, we are forced to wrestle with difficult questions like: Where is God? Why am I suffering this way? How will I get through this? The truth is God is nearest to us in our suffering, but we don't often recognize Him there. We can't see His hands moving because of the darkness, but they are delicately working on in that dark place-- shaping our character into who we are meant to be on the other side of the struggle and comforting us in ways we may not even realize are Him. There is nothing like that silent space, for as painful as it may be, it is in our brokenness that we are most malleable for God to transform us into who He created us to be.
(Message recorded at the Fountain Church in Phoenix, AZ)
References "The Overcomer's Anointing" by Barbara Yoder
In this session, we discover how embracing brokenness is essential to mending the soul and becoming all God created us to be. When we suffer, we must understand the true cause of our suffering. If we don’t diagnose our pain properly, we will apply the wrong remedy and delay the growth process. We can do a lot of damage and extend the pain, when we apply the wrong remedy to ourselves or others.
To download a participant's guide, please go to resetminitries.us/retreat
References Cloud, H. & Townsend, J. (2012). Life Journey Bible. Zondervan.
God wants to speak to you personally and the Bible makes it clear that you can hear Him. Our first session is intended to help you recognize His voice and receive the full impact of communicating with a God who loves you.
To download the participant's guide, please go to resetministries.us/retreat
References
Hamp, B. “Hearing God.” (2011). Foundations of Freedom. Gateway Church.
Prince, D. “How to hear the voice of God.” Derek Prince Ministries. derekprince.com.