Candid Conversations with Dr. Jonathan Youssef

Costi Hinn is a voice of clarity in a world filled with prosperity gospel confusion. Formerly surrounded by the opulence and excesses of the Word of Faith movement, he left it all for an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ based on the Truth of His Word.

Today, Costi serves as the Teaching Pastor at Shepherd’s House Bible Church in Chandler, Arizona. He is currently completing his doctorate work at The Master’s Seminary.

In today's conversation, Costi joins Jonathan to discuss his latest book, Knowing the Spirit: Who He Is, What He Does, and How He Can Transform Your Christian Life. Join them and then get a copy of Costi's book to take a deep dive into the true nature and work of the Holy Spirit.

To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

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We love receiving your questions at Candid Conversations. We want to help you navigate the hard questions of the Christian faith. We all have questions about Christianity, so let’s dive in and answer them together.

On today's episode of Candid, Jonathan takes a few minutes to unpack answers to your recent questions, including:

• Why would God create us knowing we would fall and suffer?
• How could a loving God send anyone to hell?
• What should I do to encourage someone who had a bad experience in church?
• Do I need to keep asking God to forgive my sins?
• How much theological training do I need for ministry?

We also want to offer the following resources for additional insight. Take a few minutes to review these links after you listen to this episode.

Understanding Suffering in Light of the Gospel

Why Did God Allow the Fall?

Heaven Is for Real—and Hell Is, Too

Four Things to Look for in a Church

Forgiveness & Confession

Is Seminary Really Necessary?

After you listen to this episode, you may have your own questions. We would love to hear from you! To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Also, join the conversation on our social media pages:

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpod

What happens when we stop pretending we’re fine and start getting honest with God? Jonathan Youssef sits down with Joy Chapman, West Coast Development Director for Leading The Way, to hear her powerful story of transformation. From a childhood faith shaped by Scripture to life-altering experiences of loss, fear, and forgiveness, Joy shares how God met her in moments of deep pain to bring true healing and freedom.

Through disasters, both internal and external, Joy discovered that Jesus doesn’t just offer salvation, He offers healing for our memories, minds, and even our grief. Whether you’re wrestling with fear, shame, unforgiveness, or the weight of being “fine,” this candid conversation will remind you: Jesus is near, and it's for freedom Christ set us free.

Subscribe and share this episode with someone who needs hope today.

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Easter Sunday may be over, but the Resurrection story is just beginning. In this episode of Candid Conversations, Jonathan Youssef reflects on John 21 and what Jesus’ post-Resurrection moments reveal about how we are meant to live today. If you’ve ever felt spiritually stuck, disqualified from ministry, or unsure of what to do now that the Easter celebration has faded, this message is for you.

Jesus didn’t leave us without direction. He gave three clear calls that still shape every believer’s life today:

🔹 Listen to Me – Even in the waiting, Jesus speaks. Are you listening?
🔹 Follow Me – Failure doesn’t disqualify you. His call still stands.
🔹 Focus on Me – Don’t compare your journey to others. Keep your eyes on Christ.

This episode powerfully reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as we press forward in our calling and purpose daily.

Resources & Links:
🔗 Learn more at LTW.org/Candid.
🎧 Subscribe & Share the show with someone who needs post-Easter encouragement.
📖 Read John 21 this week and reflect on Jesus' personal call to you.

Stay Connected with Candid:
Follow us on Instagram | Facebook | X/Twitter |

Are you committed to Christ but searching for guidance? In this new reflection, Jonathan Youssef explores the gripping Biblical story of Jacob—a tale of struggle, transformation, and divine engagement. Jonathan connects his own experiences with Jacob’s journey, offering insights into the challenges of perseverance, the power of repentance, and the profound ways God works in our lives.

Listen and deepen your understanding of spiritual growth and how our trials can lead to profound blessings. This is a must-listen for anyone seeking inspiration and guidance from God.

To ask Jonathan a question or connect with the Candid community, visit https://LTW.org/Candid

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/candidpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candidpod

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecandidpod

TRANSCRIPT:

This transcript recounts Candid Conversations with Jonathan Youssef Episode 255: Wrestling with God: Jonathan Youssef

In seventh grade, I joined my middle school wrestling program. For two weeks, we ran and did all kinds of exercises, and then we would wrestle each other for the rest of the time we were there. And I did not like it. I lost to a guy who was younger than me. I lost every day. I was terrible. And I was tired of losing, and I lacked perseverance. There is little more humiliating than being wedged under the fat arm of a sweaty teenage boy, and I thought, This is as low as it gets.

Well, our reflection today is about wrestling and persevering. I’ve always been intrigued by the biblical story because it has so many layers. It’s multifaceted and multidimensional. And it’s a little bit dangerous, meaning that there is potential to miss the main point of what the text is saying and to misunderstand or misrepresent it.

Over the years, I’ve reread it, read commentaries, listened to talks, and consumed all I can to try to understand it better. I want to know what is taking place at this really important moment in salvific history.

We have this man, Jacob. He has been at odds with his brother since birth. Even in the womb, he and Esau are wrestling with each other. He is at odds with his father over who is the favored son. He is at odds with who should be blessed. He’s at odds over who had the birthright in the family. He’s used trickery and deception to achieve his purposes. He’s at odds with his Uncle Laban, a master trickster himself.

But in Genesis, we begin to see the undoing of this character, Jacob. He’s being undone, and he’s being changed and transformed through these middle chapters of this book. He’s served his crooked uncle/father-in-law for twenty-some-odd years, and in many ways, he’s echoing the prodigal son here. Having come to himself, he’s leaving Laban here, and he’s coming home, you might say, to the homeland of his father, to his older brother, and although God has begun to work in him, although he is a new man, as it were, spiritually, it becomes clear that God is not finished with Jacob yet.

And so this chapter unfolds with three dramatic pictures. First, in verses 1 through 21, we have the picture of Jacob returning. God has been working in his life, as we just noted. God has also been working in the lives of Jacob’s two wives, Leah and Rachel, and now Jacob has sent word to his brother, Esau, the brother who swore that he would one day kill his little brother in a very Cain and Abel-type fashion.

So Jacob sends the word, “Hey! I’m coming home.” He’s really only able to do this because the Lord has told him, “The day will come that I’m going to bring you back to this land. And I am promising that I will do you good, that I will prosper you, and that I will be with you.”

If you remember the account of Jacob’s ladder, where Jacob falls asleep, and he envisions this ladder coming down from heaven, and the angels ascend and descend upon the ladder, the Lord tells him, “I will be with you. I will bring you back to this land. I will give it to you and your offspring. And the whole earth will be blessed through you and your seed.” And, of course, it reminds us of the very same promise given to Abraham.

He promises to keep and return him to that land, and now that day has come. In verses 1 and 2, we read that the angels come and meet Jacob. It’s confirmation that the Lord is with him. He names the area Mahanaim, meaning “two camps.”

Now, perhaps he’s referring to the fact that it’s his camp and the Lord’s camp; the Lord’s camp will be his shield and protection. Because he’s going to need it. And the report comes back, “Hey, Esau’s coming to see you. He’s got four hundred guys with him. It’s going to be great, right?”

Okay, either Esau is rolling out the red carpet for his little br...