I Like Birds Podcast

Does God require giving 10%, and are we cursed if we don't?
In this episode of I Like Birds, Zach Rippey sits down with worship leader, business owner, and friend Israel Isbell for a raw conversation about faith, freedom, and some of the most misunderstood teachings in the modern church.
Israel opens up about why he believes certain teachings about financial curses, generational curses, and tithing need to be reexamined through the New Covenant.
He also shares an extraordinary encounter with someone he believes was demonized who repeated a prayer Israel says he had never spoken aloud.
From AI-generated worship music and the future of the church to spiritual authority, judgment, and the importance of genuine relationships, this conversation challenges believers to examine what they've been taught and pursue a deeper understanding of God's Word.
If you've ever wrestled with religious expectations, questioned church traditions, or wondered what freedom in Christ really looks like, this conversation is for you.
Follow I Like Birds for more conversations that point people to Jesus.
Support this ministry with one click: https://ilikebirdsministry.com/support

Grieving the life you thought you’d have hits differently when your wife is still beside you.
Some days, she doesn’t remember she even has a husband.
Pastor Wendell Hutchins spent decades preaching, building businesses, and serving people. He and his wife Ann had plans for the years ahead. Then Alzheimer’s changed those plans.
I wanted to know how he talks to God about that. How he handles the grief, the guilt, and the daily responsibility of caring for someone he loves when he can’t fix what’s happening.
We talk about marriage when “for better or worse” becomes your everyday life.
Then Wendell tells me why he gave his house to a pastor who wouldn’t open doors for him. That story alone is worth staying for. Biblical Honor is highlighted in a big way on this one.
If your life looks nothing like you thought it would, this conversation is for you.
Follow I Like Birds and send this episode to someone you want to hear it.
Books, speaking, comedy, merch, and more: https://ilikebirdsministry.com
Work with Zach on a Speech: https://www.rippeywrites.com/contact
Book Zach Rippey to Speak or Perform Comedy here: https://ilikebirdsministry.com/comedybooking
🤝 Partner with I Like Birds Ministry 🕊️
🎁 Free 7-Day Trial on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/ILikeBirds
🕊️ Donate on Our Website
https://ilikebirdsministry.com/support
📗 Me, Armani, & Jesus
https://ilikebirdsministry.com/me-armani-jesus
📘 21 Days in Africa
Amazon: https://a.co/d/3iFskiY
Signed Copy + Free Gift: https://ilikebirdsministry.com/shop/p/21-days-in-africa-signed-paperback
🧢 Bird Merch
https://ilikebirdsministry.com/shop
🩵 PayPal Donation
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=C55JZNGUB97EE
✊🏽 Venmo Donation
https://account.venmo.com/u/zachrippey23
📚 I Like Books — Get 20% Off
https://www.faithandflame.com/pages/my-shop/zachrippey
Use code ILIKEBIRDS20 at checkout.
🧡 The Suubi Project — Sponsor a Child
https://suubiproject.org/

🎙️ EPISODE SPONSORS

Tops Roofing 
Free Inspection and Estimate? 
(817) 477-2744
https://www.topsroofingcompany.com/

🛠️ DFW Appliance Discount
Text Jamie Eldridge: 817-659-6587
Get your I Like Birds discount:
https://www.appliancestorenearmetx.com/ilikebirds

🐜 Alpha & Omega Pest Control — DFW
“One Call Kills Them All!”
Call Tim Davis: 817-426-4445
https://alphaomegapests.com/

Angel Esparza shares the bone-chilling story of being trafficked by his own family, being injected with heroin, and being surrounded by chaos throughout his entire childhood. It wasn't until he was introduced to Jesus that love and happiness became a possibility in his life. You've never heard a story like this that starts with him on the door steps of a mobile home that pretends to be a day care yet was trading money, drugs, and alcohol in exchange for a weekend with Angel and his siblings that entailed abuse, manipulation, and trauma that would stay with him for years. Angel also opens up about the failed suicide attempts where God stepped in multiple times, from a ceiling fan breaking to a shotgun's firing pin being broken. This episode will send chills down your spine while reminding you Jesus is the GOOD NEWS and SAVIOR of the world. Angel even forgave one of his abusers, to his face!
Share this podcast everywhere.
Work with Zach on a Speech: https://www.rippeywrites.com/contact

Book Zach Rippey to Speak or Perform Comedy here: https://ilikebirdsministry.com/comedybooking

🤝 Partner with I Like Birds Ministry 🕊️
🎁 Free 7-Day Trial on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/ILikeBirds
🕊️ Donate on Our Website
https://ilikebirdsministry.com/support
📗 Me, Armani, & Jesus
https://ilikebirdsministry.com/me-armani-jesus
📘 21 Days in Africa
Amazon: https://a.co/d/3iFskiY
Signed Copy + Free Gift: https://ilikebirdsministry.com/shop/p/21-days-in-africa-signed-paperback
🧢 Bird Merch
https://ilikebirdsministry.com/shop
🩵 PayPal Donation
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=C55JZNGUB97EE
✊🏽 Venmo Donation
https://account.venmo.com/u/zachrippey23
📚 I Like Books — Get 20% Off
https://www.faithandflame.com/pages/my-shop/zachrippey
Use code ILIKEBIRDS20 at checkout.
🧡 The Suubi Project — Sponsor a Child
https://suubiproject.org/

🎙️ EPISODE SPONSORS

Tops Roofing 
Free Inspection and Estimate? 
(817) 477-2744
https://www.topsroofingcompany.com/

🛠️ DFW Appliance Discount
Text Jamie Eldridge: 817-659-6587
Get your I Like Birds discount:
https://www.appliancestorenearmetx.com/ilikebirds

🐜 Alpha & Omega Pest Control — DFW
“One Call Kills Them All!”
Call Tim Davis: 817-426-4445
https://alphaomegapests.com/

David Diga Hernandez, a gifted Bible teacher, global evangelist, author, and someone whose ministry has deeply impacted me, invited me onto his Encounter podcast for this deep conversation.
We talk about my journey from comedy to ministry, losing my best friend Armani, trusting God when the miracle doesn’t come, and finding joy again through Jesus. David brings wisdom and compassion to a subject close to my heart: the story behind Me, Armani, & Jesus. We close by praying for those walking through grief.
Get the book "Me, Armani, & Jesus"
Amazon: Paperback
Signed Copy: Hardcover + Paperback

Pastor Troy Brewer returns to the Pod to unpack how he built a media machine with one purpose: fund the mission God gave him.
Troy Brewer Ministries has rescued 13,000 kids from human trafficking, built rescue homes around the world, and grown to a scale where rescuing 1,000 people can add roughly $2 million to the yearly budget. That pressure forced Troy to rethink money, media, leadership, and what it actually takes to sustain a massive calling.
In this episode, Troy breaks down the $4 million breakthrough that helped launch the next chapter of the ministry, why he built an international calling center, and how ODX grew from roughly 4,000 subscribers to nearly 19,000 after launching one of its major shows.
Troy Brewer and Zach Rippey also unpack why content, television, books, YouTube, live events, and digital media became part of the rescue strategy. Troy opens up about the emotional cost of fighting trafficking, why he now focuses on “rescuing the rescuers,” and how he learned not to become more impressed with evil than with the goodness of God.
You’ll also hear:
• The dos and don’ts of getting involved in rescue work
• Practical ways to get in the fight against human trafficking
• How Amber Alert cases have become part of the operation
• Why Troy says he was investigated by the FBI
• Why storytelling matters when protecting trafficking survivors
• How media and recurring support help fund rescue operations
Learn more:
ODX: https://odx.tv
Troy Brewer Ministries: https://troybrewer.com/
Work with Zach on a Speech or Your Podcast: https://www.rippeywrites.com/contact
Book Zach Rippey to Speak or Perform Comedy here: https://ilikebirdsministry.com/comedybooking
🤝 Partner with I Like Birds Ministry 🕊️
🎁 Free 7-Day Trial on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/ILikeBirds
🕊️ Donate on Our Website
https://ilikebirdsministry.com/support
📗 Me, Armani, & Jesus
https://ilikebirdsministry.com/me-armani-jesus
📘 21 Days in Africa
Amazon: https://a.co/d/3iFskiY
Signed Copy + Free Gift: https://ilikebirdsministry.com/shop/p/21-days-in-africa-signed-paperback
🧢 Bird Merch
https://ilikebirdsministry.com/shop
🩵 PayPal Donation
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=C55JZNGUB97EE
✊🏽 Venmo Donation
https://account.venmo.com/u/zachrippey23
📚 I Like Books — Get 20% Off
https://www.faithandflame.com/pages/my-shop/zachrippey
Use code ILIKEBIRDS20 at checkout.
🧡 The Suubi Project — Sponsor a Child
https://suubiproject.org/

🎙️ EPISODE SPONSORS

Tops Roofing 
Free Inspection and Estimate? 
(817) 477-2744
https://www.topsroofingcompany.com/

🛠️ DFW Appliance Discount
Text Jamie Eldridge: 817-659-6587
Get your I Like Birds discount:
https://www.appliancestorenearmetx.com/ilikebirds

🐜 Alpha & Omega Pest Control — DFW
“One Call Kills Them All!”
Call Tim Davis: 817-426-4445
https://alphaomegapests.com/