The Way UK

Join Zach and Michelle for an incredibly powerful and deeply moving conversation with Tebo Mpanza as he shares his radical journey from growing up in South Africa surrounded by cultural Christianity, navigating identity and faith as a teenager in England, and discovering what it truly means to keep a soft heart in a world that rewards hardness, ambition, and self-protection. This episode unpacks what it looks like to move from performance-driven ministry to restorative leadership, from proving yourself to protecting your heart, and from striving for success to trusting God's definition of what winning actually means.

Tebo opens up about his grandmother's genuine faith that shaped his trajectory, his years in church leadership and pastoral ministry, the burnout and depletion that came from running hard in his twenties, and the healing he experienced when someone finally told him he didn't have to prove himself. Discover what it means to guard your heart above all else, why keeping a soft heart is costly but essential, and how the Lord gives us a tender, responsive heart rather than a stony, stubborn one. This is a story about choosing love daily, recognising where ambition becomes an idol, and learning that your legacy and family may depend on your ability to remain soft.

BURNED OUT IN MINISTRY? LISTEN TO THIS.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
01:24 Meet Tebo: Name, Heritage, and South African Roots
03:47 Growing Up with Cultural Christianity in South Africa
06:44 Moving to England at 15: Identity, Boarding School, and Distance from God
09:02 The Turning Point at 18: "I Cannot Live Like This Anymore"
11:22 Choosing Life: Deuteronomy 30 and a Fresh Start
13:08 University, Ministry, and Meeting His Wife
18:01 Leading a Church Location in Birmingham: Marriage, Ministry, and COVID
20:44 Burnout and the Cost of Performance-Driven Ministry
22:21 Restoration at Hillsong: "You Don't Have to Prove Yourself"
26:32 Moving to London and Starting a Creative Agency
29:53 Guarding Your Heart: Proverbs 4:23 and the Idol of Humility
34:38 The Cost of Carrying Anger, Ambition, and Comparison
37:38 Exodus 90: Confronting Comfort and Choosing the Hard Thing
40:08 A New Heart: Ezekiel 36:26 and God's Transformation
42:46 Why Keeping a Soft Heart Matters for Your Family and Legacy
45:12 Is Being Soft Dangerous? Winning, Losing, and Relationships
48:30 The Difference Between Being Soft and Having a Soft Heart
50:45 Closing Thoughts: You Never Arrive, You're Always Learning

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thewayuk/

FOLLOW US ON TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewayuk/

Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Izzy, Michelle, and Zach as they unpack the Parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18, exploring what it truly means to pray without giving up, why God is nothing like the unjust judge, and how persistence in prayer transforms us rather than persuading a reluctant God. This episode kicks off week two of the parables series, diving into Jesus' powerful story about a widow who relentlessly pursues justice from a judge who neither fears God nor cares about people, and what it reveals about God's heart for us when we cry out to Him.

Discover why Jesus tells us the explicit purpose of this parable before He even begins the story, what it means to always pray and not give up when prayer feels like hard work, and why spiritual disciplines like prayer are more like going to the gym than we realise. The conversation tackles the reality of unanswered prayers, the tension between God's power and our experience of waiting, and why delays in answered prayer are often about changing us rather than convincing God. Learn what it means to fall back on love when prayers feel dry, how to reflect on God's faithfulness in the small things, and why no one is disqualified from coming to God in prayer no matter how much hurt, rejection, or distance they've experienced.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
00:54 Reading Luke 18: The Parable of the Persistent Widow
02:02 Jesus Knows We Struggle with Prayer
08:02 The Unjust Judge: Understanding God's Opposite
11:22 God is Not Reluctant: He Wants to Answer Prayer
12:54 What to Do When God Seems Silent
13:31 Prayer is Like Going to the Gym
15:05 Prayer Changes Us, Not God
20:35 Falling Back on Love: Why We Keep Praying
21:58 The Story of the Shoes: God Cares About Small Things
26:32 The Widow: No One is Disqualified from Prayer
31:16 When the Son of Man Comes: Faith and Persistence
33:54 Closing Thoughts and Next Week's Parable

STRUGGLING WITH PRAYER? YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS

THE POWER OF PERSISTENT PRAYER | LUKE 18

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thewayuk/

FOLLOW US ON TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewayuk/

Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Zoe and Michelle for an incredibly powerful and deeply moving conversation with Martha Stringer as she shares her radical journey from striving to be the best Christian, burning out in ministry, suffering with chronic pain and learning what it truly means to rest in God's love rather than perform for it. This episode unpacks what it looks like to move from competitive faith to surrendered trust, from ministry burnout to sustainable discipleship, and from believing God's love is something you earn to discovering it's something you receive.

Martha opens up about her journey with chronic illness, from a mysterious tropical illness that left her sick every day for seven years to severe asthma, debilitating knee pain, and life-threatening allergies. This podcast is for anyone who has struggled with striving in their faith, experienced burnout in ministry, wrestled with unanswered prayers for healing, or simply wants to understand what it means to trust God's love regardless of circumstance.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
01:24 Growing Up Christian: A Family Shaped by Faith and Struggle
02:20 The Prodigal Son Moment: Encountering God as Father
04:00 All In: Missionary Life and the Competitive Christian
05:17 The Danger of Christian Competition and Performance
06:44 Complete Burnout: When Your Body Says No
09:02 Redefining Success: The Hem of Jesus' Garment
11:07 Going Slow in Ministry: A Youth Worker's Awakening
13:08 Success in Discipleship, Not Numbers
18:01 Remaining Mouldable: The Clay in God's Hands
20:44 Seven Years of Illness: When Healing Becomes an Idol
22:21 Laying Down the Idol: Even If You Don't Heal Me
23:46 The Year of Trust: Learning God's Love Beyond Healing
25:40 Healed in a Hospital Gown: God's Unexpected Timing
26:49 God's Love Isn't Conditional on Healing
29:53 The Bonkers Year: Asthma Healed After 25 Years
34:38 The Smoothie Incident: Accidentally Healed from Strawberry Allergy
37:38 Chronic Knee Pain Gone: The Weight Lifted
40:08 Blown Away by God's Goodness
42:46 Encouragement for Those Waiting: God Sees Your Pain
43:54 Closing Prayer and Final Thoughts

HEALED FROM ASTHMA, ALLERGIES & CHRONIC PAIN | MARTHA STRINGER

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thewayuk/

FOLLOW US ON TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewayuk/

Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Zach, Zoe, and Izzy for an eye-opening exploration of the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14, unpacking what it means to accept God's invitation, why people say no to Him without even realising it, and how we're called to extend radical generosity and hospitality to those on the margins. This episode kicks off a brand new parable series, diving into Jesus' powerful story about a master who prepares a lavish feast, sends out invitations, and watches as everyone makes excuses to avoid coming. Discover what it reveals about our own priorities, the cost of following Jesus, and the incredible truth that God's invitation is open to absolutely everyone.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup
01:46 What Are Parables? Understanding Jesus' Teaching Style
03:47 The Boy Who Cried Wolf: Parables in Modern Culture
05:30 Reading Luke 14:12-24: The Parable of the Great Banquet
08:39 Invite Those Who Cannot Repay You: Radical Generosity
12:24 Jesus at a Dinner Party: A Controversial Teaching
13:45 Blessed Is Everyone Who Eats in the Kingdom of God
16:07 The Master and the Invitation: God's Open Arms
16:45 The Foolish Excuses: When People Say No to God
21:38 Your Excuses Reveal Your Priorities
28:30 Go to the Streets and Country Lanes: The Second Invitation
30:29 The Gentiles and the Unexpected Guests
32:54 Everyone Is Invited: The Gospel for All Nations
35:25 We Are the Servants: Extending the Invitation
36:56 Living with Costly Generosity: Practical Application
39:18 Isaiah 25: The Feast of Rich Food and Closing Thoughts

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thewayuk/

FOLLOW US ON TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewayuk/

Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

Join Izzy and Zoe as they conclude their deep dive into 1 Thessalonians, unpacking chapter 5 and exploring what it means to stay spiritually awake, prepare for Christ's return, and live out faith with radical intentionality in a world that desperately needs hope. This episode tackles one of the most discussed yet misunderstood topics in Scripture: the second coming of Jesus, why we don't need to fear it, and how preparation isn't about knowing the details but about staying awake to what God is doing right now.

Discover what it truly means when Paul says the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, why being children of light changes everything about how we live, and the difference between spiritual sleepiness and the sleep of death. The episode dives into the armor of God, the importance of staying prepared not through fear but through faith, love, and hope, and why Jesus' return should motivate us to live with urgency, love others well, and share the gospel boldly. This is for anyone who has ever been anxious about the end times, wondered what it looks like to be spiritually awake, or struggled with how to live faithfully when the future feels uncertain.

The conversation also unpacks Paul's final instructions to the Thessalonian church, from respecting leaders who serve sacrificially to making peace in community, rejoicing always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances. Learn what it means to not repay wrong for wrong, how practicing thankfulness leads to humility, and why the shortest verse in the original Bible is "rejoice always." Plus, the episode answers the burning question: what on earth is a holy kiss, and are we actually supposed to greet each other that way?

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thewayuk/

FOLLOW US ON TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewayuk/

Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]