The Trevor Talks Podcast

If you had told a younger Ben Bennett that he would one day be writing books, leading a global movement, and helping thousands heal, he likely would not have believed you. Growing up, Ben experienced abuse and was frequently bullied and belittled. His sense of worthlessness increased when his grandpa died by suicide when Ben was a teenager. Depressed and desperate for comfort, Ben fell into pornography and over-eating to cope. But that was only the beginning of his story.Through therapy, recovery groups, and the transforming grace of a redemptive God, Ben has lived a journey of restoration— a route that he has committed to walking alongside others through Resolution Movement. That personal passion led to his new book, Free to Thrive, co-authored with Josh McDowell. On this episode of Trevor Talks, Ben Bennett tells his story while inviting us to join him in learning to see ourselves the way God sees us.

Singer, songwriter, author, legislative activist: Natalie Grant has held many titles throughout her storied career. However, at heart, Natalie is simply a girl who said yes to God’s call to step out in faith. In this episode of Trevor Talks, Natalie outlines her road from a childhood in Seattle to an acclaimed eight-time GRAMMY nominee and five-time Dove Award-winning Female Vocalist of the Year. Along the way, God placed a passion in her heart for children who were being trafficked, both at home and around the world. The result is Hope For Justice, a nonprofit organization that has brought restoration to the lives of 102,803 children in the last year alone and recently was a key player in passing groundbreaking labor trafficking legislation. Natalie Grant is bringing her passionate heart and intensely resonant voice to so many places that we could barely cover all of them in this episode. You’ll find so much more of the story in Natalie’s most recent book, Dare to Be, written in collaboration with her ministry partner Charlotte Gambill.

It takes a lot of courage and grace to start over after wrapping up over a decade fronting one of the most successful bands in Christian music. Fortunately, courage and grace have always been central to the way Mike Donehey approaches his craft. When Tenth Avenue North ended their storied career in 2020, Mike Donehey began venturing into new creative space. Flourish is the result, a richly imaginative, redemptive set of songs that shows Mike at the height of his songwriting skills. On the latest episode of Trevor Talks, Mike joins us for his second appearance on the show to talk about this season of rebirth.

What do you do when the whole world stops? If you’re Colton Dixon, you use the silence as an opportunity to press into the presence of God— an opportunity that created his latest song, “Made to Fly.”On this episode of Trevor Talks, Colton Dixon shares about the ways he redeemed the unexpected pause of the pandemic, using the time to focus on his family while he and his wife Annie welcomed twin girls. He also digs deep into the spiritual growth he’s experienced during this season, offers some real talk about the challenges of touring, and revisits his personal process through the American Idol journey.

Few voices can claim to have shaped Christian music as much as Michael W. Smith. From humble beginnings as a child learning to play piano by ear and singing in the church choir, Michael W. Smith’s commitment to the Gospel of Christ and the craftsmanship of songwriting would catapult him to 3 Grammys, 45 Dove Awards, and countless number 1 hits. But before there were accolades, there was a family— and a testimony. On this episode of Trevor Talks, we’re privileged to hear the origin story of Michael W. Smith. He gives us a glimpse at the incredible character of his parents, detailed in his new book The Way of the Father. He honestly shares about his prodigal experience in young adulthood, about how drug and alcohol led him to rock bottom a supernatural encounter with God’s love. He brings us up to the present day, detailing the way his career began through God’s grace expressed through fellow musicians (like Amy Grant and Higher Ground) and has continued in grace every step of the way.

Pastor Hope Carpenter knows all about what it’s like to live your own personal disaster. At 35 years old, an emotional breakdown spurred by childhood trauma drove this pastor’s wife and mom into deep dysfunction and marital infidelity. At the end of the self-destructive road she’d walked, she encountered the true, unconditional love of Jesus— a restoring force that would change her from the inside out, restoring her marriage and her ministry.These days, Hope is an author, co-pastor of Redemption Church in Greenville, SC and San Jose, CA, and renowned worldwide minister. On this episode of Trevor Talks, Hope shares about the ways that faith and mental health have run parallel throughout her story, offering a picture of redemptive beauty born through disaster.

If you’ve heard Danny Gokey’s story, you know that it would be hard to find a story more packed with highs, lows, and God’s enduring faithfulness. As we look towards the release of his upcoming album Jesus People, Danny shared the real stories of the road that led him here– from working as a worship leader and truck driver, to appearing on American Idol at the request of his late first wife, to winning and then losing his first record deal, to becoming one of the most respected and enduring voices in contemporary Christian music.Danny also shared with us a little bit about the new songs, the place they were written from, and how the album got its bold title. Listen to the episode to get the full story!