The Speakeasy

James Finke is back on the podcast to talk about apologetics and why Christians should be ready to explain what we believe and why we believe it. He's passionate about making this accessible to regular people like us, and we dig into the historical evidence for Jesus, his resurrection, and the early church. But this isn't about winning arguments, it's about being prepared when someone you love starts asking questions.
James shares a story that changed him: an acquaintance died unexpectedly after they'd talked casually about Jesus. It left him asking, what if our silence costs someone the chance to hear the Gospel? That hit me hard. If we truly believe Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, shouldn't we be willing to have those hard conversations with the people we love? Sometimes you're not meant to bring someone all the way in one conversation. Sometimes you're just supposed to be a rock in their shoe, leaving them with a question they can't shake.
Learn what you believe. Understand why you believe it. Love people enough to have difficult conversations. And trust God with what happens after you plant the seed.
Resources
Learn more about James Finke, his books, and his work at AuthorJamesFinke.com.
James also created a Christian Author's Toolkit with resources for anyone interested in writing and independently publishing Christian books. Visit AuthorJamesFinke.com/Blake.
Sponsors
Live Action Network
Live Action works to reach women facing unexpected pregnancies with life-affirming information, resources, and hope when they need it most.
To support their work, text BLAKE to 70723 or visit LiveAction.org/donate/Blake.
CrowdHealth
CrowdHealth provides a community-powered alternative to traditional health insurance, including access to bill negotiation, lower-cost prescriptions, and healthcare resources.
Get your first three months for $99 using code SPEAKEASY at JoinCrowdHealth.com.
CrowdHealth is not health insurance.
#TheSpeakeasyPodcast #JamesFinke #ChristianApologetics #Apologetics #ChristianPodcast #Faith #Jesus #TheGospel #Christianity #Bible #SharingYourFaith #GreatCommission #CrowdHealth #LiveAction

In this solo episode, I'm reflecting on what happens when we finally begin to heal. What if joy, playfulness, and whimsy aren't distractions from a serious life with Jesus, but actually evidence that we're getting better? Over the past year, God has been teaching me to slow down and rediscover the enjoyment of life. I spent years understanding the Christian life through suffering and perseverance, but He's showing me another truth: He created us to experience joy too.
This past year has required dismantling identities I built and allowing God to tear down what I could never dismantle myself. Healing can feel violent. But somewhere in the cracks, I began noticing flowers. A candle while I work. Tea on a rainy afternoon. Being present enough to actually recognize a beautiful moment while it's happening. Learning to rest was ultimately learning to trust, and I'm discovering that whimsy doesn't mean ignoring suffering, it means noticing God's goodness while you're still walking through the hard things.
Sometimes the flowers grow right through the cracks.
Sponsor
CrowdHealth
CrowdHealth offers a community-powered alternative to traditional health insurance. Members receive access to resources including bill negotiation, lower-cost prescriptions, and vetted doctor lists. When larger healthcare expenses arise, members contribute through the CrowdHealth community.
Get your first three months for $99 using code SPEAKEASY at JoinCrowdHealth.com.
CrowdHealth is not health insurance.
#TheSpeakeasyPodcast #BlakeGuichet #Whimsy #ChristianLiving #ChristianPodcast #Healing #BiblicalJoy #Rest #Faith #RootedHope #TrustGod #CrowdHealth

What if one of the most powerful things you could do for your marriage is also one of the simplest, and most overlooked?
In this episode of The Speakeasy Podcast, I sit down with Brad and Heidi Mitchell of Build Your Marriage for an honest, practical conversation about praying together as a married couple and why this simple spiritual rhythm can have such a profound impact on a relationship.
Brad and Heidi have been married for more than four decades, but their story hasn't been without difficult seasons. They share how they met as teenagers, navigated the rocky early years of marriage, and eventually faced one of the deepest betrayals a marriage can experience: infidelity.
Their story is ultimately one of forgiveness, reconciliation, and God's ability to restore what feels completely broken.
Sponsor
CrowdHealth
CrowdHealth offers a community-powered alternative to traditional health insurance. Members receive access to resources including bill negotiation, lower-cost prescriptions and testing, and doctor recommendations. When larger healthcare expenses arise, members contribute through the CrowdHealth community.
Get your first three months for $99 with code SPEAKEASY at JoinCrowdHealth.com.
CrowdHealth is not health insurance.
#TheSpeakeasyPodcast #BuildYourMarriage #ChristianMarriage #Marriage #Prayer #PrayingTogether #ChristianPodcast #MarriageAdvice #Faith #Jesus #BradAndHeidiMitchell #CrowdHealth

What happens when you've achieved everything the world says should make you happy, and you're still empty?
In this episode of The Speakeasy Podcast, I sit down with baseball legend and ordained minister, Darryl Strawberry, for a powerful conversation about surrender, grace, obedience, and the transformation that happens when Jesus becomes Lord over every part of your life. Darryl is a four-time World Series champion and eight-time All-Star, but today, he says the most important part of his story isn't what happened on the baseball field. It's what happened when a man who seemingly had everything finally surrendered his heart to Jesus.
Live Action reaches women facing unexpected pregnancies with life-affirming truth, resources, and hope. You can help support their work by texting BLAKE to 70723 or visiting LiveAction.org/donate/Blake. 
CrowdHealth offers a community-powered alternative to traditional health insurance. Members receive access to bill negotiation, lower-cost prescriptions and testing, vetted doctors, and community support for larger healthcare expenses. Get your first three months for $99 with code SPEAKEASY at JoinCrowdHealth.com. CrowdHealth is not health insurance.

If you're feeling stressed, exhausted, and disconnected, it might not be because life is too busy—it might be because your priorities are out of order.
In this solo episode, I share a deeply personal lesson God has been teaching me over the past year: there is a biblical order to where our time, energy, attention, and devotion belong. After a season where work and ministry had climbed to the top of my priorities, God gave me a vision showing just how disordered my life had become. Then the board changed, revealing a simple order that would begin reshaping everything: God. Spouse. Children. Community. Ministry.
I walk through each of these five areas and share what I'm learning about putting them back in their proper place, not through perfection or another checklist, but through surrender and obedience.
Episodes Mentioned:
Ep. 407 - Navigating Change: How God's Shifted My Entire Life
Ep. 411 - Where Do I Start? (Bible Reading, Journaling, & Staying Rooted)
Bible Verses:
Matthew 22:37 — Love the Lord your God with everything you have — the first and greatest commandment
Psalm 27:4 — One thing sought above all else — dwelling with God
Genesis 2:24 — The covenant of marriage — two becoming one
Proverbs 31:11-12 — The wife who brings her husband good all the days of her life
Psalm 127:3 — Children as heritage and gift, not achievement or identity
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 — Faith impressed on children through the ordinary moments of life
Hebrews 10:24-25 — The call to genuine, embodied community
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 — Two are better than one — the value of real relationship
Mark 8:36 — The cost of gaining the world while neglecting what matters
Matthew 6:33 — Seek first the kingdom — the right order always starts with Him
## Sponsors **CrowdHealth** CrowdHealth offers a community-powered alternative to traditional health insurance, giving members access to bill negotiation, lower-cost prescriptions and testing, vetted doctors, and support when larger medical expenses arise. Get started for $99 for your first three months at
**JoinCrowdHealth.com** using code **SPEAKEASY**. CrowdHealth is not health insurance.
 **Live Action** Live Action works to reach women considering abortion with life-affirming information, support, and hope before a decision is made. Your support can help put resources in front of women searching for answers when they need them most. Text **BLAKE** to **70723** or visit **LiveAction.org/donate/Blake** to support their work.