If You Can Hear Me

We’re all looking for something. In If You Can Hear Me, Ben Higgins sits down with people from all walks of life—celebrities, thinkers, everyday folks—to talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope. These are honest conversations about the big stuff: identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out. If you’ve ever felt like there must be more to the story—this show is for you.

If You Can Hear Me is a society podcast hosted by iHeartPodcasts, with 30 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

iHeartPodcasts hosts If You Can Hear Me, a society show with 30 episodes published.

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  Episode #25

  Paul Young on Grieving Well, Trusting Slowly, and the Photo Album We Keep

  Sep 29, 20261h 1mS1

  Paul Young wrote The Shack as a Christmas gift for his six kids. He photocopied 15 copies at Office Depot. It went on to sell 25+ million. But the story behind the story is harder than the fairy tale suggests: a missionary kid raised by an abusive father, sexual abuse starting at age five, and a three-month affair that nearly ended his marriage. What followed was an 11-year rebuild — the ground The Shack was written from. In this conversation, Paul opens up about: – The real origin of The Shack (and how it accidentally became a global phenomenon) – Why forgiveness doesn't require trust — and why that distinction matters – His 9+ year friendship with men on death row, and what "proximity changes everything" really means – Making peace with his father at 80, and the two photo albums we all keep inside – Living in the present moment as the only real world – Return to the Shack, releasing October 6 Paul's honesty about grief, healing, and what it means to be human is worth sitting with. Follow the show and let us know what landed. Timestamps 01:06 Meeting Paul Young 01:49 The affair that changed everything 04:37 Writing The Shack as a Christmas gift 09:02 From 15 copies to a phenomenon 16:30 Barnes & Noble comes knocking 20:29 Why forgiveness became his message 23:30 Releasing his father from expectations 28:48 Friendship with men on death row 36:47 "Proximity changes everything" 41:23 Being present as the only real world 47:20 What awestruck by Jesus looks like 55:15 Grief, healing, and not building identity on pain See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  Episode #17

  Michael W. Smith: The Missed Flight, the Uber Driver, and the Sermon

  Sep 22, 202641 minS1

  40 years into his career, Michael W. Smith says he still hasn't arrived — and that's the point. Ben sits down with the legendary singer, songwriter, and now executive producer of *Daniel and the Fiery Furnace* (in theaters September 18) for an honest conversation about faith, family, and staying grounded in an industry built on adoration. In this episode: - The story behind *Worship* (2001) and why it became a healing album for America - Crying through an entire concert in Bahrain — and what shifted - Working alongside his son Tyler, who composed the score for *Daniel* - Why he thinks God only reveals certain things to "deep people" - The rules he and his wife Deb set 40+ years ago to protect their marriage - A missed flight, an Uber driver, and why the interruptions matter - New music, a guitar solo from Dan Huff, and what's coming in 2026 Michael's mentors included Billy Graham and his own father. Now, at 68, he sees his role as fathering the next generation of artists. Watch, listen, and share with someone who needs it. Timestamps 00:32 40 years of God moments 02:40 Feeling the atmosphere shift 04:22 Crying through Bahrain concert 07:56 How Daniel movie came about 10:06 Watching his son Tyler compose 14:09 Why this Bible story hits different 17:41 We've got it too easy 24:22 Staying stirred and hungry for God 26:27 Missed flight, divine Uber ride 30:15 Surviving 45 years of marriage 33:28 Fathering the next generation 35:20 New music and a guitar solo 39:18 Teach me how to abide See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  Episode #23

  One Foot in the Quicksand: Granger Smith on Carrying Other People's Grief

  Sep 15, 202644 minS1

  Granger Smith spent years thinking he was a Christian. Then he lost his son, and everything he believed got tested. In this conversation, Granger opens up about walking away from a country music career at the height of it, becoming a lay pastor in Central Texas, and what he now calls the "toxic beliefs" that kept him from real faith for nearly four decades. We get into: - Why he left touring, and what "exalting yourself" on stage was actually costing him - The night on his tour bus in Boise that changed his life - What a "pastor's heart" is, and how he carries the weight of other people's pain - The practical guardrails he uses to stay humble as a public figure - The difference between empathy and sympathy in ministry - Why suffering became the hinge point of his story Granger's second book, Poison in the Well: Toxic Beliefs That Kept Me from the Living Water of Jesus, releases September 8. If you've ever wondered whether you're actually following Jesus or just comfortable near him, this one's worth your time. Grab Granger's book wherever books are sold. Timestamps: 00:39 Welcome & show intro 01:43 Becoming a lay pastor 04:04 Discovering a pastor's heart 08:00 Carrying the emotional weight 11:22 The pull of self-exaltation 14:34 Guarding against pride offstage 17:53 Running on the right fuel 21:49 Saved out of nominal Christianity 26:19 Warning signs and toxic beliefs 32:14 No Christian community after loss 34:38 The night on the tour bus 37:38 John 14 and true conversion 41:31 Closing prayer: save me today See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  Episode #22

  Why Montell and Kristin Jordan Traded Platinum Records for Prayer and Picture Books

  Sep 8, 202644 minS1

  What if the monster under the bed is more afraid of you than you are of him? That's the question Kristin and Montell Jordan asked their son one night — and it became the seed for their new children's book, *Shiloh and the Not-So-Scary Girl Above His Bed*. In this episode, Ben sits down with the Jordans to talk about: • Why fear left unattended in childhood often becomes trauma in adulthood • How 32 years of marriage, ministry, and music shaped their approach to raising brave kids • Montell's journey as a two-time prostate cancer survivor — and what early detection made possible • Kristin's role as caregiver, and how vulnerability protects intimacy • Why humility is the doorway to inviting God into your hardest seasons • The difference between spending time with your kids and investing in them September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. If you're a man over 40 — or you love one — this conversation matters. Grab the book, share this with a friend who needs it, and subscribe for more honest conversations on faith, family, and doing hard things together. Timestamps 00:57 Meet Montell and Kristin Jordan 01:33 The story behind Shiloh 04:57 Flipping fear into empathy 09:14 Why fear was the first lesson 13:02 Montell's cancer journey 15:46 Doing hard things together 17:34 Inviting God into the scariest moments 21:49 Faith woven into a good story 28:08 From heathen to marriage ministry 34:27 Investing time with the next generation 36:50 Prostate cancer: early detection saves lives 42:29 Final cries to God See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  Episode #21

  Jay Pharoah: SNL, Addiction, and the Prodigal Son

  Sep 1, 202646 minS1

  Jay Pharoah — SNL alum, impressionist, and star of Fox's Quiz With Balls — sits down with Ben Higgins to talk about the moment he stopped running. In 2023, surrounded by everything he thought he wanted, Jay heard a voice tell him to leave the room. What happened next changed his life. In this conversation: - Why fame and access left him emptier, not fuller - The night he heard "meet me halfway, and I'll carry you the rest" - The addictions he walked away from — and how his father unknowingly echoed the same message - The blue Bible story: a prayer he never spoke out loud, answered by a stranger in Ohio - Why he's cutting language from his stand-up and what he's building toward next - Near-death experiences, the prodigal son, and the freedom of surrender Jay is honest about the version of himself he used to be — and clear-eyed about who God is shaping him into now. If you've ever wondered whether transformation is real, this one's worth your time. Subscribe for more conversations like this. Timestamps 00:47 Why fame doesn't fulfill 02:44 Meeting Jay Pharoah 04:41 Growing up in church, road with Charlie Murphy 06:27 SNL and losing his way 08:00 The voice in the room: meet me halfway 11:30 Getting rid of the room, the Quiz with Balls offer 14:37 Why God forgives murderers and thieves 17:57 Using the platform as an example 22:09 What you have to give up 25:00 Cutting the swearing from his set 28:21 Freedom, not prison 29:23 The blue Bible story 37:58 The old version isn't wasted 39:12 Becoming a rebel for Christ 43:28 Stay in the fight See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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