Rough Drafts: How God Writes His Love in Our Stories

Stories are powerful. God’s stories, even more so.We know the big Bible stories from a long time ago: Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. But sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that God isn’t writing any new stories. Or that our stories are too little to matter. Nothing could be further from the truth! In this podcast, we’ll explore the God stories, big and little, of our neighbors. We’ll hear how our lives are rough drafts, being edited and formed into something more wonderful by the great author and finisher of our faith. We’ll hear plot twists and characters and tragedies and comedies. We’ll hear what God is writing in our unfinished lives.Join us to hear God at Work in the Rough Drafts of life!

Rough Drafts: How God Writes His Love in Our Stories is a religion podcast hosted by Matthew Hiatt, with 84 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Matthew Hiatt hosts Rough Drafts: How God Writes His Love in Our Stories, a religion show with 84 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #102

  Mary Joe Harvey: My Church Neighbor

  Aug 18, 202642 min

  Meet my church neighbor, Mary Jo Harvey who serves the Burns United Methodist Church just up the road from us. Mary tells about the surprising joys of ministry. She shares her real credentials: teaching preschool and raising daughters. She tells the story of a ministry where she walked beside a church in its final months...and of the moment when God really got her attention when she was 8 months pregnant. You don't want to miss it!

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  Episode #101

  Syvanna Gabriel: When Faith & Feelings Disagree

  Aug 11, 202659 min

  Be aware that there are discussions of sexual trauma and orientation. In a world that demands we define ourselves by our struggles or our labels, Syvanna offers a refreshing alternative: finding ultimate identity as a child of God. From debates about church camp dress codes to deep insights on how God heals the wounds we can’t even fully remember, this episode is a masterclass in progressive sanctification, choosing faith over feelings, and pulling over to "get gas" when you need it.

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  Episode #100

  Lauren Pinkston: Faith, Freedom, and an Independent Run for Governor

  Aug 4, 202645 min

  "Our success as a society is dependent on our reliance on one another. We've been hijacked by political extremism and algorithms, but that's not who we really are." We're going political on this week's Rough Drafts--but not exactly how you'd expect. Matthew's college friend, Dr. Lauren Pinkston joins us to tell her story of evolving faith, life on the mission field, and her decision to pursue faithfulness in politics.

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  Episode #99

  The Wood Family: "Chat, are we cooked?"

  Jul 28, 20261h 10m

  When a tornado ripped through Selmer, Tennessee, the Wood family lost almost everything material—but they walked away with what mattered most. In this special episode of Rough Drafts, Matthew sits down for a unique two-part conversation. First, you'll hear from the youngest daughters, Abby and Morgen, as they share their memories of that chaotic night (featuring wardrobe issues and legendary fat cat named Ombre). Then, parents Wes and Amber react to their daughters' perspective and open up about the reality of survival mode, the differences in their memories, and the ways this story has changed their faith.

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  Episode #98

  Steve Weaver: Faith, Dark Humor, and Real Life

  Jul 21, 202653 min

  How do you transition from climbing the corporate ladder at Apple Computer to installing wheelchair ramps and overhead lifts? For Steve Weaver, the shift happened the morning his daughter Cassi was born. In our latest episode, Steve shares how a traumatic birth launched both his faith journey and a 25-year career in home accessibility. He doesn't hold back—talking openly about the joys of raising a child with special needs, battling caregiver burnout and clinical depression, and a stunning recent update regarding his wife’s battle with Stage 4 cancer. If you need a reminder that miracles happen in the middle of hard seasons, this conversation is for you. Listen now!

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