Where Ya From? Podcast

People around us may think they know what’s best for our future, but in the end, it’s God’s plan that matters most. This is a truth Grammy-nominated and recording artist Mali Music learned at a young age, when he decided, against his family and community’s wishes, to pursue his passion for creating music. On this episode of the VOICES’s Where Ya From? podcast, the singer-songwriter details his childhood in the church, his boyhood pressures in athletics, and how he overcame criticism to chase his dreams.Guest Bio:Grammy-nominated, singer-songwriter, and producer Mali Music began creating and arranging his own material at the age of twelve. Since then, he’s gone on to receive acclaim in both the sacred and secular music worlds with his albums, 2econd Coming, Mali Is…, and The Book of Mali. His song “Beautiful” also made the Billboard charts and propelled him into the mainstream music industry.Notes & Quotes: “I loved falling into just the shadow of the Most High, like, disappearing in worship.” “I just never wanted the Word of God . . . to be detested or underestimated like I was . . . .” “You gotta trust God. And I just love that music is just gonna be connected to what God is doing.” Links Mentioned: Visit our website to sign up for emails. Leave us a review.  Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram. Follow VOICES on Instagram. Follow Mali Music on Instagram, and check out his website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plenty of people in our lives can burden us with expectations. Reach Records’ rapper, author, and preacher Trip Lee knows this all-to-well, as his childhood was painted by a strong family legacy. In this episode of the VOICES Where Ya From? podcast, Lee shares how his faith took him on an unexpected path, and how in the end, God’s plans for our lives are greater than anyone—including ourselves—can ever anticipate.Guest Bio:William Lee Barefield III, better known as Trip Lee, is a Reach Records’ rapper, author, and preacher. As a founding member of the 116 Clique, his Billboard-charting music has garnered him Dove nominations and a Stellar Award. He is also a husband and father of three children.Notes & Quotes: “The only things that mattered to me, for good or bad, was hip hop and Jesus.” “The Gospel is still the power of God for salvation. Jesus is still King. And that is what my life is about.” “We live in the real world, and Jesus has something to say to the real world.” Links Mentioned: Visit our website to sign up for emails. Leave us a review.  Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram. Follow VOICES on Instagram. Follow Trip Lee on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are all looking for a place to belong, whether it be in clubs at our schools or cliques at our workplaces. However, Texas-born rapper Tedashii knows firsthand that the “home-shaped holes” in our hearts are spaces that only God can truly fill. In this episode of Where Ya From? podcast from VOICES, Tedashii shares how Jesus took the passions that often made the artist stand out and turned them into a ministry and career.Guest Bio:Known for his distinct, deep voice and versatile flow, Texas-born rapper Tedashii made his debut in 2005 as a member of the 116 Clique, a hip-hop group associated with Reach Records. Since then, he’s gone on to an acclaimed solo career—his 2014 album Below Paradise even debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200s albums chart. More recently, he’s launched his first podcast: The Dash.Notes & Quotes: “All the while God was orchestrating the path, using football, using family, painful points, and moments in history to get me to this moment. Like I tell everybody, I went to Baylor to get saved, not to get a degree.” “It’s not enough that you get to run around and share the gospel with your friends. They can reject that. But when you make public stances, it draws a line in the sand.” “And now I think the music is both the thing that glorifies God and the way in which I choose to wield it is the thing that glorifies God.”  “Grief, in my opinion, is love persisting.” Links Mentioned: Visit our website to sign up for emails. Leave us a review.  Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram. Listen to Tedashii’s podcast, The Dash. Follow Tedashii on Instagram. Verses Mentioned: Romans 5:5 Galatians 2:20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s often easier to run away from life’s greatest messes. However, Back2Back Ministries’ codirectors Todd and Beth Guckenberger are proof that we can often find our purpose in the chaos. In this episode of VOICES’ Where Ya From? podcast, Todd and Beth discuss how God turned their passion for orphan care into a 350-person nonprofit organization.Guests Bio:Codirectors of Back2Back Ministries, Todd and Beth Guckenberger have dedicated their lives to international orphan care missions. Spread across nine locations, 350 Back2Back staff members work relentlessly to find new and creative solutions to the challenges facing vulnerable children and their families. Todd and Beth also lead a family of 13, made up of 11 adoptive, biological, and fostered children.Notes & Quotes: “The majority of the way you share the gospel is not even always with words, and the words just sit on top of the actions.” “The world tells me I’m better because I was born into a biological family . . . . But that is not the way God sees things.” “God’s overwhelming love for us is not limited to us. It’s only limited because we don’t express it or share it or serve somebody.” Links Mentioned: Visit our website to sign up for emails. Leave us a review.  Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram Check out Back2Back Ministries’ website. Verses Mentioned: 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Isaiah 58:6–9 James 1:27 Galatians 6:2 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s tempting to believe that our way is the only route to achieving our goals. However, Nigerian American hip-hop artist Wande has learned that when trusting God, He often delivers on our dreams in a way we couldn’t even fathom. On this episode of VOICES’ Where Ya From? podcast, Wande sits down with Rasool Berry to discuss God’s hand in her journey from a young student rapping about biology in Austin, Texas, to Reach Records’ first female artist.Guest Bio:Hailing from Austin, Texas, Wande—born Ywande Isola—is a Nigerian American hip-hop artist whose work has been featured on ESPN. Named by USA Today as one of six “Christian Hip-Hop Artists to Know,” her music effortlessly fuses intense raps and beautiful melodic singing while maintaining a message that expresses her faith.Notes & Quotes: “One thing I learned is whenever you’re walking with the Lord, He’s going to call you to do uncomfortable things sometimes.” “The Lord has plans, and He’s allowing us to be a part of it. It’s not about you. It’s about His plans.” “I would definitely say I’m literally doing this because God told me to be here, and He’s opened all the doors necessary for me to do what I need to do.” “You’ll never understand what it’s like to see the Lord come through if you don’t trust Him to come through.” Links Mentioned: Visit our website to sign up for emails. Leave us a review. Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries. Follow Where Ya From? podcast on Instagram. Look at Wande’s website. Verses Mentioned:Luke 24:13–25Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When we accomplish big things we often look back and realize we didn’t do it on our own. Whether it’s family members encouraging us or a whole community cheering us on, a few faces usually come to mind when we think about the path we take to reach success. On this episode of the VOICES’ Where Ya From? podcast, Grammy award–winning artist Lecrae joins host Rasool Berry once again. This time, Lecrae shares about specific people and his community that supported him throughout his life and career.Guest Bio:Lecrae Devaughn Moore—more commonly known as Lecrae—is an American Christian rapper, singer, songwriter, film and record producer, record executive, and actor. He has authored two books and been nominated for many awards, including seven Grammys. Lecrae partners with many nonprofits to care for his community. He is passionate about sharing his story of restoration to inspire others. He is a devoted Christian, husband, and father.Notes & Quotes: “The kingdom is really what we should be after, it’s kingdom over empire. Empire will crush you in order to win. Kingdom says, ‘How do we all thrive and paint a picture of thy kingdom come, thy will be done?’” “We wanted to give clarity that being unashamed of the gospel was not a self-righteous arrogant motto, it was more about being unashamed to be identified with a Savior who is gracious, loving, kind, gentle, understanding, empathetic.” “How do I celebrate this person for what they have instead of coveting the things that they have? How can I create opportunity and space? It’s just a sense of working together for something bigger and more eternal for a promised land that’s to come.” Links Mentioned: Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346 Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast Lecrae’s website: https://lecrae.com/ Verses Mentioned: Romans 1:16 Ecclesiastes 4:12 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone struggles with issues of identity. Maybe it’s the way we look or the amount of success we have achieved, but either way, the question “Who am I?” is fundamental. That’s why when we allow others or our culture to answer that question for us, it can lead to devastating consequences. In this episode of VOICES’ Where Ya From? podcast, Rasool speaks with theologian Ekemini Uwan and discovers how the ideology of white supremacy impacted not only the way she viewed herself but her relationship with Christ.Guest Bio:Ekemini Uwan is a public theologian and writer who has dedicated her life to combating racism and bringing awareness to the issues of colorism, microaggressions, and white supremacy. She is a host of Truth’s Table, a popular podcast for black women, and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary.Notes & Quotes: “I was able to endure because I knew the Lord. I knew He called me here.” “[Microaggressions] are little racial digs (i.e., ‘You’re pretty for a dark girl’) and you leave that person’s presence with internal bleeding.” “So I was praying, praying, asking the Lord, ‘What’s going on? What is the deal?’ And I just sensed that the Lord was saying, ‘Ministry.’” “Colorism is where people with lighter skin are given preferential treatment over those with darker skin.” “We don’t ever have a space, particularly as black women, that’s just for us.” Links Mentioned: Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346 Check out our VOICES Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast Ekemini Uwan’s website: https://www.sistamatictheology.com/ Uwan’s podcast: Truth’s Table Additional resource: IPOJ South Africa episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just because you’re not someone’s cup of tea doesn’t mean you aren’t a cup of tea. In this episode of VOICES’ Where Ya From? podcast, award-winning gospel singer Kierra Sheard-Kelly shares her journey from condemnation to body positivity, as well as her passion for spiritual self-care and living boldly in faith.Guest Bio:Kierra Sheard-Kelly is an award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, actress, author, and activist. A next-generation member of the pioneering vocal group the Clark Sisters, she has released several albums since her solo debut in 2004, most recently the Grammy-nominated KIERRA. Her first book, Big, Bold, and Beautiful: Owning the Woman God Made You to Be, debuted in 2021. Kierra has also created her own clothing line entitled Eleven60, works with organizations dedicated to youth and female empowerment, and is completing her master’s degree in clinical psychology. She and her husband reside in Detroit, Michigan.Notes & Quotes: “Conviction points to the problem, but it gives you a solution. Condemnation only points to the problem and makes you go crazy.” “The Lord wants you to have answers. He says, ‘Where you are weak, I am strong.’” “I just want to say to be big, bold, and beautiful and owning the woman or the man that God has called you to be. It is simply you just resting in that liberty that heaven gives you, and that He authorizes you with.” Links Mentioned: Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346 Check out our Voices Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast Kierra Sheard-Kelly’s website: https://www.iamkierrasheard.com/ Verses Mentioned: “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NKJV) “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Great minds think alike, or so we’ve been told, but what if different minds help to build better communities, better companies, and even better churches? In this episode of VOICES’ Where Ya From? podcast, international business consultant Skot Welch discusses diversity, equity, and inclusion and shares his passion for creating communities that reflect the diversity that God designed.Guest Bio:Skot Welch is the president and founder of Global Bridgebuilders, a results-focused firm pioneering diversity and inclusion initiatives to a wide range of Fortune 500 clients in the United States and across the globe. He is also the author of 101 Ways to Enjoy the Mosaic: Creating a Diverse Community Right in Your Own Backyard, the coauthor of Plantation Jesus: Race, Faith, and a New Way Forward, and the founder of The Mosaic Film Experience, an educational platform that empowers underserved youth through digital storytelling. Skot and his wife, Barbara, reside in Michigan and have two children.Notes & Quotes: “When you have people that are different, you actually have innovation that is stronger, higher . . . . And there’s books written about it. Now, there’s studies on it. Heterogeneous groups are more innovative.” “God loves His mosaic. He didn’t make any of us to be the same. There’s seven and a half billion of us, and yet not even identical twins are alike.” Why don’t we just understand each other’s stories? It makes God smile. He didn’t leave it as an option. He gave it as a commandment, by the way, it’s not optional. We need to get along and we need to act like family. So let’s have the hard conversations. Let’s do the work. Links Mentioned: Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346 Check out our Voices Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast Extra resource: On The Shoulders of Giants reading plan Skot Welch’s website Global Bridge Builders website Verses Mentioned: Romans 8 Revelation 7 & 9 Psalms 133 John 17 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is God only concerned with saving souls? Or does He care about both the spiritual and physical well-being of humanity? In this episode of VOICES’ Where Ya From? podcast, Dr. Esau McCaulley shares his origin story with Rasool and outlines what the Bible has to say about being socially active and pursuing justice.Guest Bio:Rev. Esau McCaulley, PhD, is an assistant professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He is the author of Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance and Christianity Today’s book of the year, Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope. Esau’s writings have appeared in the Washington Post, The Religious New Service, and Christianity Today, and he is also a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. Esau is married to Mandy, a pediatrician and Navy reservist. Together, they have four wonderful children.Notes & Quotes: “What happens when you’ve received everything that you want, but it’s not sufficient to bring you joy?” “I wanted to write something that’s going to inspire African American Christians to continue to see in the text of the Old and New Testament, hope. Because I think that’s what’s marked the African American Christian tradition throughout all of our history, right? That we looked in these texts and we saw in them a God who loved us.” “It is simply exegetically dishonest to say that you can get from one end of the Old Testament to the New Testament and not see some engagement of Christians in the public square.” Links Mentioned: Visit our website to sign up for emails: whereyafrom.org Leave us a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-ya-from-podcast/id1581145346 Check out our Voices Collection from Our Daily Bread Ministries Follow Where Ya From? on Instagram: @whereyafrompodcast Dr. Esau’s bio: https://esaumccaulley.com/about/  Dr. Esau’s book: Reading While Black Extra resource: This Far by Faith reading plan Verses Mentioned: Romans 14:13–23 “Don’t cause another Christian to stumble.” Isaiah 5:6–11 Isaiah 58 and 61 quoted by Jesus in Luke 4 Luke 1:46–55 “the Magnificat” Revelation 17 “Babylon the prostitute” 1 Timothy 1 and 2 Deuteronomy 15:18 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices