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Maybe you’ve grown up as a Christian going to church or maybe you’re not interested in religion at all. But when you’re scrolling, hanging out with friends, trying to sleep, or overwhelmed with your day-to-day, do big existential questions ever pop in- you know- things like, “Why am I here? How did all this get here? What happens after I die?” “Is there a God and is there really meaning to all this?” ”What’s so special about Jesus Christ?”
We’ve all experienced deep longing for something this world can’t seem to satisfy.
Even someone as wildly successful as Taylor Swift knows that to be true. “I had won album of the year at the Grammys for a second time...” She said, “and I remember thinking afterwards, ’Oh my god, that was all you wanted!... That was all you focused on. You get to the mountaintop and look around and you’re like... what now?”
If you’re tired and feeling overwhelmed with all the different voices yelling for your affections- telling you what to go after- whether it be success, beauty, the perfect partner, social media followers, money, or power… only to leave you let down and unsatisfied, searching for more… Maybe like my friends and me, you’re after finding something REAL.
Every week, join me (Janell Wood), special co-hosts and guests as we ask questions, look for answers, and search for the source of something REAL: Restoration, Eternity, Authenticity, and Love. I believe those things can ultimately be found in relationship with Jesus Christ, but don’t take my word for it. Listen to our conversations for yourself and go on a journey with us: Is Jesus the REAL thing?
Episodes
2 days ago
2 days ago
Happy Wednesday!
Today, we are joined with our guest, Alycia Wood. We are also joined with co-hosts, Sarah and Katelyn.
Alycia shares how she came to faith. She has always been a curious person and her questions ultimately led her to start looking at the most inevitable question - Does God exist?
Does God still do the miracles He did in the Bible? Why did he stop doing big miracles like parting the Red Sea?
About Alycia
As a child growing up in the church, Alycia always had questions. She wanted to dig deeper into the Christian faith beyond the Sunday morning sermon. That fueled an independent search which led to her digging into the larger questions of life. While studying for a degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology at Robert Wesleyan College, Alycia discovered Apologetics. It changed the course of her life. Her quest for a deeper understanding of her Christianity had a name.
She went on to get her Master’s in Social Justice from Marygrove College to further her passion for serving those in need in the developing world. This led to various volunteering opportunities at orphanages, prisons, and shelters for the homeless in various countries including Haiti, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. A few years after her travels were completed, she was able to spend a year studying Apologetics in England.
Alycia spent many years as a teacher’s aide and substitute teacher for multiple grade levels. Following, she has spent over nine years doing full-time apologetics ministry where she travels and speaks on various topics relevant to our culture. She is currently with the C. S. Lewis Society in Tampa.
In her spare time, she is an avid sports fan, musician and grower of all things edible in her garden.
We hope you enjoy this week's conversation!
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LINKS
Those Big Faith Questions with Alycia Wood
What's So Special about Christianity? with Alycia Wood
Reasons to Look Into Christianity with Alycia Wood
Did the Resurrection Actually Happen? with Andy Bannister
AI Proves God's Existence with Abdu Murray
Are Generational Curses are Real? - Ana's Story
Naturalism Doesn't Make Sense with Jon Noyes
Listen on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MuVWFbZzue3ZLgCtIJGzB
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-something-real-podcast/id1481017856
Follow us on:
Instagram: finding_something_real
Facebook: Finding Something REAL with Janell Wood
Tiktok: @findingsomethingreal
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
Happy Wednesday!
We have a treat for you this week. We are joined with our guest, Andy Bannister. We are also joined with one of our co-host, Sarah.
We had a great conversation about the legitimacy of Christianity and why it matters whether or not the resurrection actually happened.
Dr. Andy Bannister is the Director of Solas and an Adjunct Lecturer at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. Andy holds a PhD in Islamic studies and is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at Melbourne School of Theology. Andy is the author of an academic book, An Oral-Formulaic Study of the Qur’an, and two popular-level books: The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist (or: The Terrible Consequences of Really Bad Arguments), and his latest: Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?. When not traveling, speaking, or writing, Andy is a keen hiker, mountain climber, and photographer. He is married to Astrid; they have two children, Caitriona and Christopher.
We hope you enjoy this week's episode!
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LINKS
Beauty, Math & Human Rights: Clues that Point to a Creator with Andy Bannister
AI Proves God's Existence with Abdu Murray
Are Generational Curses are Real? - Ana's Story
Naturalism Doesn't Make Sense with Jon Noyes
Listen on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MuVWFbZzue3ZLgCtIJGzB
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-something-real-podcast/id1481017856
Follow us on:
Instagram: finding_something_real
Facebook: Finding Something REAL with Janell Wood
Tiktok: @findingsomethingreal
Thursday Jan 15, 2026
Thursday Jan 15, 2026
Happy Wednesday! We are so glad you're joining us today. We back with one of our favorite guest, Abdu Murray. We are also joined with two of our co-host, Sarah and Cailee.
In this episode, we tackle the topic of AI.
Does AI go against the nature of God?
Does using AI stop our God-given creativity?
Is there anything AI can't do?
Abdu just release a book called "Fake ID" where he dives deeper into this topic.
We hope you enjoy this week's episode!
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Links
Fake ID: How AI and Identity Ideology Are Collapsing Reality - And What to Do About It
Embrace The Truth
Abdu Murray - YouTube
”Was Jesus Raised from the Dead?”
Grand Central Question - Abdu Murray
Saving Truth - Abdu Murray
More Than a White Man’s Religion - Abdu Mu
Questions Christianity Answers with Abdu Murray
REPLAY: Questions Christianity Answers with Abdu Murray
What Happens When You Embrace the Truth about Jesus Christ? with Abdu Murray
Wednesday Jan 07, 2026
Wednesday Jan 07, 2026
Happy Wednesday!
We are so excited for this week's episode! Today, we are sharing one of our co-host story, Ana!
Ana has been part of Finding Something Real since the very beginning. Janell and Ana met at a small group when she was a senior in High School in 2019. They've formed a beautiful friendship since then.
Ana was born and raised in Chelan, WA. She is currently the Social Media Manager for this Podcast and a co-host this season. She graduated from Northwest University and got her Bachelor's in Business Administration.
Ana is one of the founders of Valley Collective - a moment to unify the Churches in the Greater Chelan Valley. She's involved in many other ministries, including this one, using her gift and talents to build His Kingdom.
Ana loves the Lord with all her heart. It doesn't mean she hasn't gone through anything hard. Her dad had a stroke her sophomore year in High School. He was handicapped for four years until he passed away at the end of 2021. She shares her story about breaking a generational curse that was associated with to her dad's stroke.
She also opens up about her struggle with self-hatred and suicidal thoughts.
Ana's relationship with the Lord is so rich and so deep. If you relate to her story or want to ask more questions, please reach out! Message us - we would love to talk with you!
We hope you love Ana as much as we do!
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LINKS
I Have Seen the Goodness of God in My Life
You Don't Have to Have All the Answers with Lindsey Medenwaldt
Listen on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MuVWFbZzue3ZLgCtIJGzB
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-something-real-podcast/id1481017856
Follow us on:
Instagram: finding_something_real
Facebook: Finding Something REAL with Janell Wood
Tiktok: @findingsomethingreal
Wednesday Dec 31, 2025
Wednesday Dec 31, 2025
Happy Wednesday! We hope you’re enjoying the last day of 2025.
We have a great conversation for you this week. Our guest this week is no stranger to the podcast, Jon Noyes. We are also joined with our co-host, Sarah.
Jon shares his coming to faith story. One of the topics they discuss is Naturalism. He shares why he believes Naturalism doesn't make sense and is an easy cop out to complex questions - suffering, death, moral issues etc.
We hope you enjoy this week's episode!
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LINKS
Eternity: Extreme and & Scary? with Jon Noyes
Suicide, God, and Knowing You're Not Alone with Jon Noyes
You Don't Have to Have All the Answers with Lindsey Medenwaldt
Can You Trust the Bible? with Greg Koukl
Why People Really Don't Believe in Jesus with Xandra Grieme
Is This Even Real? - Katelyn Deal's Story
Release What God Has Already Given Us with Jesse Childress
Making the Case for Christ with J. Warner Wallace
Wednesday Dec 24, 2025
Wednesday Dec 24, 2025
It's Christmas Eve! We hope you're enjoying this time with all your loved ones! We have a special treat for you this week.
On this episode, we are joined with a returning guest, Lindsey Medenwaldt. We are also joined with three of our co-hosts - Cailee, Ana and Sarah.
Lindsey breaks down how to share your faith with others. She gives practical ways we can share our faith, and takes the pressure off feeling you have to know everything. A lot of times, as believers, we may feel like we need to know everything for others to come to Christ. But, really it's Jesus that does the work in them, we just plant the seed.
Lindsey is the executive director and resident world religion expert of Mama Bear Apologetics. She holds a Masters in Apologetics & Ethics from Denver Seminary, a Masters in Public Health, and a degree in Law. Recently, Lindsey wrote a chapter about Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Popular Handbook of World Religions (Harvest House). Lindsey and her apologist husband have been married for 13 years and currently live with their three beautiful daughters in Texas. In her spare time, Lindsey loves watching British reality television and reading from her at-home library of over 2,000 books.
We hope you enjoy this week's episode! Merry Christmas!
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LINKS
Mama Bear Apologetics - The Book
Can You Trust the Bible? with Greg Koukl
Why People Really Don't Believe in Jesus with Xandra Grieme
Is This Even Real? - Katelyn Deal's Story
Release What God Has Already Given Us with Jesse Childress
Making the Case for Christ with J. Warner Wallace
Dealing with Grief and Church Hurt with Jason Schmidt
How to Love People in Truth and Love with Drew Berryessa
Thursday Dec 18, 2025
Thursday Dec 18, 2025
Happy Wednesday!
This week on Finding Something Real, we are joined with a very special guest, Greg Koukl. We are also joined with our co-hosts, Sarah and Cailee!
Sarah and Cailee ask Greg really good questions about whether or not we can trust the Bible through translations, interpretations and overall legitimacy. Greg does a great job of answering clearly and with solid evidence.
About Greg:
Greg founded Stand to Reason in 1993 and currently serves as President of Stand to Reason. He has spoken on more than 70 college and university campuses both in the U.S. and abroad and has hosted his own call-in radio show for 27 years, advocating for “Christianity worth thinking about.” He has debated atheist Michael Shermer on national radio and Deepak Chopra on national television. An award-winning writer and best-selling author, Greg has written seven books, including The Story of Reality—How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between; Tactics—A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, and Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air. Greg has been featured on Focus on the Family radio and has been interviewed for CBN and the BBC. He's been quoted in Christianity Today, the U.S. News & World Report, and the L.A. Times.
Greg received his Masters in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at Talbot School of Theology, graduating with high honors, and his Masters in Christian Apologetics with honors from Simon Greenleaf University. He is an adjunct professor in Christian apologetics at Biola University.
We hope you enjoy this week's episode!
Listen on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MuVWFbZzue3ZLgCtIJGzB
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-something-real-podcast/id1481017856
Follow us on:
Instagram: finding_something_real
Facebook: Finding Something REAL with Janell Wood
Tiktok: @findingsomethingreal
Wednesday Dec 10, 2025
Wednesday Dec 10, 2025
Happy Wednesday!
This week on Finding Something Real, we are joined with one of our favorite guest, Xandra Grieme. We are also joined with three of our co-host, Ana, Christie and Sarah.
In this episode, we talk about the tension of faith and science, and how they go more hand in hand than you think. Xandra opens up about hard parts of her story and brings light to difficult topics - suffering and free will. And why that keeps a lot of people from fully believing in Jesus. How could a good God allow suffering, abuse, and evil? That's one of the hardest questions, and one we won't know the complete answer to on this side of eternity.
But you can trust this - He's a God of Compassion. His heart was never for any of these things to happen. He became flesh and came down to be in the suffering with you. That's how much He loves you.
Rest in that truth today.
About Xandra:
Xandra Grieme received a BS from Colorado State University and later studied at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Xandra continued her studies at Victoria University of Wellington where she completed a master’s degree in Conservation Biology. Her scientific research includes work in parasitology, flow cytometry, and ecological restoration. Xandra is passionate about educating youth on our role as stewards of the natural world.
We hope you enjoy this week's episode!
How to Love People in Truth and Love with Drew Berryessa
Listen on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MuVWFbZzue3ZLgCtIJGzB
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-something-real-podcast/id1481017856
Follow us on:
Instagram: finding_something_real
Facebook: Finding Something REAL with Janell Wood
Tiktok: @findingsomethingreal