The Pastor’s Studio with Paul Basden

S3E5: Suzanne Hancock on Leaving Mormonism and Finding True Peace

What do you do when the faith you inherited never brings the peace you’re promised?

Suzanne Hancock was born and raised in the Mormon (LDS) church. She followed the rules, did what was expected, and built her identity around a faith tradition handed down for generations—yet peace always felt just out of reach.

In this episode, Suzanne courageously shares her long, honest journey of seeking truth:

• Growing up Mormon and quietly questioning what didn’t sit right

• Feeling trapped between loyalty, identity, and unanswered questions

• Wrestling with shame, anxiety, and depression while searching for peace

• Stepping into a Christian church for the first time—alone and uncertain

• Discovering Jesus not as a system, but as a relationship

• Walking away from a lifelong identity and choosing Christ for herself

• Experiencing baptism as freedom, joy, and new life

• Learning to trust God daily with anxiety, parenting, and purpose

This is not a story about switching religions.
It’s a story about seeking truth, finding peace, and choosing Jesus—no matter the cost.

If you’ve ever:

• Felt spiritually restless even inside a faith tradition

• Feared disappointing people by asking hard questions

• Struggled with anxiety, shame, or identity loss

• Wondered whether Jesus could really bring peace

Suzanne’s story is a powerful reminder that Jesus keeps His promise: “Seek, and you will find.”

🎧 Listen now to hear how surrender, courage, and grace reshaped one woman’s faith—and future.

---

RESOURCES & REFERENCES

📖 Bible Verses

• Matthew 3:17
• Matthew 7:7–8
• Jeremiah 29:11
• Psalm 103

🔗 Helpful Resources & Next Steps

• Rooted
• Alpha
• Shalom Message Series

S3E4: Jackson Ford - From Rock Bottom to a Life of Calling

What happens when the life you’re chasing leaves you empty.. and God meets you at rock bottom?

Jackson Ford didn’t grow up deeply rooted in faith. For years, God felt distant - something reserved for holidays and church buildings, not everyday life. College only amplified that distance as partying, addiction, and isolation quietly took hold.

Then everything changed.

In this episode, Jackson shares his raw and hopeful story of transformation:

• Growing up around church but never really knowing God

• How COVID isolation exposed deeper emptiness and addiction

• Hitting rock bottom during college and encountering grace for the first time

• Saying yes to Jesus and watching identity, relationships, and purpose change

• Learning to love selflessly instead of living for himself

• Discernment, surrender, and an unexpected call into ministry

This isn’t a story about having it all figured out.
It’s about curiosity turning into conviction.

If you’ve ever:

• Felt far from God even when you knew about Him

• Tried to numb emptiness with success, relationships, or habits

• Wondered if God could really use your past

• Wrestled with obedience when it didn’t make logical sense

Jackson’s story is a reminder that God doesn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up - He meets us in the mess and leads us forward.

---

Resources & References

• Watch: Defining Moments: Jackson's Story 
• Read: Romans 8, Acts 11:1-3, and Matthew 6:25-34

• The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis

S3E3: Surprised by Grace - Brad Brenneman on Work, Generosity, and Joy

Raised in a deeply Mennonite home, Brad Brenneman grew up surrounded by faith, service, and spiritual discipline. But it wasn’t until adulthood—after success, ambition, and an unexpected sense of emptiness—that grace became personal.

In this episode, Brad shares a story best described as “surprised by grace”:

• Growing up with a strong spiritual heritage—and learning faith for himself

• Leading businesses with humility, stewardship, and love for people

• Saying yes to international adoption - and watching grace multiply

• Learning generosity as a pathway to joy, not obligation

If you’ve ever:

• Wondered whether your career could truly be a calling

• Struggled to reconcile ambition with faith

• Felt God nudging you toward generosity, leadership, or adoption

• Believed in grace, but wanted to experience it more deeply

Brad’s journey offers a compelling reminder: God often does His deepest work quietly... through faithfulness, surrender, and everyday obedience.

🎧 Listen now to hear how a life rooted in grace can shape work, family, generosity, and legacy.

KEY VERSES & QUOTES (NIV)

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NIV)
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 9:6–8 (NIV)
“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Mark 10:45 (NIV)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Quote
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”

Books

What's So Amazing About Grace, Phillip Yancey

S3E02: Naming My Parkinson’s... and Learning to Laugh with Tim Johnson

Tim Johnson was serving as a senior pastor when he received a life-altering Parkinson’s diagnosis. Overnight, certainty disappeared, plans unraveled, and the future became fragile.

In this second episode of This Is My Story, Tim shares the story after the diagnosis:

• Hearing the word Parkinson’s and choosing not to waste it

• Letting go of leadership, identity, and control

• Learning to trust God without demanding answers

• Finding peace, and even joy, while living with uncertainty

• Discovering a new calling rooted in care, presence, and hope

This isn’t a conversation about healing formulas.
It’s about faith when the miracle doesn’t come the way you expect.

If you’ve ever:

• Faced a diagnosis you didn’t see coming

• Wondered why God didn’t intervene

• Struggled to trust when your future feels unsteady

Tim’s journey offers a steady, honest reminder: God may not remove the suffering, but He never removes His presence.

🎧 Listen now to hear how faith, surrender, and purpose can grow even in the shadow of Parkinson’s.