Bonus: “God’s Hostage – Lessons in a Turkish Prison” with Andrew Brunson

September 29, 2025

What does it look like to trust God when the lights go out—when you’re falsely accused, isolated, and stripped of every comfort? In this powerful episode, Andrew Brunson, a missionary to Turkey who spent two years in a Turkish prison for his faith in Christ shares his honest testimony and compels us to consider: Will we still follow Jesus when we cannot see His faithfulness or feel His presence? Through Andrew’s journey, we are reminded of Christ’s call in Matthew 5 to rejoice in persecution and of the enduring truth that love for God fuels faithful obedience. This conversation challenges us to cultivate a resilient faith, fix our eyes on eternity, and learn to stand firm in the dark.

A missionary and pastor, Andrew Brunson spent over 20 years planting churches in Turkey before being unjustly imprisoned for his faith in 2016. His gripping story of suffering, endurance, and spiritual wrestling—told in his biography God’s Hostage—has inspired believers worldwide. In prison, Andrew faced darkness, isolation, and deep spiritual crisis, yet emerged with a deeper love for Christ and a refined faith. Now serving as a voice to help prepare the Body of Christ for coming trials, Andrew’s message is a vital call to trust and obey—even in the most severe testing.

Andrew Brunson, Guest

Andrew Brunson and his wife, Norine, was involved in starting churches, training, aid to refugees, and a house of prayer in Turkey for 23 years until being falsely accused of terrorism in October 2016. After this Andrew was held for two years in Turkish prisons. Due to a worldwide prayer movement and significant political pressure from the US government, he was finally sentenced and then dramatically released in October 2018. Andrew and Norine’s ministry – WaveStarters - is focused on the Muslim world, persecuted church, and preparing believers to stand in difficult times.
Gabe Cleator, Host

Gabe Cleator loves Jesus and desires to help others cultivate an intimate relationship with Christ as the All-Sufficient One. Gabe holds a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Ministries, is author of the book Always and in Everything, and currently serves as the director of the Home Discipleship Network under the ministry of IBLP. His passion is to see God’s people turn back to a vibrant, living Christianity that has Christ at the center and the Word as the foundation. Gabe and his wife, Sara, live in East Texas where they enjoy serving the Lord together and spending time in the great outdoors, taking fishing trips or visiting National Parks.