Power Lunch With Laura

A close brush with death has led Barry Conrad to be more determined about his work, and also to check in on the people around him more intentionally.

Reaching the music industry’s pinnacle with a Grammy, and being at the forefront of global Christian worship music, Brooke Ligertwood is at times “terrified”—and daily has to call on God for His help. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. Signed to Sony at 18 years of age, Brooke’s debut album ‘What to Do with Daylight’ exceeded 8x Platinum sales in New Zealand—yet she didn’t go into the industry with an end goal in mind, or a fixed idea of what she wanted to say with her art. “I was so young that I don’t think I’d really thought that much about it,” said Brooke in an interview with Hope 103.2. “It wasn’t like I came into things with anything resembling a plan, or a fully-formed ambition, it was more just that [singing] was something that I loved to do.” In this chat with Laura, Brooke talks about the power of music to change hearts, and the wrestle she has choosing which songs she'll use for corporate worship, and which she'll keep just between her and God.

When the events of 9/11 took place in New York City, it was seen as a direct attack on America’s global power and The West. Many responded with hate toward the Middle East, and even now the cultural ramifications of that day are being felt, worldwide. While America launched their “War on Terror” and sent troops to the frontlines, Jeremy Courtney and his wife Jessica took a different approach. They’d just graduated from university, and were young Christian newlyweds contemplating how they’d make their unique stamp on the world. In the aftermath of September 11, they decided to go directly into Iraq with a message of love instead of fear, and a (retrospectively naïve) desire to convince them to embrace Western ideologies. What emerged, was The Preemptive Love Coalition (now Preemptive Love): a humanitarian organisation taking supplies directly to the frontlines of the world’s worst conflicts, and striving to “unmake violence” across Iraq, Libya and beyond. But, as Jeremy reflects on the early days of his and J

In his latest book, 'Is Jesus History?', academic and author Dr John Dickson encourages doubters to explore the facts. Following up from his 2018 release, 'A Doubters Guide to Jesus', the new book is an evidence-based evaluation of Biblical history, compiling some of the latest thinking on Jesus’ life, and what facts we can know for sure. He chats to Laura about how Christianity, while always containing an element of trust, is not a blind faith.

The plan of then-19-year-old German native Christopher Schacht sounds insane. At the end of his school career and about to dive straight into a computer science degree, Christopher decided instead to embark on an around the world trip - with just 50 Euros - and see where his smile and drive could take him. Four years and 45 countries later, Christopher had hitchhiked across the Atlantic, journeyed through the jungles of South America, and done it all without airplanes, credit cards, or a backup plan. He just wanted to be free, but got more than he bargained for when he discovered a new connection with God, and a passion for the church. “There are really a lot of circumstances you get into that you can’t get out of by your own strength,” he said. “Knowing that was the first time on my trip I really started praying... I started to feel like the way ahead of me was already planned out, and I was being guided in what was to come.” Christopher’s travels gave him a greater appreciation for the world as a globa

Laura chats to musician and author Stephen Roach, founder of the Breath and Clay conference, and host of the Makers and Mystics podcast.

In this Power Lunch episode Laura catches up with the director of Heritage Media's modern adaptation of the 'Little Women' film, Clare Niederprum.

When gospel preacher Priscilla Shirer hit the big screen in the film War Room, she was an unexpected newcomer to the world of acting for film. Now she returns with a key role in the Kendrick brothers’ movie, Overcomer. In this interview she chats to Laura about the movie’s key themes such as mentoring and the difference your words can make in a young persons’ life, as well as identity and what makes for true success. “Traditionally it’s been promoted in our society that more successful you are, the more significant you are. So men and women are in this rat race to climb some hypothetical ‘ladder of success’ at the expense of other things that really do matter. “I realise from the film, even in my own life, there are many things I don’t realise my significance is illegitimately tied to, until those things are no longer here. Then when you don’t have them, to the extent that it devastates you, is the extent to which you know your significance was tied to it. “If you’re disappointed that’s one thing. But if

Comedian John Crist has built an entire career on satirising Christians and pointing out embarrassing attitudes within the Christian faith. His videos have amassed over 1billion YouTube views, with a 1 million-strong Instagram following continually coming back for more.  For Crist, his comedy not only shines a spotlight on some uncomfortable hypocrisies within the church - but also provides him a refuge in life's tough seasons. "If anyone’s [ever felt] some kind of escape or easing of pain [though my comedy],” said Crist, “whatever it does to you, it does 10 times more for me to make it. If I’m going though breakups or issues in my family that have been hard, [my work] makes it way easier, because the escape is so real when you’re up on that stage.” In his chat with Laura, he talks about growing up a homeschooled pastors' kid in America's south, bridging the church-mainstream divide, and his constant need for audience feedback.

In this episode, author, pastor and speaker Louie Giglio talks about the impact of our relationships with our fathers, on how we relate to God. He also offers hope for healing, to those whose relationship with their father gave them a broken image of God. He delves into the topic in his new book, 'Not Forsaken: Finding Freedom as Sons & Daughters of a Perfect Father'.

While in Australia for pop culture expo Oz Comic Con, 'Catch 22' actor Julie Ann Emery made time for a chat with Laura. She said her many TV roles, including 'Fargo', 'Better Call Saul', 'Preacher', and now George Clooney’s 'Catch 22', have taught her a lot about life, womanhood, and faith... as well as the amazing impact of what you wear, on how you treat other people.

Five years since his last Australia tour, Stan Walker has emerged from a long "wilderness" season, recovered from cancer and ready to bring his "New Takeover II Tour" to the land of Aus. In this episode he chats to Laura about his journey through cancer, and how recovering from a mental, emotional and physical 'desert' has given him a new passion for what he does best. They also chat about the Christchurch mosque tragedy, and how he responded to that.

Catrina Henderson, pastor of Hillsong Israel, shares what it's been like launching the global church's first Middle East location as a solo white female.

In this episode of Power Lunch with Laura, we hear from Australian filmmaker Jessica Van Der Wyngaard, who filmed I Survived I Kissed Dating Goodbye.

Former Korn Guitarist Brian ‘Head’ Welch chats about his new film, tracking his healing from addiction, conversion to faith, & relationship with his daughter, Jennea.

Pastor and author Erwin McManustalks about his book ‘The Way of the Warrior', and finding the peace that will help us heal the brokenness we see around us.  

In this chat, author Sheridan Voysey talks about ‘The Making of Us’ - a book following a pilgrimage of discovery after 10 years' struggle with infertility

Australian carer Eileen Glass talks about her experience with L’Arche, the French organisation revolutionising care for the intellectually disabled

In ‘Read Me First’ , entrepreneur Lisa Stephenson delves into the questions we need to ask ourselves before we start the next chapter of our lives.

“The staff used food trays as bulletproof vests”. The director of Hotel Mumbai, Anthony Maras shares what compelled him to make a movie about the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, and what we can learn from the heroes in the aftermath.