Inspirational Breakfast with Esther Higham

Former Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees joins Esther Higham as part of our Black History Month celebrations and conversations. They discuss whether diversity in government matters, how we reconcile with the UK's history of enslavement and why the Parable of the Talents encouraged him to go into politics.

A study from the Hebrew University reveals that most Israelis support the new military push into Lebanon aimed at halting Hezbollah’s near-daily rocket fire. One year on, the Middle East is on the brink of an even larger and more destructive war. Is the military strategy effective, and what lies ahead? Major General Tim Cross discussed this with Esther Higham.

A year after Hamas's attack on Israel, with conflict now extending to Lebanon, Iran, and Yemen, we continue to ask: how can we pray for peace in the Holy Land? Esther Higham spoke with Rev. David Hardman, the Liaison Officer in Jerusalem for the Methodist Church, Janet Symes from CAFOD, and Drew Caldwell and Christelle Hayek from the 24-7 Prayer team in Lebanon

Becoming a church leader is a complex business and requires much more than just a CV and job interview. But should it be this hard given the types of people who became leaders in the Bible? How do we 'discern' if we're ready to be leaders? Esther Higham spoke to Rev Michelle Nunn, the Principal of Regents College and a member of the Elim Church National Leadership Team, and Rev Phil Jump, the Regional Minister for the North West Baptist Association..

Lucy Stevens and Chris Joseph are both part of a new community of Christian Poets. They joined Esther Higham to share their top tips for writing, why scripture is a "never ending stream of inspiration", and how poetry helps us to express our faith.

Do you know anyone that’s come to faith via social media? David Lochhead does! David is the Head of Development at Streams Studio, a platform sharing encouraging testimonies and stories of faith. He spoke to Esther Higham about social media prodigals, being patient with your content, and why consistency is key when evangelising online,

Shermara Fletcher-Hoyte from Churches Together in England joins Esther Higham for the start of Black History Month. Shermara tells us why she would rather be woke, what it means for Black British people to "reclaim the narrative", and what we can get wrong about the month.

Steve Beegoo, Head of Education at Christian Concern, and former Labour MP Stephen Pound chat with Esther Higham about the government's proposed VAT on private school fees and why religious schools are so important.

Arthur Mist from World Vision chats to Premier's Max Avard about the tension in South Sudan, witnessing countries being transformed, and why he's leaving for his will with his employers.

A Santander UK survey of 2,000 UK residents revealed that 75% of Gen Z aspire to be entrepreneurs rather than work traditional 9-to-5 jobs. With job satisfaction in the UK being among Europe's lowest with only 64% reporting happiness in their roles. So is entrepreneurship more aligned with the bible than standard employment? Author and entrepreneur Chris Spicer, Executive & Behavioural Change Coach Dr. Lanre Olusola, and Wonderful Group Founder & CEO Dan Maudhub discuss this with Esther Higham.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his "true shock" at the condition of the prison system left by the former administration. Over 1,700 inmates were prematurely released in England and Wales to mitigate prison overcrowding. In light of these dire circumstances, Luke Carson, the Team Leader for Prisons and Resettlement at London City Mission, discussed with Esther Higham the impact on prison ministry work.

Should churches should aim for multicultural congregations like we see in the book of Revelation? Or does catering for multiple languages and cultures create too many practical issues? Esther Higham spoke to Reverend David Tomlinson, the vicar of St Paul's in Birmingham, Arman, part of the church's Farsi-speaking community and Dr Yinxuang Huang, Research Manager at the Bible Society.

Social media influencer Isabella Smugge portrays a life of perfection on Instagram, yet it all starts to unravel. She then starts a journey of faith thanks to a Christian friend, and through Isabella's eyes we see what the life of faith looks like when it’s all completely new. Author Ruth Leigh sat down with Esther Higham to delve into Isabella's character and the impact of her story on non-Christian readers.

The average person in the UK spends 6 hours and 8 minutes looking at screens, according to Data Reportal. Have you tried cutting down your screen time? What about ditching the Bible apps and going back to digital-free quiet times? Youthscape director Martin Saunders and Rev Dr Pete Phillips, Head of Digital Theology at Spurgeon’s College, spoke to Esther Higham about 'malevolent' tech leaders, phone addiction, and distracted devotionals.

Is there ever a period without news of war or conflict? Recently, Russia issued a war threat to NATO over the potential use of long-range missiles by Ukraine, supplied by the UK and US. Could disarmament be the solution to global peace? Major General Tim Cross and Peace Campaigner Inderjit Bhogal discuss this with Esther Higham.