Posts by Shelly Brown

Have you ever thought about what happens after heaven—and where believers will ultimately spend eternity?
Paul Feiner wrote New Jerusalem after the Millennium primarily for readers who enjoy deep Bible study, theology, and eschatology. But his careful study also offers something valuable for any believer who wants to better understand the resurrection, Christ’s coming kingdom, and the hope that awaits us.
In this episode of At This Table, host Shelly Brown welcomes Redemption Press author Paul Feiner into a conversation about the timing and theology of the new Jerusalem.
Paul explains why he believes Scripture describes two distinct cities: the restored Jerusalem of the millennial kingdom and the new Jerusalem that descends afterward. He also shares why heaven is not the believer’s final destination, what the resurrection means for our eternal future, and how these events reveal God’s faithfulness to His promises.
More than a discussion about timelines, this conversation points us back to the heart of it all: Jesus Christ, the coming King, and the sure hope believers have in Him.

Have you ever failed at something—and then quietly started believing you were the failure?
In this episode of At This Table, host, Shelly Brown welcomes Dr. Cynthia Perry, author of When Failure Was My Best Friend: Escaping the Darkness and Finding the Light, for a deeply honest conversation about the lies we believe, the wounds we tuck away, and the God who gently leads us into truth.
Cynthia shares how failure, fear, inadequacy, and loneliness became familiar companions in her life from a young age. Growing up in the South during segregation, struggling in school, failing fifth grade, and later discovering she had a learning disability, Cynthia began to believe the painful lie that she was destined to fail.
But God was writing a different story.

Have you ever looked back over your life and realized God was present in ways you could not see at the time?
In this episode of At This Table, host, Shelly Brown sits down with Alice Smith, author of Rearview Mirror: Following God’s Callings, a memoir-devotional that invites readers to look back—not to live in the past, but to recognize God’s presence, purpose, provision, and faithfulness along the way.
Alice shares why she identifies with Elizabeth from the New Testament, what it means to wait on God, and how the Lord often answers in ways we could never imagine. She also reflects on her childhood in rural Minnesota, the ordinary places that shaped her identity, and the unexpected callings that carried her into Christian education, ministry, missions, and service around the world.

What if the Christmas story you need most isn’t wrapped in perfection—but found in the quiet mercy, kindness, and grace of ordinary people?
Scott Kirk, author of Twelve Stories for Christmas, for a heartfelt conversation about the kind of Christmas stories that reach beyond nostalgia and sentimentality into real life.
Scott’s collection is not built around picture-perfect holidays, flawless families, or tidy endings. Instead, these stories reflect real people carrying real burdens … grief, loneliness, regret, disappointment, longing, and the ache of empty chairs against the backdrop of the Christmas season.
Together, Shelly and Scott talk about why Christmas can be both beautiful and heavy, how small acts of kindness can soften a wounded heart, and why stories have a way of helping us see God’s grace in places we may have overlooked.

What if the person you’re tempted to overlook is the very person God wants to use to open your heart?
In this episode of At This Table, host Shelly Brown welcomes Michael Dunn, author of His Name Is John Whitman: A Life Shared, for a heartfelt conversation about evangelism, compassion, suffering, and the kind of steady love that can soften even the hardest heart.
Inspired in part by Michael and his wife’s years of homeless ministry, His Name Is John Whitman reminds us that people are not interruptions, inconveniences, or problems to pass by. They are image-bearers with names, stories, pain, and eternal value.

Have you ever felt like you were trying so hard to move forward, but something from your past kept tripping you up?
In this episode of At This Table, host Shelly Brown welcomes Susie Lewis, author of The Great Trade: Exchanging Fear, Shame, and Guilt for Freedom, for an honest, hope-filled conversation about hidden pain, healing, and the freedom Jesus offers.
Susie shares how fear, shame, guilt, and childhood dysfunction affected her marriage, motherhood, ministry, and identity. From the outside, she looked like a faithful Christian woman serving in the church and raising her family. But behind closed doors, she was battling anger, remorse, and the painful cycle of promising, “Tomorrow I’ll do better.”
Together, Shelly and Susie talk about the God who sees, the courage it takes to bring hidden pain into the light, and how Jesus invites us to trade ashes for beauty, mourning for joy, and bondage for freedom.