Dr. Bradley Jersak: Finding Christ Where We Were Taught Not to Look | Summer Series 2026

What if Christ is already present in the people we overlook—and what if sin has not separated us from the God who is holding us together?

In this Summer Series conversation, Tim Stewart sits down with his dear friend Dr. Bradley Jersak, Principal of St. Stephen’s University, Director of the SSU School of Theology & Culture, author of more than twenty books—including A More Christlike God and A More Christlike Word—and a member of the Impact Nations Board of Directors.

Bradley begins with the message at the heart of his life and work: “God is exactly like Jesus.” From there, Tim and Bradley explore what it means to encounter Christ in unexpected people and places, especially among those the Church has been trained to approach as projects rather than partners.

They reconsider familiar assumptions about Christian mission, the Great Commission, salvation, and separation from God. Bradley shares stories of meeting Christ among unhoused neighbours, learning from Indigenous wisdom, and witnessing restoration in someone experiencing profound addiction and brokenness.

The conversation also turns inward. How much of our anger, judgment, and religious certainty is driven by fear or untreated wounds? How can we understand the wounds beneath destructive behaviour without excusing the harm? And how do we pursue justice without allowing resentment, contempt, or rage bait to shape our hearts?

This is a warm, candid conversation about mercy, mutuality, healing, and learning to recognize the work Christ may already be doing before we arrive.

In This Episode

• Why “God is exactly like Jesus” has become Bradley’s central life message
• How younger people respond to a more Christlike vision of God
• Why serving marginalized people must involve listening, partnership, and mutuality
• The Indigenous elder who told Christian visitors, “Christ was here 500 years before the first Christians arrived”
• How colonial assumptions have shaped common readings of the Great Commission
• What it means to say that all people exist in Christ
• Why Bradley distinguishes alienation from actual separation from God
• Salvation as a past, present, and future journey of whole-person restoration
• How fear, wounds, resentment, and contempt affect the way we treat others

If this conversation gives you something new to consider, follow or subscribe to the Impact Nations Podcast so you don’t miss the rest of the Summer Series. Share this episode with someone who is rethinking mission, salvation, or what it means to recognize Christ in others.

Featured Resources

Bradley Jersak’s website:
https://bradjersak.com

Bradley Jersak on Substack:
https://substack.com/@bradleyjersak

Bradley Jersak on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/bradley.jersak/

Bradley’s books, including A More Christlike God and A More Christlike Word:
https://bradjersak.com/books/

St. Stephen’s University:
https://www.ssu.ca

Certificate in Transformative Leadership:
https://www.ssu.ca/cert-in-transformative-leadership

Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership:
https://www.ssu.ca/ma-in-transformative-leadership

Connect With Impact Nations

Website:
https://www.impactnations.com

Journeys of Compassion:
https://www.impactnations.com/journeys-of-compassion

All Impact Nations links:
https://linktr.ee/impact.nations

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ImpactNations

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/impactnationsministries

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/impact.nations

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-nations-international-ministries-inc

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@impact_nations

Help Make Restoration Possible

Become a Monthly Impact Champion and help Impact Nations keep showing up with practical compassion, trusted local leadership, and long-term pathways toward restoration:

https://www.impactnations.com/monthly-impact-champions

Give to Impact Nations:
https://www.impactnations.com/donate

#BradleyJersak #SummerSeries2026 #ChristianPodcast #ImpactNations #ChristlikeGod #FaithAndJustice #ChristianMission #Restoration