Episodes

In this podcast, Caleb interviews Oleksandr Salfetnikov, a pastor serving close to the eastern front in Ukraine. Aleksander shares of his experiences during wartime and how his ministry has continued despite the difficulties of the war. For language purposes the video has been translated to English.

Likely, you would not tell anyone that you love Hitler or that you think he did a lot of good for the Church. However, that’s exactly how many Christians felt in the 1930’s in Nazi Germany. They were unashamed of their support for Hitler and vocal in their support of him. Looking back on how things turned out, this seems hard to imagine, yet millions of Christians were deceived and gladly followed the Führer down the path of one of the most murderous regimes in recent history. millions of Chris...

God Is Building His Church in the Midst of War For many people, Ukraine is known primarily through the images and stories that come out of the war: destroyed buildings, missile strikes, soldiers at the front, and families who have lost loved ones. But spending time in Ukraine reveals something that is harder to see from a distance. People are still living their lives, churches are still gathering, communities are being served, and Christians are continuing to share the hope of the Gospel. Rece...

Finding Joy in Suffering: What James Teaches the Modern ChurchConsider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. - James 1:2-3 Few passages of Scripture challenge modern Christians as much as these opening words from James. The idea of finding joy in suffering seems almost impossible in a culture that spends enormous amounts of time and energy trying to avoid pain. We naturally seek comfor...

Should We Give a Little Gospel to Thousands—or the Whole Gospel to a Few? Contemporary evangelical movements have often focused on giving a little gospel to as many people as possible. The goal is to reduce the message down to a few memorable phrases that can be shared quickly with large numbers of people. But is that the pattern we find in Scripture? This question is addressed thoughtfully in Chapter 2 of Will Metzger's Tell the Truth, titled The Gospel Reduced. As I recently revisited this c...

Just a couple hundred meters from our church office, a missile struck an apartment building. It happened around 7:00 in the morning. Thankfully, I was still at home drinking my coffee when I heard the explosion. A few hours later, as I drove to church, I was met with a large traffic jam because the missile had hit the very road I travel every day.When I arrived at the office, I walked down the street toward the scene. I could see the top of the apartment building where the missile had struck. T...

The "sinner's prayer" has become a familiar part of evangelism in many churches. After a gospel message, people are often invited to bow their heads, repeat a prayer, and are then told that if they sincerely meant those words, they have been saved. Many Christians have seen this approach used in youth events, church services, and evangelistic outreaches. But is this the pattern we find in Scripture? Should leading someone in a sinner's prayer be part of our evangelism? The prayer itself is not...

When Culture, Protest, and the Gospel Collide In recent news from Ukraine, a Pride march in Kyiv has once again drawn attention —not only from the public, but also from Christians wrestling with a deeper question: How should believers respond? Pride parade held in Kyiv this past week This isn’t entirely new. Pride events in Ukraine have existed for years, growing steadily after 2016. But the full-scale invasion in 2022 disrupted much of public life, including social movements. In recent years...

Understanding the Imprecatory PsalmsAppoint someone evil to oppose my enemy. Let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty...May his days be few... May his children be wandering beggars... - Psalm 109 Those words are in the Bible. For many Christians, reading Psalm 109 for the first time is shocking. It sounds more like a cry of vengeance than a prayer of faith. How can these words exist alongside Jesus' command to "love your enemies and pray for those who pe...

Orthodoxy, the Gospel, and Wartime Ukraine As war forces millions of Ukrainians to confront questions about death and eternity, one spiritual question stands at the center of this conversation: Can someone truly know they are forgiven by God? From Odesa, Ukraine, Caleb introduces the topic of Eastern Orthodoxy and its deep influence on Ukrainian faith, culture, and religious life before sitting down with Pastor Andrii Murzin in Kyiv, for a conversation on theology, war, and the gospel. The in...

Faith Under Fire In the early hours of another sleepless night in Kyiv, air raid sirens echoed through the city as missiles and drones struck residential neighborhoods. One apartment building collapsed into a mountain of concrete and smoke. Rescue workers clawed through the rubble searching for survivors. For many Ukrainians, this has become a grim rhythm of life. Yet even amid war, the gospel continues to shine. Recently, Caleb interviewed Ukrainian pastor, professor, and volunteer chaplain A...

Conversations surrounding the gospel, identity, and sexuality can often feel difficult, emotional, and complicated. Yet as Christians, the way we approach people matters deeply. Truth should never be separated from grace, and grace should never ignore truth. In these moments, our attitude, focus, and love for others can make a lasting difference.

When we share the gospel, what actually matters? Do we need to address someone’s sexual identity? Does it make a difference whether a person identifies as heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender when presenting the message of Christ? These questions aren’t theoretical anymore. They’re part of real conversations happening every day. And compared to a few decades ago, something has shifted. More people who identify as part of the LGBTQ community also identify as Christians. Th...

A Testimony of Truth and Transformation What happens when someone raised to believe they have the truth begins to question everything? In a recent episode of the Gospel Today Podcast, Caleb Suko sits down with Melek Steele to explore that very question. Melek’s story is of a man deeply formed by the Jehovah’s Witness worldview, who eventually found himself confronting its inconsistencies and searching for something more. A Life Shaped by the WatchtowerMelek was a third-generation member of th...

Sharing the gospel with atheists requires both truth and compassion. Rather than arguing, focus on understanding and meaningful conversation. While belief in God is reasonable, arguments alone don’t change hearts. Point people to God’s love, mercy, and truth, and trust Him to work, as many reject Him for personal, not intellectual, reasons.

A small church founded by Mark Suko demonstrated that true ministry success is faithfulness. By teaching Scripture, caring for people, and practicing humble leadership, it shaped lives without chasing trends or recognition, showing that God values steady, faithful service over size, influence, or popularity.

After years of war, Ukrainian churches have grown stronger and more focused. They emphasize the gospel, meet practical needs, avoid political division, speak honestly about suffering, and live with an eternal perspective, showing that faith can deepen and thrive even in the hardest circumstances.

Around 70% of Ukrainians identify as Orthodox, often as a cultural tradition rather than personal faith. In this episode of Gospel Today, I share practical ways to share the gospel with Orthodox friends: finding common ground, showing respect, opening Scripture together, and continually pointing to the simple truth of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone.

What does gospel ministry look like when war becomes daily life? *Read the whole story In this video, Pastor Oleksandr Radin shares how God is working in Eastern Ukraine through The Story of Hope—a chronological Bible study that helps people understand the gospel from Genesis to Revelation. In the midst of missile strikes, displacement, and deep loss, Oleksandr continues to serve refugees, families, and soldiers by bringing both practical help and the unchanging hope of God’s Word. The post H...

Born in the Soviet Union where faith was forbidden, Christina’s journey reveals how God’s grace broke through the walls of communism and continues to shine through the darkness of war. In this moving episode of The Gospel Today Podcast, Christina shares her childhood memories in the USSR, her family’s discovery of the Bible, and how she now serves women and families in Odesa amid missile attacks and fear. The post Childhood in the Soviet Union to Serving Christ in Ukraine first appeared on The ...

What leads a pastor’s son from a small church in Washington State to the war-torn city of Odesa, Ukraine? In this interview, Caleb Suko shares how God shaped his calling, guided his family through decades of ministry, and taught him to trust Him — from seminary classrooms to air raid sirens. The post From America To Ukraine first appeared on The Suko Family.

Two murders have shaken us in recent days. Charlie Kirk was shot and killed in front of thousands as he debated university students in Utah. Iryna Zarutska, a young Ukrainian refugee woman on her way home from work, was murdered on the subway. Two lives cut short. Two tragedies that remind us that no country, no system, and no human promise can guarantee safety. The post The Murder of Charlie Kirk and the Idol of Safety first appeared on The Suko Family.

What drives a Ukrainian pastor to trade his pulpit for the frontlines of war? In this interview, Chaplain Andriy Zalishuk shares his extraordinary journey from pastoring a small church to walking alongside Ukrainian soldiers in the trenches. Hear how missile strikes, destroyed cities, and the cries of refugees motivated him him into chaplain ministries —bringing the hope of Christ to men facing death every day. Learn more about The Gospel Today https://gospeltoday.online The post He Used to Be...

In this episode, talk about our transition from ABWE to Gospel Today and do our best to answer your questions. Over the past 20 years, we’ve been blessed with a cohesive team and a ministry focused on evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. We cherish the memories and experiences with ABWE and are excited to continue our mission with The Gospel Today. In this episode, we address some of the key questions you’ve asked: Why are we making this transition? How will it affect our ministry? Wh...