Insight with Karl Faase

"You can have Daniel and Lyndall for five hundred dollars." That’s the sentence Dan Lyons’ mother used when his father tried to gain custody of him and his sister - the price she put on her own children. In this raw and confronting conversation, Dan takes Karl Faase back through years of alcohol-fuelled domestic violence, a mother who turned her own pain into abuse against her son, and the homeless, drug-affected years ...

Tim Kelly grew up on a dairy farm in northern NSW, learning to ride potty calves at five years old and by his late teens he was riding saddle bronc and bulls professionally, competing at the Calgary Stampede and winning the Saddle Bronc Junior World Championship. But behind the trophies, and the hard-partying rodeo lifestyle was a persistent emptiness Tim couldn't shake. 

In this episode of Insight, Tim shares his journey from...

If life were a film, most of us can point to the moment everything changed. For Graham Clarke, that moment came as a phone call from a radiologist about his wife, Christy - a call that changed everything that came after. In this raw and moving conversation, Graham shares the story of walking with Christy through a terminal cancer diagnosis, parenting three young kids through unimaginable loss, and discovering that faith doesn't mea...

He was taken from his family before he could walk, told for years he'd had polio when it was actually malnutrition, and labelled "dumb" by a school system that never diagnosed his dyslexia. Decades later, Rev. Dr. Rex Rigby became the first Indigenous Australian to lead a national denomination.

In this honest conversation, Rex sits down with Karl Faase to talk about childhood abuse, being removed from his family as a toddler, and t...

"I live in Africa - waiting is never an issue." That was Melanie Downes' response when a string of technical hiccups left her and her husband Tim sitting patiently in the studio long past schedule. It's a small window into a life shaped by nearly two decades as a missionary in Malawi - a life of nine-hour queues, two-day border crossings, and a faith forged in a place most of us will never see.

In this episode, Karl Faase speaks wi...

You've seen the Red Frogs at Schoolies, festivals and uni O-Week - the crew handing out lollies, walking people home, being the calm in the chaos. You might even know that Taylor Swift's team has called them in for support, or that Allen's donates 24 tonnes of frogs to the cause. What you don't see is the story behind one of the people who's helped build it and why he spends his life helping teens!

In this episode, Karl Faase sits ...

In many of our churches, there's an unspoken script: grow up, find someone, get married, have kids. And if that doesn't happen - or hasn't happened yet - it can leave people quietly wondering: Is there something wrong with me? Is this just a waiting room?

Dr Dani Treweek has spent over a decade thinking, writing, and living these questions. In this episode of Insight with Karl Faase, she shares her journey of growing up in Sydney's...

What does it take to raise a good man in a culture that can't decide whether masculinity is a problem to be solved or a strength to be celebrated? In this episode of Insight, Karl Faase sits down with Simon Smart - a teacher, writer and Director of the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX). This is a wide-ranging, deeply personal conversation about boys, bullying, fatherlessness, the manosphere, and what it actually means to be a go...

What happens when the church's greatest virtue becomes its greatest blind spot? In one of the most important conversations on faith and institutional responsibility you'll hear, Karl Faase sits down with Roderick Best - a Sydney lawyer who spent decades at the coalface of child protection, and ultimately served as Senior Solicitor for Australia's Royal...

This episode features Simon Hood, a passionate advocate for children's ministry and faith-based creativity, sharing his journey from a puppeteer in Hornsby to a global influencer in children's evangelism. However, alongside growing a global ministry, he and his wife travelled a long road through infertility, IVF, international adoption, and living through the joys and challenges of neurodiversity. 

During some of the most pain...

Professor Louise Baur has spent decades helping children and families navigate the complex realities of obesity, body image, and health. In this episode of Insight, host Karl Faase explores the deeply personal and often misunderstood challenges surrounding childhood obesity - from biology and mental health to social media pressure and stigma.

As both a leading pediatrician and a Christian, Louise shares how her faith shapes the way...

How does a gay man find faith in Jesus?

David Bennett's story is a must listen to. In this episode of Insight, Karl hears David share his story, which journeys from coming out as gay when he is a teenager in a Sydney private school - to studying and living in Oxford. 

The turning point of the story is when David meets someone in a pub who doesn't try to convince him that Jesus is the truth, but instead, embodies the compassion...

What does theology have to do with winemaking?

In this fascinating conversation, Tim Kirk from Clonakilla Wines shares how faith, creativity, craftsmanship and the landscape itself all shape the wines he creates. From the cool climate to the spiritual symbolism of wine throughout the Bible, Tim offers a unique perspective on what makes great wine truly memorable.

Karl unpacks his story, his faith, his perspective on ministry and ho...

Most people only see the surface of a life filled with trauma, adventure, and profound faith. Greg Low’s story reveals how even in the darkest moments - plane crashes, the loss of his mother, and dangerous war zones - there's a remarkable thread of hope, purpose, and discovery.

In this episode of Insight, Greg shares stories from decades of filming in the world's most volatile regions - from Rwanda to Somalia, Ethiopia to Moz...

Phil Cave is the Principal and Partner at private equity firm, Anchorage. In this conversation, Phil shares about his career running and turning around major businesses and what it takes to succeed in business. But, Karl and Phil also talk about the time he considered a career change and moving into ministry. He’ll share why he didn’t make the change and how God has used him exactly where he is.

Phil Cave’s insigh...

Most of us chase after success, significance, and purpose through our careers, families, or achievements. But what if our true calling is found in the place we often overlook - in the everyday moments and relationships that build a life of genuine impact?

Duncan Brown's extraordinary journey reveals how life's deepest identity and calling are rooted in Christ, not in career accomplishments or societal status and it’s a s...

Dr Mike Bird is a respected New Testament scholar, author, and lecturer, but his story begins in a very different place.

Growing up in a dysfunctional home marked by addiction, instability, and fear, Mike learned early how deeply childhood shapes identity. With no faith background and little academic direction, he joined the army as a way out. It was there amid discipline, challenge, and unexpected invitation that everything began ...

What is really happening with faith in Australia?

In this insightful conversation, Karl Faase sits down with leading researcher Ruth Powell to explore the shifting spiritual landscape which is moving from church decline and cultural distrust to surprising signs of curiosity and hope among younger generations. Drawing on decades of research through the National Church Life Survey, Ruth offers a nuanced perspective.

While the church ...

In this episode, Greg Attwells discusses the 36-month campaign, a movement aimed at delaying children's access to social media until age 16. A campaigned that massed over 150,000 signatures of concerned parents; a campaign that changed the law; a campaign that was profiled at the UN. Greg shares insights on parenting challenges in the digital age, the impact of technology on youth, and the importance of creating a supportive enviro...