ON SOLID GROUND

About ON SOLID GROUND

Welcome to "On Solid Ground," a podcast for Christians seeking to build a life on the cornerstone of Christ. This isn't a show about having all the answers, but rather an honest conversation and exploration of a personal sanctification journey. Join Hosts Kenny and Shannon as they explore what it means to build strong pillars of faith, family, fitness, and future, while creating a life of purpose and power that truly stands on Solid Ground.

Publisher

Kenny Barnwell + Shannon Thompson

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Jan 2026

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

41 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Ep. 41: What Happens to Good People Who Don’t Accept Jesus?

   In this episode, Kenny Barnwell and Shannon Thompson have an honest conversation about salvation, free will, God’s plan, heaven, hell, and one of the hardest questions Christians face when it comes to the people they love. The conversation begins with Shannon sharing that his 80-year-old father-in-law recently suffered a stroke. His father-in-law grew up in India, identifies as Hindu, and has heard about Jesus many times over the years. During his time in the hospital, Shannon once again had the opportunity to pray with him, talk about Christ, and remind him that Jesus wants his heart. That leads into the bigger question: What happens if someone is a genuinely kind, loving, “salt of the earth” person, hears about Jesus, but never accepts Him as Lord and Savior? Kenny wrestles openly with the tension between God’s love, God’s foreknowledge, human free will, and the Christian belief that salvation comes through Christ. If God knows the choices we will make before we make them, what does that mean for someone He knows will never accept Jesus? And what about people who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel at all? Kenny and Shannon talk through the difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Jesus, the responsibility Christians have to share the gospel, and the reality that someone can appear righteous, attend church, do good things, or even speak about God without necessarily surrendering their life to Christ. Shannon also shares a testimony from a Christian missionary in India whose mother once practiced Hinduism. When her son became deathly ill as a child, she prayed to the many gods she knew before finally calling on the name of Jesus. According to his testimony, the boy recovered, and that experience changed the direction of their lives. The conversation eventually turns toward some difficult passages from Jesus about the narrow road, people who call Him “Lord” but are not known by Him, and the difference between Christ paying the price for sin and receiving the eternal life offered through faith in Him. Questions like: What happens to good people who never accept Jesus? Can someone go to heaven without believing in Christ? Does God send people to hell, or do people choose separation from God? How do free will and God’s foreknowledge work together? If God already knows someone will reject Him, what does that mean for His plan for their life? What happens to people who never hear the gospel? Is being a good person enough? What is the difference between knowing about Jesus and actually knowing Jesus? What does it mean to truly receive Jesus as Lord and Savior? And more... We do not pretend to have all the answers. In fact, Kenny and Shannon end this episode acknowledging that they still have more studying to do. This is a real conversation between two Christians wrestling with Scripture, salvation, free will, judgment, mercy, and the difficult reality that there are people we deeply love who may never believe what we believe. Rather than pretending to have a clean answer, this episode leaves the question open and sets up a deeper Part 2. Sometimes building your life on solid ground means being willing to admit: I do not know yet. So we keep seeking. We keep studying. We keep praying. And we keep pointing people toward Jesus. Scriptures Referenced: Matthew 28:19-20 John 3:16 Acts 2:23 Luke 23:39-43 Matthew 7:13-14 Matthew 7:21-23 John 3:18 As Mentioned in the Episode... We launched The Rock, our community for people who want to grow deeper in their faith, build strong foundations, and do life alongside other believers. The Rock is a free Facebook group. If you would like to join the conversation beyond the podcast, you can join us here: JOIN THE ROCK! https://www.facebook.com/groups/onsolidgroundcommunity (https://www.facebook.com/groups/onsolidgroundcommunity) THEME SONG BY: Joe Wolfe

2. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Ep. 40: Consider It Pure Joy When Life Gets Hard

   In this episode, Kenny Barnwell and Shannon Thompson celebrate 40 episodes of On Solid Ground and have an honest conversation about trials, perseverance, leadership, prayer, and what God can do through the difficult seasons of our lives. Kenny records the episode sick and still on tour, which leads into one of his favorite passages in Scripture: James 1. James tells believers to consider it pure joy when they face trials because the testing of faith produces perseverance, maturity, and wisdom. Kenny and Shannon talk about what that looks like in real life when the trial does not actually feel joyful. Kenny shares a powerful encounter from the day before. Before leaving his hotel in Los Angeles, he felt prompted to stop, pray, and ask God to use him and give him an opportunity to be a light to someone. Minutes later, he met a homeless man named Kent who immediately asked him, “Are you a Christian?” What started as a request for help became a conversation, a prayer, a hug, and a reminder that every person we pass is someone God deeply loves. The encounter also gave Kenny perspective on the challenges he has been facing personally and professionally and reminded him how quickly God can answer a prayer when we slow down enough to listen. The conversation also turns toward leadership. Kenny talks about navigating difficult situations with members of his touring crew and trying to figure out how to lead as both a Christian and the production manager responsible for a major tour. How do you show grace without avoiding accountability? How do you remain kind without allowing people to walk over you? And how do you make wise decisions when emotions are high? Kenny and Shannon talk about slowing down, praying for wisdom, leading by example, and recognizing that sometimes the very situations we wish would disappear are the situations God is using to mature us. The Christian walk was never promised to be easy. But our trials do not have to be meaningless. They can strengthen our faith, produce perseverance, develop wisdom, and teach us to become more like Christ. Questions like: Why does James tell us to consider trials “pure joy”? How do difficult seasons strengthen our faith? What does perseverance actually produce in us? How do we ask God for wisdom when we do not know what to do? How do we recognize when the Holy Spirit is prompting us to stop and act? Can a simple prayer lead to a divine encounter? How do Christians balance grace, kindness, accountability, and leadership? How can we change the way we see the struggles we are going through? And more... We do not pretend to have all the answers. This is a real conversation between two Christians learning how to trust God through difficult seasons, ask Him for wisdom, and recognize that even the hard things can be used for something bigger. This episode is a reminder that the trial may not feel joyful while you are walking through it. The stairs are hard while you are climbing them. The pressure is uncomfortable while you are under it. But God can use the struggle to strengthen you. So keep showing up. Keep praying. Keep asking for wisdom. Keep walking in faith. And when the trials come, remember what James tells us: Consider it pure joy. Scriptures Referenced James 1:2-8 Hebrews 13:2 Matthew 7:7 Genesis 50:20 Matthew 9:37-38 As Mentioned in the Episode... We launched The Rock, our community for people who want to grow deeper in their faith, build strong foundations, and do life alongside other believers. The Rock is a free Facebook group. If you would like to join the conversation beyond the podcast, you can join us here: JOIN THE ROCK! https://www.facebook.com/groups/onsolidgroundcommunity (https://www.facebook.com/groups/onsolidgroundcommunity) THEME SONG BY: Joe Wolfe

3. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Ep. 39: If You Want the Fruit, Stay Connected to the Vine

   In this episode, Kenny Barnwell and Shannon Thompson have an honest conversation about discipline, faith, self-control, the fruit of the Spirit, and what it really means to stay connected to Jesus when life gets difficult. The conversation starts with something practical: taking imperfect action, setting deadlines, and actually moving on the dreams and ideas God has placed on your heart. Kenny shares how easy it is to start building something, only to reach the moment where the next step requires a much bigger leap of faith. That leads into a vulnerable conversation about self-control, health, business, spiritual battles, and the tension between knowing what God has called you toward and still struggling to walk it out every day. Kenny reads from Galatians 5 and talks about something that stood out to him: Paul calls it the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are all connected. From there, the conversation moves into Jesus’ teaching in John 15 about the vine and the branches. If we want to bear fruit, we have to remain in Him. We cannot manufacture spiritual fruit through willpower alone. The invitation is to abide in Christ, stay close to Him, and allow the Holy Spirit to work through our lives. Kenny and Shannon also talk about what happens when the initial fire of faith begins to level off. What do you do when following Jesus no longer feels new or exciting? Shannon shares how spiritual maturity eventually requires walking by faith even when you do not feel the same emotional rush you once did. The conversation touches on God-sized dreams, business, the body of Christ, walking through the fire like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, trusting God like Daniel in the lions’ den, and remembering that the dreams God gives us may be much bigger than anything we could accomplish on our own. Kenny even lets one of his biggest and craziest dreams slip out during the conversation. Questions like: How do we actually bear the fruit of the Spirit? What does it mean to abide in Christ? Why is self-control connected to the rest of the fruit of the Spirit? What happens when the excitement of becoming a Christian begins to fade? How do we keep walking in faith when we do not feel spiritually “on fire”? Can God use our dreams, businesses, and work as part of the body of Christ? How do we know when a dream is bigger than something we could accomplish on our own? And more... We do not pretend to have all the answers. This is a real conversation between two Christians trying to stay close to Jesus, walk faithfully through uncertainty, and become who God is calling them to become. This episode is a reminder that spiritual growth is not about constantly chasing a feeling. It is about remaining. Abiding. Staying connected. And continuing to walk with Jesus even when the road gets difficult. If you want the fruit, stay connected to the vine. Scriptures Referenced Galatians 5:16-25 John 15:1-8 Daniel 3 Daniel 6 Revelation 3:15-16 1 Corinthians 13 John 13:35 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 Isaiah 40:31 1 Peter 5:8 Matthew 11:28-30 As Mentioned in the Episode... We launched The Rock, our community for people who want to grow deeper in their faith, build strong foundations, and do life alongside other believers. The Rock is a free Facebook group. If you would like to join the conversation beyond the podcast, you can join us here: JOIN THE ROCK! https://www.facebook.com/groups/onsolidgroundcommunity (https://www.facebook.com/groups/onsolidgroundcommunity) THEME SONG BY: Joe Wolfe

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Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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