Advertise on podcast: A Very Tall Man

Gary digs out an old TV chat with Irish preacher Bob Gass - the man behind the wildly popular daily devotional, The Word for Today. Turns out those bite-sized daily thoughts start life as 400-500 words scrawled longhand on a yellow legal pad, whittled down to exactly 285 (every word's a worker, apparently) with help from his wife's mum transcribing it all twelve times over. Bob talks about preaching his first sermon at 13, arriving in America at 17 with two sermons and 25 cents to his name, and being mentored the old-school way - no Bible college, just a pastor's family, a Grundig recorder, and some brutally honest feedback. He also fields questions from the audience and Facebook on hearing from God, doubting your faith, and why simple truths (Jesus loves you) often land harder than clever theology. Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App. For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz Produced using AI tools under human supervision. Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part two of Gary's chat with Bob Gass, the man behind that little devotional you've probably seen lying around - The Word for Today - now read in a dozen-plus languages and beamed out across the globe. Recorded in front of a UK studio audience (plus a few Facebook questions thrown in), Bob gets into the meaty stuff: grief, growing up in a strict Belfast church household, why he reckons churches don't talk about money enough, and the wedding-day prophecy that basically predicted his whole writing career. Along the way there are stories of readers who've been gobsmacked by the devotional's uncanny timing, some classic Bob one-liners (decapitation for boring preachers, anyone?), and a genuinely moving reflection on what it means to grieve well. Stick around for his simple two-word trick for "restoration" - rest and store - it's a ripper. Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App. For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz Produced using AI tools under human supervision. Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gary reckons a good thriller gets better when it's set just down the road - and The Target ticks that box, with the Picton Ferry, Havelock and Wellington all getting a look in. Author Riley Chance joins him to chat about weaving real New Zealand history (like the 1984 Trades Hall bombing) and current societal issues - unions, surveillance, family violence - into page-turning fiction that quietly gets you thinking. They get into Orwell, why Riley's ditched social media (turns out helping billionaires get richer wasn't much of a drawcard), and where AI fits for a writer who's very protective of his own creative process. Riley's clear on one thing though: read The Target as a cracking thriller first - if it makes you ask a few uncomfortable questions about NZ society along the way, even better. Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App. For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz Produced using AI tools under human supervision. Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gary sits down around the piano in Belfast with a genuine gospel music legend: Bill Gaither. If you've ever hummed along to "He Touched Me" or "Because He Lives" without knowing who wrote them, well, now you do. Bill unpacks the stories behind his best-loved songs, from Larry Gatlin's "Greatly Blessed, Highly Favoured" to the accidental beginnings of the Homecoming videos, and explains why a good gospel song needs solid theology, poetry and heart in equal measure. Along the way Bill talks candidly about the songs he wishes more people had heard, working (and gently competing) with wife Gloria's lyrics, and that time Donnie McGuire wrote a better melody than he did in 45 minutes flat. There's talk of loss, perspective, crossing cultures and denominations, and why "most of it's bad" but the good stuff survives — Steve Allen's line, not Gary's. A warm, funny, occasionally moving chat with one of gospel music's true elder statesmen. Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App. For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz Produced using AI tools under human supervision. Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered if you're actually a leader, or just someone with a fancy title? Gary sits down with Kris Cooper, author of Elegant Leadership, to unpack what leadership really means - and why "elegant" isn't just a fashion word. They natter about humour, courage, forgiveness (yes, forgiveness), and whether Jacinda Ardern counts as an elegant leader (spoiler: it depends who you ask).   From leadership at home with the kids to knowing when it's time to gracefully exit stage left, Kris walks Gary through her A-to-Z of leadership traits - love, laughter, letting go, and a surprising amount of grace. Oh, and there's a poem about smiling that'll get you right in the feels. Stick around for Gary's final, deadly serious question: how do you actually know if you're meant to lead?   Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App. For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz Produced using AI tools under human supervision. Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Remember when we weren't supposed to mention the jab at parties? Well, Gary's going there anyway with physicist Shaun Hendy, one of the scientists who helped steer New Zealand through COVID and copped plenty of hate mail for it. Shaun's written a book about the whole saga - the good calls, the mistakes (like not prioritising vaccines for Māori and Pacific people), and why he reckons misinformation is now scarier than the virus itself. They get into why NZ actually did remarkably well by global standards, why H5N1 bird flu is the thing keeping scientists up at night, and Shaun's slightly unsettling conclusion: the next pandemic isn't an if, it's a when. Oh, and Gary discovers Shaun thanked his wife last in the book's acknowledgements - not the smoothest move, mate. Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App. For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz Produced using AI tools under human supervision. Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Charlie Kirk's assassination made headlines - but it was his wife's forgiveness of the shooter that really got people talking. Gary sits down with Rev. Dr. Paul Blackham (a "modern-day John the Baptist", locusts optional) to unpack why forgiveness is so much harder than the Sunday School version we teach kids. Paul draws on 30 years of pastoral ministry to argue it's often the small, petty grudges - not the big dramatic wrongs - that people cling to the longest. They get into the messy mechanics of it all: does forgiveness require confession from the other person? Can you say "I forgive you" and mean it, then find yourself chewing on the hurt again the next day? Paul talks through real cases, including a gut-punch story from South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation hearings, and lands on a sobering point tied to the Lord's Prayer - what happens when we simply refuse to forgive at all. Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App. For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz Produced using AI tools under human supervision. Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wondered who actually brought MMP to New Zealand? Meet Hans Gruber - born in Germany near the end of WWII, lawyer, world traveller, and the bloke with a big hand in giving us the voting system we've got today. Gary sits down with him to unpack MMP versus first-past-the-post, and Hans doesn't hold back on democracy itself (spoiler: he reckons leaving big decisions to "unqualified" voters is a bit mad, and has a few things to say about China's meritocracy too). The chat gets heavier from there - world wars, Ukraine, Gaza, and Hans's genuine fear of where global tensions are heading, plus his "dying wish" that New Zealand goes fully neutral and stays out of it all. It ends on a softer note, with Hans reflecting on 40 years in New Zealand, no regrets despite the rocky patches, and what it feels like to hear a national anthem that actually moves you to tears. Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App. For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz Produced using AI tools under human supervision. Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Election year prezzies, paid for on someone else's credit card - sound familiar? Gary sits down with retired lawyer David Schnauer, author of Uncomfortable Economics, to ask the awkward questions about New Zealand's long-term economic drift, our obsession with house price gains, and why KiwiSaver (not property) might be the real path to a comfortable retirement.   David doesn't pull punches: he reckons we've left it too late for full self-funded super, but there's still time to raise the retirement age, bring in means testing, and rebalance the economy away from housing before a genuine crisis forces our hand. Gary pushes back with some very personal (and very relatable) selfishness about his own pension, and David explains why courageous leadership - and a bit less instant gratification from all of us - might be the only way to avoid an economic dentist visit we really don't want.   Tune into A Very Tall Man from Midnight - 6:00am on the Rhema Media App. For more from the show, visit the A Very Tall Man page at rhema.co.nz Produced using AI tools under human supervision. Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s guest is NZ music royalty. You may have seen the TV reality show, been shocked when he shared his ‘growing up’ years and it will come  as no surprise that  there is already a book about his life. This week’s guest on AVTM the podcast is Stan Walker. Both he and Gary were both the same weight once, Gary at his lightest, Stan at his heaviest, that gets a mention. Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He’s met the queen and been a guest of the queen, and yes, there is a difference. His is a posh English accent , his art collection world class and he’s been writing best sellers for 50 years which explains why he's loaded. Chances are you will have read one or more of his books. Probably have a couple at home. He’s Jeffrey Archer and he’s this week’s guest on AVTM. Hold on tight, he doesn’t mind a chat and has some pretty strong opinions.  Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

His books are best sellers and the most famous of them ‘The Case For Christ’ you’ve probably read. If you haven’t you should!. Now Lee Strobel looks at miracles demons and angels, it’s an important ‘read’. We’re not talking about straightening legs, dodgy backs and illness’s you can’t quantify. Lee chats with AVTM about miracles that have real proof attached. This podcast could change your mind.  Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Now be honest …how many friends do you really have?. Not Facebook friends …we mean ‘real friends’. People you could ring at 2 in the morning and they’d be there for you. Sobering eh? Well, don’t stress it …. Yet…...Stats suggest one in 5 of us doesn't even have a close friend and one in four of us is lonely. This week on AVTM Gary chats with Sheridan Voysey ,’Ted Talk’ contributor and almost a Gary friend. (Well Gary seems to think so) Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Jesus coming back next week? What about sometime this year?…what’s the difference between the rapture and the second coming ?…are you sure enough of your answer to bet your house on it?..this week on AVTM Gary chats with Ashley Church who is a strong cup of coffee with strong views….but what if he’s right ? Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here’s the question you dare not ask…’Is your pastor in the right job?’ . Maybe it’s better softened to ‘how do I know if I’m in the right job?. In this episode of A Very Tall Man the podcast, Gary chats these issues thru with Richard Black …a counsellor, author and an ex pastor. (Good news…no collection plate). Support A Very Tall Man: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.