Faith That Stands Up - with Jaco Booyens

Washington, DC doesn’t just run on policy, it runs on pressure, influence, and competing spiritual visions. We sit down with Jaco Booyens, a longtime abolitionist fighting human trafficking, to hear what happened when he felt called to move his family into the city, open an office, and launch a new church right in the middle of it all. The “yes” sounded clear, but the fallout was immediate: eviction after eviction, open hostility, and the kind of resistance that makes most people quietly back away. 

Tim Barton pushes into the question many of us ask when life gets hard: if God is leading, why is there so much opposition? Jaco's answer is direct and challenging. He argues that calling often comes with attack, and that courage isn’t bravado, it’s sonship, daily obedience, and a life anchored in God’s presence. We also get practical about what “daily encounters with God” look like beyond church attendance, including repentance, Scripture, listening, and a healthier view of deliverance as freedom from strongholds and fear. 

Then it gets surprisingly actionable: not everyone connects with God the same way. Jaco shares how movement, solitude, nature, and joy can become consistent pathways to hearing God, and he invites listeners to discover their own connection style. We also point you to anti-trafficking resources at helpjbm.org, plus a closing challenge that lands with weight: invite God into your trauma, talk to Him honestly, and let healing start where you’ve felt stuck. 

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