Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey

Episode 1288 | Life-Saving Gospel with Bryce Crawford; Riley Gaines' Perspective Changed After Motherhood
Date: January 14, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Allie Beth Stuckey sits down at America Fest with two guests: evangelist Bryce Crawford and women's sports advocate Riley Gaines. The episode explores Bryce’s remarkable gospel-sharing journey, including the supernatural encounter that led him to Christ and his thoughts on modern evangelism. Riley discusses how becoming a mother has radically changed her view of advocacy, fairness in women's sports, and even her approach to skepticism around childhood vaccinations. Both interviews focus on practical faith, courage, and countercultural truth-telling from a distinctly Christian, conservative perspective.

Interview 1: Bryce Crawford – Street Evangelist and Gospel Communicator

Introductions & Bryce’s Mission (01:37-01:58)

• Allie introduces Bryce, noting his millions of followers and his street evangelism.
• Bryce: “I'm Bryce and I... I talk about Jesus for a living.” (01:45)

Bryce’s Testimony: Encounter with Jesus (02:00-03:56)

• Bryce details his struggle with depression and anxiety, despite a Christian upbringing.
• Shares a powerful moment on Christmas Day 2020 at Waffle House, planning to end his life. A stranger’s comment about love in relationships triggers an epiphany.
  • “For the first time, I thought to myself, maybe... God loves me because I haven't given myself a chance to love him back.” (03:11)
• He prays: “Jesus, if you're real, take away my anxiety and depression...” He says his anxiety and depression vanished that day.

Learning & Sharing the Real Gospel (04:00-05:09)

• Early attempts at evangelism were just telling people "Jesus loves you," but he realized that’s not the full gospel.
  • Bryce: “Jesus talked about hell a lot and talked about that people are going to go to hell and be separated from God for an eternity because of their sin. ... But because of His love displayed on the cross... we are justified and made right in God’s eyes.” (04:09-05:04)

Deepening Faith and Theological Roots (05:09-05:59)

• Immersed himself in scripture and classic theological works at 17.
  • Quote: “I locked myself in my bedroom... with my Bible and this book called Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem.” (05:20)
• Emphasizes researching historic church fathers, not limiting oneself to denomination.

Evangelism in Practice & First Experiences (06:03-06:37)

• Started sharing gospel "the next day" after conversion. Discipled a former bully who was in crisis.

Key Lessons from Five Years of Evangelism (06:37-07:16)

• Bryce: “I think listening is the greatest tool of evangelism... not love bombing. It's just caring about people.” (06:49)
• Emphasizes that it’s not about saving people himself, but planting and watering seeds.

Gen Z & Revival Today (07:30-08:19)

• Bryce observes real spiritual hunger and revival among Gen Z, particularly in LA.
• Critiques previous generations for writing Gen Z off: “Why?... That is not hopeful for my generation...” (07:38)
• Calls for older Christians to be “fathers and mothers” to the young.

Overcoming the Fear of Evangelism (09:22-10:16)

• Bryce: “I still get nervous to this day. Every time.” (09:33)
• Advocates for daily prayer for boldness, citing scripture: “The fear of man is like a snare... if I want to be a fool for anyone, I want to be a fool for Jesus.” (09:35-10:03)

Explaining the Gospel Simply (10:16-11:10)

• Uses the analogy of a murderer deserving jail to illustrate justice, sin, and atonement.
  • “Forgiveness is canceling the debt someone owes you, and God has canceled the debt... with His life.” (11:03)

Hard Questions & Apologetics (11:48-13:19)

• Discusses encounters that stumped him; in particular, debated with Hebrew Israelites.
• Advice on apologetics: read C.S. Lewis, Sproul, Spurgeon, and modern apologists like Frank Turek.
  • “Don’t be the smartest guy in the room... always want to learn.” (12:41)

Personal Updates: Engagement & Advice for Singles (13:20-14:48)

• Shares story of reconnecting with his now-fiancée through a Bible study.
• Advice: “If you don't love Jesus, you're not worthy of being trusted with His daughter.” (14:16)

30-Second Gospel Presentation (14:59-15:36)

• Bryce gives a succinct Gospel summary, emphasizing God’s justice, Christ’s sacrifice, and the offer of true life.
  • Quote: “He who knew no sin became sin so that you and I could become the righteousness of God. And that gift is on the table for anyone, anywhere, at all times.” (15:30)

Interview 2: Riley Gaines – Motherhood, Advocacy & Women’s Sports

Riley’s Courage and Public Backlash (17:02-18:59)

• Riley details initial struggles with public criticism after speaking out about fairness in women’s sports.
  • “I merely just wanted to compete fairly... For saying that, you're vilified.” (17:49)
• Processed hurtful, powerful words aimed at her for stating basic truths about biological sex.

Changing Perspective: Eternal Focus (18:59-19:05)

• Attributes courage and stabilization to her faith:
  • “I put all of my confidence... in the fact that I'm fighting for the... promise of eternal life. Once you do that... nothing of this world matters.” (18:59)

Dealing with High-Profile Criticism (19:05-20:46)

• Shares how it felt to be publicly criticized by Simone Biles, someone she admired.
  • “It was more so the devastation... that this is little girls’ role models...” (20:10)
• Support from her sister reinforces her commitment.

Shifting Public Tide on Women’s Sports & Political Impact (20:49-24:42)

• Sees increased public and legislative support for women’s sports:
  • “I do believe courage begets courage.” (21:13)
• Notes recent executive orders solidifying definitions of sex and restricting male participation in women’s sports.
• Predicts near-future Supreme Court clarification of Title IX.

Democrats & the “Absurdity” of Radical Policies (24:42-25:21)

• Riley’s take: Democrats are doubling down on extreme positions, which she sees as opening for Christian conservatives to step up.

Motherhood’s Effect on Perspective (27:01-28:05)

• Becoming a mom “changes my perspective on literally everything.” (27:01)
• The main focus becomes her daughter’s future, not her own legacy as an athlete.
  • “All of the pushback and backlash... when you have something so precious... that's the priority here.” (28:05)

Positive Postpartum Experience & Advice to Moms (28:16-30:34)

• Riley describes her pregnancy and postpartum as “easy...a dream.” (28:16)
• Both she and Allie stress that every pregnancy is different—and even when it’s hard, hard is not bad.
  • “Hard is not the same thing as bad. Hard is good. Trials are good. They shape you.” – Allie (30:32)
• Reflects on advice from Rachel Campos-Duffy: "Think 20 years from now when you're sitting around the Thanksgiving table..." (30:34)

On Childhood Vaccines & Medical Skepticism (32:33-36:30)

• Riley explains her decision to forgo vaccines for her baby—cites concerns about ingredients (aluminum, mercury), system incentives, and ties to recent government findings.
  • “...praise God we have an administration who’s making this a priority in tackling the childhood vaccine schedule.” (34:41)
• Discusses the difficulty in finding pediatricians who’ll accept vaccine-free children due to incentive structures.

The Medicalization of Gender and Advocacy (36:31-37:09)

• Riley and Allie share grave concerns about “the biggest medical scandal…cutting off the healthy body parts and sterilizing young children in the name of inclusion.” (36:31-37:03)

Next Steps: Riley’s Show & Ongoing Advocacy (38:09-40:03)

• Riley is launching “The Riley Gaines Show” via Fox and Outkick, aimed especially at young women.
  • “I'm so inspired even being here and seeing so many young women…talking all things motherhood and fitness and... cultural and political takes.” (38:37)
• Plans to keep touring campuses and is excited for a growing family.
  • “Hopefully more babies one day.” (40:03)

Closing Words: Courage, Generational Support, & Truth (40:03-41:04)

• Allie thanks Riley for her leadership; Riley returns the encouragement, highlighting Allie’s example in confronting falsehoods publicly.
  • “Courage is contagious, and you’ve shown us that…” – Allie (41:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bryce Crawford:

  • “If I want to be a fool for anyone, I want to be a fool for Jesus because I don’t want to get to heaven and people say, ‘Why didn’t you tell me this was true?’” (09:56)
  • “God’s not trying to do mental gymnastics with anyone…he wants a relationship with you.” (11:20)
  • “If you don’t love Jesus, you’re not worthy of being trusted with His daughter.” (14:16)
  • “He who knew no sin became sin so that you and I could become the righteousness of God. And that gift is on the table for anyone, anywhere, at all times.” (15:30)

• Riley Gaines:

  • “For saying that [there are two sexes and you can’t change your sex] you’re vilified and it was hard to see the things they would call you.” (17:49)
  • “I find myself being pretty stabilized...I put all of my... confidence in... the hope and the promise of eternal life.” (18:59)
  • “Now I approach that conversation [on women’s sports]...for the world that I want my daughter to inherit.” (27:01)
  • “[Motherhood] intensifies the fight, the need for it, the timeliness of it.” (27:48)
  • “Courage begets courage.” (21:13)

Major Timestamps

• 01:37: Bryce begins interview
• 02:00 - 03:56: Bryce’s conversion story
• 04:09 - 05:09: What is the gospel? Bryce’s perspective
• 06:37 - 07:16: Lessons learned from evangelism
• 07:38: Gen Z and revival
• 09:33: Overcoming nerves in evangelism
• 10:16: Explaining the gospel simply
• 13:20: Bryce’s engagement and advice for singles
• 14:59: 30-second gospel summary
• 17:02: Riley Gaines joins the show
• 17:49: Handling public criticism
• 19:05: Faith as source of courage
• 20:10: Simone Biles incident
• 21:13: Shifting public tide and political context
• 27:01: Motherhood’s impact
• 28:16: Positive postpartum and advice to women
• 32:33: Childhood vaccines and medical skepticism
• 38:09: Riley’s upcoming show & future plans

Themes & Tone

• Faith & Courage: Both guests point to a deeply personal faith as their root for courage and hope.
• Countercultural Conviction: Both challenge prevailing cultural narratives—on gender, sports, mental health, and medical authority.
• Warmth & Solidarity: Conversations are upbeat and supportive; Allie acts as a grounding, encouraging presence throughout.

This summary captures the heart of thoughtful, faith-filled cultural analysis central to Relatable, making it easy for new listeners to grasp the essential messages and practical takeaways from both guests.