Podcast
The Don’t Knock It Podcast
Hosted by Chris Ramirez · EN
The Don’t Knock It Podcast encourages its listeners to embrace the common phrase “don’t knock it til you’ve tried it”, when presented with biblical truth.
In other words, don’t refuse to try, consider, or accept biblical Christianity without first “tasting” and “seeing” that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8).
The Don’t Knock It Podcast will address common misconceptions about Jesus and Christianity, in hopes to prepare the hearts of those who hear the calling, or the knock, of Jesus Himself (Rev. 3:20).
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11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
70. Ouija Boards, Mediums, & the 17 Minutes that Brought New Life with Craig Goff
Feb 2103:02:04Tap to summarizeIn this powerful episode of The Don’t Knock It Podcast, I sit down with 74-year-old Craig Goff to trace a testimony decades in the making — a story that moves from spiritual curiosity to spiritual bondage, and ultimately to dramatic deliverance.Craig recounts his early life, constant relocations, professional ambition, and eventual exposure to meditation circles and paranormal practices in late-1970s California. What began as intellectual exploration — parapsychology classes, a spiritual “medium,” and Ouija board sessions — slowly opened the door to something far darker than curiosity.Messages from a supposed deceased relative seemed convincing with confirmed personal and guidance, but as Craig and his wife prepared for the birth of their first child, the tone shifted. What once felt warm became oppressive and what once seemed affirming grew manipulative.Then, one night in April 1979 — ten days before Easter — everything changed.After mounting conviction through a bold Christian midwife, an unanswered phone call, and a growing sense of spiritual unrest, Craig and his wife fell to their knees and cried out to God for rescue. What followed was an overwhelming encounter that shattered deception and replaced fear with the peace that surpasses all understanding in Christ Jesus.Craig describes it as chains falling and a weight lifting, as darkness gave way to God’s undeniable presence of Light and New Life.This episode explores: The danger of spiritual curiosity without biblical grounding How deception can appear benevolent before it becomes destructive The reality of spiritual warfare in ordinary life The mercy of God in pursuing those who don’t yet know HimIf you’ve ever wondered whether spiritual experiences are neutral… whether all paths lead to the same place… or whether God still intervenes — this conversation will challenge you.May it bless you as it blessed us!Links & Resources:Follow The Don’t Knock It Podcast on Spotify and Apple PodcastsSupport the show for exclusive extended cuts and bonus episodes: Subscribe on Spotify ➡️ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontknockit/
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69. From Trauma to Trust: Letting God Take the Driver’s Seat with John Yepremian
Jan 2600:41:24Tap to summarizeIn this episode, I sit down with my good friend and fellow church servant John Yepremian to hear a powerful testimony of God’s grace, patience, and transforming work over a lifetime.John shares honestly about his life before Christ—marked by insecurity, misplaced identity, destructive pursuits, and a traumatic night of violence that nearly took everything from him. From chasing validation and control to facing deep guilt and isolation, John’s story reflects the weight of living life firmly in the “driver’s seat.”But God was not finished.Through relationships, the faithful witness of his future wife, immersion in Scripture, baptism, and years of unseen service—setting up chairs, tearing them down, and praying through the process—John recounts how the Lord gently reshaped his heart through sanctification. What began as avoidance and anonymity became surrender, humility, and joyful obedience.This conversation explores:Identity, shame, and the search for worthTrauma, responsibility, and God’s redeeming mercyReading Scripture when it feels inaccessibleSanctification through ordinary faithfulness and serviceLetting go of control and trusting God with the “driver’s seat”Discerning when good things become distractionsIf you’ve ever felt weary, unseen, or unsure whether God could meet you where you are, this episode is an invitation to trust that He still shapes lives with patience and purpose.Links & Resources:Follow The Don’t Knock It Podcast on Spotify and Apple PodcastsSupport the show for exclusive extended cuts and bonus episodes: Subscribe on Spotify ➡️ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontknockit/
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68. From Spotlight to Surrender: How Trials and Scripture Form a Real Worshipper with Marleya Shai
Dec 700:39:26Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Don’t Knock It Podcast, I am joined by my sister in Christ, Marleya Shai, for a wonderful conversation about worship.Before Marleya drew her first breath, her story was already confronting one of Christianity’s boldest claims: God intervenes, God heals, God saves. Her mother—unsaved, fearful, facing a Down Syndrome diagnosis for her unborn daughter—turned to Jesus as a last resort and the Lord answered in a way she couldn’t ignore.This episode is about the biblical truth that God’s mercy precedes our understanding, invites repentance, and reorients a whole family’s future.Marleya shares how God used early exposure to church, a miracle surrounding her birth, and years of worship ministry to plant seeds of faith long before she truly understood the gospel. But as she grew, the gap between appearing spiritually mature and actually knowing the Lord became undeniable — especially once she entered a youth ministry where her reputation no longer matched her reality.What unfolds in this conversation is a testimony of conviction, humility, and rediscovery. Marleya describes the moment a youth pastor’s simple questions exposed years of superficial Christianity. That “never again” embarrassment initially drove her to pursue Bible knowledge for the wrong reasons — reputation, approval, self-confidence — until the Lord dismantled that pride and replaced it with genuine love for His Word.She also shares how God formed her through discernment, trials, loss, fasting, worship, and community, slowly shifting her from “performing” ministry to delighting in the God she serves. Today, as a worship leader, she talks plainly about the temptations of spotlight, the dangers of pride, her battles with perfectionism, and why worship must always be a response to who God is, not a platform for who we want to be.This is a conversation about:Growing up in church but not yet in ChristThe danger of knowing all the right answers without a right heartHow God uses embarrassment, challenge, and discipleship to expose false confidenceWhy worship is fundamentally a response to God’s character and creativityThe ongoing fight against pride and platform in worship ministryHow trials, community, and the peace of God awakened genuine faithThe lifelong difference between knowing about God and knowing HimIf you’ve ever struggled with the gap between reputation and reality, head knowledge and heart transformation, ministry performance and personal devotion, this episode will hit close to home — and offer hope.Links & Resources:Follow The Don’t Knock It Podcast on Spotify and Apple PodcastsSupport the show for exclusive extended cuts and bonus episodes: Subscribe on Spotify ➡️ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontknockit/
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67. The Scriptural Truth That Confronts Every Modern Lie About Identity
Nov 2901:03:56Tap to summarizeIn this solo sermon episode, I walk through one of the most foundational, and most misunderstood, doctrines in the Christian faith: the Image of God.Not as an abstract theological concept, but as a truth spoken into real people, real suffering, and real identity confusion.Before Israel ever heard the Ten Commandments, built the tabernacle, or stepped foot into the Promised Land, they heard God say something that shattered the worldview Egypt had drilled into them:“You are My image. You belong to Me. Your worth isn’t in what you produce.”This sermon episode explores that moment—how a nation of former slaves learned to see themselves not through Pharaoh’s eyes but through God’s, and how that same truth confronts the lies we still believe about ourselves today.TAKEAWAYS FOR LISTENERSYou are not defined by productivity, performance, or comparison—your identity is bestowed by God.Your daily work carries divine purpose because you are called to cultivate, steward, and create.Your limits are gifts that remind you you’re human—and free you from pretending to be God.Christ came not only to save sinners but to restore the fractured image within us.The church is meant to be a living display of renewed humanity in a broken world.Links & ResourcesFollow The Don’t Knock It Podcast on Spotify and Apple PodcastsSupport the show for exclusive extended cuts and bonus episodes: Subscribe on Spotify ➡️ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontknockit/
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66. Letting God Carry What You Can’t—Friendship, Body Image, and Discipleship with Nico Ridino
Nov 2200:31:47Tap to summarizeIn this conversation, I welcome my former student and longtime podcast supporter Nico Ridino, whose story moves from atheism, isolation, and self-destruction into a hard-earned, faithful walk with Jesus.Nico’s testimony isn’t a dramatic moment of supernatural intervention — it’s the slow, painful breaking of pride, a near-suicidal night at 14, and God’s quiet persistence in the middle of depression, family crisis, and identity confusion.This episode explores what it means to grow up spiritually in an environment where expectations are high, support is inconsistent, and friendships feel shallow — and how God uses consequences, community, and His Word to shape young men into disciples.Nico shares his move from confident middle-school atheism to the first honest prayer he ever prayed — in a hospital stairwell while fearing he might lose his brother.At 14, alone in a kitchen at 3 AM with enough insulin to take his own life, Nico considered ending everything.Instead, God met him through a dusty Bible opened “accidentally” to Psalm 23 — a moment that pushed him to begin seeking God for real.Nico also reflects on the challenges of living as a young believer in a small Christian school with complex social dynamics, lukewarm faith, and limited friendships.Towards the end of the conversation, I revisit a moment under the chapel tent with Nico when I hugged him, shared Matthew 11, and told him, “Set your burdens at the foot of the cross — they’re not yours to carry.”This became one of the most formative spiritual moments in Nico’s life.SCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHTPsalm 23 — The turning point of Nico’s story.Matthew 11:28–30 — The passage I spoke over Nico during our chapel moment.TAKEAWAYS FOR LISTENERSGod often works slowly, quietly, and painfully before He works visibly.Your darkest moment is not evidence that God has abandoned you — it may be the very place He meets you.Young believers need space to make mistakes, community to come back to, and older voices who know when to speak and when to stay silent.Bearing burdens is part of love, but giving them to Christ is part of faith.Links & Resources:Follow The Don’t Knock It Podcast on Spotify and Apple PodcastsSupport the show for exclusive extended cuts and bonus episodes: Subscribe on Spotify ➡️ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontknockit/
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65. Saved but Stuck: Confession, Community, and the Influence of a Shepherd with Joshua Camper
Nov 900:30:39Tap to summarizeIn this powerful and deeply personal conversation, I sit down with my brother and co-laborer in Christ, Joshua Camper, to hear the story behind the name that’s been mentioned in several previous episodes. Both Dario and Jonathan shared how God used Joshua to shape their faith—and now it’s time to hear the story of the man behind those testimonies.Joshua opens up about his early years—being raised by his grandmother while his parents battled addiction, growing up around both religion and brokenness, and even discovering Jesus for the first time in a Mormon church classroom. He talks about the tension of being told all his life that he’d one day be a pastor, while also wrestling with identity, sin, and shame.We also unpack what Joshua calls being “saved but stuck”—the experience of knowing Jesus, feeling conviction, but still being caught in cycles of sin and shame. Josh shares how the Lord met him in that place, how hours spent weeping over Scripture transformed his heart, and how God used his pain to minister to others.Our conversation then moves into fatherhood, marriage, and biblical manhood—how the gospel redefines what it means to lead, to love, and to live as redeemed men in our homes. From being a young college athlete with a surprise pregnancy to a husband and father now shepherding his family in faith, Josh’s story is a testimony of grace upon grace.Themes Covered:How God can plant truth even in unexpected placesBeing saved but stuck — the tension between conviction and confessionHow shame isolates believers and how community healsFatherhood as a reflection of God’s characterMarriage as a living picture of the gospelWhy redemption isn’t just a one-time event—it’s a lifelong transformationQuote from the Episode:“Shame recognizes shame. People don’t wake up wanting to walk in shackles—but they believe the lie that no one will receive them. That’s why I command people to be unashamed, because when you confess, healing begins.” — Joshua CamperListen if you’ve ever felt:Like you love Jesus but can’t break old patternsAshamed of your past but unsure how to confessCalled by God but unqualifiedOr just need a reminder that grace isn’t just for salvation—it’s for sanctification too.Scripture Highlights:John 8:32 — “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”James 5:16 — “Confess your faults one to another, that you may be healed.”1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us…”Links & Resources:Follow The Don’t Knock It Podcast on Spotify and Apple PodcastsSupport the show for exclusive extended cuts and bonus episodes: Subscribe on Spotify ➡️ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontknockit/
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64. What Forgiveness Looks Like After the Unthinkable with Harmoni Shelley
Oct 1500:29:45Tap to summarizeThis episode contains discussion about a suicide attempt and the impact it had on a family. Listener discretion is advised. If this topic feels too heavy, we encourage you to pause or listen later with a parent or trusted adult. Remember, if you or someone you know is struggling, you can always reach out to a trusted adult or dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.Today’s episode is ultimately about God’s hope and redemption—even in our darkest moments.I’m joined by one of my former students, Harmoni Shelley, a current senior at Hillcrest Christian School, who courageously shares her family’s story of pain, healing, and faith. At just ten years old, Harmoni experienced one of the most traumatic moments imaginable—a suicide attempt by her father—and yet, through it, she discovered the living reality of God’s grace and presence.What began as confusion and anger became a journey toward forgiveness, compassion, and deep faith. Harmoni walks us through how God used what once felt like a story of shame and despair to reveal Himself as Savior, Healer, and Father.Together, we talk about:How God saved her father’s life in a miraculous wayWhat forgiveness and emotional healing look like over timeHow her family has grown closer through transparency and graceThe hope she now carries into her future as she prepares to graduate and step into adulthoodThis conversation reminds us that even when life feels beyond repair, God is still writing stories of restoration.🎧 Listen to the Extended Cut (Spotify Exclusive):Subscribers get access to the full, uncut version of this conversation—where we go deeper into how Harmoni’s character has changed throughout high school, what it means to be a “pick me” girl, and how the Lord could transform young girls who are stuck in that particular identity.Links & Resources:Follow The Don’t Knock It Podcast on Spotify and Apple PodcastsSupport the show for exclusive extended cuts and bonus episodes: Subscribe on Spotify ➡️ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontknockit/
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63. Not Just a Dad, But a Disciple: How Fatherhood Became My Calling
Oct 500:38:27Tap to summarizeIn this solo episode, I open up about what it truly means to be a present father—and how one moment in the hospital recovery room changed everything for me. From the first day of my daughter’s life, God gave me a deep sense of calling and freedom: the freedom to be there, to show up, and to love consistently in a world that often celebrates absence.This episode is personal, raw, and reflective—part story, part conviction. I talk about how fatherhood reshaped my priorities, exposed my pride, and taught me that real strength comes from presence, not perfection.If you’ve ever wrestled with what it means to be a faithful dad, or you’re longing to break cycles of absence and lead your family with grace and conviction, this one’s for you.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:The defining moment in the hospital recovery room that changed everythingWhat it means to walk in the freedom of being a present fatherHow fatherhood became a daily act of discipleship and surrenderWhy presence matters more than performanceStay Tuned for the Extended Cut:In the next exclusive extended episode, I’ll be diving into Christian nationalism, Charlie Kirk, and the importance of Christian testimony—and how all of it ties back to living faithfully as a believer in today’s culture.Links & Resources:Follow The Don’t Knock It Podcast on Spotify and Apple PodcastsSupport the show for exclusive extended cuts and bonus episodes: Subscribe on Spotify ➡️ https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontknockit/
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61. Hospitality, Humility & the Unexpected Life of a Young Christian Husband with Dario Gomez
Sep 200:49:30Tap to summarizeIn this encouraging conversation, I sit down with my friend Dario Gomez to talk about his journey of following Jesus as a young believer. From his high school days—where he faithfully and boldly invited his peers to youth group—to navigating the responsibilities of marriage at just 20 years old, Dario’s story is one marked by humility, courage, and God’s grace.We discuss the challenges he’s faced in balancing school, work, and home life, and how making difficult decisions in those areas has shaped both his character and his faith. Along the way, we explore the gift of hospitality that seems to overflow naturally from his life and how the Lord continues to use him to serve others.Whether you’re a student, newly married, or simply trying to discern God’s will in the midst of everyday decisions, Dario’s story will inspire you to be faithful right where you are.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:How Dario lived out his faith as a teenager and invited peers to encounter JesusThe joys and challenges of getting married youngLessons learned from juggling school, work, and family responsibilitiesThe role of humility and hospitality in shaping his walk with ChristWhy small, faithful decisions can have a big kingdom impactLinks & Resources:• Follow The Don't Knock It Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts• Support the show for exclusive bonus episodes:Subscribe on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontknockit/subscribe
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60. Homeschool, Ice Skates, and the Art of Seeing God with Karalyn Ramirez
Aug 1001:02:55Tap to summarizeIn this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with my wife Karalyn Ramirez to explore her unique journey growing up homeschooled, how that shaped her social world, and the unexpected ways it intersected with her passion for competitive ice skating. We talk about the challenges and blessings of navigating friendships in that season, the discipline and pressure of life on the rink, and how both worlds prepared her for deeper life lessons.We also dive into her love for photography—not just as an art form, but as a spiritual crucible that tested, refined, and strengthened her faith. From moments of creative joy to seasons of doubt, she shares how seeing life through the lens helped her see God more clearly.Whether you’ve experienced homeschooling, the competitive sports world, or the creative grind, you’ll find encouragement in her story and be reminded that God’s shaping work is often found in unexpected places.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:Growing up homeschooled: the blessings, the challenges, and the mythsHow ice skating shaped discipline, resilience, and identityBuilding social circles outside of traditional school settingsPhotography as a tool for both creative expression and spiritual refinementLessons learned when faith is tried, tested, and ultimately deepenedLinks & Resources:Follow The Don’t Knock It Podcast on Spotify and Apple PodcastsSupport the show for exclusive bonus episodes: Subscribe on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dontknockit/subscribe
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