In 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 HIGHLIGHT

Psalm 23 — The turning point of Nico’s story.

Matthew 11:28–30 — The passage I spoke over Nico during our chapel moment.

TAKEAWAYS FOR LISTENERS

God 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:

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