What can I do today to fight human trafficking? | with Rebecca Bender
Episode 111 – Stephanie welcomes Rebecca Bender for the second half of our Gospel Spice 2nd Anniversary Celebration. This episode highlights one of Gospel Spice’s mission: to raise awareness in the fight against human trafficking in the US and abroad. In her own words, Rebecca "educates leaders and organizations about human trafficking so they can protect their communities and change culture."
This powerful episode is absolutely a must-listen, but is not for young ears: though we have kept it very clean, it might raise difficult questions from little ones. Listen accordingly! Rebecca gives us SUPER PRACTICAL TIPS to identify potential threats, based on your child's age, from elementary to high school years. If there is a child in your life, we encourage you to learn how to teach them safety today.
A reformer at heart, Rebecca has become a leading voice in the fight against human trafficking in all its forms. She shares with us what God has been teaching her lately, as she sees injustice and evil growingly rampant in our world today. She shares, "success is following God's call in your life, regardless of what it looks like." God's favor is not only seen in big things, but in the little things of daily life.
For nearly six years, Rebecca was sold across the underground world of sex trafficking in Las Vegas. She was branded, beaten, told when to sleep and what to wear, and traded between traffickers. Even in the midst of her exploitation, God began revealing himself to her and she found the hope she needed to survive. After a federal raid, Rebecca escaped. Her life was forever changed as she felt the embrace of her heavenly Father guiding her to healing and wholeness.
Rebecca soon began to use her own experiences to change the lives of others as she went back into the darkest places she had known--assisting FBI, VICE, and law enforcement across the country in some of their most difficult cases.
Today, Rebecca is an award-winning thought leader, advocate, speaker and consultant with a Master’s degree in Christian Thought and years of insight on industry best practices. She has trained and equipped well over 100,000 professionals, individuals, agencies, and organizations to identify human trafficking in their own back yards. She is also the founder of Elevate Academy, the largest online school for human trafficking, serving nearly 800 survivors in 368 locations across the country and around the world. Her memoir, “In Pursuit of Love” was published by Zondervan in January 2020. Rebecca’s incredible story of hope and redemption reminds us all that our past does not determine our destiny.
Find Rebecca:
@imrebeccabender (FB&IG) – make sure to follow her!
Make sure to discover the RBI FREE anti-trafficking Course: https://rebecca-bender.mykajabi.com/trafficking-truths
the MUST-TAKE quiz to discover what YOU can do TODAY: the Find your lanes quiz: https://www.rebeccabender.org/quiz
a plethora of free resources: https://www.rebeccabender.org/resource-list
IF YOU’VE ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, YOU WILL LOVE OUR GOSPEL SPICE SERIES!
Click to check out the first episode of each season:
We are currently in the middle of our series titled "Identity in the Battle" which is such a fitting context for today's interview! Check out the first episode in this current series: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/
The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/
The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/
The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/
The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/
https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/
DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE
If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:
PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/
PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforward
PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!
Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year.
Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!
Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you.
You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer
There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God’s eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement.
But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I’ll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn’t prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision?
As an unassuming student, I’m going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray.
If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don’t miss out!
A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER
To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God’s Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts.
We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation.
So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is.
There’s only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this.
Let’s begin.
THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE
Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don’t really know how to pray. I’m a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn’t really about what I’ve learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I’ve sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings.
So, I’ll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ.
Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it’s up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let’s make it delightful together!
So, let’s get started.
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