Avsnitt
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Look, we've all got pain. We've all got stories we're afraid to tell. But what if there was a space where you could actually share those stories without judgment, without fear, and find healing in the process? Today, I'm sitting down with Liz Walker - a former news anchor turned pastor who discovered something powerful: when we create safe spaces for people to truly be heard, something miraculous happens. In the heart of Roxbury, she started a movement called "Can We Talk" that's transforming how communities process trauma, grief, and healing. This isn't just another feel-good story. This is about real people - mothers who've lost children, young men caught in cycles of violence, entire communities learning to heal together. Liz's journey will challenge how you think about pain, community, and the incredible resilience of the human spirit. Here’s the hope: healing is possible, and it starts with being brave enough to tell your story. So join us, so no one is left alone.
Liz Walker is a minister, journalist, activist, and sought-after speaker. She leads the Cory Johnson Program for Post-Traumatic Healing. As Boston's first Black evening television news anchor, Walker received two Emmys and an Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in her field. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, Walker served as pastor of Roxbury Presbyterian Church. She helped found the Jane Doe Safety Fund, has done humanitarian work in South Sudan, and has served on the boards of Boston Medical Center and Andover Newton Theological Seminary. The mother of three and grandmother of two, Walker now lives in Sarasota, Florida.
Liz's Book:
No One Left AloneLiz's Recommendation:
Moonrise Over New Jessup
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Today we're talking about marriage - specifically, how Christian marriages might be missing the mark. I'm sitting down with Sheila Gregoire, a researcher who's spent years studying what actually makes relationships work. And here's something interesting: the biggest threat to marital satisfaction isn't what most people think. It's not sex or money - it's housework. Sheila isn't just another marriage author. She's surveyed 7,000 people to understand the dynamics of healthy relationships. Her work challenges a lot of the traditional evangelical advice that's been circulating for decades - advice that often creates more distance than connection. We're going to explore how Christian marriage books have sometimes gotten it wrong. How messages about leadership, submission, and roles can actually harm the very relationships they're trying to protect. We'll talk about what real partnership looks like, how couples can communicate better, and what it means to truly see each other. This conversation is about reimagining marriage - not as a power structure, but as a genuine partnership that reflects mutual respect and love. So if you're curious about building a healthier relationship, or if you're tired of the same old marriage advice, this episode is for you.
Sheila Wray Gregoire is the face behind BareMarriage.com as well as a sought-after speaker and an award-winning author of nine books, including The Great Sex Rescue and She Deserves Better. With her humorous, no-nonsense approach, Sheila is passionate about changing the evangelical conversation about sex and marriage to make it healthy, evidence-based, and biblical. She and her husband, Keith, live in Ontario, Canada, near their two adult daughters and three grandbabies. Sheila also knits. Even in line at the grocery store.
Sheila's Book:
The Marriage You Want
Sheila's Recommendations:
The Deep Rooted Marriage
Becoming the Pastor's Wife
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Today, we're diving into something profound: how creativity connects us to the divine. I'm talking with Carey Wallace about inspiration—not just as an artistic concept, but as a spiritual practice. What if art isn't something we manufacture, but something we receive? What if creativity is actually a way of following God, even when we don't realize it? Wallace argues that inspiration comes from outside ourselves—that it's a gesture of surrender, a way of opening ourselves to something greater. We're going to explore how every act of creation can be an encounter with the divine. Whether you're a painter, a writer, someone working a nine-to-five job, or just someone trying to live creatively—this conversation is about discovering that we're all makers, created in the image of a creative God. We'll talk about how inspiration works, why art can be worship, and how surrendering to something beyond ourselves might be the most powerful creative act we can make. If you've ever felt stuck, wondered about your creative potential, or sensed there's something more to making art than just skill, lean in. This is a conversation about seeing the world—and yourself—differently.
Carey Wallace is the author of The Discipline of Inspiration: The Mysterious Encounter With God At The Heart of Creativity (Eerdmans), The Blind Contessa’s New Machine (Penguin), and The Ghost In The Glass House (Clarion). She works to help people from all walks of life find inspiration and build strong creative habits to sustain a lifetime of creation. She performs as a songwriter, exhibits her own fine art, and has spoken on art, faith, and justice with students at Princeton, Julliard, Emory, Pratt, and Yale. Her articles and poems have appeared in Time, Detroit’s Metro Times, and America. She is the founder of a retreat for artists in Michigan, and the Creative Discipline Class to form strong creative habits, which has been in operation for over a decade across the US and internationally. She grew up in small towns in Michigan, and lives and works in Brooklyn.
Carey's Book:
The Discipline of Inspiration
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What if humility isn't about shrinking, but about seeing clearly? Zach Meerkreebs knows something about unexpected transformations. A Jewish kid from the East Coast who became a Christian pastor, he found himself at the epicenter of the Asbury outpouring - a spiritual moment that swept through a small Kentucky campus, touching 100,000 people - after delivering what he initially thought was a "stinker" of a sermon. In this episode, Zach takes us on a deeply personal journey through grief, faith, and the radical nature of Jesus' humility. From losing a daughter to navigating a profound spiritual awakening, he offers a raw, unfiltered look at what it means to walk with God when life doesn't make sense. We'll explore how true humility isn't about being small, but about understanding who we are in relationship with God. Get ready for a conversation that may reshape the way you think about pride, pain, and the transformative power of seeing yourself through God's eyes. This is an invitation to a different way of living - one marked by grace, honesty, and unexpected hope. So join us as we go lower.
Zach Meerkreebs is the proud husband of Kristin and father to three little girls: Eden, Esther, and Mercy. He is thankful for the opportunity to have served within churches by coaching and catalyzing church plants, traveling and speaking, and most recently had the gift of a lifetime as he preached on February 8, 2023, where he had a front row seat to see God moving amidst the Asbury outpouring where a small town and university experienced sixteen days of unending prayer and worship. More than one hundred thousand guests from around the country--and the world--experienced the peace and power of God.
Zach's Book:
Lower
Zach's Recommendations:
How to Fast
Beholding and Thirsting
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In a world that often feels overwhelming, where systemic challenges can paralyze us into inaction, I sat down with Jeff Chu - a journalist, preacher and storyteller who understands that transformation happens through small, beautiful acts of grace. Jeff's journey is anything but ordinary. From the bustling newsrooms of Time and Fast Company to the contemplative acres of Princeton's farminary, he discovered profound wisdom in the most unexpected place: a messy, rotting compost pile. There, amid liquefying spinach and decomposing vegetables, Jeff learned that death and resurrection aren't just theological concepts - they're living, breathing realities happening beneath our feet. Jeff, like all of us navigating this world, has every reason to be cynical. Instead, he chooses love. He chooses curiosity. He invites us to channel our anger not into destruction, but into small, ordinary graces that can fundamentally reshape our world. In this conversation, we'll explore how we might move from transactional relationships - with land, with each other, with God - to something more beautiful. We'll talk about rest, about poetry, about seeing each other as God's beloved creation. So join us, open your heart, and prepare to be transformed by a radical vision of grace.
Jeff Chu is an award-winning journalist and editor-at-large at Travel+Leisure. He is the author of Does Jesus Really Love Me? and the co-author, with the late Rachel Held Evans, of the New York Times bestseller Wholehearted Faith. Chu is a former Time staff writer and Fast Company editor whose work has also appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and Modern Farmer. In his weekly newsletter, “Notes of a Make-Believe Farmer,” Chu writes about spirituality, gardening, food, travel, and culture. He lives with his husband, Tristan, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Jeff's Book:
Good Soil
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Today, I'm sitting down with Kara Powell, researcher and co-author of "Future Focused Church," to talk about the challenges and opportunities facing churches right now. We'll explore how churches can better connect with younger generations, what real discipleship looks like, and how communities of faith can adapt in a rapidly changing world. Kara brings insights from her research at Fuller Youth Institute about identity, belonging, and purpose - key questions that are driving how people, especially young people, think about faith. We'll discuss practical strategies for church leaders, the importance of listening to younger generations, and how churches can become more outward-focused and missional. We'll also dig into some of the current challenges - like pastor burnout, church transitions, and the shifting religious landscape - but with a hopeful perspective on what's possible. If you're a church leader, ministry worker, or just someone interested in how faith communities might evolve, this conversation is for you. So join us.
Kara Powell, PhD, is the chief of leadership formation at Fuller Theological Seminary, the executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute, and the founder of the TENx10 Collaboration. Named by Christianity Today as one of "50 Women to Watch," Kara speaks regularly at national parenting and leadership conferences. Kara has authored or coauthored numerous books, including Faith Beyond Youth Group, 3 Big Questions That Shape Your Future, 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager, Growing With, Growing Young, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, and the entire Sticky Faith series. Kara and her husband, Dave, are regularly inspired by the learning and laughter that come from their three young adult children.
Kara's Book:
Future-Focused Church
Kara's Recommendation:
The Friction Project
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In a world that often feels fragmented, uncertain, and spiritually empty, what if belief isn't just possible - but essential? Today, I'm sitting down with Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist and one of our most nuanced cultural thinkers, to explore a radical proposition: Why everyone should be religious in an age of growing skepticism. We're going beyond the debates of belief versus non-belief. This conversation dives into the mysteries at the heart of human experience - from quantum physics that suggests the universe might be more intentional than we thought, to near-death experiences that challenge everything we understand about consciousness. Douthat brings a provocative, intellectually rigorous perspective that defies easy categorization. We'll explore how ancient spiritual wisdom might hold profound answers for our hyper-individualized, technology-driven world. How can religious thinking help us navigate complexity, find meaning, and reconnect with something larger than ourselves? Expect surprises. We'll uncover scientific discoveries that point toward design, discuss supernatural experiences that defy materialist explanations, and wrestle with life's deepest questions. Whether you're a committed believer, a curious skeptic, or someone feeling spiritually lost, this episode promises to expand your understanding and offer a message of hope. We're not just talking about belief - we're reimagining what it means to be human in a mysterious universe.
Ross Douthat is a columnist for The New York Times op-ed page. He is the author of Believe, The Deep Places, The Decadent Society, To Change The Church, Privilege, and Grand New Party. Before joining the Times he was a senior editor for The Atlantic. He is the film critic for National Review, and he has appeared regularly on television, including Charlie Rose, PBS Newshour, and Real Time with Bill Maher.
Ross' Book:
BelieveRoss' Recommendation:
Severance
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Today, we're exploring the hidden history of women in ministry through the lens of the pastor's wife role. Historian Beth Allison Barr takes us on a journey that challenges everything we think we know about women's leadership in the church. We'll trace how women went from being active leaders in the early Christian church to being systematically pushed out of ministry. Barr reveals how the pastor's wife role evolved from a radical act of Protestant resistance to a complex system that both empowered and constrained women. The conversation digs into some tough terrain - how complementarian theology has created environments where women's ministry is limited, and in some cases, where abuse has been hidden. But it's not just a story of limitation. It's a powerful call for reimagining how men and women can work together in ministry. At its heart, this is a conversation about breaking down barriers, recognizing historical complicity, and creating spaces where all people can fully express their calling - regardless of gender. We'll explore how the Southern Baptist Convention became a flashpoint for these debates, why ordination became a weapon against women's leadership, and most importantly, how we might move forward toward mutual flourishing in church communities. Get ready for a conversation that challenges, enlightens, and offers a hopeful vision for the future of ministry.
Beth Allison Barr (PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is James Vardaman Endowed Chair of History at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where she specializes in medieval history, women’s history, and church history. She is the author of the USA Today bestseller The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. Her work has been featured by NPR and the New Yorker, and she has written for Christianity Today, the Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, Sojourners, and Baptist News Global. Barr lives in Texas with her husband, a Baptist pastor, and their two children.
Beth's Book:
Becoming the Pastor's Wife
Beth's Recommendations:
The Anti-Greed Gospel
We Refuse
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In our current moment of cultural fragmentation and existential anxiety, the traditional frameworks of engagement feel increasingly inadequate. Andrew Root's latest work, “Evangelism in an Age of Despair” isn't just a theological treatise, or a how-to evangelism book, but a profound meditation on human connection in an age of profound disconnection. What happens when we shift our understanding of evangelism from a transactional model of belief to a relational practice of genuine with-ness? Andy suggests something more radical than conversion: a form of spiritual presence that honors the complexity of human suffering. We're living through an era where loneliness has become a systemic condition, where happiness is marketed as a consumable product, and where genuine human vulnerability is increasingly rare. Root's approach doesn't offer easy solutions, but instead proposes a more nuanced engagement with our collective pain. This conversation is less about religious doctrine and more about the fundamental human need for meaningful connection - a need that transcends ideological boundaries and touches something more elemental about how we understand ourselves and each other. Join us as we seek the consolation of Christ in the desolation of our lives.
Andrew Root (Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Carrie Olson Baalson professor of youth and family ministry at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Andrew Root is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary, USA. He writes and researches in areas of theology, ministry, culture and younger generations. His most recent books are Churches and the Crisis of Decline (Baker, 2022), The Congregation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2021), The End of Youth Ministry? (Baker, 2020), The Pastor in a Secular Age: Ministry to People Who No Longer Need God (Baker, 2019), Faith Formation in a Secular Age (Baker, 2017), and Exploding Stars, Dead Dinosaurs, and Zombies: Youth Ministry in the Age of Science (Fortress Press, 2018). Andy has worked in congregations, parachurch ministries, and social service programs. He lives in St. Paul with his wife Kara, two children, Owen and Maisy, and their dog. When not reading, writing, or teaching, Andy spends far too much time watching TV and movies.
Andrew's Book:
Evangelism in an Age of DespairAndrew's Recommendation:
SeveranceSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting Culture
Connect with Joshua: [email protected]
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Matthew Bates joins us today to work out salvation. What is it? What have we got wrong? In our contemporary moment, we find ourselves wrestling with a profound misunderstanding of the gospel - a narrative that has been truncated, individualized, and stripped of its royal, communal essence. The gospel is not merely a personal transaction about individual salvation, but a comprehensive royal announcement about Jesus the Christ. For too long, both Protestant and Catholic traditions have inadvertently narrowed the expansive biblical vision of salvation. We've reduced faith to mental assent or ritualistic practice, when in reality, faith is fundamentally about allegiance - a comprehensive, embodied loyalty to King Jesus that transforms not just individuals, but entire communities and, ultimately, all of creation. Matthew seeks to recover a more holistic understanding. We are saved not just from something, but for something: the full restoration of our image-bearing capacity, the renewal of God's glory in and through us. This isn't about personal spiritual escapism, but about participating in a cosmic restoration project. In our conversation today, we'll explore how reimagining salvation as allegiance can bridge denominational divides, challenge our narcissistic cultural assumptions, and invite us into a more profound understanding of discipleship. We're not just talking about theological abstractions, but about a transformative way of being in the world. Prepare to have your understanding of the gospel radically expanded.
Matthew W. Bates is Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. His books have won top honors from Christianity Today, Outreach Magazine, Jesus Creed, and Englewood Review. When he isn't hiking, baseballing, or chasing his seven children, he co-hosts the OnScript podcast. A Protestant by conviction, Bates holds a PhD in theology (New Testament) from the University of Notre Dame. His popular titles include Salvation by Allegiance Alone, Why the Gospel?, The Gospel Precisely, and The Birth of the Trinity. He lives with his family in Quincy, Illinois. Learn more about his books, lectures, or conference-speaking at MatthewWBates.com.
Matthew's Book:
Beyond the Salvation Wars
Matthew's Recommendations:
The Affections of Christ Jesus
Renovation of the Heart
The Great Divorce
The Deeply Formed Life
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John Eldredge joins us today. We're living in a moment where most people report either a lack of or no experience of Jesus in their daily lives. The war right now is for your attention. Every algorithm, every notification, every distraction is designed to keep you from the one thing your soul is actually craving: intimacy with Jesus. We've been grandchildren of the Enlightenment, disciples of the internet, consuming endless content about faith without actually experiencing the living, breathing presence of Christ. But what if - and this might sound wild - what if Jesus is actually waiting to meet you right now? Not in some distant, theological concept, but in the very moment you're listening to this. Your soul is wired for connection. You were created for intimacy with the Father, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit. This isn't just for special saints or mystics - this is for you. Ordinary people can become ordinary mystics, experiencing God's presence in the most mundane moments of life. So buckle up. We're about to dive into a conversation that isn't just information - it's an invitation. An invitation to turn your heart, to create sacred space, and to encounter the living Jesus in a way that will absolutely transform everything. Are you ready?
John Eldredge is a New York Times bestselling author, counselor, and teacher who has inspired millions to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. He is also president of Wild at Heart, a ministry devoted to helping people discover the heart of God, recover their own hearts in God's love, and learn to live in God's kingdom. John and his wife, Stasi, live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. To learn more, visit www.wildatheart.org.
John's Book:
Experience Jesus. Really.
John's Recommendations:
Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ
The Practice of the Presence of God
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This conversation with Alissa Wilkinson is a fascinating exploration of how the stories we tell ourselves - through Hollywood, through politics, through the media - shape the very fabric of our culture and our history. Wilkinson's work on the iconic writer Joan Didion provides a powerful lens to examine how the narratives we construct, often unconsciously, can profoundly influence the way we see the world and the decisions we make as individuals and as a society. What's so compelling about this discussion is the way it peels back the layers on these deeply ingrained stories - the myths of the American West, the heroic narratives of World War II, the celebrity-driven politics of the Reagan era. Wilkinson shows how these cultural touchstones don't just reflect our values, but actively shape them, often in ways that obscure uncomfortable truths or justify harmful actions. In an age where the very notion of objective reality is under assault, this conversation reminds us of the vital importance of interrogating the stories we tell ourselves. Because the stories we choose to believe - whether about our national identity, our political leaders, or our own personal histories - have real consequences. They determine how we see the world, how we make decisions, and ultimately, the kind of future we create for ourselves. So I encourage you to listen closely, to wrestle with the questions Wilkinson raises about the power of narrative, and to consider how the stories you've internalized might be shaping your own understanding of the world. It's a conversation that gets to the heart of what it means to be human in a complex, ever-shifting cultural landscape.
Alissa Wilkinson is a movie critic at the New York Times and the author of "We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine," which will be published by Liveright on March 11, 2025.
Alissa's Book:
We Tell Ourselves Stories
Alissa's Recommendations:
Predators
Zodiac Killer Project
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My conversation with Reward Sibanda is a deep dive into the spiritual practice of fasting. Reward grew up immersed in fasting as a cultural and religious tradition in Zimbabwe. But it wasn't until later that he grasped the profound theological significance behind it. Fasting is about aligning our whole being - body, mind, and spirit - with the will and presence of God. It's not some outdated ritual, but a powerful spiritual discipline. When we fast, we quiet the noise of our physical appetites and mental chatter, allowing our spirit to ascend and commune with God. This realignment is what enables the kind of faith and prayer that Jesus says can move mountains. Fasting humbles our soul, elevates our spirit, and puts us in a posture to help with unbelief. Reward's insights challenge us to see fasting not as a chore, but as a gift God has given us. In an age of constant distraction and self-centeredness, fasting offers a way to reorient ourselves towards the holiness and mystery of God. It has the power to revive our souls, renew our minds, and cleanse our bodies. This is a conversation that just may change the way you approach your relationship with God. Reward lays out a compelling case for why fasting should be a regular part of the Christian life today. So join us as we learn why and how to fast.
Reward Sibanda is a Speaker, Author, Teaching Pastor at Saddleback Church, and Senior Director for National Church Partnerships, World Vision.
Reward's Book:
How to Fast
Reward's Recommendations:
Your Story Has a Villian
The Familiar Stranger
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Today, we dive into the power of reckoning with our personal stories - the formative experiences and wounds from our past that shape who we are today, often in ways we don't fully understand. My guest, Adam Young, has spent years helping people make sense of their stories, to find freedom and wholeness. As Adam shares, the truth is, our past isn't just the past - it's deeply woven into our present. The feelings, fears, and patterns we carry from childhood can profoundly impact our relationships, our mental health, even our sense of calling. But the good news is, our brains have an incredible capacity for change and integration. Through curiosity, kindness, and the support of others, we can begin to uncover the hidden narratives that have been subtly steering the course of our lives. And in doing so, we open the door to a deeper, truer version of ourselves - one that can finally step into the unique purpose we were made for. This is a conversation about the transformative power of reckoning with our stories, no matter how messy or painful they may be. It's about finding the courage to face our past, so we can step more fully into our future. So join us as we make sense of our stories.
Adam Young is a therapist who focuses on trauma and abuse, and the host of The Place We Find Ourselves podcast. Adam is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with a Master degree in Social Work (Virginia Commonwealth University) and Divinity (Emory University).
Adam is the author of Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Story with Kindness Changes Everything. He currently serves as a Fellow and Instructor at The Allender Center. Adam lives in Fort Collins, CO, with his wife and two children.Adam's Book:
Make Sense of Your Story
Adam's Recommendations:
The Prophetic Imagination
Genesis: Interpretation
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When we think of the Apostle Paul, we often picture a stern, unyielding figure - the finger-wagging scold, laying down the law for the early Christian communities. But my guest today, Nijay Gupta, is here to shatter that perception and reveal the beating heart at the center of Paul's theology. In Nijay's new book, "The Affections of Christ Jesus," he makes a captivating case that what truly animates Paul's writings is an overwhelming, spilling-over affection - a profound, personal love that should reorient our entire understanding of the gospel message. As we dive into this conversation, Nijay makes the case that the dominant theological frameworks we've used to interpret Paul's work - the camps of justification by faith, the apocalyptic Paul, salvation history are missing something. He argues that what's been missing is a central focus on love, on the emotional, relational dimension that lies at the core of Paul's vision. And Nijay doesn't stop there. He also brings in the insights of Augustine, the great theologian of love, exploring how our deepest loves - not just our intellectual beliefs - are what truly shape the trajectory of our lives. So join me as we explore the affections that lie at the center of Paul's writings - the love that should be the starting point, not the afterthought, of our theology.
Nijay Gupta (DPhil, University of Durham) has written several academic books including Paul and the Language of Faith, and Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church. He has co-edited The State of New Testament Studies, and The State of Pauline Studies. Nijay co-chairs the Pauline Theology seminar of the Institute for Biblical Research and serves as a senior translator for the New Living Translation.
Nijay's Book:
The Affections of Christ Jesus
Nijay's Recommendation:
Becoming the Pastor's Wife
The Wild Robot
Shrinking
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There's a crisis of good news in our world today. The message of the gospel - the radical, transformative love of God poured out through Jesus Christ - has become muted, obscured by the noise of culture wars and the bitter taste of Christendom's failures. For many, the idea of "evangelism" conjures up images of slick preachers and aggressive door-to-door campaigns, leaving a sour note where there should be a jubilant melody. But my guest today, Derwin Gray, is on a mission to reclaim that melody - to help believers rediscover the joy and power of sharing the good news, not as a chore or a weapon, but as an overflow of the love that has set their own hearts ablaze. As the founding pastor of Transformation Church, Derwin has witnessed firsthand the way a community can be "lit up with love" - a people so captivated by the grace of God that it spills out into every corner of their lives. In our conversation, he unpacks a vision of evangelism that is relational, empathetic, and rooted in the overwhelming reality of God's affection. It's a perspective that has the potential to rekindle our passion for the gospel and reshape how we engage a world that is, in many ways, starving for the good news. So join me as we dive into Derwin's story, and discover how the simple act of receiving God's love can transform us into everyday missionaries, compelled to share the most life-giving news the world has ever known.
Dr. Derwin L. Gray is the co-founding and Lead Pastor of Transformation Church, just outside of Charlotte, NC. He is also the author of several books, including “How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and What the First Century Christians Knew about Racial Reconciliation." You can follow him at @derwinlgray on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as www.derwinlgray.com.
Derwin's Book:
Lit Up With Love
Derwin's Recommendation:
Paul: A BiographySubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting Culture
Connect with Joshua: [email protected]
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What if the way we've been reading the Bible has been missing something essential? What if the Scriptures aren't just a collection of propositional truths, but a grand narrative - a story that Jesus Himself used to unveil the deepest realities of the Kingdom of God? That's the argument made by author and storyteller Daniel Schwabauer as we dive into the power of story in this conversation. Dan points us to a pivotal moment in the Gospels - when Jesus tells the parable of the sower in Mark 4. Here, he reveals a secret about the Kingdom, saying "The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you." But why parables? Why not just lay out the truth plainly? Well, Jesus was doing something profound - He was inviting His disciples, and us, into a narrative journey. One that requires engagement, interpretation, and the work of the Holy Spirit to truly understand. By recovering this narrative lens, the church can rediscover the true power of the gospel message. It's a fascinating exploration of how the way we communicate shapes what we communicate - and how applying the principles of great storytelling can breathe new life into the ancient story of redemption. Join us as we discover the God of story.
Daniel Schwabauer, ThD, teaches English at MidAmerica Nazarene University and writes award-winning fantasy and science fiction novels. He earned an MA in creative writing under science fiction legend James Gunn and completed his doctoral work in semiotic theology with Leonard Sweet. He lives in Olathe, Kansas, with his wife and dogs.
Dan's Book:
The God of Story
Dan's Recommendations:
The Master and His Emissary
The Divided Brain and the Search for Meaning
Subscribe to Our Substack: Shifting Culture
Connect with Joshua: [email protected]
Go to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.
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I’m excited to have Skye Jethani back on the podcast. When we talk about justice, we often think in binary terms - judgment or mercy, punishment or forgiveness. But as Skye argues, the biblical vision of justice is far more nuanced and holistic. At its core, justice is about the proper ordering of relationships - between humanity and God, as well as between individuals and communities. It's not just about retribution, but about restoring the shalom, the wholeness and flourishing, that God intended for his creation. This understanding upends many of our assumptions about justice, both in the church and in society. He challenges the popular American Christian idea that justice is something the government does, not the church. And he unpacks how this bifurcation between the "vertical" and "horizontal" dimensions of justice has deeply distorted our theology and our engagement with the world. But Skye also offers a compelling alternative - a vision of justice that holds together judgment and mercy, individual transformation and systemic change. It's a vision rooted in the cosmic victory of Christ on the cross, where the powers of evil were defeated and a new order was established. This is a conversation that spans creation, Christology, and the church's role in pursuing righteousness. Skye draws on Scripture, church history, and his own experience to paint a rich, nuanced portrait of justice that challenges us to rethink our assumptions and expand our imaginations. So join us as we reckon with justice.
Skye Jethani is an award-winning author, speaker, and co-host of the Holy Post Podcast and co-founder of Holy Post Media. Skye has written more than a dozen books and served as an editor and executive at Christianity Today for more than a decade. Raised in a religiously and ethnically diverse family, his curiosity about faith led him to study comparative religion before entering seminary and pastoral ministry. With a unique ability to connect Christian thought and contemporary culture, his voice has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, and The Washington Post, and he’s spoken to audiences throughout the world as diverse as the U.S. Naval Academy, The Chautauqua Institution, and the Lausanne Movement.
Skye's Book:
What If Jesus Was Serious About Justice?
Skye's Recommendations:
How Far to the Promised Land
The Ballot and the Bible
Subscribe to Our Substack: Shifting Culture
Connect with Joshua: [email protected]
Go to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.
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Malcolm Foley has written a book that addresses some of the deepest and most intractable problems in American life - racism, violence, and greed. But his diagnosis is not what you might expect. Foley argues that the root of these evils is not just racial animus or a lust for power, but something far more fundamental - the worship of Mammon, the love of money and material wealth. In this conversation, Foley takes us on a sweeping journey, from the history of lynching in America to the cosmic battle between God and the idolatry of riches. He shows how greed has fueled the construction of race, the cycles of violence, and the unjust structures that continue to oppress the vulnerable. But he also offers a radical vision of how the church can model an alternative way of living - one defined by economic solidarity, creative nonviolence, and prophetic truth-telling. This is a conversation that addresses some of the most pressing moral and spiritual challenges of our time. Foley's insights are both unsettling and profoundly hopeful, pointing the way towards the redemption and reconciliation of all things. So join us and discover the anti-greed gospel.
Malcolm Foley is Pastor at Mosaic Waco, Special advisor to the President for Equity and Campus Engagement at Baylor University and author of The Anti-Greed Gospel. Malcom received his MDiv at Yale Divinity School and his PhD in Religion at Baylor.
Malcolm's Book:
The Anti-Greed Gospel
Malcom's Recommendations:
Households of Faith
The Black Tax
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Connect with Joshua: [email protected]
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This is a conversation with Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost that gets to the heart of what the church is called to be - a community of adventure, risk, and mission. Alan and Mike have revised and re-released their book "The Faith of Leap" that challenges the church to shed its obsession with safety and security, and instead embrace the risky, liminal spaces where the kingdom of God breaks through. We'll explore how the church has become too inwardly focused, too preoccupied with maintaining its own institutions, when it should be a sent people, a missional movement unleashed into the world. Alan and Michael will share powerful stories of ordinary believers taking courageous leaps of faith, and how their example can inspire us all. This is a conversation about rediscovering the church's essential calling - to be a community that encounters the living God, and then boldly steps out in response, ready to see the reign of God extended in our neighborhoods and cities. It's a call to adventure, to risk, to the kind of faith that changes everything. This conversation will challenge our assumptions about what the church is supposed to be. Too often, we've allowed the church to become a place of comfort and security, when it's meant to be a launching pad for mission and transformation. Alan and Michael are inviting us to rethink everything, to let the call of the kingdom reshape our understanding of ecclesiology. This is a conversation that I believe has profound implications, not just for the church, but for the way we engage the world around us. So join us and recover the faith of leap.
Michael and Alan's Book:
The Faith of Leap
Subscribe to Our Substack: Shifting Culture
Connect with Joshua: [email protected]
Go to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.
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