Best Justin McRoberts Podcasts (2025)

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Ep. 351 Justin McRoberts - In the Low: A Collection of Helpful Things 53:27

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7d ago53:27

53:27

Justin McRoberts weaves together art, prayer, and spiritual direction to help others find their way through seasons of loss, disappointment, and hope. In this conversation, Justin shares how letting go of outcomes opens us to God’s presence, why beauty is often discovered in the low places of life, and what it means to companion one another with co…

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Imagination, Work, and What Really Matters 14:05

29d ago14:05

14:05

Encouraging imagination in children: why participation beats restriction. Work transitions: how to discern whether to push harder where you are or look for something new. Why Justin doesn’t comment on celebrity-centered current events, and what’s at stake when we confuse spectacle with real importance. Closing with a prayer from In the Low (October…

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Ep. 353 Phil Sokell-Miles - How God is Moving in Prayer Spaces in Schools 1:00:50

3h ago1:00:50

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Phil Sokell-Miles has spent nearly two decades helping students encounter God in the most ordinary of places - schools. As part of the 24-7 Prayer movement, he helped pioneer Prayer Spaces in Schools, a global initiative inviting children and young people of all faiths and none to explore prayer, reflection, and life’s big questions in safe and cre…

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Ep. 352 Heath Hardesty - How Apprenticeship to Jesus Is the Way of Flourishing in a Fragmented World 57:50

3d ago57:50

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We live in what Heath Hardesty calls the age of disintegration - a world marked by fragmentation, distraction, and disconnection. I feel that deeply. So many of us are trying to hold our lives together in a culture that constantly pulls us apart. In this conversation, Heath joins me to talk about how apprenticeship to Jesus offers another way - a w…

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Ep. 350 Kaitlin Curtice - Everything is a Story 55:25

10d ago55:25

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In this episode, I sit down with author and poet Kaitlin Curtice to explore the ways stories shape our lives and communities. Drawing from her new book Everything Is a Story, Kaitlin reflects on the narratives that formed her growing up, the Indigenous wisdom that grounds her, and the liminal spaces where transformation takes place. We talk about c…

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Ep. 349 Peter Greer Returns - How Leaders Lose Their Way 51:21

11d ago51:21

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What causes leaders to lose their way? It’s rarely one catastrophic decision, it’s usually the slow drift of small compromises, unaddressed habits, and unchecked desires. In this episode, Peter Greer talks about the hidden currents that pull leaders off course. We explore the dangers of personal and mission drift, the importance of confession and a…

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Ep. 348 Sharon Hodde Miller Returns - Gazing at God: Finding Freedom Beyond Self 57:49

14d ago57:49

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Sharon Hodde Miller returns to Shifting Culture to talk about her new devotional, Gazing at God. Building on her earlier work in Free of Me, Sharon explores how the lies of insecurity and comparison keep us trapped in self-preoccupation and how the way of Jesus frees us to lift our eyes toward God and others. Together we talk about why self-esteem …

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Ep. 347 Nijay Gupta - Slow Theology: Resilient Faith in a Turbulent World 57:01

17d ago57:01

57:01

Nijay Gupta is back on Shifting Culture to share about his new book with A.J. Swoboda, Slow Theology. Together we talk about what it means to follow Jesus at a different pace - resisting the constant pressure to react, hurry, and perform, and instead cultivating practices that lead to depth and resilience. In this episode, we explore the role of la…

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Ep. 346 Joshua Ryan Butler - God is On Your Side 57:32

21d ago57:32

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What do we do when it feels like God isn’t on our side? In this episode of Shifting Culture, I talk with Joshua Ryan Butler about his new book God Is On Your Side and the ways he’s wrestled with that very question through seasons of heartbreak, illness, and despair. Josh takes us into the Gospel of John, where one-on-one encounters with Jesus becom…

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Ep. 345 Joash P. Thomas - The Justice of Jesus 56:58

24d ago56:58

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Joash P. Thomas joins me to talk about the justice of Jesus and what it means for the gospel to truly be good news for the poor and the oppressed. We trace Joash’s journey from growing up in Mumbai to working in U.S. politics, and then to encountering Jesus on the margins. Along the way, we explore how colonialism has shaped both the Global South a…

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Keeping the Stories Alive Together - A Call to Support the Show 12:15

25d ago12:15

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In this episode, I want to take a moment to step aside from the interviews and speak directly to you. Shifting Culture has always been about telling better stories - stories that help us live more faithfully and compassionately in a world that’s so often divided by fear. But to keep these conversations going, I need your help. My wife and I spend o…

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Ep. 344 Edwina Findley Dickerson - The World is Waiting For You: Dream Big, Hear from God, and Live Your Purpose 42:30

28d ago42:30

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In this episode, I sit down with actor, author, and speaker Edwina Findley Dickerson to talk about her new book, The World Is Waiting for You. Edwina shares her journey of listening for God’s voice, navigating seasons of waiting, and discovering a deeper purpose beyond achievement. Together, we explore the tension between intentional planning and r…

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Ep. 343 Andrew & Kara Root - A Pilgrimage Into Letting Go 58:27

1M ago58:27

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In this episode I sit down with Andrew and Kara Root to talk about their new book, A Pilgrimage Into Letting Go. Written out of their journey walking St. Cuthbert’s Way with their children, the book reflects on parenting, pastoring, and the hard but necessary work of releasing control. Together we explore why modern life pushes us to manage every d…

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Ep. 342 Kathleen Norris - On Disability, Humanity, and Hope Through the Story of Rebecca Sue 53:29

1M ago53:29

53:29

In this episode, I sit down with acclaimed writer and poet Kathleen Norris to talk about her deeply personal new book, Rebecca Sue. The book tells the story of her sister Becky - born with brain damage at birth - whose life was marked by both difficulty and transformation, humor and resilience. Kathleen shares what it was like to grow up alongside …

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Ep. 341 John Fugelsang - Separation of Church and Hate 55:22

1M ago55:22

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On Shifting Culture, we often ask: what does it mean to follow Jesus in the complexity of our world? In this episode, John Fugelsang helps us press into that question with clarity and urgency. John is a comedian, actor, and political commentator shaped by the unlikely pairing of parents who were once a nun and a Franciscan brother. His new book, Se…

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Ep. 340 Drew Hart - The Disentangling of Christianity from Empire: Why We Need Anabaptism and the Black Church 58:59

1M ago58:59

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What happens when the church trades the way of Jesus for the way of empire? In this episode of Shifting Culture, I talk with theologian and activist Drew Hart about his latest book, Making It Plain. We trace the long history of Christendom, the Doctrine of Discovery, and the legacies of white supremacy that continue to shape American Christianity t…

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Ep. 339 Trymaine Lee - The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America 46:13

1M ago46:13

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Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Trymaine Lee joins Shifting Culture to talk about his new book A Thousand Ways to Die and the true cost of violence in America. Known as a griot of Black survival and death, Trymaine has spent decades reporting on the lives and communities most affected by gun violence. But when he suffered a sudden heart attack at…

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Ep. 338 Liz Theoharis & Charon Hribar - We Pray Freedom 54:40

1M ago54:40

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Prayer can be more than quiet reflection — it can be protest, solidarity, and a catalyst for justice. In this episode of Shifting Culture, I talk with Liz Theoharis and Charon Hribar about their new book We Pray Freedom, a collection of prayers, songs, and liturgies born out of the Freedom Church of the Poor. We explore how faith traditions can sus…

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Ep. 337 Hanna Reichel - An Emergency Devotional for Such a Time As This 51:53

2M ago51:53

51:53

When the world feels uncertain and fear threatens to overwhelm, how do we stay rooted in faith? In this conversation, theologian Hanna Reichel joins me to talk about the new devotional For Such a Time as This. We explore what history - especially the lessons of Germany a century ago - can teach us about resilience, discernment, and Christian witnes…

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Ep. 336 Fergus Butler-Gallie - Twelve Churches: Paradox, Power, and Hope in the Story of Christianity 51:27

2M ago51:27

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The story of Christianity is full of paradox—spaces of violence and division becoming arenas of hope and redemption. In this episode, I sit down with priest and author Fergus Butler-Gallie to talk about his book Twelve Churches, which traces the history of Christianity through twelve remarkable church buildings across the globe. From Bethlehem to B…

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Navigating Rejection, Overwhelm, and Authenticity 19:50

2M ago19:50

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Justin shares gratitude for support after a recent car accident. Listener questions addressed: - How to reconnect during seasons of rejection and disconnection. - Managing the overwhelm of life’s constant demands. - Practicing transparency without sharing every detail. Insights from the Ignatian spiritual tradition on consolation and desolation. Th…

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Ep. 335 Natalie Runion Returns - Breaking the Lies that Hold Women Back in the Church 57:52

2M ago57:52

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Natalie Runion returns to Shifting Culture with her new book I Don’t Even Like Women: And Other Lies That Get in the Way of Sacred Sisterhood. Behind the provocative title is a deeper story: how the church has too often handed women scripts of competition, gossip, and scarcity and how those scripts can be rewritten into something truer and freer. I…

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Ep. 334 Trevin Wax - What Story Are You Living In? A Catechism That Roots You in the Story of Christ 51:43

2M ago51:43

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What story are you living in? In this episode, Trevin Wax joins me to explore how the church can root itself more deeply in the story of Scripture. We talk about The Gospel Way Catechism, the ancient practice of catechesis, and why discipleship is more than just memorizing truths - it’s learning to walk in the way of Jesus. Along the way, Trevin sh…

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Ep. 333 Toni Collier - Why Healing Can't Happen Alone 58:35

2M ago58:35

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What if healing doesn’t happen in isolation, but only in community? In this episode Toni Collier talks about her new book Don’t Try This Alone and the hard-won lessons she’s learned about vulnerability, resilience, and the necessity of others in our journey toward healing. Toni shares her story of brokenness and betrayal, the seasons of hopelessnes…

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Ep. 332 Kurt Ver Beek - Becoming Brave Christians: Fighting Violence and Corruption in Honduras 50:38

2M ago50:38

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What does it look like to seek justice when the problems seem too big to solve? In this episode, sociologist and justice advocate Kurt Ver Beek shares his journey from the Midwest to the front lines of Honduras - moving into one of the country’s most violent neighborhoods, confronting systemic corruption, and helping lead a nationwide police reform…

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Ep. 331 Zach Lambert - Better Ways to Read the Bible 54:33

2M ago54:33

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Zach Lambert joins me for a conversation about how we read Scripture and how our reading shapes everything. We explore the lenses we bring to the Bible, the harm that can come from flat or literalist interpretations, and what it looks like to center our reading on the life and teachings of Jesus. Zach’s new book, Better Ways to Read the Bible, invi…

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Grieving the End, Embracing the New 23:13

2M ago23:13

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Justin shares personal stories about his kids starting a new school year and the emotions that come with it. The myth of “creative block” and what it’s really about. How the Sabbath helps process endings and prepare for new seasons. Distinguishing between wisdom and fear when making choices. Why calling is more about who you’re becoming than choosi…

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Ep. 330 Clarissa Moll - Hope Has Legs: Grief, Lament, and the Slow Work of Healing After Loss 50:35

2M ago50:35

50:35

When Clarissa Moll’s husband died suddenly, she was thrust into a new reality one shaped by deep grief, single parenting, and the quiet work of guiding her four children through unimaginable loss. In this episode, Clarissa shares hard-won wisdom about how children grieve, how adults can walk alongside them with care and presence, and how grief does…

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Ep. 329 Karen Swallow Prior Returns - Finding Your Calling in the True, the Good, and the Beautiful 49:12

2M ago49:12

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Karen Swallow Prior returns to the podcast to help us rethink what calling really is. It's not a passion we chase or a dream we conjure up, but something that comes from outside of us. Something we respond to. We talk about the slow work of vocation, how it shifts over time, and why pursuing what’s true, good, and beautiful in ordinary life might b…

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Ep. 328 Sean Gaffney - We Were Made For Stories 1:01:26

2M ago1:01:26

1:01:26

Stories aren’t just entertainment - they’re how we make sense of who we are, what we value, and where we’re headed. In this episode, writer and professor Sean Gaffney invites us to see story as a sacred thread woven through culture, theology, and discipleship. We talk about the shape of the meta story that undergirds all great narratives, how stori…

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Ep. 327 Dr. Kerry Burnight - Joyspan 52:14

3M ago52:14

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What if aging wasn’t something to fear, but something to embrace? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kerry Burnight, a leading gerontologist and author of Joyspan, to explore how we can shift our mindset around aging. Instead of chasing anti-aging fads or resisting change, what if we cultivated joy, purpose, and connection across every season of …

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Permission to Change: Silence, Resistance, and Becoming 16:37

3M ago16:37

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Main Question: How to explain your need for a day of silence to family and friends Resistance: Often comes from good people and deserves thoughtful communication Making a Plan: Plans stick; impulses fade Calendar as a Tool: Helps visualize trade-offs and negotiate responsibly Life Built by Consent: Recognizing past choices and agreements as part of…

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Ep. 326 Dr. Caroline Leaf - Finding Peace When You're Overwhelmed, Anxious, or Stressed 38:43

3M ago38:43

38:43

When we live in constant noise and inner pressure, how do we learn to think clearly, live intentionally, and follow Jesus with our whole minds? In this episode, I sit down with clinical neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf to explore the intersection of faith, mental health, and neuroplasticity. We talk about how renewing our minds is more than a spiri…

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Ep. 325 Alex Fogleman - Making Disciples Through Catechesis 50:21

3M ago50:21

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In this episode, I talk with Alex Fogleman about reclaiming the forgotten art of catechesis - not as rigid instruction, but as a living tradition that helps form whole people in the way of Jesus. We explore how the early church shaped new believers, what we’ve lost in our fast-paced, fragmented culture, and how we might recover a slower, deeper app…

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Being Real, Growing On Purpose, and Feeling Your Feelings 21:41

3M ago21:41

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Episode Notes: Authenticity in Art: You're a real artist if you’re doing the work—regardless of metrics or recognition. Internal Metrics for Growth: Choose your own measures of progress and satisfaction. Emotional Expression: Not every feeling needs to be shared online. Say less. Process more. Derek Sivers Insight: Sometimes saying your plans out l…

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Ep. 324 Lana Silk - Iran's Underground Church: Jesus, Miracles, and Multiplication 53:48

3M ago53:48

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What’s really happening in Iran beyond the headlines? In this episode, I sit down with Lana Silk, CEO of Transform Iran, to explore the remarkable growth of the underground church in one of the most spiritually hungry regions in the world. Lana shares her powerful personal story from a childhood shaped by faith under Iran’s Islamic regime to leadin…

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Ep. 323 Cyd & Geoff Holsclaw - Discipleship and Attachment: Healing the Way We Relate to God 55:56

3M ago55:56

55:56

Cyd and Geoff Holsclaw join the podcast for a deep conversation on spiritual formation, attachment theory, and why so many of us feel stuck in our faith. Drawing from their work in neuroscience, pastoral care, and discipleship, they unpack how our early relational patterns shape the way we experience God and how we can begin to heal. We explore the…

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Change, Prayer, and Who We Are 19:41

3M ago19:41

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Handling Change: Embracing unpredictability through the lens of the welcoming prayer Prayer and Action: Why a true prayer life leads to action, and how activism should drive us back to prayer Identity and Memory: The myth of hyper-individuality and why our identity is held collectively—by others and by God Resources Recommended: Contemplation in a …

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Ep. 322 Brian McLaren Returns - The Polycrisis and Imagining a Better Future 52:04

3M ago52:04

52:04

Brian McLaren returns to Shifting Culture to explore his new speculative novel The Last Voyage - a prophetic work of fiction set in a world unraveling from ecological collapse, authoritarianism, and cultural despair. But this isn't a story of resignation. It's a call to imagine differently. We talk about the role of art as prophetic witness, how fi…

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Ep. 321 - Leyla King - The Faith, Resistance, and Stories of Generations of Palestinian Christians 56:36

3M ago56:36

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In this episode, I sit down with Episcopal priest and author Leyla King to explore her deeply moving memoir Daughters of Palestine. Told through the voices of five generations of Palestinian women, Leyla’s book offers a powerful counter-narrative to the dominant Western framing of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Through personal and ancestral sto…

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Legalism, Loss, and Learning to Carry What Hurts 20:02

3M ago20:02

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Episode Notes: Legalism vs. Values: Legalism is a rigid, unchanging posture; values evolve with evidence and relationship. Processing Group Hurt: Don’t rush past collective wounds; learn to carry them together. Contemplative Prayer: Prayer as receptivity and openness, not productivity. Caring for a Terminally Ill Friend: Let them teach you; honor t…

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Ep. 320 David Gate - A Rebellion of Care 55:32

3M ago55:32

55:32

What does it look like to resist empire without becoming empire? Poet and essayist David Gate joins the podcast to explore how care, friendship, and creative truth-telling can become acts of rebellion in a world shaped by power, productivity, and isolation. In this conversation, we talk about why individualism is a dead end, how to build communitie…

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Ep. 319 Doug Lynam - Taming Your Money Monster 50:21

3M ago50:21

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Today, we’re sitting down with Doug Lynam - Marine, monk, money coach, and author of Taming Your Money Monster. Doug doesn’t just help people build better budgets. He helps them untangle the deep wounds, attachment patterns, and spiritual beliefs that shape how we handle money. We talk about money not as a neutral tool, but as something we carry st…

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Ep. 318 Jackson TerKeurst - War, Orphanages, and Finding Family 44:41

4M ago44:41

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Today, Jackson TerKeurst joins me to share his extraordinary journey from the rural simplicity of a Liberian village to the chaos and trauma of war, and finally, to discovering a profound sense of belonging through faith, community, and adoption. Jackson recounts the harrowing experience of surviving as a child during Liberia’s brutal civil conflic…

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Ep. 317 Zach Windahl - Rediscovering the Beauty, Power, and Story of the Bible 54:18

4M ago54:18

54:18

Many struggle with the Bible not because it’s irrelevant, but because we’ve never been given the full story. My guest today, Zach Windahl, went from confusion and disillusionment to falling in love with Scripture and now he’s helping others do the same. In this conversation, we trace Zach’s journey of rediscovery, unpack the sweeping narrative of t…

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Unity, Motivation, and the Art of Showing Up 18:48

4M ago18:48

18:48

Episode Notes: Fostering unity in politically split churches: Use group-based creative projects and shared reflection (like Lectio Divina). Staying motivated: You don’t have to feel motivated—learn to work without it. Breaking conflict cycles: Let go of the need to win. Signal that the relationship means more than the argument. Navigating hard conv…

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Ep. 316 Will Parker Anderson - Writing and Creating in the Tension: Faith, Ambition, and Identity 57:12

4M ago57:12

57:12

In this episode, I talk with Will Parker Anderson—writer, editor, and founder of The Writer’s Circle—about the tension we all feel between productivity and presence, business and ministry, hustle and holiness. Will brings clarity and honesty to the internal battle many creatives face: how do we create from a place of joy, not just ambition? How do …

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Ep. 315 Heather Thompson Day - Your Circumstances Aren't Your Story 49:34

4M ago49:34

49:34

In this episode, I'm joined by Heather Thompson Day, whose insights challenge our perceptions of success, passion, and the presence of God in our lives. Heather boldly explores the idea that our true story isn't found in the circumstances we face, but rather in how we respond to them. We dive into themes from her powerful book, What If I'm Wrong?, …

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Ep. 314 Daniel Hummel - The Rise and Fall of Dispensationalism 1:03:16

4M ago1:03:16

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In this episode, historian Daniel Hummel joins me to discuss the fascinating rise and decline of dispensationalism, a theological movement deeply embedded in American evangelicalism. Daniel shares his personal journey growing up in a dispensationalist environment, exploring its roots with John Nelson Darby, its influence post-Civil War, and its wid…

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Ep. 313 Nicholas McDonald - Rediscovering the Love, Beauty, and Freedom of Jesus in an Age of Disillusionment 57:25

4M ago57:25

57:25

What happens when the gospel you were handed no longer makes sense of the pain, beauty, or complexity of the world you’re actually living in? In this conversation, I sit down with Nicholas McDonald, pastor and author of The Light in Our Eyes, to explore the tensions between disillusionment and hope, escape and embodiment, cynicism and renewal. Nich…