A lot of people have questions about their retirement plan, but we find that they could often be asking much better questions… Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

We talked with former evangelical pastor Jeff Mikels about the evangelical church's embrace of cultural and political idols, and his regret of his complicity in this trend. Jeff's book Evangelical Idolatry: How Pastors Like Me Have Failed the People of God is both a confession and a call to repentance. Reflecting on his twenty-year pastoral ministr…

We talked with author and hospice chaplain Kevin Sweeney about his new book The Cosmic Christ and the Concrete Jesus, where he talks about how Christian mystics and the Black prophetic tradition have helped him find his footing as a Christian. Kevin Sweeney is the author of two other books, The Making of a Mystic and The Joy of Letting Go. He is al…

Thanks to a variety of economic circumstances, many people are experiencing some form of financial anxiety at the moment. Listen in to hear how Kevin is advising clients in these situations right now… Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

We talked with trauma therapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker Adam Young about exploring our past stories to help us make sense of where we are now and begin to imagine who we would like to become. Adam wrote Make Sense of Your Story to help people explore their personal stories, and how they still impact us today. Adam Young is a trauma ther…

We talked (again!) with Sheila Wray Gregoire about dispelling the pervasive myths about what makes a happy marriage, and looking at actual evidence to understand what creates intimacy, emotional health, and connection. Sheila's new book is The Marriage You Want: Moving Beyond Stereotypes for a Relationship Built on Scripture, New Data, and Emotiona…

What does retirement planning have in common with growing a garden? Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

This week, we spoke with Dr. Emily Hunter McGowin about reimagining the definition of a "biblical" family and the ways that family can embody the work of the Kingdom. Her new book is Households of Faith: Practicing Family in the Kingdom of God. Dr. Emily Hunter McGowin is Associate Professor of Theology at Wheaton College. She is the author of Quiv…

Plenty of people have concerns about stock market volatility, a potential recession on the horizon, and fears for the economy amidst federal layoffs and tariffs. What if you’ve had 2025 marked on the calendar for a while as the year you plan to retire? Is this a bad time to do it? Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-…

We talked with theologian Stephen Morrison about the anti-mammon witness of the Early Church and its relevance for today, which Stephen argues points toward anti-capitalism. Stephen explores these ideas in his new book All Riches Come from Injustice. Stephen D. Morrison is a prolific American writer probably best known for his ongoing, mulit-volume…

In honor of April Fools Day, let’s look at some of the things people hear that they often get fooled by in the financial realm… Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

We talked with Tom Oord about open and relational theology and how it can help us trust God after tragedy, abuse, and evil. We talked about the ideas and implications of his book God Can't: How to Believe in God and Love after Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils. Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. O…

It’s important to be able to recognize the difference between an advisor who actually has a planning process versus one who just gives sales pitches all day. Here are some signs that an advisor is more focused on selling than planning... Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500…

We talk with author and mediator Cheryl Miller about how restorative justice practices can transform the lives of survivors of sexual violence. In her book Enough Silence: Creating Sacred Space for Survivors of Sexual Assault Through Restorative Justice, Cheryl outlines of these practices and offers a road map for implementing victim-offender dialo…

A recent survey from Financial Advisor Magazine was completed by nearly 400 advisors, the majority of whom have been in the business for more than 20 years. Based on that survey, let’s see what are other financial advisors experiencing with clients… Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500…

We talked with Dr. Andrew Bauman about the preponderance of sexism and abuse in the church, and what we can do to counteract and guard against it, which are the themes of his book Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities. Dr. Andrew J. Bauman is the founder and director of the Christian Counseling Center: For Sexu…

We talked with pastor and historian Malcolm Foley about the not-well-known-enough truth that racism is NOT about hate and ignorance; it's about greed. And it always has been. Foley's new book The Anti-Greed Gospel: Why the Love of Money Is the Root of Racism and How the Church Can Create a New Way Forward explores how the desire for power and money…

What can we learn about retirement planning from these popular board games? Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

We talked with podcaster and author Jonathan Foster about indigo: the color of grief, his book of poems that came from processing the painful loss of his daughter. Jonathan is the partner of one and father of three, founder of lovehaiti.org, podcaster, and award-winning author with some degrees in open and relational theology who loves to hike. You…

Tune in as Kevin dives into some interesting retirement demographics and shares how they play a role in his planning process. Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

We talked with pastor and author Marc Alan Schelske about the practicalities of following Jesus on the path of other-centered, so-suffering love. Marc's new book Walking Otherward is a forty-day devotional (just in time for Lent!) that follows the Gospel texts of Jesus' final weeks before his crucifixion. Each entry invites you to try on Jesus' att…

In light of Valentine’s Day, let’s talk about the five love languages: acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, and touch. Made popular by the marriage counselor and author, Gary Chapman, let’s see how you may encounter these love languages when it comes to financial planning. Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.c…

Essayist Liz Charlotte seeks to “read life” into the Bible, a text long limited by rigid evangelical notions of biblical inerrancy. In her book Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis after Losing Faith in the Bible, rshe draws on a broad range of sources to unpack the first 32 chapters of Genesis in a remarkably fresh way. Liz Charlotte Grant is …

Well, the Kansas City Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl…again. So their coach Andy Reid probably won’t be retiring anytime soon, but let’s still see what we can learn about retirement planning from these quotes from the Chiefs coach. Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500…

Matt and Ben continue reflecting on the process of leaving the white evangelical spaces they both came to faith in. Show notes: Mako Nagasawa: Thinking More Clearly About Abortion On How I Left White Evangelicalism and How it Left Me Redefining the History and Historiography on American Evangelicalism in the Era of the Religious Right My Comments L…

Matt and Ben continue reflecting on the process of leaving the white evangelical spaces they both came to faith in. Show notes: Mako Nagasawa: Thinking More Clearly About Abortion On How I Left White Evangelicalism and How it Left Me Redefining the History and Historiography on American Evangelicalism in the Era of the Religious Right My Comments L…

Dolly Parton, the “queen of country music,” beloved singer-songwriter, actor, and philanthropist just turned 79. So to honor her, let’s see how we can apply a few of her quotes to our financial life… Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

Matt and Ben reflect on the process of leaving the white evangelical spaces they both came to faith in. Show notes: On How I Left White Evangelicalism and How it Left Me Redefining the History and Historiography on American Evangelicalism in the Era of the Religious Right My Comments Last Night at the "Evangelicals for Harris" Online Event Trump ha…

With the new year upon us, let’s run through the checklist of things people should be thinking about as it relates to their financial plans… Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

We talk with pastor (and Gravity Commons Podcast co-host!) Christy Penley about how our emotions relate to living faithfully as disciples of Jesus (the subject of her doctoral dissertation). Connect with Gravity Commons: Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode. Join the Gravity Co…

As we kick off 2025, a lot of people consider what they want the year to look like and how to put their best foot forward, especially financially. Think: “new year, new me!” To figure out what the new “you” is all about, sometimes it helps to reflect first on what you’ve done in the past and what you want to change moving forward. Today, we’ll talk…

On the cusp of a new year, Christy talks with Ben and Matt about what it means to create a "rule of life" that is helpful and freeing, rather than burdensome. Connect with Gravity Commons: Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode. Join the Gravity Community to interact with other l…

As the year draws to a close, Christy, Ben, and Matt open some Christmas gifts and talk about some of the "gifts" of 2024. Merry Christmas, everyone! Connect with Gravity Commons: Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode. Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners,…

We hear a lot of half-truths in the financial world, not necessarily because people try to make misleading statements, but because sometimes a simple statement just doesn’t quite tell the whole story. Let’s discuss a few examples… Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500…

Ben, Matt, and Christy continue their discussion from last week of a few post-election commitments that are crystalizing for them as they contemplate what it means to live as followers of Jesus in the coming season. Here are the commitments we discuss in this episode (listen to Part 1 for the ones at the beginning of the list): Stay awake. Don’t nu…

Let’s discuss some of the financial matters that folks should consider addressing before the end of the year... Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

Ben, Matt, and Christy discuss a few post-election commitments that are crystalizing for them as they contemplate what it means to live as followers of Jesus in the coming season. Here are the commitments we discuss in this episode (more coming in Part 2): Stay awake. Don’t numb your longing for the world to be made right. Keep caring for one anoth…

Let’s explore some of the financial lies people sometimes tell themselves… Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

Matt and Ben reflect on a practical question from a listener on how to resist the power of Mammon in a specific situation. Show Notes: Matt Tebbe on the Liminal Living Podcast Sheryllin Ifill's article on practical ways to respond to the election. Connect with Gravity Commons: Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and…

Christy, Matt, and Ben discuss what they're learning about navigating difficult relationships during the holidays post-election. Connect with Gravity Commons: Leave us a message or ask a question about this or any other episode and we'll answer it on a future episode. Join the Gravity Community to interact with other listeners, and get our list of …

Some things in life are just plain bad and there’s no way to spin it in a positive fashion. But then there are lots of things that do have a bright side if you just have the right perspective. Let’s talk about some matters in the financial world that might initially seem bad but could definitely have a silver lining for you... Contact Information: …

Christy, Matt, and Ben discuss the virtues of participating in book clubs, and some of the goodness that has emerged from the new Gravity Book Club. (We are selecting our next book right now, by the way!) Let us know what you think we should read and discuss together. Connect with Gravity Commons: Leave us a message or ask a question about this or …

We talked with Dr. Thomas J. Oord about the recent heresy trial he underwent in his denomination for LGBTQ+ affirmation, what led him to fully affirm LGBTQ+ people, and many of the issues and questions that come up when discussing human sexuality. Thomas Jay Oord is a theologian, philosopher, and scholar of multi-disciplinary studies. Oord is a bes…

In this impromptu bonus episode, Matt Tebbe convenes a panel of pastors to discuss the spiritual, emotional and social implications of a second Donald Trump presidency. They explore personal reflections on identity, the challenges of fostering unity in diverse communities, and the importance of recognizing and addressing systemic issues such as rac…

We talk with Pastor Timothy McCain about how to have healthy, honest conversations with those different from us. Timothy's new book is Honest Conversations: Talking to Understand; Not to Win, which explores how to have conversations across differences in culture, experience, and lifestyle. Whether you want to learn more about someone's culture as y…

When it comes to retirement planning, it only takes one area where you planned poorly to ruin your entire plan. Let’s talk about how a good retirement plan addresses each of these potential pitfalls… Contact Information: Website: https://insightfolios.com/ Phone: 704-529-9500By Kevin Wray

We talk with Hebrew Bible scholar Jacob L. Wright about why no other ancient society produced anything like the Bible: a testimony of survival, but also an unparalleled achievement in human history. Wright's book Why the Bible Began: An Alternative History of Scripture and Its Origins was on The New Yorkers BEST OF 2023 list, as well as one of the …

More Americans are turning 65 this year than at any time in history. According to the Census Bureau, about 4.4 million Americans will hit the milestone this year; that’s about 12,000 per day. Let’s talk about the current retirement planning landscape as these aging Baby Boomers hit this traditional retirement age… Contact Information: Website: http…

Pastor and writer Joel A. Bowman, Sr. joins us for a wide-ranging discussion on thinking about and practicing politics through the lens of Christian faith. We touch on the upcoming presidential election, the history and theology of the Black church tradition, and the culture war. Rev. Joel A. Bowman, Sr. is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and has be…