Can I Say This At Church‽

Episode Transcript So many of us suffer from stress and anxiety and the world that we live in continues to press us down. How do we truly find peace and how do we see the Kingdom of God in a way that we can embody it and share it with those in our lives. Listen in as Brandon and I discuss just that.  Guest Bio:  Brandon Andress is the author of three books: Beauty in the Wreckage- Finding Peace in...

Thanksgiving is a beautiful month for Gratitude and what better way to talk about it than with intention and purpose. I hope you'll enjoy this special re-release of "Grateful" with Dr. Diana Butler Bass. Four out of five Americans have said that they feel gratitude in their daily lives, but this seems to be at odds with the discontent that permeates modern society. How do we navigate t...

Support the show:  Patreon  l  Glow  l  Episode Transcript What is the narrative of scripture? How does liberation and oppression impact us today and tomorrow? How do we live out a call to be a prophetic voice in todays world?  Guest Bio:  Walter Brueggemann is surely one of the most influential Bible interpreters of our time. He is the author of over  one hundred books  and numerous scholarly art...

Episode Transcript l Patreon Too many people are overwhelmed and holding onto deep suffering, unable to catch their breath in a world that tells them to fake it till they make it. As the pressure of fear, pain, anxiety, and anger build, sooner or later these individuals are going to explode that’s no way to live. Guest Bio:  Steve Austin was a pastor when he nearly died by suicide. A second chance...

So much could be said about Óscar Romero as he was so many things to so many people. But some stories are best laid out with purpose and intention.  In this series of bonus episodes Paul Thomas reflects on the life and ministry of Saint Óscar Romero by way of providing context to this time in history of El Salvador. Connect with Paul Thomas at https://www.paulthomasauthor.com/ Support the show on...

It’s time to take it back by reclaiming the poetry of the ancient tradition of Scripture. And that’s what The Butterflies in God’s Stomach is all about. The Bible is so much more than piles of text of which we get dogma...it's a love story.  Guest Bio:  Paul spent the first half of his adult life helping people gain access to safe, clean drinking water. It was great work, but he realized it wa...

  Support the show:  Patreon  l  Glow  l  Episode Transcript   Does your church practice inclusion in a way that is truly self evident? What does that even mean? If I'm inclusive what do I need to change and what, if anything, will that mean for my comfort zones? Join Pastor Brandan and I in this conversation. Guest Bio: Brandan Robertson is a noted author, activist, and pastor, working at the...

Episode Transcript What does it look like to actually focus on what it means to truly follow Christ. To look past just the text of the Bible and look for the heart of the gospel. When we are able to do this something shifts and the world cannot remain the same as it was yesterday; and this is good.  Guest Bio: Danny graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry...

Episode Transcript Too often, our honest questions about faith are met with cold confidence and easy answers. But false certitude doesn't result in strong faith—it results in disillusionment, or worse, in a dogmatic, overweening faith unable to see itself or its object clearly. Pastors and our church leaders are no different.  Guest Bio: Austin Fischer is the Lead Pastor at Vista Community Chu...

Episode Transcript   What does the future of Christianity look like? If you're like me you see seismic shifts in our religious groups and wonder where they lead too. Brian McLaren and I discuss... Guest Bio: Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, g...

Support the show: Patreon  l Glow l Episode Transcript Turn on the TV at any moment in time and you'll see we have an obsession with the image of our bodies, but why? Are we not just the way we should be? What does life look like if we somehow transform ourselves to a different measurement of beauty? Should we even care too?  Guest Bio: J. Nicole Morgan is a sought-after speaker on the topic o...

Support the show: Patreon  l Glow l Episode Transcript The story of creation and how this universe that we swirl around in is ordered is something that has always bubbled in my head. Each time I think I have it figured out I learn something new that entirely shifts my perspective. Can a historical study of the Old Testament help?  Guest Bio: John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor...

Support the show: Patreon  l Glow l Episode Transcript Question: Pain, heartache, fear...where do these leave us? Answer: Falling; continuously away from our core being and what we were created to be. So how do we stop? Well, we fall, the opposite way.  Guest Bio: Rev. Barrett Owen Rev. J. Barrett Owen is a pastor, writer, and teacher. His passion is seeing the intersection between divinity, cultu...

Support the show: Patreon  l Glow l Episode Transcript How do the books of Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Ruth, Lamentations, and Esther impact the daily rhythms of your life? I'll be honest to say they usually don't because I forget they are there and because our churches don't regularly preach them; this must be addressed!  Guest Bio: Robert Williamson Jr. is an associate professor of...

Support the show: Patreon  l Glow l Episode Transcript How do we learn to speak about God and the Divine in our world today when all words seem to have precious little meaning? Without using "church-speak" are you able to have an open conversation about the faith you profess?  Guest Bio: Jonathan Merritt is an award-winning writer on religion, culture, and politics. He currently serves as ...

Support the show: Patreon  l Glow l Episode Transcript You have a voice. And you have God's permission to use it. But how do we do so in a wise way? How do we find our purpose and the message that we are called to preach and then once we do, how do we speak and engage in a way to meet others in a place of understanding.  Guest Bio: Kathy Khang is a speaker, journalist, and activist. She has wo...

Support the show: Patreon  l Glow l Episode Transcript What is it like to actually practice our faith? How often do we sit in contemplation and meet God where He already is in true searching and in a truly Earthshaking moments of worship? Aaron and I discuss what it means to enter into the current of life that is practice-based worship of the Creator of all things.  Guest Bio: Aaron is a liturgist...

Support the show: Patreon  l Glow l Episode Transcript Raise your hand if you think that you are nailing prayer? Good...now keep it raised if you feel like you are praying from a position of happiness, contentment, and joy? This is the goal, or one of the goals, of prayer. How do we do this? Rabbi Evan Moffic and I discuss. Guest Bio: Rabbi Evan Moffic joined Congregation Solel in July 2009 at age...

Episode Transcript In a world full of "positive and encouraging for the whole family" what do we do with our faith and life when it's anything but? When labels fail to offer a proper container for the emotions that are swirling around us? How do we deal with grief and honesty? Guest Bio: Derek has been involved in so much: Member of Caedmon's Call / Founder of Noisetrade / Artist /...

Episode Transcript What is it like to live in a world where you never really know if you can trust and believe what you are being told. What happens when the train derails? How does our local church help and which local church should you be attending?  Guest Bio: Austin Fischer is the Lead Pastor at Vista Community Church in Temple, TX. He is a graduate of Truett Seminary at Baylor University. He...

Episode Transcript Guest: Suzanne Stabile How does knowing our Enneagram number help us better navigate life? How could it help us all in really understanding each other better? This 8 got to sit down with Suzanne and it’s so good Guest Bio: Suzanne Stabile is a highly sought-after speaker, teacher, and internationally recognized Enneagram master teacher, having conducted over five hundred worksho...

Episode Transcript Guest: Keith Giles For many Christians, the Bible is the only way to know anything about God. But according to that same Bible, everyone can know God directly through an actual relationship with Jesus. What happens when we begin to release Jesus from the Bible. Guest Bio: Keith Giles is a former pastor who abandoned the pulpit to follow Jesus, and ended up founding a church wher...

Episode Transcript Guest: Sean C Johnson I had the great joy of sitting down with Sean to discuss a little of his story and how that's impacted his life and music. How do our life experiences impact our music and the true heart of our message? Bio: Sean C Johnson has received national recognition as a ground-breaking artist of his generation.  Being named as one of the top 10 best albums by So...

Episode Transcript Who was the Apostle Paul? We've all heard talk about him and around him but the man himself, rarely. Much of our New Testament is here today because of him but who was the man? What more can we learn from Paul separate of only his theology? NT Wright and I discuss in brief. Guest Bio: N.T. Wright is the former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and one of the world’s...

Episode Transcript Guest: Matthew Kaemingk Millions of Muslims have migrated into the West over the past 50 years. Their arrival has ignited a series of fierce public debates about religious freedom and tolerance, terrorism and security, gender and race, and so much more. As Muslims stream into the West, they confront modern democracies with more than an ancient religion, they bring an ancient que...