Culture Matters

How often does our vision for something differ from God's sovereign vision —making us blind to the blessing? Our latest episode is a challenge to rethink the common notions of greed and generosity, especially as the holiday season underscores the tension between gratitude and consumerism. We explore how societal norms can obscure the real condition of the heart, making it easy to overlook the...

Where do we go in times of need and comfort? How can we think about comforts as an invitation to rely more on Christ and not on the temporary fixes of this world? On this episode, we explore the concept of gluttony: what is it and what does the Bible have to say about it? By examining the impact of modern habits like phone overuse or streaming services, we highlight how distractions can distance u...

President Trump secures a historic second term, defying predictions and shocking many. On this episode, we discuss the unexpected election results that left many, including pollsters, scratching their heads. We explore the shifting demographics in key swing states like Ohio and Florida and how Trump managed to capture the allegiance of independent voters more effectively this time around. The emot...

This week we have a fascinating conversation with author and illustrator John Hendrix about his latest book—The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. We explore the beauty of communicating really complicated truths through myth, story and poetry — similar to how God takes the stories of the world and tells us a truer story. Through the creation of myths we can be...

Kyle Worley, pastor at Mosaic Church and author of the insightful new book "Home with God or Union with Christ," joins us to unpack the transformative doctrine of union with Christ. Through the metaphor of being at home with God, Kyle shares how this understanding reshapes our perspective on salvation, emphasizing the richness of fellowship beyond mere forgiveness. In his latest book, Kyle...

Join us on this episode of Culture Matters as we discuss some of the more recent headlines. From a viral TikTok "bank glitch", Beyoncé's CMA snub, celebrity christians and fallen pastors, to the VP debate and the war in Israel there is no shortage in hot topics. We try to navigate all of these headlines in a manner that points you to Jesus and hope. Topic Discussed Perspective on Digit...

On this episode of Culture Matters as we continue our exploration of creating inclusive spaces for those with special needs. Doug Schulte, house manager and donor coordinator at Cornerstone Ranch in McKinney, Texas, joins us to share his heartfelt journey of building spaces where those with special needs feel not just welcome, but genuinely anticipated and valued. Topics Discussed Creating Inclusi...

When Molly Smith first discovered her son's neurodivergence, she faced a whirlwind of emotions that many parents of children with special needs will recognize. In this episode, Molly opens up about her family's journey, from the initial challenges to learning how to parent in each new stage of development. The aim of this first part in a two-part series on special needs is to encourage tho...

Continuing our conversation on politics, we talk to Dr. Patrick Schreiner about the ideology of politics. Christian faith isn’t private or partisan, but it certainly has a public (political) reality. We pledge allegiance to King Jesus and are participants in God’s plan to bring heaven to earth, as we are called to go out into the world to make disciples and be a light in the darkness. Guest Resour...

As we are in an election year, we want to take some time to look at politics in America through a biblical lens. In the first episode of this three-part series, we are joined by pastor and author Dr. Zack Eswine. We discuss how we may have arrived at the current political climate, how it has affected the Church in America and what Jesus' view on politics is. Zack recently wrote a book on polit...

We are joined by Michael Bleecker and Jonathan Dodson to discuss fatherhood. Intentional fatherhood is more than just being present; it’s about quality interactions that guide our children towards understanding God’s love and forgiveness. This episode underscores the importance of modeling genuine repentance, prioritizing meaningful activities over distractions, and embracing our unique identities...

In this episode, we talk to Rachel Gilson about her latest book—Parenting Without Panic in an LGBT-Affirming World. It’s a really helpful conversation for parents and anyone discipling the kids (hint: all of us) to navigate conversations about God’s beautiful design for human sexuality, gender, and relationships. Mentioned Resources Connect more with Rachel Buy Parenting without Panic Listen to Pa...

There's been a shift in the way this generation, particularly Gen Z and Gen A, navigates the world. They want to hear a story more than they want an expertly given argument. Relationship and authenticity are valued over intellectualism. On this episode we explore how that influences, discipleship, parenting, outreach and more. We also take a step back to explore some things we would tell our y...

In this week's episode we welcome back Adam Hawkins after his sabbatical. And we have an extended conversation around the Paris Olympics.  Follow us on social Instagram --  Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

Continuing our conversation from last week, if we're thinking about a Godly approach to work and rest, then how can we think about play? Where does playfulness fit into our lives, that's honoring God and pushing back darkness, and ultimately looking to the future glory of God's new heavens and new earth.  Topics Discussed Rediscovering Joy Through Play The Beauty of Rest, Work, Play Et...

What does it look like to rest well? When we work from our significance in Christ instead of our own, we can pair the mission of God with the heart of God for the flourishing of all people. In this way, Christianity offers an antithesis to the hustle culture that we are bombarded with everyday. Elizabeth and Tymarcus invite Jonathan Dodson on to have a conversation about work & rest. Topics Di...

On this episode, we explore the multifaceted role of Mary and motherhood in faith with our guest Caroline Smiley, a Bible and theology teacher and current PhD student. Caroline provides a rich analysis of Mary’s portrayal in the Gospel of Luke, focusing on her agency and emotional depth. In our conversation, we emphasize the deep connection between human relationships and encountering Christ. We a...

This week we have a timely conversation about the ways social media and culture promote “self care” and how we should look at care and sin through Godly lenses. If our motivation is the Lord and He is our source of care, then we can approach difficult people and difficult situations, considering God’s wisdom, and discern a better way.  Topics Discussed Frictionless Life vs. Self-Care Navigating Bo...

On this episode of Culture Matters, we sit down with Chad Lawson and Logan Helm from Citizens Church to discuss how things like anxiety, technology, fear and misconceptions of God shape our prayer practices. We hope to offer encouragement to view prayer as an ongoing, heartfelt conversation with God rather than a formal obligation, underscoring that even imperfect attempts at prayer are valuable i...

We're back with a new season and to kick things off we are going to tackle some of the bigger news items from the past few months. We also talk about some of books, movies, shows and more that we have lately been enjoying...or fighting to get through. Thanks for joining us for another season! We have some really great episodes in store. Topics Covered In This Episode The benefits and woes of a...

Today is Juneteenth, a day where we celebrate the news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reaching slaves on the Texas shores. We felt like now would be a good time to revisit the topic of racial division. What are the real steps to breaking the cycles of racial incidents, protests and backlash that we see so often in the United States? We are joined by George Yancey, a professor at Baylor U...

This Summer we are re-visiting a few of our favorite previous episodes. Some from recent seasons, some from not-so-recent. We've had some really amazing and helpful guests on over the years, so while we are busy recording new episodes, we wanted to share these with you! We hope you enjoy them! -- In this week's episode, we sit down with a good friend, Aina Carruth, to talk about the hard s...

This Summer we are re-visiting a few of our favorite previous episodes. Some from recent seasons, some from not-so-recent. We've had some really amazing and helpful guests on over the years, so while we are busy recording new episodes, we wanted to share these with you! We hope you enjoy them! Hip-hop artist and writer Jackie Hill Perry joins us and shares the role of art in her story of gospe...

This Summer we are re-visiting a few of our favorite previous episodes. Some from recent seasons, some from not-so-recent. We've had some really amazing and helpful guests on over the years, so while we are busy recording new episodes, we wanted to share these with you! We hope you enjoy them! -- Is God a foodie? This episode talks about the biblical significance of food and our cultural obses...

This Summer we are re-visiting a few of our favorite previous episodes. Some from recent seasons, some from not-so-recent. We've had some really amazing and helpful guests on over the years, so while we are busy recording new episodes, we wanted to share these with you! We hope you enjoy them! -- Through his book, Good and Beautiful and Kind, Rich Villodas offers a contemplative practice, base...