Not Just Sunday: Christian Life, Following Jesus, & Daily Discipleship

Last week, we explored the idea that every person lives inside a story. This week, we begin unpacking the Bible's story by looking at the three major movements of the Old Testament: creation, rebellion, and Israel. Along the way, we trace the story of a loving God who creates a good world, watches humanity repeatedly reject him, and yet continues to pursue and restore his people. From Eden to Abra...

The stories we believe shape the lives we live. Whether it's our family background, cultural values, or past experiences, every one of us is living inside a story that helps us make sense of the world. But what if the story guiding your life isn't the whole story? In this episode, we introduce the Bible not as a rulebook, but as God's story. We discuss why understanding the Bible's overarching nar...

For many, one question stands in the way of reading the Bible: Can it actually be trusted? In this episode of our Unlocking the Bible series, we explore the historical reliability of the New Testament and examine the evidence scholars use to evaluate ancient documents. We discuss manuscript evidence, textual variations, archaeology, eyewitness testimony, and the question of whether the biblical te...

Ever feel lost when you open your Bible? That's understandable. The Bible isn't a single book. It's a library of 66 books written by dozens of authors across more than 1,500 years. Without a basic roadmap, it's easy to get overwhelmed. In this episode of our Unlocking the Bible series, we explore the Bible's major sections, how they fit together into one unified story, and what makes each part uni...

Could you be reading the Bible for good advice while missing the good news altogether? Many Christians approach the Bible looking for principles, rules, and practical tips for living. But the Bible isn't primarily a book of good advice. It's the story of a gracious God rescuing spiritually dead people through Jesus. In this episode of our Unlocking the Bible series, we explore the difference betwe...

For many Christians, Bible reading slowly becomes a performance metric, a checklist, or a search for information rather than transformation. But what if one of the main purposes of Scripture is to expose your need for God? In this episode of our Unlocking the Bible series, we explore how the Bible acts like a mirror, revealing our sin, our weaknesses, our misplaced trust, and our need for grace. W...

Many people read the Bible like it’s a book of rules, heroic examples, or a spiritual self-improvement guide. But according to Jesus himself, the whole Bible is actually about him. In this episode of our Unlocking the Bible series, we explore how grace completely changes the way we read Scripture. We talk about why the Bible isn’t ultimately about human heroes, how legalistic Bible reading distort...

Have you forgotten what a gift the Bible really is? In this second episode of our Unlocking the Bible series, we explore why the Bible is far more than just information, obligation, or a spiritual checkbox. The Bible is God's Word to us! It reveals who God is and who we are, provides wisdom and stability in a confusing world, and ultimately points us to Jesus the whole way through. The first key t...

Ten minutes doesn’t sound like much. But what if ten minutes a day in the Bible could actually change your life? In this first episode of our new series, Unlocking the Bible, we explore why so many Christians want to read Scripture consistently but struggle to follow through. We talk about the power of small daily habits, why “tiny beginnings” matter more than dramatic resolutions, and how even a...

In America, we’re told that if we work hard, make good choices, and play by the rules, we’ll succeed. But is that actually how life works? In this *final* episode of our Not Just Sacred series, we explore the “myth of hard work” and take a closer look at how success really works. How much of where you are today is due to your effort and choices, and how much is due to factors outside your control?...

Why are fewer people having kids, and does it really matter? In recent years, birth rates have dropped dramatically across the U.S. and much of the world. While many assume it’s a financial issue, the deeper cause may be cultural: we’ve stopped seeing children as a blessing and started seeing them as a burden. In this fourteenth episode of our Not Just Sacred series, we explore what’s behind the d...

Recent data doesn’t lie: the kids aren’t alright. In recent years, rates of anxiety, loneliness, depression, eating disorders, and suicide attempts have risen dramatically among American teens, and it’s becoming harder and harder to ignore the role smartphones and social media are playing.  In this thirteenth episode of our Not Just Sacred series, we tackle what may be the biggest parenting questi...

Whether you realize it or not, your social media habits are shaping you spiritually. So, how should Christians use social media? In this twelfth episode of our Not Just Sacred series, we explore how platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and even YouTube shape our habits, attention, relationships, and spiritual lives. We talk about why social media is so attractive, how it quietly forms us...

"Astrology for smart people." That's how some have described personality tests like the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder, DISC, or Working Genius. But do these tools have any place in the Christian life? Can they actually help us live more wisely and more biblically? In this eleventh episode of our Not Just Sacred series, we explore how personality assessments can help with self-awareness,...

Should Christians drink alcohol? Be drunk? Have a "buzz"? How can you tell if you’re being controlled by the things you eat? What does the Bible actually say about gluttony, drunkenness, and enjoying God’s good gifts? In this tenth episode of our Not Just Sacred series, we explore how food and drink show up throughout Scripture, from Eden and manna to the Lord’s Supper and the wedding feast of the...

How do you engage with a brilliant book that isn’t explicitly Christian? In this *bonus* episode, we put the Not Just Sacred series into practice by discussing Trust by Hernan Diaz, the novel our listeners voted to read with us. With full spoilers ahead, we unpack the book’s layered structure, surprising reversals, and deeper questions about truth, power, perspective, and who gets to shape the sto...

Artificial intelligence promises to make life easier. But what might it be doing to us in the process? In this ninth episode of our Not Just Sacred series, we explore how Christians can approach AI with wisdom. When is using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini helpful? And when should we be cautious? We discuss different ways to use AI, the ethical questions surrounding large language models (LL...

Vacations are a normal part of modern life, yet most of us have never stopped to ask what they’re really for. In this eighth installment of our Not Just Sacred series, we explore the surprising history behind vacations, from biblical festivals and pilgrimages to Roman leisure culture and modern travel. Along the way we ask whether something important has been lost. If God designed us for rhythms o...

Sports aren’t just games; they reveal our character. In Part 2 of our sports conversation, we turn our attention to sports betting, ethics, and the growing normalization of gambling in American culture. Should Christians participate in sports betting? Is it sinful, or is it more of a wisdom issue? We explore what the Bible says about money, character, gambling, competition, and self-control, and d...

Is it sinful to be competitive? Does God care who wins games? How do we know when sports, particularly kids sports, have become an idol? In this sixth episode of our Not Just Sacred series, we're kicking off part one of our conversation about sports. Hear Keith and Patrick explore the goodness of competition, the effects of sin on rivalry and pride, and how athletics can reflect discipline, excell...

Work takes up a huge portion of our lives, yet many Christians rarely think about it theologically. In this fifth episode in our Not Just Sacred series, we discuss what the Bible actually says about work: why it was part of God’s design from the beginning, how it was affected by the fall, and why it still matters deeply to God today. We talk about work as calling, the danger of making it an idol,...

Money can feel uncomfortable to talk about, but the Bible certainly isn’t shy about it. With over 2,000 verses on money, Scripture consistently connects our finances to our hearts, values, and trust in God. In this fourth episode of Not Just Sacred series, we explore what it means to handle money as faithful stewards rather than owners. We talk about spending, budgeting, saving, investing, debt, g...

What does the Bible say about health and fitness? In the third episode of our Not Just Sacred series, we take a Christian look at the body, the soul, and how they’re meant to work together. We explore whether fitness matters to God, how Scripture warns against being ruled by food or consumption, and why aging is something the Bible honors rather than resists. From questions about appearance and mo...

Does God care what we read? Should fiction make the list? First up in our Not Just Sacred series, we explore how Christians should think about reading, both the Bible and books beyond it. We share why Christians should value books and learning, how reading forms our attention and empathy, and why old books still matter today. We unpack how reading shapes who we become and how we see the world and...

Does following Jesus mean retreating from everyday life or learning how to fully engage it? In the kickoff episode of our new series Not Just Sacred, we explore the biblical vision of a faith that encompasses ALL of life. From work and money to reading, sports, and ordinary pleasures, this episode reframes the false divide between the sacred and the secular. As we trace the Bible’s story, from cre...