Restoring Our City

One hundred episodes. Jobbin and Jeswin celebrate by ranking their top five brown church experiences: the back row communion strategy, a baptism procession that took longer than the walk, Santa Claus at a Delhi mission service, youth meeting trophies that look like fishing awards, and the cottage meeting goodbye that lasts an hour. Then they tell the story they have never fully told on the pod: ho...

Church fundraising sits in a strange place. Everyone knows the money has to come from somewhere, and everyone has a story about the ask that felt wrong. Locked doors, platinum sponsor tiers, songbook ads, plaques on the wall. Jobbin and Jeswin work through the tactics, the Google review that keeps showing up under every church, and what 1 Chronicles 29 and Haggai 1 actually say about how leaders s...

Every year it comes back around. The general body meeting. The nominations, the bylaws, the budget nobody agrees on, and somehow the mango pickle that ends up on someone's head. Jobbin and Jeswin sit with the meeting our community loves to dread, and the church splits, lost friendships, and quiet exits that follow it. They trace where the conflict really comes from, what Scripture actually mod...

Massive budgets. Packed ballrooms. A spiritual high that fades by Monday morning. Are church conferences actually worth it? Jeswin is back on the pod after a brief break, fresh off PCNAK in Chicago, and he and Jobbin get honest about what these gatherings actually give us. The community. The shared culture. The anonymous questions that revealed what our people are really wrestling with. And what t...

You can have the best worship team in the city, a packed house every Sunday, and a pastor who preaches straight fire. And people will still leave because nobody learned their name. In the final episode of the Church Complaint Box series, Jobbin gets honest about the complaint that hits the deepest: the lack of love. Not theological error. Not bad production. Just a church full of people who never...

What happens when Scripture is used to justify power, silence criticism, or support our own personal agendas? In this solo episode of the Restoring Our City Podcast , Jobbin continues the Church Complaint Box series by unpacking one of the biggest reasons people feel frustrated with the church: twisted Scripture . Anchored in 2 Timothy 4:2–4 , this conversation explores how verses can be pulled ou...

Are smoke machines, basketball-dribbling pastors, and maple syrup on Bibles ruining the Church? Jobbin and Jeswin tackle one of Christianity's biggest complaints: performative worship and celebrity pastors. From megachurch spectacles to hypocritical worship leaders in brown churches, they discuss why Gen Z is fleeing to traditional churches, what the Bible says about honoring God versus entertaini...

Is it possible to love the Church while also acknowledging its deep-seated flaws?. In the Season 7 premiere of Restoring Our City, Jobbin and Jeswin begin a series dedicated to the major complaints that cause people to turn away from Christianity. We aren't here to "trash" individuals, but we are here to have candid, unfiltered conversations about the business of church, the characte...

As we close out 2025, Jobbin and Jeswin take a reflective (and hilarious) look back at the year—starting with one of the most iconic traditions in the South Asian Christian church: Watch Night Service. From midnight worship songs and testimony time, to feet washing, holy communion, and the infamous “if I offended you, please forgive me” line, the guys rank their Top 5 Watch Night traditions and un...

What if the traditions we were taught to ignore are actually the very things shaping our faith? In this episode of Restoring Our City , Jobbin and Jeswin dive into a candid, honest, and surprisingly fun conversation about Christian traditions, Christmas, and church history —through the lens of growing up as South Asian Christians in America. From midnight Christmas services and fruitcake debates t...

Are we losing the gift of hospitality that shaped our homes, churches and communities? In this holiday episode, Jobin and Jeswin explore how South Asian families practiced hospitality as a way of life and why it is harder for our generation to keep it going. They share personal stories, cultural quirks and biblical insights that reveal why caring for others is more than a good trait, it is a centr...

Can Christians honor corrupt leaders? In this episode of the Restoring Our City Honor Series , Jobbin and Jeswin dive into one of the most challenging teachings in Scripture — showing honor to authority even when we disagree. Through Romans 13 , 1 Peter 2:17 , and stories of biblical resistance and obedience, they explore how Christians can stand for truth without losing honor. This conversation w...

In this episode of the Honor Series , Jobbin and Jeswin wrestle with a big question — Can you really love Jesus but not the church? They unpack what biblical honor looks like inside the Church, why distrust in leadership has grown, and how to honor pastors and congregations even when you’ve been hurt. From South Asian church traditions to real-life stories of restoration, this episode explores how...

In this powerful episode of Restoring Our City, Jeswin and Jobbin unpack a truth that’s often overlooked: honoring your parents isn't just a personal virtue — it's a societal foundation. From biblical roots in Ephesians 6 and Exodus 20, to real-life South Asian family dynamics, we explore:Why honoring our parents goes far beyond obedienceHow the breakdown of family honor mirrors society&#3...

Has our society lost its sense of honor? In this powerful kickoff to our new Honor Series , hosts Jobbin and Jeswin explore why disrespect has become so normalized—from weddings to social media to how we treat authority and what it means to restore a biblical culture of honor. Especially relevant for the South Asian Christian community, we unpack: Why honor is not the same as obedience How cultura...

In this special episode of the Restoring Our City podcast, hosts Jobin and Jeswin step into a heavy and emotional moment following the tragic shooting of political commentator Charlie Kirk. Rather than rush to a hot take, they take a breath, pray, and ask the deeper question: why do we, as a culture, respond with rage? We talk about:• The culture of outrage and its spiritual roots• The identity cr...

In this candid episode of the Restoring Our City podcast, Jobbin and Jeswin dive into the often unspoken tensions between Christian denominations—especially within the South Asian church context. 🕊️ From personal stories of church hurt to surprising moments of unity across continents, we reflect on how our theological and cultural differences can either divide us—or become opportunities for buildi...

We grew up in church. We did the Sunday school drills, the worship team, the youth events... but does that mean we were spiritually mature? In this episode, Jeswin and Jobbin wrestle with what true spiritual growth looks like beyond the performances and programs we were raised in.🔥 In this candid conversation, we ask:Are we mistaking church involvement for actual spiritual depth? Why do we equate...

In a world where everyone has a platform, who should we really be listening to? In this candid conversation, Jobbin and Jeswin dive into the dangers of influence —from social media clout-chasing to the subtle ways we let others shape our faith. We unpack the crowded Christian content space, the responsibility that comes with having a voice, and the biblical call to discernment in a noisy world. Fr...

What happens when your sin goes viral? In this powerful episode of Restoring Our City, hosts Jobbin and Jeswin dive into the now-infamous “Coldplay CEO scandal” — where a man was caught hugging someone who wasn’t his wife on the concert jumbotron — and connect it to the deeper, often unspoken issue of public shame, scandal, and restoration within the South Asian Christian community.🎯 Topics We Co...

Are we really living out true community, or just checking boxes on Sundays? In this episode of the Restoring Our City podcast, Jobbin and Jeswin wrap up the Connector Series with some real talk about loneliness, disconnection, and the uncomfortable question: Is the world doing a better job at building community than the church? They unpack: The surprising ways corporate America intentionally foste...

In this powerful episode of the Restoring Our City podcast, we sit down with Nathan John, the founder of Houston Magnify—a grassroots, Gen Z-led movement uniting Christians across Houston to magnify Jesus. Nathan shares his journey from resisting God's call to embracing it fully in his hometown, sparking a citywide movement rooted in gospel-centered community, hospitality, and intergenerational un...

In this powerful episode of the Restoring Our City podcast, hosts Jobbin and Jeswin sit down with Shibu Zachariah Alexander, founder of Hope Deli Church in Delhi and creator of Courtside Conversations — a grassroots movement using basketball to foster authentic friendships and spark deeper spiritual conversations in a city marked by division and distrust. From his humble beginnings building a DIY...

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with sisters Jessica and Joanna Finny, founders of Chechi’s Chai, as they share the story behind their booming chai business that’s doing more than just serving tea. It's a movement reclaiming cultural identity, deepening spiritual roots, and bridging community through storytelling and hospitality. The Finny sisters open up about their personal journeys navig...

🎙️ In this powerful episode of Restoring Our City, Jobbin and Jeswin Thomas sit down with Alex Thomas for a deep and inspiring conversation on faith, community, and the rich legacy of Indian Christianity. From bridging cultural gaps to building unity across denominations, Alex opens up about the challenges facing Indian churches—especially among millennials and Gen Z—and how understanding our hist...