The Black Sheep Christian

Kent Maxson’s book, "No Way Out But Through," dives into the wild rollercoaster of life’s trials and how we can find meaning in the chaos. In this chat, we get real about what it means to face the storms—like divorce, health scares, and job loss—and come out the other side with a little more clarity (and hopefully fewer scars). Kent’s journey isn’t just a sob story; it’s a testament to resilience,...

Daniah Greenberg drops some serious wisdom in our chat about her new book, *Biblical Feminism*. Right off the bat, she argues that being a biblical feminist isn’t about tossing aside faith; it's about embracing the depth of God's love and recognizing the unique role of women in scripture. We dive into the idea that women are not just side characters but pivotal reflections of the divine, carrying...

Diving into the core of today's convo, we’re unpacking the wild ride of sisterhood, faith, and the absurdity of life's little dramas. Ikeyaira, Nala, and I are here to spill the tea on how we navigate the chaos of our relationships with God and each other. Expect a blend of laughter, eye-rolls, and those deep moments where we question everything from love to rejection—like, why is life so complica...

Rachel Kerr Schneider dives deep into the heart of grief and resilience in this episode, sharing her powerful journey through loss after her husband, John, was diagnosed with ALS. Her book, "The Widow Chose Red," isn't just a memoir; it's a vibrant celebration of life, love, and the messy, beautiful struggle of navigating faith in the face of unimaginable sorrow. We chat about how John's illness t...

Jake Ranney joins us today to dive into some heavy stuff. His memoir, "Like Nothing Happened," takes a raw look at mental health, trauma, and the absurd ways we sometimes cope, or don’t. We’re tackling the tough conversations around suicide and how important it is to reach out for help when we’re struggling. Jake shares his personal journey from a quiet farm in California to confronting his past t...

David Cooper, lead pastor of Mount Paran Church and author of "Armageddon Approaching," drops some truth bombs about end-times biblical prophecy that are anything but doom and gloom. We dive deep into how the future isn't just a chaotic mess waiting to happen, but a divinely guided transformation that's all in God's hands. Seriously, we’re chatting about how everyone’s freaking out over the apocal...

Bryon Easterling joins us today to dive into the rich tapestry of his journey and how it intersects with faith, family, and personal growth. We kick things off by exploring how Bryon's early acceptance of Christ at nine years old shaped his perspective on life, and trust me, it's not just your run-of-the-mill "I found Jesus" story. He shares some hilarious and eye-opening anecdotes about growing u...

Nala from the University of Dayton joins us to chat about the wild ride of navigating faith and life’s absurdities. We're diving into the nitty-gritty of the Beatitudes and whether they’re just guidelines for us earthlings or if they’re more about those heavenly VIPs. Spoiler alert: it’s a little bit of both! We also get into some hilarious anecdotes about church hopping, fashion faux pas, and the...

Dr. Tamara Nall is shaking things up with her groundbreaking Junia Naming Tradition, the first-ever formal naming convention for daughters to carry their mothers' names. Seriously, how did this not exist before? It’s about time we ditch the outdated “Junior” titles for boys and give the ladies their due. We dive into the whole journey of legacy, identity, and the wild ride of creating a naming sys...

Rick DellaRatta is here to drop some serious wisdom on how music can be a total game changer for peace and connection. This dude's not just any ol' jazz artist; he’s the founder of Jazz for Peace and a real-life peace expert. We dive into his wild journey from sneaking peeks at Santa to accidentally becoming a musician, and trust me, the stories are as good as they sound. He talks about how music...

Tonya Peck, a personal coach from motionandmindset.com, joins us to dive into the messy, sticky world of self-doubt, shame, and the ridiculous lengths we go to in search of acceptance. Seriously, if you’ve ever felt trapped by those pesky feelings of insecurity, you’re not alone—Tonya’s been there, done that, and has the emotional scars to prove it. We’re chatting about how our childhood experienc...

Ender Bowen from Godjots.com swings by to chat about his new book on forgiveness, and let me tell you, he’s got some thoughts! Right off the bat, we dive into why forgiveness is like the secret sauce for healing relationships and easing all that societal tension we seem to be swimming in. Seriously, whether you’re holding a grudge or just annoyed at the cashier who messed up your order, this convo...

So, today we're diving into some real talk about parenting with Josh Poteet, the lead pastor of 180 Life Church and author of "Parenting Against the Current." Let’s be real—parenting is a wild ride, and Josh highlights that if we just float along, we’re gonna get swept away in the chaos of modern life. He argues that we need to be intentional in how we shepherd our kids, creating that all-importan...

Dan Parr, the genius behind the Easy to Understand Read Bible (EUR), joins us for a chat about, you guessed it, making the Bible less of a brain-buster. Seriously, who knew a book could come with such a heavy instruction manual? We dive into the absurdity of trying to read ancient texts in today's world and how Dan turned his voiceover skills into a translation that doesn’t require a PhD to unders...

Dr. Bob Thiel dives into some mind-bending ideas about salvation and prophecy in this episode, challenging the notion that only a select few get the golden ticket to heaven. Like, seriously, who decided that? He breaks down his book, "Universal Offer of Salvation," arguing that God's plan isn’t just a cruel game of chance where most folks are left in the dark. Instead, he suggests that there's a l...

Today, we’re diving into the wild world of mental wellness with Patrick Eilers, who’s basically a walking, talking therapist and a coach all rolled into one. He’s here to spill the tea on why we all need a bit of counseling—seriously, even counselors need counselors. We get to chat about his Bloomworks concepts and coaching, which is like a 12-week crash course in figuring out your feelings, findi...

Beatty Carmichael drops some serious knowledge bombs today about how to pray for real freedom, and trust me, it’s not your typical “Dear God, please help me” kind of chat. We’re diving into the nitty-gritty of his book, *The Prayer of Freedom*, which reveals how to kick those pesky spiritual burdens to the curb. He’s all about that 90% healing rate, showing us how when we pray the right way, God a...

Robert Wallace is dropping some serious wisdom bombs today as we dive into his book, *A Prism of Song: Seeing the Old Testament through the Psalms*. Right off the bat, we're tackling the wild idea that the Old Testament isn't just a dusty old collection of stories, but a vibrant tapestry that connects to the heart of our faith through the Psalms. We all know that reading the Old Testament can feel...

JR Rennie from Brushfire Ministries is here to drop some truth bombs about discovering your God-given design—because apparently, we’re all supposed to be doing something epic with our lives, not just scrolling through TikTok. He’s all about helping folks realize their purpose and actually, you know, *do* something meaningful instead of just warming a pew on Sundays. We dive into the whole "discipl...

Today’s chat with Ikeyaira is all about finding God in the chaos of life. We're diving deep into the idea that salvation isn’t a one-and-done deal; it’s more like a lifelong renovation project where we get refined through trials. I mean, who knew that facing struggles could actually be a good thing? It’s like, each challenge is just another opportunity for God to strip away our imperfections—talk...

Get ready to dive into a convo that’s all about owning your journey and finding your purpose, folks! Today, I'm chatting with Daniel Kringsel from the Big Balls Brotherhood, a wild movement that’s all about calling men to rise up in strength, wealth, and divine purpose. Yeah, that’s right—no more weak sauce here! Daniel’s story is a rollercoaster of success, crashing down to rock bottom, and then...

Today, we're diving deep into the wild world of mental health and past trauma recovery with Richard Tierney, an author who's got the AA seal of approval—like, who wouldn't want that, right? We’re not just talking about your run-of-the-mill chit-chat about feelings; we’re getting into the nitty-gritty of healing those gnarly wounds we all carry around. Richard’s got some mind-blowing insights, espe...

We're diving deep into the juicy topic of the LGBTQ community in the church and how we can all vibe with God's purpose, no matter who we love. Rommel Parks joins me to unravel those awkward conversations about faith, sexuality, and the baffling ways religion can trip us up. We’re tackling everything from the absurdities of outdated beliefs to the real struggles folks face just trying to exist in f...

Women are stepping up and reclaiming their identities, and let me tell you, it’s about time! In a world where Christianity throws mixed signals about being submissive while also knowing your purpose, we're diving into the chaos of it all. This episode is all about unraveling those jumbled messages and figuring out how to embrace who we truly are, minus the guilt trip. We chat about how many women...

Perfection? Yeah, we’re diving deep into that absurd concept today and honestly, it's about time we called it out for the hot mess it is. I’m Ashley, and let me tell you, trying to fit into the perfect Christian mold is like trying to shove a square peg in a round hole—it's exhausting and frankly, ridiculous. In this episode, we’re tackling how the church's obsession with perfection is a plague th...