The Carlos Whittaker Podcast

This is a very special episode for me. I go WAY BACK in my feels as I talk with some old friends. Kristian Stanfill and Brett Younker from Passion Music join me on this episode to talk through the history, power, and trajectory of Passion.  Passion Music deeply shaped my life as a worship leader (back when I was young and hip). We’re digging into the vaults today and get into our feels reflecting...

We are rewinding time with this episode. Matt Brown knew me before most.  We’re talking about a season of my life that most people don’t even know EXISTED. That’s right. I used to be a worship leader / Christian music artist. And it all started at Sandals Church under the leadership of Matt Brown. Over 20 years later, and he’s still there! Matt saw me through high highs and low lows. And he and Sa...

My daughter is getting married, and we are in the THROWS of wedding season.  She had a bridal shower this week, and it was so beautiful to see her surrounded by so many women who have been walking with us for literal DECADES through marriage and parenting and now having adult children who are getting married in 5 weeks! So, I asked them two questions: If you could go back 20 years and talk to your...

This episode is for YOU. Not everyone who is listening at once. Just you.  You know that I go to church, and I love my church. But you also know that I’m not shy about speaking out about how the church has had many missteps over the years. So what do you do when you’ve been hurt by the church but you still want to be part of it? I unpack part of my journey when it came to reevaluating church, and...

The baby of our family is transitioning into adulthood, and I have so many THOUGHTS!! Losiah and I sit down and talk about what we've been through and what's next. My son brings the WISDOM, so grab your pencils because you’re going to want to take notes.  I hope this conversation helps you see your kids differently and maybe prompts some good questions to ask as you walk through parenting your tee...

This is an episode I’ve been looking forward to for a LONG time.  My great friend and the creator of the statement that has changed my life and many others… Mike Ashcraft is in the house! Mike dives into what it really means to not stand on issues and walk with people. Plus we talk about what it’s like to build and lead a church AND taking care of aging parents. Get ready for some deep WISDOM and...

If it feels like you just can’t catch a break in life, this episode is for you. Today we’re acknowledging the fact that sometimes life just sucks. And it’s okay to admit that! But how do we not get stuck there? I’m sharing what I love to do in those tough seasons… praying promises, feeling the feelings, celebrating the small wins, and so much MORE! Resilience isn't about never falling down. And it...

Have you ever created something that you’re really proud of, but when it comes time to share it with the world, you don’t feel like it’s good enough? Or maybe even that you’re not good enough?  Let me tell you something: no matter how many books I’ve written or talks I’ve done or videos I’ve shared, I fear self-promotion.  I’m fearful of what people think of the work itself, but I’m also fearful o...

I LITERALLY had to hold myself back from saying “oh, that’s good!” every ten seconds during this conversation because it is just SO GOOD. Todd Deatherage from the Telos Group is back again to answer YOUR questions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  Todd’s ability to speak to people from all different points of view is incredible. He brings a nuanced and level-headed voice to this highly emotion...

It’s been a heavy couple of weeks, so this week I asked YOU what you wanted me to talk about. There were so many great ideas that I couldn’t pick just one. So today is a smorgasbord of thoughts based on your submissions!  I talk about... How to “faith” again when Christian spaces feel hard Whatever happened to the ASL goal? What did I think my life NOW would look like 20 years ago? Robbin School W...

This is a conversation I’ve been wanting to have for a long time, and I'm grateful to be joined by someone who has been working with Israelis and Palestinians long before October 7th. Todd Deatherage is the co-founder of The Telos Group, an organization dedicated to seeking the freedom, security, and dignity of every human being in the Holy Land. We talk about why this conflict can feel hard to ad...

Yesterday, we witnessed yet another mass shooting in America... This time, on the anniversary of another mass shooting. The Parkland High School mass shooting. They can no longer have their days to mourn. They have to share days.  I think I speak for the majority of Americans when I say that I wonder if we have become desensitized and if we actually will ever do anything. Or have we given up? Acce...

Everyone’s favorite guest is joining me today: my wife HEATHER!  We talk about why Heather left Instagram, what it’s like having my parents across the street, how I’m feeling about my dad’s dementia, our kids growing up, and all the change that’s happening in our family. We laugh, we cry, and we wouldn't change anything about this crazy, FULL season of life we’re in! . . . . . Purchase your copy o...

I’ve talked about a lot of controversial things on Instagram, but I don’t know if I have EVER gotten the kind of reaction that I got from my Taylor Swift reel this week.  When I tell you that comment section is a dumpster fire, I mean it! So I wanted to dig a little deeper into why this feels like such a big deal.  This episode is part commentary, part introspection, and part warning of the underl...

Today we are courageously joined by Katy Dieckhaus, who lost her daughter Evelyn in the Covenant School Shooting in Nashville in 2023, and Annette Lake, who lost both her father Kenny and son Terrance to suicide by firearm less than a year apart in the early 2000s. They’re sharing their stories with you. We are also joined by Erin Rogus, who is walking with people like Katy and Annette to fight fo...

Get ready! We’re talking about how to navigate political conversations while PRESERVING relationships.  Sounds kind of impossible, right? I promise it’s not.  Did you know that there is actual psychology behind polarization? That’s right. And did you know that your conversations don't have to be polarizing? Right again. Join me in this episode as I break down some of the ways psychology plays a pa...

Today we remember Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—we remember his dream, the progress for Civil Rights that he helped make possible, and we remember the tension he held between hope and reality. You may know him best for his “I have a dream” speech, but did you know he also said, “The dream had turned somewhat into a nightmare.”? My friend Latasha Morrison, bridge-builder and racial reconciler, is...

I’m so glad you’re here. Today we say goodbye to Human Hope, and I’m a little emotional about the change, if I’m being honest. But I’m so excited for what’s to come!  Don’t get me wrong, hope is still here and it’s never going away! But I want this podcast to be a place where we hold space for when hope is hard. It's going to be a place where we go beyond the soundbite culture of social media, and...

It's the week between Christmas and New Years, and a lot of people are reflecting on the year that's gone by or thinking about the year that's coming up. A lot of people are also setting goals... Listen, I’m not a goal-setter. I didn’t set a goal until I turned 50. FIFTY. And that’s only because my management team made me! But now that I've set a goal, they aren't so bad. I even feel like I'm kind...

Let me ask you a question: How are you feeling this holiday season? A) I’m feeling the Christmas magic! Grateful!  B) I’m sad or lonely or really stressed… If you answered yes, you’re in good company. Maybe you’re having the best Christmas season you’ve had in a long time! Or maybe you’re coping with grief, illness, financial insecurity, or something else. There’s a good chance you’re dealing with...

This week is a special treat! My beautiful wife Heather and beautiful daughter Sohaila are joining me!!!! We are currently in TOKYO!! I maaaaaybe sprung this on them a little last minute and we were all maaaaybe a little jet-lagged… but I love any time they will join me on the podcast!!  When each of my kids turned 16, Heather and I decided instead of buying our kids cars, we offered to take them...

Today joining me is my friend Russell Moore. He is RUNNING Christianity Today. I have followed him and what I love about Russell is that he was able to find a lane that a lot of Conservative Christians in America needed him to find.  He speaks to the problems of Christian Nationalism, calls things out when they are not Christ-like and isn’t afraid to speak the truth.  He has a podcast called the R...

I CANT EVEN WITH THIS EPISODE!!! There are so many jaw dropping moments! My Tia Nancy and my Papa came to Nashville for Thanksgiving. My Papa has always been a man of few words, spoke Spanish (which I forgot by the time I was in second grade), and lived far from me, so we didn’t have many of your typical grandparent/grandchild moments together. But. While he was here, I really thought to myself ho...

I FINALLY FINISHED MY MANUSCRIPT!!!! This book I turned in has taken it OUT of me but it is off to the editor and I feel breath in my lungs again! Today, speaking of books, we have Edwin Raymond, author of An Inconvenient Cop: My Fight to Change Policing in America. Since 2020, I have had a lot of people asking me to put a black police officer on the show. I wanted someone that was well versed, no...

This week is part two of our mini series, Hope for the Innocent. We have my new friend Wayne Burgess on and he helps to give us a look at what the back half of a wrongful conviction looks like. Last week, we talked with Artis who is STILL in prison and this week, Wayne is going to tell us what it has been like since he has been FREED from a wrongful conviction. Wayne shares with us where he got hi...