The Human Project Podcast

To relate is human. But many of us struggle with this art of relating to other humans. God designed us for relationship, real relationship. In this episode, Chris is interviewed by his good friend, host of the Living Room Podcast, and pastor and elder at Living Church - Mark Jones. We discuss who is Chris, what is Equipping Ministries International, what is The Human Project, and how we help build...

To savor is human. God created us to enjoy what’s going on around us and fully immerse ourselves. But many of us are so rushed and moving from one thing to another that we don’t have time to savor where we are. In this episode, Mark and Chris dive into a quote from Oliver Burkeman about savoring each moment like our last, because we don’t know when it will be. Take a listen and see how savoring ca...

To question is human. Curiosity is essential to what makes us human. It can lead to trouble, but more often than not, it enables us to learn more about the world around us and how it leads us to our Creator. In this episode, Mark and Chris dive into the three elements that make questions powerful and relationship building. To sign up for classes, learn more, or to support us financially, visit us...

To have conflict is human. There is this constant struggle in wholeness with ourselves, others, and God. This produces conflict. There’s a lot of tips out there on how to handle conflict, but most don’t address on the truly important - how we deal with God in the midst of conflict. Dive into this episode to see how Mark and Chris give practical advice on how to set yourself up vertically for healt...

To read God’s word is human. God gave us 66 books to read from, but we typically spend most of our time in a few familiar books. One of the books Jesus quotes from the most is Deuteronomy. Why does Jesus do this? What are we missing by skipping Deuteronomy or not paying as much attention to it. In this episode, we’ll explore why Deuteronomy is so wonderful? Take a listen and let us know what you t...

To behold is human. We see over and over again this idea of beholding God, this wonder towards Him. But many of us don’t take the time to behold and savor who He is. In this episode, Mark and Chris dive into the practical elements of putting wonder into practice by slowing down, thinning out, and decluttering. Take a listen and see how this can help you make much of who God is. Beholding by Straha...

To obey God is human. We were meant to listen to our Creator’s voice and delight in it. But we often don’t. We end up wanting our own way and questioning whether God’s way is really best. In this episode, Mark and Chris discuss what it means to be a godly person - namely loving God’s commands and what He has for us. Take a listen and see how you can fall more in love with the Creator by loving His...

To focus is human. We were created with a limited ability to pay attention. But many of us spend so much time in a non-focused state - bouncing back and forth between a myriad of things. How do we free up our time to focus on one thing at a time? Hint: it’s saying “no” so we can say yes to the most important things. This allows us to focus on purpose and the things that really matter. In this epis...

To trust God is human. God invites us to trust Him in everything we do. The first time this was broken had long-reaching implications. This temptation to not listen and trust God is present with us everyday. It really is the root of why we do what we do. In this episode, Mark and Chris discuss how this impacts every aspect of our lives and the choices we make. Take a listen and think about how thi...

To be humble is human. God created us for intimacy and dependence on Him. But many of us have two ends of the extreme: 1) thinking we are worthless or 2) thinking we are complete and don’t need God any more. But there is something worthy of rejoicing when we humble ourselves. In this episode, Mark and Chris explore how we can balance humility in a wonderfully dependent way. To sign up for classes,...

To have purpose is human. God designed us with a purpose. But many of us want a one time revelation where we are “set for life” and have clarity about what we are supposed to do for the rest of time. In this episode, Mark and Chris talk about what we actually see God doing and revealing, and how He intends us to trust Him as He iteratively reveals to us our purpose.  To sign up for classes, learn...

To have limits is human. We can’t do everything. God created us to be finite for us to depend on Him. But many of us try to pile everything on without saying no to things. This creates burnout, stress, and a feeling of overwhelm. So how do we leverage the power of tradeoffs to experience more freedom? Take a listen to this episode to learn how to make tradeoffs by design than by default. To sign u...

To have conflict is human. Friction, gravity, and erosion are all natural things. But for humans, we let so many unnatural things impact conflict. Conflict and differences in how we were made to be can help refine us and drive us back to Jesus. In this episode, Mark and Chris talk about how to approach conflict in this way and not just getting it over with. Take a peek and see how you can level up...

To have deep relationship is human. The closest we get in this life is marriage. It was intended to be a picture of Christ and the church. But many of us can only hope for “a good marriage.” What does this mean? What is our perception of marriage? There are many myths out there about what marriage is supposed to be. In this episode, Mark and Chris debunk 4 myths of marriage and give a better way o...

To ____ is human. We look at this question a lot and try to fill it. But in order to fill this, we need a holistic picture of the story to which we are part. Tim Keller talks about this concept of the gospel consisting of 4 chapters and we tend to lose sight of that. Take a listen as Mark and Chris explore how seeing the whole picture gives us clarity and purpose for all that we do. To learn more...

To read God’s Word is human. We were created for intimacy with the creator. But many of us find challenging passages in Scripture and have a hard time reconciling that with our mental models and the culture we’ve grown up in. In this episode, Mark and Chris dissect some of the patterns that make up how the Bible was created so that we can more fully know this beautiful Creator of ours and how He c...

To pursue reward is human. We were designed for reward. Our brains are wired to get a benefit for our effort. But too many of us don’t pursue something because the cost is too big, or we pursue something without weighing the cost. In this episode, Mark and Chris talk about this principle of motivation and how our dependence on who God is can greatly impact our motivation. To learn more or to suppo...

To have expectations is human. But many of our expectations as we pursue love in dating are unhealthy. We were called to align our expectations with God’s desires for us in the deepest community there is - marriage. In this episode, Mark and Chris continue to series of dating to discuss how we can realign our expectations to match the intentionality that is necessary in dating. To learn more or to...

To pursue relationship is human. There’s this big term we throw around called “dating”. But it’s gotten so frustrating for so many people. The expectations, pressure, and lack of knowledge around how God has designed this pursuit is not clear to many people. In this episode, Mark and Chris talk about one of the main elements that helps bring dating closer to God’s design - intentionality. To learn...

To abide with God is human. But many of us approach the Christian life with a list of things to do and complete to “be whole”. There’s a delicate tension that we find in Scripture that goes beyond the checklist. We are called into abiding - resting in who God is and His work in us. Take a listen to how this tension plays out.  To learn more or to support us financially, visit us on our website: hu...

To have conflict is human. Conflict isn’t always bad, but many of us have a visceral reaction to it. One of the major elements in conflict is confronting. How can we do this in a healthy way? In this episode, Mark and Chris explore 4 steps to having an effective conflict conversation. Take a listen and let us know what you think! To join the “Conflict to Connection” class and gain practical skills...

To spend time with God is human. A common phrase for this is “quiet time”. Some people think this a substitute for a nap, others think that it’s a task to check off every day. Was that all God designed us for? As they continue Cracking the Christianese Code, Mark and Chris discuss how to rethink and repurpose this notion of a quiet time to something that is joyful and delightful. To learn more or...

To know God is human. The attributes of God are wonderful and numerous. One of them is that God is in control. He’s actively directing the universe! This phrase contains so much beauty, but we tend to throw this phrase around very loosely and in an unhelpful manner. In this episode, Mark and Chris dissect this phrase and talk about when it is helpful to use and what to do instead. To learn more or...

To have compassion is human. It’s how we were designed - it’s how Jesus met with people many, many times. But many of us get burned out by having compassion in a non-healthy way. In this episode, Mark and Chris talk about this concept called “compassion fatigue”: how to recognize it, how to prevent it from occurring, and how to clean up from compassion fatigue so we can love like Jesus. The sermon...

To be part of the family of God is human. It’s what we as humans are all about. It’s also why some Christians call each other brother and sister. Some people find that really weird. And it is if you think about it! Why call people brothers and sisters? Is it helpful? What would need to be true for that to happen? In this episode, Mark and Chris discuss this phenomenon and more. To learn more or to...