unCOMFORTABLE

This week, Alex is joined by Scott Kubie, President of Orchard Alliance, to explore what Christians should think about the possibility of the world's first trillionaire. Together, they discuss wealth, innovation, generosity, and how followers of Jesus can approach economic success with biblical wisdom, faithful stewardship, and a hope that remains rooted in Christ rather than in money. DISCLAI...

This week, we explore the growing crisis of distrust in our culture and examine the difference between healthy skepticism, biblical discernment, and destructive cynicism. We discuss why trust is declining, how technology and information overload are shaping our hearts, and what it looks like to follow Jesus as people of truth, humility, and trustworthiness in an age of distrust. DISCLAIMER: The vi...

This week, Jess is joined by Kate Willsey, spiritual trauma therapist and coach, for a conversation about church hurt, religious trauma, and spiritual manipulation. We explore why spiritual wounds can run so deep, how people can begin healing after painful church experiences, and what churches can do to become healthier places of grace, safety, and restoration. Whether you've experienced churc...

This week, we are joined by Steph Juliot from The Pour Over to explore how nonstop headlines, smartphones, and algorithms have reshaped our relationship with information—and how constant news consumption can quietly produce anxiety, anger, arrogance, and apathy. We discuss why outrage drives engagement, how Christians can stay informed without being consumed by the news, and where lasting peace is...

This week, we are joined by Ryan and Karina Martinez of Life Upside Down to talk about discerning God’s voice in a world full of noise, the tension between caution and obedience, and the fear of getting it wrong when faith requires risk. Through honest conversation and personal story, we explore how Scripture, wisdom, humility, and courage shape discernment when God calls people into uncomfortable...

This week, we unpack “Crotch Christianity” — the belief that sexual ethics sit at the top of God’s moral hierarchy while justice, greed, pride, and mercy get sidelined. We wrestle with purity culture, politics, Scripture, and the uncomfortable possibility that American evangelicalism may reflect cultural obsession more than biblical priority. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this po...

This week, we tackle one of Christianity's most emotionally charged debates — whether Christians should drink alcohol — exploring what Scripture actually says, how church history shaped our assumptions, and how to hold freedom and wisdom together in a culture built around drinking. Joined by Dr. Karl Pagenkemper, we're not looking for loopholes; we're after something better: a way to l...

This week, we invited church staff to answer the question What’s an uncomfortable issue the Church is facing today that we don’t talk about enough? How can we respond in a way that reflects Jesus? Their answers expose blind spots, challenge our instincts, and force us to wrestle with whether we actually live like Jesus or just talk about him. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this po...

This week, we confront the uncomfortable reality that while we’re more informed than ever, our minds are increasingly fragmented—trading reflection for reaction, and depth for speed in a culture of constant distraction. We explore how this erosion of deep thinking is shaping our faith, our discernment, and our ability to hold truth with nuance—and how intentional rhythms can retrain our minds for...

This week, we ask whether the Church has softened its view of sin and what gets lost when rebellion, repentance, and holiness are replaced with safer, more therapeutic language. We talk about how to hold grace and truth together without crushing people or excusing what God still calls sin. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the cast members and guests. They d...

This week, we explore why adult friendship isn’t being rejected but quietly drifting, and how modern life has made deep connection harder than most of us want to admit. We unpack the gap between being connected and being known, the cost we avoid, and the simple, consistent rhythms that actually rebuild real friendship. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the c...

This week, we explore the IKEA Effect—why we value what costs us—and how a frictionless, convenience-driven world is quietly reshaping our habits, relationships, and spiritual formation. We examine how effort forms us, where convenience is costing us more than we realize, and what it looks like to follow Jesus in a culture that avoids resistance. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in thi...

This week, we talk with Dr. Sarina Thoendel of Lily Haven about what child trafficking actually is, how grooming and online access create vulnerability, and the myths that keep people from seeing it clearly. We also discuss warning signs, how parents and churches can respond without panic or shame, and why long-term healing matters for survivors. Learn more at lilyhaven.org DISCLAIMER: The views a...

This week, we step into the intersection of neuroscience, trauma, and faith with Dr. Lee Warren, exploring what it means to face the battle within our own minds. We unpack how our thoughts shape suffering, why some wounds cannot be healed with a scalpel, and how pain and loss impact both mental health and spiritual formation. We examine “self-brain surgery,” the practice of taking our thoughts ser...

This week, we examine what Paul meant when he wrote that love “keeps no record of wrongs” and why that verse is often simplified to mean forgetting harm, removing consequences, or restoring trust immediately. We explore the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, how Scripture handles truth-telling about wrongdoing, and why forgiveness removes guilt without requiring amnesia. DISCLAIMER...

This week, we examine the rise of “therapy speak” and ask whether language meant to help us name wounds is sometimes used to avoid conflict, label others, or prioritize comfort over truth. We explore the difference between healing and hiding, boundaries and avoidance, and how the gospel invites emotional honesty without making our feelings the final authority. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions ex...

This week, we wrestle with what spiritual warfare really is — and what it isn’t — pushing past fear, clichés, and hyper-spiritual thinking to pursue grounded discernment. We explore how Scripture holds tension between real spiritual conflict and real human struggle, and how maturity looks like wisdom, humility, and asking better questions. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podca...

This week, we are joined by Dante Edwards and Anthony Edwards as we name the tension around Black History Month and ask whether our discomfort reveals division, politicization, or blind spots in our formation, pressing into unity, identity, and the fear beneath the debate with biblical clarity and pastoral honesty. We explore race, history, theology, politics, Revelation 7, 1 Corinthians 12, Roman...

This week, we talk with Dr. Paul Putz about why sports gambling feels different right now and how Christians can think clearly about odds, apps, and an industry shaping our habits and loves. With history, pastoral wisdom, and no hot takes, we explore where the line is, who is most vulnerable, and how faith calls us to better formation. To learn more about Dr. Paul Putz, check out www.paulemoryputz...

This week, we sit down with Dawn Gentry to explore why conversations about women in ministry begin not with prooftexts, but with the assumptions we bring to Scripture. We talk biblical authority, God’s bigger story, leadership shaped by Jesus, and what a faithful way forward looks like for churches seeking to steward gifts without fear. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast...

This week, we sit down with Rick Painter to explore why money is never just about numbers and how our relationship with money shapes our anxiety, identity, and sense of security. We examine what research and Scripture reveal about financial stress, trust, and contentment, and what it looks like to pursue a healthier posture toward money no matter how much you have. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinio...

The greatest wealth transfer in history is happening right now, but what is really being passed from one generation to the next? In this episode, Alex talks with Scott Kubie, President of Orchard Alliance, about how money shapes families far beyond bank accounts. Using Scripture and real world experience, Scott explains why this moment is more emotionally charged than ever and how unspoken fears,...

This week, we explore why generosity is one of the most uncomfortable topics in church culture and how Scripture reframes giving as a pathway of discipleship rather than pressure or fundraising. We sit down with  David Whiting , Senior Vice President of  GenerosityOS , to unpack the Six Levels of Giving and invite listeners to reflect on how generosity forms who God is shaping us to become. DISCLA...

This week, we ask what Jesus meant when he said he was coming “soon,” exploring why this question keeps resurfacing in anxious cultural moments and fear-driven Christian conversations. We turn to Scripture to show that “soon” is about readiness, not timelines, and that the promise of Christ’s return is meant to produce hope, faithfulness, and peace—not panic. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions exp...

This week, we cut through fear, rumors, and speculation surrounding the Mark of the Beast and the Antichrist, examining why these ideas grip our imagination and how culture fuels the anxiety. We return to Scripture to show that the mark is about allegiance and worship, the Antichrist is about deception, and Revelation is meant to strengthen faith—not feed paranoia. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinio...