Unfeigned Christianity

Hello friends,   This month has been a pretty difficult month for us as a family. I've been hit with some fairly significant health issues and it has led us to put pretty much everything on hold as we seek out some answers. Here's an update on everything.   We envy your prayers and thank you for your participation in this work!   Grace and peace. Asher

Sometimes we mistakenly center ourselves in the story of the Bible, as though the Bible is all about answering our questions and giving us direction for life. But the Bible is not simply about helping us navigate through life successfully.  It could be said the Bible is about God—who he is, what he has done, and what he is doing. More specifically, the Bible is Messianic literature. It’s about the...

I recently published an article,  Is It Sinful to Use “Transgender Pronouns”?  In the article, I explored how Rosaria Butterfield recently “repented” from using what she calls, “transgender pronouns.” Why is she doing that? Should you feel the same way? A few people responded with some questions that I thought were worth responding to in a specific episode. So that's what we dive into today. How d...

How does the rest of the world view the Christianity that comes from the West? David Swartz does a wonderful job giving us reminding us that evangelical networks not only go out to, but also come from, the ends of the earth as he shares stories of resistance, accommodation, and cooperation in his book Facing West . Then we dive into the third paradigm shift that helps us better understand the stor...

God Doesn't Waste a Thing ! That's the book I talk about at the beginning of this episode. Even when life has changed in inconvenient ways, God will use it to further his purposes, as Luke Chance shares in his beautiful testimony of redemption. After the blurb about the book, we dive into the second paradigm shift that helps us better understand the story of the Bible: it's made up of many pieces...

This week I discuss two books I've been reading, Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar Dillard and  Becoming Free Indeed by Jinger Duggar Vuolo, and an important lesson I was reminded of as I've read them. Then, we dive into everything it does and doesn't mean that the Bible is a story. Does the fact that the Bible is a story mean we don't have follow any of its rules? We get into all that and more in...

Hey friends! Welcome to 2024! To kick things off, I'm going to be sharing a series of episodes with you that addresses how we ought to interact with scripture. It'll be a paradigm shift for many of us: the Bible is a story, not a reference book. Today's episode introduces it all. Enjoy! How does viewing the Bible as story instead of as a reference book change the way you approach it? You can send...

As an end of year roundup, I discuss the interviews I did in 2023 that were highlights to me plus share my top 5 reads of the year. Here are some time-stamps for the episode: The birth of our daughter (0:32). My three favorite conversations from the last year (1:56). Quarterly guided studies coming up in 2024 (24:42). WAP in 2024 (27:43). My five favorite reads (29:33).  What are your favorite rea...

This episode is exclusively for our valued patrons on Patreon. In this episode, I dive into three valuable lessons I've learned the hard way about spiritual abuse. These lessons aren't just "failures vs. successes," but rather insights gained through challenging experiences that can benefit us all. Access the episode here . Here's what you can expect: Raw discussion: I've gone through some experie...

In this episode, I share some reflections on being a part of the Christian community, particularly relating to my experiences with the challenges of maintaining faith within flawed institutions. I opened up about my previous experiences with panic attacks, depression, and dealing with some personal and systemic issues in church communities, which sometimes led me to ask raw questions about faith a...

It's been three months since I released an update. I share why in this personal update.  What would you like to see from this channel going forward?? You can send your feedback to podcast@asherwitmer.com. If you'd like to check out the Dwell App, click here . Be sure to rate and review the podcast to let us know what you thought. Subscribe to our email list: Be sure and at least subscribe to our e...

It was a pleasure to sit down with Dorcas Smucker and discuss all kinds of things, not the least of which included parenting. We spent a good bit of time in the expanded version reflecting on some of the broken systems we've been a part of and talking about what to do when we realize we are currently participating in such a system. You can access that version here . Be sure to check out Dorcas' bl...

I had the honor of talking with Kristi Mast about her experience in Bible college, discovering the whole scope of Scripture more in-depth, and the importance of women getting this sort of Bible training. Kristi serves on staff with Sattler College, and has recently published a Bible study specifically designed for guided women through the process of studying the Bible for themselves. You can check...

I am SO EXCITED to tell you that we've opened enrollment once again to ​ Finding My Place in God's Story ​ . I share the full scoop in today's episode of Unfeigned Christianity. Finding My Place in God's Story walks you through a 5-part process for understanding scripture and discovering your life's purpose. You can learn all the details about the course and how to sign up through this link . Don'...

"If the Bible is story and not a reference book where we find answers to theological questions, moral guidance for navigating ethical issues, or inspiration for the day, what are we to do when we face ethical struggles? Are you telling me not to go to the Bible for answers?  What do we do with the various beliefs about God and doctrine and so forth?  What do we do when we struggle to feel inspired...

As we continue our series on how to connect with God and your purpose through His story, we take a deep dive into what God's story is and how to read the Bible as story. Just like all good stories, in God's story there are many moving pieces and it can be easy to miss the story unless we take time to step back and observe it fully. That's what we learn how to do in today's episode. When you're don...

Do you long to be close with God and have a deeper confidence that you know why you exist? I think many people feel distant from God and unclear about life because they haven't gotten a good grasp of His story. In this episode, we're beginning a three-part series on finding connection with God and clarity about life purpose through a better understanding of His story.  When you're done listening,...

My friend, Ricky Miller, joins me to discuss reading the Bible as story. Discovering the story nature of scripture has radically changed the way Ricky views the Bible. While this approach can feel modern, it's actually a more historically accurate approach to scripture. We've simply grown accustomed to the more rigid approach to scripture perpetuated by the Reformation and the Fundamentalist movem...

Dru joins me once again to dive deep into reading scripture as literature. How does this shape the way we interpret the Bible? Listen and find out!  You can hear more from Dru on his own podcast, That Jesus Podcast , where he explores what it means to be a radical apprentice of King Jesus. If you'd like to check out the Dwell App, click here . Be sure to rate and review the podcast to let us know...

In this episode, I take some time to respond to feedback I've gotten over the last couple of months about my interviews on spanking, same-sex attraction, and Sheila Wray Gregoire.  If you'd like to check out the Dwell App, click here . Be sure to rate and review the podcast to let us know what you thought. Once you're finished, I'd love to hear how this response shapes the way you think about thes...

How can statistics demonstrate the attributes of God? What does it look like for Christians to engage data honestly?  I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with Byran Smucker on using data responsibly. Byran lives in Hamilton, OH (close to Cincinnati) with his wife, Amy, and their four children. He has a PhD in Statistics and Operations Research from Penn State and is an Associate Professor of Stat...

What is the purpose of marriage? Is it possible to marry the wrong person? What do you do if you find yourself in a marriage that feels impossible, like an impossible marriage? I'm honored to have as my guest this week, Laurie Krieg. Along with being a wife and mother, she's an author and serves on the board of the Center for Faith, Sexuality & Gender . In this episode, we discuss the book she...

Did you know spanking can cause some children to experience sexual arousal? I didn't either until recent months. In this week's episode of Unfeigned Christianity, we dive into this with my guest sharing personal experience and research on the topic. In the expanded version, we discuss how to discipline children without spanking them, particularly when it requires physical restraint. You can access...

In Part 2 of my conversation with Greg Coles, we look at how to find belonging in singleness. Our conversation touches on aspects of his second book,  No Longer Strangers: Finding Belonging in a World of Alienation . You can check out the rest of Greg's work and his book at https://www.gregorycoles.com/ .  Also, if you'd like to check out the Dwell App, click here . Be sure to rate and review the...

I'm super stoked to share with you my conversation with Greg Coles. We discuss his memoir,  Single, Gay, Christian: A Personal Journey of Faith and Sexual Identity . This episode is Part 1 of my conversation with him as we look at what it means to be gay and how to walk faithfully with Jesus while being undeniably gay. You can check out Greg's work and his book at https://www.gregorycoles.com/ . ...