Upside Down People

Caleb Gray has a conversation with Mikey Lynch around the tension between the desire for authentic community and the institutionalised nature of the church. How individualism and the longing for community are factors that shape people's engagement with the church and embodied relationships. Mikey is an author, the editorial director of TGC Australia, serves as Campus Director of the University Fel...

In this episode Lee Hinkle, a pastor at Fremantle Church , joins the podcast to have a conversation around Lament. It's a spiritual practise that many of us avoid or unaware of, especially in a western context whereby pain & suffering are things to be avoided and not journeyed through. However through lament we can truly find hope. HEY PERTH, grab your FREE TICKETS to our LIVE PODCAST EVENT 7t...

Doug Smith joins us again with decades of software development experience behind him, serving Fortune 500 companies, startups, universities, government agencies & media personalities. He’s currently an Android-focused engineer with  Covenant Eyes , the best company around in the battle against pornography. The episode explores the role of the church in digital discipleship & the need for i...

Dr. Derwin Gray is the founding and lead Pastor of Transformation Church, a Multicultural, Multigenerational & mission-shaped church. Not to mention he is a former NFL player & an avid fisherman. He is humble & thoughtful in his passion to see the church exemplify the richness & life found in Jesus Christ. In this conversation we experience the love that Derwin has for people from...

Chris Wienand is a church planter, mentor to many household names & a pastor in a predominantly Gen Z church, Genesis , in Costa Mesa, Southern California. He has deep understanding & insight for how the church is able to engage across cultures. His passion for helping others see the beauty of walking with Christ and his love for the church is both encouraging and tangible in this conversa...

John Dickson is an author, historian & podcaster of the " Undeceptions Podcast ". He's a friend of the show as he's joined us previously, & as always brings some relevant and challenging perspectives on what it means to 'belong' in a church culture. In this conversation we talk about the question: What authentic discipleship looks like within the church? And, have churches been dumbing dow...

Natalie Runion is a bestselling author, worship leader, songwriter, teacher, mentor and lover of all things family, friends & Jesus. Natalie has a heart for the church & even though she has many reasons to sideline it from experienced disappointment she continues to push in & shows others the value and importance of doing the same with Jesus. In this first episode of this series "Bluep...

Praise Lubangu is a musical artist who loves making music and helping others do the same. She is handles artist relations at Wings Music Group & is the director of Night Of Parables. Her story is one of faithfulness to God as he has led her deeper into the beautiful mystery of music. In this conversation we find out how Praise was led from lab coats to lyrics that glorify God. We talk about ho...

In this episode I have a conversation with a friend of mine, Jeremy Bourdon, and we explore the outworking of our relationships with God. We're just two friends having a conversation around Christian living, spiritual practises & loving others the way Jesus did. It's not polished, it's not perfect, but it is inspired by Love and hopefully we can have a conversation years from now &...

John-Mark Dyer is a creative evangelist that is passionate about helping others find their God given calling. His content focus on building a biblical worldview through dissecting the cultural lies and myths that so often distract people's attention from Jesus. In this conversation we explore how Gen Z's desire for real, gritty & authentic community and connection with their fait in re...

Noah Asher is a former prisoner who found redemption in Jesus amidst his experiences of chaos. The mantra on Noah's heart comes across clear in this conversation as he shares his about his hope, healing and the humour that helped him come through some of his darkest days. He now is an Award-Winning Author, Chaos-survivor, business owner, and communicator. Noah helps people find purpose within...

Sarah Walton is an author and speaker who authentically shares about finding hope in Jesus amidst adversity, pain & struggles. From dealing with daily chronic illness to financial loss, to raising a child with behavioural/neurological challenges Sarah shares vulnerable around navigating these complexities of life and how she has found joy in sharing the deep lessons God has taught her through...

Seph Schlueter is an emerging artist and songwriter who is passionate about music & Jesus. His debut single “Counting My Blessings” has garnered a mass international following, hitting No. 1 on Spotify Brazil’s Viral Playlist. It’s a story covered in God’s fingerprints, one that Seph happily shares in this conversation. Naturally, this conversation is marked by Seph's gratitude and thankfu...

Chad Bird is a Scholar in Residence at 1517 and is the author of several books. He has served as a pastor, professor, and guest lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew. He holds master's degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College. In this episode we have a conversation around the impact of individualism on the church and the need for a shift from self-focus to serving ot...

Ingrid Faro (PhD, MDiv) is Professor of Old Testament and Coordinator of the MA in Old Testament–Jerusalem University College Program. Ingrid is an author and international speaker on topics including deconstructing evil, navigating suffering, forgiveness, lament, abuse and power dynamics, women in the Bible and ministry, Genesis, and Ecclesiastes. In this conversation Ingrid shares her journey of...

In this episode Dr. O. Alan Noble, an author and Associate Professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, joins the podcast to have a conversation around the real challenges faced by Christians journeying through mental affliction and why it's worth persevering through such suffering. He unpacks the question "Why get out of bed when facing suffering of various kinds?" and talks...

In this episode Caleb has a conversation with Jadon Swanson, a Gen Z, Jesus loving, creative human. We talk about the chalenges of content creation, social media and the need for authentic and grace-filled conversations with each other. Jadon gives us his take on the particular struggles Gen Z encounters with finding their identity & purpose & what support looks like in this space. To find...

In this episode Caleb chats with Sharon Dirckx and has a conversation around the ideas of nurturing thoughtfulness and feeling in our faith as well as finding hope in the midst of tragedy. Dr Dirckx is an Adjunct Tutor at the OCCA The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Originally from a scientific background, she has a Ph. D. in brain imaging from the University of Cambridge.  She is a speak...

In this milestone 50th episode Caleb celebrates by having a conversation that is inspired by love with Perth's beloved Amanda Viviers. Amanda is a gifted author, communicator, creative & enthusiast for living life with Jesus. She shares how Jesus transformed her identity & discusses the challenges of faith in the creative space. Amanda notices that shifting our worldview from self-focu...

In this episode Caleb unpacks the origins & impacts of individualism & authenticity on this cultural moment, noticing that looking to the gospel and being with Jesus can provide guidance & a sense of purpose in navigating the challenges of authenticity & individualism. The episode explores the rise of authenticity & individualism in society, attributing it to factors such as th...

In our first ever collab episode, Caleb has a conversation with Duncan Robinson & Chris Cipollone from The Dead Elephants Podcast and they discuss need for 'real' authenticity in our culture & church. The Upside Down People & Dead Elephants aim to have real conversations and explore the integration of faith in everyday life which is what drew us to doing this cool crossover epi...

In this episode Caleb has a conversation with the gifted singer/songwriter Tenielle Neda around music, life & faith. Motherhood & music are near to Tenielle's heart and she talks about how her faith informs these aspects of her life. Tenielle shares honestly on how she's learning to embrace life's limitations and the influence this has on her songwriting. We talk about the impa...

In this episode Caleb has a conversation with Noddy Sharma. Noddy is personable, warm, friendly & has a deep desire to see the next generation of Australian's transformed by Jesus. We talk about how a new sense of purpose and life transformation is found in Jesus, the challenges that many face in a growing me-centric culture & how we may better address mental health and addiction issue...

In this episode Caleb has a conversation with Matthew Tingblad around the goodness of God, pain, suffering and the existence of hell. We chat about the need for the church to be able to hold on to what they believe with faith and confidence amidst a tumultuous culture. Matthew, an apologist, author and speaker with Josh McDowell Ministry, also unpacks some common mistakes people may make when read...

In this EP I sit down with Paul Morrison, aka 'Morro', and have a conversation about his time as the West Coast Eagle's chaplain, being a family man, the father heart of God and how we wrestle and navigate through the issues of identity, performance and acceptance in our lives. Morro shares part of his story reflecting on God's favour on his life and what it feels like when every o...