Voxology

How can Christians maintain both conviction and compassion in conversations about LGBTQ identity, theology, and inclusion? Episode 41 of the LGBTQ Conversations series explores this critical tension through a raw, honest, and grace-filled response to a deeply personal email from a listener named "Jeremy." Mike and Andy seek to create space for both affirming and non-affirming Christians to remain...

How can we begin to heal from spiritual abuse when the very structures meant to point us to God have been complicit in manipulation, coercion, and hypocrisy? Kicking off a new Luke Series, Mike Erre goes solo to explore Jesus's prophetic critique of religious authority in Luke 11—and its piercing relevance for today's church. Through Jesus's first "woe" against the Pharisees, Mike unpacks a powerf...

Can a non-affirming Christian hold space for LGBTQ+ voices with humility and grace? Can thoughtful atheism provoke deeper faith? Mike and Andy reflect on powerful listener feedback—one from a 20-year-old gay Christian named Jeremy, and another from "Godless," an atheist guest host—and begin a deep dive into the critiques both raised about the Bible, theology, and the church's engagement with real...

How do we navigate leadership, equality, and calling in a church culture still divided over gender roles? This powerful and refreshing conversation between Mike Erre, Andy Lara, and returning guest Bonnie Lewis dives straight into one of the most pressing theological and cultural issues in American Christianity: the role of women in the church. Without rehashing old debates, this episode leans int...

How a biblical vision of justice rooted in Shalom can inform our response to racial injustice, collective iniquity, and the pursuit of healing in a fractured culture. Mike and Andy dive deep into what it means to embody Jesus's call to peacemaking amid systemic inequity, prejudice, and social unrest. This powerful episode sheds light on how the Church can participate in healing generations of inju...

How our modern values—individualism, narcissism, personal fulfillment—affect the way we read Scripture without even realizing it. Mike and Andy dig into the deep waters of biblical context, revealing how understanding the world of the New Testament changes how we interpret its message today. This episode helps listeners move beyond a flat reading of Scripture by uncovering the massive cultural, li...

Unpacking one of the most misunderstood elements of the Bible, Mike Erre and Andy explore how seemingly oppressive passages on household roles—particularly around women, slavery, and children—can actually be understood as revolutionary in their original cultural context. Episode 44 walks through a compelling thought experiment rooted in modern-day Saudi Arabia to reframe the function of the New Te...

What makes a text "sacred"? Can stories like Harry Potter or Star Wars function as modern scripture? Mike Erre and Andy explore the viral rise of "Harry Potter and the Sacred Text," a podcast treating J.K. Rowling's novels the way Christians treat the Bible—and use it as a springboard to tackle big questions about sacred texts, biblical authority, and how Jesus actually interpreted the Old Testame...

A vulnerable and wide-ranging discussion on the complexities of faith, doubt, and identity as Mike Erre and Andy sit down for a powerful conversation with a guest known online as "Godless"—a self-described agnostic atheist. Raised Catholic, born again in the Assemblies of God youth group, and now an outspoken skeptic, Godless walks us through his unexpected spiritual evolution. With humor, intelli...

Exploring how a scared world needs a fearless church, Mike Erre takes a deep and unflinching look at the growing entanglement between American evangelicalism and political power in this episode of the Subversive Kingdom Series. Drawing from the controversial 2016 meeting between Donald Trump and prominent evangelical leaders, Mike questions what it means for Christians to align themselves with pol...

How do spiritually abusive environments form, and why do they often look so "religious"? This fourth installment in the ongoing Spiritual Abuse series dives deep into Jesus' own critiques of religious leaders as a template for recognizing toxic patterns in modern churches and Christian communities. Mike Erre and Andy Lara explore themes of hypocrisy, majoring on the minors, and the death of mercy—...

Practical wisdom for engaging in heated conversations with compassion, truth, and empathy. Communication theorist Dr. Tim Muehlhoff joins Mike Erre and Andy to break down how Christians can honor both truth and love in our polarized world. Drawing from his book "I Beg to Differ: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Truth and Love," Tim offers a four-step approach to make our relational disagree...

What happens when a pastor dares to publicly challenge the evangelical embrace of Donald Trump? Mike Erre and Andy dive deep into the storm of controversy that erupted after Mike posted a viral message criticizing Trump's appeal to fear—sparking major backlash from within the Christian community. This episode explores the hypocrisy of political alignment in the church, the myth of apolitical preac...

A bold exploration into one of the most unsettling theological questions: does God cause evil and suffering? Mike Erre and Andy Lara kick off this deep-dive theological series by confronting the reformed doctrine of meticulous sovereignty—popularized by groups like The Gospel Coalition—and its claim that God not only allows but ordains suffering to achieve his glory. With humor, thoughtfulness, an...

How the biblical practice of public lament can help us confront communal tragedy, own our complicity, and embody compassionate presence in a hurting world. In this emotional and reflective episode, Mike Erre and Andy process an extraordinarily painful week of violence, including the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. They explore the responsibility of Jesus followers to grieve publicly, speak ho...

How recognizing and dismantling spiritual abuse can lead us back to a healthier, grace-filled understanding of Jesus, the Church, and our place within it. Mike and Andy unpack the final installment of the Spiritual Abuse series by digging deep into Jesus's powerful critiques in Luke 11. They explore how spiritual leaders can lose their way and end up focusing on status, rules, and control, and how...

How does the Book of Job challenge our assumptions about suffering, divine will, and justice? Continuing their Suffering Series, Mike Erre and Andy Lara navigate the emotional, cultural, and theological complexities of recent tragic events—particularly the fatal police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile—while asking the deeper question: Does God cause suffering? Using the poetic narr...

How do we reconcile the gap between the radical love of Jesus and painful experiences people endure within Christianity? This reflective episode dives deep into spiritual abuse—what it is, what it isn't, and why it's such a vital conversation for modern followers of Jesus and those harmed by the Church. Mike Erre and co-host Andy start a thoughtful, at times humorous, exploration of what happens w...

How the "center-set" model of Christianity offers a radical alternative to legalism, spiritual abuse, and rigid boundary-drawing—and what it means for those longing to experience authentic grace, community, and transformation. Kicking off their new Spiritual Abuse series, Mike and Tim dive deep into Paul Hebert's set theory and how it reshapes our understanding of who belongs, what discipleship lo...

How should followers of Jesus respond to the ever-growing outrage culture consuming our news cycles and social media feeds? Mike Erre and Andy unpack the tension between righteous anger and destructive outrage, using powerful examples from Jesus' life to explore what holy anger looks like—and how we can engage with it in ways that lead to healing, not harm. This deeply relevant episode asks the ha...

How does science intersect with faith, and what happens when that intersection helps you find your way back to God? In this episode, Mike Erre and Andy sit down with Science Mike (Mike McHargue), co-founder of The Liturgists and host of "Ask Science Mike", for a funny, thoughtful, and wide-ranging conversation about evolution, neurotheology, gender, sexuality, spiritual trauma, and how science can...

Explore how to understand and engage with the Bible beyond simplistic frameworks, recognizing its complexity, beauty, and purpose in guiding a faithful and Christ-centered life. Mike Erre and producer Andy dive deep in response to a listener's thoughtful questions on the authority of Scripture, infallibility, inerrancy, and how believers can faithfully interpret a diverse library of sacred texts s...

How the church can reclaim its true mission by removing the cultural, political, and institutional distortions that obscure the beauty of Jesus. Mike Erre and Andy unpack the heart of Voxology's purpose—to make Jesus beautiful again by reflecting his love, humility, and upside-down kingdom. Leveraging Scripture, personal stories, and candid critiques of modern Christianity, this episode aims to re...

What if everything you believed about finding "the one" was never actually biblical—or even helpful? In this candid and often hilarious conversation, Mike Erre and co-host Andy explore the deeply ingrained myth of the soulmate, confronting cultural narratives around romance, marriage, and self-fulfillment in both the secular and Christian world. Drawing extensively from the Genesis account of crea...

How do we know we're truly saved—and what if we're not? Responding to a listener's heartfelt and raw email, Mike and Andy revisit the topic of faith and doubt to explore some of the deepest spiritual fears many believers keep hidden. From worries about "false salvation" and demon possession to confusion over the Trinity and whether the Bible can be trusted, this episode brings grace and clarity to...