What We Really Want: Conversations About Connection

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Why do people often feel more "churched" and cared for in recovery meetings than they do in their actual churches? What is present at those meetings, and/or missing from those churches? And what can we do about it? Zac Hicks thinks these are important questions to consider. Zac is the lead pastor of Church of the Cross , a church...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Conversations that don't feel rushed can feel pretty rare, but they're special when they happen. That's what it was like talking to our new friend, singer/songwriter Jason Gray .  Jason has been around Christian music for a long time, writing and releasing music that connects deeply with the heart. He's a man who has be...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" One of the greatest gifts that can be given a person in recovery is presence. Company. Someone to walk with you. Someone to make sure you aren't doing recovery alone. For 25 years, Troy and Melissa Haas have been walking with men and women impacted by addiction and betrayal trauma. Out of their own experience - with Troy's multip...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Parents raising kids today face challenges different from any other generation before. Technology is expanding and changing more rapidly than ever, and dangerous and harmful content hunts for young eyes.  Kristen Jenson has a mission: to help equip parents to prepare their kids. When kids know what is out there, how it is harmful, and what...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" There's a song lyric that reminds us of something important: "If beauty’s what you’re after, just look close to see... Knowing small things matter is really no small thing." That's from one of our friend Andy Gullahorn 's songs. What a treat to have Andy back for another conversation. Talking with someone who'...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Sometimes there's just too much good stuff to fit it all into an episode! This is what it felt like when Stacey and I - with our friend Stevi - talked with Crystal Renaud Day about her work with women who struggle with unwanted sexual behavior. One part of the conversation we didn't want to get lost was when Crystal talked about...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Ever hear the same lie we have? The lie that says, "Only men watch porn." What do you do if you're a female who struggles with something you're told is just a "guy's problem?" Growing up, Crystal Renaud Day hear that message. Although she was exposed to porn at age 10, and it eventually became an addictio...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" It's What We Really Want 's second anniversary episode! 🎂 🎉🎈 With gratitude for two years of great Conversations About Connection , we get to have another one with pastor and best-selling author Dane Ortlund . Dane comes from a family with generations of ministry service, including his grandparents (Ray Ortlund Sr. and Anne Or...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" For too many people of faith, the only message about sex growing up was "Don't do it!" So many people had genuine curiosity about their sexuality, but nowhere to bring their questions and no one helping them steward it. As a result, many learned to either ignore an important part of them, resulting in a lack of ability to sh...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" RE-RELEASE . This episode originally released September 24, 2024. What is a sexual betrayal trauma workshop? And why - if you are a woman going through the pain of having been betrayed by your husband/partner - should you consider attending one? In this BONUS episode, Greg & Stacey are joined by Paige and Brittney, two friends who are...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Have Christian men been conditioned to accept behaviors that marginalize and abuse women? When does normal relational conflict cross the line and become abusive? Has the Church been complicit in creating inequity between men and women? Questions like these represent much of the work of our guest, Dr. Andrew Bauman . Andrew is a therapist a...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Here is Part 2 of our conversation with Jay Stringer . Last week Jay released his book, Desire: The Longings Inside Us and the New Science of How We Love, Heal, and Grow . Moving beyond the singular experience of sexual struggles found in his first book Unwanted , Desire offers a critically important opportunity to better understand the co...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" For people interested in digging deeply into their stories and better understanding themselves and the unwanted behaviors that plague them, few people have been as helpful as Jay Stringer . In 2018, Jay's book Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing invited readers to a new approach to unwanted sexual behaviors: one...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Does a focus on acknowledging trauma and providing safety create more resilient or fragile people? That question is at the heart of many charged discussions about therapy and trauma work. Virtually every contemporary therapeutic modality recognizes the impact trauma has on our current struggles. But many people feel it's too much focu...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" For anyone who has ever said, "A part of me wants to ________, but another part thinks it might not be a good idea..." This episode is for you. People actually ARE made up of many complex parts...it's part of how we reflect the image of God. And a counseling modality know as Internal Family Systems (IFS) that began in the 19...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Our guest for Episode 57 is a recognized expert in biblical sexuality. Dr. Juli Slattery has decades of experience as a therapist, author, and founder of the organization Authentic Intimacy . For years she has been helping women and men move toward healing from painful experiences with sexual brokenness, and developing a healthy view of th...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Since the late '90's / early 2000's, Passion Music has been blessing the Church with song after song to sing together. And one of its primary worship leaders is our guest Kristian Stanfill . Kristian is the voice you've heard on songs like "One Thing Remains," "Death Was Arrested," "Glorious Day...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" RE-RELEASE . This episode originally released July 22, 2024. For men and women seeking recovery from unwanted sexual behavior, few people have been as influential or helpful as Michael John Cusick . Michael is a therapist,  author, and Founder/CEO of Restoring the Soul , a counseling practice that provides opportunities for life-changing b...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" The scariest thing about kids and tech isn’t just what they can find—it’s what can find them. Greg & Bobby sat down with Chris McKenna , founder of Protect Young Eyes and president of Better Tech , to map a practical path through the chaos: clear relational scripts, layered technical guardrails, and a mindset that trades “set it and fo...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Anytime we can encourage people in caring professions we love to do it! If you walk with, pastor, or counsel people going through hard times, this is a conversation you're going to want to hear. Karrie Garcia is a pastor, life coach, and author who inspires change in others by boldly sharing her journey to freedom. She has seen firsth...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" It can be scary to examine spiritual messages we've heard all our lives, but it sometimes can also be the path to experiencing God more truly, deeply, and biblically.  Steve Cuss is an author, speaker, and pastor who has a passion for understanding what drives Christians to feel anxiety, fear, and exhaustion about their faith & re...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" It's December, and just like last year, we're giving you something extra for the holidays. Each week in December we'll release a new episode for you to enjoy! Please remember to follow/subscribe to the show, write a positive review, and share us with others. ALSO, if the show means something to you, please consider a financi...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" It's critical for ministry leaders to understand their responsibility and opportunity to help people in their churches who are sexually struggling. That was a key theme in our rich conversation with Sam Black , Director of Recovery Education at Covenant Eyes . Sam explained that empathy plus action breaks porn’s grip, and how churches...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" What if sadness isn’t the problem—what if the real drain is the energy we spend trying to avoid it? To celebrate our 50th episode , Greg & Stacey talk with therapist and author ADAM YOUNG (host of The Place We Find Ourselves podcast) for a frank, tender, and deeply practical conversation about story work, lament, and the courage to fee...

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" It's always fun and encouraging to talk with other people who work in the same spaces. NICK LIBERTO is the executive director at Proven Ministries , an organization committed to "seeing a revival of sexual integrity throughout the entire Bride of Christ." They provide support and resources for men, women, and ministry leader...