Where Do We Go From Here?

Morgan Strehlow joins us to tell her Purity Culture story. The church taught her how to be a good girl and expected her to lead, but left her without the tools she needed to deal with growing up. With vulnerability Morgan tells us about the impact of purity culture and how she internalized the obligation sex message and what she's doing to move forward.  Full show notes here Instagram Twitter Want...

We've all heard "The Bible  clearly  says" from pastors and people we know, so how do we get better at understanding biblical texts? Theology professor and academic dean Dr. Michael Bird joins us to look at the three big mistakes we make when we read our Bibles. Yes we look at historical context and reading our present moment into an ancient document, but we also talk about pragmatic and ideal eth...

Consent is a big word that's been in the news for the past few years, and when New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller suggested an app to regulate consent for the purpose of reducing assaults, we knew it was time for THE TALK. What is informed, enthusiastic consent? Why is it crucial for evangelicals to engage with this topic even with abstinence teaching? What does agency look like for w...

Want a movie that simultaneously makes you think about revenge and forgiveness, sex and consent, men and women AND romcoms? "Promising Young Woman" is director/writer Emerald Fennel's Oscar-winning movie, and you guys. We have BIG THOUGHTS about what it has to say to us today. Jess & Devi talk through the major plot points, tracking Cassie's choices in light of purity culture and the what the broa...

It's time to hear one of YOUR stories. Today Jenna tells us about purity culture in California, how her teen years and 20s helped her make decisions as she got older. Her story will help you feel less alone.  Show notes here You can hear our thoughts about Pretty Woman on The Jess & Devi Show for $3/month. Sign up today ! Talk to us on Instagram and Twitter .

This week we start to find ways to heal, grow, and move forward. Therapist Krispin Mayfield gives us simple tools to begin the process of healing.  Full show notes here Partner with us for $3/month to hear uncut episodes with experts AND our recaps of romcoms from the 80s, 90s and 00s like this week's look back at Pretty Woman . Talk to us on Instagram and Twitter . Krispin Mayfield a therapist tr...

The science of attachment teaches us about how we relate to other people. As therapist Krispin Mayfield tells us today, we were created for connection, so how are we connecting with others if we were never taught how to do so in healthy ways? In part one today we cover the foundations of attachment: How we learn to attach, the coping strategies we use, what that might look like in our relationship...

Remember those talks about how to be a "Biblical" woman, or a Proverbs 31 woman? What if it was never about the Bible? Professor Beth Allison Barr talks us through the cultural forces that shaped how the church treated women from the medieval period to the Reformation to where we are today. Full show notes here Our partners get to hear Dr. Barr explain how women have been written out of the Englis...

Trigger Warning: rape and sexual assault What do you do when the news is triggering? Australia's been reeling with its own #MeToo moment, and as headline after headline broadcasted the names of abusers and politicians, we wanted to centre you, the survivors. Psychologist Naomi Palmer joins us to give us tips for those of you processing triggers as well as how to support the ones you love who are d...

The last episode of the month is when we get to hear YOUR stories, and today Julia talks to us about untangling purity culture and deconstructing her faith...in 2008. She was way ahead of schedule, and she's got stories and insights to share with us about how she went about doing it. Listen to hear more about parenting, managing anxiety, questioning your faith, and rebuilding.  Full show notes her...

We hear a lot about what the New Testament supposedly says about.. everything (including sex). But as we're reminded today by our guest, the New Testament is largely made up of letters that we're "eavesdropping" on. So if we want to know what these letters might mean for us, we'll need to get to know who wrote the letter and to whom. New Testament Christians. What was their cultural context? What...

Jess got married, and we are talking about it! What if "Congratulations" is the wrong thing to say at a wedding? How can we see marriage as a different stage of life instead of a promotion from singleness? We also talk about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's interview with Oprah Winfrey, a couple talking about their first few years as newlyweds. What does this tell us about marriage? And we finish...

This episode is part of our Jess & Devi Show series for our partners, but today you get a peak at the magic on the inside with our recap of the 1999 hit rom com "Never Been Kissed."  Josie Grosie. Teacher Sam Coulson. Horrible prom memories (remember Billy??) and drugged brownies. Let's walk back through memory lane to see if the movie that gave some of us chills is any good in 2021.  Show notes h...

What's the best way to push back against celebrity culture? Listen to people who aren't on the platform. We do that once a month by featuring YOUR stories. Today we hear from Amy, one of our earliest listeners and partners. She's a public school English teacher, and we talk about purity culture in Australia, finding her voice, how she navigated app dating, and where she's going from here.  Full sh...

Debra Hirsch published the book Redeeming Sex in 2015 before evangelicals had the language we do today for the connection between spirituality and sexuality. Her work flows out of her decades of lived experience as a counselor and pastor working with people in the area of sexuality. She has a lifetime of wisdom and insight to share with us, and we get a piece of that in this conversation. We are m...

We discuss the report released last week by Miller & Martin PLLC about numerous allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct by Ravi Zacharias. Full show notes here Join the Ladies Night Book Club for $9/month for March 1 start - we are discussing Redeeming Sex by Deb Hirsch

Laura Tremaine is a storyteller and she joins us for a candid conversation about her life in a white evangelical subculture, how she moved out of it in Hollywood, and how she navigated her relationships and sexuality. Laura's superpower is sharing her stuff and encouraging us to do the same. She models that for us today by telling us the stories at pivotal points of her faith, relationships, and s...

February the month of love! Why is it though that both the broader culture and church culture tries to funnel us toward romantic love as the only expression of love there is? We want to celebrate Galentines today (and may we suggest, Guy-entines?!), and celebrate the reasons why our friendships are worth the investment. We explore why it might be tricky in our highly online, disconnected world, an...

Every month we are going to bring you stories of every day people who listen to the show and are working out what to do with what they learn here. Today, we meet Jason. He's from California but lives in Melbourne with his wife and family, and he's a chaplain at a Christian school. He tells us about: his youth group years life at a conservative Bible college the transition into adulthood in Austral...

Consider this your private appointment with a sex educator to find out all the details you missed out on about s-e-x. Dr. Celeste Holbrook joins us to talk about spontaneous and responsive arousal, sexual pivoting, and some basics around communication when it comes to sex. This is a conversation for grown ups only, and for people who are ready to have better sex now. Full show notes here Join our...

It's not ONE sex talk, it's one hundred one-minute conversations about sexuality, intimacy, and body curiosity. Ever wondered how to parent your kids in a way that celebrates their sexuality instead of fearing it? THIS is the one you've been waiting for as we welcome Dr. Tina to our show. She brings a wealth of wisdom and practical advice drawing from over 30 years of experience in sexual health,...

We start 2021 off with a letter from our mailbag, personal news, and a look at the recent report from Miller & Martin regarding the firm's investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against Ravi Zacharias. The news is bad. Do Christians like Tim Tebow, Louie Giglio, and Christine Caine who publicly said #thankyouRavi owe his victims an apology? We also look back at the heartwarming Christ...

Ravi Zacharias. John Crist. Carl Lentz. It hasn't been a good year for famous Christians, specifically as it relates to sex. Today we revisit one of our most-downloaded conversations from 2020, but we add in a conversation about Carl Lentz, the celebrity pastor of Hillsong Church NYC fired for having an affair. Do we need Christian celebrities? We say no. An important note: After we recorded this...

Waiting for permission? You're not the only one... Listen in to this remix of Devi's conversation with sex therapist and author, Sheila Gregoire - our guest on the episode Sex is for Wives too . We update our debrief on Sheila's profound insights and take the conversation further discussing individual agency around major life decisions such as sexual ethics. Join the Ladies Night Book Club here Fu...

Christmas is a time for romance, or so the Hallmark movies go. What do we do when we're alone during the holidays? And what about 2020 the year when there may be no gatherings because of Covid-19? We gathered three single women together who are all in different stages of their lives, homeowners, living with parents, living on their own, to talk about what single life is like during the holidays. ...