Provocative, non-religious conversations about life, love and God.
Hosted by Jonathan Puddle and Tryphena Perumalla-Gagnon.
Text transcriptions are available for most episodes.
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Most of us have grown up without Godly father figures in our lives and we long for a deep sense of being loved by a truly good father. Kirk Giles, Canadian president of Promise Keepers, shared his thoughts with me on how to become a father that looks like God, and a man who looks like Jesus.
Read MoreFrank Viola’s latest book, ReGrace, looks at the shocking beliefs of many great Christians in order to help us extend grace to one another when we disagree. He reminded me that Jonathan Edwards wrote “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” which I think drastically distorts the character of God while also writing a brilliant apologetic for manifestations of the Holy Spirit, which I wholeheartedly believe in. If the great Jonathan Edwards had blind spots, so do we all.
Read MorePastoring a church is hard work. I spoke with Adam & Amy Ryan about their journey as a pastoral couple leading a small but vibrant Holy Spirit-oriented church. We discussed identity, whose church it really is, and regaining hope after seasons of hardship. Amy & Adam also shared about a chance encounter with Andrew Brunson, the American pastor recently released from prison in Turkey.
Read MoreWhat kind of man does your family say you are? What kind of a men do you want your boys to grow into? This week I spoke with men’s coach Luke Gifford about helping men become aware of their emotions, mastering fear and anger, moving beyond toxic masculinity and trying to raise kids who’ll face their monsters. And yes, of course, we talked about the Gillette Ad as well. This is the second part of our discussion.
Read MoreWhat kind of man do you want to be? What kind of a man do you want your husband to be? This week I spoke with men’s coach Luke Gifford about helping men become aware of their emotions, mastering fear and anger, moving beyond toxic masculinity and trying to raise kids who’ll face their monsters. And yes, of course, we talked about the Gillette Ad as well.
Read MoreIf you were a Christian teenager in the late 90s or early 2000s there’s a good chance you read or were influenced by “I Kissed Dating Goodbye.” Twenty years on Joshua Harris has re-evaluated his message and removed the books from print. Joshua and I discussed the purity culture, the positive and negative effects of encouraging abstinence, his role in the pain that people experienced, and what the church can do better to prevent things like this happening in the future.
Read MoreMy church doesn’t really teach tithing but we definitely teach generosity. Why? Because God is generous. The early church understood this and gave to everyone in a way that turned both heads and hearts. This episode includes a sermon I preached on the subject of generosity and how God’s model of giving everything, at all times, to everyone, sets a standard that goes way beyond 10%.
Read MoreBrian Zahnd joined me to discuss his new book Postcards from Babylon, as well as the multi-faceted nature of the church, the richness of spiritual diversity, and how to be faithful witnesses to Christ while living inside a dominant empire. What empire claims for itself (to have the divine right to rule others and the manifest destiny to shape history), is the very thing God has promised us through his son.
Read MoreTwo years ago Lysa Terkeurst announced that her husband had had an affair. Her latest book chronicles her agonizing journey of disappointment, and the wrestling with God that we all experience in times of deep pain and overwhelming confusion. Lysa and I talked about pain, forgiveness, and how God uses our very dust to create new life.
Read MoreWell-known teacher and, singer/songwriter Sheila Walsh I talked about brokenness, mental health, suicide, gender roles in church, and the God who loves us through it all. We also talked about her new book: It’s OK Not To Be OK. Sheila dropped some of the most quotable truth-bombs of any guest so far.
Read MoreCarlos A. Rodríguez is the founder of TheHappyGivers, a non-profit dedicated to alleviating poverty, supporting prisoners and feeding children. Carlos and I discussed how to earn the right to be heard and how being on mission unifies us and helps us move past divisive political or theological debates.
Read MoreMichelle Wuesthoff is an author, life coach, and adoptive mother of 4. We discussed our children narratives, reliance on God vs our own strength; and the God who stands outside our hearts waiting for the slightest crack to open up, so his lavish, reckless love can pour in.
Read MoreWill Graham is the Executive Director of the Billy Graham Training Center, and portrays Billy Graham in the film Unbroken: Path to Redemption. Will and I discussed Jesus as the hope of the world, evangelism and discipleship, and the The Crown, because I just couldn’t resist.
Read MoreGod does not need Christianity nor any other world religion. He doesn’t need us to follow the rules or get in line or bow down to him. Rather he invites us to partake freely of his new world, right now.
Read MorePastor & author Carol Howard Merritt and I had a broad ranging discussion on how the church holds up patriarchy and shames victims of abuse, forgiveness as a process, love in the face of economic injustice, and a God who offers rivers of healing and restoration to all.
Read MoreFather Thomas Rosica is a Catholic priest and the CEO of Salt & Light Television. We discussed scandals in the Catholic church, the positive impact of the church among the poor and disenfranchised, and what Catholic / Evangelical relationships can look like.
Read MoreAndy Hunter is a DJ and film score composer. We discussed the idea of God placing passions in our lives, and how it should be no surprise that when we do the things we’re passionate about, worship flows as a result.
Read MoreMelissa Joy Boerger is the worship pastor at Catch The Fire Kitchener. With over 20 years experience, she is one of the most honest, genuine lovers of God that I know. We discussed how to be OK with simple worship in a world dominated by Bethel Music, how to involve kids in your worship band and loads more.
Read MoreAlan Smith is a pastor and writer from Dallas, Texas. Drawing from a range of Christian traditions, we discussed faith, certainty, doubt and Scripture as an unfolding narrative with Jesus Christ as the lens of interpretation.
Read MoreBrian Simmons is the translator of The Passion Translation, a new Bible translation that focuses on the life and passion inside of scripture. We discussed the beauty of an evolving understanding of the Bible, the science of linguistics, and how new translations lead us deeper into the heart of God.
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