What do you do when you’re told the Bible is important…but you’re not actually sure you trust it (or even like reading it)?

In this Q&A episode of the 10,000 Questions Podcast, Val sits down with Shawn Maybe and Johnny Fielding to tackle your real questions about the Bible, where it came from, why there are so many versions, and what to do when it just feels…boring.

We talk about:

📖 Who decided what books are in the Bible?

🧩 If the Bible is “God-breathed,” why did humans pick the books?

🔁 Why are there so many different translations (ESV, NIV, NLT, etc.) and can we trust them?

😴 Is it bad if the Bible feels boring sometimes?

🚩 Where should I start reading if I’ve barely read the Bible before?

⚔️ How do we deal with the weird / dark / violent parts of the Old Testament?

❤️ How the Bible is both deep enough to study for a lifetime and simple enough to start today.

6 Practical Questions to ask yourself while your reading the Bible (Johnny Fielding)

What stands out to you? (Seems interesting, Peculiar, Odd, or Striking)

Whats confusing? (What are you striggling to understand, having a hard time accepting as true, what seems contradictory)

What do I learn about God? (How can I know God better through this passage)

What did I learn about People? (Is there an example of somebody showing me a good way to follow God. Or maybe something I shouldn't be doing. Or revealing some of our hearts of how we act as humans as we relate to God

What is the Main Point. (Narrow what you read down into a sentence or two. What is the Key Idea?)

How can I apply this to my life? (Look at the main point (Q5) and ask yourself, what would it look like for me to live out that main point?)

When addiction lives in your home, everyone feels it. In this candid conversation, host Val O’Brien sits down with longtime friend Sean to unpack what it was like growing up with a sibling battling addiction—and how God met him in the middle of fear, resentment, and uncertainty.

They talk practical steps for students living with an addicted parent/sibling, why secrecy keeps families stuck, and the slow, real hope of recovery.

What you’ll hear:

- How to talk about what’s happening at home (and who to tell)

- Healthy boundaries vs. “help” that unintentionally harms

- Dealing with anger, resentment, and the “hero/fixer” identity

- Prayer when you can’t control the outcome

- A rare story of long-term sobriety—and what changed

- Encouragement for students who feel unseen

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro

01:21 – Meet Sean

03:10 – Growing Up at Home

05:35 – When Addiction Began

08:49 – Family Impact

11:06 – Resentment & Pressure

13:35 – Wrestling with Faith

17:12 – Why Secrets Hurt

19:24 – Her Turning Point

21:50 – What God Taught Me

26:32 – Advice for Students

30:41 – If You Feel Powerless

34:37 – Closing Prayer

Resources & Links:

Learn more about Aspen Ministry: https://aspenministry.org/

Learn more about the 10,000 Questions project: ask10KQ.org

Subscribe for more student-driven conversations about faith and real life.

Comment your question for our next Q&A.

Share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement.

Questions about anxiety, loneliness, bottled-up stuff, gender questions, and why change feels impossible in this episode of the 10,000 Questions Podcast. Counselor Jonathan Holmes (Fieldstone Counseling) sits down with Val to make it make sense. Expect biblical clarity, practical tools, and a ton of hope.

What you’ll learn:

- How to start talking about what you’ve bottled up without spiraling

- Practical steps for loneliness & depression (and why small goals matter)

- “Is being anxious a sin?” — the Bible’s actual answer

- Why we struggle with our God-given gender (and how Scripture offers freedom vs. cultural boxes)

- Why change is so hard and how Romans 8 reframes the power to change

Resources & Links:

Learn more about Aspen Ministry: https://aspenministry.org/

Learn more about the 10,000 Questions project: ask10KQ.org

Subscribe for more student-driven conversations about faith and real life.

Comment your question for our next Q&A.

Share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement.

What happens when science and faith seem to disagree? 🌌

In this Q&A episode, Val O’Brien sits down again with Rhiannon Erskine—a former NASA scientist turned professor—to tackle students’ wildest questions about the universe, creation, and God.

💭 Topics we cover:

“If science disagrees with the Bible, why should I believe it?”

How do Christians interpret Genesis 1 and the age of the Earth?

Did God start the Big Bang?

Could there be other dimensions or aliens?

Would Jesus save aliens too?

How can faith and science actually work together?

If you’ve ever felt like your science textbook and your Bible are in conflict, this episode will help you see how both can point to the same Creator.

Resources & Links:

Learn more about Aspen Ministry: https://aspenministry.org/

Learn more about the 10,000 Questions project: ask10KQ.org

Subscribe for more student-driven conversations about faith and real life.

Comment your question for our next Q&A.

Share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement.

Some questions about faith just don’t seem to make sense — like baseball’s weird rules. ⚾

In this “Make It Make Sense” episode, Val O’Brien, Kyle Hoffsmith, and Mike McGarry take on the hardest-to-explain parts of Christianity and help them click.

💭 Together they wrestle with questions like:

Why are lying and murder both considered sin?

Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead?

Is believing in the Trinity believing in three gods?

If the universe is so big, why is there only life on Earth?

Why is it so hard to stay with Jesus when others say it’s easy?

If you’ve ever said, “Wait… that doesn’t add up,” this one’s for you.

📍 Hosted by: Val O’Brien

🎙️ Guests: Kyle Hoffsmith (https://www.instagram.com/kyle_hoffsmith/?hl=en) & Mike McGarry (https://www.instagram.com/youththeologian)

Resources & Links:

Learn more about Aspen Ministry: https://aspenministry.org/

Learn more about the 10,000 Questions project: ask10KQ.org

Mentioned Book - More than a Carpenter (https://a.co/d/eiBayzm)

Subscribe for more student-driven conversations about faith and real life.

Comment your question for our next Q&A.

Share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement.

Chapters:

Introduction - 00:00

Q1: Why are lying and murder both considered sin? - 07:14

Q2: Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead? - 11:40

Q3: Is believing in the Trinity believing in three gods? - 17:11

Q4: If the universe is so big, why is there only life on Earth? - 25:38

Q5: Why is it so hard to stay with Jesus when others say it’s easy? - 29:33

Closing - 35:21

10,000 Questions is a podcast for students asking real questions about God, faith, and life.

Today, host Val O’Brien sits down with Rhiannon Erskine, a NASA scientist turned professor (Wheaton College) and mom, to explore how science and Christianity actually work together. We talk astronomy, meteoroids, having an asteroid named after her, why the “science vs. religion” conflict is mostly modern and mostly American, and how studying the universe can deepen your faith.

If you love space, big ideas, or you’re wondering whether a Christian can thrive in the sciences, this is your episode.

What you’ll learn:

- Why many great scientists in history were people of faith

- How real labs include human assumptions (science isn’t purely “neutral”)

- The Hubble Deep Field and why awe can lead to worship

- What it’s like to be a Christian at NASA and in academia

- Practical advice for Christian and non-Christian students considering STEM

Learn more about Aspen Ministry: https://aspenministry.org/

Learn more about the 10,000 Questions project: ask10KQ.org

Welcome to the 10,000 Questions podcast—a show for students asking real questions about God, faith, and life. Today we’re jumping straight into the deep end with counselor Jonathan Holmes, Executive Director of Fieldstone Counseling. Together with host Val O’Brien, we tackle your toughest Qs: helping a friend who’s being abused, living with a parent’s addiction, navigating self-harm thoughts (especially when parents “don’t believe in mental health”), repairing relationships you’ve hurt, and walking through grief and loss.

This conversation is honest, practical, and hopeful—with next steps you can take today and a clear reminder that you’re not alone and God is near.

What you’ll learn:

• How to support a friend experiencing abuse (and why bringing in a trusted adult matters)

• Why addiction can feel like “voluntary slavery”—and where freedom is found

• What to do with self-harm thoughts and how to ask for help safely

• A simple framework to repair relationships after you’ve caused hurt

• How to start processing grief with honesty before God

• Next steps, resources & where to find help

Resources & Links:

• Fieldstone Counseling (in-person & remote): https://fieldstonecounseling.org/
• Follow Jonathan Holmes: https://www.instagram.com/akjonathanholmes/?hl=en
• Learn more about Aspen Ministry: https://aspenministry.org/
• Learn more about the 10,000 Questions project: ask10KQ.org

  If you’re thinking about self-harm or suicide, talk to someone now:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.) — call or text 988
• Tell a trusted adult, school counselor, or youth leader today

  Subscribe for more student-driven conversations about faith and real life. Comment your question for our next Q&A. Share this episode with a friend who needs encouragement.