Justin shares personal stories about his kids starting a new school year and the emotions that come with it.

The myth of “creative block” and what it’s really about.

How the Sabbath helps process endings and prepare for new seasons.

Distinguishing between wisdom and fear when making choices.

Why calling is more about who you’re becoming than choosing perfectly.

Closing with an excerpt from Justin’s upcoming book with Scott Erickson.

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Main Question: How to explain your need for a day of silence to family and friends

Resistance: Often comes from good people and deserves thoughtful communication

Making a Plan: Plans stick; impulses fade

Calendar as a Tool: Helps visualize trade-offs and negotiate responsibly

Life Built by Consent: Recognizing past choices and agreements as part of transformation

Coaching and Investment: Why hiring a coach signals seriousness about change

Invitation to Others: Change can become a witness to more life for everyone

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Authenticity in Art: You're a real artist if you’re doing the work—regardless of metrics or recognition.

Internal Metrics for Growth: Choose your own measures of progress and satisfaction.

Emotional Expression: Not every feeling needs to be shared online. Say less. Process more.

Derek Sivers Insight: Sometimes saying your plans out loud gives you the reward without doing the work.

New Book Preview: Reading from In the Low, a prayer book for seasons of depression (releasing Oct 7, 2025).

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Handling Change: Embracing unpredictability through the lens of the welcoming prayer

Prayer and Action: Why a true prayer life leads to action, and how activism should drive us back to prayer

Identity and Memory: The myth of hyper-individuality and why our identity is held collectively—by others and by God

Resources Recommended:

Contemplation in a World of Action by Thomas Merton

The Active Life by Parker Palmer

Closing Poem: A meditation on friendship as one of life’s most valuable treasures

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Legalism vs. Values: Legalism is a rigid, unchanging posture; values evolve with evidence and relationship.

Processing Group Hurt: Don’t rush past collective wounds; learn to carry them together.

Contemplative Prayer: Prayer as receptivity and openness, not productivity.

Caring for a Terminally Ill Friend: Let them teach you; honor their humanity without rushing to fix or control.

Closing: A reading from Justin’s forthcoming book with Scott Erickson.

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Fostering unity in politically split churches:
Use group-based creative projects and shared reflection (like Lectio Divina).

Staying motivated:
You don’t have to feel motivated—learn to work without it.

Breaking conflict cycles:
Let go of the need to win. Signal that the relationship means more than the argument.

Navigating hard conversations:
Only have them with people you trust. Be honest about why it's hard.

Sticking to creative/spiritual routines:
Go small and consistent. Add complexity only after habits feel natural.

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Listener Question: How do I stay engaged with a broken or compromised system?

Coaching Insight: The answer depends on context—but it starts with deciding if you want to engage

Hero’s Journey Framework: Crisis, the low point, perspective, and the invitation to re-enter

Temptation of Distance: Why staying detached can feel safe but keeps us isolated

The Cost of Return: Re-engaging means risking hurt again—but also invites growth

Cycle of Life: We never “arrive”—we grow through constant cycles of disappointment and resolve

The Low Show: A creative collaboration with Scott Erickson rooted in this rhythm

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• Introduction: The evolution of At Sea into a listener-driven Q&A format
• Public vs. Private Religion: Addressing a critique on public fasting and faith practices
• Perfectionism in Faith: How the demand for purity can lead to isolation
• Lessons from Leadership: Reflections on pastoral life and the struggles of maintaining a community
• Why Public Faith Matters: Creating shared spaces for growth, support, and imperfection
• The Role of Imperfection: How embracing our limitations opens the door for community and transformation
• Closing Thoughts: Inviting people to share in faith practices without the pressure of perfection

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• Introduction: The shift in the podcast’s format and answering listener questions
• ADHD & Spirituality: Exploring how neurodivergence intersects with faith and spiritual formation
• Reframing ADHD: Why ADHD isn’t a disorder but a different way of interacting with the world
• Hyperactivity & Masculinity: How society misinterprets hyperactivity, especially in men
• Attention Deficit Myth: ADHD isn’t a lack of attention—it’s the challenge of directing it
• Institutional Challenges: Why modern systems don’t always support neurodivergent people
• Resources for Further Learning: Books Stolen Focus (Johann Hari) and Driven to Distraction
• Final Thoughts: The need to rethink how we define ADHD and its role in a flourishing life

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• Introduction: Overview of podcast shift to directly answering listener questions
• Is All Art Spiritual? Understanding art as a tool for connection
• Art, Spirituality, and Religion: The connection between creating, spirituality, and divine connection
• Seth Godin's Definition of Art: Art as a way to foster connection between people
• Spirituality: Spirituality as recognizing the divine in all aspects of life
• Religion: The difference between bad religion (selling access to the divine) and good religion (recognizing existing divine connection)
• Hope: The decision to hope, not based on external circumstances but on the work we continue to do
• Choosing Hope: Hope as a practice of engaging with the world and staying connected to meaningful work
• Closing: Call to support the podcast via Patreon

Order In The Low - NEW Book with Scott Erickson
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NEW Single - Let Go

NEW Music - Sliver of Hope

NEW Music - The Dood and The Bird

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