Between Sundays™

What does it look like to keep your windows open in a world pressuring you to close them?

In this episode Tyler, Maron, and Barry wrap up the “Faithful in a Foreign Land” series with Daniel in the lion’s den. Barry shares about his trip to war-torn Ukraine with Mission to Ukraine. We explore why Daniel praying “as usual” is the heart of the story, how God works where human systems fail, and whether American Christians today are more tempted to bow to false idols or quietly close our own windows.

00:07 Welcome to Between Sundays

28:16 Transition to Sermon Discussion

Would you still trust God if He didn’t rescue you from the fire?In this episode Tyler, Maron, and Jeff continue the “Faithful in a Foreign Land” series with Daniel 3 and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Maron shares how creating a life map revealed God’s quiet preparation and faithfulness through both the good and hard seasons of her life, and how God had been forming these three young men long before they faced the furnace. We discuss why Daniel and his friends suffered exile for their nation’s corporate sin despite their own faithfulness, and why jealous Babylonian co-workers targeted them. Tyler raises the Prayer of Azariah, a lament found in Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, and we explore why it isn’t in our canon and where Scripture gives us lament instead. We unpack the powerful words “even if He doesn’t” and how true surrender to a sovereign God strips earthly powers of their control. We notice that the only thing the fire burned was the ropes that bound them, and share personal stories of how seasons in the furnace burned away false identities, illusions, and the need for control. Finally, we consider the fourth man in the fire and why the presence of God with us is the story of all Scripture.

00:07 Welcome to Between Sundays

18:12 Transition to Sermon Discussion

Are you trying to influence people for Jesus, or just trying to build a platform?

In this episode Tyler, Maron, and Milton continue the “Faithful in a Foreign Land” series in Daniel 2, exploring what it means to be influencers in a foreign land who point to Jesus instead of ourselves. We discuss why part of Daniel was written in Aramaic, the common language of Babylon, and why Daniel chose to stay and serve a king who was losing his mind. We wrestle with how to discern when God calls us to stay and when He calls us to go, and how Daniel’s response of curiosity, asking for time, and prayer models a better way to handle feeling threatened. We explore how the same Babylon that destroyed Jerusalem also produced knowledge God called a gift, and why all truth is God’s truth. We unpack the difference between influence, platform, and entertainment, and ask whether we’ve turned God’s message into our own entertainment. Drawing from Psalm 137 and Ezekiel 33, we consider why the church struggles to lament and what we lose when we skip ahead to the celebration. Tyler gets honest about measuring this podcast’s influence by its numbers, and Milton reminds us that our job is obedience while God is responsible for the outcome.

Timestamps:

00:07 Welcome to Between Sundays

18:27 Transition to Sermon Discussion

How do you stay faithful in a culture that keeps asking you to blend in?

In this episode Tyler, Maron, and Barry kick off the "Daniel" series, exploring what it means to live as exiles in a land that isn't our home. Drawing from Daniel 1, we discuss why Daniel and his friends served the Babylonian king, learned his language, and even accepted new names, yet drew a firm line at eating from the king's table. We unpack the ancient practice of royal hostages and Jeremiah 29's surprising call to seek the peace and prosperity of Babylon. We explore why the book opens by saying "the Lord gave" Judah into Nebuchadnezzar's hand, and what that means for anyone who feels their circumstances are beyond God's reach. We wrestle with an honest question: what happens when you sacrifice for your faith and the reward doesn't come quickly? We trace the pattern of Joseph, Moses, and Daniel being placed inside foreign empires with a mission, and discover how identity, prayer, and devotion gave Daniel the strength to remain distinct while serving faithfully. Finally, we consider a third way for Christians today, refusing both full assimilation and complete withdrawal, so we can serve our neighbors while keeping Christ above all.

Timestamps:

00:07 Welcome to Between Sundays

13:59 Transition to Sermon Discussion

What happens to the picture you had for your kids when they grow into someone completely different?

In this episode Tyler, Tim, Amy, and Maron wrap up the "Parenting" series with a roundtable conversation drawn from every stage of parenting: young kids, teenagers, adult children, and aging parents. Tim opens up about a year of injuries and how 51 years of marriage prepared him and Jennifer to care for each other. We talk about turning into our parents and what we chose to carry forward or leave behind. We explore the moment kids begin slipping out of your control, the fears that linger even when kids are grown, and why the future you pictured for your children may not be the one God has for them. We discuss why every child needs to be parented differently, and why no parent should try to do it alone. Tim shares a powerful story about the adults who stood by him as a teenager during a church split, a picture of what a village can mean for generations. Finally, we reflect on how watching our own parents age changes the way we prepare our kids for the future.

Timestamps:

00:07 Welcome to Between Sundays

12:35 Transition to Parenting Roundtable Discussion

What if your teenager's faith depends more on five other adults than it does on your parenting? In this episode Maron teaches on parenting teenagers, sharing research that shows teenagers are far more likely to maintain faith into adulthood when they have five mentors beyond their parents invested in their lives. We explore why you can have either control or growth with teenagers, but not both. Maron shares honest stories about parenting out of generational fear and learning to build a village instead of a fortress. We discover how Paul subverts the authoritarian father-of-the-household system by calling parents to lead like Christ: with tenderness, vulnerability, and example. We discuss how open communication builds trust during teenage years, and why training a teenager in the way of the Lord is less about lecturing and more about living it visibly so they see a parent genuinely trying to be more like Christ every day.

00:08 Welcome to Between Sundays

12:24 Transition to Sermon Discussion

What does it mean to model Christ better than you instruct your children?

In this episode Tyler, Maron, and Barry kick off the "Parenting" series, exploring the foundation that matters more than any technique. Drawing from Colossians 3, the hosts emphasize that identity in Christ comes before instruction—and your own faith journey is the load-bearing wall of parenting. We discuss why modern parenting techniques (from attachment parenting to free-range parenting) matter far less than becoming someone your kids can actually see living out Christ's character. We explore Paul's metaphor of "clothing yourself" with virtues like patience and compassion, and wrestle with whether that feels like wearing a costume or if it becomes natural over time through practice. We also reexamine Proverbs 22:6 ("train up a child")—not as a formula guaranteeing outcomes, but as an invitation to model the way your children should go. Finally, we discover that your role isn't to control your child's faith or identity, but to sow seeds of character and devotion to Christ, trusting that the Spirit is at work in both you and them.

00:07 Welcome to Between Sundays

18:47 Transition to Sermon Discussion

How do we practice gratitude when our circumstances haven't changed and pain is still unresolved?

In this episode Tyler, Maron, and Barry wrap up the "Remember" series on Psalm 107, exploring why gratitude must be practiced as a discipline, not just a feeling. We discover how the psalm shifts from past-tense rescue stories to present-tense descriptions of God's character, anchoring our thanksgiving in God's unfailing love (khesed) rather than our circumstances. We explore the power of corporate gratitude—how hearing others' stories of faith helps us maintain a posture of thankfulness during our own unresolved storms. We also analyze the difference between redemption and rescue, and what redemption looks like for those in power. Finally, we reflect on the year's recurring theme: God's abiding presence and loyal love.

00:07 Welcome to Between Sundays

13:57 Transition to Sermon Discussion

When disaster strikes, do we ask why or do we ask who?

In this episode Tyler, Maron, and Barry tackle the fourth story in Psalm 107 about sailors in a storm, amid the context of the historic flooding devastating central Indiana. We explore why ancient people feared the sea as chaos, wrestle with whether God causes or allows suffering, and discover the critical shift from asking "why is this happening?" to asking "who is with me in it?" We discuss how our modern, individualistic worldview shapes our questions about suffering, explore what unfailing love (hesed) means when paired with testing, and discover practical ways to represent Christ's compassion to our neighbors—bringing help rather than explanations. Finally, we anchor everything in the hope of new creation, where all suffering will be redeemed and remade into something beautiful.

00:08 Welcome to Between Sundays

08:41 Transition to Sermon Discussion

What does gratitude look like when you're redeemed from your own mistakes?

In this episode Tyler, Maron, and Barry dive into week two of the "Remember" series with Maron's sermon on Psalm 107. We explore the psychological concept of benefit appraisal—gratitude through comparison—and how looking back at where God has brought us builds resilience. Maron focuses on the prisoners and fools in Psalm 107, people suffering from their own choices, and how God rescues them with the same unfailing love as those suffering from circumstances. We unpack the shepherd's imagery: the rod protecting us from external enemies (shame, despair, depression) and the hook gently retrieving us when we wander into our own prisons. Finally, we discuss how sharing our redemption stories in vulnerable community strengthens faith across generations.

00:07 Welcome to Between Sundays

09:30 Transition to Sermon Discussion