Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?

What if your past could become your passageway to true connection? This week, we welcome the author of Get Past Your Past, Jason VanRuler. Jason opens up about his journey from a broken home and the struggle trying to avoid repeating those same patterns. He brings insights on healing, the power of vulnerability, and the role of psychological care, self-help, and healthy relationships in our lives.

I love this conversation with Jason because we really dive deep into the journey of healing from our past and how challenging that can be. We talk about how we find the courage to be vulnerable with people around us and how it is really important to feel it to heal it. We get deep in this episode and I know you're going to love it as well.

3:10 – Jason 101

• Coming from a broken home with trauma and chaos and abuse
• When did things begin to change for him?
• The things he wanted to do differently when he reached adulthood

12:09 – Feel It to Heal It

• Why is it so difficult for people to deal with grief?
• Bringing other people into the equation to help you heal
• Opening up and building trust incrementally

20:03 – Steps to find someone to be vulnerable with

• Taking it step-by-step, there is not shortcut
• Don't try to make someone your person
• How we think about it and talk about it changes over time

29:41 – The struggle to forgive ourselves

• When did you stop deserving forgiveness?
• Common thread for people that struggle with forgiveness
• Honoring people we hurt by being better

41:46 – Action steps you can take

• Be honest with yourself about what's going on
• Recognizing the cost
• Hope is always there even if you can't see it

FEATURED QUOTES

"If you don't know how to do it differently, you return to what you know. And within a couple of years, I just sort of built the life I was running from."

"I think the best way we can honor the people we hurt is by being better. And we can't be better if we if we don't forgive ourselves because people don't improve what they don't value."

"If you're in this season and this space, use that growth. And remember that when you feel those times of regret in those moments, that's actually a sign you changed for the better. Because you never would have noticed it otherwise."

____

Connect with Jason: https://www.jasonvr.com/

Get Jason's book 'Get Past Your Past': https://www.amazon.com/Get-Past-Your-Facing-Connection/dp/0310367417

I am so excited to be joined by Christa Hardin this week, founder of Reflections Counseling Center and the host of the immensely popular Enneagram and Marriage podcast, which has over a million downloads. For over two decades, Christa has been helping couples find renewal and happiness together. Utilizing the Enneagram, alongside other research-based marriage tools, she works to offer couples a deeper understanding of their unique strengths and shadows.

This episode brings a powerful exploration of how our individual personalities influence our ability to communicate in relationships. We'll also dive into the exciting release of Christa's new book, "The Enneagram in Marriage: Your Guide to Thriving Together in Your Unique Pairing," which is set to hit the shelves this month.

4:02 – Christa 101

• A calling to working with couples
• Using the Enneagram as a tool in counseling
• "You shine brighter in the world when your gifts are in harmony together"

18:43 – Understanding your spouse

• The 9 types of Enneagram personalities
• Seeking out how to love each other
• Express what you're learning about yourself

28:42 – Relationship dynamics through the Enneagram

• Working with couples of different Enneagram types
• Recognizing strengths and shadows within a relationship
• Bringing your unique gifts to the table

35:40 – Some common enneagram parings

• Enneagram 1 and 3
• Enneagram 8 and 9
• Marriage as a marathon, not a sprint

41:46 – Using the enneagram to learn about yourself

• Starting generous conversations
• Date nights each week
• Christa's new book coming out October 3rd, 2023

FEATURED QUOTES

You shine brighter in the world when your gifts are in harmony together.

By looking at the way our spouse sees the world differently, we do become more expansive.

There's these little cues you can start giving to your spouse as you come to know your personality.

https://www.enneagraminyourmarriage.com/home

Jesse Eubanks show: https://www.stillbeingmolly.com/podcast/jesse-eubanks-332/

Ian Morgan Cron show: https://www.stillbeingmolly.com/podcast/enneagram-ian-morgan-cron/

Today I am thrilled to be joined by Chuck and Ashley Elliott, content creators who you may recognize from platforms such as YouVersion or RightNow Media. Beyond their online presence, Chuck is a pastor at Bethel Church in Evansville, Indiana, while Ashley serves as a licensed counselor.

Recently, Chuck and Ashley co-authored a transformative book titled I Used to Be ____. Life can take unexpected turns, and when you find yourself grappling with loss- whether it's the loss of a relationship, a job, a sense of security, or an identity- you enter the realm of "used to be." It's a space that can feel stifling, leaving you trapped in memories of what once was. But Chuck and Ashley are here to remind you that while it's natural to dwell in this space for a while, it's not where you're meant to stay.

This episode dives deep into the heart of grief and the path to healing. This is such a powerful conversation that I am so excited to share.

4:39 – Chuck and Ashley 101

• Meeting at Lee University
• Finding their love for ministry together
• The story behind I Used To Be _____

11:56 – Experiencing grief

• Grief is not linear
• Everyone's journey is unique
• What does God want for us?

27:33 – There is hope

• God does not want us to stay stuck in these places
• The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
• God is worth the sacrifice

38:00 – What God teaches through suffering

• Through suffering and grief, God can do his best work
• John 3:30

47:47 – Navigating seasons of loss

• Acknowledge big and small losses
• Breathe and be patient with yourself
• The complex interplay between grief and joy

47:47 – Supporting those in grief

• Find creative ways to offer support
• Don't feel like you have to say the perfect thing
• Be present

FEATURED QUOTES

Don't feel like you have to say the perfect thing because there is no perfect thing to say. When you show up, you don't have to say something to take away their pain.

Give yourself permission to take care of yourself. When you don't feel like you're okay, tell someone you don't feel okay.

You can be joyful and grieving at the same time. You can laugh and cry at the same time.

https://www.chuckandashley.com/

Hey there, amazing listeners! I'm excited to share today's special episode with you. You see, today marks a significant milestone for me: I'm celebrating my 38th birthday! What better way to celebrate than with all of you?

Birthdays, especially as we grow into adulthood, carry this intriguing blend of excitement, reflection, and dread. Lately, I've been pondering this unique tension surrounding birthdays, especially the big ones ending in "0." Now, I'll admit when I hit 30, I wasn't exactly thrilled. But as the years rolled by, my mindset shifted, and I find myself loving my late 30s.

What's changed, you ask? Well, it's this newfound appreciation for life that I've developed. Life is a precious, fragile thing, and I've been deeply reminded of this truth the past couple of years. So, for my birthday special, I'm sharing five heartfelt prayers with you – prayers for my own growth, for my kids, my husband (whose 40th we won't mention), and my friends.

These aren't just for birthdays; they're wishes for the year ahead, full of hope and purpose. I invite you to listen in, no matter where your own birthday falls. Together, let's embrace the journey, celebrate life, and look forward to the amazing possibilities each new year holds.

4:39 – Prayer of Gratitude

• Expressing deep gratitude for life's blessings
• Asking for wisdom and guidance through a posture of gratitude
• Practicing daily gratitude

5:55 – Prayer of Praise

• Praising God for who He is, what He's done, what He's doing and what He will do
• Praising God for your growth in mind, body, and spirit
• Appreciating God's involvement in the details

6:51 – Prayer of Reflection

• Looking back on the journey of life, with all its challenges, successes, regrets, and growth
• Letting go of regrets and fears that have weighed you down
• How do I use the regrets and mistakes that I've made to grow and to move forward?

8:04 – Prayer for Wisdom

• James 1:5 – God grants wisdom to those who ask
• Seeking guidance for decisions, steps, and the next right things to do in your life journey
• Learning from those who have experienced much in life

10:25 – Prayer for Joy and Celebration

• Cultivating a joyful spirit and embracing celebration
• Finding joy in the little things
• Making the most of opportunities, being present in the moment, and creating meaningful connections

FEATURED QUOTES

We are all living on borrowed time. And so a birthday is something to celebrate.

How do I use the regrets that I have or the mistakes that I've made to grow and to move forward?

Wisdom is the prayer that we pray that God always says yes to.

I am so glad to be back! I took three weeks off from the podcast. If you have been here since the beginning, you know that I've only taken one week off in the past seven years. It was one of those summers where I gave myself time to rest, and I pulled out some replay episodes.

I planned to come back last week, but I got sick and lost my voice. I am here now and am so excited about what's on the horizon, especially my first book coming out. This week is a solo episode and we're talking about figuring out your vision and purpose for your life.

5:18 – Have a vision

• The Bible says where there is no vision, people perish.
• Ask yourself, if money were no object, what would you do with the rest of your life?
• What do you think God put you here to do?

7:34 – Spend time with God

• Are you regularly spending time with God?
• Are you reading the Bible? That's God's love letter to us.
• Reading the Bible will help you spot the fake, phony lies.

10:51 – Pray

• This sounds overly simplistic. But when you are intentional with prayer, things happen.
• Call on your Heavenly Father.
• You can pray literally anytime.

13:03 – Be part of a Godly community

• Take an extra step and invite people into your space and your life.
• You cannot do this alone.
• Cultivate a Godly community.

FEATURED QUOTES

Today, I'm going through the three things that really begin to help you understand what your vision and purpose is for your life.

Ask yourself, if money were no object, what would you do with the rest of your life?

Are you regularly spending time with God?

This episode originally aired July 29th, 2020.

A few months ago, I heard about this show called The Chosen. It depicts the life of Jesus and the disciples in a unique way, taking a look at Jesus' life, and how the disciples became disciples. When I first heard about it, I was skeptical, but I gave it a try. After the second episode, I was hooked! Not only have I watched the entire season once, I've actually watched it though three times now. When I fell in love with the show, I started to do more research on it. Not only is it a unique show in and of itself, it's also the first series that is the #1 crowd-funded media project in history. It even has its own app! As I began to dive deeper, I learned more about the company producing the show, Angel Studios, formerly VidAngel. The show is directed by Dallas Jenkins, the son of Jerry Jenkins, who wrote the Left Behind series. I wanted to know more about VidAngel and why this platform wanted to produce a show about Jesus in such a unique way. My guest this week is Neal Harmon. Neal is the CEO and cofounder of Angel Studios formerly VidAngel, a streaming service that allows parents to skip objectionable content in entertainment using groundbreaking technology. VidAngel has been highly profiled for The Chosen, and its other incredible family-based content like Dry Bar Comedy. VidAngel recently made headlines by offer all of its streaming content for free during the Covid-19 pandemic, provided that people agree to social distancing of course. My conversation with Neal was incredible and refreshing He was very transparent about the story of VidAngel as it experiences growing pains and lessons many young companies experience. You're going to love this conversation with Neal, so let's dive in!

4:30 - The Neal 101

• Neal grew up in Idaho working on dairy farms and even tried to start his own cattle business at one point, but as he got older and learned more about the world, he started working with web businesses. After experiencing a spectacular failure right out of college, he started a company called OraBrush, a tongue cleaner that got rid of bad breath.
• OraBrush went from zero sales to global distribution in just a few years, thanks to YouTube marketing. Later a company reached out to Neal and his brother, cofounders of OraBrush, to help them market Poo~Pourri!
• The Poo~Pourri ad campaign was so successful that it turned Neal and his brother into an ad agency. Shortly after that, they started VidAngel, which is something Neal and his three brothers wanted to create for their own families.
• Neal's favorite movie is Cinderella Man. The movie portrays people having character, even in their darkest moments, but the movie has a coach who has a foul mouth. Neal wanted his young kids to be able to see the story, but didn't want them hearing or repeating those words in their home.
• VidAngel allows you to take popular movies and TV shows, and skip over content you don't find appropriate for your own home. It's like a pre-programmed remote.
• Neal and his brothers had a bigger vision for VidAngel, too. They wanted to have a bigger impact on media and on the world. They knew that if they found the people who valued protecting their families by using technology to skip over specific content, that they would also have a group of people they could also distribute content in a manner that would be a better fit than what Hollywood provides.

10:53 - A Broken Feedback Loop

• The creators in Hollywood love to see who wins the awards each year, but it seems they are essentially making movies for each other. About three fourths of the revenue in the box office comes from the family friendly movie, but half the titles coming out of Hollywood are rated R. VidAngel is bridging the gap to give creators a feedback loop. If audiences are skipping over certain scenes, creators can learn how to adjust the content that is affecting their market. It allows them to listen to their market, rather than their peers.
• When there is immediate feedback, there is acknowledgement of an issue and something productive can be done with that information. Since big studios own the distribution channels, they can also fill those with what they chose. VidAngel's feedback loop helps create a voice for those without access to big distribution channels.

14:10 – Resistance, Controversy, Transparency, Growth

• During the summer of 2016, VidAngel faced a lawsuit with The Walt Disney Company. It was a shock to VidAngel because before they started their service, they actually wrote The Walt Disney Company in good faith and transparency, telling them about the service, giving them information on the users they'd tested it with, and asked for their feedback. They shared their own reasoning for why they thought what they were doing was ok, but also gave The Walt Disney Company an opportunity to let them know if they thought anything being done was unlawful.
• VidAngel heard no response from The Walt Disney Company until a year later when families were already enjoying what Angel Studios was providing. VidAngel asked their customers if they'd be interested in investing in VidAngel to start growing the next phase of the company, and their customers said they'd put in over 60 million dollars to help it grow. Two weeks later, The Walt Disney Company sued VidAngel.
• It's been a long, difficult journey and a lot of time spent in depositions. After the lawsuit started, VidAngel reached out to their customers asking if they wanted to take it to the Supreme Court if they were willing to invest $5 million into the company. They invested $10 million in 5 days. Because of that, VidAngel has been able to improve their product and fight the legal battle.
• VidAngel doesn't know what will happen now in the midst of this process. They are trusting that they have been called to work to help families through their services and will continue moving forward in faith as they wait for the outcome and experience the process.

20:00 – The Chosen

• The Chosen is VidAngel's first scripted original series. It will be a multi-season series based on the gospels and the life of Jesus from the perspective of the disciples. The first season is out with 8 episodes. The Chosen is the highest grossing crowdfunded media project of all time.
• VidAngel's first original series is called Dry Bar Comedy, which has over a billion views per year. It's a stand-up comedy series (with clean humor). When Dry Bar started out performing all the other studios in the digital space, VidAngel learned that the data from people's skip choices can create a bigger market when the comedians improve their content based on the consumer feedback loop.
• VidAngel decided they wanted to do a real TV series next, and after a friend of Neal's introduced them to a short film by Dallas Jenkins, Neal's brother Jeffrey pitched an idea to do something similar on the life of Jesus. Neal wasn't interested at first, but after watching Dallas Jenkin's short film on the birth of Christ, everything changed. Neal knew then and there he wanted to get behind a project like this on VidAngel.
• VidAngel has a lot more exciting these coming. The Chosen has awakened in a lot of people the desire to change media. They want to hear stories from the bible that are well written with a high level of video production, imagery, and storytelling. They want to see the ability for both reverence, humanity, and light-heartedness in the portrayal of Jesus. It was important to Dallas to find someone to play Jesus (Jonathan Roumie) who was slightly unexpected, unique, and genuine, rather than a famous Hollywood actor.
• In The Chosen, you get much more insight into each individual's story and what their lives were like before Jesus and then their individual relationships with Jesus. The stories are plausible, relatable, and do not conflict with scripture. There is a biblical committee and those working on the show have educational backgrounds in biblical studies and have taken trips to Israel to study. Their goal is to stay true to the Bible.

44:15 – Find out how the cast and crew are dealing with COVID-19 and what's on the horizon for The Chosen.

You can watch The Chosen on VidAngel (and skip parts that your children may not be ready for or that might be scary). You can also download the app The Chosen app. Either option allows you to watch for free!

46:12 - Getting to Know Our Guest

Find out what meal Neal would eat if he had to eat the same thing for dinner every night for the rest of his life, a dream of his he's yet to achieve, his favorite TV show when he was growing up, and of course, what it means to Neal to run a business with purpose.

Memorable Quotes

13:50 - "The beautiful thing about the internet is that it provides an opportunity for those of us who don't have a have a voice in the big distribution channels to have a voice for ourselves and create content for ourselves."

25:20 – "I think the reason that The Chosen has so much of a good spirit about it is because I think a lot of the people making it, and the distributor who's getting behind it, are going through similar trials and facing similar situations in modern society as what the disciples faced back then."

38:18 – "The goal of the scriptures and The Chosen is to lead us to understanding who He (Jesus) was and that He redeems us. If we don't get there or if we get off the mark or too caught up in how good the actors are or how famous the show becomes, then we've missed the mark. As soon as it takes us into the scriptures and gets us into a relationship with Christ, then it will have been a successful project."

39:58 – "This project is just about telling the stories of Jesus in a way that we can all relate to to and can hopefully lead people of all faiths, and people who don't have faith, to our Redeemer."

Connect with Neal Harmon and Watch The Chosen:

• https://www.angel.com/watch/the-chosen

ABOUT NEAL HARMON, CEO, ANGEL STUDIOS (formerly VidAngel)

How can parents make entertainment good for their homes? Neal is the CEO and co-founder of VidAngel, a streaming service that allows parents to skip objectionable content in entertainment using ground breaking technology. VidAngel has been highly-profiled for The Chosen, its original series about Jesus and the #1 crowdfunded media project in history, and its other incredible family-based content like Dry Bar Comedy. VidAngel recently made headlines by offering all of its streaming content free during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided people agree to social distancing of course.

Leave a comment below with something you learned from this episode

This episode is a replay that originally aired on August 7, 2019.

(Click the featured times below to jump forward in the episode)

Laughter is the best medicine, and Kevin Fredericks (KevOnStage) is here to talk about how humor can heal and bring us together. Kevin does it all. He has nearly 5 million followers and 140 million views on YouTube. He's a fast-rising entertainer who's already sold out a 50 city self-produced tour, written and produced several TV shows and movies, and grown All Def Digital from 300,000 fans to nearly 10 million fans. Join me in laughter for this fun show with KevOnStage.

3:45 - The Kev 101

• Kev's first comedy show was a church talent show while in high school, and during college, he and his brother transitioned to creating plays. After some local success, Tyler Perry's booking agent came to see one of the plays. They thought it was their big break, until they realized it would still cost $300,000 for them to produce their own play.
• Kev's kids were young at that time, so the family decided to quit doing plays and focus on raising their children. With the rising success of YouTube stars, Kev suggested they put some funny sketches online to try and grow their notoriety and then travel to promote their plays.
• After their videos gained immediate viral success, Kev and his team transitioned primarily to feature video content for social media.
• Kev quickly started his own channel, quit his job and added a stand-up routine to his repertoire. Making funny videos on the internet has played a huge role in Kevin's career success.
• Kev and his family moved to Los Angeles where he worked in the TV industry, and has since gained vast experience with editing, directing, and digital media. The majority of his work now consists of producing content for YouTube, podcasts, and his stand-up routine.

13:45 – Relatable Unites

• We are drawn together by our shared human experiences, and that is even more powerful when mixed with humor.
• While Kev is a comedian who is a Christian, he is not a Christian comedian. He makes jokes about himself, his family, his experiences, music, married life, the audience, Bobby Caldwell, etc. to reach more people and more audiences who are not all Christians.
• Kev wants to use his platform to show that you can have a good life with God. Often his fans find a good message in his jokes and relate that feeling to getting back to church.
• When Kev feels like his comedy isn't going over well with the audience, instead of introducing shock value to his material, he'll go back to jokes he knows go over well. In the early days, he'd just leave early. "It's totally ok to get off the stage if you are not doing your job, which is to make people laugh."

26:18 - Sharing is Caring

• The world wide web has allowed Kev success by building a dedicated audience online. It's much easier to do 30 minutes of standup when the audience already knows you and likes you.
• Kev was already well-versed in stand up before his online career took off, so audiences were able to witness a well-oiled comedy machine once Kev started going viral.
• With all the negativity you can find in social media or the daily news, Kev has used his social media presence as a platform for influencing people in a positive way.
• Kev's ultimate goal is to produce long-form content independently for himself as well as for other creators.

31:59 - Comedy Tour and What's Next

• Kev is traveling with his Real Comedians of Social Media Tour with Tony Baker, TM, and Doughboy.
• On the major cities tour stops, Kev and his wife also record their podcast with the live audiences before the comedy lineup begins.
• As the lines between TV and social media are blurred, Kev is seeing continued success in opportunities outside of the traditional Hollywood route.
• Kev has a new show on Facebook Watch called Kev on Everything where he learns new skills, completely unscripted. He also plans on adding other forms of entertainment (like music!) into his stand-up shows.
• One of the greatest things about being creative and sharing creativity in the age of social media is that that the opportunities to spread your ideas have no physical boundaries.

38:11 - Getting to Know Our Guest

• Listen to hear who Kev names as his favorite comedians and biggest influences, what song he has to sing along with anytime it comes on, and a recent joke that was a complete flop. Most importantly, you'll hear what it means to Kev to run a business with purpose.

My guest this week is Ruth Chou Simons, is a Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning author of several books and Bible studies, including GraceLaced, Beholding and Becoming, and When Strivings Cease.

She is an artist, entrepreneur, and speaker, using each of her platforms to spiritually sow the Word of God into people's hearts. Through her online shop at GraceLaced.com and her social media community, Simons shares her journey of God's grace intersecting daily life with word and art. Ruth and her husband, Troy, are parents to six boys.

Her newest book is, "Pilgrim: 25 Ways God's Character Leads Us Onward." You are going to love today's conversation!

6:38 – Ruth 101

• GraceLaced.com started as a blog. She wanted to write about God's grace.
• In one decade, she had six boys, started a school and started a church.
• Her boys are ages 10 to 21.

12:00 – Your unique gifts

• Use your unique gifts for the glory of God.
• Ruth loves writing and coloring and painting.
• Be creative in how you will use your unique giftings for God's glory.

15:59 – Read your Bible

• Read your Bible. Soak it up.
• It takes practice to get the rhythm of quieting your heart to hear God's word.

23:23 – Pilgrim

• Ruth's new book, Pilgrim, is a devotional style book with shorter readings.
• The book includes Biblical truths and attributes.

29:08 – Remember God's character

• We need to remember God's character when we're in the wilderness.
• When we're on a journey, we won't always know why things happen.

34:20 – Go deeper

• Go deeper in your walk with the Lord. He will lead you on your journey.

37:34 – The unknowns

• Ruth has been in seasons of unknowns, not knowing how God was going to provide.
• When you go through major life transitions, every season brings questions you don't have answers to. And that's ok.
• We're all headed to one destination – and that's to see our Savior face-to-face.

FEATURED QUOTES

We had six boys, started a school and started a church – all in the same decade. And it was a lot.

I've always been someone who sketches and draws. All along, I've always known I was artsy.

The truth is, I'm not the most talented watercolorist or artist there is. I just have chosen to use my brush and my paints in a very specific way that has met a need in the body of Christ.

Go deeper in your walk with the Lord.

My guest this week is Inés Franklin. She currently serves as a teaching pastor at Mariners Church, where she preaches sermons and writes and teaches theology and discipleship courses.

Inés is the founder and president of Trochia Ministries, a Christian discipleship ministry, which seeks to provide resources designed to equip and encourage believers to develop genuine, mature, and resilient faith. Inés is also the author of the new book, Uncharted: Navigating Your Unique Journey of Faith.

This book offers lessons learned from Inés' own courageous journey of faith. We go deep in our conversation today, and her testimony is incredibly powerful. You will be blown away by her story.

2:42 – Inés 101

• Inés is from Puerto Rico. She teaches on Sunday mornings in English and Spanish.
• She is the CFO for a real estate business she owns with her husband.
• Inés and her husband have a blended family and 9, soon-to-be 10, grandchildren.

10:55 – Her faith journey

• Inés and her six siblings were raised by a single mom in poverty with a lot of government assistance and help from family members.
• Inés' mom had no interest in going to church, but her grandmother took them to church.
• Inés wanted to go to heaven as a child and thought about taking her life to get there.

19:16 – It's never too late

• It's never too late to come to Christ.
• When Inés' life crashed, she was desperate for life again. She was hungry for a new way.
• You can't jump a divide between you and God on your own effort. God is the one who bridges that divide through Jesus on the cross.

28:09 – Seminary on her heart

• When God puts something on your heart, it won't go away.
• Inés decided to go to seminary school in her 40s.

39:19 – Extending forgiveness

• When you extend forgiveness to yourself, you let go of the pride you have.
• None of us like to walk into grief, but you need to remember that none of us are perfect.
• Sadness is the consequence of sin.
• Grow into a deeper relationship with God.

48:40 – Faith is mysterious

• Don't be afraid to ask questions. They are essential.
• God isn't offended by our questions.

FEATURED QUOTES

I wanted to go to heaven. I heard about heaven, and I wanted to go right away.

You can't jump a divide between you and God on your own effort. God is the one who bridges that divide through Jesus on the cross.

When God puts something on your heart, it won't go away.

I was not kind to myself, but I was forgetting how human and vulnerable I am.

Even today, after 20 years of walking with Jesus, I'm still capable of doing things that are wrong.

Questions are essential. God is not offended by any questions we ask.

https://www.inesfranklin.com/

My guest this week is Curtis Chang, a theologian, consulting faculty member at Duke Divinity School and a Senior Fellow at Fuller Theological Seminary. His ministry experience includes serving as a senior pastor of an Evangelical Covenant Church in California, a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and engaging in racial reconciliation work in Soweto, South Africa.

Curtis is the founding Executive Director of Redeeming Babel, a nonprofit that helps Christians engage the wider world. He also hosts the Good Faith podcast where he discusses how Christian faith intersects with culture, law, and politics.

His latest book, The Anxiety Opportunity: How Worry Is the Doorway to Your Best Self, was released in May.

3:26 – Curtis 101

• Curtis has always stood at the intersection between the world of secular institutions and work and Christian faith.
• He wrote a book about anxiety because it is a pervasive pandemic, and Christianity has something to say about it.

7:49 – Shame of anxiety

• In the Christian faith, there's a tremendous amount of shame around anxiety. Some see it as a flaw, lack of faith or sin.
• Curtis has suffered from anxiety for his much of his life. He once had a catastrophic breakdown and had trouble sleeping.
• Anxiety is the most profound opportunity for spiritual growth we may have.

12:44 – Anxiety spectrum

• We all exist somewhere on the anxiety spectrum.
• There's a difference between anxiety and anxiety disorder.
• Anxiety is the fear of loss. An anxiety disorder is when our response to anxiety is dysfunctional and unhealthy.

19:38 – Avoiding the unavoidable

• Many Christians fall into the trap of thinking that bad things won't happen to them because they are believers.
• But Christians experience loss, too. God did not let you down if you experience a loss.
• You can't avoid the unavoidable.

23:43 – How to handle loss

• The real promise of the gospel is not loss avoidance, but loss restoration.
• You have to go through loss to get to future restoration.

25:22 – Anxious children

• Your kid's anxiety can make you anxious.
• Curtis has two daughters. He has tried to jump in and make their anxiety go away. But that makes them more anxious.
• Instead, he holds their loss and empathizes with them.

35:40 – Anxiety and politics

• Why talk about anxiety and politics? Because you can't respond to what's happening with politics without acknowledging the pervasive anxiety around it.
• Politics can be a toxic drug.

48:32 – Advice about anxiety

• If you want to lessen anxiety, get curious about what you're feeling and experiencing.

FEATURED QUOTES

The best way to understand me is, I'm someone who has always stood at the intersection between the world of secular institutions and work and the Christian faith.

There is a pervasive and growing pandemic – and it is a mental health pandemic – of anxiety. The Christian faith has something really helpful to say.

There's a tremendous amount of shame around anxiety.

I write as somebody who knows of the painful reality of anxiety.

Anxiety is actually the most profound opportunity for spiritual growth we may have.

https://redeemingbabel.org/

https://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Opportunity-Worry-Doorway-Your/dp/031036728X