Culture Matters

This is the last episode of this season and the crew gathers in studio to reflect on their favorite episodes, share personal highlights, and unpack the cultural moments that shaped their year. From Whitney Pipkin’s profound conversation on dying, to the metaphor-rich teaching of Jonathan Pennington, the team reminisces on how these guests left lasting impressions. They also dive into what they’ve been reading, watching, and listening to—from Wendell Berry and Frank Edwards to Netflix series and DJ sets. The episode ends with Ty sharing about his upcoming church planting adventure in Roanoke, Virginia—he's moving but will still be on Culture Matters.

[01:16] Favorite Conversations of the Season: Highlights include Ray Ortlund’s poetic imagery, Whitney Pipkin on caring well, and Jonathan Pennington’s impactful metaphors.

[07:59] What’s Vibing: Books, Music & Culture: The crew discusses current cultural consumption—from Beth Allison Barr’s theology of ministry to the Netflix murder mystery The Residence.

[19:51] What We Are Watching: Netflix Bin Laden documentary, The Bear's return, The Stick, Mission Impossible

[28:06] Music Moments: Forrest Frank & DJ Discoveries: The success of Child of God II and the cultural shift we're seeing around it and exploring internet DJ culture.

[34:45] Ty’s Big Move: Ty announces his move to Roanoke, VA, to join a church plant—reflecting on calling, community, and new assignments.

[43:23] A Kingdom Goodbye: The team honors Ty’s contributions and shares blessings for his next chapter.

• DJ 4:12 - Instagram
• Christian Summer Vibes DJ Mix
• The Hill Roanoke
• Neighbor Books
• Child of God II by Forrest Frank

Books:

• We Shall All Be Changed by Whitney Pipkin
• Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund
• Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy and Waiting Isn't a Waste by Mark Vroegop
• Swing Time by Zadie Smith
• In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
• Becoming the Pastor's Wife by Beth Allison Barr
• Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
• Tim Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen
• The Reason for God by Tim Keller
• Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email [email protected]

In this episode, host Adam is joined by Katherine Bahcall, licensed Professional Counselor and a leader in recovery and care ministries, to discuss the often difficult but essential topic of conflict. Together, they explore how Christians can navigate conflict both personally and professionally, drawing from biblical wisdom and counseling experience. From conflict avoidance to the role of justice and mercy, they unpack practical steps for handling offense and sin while keeping Christ at the center. This conversation is a powerful reminder that while conflict is inevitable, the gospel gives us a redemptive framework for reconciliation.

[01:16] Katherine’s Journey into Counseling

[05:00] Understanding Cultural Approaches to Conflict

[07:32] Peacemaking vs. Peacekeeping in the Church

[10:12] Evaluating Offense vs. Sin

[13:21] The Importance of Self-Examination

[17:25] Approaching Conflict with Humility

[19:02] Justice, Mercy, and Trusting God

[24:39] When to Own Your Part and When to Call Out Sin

[28:00] Forgiveness as a Defeat of Evil

[30:22] Enabling vs. Confronting Sin

[31:26] Navigating Workplace Conflict

[37:00] Leading Up: How to Handle Conflict with a Boss

[44:00] The Role of Community in Conflict

[45:20] Closing Reflections on Conflict and the Gospel

• Summer Training Series: Navigating Conflict Resolution with Katherine Bahcall
• Rethinking Leadership Episode with Alan Hooten
• The Peacemaker by Ken Sande
• Ray Ortlund's Episode

Scriptures Referenced

• Matthew 5:9 — “Blessed are the peacemakers...”
• Matthew 18 — Guidelines for addressing sin in community
• James 4 — Conflict stemming from desires at war within us
• Proverbs 27:6 — “Faithful are the wounds of a friend...”

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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email [email protected]

In this moving episode, Adam and Ty sit down with artist Dawn Waters Baker to explore the sacred intersection of art, suffering, beauty, and faith. From her childhood in the Philippines to her residencies in national parks and her deep love for scripture, Dawn shares how her art is shaped by landscapes, personal grief, and the pursuit of God’s presence in both pain and beauty. This is a rich conversation on what it means to create from love, to see with the eyes of faith, and to bring art back into the life of the Church.

• [01:45] Childhood in the Philippines: Beauty & Suffering
• [04:13] Early Encounters with Art & Encouragement from Her Father
• [08:00] Capturing the Infinite in the Finite: Art as Prayer
• [11:16] The Ability to See: Beauty in Contrast
• [16:08] Trees in Scripture: Symbolism & Spiritual Insight
• [20:00] Residencies & Landscapes: Gettysburg, Big Bend, Hawaii
• [26:25] Waterfalls and God’s Love: Wild, Powerful, Grace-Filled
• [32:59] The Juxtaposition of Pain and Beauty
• [36:04] Reclaiming Honest Christian Art
• [43:00] The Role of Artists in the Church
• [47:00] Mary’s Offering and Beauty as Worship
• [51:25] Art in the Church: From the Tabernacle to Today
• [55:16] Current & Upcoming Shows and Opportunities
• [58:45] Final Reflections: Create from Love, Not for Approval

Books Mentioned:

• A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
• What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey
• Works by Brennan Manning
• Rabbit Room Hutchmoot Conference
• Dawn’s Gallery: J. Peeler Howell Gallery, Fort Worth, TX

• Website: dawnwatersbaker.com
• Instagram: @dawnwatersbaker

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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email [email protected]

In this thoughtful and practical continuation of their conversation on gender relationships in the church, Ty, Liz, and Adam explore how men and women can engage each other as family within the body of Christ. Building on the theological foundation from a previous episode, they delve into real-world dynamics, boundaries, and the complexity of navigating cross-gender relationships with wisdom, love, and honor. From pastoral care to workplace interactions, the trio offers candid insights grounded in scripture and life experience.

You can find part 1 of this conversation here.

[01:00] Theological Framework for Brothers & Sisters Revisited

[03:00] The Church vs. The World

[05:00] Complementarianism’s Evolution

[08:00] Power Dynamics & Dual Relationships

[13:00] Practical Examples of Healthy Boundaries

[21:00] The Reality of Workplace Interactions

[30:00] Creating Space for Vulnerability

[38:00] Forming Healthy Imagination Around Relationships

[47:00] Relationships that Reflect the Gospel

[50:00] Closing Thoughts

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In this episode of Culture Matters, Ty and Taryn sit down with Dr. Jonathan Pennington to explore how metaphors do far more than decorate our teaching—they shape our understanding of reality itself. Drawing from philosophy, neuroscience, theology, and personal experience, Dr. Pennington helps us see how metaphors are central to how we communicate truth, especially in Christian teaching, counseling, and daily life.

02:00 – What is a Metaphor? Why Language is Embodied

07:00 – Metaphor as Epistemology: Knowing Through Analogy

10:00 – Shared Cultural Frameworks & the Power of Illustration

14:00 – Using Metaphor in Counseling and Pastoral Care

18:00 – Harmful Church Metaphors and Reframing with Love

23:00 – Scales vs. Cups: Metaphors of Anxiety and Trust

28:00 – Metaphors Shape How We See and Live

33:00 – Judicial vs. Kingdom: Re-centering Gospel Language

37:00 – Jesus the Rebuilder: From Sump Pumps to Spirit-Filled Life

42:00 – Practical Takeaways: How We Talk About God Matters

• Dr. Jonathan Pennington's previous episode: Wisdom and Relationships (2023)
• Dr. Pennington’s website
• Dr. Pennington’s podcast: Human Flourishing

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In this deeply moving episode, Adam and Ty sit down with Pastor Ray Ortlund to discuss his latest book, Good News at Rock Bottom: Finding God When Pain Goes Deep and Hope Seems Lost. Ray shares powerful reflections on how suffering, betrayal, and loss can become sacred spaces where God draws near. The conversation explores the nature of grace, the reality of rock bottom, and how true healing begins not by escaping pain but by meeting Jesus in it. Whether you’re in the thick of it or walking with someone who is, this episode offers hope that’s grounded, honest, and full of grace.

01:00 – Introducing Ray Ortlund & His New Book

03:00 – Writing to the Suffering: Who the Book is For

06:00 – What’s Good About Rock Bottom?

08:00 – Isaiah 57:15 – God’s Two Addresses

10:00 – The Mushy Middle vs. Rock Bottom

13:00 – Finding God When Life Falls Apart

15:00 – The Power of Gathering in Weakness

18:00 – Churches as ERs for the Broken

21:00 – Joy and Healing in the Midst of Pain

22:30 – Rock Bottom Realities: Betrayal, Sin, Loneliness, Death

25:00 – The Grace of God in Our Mess

28:00 – The Hebrew Meaning of Grace

30:00 – Forgiveness as Defeating Evil

33:00 – How to Lead from Rock Bottom

35:00 – Known or Impressive: You Can’t Be Both

• Book: Good News at Rock Bottom by Ray Ortlund
• Scripture:
• Isaiah 57:15
• Hosea 11
• John 8:34

• Ray Ortlund
• Website: renewalministries.com
• X: @rayortlund
• Instagram: @rayortlund

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In this conversation, Adam and Elizabeth sit down with writer and journalist Whitney Pipkin to talk about her book We Shall All Be Changed. Whitney shares how walking with her mother through a 22-year cancer journey—and ultimately her final days—reshaped her theology of death, grief, caregiving, and hope. Together, they explore the cultural discomfort around death, how Christians can approach suffering without fast-forwarding to hope too quickly, and the sanctifying work that happens in the tension between loss and resurrection. This conversation is pastoral, reflective, and deeply encouraging for anyone navigating grief or supporting others through it.

[01:00] Why Write About Death? Whitney shares the long, formative journey with her mom’s cancer and how facing death revealed gaps in her theology.

[04:30] Running from What’s Unavoidable Discussing cultural avoidance of death, and what we lose when we don’t enter into suffering.

[07:00] The Tension of Death & Resurrection Why Christians wrestle with both lament and hope—and why both are necessary.

[10:30] Walking with the Dying Adam shares a personal story about his grandfather and discusses euthanasia, suffering, and longing for release.

[13:30] The Sanctifying Power of Dying Slowly Whitney explains how her mom’s final days became a holy and transformative space.

[17:00] Caring for Caregivers Reflections on caregiving, hospice care, and the power of the Holy Spirit to equip us for roles we feel unprepared for.

[21:30] The Role of the Church How the body of Christ can walk with those facing grief and death—including simply showing up.

[24:00] The Ministry of Presence Why casseroles still matter and what Job’s friends got right (and wrong).

[26:30] Hope for Believers and Non-Believers Alike Whitney shares how her story resonates beyond the church—and how death points to the finished work of Christ.

[30:00] Final Words for Those Facing Death A pastoral word for those grieving or caregiving: you will not always feel like this, and Christ is present even when you don’t feel it.

We Shall All Be Changed by Whitney Pipken

Follow Whitney: instagram.com/whitneykpipkin

Whitney's Website: whitneykpipkin.com

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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email [email protected]

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In this episode, we sit down with counselor Hillary Marvin to unpack how our past—especially our family of origin—shapes the way we relate to God, ourselves, and others. Hillary walks us through the “old house vs. new house” analogy, showing how the gospel reshapes our values, our emotional patterns, and our relationships.

We talk about how childhood experiences affect our parenting, our friendships, even our spiritual practices, and why it’s so important to slow down, reflect, and let the Holy Spirit rewire how we live and love. From parenting and marriage to church community and personal healing, this conversation invites all of us to step more fully into the family of God—and to do it with grace, humility, and hope.

• [05:00] Entering the Counseling World
• How an unexpected internship with boys at a children’s home shaped her calling
• [09:00] Understanding“Old House vs. New House”
• Using Ed Welch’s analogy to understand emotional and spiritual formation
• [13:00] How Family of Origin Shapes Our View of God
• Why earthly relationships impact how we see our heavenly Father
• [18:00] Slowing Down to Understand Our Emotions
• Curiosity over condemnation—and how to tell the difference
• [23:00] Parenting from a Place of Healing
• Recognizing triggers and values from our past that affect how we parent today
• [27:00] Modeling Emotion Well in Christian Community
• Learning from the body of Christ how to engage emotions like anger and fear in healthy, godly ways
• [32:00] Repairing Relationships with Parents as Adults
• What it looks like to bring humility, honesty, and lament into grown-up family dynamics
• [38:00] Confession, Repentance, and Freedom in the New House
• How embracing our limitations makes space for the gospel to transform

Restore Christian Counseling: Hillary’s private counseling practice

Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI): A method for working with children from hard places

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This episode, we’re out of our usual space and recording from Neighbor Books in McKinney, Texas. We sit down with owner Joey Honesco to talk about place, calling, and the quiet power of presence.

Joey shares his journey of opening a bookstore rooted in community—a “third place” where people connect over books, coffee, and shared rhythms. We reflect on how God uses proximity and intentionality to shape us, drawing from our own stories of friendship, college memories, and the sacred ordinary.

We also dig into the tension of urban life—mobility, isolation, and what it really costs to belong. Through it all, we keep coming back to this: community takes work, but it’s worth it. Especially when we see it as preparation for the kingdom to come.

• (00:00) – Why Place Matters: God’s Intentional Design
• (12:31) – Proximity + Presence: How Real Community Happens
• (15:56) – Life Together: Practicing Connection in a Disconnected World
• (19:51) – Belonging Hurts: The Cost of Community
• (33:32) – The Beauty in the Broken: When Community is Worth It
• (40:47) – Resilience + Shalom: Holding On When It’s Hard

• neighborbookstx.com
• Follow Neighbor Books

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What does leadership look like when no one’s watching?

In this episode, we sit down with Alan Hooton — educator, elder, and faithful presence at Citizens Church — to explore leadership shaped not by titles or accolades, but by consistency and character. After 19 years in the same classroom, Alan invites us to see leadership as something slow, relational, and deeply rooted in presence.

We talk about leading in the home and in the church, not through platform, but through service — cultivating space for others to grow and gifts to flourish. Alan reflects on marriage, family, and ministry, reminding us that leadership is less about being in charge and more about being faithful.

As the conversation unfolds, we consider how walking with others through pain and healing mirrors the life of Christ. This episode is a reminder that faithful leadership often looks like simply showing up — again and again — with humility, hope, and open hands.

• (11:29) - Leadership as Character Formation
• (26:55) - Learning and Leading With Love
• (43:50) - The Value of Faithful Leadership
• (49:57) - Modeling Obedient Character Formation

• Playing God: Redeeming Power

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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email [email protected]