Growing Up Christian

This week Jeremiah joins us to discuss Phase 1 of The Chosen-Verse, the slightly-ambitious-but-mostly-just-puzzling expansion of the critically acclaimed tv series, The Chosen. We also touch on Sam’s visceral hatred for the bands you like and the glee he feels when someone ruins their life, Christian rock gods Skillet’s new song “All That Matters,” and the controversy surrounding Linkin Park’s new vocalist, Emily Armstrong. Enjoy, and have a nice week, friends!

This week we’re joined by Jeremiah to talk about the presidential debate, a self-important, globetrotting nut named Ryan, and Sam and Jeremiah exchange conversational purple nurples because sometimes when a boy likes you and doesn’t know how to show it, he does rude things to you… I can only assume that’s what’s happening there. It was a fun conversation and we hope you enjoy it!

This week we skipped the presidential debate to discuss the clash of two actual titans: Christian hip-hop sensation KJ 52 (it’s important that you pronounce it five-two) and Eminem. For those troglodytes that just aren’t plugged into contemporary culture like we are, back at the turn of the century KJ 52 wrote a song called “Dear Slim” which was an open letter to Eminem. It did garner the attention of a couple of music news outlets, but it’s unclear whether Eminem actually heard it. Nowadays, Pastor KJ 52 (that’s right) uses the incredible story of his speaking truth to power to illustrate how God uses even the most unlikely of people to accomplish big things. I think you’re going to enjoy this story…

We’re happy to welcome back our brother in Christ Spencer Bland as we dive into the story of two brothers who dared to say “here we are, Lord. Send us to The Buckle!” The Stanley brothers are a couple of greasy Massachusetts douchebags that ran a “driveway resurfacing business,” although the reviews make it sound more like they were giving your pavement a cheap paintjob. Then they found their calling when they started The Church of the End Times. As it turns out, they had a touch of the divine in them… We finish up by seeking out some Christian dating advice on Quora, an internet toilet for people who can’t spell 4Chan. We are always excited to talk to our friend Spencer, and if you live in the southeast, he might be coming to a city near you on tour! Follow Spencer on Instagram (@spencerspicy) and for more info about his upcoming dates including the High Plains Comedy Festival in Denver, go to his website wwww.iambadatcomedy.com.

This week the boys are flying solo! We spent some time griping about the looming threat of war and the unsettling jingoistic attitude some in the west seem to have about it, pasty trust fund Rastafarians, and a very interesting story unfolding in the Philippines where the wealthy leader of what appears to be a Christian cult stands accused of a litany of disgusting criminal acts, including human trafficking. He and his followers are currently in a standoff with a large police force, and have barricaded themselves inside his 75 acre compound. What could be more American than that?! Enjoy the episode and if you’re not a member of our Discord, come hang out with us! You’ll find a link to it in our Instagram bio.

This week we’re joined by Casey’s best friend Jesse to talk about his 10 year hiatus from and return to church, the fact that Howard Stern is a lame old pervert, moments that are flagged in your brain as eternally embarrassing, and then we catch up with Eli and Kaitlyn Regalado, the couple who made headlines earlier this year when their Christ-focused cryptocurrency and exchange went belly up. Earlier in the year, Eli was taking a more penitent approach to dealing with his legal issues. That has changed a bit… Enjoy the episode, and if you love old school games and want to play all of the best ones from your childhood on one easy to use console, contact Jesse on Instagram (@theretrowiener). His handhelds have all the best games from every console up through Sega Dreamcast. My favorites are NBA Jam, Donkey Kong Adventures, Mega Man, Mario 64, and like two of the 500 versions of Street Fighter. Shoot him a message and get one for yourself!

This week Jeremiah joins us to hear about Sam’s nude rodent wrestling match, the most popular attachments for personal massagers, the best and worst screen adaptations of books and video games, and then we tackle the subject of premarital counselling. Did you have to meet with the pastor to discuss the most frivolous of topics in irritating detail while simultaneously breezing past the most important things a newlywed couple might need to map out? The only consolation is that you were probably talking to the worst person in the county to take advice from… All that and more on this week’s episode of Growing Up Christian!

P.S. We're moving our release day to Thursdays in order to give ourselves a little more time to get the episode done. Just a heads up!

This week we’re joined by comedian and writer Tim Champa! Tim spent his early years as a non-denominational missionary kid in Portugal, even going to a school for missionary kids. After moving back to the states in his early teens, he was very involved in his church and even became a worship leader. Eventually, he found himself at odds with a number of things that his church taught, and the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back was heated church-wide debate about whether women could be pastors. In the years since, he’s become a stand-up comedian and writer, appearing frequently around Boston and wider New England. We love his comedy, and we know you will too! Follow him on Instagram, X, and TikTok (@overweightchamp), Youtube (@chomparazzi), and go to www.timchampa.comfor upcoming dates and info!

“There are years when nothing happens, and weeks when years happen.” -Me

That’s right, I coined that phrase. Don’t google it. What a week, huh?! The news cycle is tough to keep up with, much less process. So join us as we discuss Biden’s bitter surrender, why Kamala is most definitely brat, the “uncommitted” dissidents who helped bring about regime change despite nonstop consternation from the line-toers, and the MAGA church that never ceases to inspire hard-to-fathom headlines, Rod of Iron Ministries. Whether we’re speaking your language or you think we’re ruining these United States, we’d love to hear from you! Join our discord (link in our Instagram bio) and speak your truth in love… or spite, either one.

This week we’re joined by friend of the show and fellow Liberty University apostate, Jillian! We were all part of the LU Christian metalcore community (it’s every bit as cringe as it sounds, but it was also a ton of fun), and it’s the first time we’ve caught up with her in over 15 years. Jillian’s story differs a lot from the many of us who grew up in church, in that her introduction to more extreme forms of Evangelicalism came as the result of a spiritual experience she had as teen, and her family’s somewhat bewildered-yet-supportive response to it. I’d hate to spill the beans before she tells the story herself, so I’ll just say that her journey has led her across the country and through many different scenarios to a place of self-acceptance and happiness. We were really excited to talk to her, and we hope you enjoy the conversation!