In this conversation, Elliot Sands and Abby Olcese discuss the theme of faith during the Advent season, emphasizing its importance over material preparations for Christmas. They explore the film 'The Bishop's Wife' and its relevant messages about relationships, presence, and the true meaning of the holiday. The discussion also touches on the significance of rebuilding relationships, the power of kindness, and reflections for the new year.

Abby Olcese is a writer on film, popular culture, and faith. Her work has appeared at Think Christian, Sojourners, Paste, RogerEbert.com, and /Film. She is also the film editor for The Pitch, a website and magazine serving the greater Kansas City, Missouri, area. She lives in Kansas City.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast.  The Live Faith First podcast explores bridging divides in society and in the church.  In a world that is increasingly divided, we want to be a voice calling people back together.  We encourage people to build relationships with people from across the aisle, street, or the table.   

Enjoy this episode, and Let’s All Live Faith First!!!

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In this episode of the Live Faith First podcast, host Elliot Sands and guest Abby Olcese embark on a journey through Advent, focusing on the theme of hope. They explore the significance of hope in the Christian tradition, the structure of the church calendar, and how these themes connect with the film 'The Last Jedi.' The conversation delves into the nature of hope, the expectations surrounding it, and its relevance in today's world, particularly in the context of social justice. The episode concludes with a reflection on how hope can manifest in unexpected ways and the importance of living faith first.

Abby Olcese is a writer on film, popular culture, and faith. Her work has appeared at Think Christian, Sojourners, Paste, RogerEbert.com, and /Film. She is also the film editor for The Pitch, a website and magazine serving the greater Kansas City, Missouri, area. She lives in Kansas City.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast.  The Live Faith First podcast explores bridging divides in society and in the church.  In a world that is increasingly divided, we want to be a voice calling people back together.  We encourage people to build relationships with people from across the aisle, street, or the table.   

Enjoy this episode, and Let’s All Live Faith First!!!

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We love them, we hate them, we dread them, we anticipate the worst–holiday parties.  We anticipate the worst, sometimes we get it, sometimes it was actually a joy.  This holiday season, let’s thrive at our holiday parties.  Navigating tough conversations with people that you may have tried to avoid since last Thanksgiving can be challenging.  There are things you can do to make it better and maybe even learn something new or gain insight into THAT person.

In this engaging conversation, Elliot Sands and Amberly Neese explore the joys and challenges of the holiday season, emphasizing the importance of connection, forgiveness, and meaningful conversations. They share personal stories, discuss navigating toxic relationships, and highlight the significance of compassionate imagination in understanding others. The discussion also touches on the impact of family dynamics and the role of faith in fostering positive interactions during the holidays.

Amberly helps people experience the freedom found in meaningful relationships with God and others. Her bible studies, “The Belonging Project: Finding Your Tribe and Learning to Thrive” and “Common Ground: Loving Others Despite Our Differences” and, “Untangling Faith: Reclaiming Hope in the Questions Jesus Asked” walk us through bringing God into our relationship to find meaningful connection.  

Amberly is a featured speaker/ emcee/ comedian for the Aspire Women’s Events and Marriage Date Night, two popular Christian national tours.

Enjoy this episode, and Let’s All Live Faith First!!!

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In this episode of the Live Faith First podcast, host Elliot Sands interviews Jim Sonefeld, the drummer of Hootie and the Blowfish. They discuss Jim's journey from a curious child in Illinois to a successful musician, touching on themes of addiction, recovery, and the importance of generosity. Jim shares his experiences with fame, the challenges of maintaining relationships, and how faith has played a crucial role in his life. The conversation highlights the significance of community, the struggles of addiction, and the joy of rediscovering purpose through music and service.

Jim “Soni” Sonefeld has had a prolific career spanning from touring musician in one of the top-selling rock bands of all time, to award-winning songwriter, to solo artist. The Hootie & the Blowfish drummer grew up dreaming more of sporting victories than becoming a successful musician, but after that dream came to a close, he immediately began writing songs, performing, and chasing a music dream. With the unsuspected success of Hootie & the Blowfish’s 1994 debut release, “Cracked Rear View”, he and his bandmates found themselves traveling the world to support what would become the 9th best-selling album of all time in the United States.

The first single, “Hold My Hand,” a tune Sonefeld brought to the band early on, helped thrust Hootie & the Blowfish into its great success, and likewise showcases his songwriting ability. In the years to follow, the band would record six more studio albums and receive numerous awards, among them, two GRAMMYS®.In the early 2000s Sonefeld began relying on drugs and alcohol to feed an emptiness growing inside of him and would struggle to control his substance use. It wasn’t until late 2004 that he finally accepted he was powerless over drugs and alcohol. It was there he made a turn that would save his life and eventually alter his spiritual path.

Enjoy this episode, and Let’s All Live Faith First!!!

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For the last eight months the team has been working on election polarization.  We have built websites, social media accounts, video-driven curriculum, pledges, gratitude journals, given trainings, spoken to groups, sent emails… you get it, we’ve been working hard on LRK–Love, Respect and Kindness.  The last three months of podcasts have been about political polarization and how we respond.  We’ve had experts tell us how to navigate vitriolic conversations, and our current cultural moment.  With Election Day coming, we’ve been reflecting on what we’ve learned.  And we’ve boiled it down to five things.

Our host, Elliot Sands, gets in front of the camera and tells you our learnings.  He gives you some tips and hints on how to navigate our world.  One thing we did learn:  our problem isn’t polarization… it’s something else… we’ll give you a hint, it isn’t talking too little…

As we wrap up our election polarization series, we’ll give you our insights and learning so that we can all do better next time around.  Let’s all LIVE LOVE, RESPECT AND KINDNESS!!!

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Faith and politics can get so intertwined.  The history of Christianity in the U.S., the churches response to political agendas, and Christian Nationalism all play a part in today’s cultural milieu.  Christians seeking diligently to get it right, can come to different conclusions.  In this episode we discuss seeking a nonpartisan, Jesus centered approach to politics.

Miranda Zapor Cruz, author of “Faithful Politics:  Ten Approaches to Christian Citizenship and Why It Matters” is professor of historical theology at Indiana Wesleyan University. She holds a PhD in religion, politics, and society from Baylor University's J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary. Miranda’s expertise in history and theology are helpful in our quest to navigate politics in a God honoring way.

In this episode we discuss Christian Nationalism, the U.S.’s founding by Christians, the U.S. as a close expression of the Kingdom of God, and many more current subjects.  It’s an exciting journey through history and into our present with practical tips for building our theological understanding of faith and politics.

Check out this episode of the Live Faith First podcast.  

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The U.S. is polarized.  We say it as if it’s truth.  When it’s written in articles, there’s no footnotes, usually no stats to back it up–we accept it as the truth about our current cultural moment.  But are we really that polarized?  If so, how polarized are we?  And of course, if we are that divided, what can we do about it?  Pearce Godwin of Listen First Project joins the podcast to help us answer these questions.

Pearce graduated from Duke University and received an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill. He spent five years working in Washington, DC—in the U.S. Senate. Before moving home to North Carolina in 2013, he spent six months in Uganda, Africa where he wrote It’s Time to Listen. That message—printed in dozens of papers across the United States—launched Listen First Project. In 2017, as division turned to violence, Pearce left his marketing job to go all in on saving our country from tearing apart, launched the #ListenFirst Coalition, and co-created the first annual National Week of Conversation.

This episode covers how polarized we are as a nation, and what we can do about it.  This conversation includes some incredible story telling, and practical tips for helping us navigate polarization.  

Check out this episode of the Live Faith First podcast.  

Let’s Live Faith First!!!

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Jesus had some politically cringe-worthy sayings about himself.  Daniel decided to skip the steak but take a Babylonian name.  Paul tells us to pray for politicians.  There are some things that at face value don’t make a lot of sense in the Bible.  In this season of donkeys, and elephants are you the ostrich, putting your head in the sand and hoping all this blows over?  There are other approaches and perspectives that can help us navigate the election season in more emotionally and relationally healthy ways.

Joshua Ryan Butler joins the Live Faith First podcast.  He is a pastor and the author of several acclaimed books, Party Crashers, Beautiful Union, The Skeleton’s in God’s Closet, and The Pursuing God. He and his wife, Holly, along with their three children, reside in Oregon.  In his time as a pastor he has been asked many difficult questions, and has decided to navigate these subjects and find some answers.  His book, Party Crashers is written about his experience navigating the 2020 election cycle and helping his church respond with greater health to the polarization.

Check out this episode of the Live Faith First podcast.  

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Which news stations should I watch to be a responsible news consumer? How do I know what is true and whom I can trust? What can I do to combat all the misinformation and how it's impacting people I care about?  In this podcast episode, Bonnie Kristian and I explore these questions and how to best navigate the overwhelming media and information environment.

Bonnie Kristian is the editorial director of ideas and books at Christianity Today, and a fellow at Defense Priorities.  She is the author of several books including Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (2022).

Drawing from her extensive experience in journalism and her training as a theologian, we explore social media, political and digital culture, online paranoia, and the press itself. Bonnie explains factors that contribute to our confusion and helps Christians pay attention to how we consume content and think about truth. Finally, she provides specific ways to take action, empowering readers to avoid succumbing to or fueling the knowledge crisis.

Check out this episode of the Live Faith First podcast.  

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Candidate for House of Representatives, Anita Chen joins the Live Faith First podcast.  Anita has a refreshingly compassionate platform which grew out of her time as a teacher in Santa Clara County.  She would tell her students that they should stand-up for what they think is right, and help to protect those in society that needed a system of protection around them.  Her message sank in so much that when she realized there were people in our society that did not have sufficient resources and protection, she had to do something.  She chose to run for House of Representatives to make a national difference from Washington, D.C.

As we continue our Love, Respect and Kindness (LRK) series of the Live Faith First podcast, we invited Anita because she has a unique perspective on how she chooses to act in the midst of political opposition.  Rather than resorting to mudslinging and contempt, she chooses a path that will speak about the issues, but not use ad hominem arguments to bring the person down.  She’s choosing to stay on task about the issues, and not make it about the person.  We thought it was important to bring an alternative view that avoids political polarization, and instead stays focused on the larger issues in our society. 

Check out this episode of the Live Faith First podcast.  

Let’s Live Faith First!!!

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