Living Unoffended Podcast

What kind of faith can shape a family for generations?

Recording from Corrie ten Boom's home in Haarlem, Brant reflects on the remarkable legacy of a family committed to prayer, hospitality, forgiveness, and loving their enemies. He looks at how that way of life helped prepare the ten Booms to shelter hundreds of Jewish people during World War II—and how the values we practice now can echo far beyond our own lifetime.

What if the real danger isn't just anger—but contempt?

Brant looks at why contempt is so destructive, especially among Christians, and why Jesus takes it so seriously. From social media insults to self-righteousness and shame, he explores how easily we can devalue people we disagree with—and why the goal isn't to become less passionate about truth, but to become more like Jesus in the way we handle disagreement.

What makes radical forgiveness possible in the first place?

This episode reflects on Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place and the remarkable trust that shaped her family long before they faced the horrors of the Holocaust. Brant shares stories of forgiveness, generosity, and faith under pressure, and explores how trusting God with our needs can loosen the grip of anger, fear, and scarcity. The more we trust that God will take care of us, the freer we become to extend grace—even to people who have hurt us.

If anger isn't supposed to be our default response to evil and injustice, what is?

Brant explores another possibility: sorrow. Drawing from the way Jesus responded to a broken world, he looks at how sorrow can move us toward compassion, action, and love without trapping us in rage. He also reflects on the difference between simply knowing things about God and actually living in relationship with Him—and why trust in God's character is what lets us remain hopeful even when the world feels deeply broken.

What does it really mean to "believe" in Jesus?

Brant looks at the Greek word often translated as belief or faith and argues that it points to something much deeper: trust—placing the full weight of our lives on Jesus. That kind of trust changes how we handle offense, justice, and even our enemies. He also shares a listener's story about a 13-year-old learning to pray for a bully, and reflects on how practicing the way of Jesus can slowly reshape our instincts, our character, and the way we see other people.

Brant shares fascinating research from Dr. Robert Enright on the measurable effects of forgiveness—from reduced depression and anxiety to improved heart health—and reflects on why Jesus' call to forgive is meant to become a way of life. He also shares a listener's powerful story of learning to pray for someone who repeatedly stole from her ministry, and how that practice slowly changed her response from anger to grace.

Brant shares a powerful letter from a listener in prison who was forced to put Jesus' command to love and pray for enemies into practice after being violently attacked. His story becomes a real-world picture of how forgiveness can loosen the grip of hatred and begin changing the heart. Brant also revisits practical ways to pray for enemies—for their peace, for mercy, and for God to heal our own anger—reminding us that obedience to Jesus isn't just about changing other people. It changes us.

Does following Jesus mean allowing people to walk all over you?

Brant challenges the familiar warning that Christians should not become "doormats." Looking at Jesus before Herod and Pilate, he explains why refusing to retaliate is not weakness—it is strength rooted in knowing who you are, trusting God with justice, and refusing to let another person control your response. Loving enemies, blessing those who curse you, and returning good for evil do not require abandoning healthy boundaries. They reveal the powerful, countercultural freedom of living the way of Jesus.

What happens when the lives of Christians look nothing like the Jesus they claim to follow?

Brant reflects on a challenging passage from Jacques Ellul about the disconnect between Christianity's message and its historical practice. He explores why gentleness is not weakness, why the way we disagree matters, and how loving one another should be the clearest evidence that our faith is real.

In this episode, Brant shares two remarkable stories—one from Nabeel Qureshi's journey to faith and another from the widow of a man murdered for serving others, revealing the breathtaking power of Christ-like forgiveness.