This week, Matt and Rachel welcome screenwriter and filmmaker Joshua Salzberg, who shares about the power found in storytelling. He shares how stories help change and shape us, and often, leads us to great empathy. It’s a very fun episode,  filled with a lot of wisdom (and a little bit of movie talk). To learn more and stay updated about Joshua's newest project, follow @ThePerformance on Instagram, and check out

Joshua Salzberg is a screenwriter and filmmaker living in Los Angeles, CA. Most recently, he adapted Arthur Miller's The Performance with director Shira Piven, due out in 2024. Salzberg has also worked on the editing crews of studio comedies such as Step Brothers, The Other Guys, and Funny People and as the lead editor of indie favorites that include Welcome to Me (National Board of Review Nominee), Dean (Tribeca Jury Prize), Netflix's Ibiza, and the Fox series Welcome to Flatch.

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Terra McDaniel joins the podcast this week and brings a new perspective on grief. She shares how many people don’t know how to process mourning and instead struggle to honor their tears, vulnerability, and the full weight of these disillusioning times. She offers several practical ways to express lament and leaves us with hope for moving forward.

Terra McDaniel is a spiritual director for adults and children. She spent two decades as a pastor and ministry leader and earned her MDiv at Portland Seminary. McDaniel wrote More Than Ordinary with Doug Sherman and is a regular contributor to the Companioning Center blog.  You can check out her most recdent book, Hopeful Lament, and learn more at TerraMcDaniel.com

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For more information on Make It Simple Ministries, head to https://makeitsimple.org/

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Elrena Evans joins the podcast this week to share her experience as part of a family with special needs. She beautifully shares her story and what inspired her to write a book of prayers for when you don't have the words, and she gives us practical and loving ways to truly be welcoming to everyone, especially people navigating a world not designed for them. It's an empathetic conversation you won't want to miss.

Elrena is executive editor of Paper&String, a digital care package celebrating faith, creativity, and beauty in its many forms. She is the author of a short story collection, This Crowded Night, and coauthor of the essay collection Mama, PhD: Women Write About Motherhood and Academic Life. Her books, When I Go To Church, I Belong , and Special Grace are available now.

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This week, Michelle Thompson is back with Matt & Rachel to discuss perfectionism and shame and shows us grief and acceptance are the pathways to growth. As always, Michelle brings wisdom, warmth, and lighthearted grace to the conversation.  You don’t want to miss it.

Michelle is the Senior Director of External Relations and Executive Coaching and Consulting, Townsend Institute, Concordia Irvine.  

As a Leadership and Growth Coach, credentialed as a Professional Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation, she brings a breadth of executive leadership experience in the non-profit and for-profit sector combined with almost two decades of involvement with the Townsend Growth Model. 

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This week, Steve Theiss joins Matt and Rachel to share about the art and craft of comedy. Steve shares insights into the importance of comedy, making people laugh, and the creative process behind humor. Listeners can gain a deeper understanding of the comedic world and pick up a few tips on injecting humor into their own lives.

Steve Theiss writes, improvises, acts, directs, teaches improv, and occasionally sleeps. He used to do these things in New York, but now does them in California, where he lives with his wife and three daughters. Steve has directed music videos, comedy videos, and recently completed a short film. He’s appeared in commercials for USA Today, Peeps, Disney Vacation Club, and more. See some of his work at stevetheiss.com.  

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For more information on Make It Simple Ministries, head to https://makeitsimple.org/

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Bob Hiller joins Rachel & Matt to share about some commonly misunderstood and misused Scripture. It’s a fun and grace-filled episode as they dive deep into three commonly misunderstood Bible verses. Bob shares how to better approach Scripture, and they all land on the other side with a deeper insight into the character of God (Warning… You may come away with a new perspective on some favorite verses). You won’t want to miss this episode!

Bob Hiller is the senior pastor of Community Lutheran Church in Escondido, CA. He is the content editor for The Craft of Preaching, a preacher on You Are Forgiven Radio, and a contributor to 1517. He is also a co-host on White Horse Inn

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For more information on Make It Simple Ministries, head to https://makeitsimple.org/

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This week, Matt and Rachel are back, and talk with author and artist Ned Bustard about the true story of Saint Valentine and his new book Saint Valentine the Kindhearted. They discuss how our understanding of love changes, making stories accessible for children, and art of loving through our kindness.

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You can learn more about Ned and check out his beautiful artwork on IG @NedBustard, and find his books on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

Ned Bustard is a graphic designer, children’s book illustrator, author, and printmaker. He is an elder at Wheatland Presbyterian Church, creative director Square Halo Books, Inc., curator of the Square Halo Gallery, and serves on the boards of the Association of Scholars of Christianity in the History of Art (ASCHA) and The Row House, Inc. His book "Saint Valentine the Kindhearted" is available now and retells the story of St. Valentine, a man whose kindness and love inspires us each year.

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In this special episode, Rachel and Matt speak with their new friend, Matt Randerson. Matt brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion as he shares recent trends presented by the Barna Group regarding intergenerational relationships. He shares insights to help us navigate the generational divides, explains what the cultural labels really mean, and ways we can move forward in community together.

Matt Randerson serves as Vice President at Barna Group, working with churches and faith-based organizations to identify their most important opportunities using research. Matt sees research as a way to create confidence and clarity for leaders around their greatest opportunities in the Christian landscape. He lives with his wife and newborn son in Atlanta, Georgia.

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For more information on Make It Simple Ministries, head to https://makeitsimple.org/

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Re-release of this special episode with VoxCon speaker, Tanner Olson! Enjoy this encore presentation, and catch Tanner this September live at VoxCon 2023. Tickets available at www.GoToVox.com

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This week, we’re talking with our friend Tanner Olson all about Creativity, and spreading the message of hope through Poetry.

Tanner joins Rachel and Matt to talk about how poetry and speaking beautiful words can make an impact in our world. We’re so excited for you to meet our talented friend, Tanner!

Tanner Olson is an author, speaker, poet and the founder of Written to Speak which aims to spread hope and announce love through spoken word and poetry. Tanner's writing is a delightful blend of faith, humor, and curiosity that points readers and listeners toward the ultimate source of hope and love, Jesus. He's written three books of poetry: Walk A Little Slower, As You Go: Words for the Unknown, and I’m All Over the Place.

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For more information on Make It Simple Ministries, head to https://makeitsimple.org/

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Buy your copy of Junk Drawer Jesus wherever books are sold.

Re-release of this special episode with VoxCon speaker, Chad Bird! Enjoy this encore presentation, and catch Chad this September live at VoxCon 2023. Tickets available at www.GoToVox.com

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Chad Bird joins Matt and Rachel this week as we aim to make sense of hell on the podcast. Chad answers all our burning questions (get it?!) about hell, and helps us understand the often misunderstood theology around this topic.

Chad is an author and a Scholar in Residence at 1517. He has served as a pastor, professor, and guest lecturer in Old Testament and Hebrew. He holds master’s degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College. He is also the author of several books, including Night Driving: Notes from a Prodigal Soul. He cohosts two popular podcasts: “40 Minutes in the OT” and “Hidden Streams.”  

Support the show

For more information on Make It Simple Ministries, head to https://makeitsimple.org/

To support Make It Simple, head here: Support the show

Buy your copy of Junk Drawer Jesus wherever books are sold.