Welcome to season 6! This week, Rachel and Matt talk with Chad Lakies and break down Apologetics. It's a conversation about faith and our current culture and what it means to ask and answer, "What does it mean to be "Christian" today?" Join us!

Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies is the regional director for North America at Lutheran Hour Ministries, and is a scholar on the intersection of church and culture.

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This week, Alan Fadling joins the podcast to discuss what it looks like to slow down. He shares the how being unhurried is a rhythm of rest, and more about your soul than your calendar. It’s a conversation that will make you want to take a deep breath in and lean into the good things around you.

Alan Fadling is president and founder of Unhurried Living, Inc., inspiring people to rest deeper, live fuller, and lead better. He speaks and consults internationally with organizations such as Saddleback Church, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Cru, Halftime Institute, Apprentice Institute, and Open Doors International.

He is the award-winning author of An Unhurried Leader and An Unhurried Life, which was honored with a Christianity Today Award of Merit in spirituality. He has a new book, "A Year of Slowing Down: Daily Devotions for Unhurried Living."

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This week, Jared Wilson joins the podcast to talk about Pastors, and shares some inside baseball about what it's like to be a pastor these days. He brings empathy and compassion to the conversation, and reminds us all that sometimes the key to success... is time and experience.  It's a surprising conversation that you won't want to miss. 

Jared Wilson is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Author in Residence at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a pastor and Director of The Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, MO. Jared hosts the For The Church Podcast and co-hosts The Art of Pastoring Podcast.

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This week, Alan Noble joins the podcast to talk about his new book, On Getting Out of Bed, and considers about the unique burden of everyday life in the modern world. Alan shares how the choice to carry on amid great suffering—to simply get out of bed—is itself a powerful witness to the goodness of life, and of God. 

Alan Noble (PhD, Baylor University) is associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, cofounder and editor in chief of Christ and Pop Culture, and an advisor for the AND Campaign. He has written for many publications such as the Atlantic, BuzzFeed, and Christianity Today, and many others. He has also written several books including his latest book, "On Getting Out of Bed."

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This week, the delightful Jessica Thompson joins the podcast to talk about her new book, He Loved Them, and offers a fresh examination on the love of Jesus. She shares why we all benefit from understanding not only that Jesus loves us, but how he loves us, and how that can change our daily lives. It’s an episode that will hit you in the feels, and leave you feeling loved.

Jessica Thompson is co-author of the popular parenting book Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus (with her mother Elyse Fitzpatrick). She is a wife, a mother of three, and the women's director at RISEN church in San Diego. She has a new book "He Loved Them" that looks at Jesus's interactions with real people in Scripture.

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This week, David Zahl is back to talk with Matt and Rachel about Low Anthropology, and share why the sooner we realize that everyone struggles like we do, the sooner we can show grace to ourselves and others. It’s a really great conversation that will change the way you look at your neighbor (and yourself). 

David Zahl is the director of Mockingbird Ministries, an organization he founded in 2007. He is editor-in-chief of the Mockingbird blog and cohost of the Mockingcast podcast. David is also an author of multiple books and has written for Christianity Today and the Washington Post.

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Season 5 kicks off with a great episode with Kelly Flanagan joining Matt and Rachel to talk about companionship. He shares what to look for in true friend, and how companionship is a deeper way of looking at relationships.

Kelly is a licensed clinical psychologist and cofounder of Artisan Clinical Associates in Naperville, Illinois. In 2012, he began the now popular blog UnTangled, where he writes weekly about the redemption of our personal, relational, and global lives. He has authored several books, including "The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell" and "True Companions: A Book for Everyone About the Relationships That See Us Through."

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

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We are so excited to welcome Jon Collins for a study of wisdom. 

Jon Collins, from The BibleProject, joins the podcast for a special conversation, where we will learn about wisdom by looking at what Scripture has to show us. We take a look at different examples of wisdom, and learn what it means to let Scripture answer our questions. You won’t want to miss it!

Jon was a pastor then stepped into the marketplace to explore digital communication, working with clients ranging from Google and P&G to Silicon Valley start-ups and nonprofits. In 2009, Jon’s first company, Epipheo, introduced the business world to “explainer videos.” In 2016, Jon dove into the BibleProject full-time.

Check out more at BibleProject.com and wherever you get podcasts.
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Check out What Matters Most, daily teachings from Matt Popovits, available wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information on MPM, head to mattpopovits.com

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.

Joshua Becker joins the podcast this week to talk all about minimalism!

We dive into understanding minimalism, and discover that it’s more a conversation about values, than about stuff. Joshua gives practical advice, as well as shares how a journey about minimalism is really a spiritual journey. You won’t want to miss it!

Joshua Becker is an author and the founder of Becoming Minimalist, a community / designed to inspire people to pursue their greatest passions by owning fewer possessions. Joshua is the WSJ Best-Selling author of The More of Less and The Minimalist Home. His new book, Things That Matter, is now available.
*****
To support Make It Simple, head to mpm.simple donation.com

Check out What Matters Most, daily teachings from Matt Popovits, available wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information on MPM, head to mattpopovits.com

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.

This week, we are joined by Brian McKenna for a very important conversation about anxiety and depression. Brian helps us understand the journey of anxiety and depression. He shares the differences between the two, and offers hope with the power of small victories.

With compassion, Brian helps individuals and families gain skills for life so they can achieve a healthy level of functioning, renewed hope, and happiness in their lives.

Brian McKenna helps individuals and families gain skills for life so they can achieve a healthy level of functioning, renewed hope, and happiness in their lives. His collaborative approach involves other essential relationships and resources to optimize outcomes, fostering a strong therapeutic alliance between himself and the individual. These two strategies are the most important factors to change and healing. Brian inspires and motivates people to become healthier, happier and more connected in their relationships, as seen in his Tedx Talk which can be found on YouTube.
*****
To support Make It Simple, head to mpm.simple donation.com

Check out What Matters Most, daily teachings from Matt Popovits, available wherever you get your podcasts.

For more information on MPM, head to mattpopovits.com

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.