Ashley joins the podcast for the first time, and the conversation turns toward something many people know too well: church hurt. But instead of using that phrase as a blanket accusation against the whole body of Christ, Zach, Jill, Brandon, and Ashley discuss what it really means to be hurt by broken people inside the church, and how Jesus can still heal what people damaged.

They share pieces of their own stories: church planting, betrayal, firing, isolation, NDAs, spiritual confusion, and the temptation to “burn it all down.” But they also discuss the moment that changed everything: choosing silence instead of retaliation, prayer instead of accusation, and building a community for Jesus instead of against the people who hurt them.

We talk often about the death and resurrection of Jesus, but what about His burial?

In this episode, Zach and Jill discuss why Jesus' burial is not just an “in-between” moment. It is part of the gospel itself: death, burial, and resurrection. Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council who was looking for the Kingdom of God, takes courage and asks Pilate for the body of Jesus. And the women, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus, watch where He is laid, becoming key witnesses to what happens next.

In this episode, Zach, Jill, and Brandon discuss why the cross is bigger than a one-time transaction. In Mark 15:21–39, Jesus is led to Golgotha, mocked by the crowd, crucified between two criminals, and abandoned in darkness. He cries out the opening line of Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And then, when He breathes His last, the curtain of the temple is torn from top to bottom.

Yes, Jesus pours out His blood for the forgiveness of sins, but He is also opening the way back into the presence of God, fulfilling the temple, revealing the true King, and showing us the way of sacrificial love. The cross is where Jesus dies for us, dies ahead of us, and opens the way for us to participate in the life of God.

Jackie and Cynthia survived one of the most devastating floods in recent memory. When Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina, their home was destroyed, and they were swept away in raging floodwaters with only a mattress and their little dog, Romeo, keeping them alive.

For three days they waited in the wreckage, praying for rescue and wondering if they would ever make it home.

What happened next changed their lives forever.

In this powerful conversation, Jackie and Cynthia share their incredible survival story, the kindness of strangers who stepped in to help, and how losing everything ultimately led them to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

This is a story of faith, perseverance, and hope in the middle of unimaginable loss.

Help Jackie & Cynthia Purchase a New Home After Hurricane Helene

In Mark 15:1–20, Jesus stands before Pilate, accused, mocked, and handed over. Pilate knows what’s happening, but still caves because he wishes to satisfy the crowd. In this episode, Zach, Jill, and Brandon discuss Barabbas going free, Jesus being mocked, and how envy and people-pleasing build rival kingdoms that always end in death. Mark 15 is a chasm where the “kingdom collision” becomes unavoidable, and how it's a picture of how the Kingdom wins: not through force, but through cruciform love.

In Mark 14:66–72, Peter denies Jesus three times, not in front of a king or a soldier, but in front of a servant girl. The denials escalate, the fear takes over, and when the rooster crows, Peter collapses and weeps bitterly. In this episode, Zach, Jill, and Brandon break down why Peter’s denial exposes how fragile human willpower really is, and why the hope isn’t Peter’s resolve, it’s Jesus quietly obeying the Father all the way to the cross.

In Mark 14:53–65, Zach, Jill and Brandon break down when Jesus stood before the high priest and the full council. Witnesses can’t keep their stories straight. They twist His words about the temple. And Jesus stays silent, until this question: "Are You The Christ?" Jesus answers, “I am.” And then He ties together the deepest threads of Scripture, Daniel 7’s Son of Man, Psalm 110’s “right hand of Power,” and the reality of who He truly is. 

Right after the Lord’s Supper and Gethsemane, the betrayal happens and it’s bigger than most people imagine. In Mark 14:43–52, Judas arrives with a crowd carrying swords and clubs. His “sign” isn’t a weapon, it’s a kiss. Peter responds as the kingdoms of this world do: he draws his sword. And then, when things get real, everyone runs. In this episode, Zach and Jill unpack how both betrayals: Judas’ cynical kiss and Peter’s zealous violence, miss the way of the Kingdom. In the end, Christ is the only one left standing, and He walks the road to the cross alone. Not because the plan failed, but because this is how salvation is accomplished.

Max and Annabel are in town, and it’s wedding week!

In this conversation, Zach and Jill sit down with them to talk about what it actually feels like to step into a lifelong covenant at 19 and 20, why modern culture discourages marriage, and why they believe covenant is still one of the most beautiful, grounding gifts God gave humanity. It’s funny, honest, and deeply hopeful: especially for young couples trying to build something real in a culture that keeps people perpetually “uncommitted.”

A break from the usual, Zach and Jill sit down with two of their longtime mentors and friends, Mac and Mary Owens (Global Directors of Celebrate Recovery).

It’s a raw, powerful conversation about the cost of secrecy, the freedom of confession, and how God can take the darkest parts of a story and turn them into the DNA of a movement that blesses generations. If you’re stuck in the shame cycle, hiding, or convinced you’re too far gone, this episode is a reminder that the gospel runs straight toward the broken, and healing begins when you step into the light.