Practicing Hope Podcast

When tension rises, certainty can feel like safety. We've all been in a room where strong conviction takes over and starts to sound like control, self-protection, and avoidance.

In leadership, certainty is often rewarded. It feels decisive and strong. But what if discernment asks us to listen instead?

In this episode, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson explore what to do with your own certainty (and someone else's), how to respond when someone says, "God told me…," and how to stay grounded without closing the process. Drawing on Scripture and stories from parenting, church leadership, and everyday life, they reflect on how the Holy Spirit guides communities — not just individuals — over time.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why certainty is often about control, not faith

• How to respond wisely when someone claims spiritual authority

• What it looks like to be confident and humble at the same time

Show Notes (resources + references mentioned):

• Discernment by Henri Nouwen

• Acts 15:28 — "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…" (a model of shared discernment)

• Matthew 7:7–11 — "Ask, seek, knock…" (confidence rooted in relationship, not control)

If you're interested in learning more about The Colossian Forum, visit our website colossianforum.org, and follow us on social media @colossianforum.

Have you ever wished there were a simple formula for knowing when it's time to move on, especially after your community makes a decision you wouldn't have chosen?

Sometimes the hardest decisions aren't about starting something new — they're about what to do after a decision has already been made. Maybe your church changed direction. Maybe your organization chose a path you wouldn't have chosen. Now you're left holding the question: Do I stay, or is it time to go?

In this episode, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson explore what faithful discernment looks like when you find yourself out of step with your community. Drawing on personal stories, leadership experiences, and practices from the Christian tradition, they talk about how to slow down, notice what's happening inside you, and discern your next step without rushing toward relief or avoiding the question altogether.

• Why the deeper question isn't just "Should I stay or go?" but who you're becoming as you discern

• How to tell the difference between healthy discomfort, anxiety, and harm

• Practical ways to discern your next step — including the "sandbox week" practice and taking small, reversible actions

• Discernment by Henri Nouwen

• Ignatian practice of the Examen (consolation and desolation)

If you're interested in learning more about The Colossian Forum, visit our website colossianforum.org, and follow us on social media @colossianforum.

When tension rises, certainty can feel like safety. We've all been in a room where strong conviction takes over and starts to sound like control, self-protection, and avoidance.

In leadership, certainty is often rewarded. It feels decisive and strong. But what if discernment asks us to listen instead?

In this episode, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson explore what to do with your own certainty (and someone else's), how to respond when someone says, "God told me…," and how to stay grounded without closing the process. Drawing on Scripture and stories from parenting, church leadership, and everyday life, they reflect on how the Holy Spirit guides communities — not just individuals — over time.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why certainty is often about control, not faith

• How to respond wisely when someone claims spiritual authority

• What it looks like to be confident and humble at the same time

Show Notes (resources + references mentioned):

• Discernment by Henri Nouwen

• Acts 15:28 — "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…" (a model of shared discernment)

• Matthew 7:7–11 — "Ask, seek, knock…" (confidence rooted in relationship, not control)

If you're interested in learning more about The Colossian Forum, visit our website colossianforum.org, and follow us on social media @colossianforum.

Have you ever carried a decision that felt heavy? Leadership often puts us in moments where there's no obvious right answer — just responsibility, consequence, and the hope that we don't cause harm.

What if discernment isn't about finding certainty, but about becoming the kind of person who can choose love when the stakes are high?

In this episode, Tanner Smith is joined by Chase Stancle and Sarah Johnson to explore what it means to discern well under pressure. They talk about fear, fatigue, and responsibility, and the practices that form leaders who can listen deeply, act with integrity, and stay grounded when decisions affect others.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why hard decisions often involve competing goods, not right vs. wrong

• How fear, fatigue, and responsibility shape our decision-making

• Practices that help leaders choose love over anxiety

Show notes

• Discernment by Henri Nouwen

• Practice of Deep listening: Listening on multiple levels — to words, meaning beneath words, tone, and body language.

If you're interested in learning more about The Colossian Forum, visit our website colossianforum.org, and follow us on social media @colossianforum.

Have you ever had someone trust you with something heavy, and suddenly you're not sure what to say?

A friend tells you their marriage is falling apart. A volunteer quietly admits they're exhausted and thinking about stepping away. You want to respond well, but your mind races. What if trust isn't about having the perfect words, but about showing up with steadiness, humility, and care?

In this episode, hosts Tanner Smith and Sarah Johnson are joined by Holly Wilson from Safe Haven Ministries to talk about what trustworthiness looks like in real relationships, especially when someone shares a painful story.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why judgment is often self-protection, and how to step out of it

• How body language, pacing, and presence communicate safety

• What to do when you're out of your depth, and why honesty builds trust

Show Notes

• Safe Haven Ministries — Learn more about their work supporting individuals impacted by domestic violence and human trafficking: safehavenministries.org

• Slowing Down Guide — A formation guide from The Colossian Forum for practicing presence and steadiness in moments of stress. Download here!

• Hope in Your Inbox — The Colossian Forum's weekly newsletter with practices, reflections, and encouragement. Subscribe here: colossianforum.org/newsletter

• Fred Rogers quote: "Anything that's human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone."

• Scripture: Mark 5:25–34 — Jesus' unhurried, attentive response to the woman who touches the hem of his garment

If you're interested in learning more about The Colossian Forum, visit our website colossianforum.org, and follow us on social media @colossianforum.

Have you ever gone days without needing to ask anyone for help? Groceries arrive at your door. Coffee is ordered ahead. Work, worship, and errands can all happen without a single face-to-face conversation. Life runs efficiently, but often at the cost of shared life.

What if a fuller life comes not from convenience, but from shared life with others?

Tanner Smith and Chase Rashad Stancle examine the value of self-sufficiency and how it shapes our neighborhoods, churches, and relationships. They talk about proximity, hospitality, and why growth often comes through inconvenience, disagreement, and showing up in person. Along the way, they offer practices that help rebuild everyday connection, starting right where we live.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How convenience can replace interdependence

• Why presence matters more than efficiency

• One concrete practice to try with your neighbors

Show Notes:

• Genesis 2:18 — "It is not good for humans to be alone"

• Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition by Christine Pohl

• You Are What You Love by James K.A. Smith

• Lessons from Mister Rogers, an article on The Latest by Heidi De Jonge, a Colossian Forum trainer

• The extra pie practice: Make or buy more dessert than you need, then use it as a low-pressure reason to knock on a neighbor's door. The goal is to create a brief, human moment that opens the door to connection.

• Pie recipes from Sarah: Chocolate Cream Pie and Lemonade Pie

If you're interested in learning more about The Colossian Forum, visit our website colossianforum.org, and follow us on social media @colossianforum.

Have you ever opened your phone "just for a minute" and ended up angry at strangers on the internet? So many of us pick up our phones to relax, but instead feel restless, stressed, and less present to the people right in front of us.

What if your online life could actually become a place to practice hope and love?

In this episode of our Beholding series, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson talk about how phones and social media shape our brains, our bodies, and our relationships — and how small, practical practices can help us stay human, grounded, and open to God, even while we scroll.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why doomscrolling creates "micro-stress cycles" in your body

• Honest stories of losing and finding hope in online spaces

• Simple ways to set boundaries and bring your real self back into the room

Show Notes:

• An article by Amy Julia Becker on engaging faithfully in online conversations (featured on The Colossian Forum's blog, The Latest)

• The Colossian Forum "Prayer of the Week" — follow us on Instagram for regular prayers @colossianforum

• The Social Dilemma documentary (recommended pre-phone viewing for teens)

• Practice of tracking daily screen time in a paper planner

• Ideas for analog hobbies: reading, coloring, puzzles, tying flies for fishing, walking outside

If you're interested in learning more about The Colossian Forum, visit our website colossianforum.org, and follow us on social media @colossianforum.

Have you ever felt a friendship grow tense or distant and weren't sure why? In a world marked by polarization and quick assumptions, even strong friendships can feel fragile. A single comment, a post, or a difference in perspective can suddenly amplify the distance between us.

But what if the gap you feel isn't the end of the relationship — just an invitation to truly see each other again?

In this episode, Tanner, Chase, and Sarah explore why division makes friendships harder to navigate, why we sometimes turn friends into "categories," and how small acts of curiosity can soften what feels strained.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why polarized culture makes friendship feel more fragile

• What's really happening when a friend starts to feel like a stranger

• Simple practices for reconnecting with curiosity and humility

Show Notes:

• Curiosity prompt: "How did you come to see it that way?"

• Philippians 4:7

• Practice: Everyday Carry (EDC) Questions

When a friendship feels tense or distant, try carrying an "Everyday Carry" question — one simple prompt you can use to stay curious instead of reactive. Just like you keep your keys or phone on hand, keep a question ready that helps you slow down and listen. Something like "How did you come to see it that way?", "What shaped the way you think about this?", or "What feels most important to you here?" These kinds of questions invite real stories instead of assumptions and create a little more space for connection when a moment feels tender or difficult.

If you're interested in learning more about The Colossian Forum, visit our website colossianforum.org, and follow us on social media @colossianforum.

Have you noticed hurry shrinking your capacity to love the people right in front of you? The pace of life makes us reactive — rushing kids out the door, skimming conversations, and missing moments that matter.

What if slowing down wasn't about doing less, but about learning to see as God sees? In this kickoff to our Beholding series, Tanner, Chase, and Sarah explore how hurry distorts our relationships and how attention, presence, and prayer can restore them. Warm, practical, and honest—this conversation helps you trade frantic for faithful with the people you love most.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why "beholding" (2 Corinthians 5) changes how we see each other

• Everyday practices to resist urgency and be present

• A simple prayer rhythm to rest in God's lovingkindness

Show Notes

• Beholding: "From now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view" 2 Corinthians 5:16

• Centering Prayer (Thomas Keating): using a prayer word like "lovingkindness"

• Nikon Small World micro-photography (example of "seeing" the ordinary)

• Resource: How to Slow Down and Be a Peaceful Presence When Tensions Are High — free guide from The Colossian Forum

If you're interested in learning more about The Colossian Forum, visit our website colossianforum.org, and follow us on social media @colossianforum.

Have you ever felt powerless in a situation you care deeply about? When things feel out of control, it's easy to slip into the story that says, "There's nothing I can do." But what if helplessness isn't the whole story?

In this episode, Tanner Smith, Chase Rashad Stancle, and Sarah Johnson wrap up their Relational Triangles series by exploring the Victim role — what it really is, what it isn't, and how to move from stuckness to agency. Through Scripture, humor, and real-life examples, they unpack how empathy and small choices can restore hope and courage in the midst of overwhelm.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How to tell the difference between feeling powerless and being powerless

• Why empathy is the first step toward reclaiming agency

• How to shift from victim to creator — finding a faithful way forward

Show Notes

• Stephen Karpman's Drama Triangle: Victim, Villain, Hero roles

• 1 Kings 19 – Elijah's story of exhaustion and renewal

• Reflection guide: "15 Reflection Questions for Moving From Powerlessness to Agency" — a free resource to help you or someone you lead move from helplessness to hopeful agency through gentle, faith-centered self-reflection and conversation.

If you're interested in learning more about The Colossian Forum, visit our website colossianforum.org, and follow us on social media @colossianforum.