We're notorious for being bad at grief. We minimize it, we rush past it, we reach for the fix instead of sitting in the loss. But grief isn't the enemy of faith; it's the evidence of love. In this episode, we talk through what grief actually is, why the church often gets it wrong, and what it looks like to be present with people in their pain instead of trying to fix them.

You can connect with Jason Tovey here:

INSTAGRAM: dr.jasonr.tovey

SUBSTACK: https://jasontovey.substack.com/

MINISTRY: rootedtolive.com

Trust in pastors has hit an all-time low. In 2001, 64% of Americans rated clergy as honest and trustworthy. Today it's 27% — the steepest drop of any profession.But here's the strange part: as trust collapses, the hunger for church keeps growing, especially in younger generations.This week on Redemption Talks, we get honest about why the church has earned so much of this distrust, money, accountability, lavish living, church hurt, and what it would actually take to rebuild it. Because trust is broken in a second and built over a lifetime.If you've ever wanted to walk back into a church but couldn't bring yourself to trust it again, this conversation is for you.

Culture has a habit of taking what God made good and twisting it into something else. Two very different headlines. The same cultural move: redefining love, redefining worth, and calling it progress. We walk through what Scripture actually says: that real love isn't mere acceptance, and that every life carries the eternal worth of being made in the image of God.

Generosity isn't a tax on what you have. It's an act of trust in the God who already owns all of it. but we get it; money is tight. Bills go up, paychecks don't, and giving can feel like the one thing you can't afford right now. So how do we build a Biblical framework for generosity rather than defaulting to our own preferences for comfort and security? What would it look like to give first, and trust Him with the rest?

Do you have to pray to the right name of God for Him to hear you?

Jehovah-Jireh for provision. Jehovah-Rapha for healing. Father for forgiveness. Spirit for help.

Does God care more about formality when you pray? Or does He just want to talk to you?

P.S. A bird also joined us this week. Justin may or may still be trying to find it. Prayers appreciated. 

Aliens. Idolatry. AI. End-times delusion. This week, we cover it all. What happens to your faith if it turns out we're not alone? Why does every leader we put on a pedestal eventually let us down? And what does it look like to lead from brokenness instead of pretending we've got it figured out? Join us for a wild-ride of an episode!

Is it ever okay to mock someone for a false belief? Elijah did it. Jesus did it. So why does Peter tell us to respond with gentleness and respect?We dig into that tension and what it actually looks like to hold truth and grace together without letting go of either one. Because grace without truth is enablement. And truth without grace is just cruelty with a Bible verse attached.

We're living in a culture that teaches anger, encourages it, and ties it to revenge. And it's only getting louder.

New episode — we get into the hard stuff: political violence, radicalization, and what it actually looks like to respond differently.

Is the difference between men and women just biological — or does it go deeper? In this episode, we dig into what scripture actually says about masculinity and femininity: God's design for distinction, what it reflects about who God is, and why leaning into that design isn't about dominance — it's about wholeness.

AI is everywhere — your phone, your car, your search engine. And now it's your therapist, your life coach, and even your Jesus. But here's the problem: it just gives you more of yourself. In this episode we talk about the real danger of replacing God-given connection with convenience, how AI subtly pulls us away from the people and the God we actually need, and what it looks like to use technology wisely without losing what makes us human.