Just a city boy, born and raised in... small-town Arkansas.

My first year in Richmond, Virginia was a bit jarring after growing up in a small town in North-West Arkansas, but the experience of living here has - without a doubt - changed my life for the better.

In this reflective episode, I tell some of my own story about how I've been impacted by this concept of "incarnational living" during my time in the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, VA.

In this episode, I had the opportunity to talk with Paul Granger who hosts the podcast, "Where Did You See God?" Paul's life and ministry for the past three to five years in the East End of Richmond, Virginia have been marked by this word, "incarnate." During these days and weeks leading up to Christmas, many Christians spend time with this idea of the incarnation - that God became a human being - but how does the incarnation really affect our everyday lives? For Paul, its effect is quite large. Tune in to this episode to hear about how Paul attempts to live his life in an incarnate way, what that means to him, and how it has played out in his life.

Check out Paul's podcast, "Where Did You See God?" HERE:

Check out Paul's latest book, God Won't Provide: The Lie We Don't Believe We Are Believing HERE:

Join me on this short-form episode as I reflect on the topic of worship and how my understanding of and engagement with this practice has changed over the years.

In this episode, I have the opportunity to interview Reverend Rachel Pierce, a worship artist from Richmond, VA, and the former Worship Pastor of First Baptist Church in Ashland, VA.

To listen to some of the music Rachel and others mentioned in this episode created with Uptick Artists, visit https://uptickartists.bandcamp.com.

In this shorter episode, I dive into part of my own story and talk about how I came to the point of view about queerness I've come to hold. I share this story not to try and change anyone's mind, but simply to open up a channel of honest conversation. In the previous episode, Dr. Edwards talked about the importance of curiosity and intellectual benevolence. That is, giving those you disagree with the benefit of the doubt and listening with genuine curiosity. Not in order to refute, but in order to understand.

The expression of gender and sexuality in a non-traditional way is one of the most divisive and contentious topics amongst Evangelical Christians these days. Regardless of where you fall, I think two common questions are 1) How do I love and welcome people who express their gender or sexuality differently without compromising on my own convictions? and 2) How do I love and welcome people who hold and express different convictions without either condemning them or compromising on my own? In this episode, you'll get to hear Dr. Jen Edwards talk about some of her own experiences around this topic - what led her to love and accept herself as a queer Christian, how we as Christians can better love LGBTQ folks, and how to be in community with people you disagree with in a healthy and Christlike way.

Join me in this reflective and meditative episode as I dive a bit deeper into the concept of the Church, its mission in the world, and how we can best join God in that mission. We'll also talk a little bit about some of the harm that the Church has caused in the name of Christ and how I, personally, have found healthy pathways back into a rich and formative Christian community.

Be sure to check out the book I reference in this episode, The Other Half of Church. You can find and purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/Other-Half-Church-Overcoming-Stagnation/dp/0802419631/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1700234212&sr=8-1

Many people in the 18-35 age range have at least a few (if not many) negative experiences with church. These faith-focused institutions can often feel more like businesses than communities and are sometimes more intent on self-preservation than they are on loving their neighbors. In this episode, I interview pastor Josh Hayden about his doctoral work on institutional reform and transformation and how those ideas have played out in real life. Josh pastors a church in Ashland, VA, just outside of Richmond, and since starting there almost nine years ago has led them through some very significant seasons of growth and transformation.

Join me for this reflective and contemplative episode on the topic of prosperity and suffering. In it, we will talk about and process some of the concepts addressed in the previous episode with Nathan Walton. There will also be some moments of contemplative space for you to connect with God in prayer and meditation.

This bonus episode contains a short but fascinating and relevant segment of my conversation with Nathan Walton that did not fit into episode one. If you want to know how purity culture, Christian nationalism, and the prosperity gospel are interconnected, don't miss out on listening to this bonus episode!