Rest, Roots, and Renewal

By The Oaks

Tune in for conversations with pastors at The Oaks Community Church in Middletown, Ohio. Each episode will feature a passage of Scripture that our church will be exploring during our upcoming

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FAQs about Rest, Roots, and Renewal:

How many episodes does Rest, Roots, and Renewal have?

The podcast currently has 76 episodes available.

Rest, Roots, and Renewal episodes:

August 27, 2025 The Middle of Everything: When Faith Feels Fragile
Send us your questions and feedback by clicking HERE.
Welcome to the Rest, Roots, & Renewal podcast. This season we will explore the topic of midlife, and we are calling this season "The Middle of Everything: Conversations for the midlife soul".
This week, Pastor Matt speaks about the doubts and questions that begin to manifest in many during midlife: Why do my prayers feel hollow or forced? Why does God feel distant? What do I do with my doubts?
Maybe our deepest faith struggles and doubts aren't always evidence of a faltering or weakening faith, but rather the evidence of a growing and maturing faith that ushers in a deeper, richer way of seeing and experiencing God.

Songs/Media:
Instrumental Intro, "Swaying Silhouettes" by Nathan Moore
Closing Song, "Believe" by Sleeping At Last

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.
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32min
August 21, 2025 The Middle of Everything: David Zahl & What Our Limits Can Teach Us
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Welcome to the Rest, Roots, & Renewal podcast. This season we will explore the topic of midlife, and we are calling this season "The Middle of Everything: Conversations for the midlife soul".
This week, we are joined by David Zahl. David is founder and director of Mockingbird Ministries which produces a blog and the Mockingbird Podcast. David is also the author of several books, including Low Anthropology, Seculosity, and The Big Relief. Please take a moment to visit David's books and media which are linked below.
Mockingbird Ministries Website (click here)
David Zahl's Books (click here)
Mockingbird Podcast (click here)
As we continue our conversation about midlife this week, we look at burnout, the pressures we carry, and the disruptive nature of grace. We talk about nervous breakdowns, living out of weakness, and how God meets us in all of it.

Songs/Media:
Instrumental Intro, "Swaying Silhouettes" by Nathan Moore
Closing Song, "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.
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44min
August 14, 2025 The Middle of Everything: When Friendship Slows Down
Send us your questions and feedback by clicking HERE.
Welcome to the Rest, Roots, & Renewal podcast. This season we will explore the topic of midlife, and we are calling this season "The Middle of Everything: Conversations for the midlife soul".
This week, pastors Matt and Eric discuss the topic of friendship in midlife. We listen to Dr. Marisa Franco, psychologist and author of "Platonic: The Surprising New Science of Making and Keeping Friends As An Adult", as she talks about the ingredients of friendship, and how those of us in our midlife can rekindle old friendships, and even find new friends.
Why is friendship in midlife so hard? Should friendship be "organic" or should we approach it with intentionality? If friendship is so hard, do we really need it and should we care?
The Bible talks about friendship a LOT. We are told that "iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17) and that two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 4:9). Jesus called his disciples his friends, and had an especially close bond with Peter, James, and John. So friendship isn't just emotional, relational, and physical. It's also spiritual, and we are formed in and by and through friendship.

Songs/Media:
Instrumental Intro, "Swaying Silhouettes" by Nathan Moore
Closing Song, "You've Got A Friend" by James Taylor

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.
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1h 7min
August 07, 2025 The Middle of Everything - I didn't think it would feel like this!
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Welcome to the Rest, Roots, & Renewal podcast. This season we will explore the topic of midlife, and we are calling this season "The Middle of Everything: Conversations for the midlife soul".
This week, pastors Matt and Eric sit down with Katie Maddox to discuss our stories and experience entering midlife. When did we know that we were entering this phase of life? What did it feel like? What did we have to let go? What were we surprised by in the process? How does God meet us in "the middle"?
Psalm 90:12 "Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Songs/Media:
Instrumental Intro, "Swaying Silhouettes" by Nathan Moore
Closing Song, "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.
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1h 6min
July 31, 2025 Parent Series - When you've made mistakes and need to repair.
Send us your questions and feedback by clicking HERE.
We asked and you answered! A few months ago, we asked the members of our church, The Oaks Community Church in Middletown, Ohio, to give us their parenting questions.
Each week for five weeks, pastors Matt and Eric will tackle your questions and release a podcast episode based on the parenting topics presented.
This week we talk about what to do when you've messed up, made mistakes, and now you need to repair the relationship with your kid(s). How do we let grace shape what comes next? How do I repair with my kids when I know I got it wrong?

Songs/Media:
Instrumental Intro and Outro Music, by Eric Russell & Nicolai Gonzalez

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.
Support the show
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45min
July 24, 2025 Parenting Series - How do I stay present when they pull away?
Send us your questions and feedback by clicking HERE.
SHOW NOTES

We asked and you answered! A few months ago, we asked the members of our church, The Oaks Community Church in Middletown, Ohio, to give us their parenting questions.
Each week for five weeks, pastors Matt and Eric will tackle your questions and release a podcast episode based on the parenting topics presented.
This week we talk about staying connected to our kids when they pull away. What do we do when our child pushes back or emotionally shuts down? What does presence look like when I feel powerless to fix what's happening?

Songs/Media:
Instrumental Intro Music, by Eric Russell & Nicolai Gonzalez
Ablaze, by Alanis Morissette

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.
Support the show
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51min
July 17, 2025 Parenting your child through faith, doubts, and questions
Send us your questions and feedback by clicking HERE.
SHOW NOTES

We asked and you answered! A few months ago, we asked the members of our church, The Oaks Community Church in Middletown, Ohio, to give us their parenting questions.
Each week for five weeks, pastors Matt and Eric will tackle your questions and release a podcast episode based on the parenting topics presented.
This week we look tackle questions surrounding faith, doubt, and questions. How do I walk with my child when they're struggling with faith? Or just walking away? What do I do when my child doesn't want to go to church?

Songs/Media:
Instrumental Intro Music, by Eric Russell & Nicolai Gonzalez
You Cannot Lose My Love, by Sara Groves

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.
Support the show
...more
1h 11min
July 10, 2025 Parenting Through Hard Questions Around Identity & Sexuality
Send us your questions and feedback by clicking HERE.
SHOW NOTES

We asked and you answered! A few months ago, we asked the members of our church, The Oaks Community Church in Middletown, Ohio, to give us their parenting questions.
Each week for five weeks, pastors Matt and Eric will tackle your questions and release a podcast episode based on the parenting topics presented.
This week we look at the questions our kids have around issues of identity, belonging, and sexuality. How do we tackle difficult topics with truth and grace?
Resources:
God's Design For Sex (6 age appropriate books for all stages)

Songs/Media:
Instrumental Intro Music, by Eric Russell
Instrumental Outro Music, by Eric Russell & Nicolai Gonzalez

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.
Support the show
...more
36min
July 03, 2025 Parenting Series - The Pressure We Carry
Send us your questions and feedback by clicking HERE.
SHOW NOTES

We asked and you answered! A few months ago, we asked the members of our church, The Oaks Community Church in Middletown, Ohio, to give us their parenting questions.
Each week for five weeks, pastors Matt and Eric will tackle your questions and release a podcast episode based on the parenting topics presented.
This week we look at the pressure we carry as parents.
How do we stop comparing ourselves to others?
How do I parent without being crushed by the pressure to get it right, to measure up, and to stay grounded?

Songs/Media:
Instrumental Intro Music, by Eric Russell
Instrumental Outro Music, by Eric Russell & Nicolai Gonzalez

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.
Support the show
...more
43min
June 12, 2025 Loneliness, Attention, & the Fight for Connection
Send us your questions and feedback by clicking HERE.
SHOW NOTES

In our season finale (we will be back in a couple of weeks with a new season!), join us as we listen to David Brooks teach us "How To Really Know Somebody". David Brooks sits down with Kate Bower on the Everything Happens podcast to talk about how we often think we know someone, understand where they are coming from, and why they act the way they do. But do we really? Or should we start asking more and better questions?

Songs/Media:
Instrumental Intro and Intermission Music, by Eric Russell & Nicolai Gonzalez

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976: Allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education, and research. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.
Support the show
...more
1h 13min

FAQs about Rest, Roots, and Renewal:

How many episodes does Rest, Roots, and Renewal have?

The podcast currently has 76 episodes available.