Sacred & Strange

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This week on Sacred & Strange, Jay sits down with Joe Johnson—the family court judge who looks like Santa Claus and talks like a man who has actually wrestled with God. From the bench to the Bible, Joe pulls back the curtain on what justice really looks like when you’re dealing with real families, real failures, and real heartbreak.

He opens up about the loss of his brother, the guilt that nearly crushed him, and the shocking way God broke through the grief. Joe talks spiritual warfare, Holy Spirit nudges, prophetic dreams, and even the exorcism he’ll never forget. But he also talks about compassion in the courtroom, why mercy is not weakness, and why following Jesus means choosing responsibility over excuses.

It’s raw. It’s honest. It’s surprisingly funny. And it’s a conversation that will leave you rethinking justice, grief, calling—and maybe even Santa Claus.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:34 Joe Johnson's Background and Career

03:14 Journey into Family Law

10:04 Faith and Professional Life

19:52 Personal Loss and Faith Rediscovery

33:22 Ecumenical Work and Alpha Program

36:47 Questioning Faith and Catholicism

37:10 Understanding Sainthood and Idolatry

38:15 Reverence in Catholicism vs. Charismatic Churches

39:02 Evangelism and Denominational Differences

40:22 Dreams and Divine Conversations

42:21 Writing and Sharing Personal Faith

47:53 Exorcism Experience

54:26 Understanding Evil and Blame

59:41 Relationship with the Holy Spirit

01:06:43 Books and Christmas Message

01:09:10 Closing Prayer and Final Thoughts

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Next Wednesday, Sacred & Strange gets wild. Jay sits down with family-court judge, author, and honorary Santa-lookalike Joe Johnson for a conversation that swings from the courtroom to the supernatural—and somehow lands right in the heart of Jesus.

In this preview, Joe opens up about the kind of justice you never see on TV, the grief that nearly broke him after losing his brother, and the moment God stepped into the story with a kind of mercy he didn’t expect. You’ll hear about prophetic dreams, spiritual warfare, the hardest parts of judging people fairly, and why Joe says he’s more of a “sheepdog” than a shepherd.

It’s raw, funny, challenging, and filled with the kind of honesty that Sacred & Strange is all about.

The Courtroom, The Savior, and The Santa Claus w/ Joe Johnson — dropping next Wednesday.

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Trigger Warning: Child Loss, Grief, Trauma

This week on Sacred & Strange, Jay sits down with his close friend, Rip Wahlberg, for an honest, vulnerable, and deeply sacred conversation about walking through unimaginable grief. This episode includes a trigger warning: we discuss the death of Rip and Annemarie’s young son, Aiden, who tragically drowned in 2008. If this topic is tender or activating for you, please listen with care or wait until you feel ready.

Rip opens his heart to share the story no parent ever wants to tell—how their son’s accident unfolded, the immediate shock that shattered their world, and the long, painful journey that followed. But this isn’t just a story about loss. It’s a story about grief, healing, emotional honesty, spiritual formation, community, and the faithfulness of God in the places we least expect it.

Throughout the conversation, Jay and Rip explore:

• The moment life changed forever and what those first hours and days were really like
• How Rip and Annemarie processed grief differently, and why both paths were valid
• Why avoiding pain traps us—and walking into pain with God sets us free
• How vulnerability, therapy, community, and Scripture shaped their healing
• The danger of spiritual bypassing, clichés, and “speaking truth to pain”
• Identity, guilt, shame, and idolatry—and how false beliefs can become prisons
• Why God can handle your anger, your questions, your honesty, and your breaking
• How their children processed the loss, even those too young to remember
• What redemption and restoration really look like 15+ years later
• Why testimony matters, and how sharing their scars now brings hope to others

Despite the heaviness of the story, this episode radiates hope. Rip and his family didn’t bypass the valley—they walked through it. And what emerges on the other side is a tender, hard-won testimony of a God who meets us in grief, sits with us in sorrow, and leads us—slowly—into healing.

If you’re carrying pain, trauma, or loss, this episode may be difficult, but it may also be deeply validating. You’re not alone. Your grief matters. And there is a way forward.

00:00 Introduction and Trigger Warning

01:47 Welcoming Rip Wahlberg

02:51 Rip's Tragic Story Begins

04:26 The Drowning Incident

05:50 Immediate Aftermath and Community Support

19:39 Therapy and Coping Mechanisms

25:31 Reflections on Grief and Healing

34:11 Theological Insights on Pain and Comfort

43:33 Cultural and Generational Perspectives on Grief

46:32 Introduction to Grief and Faith

48:03 Exploring the Retribution Principle

52:16 The Story of Job and Human Suffering

01:02:56 Idolatry and Inner Healing

01:11:31 Family Testimonies and Healing

01:25:27 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

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“Shattered: The Tragedy, the Truth, and the God Who Stays w/ Rip Wahlberg”
Full episode drops next Wednesday.

This week’s preview comes with a trigger warning: we’re stepping into a story of unimaginable loss — the sudden passing of a child.

In this trailer, Jay gives listeners a raw glimpse into next Wednesday’s conversation with Rip Wahlberg, a father who walked through every parent’s worst nightmare… and somehow found God waiting in the middle of the wreckage.

You’ll hear pieces of Rip’s journey — the phone call that shattered their world, the grief that nearly swallowed them, and the surprising ways God met their family in the pain. It’s honest, vulnerable, and sacred.

This isn’t an episode about tidy answers.
 It’s about truth, trauma, healing, and a God who doesn’t run from our darkness — He sits with us in it.

If you’ve ever walked through grief…
 If you’ve ever questioned God in suffering…
 If you’ve ever wondered whether healing is possible after tragedy…

This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

“Shattered: The Tragedy, the Truth, and the God Who Stays” premieres next Wednesday.

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In this episode, Jay sits down with Aaron Dolce, co-pastor of The Rock of Roseville in California, for a vulnerable, hilarious, and deeply honest conversation about what it really means to live in community.

Aaron shares his story of growing up in a cessationist church, encountering the Holy Spirit for the first time at a youth camp, and discovering the messy beauty of the charismatic life. Together, he and Jay unpack how community forms us — and how isolation, gossip, and consumer Christianity quietly destroy the Church from within.

They dive into:

• Why revival starts with reconciliation
• The hidden dangers of Christian “witchcraft” (words that wound)
• How gossip and offense erode trust and unity
• Learning to love people — not just agree with them
• The supernatural power of communion, confession, and friendship
• And why joy, feasting, and celebration are spiritual disciplines

It’s raw, funny, challenging, and full of hope for what the Church can look like when we choose to stay connected — even when it costs us something.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:46 Aaron's Journey to Co-Pastor

08:36 The Impact of Youth Camp

13:15 Exploring Theological Backgrounds

21:00 Healing and the Supernatural

29:51 Challenges in Church Leadership

39:39 Mexican Food and Football

40:02 The Importance of Community in Healing

43:10 The Role of Vulnerability in Community

45:25 Co-Pastoring and Leadership

47:50 Joy and Healing in Community

01:00:25 The Impact of Gossip on Community

01:09:16 Miracles of Reconciliation

01:16:51 Prayer and Blessings

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Coming next Wednesday — Jay sits down with The Rock of Roseville co-pastor Aaron Dolce for a real and raw conversation on what it truly costs to live in community. From confronting gossip and burnout to rediscovering joy, friendship, and the presence of God in everyday life, this episode dives deep into why we can’t heal alone — and how communion with others might be the most supernatural thing we ever experience.

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In this heartfelt conversation, host Jay Urena sits down with friend and mentor Mike Stalker — a man whose quiet strength, wisdom, and faith have deeply shaped those around him. From growing up on a horse farm near Buffalo to leading global operations at GE and learning how to listen for God’s voice in the chaos, Mike shares a life marked by humility, discipline, and an ever-deepening communion with Jesus.

Through stories of family, career crossroads, and the simple practice of prayer in everyday moments, Mike invites listeners to see how God shows up in both the mundane and the miraculous. Whether it’s hearing his earthly father’s voice cheering him on in a crowded stadium or recognizing God’s gentle guidance through seasons of exhaustion and uncertainty, Mike reminds us that faith is less about a single mountaintop moment and more about a lifetime of conversation with our Creator.

This episode is equal parts wisdom and warmth — touching on themes of fatherhood, perseverance, obedience, leadership under pressure, and the beauty of learning to walk with God in every detail of life.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:44 Mike's Early Life and Family Background

04:58 Musical Journey and Career Choices

08:55 Faith and Personal Growth

16:48 Professional Challenges and Spiritual Insights

28:34 Influential Figures and Their Impact

30:33 Conversations with God in Daily Life

34:22 A Father's Love and Lessons

39:13 Navigating Faith and Church Community

49:55 Reflections on Bigfoot and the Unknown

52:24 Closing Thoughts and Prayer

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Next week on Sacred & Strange, we’re sitting down with Mike Stalker — a man whose steady faith and quiet wisdom have shaped everyone around him.

Before he was a mentor, a leader in the corporate world, or a voice on The Porch’s board, Mike was a kid from western New York who learned to ride horses, play bass, and run track — and whose father’s words, “Hold your form,” would one day echo through every season of his life.

Here's glimpse of the conversation — from Mike’s story of crying out to God in the middle of a career breakdown, to the lessons learned about leadership, endurance, and listening for the Father’s voice when life feels like a long race.

It’s a story about faith that isn’t flashy, about learning to trust through the process, and about discovering that sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do… is just keep holding form.

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In this powerful continuation of his story, Dennis R. returns to Sacred & Strange to share the deeply human side of faith — where hope and heartbreak collide. From surviving cancer and discovering his calling to walking through the loss of both parents, Dennis opens up about what it means to trust God in the tension between grief and growth.

He shares how pain became his teacher, how boundaries became opportunities for healing, and how God turned brokenness into something whole. Through dreams, loss, and divine timing, Dennis reveals a faith that isn’t afraid of hard questions — one forged in honesty, humility, and relentless grace.

If you’ve ever wrestled with disappointment, distance, or the long road to redemption, this conversation will remind you: if it’s not good, it’s not over.

🎙️ Listen now on Sacred & Strange — where the holy and the human meet in the mystery of faith.

00:00 Welcome Back to Sacred and Strange

01:36 Dennis' Motto: Tears Over Cheers

02:18 The Impact of Youth Ministry

06:20 Dennis' Journey to Ministry School

10:50 A Dream and a Vision: The Call to Redding

16:42 Choosing Faith Over College

40:00 First Year Struggles and Revelations

49:05 The Rollercoaster of Life

49:43 Cherishing Hard Times

52:08 Ministry School and Personal Growth

53:12 Losing My Father

55:06 Grieving My Stepdad

01:02:16 Regret and Boundaries with My Mom

01:05:45 The Gift of Grief

01:14:11 Victim and Assailant: A Personal Revelation

01:32:11 Partnering with Your Season

01:35:48 Closing Thoughts and Prayer

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This week on Sacred & Strange, we sit down once again with Dennis R. for part two of his powerful story — a journey through grief, growth, and grace. From surviving cancer and navigating ministry to losing his parents and confronting forgiveness, Dennis opens up about how God met him in the middle of pain and turned suffering into redemption.

In this preview, we dive into the moments that shaped him — the dreams, the heartbreaks, and the quiet revelations that redefined what faith and healing really look like.

🎧 Full episode drops Wednesday — “Brokenness, Boundaries, and Becoming Whole.”

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