“Big Truss! Woo woo!” 

In 2019, Baltimore Ravens running back Mark Ingram went viral when he enthusiastically introduced Lamar Jackson to the media as the “MVP frontrunner” and declared one unforgettable phrase: Big Truss.

It was funny. It was over the top. But underneath all the energy was something powerful: Ingram had complete confidence in his quarterback. 

In this episode of Sermons on the Side, Richard and Brad take that viral NFL moment and ask a much bigger question: What does it look like to have that kind of trust in God?

There’s a difference between saying we trust God and actually making God our trust - building our lives, our decisions, our hopes, and even our uncertainties around who He is. Psalms 40 give us that picture, while Jeremiah 17 describes the person who trusts in the Lord as a tree planted by water, whose roots remain secure even when heat and drought come. 

Because biblical trust doesn’t mean difficult seasons never arrive. It means we know where our roots are when they do. 

From Lamar Jackson and an unforgettable Ravens press conference to Psalms 40, Jeremiah 17, faith, fear, and learning to depend fully on God, Episode 85 asks what might change in our lives if we stopped simply talking about trust - and started living with Big Trust.

🎙️ Sermons on the Side — finding the sermon in the stories, moments, and conversations happening all around us.

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What does surviving as a prisoner of war have to teach us about faith, hope, and confronting the hard realities of our own lives? 

In Episode 84 of Sermons on the Side, Richard takes us on a brief history lesson through the incredible story of Admiral James Stockdale, who spent more than seven years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. His experience eventually inspired what became known as The Stockdale Paradox: the idea that we must confront the brutal facts of our present reality while never losing faith that we will ultimately prevail. 

Brad and Richard use Stockdale’s story as a launching point for a deeper conversation about the Christian life. Following Jesus doesn’t mean ignoring our struggles, minimizing sin, or pretending everything is okay. Real hope allows us to honestly recognize the habits, temptations, failures, and hazards in our lives while still trusting in the freedom, grace, and redemption found in Christ. 

Sometimes faith isn’t pretending the battle is almost over. It’s seeing the battle for exactly what it is - and still believing that God is faithful in the middle of it. 

Join us for a conversation about the Stockdale Paradox, the Vietnam War, perseverance, Christian hope, spiritual growth, overcoming sin, and what it means to live with both honest reality and unwavering hope.

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College football is back - and these days, you can’t talk about college sports for long without talking about NIL. 

Name. Image. Likeness. 

For student-athletes, those three words have completely changed the game, allowing players to leverage who they are and the value attached to their identity. 

But a recent conversation with Richard’s friend Steve got us thinking: What if Christians have an NIL, too?

Not one we’ve earned, negotiated, or built for ourselves - but one that has been given to us through Jesus Christ. 

We pray and live with the authority of His Name. We are being transformed into His Image. And as followers of Jesus, we are called to grow into His Likeness, representing Him to the world around us. 

In Episode 83 of Sermons on the Side, we use the wild world of college football NIL as a launching point for a much bigger conversation about our identity in Christ. What does Scripture mean when it says we bear His image? What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus? And if we claim His name, how closely should our lives resemble His likeness? 

College athletes may be cashing in on their name, image, and likeness - but as believers, we’ve been entrusted with something infinitely more valuable.

His Name. His Image. His Likeness.

Join us for a conversation about college football, NIL, identity in Christ, spiritual transformation, and what it really means to represent Jesus in the world around us.

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What happens when we get comfortable with the hazards in our lives? 

In this episode of Sermons on the Side, Richard shares another lesson from a job site. During a safety meeting, a safety director described how an employee had suffered a minor injury because he had simply become too comfortable with a hazard that had been around for a while. The warning was simple: just because a hazard has been there for a long time doesn't mean it has stopped being dangerous.

That idea translates pretty quickly into our walk with Christ. 

As Christians, we can become comfortable with spiritual hazards too - temptations we've learned to tolerate, sins we've stopped taking seriously, habits we've justified, and areas of our lives where we've gradually let our guard down. What once raised alarms can eventually begin to feel normal. 

Brad and Richard talk about the importance of staying spiritually alert, recognizing the dangers that can slowly pull us away from God, and practicing the spiritual discipline of confession. 1 John 1:9 reminds us that when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

The goal isn't to live afraid of every hazard. It's to refuse to become comfortable with the things that can damage our relationship with God. 

Because sometimes the most dangerous hazards aren't the ones we don't see. 

They're the ones we've seen so many times that we stopped paying attention.

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What do the Golden Gate Bridge, a very specific shade of orange, and your walk with the Lord have in common? 

In Episode 81, Richard gives Brad a quick history lesson on one of America’s most iconic landmarks - including some fascinating facts about its famous “International Orange” color and the never-ending work required to maintain the Golden Gate Bridge. 

But somewhere along the way, a fun conversation about bridges turns into a pretty meaningful Sermon on the Side. 

Because the Golden Gate Bridge is never really finished being worked on. There’s always something that needs attention - something to inspect, repair, reinforce, or restore. And maybe there’s something beautiful about approaching our faith the same way. 

Scripture talks about the ongoing renewing of our minds and the continual work God is doing in us. Following Jesus isn’t about reaching some imaginary point where we finally have everything figured out. It’s about continually allowing Him to reveal the places in our lives that need attention - our thoughts, habits, relationships, priorities, attitudes, and desires - and being willing to keep doing the work. 

So this week, we’re talking bridges, International Orange, sanctification, and what it looks like to live a life that is continually under construction. 

Because maybe the goal was never to become a finished product. 

Maybe it’s to stay willing to be worked on.

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10,000 downloads. 80 episodes. And a whole lot of sermons on the side. 

This week, we’re taking a moment to celebrate a milestone we honestly couldn’t have imagined when we first sat down behind a couple of microphones and decided to give this thing a shot. 

Zechariah 4:10 reminds us, “Do not despise these small beginnings.” Looking back, we’re incredibly grateful for ours - and for every person who has listened, shared an episode, encouraged us, or joined us along the way. 

But this episode isn’t just about celebrating where Sermons on the Side has been. It’s also an encouragement to anyone standing at the beginning of something God may be calling you to do. You don’t have to know where it will lead. You don’t have to have everything figured out. Sometimes you just have to be obedient enough to start - and faithful enough to keep saying yes. 

And for this milestone, we wanted you! Throughout the episode, you’ll hear from listeners near and far sharing what Sermons on the Side has meant to them, how God has used it in their lives, and a few words for whatever comes next. 

To every one of you who has been part of these first 10,000 downloads: thank you.

Here’s to small beginnings, faithful obedience, and whatever God has next.

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Have you ever looked around and felt like everyone else was winning while you were the only one hurting? 

In this week's episode of Sermons on the Side, Brad shares a tender moment with his daughter, Bekah, after what was supposed to be a fun-filled birthday party ended almost as soon as it began. One unexpected accident left her sitting on the sidelines, watching everyone else enjoy the celebration. Through tears, she uttered a sentence that resonates far beyond childhood:

"Dad... everyone's having fun but me."

Those words reveal a struggle we all know too well. Whether through comparison, disappointment, unanswered prayers, or unexpected hardship, it's easy to believe that everyone else's story is unfolding the way they hoped while ours has somehow gone off script. 

But what if our greatest need in those moments isn't for our circumstances to change? What if it's to remember who our Father is? 

This episode explores the difference between comparing our lives to everyone else's highlight reel and allowing our Heavenly Father to meet us in our pain. Brad reflects on what it means to comfort a hurting child, model healthy grief and disappointment, and ultimately point our hearts toward the One who never wastes our suffering.

If you've ever wrestled with feeling left out, overlooked, or like life is unfair, this conversation is a reminder that God isn't absent in your disappointment - He's often doing His deepest work there. 

No matter what season you're walking through, this episode is an invitation to lift your eyes from everyone else's story and rest in the faithful love of the Father who is writing yours.

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Weeds have a way of showing up when you least expect them. Left alone, they spread quickly, steal nutrients from healthy plants, and before long, they begin to take over. This week, Richard shares the story of spending several long, hot South Georgia summer days tackling an overgrown bed of azaleas that had become completely entangled with vines and weeds. It was exhausting work, but it revealed an important truth: if you only cut the weeds off at the surface, they'll be back before long. The only lasting solution is to pull them out by the root. 

That simple lesson from the front yard becomes a powerful reminder for our own hearts. So often we focus on managing behaviors, hiding symptoms, or trimming back the visible issues in our lives, while ignoring the deeper roots that produced them in the first place. But true transformation isn't found in surface-level behavior modification - it's found when Christ changes us from the inside out. 

Join us as we explore what Scripture says about allowing God to expose and uproot the things that don't belong, cultivating hearts that bear lasting fruit, and embracing the hard work that leads to genuine spiritual growth. Sometimes the greatest heart work begins with a little yard work.

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Have you ever bought a new car, only to suddenly notice that same make, model, and color everywhere you look? 

This week on Sermons on the Side, Brad and Richard unpack the fascinating psychological phenomenon known as the Frequency Illusion. Richard shares the story of purchasing his Kia Sorento in what he thought was a one-of-a-kind metallic bronze color - only to spend the next week convinced that everyone else had suddenly bought the exact same vehicle. 

Of course, the world hadn't changed. His attention had. 

That simple observation opens the door to a much deeper conversation about the Christian life. How often do our emotions, assumptions, fears, or past experiences shape the way we interpret reality? How often do we begin to believe something is true simply because it's what we keep noticing? 

Scripture repeatedly calls believers to anchor themselves in truth - not feelings, not circumstances, and not the ever-changing narratives of the world around us. When we're rooted in Christ and grounded in God's Word, we're able to recognize the difference between perception and reality, resisting the subtle lies that can so easily shape our thinking. 

Join us as we explore the psychology behind the Frequency Illusion, the danger of unchecked assumptions, and the life-giving invitation to fix our eyes on Christ - the One who never changes and is always true. 

Whether you've experienced this phenomenon with a new car, a word, a product, or even a personal fear, this conversation will challenge you to ask an important question:

Am I living according to what feels true—or according to what God says is true?

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Sometimes the most profound theology comes from the lips of a child. 

While celebrating the Fourth of July in Panama City Beach, Richard was carrying his grandson, Bennett, into the surf when Bennett looked up and said something that stopped him in his tracks:

"Papi... you're like God."

Surprised, Richard asked him why. 

His answer was as simple as it was profound:

"Because you protect me from the waves. You hold me up high, and the waves are down there." 

In that moment, Bennett wasn't making a theological argument. He was simply expressing the unshakable confidence of a child who knew he was safe in the arms of someone he trusted. 

What if that's exactly how God invites us to live? 

In this episode, we continue the conversation from last week's My Shield and Great Reward by exploring the beauty of childlike faith, the confidence we can have in our Father's protection, and the peace that comes when we remember that the waves may be real - but they are always beneath the One who holds us. 

Join us as we look at Psalm 46 and Psalm 93, celebrating the God who is stronger than every storm and worthy of our innocent confidence.

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Love the show? If you’re enjoying the stories, laughs, and conversations we share here, we’d be so grateful if you’d consider “buying us a cup of coffee” to help keep things brewing. It’s a simple way to show your support and keep the podcast going strong!

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Thank you for being part of the journey with us!