What if failure isn't something you need to avoid at all costs?

In this episode, Jonathan and David explore what it really means to say that “failure is an option.” In a culture where failure can feel like the end of the road, they argue that failure is often necessary for growth, learning, and meaningful progress. Trying something new means you may not get it right—and if we're unwilling to fail, we can end up unwilling to try anything that actually matters.

But there's an important distinction: failure is an option, but it's not an excuse. Failure isn't something to celebrate simply for its own sake, and it doesn't give us permission to stop caring, put in minimal effort, or blame circumstances when things don't work out. Healthy failure means taking responsibility, asking what happened, learning from the experience, and figuring out what you can do differently next time.

The conversation explores this idea through sports, physical training, and everyday life. Whether you're losing a game, pushing your body to its limits, or trying something you've never done before, growth often requires getting close enough to failure that you discover what you're actually capable of. Avoiding failure may keep you comfortable, but it can also keep you from expanding your capacity.

The episode ultimately brings failure into a much bigger Christian perspective. We live in a broken world where failure isn't just possible—it's a reality. That includes our own sin and shortcomings. But the Christian story doesn't end with failure. Redemption begins with honestly acknowledging that we have failed, and the gospel gives us something that our failures never can: the assurance that our identity is not ultimately defined by our performance. In Christ, we can confront our failures honestly without allowing them to become the definition of who we are.

Ultimately, failure isn't the end of the story.

Try the thing.

Own what went wrong.

Learn from what happened.

Get back up and try again.

And remember that God can redeem even the places where you've fallen short.

Failure may be part of the journey—but for those who belong to Christ, it never has to be the end of the story.

As always,

Be Unbound

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Tamma Phillips

What does courage actually look like?

In this episode, Jonathan and David explore what courage looks like in everyday life and argue that courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the willingness to do what is right despite fear, discomfort, doubt, laziness, or uncertainty. Courage is accepting responsibility for what God has placed in front of you, even when you know it will cost you something.

The conversation begins with a few very different stories of courage, from Jonathan confronting a mysterious intruder in his home (which turns out to be a helium balloon) to David crawling through a muddy obstacle course underneath electrified wires. While the stories are entertaining, they point toward something much deeper: courage grows when we deliberately put ourselves in situations where we have to push through discomfort.

The episode also explores the connection between physical hardship and mental fortitude. When we consistently avoid discomfort, we shouldn't be surprised when we're unprepared to face significant challenges. If we want young people to resist temptation and stand firm when life becomes difficult, we have to give them opportunities to practice doing hard things. We can't expect people to suddenly demonstrate extraordinary courage when they've never trained for it.

Community plays an important role in that training as well. Courage becomes easier when you're surrounded by people who are willing to do hard things alongside you. Other people can encourage you, challenge you, remind you that you're capable of more, and help you push through moments when you don't feel like you have enough courage on your own.

Ultimately, courage isn't something you suddenly discover when the moment arrives.

It's something you build ahead of time.

Keep doing the hard things.

Keep seeking opportunities to grow.

Keep building the courage muscle.

As always,

Be Unbound

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Tamma Phillips

Responsibility is one of those words that seems simple until you actually stop to consider what it means. We often think of responsibility as doing your job, owning your mistakes, taking care of your possessions, or accepting the consequences of your actions. But responsibility goes much deeper than simply making sure you do what you're supposed to do. At its heart, responsibility means being willing to respond—to respond to the people, circumstances, opportunities, and gifts that God has placed in your life.

In this episode, Jonathan and David explore what it really means to take responsibility and why accepting responsibility can radically change our relationships with other people. Ultimately, responsibility isn't about controlling everything around you or taking responsibility for things that aren't yours to control. It is about recognizing what God has placed in front of you and responding faithfully. It means caring about other people enough to allow their needs to affect you. It means accepting sacrifice, inconvenience, and even suffering because someone else matters. And it means recognizing that this kind of responsibility flows from the ultimate example of Christ, who took on a debt that wasn't His so that we could be redeemed.

Responsibility isn't about having everything under control. It's about faithfully responding to what God has entrusted to you.

You may not be able to change the whole world.

You may not be able to fix every problem.

But you can be faithful with what's in front of you today.

And over time, those small acts of faithfulness will shape the kind of person you become—and the kind of impact your life has on the people around you.

As always,

Be Unbound

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Tamma Phillips

Assistant Producers:

Adonijah Ayele

Isabella Blevins

Trent Rider

Is taking a Sabbath really necessary? In a culture that increasingly treats rest as something we do when we have time—or as a chance to escape our responsibilities—the idea of setting aside an entire day to rest can feel almost impossible. Even Christians can easily reduce the Sabbath to simply going to church, taking things a little easier, or avoiding burnout. But Scripture presents something much more significant.

In this episode, Jonathan and David explore the question, “Is taking a Sabbath really necessary?” and challenge the tendency to treat Sabbath rest as an optional practice rather than a command from God. They unpack how easy it is to justify constant work by pointing to the good things God has entrusted to us. Our jobs, homes, possessions, relationships, and responsibilities all need attention, and it can feel responsible—even righteous—to keep working as hard as possible to take care of them. But that mindset can quietly reveal something deeper: a belief that everything ultimately depends on us.

The Sabbath challenges that belief. If the things we have are gifts from God, then we can trust Him enough to step away from them for a day. Rest isn't an admission that our responsibilities don't matter. It's an acknowledgment that God is ultimately in control and that we are not. Refusing to rest can become a way of saying, consciously or unconsciously, “The world depends on me.” The Sabbath reminds us that it doesn't.

Jonathan and David also explore how Sabbath rest is connected to worship and community. The Sabbath isn't simply a break from the “real” work of the week. It is an opportunity to stop, recenter, and remember what the real work is. Gathering with other believers, worshiping God, spending intentional time with family and friends, and stepping away from vocational concerns all help redirect our attention toward God's kingdom. The Sabbath becomes the thing that reminds us what the main thing is, so that we can return to the rest of the week ready to live out the work God has actually called us to do.

The conversation also wrestles with what Sabbath rest can practically look like. Not everything that looks like work is necessarily work for everyone. Something like working on a motorcycle, going for a run, cooking, or preparing a meal might be genuinely restful for one person and feel like another item on the to-do list for someone else. The important distinction is whether we're simply checking another task off our list or intentionally making space to enjoy God's gifts, relationships, and the life He has given us.

Ultimately, Sabbath isn't about finding the perfect formula for what you're allowed or forbidden to do on Sunday. It's about learning to trust God enough to stop. It is a weekly reminder that our identity, our productivity, our possessions, and even the things we have been called to steward do not depend entirely on us. God is still God when we stop working.

You don't have to keep working because everything feels important.

You don't have to carry the weight of believing that everything depends on you.

You don't have to treat rest as something you earn after everything else is finished.

The Sabbath is a reminder that God is the one who sustains you.

It is a chance to stop, worship, reconnect with the people God has placed around you, and remember what actually matters.

Rest isn't just a break from the important things.

Rest reminds you what the important things are.

And when you trust God enough to stop, you can return to the rest of your week ready to work, serve, love, and build His kingdom—not because everything depends on you, but because it doesn't.

As always,

Be Unbound

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Tamma Phillips

Assistant Producers:

Adonijah Ayele

Isabella Blevins

Trent Rider

Death is one of the few certainties every person will face, yet it's also one of the subjects our culture works hardest to avoid. We spend enormous amounts of time trying to extend life, preserve youth, and push thoughts of death out of our minds. But what if avoiding death also means missing one of life's greatest teachers?

In this episode, Jonathan and David explore the question, "How does death teach us how to live?" Prompted by the funeral of an ordinary woman whose faithful life quietly transformed countless others, they examine the profound lessons that death offers. Her legacy wasn't built through fame or extraordinary accomplishments, but through simple acts of hospitality, generosity, and faithfully pointing people toward Christ. Her life serves as a powerful reminder that extraordinary impact often comes through ordinary faithfulness.

The conversation also examines how modern culture has changed its relationship with death. Previous generations experienced death as a natural, visible part of life, surrounded by family and community. Today, death is often hidden away, leaving many people unfamiliar with both its reality and its significance. Jonathan and David discuss how this cultural shift has contributed to a growing fear of death and a reluctance to confront the fact that our lives are finite.

Rather than viewing death as something to avoid thinking about, the episode argues that death gives life its proper perspective. Just as a marathon only has meaning because it has a finish line, our lives gain clarity because they are limited. Remembering that our days are numbered encourages us to live intentionally, invest in what matters, and build lives that leave an eternal legacy rather than merely pursuing temporary success.

Most importantly, Jonathan and David point to the hope found in Christ. Death entered the world because of sin, but through Christ's death and resurrection, death itself has been transformed. It is no longer the ultimate weapon or the final enemy for those who belong to Him. Instead, death becomes the doorway to eternal life and the fulfillment of God's promise to redeem all things.

The episode closes with compassionate encouragement for those walking through grief. Mourning is neither weakness nor something to avoid. Grief is the natural response to loss, and it should be experienced honestly, preferably within the support of a loving community. While the pain of losing someone never completely disappears, it does not remain the defining reality forever. God faithfully carries His people through the valley of grief, bringing hope even in the midst of sorrow.

Death reminds us that this world is broken.

But it also reminds us that this world is not the end.

For the Christian, death is no longer something to fear—it is a reminder that Christ has already secured the victory.

The finish line gives meaning to the race.

The doorway leads to eternal life.

And when we understand that we gain a perspective that changes not only how we face death, but how we choose to live every day.

As always,

Be Unbound

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Tamma Phillips

Assistant Producers:

Adonijah Ayele

Isabella Blevins

Trent Rider

Who are you? It's a deceptively simple question, but our culture increasingly encourages us to answer it by choosing an identity for ourselves. We can define ourselves by our interests, careers, political beliefs, communities, sexual orientation, accomplishments, or even our ideas about who we think we should be. But what happens when those ideas become so closely tied to our identity that challenging an idea feels like challenging us personally?

In this episode, Jonathan and David explore the question, “Are your ideas your identity?” and argue that the answer is no. They unpack how the pressure to determine our own identity can become a burden, especially for young people who feel like they need to figure out exactly who they are, what their purpose is, and what they're going to do with their lives. Even in Christian circles, the pressure to have a clearly defined life purpose can cause career, calling, and personal ambitions to become confused with identity itself.

Instead, Jonathan and David point to a deeper reality: our foundational identity isn't something we create; it's something we're given. As Christians, we are made in the image of God and have an identity that comes from our Creator. That identity isn't dependent on our success, our circumstances, our community, or our ability to figure ourselves out. It reaches beyond this temporary life and gives us a foundation that lasts into eternity.

The conversation also explores the role of community. While our core identity is grounded in something permanent, the communities we're part of inevitably shape who we become. Our families, churches, workplaces, neighborhoods, and even online communities influence us, and the way we serve those communities helps determine how we fit within them. That makes the people and environments we surround ourselves with incredibly important.

Ultimately, this episode offers a different way of thinking about identity—one that doesn't put the weight of inventing yourself entirely on your shoulders. You don't have to wake up every morning and figure out who you need to become. You can begin with the reality of who you already are: a person made in the image of God, loved by your Creator, and given a significance that is far greater than you can fully comprehend. From that foundation, there is freedom to grow, serve, learn, and become the kind of person you're called to be.

You don't have to choose your identity.

You don't have to figure out the perfect career, purpose statement, community, or set of ideas before you can know who you are.

You've already been given something far more foundational.

You are made in the image of God.

And that reality is deeper than anything you can accomplish, more lasting than any role you can hold, and more significant than any label you could choose for yourself.

When you understand who you are, you don't have to spend your life desperately trying to become someone. You can finally become free to live, serve, grow, and pursue what matters.

As always,

Be Unbound

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Tamma Phillips

Assistant Producers:

Adonijah Ayele

Isabella Blevins

Trent Rider

What are you focused on?

It's a simple question, but the answer reveals a lot about how we measure success. In this episode, Jonathan and David explore the difference between the things that are easy to measure and the things that actually matter. From grades and test scores to salaries, job titles, and professional achievements, many of the metrics our culture celebrates are visible, quantifiable, and straightforward. But are they the best indicators of a life well lived?

Drawing from experiences in education, business, and leadership, Jonathan argues that focusing exclusively on measurable outcomes can cause us to miss the deeper purpose behind them. Good grades aren't the ultimate goal of education—learning is. Career advancement isn't the ultimate goal of work—creating value and serving others is. When we focus only on results, it's easy to lose sight of the relationships and responsibilities that give those results meaning.

The conversation then shifts to a broader perspective: if money, status, and accomplishments eventually fade, what remains? Jonathan and David suggest that the answer is relationships. Our relationship with God, our families, our churches, our communities, and the people entrusted to our care are the things that carry lasting significance. While achievement and success have their place, they make the most sense when viewed in the context of serving others and fulfilling our God-given responsibilities.

Through practical examples, from admissions recruiting and workplace leadership, to retirement and long-term life planning, the hosts challenge listeners to think beyond short-term metrics and immediate rewards. The things that matter most are often the hardest to measure, but they're also the things that endure long after titles, accomplishments, and bank accounts have faded.

Ultimately, this episode is an invitation to examine what you're optimizing your life for. Are you pursuing what is easiest to count, or what is most valuable to cultivate?

The most important things in life are rarely the easiest to measure.

A paycheck can tell you what you earned.

A title can tell you what position you hold.

A grade can tell you how you performed on a test.

But none of those things can fully measure faithfulness, character, community, or love.

This week, take a moment to look beyond what's immediately in front of you. Focus past the obvious. Invest in the relationships God has placed in your life, and build the things that will still matter long after the numbers stop counting.

Because the things that last forever are often the things we have to intentionally choose to see.

As always,

Be Unbound

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Tamma Phillips

Assistant Producers:

Adonijah Ayele

Isabella Blevins

Trent Rider

Can you actually live at peace in a world that never seems to slow down?

In this episode, Jonathan and David tackle one of the most universal questions of modern life: Is it possible to live with genuine peace and less stress? Rather than defining peace as the absence of conflict, uncertainty, or difficulty, they challenge listeners to consider a much deeper, biblical understanding of what peace really means.

The conversation explores why so much of our anxiety comes from a desire to control what was never ours to control in the first place. Whether it's finances, career, relationships, health, or the future, we often believe that if we could just get everything under control, then we'd finally be able to relax. But Jonathan argues that this "finish line" never arrives. There will always be another challenge, another responsibility, or another uncertainty waiting around the corner.

Instead of searching for security through control, the discussion points to a different source of peace: trusting God's daily provision. Jonathan reflects on the often-overlooked phrase in this Lord's Prayer: "Give us this day our daily bread." He explains how learning to depend on God one day at a time transformed the way he experiences stress. Peace doesn't come from knowing you'll never face hardship; it comes from knowing that God will faithfully provide what you need today.

Throughout the episode, Jonathan and David remind listeners that a meaningful life isn't necessarily an easy one. The goal isn't to eliminate responsibility, discomfort, or hard work. In fact, some of the richest and most fulfilling parts of life often involve sacrifice and challenge. The difference is learning to carry those burdens with confidence that God is in control -- even when we aren't.

Rather than offering another productivity system or stress-management technique, this episode invites listeners to practice something much simpler—and much harder: surrendering control and trusting God with today.

Peace isn't found when life finally becomes easy.

It isn't waiting on the other side of your next promotion, a bigger savings account, or a less hectic schedule.

Real peace begins when you stop trying to carry tomorrow's burdens today.

Ask God for today's bread.

Trust Him with today's challenges.

And let tomorrow remain in His hands.

As Always,

Be Unbound

What does it actually mean to "touch grass?"

In this episode, Jonathan and David take a phrase that's often used as an internet joke and turn it into a serious conversation about one of the defining challenges of modern life: how do we remain grounded in reality when so much of our lives are lived through screens?

While technology has created incredible opportunities, they argue that it's easy for digital life to slowly replace real life. Without realizing it, we can spend more time-consuming experiences than actually having them, becoming spectators instead of participants.

Rather than calling listeners to reject technology altogether, Jonathan and David make a more balanced case: the internet is an incredible tool, but it's a poor substitute for embodied relationships, meaningful work, and real-world experiences. Technology should support life, not become life itself.

The conversation explores why real experiences are often uncomfortable, unpredictable, and impossible to optimize. And why that's exactly what makes them so valuable. From gathering with friends and participating in local communities to reading physical books and spending time outdoors, the hosts argue that the ordinary practices of living in the physical world are becoming increasingly countercultural.

To close the episode, Jonathan and David issue a simple challenge: intentionally build habits that reconnect you with reality. Because in an age of endless scrolling, choosing to be fully present may be one of the most radical things you can do.

The internet is one of the greatest tools ever created.

But it's still just a tool.

Don't settle for watching life through a screen when you've been invited to participate in the real thing.

Go outside.

Have conversations.

Read a real book.

Build something.

Join a community.

Use technology to enrich your life, but don't let it replace the world God has placed you in.

And as always,

Be Unbound

As Independence Day approaches, Jonathan and David tackle a thoughtful question:

As Christians, should we celebrate our country?

At first glance, the answer seems complicated. Scripture reminds believers that their ultimate citizenship is in the Kingdom of God, not in any earthly nation. So where does patriotism fit into a Christian worldview?

In this episode, Jonathan and David explore the difference between celebrating a country and worshiping it. They argue that gratitude for the place God has put us is not a distraction from worship—it can actually be an expression of it. Just as we celebrate birthdays without confusing a person with God, Christians can celebrate the good gifts, opportunities, and communities that have been entrusted to them without making a nation their ultimate hope.

The conversation highlights the often-overlooked blessings that many people take for granted: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, economic opportunity, vibrant local communities, and the ability to pursue meaningful work and service. These gifts are not perfect, and neither is any country, but they are worth recognizing with gratitude.

Jonathan and David also emphasize that celebrating a country does not require ignoring its flaws. Christians are called to seek the good of the places where God has put them, acknowledging both the blessings and the brokenness. Gratitude and honest critique are not opposites—they can exist together.

Ultimately, the episode offers a balanced perspective: our highest allegiance belongs to Christ, but that allegiance should make us more grateful for our neighbors, more invested in our communities, and more willing to celebrate the good wherever God has placed us.

You don't have to choose between loving God and appreciating your country.

The real challenge is keeping those loves in the right order.

When your identity is rooted first in the Kingdom of God, you are free to celebrate the good, work to improve what is broken, and give thanks for the place where God has called you to live.

And whether you're celebrating the Fourth of July, another national holiday, or simply the community around you, gratitude can be one more way of recognizing God's goodness in the ordinary gifts we often overlook.

As always,

Be Unbound

Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/

Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer

Producer: Tamma Phillips

Assistant Producers:

Adonijah Ayele

Isabella Blevins

Trent Rider