The RELEVANT Podcast

In our Christmas episode, Cameron Strang, Jesse Carey, Derek Minor and Emily Brown dive into a packed RELEVANT Buzz, including NFL players putting faith into action in unexpected ways, a Christian animated film debuting near the top of the box office, Timothée Chalamet unexpectedly singing Kirk Franklin and a spontaneous worship moment from Justin Bieber that caught the internet’s attention.

The crew also tackles one of the most important questions of the season: what actually makes a perfect Christmas day? From wake-up times and breakfast spreads to family expectations, church plans and evening traditions, they attempt—somewhat successfully—to agree on a Christmas schedule everyone can enjoy.

Plus, it’s an Ask the Cast: Christmas Edition, with listener questions about end-of-year burnout, holiday boundaries and when it’s officially time to stop saying “Merry Christmas.”

Highlights:

1:00 – Emily’s Quilt Room Setup

4:00 – RELEVANT BUZZ

4:30 – Baltimore Ravens Wash Kids Feet

8:20 – David Hits No. 2 at the Box Office

11:30 – Is Avatar Still Impressive?

14:30 – Timothée Chalamet Sings Kirk Franklin

24:30 – Justin Bieber’s Worship Moment

25:45 – Designing the Perfect Christmas Day

36:12 – SLICES: The 6-7 Meme Gets Real 

44:05 – The World's Largest Gingerbread Home Alone House

46:05 – ASK THE CAST: Christmas Edition

In the final episode of the RELEVANT Podcast Impact Conversations series, we sit down with two influential voices using their platforms to point toward something deeper.

First, New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson shares how his faith was shaped long before the NFL spotlight. From a season-ending injury at Ohio State that led him to Jesus to helping spark faith gatherings across campus, Henderson talks about spiritual leadership, obedience over outcomes, and what it looks like to follow Christ inside high-pressure locker rooms. His story is also featured in the new docuseries Redemption, now streaming on Prime Video via The Wonder Project.

Then, Lecrae, one of the most influential figures in Christian hip-hop, joins the conversation following the release of his 10th album, Reconstruction. He reflects on misunderstanding, therapy, deconstruction and why he believes Christian hip-hop is entering a new era without categories. Lecrae also opens up about legacy, leadership, and his role as a bridge between faith and culture.

This episode is presented by World Vision, a global Christian humanitarian organization working to tackle the root causes of poverty and injustice worldwide.

Chapters:

01:15 – Why TreVeyon Henderson uses his NFL platform for faith

02:01 – Growing up with football as a lifeline

04:24 – When faith became real during a season-ending injury

06:40 – Sleep paralysis, spiritual warfare and healing through prayer

08:28 – Faith leadership inside Ohio State football

11:33 – Carrying faith into the NFL locker room

12:58 – Spiritual disciplines and the “secret place”

16:21 – Why faith is rising among professional athletes

18:56 – Why Henderson highlighted persecuted Christians in Nigeria

22:45 – Lecrae on why Reconstruction is different

24:53 – Transparency vs vulnerability in creative work

26:08 – Therapy, confidence and owning your voice

29:25 – Why Lecrae chose the word “Reconstruction”

30:46 – Leadership, loneliness and stewardship

33:01 – The future of Christian hip-hop

34:41 – Lecrae on legacy and being a bridge between faith and culture

44:17 – How Reconstruction invites people back to faith

Rian Johnson’s new Knives Out film, 'Wake Up Dead Man,' is sparking conversations few mainstream movies ever touch — faith, forgiveness, power and what it actually means to follow Jesus in a polarized world.

In this episode, we talk with the filmmaker about growing up in the Church, walking away from faith and why Christ’s teachings — especially “love your enemy” — still shape the stories he wants to tell. Johnson opens up about wrestling with the us-versus-them mentality, the corrupting pull of power and influence, and why he wanted to portray Christian belief with empathy rather than caricature.

Plus, the RELEVANT crew debates the best Christmas movie of all time in a chaotic bracket showdown, reacts to surprising year-end culture stories and discusses new research suggesting adolescence doesn’t actually end until age 32.

HIGHLIGHTS:

01:40 – Why 'Wake Up Dead Man' Feels Like a Gospel Story

04:00 – Serving vs. Fighting: Faith and the Culture War

06:45 – Why Culture Is More Open to Spiritual Conversations

09:20 – Is Wake Up Dead Man the Best Knives Out Movie?

12:10 – Is Rian Johnson Done With Faith?

13:10 – Christianity vs. Church Culture

20:15 – RELEVANT Buzz

22:00 – Forrest Frank Breaks Into Google’s “Hum to Search” List

26:30 – Theo Von and Morgan Wallen’s Bible Study Revealed

32:00 – Rian Johnson on Growing Up Evangelical

34:00 – “Arms Wide Open vs. Fists Up” Faith Explained

39:00 — SLICES

39:20 – New Research Says Adolescence Lasts Until Age 32

45:15 – AI Reality TV Is Here (Unfortunately)

47:30 – Christmas Movie Bracket Challenge

This week, Andy Mineo joins us for a hilarious and surprisingly vulnerable conversation about reinvention, perfectionism, leaving Reach Records, making his first album in four years and why he almost drove himself crazy trying to get it right. Plus, the cast dives into:

– Brandon Lake dominating Billboard’s year-end charts

– The ER vs The Pitt IP controversy

– Ticketmaster’s takedown

– TreVeyon Henderson spotlighting persecuted Christians on the field

– A chaotic game of “One Has to Go” that reveals way too much (about Andy)

CHAPTERS:

1:20 – '90s nostalgia, ER and the IP drama behind The Pitt

10:25 – RELEVANT Buzz: Brandon Lake ruled 2025

15:45 – Olivia Dean takes on Ticketmaster

19:50 – TreVeyon Henderson highlights persecuted Christians in Nigeria

21:50 – Andy Mineo joins the show

22:20 – Why his new album took four years

23:40 – Perfectionism, analysis paralysis and moving faster

27:10 – More new music is already loading

28:35 – Andy & Marty’s 15-year friendship origin story

32:05 – “One Has to Go” with Andy

41:55 – Parenting, nostalgia and movies that don’t hit the same

44:15 – 80s/90s PG movies were NOT PG

Remember, you can watch the episode video on YouTube!

Two former Bachelor stars. Two very different, but impactful, post-show paths. One episode about what it really looks like to use your platform well.

In this new installment of The RELEVANT Podcast: Impact Conversations, Emily Brown and Cameron Strang sit down with Madi Prewett Troutt and Ben Higgins to talk about life after reality TV, spiritual growth, calling, purpose, and how to steward influence in a way that actually matters.

First, Emily talks with Madi Prewett Troutt, who has spent the last five years immersed in ministry—preaching, writing, podcasting, discipling young women, and building a life rooted deeply in Scripture and the local church. She opens up about spiritual transformation, accountability, confession, motherhood, leadership, and learning to stay true to her convictions even when it’s costly.

Then Cameron sits down with Ben Higgins, who—after his time on The Bachelor—built Generous Coffee, launched multiple businesses, stepped into a major faith-centered role at iHeartRadio, and wrote a book on connection. Ben shares candidly about anxiety, purpose, fatherhood, entrepreneurship, and using business as a vehicle for generosity and Kingdom impact.

If you’ve ever wondered how to live out your calling, use your platform responsibly, walk in integrity, or navigate fame and faith in a digital age—this episode is rich, honest, and deeply encouraging.

Presented by World Vision.

HIGHLIGHTS:

01:50 — Madi Prewett Troutt

02:13 — Madi on how her life has changed since The Bachelor

04:57 — Moving from motivational speaking to biblical teaching

07:11 — How moving and finding a new church shaped her spiritual growth

09:57 — How Madi discerns what God is calling her to speak into

12:21 — Choosing conviction over comfort

16:53 — Breaking secret sin cycles and finding freedom

22:14 — Protecting peace and setting boundaries on social media

28:23 — Why Madi launched her podcast and how God led the timing

33:37 — Learning patience when God says “wait”

38:21 — Ben Higgins

41:28 — Life/work balance as a new dad

43:30 — What Ben does for work now

45:49 — How his role at iHeartRadio is expanding into faith initiatives

50:39 — Rethinking conferences, creativity, and reaching the disconnected

52:29 — Mike Foster’s coaching

56:03 — Restaurant ventures, investing and avoiding AI-replaceable spaces

59:16 — Why his new book is about connection (not fame)

1:02:11 — Feeling like an outsider and the moment everything changed

1:04:47 — How vulnerability unexpectedly connected him with millions

1:07:21 — Did The Bachelor change him?

1:10:06 — A friend’s advice that shifted his entire approach to fame

Chris Llewellyn from Irish folk worship band Rend Collective joins us to talk about the band’s new album 'Christmas in Belfast,' the surprising Irish traditions behind it and what it’s like navigating life between Ireland and Nashville.

We also break down the biggest stories in faith and culture, including NF’s record-setting Billboard debut, the wild rise of AI-generated music, and Patriots rookie TreVeyon Henderson’s faith-forward breakout. Plus, the crew swaps celebrity-encounter stories and brings Chris into a special holiday round of “One Has to Go.”

CHAPTERS:

02:00 – Jesse spots an SNL cast member at the airport

06:30 – Marty’s celebrity encounters at LAX

08:30 – Cameron’s wild Kanye West airport story

09:40 – RELEVANT Buzz 

09:55 – NF’s massive Billboard debut

12:00 – AI music platform Suno is creating 7 million songs a day

14:20 – Is AI killing creativity? The crew debates

19:10 – Patriots rookie TreVeyon Henderson’s record-breaking game & public faith

24:10 – Chris Llewellyn of Rend Collective

24:40 – The story behind Christmas in Belfast

26:40 – Irish Christmas traditions & late-night candlelit services

27:50 – Gaelic football, Welsh kickers & Jesse’s confusion

29:55 – Chris on moving from Ireland to Nashville

31:00 – How Irish political history shaped his view of division

32:15 – Holiday Edition of “One Has to Go” with Chris

35:35 – Marty’s trauma with board games

36:10 – Brunch vs. naps: the debate

38:00 – Emily vs. “crisp evenings”

39:00 – Snoopy, Peanuts, and Christmas ornament chaos

40:45 – Group prayer handholding horrors

43:30 – Emily’s tiny tabletop Christmas tree revelation

On this episode of our Impact Conversations series, we sit down with Tara-Leigh Cobble, creator of The Bible Recap — one of the most influential Bible-reading podcasts in the world. Tara-Leigh shares how The Bible Recap started, how she built a global Bible-reading community and what she’s learned about Scripture, calling and obedience along the way. If you’re trying to understand the Bible or want to stay consistent in your Bible reading plan, this conversation is for you.

We also feature a bonus interview with Christian financial expert Art Rainer, who breaks down how to approach money, generosity and financial stress from a biblical perspective. If you’re looking for Christian financial advice, how to give when money is tight or how to steward your resources well, you’ll want to hear this.

Presented by World Vision.

CHAPTERS:

02:37 — Tara-Leigh Cobble: How The Bible Recap Started

06:04 — Building the podcast with a $99 mic

08:45 — When the calling gets costly

10:55 — The story that kept her going

14:43 — Leadership, discernment and calling

16:49 — Feeling unqualified but called

21:09 — Advice for taking your first step

23:17 — Bonus Interview: Art Rainer

26:13 — Money is a tool, not a goal

28:10 — How to be generous when money is tight

33:31 — Giving, debt and proportional generosity

37:00 — Creative ways to be generous without money

This week on The RELEVANT Podcast, we dive into the strange new digital reality Christians are wrestling with — from AI artists topping the Christian charts to foreign troll farms shaping what we see online, even in faith spaces. Throughout the show, we keep asking one big question: can we trust anything online anymore?

Plus, we talk Kristen Bell’s surprise appearance on a Fox News Bible podcast (and her feelings about that), Nate Bargatze’s real-life theme park, weird holiday debates, outlawed pickleball, Thanksgiving pizza and a lot more. It’s a holiday-week hangout episode with Cameron, Jesse and Emily — no guest, just chaos, honesty and a lot of laughs.

0:35 – Why do our YouTube views explode days later?

6:00 – Thanksgiving: the obligation holiday?

7:30 – When do you become the “main house” for holidays?

8:30 – Jesse’s traumatic Big Lots Thanksgiving miracle

14:20 – RELEVANT Buzz: AI tops the Christian charts

24:30 – Kristen Bell accidentally starring in a Fox News Bible podcast

30:40 – Nate Bargatze is opening a theme park?!

36:30 – SLICES: Pickleball banned in California

39:30 – The Elvis Judge saga

43:00 – Thanksgiving pizza: yes or no?

44:30 – ONE HAS TO GO: Holiday Edition

50:30 – Matching Christmas pajamas

51:15 – Final thoughts

Worship leader and Passion artist Kristian Stanfill joins us to talk about the long road from addiction to five years of sobriety, the moment everything changed and how his new album 'Come to Jesus' was born from real healing and real joy.

Cameron, Jesse, Derek and Emily also bring RELEVANT Buzz, our weekly breakdown of the latest at the intersection of faith and culture — and of course, we close the show with Slices, where the crew dives into the funniest, weirdest and most unexpected stories the internet has to offer.

01:25 — Denver altitude, sinus infections & Cameron’s Chap Stick disaster

04:36 — The Colorado horse-ride saga and Derek’s conspiracy theories

08:55 — RELEVANT Buzz 

09:00 — Daniel Caesar’s faith-filled album hits the charts

11:00 — The wild bike-prank video Jesse found on his cursed algorithm

12:05 — Vine is officially coming back… sort of

16:20 — Jenna Jameson gets baptized and shares her story

18:15 — Guest: Kristian Stanfill joins the show

18:45 — Why he made a solo album (Come to Jesus)

21:00 — “I needed a revelation of Jesus” — Kristian on what actually changed him

26:15 — What year four to year five of sobriety taught him

27:20 — The power of community, vulnerability and refusing isolation

28:15 — Advice for pastors, leaders and anyone afraid to ask for help

31:20 — Does he get tired of talking about his darkest season?

33:55 — Slices: A horse falls into a family’s backyard pool

39:20 — An AI song hits No. 1 on the country charts

45:55 — Congress quietly bans Delta-8 and similar THC products

48:20 — The dark side of unregulated synthetic drugs

In this episode of the RELEVANT Podcast Impact Conversation Series, we sit down with two leaders who have shaped the faith lives of billions.

First, adventurer and global TV icon Bear Grylls opens up about how the wilderness taught him about spiritual survival. It’s one of Bear’s most personal and honest conversations ever — covering doubt, faith, courage and why he believes Jesus’ life is the greatest adventure of all.

Then, YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald joins us fresh off a historic milestone: one billion downloads of the Bible App. He shares the wild origin story of YouVersion, how God exceeded every expectation, how to steward faith in a tech-driven world and why Gen Z is turning to Scripture like never before.

This episode is part of our special Impact Series sponsored by World Vision, whose community-focused work is changing lives around the globe. Learn more and get involved at WorldVision.org/RELEVANT.

CHAPTERS

00:00 — Introduction from Cameron Strang

02:19 — Emily Brown sits down with Bear Grylls

02:30 — Writing Jesus’ story as a thriller (and why no one had done it)

05:13 — How his new book began in the middle of the jungle

07:33 — Physical survival and spiritual survival: where they intersect

09:22 — Faith, doubt, fear and the courage to keep going

11:19 — What surprised Bear most after rereading the Bible three times

13:23 — Working with The Chosen and making “Chosen in the Wild”

16:07 — Why faith is breaking through in entertainment right now

18:20 — The first time Bear spoke publicly about faith (yes, including Obama)

20:07 — Cameron wraps Bear’s segment and introduces Bobby Gruenewald of YouVersion

21:49 — How a security line in Chicago sparked the Bible App

23:57 — Launching on Day 1 of the App Store… with zero Apple contacts

27:59 — What surprised him about global Bible engagement

30:48 — Balancing ministry and data while staying donor-supported

33:20 — From serial entrepreneur to lifelong ministry calling

37:26 — Where faith and technology are headed next

41:52 — AI, ethics and why YouVersion refuses to rush a chatbot

44:09 — What Bobby hopes YouVersion’s legacy will be 50 years from now

49:22 — Gen Z’s surprising hunger for Scripture