Together 4 Good: Making Sense of Life and Faith

Feeling burned out? Discover how Sabbath rest and God's peace protect your soul in a world that won’t slow down.

Let’s face it, peace can feel pretty hard to come by these days. The noise, the pace, the pressure to keep going…it adds up fast.  And suddenly we’re exhausted. Spiritually, emotionally, even physically.

This week on Together 4 Good, Pastor Nate Preisinger talks about what he calls "Spiritual Sunscreen,” the kind of peace that doesn’t just feel nice in theory, but actually protects us in the middle of our everyday chaos.  

Rooted in the story of Exodus and the command to keep Sabbath, this episode is all about learning how to slow down, not out of laziness, but as an intentional act of faith. Because when God invites us to rest, it’s not a suggestion. It’s a gift. One that helps us remember who we are and who God is.

Whether your calendar is overflowing or your soul just feels tired, this conversation is for you. It’s a reminder that rest is holy. And peace isn’t something we earn, it’s something we receive.

You’ll walk away with: 

• A better understanding of why Sabbath matters (and why it’s still relevant today)

• Encouragement for when you’re feeling spiritually depleted

• Practical ways to create space for rest, rhythm, and God’s grace in your life.

Key Takeaways: 

💛Peace is your spiritual sunscreen: protective, essential, and meant to be applied daily

💛The story of Exodus and the Sabbath commandment show us that rest is holy, not optional

💛Resting doesn’t mean doing nothing, it means choosing what matters most

💛God’s peace doesn’t depend on your productivity

💛Grace meets you exactly where you are.

Whether your calendar is overflowing or your soul just feels tired, this conversation is for you. It’s a reminder that rest is holy. And peace isn’t something we earn, it’s something we receive.

🔔 Subscribe to hear more conversations about faith, life, and the goodness we create together. Connect with us: Bethany-Denver.Org or check out our app Bethany Connect

Bible Verses: Exodus 20:8–11, Matthew 11:28–30

📱Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/bethany_denver

Wondering if church still matters in today’s world? Pastor Nate Preisinger discusses why faith, community and worship are more important than ever. 

We get it, church isn’t what it used to be for a lot of people. Maybe you’ve stepped away, felt burned, or just drifted. We’re diving into why church still matters, not just as a tradition, but as a life-giving, soul-nourishing practice.

You’ll hear: 

• Why intergenerational community is so rare and powerful, and how church offers it in a way that few others do.

• How regular spiritual practice builds emotional and spiritual resilience (and what Allen Iverson has to do with it.)

• The surprising role communal singing plays in shaping us, yep even if you’re off-key.

• How the church’s message of “you are loved” can counter burnout, hustle, and the never ending to-do list.
  

Whether you’ve been faithfully attending for years or haven’t set foot in a sanctuary in a while this conversation is an invitation, not of guilt, but of Grace. Explore what it could mean to belong, to sing together, and to be reminded: you are already enough.

Connect with us! Check out Bethany-Denver.org for more information!

Pastor Nate explores a faith-filled morning routine, less about productivity, more about presence with God.

So often, we’re told that the key to a better life is to optimize everything, including our spiritual practices. But what if faith isn’t something to "hack" or master? What if it’s about showing up, slowing down, and trusting God more than ourselves?

Through Scripture readings, prayer journaling, and honest reflection, this episode encourages listeners to trade performance for presence and start the day with intention and grace.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to shape a simple, sustainable morning routine centered on faith

• Why Scripture and prayer are powerful ways to start your day

• The danger of turning faith into a self-improvement project

• Why connection with God matters more than spiritual perfection

• How rest, humility, and trust form the foundation of a faithful life

Links and Resources: 

Download the Bethany Connect App to stay inspired and connected! Search “Bethany Connect” in your phone’s app store.

Learn more or plan a visit: https://www.bethany-denver.org

A Special Invitation: Subscribe to the Together 4 Good podcast today and share this episode with someone you care about. Start a healthy, respectful conversation rooted in love and faith.

Together 4 Good: Faith, Love, Community and Conversations for Everyday Life is a podcast from Bethany Lutheran Church ELCA in Cherry Hills Village, CO, designed to offer practical and engaging episodes that support you without expectations. Whether you’re feeling disconnected from traditional religion or exploring faith, we’re here to walk alongside you.

Stay Connected with use: https://www.bethany-denver.org

Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast!

In this week’s episode, Pastor Nate dives into the complicated intersection of religion and politics and why we need to talk about both. While these topics are often labeled “too divisive” for polite conversation, Nate offers a different vision—one grounded in humility, compassion, and the Gospel message.

He explores how faith informs our values and civic life, how churches can speak into political issues without endorsing candidates, and what it means to be a people guided first by Christ and not by party lines.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why religion and politics feel so personal and polarizing

• How Jesus was deeply political without being partisan

• A faithful way to approach civic life rooted in love and humility

• The role of church in a divided culture

• Why conversations (not silence) are crucial for spiritual growth

Links and Resources:📲 Download the Bethany Connect App to stay inspired and connected! Search "Bethany Connect" in your phone's app store
📍 Learn more or plan a visit: https://www.bethany-denver.org

A Special Invitation:Subscribe to the Together 4 Good podcast today and share this episode with someone you care about. Start a healthy, respectful conversation rooted in love and faith.

Together 4 Good is a podcast from Bethany Lutheran Church ELCA in Cherry Hills Village, CO, designed to offer practical and engaging episodes that support you without expectations. Whether you’re feeling disconnected from traditional religion or exploring faith, we’re here to walk alongside you.

Stay Connected with us: https://www.bethany-denver.org

Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast! In this deeply moving episode, Pastor Nate Preisinger sits down with Kyra Morgan to hear her powerful story of transformation—from atheist and skeptic to active member of a faith community.

Kyra shares her experience of religious trauma and alienation, and how shame shaped her perception of faith for years. But it was love—first through her husband and then through unexpected moments of grace—that ultimately cracked her heart open. Kyra’s honesty and vulnerability offer a compelling and compassionate look at how faith can be reclaimed in a world filled with hurt and doubt.

🎧 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The damaging effects of shame-based religion

• How spiritual wounds can shape our beliefs for decades

• The power of compassion and community in healing

• Why emotional manipulation and performance in church may miss the mark

• How Kyra found sacredness, not in production, but in vulnerability and real love

🛠️ Links and Resources:

📲 Download the Bethany Connect App to stay inspired and connected! Search "Bethany Connect" in your phone's app store
📍 Learn more or plan a visit: https://www.bethany-denver.org

🔔 A Special Invitation:
Subscribe to the Together 4 Good podcast today and help us spread this story of healing and hope. Share this episode with someone who may be struggling with faith or who has been hurt by religious institutions. Together, let’s build spaces where people know love, show love, and find belonging.

Together 4 Good is a podcast from Bethany Lutheran Church ELCA in Cherry Hills Village, CO. Whether you're deconstructing faith or rebuilding it, we walk with you every step of the journey.

In this powerful and deeply moving conversation, Pastor Nate Preisinger sits down with Bethany Young Adult Matt Pane, to explore how personal tragedy, doubt, and loss can shape a more authentic, resilient faith. Matt shares his remarkable story of walking through grief after the loss of a close friend, grappling with the "everything happens for a reason" narrative, and discovering how God uses our most broken moments to bring hope and healing to others.

This episode reminds us of the beauty of testimony, the sacredness of community, and the grace that meets us right where we are. Whether you're in a season of questioning, healing, or simply needing encouragement, this one is for you.

🔗 Full episode, show notes, and more: https://www.bethany-denver.org/togetherforgood

📲 Download the Bethany Connect App to stay inspired and connected! Search "Bethany Connect" in your phone's app store📍 Learn more or plan a visit: https://www.bethany-denver.org

In this week's episode, Pastor Nate explores the beautiful, often-overlooked spiritual gift of wonder—those moments where imagination and reality overlap to reveal the presence of God. He shares personal stories, insights into how wonder shapes faith, and how practices like Lectio Divina and programs like Godly Play help reconnect us to this essential part of the human and spiritual experience.

Nate reminds us that in a world dominated by logic, order, and technology, we need space for mystery and awe. By reclaiming wonder, we open ourselves to experiencing God more deeply and seeing the sacred in everyday life.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why wonder is essential for a life of faith

• How children’s spirituality teaches us about God

• An introduction to Godly Play and how it encourages sacred imagination

• How to practice Lectio Divina for a more emotional and spiritual reading of Scripture

• Ways to cultivate moments of awe in your daily life

Links and Resources:
Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter for updates and find out more about our faith community:
🌐 https://www.bethany-denver.org/

Learn more about Godly Play here

A Special Invitation:
Subscribe to the Together 4 Good podcast today and take this opportunity to open your heart to God’s wonder. Share this episode with a friend or family member who needs encouragement or a fresh perspective on their faith journey.

Let’s rediscover the beauty of mystery and awe. Tune in and be inspired!

Together 4 Good is a podcast from Bethany Lutheran Church ELCA in Cherry Hills Village, CO, designed to offer practical and engaging episodes that support you without expectations. Whether you’re feeling disconnected from traditional religion or exploring faith, we’re here to walk alongside you. Join us for thoughtful conversations on faith, love, and community as we discover what it means to Know Love, Show Love in everyday life.

Stay Connected with us:
🌐 https://www.bethany-denver.org/

In this week's episode, Pastor Nate poses a powerful question: Have we been thinking about church all wrong? In a world saturated with entertainment, products, and constant striving, this episode offers a radically honest perspective on what church is truly meant to be.

Drawing from a simple yet profound five-star Google review, Pastor Nate unpacks the idea that church shouldn't be marketed as just another product. Instead, it should be a sacred space for honesty, healing, and deep connection. Through stories, personal reflection, and thoughtful commentary, this episode invites listeners to reimagine church as a place where we confront our brokenness and find true community—not flashy programs or perfect performances.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why church isn’t meant to “entertain” you—and why that’s a good thing

• The problem with marketing faith communities as products

• How boredom, vulnerability, and routine might actually bring healing

• The concept of being “scronely”—and why it matters

• A hopeful vision for the future of church in a lonely, fast-paced world

Links and Resources:
Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter, get connected with our community, and access more resources:
🌐 https://www.bethany-denver.org

A Special Invitation:
If this episode made you think, feel, or breathe a little deeper, consider sharing it with someone who might need to hear these words today. Together for Good is more than a podcast—it’s a space for honest faith, compassionate community, and real conversations.

📲 Subscribe to the Together for Good podcast and journey with us as we rediscover what it truly means to Know Love, Show Love—no gimmicks required.

In this honest episode, Pastor Nate explores the hidden costs of pretending everything is fine. We talk about the pressure to appear put together, the fear of being seen as struggling, and how toxic positivity often masks our deeper wounds. This kind of emotional cover-up doesn't just affect our mental health, it also shapes our spirituality.

Pastor Nate digs into the way Christianity confronts this head-on. Jesus didn’t come for the polished and performative. His harshest words were for those who insisted on religious appearances while ignoring their inner brokenness. The gospel is not about pretending—it's about showing up with our full selves.

Pastor Nate also unpacks the concept of alienation—a sense of disconnection from ourselves, from others, and from the world around us. Often rooted in cultural pressures and spiritual confusion, alienation is more than a social issue—it’s a theological one too. Sin, in many ways, is a form of alienation.

Through the lens of Christ’s suffering and abandonment on the cross, we learn that our pain is not something to deny or bury but rather something God enters into. We don’t find grace by escaping struggle. We find it by embracing our lack, our need, our real emotions.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why pretending and toxic positivity hurt more than they help

• How alienation is a core human experience—and how faith addresses it

• The danger of performative religion

• The cross as a place where God meets us in suffering

• Why engaging with our struggles is a path to transformation

Links:

heck out the book Pastor Nate mentions: "Embracing Alienation" by Todd McGowan.

Call to Action:

If you’ve ever felt pressure to “just stay positive” when everything inside you is unraveling, this episode is for you.

Listen now—and be reminded that grace meets us not in our pretending, but in our honest, human reality.

A Special Invitation:

Subscribe to the Together 4 Good podcast today and take this opportunity to deepen your understanding of God’s presence in the midst of difficult times. Share this episode with friends and family to help bring hope and peace to them during their struggles or questions.

Together 4 Good is a podcast from Bethany Lutheran Church ELCA in Cherry Hills Village, CO, designed to offer practical and engaging episodes that support you without expectations. Whether you’re feeling disconnected from traditional religion or exploring faith, we’re here to walk alongside you. Join us for discussions on faith, love, and community as we explore what it means to Know Love, Show Love in everyday life. 

Stay Connected with us: ⁠https://www.bethany-denver.org/⁠

In this episode of Together for Good, Pastor Nate takes a deep dive into the relentless pressure of hustle culture—the constant need to do more, achieve more, and prove our worth through productivity. As an Enneagram 3, Pastor Nate knows this struggle firsthand, but he also knows that God offers us a different way.

The practice of Sabbath was given to the Israelites as a radical redefinition of identity—not as slaves who must produce, but as beloved people who are called to rest. That same gift is still being offered to us today. But are we willing to accept it?

In this conversation, Pastor Nate explores:

• The lies we believe about success and self-worth

• How hustle culture makes us feel like everyone else has it figured out—when in reality, we’re all struggling

• The Sabbath as an act of resistance against a world that tells us we are only as good as what we produce

• Practical ways to reclaim rest and redefine our identity in light of God’s grace

If you’ve ever felt exhausted by the pressure to constantly prove yourself, this episode is for you. Let’s step into the gift of Sabbath and remember: we are already enough

Links:

Check out "Low Anthropology" by David Zahl for a unique look at the ways our assumptions cause us to feel inadequateFor more resources for your faith journey visit www.bethany-denver.org