Upside Down People

Upside Down People

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Upside Down People episodes

  • The Truth About Joy, God & the Happiness Paradox | Andrew Wilson

    Andrew Wilson (PhD), Cambridge-trained theologian and author, reveals the truth about Christian happiness, the crisis of human anthropology, AI's challenge to embodied faith, and why the Western church is losing its nerve!Andrew Wilson holds degrees in history and theology from Cambridge and King's College London, and serves as a pastor in London. He is the author of several widely read books, including his most recent, Happiness: What It Is, Where to Find It, and How to Make It Last Forever, a timely exploration of joy rooted in scripture rather than therapeutic culture.

    He explains:

    ■ Why God is the most joyful being that has ever or could ever exist

    ■ Why ChatGPT's definition of a human would have excluded Andrew's own daughter

    ■ Why pursuing happiness is not a distraction from God but the very road to him

    ■ The ocean trick that separates surface frustration from deep, unshakeable joy

    ■ Why the Western church will become the junior partner within 15 years


    Grab a copy of his latest book Happiness: What It Is, Where to Find It, and How to Make It Last Forever from Crossway

    56 min
  • Why 'Choose Faith Over Fear' Is Making Your Anxiety Worse | Luke Kjolhaug

    Pastor and author Luke Kjolhaug talks the truth about anxiety, the fear of being known, FOMO, and why love — not courage — is the real antidote to fear!Luke Kjolhaug is a Lutheran pastor based in central Minnesota and a former civil engineer who followed God's call to ministry over a decade ago. His new book, Fear Not: How the Gospel Disrupts Our Deepest Anxieties, tackles the root spiritual causes of fear and anxiety in a culture where mental health struggles are reaching every demographic.He explains:■ Why courage is the wrong antidote to fear, according to 1 John 4■ Why showing only your highlight reel keeps you imprisoned in anxiety■ Why FOMO is secretly linked to the commandment against coveting■ The Christus Victor lens that finally freed him from anxiety-driven guilt■ Why "fear not" in scripture is a life-giving word, not a crushing command


    Chapters

    0:00 Fear Crops God Out

    1:58 Meet Luke Chellog, Pastor & Author

    6:03 Writing the Book "Fear Not"

    9:30 Fear's Spiritual Root

    16:07 Christus Victor & Anxiety's Relief

    22:16 Love, Not Courage, Casts Out Fear

    24:33 The Fear of Being Known

    33:00 Pastoral Vulnerability Done Wisely

    44:07 "Fear Not" as Command or Comfort?

    46:19 Fearing the Right Things

    49:04 FOMO, Coveting & Contentment

    57:43 Tribe's Unpleasant Truth


    Grab a copy of his book here - https://www.amazon.com/Fear-Not-Disrupts-Deepest-Anxieties-ebook/dp/B0H7FD3VLT

    1 hr 3 min
  • The Real Reason Christians Keep Losing The Culture War | Justin Giboney

    Justin E. Giboney, founder of the AND Campaign, reveals the truth about Christian political identity, the civil rights movement's forgotten theology, and why compassion without conviction is failing the church today!


    Justin Giboney is an attorney, political strategist, and ordained minister based in Atlanta, Georgia. As co-founder and president of the AND Campaign, he has spent over a decade building a biblical framework for Christian civic engagement. His new book, Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around, recovers the orthodox theology behind the civil rights movement to challenge today's culture wars.


    He explains:

    ■ Why choosing a political side is not the same as choosing the right position

    ■ Why the civil rights movement was orthodox and Bible-believing, not progressively ideological

    ■ Why conviction without justice discredits the church just as much as justice without truth

    ■ The real reason Christians stay silent when their own party gets it wrong

    ■ Why seeing your opponents as irredeemable is the surest way to become what you're fighting


    Chapter Markers:

    0:00 Christianity Beyond the Moment

    1:27 Justin's Faith Journey

    5:56 Founding the AND Campaign

    8:06 Right Positions, Not Just Sides

    13:19 Civil Rights Church as Model

    17:23 When Ideology Replaces Faith

    21:44 Truth, Compassion, and Courage

    27:39 Fighting Evil Without Becoming It

    40:01 Writing "Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around"

    46:59 Restoring Christ to the Conversation

    53:29 Fred Shuttlesworth's Unpigeonholed Faith

    56:33 Principles Over Election Cycles

    1 hr 3 min
  • The Church Is Teaching You To Follow People, Not Jesus | Michael Moore (The Honest Youth Pastor)

    Known online as The Honest Youth Pastor, Michael Moore reveals how getting fired from his church sparked a 12-year social media movement, the 3 questions he uses to evaluate any sermon, and the dangerous phrases spreading through the church that sound Christian but aren’t. He also shares the regret that changed how he understands the gospel — not what happened to him, but how long it took him to realise what the gospel actually meant for his own life.


    Michael Moore is a bi-vocational pastor and creator behind The Honest Youth Pastor. With nearly 12 years of ministry and online content, he created the Sermon Review Guide to help ordinary believers think critically about the preaching they hear each week.


    We dive into:
    ◼️ The 3 simple questions every Christian can use to evaluate a sermon
    ◼️ How online discipleship can quietly teach Christians to hate those they disagree with
    ◼️ The Christian-sounding phrases that can actually point to something far from Christ
    ◼️ One of his deepest preaching regrets


    To find out more about Michael and his work - www.thehonestyouthpastor.com

    1 hr 15 min
  • “I Should Have Gone off the Rails” - A Wallaby’s Story of Faith

    Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa reveals how he laid his rugby boots on the altar and told God to take them if He wanted and why the greatest measure of wealth, he says, is creating a home filled with love, faith, and a table his family never stops returning to.Brandon Paenga-Amosa is a professional rugby hooker who plays for the Western Force and represents Australia with the Wallabies. A product of Hillsong Leadership College before signing his first professional contract in 2017, he has since played against the All Blacks at Eden Park, helped beat South Africa at Ellis Park in a result that hadn't been achieved in over 60 years, and featured in Test wins over England at Twickenham. He is currently preparing for the Wallabies' upcoming tour to Japan and has his sights set on a Rugby World Cup appearance.


    He shares:◼️ The unexpected youth-group invitation that changed everything◼️ The brutal crossroads of semi-pro rugby vs full-time ministry◼️ Why he literally placed his boots on the altar and surrendered◼️ Raising three kids under four while living the pro-athlete life◼️ Unlearning childhood trauma so he doesn’t pass it on◼️ How he measures true wealth: a home where his kids (and their kids) always want to return


    Follow his story here - @beepeeaye

    1 hr 1 min
  • Are Churches Making Disciples or Consumers? | Alastair Roberts & Rory Shiner

    Is the modern church accidentally creating consumers instead of disciples? Theologian Alastair Roberts and pastor Rory Shiner reveal why churches are struggling to form committed followers of Jesus, how consumer culture has quietly reshaped Christian community, and why a local sports club may understand discipleship better than many Sunday services.

    Alastair Roberts is an independent theologian working with the Theophilus Institute and Davenant Institute, known for his work in theology, church history, liturgy, and cultural criticism. Rory Shiner is a Perth-based pastor and author who has spent years doing the ordinary, difficult work of building a local church.

    They explain:

    ◼ Why many churches have unintentionally trained people to be consumers instead of participants—and how worship shifted from something people do to something people watch

    ◼ Why “what you win them with is what you win them to” and how low expectations can create churches where commitment never grows

    ◼ Why Jesus formed people through practices, habits, and embodied action—and why our hearts often follow what we repeatedly do

    ◼ What a grass-roots sports club reveals about koinonia, sacrifice, and belonging—and why genuine community requires everyone to have “skin in the game”

    1 hr 56 min
  • If Jesus Rose From the Dead, Everything Changes | Mike Hood

    Why does the resurrection of Jesus still change everything in our chaotic world? UK pastor and evangelist Mike Hood reveals the powerful evidence, life-altering implications, and why this one historical event answers our deepest questions about meaning, love, justice, and hope.

    Mike Hood is a pastor, evangelist, and author with years of experience helping skeptics and seekers explore faith. In his new book If That Changes Everything, he combines personal story, historical reasoning, and gospel hope.

    He unpacks:◼️ Why the resurrection isn't a leap in the dark but a step onto solid ground◼️ How what happens after death radically shapes how we live right now◼️ The real reason many don't want the resurrection to be true◼️ Why the failure of the secular story is driving people back to church◼️ How Jesus' resurrection turns our daily labour from sandcastles into seeds that last forever"


    If you want to grab a copy of Mike's book head over to The Good Book Company

    49 min
  • Why Christians Stay Silent in Politics – And The Massive Cost To Society | Maryka Groenewald

    Australian Christian Party Leader Maryka Groenewald reveals what it's really like being the first Christian MP in WA Parliament, bridging faith and politics, and why the Church can no longer stay silent.

    Hon Maryka Groenewald MLC is the first Christian elected to any Parliament in Western Australia and the Leader of the Australian Christians. A bold voice for faith, life, family, and freedom, she is passionate about bridging the gap between the Church and politics.

    Maryka shares her powerful journey from South Africa to the corridors of power, the hard truths about life, freedom, and cultural battles, and how Christians can engage meaningfully in politics without compromise.

    She breaks down:◼️ Why disengaged churches create a vacuum that's now being filled◼️ The life issue, supporting women in crisis, and why adoption reform matters◼️ What true freedom of speech and conscience look like in Australia◼️ Navigating vicious preference deals, intimidation, and staying grounded in faith◼️ The personal cost of leadership and how to build resilience for the long haul


    For more info head to https://marykagroenewald.com/

    1 hr
  • The Valley of the Shadow: What Suffering Teaches About Identity and Real Success | Paul Morrison

    What if you’re chasing the wrong thing? Musician, clinical chaplain & former AFL chaplain of the West Coast Eagles Paul Morrison reveals the raw, unfiltered pains of grief, suffering, authentic faith and finding life on the other side of loss.

    Paul Morrison, Director of Missions at Sonshine FM, just poured 18 months of deep despair, identity crisis and valley-season pain into his brand-new album, Valley of the Shadow, that we talk about and

    He reveals:

    ◼️ The ONE mirror that instantly destroys performance-based identity

    ◼️ Why walking into other people’s grief was something that healed his own depression

    ◼️ The exact moment he realised “empty is enough” because Christ lives in him

    ◼️ Why most men have no idea who they are when they can’t “do” anymore

    ◼️ The song that became his “piss off” to grief, trauma and the devil himself

    ◼️ How fatherhood, loss and the ticking clock taught him to suck the marrow out of every single ordinary 


    Link to the Album: Valley of the Shadow

    (https://open.spotify.com/album/4lYH6Q3nItHiwJzVhgTt26?si=sRYfiygwTSenn7reYBeZxA)

    1 hr 33 min
  • The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God | Justin Brierley

    Why has belief in God made a surprising comeback in the West? Veteran broadcaster and debate host Justin Brierley reveals the impacts behind the collapse of New Atheism, the power of real dialogue, and why Christianity still shapes our culture!

    Justin Brierley is a writer, speaker, broadcaster and veteran of debate, known for hosting Unbelievable and his brand-new show Uncommon Ground.

    He explains:◼️ Why New Atheism imploded from within and what replaced it◼️ The ONE historical truth that shows our deepest Western values are irreducibly Christian◼️ How to have genuinely good conversations in a polarised, rage-bait world◼️ The surprising intellectual case for Christianity that even secular thinkers can’t ignore◼️ Why “cultural Christianity” without Jesus at the centre is just another form of idolatry


    Find out more about Justin and his work - https://justinbrierley.com/


    Listen/ Watch Justin's Uncommon Ground Episodes - https://www.youtube.com/@justinbrierley

    1 hr 8 min

About Upside Down People

From the publisher's feed

Every week on Upside Down People Podcast we’ll have authentic conversations with Jesus-loving people diving into some aspect of faith, life, history, culture, politics & more and, with curiosity, our hope is to discover the truth of a living a life marked by the love of Jesus.