What If I'm Wrong?

This week, Heather is joined by her BFF Scarlett Longstreet for a #Blessed chat session on whether we should unfollow people who make us feel bad about ourselves online. Make sure to let us know your thoughts by typing in ViralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and using #blessed.

Today is session one of our new pod-class series on gaining confidence. We will be doing this pod-class for the next three week. If you want to pause this episode, you may want to start with last week’s titled: “On Gaining Self-Confidence,” where Heather sets the framework for the next three weeks.

In today’s conversation Heather sits down with Amanda Pittman to learn how to deal with criticism, how to offer compassion to others struggling with insecurity, and how to stand in our own confidence.

Guest Bio

Amanda Pittman is the author of Stand in Confidence: From Sinking in Insecurity to Rising in Your God-given Identity. She is a speaker, entrepreneur, and the founder of Confident Woman Co., a ministry that equips women to stand confidently upon the finished work of Jesus. Through Confident Woman Co., Amanda hosts retreats, conferences, online events, podcasts, videos and more.

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I’ll See You Tomorrow and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kicking off this week’s episode, Heather sits down with Scarlett Longstreet to talk about whether or not we should be using filters on our photos. Are they hurting us? Are they making us insecure? Make sure to let us know your thoughts by typing in ViralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and using #Blessed.

Today is the pre-game show for our new pod-class series on “Gaining Self-Confidence.” Heather sits down to have a heart to heart with you, the listener, about the reality of life right now. It feels like everyone is waiting for a miracle, and it can be difficult to believe that there is a plan, when you can’t see it. How can we drink from the well of living water even when it feels like we are in a desert? Heather says you have to dig.

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I’ll See You Tomorrow, releasing in October, and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode begins with a consideration of a constant danger of online life—oversharing. Heather is joined by her husband, Seth Day (also known on Instagram as @originalsadking), for a lively #Blessed discussion of the subject. Are we saying too much on social media? What are some guidelines for making sure we don’t overshare? Does knowing so much about one another online help us connect in person more easily? Be sure to let us know your thoughts by typing in ViralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and using #Blessed.

Then get ready for Heather’s recap of Viral Jesus’s first pod-class journey (and don’t forget to listen to previous episodes in the series, starting with “Everyone’s Exhausted”). Heather sits down to have a heart-to-heart with you, the listener, about what we have learned over the past six weeks. She explains the definition of healing, that it isn’t a linear process, and describes what our faith looks like, especially when we can’t feel it. You will not want to miss this candid conversation with Heather.

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I’ll See You Tomorrow, releasing in October, and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kicking off this week's episode, on #blessed Heather sits down with Vimbo Watson and talks about online dating. Is this a wonderful blessing to our romantic lives or an absolute mess. Make sure to let us know your thoughts by typing in ViralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and using #blessed. 

As our pod-class journey on healing concludes, (don’t forget to listen to previous episodes in the series) Heather sits down with her co-author, husband, and best friend, Seth Day to discuss their new book, I’ll See You Tomorrow. What if it isn’t that our relationships are draining, as much as it is that we are entering relationships drained. How do we heal, from our unmet relational expectations? This episode is packed full of wisdom, and perspective.

Guest Bio

Seth Day is currently a full-time instructor teaching courses in Grief and Loss as well as Public Speaking. Seth has a MA in Human Service Counseling from Regent University, and is currently pursuing a second MA in Educational Psychology from Andrews University.

Seth is passionate about youth and young adult ministry, having served as a youth and young adult pastor in Denver, and working for several years in public schools with at-risk youth. 

Seth resides in Saint Joseph, Michigan with his wife Heather, and their three beautiful children. 

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I'll See You Tomorrow, releasing in October, and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kicking off this week's episode, on #blessed Heather sits down Seth Day and talks about whether Christians should use anger as an online tool for engagement. Anger is one of the fastest emotions to go viral online, so when it is appropriate, and when is it pandering for reactions? Make sure to let us know your thoughts by typing in ViralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and using #blessed. 

As our pod-class journey on healing continues, (don’t forget to listen to previous episodes in the series) Heather sits down with author and trauma care specialist Sheila Wise Rowe. Sheila helps us understand what trauma is, what gaslighting is, and how we can recognize it, as well as some ways we can get unstuck.

Guest Bio

Sheila Wise Rowe has a Master's degree in Counseling and is active in local and international healing and reconciliation ministry. Sheila has over twenty-five years of experience as a Christian Counselor, Spiritual Director, Educator, Writer, and Speaker. Sheila is the author of Healing from Racial Trauma, and Young Gifted and Black.

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I'll See You Tomorrow, releasing in October, and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kicking off this week's episode, on #blessed Heather sits down with Sharon Hodde Miller and talks about online church. Is online church a blessing that is making us more connected as a body of believers? Or is it a mess that is disconnecting us? Make sure to let us know your thoughts by typing in ViralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and using #blessed. 

As our pod-class journey on healing continues, (don’t forget to listen to previous episodes in the series) Heather sits down with Sharon Hodde Miller to discuss a concept Sharon calls “the cost of control". How is our need to control our lives, preventing us from living them?

Guest Bio

Sharon leads Bright City Church in Durham, NC with her husband, Ike, which they planted together in 2018. Sharon earned her M.Div. from Duke Divinity School, and her PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where she researched the topic of women and calling.

In addition to writing for sites like Christianity Today, She Reads Truth, Propel, Relevant, and more, she is the author of three books: Free of Me: Why Life Is Better When It’s Not about You, Nice: Why We Love to Be Liked And How God Calls Us to More, and The Cost of Control: Why We Crave It, the Anxiety it Gives Us, and the Real Power God Promises. 

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I'll See You Tomorrow, releasing in October, and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kicking off this week's episode, on #Blessed Heather brings in her best friend Scarlett Longstreet to discuss the new option on instagram of paying for subscription. Scarlett has been using the new paid subscribers model, and will walk you through the difficulties and blessings of getting your audience to pay for your content. Make sure to let us know your thoughts by typing in ViralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and using #Blessed. 

As our pod-class journey on healing continues, (don’t forget to listen to previous episodes in the series) Heather sits down with Nona Jones and discusses where our insecurity is coming from, and how it may be impacting us, and our relationships. 

Guest Bio

Nona Jones is considered a global thought-leader at the intersection of faith, technology and identity and has also served as a voice of hope and healing to victims of trauma due to her own history as a survivor of physical and sexual abuse. Her books are equipping people around the world to harness their potential toward realizing their purpose.

Killing Comparison is Nona's highly anticipated manual for how to live a life free from toxic comparison and feeling like you don't measure up. Success from the Inside Out is Nona's personal story of overcoming childhood physical and sexual abuse and the insights she learned while healing from the pain. From Social Media to Social Ministry is the Digital Discipleship Guide every Christian needs to read to use technology for Kingdom Building. 

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I'll See You Tomorrow, releasing in October, and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kicking off this week’s episode, Heather is joined by her husband, Seth, for another round of #Blessed.This time the pair explore the idea of buying social media followers. Is it ever a good thing? Is it even ethical? Have you ever thought about buying followers? Make sure to let us know your thoughts on the topic by typing in ViralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and using #blessed.

As our pod-class journey on healing continues, (don’t forget to listen to pod-class one with Katelyn Beaty last week) Heather sits down with author Chanel Dokun to learn how we can stop waiting for the lives we wish we had, and start living the life we have right now. Chanel’s expertise as a life coach and marriage and family therapist uniquely qualifies her to help us get a grasp on what we truly want out of life, and the energy to start going after it.

Guest Bio

Chanel is an author, life planner, and relationship expert trained in marriage and family therapy. She is the co-founder of Healthy Minds NYC, a thriving group therapy practice in Manhattan. Her new book is Life Starts Now: How to Create the Life You’ve Been Waiting For.

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I'll See You Tomorrow, releasing in October, and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second episode of Viral Jesus season 3, Heather discusses on #blessed the latest news out of The Village Church about Matt Chandler stepping down for a leave of absence due to an inappropriate relationship with a woman who wasn’t his wife in his DM’s on Instagram. Heather and Seth discuss the concept of what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior for married people in the DM’s. If you have thoughts on this please @viralJesusPod on Instagram or Twitter and let us know. 

In her conversation with author Katelyn Beaty, Heather listens to Katelyn explain the problems that arise when celebrity pastors experience some type of major failure. How do we help hold them accountable? How do we help people who feel their trust has been deeply abused by the covering up of abuse at their church institution? What does celebrity look like, and how does it function in churches? Should there be a thing such as Christian celebrities?

Heather and Katelyn want you to heal from toxic celebrity church culture, and maybe the best way to do that, is to admit what has gone wrong. 

Guest Bio

Katelyn Beaty is a journalist, editor, and keen observer of trends in the American church. She has written for the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, Religion News Service, Religion & Politics, and The Atlantic and has commented on faith and culture for CNN, ABC, and NPR. She is also a former editor for Christianity Today magazine. She is cohost of the Saved by the City podcast (Religion News Service) and she’s the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church

Mentioned in This Episode

Matt Chandler Steps Aside After Inappropriate Online Relationship

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I'll See You Tomorrow, releasing in October, and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s a brand-new season of Viral Jesus, and change is in the air. In this first episode of Season 3, Heather is joined by a surprise guest to help her introduce a new segment called #Blessed. It’s a fun and breezy look at headlines and ideas from the world of tech and social media. Heather also previews a new Viral Jesus formation project called “pod-classes” that will connect and build upon Heather’s weekly conversations with Christian creators, influencers, and thought leaders.

For the inaugural, six-part series of pod-classes, the theme is “healing.” And Heather invites us to join her on a journey toward renewal. Together we will take the pulse of our relationship with social media, interrogate our tendency for constant comparison, and learn how to make time to lift our sights away from the screen and “look a little higher.”

Mentioned in This Episode

Is It Even Possible to Be an Authentic Person Online?

Don’t Check Work Email on Vacation: Why Constant Connection Is Driving Burnout

Exhausted Nation: Americans More Tired Than Ever Survey Finds

Anxiety Grows Among Americans as Crisis After Crisis Spirals Out Of Control

Stress in America: APA Survey

Nearly Half of Americans Think They Are A Better Person Than Everyone They Know

Host Bio

Heather Thompson Day is an associate professor of communication at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is the author of eight books, including, I'll See You Tomorrow, releasing in October, and It’s Not Your Turn. Reach out to Heather on Twitter @HeatherTDay and on Instagram @heatherthompsonday.

Viral Jesus is a production of Christianity Today

Host and creator: Heather Thompson Day

Executive Producer: Ed Gilbreath

Producer: Loren Joseph

Associate Producer: Azurae Phelps

Mix Engineer: Alex Carter

Director of CT Podcasts: Mike Cosper

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices