In this episode of Deeper Still, Suanne Camfield interviews Pete Stearns, the lead pastor of St. Mark's Community Church in Burlington, NC. Pete opens the episode by sharing an unexpected way his church got involved with relief efforts for Hurricane Helene, what he's discovered about the joys and challenges of becoming a lead pastor and how he's learned to preach without notes.

Suanne & Pete spend the second half of the conversation exploring the concept of sin, reframing its focus from behavior management to understanding it as a sickness form which there is only one cure. Pete emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit, defining the process of sanctification, as the Spirit transforms our hearts and cultivates our character, as well as the need for consistency and community as we find our way.

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction and Context Setting

02:37 Hurricane Relief Efforts and Community Response

09:00 Transitioning to a New Community and Family Life

13:31 Surprises of Lead Pastorship

18:03 Preaching Without Notes: The Process

22:57 The Theology of Sin: A New Perspective

28:18 Redefining Sin and Its Implications

33:23 The Journey to Freedom from Sin

38:16 Understanding the Role of the Holy Spirit

43:57 Sanctification: A Process of Growth

49:20 The Importance of Bearing Fruit in Community

In this episode, Danielle Schaeffer shares her journey as a parent of a disabled son, how that journey changed her perspective on the world they inhabit together and how her advocacy for the disability community led her to serve in the local church. Danielle also helps educate listeners on proper language surrounding disability as well as how the church can & should lead the way in creating welcoming spaces for all God's people.

Danielle currently serves as the Director of Disability Ministry at Christ Church, a non-denominational church in the suburbs of Chicago, and is pursuing her Masters of Divinity degree from Fuller Seminary.

Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and bestselling author of more than 40 books, discusses the lasting the impact of The Case for Christ, the importance of never giving up on people far from God and how his approach to apologetics and evangelism have changed over time as God as shaped his own soul. You won't want to miss the story of his emotional interview with Charles Templeton, a former evangelist who turned agnostic, or why he decided to write 'Is God Real?' Lee also addresses how to answer questions about pain and suffering not only with reason & logic but with empathy and love.