You know, there's this thing that happens - we get so caught up in the doing, the productivity, the hustle. We define ourselves by what we accomplish, by the checkboxes we can tick off. But what if there's another way? What if we're not just cogs in a machine, but creative beings made in the image of a creative God? In this episode, we dive into that question with author Maria Bowler. She shares how becoming a new mom during the pandemic forced her to confront this head-on - when the doing was stripped away, who was she really? The answer, it turns out, lies not in what we produce, but in our very being. Maria invites us to consider a new vision - one where we're not just doers, but makers. Where the effort we exert isn't about forcing our will, but about deep engagement. Where we trust that our heart's desires and the things that break it open are clues to the creative work we're meant to do. So take a deep breath, my friends. This conversation just might be the permission slip you need to let go of the pressure to perform and instead embrace the freedom to create. To make time for the things that truly matter - not just what we can check off the list. The world is waiting for the unique gifts only you can bring.

Maria Bowler is a writer, coach, and retreat leader. She holds a masters in religion and the arts from Yale University, is a former magazine editor, and has taught creative writing at the university level. Canadian by birth, she now lives in the Driftless region of the US with her family.

Maria's Book:
Making Time

Maria's Recommendations:
Parable of the Sower
Parable of the Talents

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What does it look like to engage culture as a Christian in today's world? Is it a battle to be won, a system to be escaped, or something else entirely? In this thought-provoking discussion, Keith Simon lays out a vision for what he calls "joyful outsiders" - Christians who embrace their identity as outsiders, but who engage the culture in diverse and creative ways. Keith draws from Scripture to show how the Bible presents a range of approaches - from the "advisor" who works from within, to the "protester" who calls out injustice, to the "builder" who cultivates new institutions. The key, he argues, is for Christians to resist the temptation to find our identity in political power or cultural influence, and instead root ourselves firmly in Christ. It's a perspective that acknowledges the real challenges and tensions of living as followers of Jesus in a disoriented world. But rather than despair or withdrawal, Simon casts a vision of Christians working together in unity, respecting each other's diverse callings and roles. Whether you see yourself as more of a "trainer" or an "ambassador," Simon's insights offer a compelling alternative to the tired culture war narratives that have done so much damage. He invites us to embrace our identity as outsiders, to engage creatively, and to do so with joy - because our hope is not in the shifting sands of politics or public opinion, but in the unshakable foundation of Christ's love and victory. It's a conversation that gets to the heart of some of the most pressing questions facing the church today. And it just might unlock new possibilities for how we can faithfully and fruitfully live out our faith in the world.

Keith Simon is a lead pastor at The Crossing, cohosts the podcasts Ten Minute Bible Talks and Truth Over Tribe, and coauthored Truth Over Tribe: Pledging Allegiance to the Lamb, Not the Donkey or the Elephant. He graduated with an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Keith lives in Columbia, Missouri, with his wife, Christine, and their four children.

Keith's Book:
Joyful Outsiders

Keith's Recommendations:
Bad Therapy
Ghosted
How to Stay Married
What is a Girl Worth?

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This is a conversation about how to faithfully engage culture as a Christian in a disorienting time. Our guest is Patrick Miller. He is a Pastor, Podcast host, and co-author of the book "Joyful Outsiders." In this conversation, Patrick shares how he was drawn to a church that was actively engaged in the community - supporting nonprofits, influencing local businesses, and making a real impact. As he's grown in his faith, he's had to wrestle with the tension of resisting the culture around us, while also cultivating and caring for that culture. The world has changed a lot, Patrick says. Christianity has gone from an insider position to more of an outsider status in America. And that creates a challenge - how do we live like Jesus in the midst of this? Do we hunker down and resist? Do we try to conform and fit in? Or is there a third way? Patrick lays out six different approaches - the Trainer, the Advisor, the Protester, the Ambassador, the Artist, the Builder. Each one represents a different way of engaging the world around us. And he argues we need all of these voices, working together in harmony, if we're going to faithfully follow Jesus. It's a nuanced, thoughtful conversation about an issue that's causing a lot of division and angst in the church today. But Patrick offers a hopeful vision - one where we embrace the tension, value our diversity, and work together to build something lasting for the next generation. It's a conversation I think you'll find really compelling. So join us as we learn to live in the tension of resistance and cultivation.

Patrick Miller pastors at The Crossing in Missouri, cohosts the podcasts Ten Minute Bible Talks and Truth Over Tribe, and has coauthored one book. His weekly newsletter, Endeavor, explores the intersection of faith, culture, media, and technology. His writing can be found at The Gospel Coalition, Mere Orthodoxy, Christianity Today, and Newsweek. He graduated from Covenant Theological Seminary (MDiv). He and his wife, Emily, live in Columbia, Missouri, with their two children.

Patrick's Book:
Joyful Outsiders

Patrick's Recommendation:
Infinite Jest

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This is a conversation about discernment - about how we listen for and respond to the quiet, persistent voice of God in our lives. Our guest today is Trevor Hudson, a pastor and spiritual director who has spent decades wrestling with this question. As Trevor puts it, when we open our lives to Christ, he brings his whole family with him. Our faith is never just a private, individual thing - it's deeply communal. But at the same time, God has a unique calling for each of our lives. The challenge is figuring out how to hold that tension, to discern both the general will of God and his specific purpose for us. Trevor shares that for him, the foundation of discernment has been surrender - a daily yielding of his life to God, an opening of his hands to receive God's leading. It's about learning to recognize the movements of the Spirit, the subtle stirrings towards greater faith, hope and love. And it's about doing that work in community, with friends and mentors who can help us see what we might be missing. This is not always an easy path. Trevor acknowledges that God's will often involves a kind of dying and rising, a willingness to walk into difficult circumstances. But he insists that there is a deep peace that accompanies it, even amidst the struggle. So how do we tune our ears to hear that still, small voice? How do we learn to live into the unique purpose God has for our lives, while also staying rooted in community? Trevor offers wisdom hard-won over decades of faithful following. It's a conversation that just might change the way you approach the big questions of your life.

Trevor Hudson is an ordained minister in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. After spending forty years doing pastoral ministry in a local congregation, he now gives his time to lecturing, teaching, and writing in the areas of spiritual formation and spiritual direction. Throughout his life as a pastor and teacher, he has sought to prioritize the discipleship ministry of local congregations, build bridges across different "streams" within the Christian community, and relate spiritual formation to daily life within the context of our suffering world.

He is married to Debbie and is the father of two children, Joni married to James, and Mark married to Marike.

Trevor's Book:
In Search of God's Will

Trevor's Recommendation:
Fully Alive

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This is a conversation about certainty, mystery, and the divine. Our guest today is Liz Charlotte Grant, author of the book "Knock at the Sky." Liz takes us on a journey through her own life, from growing up in the certainty of white American evangelicalism, to encountering the mystery and presence of God in powerful experiences. As Liz dives into the book of Genesis, she shows us how reading the scriptures through a literary lens can breathe new life into these ancient stories. We explore the idea of God as a generous host, setting the table for humanity, and the importance of encountering the divine, even when it challenges our preconceptions. Liz encourages us to approach these texts with curiosity and humility, allowing our questions to guide us rather than clinging to rigid certainty. She reminds us that God is not afraid of our questions - in fact, engaging with the mystery may be the path to a deeper, more vibrant faith. This is a conversation that invites us to expand our imaginations, to see God in new ways, and to welcome others as fellow image-bearers. So join us as we knock at the sky, seeking to encounter the divine in fresh and surprising ways.

Liz Charlotte Grant is an award-winning essayist from the suburbs of Denver, Colorado, who writes the newsletter The Empathy List. Her first book releases this January, and it's called Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible.

Liz's Book:
Knock at the Sky

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Today, I'm excited to bring you a conversation that gets to the core of what it means to be human - to grapple with pain, trauma, and the longing to be truly seen and loved. My guest is Michael John Cusick, author of the new book "Sacred Attachment," and he's here to share his deeply personal journey of moving from a place of fear and shame into an embodied experience of God's love and security. Michael reframes the concept of sin, not as moral failure, but as the mishandling of our pain. This shift opens up a whole new avenue for understanding the human condition and the path to healing. He unpacks the five "W's" of brokenness - wretchedness, weakness, woundedness, warfare, and wiring - illuminating the complex, multi-layered nature of the struggles we all face. But this isn't just an intellectual exercise. Michael grounds his insights in his own life story. His life became a journey, as he wrestled with the fear that God was displeased with him, only to be met with an unexpected embrace of love and acceptance. Michael's exploration of Jesus' own secure attachment to the Father, and how that provides a model for us to follow, even in the midst of our own pain and trauma was particularly insightful. He emphasizes the importance of relational encounter, of being seen, soothed and held, in order to move from intellectual belief to embodied experience of God's love. This is a rich, nuanced conversation that challenges us to confront the deepest parts of ourselves, to acknowledge our brokenness, and to open ourselves up to the transformative power of love. There is profound wisdom here for anyone seeking to live a more whole, integrated life. Get ready to receive the love of God.

Michael John Cusick is the CEO and founder of Restoring the Soul, an intensive counseling ministry in Denver. He is a licensed professional counselor, spiritual director, and former assistant professor of counseling at Colorado Christian University. Michael is the author of Surfing for God, and his articles have appeared in such places as Relevant, Huffington Post, and Red Letter Christians. He and his wife, Julianne, have two grown children and live in Littleton, Colorado.

Michael's Book:
Sacred Attachment

Michael's Recommendations:
The Beatitudes
Cloistered

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In this episode, we are counting down our ten most listened to episodes of the year. You will hear clips from:

10. Ep. 160 Emily P. Freeman - Discerning When to Stay and When to Go
9. Ep. 187 Elizabeth Oldfield - Becoming More Fully Alive
8. Ep. 212 Brady Boyd - Pursuing Unity in a Divided World
7. Ep. 243 Mike Cosper - The Church in Dark Times: Resisting the Lure of Ideology
6. Ep. 218 Natalie Runion - Reconstruction After Deconstruction: Going Back to the Original Blueprint
5. Ep. 148 Meghan Larissa Good - Are We in the Middle of a New Reformation?
4. Ep. 235 Scot McKnight - Is the Deconstruction Movement a Prophetic Work of the Spirit?
3. Ep. 159 Sarah Bessey - Practices for an Evolving Faith
2. Ep. 224 Aundi Kolber - Embodied Resilience: Finding Safety and Moving Towards Risk
1. Ep. 211 Jamie Winship Returns - Receiving Your True Identity

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In this episode we are counting down our ten favorite movies of 2024 with guests Elijah Davidson and Craig Detweiler.

Elijah's List:
10. The Piano Lesson
9. Between the Temples
8. Conclave
7. Dune: Part Two
6. Fly
5. Megalopolis
4. Me
3. Anora
2. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
1. Challengers

Craig's List:
10. Rebel Ridge
9. A Real Pain
8. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
7. Conclave
6. I Saw the TV Glow
5. Daughters
4. Dune: Part Two
3. Sing Sing
2. La Chimera
1. Anora

Joshua's List:
10. Small Things Like These
9. The Wild Robot
8. We Live in Time
7. A Real Pain
6. Wicked
5. Civil War
4. Conclave
3. Dune: Part Two
2. Sing Sing
1. Ghostlight

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This is a podcast about setting an intentional rhythm, savoring life’s blessings and...

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