The western church's version of Jesus is too religious. Too focused on power, rules, and control—too busy legislating morality to look anything like, well, Jesus. If faith has been weaponized against you, if ‘Christian values’ seem more about politics than love, you’re not imagining it. Let’s talk about the difference between the real Jesus and the one wrapped in red, white, and blue. This week, we're wrapping up Steve Bezner’s Your Jesus is Too American and talking more about what it really means to follow Jesus when even Christianity doesn't look much like Him.

Our best friend, Beth Allison Barr, came to town, and you know we had to be there. We sat front and center for her talk on biblical womanhood, patriarchy, and why history is way less patriarchal than certain church leaders want it to be. She didn’t hold back, and honestly, we loved every second of it. In this episode, we’re recapping the highlights, sharing our favorite moments, and, of course, talking about "Becoming the Pastor's Wife." Oh, and did we totally fangirl? Maybe. No regrets.

The early church wasn’t obsessed with power. But modern American Christianity? I’s practically campaigning. If you think a billionaire is gonna save your soul—or your bank account—you might need to check who’s really benefiting from all that “Christian generosity.” Spoiler alert: it’s not the poor. It’s not the marginalized. And it’s definitely not Jesus. Generosity with conditions isn’t generosity at all, and when churches start looking more like political action committees than communities of faith, we’ve got a problem. This week, we’re diving into week 2 of Steve Bezner’s Your Jesus Is Too American and asking the big question: has the church traded real generosity for influence and control? Let’s talk about what it really means to give—without the fine print.