Faith
confidence or trust: growing sure in the goodness of our heavenly Father…
A Family Story 2023 / To The Jacks Of All Trades
“A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
What? I thought as the whole story illuminated my soul. Deep within me, I sensed my heavenly Father’s laughter—as though He plays the long game. We are rich in love.
I ran inside to find my wife and read the whole story. She grinned like she does when she’s right. It’s stunning…
C. BAXTER KRUGER / CHRIST IN YOU!
Union, the gospel according to John, the nature of delusion, everlasting mercy, early church fathers and mothers, the always good nature of God, a prophet in his hometown desperation, the wrath of God, hell, freedom, salvation, holiness, the Fatherhood of God before creation, the incarnation, a prophet in his home town, the cloud of witnesses, the all-inclusive vicarious humanity of Jesus, the good Shepherd, in this conversation Baxter reveals the gospel as very good news—Christ in you! Plus, crawfish tacos!
HEATHER HAMILTON / RETURNING TO EDEN
Love, trust, scripture, re-discovering Jesus, sacred moments, the hell of separation, and a God who is love and never leaves, in this conversation, Heather and the guys dive into a Faith that is no longer a white-knuckled grip on implausible beliefs, but a relaxation into a deep inner knowing.
“Sometimes a story is written that changes everything. This book is an irresistible journey into transforming love. These are new and powerful thoughts from a modern day revivalist. Once they take hold they wont let go.”
Those struggling for identity will appreciate “Prone to Love” as a key to unlock and accept their true hidden self. Enjoy!”
Three In One
Every thought, every experience, every heartbeat was a display of mutual, self-giving, other-centered love—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit walking as One. Jesus lived every moment immersed in the lavish surrender of perfect love and the liberty of consent—sure in His Father, confident in the Holy Spirit.
Forward By Randall Worley
The way Jason approaches the question of control reminds me of the poem by Emily Dickinson titled “Tell All The Truth, But Tell It Slant.” Dickinson says that “we should tell the truth —the whole truth—but tell it indirectly, in a circuitous and round-the-houses fashion. The truth,” she says, “is too bright and dazzling for us to be able to cope with it in one go. We have to be overwhelmed by it.”
JARED SCHOLZ / SANDBOX TO MUSEUM
Following Jesus in real time, living responsive, rediscovering Jesus, an evolving and maturing faith, Love being our Cornerstone, the church, growing in trust, and humble leadership, in this conversation, the guys dive into Jared Scholz’s new book, Sandbox to Museum, a book that seeks to clarify the deconstruction landscape and help readers avoid the pitfalls of modern deconstruction.
Free To Give / Sapphira
The difference between an honest question and entrapment is the spirit in which it’s asked. When Grace is the spirit, the question confronts for the purpose of repentance, transformation, and restoration. When Law is the spirit, the question condemns for the purpose of separation and retribution.
JONATHAN FOSTER / indigo: the color of grief
“Exquisitely etched, in a luring cadence, a daughter lost, a family fractured, fractioned, all in the lower case, not shouting at us, but hard to read. I had to stop and regain my composure. What is this terrible beauty? Not a theology but something softer, more delicate, unprotected, exposed. What is this? A moving poem, certainly, but also a prayer, a wounded word, a broken hallelujah, where a random hug, a hand held through the night, a shoulder touched, are the only amelioration, the only God worthy of our time, the only God there may be, the only way to keep the future open.” John Caputo
In this conversation, the guys discuss Jonathan’s new book, indigo: the color of grief. This conversation invites the love of God into our loss, disappointment, and fragile trust.
ROBIN & STEVE SMIT / FREE TO GIVE
In this podcast, Steve and Robin Smit share about the publishing company. TWS, and a new book, “Free To Give.” In a world where the act of giving is often burdened by expectations and legalistic constraints, “Free to Give” emerges as a guiding light of grace and liberation. If you’ve ever been shackled by the weight of ritualistic and obligatory giving or the oppressive thoughts of giving to meet performance standards, this book is your path to freedom.
Free To Give / Peter, You, Me, & Even Ananias
After Ananias and Sapphira were greeted in heaven by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, after being immersed in an atmosphere of grace and love, after their punishing religious obsession with good and evil was exposed, and self-righteous striving had ceased, in the freedom of consent, as they celebrated union, and as the band took a quick five, Jesus leaned over and with a heavenly grin, said, “Sorry about Pete. I told him to ‘feed my sheep,’ and he’s doing a brilliant job of it—most days. But occasionally, he still stumbles over the punishing lie of separation and forgets reconciling love. And when that happens,” Jesus chuckled as He opened His arms, recognizing their participation in the sweet by and by, “well, you know.”
Then Jesus gave a good-natured wink, “At least he didn’t use a sword this time.”
TROY MCLAUGHLIN / THIS UNDIVIDED LIFE
Troy McLaughlin, host of This Undivided Life Podcast, and the guys talked about wholeness. Derek and Jason shared about their journeys and the inception of Rethinking God with Tacos. The guys talked about Jesus as perfect theology, de-reconstruction, an Emmaus Road Jesus, revelation, the resurrected Christ, the burning heart, waking up to wonder, a father’s love, the incarnation, our humanity, sufficient grace, a God who never leaves, and an undivided life.
Miriam / Chapter Seven: The Stranger
The current of the Nile River was strong at some points. But Miriam’s mother had chosen a section of the river that was calm. Even so, Miriam’s breath caught each time the basket bumped into a log or bobbed about in the current.
BRAD JERSAK / AND HE SEARCHED UNTIL HE FOUND THEM
A throughline of trust, the cross and cruciform love, the Church & Eastern Orthodoxy, Deconstruction and liberation from false constructs, leaving and finding Jesus, reorientation, faith, communion, miracles, suffering, loss, and the infinite healing love of god, abandonment and a God who never leaves, a Christocentric hermeneutic, penal substitution, eternal conscious torment and the nature of repentance, in this conversation Brad and Jason dive into Brad’s book, Out of the Embers: Faith After the Great Deconstruction.
DAVID HEWITT / RECONSTRUCTING ECCLESIA
In this conversation, David Hewitt and the guys discuss Church and deconstruction without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.’ David shares his story as a pastor as he rediscovers the ecclesia through a grace-orientated, Trinitarian lens.
BROOKE WATERS & LIZ KOEPP / PATH TO WHOLENESS
Sozo, wholeness, community, purpose, reimaging the goodness of God in the midst of church rejection and trauma, the language of encounter, leaving an angry God and shame and condemnation, belonging and the joy and hope of our union, healing, in this podcast, Brooke Waters, Liz Koepp, and the guys reimagine wholeness through heart-to-heart connection with a trustworthy God who has always looked like Jesus.
They also discuss the upcoming women’s retreat being hosted by Path to Wholeness, Nov 6-9, 2023.
No Partiality / part 2 / Peter & Cornelius
For nearly a decade, when it came to what the early church believed, Gentiles were out. Then suddenly, Peter discovered what was always true, the Truth that set him free: there is no us or them, no, in or out when it comes to our Heavenly Father and His kids. Peter discovered what Paul later wrote about in Galatians, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
No Partiality / part 1 / The Early Church
…It’s nearly impossible, but imagine a church interpreting Scripture to reveal Jesus as the Savior of a select group, a people who looked, believed, and acted like them—as though atonement was somehow, limited…Imagine they interpreted Scripture in ways that separated Gentiles from Jews, in from out, and women from ministry…
ANDRE RABE / ALL CREATION IS INCARNATION
“The universe has a direction; it is moving toward greater meaning and beauty, it’s an unfinished story, and the end has not been determined. You have been invited to author this specific chapter.” Andre Rabe is a storyteller, theologian, philosopher, author, and public speaker, and in this conversation, the guys talked about union, open and relational theology, inclusion, Christ within us, and how “all creation is incarnation.”
MAKE ROOM WITH DEREK TURNER & JASON CLARK
Derek and Jason highlighted the connections being made on the Rethinking God with Tacos Facebook Group. The guys also discussed Derek’s new book, Make Room, a 21-day journey through the Gospel of John. Derek wrote this devotional to help strengthen our trust in our God’s unconditional love, melt fear from our hearts, and help us see ourselves through the eyes of our Father.
The conversation also touched on inerrancy and infallibility, seeing Jesus as the perfect theology, love being our guiding principle, worship songs that emphasize the finished work, and spiritual maturity.
DEREK VREELAND / CENTERING JESUS
In this podcast, Derek Vreeland shared about his new book, Centering Jesus. The guys focused on the centrality of Jesus in spiritual formation, ethical lives, and community life. They discussed the importance of love, unity, and tapping into the imaginative side of faith. They also touched on the significance of the Bible and the image of Jesus as the ruling and reigning King. They concluded by emphasizing the importance of love and unity within the church as a witness to the world.
JOHN CHAFFEE / THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS
Shifting from Western theo-logic to Eastern theo-poetics thinking, vulnerability and transformation, Eneagram5, narcissistic pastors and healing, disrupting the institution, rethinking Job and “upgrading” faith, kayfabe, apokatastasis and a better gospel, interpreting The Prophets with restoration not damnation, and spiral dynamics, in this conversation John Chaffee and the guys dove into the restoration of all things.
CATHY LITTLE & MELINDA WILSON / FACE TO FACE
Face-to-face encounter, the Emanuel Approach to heart healing, the Celtic way of evangelism, mirror neurons, discipleship, transformation, belonging and becoming, renewing our minds, discovering the connection of all things, establishing identity, meditation and changing neural pathways; in this conversation, Melinda and Cathy talked about how to actually experience deep heart connection with God and each other.
MIKE ZENKER / UNDERSTANDING FORGIVENESS
“Forgiveness is an event and a process… Forgiveness came to me…” Christ, within you the hope of glory, the journey of union, discovering our identity, speaking to light within people, no us and them, no hierarchy in love, embracing mystery and asking questions, hope, forgiveness, authentic restoration, and the eternal nature of reconciliation, in this podcast the guys talk about their rethinking journey in the context of pastoring, and Mike shares his powerful story of healing and the journey of forgiveness and a hope that won’t disappoint.
An Eye For An Eye
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye…” An eye for an eye is a phrase you can find throughout Scripture. It’s a phrase often used to define justice today, but there are two ways to interpret it. We, in the West, tend to interpret the phrase punitively—through the lens of a God who punishes.
RANDALL WORLEY / WHEN THE CHURCH WAS YOUNG
Theology and methodology, communal learning, asking questions and discussing false narratives, theodicy, rethinking atonement theories, the stages of faith – simplicity, complexity, perplexity, harmony (Brian McLaren), deconstruction, liturgy, the lectionary, spiral dynamics, and first-tier thinking, the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, and letting God tell our story; in this podcast, Randall and the guys talk about a theology of love as revealed through the incarnation.
LAKHI & GIOVANNA DADLANI / HOPE 4 LIFE
“Nothing is wasted… God meets you where you are and gives you what you need at the moment you need it.” Emotional maturity, connection, inner healing, transparency, vulnerability, transformed lives, and above all, hope; in this podcast, Lakhi and Giovanna Dadlani share their 30-year journey to emotional and spiritual wholeness, true identity, and our Father’s love. Their personal well-being journey ultimately culminates in the beautiful Hope4Life community in Miami.
CATHERINE TOON / MARKED BY LOVE
“Love is not only a powerful emotion, but a person.” Experiential knowing, discovering our identity, helping people encounter love, connection, union, intimacy with God, the value of our humanity, the mystery of maleness and femaleness represented in the Godhead; in this conversation, Catherine and the guys explore the perfection of God’s love both male and female and invite the listener to know Gods personal love for themselves.
A Trinitarian Salesman
Having discovered this place of bliss, I want to take everyone I know with me…
MARK BATTERSON & JOEL CLARK / I CHANGED THE WORLD
A God with smile lines, loving our enemies, recognizing miracles, proactive love, finding God in the midst of story, living a better story, awakening to a better gospel, the power of please, sorry, thanks, the breath of God, hindsight bias, imaginative meditation, and fantastical storytelling, in this podcast, Mark Batterson, Joel Clark, and the guys talk about the love of God discovered in storytelling and share about their new book series, I Changed The World. This bible story adventure series is aimed at tweens ages 9-12. The first title, David, is available now.
Jesus, The Objective Definition Of The Word Good
When I use the word good to describe God, I am not communicating subjectively. I’m not making “a god to my own liking,” as offended brothers and sisters have occasionally suggested. My subjective thoughts don’t get a say in how Jesus defined the word, and Jesus is the revelation of what good means.
JARED NEUSCH / A CHRISTOCENTRIC HERMENEUTIC & A NON-VIOLENT GOD
The doctrine of inerrancy, a Christocentric hermeneutic, the multiple genres of literature within the bible, Jesus as perfect theology, intimacy, trust, and the goodness of God, overcoming evil, loving our enemies, a non-violent God, forgiveness, the American Church’s’ obsession with retribution, Christocentric pacifism, our interconnected-ness, justice; in this conversation, Jared Neusch and the guys dive into a Christ-Centered approach to life, faith, and Scripture.
That Time I Was Asked About Ultimate Reconciliation
There’s nothing safe about a retributive view of God; there’s nothing safe about a God who uses a gun.
DR. MATT PANDEL / LIVING IN THE IN-BETWEEN
“God here, I stand in you, God help me” Martin Luther. The reality of our completion, a pure grace, objective truth (Jesus), experiential truth (how we live it out), union and the God of the promises, evangelism, the ministry of reconciliation, law and grace (never the less, Christ is preached), obedience, community and healing from church trauma, in this podcast, Dr. Matt Pandel and the guys discuss faith, trust, and tacos.
JOHN BLASE / ARE YOU LETTING GOD LOVE YOU TODAY?
“Are You Letting God Love You Today?” Abundant life, the goodness and the GODness of God, loss, suffering, and trust, grieving and grace, and more grace, healing, embracing the heights and depths of the human story, becoming like Jesus, poetry and faith, in this podcast, John Blasé and the guys have a vulnerable conversation about life and trust and the GODness of God. John shares about his friendships with Brennan Manning and Eugene Peterson and the impact they both had on him and our world today.
I Just Let Him Love Me
People who have lived immersed in the Father’s love simply can’t help but love; they’ve become transformed—they have become love.
BRITTNEY SERPELL / IMPERFECT PARENTING
The true goal of parenting—safe, loving, heart-to-heart connection with our kids—in this podcast, Brittney Serpell shares about growing mature in our own identity as parents, modeling repenting and humility, finding courage to fight for family, recognizing fear, control, and punishment in our parenting, trading perfectionism for trust and always pursuing heart-to-heart connection as we guide our kids on their own learning journey to becoming healthy, confident, emotionally intelligent, and strong in character.
Grossly Misinterpreted
Do you wonder why we have a Deconstruction movement today? I think it’s partly because many Christians have been forced to build their faith upon the shaky foundation of an oscillating “Papa who turned away from His Boy.”
MARK APPLEYARD / DIGNITY: THE LEADING EDGE OF LOVE
Redefining success, living loved—from Jesus, laying our lives down for one another, awakening to a union, living from rest, the peace that surpasses understanding, human flourishing, and dignity as the leading edge of love; in this podcast, the guys dive into how dignity seeks to protect the image of God in a person. Dignity treats every human interaction as if it were eternal.
Love Keeps No Record…
Jesus—fully God, fully Man, one with Father, intimate with Holy Spirit—forgives. And His forgiveness confronts the transactional, fallen, sin-counting, punishing justice payment system—“What seems right to a man.”
JOE CHADBURN / PEACE IS INEVITABLE
Justice, love, respect, our shared humanity, a discussion around Christian Zionism and the peace of Jerusalem, ETC, and a shift in hearts and minds around war and the inevitability of peace; in this conversation, the guys connected with Joe Chadburn around the finished work of Jesus and an inevitable peace on earth as it is in heaven.
STEVE MCVEY / QUATUM LIFE
“God didn’t want me because of anything I could do for Him; He wanted me just because He loves me.” Paradigm shifts, intimacy, eternal life, practical applied theology, a sustaining energy of a more subtle kind, the connection of all things, quantum science, quantum faith, the supernatural, miracles, signs and wonders, and union; in this conversation, Steve dives into the scientific universal nature of the love of God.“
Flipping Tables
So, Jesus flipped tables—not in the spirit of retribution but as a revelation of reconciling love. Jesus flipped tables in the authority of, “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do.” Jesus flipped tables in the power of “God in Christ, reconciling…oppressed and oppressor.” 1 Jesus was outraged by injustice, so He flipped tables in the justice of a “Love (that) keeps no record of wrongs.”
LOGAN BARONE / THE MYSTERY IN YOU
“Did Christ accomplish a potentiality, or did Christ accomplish a reality?”
Grace beyond theory, the road of union, discovering Christ in us and embedded in humanity, inclusion, the incarnation, experiencing God, and stories about church life and the journey of faith while searching for community; in this conversation with Logan Barone, the guys discuss the message of his book, The Mystery In You.
My Hermeneutic
As a relational fella, all I can tell ya is, the more confident I become in reconciling love, the less hard stuff wrestling I do with the Book.
PETE SCHELLER / DANCING WITH WISDOM
“For too long the image and understanding of God, the One Jesus called “Abba”, has been hidden from view or distorted beyond recognition. The unspoken cry of sons and daughters all over the world is ‘Give us our Dad back!’”
A renewed mind, western wisdom vs. God’s wisdom, theology in relational terms, and above all, a Father who doesn’t just love us, He really likes us; in this conversation, Pete Scheller shares from his new book, Dancing with Wisdom. The guys dive deep into the Father nature of God and laugh along the way.
The Wages of Sin… in Context
What if “the wages of sin is death” is announcing the inherent consequences of sinful actions and what they will produce in this life, as opposed to saying if we sin, we deserve torment?
RUSTY & ERIN PLEUNE / CREATING A CULTURE OF CONNECTION IN MARRIAGE
Hope, healing, intimacy, unconditional love, and acceptance; in this conversation, Rusty and Erin Pleune talk about the intentional steps they took to create a culture of connection in their marriage and how they now help couples do the same. They also dove into their journey of discovering community and deeper faith as they lean into the goodness of God.
The Slave/Master Paradigm Within The Church
Sadly, much of the church is full of behavior-focused, sin-counting, Older Brothers—slaving servants waxing eloquent on the master’s thoughts and plans while participating in dualism, nationalism, liberalism, moralism, wokeism, and a thousand other obligations outside of friendship.
SCHLYCE JIMENEZ / THE PATH
God to Schlyce: “You never rebelled from me; you rebelled from a version of me that was never me…” Identity, the illusion of separation, trauma triggers and healing, how to hear the voice of God, experiencing the joy and wonder of continual fellowship with God; in this conversation, Schlyce Jimenez shares about her faith journey and her book, The Path. The Path helps readers discover how their life would be different if they could know the Father like Jesus did.
SETH DAHL / SPIRIT LED FAMILIES
“I tell parents ‘You become the theology your kids believe” Engaging our kid’s imaginations, learning to recognize God’s voice, and encountering His love, life, joy, and friendship; in this conversation, Seth Dahl shares stories of transformation and gives insight into Spirit-led parenting. The guys talk about a good God and the journey into trust, intimacy, and union in the context of parenting.
A Hard Teaching?
‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that You are the Holy One of God.’”
Equality As Jesus Revealed It
I’m describing equality as Jesus revealed it. It’s not “equals” based on measurements; it has nothing to do with finite thinking or microscopes. I’m writing about an equality revealed by Greater Love laying down His life for His friends. Self-giving, other-centered love is the birthplace of true equality and is discovered in union.
CHERITH FEE NORDLING / A PERMANENTLY HUMAN GOSPEL
“The reason you can’t take your own human life seriously is because you’ve never taken my (Christ’s) life seriously.” The incarnation, Jesus as fully human, Jesus and His divinity, grace, cruciform love, leaving Gnosticism, resurrection fearlessness, freedom, and salvation as a human story; in this conversation, Cherith shares a beautiful gospel in which we are discovering how to enter into the life of Jesus!
The End Of Hierarchy In The Church
But the Brian Simmons Passion Translation of that verse is my favorite, and I think it’s infinitely more accurate—not based on my academic prowess but on what I know about love.
It reads, “I have never called you ‘servants’… But I call you my most intimate friends….”
JONATHAN FOSTER / THEOLOGY OF CONSENT
“Consent is the depth of love…” Jonathan Foster shares about his book, Theology of Consent, where he blends René Girard’s scapegoating theory with open and relational theology. The guys talk about anthropology, mimetic theory, and the nature of love. This is a conversation for those already deep in the forest of theopoetics, life, love, the church, and theology.
ALLEN ARNOLD / THE EDEN OPTION
“The world is accelerating in the wrong direction. It feels like all we’re doing is trying to fix what’s broken. And it isn’t working. We’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and losing heart. Where is God in all this? Well, he’s living a different story. A story he’s inviting us into.” That’s the back cover introduction to Allen’s new book, The Eden Option. In this conversation, the guys dive in and explore a homeward journey, not to the Eden of the past, but a new Eden discovered in Christ. Union, rest, community, creativity, miracles, and hope, in this podcast Allen shares his journey into trust and maturing faith.
The Church and Her Hierarchy of Exclusion
Exclusion is often the fruit of a retributive, or penal substitutionary atonement, view of the cross—as though the Father looked away, as though Jesus only died to save some, as though Greater Love didn’t reconcile all creation, as though what was lost in Adam wasn’t fully restored in Christ, as though at the cross there was a delineation between Jew or Gentile, black or white, lost or found, sinner or saint, gay or straight, republican or democrat, capitalist or socialist, Christian or Muslim…woman and ministry—as though there is still a veil that separates some from His all-inclusive, measurelessly reconciling love.
EDEN JERSAK / A LOVE THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE
“My mom exemplified this (The Tree of Life) further every time she invited the “black sheep” of the family to our family Christmas events. That was confusing to me as a child because in my mind, and in our culture, they were most certainly “Out,” yet that never deterred my mom from inviting them to our table.” Eden Jersak.
In this podcast, Pastor Eden shares about our heavenly Father’s grace, love, kindness, and all-inclusive love. The cross, the journey of inclusion, reconciliation, pastoring, and valuing humanity as Jesus does, this conversation is between two relational human beings endeavoring to love well.
The Church and Her Inclusively Transformative Nature
You see, as I’ve left every Jesus that isn’t reconciling. I’ve also left every idea of church that isn’t built upon the Cornerstone of Greater Love. I’ve left every aspect of the church that practices us or them, in or out, for or against; and when I find I haven’t, I repent…
The Price Is Too Steep
I was heartsick and disturbed by the theological certainty he placed in the punishing nature of God—a certainty that was clearly crushing him. He was tormented over whether he’d “evangelized” enough. He wondered aloud if a prayer said in the horror of a violent car crash would be enough.
“What am I still lacking?” That was the cruel and punishing road my pastor friend traveled. He seemed to believe God counted his dad’s sins against him—and his dad had come up lacking.
My pastor friend’s pain was real, traumatizing, and tragically unnecessary.
You see, what he described to me wasn’t Christian hope. It was fatalism.
TOMMY MILLER / DEATHLESS
Union, inclusion, sin, grace, the covenants, a very high view of Jesus and humanity, and biblical immortality, Tommy Miller shares about his new book, Deathless. Tommy is passionate about seeing the local Church equip sons to look like their Father and create atmospheres that look like heaven, and it’s evident in this revelatory conversation.
Deathless” is a thought-provoking exploration of the concept of biblical immortality, and the guys have a brilliant conversation unpacking this thought.
Hell and the Older Brother
The older brother was confronted with the offensive truth that he had been keeping score in a game his father wasn’t playing. When it comes to heaven and hell, I think most Western Christians are playing the same deterministic reward and punishment game…
BISHOP JAMIE ENGLEHART / MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
Lucifer and the devil, God, and control, union vs. separation, awakening to Light, Life, and Love, and approaching scripture through sonship; in this conversation, Bishop Jamie Englehart breaks down myths for truth and sheds light on many of our religious misconceptions that have been built upon separation.
Jamie’s understanding of the Kingdom of God, the New Covenant, and the heart of the Father is evident in every word he speaks.
No Omissions
“Finished” means “ended or completed.” I looked it up. Case closed, settled, resolved. No one was overlooked by Christ at the cross—not even Judas. Paul told us, “…in Adam, all die, so in Christ, all will be made alive.”
“All” means, “everyone.” I looked it up.
THOMAS JAY OORD & KEITH GILES / DECONSTRUCTING HELL
Perhaps no modern church dogma has been more destructive to the mission of Jesus, created more atheists, or generated more religious trauma than that of eternal conscious torment (ECT).
In this podcast, the guys talk with Thomas Jay Oord and Keith Giles about their collaboration on Chad Bahl’s book, Deconstructing Hell. The book brings together experts in their fields to take the reader on a historical, philosophical, and theological journey to deconstruct this harmful doctrine, and the podcast highlights Oord and Gile’s contribution.
The guys dive into the “logic of love” and offer compelling pathways to reconstruct a biblical perspective on the nature of God and our understanding of hell.
Trust Is My Throughline
Trust is the central theme of life here on earth. Trust is our throughline and the evidence of heaven coming to earth. Trust is eternal life in the ever-present now. Trust is a Triune God perfectly revealed in the God-Man, Jesus. Trust is discovered in Jesus’ prayer that we would know union as He did—first with Him, our heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit; then with each other.
THE PROBLEM WITH RETRIBUTION WITH JASON CLARK
This podcast announces and features Jason’s new book, Leaving and Finding Jesus, in audio format. Retribution is the title of chapter seven and is presented in its entirety. In this chapter and podcast, Jason juxtaposes retribution with reconciliation and recognizes that a punishment lens on the nature of God is one of the reasons the church is navigating broken trust. It’s also why we currently find ourselves in a Deconstruction Movement.
God is as Jesus revealed Him, and on a cross Jesus forgave. God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself.
SHAWN HARNISH / UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Pastoring a community, faith and living in mystery, putting unconditional love before understanding, kindness that leads to repentance, the nature of trust, punishment hell, Bible College, the Age of Certainty, and timeless reconciling love – in this conversation, Shawn Harnish shares about his 25-plus years of pastoring in one area and the transforming discovery of the finished work of the cross. Add to that, 25-plus years of friendship with Jason and a mutual love of the Buffalo Bills, and you got a profound and fun conversation – Go Bills!
Karen Wouldn’t Say “Obey”
Control is the antithesis of intimacy and oneness. A hierarchal understanding of submission is what’s wrong with this world.
For or Against; The Christian Hypocrisy
And war makes cruel hypocrites out of even the best-intentioned Christians.
And nothing undermines trust quicker than this hypocrisy.
What Is God Like with Troy Mangum
I recently heard a story about a boy who asked an Orthodox Priest if he could pray for Judas’ salvation.
The priest looked at the boy, smiled, leaned down, and responded, “Yes, of course!” When he looked up and caught the concerned and questioning gaze of the boy’s parents, he stood and whispered, “I don’t know what it could mean for Judas, but it will be very good for your boy.”
Every Breath I Breathe
You’re comfortable in my skin, and I am comfortable being Your skin…Christ in me!
You are here, in me and around me, filling every atom and cell, absorbing every bit of darkness, every lie, every distortion. Every breath I breathe…
THE POLAR EXPRESS WITH JASON CLARK
“It’s Christmas Eve, and instead of dreaming of the best day of the year, the boy is in his bedroom agonizing over the universal question: Does God…sorry, I mean Santa Claus, really exist?”
In this final podcast of 2022 and season three, Jason shares a story from his first book about the Polar Express, and faith. Whether you’re tired or wide awake, full or empty, lost or found, sick or whole, you are loved by Triune God who walks beside you, will never leave you, and invites you to awaken to His affection and love. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, and goodwill toward men!”
Judas’ Salvation
I recently heard a story about a boy who asked an Orthodox Priest if he could pray for Judas’ salvation.
The priest looked at the boy, smiled, leaned down, and responded, “Yes, of course!” When he looked up and caught the concerned and questioning gaze of the boy’s parents, he stood and whispered, “I don’t know what it could mean for Judas, but it will be very good for your boy.”
Why Evangelize?
I met with a church board member at his house to discuss the article for the purpose of connection and understanding—so we could move forward together. At least, that’s what I thought we were doing. Karen and I had no desire to leave the church; it was our extended family.
“If we can be saved after we die, why evangelize?” He asked.
“We evangelize because life is infinitely richer and more beautiful when lived in an ever-transforming revelation of God’s measureless love in the here and now—right?” I asked.
“Of course, yes!” he agreed wholeheartedly.
JASON GRIMSLEY / CROSS STITCHED
“Whether I’m high or low, in heaven or hell, nothing can ever separate me from God’s love.” Jason dives into a memoir he helped his friend, baseball legend, Jason Grimsley, write. They guys talk about Jason’s wild and unbelievable life. This conversation is part storytelling, part revelation, and all testimony of the love of God.
Jason shares about several hardships he’s faced, including a botched suicide attempt and the near destruction of his marriage. The guys shared insights and wisdom for the highs and lows of life. And all along the way, they highlighted the message of the book. Cross Stitched displays the very real and present love of God and the abundant life He offers us when we surrender to Him.
AN EMMAUS ROAD DECONSTRUCTION WITH MATTHEW HESTER
The Kingdom within, relational intimacy, a triune God reconciling the world to Himself, faith like Abraham, hermeneutics, and an Emmaus Road Deconstruction, in this podcast, Jason talks with his friend Matthew Hester about his new book, Leaving and Finding Jesus. “Repenting is a de and reconstruction all in one,” and in this conversation, the fellas talk about an Emmaus Road walk with Jesus where He gently and definitively reveals the Cornerstone of faith, God in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself.
BRIAN ZAHND / WHEN EVERYTHING’S ON FIRE
“I felt like the Jesus I knew deserved a better Christianity than the Christianity I knew.” In this podcast, Zahnd shares about the Christian faith in alignment with Jesus and the journey he’s taken in discovering this good news! De- and reconstruction, a non-violent, non-retributive God who is reconciling the world to Himself, hermeneutics, hell, and the wonder of church deep and wide, in this conversation, the guys discuss a much richer, wider faith. The guys dive into Brian’s book, “When Everything’s on Fire,” a conversation that invites us to move beyond the crisis of faith toward the journey of reconstruction.
Dear Church, Welcome To The Revolution!
Dear church, this 2000-year-old Deconstruction Movement is part of the reformation we’ve longed for, the revival we’ve prayed for, the billion-soul harvest the church has prophesied, a people in search of kindness. It’s a repentance movement full of sons and daughters growing sure in love—and fathers and mothers growing confident in reconciliation.
We Had Thought He Was the One
It was also a confession; one every follower of Jesus has or will make at some point in our relationship with God; if we’re being honest. It’s a humble recognition that our certainty can be flawed, our ideology broken, our theology incomplete.
Baby Hitler, Time Travel, and Retributive Justice?
The “kill-baby-Hitler-to-save-humanity” time travel game doesn’t work because retribution is a distortion of justice.
A Hard Teaching & Burning Hearts
“Does this offend you?” the Emmaus Road Jesus asked His disciples. For many, it did, and understandably so. “From this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed Him. ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.”
Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that You are the Holy One of God.’”
Panic In The Backseat
When Karen was five, she had her first and only panic attack. It was on a Sunday, after church. She had a tummy ache and, with it, a sudden terror. What if she died? She began to hyperventilate. So, dad and mom put her in the car, where she sat in the back seat between her grandmothers. And they raced to the hospital.
In that moment of paralyzing fear, when five-year-old Karen thought she was dying, she told her grandmothers she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart.
And she did.
The Adventures of a Dyslexic Map Reader
Everything in this next story is true, metaphorically…
One day I summited a mountain. While taking in the stunning view, I discovered a systematic friend had also just arrived and was enjoying the same vista. We embraced and then, filled with wonder, reveled in our shared awe of the landscape – it was Revelation.
Tattoos, The Trucker Life and a Better Jesus
Dave was a Christian, and Jesus was his best friend. Mine, too. Truly. But when we talked about Jesus, Dave’s thoughts were fuller and better than mine. We both used the same words to describe Jesus, but Dave’s interpretation was deeper and more complete. Dave’s understanding of God’s goodness was also better than I understood it.
THERE IS NO “US OR THEM” AT THE CROSS
This podcast highlights Jason’s book, Leaving and finding Jesus, where he writes about his deconstructing faith journey. The book is Jason’s Emmaus Road discovery of a love that is reconciling all creation; a journey where he’s awakening to a burning heart while leaving every Jesus who won’t lay His life down for His friends.
On Deconstructing Well…
The sin of certainty is a phrase I’ve heard over the last few years, mainly by those deconstructing. It’s a phrase employed to point out hypocrisy within the church. And there’s plenty to point out. It’s a phrase used to highlight the cruel and punishing things done by the church in the name of love. And there’s plenty to highlight…
5Q – THE FIVEFOLD WITH BRANDON KELLY
Derek and Jason dive into the fivefold (APEST) typology of ministry as articulated in Ephesians 4:1-1 with Brandon Kelly, the co-director at 5Qcollective. APEST stands for the Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Shepherding, and Teaching intelligence that Jesus gifted to his body.
The guys discussed the fivefold in connection with the nature of God as non-hierarchal and inclusive, laced throughout creation and culture, reconstituted and perfectly exemplified in the life and ministry of Jesus, embedded into the very foundations of the Church, and subsequently expressed through the lives of the countless saints that make it up.
Better Than Our Best Understanding
Mankind has been submitting the goodness of God to our broken experiences since the fall. But thankfully, Jesus is the goodness of God revealed, and He climbs inside every god-box we create and blows them up from the inside with His goodness.
WM. PAUL YOUNG / ETERNAL LIFE, THE EVER PRESENT NOW
“Eternal life is not on a timeline, it is the ever-present now.”
Wm Paul Young, the author of The Shack, talks with Lloyd and Jason Clark about eternal life, an authentic friendship with our Father where we are free to live in the ever-present now. Union, peace, grace, expectancy, trust, facing our fear, the incarnation, death, writing for the one, and stories about Pauls’s friends on death row and the Shack movie, this is an authentic and vulnerable conversation.
If Then The Light Within You
After Jesus tells us about how important our perception of God is, how the eye is the gateway to wholeness or brokenness, He says something amazing and often overlooked.
“If then the LIGHT WITHIN YOU is darkness…”
It seems our perception doesn’t change the nature of light nor its inhabitation. Even if we perceive the light within us as darkness, it remains light and remains within us. if there is no separation between us and God, then the question isn’t, “Is the light within us?” it’s, “How do we perceive it?”
WINN COLLIER / WE BELONG TO ONE ANOTHER
The thread through all Winn Collier’s work is delight in the God who exists as the blazing center of everything that is good, beautiful, and true; and you feel that in this conversation. In this podcast, Winn and Jason talk about God’s hope and heart for all creation to know we belong to one another. The guys dive into wholeness, cruciform love, and what it means to be fully human.
Then Winn talks about his friendship with Eugene Peterson, writer of The Message Translation. Winn shares about the biography he recently released on Eugene’s incredible life, A Burning In My Bones, and on their shared heart for pastors and the church!
A Relational Theologian
Relationship is the only theological lens through which I can communicate authentically and with any effect. Love is my doctrine. Kindness my dogma. The goodness of God my creed.
FAITHFULLY CONNECTED WITH DEREK TURNER & JASON CLARK
Matt Chandler, pastor, and writer, recently used the phrase “a sexy fad” when describing the deconstruction movement. Derek and Jason highlight his statement to dive into the nature of their own de/ and reconstruction. This podcast dives into sin, grace, reconciliation, and God’s love for all His kids, the church deep and wide. Ultimately, the guys kick off season three embracing Rom 8:38-29 That nothing… “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
LEIF HETLAND / THE LOVE AWAKENING
In this conversation Leif, Mark Appleyard, and Jason dive into Leif’s new book, The Love Awakening. Through personal stories, the guys discuss the powerful, supernatural Baptism of Love that breaks off shame, affirms identity, and reveals the unconditional love of the Father. This is a life-giving conversation around union, evangelism, and the miraculous.
A Wonderful Life!
Every life on this planet is in part a revelation of the creativity, diversity, and symmetry in the heart of God and an ever-expanding canvas paraphrase of the gospel!
Can I see and love what Papa sees and loves in every other person today?
The Incarnation, Christ in us!
JOHN ELDREDGE / RESILIENT: RESTORING YOUR WEARY SOUL
The human soul has a built-in yearning for joy and beauty and all good things. But that craving for life has taken a real beating in recent years. Between false promises of ease and comfort on one side and the sheer trauma of global disease and disasters on the other, people today are facing a shortage of peace, happiness, and strength.
In this conversation, John and Jason dive into John’s new book, Resilient. The guys talk about life and faith during and since the pandemic. They dive into the evidence of trauma, how to discover peace in the midst of disappointment, the dark night of the soul, de- and reconstruction, and ultimately union. This conversation reveals a path toward genuine recovery and resilience provided by Jesus himself.
JUSTIN STUMVOLL / LOVE IS THE KEY
Justin Stumvoll is a speaker, teacher, and life consultant who knows the kindness of God and loves to create space for individuals to find healing so they can be their most authentic selves Just dives into Love being the key to helping folks walk through the gritty, vulnerable and real approach to transformation. This was a fast-paced conversation where the guy’s traded stories about the reconciling nature of God; they talked about punishment, self-judgment, reconciliation, justice, sin, grace, freedom from addiction, and more. This podcast is bursting with the kindness of God that transforms the world.
icuTalks / End The Stigma With-In The Church
Last month I had the opportunity to speak at icuTalks on the topic of Ending Stigma in the Church.
I was incredibly honored and took all 26 of my 25 minutes to talk about a reconciling God in a church that often perceives him through the lens of retribution. If you’re curious about the new book I am finally wrapping up, Leaving & finding Jesus, this is a good introduction.
A Name Like Honey
This isn’t a breakup book, it’s an expression of our friendship. And an expression of His great affection for you. I wrote in the context of my ever-expanding friendship with Jesus so you might further know Greater Love.
JOHN CROWDER / TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY
John Crowder pulls from the different streams of the church to talk about Christilogical Trinitarian theology, grace, union, contemplative practice, intimacy, and mystical Christianity. John and Jason dive into the Cross, Western atonement theories, and the religious industry built upon separation; how Jesus is healing the human race. John describes a relationship with a person, Christ. He invites us to embrace mystery so we might discover that God looks like Jesus.
An Authoritarian In Pastor’s Clothing
Blind trust is a fool’s game. A person’s title doesn’t infer character, or integrity, and has nothing to do with kindness. And honor and trust aren’t the same things.
KAREN SWALLOW PRIOR / LIFE, LITERATURE, & GOD
Karen Swallow Prior is a Reader, Writer, and Professor. In that order, which was discussed in this conversation along with the power of language, the Word becoming flesh, the connection of imagination with logic and reason, empathy, trauma, the theodicy of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and love being the center of our conversations. Karen also shares about getting hit by a literal bus and how she grew in her understanding that her life is in God’s hands.
You Can’t Get There From Here
“What am I still lacking?”That question cuts to the heart of the matter. And I imagine Jesus was thrilled by it. It’s a humdinger, a recognition that even though the young man kept all of the commandments, something was missing…
SCOTT CROWDER / LEARNING TO BE PRESENT
Scott Crowder is a pastor, singer-songwriter, and one of Jason’s closest friends. The guys dive into their love for the church, about learning how to be present with God, ourselves, each other, and our community. Scott talks about creating church cultures that practice the fruits of the Spirit, learning to lead ourselves and others in seasons of joy and sorrow, that “success” isn’t about numbers, cool fads, or being ‘front runners,’ it’s discovered in community.
THOMAS JAY OORD / OPEN & RELATIONAL THEOLOGY
Thomas Jay Oord shares about open relational theology; how it connects with the way we live and matches our deepest intuitions. The guys talked about a relational God who is genuinely loving, looks like Jesus, and walks through each day with us, impacting and impacted by our friendship.
Thomas describes an uncontrolling, loving God, that harmonizes with scripture. In this podcast, he dives into the subjects of hell, prayer, and evangelism all through the lens of open relational theology.
DANIEL GROTHE / THE POWER OF PLACE
Daniel Grothe and the guys discuss his new book, The Power of Place, which speaks the sense of loneliness that many feel in today’s age of hypermobility and noncommittal wandering, reminding us of the ancient vow of stability and teaching us how we can lead a richer life of friendship, community, and purpose.
They also touch on the deconstruction movement within the church, how authoritarian leadership has wounded and undermined trust, and how healing and connection are available only where we practice the long game of family.
PETER HIETT / WHAT ABOUT HELL?
The goodness of God but hell, atonement but hell, reformation but hell, scripture but hell, Calvinism but hell; in this podcast Peter Hiett describes hell as “Satan’s big but.” In this conversation Peter walks us through the story of our own creation, the goodness of God’s reconciling love, the relational kindness of a God who encounters, sets free and transforms.
Peter describes a God who delights in His creation, a God who destroys what is evil, creates what is good, and invites us to observe our own creation in Christ Jesus.
JAMIE & DONNA WINSHIP / OUR TRUE IDENTITY
How to experience God, confession, faith, fear, freedom, our true identity, and cruciform, others-focused, self-emptying unconditional love barely scratches the surface of this packed conversation on the goodness of God. Jamie and Donna Winship share how we can discover our true identity through a relationship with God and each other.
I May Be A Better Atheist Than You…
“But you still consider yourself a Christian!” He responded with anger.
“Yes, but not as you define it.” Then I added, “I am absolutely in love with God, just not the one you’re angry at. Man, when it comes to that god, I may be a better atheist than you.”
A Family Story Film Project
A Family Story pairs classically trained actors with best-selling children’s books. Children’s imaginations will soar to new heights as they watch their favorite characters come to life.
ROD WILLIAMS / UNION WITH DISTINCTION
Union, a Triune God, mutual indwelling others-centered love (perichoresis) approaching scripture to discover Jesus, and communion are some of the themes Rod Williams dives into. What if “all” means “all” and God isn’t distant? There is no distance, no separation in God and this conversation is a beautiful invitation to awaken to that discovery and our union with Him.
Religion vs. Grace
“Christianity is not a religion: it is the proclamation of the end of religion. Religion is a human activity dedicated to the job of reconciling God to humanity and humanity to itself. The gospel, however – the good news of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is the astonishing announcement that God has done the whole work of reconciliation without a scrap of human assistance. It is the bizarre proclamation that religion is over – period!” Writes F. Robert Capon.
Good Soil
As a kid, I listened in earnest when this parable was preached. You see, I really wanted to be good soil. But I could do the math well enough to realize the odds were against me, cause 3 out of 4 soils suck.
It seems 75% of all soil is in for some bad news. But there was also good news, for 25% of us. And that was the gospel I was raised in.
A lot of those early formative prayers could be boiled down to “Dear God, I was bad soil again today, please help me beat the odds tomorrow, amen”
SCOT MCKNIGHT / A CHURCH CALLED TOV
Co-Author of A Church Called TOV, Scot McKnight talks about his new book written in response to the abuses of power, sexual abuse, and spiritual abuse within the leadership of Willow Creek, Harvest, and sadly churches of all shapes and sizes.
We talked about TOV (which means goodness) and how when we practice empathy, compassion, extending grace, putting people first, telling the truth, promoting justice, and serving others, TOV emerges in the culture and we all become more Christlike.
Deconstruction: Dear Church, Welcome to The Revolution
I remember the first time I heard the term ‘deconstruction.’ While I grasped the metaphor, the word didn’t resonate with me.
I’ve certainly done some spiritual deconstructing in my life, but I am inclined to use a descriptor more in line with ‘reconstruction.’ This is partly because I’m a ‘glass half full’ guy; at least, I want to be. But also, my spiritual journey has been less about what I tore down, and more about what replaced it.
Here’s To Bigger Dreams
I continue to discover that Acts 2:17 is true, dreaming is an old man’s game, but the older I get the more I discover that only children can truly play it. Dreaming is for children who have chased down vision, failed, lived through disillusionment, disappointment, loss, sorrow, and endless rejection, and still surrender their hearts to the wonder, innocence, kindness, and goodness of Love…
Kindness
It’s His kindness that exposes our arrogance and hypocrisy, that knocks us off our high horses; the same kindness that violently knocked Paul on his ass exposing his elite violent unkindness toward God’s beloved. And it’s His kindness that exposes our ignorance, broken ideology, and oppressive theology, that gently reveals resurrection life; the same kindness shown on a road to Emmaus when God hid Himself so His beloved could discover union.
Jesus, The Stranger
I think Jesus showed up as a stranger, so their limited ideas regarding the goodness of God wouldn’t cut them off from experiencing the goodness of God…so their limited ability to understand friendship with God wouldn’t cut them off from experiencing the friendship with God…so their theology wouldn’t undermine their ability to encounter the nature of Gods kindness…so their understanding of the reconciling love of God could be experienced without their belief in the retributive nature of God getting in the way…so the law would not cut them off from experiencing grace…so their understanding of mercy could bend the knee to mercy…so their thoughts on justice wouldn’t divorce them from experiencing justice
Can You Be Saved After You Die?
In measurement-based systems, God’s forgiveness, and grace, and kindness, and reconciling love are ultimately limited aspects of His nature, while we redefine wrath and condemnation as God’s eternal and defining attribute…
What Am I Still Lacking?
The young fella replied, “All these I have kept; what am I still lacking?”…“What am I still lacking? It’s a good question, a recognition that something is missing, an acknowledgment that something still doesn’t measure up, a confession of incompleteness. What am I still lacking? is the conclusion of living in the context of law instead of grace. What am I still lacking? is the beginning and end of every transactional approach to God.
Flip Your Lid with Kim Honeycutt
I had the incredible honor of conversing with psychotherapist Kim Honeycut for her podcast.
Below is a synopsis of our conversation. It was a good one!
Jason Clark is a pastor, writer, producer, and many more titles. He is also a cisgender, white male who was removed from a church because he had different ideas about the Bible. This is his story about leaving and rediscovering Jesus.
Equality With God?
..I believe Jesus is God’s thoughts regarding equality; that the definition of equality is discovered in a triune God stepping into flesh and blood. And I think Jesus, fully God and fully man, displayed this equality through His union, oneness, and intimacy with Father and Holy Spirit.
The Glory of God… Without Lifting A Finger
The romance is in the truth that God always loved me, before my co-operation or obedience. Long before I put my trust in Him, He was passionately in love with me. I have always been the apple of His eye! “I was in Him before I was in Adam!” And the incarnate Christ redeemed the glory that I already was!
Was Jesus The Most Obedient Person To Ever Walk The Planet?
What if Jesus doesn’t call us servants because servants can’t know what’s in the mind or heart of the master? What if, instead, Jesus calls us friends because in this union, this friendship, we can discover all the Father has revealed? (see John 15:15)
Stubborn In The Right Direction
Love is how I address politics, religion, culture, the news cycle, nationalism, the United Nations, COVID, Vaccines, flat earthers, and misplaced trust in corporations and government…
Dear, Desperately Seeking…
I will forewarn you this email will be abundant with questions… Here goes nothing… Why do we believe the Bible, how do you view and read the Bible, why are there so many different religions that seem to have similar ideas, do you believe in hell, what is it, who goes there, why do some oppose your ideas and why don’t they see it the same way, who’s right, who’s wrong, what and who should I believe. How about psychics who believe in Jesus, aren’t they similar to prophets, what’s the difference, how about the LGBTQ community, are they sinners and why aren’t they included in the kingdom, and the list goes on and on…
The Emmaus Road
Jesus, the Stranger, joins me on my journey; His reconciling love burns within me and invites me to recognize and awaken to the burning. Jesus’ love invites me into mystery and revelation until I am reflecting my redeemer, discovering and yielding to His image and likeness within me, so I would know union, that we might be one.
LEAVING & FINDING JESUS
Jason introduces the book he is currently working on, Leaving (& finding) Jesus, which challenges readers to stop building their faith upon the broken foundations of a transactional view of God, and instead, embrace the powerful understanding of reconciliation and self-giving love that truly transforms our lives and our world.
Stoning And Sacrificial Love
Those men holding stones? They were participating in their death devotion; a vicious spirit of sin-focused retribution which is counter to the gospel of Jesus. Those men did not understand what spirit they were participating in; through stoning the woman, they condemned themselves to the same retribution because those who use stoning die by stoning… Because, in the paradigm of good versus evil, sin is our ultimate judge and all have sinned…
Inheritance In the Saints
The Inheritance is the final sermon of the “Unspoken Sermons” series and a true reflection and summary of MacDonald’s thoughts. Abba, our Heavenly Father, is the beginning and end and everything in between…
Outwitted
But love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle and took him In!
That is the gospel of Jesus on a cross; that no matter the circles drawn to shut people out, Love draws bigger circles, Love says, “We all belong, we become!”
10 Rules Of Engagement For Social Media
Sacrificial love is my guide. I know this love to be like Jesus on a cross, unoffended, forgiving, and reconciling all to Love. There is no “us and them” in this good news, we all belong to each other. With that in mind, here are some thoughts I have had through the years…
A Family Story 2021 Newsletter
Dear friends, It’s been about a year and a half since I wrote A Family Story Newsletter. So, you know, not much has happened…
BRIAN MCLAREN / FAITH AFTER DOUBT
“Christian faith, for me, is no longer a static location but a great spiritual journey…what matters most…is not where we are but where we’re going.” This podcast is a gentle invitation to discover a way of faith defined by love. Brian and Jason discuss navigating rejection, stepping away from literalism, and inerrancy in our approach to scripture and faith, and their personal journey of trusting that God is better than our best thoughts about Him.
Interstellar Love
Brand, quietly at first, but then with greater conviction says, “Maybe it means something more, something we can’t yet understand. Maybe it’s some evidence some artifact of a higher dimension that we can’t consciously perceive… Love is the one thing we’re capable of perceiving that transcends dimensions of time and space. Maybe we should trust that even if we can’t understand it yet…”
AWAKENING! with DEREK TURNER & JASON CLARK
An infinite love, the nature of revelation, a kindness that changes our minds, the joy of our salvation discovered as we awaken to the resurrection, the risen Christ within us, in this podcast Derek and Jason discuss how all creation is awakening to the transforming certainty of sacrificial love and resurrection life.
The Faith That Kills You?
Austrian born in 1879, Franz Reichelt ended up in France. He died in 1912.
He was a tailor, a designer, and an inventor. And he had a vision. He was intent on helping aviators survive large falls should they be forced from their aircraft mid-flight.
Franz was a parachuting pioneer and today is occasionally referred to as the ‘flying tailor.’ He designed the first prototype, it was not like what we know today, no canopy above. It was a wearable parachute.
CARLOS PADILLA / WALKING IN GOD’S POWER
Healing, miracles, the power of God, evangelism through the gospel of inclusion, faith, and reframing repentance, Carlos shares about his journey of discovering that the miraculous, or a transformed life, is simply about discovering God’s love and our origin and union in Him.
RANDALL WORLEY / BRUSHSTROKES OF GRACE
“The two greatest myths that we, as humans, believe, are the myth of separation and the myth of scarcity.”
Grace, empathy, spiritual maturity, identity, destiny, purpose, and a sense of our eternal significance and worth; in this podcast, Randall Worley dives headlong into the measureless transforming and reconciling mystery of the love of God.
Time Travel and The Omnipresent Nature of Love
What if today, while I write, I am also in the “cloud of witnesses” cheering on myself, my family, my friends, and the sons and daughters of God as we awaken to love? What if, while you read this, you are also seated in Christ at the right hand of my Father? (See Heb 12:1 & Eph 2:6) What if we have been invited to live from the measureless omnipresent love of God that dwells within us? What if every prayer, every promise, every dream, every hope has its beginning and end in the measureless, retroactive, proactive, reconciling, omnipresent love of God?
Adoption as Transformation with George MacDonald
In MacDonald’s sermon “Abba, Father!” he defines spiritual adoption as transformation. For him, as it was for St. Paul, adoption was not our familiar western version of taking a non-family member into our family, but an eastern one of a spiritual coming of age, a Jewish bar mitzvah. For us, it is a transformation from within of both an internal and external nature…
THE DE/RECONSTRUCTING PARENT WITH SARAH TURNER & KAREN CLARK
Sarah Turner and Karen Clark take the hosting reins to share their de/reconstructing faith journey and how, primarily through parenting, they began to rethink who God is and their approach to scripture, church, and ministry.
From Harry Potter and the college years to church life – the good, the bad, and the ugly, they talk about how parenting for connection and living an honest relationship with a loving God, is the most transformative thing we can do in our lives, our kids lives, and in ministry.
ADDISON BEVERE / SAINTS, BECOMING MORE THAN CHRISTIANS
Identity, union, searching scripture through the lens of Jesus, and holiness discovered through community, Addison brilliantly describes that we are beloved saints.
Inerrancy or Error?
But, when I address literal inerrancy, I am not juxtaposing inerrancy with error, I am juxtaposing inerrancy with sacrificial love and resurrection life, with Jesus. I’m not playing the game of good or evil, right or wrong, inerrant or in error; I’m simply writing about the authority of sovereign love…
WHEN LOVE COMES TO TOWN / with DEREK TURNER
He came and he walked beside us, He said, “I will never leave you, I will never forsake you; you are not alone, you belong.” When we discover this love, we are transformed and we begin to love like He does. On Palm Sunday Derek speaks about the cross and how we are invited to live surrendered and sure in love. He talks about laying down our loves, loving our enemies, and seeing the kingdom come.
GOD IS NOT IN CONROL / SOVEREIGN LOVE with JASON CLARK
What if control is a flawed word to describe God’s sovereignty? What if there is an infinitely better word, a greater revelation, LOVE! Through a fresh look at God’s sovereignty, Jason invites you into a transforming encounter with the love and goodness of our heavenly Father.
Literal Inerrancy and Child Sacrifice?
For years a literal, inerrant approach to scripture had me reading this story and wrestling with the nature of God’s goodness instead of the nature of man’s fallen thinking.
As though a good god is a god who would partner with the idea of child sacrifice to, in some way, test his kids. As though Abrahams’s demonic belief in child sacrifice is meant to define what God is like instead of what Abraham was like; what a fallen mindset is like, what we, humanity, are capable of attributing to the nature of God…
DOUG CREW / WHAT DOES LOVE LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW?
Navigating through loss with a good God, experiencing the presence of God as a loving Father, loving our neighbor, democrat and republican, and love answering every question that aches in the heart of humanity, Doug Crew shares on these subjects and more with insight and grace. Doug is the executive leader of Shiloh Place Ministries and a good friend of the podcast.
MATTHEW HESTER / GOD WAS PLEASED TO REVEAL HIS SON IN ME
Mystery, faith, salvation and awaking to Christ’s likeness within us, adoption and sonship, being in the family, discovering the Word in scripture, and living from union, we discuss this and more with Matthew Hester in a passionate conversation around the love of God. Matthew is an author, pastor of Dominion Church (Greer SC), and founder of Hester Ministries and Present Truth Academy.
Learning To Live From Above
So how am I to deal with the good versus evil paradigm of the world that I still live in? Do I call it out? Do I expose, judge, and accuse those with opposing views and opinions? How do I involve myself in the fray without becoming frayed?
HAROLD & LINDA EBERLE / THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION
Harold and Linda Eberle share about the catalytic love of God that is transforming our western understanding of the church. They speak on victorious mindsets, kingdom thinking, the myth of separation, reconciliation through the death of Jesus, and salvation through his life; plus old elephants! This is a power packed interview full of profound insight.
The Preacher
This preacher drowns with the disobedient outside the ark, with the chariot armies of the Egyptians, with the lost tribes of Israel, and with us. He does not want to be the only righteous human while the rest of us, his unrighteous brothers and sisters, go under. His baptism is our baptism.
KIM HONEYCUTT / SHAME, AND WHAT TO DO WITH IT
In this podcast, Psychotherapist Kim Honeycutt addresses shame, blame the trauma of rejection. She brilliantly highlights our intrinsic worth, our identity in Christ, and the journey from rejection to acceptance.
Hell, and Freedom
Look, if a future punishment is the only thing keeping a person from hurting others, by all means, that person might need to keep believing in hell. But let’s not pretend that person is whole or free. And whatever we do, let’s not give that kind of thinking a pulpit in our lives.
DON KEATHLEY / THE GOSPEL
Don Keathley touches on the goodness of our Father, Jesus as perfect theology, grace, our union, our identity, how to approach scripture, and the lie of eternal conscious torment.
ALLEN ARNOLD / CHAOS CAN’T
God creates order from disorder and we have been invited to co-create with Him. In the midst of chaos, “we associate peace with answers. God associates peace with Union.”
Betrayal and Love
“This is my body, broken for you! Boys and girls, you are not abandoned, I will not leave you orphaned…”
LLOYD CLARK / I AM ENOUGH
With humor and authenticity, Lloyd talks about the finished work of the Cross, how Jesus fixed the problem of separation, and our invitation to awaken to our union.
Donald Trump, Politics, and the Church
I have witnessed the church, my brothers and sisters on both sides of an American aisle that doesn’t exist in heaven, go to war with one another on behalf of their devotion ‘for or against’ a politician.
THOMAS JAY OORD / GOD CAN’T
“Given that we start with God’s power…we end up giving God the kind of capabilities that make God culpable; in other words, morally responsible for not only causing but allowing bad things…I think there are good biblical reasons to object to that standard view of Gods power.” Thomas Jay Oord
The Hard Stuff in Scripture
Recently a friend sent a text suggesting that I do a podcast highlighting the ‘hard stuff’ in Scripture.
I responded back, “What hard stuff?”
THE CROSS with DEREK TURNER & JASON CLARK
In this first episode of season two, Jason and new host Derek Turner dive into the wonder of what Jesus revealed about our Father and humanity through the cross and resurrection.
Swords, Spears, Guns, and Lasers
Remember how they were joined by a host of raging superhero death angels shouting “Glory in the highest,” and “On earth, as it is in heaven!” while they committed acts of retributive justice that would make Quinton Tarantino blush.
The Bride and the Ecclesia
Membership in a church does not automatically make me part of the Bride of Christ.
Fixing the Church Scale Problem
No matter how we package the metrics, the current model of the Church in the West is incapable of scaling Kingdom growth at a rate that can keep up with it…
Father Abraham, Tacos, and God’s Goodness
If Facebook existed during Abraham’s day, I imagine he would have been angry at my thoughts about God’s goodness.
Sovereign Love / six-part teaching series
While many of us believe the sovereignty of God has something to do with control, Jesus revealed the true definition of the sovereignty of God in the power and authority of sacrificial Love…
Conquering the “I am not” Lie
The incarnation is the basis for healthy thinking. Therefore, the idea that I am not the expression of His image and likeness can no longer attach itself to my thoughts.
The Church, Politics, and Trust
It seems the North American church doesn’t understand how trust works. You see, while trust is earned through faithfulness over time, it can be lost the same way.
I Was Born to Do This
Then we walked down the streets of JT Williams, a struggling community, to pick up twenty or so sweet kids. We took them to their local school parking lot, gave them a snack, told a Bible story, played games, and worked on a craft together. I loved it.
The Most Accepted Heresy on the Planet
The idea that God rejects, abandons, or turns away is the most accepted heresy on the planet.
Seven Reasons Why I Don’t Belong to a Political Party
In this highly charged political season of us and them, we must not find our belonging or identity in a political party or persona. Otherwise, we become lost.
Encountering Humanity on 5th and 2nd
Masks, no masks, a black woman, a middle-aged white woman, a red neck, an old white man, and a black man met up yesterday on the corner of 5th and 2nd to work together for the good of humanity!
“The Wages of Sin…” in Context
What if “the wages of sin is death” is announcing the inherent consequences to sinful actions and what they will produce in this life, as opposed to saying if we sin we deserve torment?
God is Good, Not Just Nice
His goodness is rooted in Himself not just in His behavior towards us.
Rose-Colored Glasses
The goodness of God has been offending the sensitivities of man’s understanding since the fall, mine included.
In Defense of Paraphrase Bibles
Your completeness in Christ is not a remote goal but our immediate reference!
Questioning My Answers / A Manifesto for Spiritual Searchers
“…I felt that if everybody is saying the same thing then somebody is not thinking. Back then and now, my heart cry to the church I was a part of was, “Let my people think.”
RANDALL WORLEY / Questioning My Answers
Randall Worley talks about having a “beginner’s mind,” faith while embracing mystery, pioneering and the nature of heresy, the limits of language, approaching scripture through love, and the importance of remaining curious while understanding that God is not insecure or defensive when we raise hard questions.
MICHAEL MCELYEA / You Love Me, But You Don’t Know Who I Am
You love me, but you don’t know who I am. Those are the words God spoke to Michael several years ago and it took him on a journey into measureless love, grace, and union with an always good, never leaving, no distance or separation, Triune God. With grace and joy the conversation dove into the two greatest lies on the planet, Penal Substitution and Eternal Conscious Torment.
You Are the Coin
Coins bear an image. You carry the image and imprint and poetry and signature of the divine, who has engraved you on the palms of His hands.
KATIE SKURJA / Discovering Our Humanity
In this podcast, Katie Skurga talks about discovering our humanity in the image of God, shame and behavior, grace and identity, paradox and spiritual and emotional maturity, freedom, and intrinsic authority.
ERIC JOHNSON / In The Image of God
Eric Johnson, the pastor of Bethel Church in Redding CA, shares generously, humbly, and with great insight on the goodness of God, navigating culture, Jesus and American politics, spiritual maturity, emotional health, and what it means to be alive.
Darkness Is Not A Force, It’s The Absence of Light
Your completeness in Christ is not a remote goal but our immediate reference!
AMY SIMMONS & KRISPIN MAYFIELD / Attachment Theory and a Healthy Spirituality
The parent-child relationship and our formative years greatly influence how we navigate everything, including our spirituality and faith. Often our theological deconstructions are the fruit of discovering a God with whom we feel loved, secure, and safe; where we move from insecure to secure attachment.
Talking Sovereignty and Faith with Randall Worley
I was honored to have a conversation with Randall Worley about the goodness of God, the mystery of faith, the sovereignty of God and navigating the murky waters of offense in these unprecedented times.
MARK AND JULIE APPLEYARD / RETHINKING CHURCH
From the traditional to a micro church model, Mark and Julie share their journey of pastoring.
Today, through Anothen Micro Church, they empower believers around the world to become influential spiritual leaders in their homes and communities.
Carrots and Lasers
While I think the prophetic has a noble and appropriate place, I think we are too easily led astray from the joy that is “today.”
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“Sometimes a story is written that changes everything. This book is an irresistible journey into transforming love. These are new and powerful thoughts from a modern-day reformer. Once they take hold they wont let go.”
Those struggling for identity will appreciate “Prone to Love” as a key to unlock and accept their true hidden self. Enjoy!”