Faith
confidence or trust: growing sure in the goodness of our heavenly Father…
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.
“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!”
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.
KRISTIN DU MEZ / JESUS AND JOHN WAYNE
Patriarchy, authoritarian rule, the nature of power and privilege in America and the Church, the deconstruction movement, Christians in politics; in this podcast, Professor and Historian Kristin Du Mez, examines the impact of perhaps the most influential subculture in this country, white evangelicalism. This conversation explores how evangelicals have stepped away from the Jesus of the Gospels, from sacrificial love. “But what was once done, can be undone.”
Love And Religion
Love sets us free to be everything God created us to be. Religion and shame have no power to accomplish that! So, speaking the TRUTH in LOVE is NOT shame-based. It’s NOT about exposing and confronting your brother’s sin! It’s about helping your brother or sister get a revelation of their true value and helping them see the truth about how our Father sees us! God is Love! Mercy triumphs over judgment!
BRIAN SIMMONS / THE PASSION TRANSLATION
“The bible, minus love, equals false teaching, false living, and fosters an anger in the soul of man.” Brian Simmons, author of The Passion Translation, talks about approaching scripture with a love theology, the oppressive impact of hyper literalism, women in ministry, equality, union, Jesus’ humanity inside the Trinity, the finished work of the cross, and the passionate, powerful, transforming love of God.
An Exercise in Union
…The Kingdom is at hand, it’s within reach. But even better, the Kingdom is within you…
How Much Faith Do We Need?
So, “Why couldn’t we do what you did?” And Jesus answered. “It’s because you have so little faith.” And at first read, in a world defined by measurements, that statement makes sense. If you were to ask me why your car stalled a hundred miles from home and I said, “It’s because you have so little gas,” you would think, “OK, so I just need more gas.” We read, “It’s because you have so little faith,” and our minds naturally form the question, “So, how much faith do we need? What is the measurement?” Good news, Jesus tells us! Even better news, it makes no sense…
DAVID TENSEN / YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Trauma, pain, empathy like Jesus, and healing for the oppressed, misunderstood, lost, or broken; in this podcast David Tensen shares how we are loved and not alone. Addressing how shame and condemnation are compounded by religion, the guys talked specifically about abortion and the LGBTQ community with an invitation to love like Jesus, through our union with God and reconciliation.
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.
DR. CAROLINE LEAF / CLEANING UP YOUR MENTAL MESS
Brilliant, compassionate, and empowering, world-renowned neuroscientist and best-selling author, Dr. Caroline Leaf, talks about her new book, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess. She addresses what happens when we don’t use our minds properly. Why mind-management is the solution to cleaning up our mental mess and how the science can help us transition from being aware of toxic thoughts to catching and managing them. In other words, she teaches us how to renew our minds.
CHRIST IN YOU with DEREK TURNER & JASON CLARK
Derek and Jason dive into our union in Christ and how that impacts everything from knowing our identity to loving our “enemies,” to evangelism, to navigating cross moments in our lives.
When Does The Bible Become An Idol?
What happens when we search the Scriptures in search of eternal life? It’s not long before we start defining the words on the pages as “infallible” and “inerrant.” And in my experience, an inerrant approach to scripture is a slippery slope into idolatry.
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?”
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.
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.
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.”
In These Unprecedented Times… Is God In Control?
Could it be that the lie of sovereign control is beginning to be exposed on such a grand scale that it has become harder to swallow? Is it possible this phrase is being so exposed in these unprecedented times that it is finally ringing hollow?
KENNETH TANNER / A BODY OF WHICH I AM A MEMBER
Approaching scripture, prayer, and our participation in the divine life, Father Kenneth Tanner explores a faith that is beautiful in its simplicity; God really loves humanity.
Devotions 101
This is the gospel and we get to live it. This will change your world today! In fact this is the only way the world will be changed!
STEVE MCVEY/ BEYOND AN ANGRY GOD
Scandalous multifaced fathomless grace, restorative justice, redeemed identity, our union with Abba Father and intimacy with our Triune God barely scratches the surface of this 40-minute power-packed interview with Dr. Steve McVey.
Leaving Jesus
“The Jesus that reigns down pain and disappointment to teach you something about his love, the behavior obsessed Jesus who uses shame to manipulate you into doing what he wants, the abusive Jesus you have been describing to me for more than an hour, I think you should leave him.
Who Was the Cross For?
The punishment Jesus endured on the cross wasn’t required by God.
MARK KARRIS/ RELIGIOUS REFUGEES
With grace and insight, Mark speaks on the disorienting faith shift so many are currently experiencing regarding their thoughts about God, the church, and ourselves. We dive into Mark’s new book, Religious Refugees, and Mark encourages those who, because of a shift in their theology, have either felt a sense of not belonging in their home church or have even been rejected.
A Walk with Nova
However, He shows it, God is squeezing as much love into us as we can handle.
JOHN MACMURRAY/ IF YOU LOOK AT IT AS A RELATIONSHIP…
“…Jesus defines eternal life as a relationship. My entire education had defined eternal life as believing the right ideology… All I knew was, God was better than I thought he was and there was no way I’m going back…”
I Need a Waterfall
The outrage that changes and saves this world is the outrage of love. And so I lean into His love, a relational grace; the empowering evidence of my friendship with Jesus.
Jonah And An Angry God?
…With self-righteous arrogance, Jonah determines it’s the will of god that he die for his sin. Instead of repenting, Jonah, with his sanctimonious gospel, preaches himself overboard as a sacrifice to his angry god. And worse, he makes the sailors complicit in his death religion…
DANNY SILK / UNPUNISHABLE
Parenting, leadership, freedom through self-control, spiritual maturity, emotional health, the nature of our Father, and heaven and hell, Danny’s thoughts and gracious communication are empowering and transformative. It was an honor to discuss the unpunishing nature of God with Danny!
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
Heavenly Father, you have been revamping and rebooting my systems for years, bringing me into greater awareness of this wonder-filled life you have offered and accomplished for me! Thank you!
BRIAN ZAHND / Jesus Is The Interpretation
The Bible cannot be the foundation we build upon, the foundation is Jesus. Brian Zahnd talks on how to approach scripture, American Nationalism, Trump’s Bible photo Op during the George Floyd protests, equality, and contemplative prayer in this brilliant and transformative Podcast.
This Will Be Our Finest Hour
Though it has felt just the opposite during this quarantine time, this has been one of the greatest times of personal growth and Kingdom advancement for the body of Christ.
C. BAXTER KRUGER / JESUS MEETS US INSIDE OUR DELUSION
“Jesus has pitched His tent in our flesh… If I didn’t believe that Jesus, Father and Holy Spirit is inside every person on the whole earth, I would not open my mouth… But we are bearing witness to something that is real.”
There is No “Us” and “Them”
Many long to go back to the early days of the church, viewing those first few years as the high-water mark of what a church is meant to be. They weren’t. Not even close!
JOHN MARK MCMILLAN / A WORSHIP RECORD FOR ATHEISTS
“I am building bridges between my friends who are atheists, my friends who are fundamentalists, my friends who consider themselves progressive or any end of the spectrum. Because gratitude is the one place we all come together.” John Mark McMillan
Cops and Jehovah’s Witnesses
Wth love, everyone is in! There are no outsiders! Everyone is included in this family…
My Beef with Religion
Religion taught me about love, but religion seemed to get it wrong as much as it got it right. And at the end of the day, religion never loved me…
BILL VANDERBUSH / RECKLESS GRACE
Bill Vanderbush is a writer and brilliant communicator. In this podcast, Bill gives incredible insight into what the new covenant looks like, our inclusion in the family through both being adopted and reborn, how to navigate fear, reckless grace, and how to navigate conflict online.
But What About Church Discipline?
If discipline isn’t about a father walking in humility, desiring the best for his child while mourning the fallen mindset, it will become punishment and there will be no life in it.
FRANCOIS DU TOIT / JESUS IS WHAT GOD BELIEVES ABOUT YOU
Francois is an author most known for his current work, The Mirror Bible. In this interview, Francois talks about our Father’s great affection, inclusion, grace, intimacy, ministry, and the unveiled revelation of love! He also shares some of his story and how he came to write The Mirror Bible.
But What About Sin?
Yes, sin is a big deal, and our job as Christians is to remove the condemnation that is associated with it, not add to it. We are invited to, like Christ, release kindness, and walk people into freedom. “There is, therefore, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” (Rom 8:1) That’s us! And I would add, ‘therefore there should be no condemnation from those who are in Christ Jesus.’ We can’t give away what we don’t have…
You Think You’re Better Than God?
I could feel the theological police in my mind springing into action to take this thought captive. God the Father… “indulgent?” That’s a bad word where I come from—a word we use to describe enablers and…
DEREK AND SARAH TURNER / JESUS IS PERFECT THEOLOGY
Derek and Sarah Turner, pastors of River Church Charlotte, share generously and candidly on the goodness of God, Jesus as perfect theology, reading scripture with a hermeneutic of Love, soul care, inclusion, rethinking our understanding of vengeance and wrath and the patient trusting journey into transformation.
Joy Unspeakable
Religion is an evil task master! A distortion of truth! A lie! But His love is truly joy unspeakable and full of glory, full of glory, full of glory! And the half has never yet been told!
MAKO NAGASAWA / A RESTORATIVE GOD
Early Church Fathers, the formation of the New Testament, how to approach scripture, Starwars, Puff Daddy, The Police, and the vast difference between retributive justice and restorative justice. Mako Nagasawa’s insights and generous communication were insightful, hopeful and transformative.
We Are So Worth The Blood Of Jesus!
As my friend, Dan Mohler says, “I am so worthy of the blood of Jesus.” He loves me! And it’s never ever had anything to do with my behavior or performance. I am enough! And so are you!
You Are A Spiritual Giant!
I absolutely love our gatherings, I’m a preacher who loves to preach. But I am leaning into this season as I believe God is raising our perspective to see as He sees. I believe God is changing our powerless small thinking and inviting the church to live powerfully in any room we might find ourselves in.
Even now, when fear is doggedly knocking at my door, I’m hopeful. Hope is my now and my future. And when it isn’t, I repent.
MIKE POPOVICH / PRAYER & QUANTUM PHYSICS
Mike is a brilliant communicator and pastors Freedom Ministries. In this podcast we talk about prayer and oneness with God and Mike teaches us quantum physics! Mike reveals how scripture and quantum physics are not in conflict with each other
What A Wonderful World
For me, the End Times is now, “on earth as it is in heaven” is my mandate, growing sure in love is my strategy, and being kind and faithfully loving everyone around me is my implementation.
Even now, when fear is doggedly knocking at my door, I’m hopeful. Hope is my now and my future. And when it isn’t, I repent.
BRAD JERSAK / CHRISTOLOGY
Brad discusses high Christology and gives insight into how our early church fathers thought about God and how they read and interpreted scripture. He also discussed what the wrath of God means in scripture.
Repent! The Kingdom of God is Within You
Yes, repent! Change the way you think until “righteousness, peace, and joy” are your reality; until the confidence of “on earth as it is in heaven” is your perspective; until you sense the arms of your kind and loving Father enveloping you and you grow sure in His nature to work all things to our good.
7 Things to Do During a Time of Shaking and Disruption
…Reconnect with our Father by recalling that He is good, He is love and He is for us (Romans 8:31)! Remember that He has already promised to make all things work together for good (Romans 8:28) including the current circumstances you are facing…
Rethinking God
Humanity had “God-boxes” and Jesus kept blowing them up. Humanity was convinced God was one way and Jesus kept contradicting those paradigms.
Heaven and Hell (Part 3)
I am not waiting to get to heaven to learn about heaven. While heaven is infinitely better than I can ask, or imagine, I am getting a head start on asking and imagining it here and now. I am stewarding my faith in sovereign love and in so doing, I am destroying the works of the devil.
Heaven and Hell (Part 2)
Everything is a matter of perspective. If we perceive light through unhealthy eyes we will see darkness. If we perceive truth through unhealthy eyes we will see lies. God is love and His love is sovereign, but if we see love through the lens of control we will experience striving and desperation.
Heaven and Hell (Part 1)
For centuries now, much of the Western church has presented hell through the lens of sovereign control. And Atheism is its purest by-product.
Why Can’t I Experience God’s Love?
“How do I experience God’s love?”
Because I write and speak on the always good love of our heavenly Father, that is a question I am asked often.
Why Can’t I Trust God’s Love?
If our theology is grounded in the idea that our good God is in control, then why does He allow evil, suffering and bad things?
Heaven, Hell, and the Older Brother
If our hearts don’t truly desire to see all our brothers and sisters “in the party” in this life and the next, it’s past time to repent.
The Lost Coin
No one can fully engage in heavens perspective unless one’s heavenly origin is realized! The Son of Man declares mankind’s Genesis is from above!
Control, Trust, and Love
Intimacy can’t be experienced in a relationship where one person is controlling the other. Intimacy is only experienced where there is trust. And trust isn’t possible if one of the people in a relationship is controlling.
How to Read the Bible (Part 2)
Jesus is my lens, my true narrative. His perfect love is my conviction. His goodness is my faith. Every question I have, every relationship or circumstance, every scripture, including the tension Job represents, is measured against the measureless revelation of Jesus.
I CALL YOU FRIENDS
“I no longer call you servant, I call you friend.” This is the invitation Jesus gave us. There is no servant master language in heaven. Obedience is the invitation to discover God’s heart until ours beats in rhythm with His.
How to Read the Bible (Part 1)
Jesus is my lens, my true narrative. His perfect love is my conviction. His goodness is my faith. Every question I have, every relationship or circumstance, every scripture, including the tension Job represents, is measured against the measureless revelation of Jesus.
When I Am Weak, I Am Strong
No Longer Slaves (Live from Harding Prison) | Zach Williams
When I Stopped Reading the Whole Bible
Jesus is my lens, my true narrative. His perfect love is my conviction. His goodness is my faith. Every question I have, every relationship or circumstance, every scripture, including the tension Job represents, is measured against the measureless revelation of Jesus.
Women in Ministry: The Infamous Elder’s Meeting
I held my tongue while the men provided their own scripture, “…women should be silent in the churches…for they are not permitted to speak, but should remain silent and subordinate” (1 Cor 14:34), and “I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man; she is to keep silent” (1 Tim 2:12). The Elders believed that because their thoughts were biblical, they were somehow true. But of course, they were not. Jesus was far from them…
Vulgar Grace
Yes, it’s crazy. And yes it’s wild, and outrageous, and vulgar. And any God who would do such a thing is a God who has no taste. And worst of all, it doesn’t sell worth beans. But it is Good News—the only permanent good news there is—and, therefore, I find it absolutely captivating.
Does Hell Exist?
I don’t believe in hell as a place of eternal torment and punishment. I don’t believe in punishment. I do believe hell exists after this life because I believe God is love and love requires that we are free to choose…
Why I Am Not A Universalist
Universalism is The Garden of Eden with one tree. It’s an idea birthed from a punitive, control-based theology. Without Calvinism, we wouldn’t have Universalism.
Image of the Invisible God
You are the fruit of His suffering; you are the glorious resurrection generation. You are His will done on earth as it is in heaven. You are His pleasure, His beloved.
Hope
Have you ever wondered how to feel hope? Jason tells a story about how to feel hope, how to live in expectation of good.
No More Drudgery
Oh so grateful to be free from the self-inflicting, self condemning, judgmental and pompous BS…
What About Sin?
“What about sin?” she interrupted rather forcefully. I was sharing with about ten college students on the perfection of our Father’s love. She had started to get jittery when I began discussing how we are prone to love. I thought it was the coffee, but it wasn’t.
Seed
Take your desires and plant them in your heart, meditate on them. You don’t have to know how it works, you just need to know that it super-naturally produces like a seed.
The Nature of Soap
Next to the toilet was a large barrel filled with clean-ish water. Floating in the water was a big plastic cup. The cup was for both flushing and bathing. Oh, I forgot to note, the toilet room was also the shower.
This is Not a Counseling Session
I sat across from the couple trying not to fidget, trying to keep a look of calm on my face, I was supposed to be the fella with the answers, the counselor. I wasn’t a Counselor.
Grace as a World View
Religion makes you schizophrenic, self-aggrandizing and judgmental on your good days and then introspective and self-loathing on your screw-up days.
God’s Whisper
I would hear Eva crying and come running. I would scoop her up, hold her close and whisper how it would be alright. I would do all this as I took her to the front window to point out her mom, just feet away.
Love Trumps
Jesus didn’t come to set us straight on how much we needed Him. That was abundantly clear from the moment Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. He came to give us access to love—receiving and giving, beholding and becoming.
Bible Words
Repentance: is not about religious penance. In the Greek it suggests a radical mind shift; it is to realize God’s amazing thoughts towards us!
What is Hell?
We are free to reject Him all we want but we can’t stop Him from loving and pursuing us.
How the 1980s, R.E.M., Siri, and the Pursuit of Transforming Knowledge all Fit Together
“It’s the end of the world as we know it,” The fella singing was earnest and angsty. The song was hopeful, punchy, and sincere. I loved it. I wanted to listen to it over and again. But I had no idea who it was. These were the wonder years of my musically formative youth. These were the 80’s.
People I Don’t Like…
Suddenly, it was all I could do to wait for the first opportunity to make a beeline for the fella to share the great admiration, value, and joy our Father had in him.
Don’t Forget About the Ocean
Suddenly my Father spoke to my heart and said, “Jason, the promises I have for you are the size of the ocean. Don’t get distracted by bathtubs.”
How to Do Devotions
We are free to reject Him all we want but we can’t stop Him from loving and pursuing us.
When the Veil Gets Lifted
Let me tell you how it is between my wife and me. We could be driving down the road or sitting on the couch watching Super Store when suddenly I am gripped with a revelation of how amazing Karen is. I will remember how...
2019 NEWSLETTER
I’ve often described how leading A Family Story these past years has felt much like exploring the best route up a mountain while people are following you.
It’s been an exhilarating adventure filled with joy, breakthrough, and revelation. It’s also had its share of wrong turns and backtracking.
It can be a challenge to cast vision while backtracking. But there has been nothing more transformational than the goodness of God we’ve discovered through pioneering!
Resurrection And Transformation!
When we lose track of our Father’s nature, we become deceived about our own. That’s what happens when a lie is believed; it separates us from His love nature and access to our identity as sons and daughters.
Offense is a Prison
The key to freedom isn’t about not being offended, it’s about keeping no record.
A Religious Ass
When I go to sleep I’m His favorite! When I wake up I’m still His favorite! Whether I behave well or fail miserably I’m still His favorite! This union, oh this union is the game changer! Christ in me and me in Him!
The Gardner
Thank you, Father, for planting only good seed. Help us to tend the field in which you have placed us with your same wisdom and patience.
All God’s Stories Have Good Endings
David experienced the valley but the valley was never God’s heart for him. Jesus went to a cross. But the cross was never His focus. Death is never the focus with God, He is always and only about resurrection. Jesus said He came to give us life and life more abundantly (John 10:10). Jesus—the Father revealed—was focused on the joy of resurrection life.
Escape from the Doldrums
Every test by God is an invitation to transition from one narrative to another, from control to love, from orphan to son or daughter, from bondage to freedom, from fractured thinking to wholeness, from our perspective to His, from our best thoughts about who He is, to the truth about who He is, from our story, to the whole story; the one He is telling.
Why Does God Test Us?
Every test by God is an invitation to transition from one narrative to another, from control to love, from orphan to son or daughter, from bondage to freedom, from fractured thinking to wholeness, from our perspective to His, from our best thoughts about who He is, to the truth about who He is, from our story, to the whole story; the one He is telling.
Francois Du Toit | The Mirror Bible
Francois breathtaking paraphrase translation and brilliant commentary on the New Testament has been a constant empowering companion. The revelation of God’s grace is stunning and pure. The scriptures insight into my oneness with Christ is transformational!
Jesus, Baseball, and Shame
Here’s the thing, if we believe God is about control, it affects everything. Every experience and encounter is filtered through the insecurity of our relationship with a small God. A control-based perspective of God is evidenced by the subtle anxiety we experience in our heart when the furnace breaks down, to the blatant sense of righteousness when a rapist gets the death penalty.
The Skill Saw
Here’s the thing, if we believe God is about control, it affects everything. Every experience and encounter is filtered through the insecurity of our relationship with a small God. A control-based perspective of God is evidenced by the subtle anxiety we experience in our heart when the furnace breaks down, to the blatant sense of righteousness when a rapist gets the death penalty.
God Is Not In Control, You Are…
“You know, I could control you, Ethan. I could force, manipulate or straight up shame you into obedience, you’re only ten. I can make him behave. But someday my boy, you will be a man and beyond my ability to control. But more importantly son, I don’t want to control you, I want you to control yourself. I want you to value freedom as the Holy Spirit does. Do you understand?”
5 Things I Learned From the Toronto Blessing
The idea that God saw me as a spiritual giant seemed too good to be true…
I Don’t Want To Be Desperate for God
The idea that God saw me as a spiritual giant seemed too good to be true…
Introducing Children to the Father
I prayed. “Father, come make your love known.” Immediately our Father, Ethan’s and mine, filled the room with His love. It’s hard to explain but let me try. For the next ten minutes, while I lay there and held Ethan, my body trembled with God’s presence. I literally shook with His love.
The Crisis of Identity
If the story of Jesus’ life had a battle it was a daily fight for identity. If His story had an antagonist, it was doubt, better known as unbelief. And each time Jesus was confronted with the crisis of identity He chose to believe what His Father had said about Him from the very beginning. Jesus was sure in His identity.
He Loves Me Best: For the Joy Set Before Him
John had a revelation of God and described it as a uniquely shared love that was only available between the two of them. Essentially, what John communicated through his gospel was that as far as he was concerned, he was Jesus’ favorite. Jesus loved him best.
How to “Earn” a Well Done
There was a master with three servants. He was going on a journey and he called them to Him and gave each of them some money. “To one he gave five talents (sum of money), to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. You have probably heard this story. It’s found in Matthew 25 as told by Jesus. Now eventually the master returns home to, as Jesus put it, “Settle accounts.”
Deliver Us from Obligation
What an honor to go where he leads, to hear that voice that comes with inspiration and to recognize where it came from. A few years ago, I would have thought the voice in my heart was the voice of laziness. I mean, of course, I don’t want to work..but I should right? WRONG! I do what my Father inspires me to do, and where He leads, I follow. It’s not the other way around even though He is faithful to follow me with His love no matter what.
Mark Batterson The Bravest Prayer
Paul taught us that grace was “sufficient,” “more than enough” to empower us in the areas of our weakness.
How to Fit a Camel Through a Needle
This was a miracle as big as blind eyes opening, as cancer leaving. Jesus said this kind of miracle would be akin to a camel crawling through the eye of a needle…
Does God Use Tragedy To Manipulate
God never instigates nor manipulates a tragedy to grow faith, that’s not what a good Father does. But it is what a controlling God would do.
4 Signs You Are Growing Sure In God’s Love
As you are growing sure in God’s love, you will discover that you’re not easily offended, either by wrongs done to you, or by people who are lost in their sin.
Your Free Ticket to a Lifetime of Contentment
Self-pity is deadly. It will shred a hopeful believing heart in moments. But self-pity cannot exist in the presence of thankfulness.
Ask The Question
Every sincere question is an invitation into a transformative answer. The honest questions resonate in heaven and pull heaven to earth!
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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!”