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Ministry requires us to be interruptible, but is it ever okay to say no in those moments? In this episode, we discuss how to be interruptible without allowing it to control your life.

Burnout seems inevitable, but what if there were signs we could use to protect ourselves? In this episode, we look at a tool to assess burnout, and how best to avoid burnout. Original Carey Nieuwhof Video on Burnout: https://youtu.be/FA0yH17KFCM?si=18s18jaUElhYRP2z

It’s easy to get cynical—about people, the church, even God. In this episode, we talk honestly about where that cynicism comes from and how it shows up in our lives. But we also explore how to keep our hearts soft, hold on to hope, and move toward something better. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Children's Creativity Study Philip's Blog Post: Shame ⁠All The Buried Women Podcast⁠ Becoming the Pastor's Wife by Beth Allison Barr Surprised by Hope by NT Wright

Is there a difference between a political stunt and a true protest? We think there is, and that becomes a really big deal when you involve the name of Jesus. Resources mentioned in this episode: - Seattle Protest - Rotunda Prayer - Jesus and John Wayne by Kristen Kobez Du Mez - Jesus and the Powers by N.T. Wright & Michael Bird - The Ballot and the Bible by Kaitlyn Scheiss - Bearing God's Name by Carmen Joy Imes - The Good Shepherd by Lesslie Newbigin

Another fan-submitted episode! We were asked, "What's the difference between pursuing tradition, religion, and God? Is there one?" We felt like this is a question that we've wrestled through and many other Christians have wrestled through. This episode hopes to show that there is a tension to be managed and there is a proper way to manage that tension. Resources mentioned in this episode: -The Great Omission by Dallas Willard -Bible Project Podcast: https://bibleproject.com/podcast/what-hypocrite-means-jesus/ -Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus: https://youtu.be/1IAhDGYlpqY?si=WkXgQchqQOLQSbBb

AI generated Jesus? AI led church services? AI deceased pastors? Is this use of AI going to kill the church. There must be a right way to use AI in the church. And we have to figure out how to use it without missing the opportunity. Resources mentioned: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lesliekatz/2024/12/14/when-ai-jesus-entered-the-confessional-lessons-from-a-divisive-experiment/ https://apnews.com/article/finland-lutheran-church-artificial-intelligence-64135cc5e58578a89dcbaf0c227d9e3e https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattnovak/2024/01/24/pope-francis-warns-of-ai-dangers-after-fake-image-of-himself-went-viral/

We previously released an episode on politics. That's episode 41 if you want to check that out first. This time we wanted to cover the right way for Christians to think about politics and how to faithfully engage with politics without compromising your spiritual integrity.

Church is important. Here is our recommendations of how to find the right one for you.

On Friday, January 24, the federal government issued a stop work order for all work associated with the refugee resettlement and placement program. This means that refugees, who were invited to come to America, are left without the core services that they were promised to receive. The question is, how must the church respond? What do we do in the face of such an injustice? Resources mentioned in the episode: Quoted Article Refugee Resettlement History Donate to World Relief World Relief Christian Statement World Relief PR Memo Evangelical Immigration Table World Relief Advocacy

Episode 50! Family fighting at the holidays can ruin the whole day, so how can we avoid it? In this episode, we dive into what it means to be peacemakers with that relative who loves to pick fights.  Referenced materials: Disarming Leviathan by Caleb Campbell

It’s emotional manipulation, part 2. On this episode, we interview Worship Pastor Chris Correa about emotional manipulation and how to keep Jesus as the primary focus of a worship service.

Leaving a church can be messy, complicated, and stressful, but how do you know when it is actually time to leave? On this episode, Seth and Philip discuss what that might look like and how to leave well.

Our first fan-submitted episode! We were asked what are five things that Christian men should do every day. Naturally, we thought that was a silly question to answer so we decided to change it to three things that every Christian should do every day. But not just the spiritual disciplines, those are a given, rather a helpful starting place for some things in your daily life that your pastor might not have mentioned. Books mentioned: Called by Matt Labberton Atomic Habits by James Clear Listening Well by William R. Miller

What would you do if you found out that someone was going around intentionally manipulating your emotions? Would you be confused? Frustrated? Hurt? Now what if you found out that a church was the one doing it? On this episode, we talk about the dangers of spiritual manipulation, and just how dangerous it is to play around with people’s emotions from a place of spiritual authority.

We all have a rule of life. A rule of life is a principle or set of principles that guide a person's actions, decisions, and overall approach to life. Most of us are unintentional about our rule of life and we find ourselves constantly feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Resources mentioned in this episode: Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser Rule of Life Podcast Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer Paradise Now by Tim Mackie