Having copious amounts of information about God is not the same as KNOWING God. Knowing God is much more than knowledge, but having the knowledge is a good start. For those of us who grew up in the church, we often take for granted how being brought up in the church has given us a foundation of knowing God at a cognitive level. However, as we get older, we move that understanding to a more intimate understanding of God as our faith is tested through the fire and trials of life. In essence,...

We all need forgiveness. Forgiveness is a key factor in receiving the gift of salvation. Jesus forgives our sins when we repent from them and turn towards Him. Jesus forgave the most heinous of sins, including the past, present and future ones. The Bible says that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9). But even though this is a hallmark of the Gospel, it is probably one of the most difficult for Christians to accept and practice.      On today's...

We all need forgiveness. Forgiveness is a key factor in receiving the gift of salvation. Jesus forgives our sins when we repent from them and turn towards Him. Jesus forgave the most heinous of sins, including the past, present and future ones. The Bible says that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9). But even though this is a hallmark of the Gospel, it is probably one of the most difficult for Christians to accept and practice.   On today's...

Tragedies in life often move us to question God's goodness. It's natural and understandable to have that response.  However, as we'll learn today, God is always working in the background to bring beauty from ashes. He is always in control. He always knows what He will be doing with the pain we experience and will use our suffering to bring glory to his name.  On today's episode, Cyrus and I discuss how the tragedy of the genocide in Rwanda, the process of forgiveness, and his personal...

Most individuals, at some point in their lives, have experienced a form of trauma. Some experience trauma related to natural disasters and events that they have no control over, while others experience interpersonal trauma which involves intentional and/or unintentional damage to a person's physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. When it's all of these together, it causes significant damage to a person's overall well-being.  On today's episode, Sharon and I discuss how the pastors...

Suffering in life is inevitable. The Scriptures teach us in John 16:33b that "...In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Jesus prepares our heart for suffering by making us aware that it is coming, but how do we actually respond when it does come?  On today's episode, Spencer and I discuss how Christianity in Western culture has had an imperfect or one-sided view of God that has impacted how they view suffering in their lives. Is it all really...

One of the key factors that influences how we view God, outside of how our parents view God and the church, is the type of religious background we grew up in. Mormonism, in particular, has a strong impact on the people who are part of it. They are often taught that they can become a god and, if that's the case,  On today's episode, Madison Palica and I discuss what it was like for her to grow up in the Mormon church. She discusses the struggles and difficulty in needing to deconstruct to...

Our parents play a key role in our understanding of who God is and how we can relate to Him. Fathers, in particular, play a key role because we refer to God as our Father so the model and example that they set for us really gives us a foundation for we think God feels and thinks about us.  On today's episode, Dr. Josh Waltman and I discuss how becoming fathers has given us a greater understanding of God's love and grace for us. Since both of us grew up in strong, conservative Baptist...

So, what is this podcast about? This is a podcast dedicated to helping Christians understand why they relate to God in the way they do. I explore how our early childhood relationship with our parents--specifically with how they met or did not meet our needs--influences how we relate to ourselves, the church, and to God. On today's episode, I discuss the purpose of starting this podcast. I share with you some personal experiences that taught me about how I related to God and how much of it...

Are you "ready to date"? How about the person that you're considering to date? Are they ready?  On today's episode, we'll explore the different kinds of thoughts and beliefs we have about being ready, and hopefully, we'll understand that when people ask if they're "ready to date", they are actually asking a much more deeper, personal, and meaningful question. The question that is really being asked is, "Am I 'good enough' to date?" To help us understand what this can look like in Christian...

On today's episode, I'll be discussing the red flags in Christian relationships, but specifically on observing how you and the person you're dating relate to one another. Oftentimes, we are so used to behaving the way that we do in relationships without realizing how we may be harming the other person and even ourselves by not being aware of the negative ways in which we relate. If you want to know how people “truly are”, see how they respond when they’re under stress or when they’re given...

Forgiveness is one of the most important aspect of our relationship with Jesus. It is based off us repenting from our sins, accepting Jesus into our hearts, and accepting his forgiveness for our sins. But, what does accepting this forgiveness look like? What does it look like in our interpersonal relationships? And, what does it look like to to apply self-forgiveness? For those who have experienced shame, forgiveness may be a difficult concept to grasp, be it in their interpersonal...

On today's episode, I'll be discussing the red flags in Christian relationships. So many couples today are dating without asking questions that are critical to aligning with some key Christian values that are instrumental to their own personal walk with Christ.  I discuss what Christian belief "red flags" to look out for if you're about to enter or are in a dating relationship:   - Deconstruction - "I'm in the process of reconstructing my faith",  - Does not see the church as important for...

For my 50th episode, I decided to do an episode on answering questions about shame in relationships. This is an important topic, because I think most couples have something that they have experienced in their past which can be shameful to share in a relationship.  It can also breed fear, because if you share this experience from you past, you essentially place the ball on the other person's court and they get to decide whether they want to continue in a relationship with you, or if they want...

The Bible warns us about "wolves in sheep's clothing" and one of the most evident ways in which we see them at work is when they prey on women in the church. They find ways to integrate themselves into the functions of the church by being charismatic, ideas-filled, enthusiastic, and articulate speakers. For some, they may not see this as a problem, but for those of us who have encountered the profiles of such characters before, we see it almost immediately.   Even Jesus, Luke, Paul, and...

Christians love reading the Psalms! It brings us peace, comfort, truth, and joy. But, it also brings to the forefront the various emotions of everyday life: sadness, depression, anxiety, anger, and fear. The Psalms teach us much about how God interacts with us through the difficulties and tribulations of everyday life.  On today's episode, Dr. Gary Yates addresses the following questions: - Why do Christians love reading the Psalms?,  - What purpose do the Psalms have in the lives of...

First of all, let me say that my guest, Patrick Hubbard, and I love the church. The church is the Bride of Christ and as Christians, we must learn to love her more and more as the day of Christ draws near when He will return for his Bride.  That being said, we also know that Christians who go to church have also caused a lot of pain for our own brothers and sisters in Christ.  In this episode, Patrick and I discuss what those issues are. We address the following:  - What is the church? -...

Deconstruction has been a word we have been hearing more and more in Christians circles, and it is something that I both am empathetic towards but also very concerned for how common its become. Though a stage of questioning one's faith is expected in the life of a Christian, it seems that it has made many today turn away from their long-held beliefs than helping them grow in their relationship with Christ.  Tune in today as Josh and I discuss the following: - What is deconstruction?, - Who...

Emotions. They're difficult to talk about, and even more difficult when you grew up in an environment where you were told to suppress them. Intimacy is even more difficult because in order to develop it, you have to be able to identify and regulate what you feel to communicate with others at a deeper level. This ultimately has an impact on how deep our relationship with God can be. Tune in to today's episode as Christian Life and Perspective Coach, Mathew Swinson, and I discuss the many...

Can your testimony to those around you be an idol in your life? Do you feel like God has been punishing you for past sins? Do you feel like you shouldn't be discipling others because you're not yet "perfect"? Do you feel shame when you have to meet with the person who is discipling you or keeping you accountable?  Then, this episode is for you! 👍 Tune in today as Elder Buck Romero and I explore the difficulties experienced by Christians who are struggling with shame when discipling others...

One of the most difficult discussions to have within the church has to be the issues surrounding spiritual, emotional, mental, and sexual abuse. So much damage and pain has been done by pastors and leaders who have not learned how to exercise godly authority over the flock they are supposed to protect and lead.  This is part 2 of a series where I am covering different elements and situations on how abusers operate within the church.  I will continue to focus on helping listeners develop an...

One of the most difficult discussions to have within the church has to be the issues surrounding spiritual, emotional, and sexual abuse. So much damage and pain has been done by pastors and leaders who have not learned how to exercise godly authority over the flock they are supposed to protect and lead. This is going to be part 1 of a series where I will be covering different aspects of abuse in the church.  But first, we must develop an awareness of what it looks like to have a foundating...

To understand the origin of sin is to understand the origin of shame. As we see in the garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit that they were prohibited from eating, their eyes "were opened, and they knew that they were naked." This led them to "hide" themselves from God's presence when they heard Him walking in the garden." And why did they hide? They experienced shame--knowing what it meant to be fully known but in a sinful state.  Tune in today as Pastor Mike and I discuss the...

Christians who have been hurt, disregarded, or forgotten by the church can often conclude that going to church is no longer important, but in this episode, we hope to remind all believers that the body of Christ is essential for our walk with Christ. It is nearly impossible to mature without being able to confess our sins to one another, serve one another, be encouraged by one another, and forgiving one another. Fellowship with other Christ-followers is essential.  Tune in today to see how...

Are you a parent struggling with managing your child's anger? How about your own anger? Are you someone who wants to understand how your anger was affected by your upbringing? This is an episode you won't want to miss. Tune in today to see how parenting affects one's ability to manage and regulate their anger and overall emotions. We discuss: -Erin Winter's book, "I Love You When You're Angry", -How to help parents and children identify and regulate their emotions, -How anger affects...