Living in the Land of Oz

In this episode, Josh sits down with Jonathan Feldstein, Founder and President of Genesis123 Foundation and organizer of Run for Zion, to talk about how he as an Orthodox Jew seeks to be a bridge builder between Jews and Christians as well as to help connect Christians to Israel in meaningful ways. [P.S. Runners will especially love this podcast.]

In this special episode, Josh and Laurie talk about how Christians can respond to fears and uncertainty regarding the novel coronavirus. You can find updates on COVID-19 here.

In this episode of LitLoo, Laurie and Josh talk with James Choung on his new book on revival. We all long for revival, but are we doing what we need to be doing to get there? And how will we know what’s it’s happening anyways?

This week, Laurie and Josh talk with Valerie Bell, CEO of Awana, about her new book, “Resilient,” and how to raise the next generation to love Jesus and to be disciples who are able to live out their faith in all areas of life.

This week, Laurie and Josh talk with Mary Lederleitner, author of Women in God’s Mission, about women in leadership. Mary shares some fascinating insights found during her research of dozens of women leaders around the world.

Today, Laurie and Josh talk with Dr. Jamie Aten about the intersection of disasters and faith. Speaking from his own experience in having Stage 4 colon cancer and having experienced Hurricane Katrina, Aten offers insight and tools in dealing with suffering and tragedy, ultimately offering hope that through trials we can become stronger.

This week, Laurie and Josh talk to pastor and author Kevin Harney about the marks of spiritual maturity and a life of discipleship, including the call to evangelism as a way of life.

Today, Josh and Laurie talk about the power of laughter and joy, diving into four things we need to get us through dark times and back towards joy.

In this episode, Josh and Laurie talk to evangelist, chaplain, and author of “God Space” Doug Pollack about what it means to be a “recovering evangelist” and what an evangelism for today looks like.

This week, Laurie and Josh mix it up with Shane Pruitt, National Next Gen Evangelism Director for the North American Mission Board. In addition to talking about reaching and empowering Gen Z, the three talk about Shane’s latest book, 9 Common Lies Christians Believe: And Why God’s Truth Is Infinitely Better.

To kick off the new year Josh and Laurie are talking with Daniel Yang, pastor, and director of the Send Institute, about what a true and good prophetic voice looks like today. Is it for the church, the world? How do we enter the process of knowing when and how to speak well?

With 2020 upon us, Laurie and Josh talk resolutions and new beginnings, arguing for the case of living intentionally and uniquely this coming year.

In this episode, Josh and Laurie talk about burnout, rest, and how to recapture a lifestyle that leads us to health and worship. It’s a episode to encourage your spirit as Christmas and the New Year draw near.

This week on the podcast, Laurie and Josh talk to Carrie Headington, Founder of the Good News Initiative and Evangelist in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, about politics and faith. Growing up in a political family, Carrie has seen first hand how these two go hand in hand—or don’t. What do we need to remember about politics and faith when all is said and done?

This week on the podcast, Carrie Headington, Founder of the Good News Initiative and Evangelist in the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, talks about evangelism, God at work in the world, and the wonder of Jesus. It’s an episode you don’t want to miss!

This week, Laurie and Josh tackle the tough topic of What Is Church? What are we supposed to be anyways, and are we being the people God has called us to be? Laurie and Josh delve deep into challenging all of us to take a hard look at our lives and our focus.

In this episode, Laurie and Josh talk with John C. Richards, Jr., Pastor of Assimilation at Saint Mark Baptist Church, about the challenges the church faces today in engaging culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ. John presents insights into the cultural realities and gives principles for effective gospel ministry.

Belinda is the founder of One Million Thumbprints, a movement of peacemakers advocating with women in the world’s worst conflict zones, and co-founder behind #SilenceIsNotSpiritual, a campaign calling churches to break the silence on violence against women. Belinda is also a fellow at Wheaton College's Humanitarian Disaster Institute. She shares her global experience on gender-based violence in this podcast with Josh and Laurie. Belinda is a speaker and contributor to Newsweek’s The Daily Beast, Red Tent Living, Huffington Post, Christianity Today, and Psychology Today. Her first book, Brave Souls: Experiencing the Audacious Power of Empathy, was published by InterVarsity Press in April 2019.

Professor of Evangelism at Wheaton College and World renown C. S. Lewis Scholar Dr. Jerry Root joins the Living in the Land of Oz podcast this week to share on how we can make "Jesus" known to the world. Expounding from his book "The Sacrament of Evangelism," Jerry shares how God loves and works in everyone more than we could imagine, he brings unique insights about sharing the gospel into the discussion with Laurie and Josh.

Author, professor and Christian apologist Dr. Mary Jo Sharp joins the Living in the Land of Oz podcast this week to share about her journey from atheism to Christianity. In her latest book, Why I Still Believe, Mary Jo unpacks the significance of marrying logical arguments with our personal stories in order to achieve a wholistic apologetic for our faith, and she was kind enough to share some of these ideas with Laurie and Josh.

According to Forbes, pastoring is one of the Top 10 Most Stressful Jobs that exist today. Pastoring isn't easy, and pastors need love, recognition, and support just as much as anybody else.In honor of Pastor Appreciation Month, Laurie interviews Josh—a pastor himself—about his journey into ministry, his ups and downs as a pastor, and what the relationship between a pastor and a congregation should look like.On December 6th, the Billy Graham Center will be hosting a GC2 Summit called Facing Hard Truths and Challenges of Pastoral Ministry. If you like this episode, we encourage you to join us.

President and CEO of Stonecroft Ministries Dr. Naomi Cramer Overton came to faith while studying at Stanford University. Her first faithful 'yes' evolved into many more over the years as she learned to tune her heart and mind to God and entrust him to guide her steps. Josh and Laurie got to chat with Naomi about humility, servant leadership, unique challenges facing women in leadership, and the importance of listening to God when trying to lead others.

One in five people will experience mental illness in their lifetime. As surprising as it may be, spiritual leaders are no exception to this statistic. Leading a church and shepherding God's people can be a stressful and overwhelming endeavor, and it's important that pastors receive care for their mental healthIn this episode, former NFL player and pastor Dr. Derwin L. Gray calls in to discuss mental health and the soul care of pastors with Josh. They discuss stigmas, the need for rest, and the importance of keeping Jesus at the center of ministry.On December 6, Dr. Gray will be speaking at our GC2 Summit about Facing Hards Truths & Challenges of Pastoral Ministry: A Conversation on Leadership, Burnout, and Mental Health. If you like this episode, please consider joining us.

R. York Moore was an ardent atheist who attended college to study philosophy and discover the meaning of life. His efforts were vain, and at his lowest point, just before he attempted to take his own life, he encountered the Holy Spirit—and his life changed forever.Josh and Laurie talk with York about his testimony of faith, what the gospel means for those who are lonely and desperate, and the importance of reaching college students with the hope Jesus has to offer—particularly through the Every Campus initiative.

In this lively episode, Laurie and Josh go back and forth in attempts to understand the essence of an ancient Christian practice: Worship. What is worship? What does it look like in our everyday life? Music? Service? Is it an active or passive activity—or perhaps both? And, more contentiously: Is there danger in misidentifying worship? As they wrestle with the particulars, they are able to discern at least a piece of what lies at the core of authentic worship.

The Apostle James wrote, "Everyone should be quick to listen." As Christians seek engage the world and share the good news Jesus has to offer, this has never been more applicable.In this episode, Josh and Laurie interview the Director of Alpha USA in Chicagoland, Gabriel Lerma. Gabriel discusses his experiences with Alpha Groups (outreach small groups designed to help people wrestle with faith) and the importance of belonging, connection, love, trust and listening as people seek to understand God and come to faith.

What role do relationships play in evangelism? Is evangelism a process? Is micro or macro evangelism more effective? What's the distinction between evangelism, conversion, and discipleship? Some of the key questions Josh and Laurie unpack this week with the help of Dr. Kim Reisman, the Executive Director of World Methodist Evangelism.

Alan Hirsch and Mark Nelson, co-authors of 'Reframation: Seeing God, People, and Mission Through Re-echanted Frames', join Josh and Laurie in studio to talk about their new book. Alan and Mark believe much of humanity needs a bigger understanding of transcendence, and that a bigger understanding will broaden the Church's evangelistic capacity. Take a listen to learn more.If you like this episode, join our webinar on September 17th, where our own Andrew McDonald will interview Alan and Mark on a related topic.

"I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, but trouble comes.” These are the desperate words of Job of Uz following the unthinkable hardship of losing his family, health, and livelihood. Not surprisingly, Job is lamenting.What is lament? What do we do with it? How does our culture handle lament? Has the church forgotten how to lament? Is lamenting good or bad for our faith? In this special episode, Josh and Laurie explore this somewhat neglected aspect of faith and the way God meets us in our darkest moments.

How can we create safe space to doubt inside the church? What does it look like to walk together through the journey of faith? Is doubting faith a common experience? Josh and Laurie wrestle with these pressing questions and anchor the conversation to the cornerstone of the Christian faith: Jesus.

In this episode, Josh and Laurie are joined by Dr. Rick Richardson, Wheaton College Professor of Evangelism and Leadership and author of You Found Me. They discuss how the church is doing with evangelism, church growth, the dangers of secularization, and the key to conversion movements.

How does faith shape artistic expression? Can art open the door for conversations about God? Does Christian music need to be more diverse in theme and sound? Josh and Laurie sit down with Chicago-based musician CW Allen to get his perspective on these topics.

Josh and Laurie sit down with pastor, speaker, artist, community activist and author Jonathan Brooks to discuss how the gospel gave him eyes to see the beauty in his downcast community in the heart of Chicago and how investing in the restoration of those immediately surrounding us embodies Christ. Jonathan currently serves as Senior Pastor at Canaan Community Church in Chicago, and he just released a new book, Church Forsaken: Practicing Presence in Neglected Neighborhoods.

Ever look around our world and feel like you are living in a foreign land? As a Christian, do you struggle to understand how to navigate challenging cultural issues of our day? Living in the Land of Oz is a weekly 25-minute podcast to help Christians begin to see God at work in our world and to be effective and winsome witnesses in our day. Hosted by Josh Laxton and Laurie Nichols.