Red Rocks Austin

Manifesting and psychedelics promise control and fast-tracked spirituality, but do they actually lead to freedom? In this episode, we talk about why manifesting is not the same as prayer and why surrender matters more than spiritual shortcuts.Ask us anything! Afterthoughts@redrockschurch.com

Pastor Shawn Johnson walks us through the miracle that happens when a prayer is answered, but more importantly, when they are not. When we ask ourselves, "What about my miracle?"—how even an unanswered prayer can be a blessing and that God is with us even in our unbelief.

Good people don't go to heaven and that's actually good news. In this episode, we unpack grace, fairness, why faith isn't about being “good enough,” and what it looks like to trust God when miracles don't happen.

Pastor Shawn Johnson preaches on our word of the year "miracle"! This year we are believing for the impossible. Where do you need God to move in your life? What would it look like for you to truly believe that He will? As a church we are going to start off a new year by praying, fasting, and believing for miracles.

What if the greatest obstacle to love, presence, and spiritual growth is sitting in your pocket?In this episode of Afterthoughts, we're joined by Joey Odom, who co-founded a company helping people use their phones more intentionally. We talk about phone compulsion, proximity, and how small daily choices can reshape our faith, families, and relationships.

Why do some miracles happen and some don't?In Week 1 of Miracle Mindset, Doug Explores the tension of the already but not yet Kingdom of God and calls us to fast, pray and believe for the impossible. The Miracle is God's job. The mindset is ours.

A new year, a new book, and a call to fast. Ryan shares the heart behind Free Me From Me, and the crew breaks down why fasting matters, how to start, and what kind of spiritual power it unlocks as 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting begins.

What if the biggest obstacle to your miracle is the way you think?Transformation is actually possible, but the secret isn't your power it's God's power. Ryan kicks off the year with a powerful message from Proverbs 3 and challenges us to stop leaning on our own understanding and start trusting God's way.

Before 2025 ends, we hit record one last time.The crew reflects on the year that was, what surprised us, what stretched us, and what we're carrying into the new year. Honest takes, unfiltered moments, and a little New Year chaos. Welcome to our LastThoughts of 2025.

Merry Christmas, Afterthinkers

Christmas finds us where we are. In this Christmas Eve message, Ethan Matott walks through the nativity and helps us find ourselves in God's story. Christmas is for the seeker, the skeptic, and the faithful.

Kevin McCallister knew what he wanted. He was wrong. We might be too.In Week 2 of More Christmas, Doug explores the deeper longings beneath our Christmas wish lists. Through Scripture, humor, and an unexpected look at Home Alone, this message invites us to ask what we really want not just for Christmas, but for our lives.God doesn't just meet our needs. He satisfies our desires with good things.

Is Christmas actually a pagan holiday? In this episode, the crew tackles one of the most common December debates and goes deep on Christmas history, December 25th, pagan festivals, Christmas trees, and what the Bible actually says. Along the way, things spiral into Home Alone theology, Mandela effects, and why meaning matters more than origin. Celebrate Christmas with confidence, clarity, and a lot of laughs.

December gets loud fast. Christmas pressure is real, but the first Christmas was anything but calm. In Matthew 1, we see how Jesus brings peace with God and peace right here in the middle of life. Peace is not a destination. Peace is a Person, and His name is Jesus.

What if the most wonderful time of the year is actually the most dramatic? In Episode 111 we ask why December feels so loud, so full, and still so sacred, and how God meets us right in the middle of it.

As we close out our Kingdom Builders series, Doug Wekenman unpacks the difference between believing God can and trusting that God will. And if there really is something to doing money God's way, don't take the scenic route. Find out now.

Comedy nerves, Christmas debates, and a deep dive into the big one: Do Christians have to tithe? Episode 110 brings laughs, clarity, and a better way to think about generosity.

In Week 3 of Kingdom Builders, Ethan Matott invites us into the joy of open handed living. This message celebrates a year of salvation, freedom, next gen wins, and the gospel reaching far beyond our walls. Generosity changes lives and makes heaven more crowded. Let's be part of the story.

Matt Johnson is an ultra endurance athlete, US Army veteran, fitness coach, and the fastest man to run across Texas. In this Thanksgiving Special, Matt and the squad dive into gratitude, getting pied, more running, and the best turkey we ever had. Happy Thanksgiving Afterthinkers!

From fear to freedom and from scarcity to trust. Doug shows how giving reshapes us long before it funds anything. This message is about letting God have our first and best so our lives build people, build stories, and build a Kingdom bigger than our own.

Angie and Rachel from Braincode Centers are back on the pod. We talk origin stories, crunchy moms, neurofeedback, big pharma, and why your brain keeps slipping into fight-or-flight while you're just trying to live your life and follow Jesus.Connect with Braincode Centers:Website: braincodecenters.comInstagram: @braincodecentersFacebook: facebook.com/braincodecenters

Why do we say we love the Bible but rarely open it? We talk horoscopes, internet-shaped habits, quick answers versus real formation, and why the Bible teaches you how to live, not just what to think.

When tomorrow feels heavy, Jesus reminds us to live today.Doug unpacks why worry steals our peace, how gratitude anchors us in the present, and what it really means to trust a God who's already in tomorrow.

What are you bringing with you to the fire? The world may tell you to bring a distraction or your vice, but those thing are powerless to save you. This week, Ryan shows us the importance of bringing your Bible to the fire. Because when the world offers escape, Scripture offers power.

Where has AI taken the place of the Holy Spirit in your life? In Episode 106, we talk reliance vs. relationship, why shortcuts can't shape the soul, and how to stay human when everything's instant. Also: cold plunges, content fatigue, and Kayla's birthday.

When life feels stuck and God feels silent, the wilderness can seem like a waste. But it might be the very place He's doing His best work. In week 4 of Kiss the Fire, Ryan Wekenman reminds us that God is working when you can't see it and walking with you when you can't feel it.

Halloween, Taylor's album, Netflix, and social media. How do we live in the world without becoming of the world?We talk parenting, culture, and choosing not battle back against our tendency to love the darkness.

When the fire feels too hot to stand, faith teaches us to stay. Shawn Johnson opens up about his diagnosis, his anger, and the moment he chose to worship anyway. Because even when healing doesn't come how we expect it's still not the end of the story.

From caffeine to culture, what's really feeding you? The crew talks sports, how caffeine affects your brain, and why we chase what drains us.

When the race feels too long and the fire too hot, faith isn't just belief but endurance. Doug Wekenman reminds us that sometimes the miracle isn't in escaping the fire but in finding a second wind right in the middle of it.

Angie Noack, a licensed counselor and neurofeedback specialist, joins the crew to talk all things brain mapping, healing, and hope.We dig into how neurofeedback helps retrain the brain, the science behind anxiety and addiction, and why our ability to change might be the clearest proof that we were made by design.

You can't heal what you keep running from. In Week 1 of Kiss The Fire, Ethan Matott reminds us that God doesn't leave us in the fire. He meets us there.

A story of hope from Uganda. Haril from Musana shares how communities are being rebuilt with schools, hospitals, and businesses that restore dignity and self sustain for generations.Watch the documentary Finding Musana on Amazon Prime.Learn more or get involved: musana.orgFollow Musana on Instagram: @musana

Why do we sing when life feels heavy? Why does worship break chains we can't? And what does it mean that the King is returning? In week 4 of Rowdy Church, Ryan teaches us that worship is self-demotion, a weapon, and a reminder of the unshakable kingdom.

Nate Hilgenkamp jumps in for Ep. 101 as we talk revival stirring in Gen Z, the pressures of singleness, and the gospel strong enough to break fear.

Winds rise, waves crash, and fear makes us sink. Doug reminds us that the hardest person to lead is ourselves and yet that is exactly what storms demand. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Guard your heart. Put one foot in front of the other. We are a rowdy church of imperfect people who will not keep quiet about Jesus.

Jesus was the life of the party.Everyone's welcome, you'll never be the same and the celebration's already been paid in full. How would your life look if you joined the party?

AfterThoughts x YA Podcast. Two shows, one conversation. Expect plenty of laughs, a few hot takes, and some surprisingly deep wisdom on faith, calling, and how to stay resilient when life gets hard.

In Week 1 of our brand-new series, Rowdy Church! Pastor Doug Wekenman unpacks what it means to be a church of imperfect people who can't stay quiet about Jesus. Based on Acts 4:20, this series captures the heart of Red Rocks Church culture: we're not a Christian country club—we're a party for prodigals, a hospital for the broken, and a family on mission to make Heaven more crowded.

From Mario Kart theology to real stories of spiritual warfare, this episode dives into what it means to be awake and aware in the spiritual arena. We talk about personal encounters, why not everything “spiritual” is from God, and how to recognize counterfeit gifts and practices. You'll hear about overcoming fear, renewing your mind, and walking in the authority God has already given you. Plus: the 100th Episode Live is happening Friday, September 12 at 7 PM (Red Rocks Austin) — free to attend! Optional donations will go toward building a home for a family in Honduras. RSVP today!

We have a real enemy that wants to kill, steal and destroy. It's time we battle back and take up the weapons Jesus gave us to fight with!

What does God's voice actually sound like? In a noisy world, how do we hear from God? In week 2 of Can We Talk? Ryan Wekenman reminds us that prayer isn't a monologue, it's a dialogue. He gives us one thing God's voice always sounds like, and three things God's voice often sounds like. If you have a big decision to make or need hear from God, this message is for you.

From AI potty training anthems, Lego savings goals, and bald eagle bedtime prayers, the guys discuss what to do when prayer feels flat. They talk lap seven faith, pushing past the shallow end, and finding a PRAYS rhythm that keeps it real.

Prayer isn't a monologue; it's a conversation. Doug kicks off “Can We Talk” by showing how to hear God and pray like sons and daughters with bold, specific prayers that actually change things.

Just three away from the big 100—Doug closes Neurotheology with how dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin reveal God's design for mind, body, and spirit, why faith and science can work together, and how Elijah's crash shows rest can be holy.

From Mount Carmel's fire to the quiet under a broom tree, Doug reminds us that even prophets can run on empty. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do isn't fasting or fighting…it's a nap, a meal, and finding the unforced rhythms of grace that refill a soul.

Join us for the 100th Episode Party

Why is community so challenging? Why are we so prone to hide? And what can we learn from God's design for our brain?In week 2 of Neurotheology. Ryan teaches us about oxytocin and God's design for community, connection, and confidence.

James Keathley (our biggest fan) joins the pod! We talk sabbaticals, sabbath joy, and why McDonald's might actually be sacred. He opens up about parenting, pastoring, and to stop feeling guilty with God. In conclusion...Social media = bad. McDonald's = good. Unity = worth fighting for.

Dopamine is the feeling of purpose and the passion to pursue it. In Week 1 of Neurotheology, Doug Wekenman unpacks the gospel's blueprint for your dopamine-wired brain showing why Spirit-powered self-control, not quick hits, produces joy that sticks. What's fueling your mind today?

Ezra, Zeke, and Ray take over the pod with geckos, skunk stories, and the kind of faith that moves mountains. This is what Jesus meant when He said, become like kids.