Red Weather Christians

To our listeners: Friends, it is a bittersweet goodbye to Red Weather Christians. Thanks for hanging out, supporting, interacting, and laughing. The new and renewed relationships that have come from this podcast have been the motivation to continue after Season 1, and we are grateful to have made so many connections with people. Much love, Jen and Steve Please, let's keep the conversation going. j4knapp1@gmail.com, knapptyme@hotmail.com, Insta & X: @jknapp_jk, Facebook: Steve Knapp

Religion has been the cause of most of the conflict in the world. So what's the good of religion -- and of God? Jen and Steve discuss how even though people use religion as justification to do bad things, there is still good to be had. Let's keep the conversation going! j4knapp1@gmail.com, knapptyme@hotmail.com, Insta & X: @jknapp_jk, Facebook: Steve Knapp

Read books. Not one kind. Mostly print. Jen and Steve try to be reading models in their own lives, but they want you to be the Next Top Reading Model. And maybe it starts by listening to this episode. To read: "Read books. Not one kind. Mostly print." Tiny Beautiful Things Les Miserables Tell us the life-changing book you've read this year! j4knapp1@gmail.com, knapptyme@hotmail.com, Insta & X: @jknapp_jk, Facebook: Steve Knapp

This episode is a fun compilation of some of the differences that Jen and Steve have experienced living in Spain. They could easily complain, but they're doing their best to see the good -- and laughing along the way. Let's keep the conversation going! j4knapp1@gmail.com, knapptyme@hotmail.com, Insta & X: @jknapp_jk, Facebook: Steve Knapp

We hope they're alright, anyway, because we're all just trying to do our best as parents over here. Join Jen and Steve as they hike through the sometimes-treacherous trails of parenting. Lots of slips and falls but also lots of laughs. Muffin YouTube Video Let's keep the conversation going! j4knapp1@gmail.com, knapptyme@hotmail.com, Insta & X: @jknapp_jk, Facebook: Steve Knapp

Sometimes, you have to look at the bad to make it good or at least better. So that's what Steve and Jen do on this episode. Enjoy. Notes: Dark Waters SNL Xiemu Sketch B-corp -- working to make business a force for good Donegood -- online shopping alternative to Amazon Buycott -- app to scan barcodes and learn company info and more Episodes referenced and recommended: Spiritual Factory Farm Misplaced Masculinity Abortion: Empathy Over Ideals Let's keep the conversation going! j4knapp1@gmail.com, knapptyme@hotmail.com, Insta & X: @jknapp_jk, Facebook: Steve Knapp

Let's face it, we're going to experience grief in this life. Listen as Jen and Steve do their best to at least pull some good out of it all. Jen's blog: https://lifeloveandsentences.wordpress.com/ Let's keep the conversation going! j4knapp1@gmail.com, knapptyme@hotmail.com, Insta & X: @jknapp_jk, Facebook: Steve Knapp

When you're living life in the fast lane, it's tough to slow down. From hang-drying clothes to getting a speeding ticket in Spain, Jen and Steve share stories that will encourage you to reassess your need for speed. Enjoy listening! Let's keep the conversation going! j4knapp1@gmail.com, knapptyme@hotmail.com, @jknapp_jk, Steve Knapp on Facebook

Errands. Lines. Interaction with humans. These are things we probably all detest sometimes, right? Well, NOT TODAY. Jen and Steve chat about how errands become opportunities and opportunities become lessons on their bumpy Spanish (read: Castellano) language learning journey. Listen to this episode, and you might even find yourself motivated to go to the DMV. Enjoy, and you're welcome. Let's keep the conversation going! j4knapp1@gmail.com, knapptyme@hotmail.com, @jknapp_jk, Steve Knapp on Facebook

Jen and Steve have been busy living life in Spain, and by busy, they mean buying a house! And what a great house it is! And the garden is absolutely ... absent. There is none. They know that probably most listeners would consider that a deal-breaker, but Jen and Steve are here to cheer the good, not boo the bad, so they will explain how being yard-less is actually great.

A guy, a backpack, a different guy, a strawberry yogurt, a girl, a sweater, Jen, and Steve. What could go wrong? Or you might ask, WHAT COULD GO RIGHT? Lots of fun stories on this episode, so get ready to laugh along as you listen. Got a feel-good story? Share it with us! References: Lidl The Marginalian "Head Full of Doubt" Lyrics ⁠The Artist's Way⁠ Let's keep the conversation going! j4knapp1@gmail.com, knapptyme@hotmail.com, @jknapp_jk, Steve Knapp on Facebook

Sometimes, asking humans to be good gives them a chance to be good. Join Jen and Steve as they figure this out -- all through the simple question: Will you be my friend? References: The Hidden Life of Trees Yep, We Moved to Spain Why We're Not Crazy for Moving to Spain Let's keep the conversation going! email: knapptyme@hotmail.com & j4knapp1@gmail.com Instagram & X: @jknapp_jk Facebook: Steve Knapp

Jen and Steve are back, this time from Spain! This season they are finding stories that restore faith in humanity, and on Episode 1, it's all about crosswalks in Spain -- among other updates. So hop on the crosswalk and join them as they cross the street without getting run over by a car. Let's keep the conversation going! email: knapptyme@hotmail.com & j4knapp1@gmail.com Instagram & Twitter: @jknapp_jk Facebook: Steve Knapp

This is our poolside podcast summer series! It's like a beach read -- for your ears! In this limited series, Jen and Steve tell their origin story, including lots of shout-outs to those people who were around when it all began. Grab your headphones, beach towel, and cold drink; head to the pool; and enjoy! Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

This is our poolside podcast summer series! It's like a beach read -- for your ears! In this limited series, Jen and Steve tell their origin story, including lots of shout-outs to those people who were around when it all began. Grab your headphones, beach towel, and cold drink; head to the pool; and enjoy! Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

This is our poolside podcast summer series! It's like a beach read -- for your ears! In this limited series, Jen and Steve tell their origin story, including lots of shout-outs to those people who were around when it all began. Grab your headphones, beach towel, and cold drink; head to the pool; and enjoy! Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

This is our poolside podcast summer series! It's like a beach read -- for your ears! In this limited series, Jen and Steve tell their origin story, including lots of shout-outs to those people who were around when it all began. Grab your headphones, beach towel, and cold drink; head to the pool; and enjoy! Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

Welcome to our poolside podcast summer series! It's like a beach read -- for your ears! In this limited series, Jen and Steve tell their origin story, including lots of shout-outs to those people who were around when it all began. Grab your headphones, beach towel, and cold drink; head to the pool; and enjoy! Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

It's the last episode of the season and possibly of the podcast, so listen to Jen and Steve talk, again. This time around they focus on what drives, motivates, and inspires people to act. In the tradition of Thomas Aquinas' categories of final ends, discover and, perhaps, understand decisions in a whole new light. Whether it's eating spicy chicken wings for enduring glory or brazil nuts for your health, Jen and Steve talk about why we do what we do. The Art of Choosing What to Do With Your Life Four Nuts Once a Month (Brazil Nuts article) "A Psalm of Life" Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

Who doesn't love a trip down memory lane when it involves highlights from your own life? Well, Jen and Steve do, and they hope you'll enjoy it, too. Listen in as they discuss some of their accomplishments in life and what the motivations behind them were. Spoiler alert, it's not always the certificate of achievement that drives people to attempt and complete goals in life. And believe it or not, a life with some regret may be just what is needed to inspire change. HOMEWORK -- With a partner, lover, spouse, friend, etc, do the following (for yourself AND your partner): Achievements Personal - Physical 1. 2. 3. Personal - Mental 1. 2. 3. Educational 1. 2. 3. Community 1. 2. 3. Work 1. 2. 3. Regrets 1. 2. 3. Ted Talk, "Don't Regret Regret," by Kathryn Schultz Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

When we finally get around to taking a vacation, why is it so much work? Can we change the narrative on vacations and really enjoy them? And what if we can't take a conventional vacation? Jen and Steve discuss these questions and more in reference to their recent adventure to the Galapagos and tackle the bigger question of how we can take time off in this life to rejuvenate -- even without a vacation. Also discussed: how "time off" could actually mean waking up out of the hibernation of the monotony of the everyday. So what now? Wake up, listen to this episode, and make a change.  Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

I started to panic about what to write in the episode description, so I didn't write anything. Enjoy the episode! Share with friends! And don't panic. ~Jen (Steve fell asleep with the 3-year-old) Let's keep (calm and carry on) the conversation! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

Which is better, vanilla or chocolate soft serve ice cream? But wait! It doesn't have to be a binary option -- you can get the twist cone! Jen and Steve discuss how humans prefer binary choices even while doing so limits one's own mental or spiritual development. Bringing together excerpts from memorable books, even some Shakespeare, they analyze what dreams may come when they let go of traditional either/or scenarios. Imagine a scenario where the question being asked has an answer outside of the observable options. Then, just when you think you have a rock-solid answer and subsequently stop searching, you have also stopped growing--ay, there's the twist. Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp Referenced in this episode: Hamlet, William Shakespeare Inspired, Rachel Held Evans Love Wins, Rob Bell The Reverend Brian D. McLaren, Session 2, 2022, Evolving Faith Conference Barbara Brown Taylor, "Sacred Stories," Session 4, 2022, Evolving Faith Conference

Reassess your time, actions, and effort. Are you living in the most beneficial way to yourself and the people you care about? Such a simple concept, yet it's one we struggle to take the time to ponder. So listen. Then ponder. Then go live a better (than good enough) life. Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp Referenced in this episode: What the Dog Saw, Malcolm Gladwell

To drink, or not to drink -- that is the question Jen and Steve explore on this episode. Listen and laugh as they regale you with their own (limited) drinking experiences, and pause to ask yourself the question: why drink? Because, after all, not drinking is ... A TEETOTAL WIN! Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp Resources: TedX "Why Sobriety is a superpower for women" American Heart Association "Is drinking alcohol part of a healthy lifestyle?" Five Thirty Eight "Dear Mona, How Many People Have Never Drunk Alcohol?" NIAAA: Alcohol Facts and Statistics Why We Sleep

Sometimes? Wellness isn't good for us. Jen and Steve chat about how the wellness industry is just waiting to pounce on our desire for control over our bodies and minds. So how can we embrace wellness without falling into the wellness industry's trap? Listen as they tackle this question and more. We want to be well, yes, but we don't want to well the hell out of ourselves. Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

How about instead of striving for a life of convenience, we strive for opportunities to learn -- even when it's hard? Or awkward... Or embarrassing... As high school teachers, Jen and Steve chat about how learning is for everyone, not just their students. Some hilarious stories are shared as they learn their way through their own lives. Hopefully, you'll learn a thing or three listening as well. Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

What do you consume in a day? You probably think about food and purchases, but what about consumption of time and information? Jen and Steve talk about the mindless consumer culture that is making us complacent and robotic, "stuck" in unhealthy lives. Listen to discover how to fight this consumer complacency. This episode might just be what you need to consume today. Article and Book References: Lessons From the Badass Muscular Neurologist Amusing Ourselves to Death Mindless Eating Your Money or Your Life Let's keep the conversation going! * Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk * Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com * Facebook: Steve Knapp

Staying alive -- it's important. And to that end, Jen and Steve banter about how being micromanaged, micromanaging others, and micromanaging ourselves lead to nothing but disaster. Join along in the laughs as they talk about life and death experiences, the importance of taking a poo without your phone, and, of course, Fat Albert. Let's keep the conversation going! Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp

Who are you? But more importantly, how do you know who you are? Whether it is what you do, where you live, what you wear, your religion, or something else, it affects identity. But what happens if one or more of those things change? While trying to avoid identity crises, Jen and Steve explore the roots of identity and wonder if we've gotten all too comfortable putting ourselves and others into the boxes of personality tests, subjective definitions, and religion. So let's stop the constant categorization, have a real conversation with someone, and do some good ol' fashioned introspection. Let's keep the conversation going! Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp

When you're late to the game, moving backwards, or hitting dead ends, how can that be seen as successful? And what if culturally defined success isn't the end result at all? Can you make progress while not being successful? Jen and Steve tease through these questions, reminiscing about their marathon-running days, and realize that maybe progressing in life doesn't have to be about success. Maybe there's another way to be happy. Maybe it's within our grasp right now. And maybe that's what success really is. Let's keep the conversation going! Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp

Call the passion police! There has been a crime of passion, and it is that we are not passionate enough -- in our jobs, in our hobbies, and in our lives. In this episode, Jen and Steve discuss the passion rhetoric that has infiltrated our entire philosophy of life and how it actually can be damaging. Who's to say we have to be passionate about our jobs? Who's to say we have to have a hobby that is our passion? If we are living life without a specific passion, perhaps we don't have to feel guilty? Let's try it. Keep the conversation going: Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp

How do you define the core values of your family? Are they inherently Christian? Jen and Steve recently had a conversation with some inquisitive students that forced these into reality for them. Then, they asked themselves how well they were actually doing at modeling these values to their kids and being intentional to voice these values, too. Suffice to say, a lot of good can happen when you stop to have a conversation. Try it! Keep the conversation going! Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp

The human longing for perfection is real. It may even be a reason for which we seek God. Humanity's assertion of inerrancy in this world, however, dredges up one of the worst parts of us--a willing of hypocrisy for the sake of power. Jen and Steve wonder why Christians strive for an inerrant Bible even when it has inconsistencies within itself. Great stories can still be good and true even if the tiny details are blurry. Declaring that all the blurry details must be inerrant seems unnecessary and dangerous to the whole of the story because it leads to all sorts of verbal maneuvers of explanation which makes everything seem less believable. Book Recommendation: A Future Without Walls, by T. Richard Snyder Keep the conversation going! Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp

Christians are commanded by God to forgive. And yet, who benefits most from forgiveness in this life -- the forgiver or the forgiven? Jen and Steve share stories from their lives about forgiving people and the complications that can arise from those situations. Are there still consequences after forgiveness? Can there be forgiveness without an apology or contrition? Are we also commanded to forget? Join them in this conversation and journey, because like death and taxes, life is certain to provide opportunities to forgive. Wanna join the conversation? We'd love to chat! Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp

Ah, Christian media -- the music, the movies, the books, the christian-fluencers. What's not to love? Or, as Jen and Steve discuss, what is there to love? Listen in as they laugh and discuss all things media. (BABY GOT BOOK!) Wanna join the conversation? We'd love to chat! Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp

There is a long-standing problem with an omnipotent, omniscient, morally perfect Creator and the existence of evil in this world. While bringing the discussion and theoretical solutions to the table, Jen and Steve offer approximately zero concrete solutions. Perhaps a shoulder shrug is all they have, but they remind everyone that attempting to ignore the problem does not make it any less of one. Can good cause evil? Can evil cause good? Without evil as an option, are we even free to choose? Let's keep the conversation going: Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp Sources: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evil/

What happens when we're grieving and none of the well-intentioned advice is helping? Join Jen and Steve as they tackle this question and share their own stories of grief. We might realize that sometimes, people just don't have the right things to say. We might also realize that, contrary to popular Christian belief, grief may not be a temporary state. And, lastly, we might realize that we simply don't have the answers. Perhaps we need to be more like Jesus: even when he knew the end, he sat with Mary and Martha and wept over the death of his good friend, Lazarus. Let's keep the conversation going: Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp

Quick, judge them! Throw stones! Condemn! Or ... listen as Jen and Steve talk through some of the compelling points made by Matthew Vines in his book God and the Gay Christian to realize that the Bible does not actually condemn same sex relationships. Jen and Steve discuss how even if you believe homosexuality is a sin, what good comes from your judgment? "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." -- Matthew 7:19 Keep the conversation going! Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp If you're enjoying RWC, it would mean so much to us if you'd share it with your friends and review it on your podcast platform. Thanks for the support!

The episode you didn't know you needed! Jen and Steve have candid conversations about what love is in their own relationship, what the five love languages are (and how they can be helpful and also detrimental), and the importance of communicating your needs (about dishwashers and weird smells). Laugh along to their awkwardness, and come away with some meaningful tid-bits to make your relationship better in bed -- except not the "in bed" part. Let's keep the conversation going: Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp If you're enjoying RWC, it would mean so much to us if you'd share it with your friends and review it on Apple podcasts. Thanks for the support!

Patriarchy is nothing new. Christian patriarchy, however, is not that old. Jen and Steve dive into the historical and biblical contexts in which patriarchy (read complementarianism for a more euphemistic term) reared its ugly head in the evangelical Christian church. While most of the information is taken from Beth Allison Barr's book The Making of Biblical Womanhood, they also share their perspectives having grown up in relative ignorance of the subjugation of women. Yet, there is hope for a better future within the church. At the very least, Jen and Steve will no longer be complicit with patriarchal practices. Hit us up on social media or email, and let's keep the conversation going: Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Facebook: Steve Knapp If you're enjoying RWC, it would mean so much to us if you'd share it with your friends and review it on Apple podcasts. Thanks for the support!

Let's talk about sex, baby! Jen and Steve chat about how sometimes Christians and non-Christians alike avoid or ignore the topic of sex education in their kids' lives and how harmful it is for everyone. Also avoided -- talking about sex in general with friends or even your partner! So Jen and Steve dive right in and discuss their own experiences with sex education growing up ("The waste line is the wait line") and what they hope for their own kids and all humans. They don't hold back, so buckle in and get ready for "Sex Ed." Let's keep the conversation going! Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Insta & Twitter: jknapp_jk Facebook: Steve Knapp Resources and Recommendations: One Love Foundation AMAZE Beartown, by Fredrik Backman

On this episode, Jen and Steve have the needed conversation about what it means to have an empathetic response to abortion. We chat about sex, birth control, miscarriage, and what the male responsibility should be in all of this. Overall, we want to emphasize empathy over ideals. Let's continue the conversation: email: j4knapp1@gmail.com Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk Facebook: Steve Knapp Or let's meet for coffee in Quito!

By what rules do you live? Where did you get them or how did you arrive at them? Jen and Steve talk about clear, absolute rules from the Bible and other aspects of life, wondering why people pick and choose which rules to follow at various times. Is it convenient to break the rules? Is it fun? Is it for a higher purpose? And why do some people allow themselves to become rule-following robots, beeping through life instead of living? Let's live. Not beep. Reach out to keep the conversations going: j4knapp1@gmail.com Instagram & Twitter: @jknapp_jk Facebook: Steve Knapp

What does it take to be a Christian man? Does it even matter to have roles defined by gender within the Christian faith? Jen and Steve discuss Kristin Du Mez's book, Jesus and John Wayne, in conjunction with Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. If nothing else, question the patriarchy that excuses harmful and unnecessary male behavior. Book Recs: Jesus and John Wayne, Kristin Du Mez; The Ninefold Path of Jesus, Mark Scandrette We'd love to hear from you! Instagram: @jknapp_jk Twitter: @jknapp_jk Facebook: Steve Knapp Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com / knapptyme@hotmail.com

What does unconditional love mean? Is it even Biblical? Jen and Steve discuss how God's grace and love may be a one-size-fits-all sales pitch for the sake of conversion, but it sure doesn't seem like that for those already within the faith. Sprinkled with funny stories from their college days and dating, false advertising is put on notice. Get ready to laugh and cringe and reflect as you listen to this first episode of Season 2. We'd love to hear from you! Instagram: @jknapp_jk Twitter: @jknapp_jk Facebook: Steve Knapp Email: j4knapp1@gmail.com / knapptyme@hotmail.com

On this final episode of the season, Jen and Steve reveal why they named themselves Red Weather Christians. Also, they talk about cheese, again, with a tip for your thanksgiving mac & cheese. Wanna read with Steve and Jen over the next few weeks? Here's what's on their to-read list: Jesus and John Wayne, by Kristin Kobes Du Mez God and the Gay Christian, by Matthew Vines The Making of Biblical Womanhood, by Beth Allison Barr Join the conversation: Instagram & Twitter: jknapp_jk email: j4knapp1@gmail.com voice message: https://anchor.fm/redweatherchristians/message blog: https://lifeloveandsentences.wordpress.com/

What is usually taboo at most dinner tables? Religion and politics. And that's exactly what we're talking about on this episode. Stare down your double standards and open up the conversation this Thanksgiving. Join the conversation: leave a voice message: https://anchor.fm/redweatherchristians/message email: j4knapp1@gmail.com

Jen and Steve discuss why 2014 was a turning point for them financially. Think parable of the talents meets the FIRE movement meets having more expenses (read kids) and purposely making less money, and some savvy advice sprinkled into the mix. Be content with less money, but not less time. Leave us a voice message --> https://anchor.fm/redweatherchristians/message

Money talks, and we're here for it! Jen and Steve lay bare their (sometimes embarrassing, but for only Jen of course) financial journey in the hopes that we can all feel a little more comfortable talking about money. So let's do it. Let's talk money. Leave us a voice message: https://anchor.fm/redweatherchristians/message Send us an email: j4knapp1@gmail.com

Predestination versus free will -- it's the topic du jour. But regardless of what you believe or if you even have an opinion at all, one thing's clear: be a good human. Also included in this episode: serious musings on Dwight's Second Life. Leave us a voice message --> https://anchor.fm/redweatherchristians/message