The Messy Walk Podcast

Continuing the “Any Questions?” series, The Messy Walk Podcast invites you to share your curiosities by sending questions that you may want answered in future podcast episodes. The topic today focuses on honesty in marriage and on how to move forward after broken trust. Married people are one, so there is nothing between husband or […]

In the first episode of a new series called “Any Questions?”, The Messy Walk Podcast invites you to share your curiosities by sending questions that may be answered in future podcast episodes. Today’s question dives deep into church history as Pastor Adam and Steph briefly explain the reasoning and beauty behind the numerous Christian denominations, […]

Pastor Adam and Steph share details about future episodes of The Messy Walk Podcast. This includes inviting listeners to send questions via social media to be answered in a new series, and other ideas for potential questions that may be covered.

In the conclusion to the Thankful Meditations series, Pastor Adam and Steph mull over a quote from Paul the Apostle in his letter to the church in 1st-century Thessalonica. Pastor Adam and Steph comment that Jesus never intended for us to wear rose-colored glasses and pretend everything is good all the time. In fact, he […]

Today’s episode continues the Thankful Meditations series by focusing on a second quote from G.K. Chesterton. In his own musings, Chesterton alludes to the unbridled excitement of kids at Christmas time as opposed to our own underappreciated blessings that may seem more mundane. Pastor Adam and Steph relate the childhood enthusiasm for receiving parents’ gifts […]

The Messy Walk podcast turns 200 episodes old! Celebrate with Pastor Adam and Steph as they go over the history of the podcast and introduce a reel of behind-the-scenes bloopers, off-the-cuff comments, and random ramblings. Also, be on the lookout for the announcement on social media of who will win the book giveaway and receive […]

The Messy Walk Podcast is celebrating its upcoming 200th episode with a special book giveaway! Join Pastor Adam and Steph as they discuss 10 highly inspirational books that have been referenced on the podcast. Continuing with the Thankful Meditations series, Pastor Adam and Steph reflect on a quote from Matthew Henry, the author of […]

Being content means being satisfied with what you have and how things are in the present. It doesn’t make a difference if there is an increase or a decrease; you are not worried about striving to change anything. On the other hand, without contentment, it wouldn’t matter how much you achieve; the want for more […]

Life doesn’t always feel great, but there is always a decision in how to respond to every situation. Sometimes all we can do is play the hand we are dealt. Even so, there is room for gratitude, and practicing gratefulness when our emotions are still feeling hurt and bitter is a conscious choice. This is […]

To say we owe a lot to God is an understatement, as he is tremendously merciful and kind to us. When we keep this in mind and acknowledge this in prayer, it has lingering depth in God’s eyes, and it welcomes his favor. Pastor Adam and Steph meditate on the oldest quotes on their list, […]

We tend to pray about what seems pressing to us, yet we take for granted the many things we should be thankful for. Usually, whoever can be trusted with a little can also be trusted with a lot. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a famous theologian in Germany who was known for his involvement with the anti-Nazi […]

People who live simpler lives tend to be more thankful for what they have. Sometimes, all God needs to hear from his people is a simple “Thank you,” and that would be enough. Ultimately, giving thanks in prayer acknowledges the source of all good things and to whom we owe our lives. Continuing the series […]

To be cynical is to have a mindset of seeing the world as if everyone is out for themselves. If you are a cynic, you may find yourself suspicious of everything and distrustful of other people. You may find it hard to see the world and humanity as redeemable. American pastor and influential 20th-century author […]

Gratitude gives us a deeper, holy fear and respect for God, and that allows us to be awakened to what really is important in life. No matter what we have to deal with during our day, we must realize that God is true, and He gives good gifts that we can be thankful for. Pastor […]

We naturally attribute godliness to specific actions, but the motives matter too. If we’re doing things for appearances or to complete a personal checklist, it’s not necessarily an indication of holy, righteous living. Yet if we are able to view everything as a blessing, and we are able to quickly turn the things that we […]

Pastor Adam and Steph begin a new series of episodes by meditating on quotes from respected Christian leaders throughout history about the profound practice of being thankful. This week’s quote comes from 20th-century Christian apologist G.K. Chesterton who believed that thanks are the highest form of thought. Pastor Adam and Steph reflect on how that […]

God is generous, and we are to be like him; therefore, we are to be generous. We have been so abundantly blessed, and God has given us freely everything we have, beyond anything we deserve or what our own efforts could achieve. Given this, we should know that everything we have belongs to the Lord, […]

God lovingly crafted us in the wombs of our mothers, and He made us with distinct features and personalities. We do not need to hide our quirks and feelings to impress other people. We can be silly, we can be open about what bothers us, and we can choose to be joyful. The Messy Walk […]

The Bible has a lot to say about sexual purity and holiness, and you don’t have to read too far to know that its authors agree that sharing a bed and a home is intended for marriage. However, in today’s culture, many couples who are not legally married find reasons to cohabitate. Unfortunately, couples who […]

Church attendance is on the decline. Many people consider themselves regular church attenders if they go to services once every couple of months. However, when we skip out on corporate worship, we miss the most important thing that happens when Christians gather: the act of honoring God together in unity. Pastor Adam and Steph plead […]

Social media is a tool that is neither inherently good nor bad. Studies have proven that extended usage of social media platforms can have many harmful side effects on the human mind. At the same time, there are good things that can be done through social media to spread awareness and connect people. Pastor Adam […]

In today’s culture, people are less interested in church and are less likely to trust that pastors have good intentions. The internet has a wealth of content from famous church leaders, Christian authors, and influencers, but when people consume content online instead of building personal relationships with other believers, the seeds of true discipleship are […]

At the start of any romantic relationship, it is wise to make sure values are aligned before getting too deep. Intentional dating is for the purpose of finding a partner who demonstrates the potential for a healthy marriage. In matters of faith, it is of high importance to be sure that each person shares similar […]

Church leaders and scholars of the Bible have been known to make mistakes. Pastors can be wrong, and even well-meaning people can teach things incorrectly. This is why it is so important for everyone to read the Bible for themselves. Do not be manipulated or misled, instead learn the scriptures and know the difference between […]

No one enters into a marriage from the beginning with plans for the relationship to fail, but the unfortunate reality is that more than half of marriages in the USA end in divorce. Marriage is hard. It is also true that couples who spend even 2 hours in premarital counseling cut their likelihood of getting […]

In an age where we can access the world’s finest orators and preachers with a simple click, it is very easy to shop around for the perfect church to attend. There is beauty in the diverse expressions of faith and worship in Jesus, and it’s good when you find something that lines up well with […]

If we are being honest with ourselves, there are many frequent questions and circumstances that make us doubt the existence of God. At the very least, these things make us doubt that he cares about us, or that things in the Bible are really true. Many people see doubt as a sign of weak faith, […]

Pastors want to see people grow into deep, meaningful relationships with God and others. They desire people to have a strong, developed understanding of scripture and to live in the ways that God has instructed, as that is what is best for humanity. According to Pastor Adam, there are many common pitfalls that he has […]

To tease the start of a new series, Pastor Adam and Steph reveal the title and topic of the episodes to come. *Scripture referenced in this episode: 1 Peter 5:1-3, Hebrews 13:7

Politics. Even the word itself has become evocative, stirring up strong emotions in many who hold firmly to their views on policies, leadership, and morality. As the United States of America approaches another presidential election, Pastor Adam and Steph offer a series of questions we can ask ourselves to see where our true allegiances lie. […]

It is good for people to have positive relationships, be they platonic, professional, or romantic. On the other hand, when the relationship becomes the ultimate concern in our lives it creates a problem of controlling our thoughts and actions. Thus the relationships we have with the people closest to us can become a sneaky golden […]

Every person, when faced with enough hurt, shame, regret, loneliness, or stress is susceptible to falling into the tight grip of addiction. We can become addicted to all sorts of things. Unfortunately, these addictions take positions of power and cause more harm than good. Although the sneaky golden calf of addiction may leave us high […]

One of the most common sneaky golden calves in our culture is money. Not that money is objectively evil; it can be a great resource to accomplish all sorts of good in the world. However, when the pursuit of money becomes the most important thing in our lives it makes it impossible for us to […]

Reputation is a double-edged sword, and it can easily become a sneaky golden calf. When speaking of a person’s reputation, we are often describing how their character is perceived by others, which is closely tied to whether the person is well-liked or not. As we read our Bible, we find both passages that encourage having […]

The value of success, particularly career success, is instilled in us from a very young age. There are those of us who are driven to achieve, to become the best we can be, and we want to accomplish it by almost any means necessary. The value of success and career climbing can become a sneaky […]

Being a parent is a great gift and honor. For those who have children, their kids are a joyful piece of life, and nothing seems more important than making sure their sons or daughters have the best there is to offer. It’s not wrong to love your children. The problem is that sometimes our love […]

In the first episode of a new series called “Sneaky Golden Calves,” The Messy Walk Podcast host, Steph, is joined by her husband Jonathan as they talk about idols that we commonly have without realizing it. This week’s episode focuses on the sneaky golden calf of entertainment. Oftentimes the things we enjoy are not inherently […]

In today’s episode, Pastor Adam and Steph share details about future episodes of The Messy Walk Podcast. This includes the title of the upcoming series, the topics that will be covered, and ideas for the following series.

Not everyone has been a bully, and not everyone has been bullied before, but the odds are that most people have at least witnessed someone else being bullied. There is always a bystander in every bullying situation who sees someone else being mistreated. When faced with such a situation, what is the bystander to do? […]

Being a victim of bullying is hard. It can make a person feel defeated and resentful toward the bully and even themselves. Sometimes it feels inescapable. What is a victim to do when they are constantly being pestered? Pastor Adam and Steph take us back to scripture to show us what Jesus taught is the […]

No one can be bullied unless there is someone to bully them. We know that bullies pick on people they perceive as different from themselves in some way, but the question is: why? The truth is that hurting people often hurt other people. In this week’s episode, Pastor Adam and Steph talk about the continuous […]

Bullying is not limited to kids on the playground, nor does it always involve stealing someone’s lunch money. There are many different ways people are bullied, and it is a frequent problem in all age groups. This week’s episode is the start of a new series about bullying, and about understanding the four players involved […]

The Bible is in a lot of ways complex, yet there are also many things detailed in scripture that seem to fall outside of the natural order of things. Miracles, paradoxes, odd stories, controversies, and a plethora of difficult commands are all inside. It’s enough to sprout seeds of doubt in the mind, and to […]

Do other people care about me? Each of us has asked this question from time to time. Maybe it seems like people are only nice in order to gain something, or maybe it feels like people pay no attention at all. In any case, this is a question that puts us at the center of […]

We all sin, and we have all done things that weigh heavy on our conscience. Guilt keeps us from enjoying the life we have, and it disables us from being truly free. Because we know that we have messed up, we ask, “Does God forgive me?” Jesus’s answer to that question is an emphatic “Yes!” […]

When thinking on what actions to take, what career to pursue, or any other big decision, we might feel pressure and ask God, “What do I do?” It is good to seek God for guidance, yet sometimes it is helpful to look inwardly, change the question, and ask ourselves, “Who am I becoming?” Our identity […]

In today’s episode, Pastor Adam and Steph address an age-old question. There is  undeniably so much suffering in our world which also leads people to debate about the problem with evil, pain, or suffering, and to ask, “Why doesn’t God do something?” It is reasonable to wonder why life ahs been made so hard, and […]

We all wonder at times, especially during difficult seasons, if God really loves us. However, God has made his love for us very clear, and he has demonstrated it by sending Jesus to die for us even though we sin against him. Although we can not expect to live flawless lives, it would not be […]

Is God moving? We want to know if God is truly at work in our world because sometimes it’s hard for us to see. We ask the question not realizing that God is always moving. The problem, then, may be that we are too oblivious, and we need to be made more aware of where […]