We Used To Be Friends

We discuss the Book of Philippians, a letter to a group of people who had endeared themselves to the Apostle Paul. He writes to them from jail, but you wouldn't know it. Paul reminds them to be grateful, to value others above yourself, to serve others, and to do everything without grumbling or arguing. Could Paul write a letter to our teenagers? Maybe not. BJ also says Tracy is more like spaghetti. Listen for that enlightening context!

In this special episode, Father Vincent Lampert talks about his training in Rome, the 4 degrees of demonic possession, and the "reality of evil." Father Vince walks us through the signs of possession: speaking and understanding a language foreign to their own, superhuman strength, knowledge of things they shouldn't know, and a negative reaction to anything sacred. He receives over 3,000 exorcism requests, per year! Wow. Just, wow...

We thought Rick Rubin's book: The Creative Act would be one way, but it wasn't. It was too "woo-woo" according to BJ. However, there were several connections that could be made to the Bible's assertations on creativity. The famous music producer may not give credit to God for creative acts, but we do. And we talk about it! 

Rabbi Jason Sobel was raised in Jewish home, earned two degrees in Jewis and International Studies, and has written Mysteries of the Messiah and The God of the Way with Kathie Lee Gifford. His newest book, Signs and Secrets of the Messiah: A Fresh Look at the Miracles of Jesus is out now! Apparently, by having faith in Jesus we are "royalty!" Good to know!

Victory Boyd is a multi-faceted jazz, folk, and soul singer who is about to go on a fall tour with Lauren Daigle. She wrote with Kanye West on several of the songs on his album Jesus is King and her newest album, Glory Hour, is out now! "When you're in the awe of God, everyone else seems so small."

Eventually, the "Man in Black" saw the light! Director Ben Smallbone takes a deep dive into Johnny Cash's return to his faith. With never before seen footage of Cash himself, Ben also interviewes several music stars as they discuss the huge influence he had on them. Ben shares some of the things he learned and what impressed him the most!

The book The Go Giver inspired our discussion on parenting integrity, being hopeful like Ted Lasso, and the love we should be showing and giving others. The quote, "There is no hate like Christian love" should really cause you to think. And act. And change, how you think, act, speek, and how you feel, about others. BJ shares a great quote, "we shouldn't accept anyone into our buildings that Jesus wouldn't accept." Hmmm... really makes you wonder.

Josh picked out the book, The Go-Giver, by Bob Burg and John David Mann, for us to read. Even though it's more of a book written to inspire business professionals, we all took away some valuable lessons from it. BJ says it again, there is no work-life balance, it should be work-life engagement. Two of the most important points in this book are to touch lives, and be real. We couldn't agree more!

The Thorn is a visually dynamic and heart-stirring theatrical portrayal of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not your average Passion play, The Thorn combines martial arts, aerial acrobatics and emotionally powerful performances that have been engaging audiences across the US for over 20 years. John Bolin is bringing this live project across the country, and a special filmed performance to theater audiences on two nights only: March 6 and March 7.

Director Brent McCorkle talks about his newest movie, Jesus Revolution, starring Kelsey Grammer, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Jonathan Roumie, and others! We talk about the way to a crew's heart (tacos), the importance of making a killer film (and letting God do the rest), and getting paid (in spiritual currency). He hints that yours truly might be good at making movies and we geek out over Star Wars. 

Tracy meets with The Chosen's Amanda Jenkins. The Chosen is now the most successful crowd-funded television event in history. This is a huge deal! The Chosen currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an audience score of 99%. It's also rated at a 9.6 on IMDB. It's safe to say, The Chosen is a critical hit, and a hit with audiences as well! Amanda writes all of the companion content for this well-reviewed show. 

BJ chose Atomic Habits by James Clear to close out Season 3! We found connections in both our professional and personal lives. Choosing systems and how you do things, over goals and end-results, helps you become more successful at everything you do - and it all starts with a small step!

Mercy Me's Barry Graul joins us for their new album: Always Only Jesus! We talk about Thanksgiving, the music that inspires us, the creator, and how Mercy Me creates and inspires others. Barry was a lot of fun!

Jon Reddick talks about "zooming out" and seeing the big picture. This inspiring singer and songwriter, as well as visual artist, joins us in conversation about Thanksgiving, his craft, new material coming out, and even parenting. This guy has a voice like butter and if the piano moves you, give this guy a listen!

Former Cardinal and Angel, Scott Spiezio quotes Psalms 40, which sums up the highs and lows of his Major League Baseball career and his personal journey with addiction. "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." What a comforting scripture for our 100th episode!

Two-time World Series champion Scott Spiezio walks us through his battle with addiction. Just like some legendary at-bats with the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels, he's had to grind through some things to find and remain in sobriety. "I can rewrite a better ending, instead of worrying about the past. I can't right all the wrongs, but I can at least do well from here on out."

Deeper into this Bible verse, you can really begin to digest the meaning behind it. Anyone who believes that Jesus is the son of God is going to Heaven. Pack your bags! Punch your ticket! You're going! Actually, you won't need those bags...

We begin our conversation about Max Lucado's book 3:16 The Numbers of Hope and talk about the Bible verse John 3:16. BJ throws down some thought provoking ideas on sin that really sets the stage and contextualizes this verse. BJ said "When we accept Jesus, we die to sin." This verse, that has inspired signs at sporting events all over the world is arguably the most important message in the Bible: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This led us into a meaningful discussion on sin, and what Jesus' death and resurrection has done for our lives. 

Elijah, one of the most prominent people from the Bible, suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts. God stayed with him and helped bring him out of that and into a life rich with love and value. God hasn't changed. He can do these things for you. We conclude our conversation with Chris Hodges about these negative thoughts and what we can do about them.

Do Christians struggle with negative thoughts and depression? Do Christians ever have suicidal thoughts? Chris Hodges, author of Out of the Cave: Stepping into the Light when Depression Darkens What You See uses Elijah's story to highlight that they most certainly do. However, we can overcome those thoughts. Josh, Tracy, and Chris share their personal stories of darkness and what brought them into the light.

We sat with Matthew West to talk about his new book, The God Who Stays. Often times he hears a story from a fan and some of his best songs come from those stories, then, he has more to say. We talk about leather pants and chaffing, the Rev. Billy Graham, and how the message of the Gospel is the message of God pursuing us!

We go back to school as teachers, parents, and remembering what school was like when we were younger. This time of year represents fresh hope and a new start so we also talk about what we are doing for our spiritual growth and offer up some suggestions! 

With books like The Faithful Spy, Shooting at the Stars, John Brown, and Miracle Man, John Hendrix has built a New York Times best selling career and has earned numerous awards. His newest graphic novel, The Holy Ghost humorously depicts conversations between a squirrel, badger, and the Holy Spirit. We also talk about our mutual love of St. Louis and the sovereignty of God. 

He may have won a World Series in his rookie year, but that didn't stop Chris Hammond from wanting to be better. Not only on the field, but off as well. He warns us against using the Bible for 911 calls and encourages us to ask the Holy Spirit into our daily lives. At some point, Chris grew from being a "Church Goer" to a "Christ Follower," and he wants us to do the same. Want his cell phone number to ask him for guidance? Well, he gives it. Listen!

We continue talking about abortion, with love, patience, grace, and understanding that we might not always have the right answers and that life is complex, sometimes. We pray that you continue to seek God's wisdom on such matters, always.

The topic of abortion is a highly volatile one with many complex layers and points of contention. Rev. Kira Austin-Young wrote a book on the matter who believes the decision to carry the pregnancy to term should be made by the woman, medical team, her family, and personal counsel rather than by politicians. 

In this conversation with David T. Hawkins, we talk about the myth of Christianity being easy. How many of us have been scarred or burned by the church? Life? God never promises things will be easy, he promises to be with us along the way. David continues to make our brains think and our faces smile.

We were honored to sit down with Pastor David T. Hawkins and talk about the challenges we go through in life: dips and disruptions. "The dips do not mean you're destined there, it just simply means God is training you for something in the future."

Kick off your summer by listening to our conversation with Jon Foreman from Switchfoot. We talk about writing a song and being a conduit rather than a craftsman, how labels are unBiblical, surfing, and the many important charities that Switchfoot supports. You can catch them on tour this summer, and after seeing them in concert ourselves, you should!

Join us for a fun conversation with comedian and author Anjelah Johnson-Reyes! We talk about hood raccoons, the science of joke writing, and how about some great advice, "grow where you're planted." Her book Who Do I Think I Am? is out now!

They call him "Captain Coyote" because he is Phoenix's all time leading scorer. He was a two-time All Star and in the top 100 NHL all time scorers. Friends, if you don't already know him, get to know Shane Doan!

In the second part of our conversation with Sarah and Beth we talk about current legislation that is on the floor in Congress and how we handle disagreeing with others, from our spouses to strangers. Their book Now What? is out now!

We talk with Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers from Pantsuit Politics, again! This is our first repeat guests on the show and we couldn't be more excited. They have a new book called Now What? However, we spend plent of time talking about Coke versus Pepsi and how much the world has changed in over two years.

Frank White has 8 Gold Gloves from his time playing second base for the Kansas City Royals, third most in MLB history! He is the County Executive for Jackson County, Missouri. We talk about leadership, listening, and integrity. Frank is an inspiration to everyone! 

Daniel Kennedy walks us through our love of God and his love of us, the Book of Daniel, and the Mediterranean Diet. We also talk about the big three: grace, mercy, and tacos!

We speak with Healthy Long Life documentarian and Oasis of Hope counselor Daniel Kennedy about how to add healthy years on to your life! Death and sickness weren't a part of the original plan.

Author Paul Young is vulnerable with us, with his life and lessons he's learned. It was a beautiful experience, personal, and meaningful. There are so many things to wrestle with during our conversation. And that is good, wrestling strengthens faith, does it not?

Wow! We hit the ground running with NY Times best-selling author, Paul Young. We talk about the "gift of grace," the redeeming genius of God, and what sin is along with what it isn't. There is a lot to think about!

We get into the deep with David Fiensy about Bible times, talking about death and the importance of being thankful we live now. After Daivd leaves us, we go even deeper.

David Fiensy tells us about life long ago and the people who spread the "Jesus Movement." They shared clothes? Gross. There was a valley of cheese makers? Great! They sold children? Oh no...

We finish our discussion on courage: it's contagious. Rarely are we courageous alone. Ryan Holiday's book Courage is Calling was full of inspiring stories and lessons we can apply in our Christian lives. 

BJ, Josh and Tracy read the book Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday and applied it to where we are in life, now. Multiple Bible verses refer to hope, strength, and courage. We begin by defining courage and discussing our fears. 

In the second part to our interview with David Crowder, he talks about giving insurance quotes as a kid, the new tour, and the desire to have crispy French fries. 

Crowder discusses soft cusses and soft clothes, being back on the road again, his creative process, and what those red letters in the Bible mean.

We sat down with Director Jon Erwin, of films like I Can Only Imagine, October Baby, Mom's Night Out, and American Underdog. Jon talks about making movies with a faith-based message in Hollywood and the team of talent that created this film.

We finish the conversation with Jessica Malaty Rivera, talking about Covid, a missed opportunity, deaths, and the religious divide. Jessica really lays it out for us, teaching us about infectious diseases and their vaccines. Oh yeah, we also laugh along the way!

We sit down with Jessica Malaty Rivera, microbiologist and science communication strategist in infectious disease epidemiology, public health policy, and vaccine advocacy. Malaty Rivera is currently the Science Communication Lead for The COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic. We tackle the myths with Covid!

Tracy and BJ speak with renowned author Mitch Albom about his newest story The Stranger in the Lifeboat. We also touch on a few of previous books and his work in Haiti. 

Bj, Josh, and Tracy ask acclaimed author Philip Yancey about prayer, talk about toxic churches, how Jesus made the wrong people heroes, and how the church missed the mark during the Covid pandemic. Even though he was brought up in a racist and judegmental church, Philip has followed his journalistic tendency to seek God's truth. 

Join us for the final part of our Scary Stories series, Steffani Besch's tale. Steffani died many years ago, but that wasn't the end. Join us as she tells the story of her miracle!

In the second part of this Halloween series called Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark; Josh, Tracy, and BJ share stories from the Bible that scared them growing up. Let's be honest, parts of these stories scare us still!