Gail Song Bantum, lead pastor of Quest Church in Seattle, WA and Brian Bantum, Theologian in Residence, joined me in a conversation on their newest book, Choosing Us. Having been married 25 years and in vocational ministry almost as long, they have learned a thing or two about navigating their relationship in this "world of … Continue reading Episode 144 – Gail Song Bantum & Brian Bantum
Episode 143 – J.W. Buck
J.W. (Josh) Buck is the Executive Director and one of the founders of Pax, a Christian organization designed to inspire and equip the next generation through slow, beautiful, Jesus-centered content created by people of color. While his first book is available for pre-order now (!), in this interview, we focused on his dissertation work on the … Continue reading Episode 143 – J.W. Buck
Episode 139 – Ines Franklin
Ines Franklin is a speaker, pastor, ministry leader, and graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary. All of these roles are ones her abuelita would have hoped and dreamed for Ines, but in her early adult life, they seemed unlikely. It wasn't until she had turned 40, with failed marriages behind her, that she found herself back … Continue reading Episode 139 – Ines Franklin
Episode 138 – Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley
On March 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law the "Emmett Till Antilynching Act." While this is historic, it is also over 100 years and 200 failed votes in the making. There are mixed emotions following the bill's unanimous passing in the Senate and in light of the moment, I'm taking this opportunity to re-air … Continue reading Episode 138 – Rev. Dr. Malcolm Foley
Episode 137 – Amy Julia Becker
Writer, author, and speaker Amy Julia Becker is on the podcast this week talking about healing. Her new book, To Be Made Well is a beautiful reflection on the nature of, barriers to, and how we can participate with God in healing, both our own and that of the people around us. Threading through her … Continue reading Episode 137 – Amy Julia Becker
Episode 136 – Shane Blackshear
Shane Blackshear is the host of Seminary Dropout podcast and the author of a new book full of wisdom from the life of civil rights leader and co-author John Perkins. Go and Do is a wonderful mingling of stories from the lives of John and Shane as well as practical, solid content to help us … Continue reading Episode 136 – Shane Blackshear
Episode 135 – Alicia Akins
Alicia Akins has written a beautiful book called Invitations to Abundance and came on the podcast to talk about it! Alicia serves as a deaconess at her church, is a biblical studies graduate student at Reformed Theological Seminary, and works in international education in Washington D.C. Her gorgeous book narrates the feasts of the Bible … Continue reading Episode 135 – Alicia Akins
Episode 132 – Dennis Edwards
Dr. Dennis Edwards, professor of New Testament at North Park Seminary in Chicago, is on the podcast! His book, Might From the Margins, specifically addresses and encourages Christians who have found themselves marginalized within American Evangelicalism, including Christians of color and women. One of the things I appreciate most about this text and conversation is … Continue reading Episode 132 – Dennis Edwards
Episode 131 – Young-Sam Won
Dr. Young-Sam Won is the Associate Director of Ministry Formation and an Adjunct Professor of Old Testament at Dallas Theological Seminary. He's also a hoot to follow on Twitter! Sam loves to explore the topics of justice and ethnicity from a biblical (specifically Old Testament) perspective and I am here for it. In this conversation, … Continue reading Episode 131 – Young-Sam Won
Episode 130 – David Swanson
David Swanson is back on the podcast! David is the pastor of New Community Covenant Church in Chicago, the author of Rediscipling the White Church, and regularly speaks and writes on matters of racial justice and reconciliation. The last time David and I recorded was in October of 2020 and as you know a lot … Continue reading Episode 130 – David Swanson
Episode 129 – Natalia Kohn Rivera
Natalia Kohn Rivera is a pastor with InterVarsity's LeFe ministry and co-author of Hermanas. This beautiful book takes the journeys of 12 biblical women and explores them through the lenses of Latina women. In this conversation, Natalia and I discuss the importance of our ethnic identities and our faith as well as what it means … Continue reading Episode 129 – Natalia Kohn Rivera
Episode 128 – Ashley Hales
Ashley Hales is the author of A Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits. When I read this book, I felt myself give a big exhale. You mean we're not meant to do it all? Limits are God's design for goodness for our lives? Yes! If you have found yourself overwhelmed … Continue reading Episode 128 – Ashley Hales
Episode 127 – Sandra Maria Van Opstal
You do not have to be an Enneagram 8 (or even know what the Enneagram is) to enjoy this episode! Sandra Maria Van Opstal has written an incredible devotional as part of a series published by InterVarsity Press called Forty Days on Being an Eight. The point of our conversation in this episode was not … Continue reading Episode 127 – Sandra Maria Van Opstal
Episode 125 – New Year, New Growth
As the new year rolls in, I'm as tempted as the next person to spend a brief time celebrating and then lean into the expectations. Expectations of myself, people close to me, circumstances...a new year means a new beginning, right? So it's time to turn over a new leaf as they say and hit the … Continue reading Episode 125 – New Year, New Growth
Episode 124 – Dan Stringer
Dan Stringer is a pastor in Hawai'i and the author of Struggling with Evangelicalism. Like many of us who grew up in American evangelicalism, Dan recognizes the problems. But he doesn't stop there; he challenges us to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly and encourages us to locate ourselves in relationship with … Continue reading Episode 124 – Dan Stringer
Episode 120 – Cindy Wu
My guest this week is fellow Houstonian, Cindy Wu, Program Manager with Houston Welcomes Refugees. Cindy studied at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has written an incredible workbook for believers looking to expand their practical theology on the topic of refugees called A Better Country. Cindy's passion for serving refugees was birthed in her at a … Continue reading Episode 120 – Cindy Wu
Episode 119 – Alan Noble
Alan Noble joins me to talk about his latest book, You Are Not Your Own. The concept is simple, but as we know simple does not usually mean easy to live out. As believers we understand that we belong to Christ and to each other, not to ourselves, but culture tells us something very different. … Continue reading Episode 119 – Alan Noble
Episode 118 – Matthew Soerens
Matthew Soerens of World Relief and the Evangelical Immigration Table joins me today on the podcast to talk about immigration from a biblical perspective. Welcoming the Stranger, one of the books Matt co-authored on the subject, was recently released in a revised and updated edition in order to stay current with the laws and policies … Continue reading Episode 118 – Matthew Soerens
Episode 117 – The Substance Podcast
Oh how the tables have turned! Philip, Vince, and Trevor over at The Substance podcast asked me to come on their show. This host ended up on the other side of the interview and...it was so much fun! These three friends and theology buffs have produced dozens of episodes aiming at being biblical, thoughtful, and … Continue reading Episode 117 – The Substance Podcast
Episode 116 – Jasmine Bellamy
Jasmine Bellamy, was just named in Sports Illustrated's series Elle-evate: 100 Influential Black Women in Sports! She works with Reebok as the lead for the U.S. Direct to Consumer department and most recently as the Head of Change Management for Reebok's United Against Racism. In that role, Jasmine has initiated Courageous Conversations as a way … Continue reading Episode 116 – Jasmine Bellamy
Episode 114 – A Word on Feelings
This week on the podcast, I offer a little reflection on feelings. Sometimes it's hard to comprehend that God actually cares about our emotions. We may have been discipled into a tradition or church culture where we learned God expects us to be happy all the time or he only cares about our circumstances not … Continue reading Episode 114 – A Word on Feelings
Episode 113 – Michaela O’Donnell
Michaela O'Donnell is the Executive Director of the Max De Pree Center for Leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary. She also works with her husband, Daniel, in their company Long Winter Media. On the podcast today, we talked about her new book Make Work Matter and more generally about vocational formation. Michaela's work and research the … Continue reading Episode 113 – Michaela O’Donnell
Episode 111 – Danté Stewart
This conversation with Danté Stewart was almost a year in the making, but it was well worth the wait! Danté's first book, a memoir, comes out on October 12 and it is a gift! Shoutin' in the Fire: An American Epistle tells the story of a faith journey that has become all too familiar in … Continue reading Episode 111 – Danté Stewart
Episode 110 – Drew Jackson
Drew Jackson is a pastor in NYC, the president of Pax, and author of God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God's Unexpected Coming. This book is a beautiful journey through the first eight chapters of the Gospel of Luke in poetic form. Drew captures the humanity of Jesus in these pages: his marginalization, his incarnation, … Continue reading Episode 110 – Drew Jackson
Episode 109 – Dominique Gilliard
Get ready for round 2 with Dominique Gilliard! You might remember, Dominique was on the podcast just a couple of months ago talking about his first book, Rethinking Incarceration. That award-winning title came out in 2018 and now he brings us his newest project, Subversive Witness: Scripture's Call to Leverage Privilege. This book is all … Continue reading Episode 109 – Dominique Gilliard
Episode 108 – Vince Bantu
Dr. Vince Bantu is an associate professor at Fuller Seminary (whoop!) and the director at Meachum School of Haymanot. Vince's areas of missiological interest and academic research focus on Christianity as a global religion. Not in the sense, as some scholars proclaim, that Christianity is becoming a global religion, but rooted in the fact that … Continue reading Episode 108 – Vince Bantu
Episode 106 – Mandy Smith
Mandy Smith is a pastor, speaker, and author and her latest book, Unfettered, nearly wrecked me (in the best possible way!). In the book and our conversation, Mandy unpacks the baggage of Western culture and how it is impacting our faith. Mandy's journey in this season began with a sabbatical, observing a flock of geese, … Continue reading Episode 106 – Mandy Smith
Episode 104 – Mark Scandrette
Mark Scandrette is an author, pastor, theologian, and gifted teacher. During this conversation, we talk about his newest book, The Ninefold Path of Jesus: Hidden Wisdom of the Beatitudes. When we read the "blessed are the...." in the Beatitudes it can sometimes feel overwhelming. We ask ourselves how we can do or be all of … Continue reading Episode 104 – Mark Scandrette
Episode 100 – Sho Baraka
Sho Baraka is the guest for episode 100 of the podcast! If, by chance, you don't know Sho I can't wait for you to meet him in this conversation! Sho is a recording artist, writer, activist, and educator. In his new book, He Saw That It Was Good, he challenges each of us to do … Continue reading Episode 100 – Sho Baraka
Episode 090 – Terence Lester
Terence Lester is the founder of Love Beyond Walls, a non-profit based in Atlanta serving people experiencing homelessness. At the beginning of the coronavirus spread early in 2020, the work Terence and his organization had been doing pivoted to meet the changing needs of the people they served. Since handwashing was high on the list … Continue reading Episode 090 – Terence Lester
Episode 089 – Lynda MacGibbon
Lynda MacGibbon traded her small town farm house and community for a high-rise on the other side of the continent and with the move took on a challenge. What would it look like for her to intentionally live out the commandment of Jesus to love her neighbors? Not just the people she came into contact … Continue reading Episode 089 – Lynda MacGibbon
Episode 086 – Jeffrey Bilbro
Jeff Bilbro is an English professor and author of the book Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry Into the News releasing in May 2021. We all want to be better consumers of the news, but as Jeff puts it, "belonging well precedes thinking well." Reading and responding to the news are communal acts, … Continue reading Episode 086 – Jeffrey Bilbro
Episode 075 – Rasool Berry
This episode was recorded in late December 2020, before the attacks on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Here's my confession, I was just trying to keep up with my guest Rasool Berry on this episode (this is going to be a double-listen for me)! At the time of this recording, Rasool had just come … Continue reading Episode 075 – Rasool Berry
Episode 070 – Holly Christine Hayes
Holly Christine Hayes is the founder and CEO of Sanctuary Project. The jewelry her company makes and sells is beautiful and so is its mission and Holly's story. It is all about redemption and rescue, healing and hope! Holly once lived a life of addiction where she suffered violence and was trafficked. Then, in the … Continue reading Episode 070 – Holly Christine Hayes
Episode 065 – Drew G.I. Hart
Dr. Drew G.I. Hart is a theology professor at Messiah University and author of the new book Who Will Be a Witness? Igniting Activism for God's Justice, Love, and Deliverance, which was the basis for much of our discussion in this episode. Ultimately, if we are taking our discipleship of Jesus seriously, we have to … Continue reading Episode 065 – Drew G.I. Hart
Episode 061 – David Swanson
David Swanson is the pastor of a multiracial congregation in Chicago and author of Rediscipling the White Church: From Cheap Diversity to True Solidarity. In a world where diversity is valued and even sought after, David recognizes it is not always the answer. Racial injustice cannot be addressed by an emphasis of diversity alone; true … Continue reading Episode 061 – David Swanson
The Nature of God
By Alexis Busetti Originally published as an exclusive on FamilyChristian.com Photo by David Monje on Unsplash God with us. This is one of those miracles that I hope never grows old to me. The Creator of everything, living with His creation. We see glimpses of Emmanuel throughout all of history, but we celebrate the ultimate … Continue reading The Nature of God
Three Ways Church is Like Group Exercise Class
By Alexis Busetti Originally published as an exclusive on FamilyChristian.com Photo by Luis Quintero on Unsplash Recently I went to one of those group exercise classes at my gym. You know the ones I’m talking about. They range from old school step aerobics to kickboxing to yoga to aerial silks. This particular class was a … Continue reading Three Ways Church is Like Group Exercise Class
A Beautiful Obedience
By Alexis Busetti Photo by Dennis Ottink on Unsplash This article was first published as an exclusive on FamilyChristian.com I am by no means an expert skier (I think the term my husband uses for our whole family is novice to novice +), but we love getting out on the slopes. We’ve only been a … Continue reading A Beautiful Obedience
Episode 057 – Daniel Hill
Pastor Daniel Hill joined me to talk about his new book White Lies and it was powerful! White supremacy as an ideology has played an unfortunate role in the Church in America and we as believers have allowed it to continue on our watch for far too long. True, not everyone is intentionally promoting white … Continue reading Episode 057 – Daniel Hill
Episode 034 – Resurrection and Relational Responses
This weekend we celebrated Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection far away from our loved ones, under stay-at-home orders, and inside of an epidemic. But we can still respond to His resurrection relationally. It's what we saw the women do when they found an empty tomb. It's what His disciples did when they had dinner with … Continue reading Episode 034 – Resurrection and Relational Responses