FYA Podcast : Recent Episodes
Flatirons Young Adults
“We are a community of young adults from Flatirons Church who want to create a space to talk about real things, with real people. We want to ask the hard questions we THINK we can’t ask in church world. Christians (including us) suck at engaging in these hard conversations, but Jesus never ignores them. He meets our questions with hard truth, and big grace. Like him, we want to engage in these hard conversations with leaders who offer challenging truths paired with authenticity and vulnerability. We don’t need another platform for us to talk AT you. Instead, we want to hear FROM you! We hope that you will tune in as we carve out space to ask hard questions, hear challenging truths, learn from wise voices, and listen to your stories; all while keeping it real and not taking ourselves too seriously.”
Have you ever had questions about your faith? Have you ever had a hard time wrapping your head around something in the Bible? On this episode, we are joined by the head of Globalscope CMF, Phil Tatum. Globalscope is an organization that exists to empower young leaders all throughout the globe for the sake of Christ in cities where there isn't a strong, christian influence. Phil joins us to share about what God is doing around the world and the story of what brought him to get involved with something like Globalscope in the first place. Phil's story is full of an authentic struggle of wanting to grow closer to God while still wrestling through some really big questions about Him. Phil opens up about how he has battled doubt, found clarity in his faith, and how he discovered that God can handle our smallest and biggest of questions and doubts.
Learn more about Globalscope by visiting their website:
https://www.cmfi.org/about-us/who-is-cmf/globalscope/
Dating as young adult who is trying to follow Jesus can be frustrating and confusing. There are so many questions we are all asking as it pertains to HOW to date and WHY we should pursue dating in the first place. What is a man's role in dating? Does the Bible say anything geared towards women in the dating scene? What is even the purpose of dating? While there is no dating section of the Bible, the Bible does have a lot to offer us towards how we can approach dating. While there is so much to unpack around this topic, if we don't have our approach and our direction towards dating figured out, we run the risk of having our dating lives drift to a place that we never wanted it to go. We hope you find this episode insightful and impactful as we unpack what the Bible gives us around how we can build an approach towards dating that holds up and takes us closer to where God wants us to go.
Decision making can often seem challenging and confusing. From figuring out where to work, where to live, and who to date, there are a number of decisions that young adults face on a frequent basis. With no playbook to follow, it can become frustrating when it feels like God isn't answering our prayers for direction or remaining silent towards these big decisions in our lives. With that being said, the question becomes, what is God's role in helping us make decisions? Does He always tell us what to do? Does He leave some of that up to us? What do we do when we feel like we aren't getting anything from Him? On this episode, we unpack those questions and unpack how we have seen God influence our lives as it pertains to decision making and what we've learned around this topic as a whole. We also give some practical steps on how to go about making a decision as a follower of Jesus in modern times.
On this episode, we are joined by Dan Foote to discuss the foundations of what it means to be a man. Both in faith circles and non faith circles, there are so many mixed definitions of what it means to be a man. For men, it can be difficult to know what we are supposed to be striving towards and as young women, it can be difficult to know what to look for in a man. Dan sits down with us to share a little bit of his story, to discuss the foundation laid for us in the Bible as it pertains to what it means to be a man, how Jesus modeled what masculinity looks like through yielding and loving, and how young men can start discovering what it means to be a man.
Leadership is something we all will have to step into, and something we all could grow in. We are joined by Jesse DeYoung to talk specifically how we can grow in leadership in all areas of life. Jesse speaks to both his personal and professional experience as it pertains to growing in leadership and offers his perspective on what it takes to grow as young leaders.
Emotions are incredibly powerful parts of the human experience. They are woven into everything we do and control so much of our lives. Emotions have the power to make life come alive, but they also have the power to sabotage us. The "SASHET" tool is a practical tool anybody can use to identify and own your emotions so that you can learn to control them before they control you.
Have you ever wondered what you should be focusing on in your twenties? Most young adults are spending this part of their life finishing their degree, trying to get started in their careers, and figuring out where they are going to live. While it is easy to get lost in navigating all of the above, they might not be the most important things to be spending our time and energy on. While figuring out "what to do" is important, it can actually be more important to focus on "who we are" and who we are becoming. Once we know more about who we are, we will know more about what we are supposed to do with our lives.
Sharing your faith is something that often seems intimidating and confusing to do. On this week's episode, we are joined by Ben Chilton to discuss how sharing your faith can be a lot easier than you think. Ben has been an integral part of the Flatirons Young Adults community and has learned a lot about sharing your faith in the past couple years of his life. Whether being influenced by somebody sharing their faith with him or doing so himself, Ben offers some great perspective as it pertains to sharing your faith with others as a young professional.
Is there any benefit to waiting until marriage to have sex? Or is it just something the Bible tells us to do for no reason? Most people know that the Church and the Bible say that people shouldn't have sex before marriage, but have you ever wondered why? Have you ever wondered if there is any good reason behind it? Well, in this episode, Connor and Ambree Shehan talk about their story as it pertains to this topic and what they have learned. As a married couple who waited until marriage with one another but did not in prior relationships, they offer their perspective on how sex affected their lives before they met one another, the good that they experienced in waiting with one another, and all the struggles and confusion that came along with doing so. This is a great episode for anybody wrestling with whether or not waiting for marriage to have sex is a good thing or anybody who wants to gain perspective around this entire topic.
Are you confused by deconstruction? Are you or somebody you know currently deconstructing their faith? Well on this week's episode, we are joined by the teaching pastor of Flatirons Church, Ben Foote to discuss all thing deconstruction. Ben sits down to talk with us about how "deconstruction" played a part in his story and the difference between deconstructing vs. investigating your faith. Ben also talks with us about what it can look like to deconstruct in a healthy way and offers some encouragement to anybody caught in the middle of a deconstruction process. This is a great episode for anybody who has questions about deconstruction, anybody who is walking through a possible deconstruction season themselves, and for anybody who has somebody in their life who is doing so.
Have you ever wondered what it means to actually hear from God? Well on this week's episode, we attempt to tackle exactly that. We discuss the major ways in which we have experienced God speak to us and the avenues He has laid out to speak to all people. This a great episode for anybody who is struggling to figure out what it means to actually hear from God and for anybody who wants to put themselves in a position to hear from Him more.
What is it like to be a child of deaf parents? On this week's episode, we are joined by Michael Bauer who has a first hand experience with this. Michael is the middle school director at Flatirons Church and has a story that shows God's faithfulness towards his life even when those around him were anything but, and when Michael wasn't faithful himself. Michael's story is unique as he was a child of deaf parents who were largely absent for a big portion of his life. Even in the midst of these challenges and having seasons in his life where he wanted to run from God, Michael's current life is a result of God's continually faithfulness towards him and the fruit that comes from taking steps to follow Him.
On this week's episode, we are joined by Lisa Brandenburg. Lisa works as the lead care pastor at Flatirons Church and has a background counseling people through various mental health conditions, addiction, and crisis situations. Lisa's story can relate to the struggle that comes with mental/emotional brokenness and she is passionate about helping people reframe what freedom in Christ can look like in the midst of crisis, struggles with depression/anxiety, and other mental health struggles. This is part one of a two part conversation.
Loneliness is something we have all had to deal with at some point or another in our lives. Whether it's feeling lonely in our singleness, our friendships, or in other areas of life, feeling lonely can be one of the most crippling things young adults can walk through. In this episode, we talk about what the Bible has to say about dealing with loneliness and how we can combat and wrestle with loneliness in a healthy way.
This is part two of our conversation around whether or not it is important to have common faith when it comes to dating or considering a significant other. We picked up where we left off last week as well as address the question of "what should I do if I am currently dating somebody who doesn't believe the same things I do?". We hope this entire conversation meets you where you are at and gives you some perspective on what to do going forward!
For this episode, we sit down to have a conversation around whether or not shared, common faith is important when it comes to being in a relationship with somebody or looking to get into the dating scene. So many young adults are confused as to whether or not they should be looking for somebody who believes the same things they do and wants to follow Jesus like they do. In this episode, we hope to answer the question of whether or not shared faith is important as well as give you helpful advice to navigate the dating scene as it pertains to this topic. This episode is part 1 of this conversation and part 2 will be released shortly after!
On this episode, we sit down to have a conversation about social media and what place it should hold in our lives as followers of Jesus. Whether it be Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or other social media platforms, we can't deny the influence social media has over our lives. While social media isn't inherently wrong or harmful, it can easily start to negatively influence our lives. In light of that, we talk about the many pitfalls and harms that can come with engaging with social media on a frequent basis, how we can avoid those pitfalls, and how we can keep social media in a healthy context in our lives.
You're invited to our YA Christmas Social taking place on Thursday, December 8th at 7pm at Asterisk (1075 Park Ave) in Denver, CO! We are taking a short break from our regular podcast schedule this week in order to focus on getting this event ready and to make sure it is as incredible as possible! If you were at our Christmas party last year, then you know that it is one of the best things we do within the Flatirons Young Adults community. There will be food, drinks for you to purchase, dancing, and so much more! The theme is winter wonderland and the attire is Christmas formal. Invite your friends and we hope to see you there!
Get your tickets here: https://my.flatironschurch.com/registration/youngadultsxmasparty2022
On this week's episode, Ambree shares her story with us and lets us into her journey of what building an "identity in Christ" has looked like. From spending a big chunk of her life without her father present, placing her identity in relationships with men, and experiencing a desperation for something better, Ambree knows what is it like to struggle with her own sense of identity. Ambree opens up about what those struggles have looked like for her and talks with us about the hope and the clarity that comes with allowing God to define who she is. This is a great episode for anybody who struggles to understand what it means to allow God to define them and for anybody who is wrestling with identity issues.
On this week's episode, we are joined by CJ Alverado. CJ Alvarado is an award winning brand strategist and marketing veteran helping brands take new ground. His work includes grammy-award winning products used by MTV, Pixar, Sky Walker Ranch, John Mayer, Alicia Keys, U2 and many more. He is a champion for new ideas and future focused strategies. He was recognized as a 40 Under 40 business leader, has built and sold businesses and currently leads Bamboo Creative Inc., a brand strategy and digital agency in Sacramento serving clients such as History Channel, Stanford University, Yamaha and more. CJ joins us to talk about how we can "win the room" in our professional lives and how when our influence and opportunities grow in our professional lives, our opportunity to influence others for the sake of the gospel grows as well.
On this week's episode, we are joined by our soon to be regular host and our director of Young Adult ministry, Ambree Shehan. Ambree has been on maternity leave for the past couple of months and joins us to talk about what she has been walking through lately. Ambree opens up about what it feels like to not have time for God and how God has been reshaping what spending time with Him can look like. This is a great episode for anybody who struggles with feeling guilt towards not spending enough time with God, anybody who feels apathetic or exhausted spiritually, and for anybody who wants to learn what a daily relationship with God can look like in the busiest of seasons.
On this week’s episode, we are joined by Katherine Henry. We are also joined by the director of Flatirons College, Angie Wysocki, who joins us to interview Katherine. Katherine’s story is full of struggles with body image, perfectionism, and navigating her own identity. Katherine shared with us what it was like to deal with those things throughout her life and how she has experienced God’s healing and growth in those areas as a young adult. Katherine is full of so much wisdom and has a lot of light to shed on these topics. This is a fantastic conversation that you don’t want to miss, especially if you struggle with any of the above areas!
On this week's episode, Lindsay Boyko joins us yet again to talk about friendships. Friendships are some of the most important relationships we can have as young adults, but are also some of the toughest to find and maintain. We hope this episode helps you understand why good friendships are important, what to look for in a friend, and how to build and maintain lasting friendships.
On this week's episode, we are joined Gracy Kanan. Gracy shares how she has worked through struggles from her past as a young adult and how her growing relationship with God has influenced her battle with shame. Whether it be mistakes we make or circumstances of life we did not ask for, Gracy's story is an example of how God can meet us in the most confusing and messy of places while bringing clarity and redemption.
On this week's episode, we are once again joined by friend of the show, Lindsay Boyko. Lindsay joins us to unpack what purpose is, where to find it, and how to grow in it. Purpose is something we all crave, but something few of us feel like we have. We hope you walk away from this episode with a deeper understanding of how you can discover purpose in your life and how you can grow in that purpose as well.
On this week's episode, we are joined by Jim Burgen for part two of our conversation with him. Jim shares his wisdom with us about what it looks like to practically grow in your faith and how discipleship can look for young adults.
On this week's episode, we are joined by Jim Burgen for the first live interview on the FYA Podcast. Jim joins us to talk about how his view of Jesus and the Church was redeemed after being harmed during his upbringing and the journey it took for him to become the lead pastor of Flatirons Community Church. Jim also shares some of his wisdom with us about what he sees in the next generation as it pertains to carrying the torch for the future of the Church. Stay tuned next week as we will post part two of our follow-up conversation with Jim!
On this week's episode, we are joined by Chad Wathen. Chad has been involved with Flatirons Young Adults from the start and has been an integral part of the FYA community. Chad joins us to talk about how when you place your identity in places that cannot hold the weight, God will lovingly allow those places to collapse so that He can teach you how to place your identity in things that can. From things like athletics, relationships, and friendships, Chad has experienced the pain of allowing those things to define him, but also the freedom and security of trusting who God says He is.
On this episode, we are joined by Lindsay Boyko to talk about dating apps and what role they can play in our dating life. With the help Lindsay's wisdom, we discuss how as followers of Jesus, dating apps can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on HOW we use them and WHY we use them.
On this episode, we are joined by Caleb Adams. Caleb has been a staple in the Flatirons Young Adult Community and his story speaks to how God can redeem and restore our lives even in the darkest of seasons. Whether it's a broken heart, a broken marriage, or a broken sense of identity, Caleb's story is a testament to how God can bring something beautiful from a life that seems to be completely burned down.
This episode is a brief explanation of what we hope this podcast is all about. We want to share stories, tackle important questions and topics, hear from young adults just like you, and have the opportunity to learn from some wise voices from all over. We can't wait for the journey ahead!