Bread & Beats Mixshow: Recent Episodes
Bread & Beats Mixshow
Football is officially back, and if you’re a fan, we all heard A LOT about the “value” of NFL football players, especially in relationship to their contracts. We saw quite a few players get paid INSANE amounts of money. We also saw other players complain about their perceived value, while failing to get the long-term contracts they hoped for. In this episode of the Slingshots & Swords podcast, we’re going to talk about how we can grow in our Christian faith, by thinking about how the NFL pays the players that they value.
Connect with us @ pastorbside.com
It's no secret that controversy in Hollywood has been exposed for a long time, particularly with the hypocrisy that often emerges. In this episode of the Slingshots & Swords Podcast, we will explore the growing popularity of the LGBTQ+ movement in Hollywood. Additionally, we will discuss helpful and proven tips from scripture about how to approach these socio-political agendas in a Biblical manner.
Tune in to discover how Hollywood has been influencing pop culture since the days of 2 Live Crew and "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar." Furthermore, we will explore how Christian men can effectively combat these influences in the name of Jesus.
In this episode of the Slingshots & Swords podcast, we explore how Christian men handle challenges from politics, education, and healthcare affecting families and churches. Is it best to fight or to retreat? We delve into the "California Exodus" phenomenon and compare it to biblical teachings. Pastors James Wright Jr. and b.Side share their personal experiences and offer insights on how God guides and supports believers during uncertain and trying times. Tune in to gain wisdom and encouragement.
On this podcast, we're discussing daily life circumstances in our homes, schools, and workplaces, to understand the spiritual implications we face every day in those areas, training our bodies, minds, and hearts to fight the good fight of faith with the weapons of warfare God has provided.
“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.”
– Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Life is so much better when we do it with others! We need others for encouragement, help, and support in all ways: physical, emotional, and spiritual. This may be true, BUT, is it possible that Biblical fellowship gets lost, even though there is such a strong push for “community” inside and outside of the church? That’s what we’re talking about on this episode, to see how we can make sure we’re getting all the good things the LORD has for us in His version of “community.”
DJ Havcutz sets the mood with an opening DJ set featuring a lot of classic 90’s Hip-hop beats, from artists like Black Moon, Artifacts, The Pharcyde, & InI. We keep this vibe going, as we curate some of the original music that was sampled, for the background beats, as we converse about the value, the connection, of both community and Biblical fellowship.
b.Side takes us home with a soulful, funky, DJ set featuring some classics from the label Naked Music, Masters At Work, and new music from Moulton Records.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…”
Too often we associate serving others simply as a “church-ministry” thing, or even a socially-good thing. However, if we find ourselves serving, or thinking of serving in these ways, what’s our motivation? Why are we doing it? What do we get out of it? Who’s telling us to do this?
In this episode, we have a candid conversation about our own personal experience with serving people, from both a ministry perspective; as well as just doing “good works” for others to benefit for personal objectives. Before the conversation, b.Side sets the vibe with a soulful, and jazzy house music DJ set, featuring tracks from JT Donaldson, Ross Couch, & Jam Funk. DJ Havcutz closes the show by highlighting some beats and sounds, from his upbringing in Motown and 90’s Hip-Hop. The beats are fresh. The conversation gets you thinking a bit. Both together, energize the mind and the soul. Take a listen…
A new year always brings change. For us, it's BIG TIME CHANGE! We have a whole new format with a whole lot more music, and the same quality of Good News and Biblical perspective to feed your soul with encouragement. In this episode, we have a nice jazzy instrumental hip hop mix concocted by DJ Havcutz, and a French-influenced house music set by b.Side. In between, we're having an open and honest conversation about Christian music compared to secular music, and our experience with both as pastors with music backgrounds.
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given…Din Daa Daa, Doe Doe Doe! Ok, so that last part is not in the Bible. But in this last episode for the year, we had to tell our version of the Christmas Story. Get out of your house shoes, and be ready to dance, and celebrate the greatest Gift of all time – Jesus the Christ.
Both James aka DJ Havcutz and Brandon aka b.Side collab on the mix for this one, featuring some Funk, Nu-disco, Breakbeat, and an ode to the Turntablists. We can pretty much guarantee that you’ve NEVER heard the Gospel or the Christmas Story told like this…
One of the touchiest, most controversial, and emotionally-fueled issues in the U.S. right now. The 2022 election enabled American citizens to publicly declare their stance on abortion-related issues, especially in California. The chief issue though is, when does life actually begin?
Though this subject is usually addressed through the lens of extreme biases, delivered with intense emotion, we’re going to try and take the bias and emotion out of the conversation, and just present the truth as it’s written. Our hope is to share the truth of God’s Word concerning this issue, to help both the Christian, and the non-Christian.
Brandon aka b.Side goes back to his old electronic music roots, and serves up a fresh liquid drum & bass set to ease your mind while we discuss truth.
Take your unsaved friends/family to…fill in the blank. Whatever you filled in, is typical of how the modern church equips us as believers to share our faith. But, have we seen an improvement in church growth or communities thriving in the work of the Gospel?
While James aka DJ Havcutz sets the mood with a nice lounge, chill-out, hip-hop vibe, we have a conversation about if these common church practices are what the Bible says to how we actually should share our faith with those of different religious beliefs.
When it comes to being a Christian, are we supposed to be “good people,” or are we supposed to be Godly people? What’s the difference, right? We know that the world is filled with “do’s” and “don’ts” that are supposed to define what it means to be “good.”
As b.Side drops a nice mix of vibey Nu Disco sounds, the guys look to the scriptures to describe how the fruit of the Spirit differs from the traditions of “church life,” religious practices, and even the world standards.
A lot of people today emphasize that we need to love ourselves, implying that loving ourselves, will help us treat others well. Is that what the Bible teaches?
The Bible actually teaches that we’re supposed to “deny ourselves.” This phrase “deny self” has become one of those Christian terms, that often times people don’t really understand what it means.
While DJ Havcutz and b.Side try to translate this “Christian lingo,” and explain the Biblical perspective about modern Christian culture, DJ Havcutz prepared a pretty great blend of electronic Hip Hop beats, seasoned with some jazz, soul, and funk elements throughout.
We love competition, don’t we? In our culture today, we push competition for everything, not just sports. If we fail in competition, we can learn from mistakes and grow. If we succeed in competition, we often use that success to measure our own excellence, but is any of this Biblical?
Competition is such a normal way of life these days in so many ways, that it’s crazy to see how the scriptures address some of these things. Brandon aka B.side plays a French, Tech, Minimal Deep House DJ set in the back, while we talk about what the LORD says about our attitudes in these areas of our life. If you want to make sure you’re living right in His eyes, don’t miss out on this episode.
Some Christians will tell you that social media is trash from the devil, and to stay away. Some Christians will tell you that social media is a mission’s field, filled with people that are ripe for the Gospel. Which is it?
If you’ve ever wondered what role social media might play in ministry, in end times prophecy, or how you should handle it in your personal daily life, we go through the scriptures to give an honest presentation of the scriptures, to explain God’s perspective about this stuff.
If you’re a fan of Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz style, James aka DJ Havcutz lays down a downtempo, lo-fi, jazzy hip hop continuous DJ set for the beats in the back to vibe out to!
Is it awkward talking to you kids about certain things? Do you struggle having meaningful conversations with your kids about deep and serious life issues? Are you comfortable talking to your kids about the Bible, and answering questions they might have about it?
While Brandon aka b.Side provides a smooth blend of Soulful, Minimal, Deep Tech, and French House for the DJ mix in the background. We provide a pastoral perspective through the scriptures that teach us how to be the best parents we can be. While discovering how to make our families a thriving work of ministry that glorifies God!
Can you sing? Can you dance? Are you an athlete? Can you draw? Do you have savvy business sense? Do you have talent?
These are some of the common things we might think of when the word “talent” is brought up. Maybe you think about other talented people. Maybe you consider your own talent or lack of. How about this thought. Is talent merely a God-given thing, or can you develop and improve talent?
Brandon aka b.Side provides a smooth and soulful deep house DJ mix for the beats in the back. While we answer a question about “the Parable of the Talents,” where we discover that common human perception about concepts found in the Bible, are often VERY different.
In the Netflix Original series “Squid Game,” all soldiers served particular roles to facilitate the game. There were lots of them, but each of them had a certain job to do, in order to make sure the game went smoothly. Is it possible that the LORD employs a similar principle to the function of the church?
We answer a common question about spiritual gifts & the functionality of them. The scriptures detail the Do & How, & the best part is, God’s gifts don’t have anything to do with the ability to sing, public speak, or meet new people.
James aka DJ Havcutz lays down some nice Jazzy Breaks, Bossa Nova Breaks, Nu-Disco, Lounge, & Downtempo beats in a fresh continuous mix for the background beats.
Culturally speaking, it seems that the Biblical concept of a blessing, simply describes a situation where we get what we want. Are true blessings set aside for professional athletes, business moguls, or people who catch big breaks as influencers?
Also, the blessing word gets thrown around people who are spiritual, but also those who don’t believe in God. Can you be blessed just by being spiritual? Can you be blessed as an atheist?
b.Side provides a soulful house DJ mix perfect for the summer vibe, as we let God speak up for Himself as we look to the Bible to answer the question: What is a blessing?
In the last two years, we’ve all experienced a pandemic and global shut-down. We’ve seen wars erupt, where people have had to leave their homes and livelihoods, fleeing to other countries as refugees. We’ve seen more mass-shootings with people targeting children. These things, on top of increasing depression, substance abuse, unpunished crime, homelessness, and inflation. Many people are asking the question, “What in the world is going on?”
Brandon and James use the scriptures to explain why these things are happening, but also to understand what we can practically do about these things. The beats in the background features grimy hip-hop, and 90’s classic instrumentals.
Do I even need to go to church? How do I find the right church for me? Too much hypocrisy in the church? The Barna Group has stats showing that people across-the-board, don’t really care about church as much these days – Christians included. Is the Pandemic of 2020 to blame?
We’ll give you, not only the truth of what the Bible teaches about healthy Christian culture and community, but also provide pastor’s perspective about common attitudes concerning church attendance.
For your listening entertainment, for the beats in the background, James aka DJ Havcutz lays down a nice blend of Jazzy Hip Hop, Electronic Funk, and Chill Hop to keep your head bobbin’.
Lots of people say things like, “God has a reason,” or “Everything has a purpose.” Have you ever wondered what God’s reasons and purposes are, for you specifically?
Even though the Bible doesn’t give us insight into EVERY detail of life, it DOES give us the basic structure we need to answer these questions more than we might think.
b.Side drops some smooth French House and Deep House vibes for the beats in the back, while we discuss 3 essential verses that begin by saying, “This is the will of God…”
Russia-Ukraine war, Inflation rate sky high, Elon Musk bought Twitter, and this all connects with Bible Prophecy. What does this all mean?
When people talk about Bible prophecy, it’s important to know what’s true, and what’s fake. There are a lot of people making bold claims about the future and what the Bible says about it. On this episode, we teach you how to tell the difference between the true from the false. Also, James aka DJ Havcutz plays the background beats, featuring 90’s classics from Nas, Slum Village, and Pete Rock.
On that third day, He rose again. This truth is the cornerstone of our faith in Christ. Listen to some Break Beats, New Jack Swing, and Glitch Hop mixed by James aka DJ Havcutz and Brandon aka b.Side as they tell the story of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, in a way we’re sure, you’ve NEVER heard before!
Many spiritual traditions include meditation as part of their teachings. While used to create a sense of peace, calm, and inner harmony for an individual, the Bible provides a focal point and practical guidance.
While we listen to background beats from Von Gauss, 9 Lazy 9, and DJ Cam, we have a conversation about Biblical meditation and why it’s different from other forms of meditation that we see in other religions, and genuinely fruitful.
Are We Really FORGIVEN Of Everything? Forgiveness means different things to different people. Generally, forgiveness involves a decision to let go of resentment and thoughts of revenge. From a Biblical perspective, our salvation is founded on the forgiveness we receive from God.
In this episode, the question that came up was about the things that God is willing to forgive, and what He isn’t willing to forgive. The Bible talks about the ONE THING that Jesus specifically said is unforgiveable, so Don’t Do THIS!
Brandon aka b.Side mixes some Jazzy Breaks for the background beats, featuring one of our favorite classic Breakbeats from DJ Premier. While James aka DJ Havcutz opens up the episode with a DJ mix of Electronic Beats featuring, Miguel Migs, Thievary Corporation, and DJ Spinna.
There are 4 commonly known relationships that we experience throughout our life-time; family, friends, people we kind of know, & romantic. While these relationships are a way for us to connect & interact with each other, how does a relationship with God fit in?
Many people claim to have a personal relationship with God, but often use as a way to describe a relationship built on their personal terms, and not Biblical ones. So, in this episode the guys talk about how the Bible provides some compelling truth that sets the standard, the terms, & the proof of a true relationship with God, that is not based on personal preferences or opinions.
James aka DJ Havcutz provides the background beats featuring J Dilla, Freddie Joachim, Sickness MP, & Andrew Lozano. While Brandon aka b.Side makes us take off our house shoes for the feature mix, with tracks from Kaskade, Saison, Wattie Green, & Scott Diaz.
“Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.” – Thomas Jefferson
“Wisdom begins in wonder.” – Socrates
“In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by.” – Lucille Ball
A quick google search popped up a variety of quotes from people throughout history, giving their insight as to what wisdom is or isn’t, how to come by it or not. Though a lot of these quotes are good reads, and may inspire you for a moment, we always like to turn to what the Bible has to say.
In this Mini-Mix Edition, we received a question about wisdom, that came up from a Bible verse in Proverbs that referenced wisdom as a person, but specifically a woman. While discussing how to answer this question, we were surprisingly led to God’s intention of the man/woman relationship in the intimate and sacred marriage relationship.
For the beats in the back both James aka DJ Havcutz and Brandon aka b.Side collectively mix some tracks featuring artists, Suff Daddy, Potatohead People, JK Soul, K-Otix, and Emapea.
“The Jab,” used to refer to one of the basic punches in every boxer’s or MMA fighter repertoire. What’s interesting is that particular punch helps you set up your range, establish your position for other types of power shots, and helping you keep your opponent at arm’s length. Think, Muhammad Ali probably had one of the best jabs in boxing history. While this episode isn’t about boxing, it does address how “The Jab” has now been redefined.
Now this episode does not take any specific stance on “The Jab,” or advocates any other vaccinations. However, we do take a stance on addressing the issue of using Bible scripture out of context to influence the decision-making of others, when it comes to these types of things. As we look at what the Bible actually says, it isn’t simply the pharmaceutical companies that we as Christians, want to single out.
For the beats in the back, b.Side takes us on a house music tour through Italy, San Francisco, Ibiza, New York, France, and Chicago. While Havcutz did some digging in the crates, and pulled out some classic Boom Bap for the feature set, highlighting artists like KRS, ATCQ, and The Pharcyde.
A new year, a new you! This year I’m going to do…insert: new commitment/new resolution. As we begin 2022 we will find ourselves setting up goals for the new year, and desiring to stay true to them, so that we achieve our goals. For the believer, this is not so easy. The Bible calls for Christians to die to self, think of others, and serve willingly. But this requires hard work, embracing church demands. Still, we often find ourselves wondering or questioning if we are TRULY serving the LORD.
The church calls us to connect within a ministry, and serve the church needs. However, in this episode we were surprised to learn what the Bible actually says about how to serve the LORD. Hint, hint… we don’t need a church bulletin, the latest Christian book, or even the Pastor to tell us how to serve Him. Listen in, to see what we DO need.
James aka DJ Havcutz plays the beats in the back, featuring music from The Deli, Matt Quentin, SoulChef, and Mac Miller. Brandon aka b.Side kicks off the new year with a drum & bass feature mix, that will have you realizing that you actually dig this type of music!
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given…Din Daa Daa, Doe Doe Doe! Ok, so that last part is not in the Bible. But in this last episode for the year, we had to tell our version of the Christmas Story. Get out of your house shoes, and be ready to dance, and celebrate the greatest Gift of all time – Jesus the Christ.
Both James aka DJ Havcutz and Brandon aka b.Side collab on the mix for this one, featuring some Funk, Nu-disco, Breakbeat, and an ode to the Turntablists. We can pretty much guarantee that you’ve NEVER heard the Gospel or the Christmas Story told like this…
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other!” - Revelation 3:15
In this Mini Mix Edition, we discuss the full context of the statement Jesus made above. Though Jesus was addressing a specific church at the time, this has been a topical discussion throughout church history.
Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions, so we will use the scriptures in the right context to address, the question that stems from Jesus’ statement: What is the meaning of a “lukewarm” Christian? The beats in the back feature Electronic music from artists Funkyloco, Soul Quality Quartet, Les Gammas, & Hideo Kobayashi.
“If you wish to know God, you must know His Word. If you wish to perceive His power, you must see how He works by His Word. If you wish to know His purpose before it comes to pass, you can only discover it by His Word.” -Charles Spurgeon
In this episode we answer the question about, how people collectively acknowledged and knew the One True Living God prior to the Bible. We go through the Bible to let it explain how people knew, acknowledged, and understood God before the scriptures were written. It wasn’t oral tradition…
James aka DJ Havcutz leads off the episode with a nice mix of Hip-Hop and Electronic Beats featuring J. Caprice, Funky DL, Masters At Work, and an unreleased track titled, Kick It from our own music production catalog. Brandon aka b.side plays a house set for the beats in the back, featuring DJ Sneak, Jeff Haze, Stacy Kidd, Lance DeSardi, and two tracks from our unreleased EP titled, House Shoes.
For this episode, we’re talking about jerks: What a jerk is, who the jerks are, and how to deal with them. The question that we address in this episode derived from our experience in the kitchen: A fast paced and demanding environment with a lot of personalities. When you’re in this kind of environment, you’re bound to come across a jerk. In this episode we took a look at the scriptures to see how they instruct us as people to deal with one another.
Brandon aka b.side, provides the beats in the back with a nice downtempo mix featuring artists DJ Krush, Portishead, St. Germain, and DJ Spinna. James aka DJ Havcutz, opens up the episode with a dope feature set blending tracks from artists, My Boy Elroy, Da Funksta, The Disclosure Project, J. Caprice, and Nightmares on Wax.
How do spaghetti and meatballs relate to the dynamics of church life? We jump in the kitchen for this Mini Mix Edition to explore the Biblical application of imbalanced flavor. Often, as Christians we seek to connect with people and serve with people that are just like us.
However, the culinary equivalent of “too much salt, too sweet, too spicy, too bitter, or too sour,” causes any dish to be compromised. So, we discuss how Christians are just like spices. There are different types of spices, that work best when they complement one another, and ultimately balance each other out.
The beats in the background feature artists, Anomalie, Ruck P, Sam Gouthro, The Breed, and L’indecis.
Good family time is always welcomed, and we had a chance to hang with an amazing woman of God on this episode that is like family for us. Ms. Murrae Glenn aka Chef Rae, joined us to share about her love for cooking, but not the typical way most Chefs in her position would talk about “love.”
Chef Rae is an Executive Chef for Bon Appetit in Hollywood, and does not check all the boxes that you would expect for such a position. On this episode of the Mixshow, she shares her experience in how she went living on Skid Row, spending time in an Orange County homeless shelter, but is now cooking for celebrities! Also, don’t miss out on the beats in the background that James aka DJ Havcutz brings. This episode he’s featuring some tracks from DJ Spinna, Hi-Tek, Common, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Pete Rock. Brandon, aka b-side, comes out of quarantine to bring a fire feature house music set, featuring a few tribute tracks to the late Paul Johnson, a track that he has been searching for 20 years, and some other classics that will have you dancing, no matter where you’re at.
In this Episode of the Mixshow - Mini Mix Edition - we have a conversation about something we all have thought about: Is God truly in charge of everything? We look specifically at the book of Job to see that in the context of the verses, Job points out that God is his enemy. So, how is it that God, our Creator, is running things, yet, is also our enemy? We dig in, to look at our limited perspective as people, opposed to God’s view from an eternal and spiritual perspective. In the backdrop we have some soul, jazz, and funk tracks from Butcher Brown, Breakestra, Potatohead People, and Lettuce that you can vibe out to.
The on-going attempt to deal with the historic issue of racism, has led people to make claims like this…
“All men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…”
I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character…”
“Love is Love.”
Pretty powerful quotes that we all have encountered in our lifetime but what do they really mean? We have seen the Capitol get taken over, the movements of: Black Lives, Asian Lives, All Lives Matter…the ideologies of systemic racism, stay woke, and such. However how does the Bible see these things? Or more importantly what’s the LORD’s take on all of this?
The question we answer for this episode speaks to the issue of racism from a Biblical perspective. Join us as we navigate through the origins of race and ethnicity, and how humans have dealt with these things throughout the history of the Bible. We take a look at the root of the problem behind skin color and ethnic differences. We wrap up with discussing if God cares about race or not?
A heavy topic, but one that will be eye-opening from the lenses of Scripture. Of course, we have some beats in the background featuring artists such as Illa J, Kev Brown, People Under The Stairs. And don’t miss the Jungle and Drum and Bass feature mix.
A fitting title for this episode as we conclude this 3-part series on answering the question of, when was the Devil kicked out of heaven? We will jump in to some of the New Testament scriptures pertaining to the Devil, while looking at the deception the Devil plays from the spiritual realm. We also discuss the actual fall of the Devil and the fact that He gets kicked out twice from heaven. Then, we wrap up with the ultimate fatality, the Devil’s end. Don’t miss out either on the Boom Bap Hip Hop feature mix with some classics and new stuff as well.
In this episode we continue our discussion addressing the question from episode 5 (The Devil’s Playground), when did the Devil get kicked out of heaven? We specifically look at the Devil’s testimony and break-down the following; his ability, where he can go, what he can do, and can he actually be everywhere. Also, don’t sleep on the feature DJ mix as we tell the story of the opposition between God and the Devil.
How do tortillas, bread, and the Devil relate to each other? In this episode we get to tackle a question that warranted a total of 3 episodes, so this is part 1. The question is, when did the Devil get kicked out of heaven? We will discuss a couple of things specifically, first we will address where heaven is, and secondly address the issue of time in context to how the Bible speaks to it. We flip flop the DJ mixes, so you will get to listen to a house mix in the background and then finish up with a little jazzy, soulful, and boom-bap Hip Hop mix.
One of the most common questions we as people ask ourselves, whether we’re religious or not is, why were we created? If you’ve ever wondered about the purpose for your existence and your life, this is the episode for you. If you’ve ever wondered what to do, to bring true meaning and satisfaction to your life, this is the episode for you. This episode, James and Brandon look at the standards and commands that God gave in the beginning, to answer this question that still confuses people today. Take it or leave it, here is what the Bible says about it…
A friendship and family relationship was the bridge that connected us with our guest on this episode. Known now as Uncle Scott, he is the other voice you hear on The Bread & Beats Podcast. We spend time unraveling God’s intricate plan through Scott’s life – from growing up in a Christian home, to jail, to seven heart attacks, and now a thriving life in ministry. Scott tells this amazing story of encouragement over this episode’s deep house mix, and then, we enjoy a special treat for Scott – a drum & bass mix!
We love to eat and we trust that you all do as well. In this episode, we talk about a simple kitchen hack that will ensure the quality of your food does not get ruined because of a common misstep. Have you ever had soggy-skin-chicken, or oily-limp-vegetables? We’ll be in the kitchen talking about this, to help make sure your food has the texture and taste you’re hoping for, while also learning an important biblical principle behind all this.
Our first episode takes you into the Garden of Eden. We answer a question we all have considered at some point: What actually happened there? Traditionally, people have thought that life was “perfect and flawless” in the Garden of Eden. Is that true? The Bible does a pretty good job of answering that question! So, we look to the scriptures to see how they describe the connection and the relationship between God, Adam, Eve, and the rest of us. On this episode, we spend some time conversing about these things, and gain some helpful insight from God’s Word, while enjoying some hip hop and house music DJ mixes.