Rhythms of Grace: Recent Episodes
Grace Church
Have you ever had a season where you come to the end of yourself and know you are way beyond your limits? If so, this episode is for you. Join Nate, Hannah and special guest Minti Henderson as they talk about navigating seasons of burnout.
Join Hannah and Nate this week with special guest Minti Henderson. They dive deep into what it looks like to walk through seasons of meaninglessness. What do we do when life gets turned upside down or when the thing we thought would bring us meaning sorely disappoints?
What if love was a speed and it was slower than your default pace? What if you were made to live in a village, not on an island? Join Nate, Hannah and Sung as they discuss various practices, mindsets and rhythms that can cultivation meaningful relationships with the people in your sphere.
If you're feeling the weight of loneliness and craving deeper, more meaningful connections with the people around you, this episode is for you. Join Hannah, Sung, and Nate as they dive into the roots of disconnection in our personal stories, the impact of technology, and practical ways to overcome isolation.
Hannah, Sung and Nate talk honestly this week about the difference between who they want to be and who they are in real life. In a world where compromising character is normative, Jesus' call to be people of integrity and honor is all the more relevant for us.
This week Nate, Hannah and Sung explore where cynicism comes from and what it costs us. Join us if you would like to fight cynicism and become like a child, staying curious and hopeful.
When did you stop asking for help? Why do you think that might be? This week, join Nate, Hannah and Sung as they explore why it can be so vulnerable to receive from another and what we miss out on when we live a self sufficient life. If you are someone who wants to experience closeness with God, this one is for you.
What is in a name? This week, Nate, Hannah and Sung are back and explore the moment that Moses asked God what his name is. How the Hebrew worldview understood naming, and how God answers Moses' question is of upmost importance. If you're someone who wants a life of welcoming mystery and adventure, then this week is for you.
This week, new host Hannah Witte joins the team while Christine is on Maternity Leave. Have you ever felt like God is bigger than the paradigms and platitudes you've been handed? If you want to know the wild God of the Bible, this episode is for you.
In a season about rediscovering joy, wonder, and play in our walk with God, this week takes a slight turn. How do we rediscover a childlike dependence on God? What does faith look like in the midst of broken hopes? Together, they unpack the truth that the art of living includes the art of dependence in the midst of seasons you hope never to have to face.
This week, on Rhythms of Grace, the team tackles the big question: Where does our wonder go when we grow up? Nate offers up a couple of theories of how we lose our sense of wonder, and the team chews on some possible solutions on this week's Rhythms of Grace.
What does it look like to live a life of wonder, awe, curiosity, and joy? How can we begin to see our journey of faith not as work but as play? That's what we begin to ask as we start a new season of Rhythms of Grace this week.
On this week's Rhythms of Grace, Sung, Nate, and Christine try to recapture a sense of wonder at the world. What does it take to reclaim the curiosity and awe of a little child? A thunderstorm? Danger? Trespassing? Or could it start somewhere else? Tune in to find out.
In episode two of this miniseries on serving well, Sung, Christine, and special guest Dave Collins talk about the difference between relief, reconstruction, and development. What does it look like for these to be done well? How can we enter into short term missions with the right mindset?
As we wrap up this miniseries on serving well, Sung, Christine, and special guest Dan Rodriguez talk about how we can prepare for short-term missions and how we can return well. What questions should you start asking before you even leave home? What does it look like, practically, to bring the mission trip mindset back into your daily life? And what's the importance of a post-trip meeting?
Join Sung, Christine, and three special guests for this three-episode miniseries on serving and missions. Based in part on the book When Helping Hurts, the Rhythms of Grace team will talk through important perspectives and questions to consider before stepping into service. This week, Sung, Christine, and Zach Stamp start with a seemingly simple question: What is poverty?
It's one thing to look for God in the busy seasons, but what about the frustrating seasons? How do we seek God in the midst of irritations and difficulties? Sung, Nate, and Christine each experience frustration differently, so the way they seek God in those moments looks very different. What does it look like for you?
We've all been taught to pray -- whether we know it or not! "Prayer is just talking to God." "Prayer shouldn't be all asking." "Pray A.C.T.S.: Adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication." But what if it's bigger than that? What if prayer is more than we've been taught?
Is having a “quiet time” an accidental heresy? Are we missing an important way of engaging with God? What does meditating day and night mean for busy people in today’s world? Check out this week’s episode of Rhythms of Grace for these questions and more!
For those of us who want to get started with a rhythm of Sabbath… What does that look like? What are some first steps? And am I allowed to check my emails? Join the Rhythms of Grace team to find out!
This week, the Rhythms of Grace team is chewing on the idea of Sabbath. Is Sabbath still for us today? What does it even mean? Join the Rhythms of Grace team as they chew on these questions in this week’s episode.
These days, everybody's busy. Often we think of spiritual practices as needing to wait until we're free or have margin, but our spiritual lives are shaped and formed in the everyday. So how can we get started building healthy spiritual practices in the midst of a busy life? Find out this season!
Now that they have spent a whole season talking about how to read the Bible and what it really is all about, the Rhythms of Grace team takes a step back to ask the simple question: How do you enjoy reading the Bible? Listen in this week for strategies to fall in love with God through His Word.
If the Bible was written by 40 different authors, over the course of 1500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents... How did it actually come together? How do we know that the New Testament is the Word of God? Sung leads the Rhythms of Grace team through this discussion of how the Bible came together.
This has probably happened to all of us: We are talking to someone else who is reading the same Bible as us, but somehow we are reading to totally different things. What do you do when someone else is just so wrong about God and the Bible? How do we stay connected and yet not lose our own convictions? Wrestle it out with this week's episode.
This week, Nate rejoins the Rhythms of Grace team to tackle some big questions that Sung often receives regarding how our convictions about Scripture should impact our everyday lives and relationships. Should you go to an LGBTQ wedding? Are we even asking the right questions? Find out in this week's Rhythms of Grace.
Once again, Sung and Christine wrestle through difficult passages about homosexuality found in Scripture. Join them as they seek to find the truth of what Scripture is trying to communicate in what are often called "the clobber passages."
It's not often that Sung starts with a guarantee that you will disagree with the Rhythms of Grace team, but this is that episode. As Sung and Christine wrestle with some of the most famous passages that are used against those in the LGBTQ community, they ask tough questions about context, Scripture, and how the two come together.
This week, Sung, Nate, and Christine dive deep into the conversation around sexuality. They lay out all the variables on the table and examine their own biases and questions. If you haven't been listening along this season, you'll want to go back and check out earlier episodes before listening to this week's Rhythms of Grace!
Are we allowed to talk about sex in church? What about with our families? Is sex the unforgivable sin? This week, the Rhythms of Grace team wrestles with some common heresies and some interesting passages of Scripture as they begin a conversation around the big topic of sex in Scripture.
Okay, we have talked about the through-story of women in the Kingdom of God, but what do we do with the more explicit verses like 1 Corinthians 14:36? Should women remain silent today? Join Nate, Sung, and Christine as they wrestle with some challenging verses in this week's Rhythms of Grace.
When it comes to the conversation of women in leadership, a lot of Scriptures can seem contradictory. How can we look at the role of women within the greater story of Scripture? Join us at as we look at and weigh out specific examples of women in Scripture this week on Rhythms of Grace.
This week, the Rhythms of Grace team asks the big question: How do women fit into ministry, society, and God's plan for His Church? Is ordaining women a slippery slope? How do we look at gender in the context of Scripture? Join us in tackling this big question on this week's episode of Rhythms of Grace.
This week on Rhythms of Grace, the team tackles the tough issue of slavery in the Bible. How do we read stories and laws about slavery in light of the story of Scripture? What does that mean for us today? Join us as we figure it out together.
This week, Sung challenges Nate and Christine to tackle more big issues in Scripture: Women in Ministry and Spiritual Gifts. Should women lead or submit? Should we be speaking in tongues? Do we live under the law? Tune in as they wrestle through more tough passages of Scripture.
After revisiting some lingering questions from the last episode, Sung, Nate, and Christine get in the weeds, parsing Scriptures to try to figure out how they fit into the larger story of the Bible. Does the Bible defend capital punishment? What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage?
This week, Nate, Sung, and Christine step OUT of the weeds to talk about three guiding principles that can help us interpret Scripture.
The more you learn about any topic, the more you see how little you really know. This is definitely true about the Bible and the heart of God. This week, Sung has Nate and Christine look at some challenging (and some seemingly simple!) passages of Scripture to discover just how much they don’t know. Listen for helpful tips on how to read the Bible on your own!
If the Bible is a story... How is it like The Lord of the Rings? What does that mean for it's authority in our lives? Why do we read it wrong? All these questions AND MORE will be asked (and answered?) in this week's episode of Rhythms of Grace.
If you've been following along these past few weeks as the team talked about how NOT to read the Bible, don't be discouraged!! This week, we are finally beginning to approach the question we have all been waiting for: How DO we read the Bible?
Should you be wearing hats to church? Did God promise you a hope and a future? Or did he promise to send the sword and a plague? How do we sort all the promises and commands of Scripture? Wrestle through these questions and more with the Rhythms of Grace team this week.
Before we start trying to figure out how we SHOULD read the Bible, the Rhythms of Grace team helps us debunk a couple lies about what the Bible is good for. Is it a Magic 8 Ball? A rulebook? Is it even a book at all? Find the answer to all these questions and more on this week's episode of Rhythms of Grace.
This spring, we received dozens of questions about why and how to read the Bible. In this season of Rhythms of Grace, we want to start trying to answer them! As we dive into our first hermeneutical season of Rhythms of Grace, join Nate, Sung, and Christine as they question a lot of what we've been taught about the Bible and what it says.
Christine, Nate, and Sung have spent ten episodes discussing the costs and benefits of technology and the worldview it's created... but what are we supposed to do about it? This week, they look at a few tangible steps you can take to take control of your technology.
In this penultimate episode of this season, the Rhythms of Grace team looks at what it means to truly live the good life. We so often take the Western approach: More is more. But what are the limits of this approach? Wrestle it out with us in this episode of Rhythms of Grace.
As this season approaches its conclusion, the Rhythms of Grace team takes more of a wide look at technology. At what point do we need to consider the costs of technology? What is the impact of technology on our worldview? Through stories, personal experiences, and more, the team weighs the cost and benefits of the technology-driven worldview that permeates our culture today.
From math to typing to learning a language, everything can be approached as a game. Technology makes learning fun... but can these rules be applied to faith? What about our personal relationships? This week, the Rhythms of Grace team tackles the pros and cons of gamification and what it means for faith today.
In every century, technology has dramatically shaped the experience of faith communities. Whether it was the Roman roads in the first century or the technological advancements necessitated by COVID, technology shapes our faith. Find out how in this week's Rhythms of Grace.
This week, the Rhythms of Grace team continues to talk about the intersection of faith and technology. Dr. Jean Twenge says that technology creates the Slow Life... but what does that really mean? And do we have a choice? Find out on this week's epsiode of Rhythms of Grace!
Dr. Jean Twenge talks about two children of technology: Individualism and the Slow Life. This week, we'll talk about the first. Does technology foster individualism, or isolation? Maybe a little of both? This week, Sung, Nate, and Christine talk about the good and bad aspects of the individualism that technology brings.
Today, we are faced with the opportunity and challenge of being able to see/impact/reach/hear everyone and everything everywhere. Technology seems to promise us a life without limitations. This week, Nate and Christine ask the question: Is a limitless life our best life?
Technology promises us that we will be able to do more of what we love and less of what we don't. Life will be easier, simpler, and more efficient with no cost. But is there a cost? And how can we know it? That's what Nate and Christine chat about this week on Rhythms of Grace.
Now, more than ever before, distraction is at your fingertips. It can help us to stop mental spirals, distract us from physical pain, and help us disconnect from work after a long day. On the other hand, it can stop us from being creative, productive, and reflective. So how do we discern good distraction from bad distraction? Tune in to find out!
Technology is an integral part of all of our lives. Whether you live on a farm in the middle of nowhere or you work for a tech giant in Silicon Valley, you rely on technology every day. But what does that have to do with faith? That's the question the Rhythms of Grace team will be chewing on this season.
Food is part of our daily lives. It gives us fuel, but it is so much more than that. It brings people together, impacts our mental and physical health, and can even provide rest. Tune in this week as Pastor Stephanie Ehmke joins Nate and Christine to wrap up season 8 of Rhythms of Grace.
This week, while Sung is away, Nate and Christine take some time to talk about sleep. From mental health to marriage to the routines they follow, the Rhythms of Grace team talks about a few key points that impact their sleep.
When people think of rest, most of the time, their first thought is sleep. How can you sleep better, and what difference will it make? Do you have a sleep disorder? Should you and your pet sleep in separate beds? How about you and your spouse? Sung and Christine talk about all these questions and more in today's episode on sleep.
While Nate is still on vacation, Sung and Christine dive deep into the first building block of a healthy, rested life: exercise. At the same time, exercise is a pretty new phenomenon. Sung gives a short history of exercise before the team dive into the function of exercise and how it relates to good rest.
Sung and Christine take a detour away from the seven types of rest to talk about the building blocks of good rest in every area: food, sleep, and exercise. What does it mean to take care of our bodies as temples, and what does that have to do with getting enough rest? Find out this week!
All season, we've been talking about how to rest FROM and rest IN, but how do you rest from spirituality? Is that heretical? What does spiritual rest actually look like? That's what Sung, Nate, and Christine wrestle with in today's Rhythms of Grace episode.
Are you feeling like your brain is constantly working? Are you overwhelmed by the constant onslaught of information in the world around you? You might be in need of some mental rest. This week, the Rhythms of Grace team is tackling the sixth of seven types of rest as they discusses how each of them experience or seek mental rest.
What's the difference between writing a sermon and writing a term paper? Why would drawing be creatively restful when photography isn't? The Rhythms of Grace team answers these questions and more as they discuss what it looks like to get the creative rest they need.
Between the bustle of city life, the blue light of screens everywhere we look, and the constant assault of sounds and smells, it can feel difficult to find sensory rest. Whether you feel more "sensory blunt" like Sung or more sensitive like Nate and Christine, the Rhythms of Grace team has some tips to get the sensory rest you need.
When you think of physical rest, you may think of plopping down on the couch after a hard workout or lying down for a midday nap. What does "active rest" look like? And who needs it? As it turns out, Nate (who works long days on a farm) and Sung (who works long days at a desk) both need physical rest in a big way. Do you? Find out in today's episode.
In today's episode, Sung asks Nate and Christine about their #1 area of exhaustion: emotional exhaustion. What does emotional rest look like? Join the crew this week as they wrestle with the role of their inner critic and the call to think of ourselves less.
How rested are you? Check it out at restquiz.com!
Wait a second... SEVEN types of rest? Listen to this episode as Nate, Sung, and Christine walk through the seven types of rest that we all need, and keep an ear out for which type of rest YOU might be missing.
In Season 8, we are talking about just one topic all summer long: REST. In this episode, the Rhythms of Grace team talks about some misconceptions they have each had in the past and ask the big question: Why are we all so tired? Join us as we kick off this new season!
This week, the Rhythms of Grace crew wraps up our season, "Things I Wish I'd Known" by talking about things they wish they'd known about scripture, prayer, and the spiritual disciplines. Now we know everything! ... Right?
All season long, we've been talking about things we wish we'd known earlier in life. This episode, Sung and Nate share some things they wish they'd learned earlier about work. What do you wish you'd learned? As always, the team would love to hear from you.
Nate and Sung start out by asking Christine if she's had a quarter-life crisis. By the end of the episode, her answer might have changed... This episode is full of things that Sung and Nate (and Christine!) wish they'd known in their 20s.
Sung and Nate and Christine each had VASTLY different college experiences, but all of them wish they'd known some of the same things in college. Join us this week to find out what an Aggie is, what farming has to do with anything, and what the Rhythms of Grace team wishes they'd known in college.
This week, we're leaving our marriage mini-series behind and looking at things we wish we'd known about high school. Is high school as important as everyone says it is? Do high school friends really matter? Could our parents have done better? Join us this week as we talk trough all the things we wish we'd known.
As the Rhythms of Grace crew continues talking about things they wish they'd known, Nate brings up a big one: It's okay to establish different roles in a marriage. From parenting to finances to chores around the house, he, Sung, and Christine talk through the ways they've seen dividing up roles and responsibilities go well... and not so well.
Can conflict in relationships and marriages be avoided? Or is it really a necessary part of creating healthy peace? This week, Sung tries to start conflict between Nate and Christine, and they all share stories about learning to engage in healthy conflict.
This week, Sung kicks off the episode with some bad news... No matter how good of a match you and your spouse might be, marriage isn't easy. How do you build a successful marriage? Sung, Nate, and Christine all have some stories and thoughts as they talk through things they wish they'd known about marriage.
It sounds very Christian to say that everything happens for a reason, but is it true? What does that even mean? And is it helpful? This week, Nate, Sung, and Christine look at the Bible, songs, and stories from their own lives as they figure out whether it's really okay to say that everything doesn't happen for a reason.
There's a stigma around Christians being judgmental, but is there such a thing of godly judgment? Sung, Nate, and Christine wrestle with lots of Scripture as they figure out what it looks like to call people to something greater.
This week, Sung, Nate, and Christine talk about how to find or discern God's will. Sung says we're looking for the wrong things and Christine struggles to describe a feeling while Nate lays out some concrete structures to approach God's will.
After a brief(but tasty) chocolate tangent, the team dives into a big question in the church today: Can faith fix everything? The Bible definitely seems to say so... but how do we reconcile that with the pain and injustice we see in the world around us? That's what Sung, Nate, and Christine wrestle with in today's episode.
It is easy to assume that good parents raise good kids and bad parents raise bad kids... But what do we do when our kids don't turn out the way we expect, despite our best efforts? Sung and Nate offer up some parenting wisdom as they wrestle with the reality that nothing is guaranteed.
We've all heard the phrase "forgive and forget," but is that really our best option? As we continue in our series "Things I Wish I Knew..." Sung, Nate, and Christine wrestle with what healthy forgiveness really looks like.
This week on Rhythms of Grace, Sung, Nate, and Christine continue talking about things they wish they'd learned. For instance, does willpower have limits? Should we lean on inspiration? Is there a third option?
Sung, Nate, and Christine are kicking off 2023 by talking about some things that they wish they'd learned sooner. This week, they ask (and answer) the age-old question: Why do New Years resolutions never work? Don't worry though; they also have some tips to help you make resolutions that stick.
This week, Nate and Christine wrap up this season by talking about a possible end result of transition: Regret. What does it mean when we're going through transition and experience regret or disappointment? At what point do we turn back?
On this week's episode of Rhythms of Grace, Sung and Nate continue wrestling with an important aspect of discernment: Waiting. None of us like to wait, but could it actually be an active part of the process of transition?
This week, Nate and Sung are on their own as they tackle a few big questions to ask when discerning next steps. When you're deciding which direction to go, how do you figure out not only what you should do but also what it is that you really want? That's what we talk about on this week's episode of Rhythms of Grace.
When we're facing transition, how do we decide what to do next? This week, Nate, Sung, and Christine continue talking about discernment, tackling some big questions not only about discernment but also about God.
Christine, Nate and Sung take a deeper dive into navigating seasons of external change and personal transformation. Whether change is chosen or whether it is thrust upon us, they talk about the first of several coping strategies to survive and thrive in times of uncertainty.
Ironically, new beginnings often come at the END of transitions. In this episode of "Shift Happens", Sung, Christine, and Nate talk about this final phase of the transition process. They share personal stories and strategies for coping with the anticipation, joy, and insecurity that comes with starting something new.
In this episode, Christine is alarmingly unfamiliar with pop hits from the 80s. Sung, Nate and Christine talk about the discomfort and growth experienced in the spaces between ending and beginning.
Life is full of endings - those both chosen and endings thrust upon us. Sung, Nate and Christine talk about their own experiences of endings, as well as practices we can put in place to end well.
In the first episode of season 6, Sung, Nate and new co-host Christine play catch-up on their lives and start exploring changes, transitions, and what they mean for our inner lives.
In episode 2, Sung decides to name season six "Shift happens". We begin laying the foundation for a longer conversation about the concept of transitions.
Christine and Nate spend this episode talking to Dave Collins. Dave's eldest daughter lives with muscular dystrophy and Dave talks about a pivotal season in the progression of her illness. Faith, community, helplessness and limits all feature prominently in his ongoing story.
Christine and Nate welcome special guest Laura Nieh to the podcast. As a high performer and enneagram 2, Laura shares how her desire to help others and excel to win favor created the perfect storm of debilitating anxiety. She talks about the slow journey of healing and how her faith journey was often the prayer, "I believe. Lord, help my unbelief."
With Sung out of town, guest host Christine shares her personal story of trauma and healing. Please be aware that her story contains stories of abuse and sexual violence. It is not appropriate for children and might be disturbing for others. The good news is that God is faithful and her story demonstrates the power of healing and community.
For all the overachievers out there, this episode is for you. Erin had risen to the very top of high school and college athletics by the time she was 19. Expectations for her were high, but not as high as the pressure she placed on herself. In this episode Erin shares how she came through failure, reestablished her core identity, and then had to do it all over again.
Podcasts guests for this episode are Chris and Rachel, who share their years long struggle with infertility. They share about keeping their faith and marriage intact in a riveting story of trial and hope.
In this episode, special guest Nicole shares her story of a painful medical condition, from diagnosis to surgery to setbacks and recovery. How did she manage to stay optimistic and hopeful while living in constant pain? It's a story of her faith and God's faithfulness through months and years of difficulty.
In season five, we begin hearing stories of people who God brought through hardship and difficulty. In this first episode, our special is guest is non other than Nate's mom, Joan. Her story of finding faith takes place in the 60s and 70s, when everyone was trying to find meaning in a million different places.
A coupe of listener questions got lost in Sung's inbox. So we pull them out to tackle an animal centric episode of our Old Testament discussion. From bears to donkeys, along with a short review of the violence found in the Old Testament, here's some bonus content while you wait for season 5.
In this episode, Sung and Nate tackle a series of questions from a regular listener. They revisit the role of women, talk about cancel culture, and give a preview of season 5. Like every good season finale, it's double the length, covers a ton of ground, and leaves a cliffhanger at the end.
Many of the stories in the Old Testament are outright violent. God's commands include killing women, children and livestock. How can a God like that be trusted or served? Sung and Nate look at the bronze age, redemption, and political unrest in a quest for answers.
In this episode, what starts as a hypothetical conversation gets very personal, very quickly.In the Old Testament, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on an altar. But today, people who try to kill others in God's name are called terrorists, mentally unwell, or downright evil. How do we reconcile this story with a God of peace and justice?
This week, Sung invites returning guest Christine Anderson to discuss how her personal convictions around diet and the environment intersect with her faith. Together, they look at passages in the Bible that talk about God's instructions to His people around their role in creation.
This week, Bart Bartlett guest-stars as he and Sung Kim continue the discussion about the problem of racism. Bart's perspective as a man of color comes into play as they attempt to answer the big question: Is God Racist?
This week, Pastors Sung Kim and Dave Collins talk about the problem of racism and get Dave's perspective as a white man. They tackle charges that the God of the Old Testament actually endorses slavery and racism in an attempt to answer the big question: Is God Racist?
In the second half of this two part episode, Sung and Nate look at some specific examples from the Old Testament sent in by a listener. At first glance, the examples do seem to indicate that God was punishing women for actions that were outside their control. Listeners, please be warned that some of the examples deal with rape and its consequences.
After a few minutes of catching up - ranging from Sung's travels to the latest farm adventures, Sung and Nate dive into the first week of a very controversial topic. It has it's roots in the very first verses of the Old Testament, and has caused many to discount Christianity.
Things aren't always what they seem. Today's episode looks at the story of Uzza - who is seemingly struck dead for a good deed. Sung and Nate talk about the historical and cultural context of that Bible story. What they discover says a lot about who God is, and some of the reasons behind His hard to understand actions.
God of the Old Testament is often described as vengeful and angry. In today's episode, Sung shines a light on ways we over-emphasize God's wrath in the Old Testament, while downplaying it in the New Testament. Similarly, Sung and Nate talk broadly about examples of God being extraordinarily loving in the Old Testament. It's all laying the foundation for a season exploring the character of God through the difficult passages of the Old Testament.
Last week Sung and Nate talked all about the things forgiveness is NOT. This week they wrap up their conversation on forgiveness by discussing some of the mile markers of forgiveness, and the different paths people take to get there.
This week's episode is part 1 of a conversation on forgiveness. A listener sent an email discussing hurt, betrayal, and the fear that if he can't learn to forgive, he won't be forgiven. Sung talks about all the things forgiveness is NOT before they run out of time and turn the question into a two part episode.
An issue so big it requires two episodes! Sung and Nate further complicate an already complicated issue. A listener wrote in a question about a homosexuality. Last week Sung and Nate started the conversation. This week they try to wrap it up and find, unsurprisingly, that there are no easy answers.
A listener's family member recently came out to his family. The listener wonders how to handle a conversation of truth and love about the issue of homosexuality and sin. In part one of this two part conversation, Sung and Nate talk about the phrase, Love the sinner, hate the sin. Strap on your seatbelts. It might be a bumpy ride.
Jesus said it's better to drown yourself than lead someone in the wrong direction. What if you do it by accident? What if they misinterpret what you said? Should we throw ourselves into the sea like Jesus commands? Sung and Nate talk about preaching, parenting, and leading as both a privilege and a responsibility.
From another listener question, Sung and Nate look at a passage from the Gospel of John. Jesus says whoever loves their life will lose it, and whoever hates their life will keep it. So should we try to do things we hate? Does God not want us to be happy?
In this episode, Sung and Nate tackle a listener question about giving to the poor and interpreting a parable of Jesus. How should we treat the poor? If they will "always be among us" as Jesus says, is it even worth trying to solve the problem?
Jesus said it's really hard for wealthy people to get into heaven. But what if he was neither criticizing the wealthy, nor talking exclusively about material possessions? Sung and Nate talk about Jesus's conversation with a rich young man, and talk about garages as a symbol of wealth.
In this episode, Sung reads some of the feedback he received on the "What The Hell?" episode. From there we leap into a conversation on heaven. Is it a real place? Do we go there immediately when we die, or are we stuck in limbo for a while? Nate starts talking about alternate timelines and different planes of existence. In short, it gets weird.
Is hell a burning lake of fire or a lifetime of existential angst? Does it exist at all? In this episode, Sung and Nate have an uncomfortable conversation and try to explain why hell is such a polarizing discussion topic.
Discussion of the 'unpardonable' sin from Matthew encompasses sex, blasphemy, and if you can lose salvation. It's a doozy.
In this week's episode, Sung dives into Mark 5:39. Jesus us to turn the other cheek - but what does that mean? Should Christians not protect ourselves from danger or evil? What starts as a somewhat clear answer gets increasingly muddled as the episode progresses.
In today's episode, Sung quotes Jesus saying, "I didn't come to bring peace, but the sword." Was Jesus promoting violence as an a means to an end? Nate gets put on the spot trying to answer that question. Then they both take a spin through the world of parenting reflecting on Jesus's command to hate your father and mother.
In this brand new season, Sung and Nate tackle the confusing, upsetting, or downright alarming verses in the Bible. For this episode, they look at Jesus's command to cut off your hand or pluck out your eye if it causes you to sin. Should we really do that?
This episode is a master class in Enneagram understanding. Sung talks about what unites three triads of the Enneagram. Eights, Nines, and Ones have a root motivation in common as the gut triad, as do Twos, Threes, and Fours as the heart triad, and Fives, Sixes, and Sevens as the thinking triad.
Of the three subtypes Sung from episode 15, one of them is so different from the others that it's called a "counter-type". It makes a 7 look like a 2 and a 4 look like a 3. In this episode, Sung makes Nate guess which of the three subtypes is the oddball. They go through every single number in the enneagram so you can find your subtype and try to do better than Nate, who got 8 out of 9 guesses correct.
How is it that two people who are both the same Enneagram number can look and act so different? Sung explains how the three subtypes impact behavior and account for the differences between people with the same "core" type.
In this episode, Nate and Sung discuss another feature of the Enneagram, numbers that aren't adjacent (wings) but still have something to offer in terms of growth, discipleship, and maturity.
In past episodes, Sung and Nate referred to the "wings" of an enneagram number. In this episode they dive deep into what wings are, and how they can help us become healthier versions of our core number.
Enneagram nines are the peacemakers. They get along and go along with almost everyone. But sometimes their commitment to external peace comes at the expense of their sense of self. This episode's special guest, Alice, describes what prayers are hard for her pray, and how to tell when she's upset. Spoiler alert: if you know a nine is upset, it's often already too late.
Sung is an Enneagram 8, through and through. In this episode, he talks about the inner and outer life of an eight. Nate and a surprise special guest keep him honest and share what it's like to work and live with someone as intense as Sung.
Sevens are the people you want at your dinner party. They love to laugh, joke, and try new things. But taken too far, sevens can run from experience to experience in order to avoid pain or look too deeply inside themselves. Nate's two favorite sevens are the guests for this exciting episode.
Enneagram sixes are loyal and collaborative. They are incredible team players and friends. But, they can struggle with anxiety, especially when feeling unprepared. Like when they are shooting from the hip on a podcast. Thankfully our special guest, Jake, stays with us for the whole podcast while Sung and Nate pepper him with questions. You won't want to miss his story about having to give a speech at his brother's wedding.
If you need accurate information or deep research, Enneagram fives are who you need. They are focused, introspective, and deeply knowledgeable on a whole host of topics. They are the experts and the researchers. But introspection carried too far becomes anti-social. Expertise becomes pride. Hear our guest, missionary and PhD Aaron Mininger, talk about embracing his inner five, while staying balanced and in the present. If you want more info on Aaron's work in the Congo, head to his webpage, www.aaronmininger.com
In this week's episode, Sung and Nate look at the artists, musicians, and creatives of the world - Enneagram 4s. Fours feel strongly, look for meaning, and strive to create something unique and beautiful in their life and in the world around them. They are also prone to melancholy and despair. Our special guest, Tyler, shares some of his personal valleys and where he finds meaning and purpose in his life.
In this episode, our special guest is an Enneagram 3. Threes are driven, adaptable, and usually high achievers. They are valedictorians and successful saleswomen. But they are also prone to vanity and deceit. Sung and Nate talk with Alex about how he moves towards health and wholeness, and what he's learned about faith and relationships as a compulsive achiever.
In this episode, we have our first guest appearance on the ROG podcast. Christine, a staff member at Grace Church and an enneagram 2, tells us what it's like to be a two. She has advice on how to stay healthy as a two, and how to relate to the twos in your life.
Maybe they aren't the loneliest number, but enneagram ones at their worst can be critical, judgmental, and hard to satisfy. That's a pretty lonely place to be. At their best, healthy ones are passionate, hardworking, objective, and wise. In this episode, Nate talks about being a one, and Sung explains what it's like to observe and relate to him.
In this episode, Sung reads a couple emails he's received that are highly critical of the enneagram and its usefulness to people of faith. Sung and Nate talk about those criticisms and the divide many see between what is sacred and what is secular.
Self knowledge is a critical part of maturing, growing in faith, and building healthy relationships. In this episode, Sung and Nate talk about the Enneagram as A tool (not THE tool) for increased self awareness.
In this episode, we launch Season 2, a deep dive into self discovery. Using the enneagram as a framework for understanding ourselves, Sung and Nate talk about how knowing yourself leads to a deeper knowledge of God, and how a deeper understanding of God leads to self knowledge. Find out why Nate was called the invisible child, and where Sung's strong independent streak came from.
Religion Sucks is an episode originally recorded along with "To Hell with Balance" as a pre-season intro. It was put up then pulled back down, but here it is in it's entirety. While episode zero focused on the Rhythm in "Rhythms of Grace" this episode talks about grace.
The "gift of disillusionment" sounds like a paradox. How could being disillusioned be a good thing? Sung talks about marriage conflict. Nate talks about seeing a lion up close. And somehow it all ties back to our image of God.
Sung and Nate describe some surprising half truths that we believe, and discuss the traps those beliefs can create. It's a deeper dive into the conversation between Job and his three friends, as they try to find an explanation for his suffering.
What is a liminal space? It's a time of transition, of standing on the threshold. In this episode Sung and Nate discuss the parts of life that feel like an airport, pregnancy, and a violin. They share their own experiences of walking through transitional times, and what the heck God might be doing in the midst of upheaval.
Job's wife is an excellent example of how NOT to treat someone who is suffering. But before we judge her too harshly, let's remember that she too had lost everything. In this week's episode, Sung and Nate talk about how to co-suffer with a loved one. They talk about their own relational storms, and their saintly wives.
Hold on to your hats - in this episode we're tackling Spiritual Warfare. From early experiences in charismatic churches to their current perspective on the "unseen" Sung and Nate talk about angels and demons, God and Satan.
It's a podcast mini-series! Sung and Nate take a deep dive into issues surrounding the sermon series on the book of Job. They cover topics left on the "cutting room floor" for Sunday's sermon, and talk about their personal experiences of suffering.
Unlike lots of the other stages we've talked about, old age is a season where we experience the consequences, both good and bad, of life choices we've made. Sung and Nate talk about the most common regrets of the dying, and lament how old they feel as well.
Emotional and spiritual adulthood is at the heart of living a life of faith. Sung and Nate talk about how to give of yourself in a sustainable manner, and how to avoid a mid-life or quarter-life crisis.
In this episode we talk about the transition from adolescence to early adulthood both developmentally, and spiritually. What marks a maturing faith versus an immature one? Sung uses the example of horse fences to help us understand the difference.
Adolescence is a turbulent time for many. Issues of identity and rebellion come to the surface, and can take root in our emotional, mental, and spiritual lives. Sung and Nate have opposite experiences of adolescence. One involves much more alcohol than the other.
What happens in the school-age stage of development? Is that why Sung speeds up for yellow lights and Nate practices learned helplessness in the checkout aisle? From report cards to Ignatian spirituality, Nate and Sung talk about their childhoods.
Childhood takes center stage as Sung and Nate talk about guilt, shame, and their counterintuitive opposites. Sung judges people in the grocery store, and Nate takes a silent retreat to a cabin in the woods.
In the first stage of development, according to author and psychologist Erik Erikson, babies learn to trust or distrust based on one simple input. How does that relate to our spiritual and emotional development?
Nate and Sung talk about families of origin and the stages of development. They also take a detour into Nate's experience eating at a restaurant with Sung and his family for the first time.
Summer is an easy season. Every seed you plant in your soul or in the soil seems to grow. How do we avoid the two extremes of complacency and overwork in a season of spiritual bounty?
Literal and Spiritual winters have much in common. The rhythms of winter can sustain us through extended periods of darkness. And even in the coldest weeks of a winter season, we can find a measure of hope, comfort, and the promise of spring. This week Sung and Nate talk about everything from tree roots to meditation in their discussion of winter.
Here in Ann Arbor, Fall is the favorite season for many. And with good reason! Amazing things happen on the farm, in our relationships, and in our souls during the season of Fall.
Spring means new life in our souls and soils. We talk tractors, cleaning closets, and reigniting passions in our discussion of the rhythms of spring.
Each season of our life requires a different set of rhythms. In this episode, Nate and Sung discuss the different ways of naming and observing seasons - from Ignatian spirituality to planting soybeans.
Just like our days, our weeks can have a rhythm as well. From work to sabbath and back again, Sung and Nate talk about how to set up weekly rhythms that heal, restore, invigorate, and maximize efficiency.
What is the difference between a balanced day and a rhythmic day? Sung and Nate talk about their daily rhythms at home, on the farm, and in their spiritual journeys.
Episode 1: Why the pursuit of balance in life between work and family or professional and personal NEVER works.