A World In Tension: Recent Episodes
Neil Placer & Rob McGarvey
‘A World in Tension’ podcast explores the universal struggles of life. Externally, we encounter conflict with others. Internally, we engage in a constant debate between our hearts and minds. In the depths of our souls we desire answers to the existential questions of life. In this podcast, we thoughtfully and deliberately consider the topic of tension to deliver greater purpose, clarity, and value to life. Come join us as we seek to get comfortable, facing the uncomfortable.
Credits
· Podcast Cover Art Concept - Maggie Placer
· Podcast Cover Art Design - Matt Morris
Co-hosts Neil Placer and Rob McGarvey briefly reflect on their unscripted and unpredictable Season 3 journey.
They explain why they are taking a pause, why they believe Season 3 has been a gift, and encourage and challenge the listener to join them for their own season of reflection.
Find us at:
https://www.instagram.com/aworldintension?igsh=dW5rcWFkbnVwOXU0&utm_source=qr
aworldintension@gmail.com
Season 3 Theme - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, told as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Season 3 Focus - To answer one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
In this episode, the road trip transitions from virtual to reality! A World in Tension host, Neil Placer and his family, go visit a home church in Gallatin, TN. They go to explore the 'We are Church' model, pioneered by the innovative Francis Chan in 2014. The model is based on the original church construct found in the Bible's book of Acts. Over the last ten years the model has gained traction and has spread to various locations across the globe.
We are on a quest to see how the lessons we have learned in Season 3 are being realized and exemplified by this local church body. We walk you through the 3-part church experience that is fundamental to the 'We Are Church' model. Our day begins with Bible study and worship, transitions to an informal fellowship over lunch, and culminates with an outreach to the local community.
Come join us as we unpack our day together at “We are Church’ and explore how the church seeks to function with greater intentionality and focus. We examine how this compares to a traditional church model and what we may be able to learn from it.
Season 3 Theme - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, told as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Season 3 Focus - To answer one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
The lines between religion, politics, and nationalism have become increasingly blurred in the American public square. A sea of misinformation engulfs us, filled with messages of fear, division, and conspiracy theories. We are fed information within individually curated echo chambers which foster isolation, division, and mistrust. These distorted views can quickly evolve into radicalized ideologies and violent terrorist behavior.
We are joined by Elizabeth Neumann, the former Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism at the Department of Homeland Security, to discuss her new book 'Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace'. Neumann shares her insights about U.S. terrorist activities and how the landscape has changed over the 20-year period between the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks in 2001 and the siege of the U.S. Capital building on 1/6/2021. She explains how the threat vector has moved from overseas actors to homegrown extremists that exist within our own backyard.
Come join the conversation as Neumann focuses in on the connection between radicalization, nationalistic convictions, and a quasi-Christian framework of belief. We talk about how to engage those headed down a pathway of radicalization and the role that the church can specifically play within politics and the local community.
Guest Information
Elizabeth Neumann is a national security expert,
violence prevention advocate, and author of the new
book 'Kingdom of Rage: The Rise of Christian Extremism
and the Path Back to Peace'. She served on White
House Homeland Security Council in the George W.
Bush Administration, and as the Assistant Secretary
for Counterterrorism at the Department of Homeland
Security during the Trump Administration. She is
currently the Chief Strategy Officer for Moonshot - a
tech-enabled company supporting governments and
community partners to understand and prevent
violence. She is also a national security contributor for
ABC News.
Season 3 Theme - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, told as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Season 3 Focus - To answer one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
Do you have trouble seeing other people's perspective? Are you able to talk in a civil and respectful manner with someone you vehemently disagree with? Do you have the capability to listen to dissenting opinions, consider them thoughtfully, and potentially even be shaped by them?
In a world that is stretching the boundaries of digital expansiveness, we are experiencing and inverse narrowing of relational connectedness. Our social circles are splintering into more finite and distinct groupings and our ability and desire to "walk in someone else's shoes" is seemingly becoming a lost art.
Enter John Inazu. In John's latest book 'Learning to Disagree', he offers thoughtful and practical solutions to our current cultural divisions. As a constitutional scholar, legal expert, and former litigator, John is well versed in understanding how to disagree well with others.
Come join the conversation as we talk with John about how he applies specific principles for effective civil discourse in his work as a law school professor and in his own personal life. We talk about the need for empathy, how to navigate hard political topics, the role of the church, and what balanced friendships look like.
Guest Information
John Inazu is the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis.
His latest book is Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect (Zondervan, 2024).
Inazu is also the author of Liberty's Refuge: The Forgotten Freedom of Assembly (Yale University Press, 2012) and Confident Pluralism: Surviving and Thriving Through Deep Difference (University of Chicago Press, 2016). He is co-editor (with Tim Keller) of Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference(Thomas Nelson, 2020).
Inazu is the founder of The Carver Project and the Legal Vocation Fellowship, a Senior Fellow with the Trinity Forum, and a Senior Fellow with Interfaith America, where he co-directs (with Eboo Patel) the Newbigin Fellows.
Season 3 Theme - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, told as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Season 3 Focus - To answer one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
In this leg of the journey we explore how to navigate a life of wisdom in the midst of an instant gratification, digital age that is constantly seeking to capture our undivided attention. We are joined by Brett McCracken, author of 'The Wisdom Pyramid', to hear insights on his innovative, yet intuitive, construct that help us all to approach life in a more thoughtful and prudent manner.
The Wisdom Pyramid is inspired by the classic Food Pyramid, however, instead on seeking to explain how we should feed our bodies, Brett explores how we should feed our souls. The Wisdom Pyramid consists of 6 layers: 1) the Bible, 2) The Church, 3) Nature, 4) Books, 5) Beauty, and 6) The Internet/Social Media.
Come join us to examine how these layers should be properly weighted and ordered in our lives. When applied correctly, this construct can help expand our view of God, while also liberating us from the crushing burdens and constant pressures of our modern, post-truth culture.
Guest Information
Brett McCracken is a senior editor and director of communications for The Gospel Coalition. He is the author of The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World(Crossway, 2021), Uncomfortable: The Awkward and Essential Challenge of Christian Community (Crossway, 2017), Hipster Christianity: When Church & Cool Collide (Baker, 2010), and Gray Matters: Navigating the Space Between Legalism & Liberty (Baker, 2013). He has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, CNN.com, Christianity Today, and many other publications.
A graduate of Wheaton College and UCLA (M.A. in Cinema & Media Studies), Brett lives in Santa Ana, California with his wife Kira and two sons, Chet and Ira. He is an elder at Southlands Church Santa Ana.
Brett loves movies, particularly those by Terrence Malick (or those with a Malickean sensibility). Other things Brett enjoys: Marilynne Robinson, the Inklings, Friday Night Lights, autumn, all things Kansas City (where he grew up), reading and writing in coffeeshops, history, art museums, food, hiking, traveling, planning trip itineraries, curating music playlists, and making things better by editing.
Subscribe to Brett’s blog here. Or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Season 3 Theme - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, told as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Season 3 Focus - To answer one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
In this episode, we explore a first-hand account of church hurt. Aimee Byrd, author of "The Hope in our Scars", vulnerably recounts her personal experiences of being wrongfully mistreated by church leadership and the governing bodies of her denomination.
Aimee unknowingly stumbled into a tripwire of adversity as she sought to explore Biblical views of manhood and womanhood. The more she explored and wrote, the more she found herself in the crosshairs of controversy.
Aimee assures us that we can all retain hope in the church, even when its leaders neglect congregational wounds, refuse to admit their complicity, or avoid reconciliation. Come join us to hear Aimee's authentic and passionate plea to work through our disillusionment with the church and rediscover the beauty and mystery of our covenantal union with Christ.
Guest Information
Aimee Byrd is an author, speaker, blogger, podcaster, and former coffee shop owner. Aimee is author of several books, including The Hope in Our Scars, Why Can't We Be Friends?, Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, and Sexual Reformation. Her articles have appeared in First Things, Table Talk, Modern Reformation, By Faith, New Horizons, Ordained Servant, Harvest USA, and Credo Magazine, and she has been interviewed and quoted in Christianity Today and The Atlantic.
https://aimeebyrd.com/
https://www.instagram.com/aimeebyrdlife/
https://www.facebook.com/aimee.byrd.39
https://twitter.com/aimeebyrdPYW
https://www.threads.net/@aimeebyrdlife
https://aimeebyrd.substack.com/
If you have comments or questions, feel free to reach us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
Season 3 Theme - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, told as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Season 3 Focus - To answer one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
In this episode, we explore how to pursue a "Tov" church culture. "Tov" is a Hebrew word used throughout the Bible that means good. We are joined by father/daughter duo Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer to discuss their book 'Pivot', which follows the successful release of their first book , 'A Church Called Tov'.
While the first book recorded stories of abuse and toxic church cultures at some of the most prominent U.S. churches, 'Pivot' serves as a practical guide to help churches implement practices, establish priorities, and cultivate the kingdom gospel-centered qualities that form goodness cultures.
Come join us as we discuss how church cultures can be transformed from toxic to tov—from oppressive to good.
Guest Information
Scot McKnight is a New Testament scholar who has written widely on the historical Jesus and Christian spirituality. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornerstone University, a master's from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a doctorate from the University of Nottingham. He has written more than 80 books, including the popular The Jesus Creed, which won an award from Christianity Today in 2004. You can read more from Scot at Substack andhis blog, Jesus Creed.
Laura Barringer is a full-time teacher, a part-time writer and speaker, and she is coauthor of A Church Called Tov as well as Pivot: The Priorities, Practices and Powers That Can Transform Your Church Into a Tov Culture. She previously coauthored the children's version of The Jesus Creed and wrote a teacher's guide to accompany the book. Laura is an advisory board member of Broken to Beloved, one of her favorite nonprofit organizations. A graduate of Wheaton College, she resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband Mark and their three beagles. Find her on www.laurabarringer.net.
If you have comments or questions, feel free to reach us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
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Season 3 Theme - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, told as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Season 3 Focus - To answer one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
In this episode, we explore how to more effectively live out our true identity in Christ. We explore how we can apply the techniques of listening prayer, both individually and corporately, and how this form of prayer draws us closer to hear God's sanctifying voice.
We have a great conversation with Chris Hantla, an identity coach with a ministry called Identity Exchange. Chris helps people learn to live fearlessly in their true identity. We also explore how the founders of Identity Exchange, Jamie and Donna Winship, played a critical role in discipling Chris and his wife while living together in the Middle East.
Guest Information
Chris Hantla joined the Identity Exchange coaching team in 2019. Chris and his wife still live in the Middle East and have since had three incredible children. They currently work with a team of other adventurers who long to see “peace” break out in the region.
Identity Exchange is a training and consulting agency that helps individuals and teams discover new levels of creativity and resiliency within true identity to help you live alive and free. Identify Exchange was founded by Jaime and Donna Winship.
Jamie Winship is the author of Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thejamiewinship
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejamiewinship
Donna Winship is the author of our Knowing Rediscovered series and Becoming What You Believe online course.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedonnawinship
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedonnawinship
If you have comments or questions, feel free to reach us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
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Season 3 Theme - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, told as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Season 3 Focus - To answer one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the world of corporate prayer. We explore how prayer is minimized in church gatherings and what our prayer practices indicate about the genuineness our faith.
We have an enjoyable and enlightening conversation with best-selling author Paul E. Miller about his latest book 'The Praying Church'. We explore the implications of prayerlessness in our individual lives and within the local church body.
Miller offers practical techniques for making prayer more prominent in our personally lives and in our interactions with others, and provides guidance for revitalizing prayer within our local churches. Come join us and we learn the importance and significance of corporate prayer and how it may be able to transform your church.
Guest Information
Paul E. Miller is executive director of seeJesus, the global discipling mission he founded in 1999 to help Christians and non-Christians alike “see Jesus.” Today, seeJesus works in over 30 countries and has books and interactive Bible study materials translated into at least a dozen languages.
Paul is the author of A Praying Church and more than a dozen interactive Bible studies and books, including thebest-selling A Praying Life and J-Curve. If you read any of Paul’s writing, you’ll quickly see that he loves to tellstories—most of which start with his own failures and mishaps and end with God’s faithfulness. Paul is married to Jill, who is known for her sense of humor and faith. They have six children and a growing number of grandchildrenand live in the Philadelphia area. Follow @_PaulEMiller on Twitter, Listen to the SeeingJesus with Paul Miller podcast.
If you have comments or questions, feel free to reach us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
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Season 3 Theme - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, told as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Season 3 Focus - To answer one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
In this episode, we explore how brain science enhances our understanding to build more meaningful Christian community, foster a healthy environment for spiritual maturity, and avoid the delusions of narcissism.
We have an engaging conversation with author Michel Hendricks about his book 'The Other Half of Church'. We explore how the brain works, common misconceptions most of us have about the brain, and how utilizing both halves of our brain can result in more effective and vibrant discipleship practices.
Hendricks offers practical advice that the listener can begin to apply immediately, both personally and in the context of a local church community. Come join us and we learn how to shift our focus towards a more whole-brained, joy filled, and community rich Christian life.
Guest Information
Michel Hendricks (MDiv, Denver Seminary; BS, University of Colorado) has been a teacher and trainer for more than twenty-five years. He is the former pastor of spiritual formation at Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette, CO. He has also served and trained people in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda. He is the author of The Other Half of Church, Basic Training for Walking With Jesus, and Intentional Apprenticeship. He and his wife, Claudia, have three adult children. He also the Director of Life Model Consulting at Life Model Works.
If you have comments or questions, feel free to reach us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
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Season 3 Theme - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, told as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Season 3 Focus - To answer one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
In this episode, we exercise our mental dissonance muscles as we engage in conversation with 2 pastors, from 2 denominations, ministering to 2 parts of the same city. We welcome Anglican Reverend Matt Busby from the 'Mission Chattanooga' and Presbyterian (PCA) Pastor Benjie Slaton from 'Grace+Peace' Church.
Come join us for a thought provoking discussion about the state of the Western church today. We discuss denominational differences, the tension between confessional and missional churches, the value of the early church model, and what these pastors would specifically want their congregants to know.
Guest Information
Matt Busby is the Senior Associate Pastor of the 'Mission Chattanooga' an Anglican Church in Chattanooga, TN. https://www.missionchattanooga.org/
Benjie Slaton is the Lead Pastor of 'Grace+Peace' Church a Presbyterian (PCA) Church in Chattanooga, TN. https://www.gracepeacechurch.org/
If you have comments or questions, feel free to reach us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
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Season 3 - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Throughout Season 3, we are focused on answering one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
In this episode, we seek to explore the state of the church in America. Why is church attendance decreasing? Who is leaving and why? Will they ever return and what will it take?
To address these questions with thoughtfulness, candor, and a ton of analytical research, we consult author Michael Graham about his new book 'The Great Dechurching'. Come join us as Michael unpacks the main themes of his book and provides us with some useful and practical advice for engaging the "dechurched".
Guest Information
Michael Graham (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando) is program director for The Keller Center. He is the executive producer and writer of As in Heaven and coauthor of The Great Dechurching. He is a member at Orlando Grace Church. He is married to Sara, and they have two kids.
If you have comments or questions, don't hesitate to write us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
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Season 3 - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Throughout Season 3, we are focused on answering one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
When we hear a new or interesting perspective in the public square (i.e., Episode 2 - street interviews) what is our thought process? What do we do with these newly introduced ideas? Maybe we choose to consider and reflect on what we heard at a deeper level (i.e., Episode 3). If the ideas stick around, we often feel compelled to share our thoughts with others.
In this episode, our wives and good friends join us to share their perspectives. We talk specifically about our street interview experience, but also more broadly about our collective role in the local church. Come join us for an honest and authentic conversation amongst friends.
Guests:
Kathryn Placer
Petrina McGarvey
Jason Blair
Joy Blair
If you have comments or questions, don't hesitate to write us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
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Season 3 - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Throughout Season 3, we are focused on answering one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
In this episode, our virtual road trip discussion continues as we drive away from the city streets of Chattanooga. We take some time to reflect on our incredible street interview experience (Episode 2).
We leave the interviews both exhilarated and moved. We can't help but feel struck by the amazing things that can come when we simply take some time to listen to others. People all around us are hurting and everyone has a story that deserves to be told. Ask yourself, are you willing to listen without providing your perspective?
Come join us to hear our reflections and to explore specific street interviews that stood out to us the most. We hope you leave with greater appreciation of the power and wonder that comes from the art of listening.
If you have comments or questions, don't hesitate to write us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
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Season 3 - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Throughout Season 3, we are focused on answering one primary question, "How do we effectively live as a collective church body in today's world in tension?"
We start our journey by first listening to public opinion. In today’s digital culture, we are increasingly shaped by the multiple voices and polarizing perspectives we consume on a daily basis. The public voices we listen to seed the thoughts and questions we formulate in our minds. Instead of scouring over multiple social media platforms and endless media channels, we decide to go live and in person!
In this episode we hit the streets of Chattanooga, the most Biblically literate city in the United States, to hear the perspectives of the common man and woman face-to-face. We listen to the opinions of complete strangers, both churched and unchurched, about their views of the effectiveness of the local church in today’s culture. The feedback is raw, honest, and definitely worth a listen!
Come join us to hear the candid perspectives of the strangers we silently walk by each day.
If you have comments or questions, don't hesitate to write us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
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Season 3 - One Virtual Road Trip, to Answer One Big Question, as One Continuous Narrative Arc
Throughout Season 3, we are focused on answering one primary question. The listener is invited to join us on our virtual road trip as it gradually unfolds as one continuous and connected story. Come join us as we unpack our thought process in seeking answers to the big questions of life.
Season 3 will involve street interviews, reflections with friends and pastors, and discussing the views and opinions of various authors and topical experts. We have some amazing guests lined up that you won't want to miss, but I won't spoil the surprise!
Come join us from the beginning of the journey to figure out what big question we are asking, why we are asking it, and where we are headed this season.
If you have comments or questions, don't hesitate to write us at aworldintension@gmail.com.
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This is a quick teaser episode about the Season 3 release of ‘A World in Tension’. This season we are focused on answering one big question and doing so in a very unique way. Come check out the details.
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Come join us for an exciting bonus episode about our recent trip to Arizona to tackle the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R3) Challenge. Joining us on this episode is our special guest and good friend Jason Blair.
The challenge was to go from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the North Rim and then all the way back in less than 24 hours. In this episode we recount the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual struggles we encountered during this epic quest. We break down the trip into pre-, mid-, and post-hike tensions and then provide some final parting reflections.
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Come join us for a fantastic recap of Season 2 of ‘A World in Tension’. This season we exploredStories of Tension: Real People, Real Stories, Real Solutions.
Whether you have heard every minute or none at all, you won't want to miss this episode.
We provide our insights and reflections about all 9 episodes and talk about what lies ahead for Season 3. We also share the details about one final bonus episode to officially close out a great season.
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Welcome to Season 2! Come join us as we explore Stories of Tension: Real People, Real Stories, Real Solutions.
Over the course of history, many have studied the unique life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. He is like no other, fully God and fully man, a true enigma. In our quest to understand Jesus more deeply, the details of His humanity are often neglected and overlooked.
On today's episode we speak with Robert Row, Student Ministries Coordinator for seeJesus Ministry. Robert shares his perspective after spending several years of focused study on the most perfect human the world has ever known. Robert explains how his faith has been tremendously impacted by zoning in on Jesus' humanity. He shares practical stories and provides us with useful resources to help shape our minds, hearts, and actions to be more like Jesus.
seeJesus Ministry®is a global discipling mission helping the church see and reflect the life, death, and resurrection of Christ through discipleship resources and training. They labor to rekindle within the church the central passions of Christianity: a love for Jesus, a desire to imitate him, and real, working communion with the Father.
Learn more at: https://www.seejesus.net/about
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Welcome to Season 2! Come join us as we explore Stories of Tension: Real People, Real Stories, Real Solutions.
No matter how hard we try to avoid it, or how we may try to circumvent it, none of us can escape the simple fact that we are all getting older. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Robert Belding to examine the tension of aging.
Although many of us want to steer clear of this uncomfortable topic, at some point we all must come to grips with our own mortality. Come join us as we consider how to live successfully in the latter stages of life and how we can prepare ourselves before getting there. Robert shares some insights about the trials, temptations, and obligations associated with aging and some of the surprises he personally encountered along the way.
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Welcome to Season 2! Come join us as we explore Stories of Tension: Real People, Real Stories, Real Solutions.
How do we let go of our finances, our family, and our familiarity to live a life of true surrender? In this episode, we speak with missionary Josh Rose to hear his story of wrestling with life's core tension, the tension between personal control and surrender to God.
Consistently surrendering to God is not an easy task. We must regularly examine our motives and let go of areas of life that we are seeking to control. Josh Rose, a missionary living in Mexico, walks us through his progressive journey of applied surrender. He recounts the foundations of his pathway and call to missions, his early days of questioning his missionary call, and discusses his current struggles with applied surrender after over a decade of service.
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Welcome to Season 2! Come join us as we explore Stories of Tension: Real People, Real Stories, Real Solutions.
In this episode, we investigate the tension of time with our special guest Kevin Roig.
Our lives are passing by minute by minute, exposing us to the reality that time really is our most precious commodity. Unfortunately, this sobering truth can leave many of us feeling a tremendous amount of restlessness and despair. At some point in our journey, we all wonder if we are living life to its maximum potential and purpose. How do we measure the use of time? What metric can we use to qualify and quantify the effectiveness of our lives? Kevin shares personal stories about how he has wrestled with this tension throughout his life and how it has consumed his thoughts, emotions, and actions. We discuss the pitfalls of being either overly analytical or too nonchalant about time. We explore practical solutions and resources to shift our focus from being consumed by time to offering it back to it's Creator.
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Welcome to Season 2! Come join us as we explore Stories of Tension: Real People, Real Stories, Real Solutions
In this episode, we investigate the tension of loving neighbor vs. loving self with our special guest Rainer Bantau. Rainer shares how he wrestles with this tension on a daily basis as the Senior Operations Manager for a ministry called OurCalling (https://www.ourcalling.org/). Our Calling (OC) is addressing the challenges of providing a community of integrity for the chronically homeless living on the streets of Dallas and ensuring they do so with excellence. We explore how loving your neighbor as yourself can be a difficult pursuit, especially when that neighbor is homeless. We also examine the inextricable link between loving self, loving others, and loving God.
Rainer also serves as part of the OC preaching team providing weekly church services and as the Saturday ambassador educating and equipping volunteer groups with the tools and experience they need to minister to the growing homeless population in the DFW area. In addition to preaching and teaching God’s word and ministering to others, Rainer can be found blogging at The Devotional Guy™ (https://thedevotionalguy.blog/). Rainer and his wife, Terri, live in Richardson, Texas where they enjoy going to music concerts and catching a Texas Rangers game.
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Welcome to Season 2! Come join us as we explore Stories of Tension: Real People, Real Stories, Real Solutions
In this episode, we investigate the tension of the fear of God vs. the fear of man with our special guest Drew White. Drew recounts his constant pursuit to keep up public appearances and how he wasn't able to satisfy the never ending expectations of others. We probe down into the layers of tension to uncover how God used some very difficult experiences to draw Drew closer to Christ and how he found true freedom in Him alone. We also discuss practical solutions and resources to shift our focus from pleasing others to pleasing God and how that liberates us to live more securely and love others with greater confidence.
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Welcome to Season 2! Come join us as we explore Stories of Tension: Real People, Real Stories, Real Solutions
In this episode, we investigate the tension of worldly vs. Godly success with our special guest Dan LaRock. Dan shares his personals stories of how he pursued and acquired a life of wealth and success, only to find it to be hollow and empty. We explore Dan's journey of discovery from worldly success to a world of faith and how his catalyst for change came from the insightful words of his deceased grandfather. We also discuss how Dan's growing surrender to Christ led him and his wife to transform their Minnesota ranch into a Christ-centered, horsemanship ministry.
Dan is an executive shareholder with HUB International and has published a book entitled 'Grandpa's Gift: How Old Wisdom Can Inspire New Life' (https://www.grandpasgiftbook.com/). He is also the co-founder of Rock Ranch, a charitable organization which provides horsemanship training, riding lessons, senior programming, and mental health counseling, all in a natural, Christ-filled setting (https://www.riderockranch.org/).
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Welcome to Season 2! Come join us as we explore Stories of Tension: Real People, Real Stories, Real Solutions
In this episode, we investigate the tension of God's plans vs. our own. Before we get too far down the guest list in Season 2, we thought it would be appropriate for us to share some of our own struggles and confessions. We talk honestly and openly about our difficulties in discerning if our plans are from God or our own creation and how we respond when God seems silent. Come join us as we unpack some key lessons from Proverbs and tell stories of quickly jumping into passion projects or getting stuck in our own paralysis by analysis.
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Welcome to Season 2! Come join us as we explore Stories of Tension: Real People, Real Stories, Real Solutions
In this episode, we investigate the tension of community vs. solitude with our special guest Rebecca Dragoo. Rebecca recounts her personal struggles of being broken by solitude as an extraverted extravert. We probe down into her personal layers of tension to uncover what Rebecca learned about herself, others, and her relationship with God. We also discuss practical solutions to effectively move between periods of earnest reflection in solitude to meaningful engagement with others in community.
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This is a no-frills bonus episode recapping our first season of ‘A World in Tension’.
Come join us as we share an uncut, inside look at the podcast. We get into listener feedback, share our key reflections about Season 1, and lay out a future plans and direction for Season 2.
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Throughout this podcast we talk a lot about tension and surrender. We often say that our fundamental tension is between our desire for control and our need to surrender. In other words, surrender to God is the ultimate remedy to the tensions of life we all experience. That sounds great in theory, but how do we apply this truth in a practical sense? How can we become more effective at practicing surrender in our every day lives? Are there specific tactics we can use or identified steps we can take? Come join us as we unpack the three essential ingredients of surrender and walk through a practical example of applying surrender to one of our current tensions - making this podcast.
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Parenting is filled with tension. On a daily basis we wrestle with questions related to schooling, sports, social media, and how much space to grant our children. As we seek out the “right” way to parent our children, we often find guiding principles rather than prescriptive answers. We explore key parenting struggles and unpack practical approaches to address them.
Credits
· Hosts – Neil Placer & Rob McGarvey
· Intro Voice – Michael Ake
· Intro Music – ‘Energy of Rock’ by Lesfm
· Outro Music – ‘The Tension’ by Temitope
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King Solomon’s life embodies the concept of tension. The magnitude of his wisdom, wealth, and extravagant lifestyle are hard to top. Solomon’s profound reflections of life are captured for us in the book of Ecclesiastes. We explore helpful insights that can be gleaned from a man that stretched the tension between right and wrong to its utter limits.
Credits
· Hosts – Neil Placer & Rob McGarvey
· Intro Voice – Michael Ake
· Intro Music – ‘Energy of Rock’ by Lesfm
· Outro Music – ‘The Tension’ by Temitope
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Should political issues be so contentious, especially amongst those who share a common faith? When it comes to politics, it is easy to find ourselves polarized between activism and apathetic avoidance. We explore practical ways to pursue unity within a local church body and how a small shift in perspective can have profound impact.
Credits
· Hosts – Neil Placer & Rob McGarvey
· Intro Voice – Michael Ake
· Intro Music – ‘Energy of Rock’ by Lesfm
· Outro Music – ‘The Tension’ by Temitope
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As we learn more about the life of King David, we encounter a confounding paradox. God declares David as a man after God’s own heart, yet the Bible recounts several less than honorable stories about David. What are we to make of these glaring contradictions, especially as it pertains to such a prominent Biblical figure? We examine David’s complicated and contradictory life and challenge ourselves to walk a mile in his shoes.
Credits
· Hosts – Neil Placer & Rob McGarvey
· Intro Voice – Michael Ake
· Intro Music – ‘Energy of Rock’ by Lesfm
· Outro Music – ‘The Tension’ by Temitope
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One of the classic Christian tensions is the struggle between faith and works. Beyond the theological differences, finding a proper balance between faith and works in our daily lives can be challenging. As we seek to find the perfect balance, we are often left feeling anxious and restless. We seek to disarm the faith vs. works debate by digging below the surface of this timeless Christian tension.
Credits
· Hosts – Neil Placer & Rob McGarvey
· Intro Voice – Michael Ake
· Intro Music – ‘Energy of Rock’ by Lesfm
· Outro Music – ‘The Tension’ by Temitope
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Whenever we are seeking to think more critically about a topic, categorization can be a very helpful tool. Categories provide us with the needed structure to explore topics in a more focused and systematic way. Come join us as we uncover the three primary layers of tension.
Credits
· Hosts – Neil Placer & Rob McGarvey
· Intro Voice – Michael Ake
· Intro Music – ‘Energy of Rock’ by Lesfm
· Outro Music – ‘The Tension’ by Temitope
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The book of Genesis is a foundational location for discovering the origins of many topics, and tension is no exception. By examining how tension began, we can make a clearer connection to its work in our lives today. We ask provocative questions and seek to uncover key insights as we explore the beginning of the tension story.
Credits
· Hosts – Neil Placer & Rob McGarvey
· Intro Voice – Michael Ake
· Intro Music – ‘Energy of Rock’ by Lesfm
· Outro Music – ‘The Tension’ by Temitope
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/neil-placer/message
In this inaugural episode we will introduce the topic of tension. Tension involves the confusing and frustrating struggles of life which we all experience. Tension is messy and painful and often leaves us wondering why so much of life is filled with it. We explore why we believe tension exists and what we can do to practically address it in a productive manner.
Credits
· Hosts – Neil Placer & Rob McGarvey
· Intro Voice – Michael Ake
· Intro Music – ‘Energy of Rock’ by Lesfm
· Outro Music – ‘The Tension’ by Temitope
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/neil-placer/message