The Arsenal Church: Recent Episodes
None
Welcome to the audio podcast of The Arsenal Church in Southtown San Antonio. We hope that these podcasts encourage you, speak life, and bring hope to you throughout your week. To learn more about The Arsenal Church visit www.thearsenal.church.
What if the faith that formed you also handed you the things you'd spend years unlearning?
Arsenal Stories continues — the series where we stop knowing people as a category and actually hear what they've lived. Taryn Tipton shares her faith journey: growing up in a small town where church, school, and family were so intertwined that "every part of my life was connected and colored by church." It was mostly good. And the same people who taught her about Jesus also taught her that a woman couldn't preach, that being gay is a sin, and quietly excluded people she loved. The beautiful and the harmful, all wrapped together.
Underneath it, she was scared all the time — scared she'd gotten salvation wrong, scared of the rapture, wondering if she needed to get baptized again just to be safe. She traces what came next: discovering Shalom and a faith bigger than staying out of hell, deconstruction, a mustard-seed tattoo, a one-way flight to Spain, and finding God in a smoky temple in Bali, a Catholic mass, the NICU after her daughter was born, and crying with her foster son's mom. It lands on the line she had to grow into: if she could believe in Shalom for the world, she had to believe it for herself too.
In this episode:
-
Finding the Arsenal — Daniel, Grace, and their foster son Alistair
-
Why she'd never told this story before
-
When every part of life was church — the beautiful and the harmful, wrapped together
-
Being scared of the rapture, and never sure salvation "took"
-
Shalom: a faith bigger than staying out of hell
-
Deconstruction, and a mustard seed tattoo
-
A one-way flight to Spain
-
Seeing God in Bali, a Catholic mass, the NICU, and her foster son's mom
-
"If I believed in Shalom for the world, I had to believe it for myself, too"
-
Ephesians 4: "Live a life worthy of the calling you have received"
???? References: Ephesians 4:1 · Matthew 17:20 (the mustard seed) · the idea of Shalom
Series: Stories
Speaker: Taryn Tipton
Date: 8/2/2026
Location: The Arsenal, San Antonio, TX
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
What happens when you finally learn the history of the church that raised you?
Arsenal Stories continues — the series where we stop filing people away as "the guy in the back row" and actually hear what they've lived. Chad opens by introducing Nate: one of the kindest and smartest people you'll meet, and someone who has been in church a long time.
Then Nate Kindig tells his story. He grew up Southern Baptist in Georgia, in Christian school, headed for vocational ministry — and by his own account he was really, really good at the order stage: he knew the rules, he met everyone's expectations, he kept the peace. Then the ground moved. He walks through the actual history of his denomination (including why it was founded in Augusta in 1845, and what it has and hasn't apologized for since), what it was like to move to the Dominican Republic and learn faith in someone else's language, and what he found on the other side of certainty — including a therapist who was "nothing I asked for, but everything I needed."
Chad closes with the story of the bodies in the river: what it cost to walk upstream, being called a heretic for it, and who was already up there tending the fire when he arrived.
In this episode:
-
Chad introduces Nate — and why this series exists
-
Growing up Southern Baptist: Christian school, the rules, and being good at "order"
-
A history of church denominations — including the 1845 founding of the Southern Baptist Convention
-
Order, disorder, reorder
-
The Dominican Republic: learning faith in another language
-
Looking for a therapist — and the one who showed up
-
"She was nothing that I asked for, but she was everything that I needed"
-
Chad: the bodies in the river, walking upstream, and the people around the fire
-
"If we can't welcome people, I don't think we're teaching the gospel"
???? References: the order → disorder → reorder framework · a history-of-church-denominations chart (truthforsaints.com) · Martin Buber (quoted in Chad's close)
Series: Stories
Speaker: Nate Kindig
Date: 7/26/2026
Location: The Arsenal, San Antonio, TX
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
What if the hardest thing to admit at church is that you're not okay?
Arsenal Stories continues — the series where we stop saying a quick "hi" and actually hear what people survived to walk through the door. Chad opens on why the #1 source of awe across cultures isn't a canyon or the sky but other people, and how moral beauty — watching one human being love another — is the thing that undoes us.
Then Alexis Uribes tells her story. She grew up as the baby of the family, the "good kid" who wanted to care for people and had it all together — and slowly built an identity around always having it together. Being the version everyone complimented meant it got harder and harder to let anyone see her tired, overwhelmed, or not okay. In a church culture where the only acceptable answer to "How are you?" was "We're fine," she learned to wear the mask. Through John Lynch's picture of two roads — the pleasing God path and the trusting God path — Alexis found language for what had been quietly breaking her, took the mask off, and found a place that finally felt safe: you don't have to have all the answers, you can ask the questions, you can be honest, and you're still loved. Chad closes on what real love actually does — it moves closer.
In this episode:
-
Why the #1 source of awe across cultures is other people — and moral beauty (Chad's intro to the Stories series)
-
Alexis: the baby of the family, the "good kid" who wanted to care for people
-
Building an identity around always having it together
-
"How are you?" "We're fine." — the mask everyone learns to wear
-
John Lynch's two roads: the pleasing-God path vs. the trusting-God path
-
Taking the mask off — finding a place that finally felt safe
-
Chad: real love moves closer
???? References: John Lynch — The Cure / TrueFaced (pleasing God vs. trusting God); the study of awe & moral beauty (Dacher Keltner)
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
What happens when the house you built your whole faith inside of suddenly stops feeling safe?
We're kicking off a new series — Arsenal Stories — on a simple conviction: you've been saying hi to people for years without ever knowing what they survived to walk through the door. Chad opens by tracing why the number one source of awe across cultures isn't the sky or a canyon — it's other people — and why every face is a "Thou," never an "it."
Then Mark Bryand tells his story. He grew up in a beautiful, spirit-filled faith "house" that gave him love, music, and community — but also taught him that certainty was safer than curiosity and that wrestling made people uncomfortable. One day he woke up and home no longer felt safe. From the outside nothing looked different; inside, everything had changed. What followed — the songs that felt heavy, the prayers that hit the ceiling, the walking away — is what a lot of us call deconstruction. But broken walls can become open doors. Through grief, his mom's words ("everything you need is already within you"), and Psalm 139's promise that there is nowhere we can go from God's presence, Mark found his way home to love — and back to the music.
In this episode:
- Why the #1 source of awe across cultures is other people (Chad's intro to the Stories series)
- Mark's "house" — the faith that formed him, and the rules that taught certainty over curiosity
- Waking up when home no longer feels safe: the start of deconstruction
- The turtle that only grows to the size of its home — and the glass walls of religion
- Grief, his mom, and "everything you need is already within you"
- Psalm 139 (read by Jett Belew) — nowhere you can go from God's presence
- Broken walls become open doors: finding the way home to love
Scripture: Psalm 139
The Arsenal — San Antonio, TX. Sundays 11am, 105 Sadie St.
thearsenal.church · thearsenal.church/give · hello@thearsenal.church
To close our "Who Told You That?" series, Chad opened the floor to your questions — submitted live via Slido — with Britney Carrasco moderating. It's an honest, unscripted conversation about everything the series stirred up.
Chad lays the groundwork in Genesis 3 — the garden, and how the real story of the Fall is distrust that makes us hide, not just rule-breaking — then works through your hardest questions: Is sin a crime, or a disease? How do you reconcile a loving God with the Bible's picture of God as judge? If Jesus didn't die to pay a legal penalty, what did he die for? And what changes when you learn that, in the Hebrew imagination, a "judge" was someone who set people free?
It's the heart of the whole series in one conversation: a God you can trust, sin as the distrust that makes us hide, and a Jesus who heals what's broken so we can see clearly and love our neighbor well.
Scriptures touched: Genesis 3 · Romans 3:23 · Romans 6:23 · 1 John 1 · John 3:16
—
The Arsenal is a Christ-centered community in Southtown, San Antonio. Sundays 11am · 105 Sadie St, San Antonio, TX.
???? thearsenal.church · ❤️ thearsenal.church/give · ???? download the Arsenal Church app
Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
What if "the fear of the Lord" was never meant to be terror? In the final message of our Who Told You That? series, Pastor Chad Belew traces the difference between fear and awe — from a blackout patrol base in Baghdad to a garden where God came walking in the cool of the day, asking not "gotcha," but "Where are you?" If you've spent your life bracing for a God who's disappointed in you, this one reframes the whole relationship: the voice in the garden isn't hunting you down — it's calling you home.
In this episode:
-
Why "the fear of the Lord" in Scripture reads more like awe than dread
-
Genesis 3 — God walking in the cool of the day, and the real weight of "Where are you?"
-
How shame teaches us to hide from the One who wants to carry us home
-
"Perfect love casts out fear" — what changes when you stop bracing and start trusting
-
The last question of the series: Where have you been calling it fear when God was offering you awe?
The most famous verse in Christianity may be the most misread. Chad takes John 3:16 back to the late-night conversation it actually came from — Jesus and Nicodemus — and shows how a verse we memorized as a gospel-tract about heaven, hell, and a transaction at the cross was, in the original Greek, never about any of that. "Born again" is better read "born from above." "Perish" means lost, not damned. "Eternal life" is a quality of life that starts now, not a reward after you die. And the word for "gave" is the language of a Father moving toward us in love — not a payment that had to be collected before God could forgive. This is the heart of the whole series: who told you that's what it means, and have you ever gone back to check?
In this episode:
-
A live audience quiz exposes how flattened our reading of John 3:16 has become
-
Why "born again" is better translated "born from above" — and how the church narrowed it for a thousand years
-
"Perish" as lost-and-found (the lost coin, sheep, and son), not eternal torment — with D.A. Carson, N.T. Wright, and David Bentley Hart
-
How Anselm (1098) and later Calvin reframed the cross from rescue into payment, and how we inherited it as if it were always there
-
The word "gave" vs. "handed over" — love expressing itself, not a transaction making love possible
-
Nicodemus's slow journey from the dark to broad daylight, and the difference between knowing about God (oida) and knowing God (ginosko)
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
We trained our dogs to stay off the couch — and they’re perfect angels, right up until no one’s watching. Chad opens there because it’s how a lot of us learned to follow God: behave when you feel watched, fall apart when you don’t. This message names the fear underneath that kind of obedience — the quiet question, "if I’m not afraid of getting caught, what’s to stop me?" — and gently turns it over. Fear can change your behavior, but it can never change what you actually want. Only love can do that. And Jesus was always after the want — not effort, not white-knuckling, but a new desire: obedience sourced not from fear but from love made complete.
In this episode:
-
The dogs-on-the-couch picture of "God-concept vs. God-image" — what you know about God versus how you feel watched by Him
-
Why fear-based obedience produces public performance and private collapse
-
"Fear can make you comply; love can make you want to" — and why Jesus pursued the want
-
1 John and "perfect love casts out fear" — what it means for love to be made complete
-
The honest question to sit with: where are you still obeying out of fear, and what would it look like to come at that same place from love instead?
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
Chad opens with his own prescription bottle and the chair he sits in once a week to talk with his VA therapist — and asks a question most pastors won't: what is fear-based theology actually doing to the bodies of the people in the pews? Pulling Edwards, chick tracts, and modern wrath-preachers next to trauma research, neuroscience, and his own EMDR work, he makes the case that a God installed in the amygdala can never produce the people Jesus called blessed. The gospel Jesus actually preached isn't a softer alternative to a hard gospel — it may be the only theology whose fruit the human body can actually bear.
In this episode:
-
Why hearing "God loves you" for 40 years can't heal a God-image trained in fear (the rider and the elephant)
-
What chronic threat does to a body — cortisol, hypervigilance, "religious trauma syndrome" — and why Genesis 3 already names it: they hid
-
Hagar in the wilderness and "the God who sees me" (El Roi): presence, not a verdict
-
EMDR and the cross: healing as reinterpretation under conditions of safety, not erasing what happened
-
Reading the Beatitudes, "love your enemies," and the fruit of the Spirit as the natural overflow of a regulated, safe body
-
The closing question: what would it feel like in your actual body to stop bracing in the presence of God?
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
For weeks we've been tracing where our picture of God actually came from — and last week we named the framework most of us inherited: penal substitutionary atonement, where sin is a legal problem, God is a judge, and Jesus absorbs the punishment we owe. This week Chad asks the question that was left hanging: if that's not it, what does Jesus actually say the human problem is? The answer reframes not just how you think about sin, but how you think about yourself. Sin, at its root, isn't a law broken — it's a corrupted mindset that makes us see ourselves and others as worth less than God says we are. The behavior is always downstream of the lie. And the solution Jesus offers isn't a legal transaction; it's metanoia — a changed mind, a restored vision, learning to see yourself the way the One who loves you already does.
In this episode:
-
The judge vs. the doctor: why Jesus shows up to diagnose a condition, not issue a verdict
-
"Hamartia" — how the word we translate "sin" originally meant missing the mark, not committing a crime
-
How one mistranslated Latin preposition in Augustine turned inherited corruption into inherited guilt — and rewired the whole Western framework
-
A working definition: sin as a corrupted mindset about worth, and how that same lie scales up into systems like racism, abuse, addiction, and people-pleasing
-
The woman caught in adultery and the prodigal son, reread: Jesus refusing the courtroom and restoring identity instead
-
"Metanoia" — change your mind, come home — and the closing question: what's the lie underneath the worst version of yourself?
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
Most of us were handed one answer to "Why did Jesus die?" — God required a payment, Jesus took the punishment we deserved, the debt is settled. We were told this is simply the gospel, the plain meaning of the Bible. But that framework has a name (penal substitutionary atonement), a birthplace (an 11th-century feudal court), and a history — and it isn't the one the church held for its first thousand years. Chad opens with a story about discovering what socks actually cost: once you see it, you can't unsee it. The same thing happens when you realize the version of the cross you inherited is a framework built by someone, at a specific moment, for specific reasons. The invitation isn't a smaller faith or a softer God — it's a bigger, truer, more beautiful picture of who God actually is, and a life with Christ driven by love instead of fear, debt, and management.
In this episode:
-
The "$40 socks" story and what happens when new information reframes something you never thought to question
-
Naming the framework: what penal substitutionary atonement (PSA) actually claims — penalty, substitution, satisfied debt
-
A closer look at Habakkuk 1:13 and the proof text behind "God can't look on sin" — and what the rest of the verse actually says
-
The first thousand years: Irenaeus and Athanasius on the cross as healing and restoration, not a legal transaction ("Jesus became what we are so that we might become what he is")
-
How Anselm's feudal honor logic, then Luther and Calvin, hardened satisfaction into transferred punishment and God's wrath
-
What PSA produces when it leaves the church and runs a country — sorting people into the acquitted and the condemned, and why that doesn't sound like Jesus
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
Picture God looking at you on your worst day, right after you've done the thing you swore you'd never do again. What expression is on His face? For a lot of us, the honest answer isn't "love" — and that gap between the God we'd describe and the God we actually brace for runs deeper than we realize. Chad names the difference between our God concept (what we say we believe) and our God image (what we emotionally expect), traces how a distorted picture of God doesn't stay private but bleeds into how we see ourselves and everyone around us, and walks through Cain and Abel to show a God who, even after the first murder, still says "I got you." If God is love, there's no comma and no "but" — and learning to actually experience that love is the only thing that frees us to love others well.
In this episode:
-
Greg Popovich as a picture of how we can be sure we know someone we've never actually experienced
-
The question that gets underneath our religious language: what is on God's face on your worst day?
-
God concept vs. God image — what you can say out loud vs. what you brace for, and where those models get formed
-
How a distorted God image fuels "holy war" thinking and lets us treat other people as disposable
-
Cain and Abel (Genesis 4): consequences without an angry, punitive God — "no, I got you"
-
Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
What if the deepest question isn't "what do I believe?" but "who told me to see it this way?" Opening with the "overview effect" — what astronauts describe when they see Earth from space and watch borders, tribes, and arguments shrink while our shared belonging grows — Chad launches a new series asking where our maps of God, ourselves, and our neighbors actually came from. Walking back through Genesis 3, he reframes the fall: not first an act of disobedience but a rupture of trust, a lie that made us see God as unsafe and each other as enemies. The cure isn't perfect performance; it's awe that zooms us back out, and a Jesus who prays we'd be one and sends us to go love well.
In this episode:
-
The "overview effect" and Dr. Keltner's research on awe — how zooming out exposes how artificial our divisions really are
-
Paul's "in Adam / in Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:21-22): a story of shared humanity, shared wound, and shared rescue, not just private faith
-
Genesis 3 reread: the lie came before the bite — "Did God really say…?" and the rupture of trust that birthed shame, hiding, and separation
-
Rethinking sin: missing the mark as believing less about yourself than God does, and the difference between guilt ("I did wrong") and shame ("I am wrong")
-
A story from Iraq — "lucky" and his Sunni neighbors — and the haunting question: who told us those people were the threat?
-
Jesus' prayer in John 17 "that they may be one," and why loving your enemy only makes sense if separation isn't the final word
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
If Christianity is a relationship and not just a religion, then what happens when we actually look at it like one? On Resurrection Sunday, Chad reads the whole story — garden to cross to empty tomb — through a relational and psychological lens, and lands somewhere most Easter sermons don't. The problem in Eden wasn't bad behavior; it was broken trust. The serpent didn't make Eve defiant first, he made God suspect — "Did God really say?" — and once perception bends, shame and fear follow. We start hiding, blaming, and self-protecting, and we build whole fearful systems around a God we were taught to fear. But Jesus comes to repair the misperception: pulling out chairs for outsiders, forgiving from the cross, and walking into a locked room of people who abandoned him to say "Peace." Easter isn't God finally appeasing his own anger — it's love proving that there is nothing you could do, even the worst, that removes your seat at the table.
In this episode:
-
Reading faith as a relationship — trust or mistrust, closeness or distance, safety or fear
-
Why the real problem in Genesis 3 is distrust, not disobedience, and how shame says "hide, blame, self-protect"
-
A candid pushback on penal substitutionary atonement and the "dirty rotten sinner" Easter story most of us were handed
-
Jesus at the table: in-group/out-group, the pain of exclusion, and a God who keeps moving toward the outsider (Matthew 9, Hosea 6:6)
-
The cross as a psychological revelation of what fear does to pure love — and resurrection as proof that fear is not ultimate and shame is not final
-
"Peace be with you" to the disciples, breakfast with Peter, and communion as the place where hiding ends
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
We've been taught to read the cleansing of the temple as a flash of righteous anger — Jesus losing his temper over noisy commerce in church. But the night he arrived, Jesus walked in, looked around at everything, and left. The table-flipping came the next day, on purpose. This is the story of what he actually saw: not a worship service gone sloppy, but a "city-temple-state system" where religion, money, and empire had married each other and the bill was being paid by the poor, the outsider, and the widow. When you trace the names — Annas, Caiaphas, the high priests Rome hired for their loyalty instead of their holiness — you can't unsee it. Jesus wasn't protecting the church. He was protecting the people the church was supposed to protect. And the call that comes out of it is the same one we always land on: go love well, because love always fights for the neighbor — especially the most vulnerable among us.
In this episode:
-
Why Jesus' first temple visit is the quiet, easy-to-skip verse that unlocks the whole week (Mark 11:11)
-
The architecture of exclusion: the court of the Gentiles, the walls warning outsiders away, and what the layout taught people about who belonged
-
How a sacred, God-given system got corrupted — doves marked up 15-20x for the poor, sacrifices "approved" for profit, temple tax with interest
-
The cursed fig tree as a mirror: looks alive, bears no fruit (Mark 11:12-14)
-
"A house of prayer for all nations" vs. "a den of robbers" — the Isaiah 56 and Jeremiah 7 indictments behind Jesus' words
-
Rereading the widow's two coins: is Jesus praising her gift, or exposing a system that takes everything from someone who has nothing?
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
We tend to read Jesus' "triumphal entry" as a humble, gentle ride into town — but for the people watching, it was loaded with meaning. Pastor Chad walks us back into Passover week in Jerusalem, where a city remembering its liberation from Egypt was now living under Roman oppression. On the same week, two processions enter the city: Pilate riding in from the west on a war horse, surrounded by soldiers and the religious elite — a display of power, force, and fear. And Jesus riding in from the east on a borrowed donkey, surrounded by the poor, the sick, the overlooked, and the healed — a display of humility, presence, and peace. Seen side by side, Jesus' entry isn't passive. It's a calculated, deliberate protest — a parody of empire that exposes one way of being human and offers another. This is the message that starts the countdown to the cross.
In this episode:
-
Why Passover wasn't just nostalgia but a charged, dangerous story about God overthrowing empire
-
The Pax Romana: how Rome's "peace" was really control, order, and stability enforced by violence
-
Pilate's procession from the west vs. Jesus' procession from the east — two visions of humanity walking into the same city
-
What it meant that Jesus chose a donkey (peace) and not a war horse (conquest) — drawing on Luke 19
-
The contrast in the crowds: people protecting power vs. people who had been crushed by it
-
A look ahead to the temple and the tables — the calculated demonstration that becomes the last straw (continued next week)
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
We tend to think the world has gotten darker — but maybe our vision just needs recalibrating. Just like your eyes need light to reveal the color that was there all along, Jesus came as the light to show us what humanity looks like at its best: love in action. Walking through the healing of the bent-over woman in Luke 13, Chad reframes the old "What Would Jesus Do?" question by watching Jesus break a Sabbath rule to restore a daughter of Abraham — proving that people matter more than any rule, and compassion never needs permission. When we keep our eyes fixed on him, we start seeing in full color what we'd always seen in black and white: image-bearers who just want to belong and be loved.
In this episode:
-
An eyesight illustration and a color-perception experiment: light doesn't create what's there, it reveals it
-
Matthew 6 on the eyes as windows, and how attention "framing" decides what we notice — rules and threats, or compassion and suffering
-
Luke 13:10-17: Jesus sees a woman crippled for 18 years, calls her forward on the Sabbath, and heals her
-
Why "daughter of Abraham" is a radical word of belonging for someone society labeled unclean
-
Reclaiming "What Would Jesus Do?" — the WWJD bracelet as a reminder that love, not the rule, is the answer
-
The kingdom of God as a mustard seed and yeast: small moral acts of kindness that quietly change everything
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
We're wired to miss the gorilla in the room. Chad opens with the famous "invisible gorilla" experiment to show how attention works: when fear narrows our focus, we go into threat-detection mode and our world shrinks to enemies, categories, and the next disaster. But awe does the opposite — it widens the frame until people stop being symbols and start being human again. Walking through Mary and Martha, the Good Samaritan, and Matthew 25, this message reframes "the fear of the Lord" not as terror but as wonder, the kind of expanded vision where loving your neighbor — and even your enemy — finally makes sense, because you realize they were never separate from you.
In this episode:
-
The "invisible gorilla" experiment and inattentional blindness as a picture of how anxiety and fear shrink our perception
-
Mary and Martha (Luke 10) — two people, same room, same Jesus, two completely different realities shaped by where their attention went
-
Why "the fear of the Lord" is better read as awe and wonder, and how awe trades certainty for curiosity
-
The Good Samaritan and Matthew 25: how Jesus collapses the distance between "enemy" and "neighbor," and between the suffering stranger and himself
-
Chad's two tours in Iraq and years studying Persian/Farsi — how knowing a people turns a "headline enemy" back into human beings
-
Awe lowers our gaze to the person in front of us: "Fear teaches us to look for enemies, but awe teaches us to recognize family."
—
The Arsenal | San Antonio, TX
???? thearsenal.church
???? Download the Arsenal Church app
???? Questions or need prayer? hello@thearsenal.church
???? Give: thearsenal.church/give
In this message, Chad explores what happens when awe feels out of reach in the middle of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Using the story of Peter walking on water and Jesus’ invitation to “look at the birds” and “consider the lilies,” this talk reframes faith not as trying harder, but as learning to widen our perspective. When fear narrows our world, awe expands it—and what shapes our attention ultimately shapes our lives. This is an invitation to notice where your focus has drifted, to gently return, and to live from a place where love, peace, and compassion can take root and grow.
In this week’s message, Daniel Gertson invites us to rethink everything we thought we knew about the Bible—moving beyond rigid, inherited beliefs and into a more honest, human, and transformative way of engaging Scripture. Through personal stories, humor, and thoughtful insight, Daniel explores the tension many of us have felt when the Bible seems confusing, contradictory, or unclear, and reframes it not as a perfect rulebook or answer manual, but as a diverse, evolving story of how people have experienced and understood God across time. Rather than shutting down questions or doubt, this message opens the door to curiosity, conversation, and growth—reminding us that faith isn’t about having everything figured out, but about learning to engage, wrestle, and ultimately love more deeply.
For Father’s Day, we throw out the manly checklist and re-root ourselves in the way of Jesus. What makes a good dad? A good man? It’s not toughness or dominance—it’s presence, empathy, and love. Using the parable of the prodigal’s father and research from leading psychologists, this talk unpacks how Christlike fatherhood heals families and transforms culture—for sons, daughters, and all of us.
Jesus told us to love our enemies—but what if “enemy” is a label we created? In this message, we explore the psychology of division, tribalism, and how compassion disarms it. Chad reflects on his time at an interfaith summit, and we revisit Jesus’ teachings on enemy love, with insights from writings of Psychologists Jonathan Haidt and Kristin Kobes Du Mez. What if compassion is the way we unlearn separation?
(Audio on this Podcast cutout early, but the point of the Message is still there)
What if awe is more than a feeling? What if it’s medicine?
This week, we explore how awe expands empathy, creates connection, and rewires our brain. Drawing from recent research, scripture, and everyday wonder, we explore how living rooted in awe changes not just our worship—but our world.
Is it possible that awe—not fear—is the beginning of wisdom?
In this message in the Rooted series, Chad dives into what it really means to be “God-fearing.” With scripture, psychology, and real-life application, this talk unpacks how our view of God shapes the way we treat others—and ourselves.
We were told that God turns away from sin. But what if that’s never been true? This week’s message features the powerful “Gospel in Chairs” illustration and reflects on Jesus’ posture of unshakable presence, even with those who expected condemnation. When love never leaves, everything changes.
Mother’s Day Sunday leads us into the nurturing, motherly nature of God. What happens when the Church stops nurturing and starts controlling? In this talk, Chad blends psychological research, theology, and personal stories to challenge our view of a God who only disciplines, and instead reveals the God who nurtures us into healing and wholeness.
This week, we explore the story of Mephibosheth—a man who expected rejection, but found welcome at the king’s table. Chad invites us to see how our deepest fear of being too “damaged” to belong is met with the radical love of a God who always makes room for us. You don’t have to be fixed to be loved. You belong.
We begin the Rooted series by asking a deeper question: What if you were never broken to begin with? This week, Chad reframes our origin story—not as one of sin and shame, but of belonging and belovedness. This message explores how the story we believe about our beginnings shapes everything about how we live, love, and grow.
In the second episode of our Advent series, we reflect on the theme of Peace—God’s gift to a restless world. True peace isn’t simply the absence of conflict but the presence of Christ, bringing wholeness and restoration to our lives. Join us as we explore how the promise of peace, proclaimed at Jesus’s birth, invites us to live in harmony with God, others, and ourselves. Let this message center your heart during the Advent season.
Welcome to Advent, a four-part series exploring the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love as we prepare our hearts for Christmas. In this first episode, we dive into the power of Hope—God’s promise to sustain us even in the waiting.
*Due to technical difficulty, this recording begins a few minutes into the message.
Chad unpacks the brief but powerful message of 3 John, exploring how the early church embodied hospitality as a key expression of their faith. Discover why welcoming others—both strangers and fellow believers—is central to living out the truth of the Gospel. Through stories and insights, Chad challenges Christians today to embrace hospitality as a vital part of our witness in a world hungry for authentic connection and love.
Rob challenges listeners to see love not just as a principle but as the defining element of the bigger picture in faith and life. With practical insights, this message invites you to reflect on how love shapes your relationships, your beliefs, and your impact on the world.
Chad unpacks the challenges and beauty of living in alignment with the love of Christ. Whether you're questioning, seeking, or firmly rooted in faith, this message will inspire you to make God’s love known in your life and the world around you.
What does it mean to love in response to the love God has shown us? Rob unpacks how recognizing God’s love as our source changes the way we approach relationships, bringing a renewed sense of purpose, patience, and compassion. Join us as we explore how God’s love ignites our own, guiding us to love others selflessly and without fear. This episode is an invitation to let God’s love fill you and overflow into the lives of those around you.
What does it really mean to say that God is Love? Join us as Chad unpacks how this declaration changes everything about how we see ourselves, relate to others, and even confront our fears. Chad explores how understanding God’s love can shift our entire perspective, bringing peace, banishing fear, and empowering us to love others more radically. If you’ve ever wondered how a deeper understanding of divine love could transform your life, this episode is for you.
Chad continues our journey through 1 John. He discusses the call to radically love others and how that applies to the Arsenal.
Chad, our Lead Pastor, shares the story of our church, reflecting on its beginnings, the significant milestones that have shaped our community, and the exciting plans for the future. He highlights how love has been the foundation of our journey and the driving force behind every step forward. Whether you’ve been with us for years or are just joining, this episode will encourage and inspire as we explore how God's love continues to guide our path.
In this third installment of the series, we look at 1 John 2:18-29 to explore the warnings about antichrists—not just as future figures but as any ideas or teachings that distort the message of Christ. Chad unpacks how to stay anchored in truth amidst these deceptive forces. The focus is on discerning truth by holding to the core message of Christ’s love, ensuring we aren’t swayed by teachings that undermine His grace. Tune in to learn how to stay grounded in faith and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus!
Chad looks 1 John 2:1-17, exploring the connection between knowing God and loving others. What does it truly mean to know God, and how can we guard against mentalities that distract from the simplicity of love? The takeaway is clear: True knowledge of God is demonstrated in our love for one another. Tune in as we unpack the power of love in living out our faith authentically.
Rob explores the powerful themes of 1 John 1 and how John connects directly to Jesus' ministry and defends the reality of His resurrection, a crucial message for believers who didn't witness it firsthand. Rob emphasizes the theme of "Walking in the Light," where light represents truth and openness and contrasts with darkness, which breeds shame and fear. He discusses the transformative power of confession, the importance of a loving community, and the necessity of approaching the "throne of grace" boldly to foster a thriving relationship with God. By examining what it means to live in a safe, grace-filled community where vulnerability is celebrated and love conquers fear, Rob invites listeners to reflect on their spiritual journeys and step into the light, discovering how grace and love can lead to deeper fulfillment and healing.
In the final talk of our Semantics series, Rob discusses why this simple word has sparked controversy and fear throughout history. Grace is the unearned favor of God—a gift that offers love, acceptance, and security without any conditions. He unpacks how Grace disrupts religious control by eliminating the need to earn God’s favor through actions and empowers us to become the people we’re meant to be.
Chad explores the meaning of judgment within the context of love and restoration. He challenges common misconceptions that often portray judgment as harsh and punitive, offering instead a perspective that sees it as a process of healing and renewal. He encourages listeners to embrace a model of restorative justice, one that reflects the compassionate and transformative nature of love. This episode invites you to rethink how judgment can be a force for positive change, guiding us toward love, justice, and a healthier relationship with God.
Chad discusses the concept of salvation, moving beyond the transactional view. Instead of seeing salvation as a mere exchange, he presents it as a journey toward wholeness and participation in the divine life. He explores the deeper questions of what we are saved from and what we are saved to, offering a more holistic understanding of salvation that emphasizes restoration and renewal.
Rob describes the transformative concept of the Kingdom of God as a present reality, not just a future hope. Drawing from the teachings of Jesus and insights from theologians across the ages, Rob challenges the traditional view of the Kingdom as merely a promise of heaven. Instead, he emphasizes how we can experience its power and blessings in our everyday lives, fulfilling Jesus' declaration that "the Kingdom of God is in your midst" (Luke 17:21).
Chad takes us on a transformative journey to redefine what it means to repent. Moving beyond the notion of repentance as merely feeling remorseful for our actions, Chad digs into the biblical concept of repentance as a change of mind and how true repentance is about believing the what God says about us and embracing our identity in Christ.
Chad explores the meaning of the word sin in its original biblical context and how our understanding of the word affects our experience.
Chad starts a new series, where we explore and clarify key biblical terms that have been misunderstood or misinterpreted. By delving into the original meanings and theological implications of these terms, we seek to cultivate a deeper understanding of God and his love for us.
What happens when we finally dare to ask questions and don't get answers? Rob talks about the peace we can find in times of uncertainty.
What does it look like to address our doubts and questions in a healthy community? Chad talks about the way we can support and encourage one another in and through these times.
Chad explores the importance of embracing our doubts and asking the hard questions that challenge and deepen our faith. Through biblical insights and personal reflections, this sermon encourages believers to find strength in their uncertainties and trust in God's plan. Whether you're grappling with doubt or seeking a deeper understanding of your faith, this sermon offers a compassionate and enlightening perspective on the journey of questioning. Tune in and discover the courage to question and the faith to seek answers.
Chad wraps up the series, solidifying the the principle that Jesus, as the final Word, brings clarity to scripture.
Chad looks at Jesus' interaction with a Canaanite woman and how our proximity to others can foster unity, acceptance, and love.
In the story this week Chad looked at a story of a woman brought to Jesus by a crowd accusing her of adultery and trying to trap Jesus as they ask, “Moses in the law says we are to stone her, what do you say Jesus?”
Rob continues "Listen to Him" and explores what it means to look to Jesus as the source of Love.
Chad starts a new series where we explore the idea of Jesus as God's ultimate Word to man.
Chad delves into various explanations for how humanity finds redemption in Christ, shedding light on different ways people understand the concept of atonement and its significance in our lives today.
Rob looks at the absence of conflict among the politically divided disciples and what it could mean for us.
Chad examines the apostle Peter and how the character of God is revealed through his life.
Rob talks about the power of thankfulness and how to make it a part of your daily life.
Rob wraps up a series of talks titled ID. Over 5 weeks, we've looked at some of the key attributes of an identity found in Christ.
Pastor Chad continues a series of talks titled ID. Over 5 weeks, we'll look at some of the key attributes of an identity found in Christ.
Pastor Rob continues a series of talks titled ID. Over 5 weeks, we'll look at some of the key attributes of an identity found in Christ.
Pastor Chad continues a series of talks titled ID. Over 5 weeks, we'll look at some of the key attributes of an identity found in Christ.
Pastor Chad starts a new series of talks titled ID. Over 5 weeks, we'll look at some of the key attributes of an identity found in Christ.
Pastor Chad wraps up the series, explaining that trusting God leads to self-compassion.
Pastor Chad continues the Red Flag series, looking at warning signs that we might not be trusting what God says about our identity in Him.
Chad introduces a series of talks titled Red Flag. We'll discuss warning signs that tell us something is off in our relationship with God and/or our faith community.
Guest speaker, Dustin West, brings a powerful message about the way we understand our relationship with God.
Chad continues our Clarify series, where we look at the way Jesus' words clarify and correct religious mindsets.
Rob continues our Clarify series, where we look at the way Jesus' words clarify and correct religious mindsets.
Chad kicks off our Clarify series of talks, where we look at the way Jesus' words clarify and correct religious mindsets.
Pastor Chad wraps up the 12 series on Easter Sunday with a look at the infamous Judas Iscariot.
Pastor Chad continues 12 with a fresh look at the disciple often referred to as Thomas the Doubter.
3/19/2023 Pastor Chad continues a seven week series titled 12, in which we look at the lives and deaths of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
3/5/2023 Pastor Rob continues a seven week series titled 12, in which we look at the lives and deaths of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
2/26/2023 Pastor Chad continues a seven week series titled 12, in which we look at the lives and deaths of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
2/19/2023 Pastor Rob kicks off a seven week series titled 12, in which we look at the lives and deaths of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
Pastor Chad resurrects and concludes our Lazarus series with a talk about the extravagant love displayed by Lazarus' sister, Mary.
Pastor Chad discusses how keeping up with religious demands has left many Christians feeling lonely.