Soma SoulWorks Podcast: Recent Episodes
Soma Games
Soma SoulWorks shares powerful and thought-provoking discussions that come out of lessons that are impossible to capture in text. Each episode ventures into elements of the mind, body, and soul to seek God's restorative healing that is available for everyone willing to embark on that journey. For more information, and for our text-based studies, visit us at https://www.somagames.com/tempusdivumhome/
Hello! The Soma Soulworks Podcast is going on summer break - many big things are happening behind the scenes here, from our annual conference to our upcoming game title. As such, we need some time to herd the cats and organize our thoughts. In this episode, we share a bit about why the break and what's on our minds as we head into the summer, and we look forward to catching you all on the next one in the Fall.
We try to do in-office interviews on our podcast roughly every month at Soma. We think it's important to look at our past and notice how God has provided and led us through the years, which is no different than with Joshua Durkees Soma story. Join us in hearing a little about his past and what he's been able to learn along the way.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
For the past several weeks, our office has been going through how our past wounds affect us during our in-office small group we call Jesus Time. Join us in today's conversation about some of the things we've walked through and how we've been processing these lessons.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
This week on the Soma Soulworks podcast, we're talking about hobbies. From wood burning to LARPing, tai chi to bottle cap collecting. The possibilities for hobbies are endless. Listen in this week to hear what we've been up to; we'd love to hear about what you're doing in your free time, let us know in the comments!
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Join us this week for a conversation about travel. Where have we been, and what have we learned? Travel can help us grow in understanding others and ourselves; so buckle up, tune in, and let us know in the comments some of the cool places you've been!
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Join us in today's conversation about games specifically for marketing. We share our experiences in making games and experiences for companies for the express use of marketing their brand. What was it like for us? We share some tips and tricks to help you, and your studio, get ahead when you take on your first marketing game!
Some of our work:
Stranger Things
Threat Hunter
extrahop.com
Some resources to help you get started:
What is advergaming: 5 examples in marketing campaigns
Advergaming: How video game advertising helps with consumer engagement
Chipotle Scarecrow is the future of advergaming on mobile
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Today we have the pleasure of hearing from our very own Neil Sauvageau. Hear his testimony and experience with us at Soma, and be sure to check out the cool projects he's working on while you're at it!
Echo Dawn
Neil on LinkedIn
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
We have a few workplace romances in our office. Some started before they came to Soma and some started while they were here. Hear some of our firsthand experiences and hear some ways to make the, sometimes inevitable, romance better for the office culture and you!
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Today is the beginning of the season of Lent. What is Lent? Should you participate in it? Does anyone participate in it anymore? The answer to 1.5 of those questions is "yes!" find out what one (and a half) it is on todays episode of the Soma SoulWorks Podcast
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Today on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast, we talk about what it's like to play video games for the first time. What hurdles do people face if they want to get into gaming? What technologies and techniques are out there to help ease people into the hobby? What does this mean for developers when we create games?
Gaming for a Non-Gamer
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Join us this week for a special interview with Chris Bruno. Chris is the author of his newest book Sage: A Man’s Guide Into His Second Passage, fatherhood, and mental health. Here to talk about it today, we also want to do a giveaway for Sage, so sign up here between the 8th of February and the 17th for a chance to win your copy!
Sage - by Chris Bruno
ReStory
ReStory Intensives
Facebook:
Restoration Project
ReStory Counseling
Instagram:
@restorationprojectco
@storyrestored
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Do you work from home? Are you an employer for people who do? Are you thinking about switching to a work-from-home model? Today on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast, we talk about our experiences with a hybrid office model, give some pointers to offices looking to transition, and provide helpful advice on how to work from home healthily.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
This week on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast, we discuss our dreams and how we can interpret them. What is a prophetic dream? Is it biblical? How do I even start interpreting my dreams? Listen to our conversation about our experiences and a few solid tips to get started.
Streams Ministries
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Thanks for joining us this week on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast. This week we are having an important discussion on addiction and its overlap with video games. How do video games become addictive? How can you overcome that addiction if you find yourself in it? What resources are available for you or people you know who want to learn more?
Make sure to sign up for our newsletter and get automatically entered to win a copy of The Life We’re Looking For by Andy Crouch. You can sign up here!
Brock Henderson on LinkedIn
How to tell when you’re gaming too much, according to a therapist
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Once a month, we highlight someone in an interview. This week, we have the privilege of interviewing our very own Ethan Whitted! Ethan shares his story of how he came to Soma and some of the lessons he's learned along the way. Find out more and connect with him on LinkedIn, linked below.
Ethan on LinkedIn
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Prophetic art, art that carries a message from the heart of God to strengthen, encourage, or comfort. Today on the SomaSoulworks Podcast, join us in a conversation about this form of prophecy with our very own Erin Marantette. You can find some great examples of prophetic art in the link below, and we would love to see some from you if you gave it a shot!
Examples of Erin's prophetic art:
One of her first works of prophetic arts
March 2020, before the whole scope of the pandemic set in
Transformation and support
Soaking in His presence
One of her recent works
Of the piece mentioned in the podcast:
- when she first ended
- where she finished it
- total timelapse
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
The Soma Soulworks Podcast is looking forward to a new year in today's episode. Join us in our conversation about thankfulness and resolutions. Let us know in the comments below some of your resolutions as we head into 2023!
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Today, on the Soma Soulworks Podcast, we discuss game design. Looking at our own projects and classics, such as Goldeneye 007, we talk about the challenges game designers have faced in the past and present when making innovative and engaging games.
Anti-Game Design and the Making of Goldeneye 007
The Lost Legends of Redwall
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Each month we will have people from Soma give their stories. This week we have Mark Webster.
neveralone.games
Mark Webster on LinkedIn
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
This week on the Soma Soulworks Podcast, we discuss our office spaces! The physical (and digital) area we work in can significantly change our productivity, office health, and happiness! Join us as we share some personal stories of our office transformations along with tips and tricks we've learned along the way.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Merry Christmas from all of us at Soma Games! We hope you enjoy a chill episode while discussing our traditions and plans for the holiday season. We'd love to hear from you, so share with us in the comments your favorite traditions your family celebrates around the holidays.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Sammi says it best in the intro: "Today we want to talk about Thanksgiving and Black Friday and how it's kind of weird that they share the same week." Join us today while we discuss the implications, both personal and corporate, of two very different days.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Each month we will have people from Soma give their stories. This week we have Amy Green. Buckle up for a great conversation between her and Chris, and make sure to check out the links below to keep up to date with Amy in the future!
Running Legends
Area Man Lives on Oculus and Steam
Follow Amy Green on:
Facebook
Twitter
TikTok
Instagram
Follow Numinous Games on:
Twitter
TikTok
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Is a robot after your job? Join us in today's conversation about AI Art to find out. We'll discuss the practical and philosophical implications of AI-generated art and share our thoughts on a topic that hits close to home.
How the designers of GoldenEye 007 made use of “Anti-Game Design”
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Reboots, remasters, and refreshes. Today's entertainment climate is beginning to feel a bit stale in terms of originality. Listen in on today's conversation for our thoughts about the subject. How can we provoke creative, original thinking in our field? How can we support original IPs? Is this even a bad thing?
Game Design Mimetics (Or, What Happened To Game Design?)
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Today we are starting a new series of interviews. Each month we will have people from Soma give their stories. They say hindsight is 20/20, and looking back at our own stories together can help us understand the journey God has been weaving together for us. Join Sammi and me this week for the first one of these conversations.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Gamification is for more than just games! This week on the podcast, we discuss the growing popularity of game design for more than games. Whether you use apps like Wrinkly daily or have been neglecting your Spanish lessons on Duolingo, join us this week as we discuss this uprising of gamification design!
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Today we have our very own Ethan Whitted, who handles our quality assurance here at Soma, to discuss reviews with us. Reviews are a double-edged sword; we all love receiving those great, in-depth, 5-star reviews and dread the single-word, 1-star reviews. Join us in today's conversation to hear about how we handle reviews and if you have the time: drop us one for this episode of the Soma Soulworks Podcast!
Want to read more about the Soma Games Testing Team? Click here to read more and join today!
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Today we discuss personality assessments and their uses in both the home and the office. We as staff use a few to help us understand one another better, how we work best with each other, and how we give and receive appreciation. Join us in the conversation today to learn a little about us (and hopefully yourself)!
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
5 Love Languages
Sacred Pathways
CVI Test
Join us this week for a special interview with Brock Henderson. Find some of the projects he's working on below.
Faith Forms Games
Faith, Family, & The Dark Side of Game Dev
Today on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast, we are taking a step back and focusing on the things that bring us joy. What are we playing? Sit back and enjoy a chill episode where we discuss what we've been into recently and join us in the conversation in the comments by letting us know what you've been playing! We are always looking for new recommendations!
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
This week on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast, we discuss the value of sharing work within our kibbutz. Hear our thoughts on what it means to share the load, how we could tangibly go about this, and the definition of a kibbutz. Is it cat food? Find out today only on the Soma SoulWorks Podcast.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
In today's conversation, we discuss the mission field of games. What role do games, specifically video games, play in God's mission for the world? Are we succeeding in that role? What could we be doing better? Join us today and join the conversation with the people around you with our small group studies.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Today we continue our two-part episode on Acorn Labs. In this episode, we talk about the future of Acorn Labs and compare this project to similar ones in other industries. If you haven't listened to part one of this two-part episode, please find it in your podcast directory to follow along with today's conversation.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Today we start a two-part episode on a project we've been working on for a long time now: Acorn Labs. In this first episode, we lay the groundwork for what Acorn Labs is, and hear some of the detailed work needed to make such a project successful.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Join us today and hear about a new project we're working on at Soma and why we're so excited about it!
Ren Alex Rose on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/ren-alex-rose-a1b2aa132
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
" 'You raise dragonslayers in the age of dragons; you don’t wait for the dragons to go away.' - Someone on the internet" - Sammi.
Insert link here
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Do play and fun have a role to play in our lives? At Soma, we think so. What role does it play in your life? Do you use play and fun only as a tool to relax and unwind once you feel overwhelmed and stressed, or do you schedule a time to recharge throughout the week? Join us in today's conversation to hear more of our thoughts and how we approach the role of play and fun in our lives.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Every Wednesday morning in our office at Soma, we have Jesus Time. A moment for us all to stop and refocus our lives on Jesus. Our studies range from healing prayer to financial management, but one thing is always clear: the center of our conversation is our faith in Jesus to have precedence over our life.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
From John Eldredge, Author of Wild at Heart and Captivating the Pause App is a simple way to connect with God in the middle of your busy day. Today we discuss the effect this simple practice has had on our personal lives and in the context of using it in our office. Join us in conversation and find the Pause App online at: https://www.pauseapp.com
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Continuing our series on Modern Monasticism we take the first steps today in living a "well-ordered life." these first steps are the realization that this process starts at home, in our family, our work, and our church lives. So sit back, press play, and join us for today's conversation.
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
Today, we start the third season of the Soma SoulWorks Podcast. Modern Monasticism is all about how we find a well-ordered inner life in a world that demands our attention and grips our time and energy. How do we live in the present moment while being expected to be everywhere, on-demand? In today's episode, we start a conversation on how we can "slow down, do less, love more."
Find more information about us on our website and consider joining the conversation with your circle with our small group studies that loosely follow our podcast, which is available every week for free.
So You Want To Be A Game Developer? This isn't the start of a new game show; In today's episode, we talk about some of the first steps you can and should take on your journey in a career in Game Development. How do you network, what education should you pursue, and what can some of your expectations be in getting started? Join us today and be a part of the conversation!
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
What is a currency in its most basic form? What do we use in this industry to trade with one another? Join us this week at Soma SoulWorks as we discuss what currency looks like in the Sphere of Arts and Entertainment.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
The Arts and Entertainment industry is not without its risks and its idols. What are these risks and idols? What can we do to protect ourselves from them? Join us today as we tackle this conversation together.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
"... on the seventh day, He rested from all his work." (Gen. 2:2b) If even God rested from His work to set an example of rest, why is it so difficult for us to stop and enjoy from time to time? This week at Soma Soulworks, we delve into rest: what is it, why it is essential, and even how we do it.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
Suffering. Everyone goes through seasons of their life that make us question everything. Why is this happening to me? How did I get here? What do I do now? Join us this week as we tackle the challenging but shared experience of suffering in candid conversation.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
Morgan Snyder, the author of Becoming a King, has been a long-time friend and ally of Soma Games. in this episode we discuss how our recent theme of "What if I were King?" was directly influenced by his work and how it's the kind of question everybody ought to wrestle with as we each learn to lean into maturity and growth regardless of our vocation.
In this episode, we dive into soul care. What does it mean to care for a soul? Who is responsible for doing that sort of care? Learn more with us today in today's episode.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
In this episode, we discuss mission statements and corporate culture. How do they relate to one another? Should they be more connected than they are currently? Join us as we discuss this and more in today's episode.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
Today we talk about the Game Dev. Fund - a non-profit donation destination used as grants to start, finish, boost, and train our friends and fellows in the games industry.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
In this episode, we talk about Imladris: a community hosted by Soma Soulworks to gather and train the kings and queens of the video game industry; if you want to know precisely how and why we do this - this episode should answer your questions.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
In this episode, we discuss the Sphere of Family. What does this sphere encompass? What is its primary role? And how does the Sphere of Arts and Entertainment relate to it?
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
In this episode, we discuss the founding principles of the video game industry. What do we stand for and how do we enforce it? Hear more of our insights in this week's episode.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
In this episode, we discuss NFTs. What are they, how does it affect my work, should I even care about them? Join us as we dive into taking ownership of our work.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've asked many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and apply it to video games and entertainment.
In this episode, we discuss the Sphere of Business and how our Sphere of entertainment can and possibly should interact with it and vice versa.
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then, I've been asking many people to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
This series will wrestle with this question and how it applies to video games and entertainment.
This episode was recorded in the middle of 2021 shortly after our co-founder, John Bergquist, was killed in a car accident. It was recorded when everyone was still quite raw and hurting. In it, we discuss the experience of grief, the helplessness we feel, and the hope or something eternal.
We're releasing this episode now, a year later, as we continue to reflect on both the fragility of life and the stability of an eternal Hope.
In this episode, we follow up on episode 6 where we introduced the idea of 7 sphere diplomacy. In this episode, we specifically look at how gaming and the sphere of Celebration might interact with the sphere of faith.
As 2020 was closing out God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then I've been asking this question to many people as a way to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
In this series of podcasts, we'll be wrestling with this question and how it applies to video games and further to entertainment.
In this episode, we discuss an idea whereby there ought to be a kin of diplomacy between the seven spheres just as there is between kingdoms and nations.
As 2020 was closing out God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then I've been asking this question to many people as a way to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
In this series of podcasts, we'll be wrestling with this question and how it applies to video games and further to entertainment.
In this episode, we look at the totally unsexy topic of infrastructure - those systems and functions that serve only to facilitate the other, more sexy things.
As 2020 was closing out God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?" Since then I've been asking this question to many people as a way to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
In this series of podcasts, we'll be wrestling with this question and how it applies to video games and further to entertainment.
As 2020 was closing out God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?"
Since then I've been asking this question to many people as a way to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
In this series of podcasts we'll be wrestling with this question and how it applies to video games and farther to entertainment.
In this episode we discuss the fact that when it comets the biblical examples of influence some of our best examples aren't kings or queens at all - but rather slaves. How can we serve the spree of celebration? And is that the proper path to leadership?
Check out this fascinating interview with Colin Crawley. We first met Colin in mid 2021 and have learned so much from him. An evangelism ninja mixed with a Business as Mission (BAM) maestro talks with Soma Games about the booming, but fuzzy-edged world of how the business sphere meets the spheres of church and entertainment.
See Colin's work here: https://businessandmission.org and here: https://mission365.org
As 2020 was closing out, God asked me a weird question: "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?"
Since then I've been asking this question to many people as a way to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
In this series of podcasts we'll be wrestling with this question and how it applies to video games and farther to entertainment.
In this episode we discuss an element of kingdoms that is clearly distinct from typical business conversations. Who are our allies? Who are our enemies?
As 2020 was closing out God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?"
Since then I've been asking this question to many people as a way to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
In this series of podcasts we'll be wrestling with this question and how it applies to video games and farther to entertainment.
In this episode we discuss just what defines a kingdom in the first place. What makes it different from a business or a ministry?
As 2020 was closing out God asked me a weird question, "What if you were the king of the games industry? What would you do? What would you even want?"
Since then I've been asking this question to many people as a way to frame our thoughts way beyond a 5-year plan to a 100-year horizon.
In this series of podcasts we'll be wrestling with this question and how it applies to video games and farther to entertainment.
In this episode we're just getting started and laying a foundation for how to think at this level.
Listen in as we launch into a series of interviews with professional game developers all over the country who share their experiences and perspectives on Christianity in the gaming industry!
Let's go back to the beginning with one of the first ever video game developers for home computers - Scott Adams! Adams is the cofounder of Adventure International, and in this interview he talks about his experience as a computer programmer in the 1970s. This episode is really interesting to listen to as Adams created some of the very first adventure games that our host, Chris, played back in high school! Now, years later, they are working together to create games and spread the love of Jesus. Super cool stuff.
To learn more about Scott Adams, visit his website!
http://www.msadams.com/
Listen in as we launch into a series of interviews with professional game developers all over the country who share their experiences and perspectives on Christianity in the gaming industry!
This week, we are excited to introduce Bill Russell, an amazingly talented voice actor with years of experience. His ability to morph into this wide array of characters is what has landed him an animated feature; regional commercials; animated short films; video games; ten audiobooks; and over 130 children’s audiobooks. In this interview, Bill shares his story about growing up in church and talks about how his upbringing not only challenged his career, but also fueled his passion for sharing Christianity in the gaming industry.
If you are interested in learning more, check out Bill's website at https://www.billrussellvoiceactor.com/
For our second interview, we talked with the founders of Love Thy Nerd, a platform for nerds and Jesus lovers to connect, learn, and build a community! We hear from Chris Gwaltney, the Chief Executive Nerd of LTN and co-host of Humans of Gaming, as well as Drew Dixon who's the Chief Content Nerd for Love Thy Nerd and the co-host of Humans of Gaming. He is also the editor of Explore the Bible: Students and co-hosts the weekly CaPC Digest podcast for Christ and Pop Culture. Drew has written for Paste Magazine, Relevant Magazine, Christianity Today, WORLD Magazine, and Think Christian. They each share their story of how their faith guided their careers. Feel free to check out their website at https://lovethynerd.com/ or connect on Facebook to learn more!
http://facebook.com/clgwaltney
Listen in as we launch into a series of interviews with professional game developers all over the country who share their experiences and perspectives on Christianity in the gaming industry! Join us this week as we hear from Kyle Garner - a seasoned expert in not only gaming, but also programming and level design, with credits spanning AAA to mini-Indie. Kyle has seen virtually every aspect of video game development from the inside and brings a wealth of experience and insight to this wide-ranging interview. His current passion is called Cats in Mechs...and really what more needs to be said?
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
This Achievement Guide series suggests a set of practices and ideals meant to shield our hearts and minds from the most common pitfalls we encounter. At its best, it is an expression of community, taken up in the belief that none of get through this world alone. We need help from one another to live the lives God meant for us. It is also embraced in humility, recognizing that we are all prone to specific lures and spiritual threats that require us to take extra care with our practices.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of Pace Over Pressure. We resist and reject the culture of crunch on principle. Instead of endless unquestioned productivity, we practice a rhythm of work and rest, and a regular filtering for value over volume. We dig in to our need to grow in all the dimensions of being human: heart, soul, mind, and strength. We commit to take one full day every week for complete rest from our daily work, and to make Sabbath possible for everyone within our sphere of authority.
Resources:
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
- Become a Patron
Email us ideas, questions, or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
This Achievement Guide series suggests a set of practices and ideals meant to shield our hearts and minds from the most common pitfalls we encounter. At its best, it is an expression of community, taken up in the belief that none of get through this world alone. We need help from one another to live the lives God meant for us. It is also embraced in humility, recognizing that we are all prone to specific lures and spiritual threats that require us to take extra care with our practices.
In this episode, we introduce the difference between Imago Dei (the image of God) and Imago Hominis (the image of humans). We are in the business of making images and at constant risk of making idols - representative images of things above and below that find their expression in our characters, worlds, and mechanics. Instead of using our creativity to call evil good, and good evil we endeavor to demonstrate and explore higher truth in experiences that are morally honest and spiritually consistent.
Resources:
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
- Become a Patron
Email us ideas, questions, or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
This Achievement Guide series suggests a set of practices and ideals meant to shield our hearts and minds from the most common pitfalls we encounter. At its best, it is an expression of community, taken up in the belief that none of get through this world alone. We need help from one another to live the lives God meant for us. It is also embraced in humility, recognizing that we are all prone to specific lures and spiritual threats that require us to take extra care with our practices.
Few things could be more dissonant than a crew of game creators, living in their 'dream job,’ yet devoid of any mirth. Yet the ‘all business’ mentality is in the norm throughout our industry. Instead subjecting all other concerns to the draw of the bottom line we cultivate an internal culture of humor, celebration and serendipity. We recognize that joy is one of our most precious gifts from Heaven and regard its presence as the welcome fruit of an abundant life. Yet we know it’s a fragile thing, vulnerable to the pressures of productivity and profitability, which we also cultivate, but as junior sisters to the fundamental fun that ought to define our work and workplace. In this episode, we dive deeper into the role/importance of humor in our everyday environment
- What role, if any, does humor play in a high stress environment?
- What is the value of humor in the workplace?
- Applying the same question to church, is humor appropriate in that seemingly serious environment?
- “If we can’t imagine God laughing, then we are missing out on something so precious and good”
- Team discusses the difference between humor and joy; humor sounds like something you have to work towards, while joy feels much more organic and natural
Resources:
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
- Become a Patron
Email us ideas, questions, or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
When the news broke that the Redwall world had been licensed by Netflix for, at least so far, one movie and a TV series we were blown away! There will definitely be lots to say in the coming weeks and months but here's our immediate first reaction to this news and how it might impact us The Lost Legends for Redwall games.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
This Achievement Guide series suggests a set of practices and ideals meant to shield our hearts and minds from the most common pitfalls we encounter. At its best, it is an expression of community, taken up in the belief that none of get through this world alone. We need help from one another to live the lives God meant for us. It is also embraced in humility, recognizing that we are all prone to specific lures and spiritual threats that require us to take extra care with our practices.
Instead of constantly escaping to virtual worlds and communities we recognize that the real world is the first and finest sandbox ever made. Entering, experiencing, and embracing the natural world grounds us, feeds our souls, and reminds us of the manifest wisdom of the creator of creation. We regularly unplug from all electronic devices and seek to soak in the ‘second scripture’ of the glorious planet God called good. This episode covers God’s reality over virtual reality:
- Real world versus the digital world
- The truth about reality is that God created a certain set of rules that we have no power to change
- In virtual reality, you can make your own rules! And even if you break them, there are usually no real-world consequences
- Reality = the value of the journey; virtual reality = the value of the destination
- Most virtual reality is created by someone else’s perception of their own reality and experiences
- What motivates you to use virtual reality? Do you use it as an escape from reality or do you enjoy the experience of the non-reality?
- God made this world for us to experience, what is our willingness to enter into the world that He made?
- Nature can so instantly create a positive impact on your life, so why are we so easily distracted from it?
Resources mentioned:
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
- Become a Patron
Email us ideas, questions, or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by Chris Skaggs.
This Achievement Guide series suggests a set of practices and ideals meant to shield our hearts and minds from the most common pitfalls we encounter. At its best, it is an expression of community, taken up in the belief that none of get through this world alone. We need help from one another to live the lives God meant for us. It is also embraced in humility, recognizing that we are all prone to specific lures and spiritual threats that require us to take extra care with our practices.
What’s covered in this episode:Instead of the individualism and isolation facilitated and encouraged by screens and controllers, we practice the presence of others IRL with a special effort to share space with those who are not part of our daily work. We pursue diversity across class, gender, and ethnicity in our friendships, partnerships, and mentoring relationships.
- There is a stereotype of the “starving artist” who is driven to create but often struggles to earn a living doing so. However, Neil Sauvageau points out that, "Starving artists don’t mind starving as long as they get the joy from creating.”
- Mark Söderwall refers to artists as “creatives” and addresses the issue of value and exploitation. He points out that many artists get taken advantage of because they do not know or realize the monetary value of their creations. This is because most artists find their value in simply doing what they love or creating something that other people will love.
- When we look at the Bible, there aren’t artists specifically mentioned by name, so what is the role of art in the Kingdom?
- While reflecting on purpose and gifts, Neil says, “Whatever you are built with, do it well. If that’s art...guess what? Do it well!”
- Not many artists are proud to show off their work...why is that? Vulnerability. It’s easier to hide than to receive feedback or criticism.
- How can we feed artists moving forward? What’s missing or needs to change? The team discusses different ideas of ways to help artists grow and find their identity in Christ instead of what they produce.
Resources mentioned:
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
- Become a Patron
Email us ideas, questions, or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- In part three of the series, Brandon, Mark, Neil, and Chris reflect on “An Achievement Guide For Redemptive Game Developers” and its list of seven sins and the virtues that counteract them. This episode covers “pace over pressure”.
- “Resist and reject the culture of crunch on principle. Instead of endless, unquestioned productivity, we practice the rhythm of work and rest and regular filtering for value over volume.We dig into our need to grow in all the dimensions of our being human, heart soul mind and strength. And we commit to take one full day every week for rest from our daily work and make sabbath possible for everyone within our sphere of authority.”
- “In every industry these days, the crunch is a cultural mindset.” Mark says. If you’re not working, there’s an underlying feeling that it’s time wasted.
- There’s this concept that if you aren’t working toward something, then you aren’t valued, which is actually not what God says. We’re loved and valued by God by just being.
- Work can be its own form of escapism; real life is too hard. We avoid rest to avoid thinking and feeling what needs to be thought and felt.
- Learning to rest isn’t always easy. “Even though I was physically still, there was still a mindset that needed to be quieted. And it’s taken practice…” Mark explains that he had to go to the Father asking for his spirit to be calmed.
- Sabbath is one of the ten commandments, and rest is intrinsically important to our beings.
- “Rest” from work can just as much mean “play”. Use your rest time to do the life-giving things you can’t do on a work day. That might be quiet time, or it might be going for a hike.
- Neil reminds us that rest time isn’t purely to recover, it’s to enjoy the fruits of your labor. God didn’t need to rest after his six days of creation, but he took the seventh day to enjoy what he had made. You need that moment.
Resources mentioned:
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
Email us ideas, questions, or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- In part two of the series, Brandon, Mark, Neil, James, and Chris reflect on “An Achievement Guide For Redemptive Game Developers” and its list of seven sins and the virtues that counteract them. This episode focuses on “connection over isolation”.
- “Instead of individualism and isolation facilitated and encouraged by screens and controllers, we practice the presence of others IRL. With a special effort to share a space with those who are not part of our work, we pursue diversity across class, gender, and ethnicity in our friendships, partnerships, and mentoring relationships.”
- Video games are highly incentivized environments; they present a no-risk, quick-reward system. They’re easy escapism with effective reward loops. It’s like in theater—embodying a character has the same low-risk, high reward system.
- A video game’s escapism is that much more tempting in a world where we’re faced with so much trauma and tragedy.
- The Soma team discusses the history of the female player demographic and female representation in games—how the industry ignored its female players and largely objectified their characters. While this has never necessarily been remedied, Brandon observes, women are now exploited as an audience as well as the rest of gamers; the industry realized it could be profiting from them.
- We’re in a unique stage in history where diversity and equality are pushed and encouraged, as scriptures has expressed it should be. Galatians 3:28 (ESV) reads, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Resources mentioned:
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
- “The Only Guide to Gamergate You Will Ever Need to Read” by The Washington Post
- “The WHO is recommending video games as an effective way to stop the spread of COVID-19, one year after adding 'gaming disorder' to its list of addictive behaviors” by Business Insider
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- In this series introduction, Brandon, Mark, Neil, and Chris reflect on “An Achievement Guide For Redemptive Game Developers” and its list of seven sins and the virtues that counteract them:
- Pace over pressure
- Connection over isolation
- Authenticity over a front
- Reality over escapism
- Identity in Christ over our lesser self
- Satisfaction over love of money
- Honoring over exploitation
- This list isn’t intended to come with a pressure that you’re doing it wrong. Instead it should be considered achievements for the “completionists” to work toward. These are goals you can aim for, and that, if completed, mean you are really excelling.
- The concepts are based in scripture, but this shouldn’t alienate our secular audience. They’re still tried-and-true, healthy ways of living.
- The discussion turns to the unhealthy work culture of the Western world. Mark observes, “When do we take a moment to pause and reflect? Nobody really does that.”
- Overworking yourself isn’t discouraged, it’s seen as impressive and eventually leads to burnout. Instead of investing in individuals, the work world leans toward seeing people as replaceable.
- You must learn to recognize when your team is overworking themselves and help to diagnose why that might be happening. Mark cautions, “Be okay and unapologetic about pumping the breaks.”
- Artists feel lucky when their art is experienced by other people, and validation becomes their currency. It’s an unsustainable economy for creatives.
- Each of the listed topics above will be explored in-depth as the series continues.
Resources mentioned:
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
- A Rule of Life for Redemptive Entrepreneurs by Praxis Labs
Email us ideas, questions, or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- What are our goals with this podcast and with Soma Soulworks?
- “If Soma’s mission is to be apostolic, we are trying to live out and demonstrate cultural values. What does it mean to be believers in Christ in a very, just, normal world?” - Chris Skaggs
- This podcast places an emphasis on processing specific issues together, rather than trying to bring answers. “If Tempus Divum is curriculum-based, Soma Soulworks is processing time,” Chris explains. “I don’t want to be the ‘answer place’, if I can just be the ‘honesty place’. That’s enough.”
- We hope this can be a place of connection; it can be helpful to realize there are others out there wrestling with the same things you are.
- Our main goal is to follow what the Holy Spirit is doing.
- We live on an external and internal level, Mark says. It’s easy to be known by your external life, but it’s harder to be vulnerable and to be known on an internal one. The temptation to be fake and performative is pervasive and exhausting. We need an opportunity to embrace, rather than shy away from, our internal lives.
- Jesus wants to meet you where you’re at. He recognized people and really saw them in what they were doing, and yet he called them to so much more and wanted to unpack where they were at, Mark observes.
- What kind of resources and practices are we cultivating?
- Weekly Jesus times
- Weekend prayers and contemplations
- Tempus Divum (this has additional resources and questions)
Resources mentioned:
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
- Bootcamp Northwest
Email us ideas, questions, or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- What is the role of evangelism in gaming and the arts? In this episode, Neil Sauvageau and Mark Soderwall join Chris Skaggs to have a conversation about it.
- The church has largely failed to be present in the media industry. We usually approach this by asking questions like, “How can we bring Christianity into our games?” and “How can we evangelize with our content?” But these are the wrong questions.
- Chris explains that using a video game to evangelize is similar to using a video game as an educational tool. People don’t want to be preached at where they go for recreation, so typically these are not effective. If games are a tool, then we’re “using a screwdriver with a flathead nail.”
- Making games with evangelization as the endgame puts on a massive pressure to be reaching the masses with big-budget, high-production content. Mark cautions that, in reality, what is really needed is to strive for excellence, which can be achieved with small teams and budgets.
- Instead of mass evangelization, let your goal be that one person that might be positively impacted by your work. Consider how positively the secular industry could be impacted by having people making decisions by co-laboring with The Holy Spirit. “That way, when you put something out, you know that you know that God has been with you all the way through it.” Mark explains.
- “God loves to see our gifts in operation. He doesn’t need our protection, he needs our exploration. Get personal, vulnerable, and making mistakes is okay. We correct it and we can move on. Go to Holy Ghost and see what you’re called to. Don’t be afraid to go to the desires of your heart.” - Mark Soderwall
- Soma desires to create games with rich culture and art, that in a sense shows a vision of what heaven could be like. They want to make games that express good and evil, and apostleship.
- “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” - Howard Thurman
Resources mentioned:
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
Email us ideas, questions, or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- Soma Games started in 2005, there was more at stake than just breaking into the videogame industry. “God started a game company, but didn’t start with games,” says Chris Skaggs.
- Since then, God has opened doors. First with a mobile game, then the opportunity to work with Redwall, and soon the studio was turning heads. 2018 marked the release of Lost Legends of Redwall: Act I, and a chance to pause and think about the vision of Soma Games itself. This realization led to the 2019 Vision Quest.
- What caught the public’s attention was not the game itself, but the people. John Dale, friend of Soma, made the observation once that, “all of your God stories are not about your product. They’re about the people. They’re about the influence that you had on people. That’s what God has gifted you with.”
- From the beginning, the response to Soma Games has been overwhelming. People are encouraged by the fact that this kind of studio exists, and as potential game developers, they think, “if you exist, maybe I can do it too.”
- The Vision Quest really helped to solidify this mission: To be culturally aware and build culture in the entertainment space, as opposed to building products.
- This mission manifests itself in ways like Soma SoulWorks, the umbrella for our various ministry efforts outside of direct game development. It’s a message that mainly serves those in the “Warrior-Poet Phase” as Chris calls them. Young adult adventurers discovering life and their purpose in a time that offers plenty of questions and few answers.
- Soma SoulWorks aims to equip followers with a firm foundation to balance creativity, honor, and faith, and feed their hunger to make the world a better place.
- Mark Söderwall, a veteran in the gaming industry, says that Soma Games is different from most studios out there. The focus is on the people. “Once you know what motivates someone and what drives their heart,” he says, “you can help them feel more seen and heard, and give them momentum. Most companies are very much interested in the professional, and not the person.”
- The purpose behind Soma Games is that it’s not enough to create a Christian game company, we need to create a mindset and give people the tools they need to have a good foundation and find their calling. “It’s not a leader, it’s not a company, it’s not a product. It’s an ethos.” - Chris Skaggs
Resources mentioned:
- Soma Mission and Vision Statement
- The Origin Story of Soma Games
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- In this interview with Aaron McHugh, author of Fire Your Boss, we look into the workplace and how we can change our mindsets to help improve our role in them.
- The idea that every employee is an interchangeable cog is prevalent in the workplace. There is an emphasis on the service and resources an employee brings, rather than on the human being themselves; this is expected and normalized in the workplace. “We’ve outsourced our happiness and contentment to other people,” Aaron says. “It’s a fundamentally flawed system...There is a spirit of slavery over the workplace.”
- Aaron describes watching his grandfather work at Disneyland in its early years. Seeing the joy his grandfather had there helped him articulate something he wanted in his own work-life: Work is supposed to matter, make a difference, and be purposeful.
- The fundamental question Aaron asks here and in his book, Fire Your Boss, is,“What would it look like to bring all of yourself in an honoring and godly way to your work environment? How do I move from fear, being compartmentalized, and being complicit as a victim to living out freedom, wholeheartedness, and being empowered enough to hold myself responsible and accountable wherever I am?”
- Like in the serenity prayer, Aaron puts an emphasis that we should be seeking God’s input to understand what we can change internally and externally—that we can discern when we need to be adaptable vs. when we need to remove ourselves from a situation that’s causing us suffering.
- The good change comes with a shift in your mindset. Rather than waiting for an ideal opportunity to do your work well, you should be bringing patience, dignity, honor, spirituality, forgiveness, grace, and love to whatever job you’re doing. That’s the way you get promoted. “That’s the way of the kingdom.” Aaron says, “Wherever you are, you can become the kind of person who learns to thrive.”
- “Always believe that you are uniquely qualified to make a lasting contribution to the future of work.” - Aaron McHugh
Resources mentioned:
- Fire Your Boss: A Manifesto to Rethink How You Think About Work by Aaron McHugh
- Work, Life, Play Podcast
- Aaron’s Blog
- Serenity Prayer
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- What does the Performance Stronghold look like?
- Coming into something—an event, a job, etc.—and already feeling unworthy.
- Imposter syndrome: “I’m a fraud and I don’t deserve this.”
- Comparison
- “I’m not enough, so I have to really work at this.”
- The Enemy will use strongholds like these to take artists out. In any creative culture, there’s the 24/7 work-pressure that eats artists up. Mark describes it feeling like, “you’ve got a barcode on the back of your neck.” It’s this fear of being replaced that you compensate by overworking yourself.
- It comes back to identity. Having full awareness of who you are in Christ—that you aren’t alone, and that he co-labors with you—means you’ll be able to take pretty much anything that comes at you because your wellness is founded in The Kingdom, and not in the validation of your peers. Then, you’ll be prepared to respond out of love rather than defense.
- It’s not about the paychecks, comparison, or the promotion. Invite the Holy Spirit into your work, and have a dialogue with him about it. Ask him what you’re constructed to do.
- Mark describes a time when he began working for LucasArts as an art director for “Battlefront”. He felt the stronghold of oppression and imposter syndrome walking into his office for the first time. “I’m six feet, but I felt like I was 6 inches.” He said he asked himself, out loud, “What do I have to offer this place?” And he felt the Holy Spirit warm his heart and dispel the fear. It can be challenging not to put on a stronghold of comparison when you’re working in a building with skilled specialists, but at this point your choices are either to break down, or to break through and grow.
- There will be people who are horrible to you. When you feel those strongholds, turn to prayer. “Hey, you knitted this person together. You know their heart, I don’t. What would you like me as a vessel to speak into this person?” Submit back to The Father. Adapt to the situation, and bless the people you interact with.
- There were times when Jesus had to go into the wilderness and seek His Father’s voice. We need that rest, and the patience to wait for God’s voice. Many times there isn’t an answer right away. It’s about a posture of submission to him.
- Take off the pressure that we have to be the best to have influence. Instead, you just need to show up, show love, and share your story.
Resources mentioned:
- The Power of Vulnerability TED Talk by Brené Brown
- Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action by Simon Sinek
- War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- Seth Godin
- On Moral Fiction by John Gardner
- On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft by Stephen King
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- The Stronghold of Warfare doesn’t have a margin for how spiritual warfare affects your daily life. The lies behind it sound like some variation of, "Everything that happens is a result either of yourself or the people around you. The spiritual stuff isn’t real."
- There is no gauge for the spiritual war or even the existence of an enemy.
- “You may not know why you were created, but God does, and so does the enemy," says Gavin
- This all begins with an inciting event: You’re wounded, emotionally or spiritually, but you may not be aware there’s another voice in the conversation—a voice that isn’t God’s or yours. The enemy’s entire goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. He wants to rob us of our passions and joy, and this eventually kills our hearts, Chris says.
- How does this manifest in an artist’s life? As John “JB” shares, every kid starts out as an artist. They only stop when someone tells them they can’t draw. Perfectionism—or paralysis by analysis—has stopped many artists from becoming artists. Jason says, “Actually going and doing art is warfare.” Awareness of this attack on our art is vital to the process, otherwise we’re vulnerable to the paralyzation that follows. Art is a form of worship, and when we worship, the enemy has to shut up and listen.
- How to combat it:
- Identify the area of warfare. “I want to know what the enemy was going after. I want to know why he thinks it’s dangerous, because I want to make it more dangerous.” Gavin
- Think about what triggers you, look into the root cause.
- Undo the stronghold, and replace the lie with the scriptural truth.
Resources mentioned:
- The Matrix
- Bootcamp Northwest
- The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives by Dallas Willard
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
Dear Soma SoulWorks Followers,
I am deeply saddened to share that John "JB" Bergquist, the dreamer and co-creator of this podcast, passed away on Sunday.
On Sunday, July 26th, JB and his wife and daughter were traveling home from camping and were hit by another driver in the wrong lane. JB was killed nearly instantly. His wife, Kristine, and daughter, Natalie, were taken to the hospital with injuries. Both will be physically okay. Kristine is recovering from broken ribs and Natalie from a broken femur. August, JB's son, was at work and not in the accident.
As you might imagine, this is a really, really hard time for his family, his coworkers, and the hundreds of friends that JB had. JB was one of those guys who had 500+ social media connections and actually knew each person.
For our Soma team, JB was more than a Marketing Director and more than a manager. He was a friend and mentor to most of our team and played a pastoral role in many of our lives. His passing leaves a sizable gap in our daily rhythms. Understandably, our team is grieving. This week, we are re-sharing the episode on Holy Grieving because that's what's real and authentic for us right now.
Soma SoulWorks & Soma SoulWorks Podcast will continue -- it's what JB would want. However, we may need a couple weeks of bereavement. If you have any questions or comments, please email tempusdivum@somagames.com and we'll direct your email to the appropriate person.
To help the family, please check out the Go Fund Me or Meal Train links below:
Bergquist Family Go Fund Me
Bergquist Family Meal Train (includes option for takeout gift cards)
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- This episode covers the stronghold of busyness. Chris defines a stronghold as a “habit of thought." This isn’t just having a full schedule -- it’s going from task to task with no margin for self-care, relationships, or time with God.
- The goal for this series is that we learn to recognize unhelpful strongholds, so we can replace them with healthy strongholds.
- Symptoms of a busyness stronghold:
- A need for the calendar to be full
- Unstructured time feels luxurious
- A pressure to be productive
- Guilt in saying “no”
- No margins to create, breathe, or rest
- The lies that perpetrate this way of thinking:
- Margin is wasteful or frivolous
- The subtle pressure that busyness is holy
- There is a cultural suggestion that busyness equals value. However, taking time to rest is deeply biblical (check out Psalm 37:7, Genesis 2:2, Exodus 14:14, Isaiah 32:17). One of the ten commandments is that we take a day of sabbath.
- Rest is the antidote to our mindsets of busyness.
- Make a habit of it
- Start small
- Being in nature is especially helpful
- Recognize transitions in your day
- Connect with God
- When you’re feeling the familiar tension of busyness, bring it to Christ. As you do this you’ll regain your ability to wait patiently. Over time, your resilience will increase.
- Jesus exemplified this in the gospels. He made it a regular, deliberate habit to get away from everything and be still with God.
Resources mentioned:
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer
- One Minute Pause App by Wild At Heart
- Get Your Life Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone Mad by John Eldredge
- Fire Your Boss: Discover Work You Love Without Quitting Your Job by Aaron McHugh
- “The Connector Recharged” by John “JB” Bergquist
- The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr
- Beautiful Outlaw: Experiencing the Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality of Jesus by John Eldredge
- Soul Keeping: Caring For the Most Important Part of You by John Ortberg
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- Power isn’t inherently evil; it’s a tool and its nature lies in how humans purpose it. In Genesis 1:28, God blesses Adam and Eve and gives them the responsibility to "subdue" and replenish the earth. There, we see an example of holy and good power. Chris says, "Power was actually on purpose, and a part of the original design for us."
- The Enemy’s twisted version of power manifests in these two strongholds: either an overemphasis on power or a total rejection of it.
- The underlying lie Satan gives us is that God is holding out on us -- that God doesn’t know what he’s doing. This has been Satan’s belief since the beginning, when he tried to overthrow God as Lucifer.
- Where is the hope? What’s the story that God has said about power? Let’s look at the Hebrew word tov. It represents power, holiness, and goodness; therefore, the fruits of good power are abundance, creativity, innovation, and thriving - everything that embodies tov. As you practice looking for it you can begin to distinguish what qualifies as good or bad power.
- What are we called to do in regards to power?
- Wait. As counter-cultural as this is, the Bible emphasizes this again and again. Society teaches us to value instant gratification and to cling to power. But the scriptures take a different approach: "But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.Take the lowest seat at the table," Luke 14:10 (ESV). Adam and Eve were in a holy state when they were tempted to eat from The Tree; they weren’t "fallen" yet. "The downfall wasn’t in greed, but in haste," Chris observes. Patience is the antidote to clinging power.
- We have to understand that power is a burden and a responsibility -- not that there isn’t joy in it, but that it isn’t easy. Prince Caspian didn’t want to take on the power Aslan gave him, but Aslan explained to him that that was exactly why he was qualified. Your power isn’t for you. It’s for the people around you.
- John ‘JB’ says, "Our world is ripe for good rulers. God is moving on your heart, right now. If God is calling you up, if God is saying it’s time, do not ignore that call." Chris adds, "I’m sure there are ‘rulers’ out there who have been holding onto power and need to let it go. The nature of power is to train up younger people and give them opportunity."
Resources mentioned:
- Derailed: Five Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures of Leadership by Tim Irwin
- Seven Deadly Sins; Seven Lively Virtues with Fr. Robert Barron
- And Sons article, "Tov: an Explosive Word" by Scott Morin & Mandy Nelson
- No Little People by Francis Shaefer
- Me, Myself and Bob: A True Story About Dreams, God, and Talking Vegetables by Phil Vischer
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs. --Today’s podcast format is unique. We start by introducing Soma’s Creative Director, Mark Söderwall, who will be integral to today’s discussion. Next, we invite you to an audio recording of a recent Jesus Time (Soma’s in-shop version of Tempus Divum). After the recorded message is complete, Chris, JB, and Mark will debrief. All the audio has been seamed together by our Sound Designer, James Marantette, so you only need to click on the episode to listen. Thanks for tuning in today.
What's covered in this episode:
- Grieving is not commonplace in North American culture, but people in the Bible are not foreign to grieving, so it’s something we should learn how to do, and do it well.
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Sabrina Walters (who happens to be JB’s sister) joins to discuss her perspective on what “holy grieving” means. For a more in-depth look at her talk, please see Tempus Divum Episode 15 on Holy Grieving.
- Grieving is difficult. However, grieving does NOT make you less than a whole person. And, according to Mark, “God is a gentleman,” by which he means that God won’t force you to grieve, or to grieve with him. If you want God to be a part of that process, he’ll likely need to be invited. As Mark recently started to identify losses in his life that had never been grieved and started to invite God into that healing process, he’s experienced a “surge” of creativity and innovation.
- JB shares that when two family members and role models in his early teenage years died, he let his creativity slip because he didn’t grieve the losses. He’s spent the last 30+ years on a journey to re-embrace creativity.
- Soma Games largely caters to a creative workforce. Chris shares that by asking hard, unexpected, or unconventional questions, Soma’s leadership offers space for their workers and contractors to wrestle with soul stuff that they may have never realized needed healing.
Grief and acceptance. (an endnote from Sabina)
When we think of the process of grief, the end isn’t that everything goes back to normal, or that we are able to “accept” that which will NEVER be acceptable! It simply means your brain has been able to gain flexibility again. When we are deeply grieving, our brain becomes rigid, much like when we are in fight or flight mode. We can’t really think straight. We often just react (anger, bargaining, depression). We are stuck. To reach a place of acceptance means your brain is able to think outside the box of grief again. It becomes flexible and not stuck in a depressed or as John stated earlier, less creative mode. You are once again able to think creatively, problem-solve, and truly live again. It doesn’t mean that you will be able to ever be the same as you were before the loss. No. You will always be changed, but your brain will allow you to be able to think more clearly and move you forward in new ways (and some old ways too), but you will no longer be stuck.
Resources:
- Verses:
- John 10:10
- Mark 10:13-16 (JB meant to
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives, and innovators in arts and entertainment" to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
This episode includes our first interview, with Amri Rigby. Amri is currently working as a Fulbright Scholar in Kampala, Uganda. While his time in Uganda is developing him in his career as a storyteller and filmmaker, the theme of the last ten months is God developing Amri's understanding of sonship and what it means to be a child of God. For Amri, being a child of God means releasing personal and cultural pressures; in doing so, he experiences more joy. In John 1:9-13 the bible says "The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."
Resources mentioned:
Become Good Soil website
Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder
Boot Camp Northwest website
Hearing God by Dallas Willard
Check out more about Amri’s filmmaker journey here.
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! This podcast serves to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care, hosted by John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs.
What’s covered in this episode:
- Strongholds, by which we mean spiritual strongholds, are referenced in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds,” (ESV).
- According to Chris, strongholds are, “A battle for the mind.”
- John “JB” says, “We live in a broken world, and we don’t come in or go out without a wound, without losing our identity, and that place we’re supposed to live in Christ.” We need to find the negative strongholds and replace them with the mindset of Christ.
- Unrecognized or unexamined strongholds can have a toxic hold on one’s life. Often, addictions and bad habits are rooted in strongholds, and the unwanted behavior is the symptom. Attempting to eliminate the symptoms may help, but it won’t solve or cure the underlying stronghold.
- Producer’s Note: Addictions of any kind should not be treated lightly. Please seek professional (medical and/or pastoral) help if embarking on a journey to resolve an addiction.
- Satan will lie to us because that’s his job. It’s common for him to share or reinforce a lie during painful times. When someone is experiencing pain or deep emotion, those feelings are so real the lie can slip in and seem real too.
- John 8:44: (esv)
- Good strongholds do exist, and produce good symptoms. Good symptoms are more commonly referred to as “fruit.” Galatians 5:22-23
- We learn to identify strongholds by first seeking to understand what you find hurtful or irritating. Identifying the underlying cause of these issues can reveal the stronghold. Another reaction to consider is defensiveness, as it is natural to defend our strongholds.
- Don’t choose complacency. Satan is going to lie; no one is immune to strongholds. Chris says, “Going after strongholds is next-level stuff for the Christian walk. It’s hard. When we go after strongholds we are attacking the enemy’s fortified position. We are picking a fight.”
- Next, examine the message of the stronghold. For example, envy's message is "I not just want what someone else wants, I don't want them to have it either".
- After identifying these we turn to God's truth in scripture and find out what it says about the stronghold as well as how to live differently.
Resources mentioned:
- Danny Silk -- Seek to understand rather than convince
- Bethel Pastor Eric Johnson’s sermon -- Don’t get distracted and lose sight of what God is doing.
- Sign up for the Tempus Divum newsletter
- Bootcampnw.com
- Killing Kryptonite: Destroy What Steals Your Strength by John Bevere
- Free to Live: The Utter Relief of Holiness by John Eldredge
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.co
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.Meditation and self-care are buzzwords in this cultural moment, but that doesn't mean acting on them is cliche. Chris Skaggs and John Bergquist share why taking a moment (or several moments) to pause can breathe purpose into your life. This content is directly related to Tempus Divum Episode 5.
What's covered in this episode:
- Praise for John Eldredge's recent release of Get Your Life Back
- How staying Holy Spirit-focused can change the trajectory of a conversation
- Why it's important to take breaks or "take a pause"
Resources mentioned:Get Your Life Back by John Eldredge
Tempus Divum Episode 5
One Minute Pause app (available on Android or iOS)
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.In the shop during Jesus Time, we've adapted the stages of life from John Eldredge's book, Fathered by God, to fit a male and female audience. Today, Chris and John "JB" discuss the "Royalty" stage in which a leader has the opportunity to use his or her power to lead and empower others or to selfishly use it for their glory.
What's covered in this episode:
- The markers or characteristics of a good ruler
- Boundaries within a kingdom
- The consequences of ruling poorly
- Ruling is a spiritual command -- we are all called to royalty (the specific verse Chris mentioned is from 1 Corinthians 6:2)
- Ruling well requires training
Resources mentioned:Books: Fathered by God by John Eldredge
Derailed by Tim Irwin, PhD.
Me, Myself, and Bob by Phil Vischer
Becoming a Kingby Morgan Snyder
Other:
Becoming Good Soil Blog
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.
Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! Podcast hosts John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs introduce Soma Games, Soma SoulWorks, and their heart for this podcast. This podcast serves as one of our venues to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care.
What’s covered in this episode:
The purpose of Tempus Divum is to:
- Share lessons about spirituality and life to an audience of primarily 20- to 30-somethings so they can take corrective action that will last them their entire adulthood.
- Be the public-facing version of “Jesus Time,” which they do in their local office.
- Run after the abundant life Jesus promised when he said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full,” (John 10:10).
- Stretch and challenge people. It’s not meant to be comfortable. The goal is to launch whole and powerful people.
- Provide informational content that may be helpful to the audience, even if it’s not necessarily something with which Chris and John agree. Controversial topics will be introduced so we can talk about what it means to sift through information, have meaningful dialogue, and share information in love without requiring agreement.
- Coach rather than teach. Chris and John see themselves as coaches developing a team rather than teachers presenting a lesson.
- Promote learning from other teachers and coaches.
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at tempusdivum@somagames.com
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Soma Games earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you, but all of our recommendations and opinions are our own.Welcome to the Soma SoulWorks Podcast! Podcast hosts John Bergquist and Chris Skaggs introduce Soma Games, Soma SoulWorks, and their heart for this podcast. This podcast serves as one of our venues to help people, particularly those who may label themselves as "creatives," to seek wholeness and calling so they are ready to embrace the mission God has for them. Consider this podcast a rogue harmony of professional development and self-care.
What's covered in this episode:
- Soma SoulWorks is the umbrella operation for Soma Games' mission to minister to other creatives. Soma SoulWorks is about investing and watching out for others and not serving ourselves. Like a good parent who wants their child to succeed, we want to help people to understand their unique God-given calling and abilities.
- Our primary audience are those who are hungry to learn more about God and Christianity. We are ready to help deepen your understanding of spiritual things
- We define "creatives" as those who are driven by creativity. They do not necessarily need to be artists.
- We proclaim "classical" Christianity. We don't lean into any one denomination, Protestant or Catholic.
- Tempus Divum (means "Divine Time" in Latin) is our bi-weekly public-facing version of "Jesus Time." Jesus Time is our independent video game studio's effort to tithe our time and offer personal and spiritual development resources to our team.
Resources mentioned:Tempus Divum Content (bi-weekly posts+ resources)
Sign up here for our Tempus Divum Newsletter
Email us ideas, questions or suggestions at info@somagames.com