Stay Curious: Recent Episodes
Hill City RVA
We often ask the question "how can you love your neighbor if you don't know them?" This is a podcast where we stay curious about one another with the goal of increasing diversity without dividing community.
This week we talk about what it looks like to have a passion for people to know Jesus and what to do when you find yourself complaining about it.
This week we talk about dimensions of generosity. Is it just a Christian word for "money" or is it something more?
This week we start unpacking the idea of vision. Is it just seeing into the future and manifesting some even or achievement? Or could it be something more?
This week we respond to Bishop Mariann Budde's inauguration sermon and talk about how we are trying to engage the current culture as loyal subjects of King Jesus.
This week we talk with a bona fide member of Gen Z, Hill City's own Jackson Hicks. Jackson shares with us his story and unique perspective on the current landscape as a student of both American politics and the Gospel.
We might actually be officially back!
This week we keep it light by discussing end times, God's wrath, politics, and the subtle balance between submission and subversion in a world gone awry.
We take another crack at trying to process what's going on right now between Israel and Hamas.
This week we unpack some of our Revelation discussion from Sunday and ask the question "if America isn't necessarily a Christian nation, CAN there be one?"
John and Matt enter the cultural discourse and ask the question of the moment..."Am I Ken-ough?"
Is AI something to be worried about? What are the biblical implications of this fast moving new development in our cultural and technological landscape?
We're talking about some new and interesting discoveries about how the Bible talks about Mary Magdalene.
This week we give you a peak into how we're processing the awful events at a Nashville private school and how it reflects where we are at in the conversation around guns.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Matt accidentally deleted the episode on shame (which caused him much guilt) so we're moving on to our episode on guilt! We'll finish our series with shame and joy soon but, for now, enjoy OUR 100th EPISODE! 🥳
John and the one-and-only Nicole Unice talk about John and Lacy's experience down at Asbury College.
This week we talk about the core emotion most prevalent in the lives of modern man (and woman)...fear.
This week we tackle that tumultuous beast: anger! How are anger and depression linked? Is that even a thing?
This week we talk about the most fun of all the core emotions: SADNESS.
Matt, as you can imagine, is very excited.
This week we talking about the many paths of loneliness and how to follow them to intimacy rather than apathy.
We're back and we're getting into the big feels . This week we talk more about what we do with all the hurt we feel.
This week we are joined by Sheila and Rebecca, 2 of the authors of "The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You've Been Taught and How To Recover What God Intended". We have a very frank discussion about sex so put the kids to bed and buckle up!
But, like, who ARE you REALLY? This week we're joined by Clif Roth of Crosspoint Ministries to talk with us about the important work of interior examination.
We're back for our 5th season of Stay Curious! This week we talk about what Wags learned on sabbatical, what Matt learned while John was gone, and how it will change our conversations moving forward.
Email us at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
We talk about the recent SCOTUS leak as well as some other controversial policy shifting.
This week we talk about the Discovery+ docuseries "Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed" and it's implications on both the culture at large and our community at Hill City.
This week John and Matt take a listener email and try to figure out why God was so gracious and kind in some parts of Bible and so murder-y in others.
This week John, Lacy, and Matt unpack Ephesians 5 and talk about how we interpret (and misinterpret) submission in marriage.
This week we start a conversation spurred by a book called "The Great Sex Rescue". What are some of the toxic ideas and beliefs instilled in us, but consciously and subconsciously, by our Evangelical upbringing?
This week we're joined by pastor, author, and dear friend Nicole Unice to continue and expand our conversation around the lessons of Mars Hill.
This week we continue unpacking the story of Mars Hill by digging into the nature of church leadership in the age of social media influencers and self-made celebrity.
We kick off season 4 by fulfilling our promise to dive into The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and it's implications for the church at large.
Advent arrives as Wags tries to keep Matt from blowing a fuse over the idea of virtual reality church. in excelsis deo!
This week we talk about holy gibberish, getting slain, and Wags' getting shot by Benny Hinn.
This week we wrap up our conversation about Heck with a discussion about it's ruler and his denizens. What's the deal with all this devil stuff?
We're back to go deeper into hell...no wait that didn't sound right. Matt and Wags continue their conversation about heck and the devil by teasing out the different views and where they land.
This week we dive into hell. Not literally, we don't literally go to hell, we figuratively dive into the topic of eternal damnation. Wags and Matt kickoff a series on the devil and his home by going over their personal backgrounds and also a brief over view of popular beliefs about the Big Hot.
This week the feed was just too cram packed not to talk about it! John and Matt talk about the recent abortion law changes in Texas and the removal of the Lee statue in hopes of getting some different angles from each other.
This week we talk a bit about the history and lessons from recent retrospectives on this thing we call "evangelicalism".
Wags, Matt, and our friend Rashawn Graves of West End Baptist talk about🎵 Dun dun duuun 🎶 Critical Race Theory or CRT. We go through a bit of the history on it, chat about it's critiques and values, and ask the question "is CRT bad for the church?"
We continue our discussion from last week but shifting toward Jesus' challenge of the central family system in Mark 3.
Are morals a cheap replacement for love? We dive into some tough ethical and existential questions as we continue to go through Mark's take on the Jesus story.
This week we hash out some thoughts on a recent interview with the lead singer of christian rock band Skillet in which he suggests that the use of terms like "CRT" and "social justice" are pushing the church toward a "civil war". 🤷♂️
Shoot us an email at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
After talking gambling and weed, why wouldn't we tackle sex!? This week John, Matt, and special guest Lacy continue a conversation about human sexuality and flourishing that started with Hill City's most recent sermon series.
You can view the original message here.
Marijuana is becoming legal here in the states, specifically here in Virginia. Can we think about its use wisely while also not putting a stake in the ground?
As debates heat up over the building of Richmond's first casino, John and Matt talk through the implications of "sin tax" and the societal treatment of gambling.
This week we talk to Jonathan Chan, executive director of CHAT, about the shootings in Atlanta and his experience as an asian american person in the church.
Influential bible teacher and best selling author Beth Moore has officially distanced herself from the Southern Baptist Convention. We (unsurprisingly) have some thoughts!
Well, we weren't going to talk with all the single ladies without at least hearing from a few of the single men. We're joined by eligible bachelors Kevin and Adrian to talk about being single guys in the year 2021.
We kick off our series on relationships by talking to some of the most eligible bachelorettes (maybe ever) about the real-ness of being single in 2021.
Send us your thoughts at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
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In a follow up to our discussion on original sin we field a listener question around different views on Adam and the infallibility of scripture.
We're joined by a voice you may recognize, the one and only C. Goss, to discuss the nature and merit of differing ideas about the big "s" word.
John and Matt talk about the events of January 6th in our nation's capitol as we kick off Season 3 of Stay Curious.
In a recent speech President Elect Joe Biden said "this is the time to heal". But what does that even mean? Wags and Matt talk through some thoughts on how, and if, we can heal as a nation in the wake of the last 4 years.
We are thrilled to be joined by best-selling author and speaker Latasha Morrison to talk about how we move forward with racial reconciliation and justice while staying focused on Jesus.
Check out more of Latasha's work at https://bethebridge.com
We are stoked to be joined by Justin Giboney, president and co-founder of the And Campaign and co-author of "Compassion and Conviction: The And Campaign's Guide To Faithful Civic Engagement" to talk about what it means to be a Christian witness in the political arena.
We continue our conversation on women in ministry with author, speaker, podcaster, and pastor Nicole Unice.
You can check out Nicole's podcast "Let's Be Real" here.
Shoot us an email at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
Follow us on IG at instagram.com/staycuriouspod
"Wives, submit to your husbands." Is that it?
This week we're joined by Pastor Lacy to hear her experiences as a woman in ministry and how its effected her outlook on church, life, and scripture.
Author and theologian David Bennett recently spoke with our community and you all had questions! On this episode we dial David into the studio to answer those questions and more.
We take a look at some of the harsher language and ideology in our current cultural moment and wonder about hating injustice while loving actors in an unjust system.
This week we catch up with Wags and Matt on what they're learning during the year that won't stop.
This week we have an absolutely FASCINATING discussion with our friend Chernoh on his unique perspective around American law enforcement. Born in Sierra Leone, Chernoh became passionate about law enforcement by seeing lawlessness first hand in the midst of civil war. Moving to the U.S. he pursued a career in policing and now teaches criminal justice here at VCU.
We are honored this week to be joined by activist and organizer Art Burton of the Kinfolks Community Empowerment and Community Unity in Action. Art shares with us how a lifetime of activism manifests itself through farming and fighting for equitable education.
This week we're SO excited to talk to author, activist, and speaker Shane Claiborne about his experience as a Jesus-loving activist. What does it mean to live out the Gospel with civil disobedience?
What happens when your podcast hosts start to spar about wealth and poverty on Facebook? YOU GET A PODCAST EPISODE.
email us at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
follow us on instagram @staycuriouspod
We're joined this week by the extremely soothing voice of Kimberly Best Johnson, owner and Licensed Professional Counselor at Visions here in Richmond. We get perspective from Kimberly on the intersection of faith and mental health both in and outside of the current state of our world.
Want to Stay even MORE Curious?
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This week we take a look at fear, conspiracy, and how our current situation reveals our attitudes toward the truth.
E-mail questions or suggestions to staycurious@hillcityrva.com
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This week we are SUPER excited to bring you a fascinating discussion with Wesley Hill, author of "Spiritual Friendship" and "Washed and Waiting". We hear Wesley's perspective on deep and abiding intimacy in the church and how it can exist without sex, marriage, or dating.
You can follow Wes on The Bad Website (twitter) at twitter.com/wesleyhill
You can follow us on The 'Gram at instagram.com/staycuriouspod
Or on The Bad Website over at twitter.com/staycuriouscast
Well, it's finally time to check in with Matt and Wags as they navigate the cultural, medical, economic, and personal firestorm that is COVID-19 and the novel coronavirus.
email us at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
Also, follow us on the World Wide Web!
We continue our conversation around masculinity by receiving a latino perspective from friend and pastor Manny Peña. We talk about the "caveman brain", class and race, and the different ways that toxic and healthy masculinity look from Manny's unique sociocultural experience.
NOTE: This episode was pre-recorded before the world turned upside down. We'll be talking about that in a near future episode.
email us at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
Also, follow us on the World Wide Web!
We're back for the second half of our conversation about masculinity with author and pastor Darrin Patrick. Join the conversation already in progress.
email us at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
Also, follow us on the World Wide Web!
We are joined by our friend and major dude Darrin Patrick, pastor and author of The Dude's Guide to Manhood and The Dude's Guide to Marriage to continue our series around perspective on the idea of "masculinity".
email us at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
Also, follow us on the World Wide Web!
Welcome to the first in our series on the idea of masculinity. What does it mean in 2020 both in the church and in the culture at large. Matt and Wags fire up the pistons and set the stage to talk about how we can think of this term differently.
email us at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
Also, follow us on the World Wide Web!
To round out our series for Black History Month we have Lamonte Harris (Hill City) and Rivers Taylor (The Life Church) give us their perspectives on the differences and similarities between worship in a "white church" and a "black church" context.
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instagram or The Bad Website
You wanted it so we're giving it to you: A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SUPERBOWL HALF-TIME SHOW. We're joined by Deandra Clarke: friend, co-worker, and owner of Studio 4 Dance Agency to talk about what she saw when she watched the show as a dancer, a christian, and a strong woman of color.
Hey! Maybe you should go ahead and follow us on social media:
In this installment of our series on elevating black voices we invite our friend Allan Chipman from Initiatives of Change to talk with us about what it means to him to be pro-Gospel, pro-Jesus, and pro-black.
You can see a full list of recommended reading here.
Here are some quick links to historical voices Allan referenced:
Elizabeth Key
James Cone
Andrew Young
This month, in honor of Black History Month, we'll be looking to elevate black voices with a series of guests who are also men and women of color. This week we talk to Gerard Robinson, Executive Director of the Center for Advancing Opportunity, as he gives us his perspective on being a black man in the GOP.
Remember to follow us on instagram and twitter.
You can also write to us at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
This week John and Matt ask "where are the prophets?!" Is there anyone out there speaking truth just as hard to one side as the other and pulling no punches?
Follow us on social media:
instagram.com/staycuriouspod
twitter.com/staycuriouscast
you can also e-mail us at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
This week we're talking about the Bethel movement, charismatic culture, and the recent story surrounding a call to raise a young girl from the dead.
For further curiosity check out:
This article from Christianity Today
Curt Thompson's "Soul of Shame"
Jonathan Evans' eulogy for his mother.
Welcome back for the second part of our conversation on Christianity Today's bombshell articles (here and here) and the state of evangelicalism in our country. This week we get into the history of the term "evangelical" and how we stopped calling people "fundamentalists" and started mischaracterizing the difference between the two.
We're back for 2020 and ready to dive right in! Over the next two weeks we'll be talking about the bombshell articles posted by Christianity Today (here and here) and the implications it has on evangelical culture moving forward.
You may or may not have seen that some of the country's most popular worship artists recently visited the White House. Well...they did and we wanted to talk about it!
On this special CHRISTMAS BONUS episode we are joined by Kid Ministry Guru Chara Robinson to talk about different perspectives on Jolly Ol' Saint Nick, some history behind the real guy, and some thoughts on how we handle the legend in our homes.
We're back from Nazareth and ready to tackle the continuing controversy surrounding Chick-Fil-A and its non-profit partners.
This week we talk to our very own Kelly G. about how we can best love our neighbors through our shopping and fashion habits.
This week we delve into the recent revelations around faith-based comedian John Crist and also have a wider conversation about celebrity and calling people out.
Matt and Wags wrap up our series on faith and sexuality by continuing to process what they've learned and questions they still have on this very complex and emotional topic.
In our continuing series on sexuality we are honored to be joined by David Bennett, author "A War of Loves", to talk about his journey from atheist and gay activist to gay christian theologian.
This week we take a break from our series on sexuality for a very special October episode! John, Lacy, and Matt discuss their experience with Halloween and the line between spooky and evil.
This week we talk with our dear friend Michelle about her experience as a gay Christian in and out of our community.
We speak to author and counselor Karen Keen in our ongoing series on sexuality. Karen is the author of "Scripture, Ethics, and The Possibility of Same-Sex Relationships" and the founder of the Redwood Center For Spiritual Care and Education.
This week we're joined by Preston Sprinkle, the author of "A People To Be Loved" and founder of the Center For Faith, Sexuality, and Gender. We talk with Preston about his experience as someone who seeks to better understand LGBTQ+ people while also holding to a traditional view of marriage.
This week we kick off a new series on sexuality and the church where we'll be covering perspectives on LGBTQ+ issues, marriage, and sexuality in the church. Buckle up, friends. The next few weeks should be a time of growth for us all!
In the age of social media sharing and opinion spreading we decide to have a conversation about the spirit behind the facts. What is the difference between fact, fiction, and truth?
We're excited to have our Dr. Seth Henshaw, a nuclear physicist, on the show to talk about his experience as both a christian and a scientist.
In the wake of the latest rash of gun violence, we talk about our history and perspectives on gun ownership, violence, and what to do moving forward.
The Instagram account Preachers 'n Sneakers (@preachersnsneakers) is a cultural phenomenon and the latest lightning rod around church leadership and money. We are joined by Corey Goss to discuss the implications in and out of the church.
This week John and Matt talk about their fears, thoughts, and questions surrounding how Christians justify their support of those in power.
This week we talk about a unique incident in which the President surprised Pastor David Platt by showing up an requesting prayer. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Wags and Matt have a tough conversation about how our series on abortion left them thinking and feeling moving forward.
Thanks for joining us for the third part in our series on abortion. This week we sit down with author, public speaker, and advocate Lisa Kratz Thomas as she shares her perspective on what "pro-life" means to her.
In the second week of our series on Abortion we sit down with our friend Joy Brock, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in perinatal counseling for women and their partners. Joy talks with us about what being "pro-choice" means to her as a Christian, a woman, and a counselor.
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions please e-mail us at staycurious@hillcityrva.com
We kick off our multi-part series on abortion. John and Matt set the table as we ramp up to hear from two amazing women on this very sensitive and polarizing topic.
This week Matt and Wags talk perspectives on the use and abuse of adult beverages, how we can reconcile our alcohol choices, and Wags' favorite mixed drink.
This week your hosts take time to address some e-mails centered around our Game of Thrones discussion! Keep those e-mails coming to staycurious@hillcityrva.com
The final season of the hit series Game of Thrones is officially under way and it is, as ever, some extremely M-rated content. Do we watch? Do we abstain? How do we consume media on a wider scale as Christians? Matt and Wags discuss.
If YOU have thoughts, questions, comments, or suggestions send them to staycurious@hillcityrva.com
Is the Bible pointing us toward a free market or reallocation of wealth?
This week on the podcast, Matt gets curious about some of Wags' views around how we look at money, economics, and class through the lens of Jesus' teachings.
Send your thoughts, questions, suggestions, and curiosities to staycurious@hillcityrva.com
In our pilot episode we quickly go over the premise of our show and invite you along for the ride. STAY CURIOUS, Y'ALL!