Being Human with Steve Cuss

Latest Episodes:

Small Acts and World-Changing Faith with Ryan Keating & Tommy Lee Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Bad news isn’t the main story of the church. On Being Human, Steve Cuss talks with pastor Ryan Keating and Resource Global founder Tommy Lee about faith in action—from feeding thousands of refugees in Turkey to equipping Christian leaders and expanding access to education in Indonesia. As part of the “God’s Expansive Kingdom” series, these conversations explore global ministry, faith and work, and the lasting impact of small, faithful investments in people. Discover how noticing God at work can interrupt anxiety, renew hope, and help you see fresh possibilities in your own community.

Episode Resources:

Learn about & support Resource Global
Learn about Fellowship Church in Connecticut
Learn about Doctor Share
Timothy Keller’s Every Good Endeavor

More about Tommy Lee

More about Ryan Keating

Sign up for Steve’s Newsletter & Podcast Reminders

Capable Life Newsletter

Get the Assets & Liabilities pdf and the Life Giving List

Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive

Capable Life Intensives

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Steve & Lisa Cuss: Liturgy, Life-Giving Habits, and Mental Health with Douglas McKelvey & Alexandra Thompson Sep 28, 2026

Show notes

In this recap episode of Being Human, hosts Steve and Lisa Cuss explore how God's kingdom expands through mental health ministry and spiritual formation. They highlight innovative church-based counseling models, including a "clinic in a box" concept, and community mental health collectives. The episode features interviews with clinical counselor Alex Thompson and Doug McKelvie, writer of the Every Moment Holy liturgy series. They discuss how ancient prayers provide grounding for modern struggles. Steve and Lisa also share personal stories of global ministry encounters, life-giving habits, and the power of liturgical prayer to connect believers across generations and cultures.

Episode Resources:

Learn about: Women Leaders Alliance
Build your Life Giving List
Partner with Cumberland Counseling Centers
Douglas McKelvey’s Every Moment Holy
Douglas McKelvey’s Every Moment Holy: Rites of Passage
Book of Common Prayer (online version)
Thomas Keating’s contemplative prayer
Explore the Hope Collective

More from Alexandra Thompson:

More about Alexandra Thompson, LCSW

More from Douglas McKelvey:

Every Moment Holy Website
Every Moment Holy Liturgy Downloads
Every Moment Holy Live Experience

Sign up for Steve’s Newsletter & Podcast Reminders

Capable Life Newsletter

Get the Assets & Liabilities pdf and the Life Giving List

Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive

Capable Life Intensives

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Douglas McKelvey’s Every Moment Holy Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss speaks with Douglas McKelvey, author of the Every Moment Holy series—books offering liturgical prayers for everyday and significant life moments. Both share personal journeys from skepticism toward formal liturgy to discovering its deep spiritual value. Douglas recounts how the Book of Common Prayer transformed his faith during a period of theological uncertainty, while Steve reflects on his experience as a hospital chaplain. They explore the power of communal liturgy, the specificity of prayers for modern moments, and how Douglas's latest volume, Rites of Passage, helps young adults connect with God throughout life's transitions.

Episode Resources:

Douglas McKelvey’s Every Moment Holy
Douglas McKelvey’s Every Moment Holy: Rites of Passage
Book of Common Prayer (online version)
More about Andrew Peterson

Scripture Referenced:

Psalm 131 ESV

More from Douglas McKelvey:

Every Moment Holy Website
Every Moment Holy Liturgy Downloads
Every Moment Holy Live Experience

Sign up for Steve’s Newsletter & Podcast Reminders

Capable Life Newsletter

Get the Assets & Liabilities pdf and the Life Giving List

Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive

Capable Life Intensives

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Is This the Church’s Bold Return to Mental Health Care? with Alexandra Thompson Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss chats with Alexandra Thompson, founder of Cumberland Counseling Centers, a Georgia-based nonprofit embedding state-licensed counseling clinics inside local churches. Alex introduces her "clinic in a box" model, which allows churches to launch professional mental health services within weeks. The conversation covers trauma healing, EMDR therapy, faith integration, and the church's historical role as a community healing center.

Episode Resources:

More about Alexandra Thompson, LCSW
Partner with Cumberland Counseling Centers
Overview of EMDR
What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Scripture Referenced:

Mark 12:30-31 ESV

Sign up for Steve’s Newsletter & Podcast Reminders

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Get the Assets & Liabilities pdf and the Life Giving List

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Steve Cuss: Beyond the Headlines in God’s Expansive Kingdom Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss launches the new theme "God's Expansive Kingdom." Drawing from years of international travel, Steve shares inspiring stories of Christians making a difference worldwide—from floating hospitals in Southeast Asia to a small women's Bible study group running a halfway house for former inmates. He also addresses the prevalence of negative narratives about the church online, acknowledging that abuse must be exposed while cautioning against cynicism and shame-driven reporting. Steve emphasizes that despite troubling headlines, countless faithful believers are quietly and powerfully advancing God's kingdom globally.

Episode Resources:

Steve Cuss’s Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs

Scripture Referenced:

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

Sign up for Steve’s Newsletter & Podcast Reminders

Capable Life Newsletter

Get the Assets & Liabilities pdf and the Life Giving List

Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive

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Steve & Lisa Cuss: Social Media Extremes, Political Problems, and Moving from Legalism to Grace with Ryan Burge and Jessie Cruickshank & Julia Schmaltz Aug 31, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Being Human, Steve and Lisa Cuss explore how politics, social media, and the stories we tell ourselves shape who we become. Pastor and political analyst Ryan Burge explains how social media amplifies political extremes, distorts public discourse, and increasingly allows partisanship to shape religious identity. Jessie Cruickshank and Julia Schmaltz, co-authors of Becoming Good News, unpack how internalized narratives, legalism, perfectionism, and the Christian “Übermensch” ideal—the pressure to become a superhuman believer—can hinder spiritual growth. Steve and Lisa use these conversations to offer a path toward self-awareness, grace, presence, and embracing weakness as essential to genuine faith and transformation.

Original Episodes:

Being Human:How Memory, Identity, and Story Shape Discipleship with Jessie Cruickshank & Julia Schmaltz
Being Human: How Politics Hijacked the Pulpit with Ryan Burge
Ryan Burge’s The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us
Jessie Cruickshank & Julia Schmaltz’s Becoming Good News: Reimagining Discipleship Through Identity, Story, and Science
Nietzsche’s concept of the Übermensch

More from Ryan Burge:

Ryan’s Graphs about Religion
Ryan on X (formerly Twitter)

More from Jessie Cruickshank and Julia Schmaltz:

Jessie Cruickshank’s Ordinary Discipleship podcast
Julia Schmaltz’s Sermons

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How Do Injury, Pain, and Faith Shape Our Identity with Dr. Eric Shoemaker Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Host Steve Cuss welcomes physician Eric Shoemaker to explore the intersection of physical health, neuroscience, and spiritual fitness. Eric explains how injury and pain recovery mirror emotional and spiritual healing, and breaks down the difference between the body's "threat" and "challenge" responses, showing how faith can reshape our nervous system's reactions. Steve and Eric discuss whole-body discipleship, identity in Christ, and practical micro-habits to help rewire the brain toward trust over fear.

Episode Resources:

Eric’s article The Neurobiology of Victory: How the physical reality of performance reveals the spiritual power of faith
Dan Allender’s Leading with a Limp: Take Full Advantage of Your Most Powerful Weakness

Scripture Referenced:

Genesis 32:22-32 (ESV)

More from Eric Shoemaker:

Eric Shoemaker’s Substack: The Divine Design Lab
Follow Eric on instagram

Sign up for Steve’s Newsletter & Podcast Reminders

Capable Life Newsletter

Get the Assets & Liabilities pdf and the Life Giving List

Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive

Capable Life Intensives

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How Memory, Identity, and Story Shape Discipleship with Jessie Cruickshank & Julia Schmaltz Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss is joined by pastor and Harvard-trained brain scientist Jessie Cruickshank and first-time guest Julia Schmaltz to explore whether changing our internal narratives can enable transformation. Jessie and Julia discuss their co-authored book, Becoming Good News, and examine spiritual growth and discipleship through the lenses of theology, neuroscience, and personal experience. They challenge unrealistic “superhuman” expectations in church culture, advocate for grace-based discipleship, and emphasize that spiritual maturity means becoming more fully who God created us to be—joyful, childlike, and close to Jesus.

Episode Resources:

Jessie Cruickshank & Julia Schmaltz’s Becoming Good News: Reimagining Discipleship Through Identity, Story, and Science
Jessie Cruickshank’s Ordinary Discipleship: How God Wires Us for the Adventure of Transformation
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Nobel lecture: The Quest for Peace and Justice
Nietzsche’s concept of the Übermensch
Jessie Cruickshank’s previous appearance on Being Human: Episode 171

Scripture Referenced:

2 Corinthians 3 (ESV)
Psalm 139 (ESV)

More from:

Jessie Cruickshank’s Ordinary Discipleship podcast
Julia Schmaltz’s Sermons

Sign up for Steve’s Newsletter & Podcast Reminders

Capable Life Newsletter

Get the Assets & Liabilities pdf and the Life Giving List

Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive

Capable Life Intensives

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How Politics Hijacked the Pulpit with Ryan Burge Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss speaks with political scientist and pastor Ryan Burge about his book The Vanishing Church. They explore how American Christianity has become increasingly radicalized by political partisanship, the role of social media algorithms in amplifying extreme voices, and the disappearance of moderate congregations. Burge discusses how partisanship now shapes religious identity rather than the reverse, the impact of COVID had on churches, and how the church has become a "hospital for the healthy."

Episode Resources:

Ryan Burge’s The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us
Michael Wear’s CT review of Ryan’s work on the “big church sort”
Pew research: How the Pandemic Has Affected Attendance at U.S. Religious Services
A Look at The Donatist controversy
Who was Count Zinzendorf?

Scripture Referenced:

1 John 1:5 (ESV)
Matthew 20:16; Luke 13:30; Mark 10:31 (ESV)
Mark 2:17 (ESV)

More from Ryan Burge:

Ryan’s Graphs about Religion
Ryan on X (formerly Twitter)

Sign up for Steve’s Newsletter & Podcast Reminders

Capable Life Newsletter

Get the Assets & Liabilities pdf and the Life Giving List

Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive

Capable Life Intensives

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Carrying What Only God Can Carry Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

In this special travelogue episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss records from Tinos, Greece, where he discovered a profound Orthodox Christian pilgrimage tradition. Pilgrims crawl a half-mile uphill to a famous church, seeking healing. Steve reflects on desperation, hope, and faith across traditions, he draws on MLK's words: "If you can't walk, crawl—but keep moving forward." He invites listeners to consider their own pace and bring their whole selves to God.

Episode Resources: