Being Human with Steve Cuss

Latest Episodes:

Clarissa Moll & Steve Cuss Navigate Anxiety, Reactivity, and Emotional Freedom Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

The Four Spaces of anxiety and emotional freedom take center stage as Being Human kicks off a new monthly appearance from Bulletin moderator Clarissa Moll, who flips the script and interviews Steve Cuss. Together, they’ll shape the conversation threads that future episodes will explore every four weeks. This month, Steve unpacks the wildfire spread of anxiety and lays out practical disciplines to disrupt reactivity and foster emotional resilience. Rooted in biblical wisdom and grounded in everyday experience, Clarissa re-introduces Steve’s transformative “four spaces” framework—a must-hear for anyone seeking peace, clarity, and connection in a chaotic culture.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Explore Clarissa Moll’s website
Read Clarissa Moll’s Substack
Listen to The Bulletin
Watch Steve explain The Four Spaces of Anxiety

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Jimmy Carnes: Triangulation, Human Sizing, and Why Steve Light’s a Candle Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

Jimmy Carnes, a Capable Life trainer, joins Steve Cuss—Anxiety Expert & Creator of Capable Life—for a raw, practical conversation about how unseen emotional patterns like triangulation and interconnectedness can complicate leadership and relationships. Together they explore what it means to lead without having the answers, and why “being human-sized” is more powerful than pretending to be in control. They unpack how lighting a candle can bridge the gap between belief and the felt presence of God.

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Celebrating Change and Bridging Faith's Gaps Jul 21, 2025

Show notes

Steve and Lisa Cuss dive into the messy beauty of faith, spirituality, and personal growth. Together, they unpack the tension between divine love and human responsibility, revealing how everyday moments—even foraging for blackberries—can illuminate the spiritual journey. Through honest reflection and practical wisdom from Steve’s book The Expectation Gap, listeners will discover tools to bridge their faith gaps and cultivate deeper connections with God, themselves, and others. This episode offers powerful insights for building healthier, more grounded relationships—starting from within.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Elizabeth Barrett Browning’sAurora Leigh: Book Seventh
The Camino de Santiago
This American Life with Ira Glass
Being Human: Grieve, Breathe, Receive with Steve Carter
Being Human: Steve Carter (season 7 episode 7)
Steve Cuss’ The Expectation Gap: The Tiny, Vast Space between Our Beliefs and Experience of God

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An Intentional Take on Imago Dei Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

Why does reflecting our Creator matter? Steve Cuss dives into the profound impact of remembering we are made in God’s image and how it is an antidote to the mundane. He challenges listeners to do the important work of engaging with beauty, wonder, the ability to learn, and more as a means of reshaping our daily focus. Steve shares actionable "summer homework" that could shift your perspective for good.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Sign up for Steve’s Newsletter & Podcast Reminders:

Capable Life Newsletter

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Capable Life Intensives

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Creedal Statements, the Nervous System, and Hunting For Character Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Lisa Cuss joins Steve to recap three powerful conversations that remind us why our place in the universal, everlasting body of Christ matters now more than ever. Together, they revisit key insights from Glenn Packiam, Chuck DeGroat, and Kyle Idleman—connecting themes of identity and spiritual resilience. From the unifying power of the Nicene Creed to confronting toxic leadership and overcoming inner battles, Steve and Lisa show how spiritual formation offers bold clarity in the chaos of modern life.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Kyle Idleman’sWebsite
Kyle Idleman’s Every Thought Captive: Calm the Mental Chaos That Keeps You Stuck, Drains Your Hope, and Holds You Back
Explore Southeast Christian Church
Glenn Packiam’s What's a Christian, Anyway?: Finding Our Way in an Age of Confusion and Corruption
The Nicene Creed as stated in The Online Book of Common Prayer
Glenn Packiam's website
The work of Chuck DeGroat at Western Seminary
Explore the Soul Care Institute
The work of Michael Gurian

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Michael Wear: Finding Purpose in Politics and Faith Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

Feeling burned out by outrage culture and partisan spin? President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life Michael Wear joins Steve Cuss to chart a bold, faith-rooted path through today’s political chaos. Together, they unpack how Christians can reclaim civic agency through local action, community impact, and love-fueled political engagement. Michael’s sharp insights will challenge listeners to move beyond despair and toward a redemptive, grounded vision of faith and politics.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

The Center for Christianity and Public Life
Michael Wear’s The Spirit of Our Politics
Michael Wear’s Reclaiming Hope
Irresistible Church Network
The Morning Five with Michael Wear (podcast)
The Bulletin (podcast)
Congregation Land Campaign
The work of opinion columnist Ross Douthat (New York Times)
The work of opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie (New York Times)

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Kyle Idleman Takes Every Thought Captive Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

Senior pastor and bestselling author Kyle Idleman joins Steve Cuss to explore the mental battles we all face—and how to overcome them. Using insights from his latest book, Every Thought Captive, Kyle explains the powerful connection between brain science, biblical truth, and emotional health. Together, Steve and Kyle offer ways to break toxic thought patterns and rewire your mindset for spiritual and mental transformation. If you're struggling with anxiety, offense, or negative talk, this episode delivers practical tools to react well.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Kyle Idleman’sWebsite
Kyle Idleman’s Every Thought Captive: Calm the Mental Chaos That Keeps You Stuck, Drains Your Hope, and Holds You Back
All books by Kyle Idleman
Explore Southeast Christian Church
Bob Russell Ministries
Dave Stone’s The Ascent Leader
Anger, Grief, and C.S. Lewis
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane - Matthew 26:36-46 (ESV)
How Do I Take My Thoughts Captive?
Galatians 6:2-5 (NLT)

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Dancing with Doubt, the Past, and Temporary Sacred Spaces Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

Lisa’s back! Join host Steve Cuss and the therapist he turns to with his own questions – his wife. They examine some of Steve’s recent conversations about the intricate dance between faith and doubt. Drawing insights from guests like Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw and Dr. Jennifer Ripley, they explore how doubt can serve as a catalyst for spiritual growth. Unpack the ways childhood attachment styles influence our adult relationships with God and others, and offer practical ways the church can support those in crisis. Tune in for a conversation that promises to deepen your understanding of faith's complexities and inspire meaningful discussions anywhere doubt tries to co-mingle with faith.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Jennifer Ripley’s Ministering to Families in Crisis
Cyd & Geoff Holsclaw’s Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection
Frederick Buechner: Faith Despite Doubt
Frederick buechner’s defines Doubt
Philip Yancy: Faith and Doubt
Philip Yancy: A Time to Doubt
N.T. Wright’s The Resurrection of Jesus as a Historical Problem
N.T. Wright’s The Resurrection of the Son of God
Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV) The Great Commission

Further Listening:

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Finding Freedom in Temporary Spaces

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Capable Life Intensives

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Glenn Packiam Tells What’s Missing From the Global Church Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

What happens when the Nicene Creed collides with TikTok theology? Host Steve Cuss and pastor-author Glenn Packiam unpack how this historic confession still anchors Christian identity in a digital age obsessed with individual “truth.” They explore the tension between personal experience and historic orthodoxy, the global church’s diverse voices, and why real unity starts in community—not algorithms. Steve and Glenn offer hope for listeners wrestling back to a rooted, resilient Christianity that rises above cultural noise.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Glenn Packiam’s What's a Christian, Anyway?: Finding Our Way in an Age of Confusion and Corruption
The Nicene Creed as stated in The Online Book of Common Prayer
Glenn Packiam's website
Follow Glenn Packiam on instagram
Books by Glenn Packiam

Sign up for Steve’s Newsletter & Podcast Reminders:

Capable Life Newsletter

Join Steve at an upcoming intensive:

Capable Life Intensives

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Chuck DeGroat and The Crisis of Integrity in Church Leadership Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

What happens when character formation breaks down in church leadership? Steve Cuss and psychologist-theologian Chuck DeGroat work through the hidden dynamics behind pastoral burnout, narcissism, and the slow erosion of integrity. They explore how unexamined coping mechanisms shape identity, why church boards often miss red flags, and what it really takes to create a culture of safety and true accountability. Steve and Chuck offer tools for healthier leadership—inside and outside the church.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

The work of Chuck DeGroat at Western Seminary
Explore the Soul Care Institute
The work of Michael Gurian
Chuck DeGroat’s When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse
Chuck DeGroat’s Wholeheartedness: Busyness, Exhaustion, and Healing the Divided Self
Chuck DeGroat’s Healing What’s Within: Coming Home to Yourself--and to God--When You're Wounded, Weary, and Wandering

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