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Resident Strangers

Christian thinking in a foreign world. Hosted by Sarah Schalow, Steve Engram and Rich Holland. Episodes released every Tuesday.

Check out Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Copyright: © 2023 Resident Strangers

Latest Episodes:

122 | Jesus' Model of Prayer with Larissa Holland Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

Sarah and Rich are joined by a very special guest — Larissa Holland! Larissa is Rich’s wife, and we’re so glad she could be part of this meaningful conversation.

While Steve will be back soon, the crew wanted to begin a new series of discussions around prayer, starting with Jesus’ model of prayer from Matthew 6. In this passage, Jesus clearly answers the question, “How should we pray?”

Together, they unpack what it means to be mindful of how we pray, especially when praying in front of others. Larissa shares candidly about how this can be a real struggle and how her prayer life has grown over the years. One major shift for her has been becoming more intentional, even asking God daily to reveal sin and draw her closer to Him. Sarah opens up about what prayer looks like in this current season of motherhood, and Rich reminds us that no matter what season we’re in, God always hears our prayers.

The crew highlights three key takeaways from Jesus’ example:

Begin with praise and adoration.
Invite God into your present moment.
Humbly ask for conviction before bringing your requests.

This heartfelt conversation is full of encouragement, no matter where you are in your prayer journey.

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Larissa Holland's testimony on The Stories Collective, Episode 82

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Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

121 | Women in Ministry Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

Today on Resident Strangers, Steve, Rich, and Sarah tackle a topic that continues to stir deep discussion in the church—women in ministry.

Right out of the gate, Steve clarifies that spiritual gifts are not tied to gender. In the same way, he says, the use of those gifts within the church should not be restricted by gender. Rich builds on that thought, reminding listeners that every follower of Christ is called into full-time ministry, a theme they’ve unpacked in previous episodes.

Sarah, however, notes that this conversation remains necessary because culture still struggles with how to approach it. Steve then turns to Scripture, pointing to 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:12, which two passages often cited in this debate. He poses the critical question: Are these verses addressing roles or offices? According to Steve, understanding that distinction makes all the difference.

Meanwhile, Sarah presses into what it actually means for a woman to teach and how believers should respond when she does.

This episode dives deep into a nuanced and often emotional conversation. So, as you listen, stay open, thoughtful, and ready to wrestle with the Word.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Learn how to read & study the Bible this fall with Rich Holland, starting October 19th

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Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

120 | Church Leadership Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

In today’s episode, Rich and Steve take a big picture look at different church leadership structures. Leadership within the church can vary widely from one congregation or denomination to another, and even individual churches often interpret these structures in unique ways.

Most of what we understand about church leadership comes from the New Testament. In Acts, we see both the rapid spread of the church and the development of formal leadership offices, primarily elders (or bishops) serving as overseers, and deacons. Steve highlights the important distinction between an office and a role, noting that the word “pastor” actually appears only once in the New Testament. He and Rich unpack how “elder” and “pastor” are often used interchangeably and what that means for church leadership today. They also explore how every believer, whether in a leadership position or not, shares the same call to live faithfully.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Learn how to read & study the Bible this fall with Rich Holland, starting October 19th

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

119 | Denominations Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

Resident Strangers is BACK! 🎉 And so is Sarah Schalow, from maternity leave. The whole crew is together again! After a full summer run of episodes, the team took a short breather, but you can now expect new episodes to drop regularly back into your feed.

Today kicks off the first in a 3-part series on church polity. We start at the beginning: what exactly is a denomination? Rich explains it as a formal organizational structure that individual churches fit into. The episode also touches on some key historical moments that led to the wide variety of denominations we see today, most often arising from theological differences or questions of church polity and politics. From baptism to the autonomy of the local church, to the authority of Scripture, these topics have shaped major denominational “splits” throughout history. Steve also unpacks what it means for churches to be part of associations (like Desert Springs is) and what that entails.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Learn how to read & study the Bible this fall with Rich Holland, starting October 19th

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

118 | When Churches Change Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

Does anyone really love change? It’s uncomfortable and often hard but necessary for growth. Churches especially can struggle with it. The world is always shifting, so how can the church stay anchored in truth while adapting to culture?

Steve emphasizes that churches must stay mission-minded, and Rich puts it this way: if every Christian is a missionary, then every Christian should also be a student of culture. And when you study culture, you can’t miss change.

The longer a church exists, the stronger the pull to turn inward but that must be resisted. Sometimes evaluation needs to be ruthless: What’s working? What’s not?

The gospel, the Great Commission, and the truth never change but how we live them out often must. May this conversation challenge you to embrace change where needed and follow Jesus more fully!

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Learn how to read & study the Bible this fall with Rich Holland

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

117 | The Life Cycle of a Church Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

Just like people, churches go through life cycles and if you’re part of a church, you’re living in one right now. Steve shares a sobering statistic: in the U.S., 8,000–10,000 churches close every year. Drawing from his work as an executive on the board of Venture Church Network, he takes us behind the scenes to explore why churches close and how understanding a church’s life cycle can reveal its overall health.

One key factor stands out above the rest: vision. A church with a clear, Christ-centered vision will thrive. But when vision drifts out of focus, things can quickly unravel. True vision isn’t about “preserving and protecting”, it’s about making disciples for Christ.

Rich asks pointed, thought-provoking questions that shed light on why vision is the driving force in every church’s life cycle. This conversation might just change the way you think about vision and about the church you call home.

Learn to read & study the Bible with Rich Holland this fall

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments?

Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

116 | Philosophy of Ministry Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

It’s Tuesday, and that means another great conversation is ready for you! Today, Hailey, Steve, and Rich dive into the topic of churches and their philosophy of ministry, the driving force behind a church’s health and longevity. The church doesn’t belong to “us”; it belongs to Jesus. When that focus shifts, things can quickly go off track.

They explore the many different approaches churches can take (there’s not always a clear right or wrong), but one thing is certain: a solid, Christ-centered focus is essential. Steve points out that too often, churches build their philosophy around comfort rather than mobilization and if comfort is the main goal, how can we truly live on mission?

In this episode, you’ll hear different ministry models discussed, along with a strong encouragement to stay on mission no matter your approach. As you listen, take time to evaluate your own church environment; does it challenge you to grow and inspire you to live out the mission of Jesus?

Episode 110 on Oikos

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Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

115 | The Power of Words Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

It’s a new episode of Resident Strangers! Be honest — have you ever withheld the truth from someone because you didn’t think they could handle it? Or have you joked around with your friends but made one sarcastic comment that went too far? Maybe you’ve been caught up in gossiping. Whatever the case may be, we all have misused the power of our words. What we say has the power to affect people. God knows this, and He knows our sinful nature can corrupt that. Today we dive into a passage in Ephesians 4, which warns against degrading, unwholesome, inappropriate, untruthful speech. As Christians, we need to take stock of what we say, even to each other. What we say must be truth in love spoken at the appropriate time. Steve and Rich explain the power of the tongue and the importance of speaking truth in a loving manner. If this episode convicts you or challenges you like it does for us, ask God to grow you in those areas! Tune in for this powerful episode!

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5zN34EnMKLqzHCct_ijPFQbhlrQApKgO

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list - http://eepurl.com/iwv3Ug

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

Would you please subscribe and leave us a review? This will help our podcast reach more people! We’d love it if you’d share this podcast with your friends on social media and beyond. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

114 | Old Testament vs New Testament Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Resident Strangers! This episode covers how to read and interpret the Old Testament and the New Testament. We should read both parts of the Bible a bit differently since they have different purposes. The team explains these purposes and the nuances with how we should interpret and apply certain scripture to our lives. In the Sabbath episode (linked below), we mentioned the Old Covenant or the law, so we further discuss this. Do the Old Testament laws still apply to us as Christians today? If not, then what is the point of the Old Testament? We cover all of this, so be sure to listen to the full episode!

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5zN34EnMKLqzHCct_ijPFQbhlrQApKgO

Oikos episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/33jDczwq0FMJzTBZtBJjxe?si=9fe9fd2ec91049cc

Interested in studying Greek with Rich? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com.

Interested in Rich's course on studying the Bible? Go to events@dscchurch.com.

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list - http://eepurl.com/iwv3Ug

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

Would you please subscribe and leave us a review? This will help our podcast reach more people! We’d love it if you’d share this podcast with your friends on social media and beyond. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

113 | Out of Context Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Resident Strangers! Today, we are expanding on a topic we’ve mentioned a lot on this podcast, and that is taking verses out of context. We dive into some of the most-used verses out of context and break them down to understand what they actually mean. As Steve says, context is king when it comes to understanding scripture. It’s important to study the context and original audience of bible passages so we aren’t misunderstanding God’s Word or applying something to our own life that isn’t necessarily meant for us. Stay tuned for next week’s episode that continues this conversation about how we should read and interpret the Old Testament compared to the New Testament.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5zN34EnMKLqzHCct_ijPFQbhlrQApKgO

Interested in studying Greek with Rich? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com.

Interested in Rich's course on studying the Bible? Go to events@dscchurch.com.

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list - http://eepurl.com/iwv3Ug

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

Would you please subscribe and leave us a review? This will help our podcast reach more people! We’d love it if you’d share this podcast with your friends on social media and beyond. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

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