The Failed Christian

2024 Update Jan 22, 2024

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S4E5 - Jesus & Dopamine Dec 18, 2023

In this last season of my life I've experienced withdrawals, both mentally and physically from an acceptance addiction and a substance dependence. During this time the thing I realized is that the only way for me to get through the withdrawals and remain true to my convictions was to depend on God in a way that I haven't ever really experienced before. Both of my withdrawals from addiction were rooted in dopamine - I wanted to feel good - but it lead to a life of bondage and serving two masters (which isn't possible).

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S4E4 - Grace Wins Dec 11, 2023

"Grace" is a word that has lost a lot of its power due to culture, overuse and not fully experiencing it. Grace is one of the most powerful forces in all the universe and when you taste of it, it will impact your life and cause drastic change. I'm joined today with Julie Wood, of the Just Initiative, a non profit that helps people in the Tampa Bay area find a pathway out of poverty. She has both received and given grace countless times and shares with us about those experiences.

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S4E3 - The Misunderstanding of "Holiness" Dec 04, 2023

“Be holy, as I am holy,” is a verse that still triggers me deeply. This verse was used as a weapon, to place a heavy burden on people, shaming them and in essence saying, “you need to do better.” I wanted to have this conversation today because I know deep down that the way I understood “holiness” from my church upbringing wasn’t the real definition of what Jesus meant when he invited us to be like Him (aka “holy”). I left this conversation feeling inspired and hungry to truly be holy. I hope you find the same.

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S4E2 - Madly In Love With You Nov 27, 2023

Religion has hijacked the image of God and made Him out to be a distant and angry being. The life and teachings of Jesus show us the complete opposite- God is not mad at you. He is madly in love with you. If you feel like a failure, a reject or overlooked, this episode is for you.

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S4E1 - My Confession Nov 20, 2023

During the summer, God dramatically interrupted my path. He broke into my world, removed scales from my eyes, and showered me with his love and grace. In this episode, I talk about what transpired, and how it has impact it my life. It always amazes me how I can end up in places of deception and not even realize it. In God‘s kindness and grace, he remains faithful, and always finds a way to call me back to the purity of knowing him. If you feel like you’ve lost the reality and impact of the truth of God’s amazing love, this episode is for you. Nothing can separate us!

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S3E12 - Revisiting "Yourself" Aug 28, 2023

For the last episode of this season, we are taking a look at revisiting “yourself.” We’ve spent the last 12 weeks looking a many aspects of Christian basics and I wanted to end the season talking about our relationship with ourself. I’ve learned that my identity is a crucial part of how I move through the world and how relate to God. This week, I decided to not have a guest and share part of my journey with you as I have been revisiting myself.

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S3E11 - Revisiting "Worship" Aug 21, 2023

What is true worship? For most of us who grew up in the church, when we think about worship, we think about a song service. For some that looks like a few hymns and others, it’s a big production with lights, smoke and polished modern melodies. While this is a form of worship, I don’t think this how Jesus or any of the church fathers thought about true worship. In this episode, Daniel Dodd and I have a conversation about how the idea of worship was handed down to us in our own traditions and how God has expanded our understanding the meaning of worship.

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S3E10 - Revisiting "The Devil" Aug 14, 2023

The devil played a very large role in my Christian upbringing. So much so, that I found myself fearing him more than looking to God. The devil became so big in my mind that I was constantly looking for him in every detail of life, which turned into a pseudo-obsession. On today’s episode, my guest and I go deep into some of the history and cultural influences of the devil, as found in the Bible and church history.

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S3E9 - Revisiting "Spiritual Warfare" Aug 07, 2023

Spiritual warfare is a polarized topic in the church. Some of the church denies that the spirit realm is a real thing, while the other side of the church takes it way too far and seeing the devil under every rock. In this episode, my friend, Ashely and I talk about the two sides of the coin and process our own upbringings to discover what we believe is a healthy and balanced view of spiritual warfare.

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S3E8 - Revisiting "Repentance" Jul 31, 2023

Repentance is a beautiful gift, but for many people raised in the church it developed a negative and shaming outcome. Repentance is the simple acknowledgment, “I was going the wrong way,” and then making the change of course. Where this falls short is when someone over-analyzes their life with what is “right” and “wrong” and then beats themself up over making the “wrong” decision. This is not repentance. The key element of true and effective repentance is communion with God, where who He is begins to rub off on you. When you experience Him, something shifts within that causes you to want to be more like Him.

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S3E7 - Revisiting "Prayer" Jul 24, 2023

Prayer is something that is built into the Christian life and has been pivotal in my spiritual development and health. For some, prayer was stressful, frustrating and shaming. In this episode, my guest and I talk about the essence of prayer and how it’s so simple and can lead to life that is full of wisdom, communion and peace. If you’ve had a hard time with prayer, have a listen with an open heart and engage God with us. I must confess, after we recorded this episode, all I wanted to do was pray! :D

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S3E6 - Revisiting "Heaven & Hell" Jul 17, 2023

Heaven and hell and the afterlife is a very complex topic. The reason being that the Bible makes certain things clear but the majority of scripture around this topic is highly subjective and left open to interpretation. Our conversation today is not a debate about opinions but rather an exploration around the importance of this life here and now. Heaven and hell have been used to manipulate, demonize and attack people and our hope is to revisit this topic to provide clarity and grace.

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S3E5 - Revisiting "The Gospel" Jul 10, 2023

The “gospel” is a term commonly used in Christianity, but it can mean many different things depending on the church denomination you’re associated with. In addition, the Bible itself doesn’t clearly define the gospel. It is commonly said that Jesus went about healing many and preaching the good news (gospel), but it doesn’t tell us exactly what that meant. If you were raised in the church and didn’t have a clear understanding of what the gospel is, this episode will help you get to the heart of the message.

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S3E4 - Revisiting "Being Born Again" Jul 03, 2023

In many Christian circles, the term, “born again,” has come to mean a certain type of Christian. Basically, asking the question, “do they believe what I believe?” This has removed the actual underlying message was communicating to Nicodemus, which was that there is a spiritual awakening that occurs where the scales of our spiritual eyes fall off. If you were raised as a “born again” Christian, this message may help you redeem that phrase and gain greater understanding of what it really means.

Ken's Ministry: Revealed Ministires

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S3E3 - Revisiting "God's Voice" Jun 26, 2023

This week, we go back and revisit the idea of “God’s voice.” This topic can carry a lot of frustration and confusion for those who were raised in the church. For some, it was the pressure to always know what God was saying and for others it was the silence that caused them to feel like a shit-Christian. Wherever you find yourself today, this conversation addresses many of the issues and challenges that comes along with trying to hear God’s voice. If you’ve ever felt like you’re the only one that doesn’t hear God, this episode will make you feel right at home with others who have felt the same way.

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S3E2 - Revisiting "Sin" Jun 19, 2023

This week we are taking a look at “sin.” Sin is a loaded term, that is typically found exclusively in Christianity. While it’s obvious ever human has sinned, the way most of us were taught by the church about sin, was laced with fear and shame. Some people even develop an obsession about not sinning, so much to the point that it has a negative effect on their mental health. In this conversation we talk about how sin has been dealt with - defeated. It no longer holds any power and we are in fact now the righteousness of God. Have a listen and consider that maybe you’re not a horrible sinner at your core, but rather the rightness of who God is.

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S3E1 - Revisiting "Righteousness" Jun 12, 2023

This season we are revisitin many of the Christian basics. For most of us, these basic ideas within our faith were taught to us through the lens of fear and not love. Today, we taking a look at “righteousness,” a term that typically carries guilt, shame and condemnation. I’m joined by Danny Lybarger, a pastor of the Well Church and host of "The Deconstruction Zone" podcast. We explore how “righteousness” was taught to us in our Christian upbringing and how we’ve understood it better through love and grace.

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S2E16 - The Least of These Apr 24, 2023

Jesus said that the greatest in the Kingdom are the “lease of these.” Today, I’m joined with Mike Woods, the CEO of the Dream Center in Indianapolis, IN. We talk about how so much of the life and teachings of Jesus centered around caring for those who are in need and in the trenches of society.

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S2E15 - "Silenced In Eden" - Walking Away From Christianity Apr 17, 2023

It’s important that those of us who still claim faith in Jesus listen to the stories of those who have left Christianity. All too often when someone leaves the faith, Christians quickly write them off as “being blinded by Satan.” This judgement doesn’t allow for conversation and to really listen and understand why some people leave Christianity. Jo Loyd Johnson, joins me today to talk about her journey out of Christianity, which she documents in her new book, “Silenced In Eden.” I invite you to listen with open arms, compassionate ears and a soft heart.

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S2E14 - The Weight of "Calling" Apr 10, 2023

I was raised in a culture that taught me that God had a calling on my life. Now, while that is true in one sense, the way it was taught to me was that God was going to use me to do earth-shattering feats, such as take over Hollywood or evangelize Europe. Like many of you, life went on and as I entered my 20’s and 30’s, I started to realize that my life was a lot more “normal” than I expected. I felt discouraged, blamed myself and felt as if God had tricked me. Since then, I’ve done a lot of processing and have now redefined what my “calling” means. I’m joined by Eric Hyde, a licensed therapist, who was also raised in the same stream of Christianity that I was. He brings a unique understanding between what is meant by “calling” vs. “meaning."

Follow Eric's blog: https://ehyde.wordpress.com/

Learn more about Orthodoxy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blNhjfac5FM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUzgrIahs6w

The Orthodox Way & The Orthodox Church (both by Timothy Ware)

Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy (by Andrew Stephen Damick)

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S2E13 - Christian Guilt Apr 03, 2023

There’s a strange phenomenon that I’ve observed in Christian culture. On one hand it’s preached that Jesus has saved us from sin, guilt and shame and on the other hand, the church teaches us to feel guilty and shameful through much of its practice and theology. I’ve lived most of my life with a chronic sense of guilt, that was at times, debilitating. The more I’ve talked to others about this, I’ve come to realize it’s something much bigger than me. As Ashley puts it in this episode, we sell people God wrapped in a New Testament (grace, love, acceptance, etc.) understanding but then deliver them the God of the Old (angry, vengeful, judgmental, etc.). In this episode we tackle this contradiction and talk about the reality of who God is.

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S2E12 The Failed Pastor - Falling Into Grace Mar 27, 2023

We all fail and when we do, we feel like we deserve punishment and judgement, but in God’s Kingdom it’s just the opposite. Today, I’m joined with Daniel Dodd, who was a successful pastor that had a major moral failure, costing him his job, his spiritual community and his pride. Although he was shunned by his church, he was surprised at what he found in God. Instead of harsh judgement and disappointment, he fell into loving, forgiving and accepting arms. Just like my story, Daniel was surprised at the response he experienced in God. His story is raw, honest and full of grace.

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S2E11 - Grief & Sorrow Mar 25, 2023

Every human experiences grief and sorrow. It’s simply a part of life. Jesus himself was called a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. He knows what it is to grieve loss, to be betrayed and to cry out to the Father in agony and anxiety. I think the church has forgotten about this part of Jesus’ life. Yes, he conquered death and the grave and is seated at the right hand of the Father, but he is also the lowly servant, who was mistreated, spat upon and sweat drops of blood in the garden. I think the church has done a disservice by overlooking these parts of Christ. Many church-goers have learned how to deny their emotions, rather than experience them. There seems to be a pressure to always have a smiley face on in church, otherwise you can be perceived as not being a “good Christian.” My friend, George Wood joins me again to talk about his grief and sorrow and how God found him in the midst of it all.

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S2E10 - Let's Talk About Sex with Shannon Ethridge Mar 13, 2023

Let’s talk about sex! For me sex was associated with sin and shame. Being raised in the Evangelical church, I was taught to fear sex and anything related to it. That fundamental teaching was extremely damaging for me, both sexually, spiritually and mentally. In this episode, I’m joined with Shannon Ethridge, a Christian sexologist, sex coach and author, to dive deep into some uncomfortable conversations around sex. This conversation was enlightening and challenging for me.

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S2E9 - Jesus, Politics & Cultural Wars, with Tim Whitaker Mar 06, 2023

Politics is a conversation I tend to stay far away from. I don’t like conversations that center around two polar opposite viewpoints, where the one side demonizes the other. And, if you’ve been alive for the last few years, you know the political climate in the United States has been very, very heated. Not only that but a strange phenomenon has crept into many evangelical churches in the expression of Christian Nationalism. This is not only dangerous but it also taints the very name of the one we proclaim. In this episode, I’m joined by Tim Whitaker, a podcaster and advocate for church reform. His podcast, “The New Evangelicals,” focuses heavily on the current state of the church, with the hopes to expand our understanding of where things went off course and the hope to return to our first love.

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S2E8 The Greatest Among Us Feb 27, 2023

What if what Jesus said was true, that the greatest among us are the least of these? This episode we talk about people with disabilities. They are some of the most forgotten and marginalized group of people on the planet and they are here to teach us something. Both my guest, Mary Tutterow, and I have children with cognitive and physical disabilities and they have been the most effective people to teach us the secrets of the Kingdom of God. This episode is very special for me, as I have not talked about my daughter, Canaan, in many, many years.

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S2E7 "Yes, Jesus Loves Me: The Addict" Feb 20, 2023

Addiction has become sorta an expectation in our society. Most of us have dealt with addiction on one level or another. Many are secretly hiding their addictions, out of fear of judgement and shame. On today’s show I sit down with my guest, who was on staff at a church and hiding his addiction to alcohol. While he was a Christian for most of his life, it wasn’t until his addiction got out of control that he fully understand and experienced the grace of God. The churches obsession with preaching against sin, has lead many in the church to hide in shame and not feel safe or comfortable to come clean and ask for help.

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S2E6 Deconstruction: Losing or Finding Faith? Feb 13, 2023

The deconstruction movement has swept through American Christianity for the last few years, leaving very polarized opinions of what it is and its credibility. I myself have not been a part of that movement, not because I don’t affirm it, but because I haven’t had that experience. I never had a moment of “deconstruction.” For me, most of my Christian walk has been asking the tough questions and readjusting my beliefs based on my experiences, knowledge of scripture and new information I’ve acquired. But for many, there was a moment of realizing that they may not agree or believe everything they’ve been taught in American Christianity. This movement has had the boldness to address some major inconsistencies in the church and have had the courage to question why they believe what they believe. For some, deconstruction has lead them to greater faith in Jesus and for others it’s lead to the decision that they do not believe in Him. Wherever you find yourself, this episode will address each component of this process.

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S2E5 LGBTQ Christians, Side A (Affirming) Feb 06, 2023

LGBTQ Christians. This is a huge topic within the Christian faith. Traditionally, churches have done a very poor job at understanding how to navigate this topic. Last week we discussed "side b" Christians, who do not deny their LGBTQ identity, but still hold the traditional Christian sexual ethic (sex between a man and woman in marriage). This week, we dive into "side a," which fully embraces same-sex attraction and affirms LGBTQ romantic relationships. This topic is highly sensitive and has left a lot of separation in the church. I'm joined with Michael Robison, a prominent, evangelical, mega-church pastor, who after 20 years of marriage, came out to his wife. They peacefully divorced and Michael is now re-married to a man.

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S2E4 LGBTQ Christians, Side B (Non-affirming) Jan 30, 2023

LGBTQ Christians. This is a huge topic within the Christian faith. Traditionally, churches have done a very poor job at understanding how to navigate this topic. In this episode, it is my desire to bring greater understanding and awareness around this topic. If you’re someone who is queer, on any level, and you’ve never felt comfortable or welcomed to be honest about your sexuality, I pray this conversation brings hope and peace to your soul. And for the listeners that are straight and don’t understand this world, my hope is that you will approach this topic with respect and open-mindedness, so that you can become a safe person for those in your life who are working through this part of their life.

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S2E3 Weaponizing the Bible with Dr. Lamp Jan 23, 2023

The Bible. The most sold book in the world, is intended to be the story of God and humanity, but many times it has been used to devalue, manipulate and dehumanize people. Unfortunately, this abusive approach to the Bible has been a large part of my Christian experience. For many years, I had a very strong shame filter, as I read the Bible because of how others had presented it and used it against me. I’m joined by Dr. Lamp, a professor of the New Testament at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He brings an incredible perspective to this sensitive and heated topic. If you’ve ever felt like the Bible was used against you, I think this episode will resonate with you and hopefully provide some level of healing.

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S2E2 Emotional Hell(th) with Justin Stumvoll Jan 16, 2023

Although I was raised in the church, most of my young life was lived in a mental hell and although the people in my church were trying to be helpful, all they had to offer was over-spiritualized solutions, which didn’t help much, if any. In this episode I’m joined with Justin Stumvoll, who has a similar experience to mine. He shares about the emotional hell he grew up in and how he found ways to cope and eventually began to heal. He and his wife, host a podcast called, “The Connect Life,” where they talk about the messy things of life. They also work full-time as life consultants, helping others work through the messy parts of life to find relief, freedom and hope.

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S2E1 Red Letter Christians with Shane Claiborne Jan 09, 2023

What if we lived as if Jesus meant the things He said? That’s the question that Shane Claiborne has been asking for over 20 years. Shane is a prominent speaker, activist, and best-selling author. Shane worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, and founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia. He heads up Red Letter Christians, a movement of folks who are committed to living "as if Jesus meant the things he said." Shane is a champion for grace which has led him to jail advocating for the homeless, and to places like Iraq and Afghanistan to stand against war. Now grace fuels his passion to end the death penalty and help stop gun violence.

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S1E12 - Eat, Drink & Be Merry Nov 21, 2022

Where is God in the midst of the absurdity of life? Every one of us have experienced loss, hurt, pain and injustice and at times, it is difficult to reconcile those events in our life with the goodness of God. I know I’ve been there many times and fought my way through the confusion with frustration, anger and hurt. We’re joined today by my friend, Eric Hyde, who is a licensed therapist in the state of Oklahoma and practicing Orthodox Christian. We take a look at the book of Job and Ecclesiastes to try and make sense of these complex questions. While there aren't any straight-forward answers, there are a few conclusions we can make from these overlooked books of the Bible.

Follow Eric's blog: https://ehyde.wordpress.com/

Learn more about Orthodoxy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blNhjfac5FM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUzgrIahs6w

The Orthodox Way & The Orthodox Church (both by Timothy Ware)

Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy (by Andrew Stephen Damick)

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S1E12 - BONUS, Season 1 Recap Nov 21, 2022

It has been an incredible journey growing, learning and engaging in these conversation the last 12 weeks. We will be taking a break from now until January 9, 2023, when season 2 will launch. I’m already in pre-production and production for the second season and look forward to diving into some more touchy topics and hearing stories of grace. A few topics we’ll be talking about next season include: raising Children in the faith, revival culture, LGBTQ issues, porn and some popular Christian phrases, such as “to be in the world but not of the world.” If you have any suggestions that you would love to hear discussed, please reach out to me by emailing me at joey@joeytalks.com.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for listening and supporting this first season. I am excited for the future of the podcast and offering ways for us to connect in community.

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S1E11 - Secret Sins Nov 14, 2022

All of us have secrets we wish weren’t true. Things in our lives that we don’t like or with we didn’t feel, but we do. When in that position, shame can easily find its way into our hearts, with tempts us to hide and hiding leads to mental distress. While the church is intended to be the safest place to talk about the shameful parts of ourselves, all too often people don’t feel free to be honest. In this episode, I talk with my friend Brit, who held many secrets from herself and others for years. Certain aspects of herself that she didn’t like - having an affair, living with an eating disorder for over a decade and withholding the fact that she is attracted to both genders. When life caught up to her, she was placed in a position to come clean, and she did. The reward and freedom she experienced far outweighed the darkness of concealing her secrets. Her story is one of courage and honesty and I believe her sharing the truth of her life will invite you into the same.

Connect with Brit: https://www.briteaton.com/

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S1E10 - When God Isn't Enough Nov 07, 2022

If you've been around Christian culture for any length of time, I'm sure you've experienced moments where you were going through something difficult and you were met with the cheap answer, "God's got this" or "just trust God." While people are well-intended with those statements, they don't actually invite us into deeper connection and the ability to bear with one another. Those type of simplistic answers can actually lead people into more confusion, frustration and shame. Aside from that, it has the potential to really distort the nature and character of God. In this episode, I’m joined with my friend, George Wood, once again, as he speaks from an authentic and raw way about he understands God being enough… or not.

Learn more about George: https://www.georgeawood.com/

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S1E9 - Church Family vs. Church Cult Oct 31, 2022

Unfortunately, much of church culture in our country has produced a dictator-type leadership structure, which as lead to a lot of control, manipulation, fear and abuse. In this episode we go a little deeper than simply church hurt, but instead we address entire systems that have been established that are in their nature abusive. I’m joined by my friend, Caleb Hyers to discuss some of the signs of a cult-like church. This was an interesting conversation considering Caleb has been on receiving end of being accused of being “cult-like” and I’m on the other end of the spectrum, feeling like I was affected by controlling and domineering churches. If you’ve experienced spiritual abuse, it’s important that you process the pain, injustice and hurt. Find a safe person that loves you and freely share your pain, anger and tears. That’s healthy.

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S1E8 - Twisted Masculinity Oct 24, 2022

What does it mean to be a man, and a Christian man at that? This week I talk to my good friend, Ron Cecil, who is a masculinity coach about our journey into manhood growing up in the church. We hit on some of the core values of what it means to truly be a man. I had no idea where this conversation would go and was pleasantly surprised at how freeing and clarifying this conversation was for me. Regardless of your gender, I believe this conversation will help you understand yourself and the men in your life a little better.

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Produced by Joey Papa Media.

S1E7 - From Christian to Agnostic-Atheist Oct 17, 2022

How do you relate to a friend or loved one who walked with you in your faith and has decided to leave it? While this podcast is not about deconstruction, my friend Tim, is a prime example of someone who was the poster-child Christian, who has deconstructed, years ago, and is now an agnostic-atheist. The funny thing is, my love and friendship with Tim has not changed at all! His thoughts, his process and his conclusions are fascinating and I think you will be challenged and encouraged by our conversation.

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Produced by Joey Papa Media.

S1E6 - Toxic Sexuality with Shannon Ethridge Oct 10, 2022

Sexuality in Christian culture is typically overly condemned or hidden, to the point of moral failure. In this episode, I talk with Shannon Ethridge, a Christian sexologist, who was a forerunner in the purity culture movement and has since reflected on some of the teachings and has adjusted her approach to leading a life that is healthy, when it comes to sex and sexual expression. If you’ve carried shame and guilt over all-things related to sex, this episode will speak directly to your heart. It’s raw, honest and at its very core, liberating.

Learn more about Shannon here.

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Produced by Joey Papa Media.

S1E5 Casting Out Mental Illness Oct 03, 2022

For most of my life, I've dealt with major depression and what I learned early on in my church upbringing is that it was all my fault. I wasn't praying enough, fasting enough, trusting God enough... and that type of belief lead to a life of increased anxiety, a misconception of who God is and a very poor self-image. While there is a component of mental health that is spiritual, it is not the result of a lack of faith. In this episode, we talk about some of the toxic beliefs, both Bri and I were raised in, regarding mental illness and how God has revealed Himself to us as our ever present help in the time of trouble.

Brianna (Bri) Campos, LPC, is a licensed mental health counselor based in New Jersey. As a body image educator and the founder of Body Image With Bri, she’s passionate about all-things body image and practices through the lenses of Health at Every Size® and Intuitive Eating. Utilizing a weight-inclusive approach, she combines her clinical skills and lived experience to teach others how to maneuver through their own unique body image journeys.

Follow her on Instagram: @bodyimagewithbri and visit her online.

Support the podcast and become a patreon.

Produced by Joey Papa Media.

S1E4 The Suicidal Christian Sep 26, 2022

Suicidal ideation is something commonly experienced by people in the church, but is either rarely talked about or is met with over-spiritualization, causing more harm than good. I'm joined today with my friend, David Waldy, as we talk about our own experiences with suicide and how our Christian upbringing influenced some of our very negative self-perception. There's a huge stigma around suicide culturally, but even more so within the church. My hope is that this episode will help to dispel som of the sting associated with the topic and provide relief and comfort for those suffering.

If you are contemplating harming yourself, please call 988, no matter where you live in the United States. People are waiting to help you.

Contact David:

http://www.davidwaldy.com/

https://www.tiktok.com/@davidwaldy/

https://www.youtube.com/c/davidwaldy

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Produced by Joey Papa Media.

S1E3 God Hates Divorce... Or Does He? Sep 19, 2022

"God hates divorce." This is what I was told my entire life. Yes, it's in the Bible and yes, Jesus said things that would support this idea... yet, I am divorced and so is my guest. So what do we do with ourselves now? I'm joined by my church leader, Caleb Hyers, to talk about how to reconcile the fact that the Bible doesn't permit divorce (in most cases) and yet we are. This is a conversation I've been wanting to have with him for quite some time and I decided to do it publicly! If you've found yourself asking some of these questions, you're in good company.

Connect with Caleb.

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Produced by Joey Papa Media.

S1E2 Sex, Drugs & Jesus Sep 12, 2022

I'm joined with my friend, George Wood, to talk about his upbringing, which involved abuse, drugs, alcholism, multiple suicide attempts and sex addiction. He had an encounter with God that transformed his life, but then had to learn the ways of the church. Through lots of ups and downs, he has found a home, with a community of like-minded brothers. He is now a trauma consultant, speaker, author and a coach. He spends his days running multiple homes for guys who've flunked out of rehab.

Learn more about George: https://www.georgeawood.com/

Support the podcast and become a patreon.

Produced by Joey Papa Media.

S1E1 - Purity, Prostitution & Pastor Sep 05, 2022

Welcome to the first episode of "The Failed Christian." In this episode I am joined by my friend, Ashley Lagos. She was raised in purity culture, turned to prostitution and is now serving as one of the lead pastors of XII Church. If you were a part of purity culture in the mid to late 90's, I think you resonate with a lot of our conversation. Unfortunately, purity culture did a lot more damage to our understanding and relationship with sex, than it did good. We explore the in's and out's of purity culture, how it lead to a dysfunctional understanding of sex and sexual desire, and how in the midst of working that out, God finds us, loves us and leads us to a better understanding of His grace.

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Visit XII Church at: https://www.xii.church/

Produced by Joey Papa Media.

S1E1.5 First Things First (Bonus) Sep 05, 2022

In this bonus episode, I talk about the purpose and intention behind the podcast. I know the title can be confusing and even misleading, so I take a few minutes to talk about my heart, my experience and my hopes for this community. I’d encourage you to listen to the other bonus episode, episode 1.9 after this one, as I really goes into greater depth of how I see Christianity, myself and the work I’m doing.

Don't forget to rate and review :)

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Produced by Joey Papa Media.

S1E1.9 Christianity - The New Judaism (Bonus) Sep 05, 2022

In this bonus episode, I explore what I mean by being a “failed Christian.” For most of my adult life, I have recognized how parallel many of the teachings, culture and expectations of Judaism in Jesus’ day, are with modern Christian culture. The religious system in Jesus’ life was his biggest mortal enemy. It was that system that constantly accused him, attempted to trip him up and eventually connived to have him executed. As you’ll hear, I believe much of modern Christian culture is keeping people from a dynamic and loving relationship with the Father, just as much as the historical religious system in Jesus’ day.

Don't forget to rate and review :)

Support the podcast and become a patreon.

Produced by Joey Papa Media.