Episodes

Pastors are carrying more emotional and spiritual weight than most congregations realize—and many churches still treat counseling and discipleship as if they’re separate worlds. In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Dr. Steve Stuhlreyer (Professor of Counselor Education at Columbia International University , former lead pastor) to talk about what it looks like when the church becomes a place of healing, relational care, and wise referral . Steve expla...

Why do so many Christians feel like they’re “bad at prayer”? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer sits down with Addison Bevere (President of Messenger International ) to talk about prayer as presence, not performance —and why shame and distraction keep God’s people from the intimacy they were made for. Addison shares the origin story behind RediscoverPrayer.com and a pivotal conversation with his dad that reshaped his view of prayer: “I pray for about 15 minutes...

Is discipleship mainly about trying harder—or is it something God does in us? In this short, focused segment on the Thinking Christian Podcast , Roger Ross explains why the Holy Spirit is the prime mover in the entire work of Christian discipleship. If spiritual growth becomes merely human effort, Roger argues, we’ve missed the point of how God actually transforms people. Using growth as a concrete example, Roger describes how the Holy Spirit opens our minds and hearts to what God wants to teach...

What happens when God confronts the “two lives” we’re living—and calls us out of the background and into honest testimony? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , Dr. James Spencer is joined by Nick Sash (a longtime friend and the host of the Foundational Fathers Podcast ) to talk about Nick’s new book, Unmuted: From Silence to Testimony , and the story behind it. Nick shares how years of hiding, silence, and “keep your emotions in check” masculinity gave way to a defining moment: Go...

How do Christian parents raise kids with wisdom in a culture shaped by pornography, confusion about gender, and broken ideas about relationships—without living in “hair-on-fire” panic? In this episode of the Thinking Christian Podcast , James Spencer sits down with Lori Krieg , co-author (with Matt Krieg) of Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World (IVP) and Director of Parent Programs & Discipleship at the Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender . Lori explains why so many Christian families...