Unpacked with Skyler

Thriving in Babylon (What God is doing in the secular Northwest)

In this episode Skyler interviews pastor Nolan Tjaden on the amazing story of what God is doing at Rise City Church in the secular area of Oregon. Nolan does not have your traditional ministry journey, and yet after feeling very strongly that God was calling him into ministry he responded and has experienced God work in powerful ways. In this episode Nolan shares his story and lessons he has learned along the way leading in the church. Nolan is currently on staff as the Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Rise City Church. LinksRise City ChurchParent PodcastIntentional things Rise City Church did to thrive in Babylon (ie, Oregon)Build a church on a theology of mission.Empowered all Christians to do ministry (not just pastors)Look for average people to lead, not just professional.Embraced the hustle: work hard, don't be lazy.

Unpacking loneliness and depression with Dr. Gary Zustiak

In this episode Skyler interviews Dr. Gary Zustiak (Dr. Zus) on the growing issues loneliness and depression. Dr. Zus holds a DMin from Abilene Christian University and is the head of the Psychology and Counseling program at Ozark Christian College. He has been regarded as a longtime expert on youth ministry and mental health, and he has written a number of related works, including the books Intensive Care: A Manual for the Nonprofessional Who Work with Hurting and Broken Youth and Student Ministry That Leaves a Mark: Changing Youth to Change the World.LinksGary ZustiakJean Twenge: iGen Nicholas Kardaras: Glow Kids The Coddling of the American Mind National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 Notes:How to recognize it before it becomes a problem:Know yourself and monitoring your emotional pulse. Ask questions like: "How often do you feel hopeless? How often do you feel that you have lost interest in the things that used to bring you joy or purpose? How often do you feel overwhelmed? etc.Do not isolate yourself or deny the problem hoping it will go away. Ask for help.Steps to manage depression: 1. Be intentional about rebuilding connectionsDo things you’ve never done before.Like having virtual hangouts with friends or family.2. Follow a normal routine.Get up and go to bed at similar times every day.Organize your day.Keep up with personal hygiene.Eat healthy meals at regular times.Exercise regularly.Allocate time for working and time for resting.Make time for doing things you enjoy.The more you structure your day, the more your brain will calm down.3. Make a list of things you can control.Surrender what you can’t.Write down things you actually have choices with.Minimize newsfeeds. Try to reduce how much you watch, read or listen to news that makes you feel anxious or distressed. Seek the latest information at specific times of the day, once or twice a day if needed.4. Practice mindfulness.Take every thought captive.Don’t give in to thoughts of panic, process your thoughts.Increase all the spiritual practices you do.5. Reach out to loved ones in your life whom you can talk to.6. Don’t hesitate to seek professional help.God never intended for us to face our problems alone.How to help if someone battling depressionIf you believe someone is struggling with depression reach out to them. Let them know you care.Treat people how they want to be treated. Respect their wishes.Listen non-judgmentally.Give support and reassurance.Encourage professional help if needed.Encourage self-help organizations like Celebrate Recovery.

Unpacking difficult Bible passages with Scott Womble

In this episode Skyler interviews Dr. Scott Womble on why the Bible is so difficult and hard to understand. Scott is the Vice President of Academics & Professor of Bible & Ministry at Saint Louis Christian College where he has been teaching Bible interpretation for over 20 years. In this episode Scott shares with us why the Bible is not nearly as difficult as we make it and a few tricks of the trade to interpreting the Bible well.LinksScott WombleDouble Slit experience Entanglement How to Read the Bible for all it's Worth (Beginners)Grasping God's Word (Advanced)Notes:Why the Bible important?It is the basis for life and faith in Christ. It shows us the Story of Salvation. It explains what God's will is for your life.Is the Bible hard to understand?It is easier to understand than we think.It is hard when ignore its literary context.Read the Bible like you would a newspaper. Different sections require different rules of interpretations (headlines, comics, advertisements, obituaries, etc.). The Bible is a large book with different literary genres (narrative, law, prophetic, poetic, etc.). The Central Message of the BibleGod created everything.God revealed himself (the Bible).There's a Sin problem (God is holy and humans are sinful).God's love overcame the Sin problem (Jesus came to die for sin and was resurrected).Follow Jesus and live in eternity with God.Dos and Don'ts for Reading the BibleLearn the context of the passage (Context is king): Layers of context:Immediate: the paragraphSurrounding: several chaptersThe book: what is the book about the Bible: what is the message of the bibleChristian: Read bigger portions of Scripture (e.g., read the New Testament in a Month)Non-Christian: Start by reading the Gospel of John.

Bonus: The Biblical Answer to Racism with Shane Wood

In this episode Skyler interviews Dr. Shane Wood on the issue of racism from Shane's book Between Two Trees. Shane is a New Testament scholar who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh and currently resides in Joplin, MO where he is Professor of New Testament Studies and the Associate Academic Dean at Ozark Christian College. As a biracial family, Shane has had to wrestle with the troubling problem that plagues our country today.Shane WoodOzark Christian CollegeBetween Two Trees BookBetween Two Trees Class (free)

Leading into the unknown with Devin Robertson

In this episode Skyler interviews Devin Robertson about lessons learned while being a young leader. Devin is the lead pastor at the Cornerstone Christian Church in Jackson, MI and has had to navigate through many unknown seasons as a leader. In Devin shares his perspective  interview we talk about what makes Jesus unique, what hangs people up, and how to help skeptics on their journey toward faith.Concerns and Excitement about the post-pandemic seasonReengaging with safety while focusing more spiritually than physically (how do we balance between operating in fear and operating wisely)Church is viewed with greater importance. Leadership lessonsMission drives everythingSuccessful leaders have a variety of people around them It only hurt the organization when you cast doubt on those leading in chair one (Chair one is harder than you think).God will often use you disproportionally to who youA Few Tips to staying healthyPlay as hard as you work.Listen to the core voices around you (not the distant voices). Remember God always uses broken people to lead broken people. Read Leadership Pain by Samuel Chand.Call someone more seasoned than you.Links:Devin RobertsonCornerstone Christian ChurchLeadership Pain, by Samuel Chand

Unpacking the problem of Jesus with Mark Clark

In this episode Skyler interviews Mark Clark on the problem of Jesus. Mark is the lead pastor at the Village Church in Vancouver Canada and author of the book The Problem of God. Mark is passionate about reaching people for Jesus and helping skeptics find answer to their questions. In this interview we talk about what makes Jesus unique, what hangs people up, and how to help skeptics on their journey toward faith.What makes Jesus UniqueHe claimed to be God in a way a first century Jew would understand.He claimed to be the only way to the FatherHe claimed to accomplish what humans could never do for themselves (ie. Pay for their own sins).What are the common hangups for post-Christian peopleReliability of JesusSexualityExclusivity Errors and contradictionsNot wanting to be narrowed into one belief systemHypocritical How can people encourage skeptics toward belief Bridge the gap between faith and scienceEncourage people to read through the Gospels.Start with Jesus identity statement, then look at the evidence for the resurrection. Belief probably won’t happen over night, it’s a process.Links:The Village ChurchMark ClarkThe Problem of GodThe Problem of JesusMost influential books for Mark on Jesus (outside of the Bible)N.T Wright, Jesus and the victory of God; John P Meier; The Marginal Jew Vol. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

Unpacking the problem of evil and suffering with Mike Gunderson

In this episode Skyler interviews Mike Gunderson on the problem of evil and suffering and the challenges it presents to us. Mike is the lead pastor at Oak Park Christian Church and is someone who has known first hand what it feels like to suffer. In this episode Mike shares with us his unique perspective on dealing with evil and suffering and why it is not the greatest issue we should be wrestling with. Links:Mike GundersonRoom For DoubtNotes:Why Believe God is Good in the Face of Suffering  Three options to the problem of suffering:There is no God and life is what it is (no purpose, meaning, or hope).There is a God, but he's not good.There is a God and he is good.The bigger problem is not the problem of evil, but the problem of good.Why is there so much good in the world?For something to be bad, good must exist. Why don't more bad things happen?How to safeguard your faith from suffering:Expect suffering.Realize that God has a grader purpose to life (we do not fully understand it now).Use difficulty as a time to depend on God's grace.How to have a conversations with someone suffering:See it as a challenge to do more good for people and the world.Be merciful to those who are doubting because of suffering (this was Jesus strategy and James instruction)Remember that doubt is not the opposite of faith, unbelief is.

Unpacking doubts about the Bible with Richard Knopp

In this episode Skyler interviews Richard Knopp on the topic of doubt, younger generation walking away from the church, and Biblical illiteracy. Rich is the professor of Philosophy and Apologetics at Lincoln Christian University, as well as the director of Room for Doubt. Rich has first hand experience with the questions people are asking and life changing wisdom to help navigate a doubting generation.