Shifting Culture

What comes to mind when you hear “Holy Spirit”? For some of us, it’s confusion, baggage, or maybe just silence. We’ve either over-sensationalized it or under-taught it. But what if we’ve missed the depth and presence of the Spirit because we’ve skipped the beginning of the story? In this conversation, I talk with Margaret Feinberg about rediscovering the Holy Spirit - not just in Acts 2, but from the very beginning, hovering over the chaos in Genesis. Margaret invites us to see the Spirit not as some vague force that shows up only in ecstatic moments, but as a deeply personal, present, creative force that’s always been at work - in beauty, in community, in dreams, in discernment, in the ordinary and the extraordinary. We talk about how the Spirit empowers us for creativity, nudges us toward each other, and invites us to live attentive lives. We tell stories of the Spirit’s work across cultures and in everyday moments. So join us as we discover that the Holy Spirit is closer than air we breathe.Margaret Feinberg, one of America’s most beloved Bible teachers, speaks at churches and conferences and hosts the popular podcast The Joycast. Her books and Bible studies, including Taste and See and More Power to You, have sold more than one million copies and received critical acclaim and national media coverage from the Associated Press, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and more. She was named by Christianity Today as one of fifty women most shaping culture and the church today. Margaret savors life with her husband, Leif, and their superpup, Zoom.Margaret's Book:The God You Need to KnowSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Friar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Friar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

Terry Crist returns to Shifting Culture to talk about the transformative power of rest, the necessity of Sabbath, and finding true refuge in God. Terry, an experienced pastor and insightful communicator, helps us rethink productivity, loneliness, bitterness, and forgiveness, inviting us into a deeper relationship with God's perfect love. In this episode, you'll discover how to shift your approach to rest, see productivity as a natural outflow of abiding in God, and break free from cycles of striving and bitterness. Join us for a meaningful conversation that will leave you with renewed peace, purpose, and perspective.Terry Crist is the co-lead pastor of City of Grace in Phoenix alongside his wife, Judith. He has a Th.M. and a D.Min. and has a business certificate in nonprofit management from Harvard Business School. Terry is also passionate about community transformation and promotes adoption and foster care through his work in state government. An avid outdoorsman and gifted communicator, he has adventured and preached the gospel in 65 nations. Terry and Judith have three married sons and four grandchildren. They live in Arizona.Terry's Book:Now You Can Stop RunningTerry's Recommendations:Crushing ChaosA Teachable SpiritLit Up With LoveSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Friar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

In this conversation with Emanuel Prinz, we dig into his latest research, exploring what actually catalyzes movements, the kinds of leaders and teams that sustain them, and what blocks them from taking root. We’ll talk about the personal and spiritual qualities of movement catalysts, why reproducibility matters more than charisma, and how partnering with God, rather than simply following a method—is essential to see lasting fruit. Along the way, we wrestle with questions of multiplication, DNA, and the risks of bottleneck leadership. If you care about genuine spiritual movement, if you want to see communities transformed and leaders multiplied, not just in theory but in practice, you won’t want to miss this episode. So join us because this conversation is packed with wisdom and hard-won insight for anyone longing to shift culture in meaningful ways.DR. EMANUEL PRINZ has partnered with God to start a movement in North Africa and speaks from personal experience. He has researched kingdom Christian movements across the globe for fifteen years. Currently, he serves ministries worldwide as an expert movement consultant, coach, trainer, and researcher, facilitating their progression toward movements. Through his Exponential Disciple-Making and MOVES Coaching trainings, more than 12,000 leaders in over fifty countries have been equipped. Prinz has taught at Columbia International University, the European School for Culture and Theology, and Bethany Global University. He is the author of Movement Catalysts and numerous articles in journals such as Missiology, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, Global Missiology, Journal of the Evangelical Missiological Society, Mission Frontiers, as well as in Christianity Today. Above all, he seeks to live as the Father’s beloved. He blogs at www.catalyticleadership.info.Emanuel's Book:What Actually Starts MovementsEmanuel's Recommendation:The Forgotten WaysSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Friar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

For a lot of people, Revelation is the Bible’s great mystery—full of wild images and swirling predictions, often left to collect dust or to stir up arguments about the end times. But beneath all the confusion, Revelation also speaks to something deeply human: our ache for intimacy, our struggle with loneliness, and our longing to know that God is closer than we think. Today I’m joined by Dr. Shane J. Wood - professor, theologian, and author of Thinning the Veil. Shane has spent decades steeped in Revelation, not as a codebook for the future, but as a guide for living with honesty and presence right now. His approach is all about transformation: what does it mean to let the way of Jesus reshape our identity, our relationships, and the way we move through a world that often feels disconnected? In this conversation, we dive into how loneliness touches us all, how the presence of God can feel just out of reach, and how the message of Revelation invites us to draw near—to God and to one another. We talk about the cycles of power and fear that keep us apart, and how worship and vulnerability can open the door to real, embodied intimacy. If you’ve ever wondered where God is in the middle of your isolation, or if faith can make a difference in our deepest places of longing, I invite you to listen as we peel back the layers and look for the thin places—where heaven and earth meet, and where we discover what it means to be fully known and fully loved. So join us.Shane J. Wood (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is professor of New Testament and Its Origins at Ozark Christian College. In addition to speaking at churches and conferences worldwide, Shane produces a variety of audio, video, and written resources available at shanejwood.com. He is the author of multiple books, with his most recent book entitled "Thinning the Veil: Encountering Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation" (IVP). Shane and his wife, Sara, have four children and live in southwest Missouri.Shane's Book:Thinning the VeilShane's Recommendations:My InventionsNotes From the UndergroundSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Friar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

Charisma is a word we hear all the time, but what does it really mean? Why are some leaders able to draw people in, while others push us away? I’ve been fascinated by this for years, wondering why we’re drawn to certain people, what makes us follow, and how charisma shapes our lives in ways we don’t always notice. In a culture where stories and leaders are constantly competing for our attention, understanding charisma feels more urgent than ever. That’s why I’m excited to talk with Molly Worthen. Molly is a historian and journalist whose new book, Spellbound, digs deep into the history of charisma in America. She traces how charisma has played out from the era of the Puritans and prophets, through conquerors, agitators, and experts, all the way to today’s age of gurus and influencers. Each era reveals something about what we long for—and what we risk—when we put our trust in charismatic leaders. In this episode, we explore what charisma actually is, how it both unites and divides, and how these waves of charismatic movements have shaped our culture and our faith. We’ll talk about the stories that draw us in, the identities we build, and how to stay grounded as followers of Jesus when everything around us feels like it’s shifting. If you’re trying to figure out who to trust, how to stay rooted, or just want to make sense of all the noise, this conversation is for you.Molly Worthen is a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a freelance journalist. She teaches courses on North American religion and politics, global Christianity, and the history of ideas. She writes on these themes for The New York Times and has contributed to The New Yorker, Slate, The American Prospect, Foreign Policy, and other publications. She has also created video and audio courses on the history of Christianity and the history of charismatic leadership for the Great Courses and Audible. Her previous books are Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism and The Man on Whom Nothing Was Lost: The Grand Strategy of Charles Hill.Molly's Book:SpellboundMolly's Recommendations:The SparrowChildren of GodSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Friar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

We have conversations about the culture we create and the impact we can make. With different guests each podcast episode, we have in-depth interviews into what it looks like to live in the Kingdom of God and embody Jesus in the world. We long for a more compassionate and love-oriented world to live in.Support the show

Today, I’m joined by Cara Meredith, author of the new book Church Camp. We’re digging into the ways camp shapes our faith, our friendships, and our sense of who belongs. We get real about the fun memories, but also the uncomfortable parts—who was included, who was left out, and what messages we picked up along the way. Cara and I talk about how camp can turn faith into a checklist—who’s in, who’s out, who fits and who doesn’t. But we also imagine what camp could be if it became a place of real belonging, where every kid was seen and valued, no matter their story. If you’ve ever looked back on your camp experience with mixed feelings, or wondered how those weeks shaped your view of God and yourself, you’ll find something here. This episode is about holding the good and the hard together, asking better questions, and dreaming about what’s possible. So join us as we go to camp.A sought-after speaker, writer, and public theologian, Cara Meredith is the author of Church Camp and The Color of Life. Passionate about issues of justice, race, and privilege, Cara holds a master of theology from Fuller Seminary and is a postulant for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church. With a background in education and nonprofit work, she wears more hats than she probably ought, but mostly just enjoys playing with words, a lot. Her writing has been featured in national media outlets such as The Oregonian, The New York Times, The Living Church, The Christian Century, and Baptist News Global, among others. She lives with her family in Oakland, California.Cara's Book:Church CampCara's Recommendation:Here I AmSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Friar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

In today's episode, we're exploring intimacy - a concept that's far more complex than most of us realize. My guest, Erin Moniz, has been studying how we connect, disconnect, and misunderstand relationships in our current cultural moment. We'll dig into some critical questions: What does intimacy actually mean beyond romantic relationships? How have cultural messages - both inside and outside the church - distorted our understanding of connection? And what might a more holistic approach to knowing and being known look like? Erin brings a unique perspective as a college chaplain who's counseled countless emerging adults navigating relationships. We'll discuss how technology impacts our connections, why friendships matter as much as romantic partnerships, and how the gospel offers a different framework for understanding human relationships. This isn't a prescriptive how-to conversation, but an exploration of our fundamental human need for genuine connection. We'll challenge some assumptions about singleness, marriage, and community, and hopefully provide a more nuanced view of intimacy. So join us.Rev. Erin F. Moniz (DMin, Trinity School for Ministry) is a deacon in the Anglican Church in North America and associate chaplain and director for chapel at Baylor University, where she disciples emerging adults and journeys with them toward healthy, gospel-centered relationships. She is a trained conciliator, mediator, and conflict coach. She enjoys content creation, playing music, being outdoors, and narrating the inner monologue of her two cats. She lives in Waco, Texas, with her husband, Michael.Erin's Book:Knowing and Being KnownErin's Recommendations:Becoming the Pastor's WifeThe Anti-Greed GospelHouseholds of FaithThe Marriage You WantSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Friar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

If you're like me, you probably know what it feels like to chase after a never-ending to-do list, trying to squeeze every bit of productivity out of your days, only to end up exhausted and wondering if you're missing something vital. Today's conversation might be exactly what you need. My guest is theologian and author Kelly Kapic. Kelly is a professor at Covenant College and the author of the deeply encouraging books You're Only Human and the brand-new 40-day devotional, You Were Never Meant to Do It All. Kelly reminds us today that our limitations aren't problems to overcome, they're actually a part of God's good design for us. He gently challenges our obsession with productivity, individualism, and endless hustle, calling us instead into rhythms of rest, dependence, and real community. In this episode, Kelly and I explore what it means to truly embrace our human limits as a gift rather than a burden. We talk about sleep and Sabbath as practices that help us reconnect to God’s gracious pace, how genuine community keeps us honest about our needs, and how gratitude and lament can help us live fully human lives, rich with meaning. If you’re tired of feeling like you're never quite enough, this conversation is for you. So slow down, take a deep breath, and join us as Kelly Kapic guides us into the beauty of being joyfully and authentically human.Kelly M. Kapic (PhD, King's College, University of London) is professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught since 2001. He is a popular speaker and the award-winning author or editor of more than fifteen books, including the devotional You Were Never Meant to Do It All, The God Who Gives, and the Christianity Today Book Award winners You're Only Human and Embodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering. Kapic has been featured in Christianity Today and The Gospel Coalition and has worked on research teams funded by the John Templeton Foundation. He also contributes to the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care and various other journals.Kelly's Books:You Were Never Meant to Do It AllYou're Only HumanKelly's Recommendation:WorshipSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Friar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

Today we're talking about something that impacts all of us - our calling and how we can pursue meaningful work without burning out. I'm sitting down with Arianna Molloy, author of "Healthy Calling," to unpack what it really means to live out our purpose without getting crushed by pressure and expectations. We'll explore some critical questions: What does calling really look like? How do we recognize our unique gifts? And most importantly, how can we stay passionate about our work without losing ourselves in the process? Whether you're a pastor feeling overwhelmed, a professional struggling with workplace stress, or someone trying to figure out your next career move, this conversation offers practical wisdom about finding purpose and maintaining your energy. Arianna brings incredible insights from her research and personal journey that will help you reframe how you think about work, calling, and your own potential. So join us as we discover how we can live out our calling without burning out. Arianna is a Communication professor at Biola University, where she designs and teaches Organizational Communication courses. She has also partnered with Biola’s Office of Faculty Advancement, leading the Pedagogy Development Consulting program. Her research focuses on meaningful work, work as a calling, and the link between humility and burnout, with publications in premier journals such as the International Journal of Business Communication and Communication Studies. One of her collaborations won “Article of the Year” in the Journal of Management, Spirituality, and Religion. She views her role as a professor through the lens of being a mentor who loves to learn. While she’s been honored with awards like Biola’s Provost Award for “Excellence in Teaching” and the “Faculty Excellence” award, her deepest joy comes from witnessing the transformation in her students' lives.Arianna's Book:Healthy CallingArianna's Recommendations:Liturgy of the OrdinaryPracticing the WaySubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below Friar TimeThrough meaningful interviews and heartfelt conversations, Friar Time, hosted by Fr....Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show