"You can't allow your past pain to close you off from your future healing."  Pastors Erwin and Aaron McManus talk about one of the most overlooked issues in the church - mental health. Depression and anxiety are a very real struggle for so many of us, and so we felt the need to talk about it as well as what it means to be human. This episode originally aired on November 14th, 2017, and was recorded live at Mosaic Venice.  -  Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

What are the traditions and beliefs you follow and why? Erwin and Aaron discuss how our beliefs and traditions can turn from well-intended guidelines into rigid structures that become less about belief  and more on the rules themselves. How do the ideologies that seek to shape our lives affect how we live? Erwin pushes against the lure of ideologies and challenges our seeming willingness to subscribe to traditions that don't allow for nuance and compassion. They both discuss the need to constantly reevaluate our lives to align with the ideals of Jesus, and not the ideologies of people and institutions. – Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Don’t we all need a little help when it comes to surviving the holiday season and the family interactions that come with it? (Asking for a friend.) Erwin and Aaron break down the tough family dynamics that most people will encounter around the holidays. How can we deal with those confrontations and relationships in ways that are healthy and empower us to embrace our personal journeys and earned identities? Using their own family and experiences, they touch on how to identify those problematic relationships and patterns that can lead to unhealthy interactions. They show how to help people let go of the things they hold against one another and break down the relationship between forgiveness and trust. Erwin and Aaron discuss the different cultures we walk into—even within familiar homes and households— and how to embody grace this holiday season. – Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron McManus tackle the topic of criticism, how to deal with it, and how it should affect your inner world. They talk about the context where criticism is healthy and necessary, and when it oversteps and reveals more about the character of the critic. So many of our actions and reactions are influenced by criticism, and Erwin explains how our reactions to critique, and conflict in general, are the most revealing. The father-son duo discuss past challenges, failures, and struggles and how they handled and overcame criticism to thrive and succeed. – Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

In today’s modern Christianity, what are the expectations put on pastors? What do you expect from your pastor - and why? Erwin and Aaron McManus have a transparent discussion on the complexities of pastoring and break down the growing assumptions and ideals placed on pastors.   How can Christians rethink these commonly held ideas? With the official launch of Erwin’s new fashion label, Erwin Raphael McManus, the discussion revolves around the public reception to the clothing line, its price point, and the debated question: does being a pastor fit in the world of luxury fashion, and how? Can a pastor also be a successful artist? A successful businessman or woman? Erwin and Aaron tackle these weighty questions and give their take on the growing culture of negativity that comes with success within the church. – Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron McManus take us on a deep-dive into their relationship between ideology, politics, culture and theology. They debate what or who Battle Ready stands for and against - can a public platform take a middle stance? Aaron opens up about what it’s like to want love, and Erwin explores the power of love through the person of Jesus.  They dissect the evolving image of Jesus throughout the church and wider culture, and ask if the church's idea of Jesus has parted from the intention God had and the life Jesus actually lived. "We try to create a king Jesus Christianity rather than a servant Jesus Christianity" - Erwin McManus — Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

After a long Thanksgiving weekend Erwin and Aaron come back into the studio and celebrate 50 episodes of Battle Ready! They shake off the tryptophan-induced food comas and talk about how to be your most productive self as 2020 winds down in December. Erwin puts Aaron in the hot seat and asks him what makes him most productive as Aaron finds himself in anther busy, work-filled season. The father-son duo come away with three key principles for productivity, how to inject more positive productive habits into your life, and leave us with a 30-day challenge to finish the year off strong. Thank you everyone who listens and watches Battle Ready every week and has supported the podcast throughout all 50 episodes! — Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron McManus jump into a wide-ranging conversation that first lands on chess, sparked from their recent viewing of the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit, and discuss their personal histories with the game and how it can be used as a great metaphor for dealing with personal growth and struggles.  Talking about personal struggles leads the father-son duo to discuss the general standards held for pastors and society's obsession with tearing down anyone who makes mistakes—how the mistake of one can also quickly escalate into the failure of all. The self-destructive tendency of all humans doesn't omit pastors, as Erwin and Aaron point out, and they discuss how important the people in our lives are to helping us survive those tendencies. — Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

As Los Angeles prepares to enforce new stricter stay-at-home restrictions before Thanksgiving, Erwin and Aaron discuss the church's role during times like these. How should the church respond when the government's restrictions begin to limit their ability to serve people? If you'd like to donate to help fund food boxes for Mosaic's Thanksgiving community support project, go to mosaic.org/thanksgiving. —  Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Our next Starting From Scratch episode is a special one, as Erwin McManus talks about the launch of his new clothing line "Erwin Raphael McManus" and gives us a exclusive sneak peak at some of the pieces and designs. Erwin and Aaron talk about the beginnings of Erwin's new line, illuminating the deceptive nature of a brand launch; what looks instantaneous requires days and years of unseen thinking, planning, and imagining. Erwin opens up about the process of removing the mental hurdles that come with starting something from scratch and how to gain the perspective needed to succeed. The conversation touches on the purpose of art in the church, how geniuses manage their time and their creativity, and how to prepare for failure and success. Check out the first look at some limited items in his collection, and learn more about the inspiration and sub-themes behind the designs, materials, and branding. **New Launch Date for Erwin Raphael McManus: December 4**  Check out www.erwinraphaelmcmanus.com for updates. — Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com