Mind Shift with Erwin & Aaron McManus

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

Erwin and Aaron dive into the details behind Erwin's new company and why he decided to start a business, and a risky creative endeavor, in the midst of a global pandemic and economic crisis. They discuss the common double standard held in the Christian world where pastors are expected to work more and earn less. Why is it that Christianity is uncomfortable with pastors making money from their own creative or entrepreneurial efforts? Erwin reflects on his journey as a pastor, how in his early years it was only through his work outside the church that he could afford to live and work as a pastor, adding the current context as he prepares to launch his new collection. Erwin and Aaron discuss the inherent controversies that come with pairing luxury goods with Christianity, and the struggle for people to respect the value of art, whether it manifests in fashion, film, photography, design, etc. Join us on Friday for Part 2 of this conversation! — Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us: aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

After a quick tease of Erwin's upcoming new project, Aaron sits down with Joshua Rhodes, creative director and creator of The Last Adam — a faith-based clothing line and brand started in 2018 — and asks him about the origins of his brand, how he started out, and what he's learned along the way.  From creative purpose to the source of creativity and the importance of rest, Aaron and Joshua dive into the nuances of creation and artistic expression. They discuss the balance of work and personal creativity, sources of inspiration, and how authenticity in your brand is what creates genuine engagement.  Joshua shares the origins and inspirations behind his designs for The Last Adam, and his vision for what faith-based clothing could be. This leads to a larger discussion on creativity in the Church, how the majority of designs and content don't include the outsider, and the political divide seen in the church from the response to the "Defend the Oppressed" billboard which Joshua helped design.   Check out The Last Adam — thelastadam.com — and follow them @thelastadam_official — Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron McManus return to talk about the presumptive election of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and frame the conversation around how we handle winning and losing.  Moving from politics Erwin and Aaron reflect on Mosaic's One-Day Conference and the sessions on leadership and communication. Erwin poses an interesting connection between the contact tracing we see in the efforts to contain and trace the origins of Covid-19, and how we can use the same concept to discover the source and motivations of our decisions. How well can you see the patterns in your life, whether good or bad? Who in your life can help you recognize those patterns? Are your decisions predicated by their proximity and probability to negative consequences? How do your patterns relate to your own leadership? — Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Reflecting on the past election week, Erwin and Aaron McManus discuss the state of our country, democracy, and how we should think about the growing divide in America. From how we listen and learn from those who don't succeed, to the dignity we should embrace in victory, Erwin and Aaron break down the health of democracy in our society in light of this year's election. How do we fight for a better world together, regardless of the people in power or the political affiliations they hold? Instead of fighting against people and party ideologies, Erwin challenges us to choose the battle for ideas, where the best ideas are those that make our country and our world better. — Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

On Election Day in America, Erwin and Aaron talk about how we handle disappointment as individuals and as a society. From the World Series to the president, they dissect our responses when we don't get who or what we want. What do your expectations and your reactions to disappointment say about your character? This integral question is what Erwin challenges younger generations to consider as the tensions within the US rise. Both Aaron and Erwin implore us to constantly check how we are handling disappointment in our lives. No matter what, there will inevitably be those you disagree with, and things cannot always go your way. We must approach those situations with maturity and ultimately respect if we strive to live in a better world. We hope everyone has a safe Election Day and we'll see you on Friday! —  Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com