Mind Shift with Erwin & Aaron McManus

This week we're digging into the archives and going back to where it all began. Take a listen to the first-ever episode of the Battle Ready podcast with Erwin and Aaron McManus, originally released on October 26, 2017.  The father/son duo talk about the power of ideas, how to actually think better, and the value of different perspectives. — Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Aaron laughs, cries, and cry-laughs in talking with Mosaic MSC during their writing retreat in beautiful, snowy Wyoming and asks them about their creative process, how they’re writing music for the moment, and how God is speaking to them in this season. The group shares what’s been on their hearts since writing Human and living through isolation during the pandemic, and now how they’re approaching writing a new album.  Interviewed in this episode w/ Mosaic MSC: Mariah McManus Goss, Carlos Pimentel, Brooke Figueroa, Andres Figueroa, Robbie Aholoka, and Colin Dennard —   Listen to Mosaic MSC's newest album Human (Deluxe), wherever you listen to music!  Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Pain is something we all deal with, and on this episode, Erwin and Aaron McManus open up on their different experiences with pain and how the way you handle pain can expand or limit your future. Some of the deepest pains are those felt when trust is broken. Erwin & Aaron talk about the importance of trust — how trust is the fuel for love, for relationships, for collaboration — and that trusting others, even through the pain we may experience, builds trust in ourselves. — New limited-time Battle Ready Merch is here! Get it now at shop.erwinmcmanus.com Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron McManus discuss the concerning patterns they see emerging in life and in politics across the country. Their conversation takes us from the freedoms we take for granted, to our acceptance and participation in cultural censorship, to distress at a new wave of entitlement. Erwin outlines his fears of the growing precedents being set with Executive Orders and local mandates in response to COVID-19, and asks how far we’re willing to give up our freedoms in the name of health and safety. The father-son duo both address a growing trend of removing people who are experts in their field from conversations in which they would offer a dissenting opinion. What will it take for us to engage with higher thought by opening our ideas up to debate and disagreement?  They make a call to action to avoid falling into a trap of conformity and censorship. Erwin cautions a growing sense of entitlement he sees emerging in society. Part of the freedoms we enjoy are being able to work, and to work for the lifestyle we desire. Pastor Erwin is worried that we can easily lose sight of things that have value, even the church, when we lose sight of earning what we enjoy. — New limited-time Battle Ready Merch is here! Get it now at shop.erwinmcmanus.com Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron McManus tackle a myriad of topics, spanning freedom of speech to reconnection with God, and discuss the variety of factors and influences that shape the inherent biases of the culture we live in. Erwin and Aaron volley back and forth when discussing the validity of a voice - when should a person speak, when should they be silent, and - a more difficult distinction - when do they have the right to be heard? They break down Aaron’s frustration with a particular review of the podcast and share its evidence of entitlement. Aaron shines a light on the struggle of the expectations placed on a pastor - he advocates that pastors can be held to greater responsibility while still being granted the leeway to fall short of perfection. Erwin speaks against hate as the response to anything you do not love - for example, if you love one basketball team, it doesn’t require you to hate their rival. He shares the missed opportunities and narrowed capacity for joy when you choose to expend energy on hate, and challenges the listener to go down a better path. — New Battle Ready merch is available for a limited time! Get it now at shop.erwinmcmanus.com Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron McManus discuss the relationship between imitation, theft, and originality in creating something new. Erwin ruminates that before you create, first you imitate; there is a structure to every piece of clothing, art, film, etc. that serves as the beginning for every creative process. Aaron dives into inspiration and shares the origins of his creative process. They both discuss Erwin's past and present work - the people who have copied his talks and books with no apology and great success, and the projects he is currently pursuing that people in his life didn't believe he could achieve. Erwin reminds us that to create anything is courageous - but we must be compelled to create the best expression of what is unique to us. — Battle Ready Merch is here! Get it now at shop.erwinmcmanus.com Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron talk about Aaron's side project Pagan USA, a brand & clothing line he started with his friends, and what it's like to start something you care about and create it from nothing.  From risk, to personal development, to selecting and growing a team, Erwin highlights key elements of Aaron's journey with Pagan and how the way he's managed the company has valuable life lessons and insights. Aaron reflects on the experience of launching Pagan in 2020 and how now was the right time to take the risk and start something new.  Aaron flips the conversation and gets his dad to talk about the motivations for starting his own side project and how passion and love for the work play a central role in where we find meaning and fulfillment in what we do. — Battle Ready Merch is here! Get it now at shop.erwinmcmanus.com Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron discuss the current political landscape in the aftermath of the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden.  They discuss the current animosity between the two candidates and the growing partisan divide it represents in the country. Erwin longs for a world where the differences of both sides are acknowledged and the best ideas that make the world better become the priority. Aaron sees a lack of vision and generational leadership stoking the conflict and calls on young people to step up and lead the change they want to see in the world. In a final note, Erwin challenges the common phrase “vote your faith,” and implores people to vote for the best version of the world they see possible, not a predetermined course set by certain religious ideologies. — Battle Ready Merch is here! Get it now at shop.erwinmcmanus.com Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast Email us! aaron@battlereadypodcast.com www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron tackle a great email from a listener who talks about their struggle with the message of Jesus in contrast to the beliefs of close friends while living in a city that tends to talk about the ‘universe’ rather than God.  Erwin first addresses the idea of the universe as a substitute for God and religion, pointing out that love is not possible if there is nothing 'out there' but the universe. In this way, the universe doesn’t love you, but God does.  Aaron and Erwin dive into the nuances of searching for God—something bigger than our unbelieving or curious selves— from rules like the Ten Commandments to the search for alien life, and how to find God, not out there in the stars, but within us. Their hope is that through this podcast and your own curiosity, you might stumble into an encounter with the Creator of the universe and experience His love. — Battle Ready Merch is here! Get it now at shop.erwinmcmanus.com Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast www.battlereadypodcast.com

Erwin and Aaron discuss a listener’s divisive comment on their previous episode, ‘Burnout.’  The listener took offense at Erwin saying the concept of burnout was a white disease. Erwin reminds us that some statements are intended to be light, and that the use of humor has the power to provoke thought and promote deeper conversation. Aaron suggests that to intentionally misinterpret the words of another person points to a lack of wisdom. They both dive deeper into the context of what burnout is, who it affects, and Erwin and Aaron’s personal histories with fighting burnout. — Battle Ready Merch is here! Get it now at shop.erwinmcmanus.com Follow us on Instagram @battlereadypodcast www.battlereadypodcast.com