Unfinished People

This week, Brandon and Chad are thrilled to be joined by Sammy Gondola, Daniel Olson, and Karl Hanson. They are dear friends and pastors, who help us unpack friendship, adversity, unmet expectations in relationships, how vital it is to push through the desert place of friendship, the blessing of being spurred on and sharpened by others, and more. This episode gives a behind-the-scenes look at our friendships, how difficult it can be to go deep, and how crucial it has been to our development as followers of Jesus.

"Are you a King?" Pilate's question to a beaten and bloody Messiah hung uncomfortably in the air. Under incredible pressure and facing a brutal, oppressive government, Jesus responded with absolute calm and complete control. (By the way, have you ever wondered why we have a record of this conversation?) The sovereign creator of the world did not need to panic as the plan set before the world's creation was right on time. Our salvation was being accomplished, and not even a temporary prefect of Rome could stop it. Jesus' words should bother us (and then some) as we look at how we have interacted with the political powers of our world.So... yeah, we are going there. We hope that by now, we have earned your trust to talk about the kingdoms of this world. How should we think about them? What does it look like to love Jesus well in an election year?Come and listen in to our conversation on Episode 020 of Unfinished People.

This week, we continue our theme of the difficulty and beauty of prayer. Is there such a thing as a deeper level of prayer, an earnestness, or a place of travail (rare word alert)not achieved by human capacity but fueled by the holy Spirit? We also dive into the importance and frustration of repetitive prayer. If God already knows, what is He up to? How can we find a sweet place of rest and depth as we speak with our Father in Heaven? As we dig for answers and sharpen each other, come listen in. We both agreed that this was one of our favorite conversations. We hope you enjoy! UP #019. Let's go.

If there's one thing we have struggled through, it is our journey with prayer. The desire to be close to Jesus, hear his voice, and speak as a friend keeps us coming back, but it hasn't been easy. If you relate and are hungry for more in your prayer life, come listen in to our conversation this week on Unfinished People.

How does an eternal God unbound by time and space help those of us who feel that clock ticking every day? Some of us love the new year and resolve to do something better this year or to make some significant changes. Others dislike the idea of making any promises because we all know we will probably break them anyway. We talk this week about Jesus and his ability to take any moment - past, present, or future and make it new. We have great hope for this year and are expectant that Jesus is up[ to some great stuff in your life as well. Come listen in as we talk about 2024 and our hope in the beautiful work of Jesus.

In our final episode of 2023, we talk about one of the most pervasive issues in our world: Loneliness. The Surgeon General considers it priority number one and says it's as deadly as smoking. What does Jesus, the friend who sticks closer than a brother, have to say about it? And how does our place in the community of God give us hope? Come and listen as we discuss our own struggles with loneliness and the hard work of deep, authentic friendship.‎The Place Where I Belong (feat. Davy Flowers) - Song by Housefires - Apple Music

This week, we do another flyby to check in on each other. It's easy to answer the question "How are you?" with "Fine." But if we are to step into the things God has for us, we need to go to a level of authenticity and candidness that might just be uncomfortable. This show will remind you that we are definitely unfinished, but it will also (hopefully) give you room to be okay with your own growth process.  Some highlights: We are both pretty tired and weary, but Jesus is speaking in that place significantly. We are also learning to pay attention to the more difficult and deep truths of walking closely with Him. Come listen in to our latest conversation on Unfinished People.The Chosen - Jesus trusts James with his suffering.‎Lord Remind Me - Song by Praytell & Jon Guerra - Apple Music‎Something Bright, Something Shining - Song by Praytell & Jon Guerra - Apple Music

Admitting to doubt is a crucial first step, but what next? How does Jesus help us move through our doubts to a deeper relationship with Him? We won't say we have it all figured out. It's why we call it Unfinished People. But we have grown through some of our doubts, and we sense the Lord pulling us close on those that are more current. Listen in as we continue our discussion on doubt.Rembrant's "Christ in the Storm on the Lake of Galilee"Caravaggio's "The Incredulity of Thomas"

If you have ever struggled with doubt, you are in good company. We have and continue to wrestle with doubt. But is that necessarily a bad thing? In our own "unfinished" way, we explore this ever-present reality and talk about how Jesus is the one to bring your doubt. We don't hide from ours in this episode. You just might be surprised to hear that it is a crucial part of your growth in Jesus. Come listen in.

Why should we care about eternity and how does it relate to the lives we live now? In our final episode of this series on eternal life, we talk quite a bit about the here and now. For example: What are we still doing here if we already know Jesus? If getting saved is all about going to Heaven, why wait? Should we care about the world we inhabit and the people who live next to us? What does all of this have to do with Heaven and Hell? Why not just hide in a Christian bubble and wait out the craziness of the world? Listen in to our conversation to find out.