Episodes

Mike, Suzie, and Tim discuss the harm caused when fallen pastors turn repentance into a public product, then explore how spiritual abuse can distort biblical interpretation. They consider Jesus as the key to reading Scripture, and share postures that make room for humility, curiosity, hope, and uncertainty.The hosts discuss how spiritual abusers can use Scripture to control, exclude, shame, and equate their own opinions with God’s word. Mike argues that Jesus is the “key to knowledge”: the New ...

The Bible can open the kingdom—or slam the door shut. In this episode, Mike, Tim, and Suzie explore Jesus’ warning to religious leaders who use Scripture to exclude, shame, and control, and ask why that warning still feels so relevant today. Looking at Matthew 23 and Luke 11, they unpack how the Pharisees are accused of rejecting Jesus, twisting Torah, and using religious authority to reinforce their own righteousness. The conversation connects those ancient warnings to spiritual abuse, politic...

Today, Mike, Tim and Suzie wrestle with two difficult questions: How should Christians respond to public cruelty and political turmoil? And how can church leaders avoid using power to heal their own wounds? The conversation moves from the death penalty and immigration enforcement to Jesus’ teaching on peace, then turns to humility, vulnerability, and spiritual abuse. They consider why “turn the other cheek” is not a call to passivity, how anger might become fuel for healing rather than outrage,...

Warning: Strong Language. This episode opens with a critique of political religious rhetoric, then turns to sexual abuse, church complicity, and why image-bearing, body theology, and accountability matter. The conversation also explores Matthew 23 and Jesus’ warnings about religious performance, status-seeking, and spiritual abuse in leadership. Mike, Tim, and Suzie react to Pete Hegseth’s religious language and discuss how quoting Psalm 33 and Isaiah 6 out of context can be used to baptize mi...

The best way to expose spiritual abuse is not by making Christianity smaller, but by making it more like Jesus. This episode follows a lively three-way conversation with Mike, Tim Stafford, and Suzie P. Lind about complementarianism, spiritual abuse, and what Jesus means by mercy over sacrifice. The discussion also widens into how churches create heavy loads through subculture, calling, gender roles, and expectations around community.They move from a listener email about complementarianism into...

This episode opens with a lively point counterpoint about whether Christianity has failed, then moves into a thoughtful listener question about complementarianism, egalitarianism, and why some disagreements feel anything but friendly. From there, the conversation shifts into a teaching-heavy look at Matthew 11 and 12, where Jesus’ “easy yoke” is unpacked as mercy over burden, not zero-effort religion. Mike, Tim Stafford, and Suzie each bring a distinct voice: Mike steers the theology and text, ...

Mike, Tim, and Suzie begin with a reflection on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, then move into a wide-ranging conversation about AI risk, political despair, and the church’s role in a polarized culture. The episode keeps returning to one central concern: if the gospel is reduced to a legal transaction, it can produce hypocrisy instead of transformation. This is an episode about grief, discernment, and the cost of misreading the gospel. It’s also about hope that is not tied to elections, instituti...

In this episode, Mike, Suzie and Tim discuss how American Christianity can reward false selves, why being “found out” can actually be mercy, and how confession is less about shame management and more about restoration, integration, and real connection. Together, they unpack why American Christianity rewards the false self, why imposter syndrome is often a symptom of a broken system, and how “being found out” can be a form of grace instead of punishment. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to look ...

This episode starts with a celebration of Dolly Parton’s extraordinary generosity and cultural impact, then moves into a serious theological conversation about hypocrisy, leadership, and what makes a church spiritually healthy or toxic. Mike, Suzie, and Tim connect Jesus’ warnings in Matthew 23 and Luke 12 to modern church culture, power, and the temptation to perform righteousness rather than live it. Why was Dolly Parton so universally loved, from the left to the right? Should Churches have a...

Today, Mike Erre, Tim Stafford, and super special guest host Suzie P. Lind open a serious conversation about spiritual abuse by reading Matthew 23 alongside current headlines of pastor misconduct and church corruption. The episode asks why Jesus’ harshest words land on religious leaders, and what that reveals about abusive systems, hypocrisy, and the responsibility of shepherds. Suzie brings a crucial perspective as a pastor, elder, and woman in church leadership, helping widen the conversation...

Spiritual abuse doesn’t begin with one bad person. It grows through a culture of approval, secrecy, fear, and loyalty that slowly teaches people to stay quiet, play along, and mistake control for faithfulness. Mike Erre and Tim Stafford break down the eight phases of a power-through-fear church and contrast them with the kind of community Jesus actually builds - a pocket of tov, where goodness, wholeness, and courage can exist without hype or performance. If you'd like to support the work at VO...

Today, Mike and Tim talk with Alex Wolf, director and content developer at Hope Heals, about her journey from pastor’s kid and missionary to one of the key theological voices shaping Hope Heals’ work. The conversation centers on how proximity to disability reorients faith, why disability is not a niche category but a universal human story, and what the church misses when it treats accessibility as a program instead of a posture. How does something like Hope Heals embody a kind of disruption to ...

Imagine a church where spiritual abuse is not just an exception but a pattern rooted deep in its culture... It’s a heartbreaking reality revealed when both pastors and congregation members unconsciously enable destructive behaviors. In this eye-opening episode, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford dive into how systemic cultures within churches can foster coercion, manipulation, and spiritual trauma—even when no one intends harm. How does spiritual abuse differ from healthy conflict, and what are the sub...

Spoiler: Stick around to the end to hear Seth do a Justin Bieber/Shema mashup... What if salvation isn't about escaping our humanity but restoring it? This episode unpacks a revolutionary view: human beings are inherently divine images—nouns and verbs—created to reflect God's character and creativity into the world. But somewhere along the way, that sacred image is fractured, leading to spiritual abuse, dehumanization, and disconnection from ourselves and others. In this episode, we explore th...

Rethinking Communion: Social Dynamics and Inclusive Practice In this episode, we explore the social and communal dimensions of communion, examining how historical practices, theological interpretations, and contemporary church culture influence our understanding and celebration of this sacred act. Join us for a biblically grounded, socially aware perspective that challenges traditional boundaries and invites an inclusive approach to the Lord's Supper. Key Topics The original context of early ...

Today, Mike and Tim unpack the transformative experience the Erre's had at Hope Heals Camp, where faith, community, and a commitment to dignity intersect to create a sanctuary for families and individuals experiencing disabilities. Join us as we unpack the theology behind embodied hope, mutuality, and the sacredness of every person. The origin and purpose of Hope Heals Camp, inspired by Katherine and Jay Wolf's story The camp’s four postures: incarnation, mutuality, disability, and image beare...

In this episode, Mike and Tim explore the nuanced landscape of salvation, church community, and spiritual growth through a centered set approach. They challenge traditional boundaries, emphasizing that salvation is a journey rather than a destination, and highlight the importance of allowing people space to grow in their relationship with Jesus. Mike and Tim continue their conversation about center-set thinking and what it looks like to follow Jesus in a way that emphasizes relationship, growth...

In this episode, Mike and Tim explore the nuanced landscape of salvation, church community, and spiritual growth through a centered set approach. They challenge traditional boundaries, emphasizing that salvation is a journey rather than a destination, and highlight the importance of allowing people space to grow in their relationship with Jesus. Mike and Tim continue their conversation about center-set thinking and what it looks like to follow Jesus in a way that emphasizes relationship, growth...

Most religious leaders are quick to draw boundaries around who belongs and who doesn't — but Jesus does the opposite. Today, we explore how Jesus' scandalous love, through table fellowship and acceptance of sinners, flips the Old Testament and religious norms upside down to invite everyone into God's salvation. You'll discover how his approach to holiness, mercy, and inclusion challenges even the most revered traditions and power structures of his time. Join us as we break down the radical diff...

What does it mean to truly follow Jesus in a culture that feels increasingly corrupted and confusing? Today we wrap up our series on the Lord's Prayer by looking at the final and perhaps most complex petition: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Join Mike Erre, Tim Stafford, and our favorite special guest Seth Erre as we navigate the tension between the joy of summer break and the heavy realities of the world around us. We start the show with some lighthearted updates about S...

Is forgiveness just about letting people off the hook, or is it something much deeper that restores our own humanity? Join Mike Erre and Tim Stafford as they continue their series on the Lord’s Prayer, focusing on the challenging petition to forgive as we have been forgiven. From recent headlines involving the Southern Baptist Convention to the radical math of Jesus’s parables, we explore what it truly means to abandon the ledger system of life. In this episode, we tackle common misconceptions ...

Is artificial intelligence our modern Tower of Babel? In this episode, we dive into the Pope’s recent warnings about AI and explore what it means to maintain our human dignity in a world obsessed with optimization. We discuss the profound contrast between building for self-aggrandizement and building for the common good. Mike and Tim explore the moral depth of recent teachings on technology, highlighting the Imago Dei as the center of the conversation. They discuss the risks of transhumanism an...

Welcome to our special summer break episode where we dive into everything from amusement park plans to the deep theological roots of the Lord’s Prayer. Join Mike, Tim, and Seth Erre as we navigate the complexities of modern culture, digital fatigue, and the ancient stories that still shape our faith today. In this episode, we tackle a thoughtful listener question about whether our language has become too academic or niche for newer believers. We explore the importance of making theological conc...

Are you struggling to navigate the tension between your faith and the current political climate? Join Mike Erre and Tim Stafford as they sit down with theologian and author Dr. Lee Camp to discuss how Christians can faithfully bear witness in a world of political idolatry. This deep dive explores the history of the church, the myth of the Christian nation, and what it truly means to follow Jesus in a polarized society. In this episode, the team discusses the radical roots of the Anabaptist move...