Brian had an opportunity to sit down with Chris Dupré and hear his story - one of love, redemption, forgiveness, restoration, and grace.

His story is also one of meeting Jesus, but not in the way most people do.

He met Jesus face to face, and, well, everything changed for him after that.

Hopefully this piqued your interest, because this is a story that everyone needs to hear.

Chris Dupré is also an author, and has written several amazing books, a few of which can be found by clicking the links below.

The Wild Love of God

Unstuck

The Love Project

Brian and Katie continued the conversation on the need for continued growth and transformation that comes by the power of the gospel of Jesus.

It can be easy to feel stuck in a way of existing and behaving, wanting to change and see growth, but not knowing how to go about it.

Behavior modification is typically the go-to method. And while it might work as a short term solution to the problem of our own undesirable behavior, the only long term solution is to sit at the feet of Jesus and allow ourselves to be transformed by His love.

Join us as we continue bridging the gap between the truth that in Christ we are new creations with a new nature and the reality that we don't always act like it.

Correction from this episode: Jesus was not questioned by His disciples, but by the religious leaders regarding paying taxes to Caesar.

Links form this episode:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/lord-of-the-rings-but-its-lofi-ep/1611229750

Do you ever find yourself, like so many others, trapped in a cycle of shame - feeling inadequate, wanting to change and grow - but not knowing how?

Often we're told, whether by family, friends, or social media influencers, what it is that we need to do. If you're a parent, you need to be (patient, kind, peaceful, gentle, etc...).

The problem is, few people are actually telling us how to go about this transformation.

Behavior modification and sin-management isn't the answer, because it has proven to fail for as long as people have been alive.

Our behavior is a manifestation of the content of our heart and mind, both of which are needing to be tended to and cared for.

If we're going to become the people we dream we can be, living the life we dream we can live, one of true and lasting peace and joy, then need to tap into something greater than our own power.

We need Jesus. We need His gospel. We need His Kingdom.

Join Brian and Katie as they share their own experience of desiring change and growth, and coming to the realization that it is only through the power and grace of God that it is truly possible.

This week Brian and Katie continued the conversation on goals, and discussed the possibility that by aiming for the good things in life we'll miss out on experiencing the best things.

Machiavelli is often quoted for saying that "the ends justify the means."

While he isn't exactly a role model of ours, it got us thinking about these two questions:

1. Is it true that the ends justify the means? Is it true that we'll typically feel justified in doing whatever we need to in achieving the success of our goals?

2. If it's true that the ends justify the means, then what justifies the ends? In other words, what is our method for determining what our goals ought to be in each area of life, and what is our method for determining the health of our goals?

Join Brian and Katie as they unpack some of the goals that are often set up in people lives based on what is believed to be good, but will often come at the expense of what is best.

When we have a goal in life, whether it's having a healthier marriage, making more money, or raising obedient kids, we need to keep in mind that the action we take will be easily justified, so long as it appears to lead to the success of achieving that goal.

The more you want to have more money, the less you'll worry about whether or not your methods come at the expense of the well-being of other people.

The more you want to raise obedient kids, the easier it will be for you to justify the use of fear, threat of punishment, and shame, as long as it ends with your kids doing what you want them to do.

Join Brian and Katie this week as they explore the possibility that the things we often pursue in life are not inherently bad things, but they would better serve us as an outcome of a more excellent, Kingdom-minded goal.

Culture exists everywhere.

Every place - from restaurants, to doctor's offices, to homes, and everything in between has a culture.

The creating of a culture cannot be escaped. Where you find people, you'll find values, and where you find values you will find culture.

Join Brian and Katie on this episode as they discuss the importance of understanding how cultures are developed, and how to avoid accidentally creating an undesirable culture in your home.

P.S.

We mentioned out church in this episode - here's a link to the website in case you're curious!

https://beloveco.org

This week Brian and Katie continued the conversation on the purpose of boundaries.

Boundaries exist to protect values, and values are revealed by what we say "yes" to.

Therefore, the goal is not to establish boundaries, because every day we say "yes" to spending our time, energy, and money. Rather, the goal is to evaluate the boundaries that have already been established, and reassess whether or not changes need to be made.

And in order to understand whether or not changes need to be made to our hierarchy of values, we need to consider whether or not our values and boundaries are existing to support the vision of who we want to become and the direction we want our lives to go.

This week Brian and Katie discuss the purpose and necessity of establishing boundaries in our relationships.

Boundaries can either be a life-giving, relationship-strengthening, and resource-protecting tool, or it can be something that we construct for the sake of building a life that is centered around selfish desire and an unwillingness to be inconvenienced or uncomfortable.

Join us this week as we identify the nature and purpose of boundaries, and how to use them effectively to improve the quality of our lives and relationships.