Episode 145 :: Sara Billups :: Stories of Orphaned Believers and Finding Our Way Home to Jesus
Release Date: 02/17/2023
Episode 174 :: Douglas McKelvey :: Stories of Leaning into Advent, Lament, and Living with Every Moment Holy
Simply Stories Podcast
Today, I have the absolute pleasure of sharing my conversation with the one and only Douglas McKelvey. Douglas is a songwriter, author, and liturgy writer extraordinaire. I have never met someone like Douglas. His gift with words and passion for Christ cultivates a visceral invitation to be more present in this life, to find your fight again as you walk this weary way, and speaks to our hope of the next life with Jesus. Douglas shares with me his story of what led him to Nashville, TN, his journey from songwriting to fiction writing and the idea of unpacking his belief that every moment...
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Episode 173 :: Carole Holiday :: Stories of Learning Who You Are Again After Loss and Living with Grief
Simply Stories Podcast
A self-proclaimed “accidental author”, Carole Holiday was living a very full life as a wife, mother, and nana, until one day, everything fell apart. Her marriage to her childhood sweetheart of over 35 years ended, followed by losing her job and ultimately filing for bankruptcy. Then she developed heart issues because of all the stress, and a continued windfall of loss, and grief in losing close loved ones, until it felt like there was absolutely nothing recognizable about the life she had known. In her book I Don’t Know Who I Am Anymore, Carole shares her story, but it...
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Episode 172 :: Mike Nappa :: Stories from the Valley of the Shadow, and Blessing Those Who Mourn
Simply Stories Podcast
Over the last several years, I don’t think there is anyone who has not been touched by loss or some kind of grief. Today's guest, author, and literary agent Mike Nappa is incredibly familiar with loss and living with grief. In 2016, he lost his beloved wife, Amy, to cancer. In his learning how to live life without her, God has shown him why grieving is such an important part of losing a loved one. As Mike says, he learned how to cry into his keyboard and produced one of the most poignant books that bears witness to grief that I have ever personally encountered. It is called ...
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Episode 171 :: Gary Miracle :: Stories of Taking Heart, Persevering in Suffering, and No More Bad Days
Simply Stories Podcast
Gary Miracle is an author and a speaker who passionately believes in the power of storytelling and how it unites us and spurs us on when life is tragically hard, and also reminds us who we are and who God made us to be. In this episode, he shares his story of growing immersed in church culture on Sunday but then suffered from an identity crisis the rest of the week as he chased perfection, and changed personas in order to be affirmed by anyone and everyone. Finally, later in his life and career, now a married man with kids, Gary reached his breaking point and reached out to his friend Bart...
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Episode 170 :: Justin & J.L. Gerhardt:: Stories of Encountering God at the Intersection of Story and Worship
Simply Stories Podcast
Justin and J.L. Gerhardt are on the podcast today, and you will love hearing from them! There is an epic retelling of their meeting and falling in love complete with 90’s Hearthrob meet cute and all. More than that, Justin and J.L. share about their journey of God leading them both into ministry with words, calling their family to travel the world, and unleashing their creativity and courage to press into new ways to encounter God and His Word. This journey has given birth to various creative outlets for the Gerhardt family, but the one we talk about the most in this episode is Justin’s...
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Episode 169 :: Nikki Anders :: Stories of The Journey to Bethlehem
Simply Stories Podcast
I am so excited to share with you a really special conversation with the incredibly talented Renaissance woman Nikki Anders. Nikki is an award-winning musician, songwriter, and music producer in the TV and film industry. She shares some of her experiences in the music industry as a solo artist and member of the music group Avalon, her and her husband Adam’s time working on “Glee” as well as many other films, and now are the creative team behind the new movie musical “The Journey to Bethlehem.” Nikki shares how the Lord closed and opened so many doors over the last seventeen...
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Episode 168 :: Travis Thompson :: Stories of Mental Health, Addiction, Faith and Healing
Simply Stories Podcast
Travis Thompson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who practices in Middle Tennessee. He is a PhD candidate who works with clients from many backgrounds to find the deeper meaning of their struggles and embrace long-term recovery from the pains that they experienced. His work is focused on being healed from past hurt and toward future success. During our conversation, Travis shares his journey of wrestling with his own mental health as a teenager, his recovery and healing journey, and entering the world of becoming a mental health professional serving and helping others like...
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Episode 167 :: Kelly Balarie :: Stories of The Power of God’s Word and Taking Every Thought Captive
Simply Stories Podcast
I have a powerhouse on the podcast in the form of Kelly Balarie. Kelly is an author and a speaker who is passionate about Jesus and the Word of God. She is a sister in the trenches and a self-proclaimed spiritual cheerleader. Every book she has written, she writes from a place of “this is where God has been faithful to me in this season.” Or “this is what God has been teaching me,” full of authenticity, and powerful scripture-saturated insights for women who desire to walk well and be filled to the fullness of God. In our conversation today, you’ll hear about her...
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Episode 166 :: Dr. Clarence Shuler :: Stories of Finding Hope in Dark Places and Cross-Cultural Relationships that Can Heal
Simply Stories Podcast
Dr. Clarence Shuler is the President and CEO of his nonprofit BLR- which stands for Building Lasting Relationships. Their mission is to equip others for discipleship in various venues. He and his wife both speak and write about marriage, but also dealing with infidelity, and divorce, but they especially love to minister to singles in the church. Whatever it looks like, the Shulers are committed to “loving people with God’s love with no agenda and see what happens.” During our conversation today, Dr. Shuler shared his story of coming to Christ through a relationship that would impact...
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Episode 165 ::Kayla Craig :: Stories of Curiosity & Questions in Faith & Holding Every Season Sacred
Simply Stories Podcast
Today I have the absolute joy of sharing with you my conversation with Kayla Craig. Kayla is a modern liturgist as the woman behind Liturgies for Parents online. She is a Mama of 4, a supportive pastor’s wife, and just this week she released her second book Every Season Sacred. In our conversation today, you’ll get to hear Kayla’s heart as she shares about what it looks like to pursue an honest and abundant life full of wonder and work. In all the spaces she occupies, she offers an open invitation to be curious, to express our questions, doubts, or confusion as we walk out our faith...
info_outlineOn the podcast today, I have the absolutely amazing Sara Billups. Our show’s format is very conversational and I love it that way. Truthfully I was so impressed, curious and moved by Sara’s book Orphaned Believers: How a Generation of Christian Exiles Can Find the Way Home that this episode is a little more like a conversations with friends over dinner. It ebbs and weaves and then starts one way and moves another with the feverent pace of “oh man, you too?!” and also, “holy smokes I’ve never thought about that before.” Sara shares pieces of her story of growing up in the environment of end times prophecies being commonplace over her plate of macaroni and cheese as a child, or a booth at a milkshake shop with a friend. She unpacks huge terms like premillenial dispensationalism, how heavily focused rapture narratives held her family captive from engaging life on this side of heaven, and asking big questions like how does tradition become theology in the middle of a genuine love for Jesus and then how do things get lost in fear or just being human?
Sara would define an orphaned believer as someone who looks around the American church or just general broad strokes Christian culture and doesn’t know where they belong. Or they are people like myself and Sara who sometimes struggle with what they’re experiencing with many beloved brothers and sisters in Christ who are not acting like the Jesus we have experienced or of the Gospel. In that tension, how do put our eyes back on who God has always been and who He always will be? How do we pursue and embrace what role or gifts God has for us in this journey of healing? How do we allow God to use suffering, doubt, and confusion to draw us closer to Him no matter how much we desire to escape the pain? Its a lot, but its SO good.
Even though I was a bit of a poor conversation steward today, (my over excitement can get the best of me sometimes!) I hope and pray somewhere along the way you found a space for you in this conversation. You get to bring all of you and your questions and your broken experiences to the Jesus who knows people better than we know ourselves. He’s aware of what comes against His church, distracts His people and distorts His name. But He’s not finished. There is so much more hope to be found here on earth, and together with Him in Heaven, no matter when we get to see Him, He is coming back for us. BUT He has SO MUCH for us before He comes. That’s just one of the many gifts of the Gospel is the promise, and assurance that He will be with us no matter what happens next. You are so loved, friend. You matter, and your story matters.
PS: Guess what y’all, the podcast book club is actually going to be reading this book together, AND Sara is (hopefully!) going to come talk with us about it as well because there’s just so much more to unpack. So be sure and check out how to join us for the book club in our show notes, website or link in social media bios!
Connecting with Sara:
Book: Orphaned Believers: How a Generation of Christian Exiles Can Find Their Way Home
Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty
References:
The Late Great Planet Earth- Hal Lindsey
“The Late Great Planet Earth” movie
Pre-millienial dispensationalism
Rise and Fall of Mars Hill story (via podcast)
Mark Driscoll (Proceed with caution on this website…)
Real time article of Mars Hill Church disbanding
TO Fuller State Park in Memphis
Schools of thought on when the rapture will take place
Left Behind Series- authors Tim LaHaye, and Jerry Jenkins
L. Ron Hubbard books
Scientology beliefs (-- proceed with caution on any Scientology websites, y’all. My personal favorite resources for learning about Scientology are either “Going Clear” or “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath”)
The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
“All My Favorite People” - Over the Rhine
Redeeming Love -Francine Rivers
“As Good As It Gets” (the tuna salad scene)
Black Coffee with White Friends
Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and our episode
Jacob from the Insurrection and his response later in retrospect
Scripture References:
Daniel 7:9-10-, Matthew 24:36-44, Acts 2:37-39, 2 Peter 3:3-4, 2 Timothy 3:1-5 The End Times” -These are taken straight from scripture. The end of days is spoken about a ton in various locations in scripture, but they need A LOT of context. Here is a continued list, but I encourage you to proceed with Holy Spirit-led discernment. There is much to be studied, but the general point is: Jesus is coming back, we don’t know when, we’re called to live for Him like every day is our last, but to walk with trust and hope in the abundant life Jesus came, died and rose again to give us, and it’ll get real messy, but God is a purely holy, good God and righteous Judge. The Ancient of Days is trustworthy with our futures. - xo, Em
Revelation 13:15-18- The mark of the beast
Revelation 6:1-16:21- The 7 year tribulation
Ezekiel 38-39- The battle of Gog and Magog
The book of Revelation- A brief teaching on it part 1 and part 2 from the Bible Project
John 14:18-”I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.”
1 John 1:8-9, Hebrews 13:8- Jesus’ mercy never runs out
Matthew 28:19- Jesus left us with the church
Romans 8:15, Ephesians 1:6, 1 John 3:1-I am beloved because the Lord says so
Lamentations 3:22-23- God’s mercies are new every morning
Ephesians 5:22-23, Revelation 18-22- The church is called the Bride of Christ
Matthew 16:17-19- The gates of hell cannot stand against it
Matthew 5-7- Sermon on the Mount
Genesis 3:8-24- When Adam and Eve left the garden
Luke 4:14-21, John 3:16- Jesus came for all people
Revelation 21:4- Every tear dried
Acts 15, see also Galatians 5:2-6- The book of Acts and whether or not you had to be Jewish
Luke 15- The Lost Sheep
John 1:5- The Light of the world has come and darkness has not overcome it
Psalm 107:2-The redeemed of the Lord tell their story
Acts 6:1–1- (and John 14:18) Jesus is coming back for us
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*Intro and Outro music is from audionautix.com