If you could choose to live forever, would you want to? If a scientific advancement could make it possible for you to reverse aging, would you make a jump for the fountain of youth? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Calvin Mercer, co-author of Religion and the Technological Future. Dr. Mercer has spent the last several decades researching the intersection of radical human enhancements and increased human longevity with the areas of spirituality and faith. What are the spiritual implications of technologies like artificial intelligence, cryogenics, mind uploading, super intelligence and super longevity? How do faith and science interact with human advancement as these technologies become realities?

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New Milestone Unlocked! We passed 10,000 downloads! We are celebrating 10,000 downloads for Finding Free Podcast with laughs, champagne and a trip down memory lane. Hear our reflections on the best parts of podcasting and what we have found to be the most challenging. We wrap it up with a few off-the-cuff Top Ten lists (because Top Ten-Thousand would have taken too long) just for fun!

We could not be celebrating crossing the 10,000 download threshold without each of YOU, our badass listeners. So thank you for making this possible and for sharing our words with others.

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You don't have to be paying close attention to current events to have heard about Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalist ideas have been swimming in the water of society for centuries but has certainly emerged as a hot topic, especially during this election year. In this podcast, Amy, Craig and Jeff sit down with Aaron Saufley, pastor at Jesus House in Greenville, NC and local hospice chaplain. We break down some of the ideas of Christian Nationalism, give some definitions and talk about how we see this concept impacting society. What is the history behind this movement and where is it heading? It's definitely a timely conversation that you don't want to miss.

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In order for the Church to continue to be God's presence in the world, people must be wiling to dream, think, plan and prioritize differently. Sometimes this means rethinking long-held beliefs or traditional ways of thinking. What does God think of us? And how does “the work of the Church” reflect that? Are we desiring a new way of being the Church, yet still mired in a concept of God that is based on original separation? Stan Mitchell joins us to explore the intrinsic connection between humanity and God that has always been present, and how living into that connection can create a more free and responsive way to be faithful. Join us for a deep and thought provoking conversation as we talk with Stan about how this mindset is an integral part of changing church culture.

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It is very common for us at Finding Free to talk a lot about the Church. What are the trends we see happening? What seems to be on the horizon for the Church to tackle? Most especially- we spend a lot of time on what the Church has missed, trailed woefully behind on, or just seemingly flat out ignored. If you could change something about church culture, what would it be? Like snap your fingers and things be different kind of change. Forget the "change curves" and "giving people only as much as they can handle" and "people resist change because they resist losing what they know and love" ideologies for a minute - what would need to be different right now? In this episode, we talk about just this, asking ourselves and a few others to name the changes that are needed pronto for the church to continue to be the presence of Christ in the world. Yes, talking about the "but how do we get there" is important, but first we must name the issues that need to be different.

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If you grew up in the evangelical church culture, you are probably no stranger to rapture theology. Maybe you remember hearing detailed stories told about what the end of the world would be like or you may have poured over the Left Behind book series, using it as a map for what was to come. Where did this theology come from and is this the only way to view the "end of the world as we know it?". If that rings a bell for you (or sounds a trumpet with some type of being riding in on a white horse) then you will feel right at home with our conversation on all things rapture. Joining us on this episode is Megan Joyner, a chaplain with the U.S. National Guard. We discuss how growing up with a fear based rapture theology impacted our thoughts and faith both then and now.

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What if God saves everyone? Christian Universalism (the idea that God will save everyone and the earth somehow in the end) is one theory of atonement that theologians have discussed for centuries. Though the idea of universal reconciliation was the most prominent atonement theory among early Christ followers, after around the 4th century multiple atonement theories began to surface. In this episode, we dive into this topic with Aaron Saufley, local hospice chaplain and Cedarbridge partner who shares his wisdom and love of learning of all things, especially Christian Universalism. So whether you like to geek out like we do about topics like this or you are just hearing conversations like this one for the first time, we invite you to learn and laugh with us!

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The way we think about Jesus impacts the way we talk about faith and how we treat those around us. Who is Jesus to you? Where did that frame of reference come from and has it ever changed? We don't do a lot of sermon discussion focused podcasts on Finding Free Podcast but there was so much dialogue around Amy's sermon at Cedarbridge Baptist Church on March 3rd that we wanted to dive a little deeper into this conversation. Our discussion is lively and in our typical style, we laugh a lot as we each discuss, 'Who is Jesus to Us'! Even if you don't partake in sermons regularly, we think you will find this conversation insightful and thought provoking.

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In this episode we share memorable holiday moments from our growing up years. Some are 'remember when' stories that have been talked about at family gatherings time and time again. Others are more serious and somber, as we talk about loved ones who are with us no longer. It's funny, sentimental and also a reminder to slow down and let the light of love in where possible. Laugh as Craig talks about the time his grandpa accidentally got sloshed at a family gathering. Giggle as Amy shares her most memorable Christmas present (double AA batteries required). And Jeff has a family 'oops' moment that will have you in stitches. And much more!

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In this episode, Craig, Amy, and Jeff talk about the practices and activities that enable them each to live life from a space of generosity and freedom. From looking at beautiful mountain views to time spent at the beach or doing creative things, they discuss several different ways they have found to feed their souls. Whether through travel or nature, people or adventure, making time to do things that are life-giving and spirit-freeing is crucial to one's personal physical, mental and spiritual health - and it's often the first thing to go when life gets busy and overloaded. When life gets busy and hectic, how do we give ourselves permission to breathe and how do we become grounded once again?

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In this episode, we discuss how lonely the deconstruction process can be, what it's like when spouses have different faith beliefs and how the church can respond. This is an important conversation about holding space for 'what is' for each us. The process of asking questions and waiting for answers doesn't have to provoke fear, though it often is riddled with anxiety and worry from those in the process themselves or those watching others walk that path. How can the Church hold space, create stopping points of peace and allow room for the process of deconstruction?

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In Part 2 we continue the conversation about purity culture and its impacts. We talk more about how conversations about purity and sex can be done better, focusing on dialogue about consent, body autonomy and integrity rather than shame and silence. It's time to hand purity culture, sexual shame, purity rings and lack of positive conversations around sex back to the church and simply say "We can do better!" This is a two part series that you don't want to miss!

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We bring back our friend Jeff Bell to talk openly and honestly about our personal experiences with purity culture, sex and the church. We discuss everything from the orgasm gap to masturbation and how the lasting impacts of the purity culture mindset still impact many people today. It's time to hand purity culture, sexual shame, purity rings and lack of positive conversations around sex back to the church and simply say "We can do better!" This is a two part series that you don't want to miss!

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In this episode, our friend Jeff Bell joins us to talk candidly about what it was like to grow up in and be a part of Christian fundamentalist evangelical organizations and churches in the 90’s. We discuss what it was like to have this as our main faith experience during our formative years and what it was like to come out of that way of thinking. What did we have to unlearn? What evangelical teachings never set well with us? What was our journey to move past evangelical fundamentalist thinking? Christian fundamentalism had big impacts on our lives that took us years to unravel. In this episode, we share the highs and lows of what we learned and what we learned to unlearn as we grew up and out of Christian fundamentalism. And of course, Jeff Bell brings his much needed humor to what can be a hard and triggering conversation....

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This June, the Southern Baptist Convention approved an amendment to the Baptist Faith and Message to be approved next summer during their Annual Convention. The amendment restricted women in ministry, who were already not supposed to hold lead pastor roles, from having any pastoral position, where the title of "pastor" was deserved. Why are we still talking about this? Jesus celebrated and supported women in ministry so why shouldn’t we? In this episode, Craig and Amy share their reflections, frustrations and thoughts about the recent SBC decision. No, we are not Southern Baptist, but when a large denomination makes a statement like this; it is up to those standing with women in ministry to speak loudly against oppression and discrimination...

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In this episode we bring back our friend and colleague Stan Mitchell. Stan was founding pastor of Gracepointe Church in Nashville, TN and walked with that church through the process of becoming an open and affirming church in 2015.  Stan has since mentored numerous churches and families as they wrestle with their own stories of inclusion.  In Part 2 of the LGBTQ Conversation in Local Churches series, Stan gives us his insight on why these conversations are difficult but necessary in local churches.

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Over the last few years, we have received a lot of questions about this very process. What was it like to have a conversation on inclusivity in a local church? What did you actually do, talk about, and how? What did you learn along the way? In this episode, we dive into the process of what that was like for our local church, and we hope our story helps if your local church congregation is discussing inclusivity soon. Since there are typically a lot of theological perspectives, lived experiences and long held beliefs, this conversation in particular can get heated very quickly. Because many denominations are having conversation like this, being clear and honest in messaging regarding LGBTQ affirmation is crucial for churches.

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Stories matter. Telling our stories matters. And hearing the stories of others matters. Craig and I are honored to hold and share Zachary Pomeroy’s rich and powerful story of discovery, heartbreak and healing. We invite you into this space knowing that you will hear things that are difficult, humbling and transformative. It certainly was that for us as we had this conversation with Zach in our small and sweaty podcast shack in late June. But Zach's is a story we all need to hear and we are honored to bring it to you.....

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Every experience we have in life impacts us. Some experiences leave a huge impact, like a canyon in the desert. Others might leave such a tiny ripple that we don't even notice the effects. Religious trauma, hurts from the institutional Church, or any pain we experience at the hands of those who represent the spiritual to us are deep wounds that leave an impact that often takes years to process....

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“In the most general sense, faith deconstruction begins with people realizing that the answers they possess are answers they have memorized that were achieved or developed by other people or authority figures...

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Recently Craig and Jeff Bell did a “dad joke” video for Cedarbridge Baptist Church as a fun way to highlight Father's Day.

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Deconstruction is a bit of a buzz word these days, but for right reasons. Many people, especially those who grew up in a church atmosphere, find that at some point they need to rethink, unpack and "deconstruct" the theology, ideas and foundations...

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*Trigger alert: sexual abuse, rape, sexual trauma, religious sexual abuse There are some experiences none of us want to have inside knowledge about. Yet too often the unbelievable happens, and we find ourselves living through experiences that are so horrifying, our lives are instantly and forever changed. ...

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Any amount of research on stress and your body will tell you that chronic unresolved stress has a negative impact on your overall health. But what happens when life hands us more than stress, and in fact, we have to deal with experiences that are traumatic?

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Despite our best efforts, sometimes we hurt those we love with our words and actions, causing trauma and pain that has to be unpacked and worked through for years. This happens in every family; it is a part of life as we know it. ...

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We are excited to share our conversation with Stan Mitchell with you on Finding Free Podcast! This episode is a must-listen for our community.

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During any conversation on LGBTQ+ inclusivity and the Church, the topic of scripture takes center-stage. What does the Bible say about same sex orientation? What does Jesus say?

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I have heard it said many times before, “The Gospel is either good news for everyone or it is good news for no one.” Yet time and time again, one group or another gets pushed aside, deemed not acceptable, excluded...by the Church.

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Often there are ideas and theologies that we are taught that we hold onto for a while in life, but that eventually we realize need reframing and rethinking.

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It’s no secret that COVID-19 has everything in life as we knew it either on hold or moving forward in a very different way than we have known before. Every decision seems to take so much effort and yield more problems.

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From 1972 to 1980, my dad (aka Mo, short for Morris) was the varsity basketball coach at Apex High School. When Amy and I were starting our Finding Free Podcast I needed to do a sound test for our phone interview equipment.

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Power dynamics in churches...this not something we like to talk about often, especially in today's political and social climate.

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Living in a culture that thrives on "more" and "faster," it's no secret that most of us have a hard time waiting for anything. When we begin to associate what we can get quickly with what is successful, we set ourselves up for a spiritual life of discontent.

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