Churches love to say “everyone’s welcome” — but what happens when “everyone” includes people who make others feel unsafe? In this episode, Mike and James unpack the paradox of inclusion: how the desire to make church a safe place for all can sometimes invite the very dynamics that destroy that safety.

Is harmony in the church realistic, or just good marketing? In this episode, Mike and James confront the issue of conflict in faith communities, how it so often turns toxic, and explore why we find it hard to see past our differences.

In this episode, Mike and James confront the often unspoken pressure in churches to be upbeat, positive, and happy under all circumstances—sometimes called "toxic positivity". They explore how this mindset can unintentionally silence genuine struggle, cause people to feel that their faith is lacking, and distort the way we relate to God and one another.

In part two of their conversation on Last Generation Theology, Mike and James dive deeper into the biblical meaning of perfection and how LGT misrepresents it. They highlight one of the movement’s biggest flaws, and talk about how its heavy focus on human performance distorts the gospel and strips away the freedom Christ offers.

In this episode, Mike and James dive into Last Generation Theology—the belief that a final, sinless generation must arise before Jesus returns. At the heart of the discussion lies an important question: is the idea of moral perfection as a necessity a faithful expression of the gospel, or a departure from it?

Sabbath was meant to be a gift, but many have experienced it as a heavy burden. In this conversation, Mike and James explore how too often the day of rest has been distorted into a symbol of human striving—and how Scripture reclaims it as a sign that God alone saves

Shame and guilt often get lumped together—but are they the same thing? In this episode, Mike and James unpack the crucial distinctions between the two, and how shame-based thinking, in particular, can keep people stuck in cycles they were never meant to live in.

In the second installment of their conversation with Pastor Ben Martin, Mike and James explore where the idea came from that baptism should be delayed until people "know enough". They push back on the myth that this approach stops people from drifting away and talk about why healthy ongoing discipleship — not front-loading information — is what truly helps faith take root.