We’ve all heard the cliché "forgive and forget." But what happens when the memory doesn't fade? Does that mean you haven't actually forgiven?

In this episode, Nate and Tony challenge the idea that forgiveness requires amnesia. We break down why waiting to "forget" is a trap that leads to bitterness, and why true forgiveness is less about letting someone else off the hook and more about setting yourself free.

We discuss:

• The Myth of "Forgive and Forget": Why forgiveness is an act of the will, while forgetting is just a biological process.

• Forgiveness vs. Reconciliation: How to forgive someone without letting them back into your life (and why boundaries are necessary).

• Memory as a Teacher: How to stop your memories from becoming tormentors.

• The Prisoner Metaphor: Unpacking the reality that holding a grudge only imprisons you.

• Nate's Personal Story: Dealing with slander and the daily choice to release the hurt.

If you are stuck waiting for the pain to disappear before you forgive, this episode offers a new way forward.

Quotes from the episode:

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."

"Memory without forgiveness leads to bitterness; forgiveness without memory leads to foolishness."

Share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it!

We honestly planned for this to be a lighthearted episode.

The goal was simple: talk about the movies and video games that we love. But as we started talking, we realized something profound: Sometimes, a "made-up" story teaches you more about real life than a lecture ever could.

In this episode, Nate and Tony are joined by Elijah Evans to discuss the specific pieces of media that bypassed their brains and went straight to their hearts. What started as a pop-culture chat turned into a raw conversation about war, ambition, grief, and how to keep going when your world falls apart.

We discuss:

• The "Trojan Horse" Effect: Why fiction can disarm us and teach us lessons we aren't ready to hear from a pastor or a textbook.

• Studio Ghibli’s Grave of the Fireflies: Elijah shares how a devastating animated film about WWII taught him a lifelong lesson on depravity and the cost of war.

• Final Fantasy Tactics: Tony breaks down how a video game shaped his view of integrity, ambition, and why "winning" isn't worth losing your soul.

• Jojo Rabbit & The Choice to Dance: Nate opens up about how a tragicomedy about a Nazi boy became a lifeline of hope during his family’s navigation of a brain cancer diagnosis.

If you love storytelling, or if you’ve ever felt like a movie understood you better than your friends did, this episode is for you.

Mentions:

• Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

• Final Fantasy Tactics (1997)

• Jojo Rabbit (2019)

• Quote: Rilke ("Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror.")

Let’s be honest: The phrase "Social Justice" has become a grenade in the church.

For some, it sounds like the heart of the Gospel. For others, it sounds like a dangerous political agenda. If you say it in a church lobby, you're just as likely to start a fight as you are to start a movement.

So, why is this term so loaded? And is it possible to care about the oppressed without just copying a secular political talking point?

In this episode, Nate, Tony, and Michael refuse to play it safe. We dive into the tension to figure out if there is a "Third Way": a vision for justice that is deeper than modern activism but harder than traditional conservatism.

We discuss:

• Why "Social Justice" triggers a "fight or flight" response in so many Christians.

• Biblical Justice vs. Modern Activism: The difference between "Restoration" and "Power."

• The "Third Rail": A honest look at CRT, Intersectionality, and where they clash (or align) with Scripture.

• The Jesus Paradox: Why Jesus’ approach to justice would probably offend both political parties today.

• System vs. Soul: Why you can't fix the world if you ignore the human heart.

If you are tired of the cable news shouting matches and want a better, biblical framework for justice, this conversation is for you.