PODCAST · religion
Beyond Sunday
by Lord of Life Lutheran Church
Beyond Sunday is a weekly podcast that explores issues of faith beyond Sunday morning.
Episodes
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Episode 410 – Everyone Is Welcome… Now What?
This week on Beyond Sunday, we’re asking what churches really mean when they say, “Everyone is welcome.” Inspired by The Inclusivity Trap, we talk about the difference between being welcoming and creating real belonging, whether churches sometimes confuse being loving with being nice, and what...
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Episode 409 – Hard Things in the Bible: Spooky Edition
It’s spooky season on Beyond Sunday! Join us as we explore three of the Bible’s strangest and creepiest stories: Saul’s mysterious visit to the medium of Endor, Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones, and the terrifying handwriting on the wall in Daniel. What’s really happening in these stories, and what...
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Episode 408 – Who Can Tell the Pastor No?
In this episode, we discuss the tragic story of Mica Miller and what it reveals about power, accountability, and leadership in the church. What happens when a pastor has authority but little meaningful oversight? Can someone receive forgiveness and grace while still facing consequences or being...
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Episode 407 – God in the Machine
Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday life—and increasingly, part of the church. This week, we discuss an article from Mere Orthodoxy that asks why many christians have been so quick to embrace AI. We explore questions about technology, truth, certainty, and what might be lost when...
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Episode 406 – The Bible, Women, and the Ballot Box
What happens when ideas about biblical authority, gender roles, and politics collide? In this episode of Beyond Sunday, we look at a growing conversation among some Christian leaders questioning women’s right to vote. We explore the false theology behind these arguments, how Scripture is...
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Episode 405 – Hard Things in the Bible: Slavery
The Bible tells a powerful story of God freeing people from slavery—but it also contains laws that allow slavery and New Testament passages telling enslaved people to obey their masters. So what do we do with these difficult texts? In this episode of Beyond Sunday, we wrestle with slavery in the...
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Episode 404 – Why We All Love Dolly
What does it look like to live out your faith without making a show of it? This week on Beyond Sunday, we talk about Dolly Parton, the faith that has shaped her life, and the way she has navigated fame, generosity, conviction, and kindness in the public eye. What can her example teach us about...
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Episode 403 – Blasphemy Laws Are Blasphemy
What happens when Christian faith gets tangled up with political power? In this episode, we discuss a Christianity Today article on blasphemy laws in religious institutions and government. We explore religious freedom, the role of government, and the danger of confusing protecting Christian faith...
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Episode 402 – What Comes After Deconstruction?
What happens when the faith you grew up with no longer seems to fit? In this episode, we talk about deconstruction—what it is, why it can be such a difficult part of a person’s spiritual journey, and why asking hard questions doesn’t necessarily mean walking away from God and the grief that comes...
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Episode 401 – Lack of Empathy Begets Sin?
Apparently, some Christians say we’re supposed to be tougher on sin. More hellfire. More brimstone. Less “How does that make you feel?” 😬 But what if empathy doesn’t make us softer on sin—it actually helps us understand it better? This week on Beyond Sunday, we dive into Russell Moore’s...
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Episode 400 – Hard things in the Bible: The Unforgivable Sin
What is the unforgivable sin? Did Jesus really say there's one sin God won't forgive? And should Christians today be worried they've committed it? In this episode of Beyond Sunday, we continue our Hard Things in the Bible series by diving into Jesus' warning about "blasphemy against the Holy...
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Episode 399 – Strange Christian Beliefs that Time Forgot
Christian history is full of beliefs and practices that seem strange to us today—from pillar-dwelling monks to sin eaters and everything in between. In this episode, we explore some of Christianity's forgotten traditions and ask a bigger question: What beliefs or practices do we hold today that...
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Episode 398 – Faith at Camp (with special guest Josiah Canto)
Every summer across the world there are kids heading to summer camp. For many, those camps are geared towards spiritual formation of youth and adults. This week, Pastor David sits down with Josiah Canto to talk about life, camp, ministry, and how the church can put its best foot forward in…
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Episode 397 – So… what did we miss?
This week we're taking a look back to dive into two of the biggest faith and culture stories making headlines while we were on hiatus. First, we turn to the Southern Baptist Convention's recent vote regarding women in ministry. Why did they need to make a new vote when... nothing seemed to change...
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Episode 396 – Challenging things in the Bible: Luke 16
Why would Jesus seem to praise a dishonest manager? In one of the most puzzling parables in the Gospels, Jesus tells the story of a shrewd manager who appears to be rewarded for his questionable actions. Is Jesus encouraging dishonesty, or is there something deeper going on? In this episode of…
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Episode 395 – Challenging Stuff in the Bible: Isaac and Abraham
This week we're tackling one of the hardest stories in the entire Bible: Abraham and Isaac. Why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? What was the purpose of this test? And what are Christians supposed to do with a story that still makes many readers uncomfortable today? We'll explore the...
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Episode 394 – The Casinofication of Church
Sports betting is everywhere—but what happens when the “casinofication” of culture starts shaping the church too? This week we dive into a thought-provoking article from Christianity Today and ask whether churches are losing community, identity, and formation in a world built around algorithms,...
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Episode 393 – Gen Z Wants Justice. Are They Right?
On this episode, we dive into a fascinating Christianity Today article exploring how Gen Z is reframing one of Christianity’s oldest questions. Instead of asking, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” many young adults today are asking, “Why don’t bad people ever seem to face justice?” We...
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Episode 392 – What If Aliens Are Real?
What if aliens are real—and two U.S. presidents have already hinted at it? More importantly… would it actually change anything about Christian faith? In this episode, we dive into a fascinating Christianity Today article exploring how believers might respond to the reality of extraterrestrial…
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Episode 391 – Challenging Stuff in the Bible: Reconciling Violence and Forgiveness
God commands destruction in one part of the Bible… and tells us to love our enemies in another. So what’s going on? In this episode, we explore the tension between Old Testament violence and the teachings of Jesus, taking an honest look at difficult passages and what they might mean for how we...
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Episode 390 – Is Everything A Spiritual Battle?
Maybe you’ve been in this scenario: you’re going through a particularly hard time, your emotions are all over the place, you don’t feel like yourself, you’re worried something is wrong. You reach out to a trusted friend or pastor and what’s their advice: “Sounds like a spiritual battle that you...
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Episode 389 – What Happens When We Get Jesus Wrong?
This week, we unpack Relevant Magazine’s “Everybody Has a Version of Jesus — Only One Holds Up,” and talk about how culture—and politics—can reshape Jesus into something more convenient. We also discuss the recent AI image of Jesus shared by Donald Trump, and what it reveals about how easily…
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Episode 388 – Hope in the Light of Resurrection
In this episode, we dive into an article by Timothy Keller exploring how the resurrection of Jesus speaks directly into seasons of fear and uncertainty. Drawing from his book Hope in Times of Fear, Keller argues that the resurrection isn’t just a past event—it’s the foundation for a living…
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Episode 387 – The Church Needs a New Sex Talk
In this episode, we respond to the article about why the Church needs a new “sex talk” and how many Christian teachings about sex have been shaped primarily from a male point of view. We talk about how this has affected women, relationships and sexual ethics in the Church, and why the…
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Episode 386 – Challenging Stuff in the Bible: The Theology of the Cross
Why did Jesus have to die? It’s one of the most important questions in Christianity—and one that has been answered in many different ways throughout history. In this episode, we explore the different biblical images used to explain the cross: sacrifice, substitution, ransom, victory over evil,...
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Episode 385 – Faith and Hope in Politics
In this episode, our team takes a look at a recent New York Times article by David French highlighting Texas politician James Talarico and why he stands out in today’s political climate. We talk about what makes his approach different, why his voice is gaining attention, and what it might look…
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Episode 384 – Calling in the Age of AI
This week on the Beyond Sunday Podcast, we ask a risky question: what happens to vocation if AI replaces most of our work? If your job disappears, does your calling disappear too — or have we misunderstood God’s purpose all along? Plus, there’s now a social media platform just for AI… and that...
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Episode 383 – It’s the End of the World as We Know It
This week we look at alarming reports of military commanders telling troops that Donald Trump has been “chosen by God” to spark Armageddon through war with Iran. We unpack why that kind of end-times rhetoric isn’t just dangerous politically—it’s also a serious distortion of Christian theology....
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Episode 382 – Challenging Stuff in the Bible: The 10th Plague
This week on the Beyond Sunday Podcast, we continue our monthly series on difficult passages of Scripture by exploring the death of the firstborn in Exodus. It’s a challenging section of the Bible, and we wrestle honestly with our discomfort while considering how God’s love might still be seen in...
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Episode 381 – Service and Worship
This week on the podcast, we take a thoughtful look at Christian service and charity. Why do some Christians seem to prioritize worship over acts of mercy? And why does the perception persist that Christians aren’t very charitable when the data tells a different story? Plus, what exactly should...
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Episode 380 – Performative Redemption
This week on the podcast, we dive into the idea of redemption — how it actually works spiritually, and why we’re sometimes quick to declare someone “redeemed” even when there’s little evidence of real change. Using the public stories surrounding Pastor Robert Morris and Kid Rock’s halftime...
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Episode 379 – The Great Omission
Biblical literacy is declining—not just in broader culture, but even among faithful churchgoers. Has an overly seeker-sensitive approach weakened our discipleship? In this episode, we explore why deep engagement with Scripture matters and how churches can retrain their people to read, understand,...
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Episode 378 – Challenging Parts of the Bible: Romans 13
Our new Bible series this year focuses on passages of Scripture that can be difficult to navigate or know what to do with. This month, we take a closer look at Romans 13, examining how Paul understands the role of government and how Christians are called to approach faithfulness and obedience to...
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Episode 376 – The Holiness of Unhappiness
We often feel pressure to be happy in faith… but what happens when we just aren’t feeling it. Do we subconsciously expect that being a follower of Jesus will make us happy and how do we combat against that. All this and more! Article from the episode:...
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Episode 375 – Spiritual Growth vs Self-Improvement
We often get confused by what is spiritual growth or what is just self improvement, so we explore how we can better tell the difference between becoming a better you or becoming more like Jesus. Article from the episode:...
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Episode 374 – An Interview With an Exorcist
We started off the new year with a bang with an interview with Father Andrew, a Catholic priest who is trained to do exorcisms. We may not agree on every aspect of demons, possession, and spiritual warfare, but it was fascinating to hear his experience and perspective. We did have some technical...
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Episode 373 – It’s the most wonderful podcast of the year!
It is the most wonderful time of the year - the release of our Christmas episode! We break down some Christmas traditions, celebrate with some Christmas Tinner, and ask how much did Bob Cratchit make when adjusted for inflation? The original piece from Relevant Magazine can be found here:...
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Episode 372 – Young Men Are Angry But At The Wrong Thing
Young men are angry… and now being drawn to conspiracy theories, antisemitism, and social outrage. They may be right to be angry, but they’re seeing the wrong enemies out there. The Christmas season offers them and us a better story to align ourselves with and see the world through a healthier...
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Episode 371 – Blaming Women Harms Us All
We take a look at ways church and culture blame women for society’s problems. From Eve to modern sexual assault scandals, women have been cast aside or blamed for their existence. How do we break free from this cycle - it is complicated and difficult but necessary to find ways to see women as…
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Episode 370 – Does Faith Require Us to Hustle?
These days, it can seem like everyone has a side hustle and if you don’t, well then you’re just lazy and don’t try hard enough. But is that the right response for people of faith? Are we called to work harder? Grind more? And keep pushing in order to be “better Christians?” Or is there another…
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Episode 369 – How Churches Respond to Scandals: And What We Can Learn From It
The Epstein Files, and all the drama that have surrounded them, have been rocking the political landscape of our culture. Unfortunately, the Christian Church is no stranger to these sort of scandals. This week, the Beyond Sunday Team reviews some work by Russell Moore outlining 7 ways he has...
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Episode 368 – How should churches give?
There is a new TikTok social experiment going around where a woman is calling churches pretending to have a hungry baby and asking for help. Many churches are failing her test to help… but is the test rigged? We examine the experiment, ask questions of how should churches respond and what is our...
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Episode 367 – On Saying Goodbye with Pastor Cassandra
Our church is saying goodbye to Pastor Cassandra, frequent guest on the show, as she leaves for a new and exciting opportunity. She sits down with Patrick for one last guest appearance as they wrestle with grief, excitement, and reflection on her time here. Plus another weird food news story! An...
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Episode 366 – 9 things to do when you read your Bible
We are back with our friends at Relevant taking a look at 9 things to keep in mind while reading your Bible. Some great new insights are provided to help aid your Bible reading and understanding. Plus we see which states are best prepared to survive a Zombie Apocalypse. An article we look at on…
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Episode 365 – Finding God in Horror
Horror movies, books, and podcasts are the rage during spooky season, but can we find God in the scary media we consume. Horror has some unique things to teach us about faith, but it’s not the whole picture on good vs evil. Plus, we do a Halloween candy draft! An article we look at on the show:...
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Episode 364 – Are we scared of demons?
With Kpop demon hunters getting all the views on netflix, we take a look at a bigger question: “are we scared of demons anymore?” We also examine what does society look like when we lose sight of supreme good and evil. An article we look at on the...
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Episode 363 – Manifesting Spirituality…
There’s a cultural surge of new age spirituality across America. How can Christians respond to angel numbers, manifesting, and astrology and how does this spirituality manifest (see what i did there) in our own faith. An article we look at on the show:...
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Episode 363 – Should Churches Discipline their members?
Should churches discipline their members? If so, how does it work? We examine church discipline today to see if and when churches need to step in. An article we look at on the show: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/09/church-discipline-membership-comeback-survey/ Don’t forget to subscribe,...
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Episode 362 – The only thing we have to fear…
How can we keep fear from being our ruler and twisting our perspectives when everything we see is… scary? We explore how love can cast out fear, especially when we are being bombarded with messages of fear. An article we look at on the show:...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Beyond Sunday is a weekly podcast that explores issues of faith beyond Sunday morning.
HOSTED BY
Lord of Life Lutheran Church
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Beyond Sunday have?
Beyond Sunday currently has 410 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Beyond Sunday about?
Beyond Sunday is a weekly podcast that explores issues of faith beyond Sunday morning.
How often does Beyond Sunday release new episodes?
Beyond Sunday publishes regularly with 410 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Beyond Sunday?
You can listen to Beyond Sunday on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Beyond Sunday?
Beyond Sunday is created and hosted by Lord of Life Lutheran Church.
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