PODCAST · religion
Formed
by IRVING BIBLE CHURCH
We believe that as Christians, we are constantly being formed in the way of Jesus for the sake of the world. We desire to be transformed people who experience vibrant spiritual growth and we want the Spirit of God to shape us more and more into the likeness of Jesus. Join Dr. Barry Jones, Sissy Mathew, and Isaac Harris each week as they navigate relevant topics through honest conversations.
Episodes
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Ep. 116 - Singleness and Dating in Today's World
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back on the green couch and talking about singleness and dating. What has the church got wrong and right about singles? How can we celebrate marriage without making singles feel like life is incomplete? What has the church got wrong about dating? Is a dating checklist...
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Ep. 115 - The Rising and Falling of Celebrity Pastors
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back on the green couch and talking about celebrity pastors. When does a large platform turn into celebrity culture? Why are Christians drawn to charismatic, recognizable leaders? Why do moral failures of celebrity pastors rock people's faith? What qualities of leaders...
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Ep. 114 - AI Discipleship, Gender Attendance Trends, & More on the Current State of the Church
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back on the green couch and talking about a recent study on four relevant trends in the church today. What is the dangers of people being discipled by AI instead of in the church? Why is it hard for disicpleship to keep up in a world of spiritual openness? Why are…
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Ep. 113 - How to Approach Midterm Elections as a Christian
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back on the green couch and talking about the upcoming midterm elections and the church. What is the number one thing to remember as a believer heading into election season? Why is it dangerous to associate Christianity with one political party? What is the difference...
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Ep. 112 - Loosening the Grip of Money
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back on the green couch talking about the grip that money can have on our lives. What is the difference between financial wisdom and trusting money? Is financial independence a Christian goal? What is a practice we can start to loosen the grip of money on our lives?…
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Ep. 111 - The Odyssey, London, Poetry & Other Summer Recommendations
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back on the green couch recapping some of their favorite things from the summer months. After a long break from the podcast, they talk about their favorite podcasts, books, movies, tv shows, vacations, and more from the summer that they would recommend. The crew…
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Ep. 110 - Why the Prosperity Gospel is Damaging
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back on the green couch talking about the prosperity gospel. What exactly is it and how can it be damaging? Why is it so appealing to people? Did God ever make promises like this? How can it sneak into our lives? Did Jesus ever talk about it? The crew wraps up the...
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Ep. 109 - Sexuality, Gender & Roles in the Home
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back on the green couch talking about sexuality, gender, and roles in the home. They talk about a recent change in men and women leadership in the church and the slippery slope concern that comes up as a response. They also discuss the blessed alliance between men and...
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Ep. 108 - An Elder Board Perspective on Men and Women in Leadership
Barry is back and joined by three members of the elder board at Irving Bible Church. They talk about the process of making a change in men and women in leadership in the church, along with what it means for the church and their personal journeys around the topic. For more information regarding…
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Ep. 107 - Men and Women in Leadership Together in the Church
Barry and Isaac are back and talking about men and women in leadership positions at church. What are some of the biblical passages that have been revisited over the years at Irving Bible Church? What does the process look like to make a change in leadership like this? What are the practical and...
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Ep. 106 - Church in the 90s vs. Church Today
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about the differences between the church in the 1990s vs. the church now. What are the impacts of the church growth movement? What about the lasting effects of "purity culture?" What about the rise contemporary worship music? What is something you wish...
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Ep. 105 - How to Find God in the Midst of Grieving
Barry and Isaac are joined by Tiffany Stein, author of newly released book, Mourning God. What is something about the immediate grief stage you have learned now? What is the relationship between suffering and our relationship with God? What is the dark night of the soul? What were some bad…
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Ep. 104 - What Did the Days After the Resurrection of Jesus Look Like?
Barry and Isaac are joined by Shawn Small, author of newly released devotional, Via Lucis. What did the first days after the resurrection of Jesus look like? What is the season after Easter Sunday really about? What is a story that gets overlooked after the resurrection? What is some practical...
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Ep. 103 - Cynt Marshall on Leadership, Navigating Faith & Ambition, and More
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are joined by former Dallas Mavericks CEO and former Senior Vice President of AT&T, Cynt Marshall. They talk about your faith being the foundation of your leadership in secular work settings, navigating the relationship of faith and ambition with your career, how to be a...
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Ep. 102 - Is Baptism Necessary?
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about if baptism is necessary. Why should someone get baptized? What if I was baptized as an infant, should I get re-baptized? Is it required for salvation? What does the water symbolize? The crew wraps up the episode by voting on controversial food...
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Ep. 101 - Why Observing Lent is for All Christians
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back from a brief haitus and talking about the season of Lent. Why is this season for more people than just Catholics? Why do we give up things for Lent? What else happens during this season? Why is the liturgical calendar "cool?" The crew wraps up the episode by…
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Ep. 100 - What is the Difference From a Catholic and a Protestant?
How is being Catholic different and similar to being Protestant? Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about Catholics and Protestants. How are the two similar? What about the differences? How did they both originate? What about purgatory and confession? What is a misconception Protestants...
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Ep. 99 - How to Read My Bible More in 2026
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about how to read your Bible more in 2026. Why are Bible sales increasing year over year? What advice do you have for someone wanting to get back into reading their bible more? What about someone starting to read it for the first time? What plans or...
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Ep. 97 - Things We Get Wrong About the Christmas Story
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about things we commonly get wrong about the Christmas story. Was Jesus really born on December 25? What about the timing of magi visiting Jesus? What about the rooms in the inn? Was there a star in the sky? The crew wraps up the episode by talking…
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Ep. 96 - What Are the Top 3 Issues Facing the Church Today?
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about the biggest issues facing the church today. They each bring three to the table and discuss their biggest concerns right now. Is shallow discipleship a problem? What about moral failures of pastors and political idolatry? Loneliness, mental…
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Ep. 95 - How Do We Know the Bible is True?
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about how we know the Bible is true. How are there no flaws when being passed down? What about the books written that weren't included in the Bible? What is the balance of having faith and wanting historical evidence? The crew wraps up the episode by...
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Ep. 94 - I'm a Christian & Dressed Up for Halloween, Now What?
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac talk about Halloween and how Christians respond to it. What is the history of Halloween? Should Christians celebrate the holiday? But what about the glorification of demons and Satan? How can parents approach the subject with kids? The crew wraps up the episode by fantasy...
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Ep. 93 - Why Have Churches in DFW Been Rocked With Scandal?
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and this time in front of a live audience as part of the discipleship program at Irving Bible Church. They take submitted questions about church scandals in DFW, the 'Billy Graham Rule," pastors on social media, and more. There is no recorded banter this week as...
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Ep. 92 - What Does the Bible Say About Immigration and Borders?
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and this time talking about immigration and the church. Why is immigration avoided as a topic in the church? How should Christians respond to illegal immigration? What is the biblical view of national borders? Why do people turn to politics over their faith to…
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Ep. 91 - Recognizing and Walking Through Church Hurt
Barry and Isaac are joined by Jared Barnett, Men's Pastor at Irving Bible Church. They talk about the stages of church hurt and the response to it. Is church hurt on the rise? What is the spectrum of church hurt we can experience? How can we begin to heal from it? How can we support someone…
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Ep. 90 - The Roles of Men and Women in the Church
Barry, Sissy and Isaac are back talking about men and women in the church. Why is there an exodus of women in the church? Is there scripture that limits the roles of women in the church? What is the difference between how the early and current church view and treat women? What is the history of...
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Ep. 89 - Mental Health, Medication & the Church
Barry, Sissy and Isaac are back talking about the relationship between mental health and the church. Why has the church in general struggled to talk about mental health? Is your spiritual health and mental health the same? Where can you turn in scripture if you are struggling with your mental...
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Ep. 88 - Patriotism, Christian Nationalism & Politics in the Church
Barry, Sissy and Isaac are back talking about the relationship between politics and the church. What is the difference between patriotism and christian nationalism? Does the Bible talk about voting? How did the early church approach politics? Why is it dangerous for a church to connect to one...
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Ep. 87 - Small Church vs. Big Church
Barry, Sissy and Isaac are back and talking about narratives around small churches and big churches. What do you wish you could tell people from both churches about the other? What are some of the pros and cons of both? How do our backgrounds shape how we feel about church size? The crew wraps up...
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Ep. 86 - Preparing to Engage on Culturally Sensitive Topics
Barry and Isaac are joined by Chad Golden, the discipleship pastor at Irving Bible Church, to talk about a recent framework to help navigate conversations around culturally sensitive topics. Is every topic our culture elevates have the same importance in the church? What can we do on our own to...
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Ep. 85 - We All Need a Sabbath
Barry, SISSY, and Isaac are all back together to talk about sabbath keeping and how it is a must for Christians. Why is a weekly sabbath important? Is it biblical? How is it different from a vacation or time off work? What are the components of a sabbath? Plus, the crew quizzes Sissy about her...
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Ep. 84 - The Spiritual Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Barry and Isaac pair up for a conversation around spiritual gifts and the Holy Spirit. What exactly are the gifts? What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Are the miraculous gifts still active today? How do we guard from past trauma forming our view of the Holy Spirit? They wrap up the episode…
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Ep. 83 - Parenting Kids in 2025
Barry and Isaac are joined by Julie Wilding, the Kids Pastor at Irving Bible Church. They talk about being in kid in 2025 and the challenges that come with that. What are the differences in parenting today vs. 15 years ago? What is the number one issue facing kids today? What do kids need in a...
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Ep. 82 - Understanding Teenagers Today
Barry and Isaac are joined by Michael Agnew, youth pastor at Irving Bible Church. What is it like being a teenager today? What is the number one issue facing teenagers today? What are teenagers looking for in church? How are relationships different for teenagers post-COVID? What should parents of...
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Ep. 81 - Navigating Seasons in Marriage
Barry and Isaac are joined by Kim Jones, director of engagement at My Refuge House and wife of Barry. It is a fun conversation about 29 years of marriage between Kim and Barry. What does marriage look like before and after kids? What was your hardest season of marriage and how did you make it...
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Ep. 80 - Understanding the Gen Z Generation
Barry and Isaac are joined by Camille Holland, Young Adults Pastor at Irving Bible Church. They talk about the Gen Z generation and what the biggest challenges are facing young adults right now. What is a misconception about Gen Z? What advice for parents who have Gen Z children? What does Gen Z...
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Ep. 79 - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly About Vocational Ministry
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about what it's like working in vocational ministry. What is the most rewarding part about ministry? What is the hardest part? What is a misconception about working in ministry? What advice would you have for someone going into ministry? The crew wraps...
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Ep. 78 - Should Christians Care About Climate Change?
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about environmental stewardship, climate change, and our role as Christians in those conversations. Should Christians care about climate change? Does our view on the end times affect our view on the environment? Is caring about climate change a way to...
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Ep. 77 - Why Do We Give Up Things for Lent?
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about the traditions and meanings behind Lent. What is your history with Lent? Is it just for Catholics? Why do we put ashes on people's foreheads? Why do we give up things for Lent? The crew wraps up the episode with some banter around the tv show...
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Ep. 76 - What is the Best Bible Translation?
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about translations of the Bible. What is your favorite translation and why? What translation do you have issues with? What is the problem with KJV only? What is your favorite book of the Bible? What book surprised you after reading it? The crew wraps…
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Ep. 75 - Is it ok for a Christian to Gamble?
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about gambling. Is it ok for a Christian to gamble? Where do we see gambling as an example or addressed in the Bible? Why do churches shy away from addressing gambling? How do we know when something is an addiction? How do we help a friend struggling...
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Ep. 74 - How to Pick a Church
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about the process of finding the right church. What is the difference between church-hopping and church shopping? What is dangerous about church-hopping? When do we know it's time to leave a church? Does it matter if we committ to a church or can we…
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Ep. 73 - How to Approach Getting Older
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back and talking about something that applies to us all—aging. As a Christian how should we approach aging and getting older? What advice do you have for people who are sad on birthdays? Did people really live that long in the OT? What is a misconception about getting...
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Ep. 72 - Church Trends & How to Read Your Bible More in 2025
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back for their first episode of 2025. They talk about church trends in 2025, advice for believers in the new year, tips for reading the Bible, and more. The crew wraps up the episode with some banter around what they want listeners to try in 2025 and Barry's is a place...
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Ep. 71 - Dinosaurs, Tattoos & Roles in Marriage
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back to answer questions around a plethora of topics. Left over questions from the Let's Talk About It series, the crew discusses why dinosaurs aren't in the Bible, if tattoos are a sin, the roles of a husband and wife in marriage, and more. The crew wraps up the…
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Ep. 70 - Let's Talk About Money and the Church
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back to answer questions about the relationship between the church, our faith, and money. Why isn't generosity listed as a fruit of the spirit? Can Christians have luxury items? Is it better to give often or give more at once? Why did Jesus talk about money so much?…
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Ep. 69 - Let's Talk About Sexuality & the Church (Part Two)
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back to answer questions about the relationship between the church, our faith, and sexuality. Is there scripture on the topic of transgender? Is attending a wedding of someone engaging in sexual beliefs outside your own an endorsement? How can the church improve in...
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Ep. 68 - Let's Talk About Sexuality and the Church (Part One)
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back to answer questions about the relationship between the church, our faith, and sexuality. Is there scripture on the topic of homosexuality? What does God say about homosexuality and marriage? What about Jesus never talking about homosexuality? Can you live sexual...
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Ep. 67 - Let's Talk About Civility and the Church
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back to answer questions about the relationship between the church, your faith, and civility. What does disgreement feel so personal and attacking now? How do you respect differing beliefs while speaking truth? What can we learn from the church in Rome? How do we…
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Ep. 66 - Let's Talk About Relationships and the Church
Barry, Sissy, and Isaac are back to answer questions about the relationship between the church, your faith, and relationships. Why is loneliness an epidemic? Can I just be alone? Why are relationships harder when you get older? How has social media changed relationships? How can an introvert have...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
We believe that as Christians, we are constantly being formed in the way of Jesus for the sake of the world. We desire to be transformed people who experience vibrant spiritual growth and we want the Spirit of God to shape us more and more into the likeness of Jesus. Join Dr. Barry Jones, Sissy Mathew, and Isaac Harris each week as they navigate relevant topics through honest conversations.
HOSTED BY
IRVING BIBLE CHURCH
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Formed have?
Formed currently has 116 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Formed about?
We believe that as Christians, we are constantly being formed in the way of Jesus for the sake of the world. We desire to be transformed people who experience vibrant spiritual growth and we want the Spirit of God to shape us more and more into the likeness of Jesus. Join Dr. Barry Jones, Sissy...
How often does Formed release new episodes?
Formed publishes regularly with 116 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Formed?
You can listen to Formed 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 Formed?
Formed is created and hosted by IRVING BIBLE CHURCH.
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