Keep Christ in Christian

Society (and therefore the church) is obsessed with hierarchies. Whether based on wealth, status, or worthiness, such attitudes erode our ability to see each other clearly. Plus, they create categories like, “the least of these.”Jesus—in his infinite wisdom—attempted to create protections to ensure that the “least” would always have their basic needs met. But he pushed it even farther than that when he said that caring for the “least of these” was, in some very real sense, taking care of Christ himself.Matthew 25 (the separation of the sheep and the goats) stands as a powerful parable calling the church to take seriously a collective understanding of faith. Our Christianity should not just serve ourselves, but rather it should catalyze us toward compassion for all.In our final episode of the season, Rev Jonah leads a brilliant conversation arguing for a Christianity defined by radical solidarity rather than comfortable individualism. Listeners are invited into deeper, more authentic ways of embodying Christ’s radical vision for community, care, and connection. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com

The heart of episode nine centers on a story from John 9 where Jesus heals a man born blind, and the disciples ask, “Who sinned—this man or his parents?”Josh leads a discussion around the merits and pitfalls of looking for blame in the context of suffering. Pointing out that Jesus doesn’t blame the blind man or his parents, Josh says that Jesus redirects them: “You’re asking the wrong question. Look instead for what God can do.”Join us as we wrestle with the tension between finding purpose in suffering and the danger of turning people into spiritual props. As we look at how we can Keep Christ in Christian, this episode is an invitation to resist blame, resist superiority, and lean into compassionate presence.Rather than asking why someone is suffering, ask how can I show up in love? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com

Why are so many Christians these days so unkind? “If you call yourself a Christian,” co-Host Colby Martin says, “then you don’t have the option to not be kind.”Back in Jesus’ day a religious person approached Jesus looking for a loophole with regards to “who is my neighbor?” Meaning, sure sure sure, I gotta love people… but like, there’s gotta be someone out there I don’t HAVE to love, right?Jesus responds with the story of the good Samaritan and ends with, “Your aim should be to BE the neighbor to all.”In other words, NO LOOPHOLES, yo.And yet… also… what do we do with the instances where Jesus called people “brood of vipers?” Or that time he flipped over tables?Was any of that “kind?”This episode is a FANTASTIC conversation about keeping Christ in Christian through kindness.Listen. Like it. Share it. Review it! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com

Is God’s best idea for wholeness, forgiveness, and restoration really a system where—not only does an innocent person need to die (and shed their blood)—but then people have to BELIEVE that that happened, otherwise the payment wasn’t sufficient so they must suffer themselves?What an odd and utterly inhumane way to handle things.Yet this is how many Christians think about atonement.In this thought provoking episode, Rev Jonah leads a conversation that starts with the three parables of a lost coin, sheep, and son; then moves into why our penal system of incarceration is in dire need of reform (or abolishment); which then gets us talking about atonement and God’s capacity to forgive… and that leads in to universal salvation.What a doozy of an episode! Something for everyone :)Grab a coffee or whisky or both and listen in. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com

Many of us in the progressive Christian, post-evangelical space witnessed something horrifying back in 2016 (that has continued over the subsequent decade).The very people who taught us what it meant to be Christ-like were the same ones who set so much of that aside in their efforts for political wins.Marshall McLuhan famously said, “The medium is the message.” Which means that HOW you say something is just as meaningful and powerful as WHAT you are saying.Join us for a lively conversation of how that same principle applies for what it means to Keep Christ in Christian. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com

Most of us were initiated into a version of Christianity which claimed to be the one, true, correct expression of the faith.What about all the other denominations or traditions? At best they were inferior, at worst they were heretics and cults.In today’s discussion, Colby leads us in a conversation around the practice of gatekeeping, where we assume the role of deciding who is and is not a real Christian. We don’t all necessarily agree, or share the same instincts, as it relates to who, when, and how we can determine who is “for us” and who is on “Team Jesus.”Our central question: What if keeping Christ in Christian means we have a much larger framework for who is part of the Great Family of God? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com

Led by Rev Jonah P. Overton, this week’s episode invites listeners to consider that when Jesus spoke of enteral life, the kingdom of God, and the abundant life, he did not have “what happens when we die” on his mind.By removing (or rather, distorting) the original intentions of Jesus’ teaching, and replacing it with ideas about an afterlife/heaven/hell, much of Christianity has become kind of death cult.This does not honor the life and teachings of Jesus. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com

When most people hear the word “repent” it conjures images and feelings of guilt and shame.Used to make others feel bad about themselves, and used to exert a kind of control, most Christians today totally miss the point of “repentance.”Josh Scott leads the discussion in this episode as we consider how keeping Christ in Christian might very well look like using repentance as a practice for inviting connection (and not shame). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com

Jesus couldn’t have been clearer: “Do not judge.”And yet, judgment is often what Christians are most known for.In this episode, we take a hard look at the one teaching of Jesus we break the most.We revisit the log-and-splinter story, unpack what it really means, and explore how choosing empathy and compassion over condemnation could be the most Christlike move to make. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com

Many people are noticing an odd trend: things can look and sound “Christian” while, at the same time, not really looking or sounding like “Jesus.”How on earth did that happen?In this all new podcast presented by The Better Fruit Project, three post-evangelical pastors sit down to explore various ways in which the life, teaching, and way of Jesus is missing from so much of what passes for Christianity.In this episode join Colby Martin, Josh Scott, and Jonah Overton as they share their hearts behind why they got on board with this project. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com

We are thrilled to announce the launching of a brand new podcast project, Keep Christ in Christian.Hosted by Colby Martin, Jonah Overton, and Josh Scott, this 10 episode series explores a number of ways in which modern day Christianity (especially evangelicalism) seems troublingly void of the clear teachings of Jesus.If you, like us, keep wondering why so many preachings and voices online can sound super “Christian-y”, and yet not really sound like Jesus at all, then make sure to subscribe to Keep Christ in Christian. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.thebetterfruitproject.com