PODCAST · society
The Dialog
by Joshua Craft
Ancient philosophers used the dialog to find answers to life’s greatest questions. The Dialog is a search for truth in modern life through the lens of ancient philosophy, history, and theology. This podcast will challenge your assumptions, change your thinking and show you how to master modern living.
Episodes
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2.2 / Does God want me to be rich?
If your household makes the median American income, you make more than 92% of the world. Do you feel rich? If not, where does your lack of sufficiency come from? A stranger walked up to me at the gym and asked if I was a pastor or something. I told him I was more of an "or something." Then he…
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WIP / Sunday Night Bible Study (Matthew 5:21-26)
WIP / Thoughts, conversations or works in progress These are episodes from bible studies, calls, teachings or other kinds of unfinished ideas that don't quite have their place in a normal season. In Matthew 5:21–26, Jesus puts anger in the same sentence as murder. Then he tells people to walk…
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2.1 / God and money
In 2007, I was a sophomore at Oral Roberts University. One night they woke us up and sent us to the chapel to pray because "the school was under attack." By Christmas, the president had resigned, ORU was $50 million in debt, and none of us knew if there would be a spring semester. Then the Green...
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1.43 / 39 lessons in 39 years (Season 1 finale)
Season 1 finale. Socrates said the whole point of a dialog wasn't to talk to someone else. It was to get you into a conversation with yourself. I turned 39 this July, so I took some time to explain the 39 greatest lessons i've learned in 39 years. I also get into the book deal I didn't get this...
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1.42 / The gods we still bow to
What does the Bible actually say about manifesting? Manifesting is everywhere—from social media to self-help books—but what if it's just a new version of an ancient human tendency? In this conversation, Josh and Nick explore why every person is wired to worship something and how our desire for...
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1.41 / The church we were meant to build
The church has never struggled to create methods—it has struggled to remember its mission. In this episode of The Dialog, we explore the difference between biblical principles and human preferences, why Jesus gave the Church a mission instead of a blueprint, and how tradition can quietly become...
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1.40 / Have we mistaken tradition for truth?
What happens when traditions become more important than truth? In this episode of The Dialog, we unpack one of Christianity's biggest questions: What is the Church actually supposed to be? From house churches to megachurches, traditions to biblical principles, we explore why every generation...
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1.39 / Blame is keeping you stuck
It's easy to blame what happened to you. It's much harder to ask what needs to change in you. In this episode, Josh and Nick explore how blame can quietly become one of the biggest obstacles to personal growth. After Josh receives unexpected feedback from his literary agent to shelve his first...
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1.38 / Whatever you blame controls you
Blame feels productive because it gives us an explanation. Responsibility feels harder because it demands action. In this episode of The Dialog, Josh and Nick explore why so many people search for someone to blame—God, their parents, society, their circumstances—and why that mindset quietly robs...
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1.37 / The voices in our head
Why do some people grow through adversity while others stay stuck? In this episode, Josh and Nick discuss insecurity, self-awareness, depression, personal responsibility, and the ongoing conversation happening inside every person. They explore the difference between opinions and fruit, why...
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1.36 / What feedback really looks like
After spending months writing what he believed was the most important book of his life, Josh received a surprising response: the problem wasn't the message—it was how it was being communicated. In this episode, Josh and Nick revisit the conversation on feedback and explore a lesson that has...
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1.35 / The difference between honor and agreement
Most people don't struggle with authority when they agree with it. The real test comes when they don't. In this episode of The Dialog, Josh and Nick continue their conversation on spiritual authority, exploring why submission, honor, and trust are some of the most difficult values to live out in…
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1.34 / What the early church understood that we don't
Most people think freedom comes from having more choices. But what if real freedom comes from understanding authority? In this episode of The Dialog, Josh and Nick explore one of the most misunderstood concepts in modern culture: spiritual authority. From the early church under Roman persecution…
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1.33 / Our fatal flaw
In this episode of The Dialog, we explore the tension between growth and the human resistance to correction. Most people say they want wisdom, purpose, and maturity, but few people realize those things are impossible without humility. Because correction does not just confront our behavior — it...
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1.32 / The filter we hear through
Most people say they want to grow, but growth requires something most of us subtly resist... being told we're wrong. In this episode of The Dialog, Josh and Nick talk about what it actually means to receive correction, and why so many people never do. We get into why the people closest to you...
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1.31 / Why we reject correction
In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about one of the biggest barriers to growth: the inability to receive correction. Most people say they want wisdom, but wisdom and correction cannot be separated. The problem is correction confronts pride, insecurity, and the version of ourselves we are…
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1.30 / The truth about uncertainty
In this episode of The Dialog, we address something most people are trying to avoid. Uncertainty is not the problem. It is part of the design. Life is complex at every level, from your own body to the world around you, yet we expect it to be simple and predictable. The tension is not that truth...
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1.29 / Truth over feeling right
In this episode of The Dialog, we confront a tension most people avoid. Do you actually want truth, or do you just want to feel right? Because those are not the same thing. The pursuit of truth requires you to question your assumptions, challenge your beliefs, and admit when you are wrong. Most...
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1.28 / It was never about you
In this episode of The Dialog, we wrestle with a shift most people resist but eventually have to face. Your life is not ultimately about you. Not your preferences, not your timeline, and not the outcomes you thought you needed. Growth begins when you stop interpreting everything through a…
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1.27 / Defining moments
In this episode of The Dialog, we break down what defining moments actually are and how most people misunderstand them. We tend to think certain experiences shaped us, but the truth is we assign meaning to those moments. The event is not what defines you. The meaning you give it is. And most…
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26. The order of prosperity
In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about something most people misunderstand about prosperity. It is not just about how much you have. It is about the order you live in. When your life is out of order, your money will be too. And when money becomes the priority instead of a tool, it starts to...
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1.25 / Are you living what you say you believe?
In this episode of The Dialog, we wrestle with a question that exposes the gap between what we say and how we actually live. Most people don’t lack information. They lack application. We live in a time where opinions are everywhere, but conviction is rare. And the result is a culture that talks...
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1.24 / Interrupted by grace
In this episode of The Dialog, we step into a question most people avoid until life forces it on them. What do you actually believe when you are no longer in control of the outcome? What began as a 50 mile ultramarathon quickly turned into a life or death situation, creating a moment where belief...
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1.23 / What did it cost you to believe that?
In this episode of The Dialog, we ask a question most people never stop to consider: what did it cost you to believe what you believe? Not just financially, but in time, study, humility, and truth. Because most of us didn’t arrive at our beliefs through deep examination, we inherited them. From...
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1.22 / When conviction meets compassion
In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about what it means to hold real conviction without losing compassion. In a world that keeps confusing tolerance with agreement, and kindness with compromise, we wrestle with a hard question: how do you stand firmly on truth without becoming harsh, cold, or...
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1.21 / Your opinion is only as valuable as the price paid to form it
In this episode of The Dialogue, we unpack a simple but convicting idea: your opinion is only as valuable as the price you paid to form it. In a world where everyone has a hot take, we talk about what it actually means to earn an opinion through study, experience, sacrifice, and intellectual...
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1.20 / Have we confused our preference with principles?
A lot of us think we are living by principles when we are really just defending preferences. We already have a value system because we make decisions every day, but the question is whether those values are actually rooted in truth or just built on what we like, what we are used to, and what feels...
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1.19 / Are you focused on the process or the outcome?
Most of us were taught to live outcome-first. Set the goal. Picture the finish line. Execute the plan. But what happens when life doesn’t cooperate, when kids, closed doors, unexpected seasons, and circumstances outside your control blow up the timeline you were so sure about? In this episode of...
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1.18 / The true perspective of leadership
Leadership isn’t a title, it’s weight. In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about what most people miss as they chase influence, growth, and “more” the reality that every decision you make touches someone else’s soul. Tell us in the comments, what’s one leadership lesson you learned the hard…
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1.17 / What are you really certain of?
In this episode of The Dialog, we wrestle with a question most people avoid because it’s uncomfortable: what are you actually certain of? In a world desperate for clarity, confidence, and easy answers, certainty often feels like strength. But the longer we live, the more we realize how little we...
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1.16 / What’s your standard?
In this episode of The Dialog, we ask a question most people never slow down enough to answer: what’s your standard for truth? In a world shaped by algorithms, influencers, and endless opinions, it’s easier than ever to believe something simply because it feels right or aligns with what we…
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1.15 / The problem beneath the problem
In this episode of The Dialog, we step back from the noise and ask a deeper question: what’s actually beneath the problems we keep arguing about? From culture wars and politics to division, fear, and outrage, we explore why so many of our solutions fall flat and why fixing the surface rarely...
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1.14 / Who is my neighbor?
In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about the modern Christian reflex to critique from a distance. We unpack how American church culture has trained us to form strong opinions about pastors, movements, and “the way it should be,” without ever getting close enough to actually see the fruit. The...
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1.13 / Judge the fruit
In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about Christian media and why so much of it has historically felt like a subculture that only Christians can tolerate. We compare what’s being made today to the broader world of film and music, and we give real credit where it’s due. From Angel Studios to...
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1.12 / What should church be?
What is the future of the Church and who actually gets to decide? In this episode of The Dialog, we wrestle with the tension between God’s intent for the Church and our human tendency to organize, systematize, and protect what feels familiar. From early church leadership models to modern…
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1.11 / Why you MUST believe in Santa Claus
Why you MUST believe in Santa Claus is not about a man in a red suit or flying reindeer. It is about what Santa represents. Hope. Generosity. The belief that good people still exist and that giving can be done for no reason other than love. In this Christmas episode, Josh and Nick explore the…
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1.10 / Values must be built on virtue
In this episode of The Dialog, Josh Craft and Nick Surface explore why values alone are not enough to build a meaningful life. While most people choose values based on comfort, happiness, or how something feels in the moment, those values often shift with circumstances. Josh and Nick argue that...
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1.9 / Living beyond your own perspective
In this episode of The Dialog, Josh Craft and Nick Surface explore one of the hardest challenges in modern life: learning to see beyond your own perspective. They look at how personal experience, political identity, social media algorithms, and inherited traditions can trap us in echo chambers...
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1.8 / Who taught you to think the way you think?
In this episode of The Dialog, Josh Craft and Nick Surface explore one of the most overlooked truths of modern life: you don’t see the world as it is, you see the world as you are. From subconscious programming to presuppositions, they unpack how your earliest experiences, cultural environment…
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1.7 / What's in your hand?
In this episode of The Dialog, Josh Craft and Nick Surface confront a tension nearly everyone feels at some point: Why doesn’t my life look like I thought it would? From the “life blueprint” we’ve absorbed from culture to the quiet disappointment of unmet expectations, they explore how…
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1.6 / Transactional or transformational?
In this episode of The Dialog, Josh Craft and Nick Surface ask a deceptively simple question: Are your relationships transactional or transformational? From mass layoffs and shareholder capitalism to marriages and friendships, they explore how modern culture has quietly trained us to treat people...
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1.5 / Finding the truth hidden around us
For centuries, humanity has wrestled with the nature of truth — from Plato’s “forms” and Aristotle’s “good” to Jesus’ claim, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” In this episode, Nick and Josh trace how the deepest ideas of philosophy and religion reveal the same thing: every search for truth...
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1.4 / The power of blame
In this conversation, Nick and Josh pull on one of the deepest philosophical and spiritual threads in human life: the tension between blame and ownership. From the ancient world to our modern systems of government and welfare, they examine how cultures have drifted from personal responsibility...
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1.3 / How do you see your life?
In this episode of The Dialog, hosts Josh Craft and Nick Surface explore one of the most persistent illusions of modern life — the pursuit of happiness. Is happiness something we can ever truly achieve, or is it the wrong target altogether? Through a thought-provoking blend of Stoic philosophy,...
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1.2 / Is happiness a worthwhile goal?
In this episode of The Dialog, hosts Josh Craft and Nick Surface dive into one of the most deceptively simple questions in human history: Is happiness really worth pursuing? From Aristotle’s eudaimonia and Stoic virtue ethics to biblical joy and modern dissatisfaction, this conversation explores...
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1.1 / The joy of being wrong
In the premiere episode of The Dialog, hosts Josh Craft and Nick Surface invite you into a deep, thought-provoking conversation about what it means to seek truth in a world obsessed with being right. Drawing on the timeless wisdom of thinkers like Socrates, Kierkegaard, and Musonius Rufus, they...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Ancient philosophers used the dialog to find answers to life’s greatest questions. The Dialog is a search for truth in modern life through the lens of ancient philosophy, history, and theology. This podcast will challenge your assumptions, change your thinking and show you how to master modern living.
HOSTED BY
Joshua Craft
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Dialog have?
The Dialog currently has 46 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Dialog about?
Ancient philosophers used the dialog to find answers to life’s greatest questions. The Dialog is a search for truth in modern life through the lens of ancient philosophy, history, and theology. This podcast will challenge your assumptions, change your thinking and show you how to master modern...
How often does The Dialog release new episodes?
The Dialog has 46 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Dialog?
You can listen to The Dialog 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 The Dialog?
The Dialog is created and hosted by Joshua Craft.
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