PODCAST · society
unCOMFORTABLE
by Christ Community Church Omaha
Conversations About Culture & Christianity
Episodes
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318 — When Scripture Changes Your Mind: Preston Sprinkle
This week, Alex sits down with theologian and author Preston Sprinkle to discuss sexuality, gender, and what he's learned from listening to LGBTQ people. We also unpack his new book, From Genesis to Junia, examining difficult biblical passages about women in church leadership and what it means to...
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317 — Are We Misrepresenting Jesus in the Immigration Crisis?
This week, we sit down with Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer, president of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and his wife, Mary, to discuss immigration, what Scripture teaches about welcoming strangers, and how Christians can hold compassion and the rule of law together. We challenge common arguments...
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316 — The CDC Says You Need More Rest
This week, we look at why young adults are reporting more exhaustion than any other age group, and whether the problem is sleep, stress, technology, too many choices, or lives that never really shut off. We talk about our resistance to limits, what Jesus means when he offers rest, and what we may...
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315 — Living With Cystic Fibrosis: Justin’s Story of Suffering, Hope & Faith
This week, Eric sat down with Justin to talk about growing up with cystic fibrosis, facing the reality of death, walking through dark seasons, and wrestling with God when hope feels hard to find. His story is about suffering without easy answers, faith that survives hard questions, and learning…
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314 — No Colon, Still Rollin’ | Crohn’s, an Ileostomy, and Faith Through It All
This week, Jess sits down with Joe to talk about childhood wounds, major health challenges, losing his colon, life with an ileostomy, and the darkest moments that tested his faith. We talk about what suffering changed, what it couldn’t take away, and how God can use the parts of our story we…
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313 — When Your Body Fails: Faith, Fear & a Kidney Transplant
This week, we sit down with Chad to talk about kidney failure, dialysis, the long wait for a transplant, and what happens to faith when life changes without your permission. We talk about fear, dependence, answered prayer, divine timing, and trusting God when the miracle you’re asking for still...
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312 — Calvinism vs Arminianism
This week, we sit down with Ken Dick and Mark Ashton to unpack Calvinism and Arminianism, exploring election, free will, God’s sovereignty, grace, and salvation through the five points of TULIP. We also talk about theological humility, why faithful Christians can disagree, and how conviction and...
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311 — Healthy Sex in Marriage
This week, we sit down with Eric and Rachel Dufour for an honest conversation about sex and intimacy in Christian marriage, including desire, arousal, orgasm, communication, and mismatched expectations. We explore how couples can better understand one another, navigate changing seasons, and...
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310 — The Gang Is Back Together
This week, we catch up on what’s been on our minds this summer, put each other on the spot with uncomfortable scenarios, and see where the conversation takes us. As summer winds down, we talk about changing rhythms, returning to routine, and being intentional about the season ahead.
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309 — Living and Following Jesus in the Middle East
This week, we go beyond the headlines with “Daniel”, who has spent nearly a decade living among the Kurdish people in the Middle East, to better understand the cultures, faith, and everyday lives of people across the Middle East. We talk about common misconceptions, the impact of conflict on...
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308 — What Should Christians Think About the World's First Trillionaire?
This week, Alex is joined by Scott Kubie, President of Orchard Alliance, to explore what Christians should think about the possibility of the world's first trillionaire. Together, they discuss wealth, innovation, generosity, and how followers of Jesus can approach economic success with biblical...
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307 — The Age of Distrust
This week, we explore the growing crisis of distrust in our culture and examine the difference between healthy skepticism, biblical discernment, and destructive cynicism. We discuss why trust is declining, how technology and information overload are shaping our hearts, and what it looks like to...
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306 — Church Hurt, Religious Trauma & Healing
This week, Jess is joined by Kate Willsey, spiritual trauma therapist and coach, for a conversation about church hurt, religious trauma, and spiritual manipulation. We explore why spiritual wounds can run so deep, how people can begin healing after painful church experiences, and what churches…
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305 — How Headlines Shape Our Hearts
This week, we are joined by Steph Juliot from The Pour Over to explore how nonstop headlines, smartphones, and algorithms have reshaped our relationship with information—and how constant news consumption can quietly produce anxiety, anger, arrogance, and apathy. We discuss why outrage drives...
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304 — Discerning God’s Voice & Taking Risks
This week, we are joined by Ryan and Karina Martinez of Life Upside Down to talk about discerning God’s voice in a world full of noise, the tension between caution and obedience, and the fear of getting it wrong when faith requires risk. Through honest conversation and personal story, we explore...
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303 — Crotch Christianity
This week, we unpack “Crotch Christianity” — the belief that sexual ethics sit at the top of God’s moral hierarchy while justice, greed, pride, and mercy get sidelined. We wrestle with purity culture, politics, Scripture, and the uncomfortable possibility that American evangelicalism may reflect...
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302 — Should Christians Drink Alcohol?
This week, we tackle one of Christianity's most emotionally charged debates — whether Christians should drink alcohol — exploring what Scripture actually says, how church history shaped our assumptions, and how to hold freedom and wisdom together in a culture built around drinking. Joined by Dr....
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300 — What the Church Won’t Say
This week, we invited church staff to answer the question What’s an uncomfortable issue the Church is facing today that we don’t talk about enough? How can we respond in a way that reflects Jesus? Their answers expose blind spots, challenge our instincts, and force us to wrestle with whether we...
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299 — Have We Lost Our Ability to Think Deeply?
This week, we confront the uncomfortable reality that while we’re more informed than ever, our minds are increasingly fragmented—trading reflection for reaction, and depth for speed in a culture of constant distraction. We explore how this erosion of deep thinking is shaping our faith, our...
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298 — Are We Too Soft on Sin?
This week, we ask whether the Church has softened its view of sin and what gets lost when rebellion, repentance, and holiness are replaced with safer, more therapeutic language. We talk about how to hold grace and truth together without crushing people or excusing what God still calls sin....
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297 — Why Adult Friendship Is Dying
This week, we explore why adult friendship isn’t being rejected but quietly drifting, and how modern life has made deep connection harder than most of us want to admit. We unpack the gap between being connected and being known, the cost we avoid, and the simple, consistent rhythms that actually...
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301 — The IKEA Effect
This week, we explore the IKEA Effect—why we value what costs us—and how a frictionless, convenience-driven world is quietly reshaping our habits, relationships, and spiritual formation. We examine how effort forms us, where convenience is costing us more than we realize, and what it looks like…
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296 — Understanding Child Trafficking
This week, we talk with Dr. Sarina Thoendel of Lily Haven about what child trafficking actually is, how grooming and online access create vulnerability, and the myths that keep people from seeing it clearly. We also discuss warning signs, how parents and churches can respond without panic or…
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295 — Do Your Own Brain Surgery
This week, we step into the intersection of neuroscience, trauma, and faith with Dr. Lee Warren, exploring what it means to face the battle within our own minds. We unpack how our thoughts shape suffering, why some wounds cannot be healed with a scalpel, and how pain and loss impact both mental...
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294 — Does Love Keep No Record of Wrongs?
This week, we examine what Paul meant when he wrote that love “keeps no record of wrongs” and why that verse is often simplified to mean forgetting harm, removing consequences, or restoring trust immediately. We explore the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation, how Scripture handles...
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293 — Are We Overusing Therapy Speak?
This week, we examine the rise of “therapy speak” and ask whether language meant to help us name wounds is sometimes used to avoid conflict, label others, or prioritize comfort over truth. We explore the difference between healing and hiding, boundaries and avoidance, and how the gospel invites...
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292 — What Is Spiritual Warfare?
This week, we wrestle with what spiritual warfare really is — and what it isn’t — pushing past fear, clichés, and hyper-spiritual thinking to pursue grounded discernment. We explore how Scripture holds tension between real spiritual conflict and real human struggle, and how maturity looks like...
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291 — Black History Month
This week, we are joined by Dante Edwards and Anthony Edwards as we name the tension around Black History Month and ask whether our discomfort reveals division, politicization, or blind spots in our formation, pressing into unity, identity, and the fear beneath the debate with biblical clarity…
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290 — Dr. Paul Putz | Should Christians Gamble on Sports?
This week, we talk with Dr. Paul Putz about why sports gambling feels different right now and how Christians can think clearly about odds, apps, and an industry shaping our habits and loves. With history, pastoral wisdom, and no hot takes, we explore where the line is, who is most vulnerable, and...
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289 — Dawn Gentry | Women in Ministry
This week, we sit down with Dawn Gentry to explore why conversations about women in ministry begin not with prooftexts, but with the assumptions we bring to Scripture. We talk biblical authority, God’s bigger story, leadership shaped by Jesus, and what a faithful way forward looks like for…
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288 — Rick Painter | Having a Healthy Relationship with Money
This week, we sit down with Rick Painter to explore why money is never just about numbers and how our relationship with money shapes our anxiety, identity, and sense of security. We examine what research and Scripture reveal about financial stress, trust, and contentment, and what it looks like…
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287 — Scott Kubie | Faith, Finances, and the Largest Wealth Transfer in History
The greatest wealth transfer in history is happening right now, but what is really being passed from one generation to the next? In this episode, Alex talks with Scott Kubie, President of Orchard Alliance, about how money shapes families far beyond bank accounts. Using Scripture and real world...
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286 — David Whiting | Generosity and Discipleship
This week, we explore why generosity is one of the most uncomfortable topics in church culture and how Scripture reframes giving as a pathway of discipleship rather than pressure or fundraising. We sit down with David Whiting, Senior Vice President of GenerosityOS, to unpack the Six Levels of...
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285 — Revelation Part 4: Is Jesus Returning Soon?
This week, we ask what Jesus meant when he said he was coming “soon,” exploring why this question keeps resurfacing in anxious cultural moments and fear-driven Christian conversations. We turn to Scripture to show that “soon” is about readiness, not timelines, and that the promise of Christ’s...
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284 — Revelation Part 3: Mark of the Beast & The Anti-Christ
This week, we cut through fear, rumors, and speculation surrounding the Mark of the Beast and the Antichrist, examining why these ideas grip our imagination and how culture fuels the anxiety. We return to Scripture to show that the mark is about allegiance and worship, the Antichrist is about...
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283 — Revelation Part 2: The Rapture
This week, we unpack where the modern Rapture idea came from, compare cultural fears with what Scripture actually says, and explore why this topic has shaped so much confusion, fascination, and faith. We focus on the hope of resurrection, the clarity of Jesus’ return, and how to pursue steady...
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282 — Revelation Part 1: The End Times
This week, we revisit our earliest memories of end-times teaching, explore why every generation feels drawn to these conversations, and cut through cultural noise to clarify what Scripture actually emphasizes. We look at common views, common misunderstandings, and why the return of Jesus is meant...
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281 — Breaking Generational Cycles Without Overcorrecting
This week, we explore why breaking unhealthy family patterns can lead us to swing too far in the opposite direction and how overcorrection quietly creates new cycles of disconnection. We walk through practical ways to pursue emotional balance, name inherited patterns, and build healthier...
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280 — When Parenting Becomes a Public Health Emergency
This week, we unpack why the U.S. Surgeon General issued a public health advisory aimed not at kids, but at parents — revealing a burnout crisis driven by loneliness, cultural pressure, and fractured community. We explore how the church can respond with honesty, presence, and hope in a moment…
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279 — Dr. Ron Walborn
This week, we sit down with Dr. Ron Walborn to explore whether Jesus is still our healer as we walk through His compassion, the mystery of unanswered prayers, the ministry of healing today, and the hope of future wholeness. This conversation invites honest faith, humble expectation, and a…
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278 — 5 Apology Languages
This week, we break down the five apology languages and explore how owning our failures strengthens trust and honesty. We also look at practical, real-life examples that show why true apologies require more than the words “I’m sorry.” DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast…
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277 — Leaving Fundamentalism: Brian Recker’s Story
This week, we break down the five apology languages and explore how owning our failures strengthens trust and honesty. We also look at practical, real-life examples that show why true apologies require more than the words “I’m sorry.” DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast…
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276 — Coffee & Jesus
This week, we explore how coffee became more than a drink—how it shapes our culture, our rituals, and even our discipleship. From caffeine addiction to church hospitality, we ask what our morning brew reveals about the modern Christian soul. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this...
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275 — Behind The Scenes and Trending Headlines
This week, we pull back the curtain as Jarrett and Bryce join Eric and Jess as guests to unpack what it really takes to make an episode—from idea to upload —before diving into culture talk on The Louvre Heist, OpenAI’s Sora, and the No Kings protests. We wrap with ChatGPT taking over and...
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274 —The Overreaction Epidemic
This week, we unpack why outrage has become our default emotion and how curiosity can interrupt the cycle. From cancel culture to church culture, we explore what it means to follow Jesus with emotional intelligence, humility, and restraint in an age of reaction. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions...
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273 — Empathy Under Fire
This week, we grapple with why empathy is being branded as a weakness in political and religious spaces, even as science and scripture highlight its power. From brain science to cultural critiques, we explore how empathy can both strain and sustain us, and what it takes to turn it into compassion...
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272 — The AI Bible
This week, we examine the rise of AI-generated Bible videos and ask whether they help people engage with Scripture or risk distorting God’s Word. Dr. Karl Pagenkemper joins us to weigh the promise, the pitfalls, and the guardrails churches need for faithful use. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions...
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271 — National Dropout Prevention Month
This week, we confront the realities of student dropout rates, the myths that fuel stigma, and how Omaha Street School provides hope and alternatives for at-risk youth. We see the human side behind the statistics through data, honest questions, and one student’s story. DISCLAIMER: The views and...
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270 — Addressing the Death of Charlie Kirk
This week we wrestle with the grief and confusion of national tragedy, from the death of Charlie Kirk to acts of senseless violence that shake our faith and our communities. We reflect on lament, leadership, and the hope of Christ in the face of suffering. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions...
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269 — Kris Reece
This week Jess sits down with Kris Reece to unpack the pain of toxic relationships, the grip of narcissism, and the hope of setting healthy boundaries. Together we explore her story, biblical wisdom, and practical steps toward freedom and healing in Christ. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does unCOMFORTABLE have?
unCOMFORTABLE currently has 301 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is unCOMFORTABLE about?
Conversations About Culture & Christianity
How often does unCOMFORTABLE release new episodes?
unCOMFORTABLE publishes regularly with 301 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to unCOMFORTABLE?
You can listen to unCOMFORTABLE 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 unCOMFORTABLE?
unCOMFORTABLE is created and hosted by Christ Community Church Omaha.
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