The Boundless Show

Ideas for getting out and making friends, plus author Jerry Jenkins on boundaries with the opposite sex, and signs you’re in an abusive relationship.        Featured musical artist: JJ Heller   Roundtable: Make New Friends   You may be asking, “Where are all the great people to hang out with?” Maybe, just maybe, they’re outside your front door? In order to find them, you may need to get creative. You may need to try something new. Visit new places. Join a new group. This week we discuss ways to step out of your comfort zone and meet quality people. Plus, if you’re single and looking for potential dates, we’ll offer thoughts on how to look without obsessing over whether every cute person could be the one.    Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: Boundaries With the Opposite Sex   Marriage experts talk often about creating boundaries when you’re married to guard against infidelity. But great boundaries with the opposite gender work best when you start early — when you’re dating someone, or even before. Setting up what bestselling novelist and author Jerry Jenkins calls “hedges” can be a great and practical way to do that. In our interview, he shares what hedges might look like in dating and marriage, how to set them, and how to avoid potential excuses and pitfalls when temptation strikes.     Hedges: 7 Ways to Love Your Wife and Protect Your Marriage   Visit Jerry’s Website   Inbox: Am I in a Toxic Relationship?    The word toxic is too often tossed around to describe people we simply don’t like. But what are signs that you’re in a truly toxic or abusive relationship? Counselor Tim Sanford weighs in.    Link to Counseling Services  Article: Just Annoying or Truly Unsafe?: How to Navigate Get-Togethers With Difficult Family  Link: Help for Abusive Relationships  Article: Destructive Conflict: Recognize It. Stop It.  Link to Show: Setting Boundaries in Toxic Relationships  Find us on YouTube   

Weird things Christians should stop saying, plus trusting God in a waiting season, and how to own your behavior in a world that shrugs responsibility.       Featured musical artist: About a Mile Roundtable: Enough With the Spiritual Platitudes God helps those who help themselves. I’m praying a hedge of protection. God will never give you more than you can handle. Some of our Christian clichés, while well-intentioned, can actually do more harm than good. Our guests share their least-favorite Christian cliches — plus ones they’re guilty of. They’ll also suggest better ways to encourage, exhort, and instruct others with our words.  Article: 5 Christian Clichés that Need to Die Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: Waiting (Well) on God So much of life is spent waiting. Not just waiting in line or for your next Netflix series, but waiting to find a spouse, to have kids, to achieve your career goals and more. When your patience and even your faith is tested, how do you wait well? Pastor Mark Vroegop reminds us that waiting is a normal part of life and something that God uses to refine us. It’s not easy, though, so this conversation will give you things to cling to as you sort and struggle through your next wait.  Waiting Isn’t a Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life Visit Mark’s Website Inbox: Owning My Decisions and Behavior  As a Christian, how do you stay accountable for your thoughts and actions in a world that would rather make excuses? Counselor Kari A weighs in.  Link to Counseling Services  Find us on YouTube

Productive ways to use social media, plus confronting hard stuff from childhood, and is your therapist offering biblically sound advice?       Featured musical artist: John Waller Roundtable: Making Social Media Work for You Social media is usually blamed for all the bad stuff: negativity, political arguments, superficial relationships, cancel culture. But are there ways to use it productively? Absolutely, if you recognize the value of social media for job hunting, sharing your faith, connecting with others, or learning a new skill. Our team has ideas for making the most of social platforms, so rather than ditching social altogether, let us show you how to make your accounts work for instead of against you.   Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: Checking Childhood Baggage Childhood trauma and other negative experiences and patterns follow us well into adulthood. When memories and habits resurface, how can you address the pain, face the facts, and move ahead? Ike Miller is a pastor with a rough past that threatened to define him. Learn how he revisited his childhood baggage to give him the necessary tools for shaping a healthy future.  Good Baggage: How Your Difficult Childhood Prepared You for Healthy Relationships Visit Ike’s Website Inbox: Is My Counselor’s Advice Biblical?  Many counselors profess to be Christians. But how can you discern if your counselor’s advice is in line with Scripture? Counselor Rob Jackson weighs in.  Link to Counseling Services  How to Find a Christian Counselor  Find us on YouTube 

Honestly assessing your life as a 20-something, plus more with Debra Fileta on soul care, and how do you address personal shame after you’ve sinned?         Featured musical artist: Tauren Wells   Roundtable: Lessons Learned in Our 20s    For some of us on this week’s panel, our 20s provided new opportunities, fun adventures, and lots of growth; for others, that decade is loaded with regrets. Yet all of us agree that our 20s were filled with trial and error as we learned to navigate life. As you review your 20s, how can you assess them honestly and learn from your mistakes without beating yourself up? We’ll give advice based on our lessons learned.   Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: Caring for Your Soul (Part 2)   Millennials and Gen Z report unprecedented rates of burnout and exhaustion. When our to-do lists keep growing and our frustrations add up, how do we find strength and stamina to continue? Our friend Debra Fileta shares how to create life-giving rhythms of caring for your soul, and why doing so honors God. In part two of our discussion, she outlines how to establish good boundaries, maintain your inner world, and savor life.    Soul Care: Find Life-Giving Rhythms, Live Restored, Avoid Burnout, Discover Unspeakable Joy   Visit Debra’s Website Inbox: What to Do With Sin and Shame   We tend to isolate ourselves when we sin, especially if we can’t shake the sense of shame that lingers. Is it possible to break free? Counselor Tim Sanford offers hope.    Link to Counseling Services    Find us on YouTube   

Living out your faith in a dark world, plus Debra Fileta on Jesus’ example of soul care, and dating someone in a different life stage.         Soul Care: Find Life-Giving Rhythms, Live Restored, Avoid Burnout, Discover Unspeakable Joy   Featured musical artist:  Zach Williams    Roundtable: When the World Is Messed Up   Inflammatory news headlines, political division, divorce, abuse, people denying their Christian faith. When our world feels especially dark, what’s the godliest and most loving way for Christians to respond? Our guests wrestle with this topic, discuss how to have hope, and show us where Jesus is in all the chaos.    Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: Caring for Your Soul (Part 1)   Millennials and Gen Z report unprecedented rates of burnout and exhaustion. When our to-do lists keep growing and our frustrations add up, how do we find strength and stamina to continue? Our friend Debra Fileta shares how to create life-giving rhythms of caring for your soul, and why doing so honors God. In part one, she discusses sources of burnout and how we can learn from Jesus’ example of rest.       Soul Care: Find Life-Giving Rhythms, Live Restored, Avoid Burnout, Discover Unspeakable Joy   Visit Debra’s Website   Inbox: Too Much Drama to Date?   They started dating after he picked her up from a car accident. But he’s currently in grad school and she just finished her master’s degree. With these and other factors at play, is pursuing a dating relationship the best move? Counselor Glenn Lutjens weighs in.   Link to Counseling Services    Find us on YouTube   

Processing sadness, plus how our bodies glorify our Creator, and should you barter with God?      Featured musical artist:   Covenant Worship   Roundtable: When Sorrow Runs Deep The loss of a loved one; betrayal by a trusted friend; local and international tragedies. We live in a broken world, and heartbreaking things happen. When grief and tragedy strike, how do you process the sadness? Is it possible to continue your work, your commitments, your routines as you seek to make sense of things? Our guests share how they’ve learned to find comfort from God in the midst of deep sorrow.  Leave Us a Voicemail Link to Counseling Services Culture: How a Healthy Body and Mind Glorify God The human body is incredibly complex. Science keeps revealing new truths about how God has designed us, leading to insights in how we can best steward how we’re made. Stephen Ko is a medical doctor, public health specialist and pastor. He offers motivation and methods for taking care of our physical and mental health, and why doing so is connected to our spiritual well-being.      Faith Embodied: Glorifying God with Our Physical and Spiritual Health Visit Stephen Ko’s Website Inbox: Can I Barter With God? Our listener really wants to be married, but he also wants his dad to get saved. Is it OK to offer up a chance at marriage as a barter to God so his dad can come to Christ? Counselor Jerry Jones weighs in. Link to Counseling Services  Donate Now Find us on YouTube 

When others don’t seem to understand you, plus the pros and cons of artificial intelligence, and God-honoring ways to spend your free time.      Featured musical artist:  Hollyn  Roundtable: That’s Not What I Meant We’ve all felt misunderstood — whether in our personalities, friendships, opinions or even intentions. So how do we respond when that happens? If you feel like people don’t get you, you’ll be encouraged to know you’re not alone. This week’s guests share personal stories and tips for navigating the frustrations of misunderstanding.  Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: How Should We Engage With A.I.? Artificial intelligence is here to stay. From medicine to transportation to Bible translation, innovators rely on the marvels of A.I. to expedite searches, aggregate information, and push the boundaries of invention. But are there dangers that A.I. could kill creativity and even relationships? What does the Bible say about it? John Greco shares his researched perspective on using A.I. appropriately without letting it run our lives.     God, Technology, and the Christian Life Article by John Greco: The Promise of AI Visit John Greco’s Website Inbox: Is My Free Time Honoring God? The time we call our own — away from work and other obligations — can be some of our most treasured moments. But does it matter that your free time is being used for God’s glory? If so, how can you be confident that it is? Lisa Anderson weighs in. Find us on YouTube 

The goal in dating, plus how to process the 2024 U.S. election, and is there too much intimacy in studying the Bible with your date? Featured musical artist:  Phil Wickham Roundtable: The Purpose of Dating Why should you date? Is it to casually have fun or to seek a marriage partner? What are the pitfalls of each, and is there a balance between the two? Our guests share their opinions on what dating should look like, what it means to get serious, and how to not get too worked up in the process.  Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: Confidence and Compassion for Election Season The landscape of the 2024 election season is changing daily. What doesn’t seem to change is the collective mudslinging, hand-wringing and doomsday-predicting among candidates, pundits and voters. How can Christians rise above the fray and trust God in all things? How do we make God-honoring choices from the ones laid before us? And how do we love others in the process? Summit Ministries’ Dr. Jeff Myers helps us frame our perspective and navigate election season with confidence and grace.    Truth Changes Everything: How People of Faith Can Transform the World in Times of Crisis Summit Ministries Website Politics Without the Passion Inbox:  If you and your boyfriend or girlfriend want to grow spiritually, praying and reading Scripture together can be a great step. But is there a danger in becoming too spiritually intimate before marriage? Counselor Jerry Jones weighs in. Link to Counseling Services  Find us on YouTube 

Being content in every circumstance, plus tips for connecting with your neighbors, and responding when someone confesses a sin struggle.      Featured musical artist: Je’kob Roundtable: Finding Contentment Opportunities to buy into the lie, “I’d be happy if I had (fill in the blank),” surround us everywhere we go. But what if there were a way to truly be content regardless of the circumstance or season? Our guests share their struggles with contentment and how they’ve learned to seek trust and gratitude instead.  Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: Neighborhood Watch In a world of increasing isolation, it’s easy to overlook our neighbors. But what if you discovered creative opportunities to connect with and be a light to the people on your street and in your community? Chris and Elizabeth McKinney felt God’s call to do just that. They’re here this week to share their best strategies for becoming a friend to the people (literally) around you.  Neighborhoods Reimagined: How the Beatitudes Inspire Our Call to be Good Neighbors Placed for a Purpose Podcast Inbox: When a Friend Confesses Sin What should you do if a friend confesses a sin struggle to you? Counselor George Stahnke weighs in. Link to Counseling Services  Find us on YouTube

How to really get to know people, plus Kris Swiatocho gives advice to her 20-something self, and why are many Christians OK with gossip?        Featured musical artist: Darlene Zschech  Roundtable: Study Others to Show You Care When you meet someone, he or she makes an impression on you. But truly getting to know someone takes intention, time and effort. Our guests discuss lessons they’ve learned in forming connections and going deeper in their understanding of others. They also share some of the hallmarks of a good friendship.   Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: Lessons From a Lifelong Single (Part 2) Kris Swiatocho had a rough start as a young adult. She admits she wasn’t walking with the Lord, so after a season of partying and poor relationship choices, Kris saw the chance to join a Christian community — and took it. After witnessing what churches do well and not so well in ministering to the unmarried, she started The Singles Network Ministries. Looking back on all she’s learned, she shares advice she’d give to her young adult self.  Intentional Relationships for Singles: Prepare, Plan, Pursue, Propose Visit Kris’s Website Inbox: Why Are Christians OK With Gossip?  Does it seem like Christians in your church and friend groups are OK with gossip and white lies? Why is this, and what can we do about it? Counselor Angel Perez weighs in. Guest: Angel Perez Link to Counseling Services  Find us on YouTube