The Boundless Show

Intentional relationships with non-Christians, plus what happened after Jesus’ birth, and when friends deconstruct their faith.     Featured musical artist: James Peden   Roundtable: Out of the Christian Bubble   Many of us have at least one friend, family member or coworker who’s not a Christian. But if we’re honest, we tend to spend most of our time with other believers; between family, church, ministry opportunities and small group, it’s easy to stay in a faith-filled comfort zone. What are intentional ways to mix it up, branch out, and get out of the Christian “bubble”? Our guests discuss ways they’ve learned to step out of their routines, build community, and be a light for Christ.         Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: First Christmas, Then Herod   If you were part of our Advent text experience, you heard regularly from John Greco. This week he reflects on lessons he’s learned from his extensive study of Advent, and why it’s good for Christians to think of the Christmas story in the bigger context of history. To that end, he’ll read a short excerpt from his book “Rediscovering Christmas” titled “The Nightmare After Christmas.”          Rediscovering Christmas: A Twelve-Day Journey to the Manger     Inbox: When Friends Leave the Faith    How do you respond when a friend announces, “I’m done being a Christian”? One of our counselors weighs in.    Find us on YouTube    Link to Counseling Services    Article: When a Pastor Like Josh Harris Abandons Christianity 

How to be a fun date, plus sharing Jesus with the cynical and deconstructed, and how do you accept your current situation in life?   Featured musical artist: Ellie Holcomb Roundtable: Fun Date Ideas Dating doesn’t always have to be serious. In fact, your ability to have fun as a couple is a good litmus test for whether you should marry. Our guests share their best strategies for staying chill in the dating process, as well as some of their most creative date ideas.     Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: The Gospel for Young Adults Aaron Pierce grew up a missionary kid in Amsterdam and saw his parents share the gospel with people in some of the darkest corners of the city. He’s now part of his parents’ ministry, specializing in reaching non-religious young adults with the hope of Jesus Christ. In his experience, what are the most natural, “just be yourself” ways to reach your peers? You’ll probably need to get out of your comfort zone, but chances are you’ll have conversations that are meaningful and eternity-focused. Join the conversation to hear some of Aaron’s best stories and suggestions.         Not Beyond Reach: How to Share Jesus with the Young, the Deconstructed, and the Non-Religious   Steiger International Inbox: Accepting Where You Are  Your current season of life might be great or it could be a mess. Regardless of your circumstances, how do you come to terms with where you are today? Counselor Tim Sanford weighs in.  Guest: Tim Sanford Find us on YouTube  Article: Managing Anxiety  Article: How to Develop a Resilient Mindset  Link to Counseling Services 

Sibling time over the holidays, plus trading anxiety for peace, and should you change jobs to advance your career?   Featured musical artist: About a Mile  Roundtable: Sibling Connections at Christmas What are your sibling dynamics like during the holidays? Some of us have great relationships with our brothers and sisters, but for others, interactions and conversations can be shallow, awkward, or even tense. Our guests share both good and difficult moments they’ve had with their siblings; if you aren’t sure how to connect meaningfully with your family this Christmas, you’ll be encouraged by our discussion.     Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: What God Does With Anxiety Rates of anxiety among young adults are at an all-time high. How do we cope? Do we white-knuckle it and hope things get better? Not according to Whitney Lowe, who argues that God not only can but wants to take our anxiety if we’ll bring it to Him. Join us for practical suggestions for setting our minds on God and bringing peace to our minds and hearts.         Set Your Eyes Higher: A 40-Day Reset to Slow Your Anxiety and Fix Your Focus on God Whitney’s Instagram Inbox: Will Changing Jobs Put Me Ahead?  Some suggest that if you change jobs, you’ll advance in your career more quickly. But is that actually true? Career expert Marshonda Dixon weighs in.  Find us on YouTube   

Serious strain between parents and adult children, plus why church history matters, and should you do a missions trip when your parents disapprove?   Featured musical artist: Jonathan Cain  Roundtable: “Mom and Dad, We’re Done” The holidays should be a joyous time of gathering with family and friends, but all too often they are marked by absence, distance and strife. For some, the choice to “cancel” family members — including your own parents — brings confusion, hurt and relational wreckage. Our guests this week are parents with strained or non-existent relationships with their adult children. They share the details behind their unique journeys, their hope for reconciliation, and how they’re choosing to rely on the Lord as they wait.     Leave Us a Voicemail Link to Counseling Services  Abusive Relationships Page   Culture: Why Care About Church History? We know about the New Testament apostles. You’ve likely heard of Martin Luther and John Calvin. But for what purpose? Does learning about church history (and a bunch of dead guys) inform and shape our lives today? Historian and blogger Bill Petro joins us to give a crash course, explaining why church history is not only instructive, but also fascinating.         Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity   Visit Bill Petro’s Blog Inbox: My Parents Dissed My Missions Trip She wants to go on a missions trip but her parents are opposed out of concern for her safety, among other things. Is going the right or wrong decision? Missionary Wendy Hamon spent years in difficult and dangerous overseas situations; she offers advice.  Find us on YouTube   

Your home is a great place to gather, plus living each day with heaven in mind, and how to make your faith your own.   Featured musical artist: Love and the Outcome Roundtable: Invite People to Your Home Do you enjoy hosting parties and get-togethers, or does the thought of people at your place intimidate you? With the holidays upon us, now’s a great time to have people over. But hospitality isn’t just for special occasions. Whether big or small, planned or impromptu, creating space and structure for people to eat, connect, feel loved and heard is something the early church modeled well. But what can it look like for us — for you — today? Our guests have creative ideas for sharing their space and fostering connection with all sorts of people; listen in as they share the challenges and benefits of gospel hospitality.     Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: Why Eternity Matters Today Does the reality of heaven influence the way you live right now? Do you even think about heaven and its impact on your daily choices? Pastor Mark Bates explains how where we’ll spend eternity should influence our relationships, careers, priorities, and the everyday decisions before us. If you’re wondering why heaven matters, this discussion will encourage you.        Inbox: Your Parents’ Faith, or Yours? You may have grown up in church — even walked an aisle or prayed a prayer. At some point, though, you have to take ownership of your faith and make it not just something you’ve “inherited,” but something you’ve internalized. How do you do this? Pastor Mark Bates weighs in.  Find us on YouTube   

Living on purpose while you’re single, plus ways to help the homeless and poor around you, and what’s a Christian’s obligation to evangelize?   Featured musical artist: Austin Stone Worship Roundtable: Purpose in Singleness  You may want to get married, but is there a way to maximize your singleness while you wait? Our guests, all single, share their best strategies for finding community, chasing after growth, meeting people, and serving others in a season of singleness. If you feel your life lacks purpose or has stalled out, you’ll be inspired by their thoughts.   Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: Wise Ways to Help the Homeless You stop at an intersection and a homeless person is there, holding a sign asking for help. How do you respond? We know the Bible tells us to love and care for the poor among us, but how can we do this with compassion and effectiveness? Travis Williams leads the multi-outreach Springs Rescue Mission, a place of hope for addicts, the mentally ill, homeless and others. Every day he sees these challenges first-hand, and he offers ideas to help Christians move the needle of care in our own communities.         Listen, Love, Repeat: Other-Centered Living in a Self-Centered World The Needy Outside My Window  Visit Springs Rescue Mission’s Website  Inbox: Do I Need to Preach on Street Corners? Is aggressive, public evangelism the call of every believer — even to the point of preaching on street corners? Pastor Mark Bates weighs in.  Find us on YouTube 

Overcoming faith doubts and trials, plus Joshua Rogers on a Christian’s rights at work, and seeking healing from sexual trauma before marriage.   Featured musical artist: Abandon Roundtable: When Your Faith Is Challenged What’s been the biggest test to your faith? A tragedy? Unanswered questions? Scientific claims? We’ve all faced moments that forced us to ask honest questions about God, the Bible, and the Christian faith. Our guests share about weathering big spiritual challenges, and what helped them overcome their doubts to trust God more fully.  Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: A Christian’s Rights in the Workplace If you work in a secular environment, are you required to leave your faith at home? What legal rights do you have to express what you believe? Conversely, what can your employer require of you? Boundless contributor Joshua Rogers is an attorney who has these conversations every day. He gives us honest advice for living out your faith and values on the job while loving others in the process.        No Reason to Hide: Standing for Christ in a Collapsing Culture   Link to Article: How to Defend Your Faith Without Being a Jerk  Visit Joshua Rogers’ Website  Inbox: Addressing Sexual Trauma Before Marriage Past sexual trauma can do untold damage to your body, mind and emotions. If you’ve experienced this trauma, how do you appropriately seek healing before getting married? Counselor Geremy Keeton weighs in.  Link to Counseling Services  Mending the Soul by Steven Tracy Fearless Series Resources   Find us on YouTube 

Navigating dating as a woman in your 30s, plus a psychiatrist’s tips for getting mental health care, and giving church community a second chance.  Featured musical artist: Hollyn Roundtable: Dating in Your 30s (Girls’ Edition) What is dating like in your 30s compared to your 20s? Is the pressure higher? The disappointments greater? Or do time and maturity actually help in the pursuit of a relationship? Join our two-part series where 30-something daters share advice from their own experiences. This week, it’s the ladies’ turn. (Men were last week!)   Leave Us a Voicemail Watch This Segment on YouTube Culture: Tips for Accessing Mental Health Care We know about today’s sky-high rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health struggles, but how do you start the process of getting the care you need? Psychiatrist Karl Benzio helps us understand the ins and outs of therapy, medication, psychology vs. psychiatry, counseling vs. therapy — and most importantly, how to know what you need, and when. This will save you some copays for sure, so grab a pen and paper and listen in!  Are You Really OK?: Getting Real About Who You Are, How You’re Doing, and Why It Matters  Link to Counseling Services  Learn About the Honey Lake Clinic  More on Karl’s Work  Inbox: Small Group Second Chances Our listener is feeling pressured to jump back into church community groups, but it never seems to go well for them. What’s the best approach going forward? Lisa Anderson weighs in.  Hear Our Gary Thomas Interview  Find us on YouTube   

Navigating dating as a man in your 30s, plus sexuality and the single man, and how do you adjust to drastic life changes?  Featured musical artist: Kerrie Roberts Roundtable: Dating in Your 30s (Guys’ Edition) What is dating like in your 30s compared to your 20s? Is the pressure higher? The disappointments greater? Or do time and maturity actually help in the pursuit of a relationship? Join our two-part series where 30-something daters share advice from their own experiences. This week, it’s the guys’ turn. Ladies, you’re next week!   Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: Sexual Integrity for Single Men in Their 30s Bob DeMoss is a best-selling author and the founder of Focus on the Family’s Plugged In. But despite praying for a wife, he didn’t marry until age 37. In a refreshingly candid conversation, Bob and Lisa discuss staying sexually faithful in singleness, combating loneliness, and navigating the “single cycle” of contentment, restlessness, poor choices, guilt and repentance.         GOAA Offer: The Men We Need: God’s Purpose for the Manly Man, the Avid Indoorsman, and Any Man Willing to Show Up  Visit Bob’s Website  Inbox: Weathering Drastic Life Changes We think we know where we’re going in life, yet we all deal with major changes and setbacks at some point. When they come, how should we respond? Counselor Linda Miller weighs in.  Find us on YouTube 

Make your roommate situation exceptional, plus a former abortion doctor’s testimony, and how to have deep relationships in a disconnected culture.  Featured musical artist: David Dunn Roundtable: Crafting Great Roommate Relationships We’re all kind, reasonable and considerate until someone is in our space. This is especially magnified in a roommate situation, whether you’re rooming with one person or several. What do you need to know in choosing roommates, setting house rules, respecting boundaries and resolving conflict? Our guests break it all down based on their past and current experiences.   Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: From Abortion Doctor to Pro-Life Champion Dr. Catherine Wheeler didn’t see much wrong with abortion as a choice, performing them in her practice as an OB/GYN. But facts, circumstances and a new-found faith changed her mind. This week she tells her amazing story alongside a compelling argument for why abortion simply can’t be an answer for women who want ultimate health and wholeness. She’ll also break down the politics of abortion in a climate that is increasingly confusing and polarized.        Abortion Survivors Break Their Silence Considering Abortion? Inbox: Real Relationships After College Forming deep relationships with real people post-college can be a challenge. Lisa Anderson weighs in with feasible options for building community.  Find us on YouTube