Known Spring/Summer 2021

Spring/Summer 2021

MENTAL HEALTH

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FAITH AND WORKS

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FAVORITE PODCASTS

WELCOME TO KNOWN , A MAGAZINE CENTERED AROUND KNOWING GOD AND BEING KNOWN BY HIM.

The heart behind these pages is to encourage you.

Our prayer is that when you read these words that you would be reminded of God’s great love for you; that in this cluttered world, the Creator cares for YOU. You are known by Him. You matter to Him. We also pray that the personal testimonies, stories, and articles in this magazine point you to Christ and help you better know the character of God. This new endeavor is a work in progress, but there are core ideas that you can expect from every forthcoming issue of Known. We will always feature a heart story, a missional story, and a family engagement story.

Every heart story will be focused on a culturally relevant topic through the lens of the gospel. The knowledge that God knows everything about us yet still loves us is powerful.

Because of this great love, we are able to confront challenging topics head-on and to not shy away from a topic just because it may feel uncomfortable.

Missional stories will share insights into local, domestic, and global mission partnerships we have here at Mars Hill Church. The more we know God, the more we desire to love like He does. One physical manifestation of this is serving others. Missional highlights in this magazine will better equip you to pray for and help with needs right here in our community all the way to the ends of the earth.

Our focus on family engagement will always be to help parents shepherd their children to Christ. We want to partner alongside you as you help your children know God. The family segments in this magazine will include ideas, resources, and activities for families to engage together in meaningful, gospel-centered family time.

Along with these three segments, every issue of Known will have many other fun, interesting, thought-provoking stories, all focused on helping you Know God and to remind you that you are Known by Him. And if you find yourself wanting to know Him more, please know you are always welcome at Mars Hill Church.

“While it looks like things are out of control, behind the scenes there is a God who has not surrendered His authority.”

A.W. Tozer

CONTENTS

HEART STORY 11 Unbroken Rainbow A mother and daughter share a raw look about living through a mental health crisis.

FAVORITE PODCASTS 48 What are your go-to podcasts?

We asked for your favorites and you delivered!

MEET THE KINSEYS 36 Family Emphasis Get to know Rod and Jen Kinsey along with their teenage sons and find out what family discipleship looks like in their home.

HEALTHCARE HOPE 41 During a Pandemic Find out how Victory Health Partners are making a difference in our community and how you can help.

N OT E E D I TO R ’ S

I know the past several months have been challenging for everyone in many different ways, so I feel no shame in admitting this past fall and winter were particularly rough for me as a parent.

My oldest son was born with major baggage and wading through the consequences of his birth trauma really began to take a toll on all of us in early November of last year.

Feeling the weight of a toxic home with every breath led me to sign up for a counseling session with my son’s behavioral therapist. He sees Mrs. Morgan once a week and after each visit with her, we see small glimpses of hope.

Surely it couldn’t hurt for me to sit down with her, one-onone for some practical advice on parenting our wounded adopted son.

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Sitting on her leather sofa, I expected our session to go something like this: I would tell her specific areas where we were struggling at home then she would give us alternative parenting techniques. When he pitches a fit, do this. When he yells ‘no’ at you, try this.

Instead, Morgan started our time together by asking me a lot of questions. She asked me what exactly brought me in to her office, and I told her that I felt like our house had a heaviness to it. I felt like all I did was yell at my son. I hated that my other kids heard yelling all the time.

I worried that all of our interactions as mother and son were negative. It saddened me how my other kids were being brushed to the wayside as I was constantly dealing with the one. I told her how disappointed I was with the mother I had become.

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Morgan stopped me there.

“What kind of mother do you want to be?” she asked.

“A happy one,” I told her. “The mom that smiles and makes everything fun. When my kids are grown up, I want them to remember me as lively and energetic and loving and fun. The kind of mom that dances in the kitchen while she cooks.”

Morgan paused before she spoke, which was good because her next words were about to change my life.

“Tricia, what you’re describing is impossible, and you will continue to struggle and feel disappointed in yourself as long as that is your goal. No matter how hard you try to make things fun or special for your family, nine times out of ten, things aren’t going to go as planned. Being a magical mom all the time isn’t reality, and it’s shallow. Things will always go wrong and you will feel lost because you are not in control.

“The kind of mother I think you really want to be is a Mother of Repair. This kind of mom is focused on reconciliation. This kind of mom does not shy away from the hard stuff. She rises and meets the mess head on. She understands that God is in control and that her role isn’t to fix everything and make it all better, but to just be there with truth in her words and grace in her hugs. Children, kids, teenagers, young adults…. they are all going to mess up, often in very big ways. During life’s darkest moments, children don’t need a mom who dances in the kitchen. They need a mother of repair.”

She continued, “And you know, that’s the gospel. God doesn’t call us to be happy moms or perfect moms or magical moms. I think He desires us as parents to look at Him for guidance and when we do, we see a perfect picture of repair: We are all a wretched mess, yet Jesus died for us so that we could be reconciled with the Father.”

I left Morgan’s office that day feeling completely unburdened, and this paradigm shift has brought a newfound clarity even in the midst of my son’s worst tantrums. I think back to our session and reflect on its implications every single day. Could this apply not just to parenting but also to friend relationships? What about my marriage?

What about my extended family?

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What about my church family?

I think it’s worth all of us thinking about. Are we a church of repair? Are we focused on reconciliation? Do we shy away from the hard stuff? Is there truth in our words and grace in our hugs? How do we handle our brothers and sisters when they mess up?

Until this counseling session with Morgan, I only called on Jehovah Rapha for healing of physical illnesses… my friend’s cancer, my Dad’s back, my injured eye. But now I understand the character of God under the banner of Jehovah Rapha to be more than physical healing. I now know Him to do the kind of healing that repairs. Our God saves. Our God heals. Our God repairs.

I hope you will join me in praying to be a Person of Repair. I hope you will join me in praying for our church family to be a church of repair. And I hope if you do not yet know God, that you will come to see Him as Jehovah Rapha—a God that Heals. God is focused on reconciliation. God does not shy away from the hard stuff. He is there for you in your darkest moments, ready and waiting to heal and repair.

-Tricia Butts

KNOWN MAGAZINE EDITOR Tricia Butts WRITERS Kyle Beshears Kelly Burcham Laurel Burcham Tricia Butts Jen Kinsey CONTRIBUTOR Sophie Eberhard DESIGN Sophie Miller PHOTOS Sawyer Bengtson Brina Blum Karen Cantu Cody Chan Jessica Delp Danielle Dolson Yusuf Evli Jonny Gios Jonas Jaeken Maasaki Komori Ales Maze Siris Visual Averie Woodard WEBSITE pomh.org

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How To:

In Person

Live Stream

Facebook

Worship With Us Mobile Campus

Fairhope Campus

1. Type “Mars Hill - Mobile Campus” in the Facebook search bar

1. Type “Mars Hill - Fairhope Campus” in the Facebook search bar

2. Click on the 8:45 am or 10:30 am livestream on the facebook page.

2. Click on the 8:45 am or 10:30 am livestream on the facebook page.

1. Type “pomh.org” in the search bar

1. Type “pomh.org” in the search bar

2. Click on the livestream button on the top of the page.

2. Click on the livestream button on the top of the page.

3. Click on the 8:45 am or 10:30 am button under the Mobile location

3. Click on the 8:45 am or 10:30 am button under the Fairhope location

Visit Mars Hill Church at 1087 Downtowner Blvd - Mobile, AL for the 8:45 am or 10:30 am service!

Visit Mars Hill Church at 17176 South Greeno Rd - Fairhope, AL for the 8:45 am or 10:30 am service!

For more info, call 251.643.1595

For more info, call 251.643.1595

“There are flowers of joy and love growing all along the way, even in the dark places.”

Susannah Spurgeon

UNBROKEN RAINBOW

BY LAUREL AND KELLY BURCHAM

Editor’s Note: It is with great care and support for the Burcham Family that we present their story below. Mars Hill Church, along with Kelly and Laurel, pray that by sharing Laurel’s journey through a mental health crisis serves to point you, the reader, toward Christ and the healing that He alone can bring. Laurel shares very openly about her battle with self-harm and while this topic may be triggering for some, we hope it ultimately encourages those who are struggling to put their hope in the Lord.

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“Hey Mom, is that food poisoned?”

“I sure hope not!” I laughed as I continued preparing dinner.

“Are you sure it’s safe to eat?”

“You’ve been eating my cooking for almost 10 years. It hasn’t killed you yet, has it?”

“Not yet... but are you sure it won’t make me sick?”

The playfulness of Laurel’s banter vanished, and she stared searchingly at me, completely serious. She was legitimately concerned that this meal I was preparing was inedible. Deadly poison. I was at a loss for how to answer her, so I tried to keep things light-hearted. “Would you like me to be your royal tester, your majesty?”

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation, and without a hint of mirth. When I didn’t keel over from the casserole, she then decided it was safe to eat some herself.

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Testing food for safety before eating became a pattern, but the thought of poison wasn’t the only way in which Laurel’s mind became gripped with fear.

Soon she had to have a light on to sleep. She couldn’t sleep under a ceiling fan... because it might fall on her. She couldn’t touch cleaning chemicals... because they might poison her. A door left unlocked meant an intruder was inevitable. A plane flying overhead could be about to crash. A tree could fall. A swing could break. A car could veer off the road onto the sidewalk. I became worried about her, and wondered if I should reach out for help–but where? We were new in town and didn’t know anyone. And too, I didn’t want to add to her fear and anxiety by making a big deal of these ever-increasing phobias.

So I became an expert at a game called “Wait and Speculate: Mental Health Edition.”

Maybe this is just… an adjustment to the move… feeling disconnected from friends… the onset of adolescence... needing a place to belong... grieving the loss of community... pressure of wanting to perform well… a need for more structure.

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So maybe what she needs is... time to adjust to changing hormones and the move... a more consistent bedtime routine... frequent visits back home to connect with old friends... a co-op, a club, an extracurricular activity, a children’s ministry... a therapist to talk through these big emotions...to have new friends over... pep talks from her No. 1 fan... alone time to recharge.

“Maybe” was really just another word for “I sure hope…” or perhaps, at times, even just wishful thinking. We tried some things to help her, and time passed.

The new became familiar. The fears quieted. Growing friendships and activities filled our days. Life seemed “normal” and any struggles or challenges that arose were seen as just the normal growing pains of adolescence.

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Separate pieces of Laurel’s story–“random” incidents–taken in isolation, seemed easily explainable and more-or-less easily solvable. Give it time.

Keep her busy. Slow things down. Pray more. Spend more time in the Word.

Make checklists. Apply pressure. Extend more grace. Talk more. Become okay with silence. Explore interests. Invite friends. Serve others. Practice hospitality. Allow her to take risks. Protect her from danger. I explored every tool, trick, and mode of parenting and support in my toolbox, but I never grasped the magnitude of the burden my girl was carrying. And she didn’t want to cause trouble, make me worry, to let the darkness of her mind be seen. She suffered alone for years, until its crushing weight brought her to a place of desperation for help.

Here is Laurel’s story in her own words.

JUNE 2015

over or show any signs of getting sick, I considered eating. I took a napkin, grabbed a chicken nugget and ate it.

My journey began when I was nine. My family and I had just made the move to Savannah, Ga., because of my dad’s job. I opened the door to our new home trying not to burst into tears. I had just said goodbye to my grandparents, the last connection to where I used to live. Their white car left the driveway, and I was left in a new place where I didn’t know anyone. I wandered away from my family who were all talking or hanging up pictures and putting away our stuff, and went upstairs to my room. I pulled out a notebook I had kept with me and wrote in big letters I MISS HOME. Then I cried. I missed my home, my real home, so much I ached. I went to bed that night feeling terrible...

FALL 2015

“Why are you doing that sweetie?” Mom asks gently.

“There might be poisons on my hand.” I answered simply, taking another bite of food.

“But you washed your hands…?” Mom stares at me questioningly.

“So?” I answer and continue eating with the napkin. Mom gives up on this now familiar dialogue and walks away.

Once I was finished I stood up, “Why don’t you go outside?” Mom suggests from the kitchen.

Again I shook my head no.

My days had become a predictable routine of battling intrusive thoughts that no one understood.

“Laurel you need to eat,” my mom told me once again as she looked at my uneaten food. I shook my head no, and she sighed, “Why not?”

“Why not?” Mom asks.

“A black widow will bite me.” I said cringing at the mention of the venomous spider, and looking at my reflection in the window, just to make sure no spider was on me.

“OK…” Mom said, sighing and looking worried.

“Because it could be poisoned,” I said, biting my lip.

“It’s not poisoned. I would NEVER do that to you.” Mom insisted.

“I know, but somebody else could have.” I answer.

“Who?” Mom asks and I shrug my shoulders.

“Somebody could have,” I answer.

Mom takes a bite of my food, and when she didn’t fall

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I sighed too... another day of just sitting in the house, pretending to be busy and engaged.

After getting ready for bed that night, I clutched tightly to my stuffed animal as I sat on the floor. It was getting late, and I needed sleep. But my bed was directly under the ceiling fan. I looked up at long blades on the fan and imagined what it would be like to have it fall on me. I flinched as I imagined the pain and brought my pillow and blanket to the floor, sleeping finally after one more check to make sure everything in my room was safe.

JULY 2016 The anxiety had worn off, I had found my sense of adventure again and a desire to serve others. I went on a 6-week preteen mission trip with Teen Missions International. It was my first time out of the country, my first mission trip, and my first time to be away from my family for more than a week. When we arrived at our work site, we made camp, and as I sat in my tent, organizing my stuff, I overheard a conversation that started my downward spiral.

“God, this entire trip is a bust,” one girl said.

“I know, right? They’re so annoying!” another one said.

“Especially Laurel; she’s so immature and annoying,” the third girl added.

I grabbed my stuffed animal and clutched it tightly to me, staying silent.

“Yep, she’s probably the worst on the trip. She’s so hyper and she doesn’t listen to us.”

I plugged my ears to keep from hearing any more, and the girls eventually left, leaving me crying and doubting everything I had ever said or done.

After my mission trip, that conversation I had overheard rooted into me and dug its way in my core beliefs. People really don’t like me, do they? I asked myself. Of course not. Another part of me sneered.

There was an invitation to a birthday party with a new friend. Surely the girl who had invited me was just being nice. Yes, because who would care about you? My heart whispered to me.

“Laurel, come join the picture!” One of my friend’s squealed and pulled me to a spot where all my friends were. I smiled at the camera, but all my insecurities were wreaking havoc in my head. I smiled for the camera, yet every part of me thought it was all fake.

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JULY 2018 Time moved on. I adjusted to life in Savannah. I continued going on projects with Teen Missions, and this year, my younger brother was old enough to go with me, this time to Ecuador.

I was sitting in my tent at our work site when one of my friends came up to me, “Have you seen Aaron? The team leaders are looking for him.”

I shook my head. “I haven’t seen him, but I’ll help you look.” I stood up and looked around through the campsite, starting to panic when he was nowhere to be found.

It’s my fourteenth birthday.

“We think...” the man seemed hesitant to say anything, and then he told me, “We think he ran away with another kid.”

My family laughed and smiled around me.

I tuned out the rest of the conversation and sat down, overwhelmed. Several locals came and other leaders began a thorough search around the property.

“It’s going to be okay,” the leader who had broken the news to me said.

I just sat there, beating myself up. If only I had watched my brother better, then he wouldn’t be gone. Was he okay? What would happen now? Would I ever see him again?

Several excruciating hours passed, during which time I alternated between praying and worrying, worrying and praying. A phone call finally came, telling us someone had picked up the boys. A cheer went up around the camp, from everyone except for me. I was too worried.

Why did he leave? Was it my fault?

My questions remained unanswered as we flew back to the States and went home. It was after this experience

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I plastered a smile on my face as I opened my birthday gift. “Thank you so much!”

Almost as if it was a bad omen, one of the directors of the camps spoke into the phone a few feet away from me, “Yes, police? We have two missing boys. Can you help us search for them? We’re at...”

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But after a few months of sessions, we seemed to be feeling better and not so desperate for the extra support, so we stopped going and life developed a sort of normalcy.

“Where is my brother?” I asked one of the leaders.

I stumbled back a few steps in shock. “No! He wouldn’t do that!”

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mom signed my brother and me up for counseling. I was nervous to say the least. But it was helpful. I gradually learned to trust my therapist. She helped me understand words that described all that went on in my head... anxiety... panic attacks… perfectionism…

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“I’m going to put up my presents.” When I reached my room, I shut the door and stifled a cry. This was not how I wanted my day to go.

Well, exactly what did you expect? That condemning voice was back, louder, stronger, and crushing me. I had been feeling nothing for a while, nothing but an occasional sadness sweeping over me. I reached into my jewelry box and pulled a butterfly earring out and sat on the floor. I wish I wasn’t here. I wish I didn’t exist. The thoughts surprised me. Fourteen years ago, I was born. Fourteen years later, I wanted to die.

I took the earring and pushed it into my skin, enjoying the way the pain took me away from my thoughts. The physical pain was far less than the crushing weight of my mind and emotions. But one red line wasn’t enough. I did it again. Then again. And again. Until there were well over thirty stinging, bleeding cuts striping my legs. I put on long pants, trying not to cringe as I walked, the pain shooting up my leg. I put a smile back on and headed back downstairs. Happy birthday to me.

It was time to tell my mom I needed to go back to counseling. I was a mess and I knew it. Desperate. And I couldn’t bear to tell my family and be a burden to them.

I only told Mom that I wasn’t feeling so good and thought it would help me to go back to counseling. Mom took my request seriously and began taking me back to my old therapist .

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MARCH 2020 We took a trip to my grandparents’ fishing cabin.

I typed the words then erased them. “I want to…” Delete.

I sighed. I needed help. I was getting worse, not better. I knew that. I listened to the crickets as I sat alone on the porch while my family played board games inside. I finally typed out the words and hit send to my friend.

“I want to kill myself.” I paused. Then I typed and sent, “I need help.”

A frantic “What?!” was all I got back for several minutes.

I waited and waited until I stood up to actually do something. Then the phone rang. It was my friend.

“Hi,” I gasped out, crying a little bit. A long, awkward silence followed.

“Laurel I need you to listen to me...” My friend then proceeded to tell me how I was needed, how much I meant to her. I sat back down, letting out a tear or two.

Suddenly my mom came out of the house to the porch.

She was on the phone. I put on a smile, “What are you doing?” She asked.

“Talking to Maddie,” I said, simply not trusting myself to say anything else without crying.

“Yeah, she’s out here. Do you want to talk to her?” My mom asked into the phone. A pause, “Okay, well, see you later,” Mom said, acting a little suspicious. She walked back inside, and I breathed a sigh of relief. After my friend had talked to me for awhile, we hung up, and my mom came back outside, sat down beside me, and looked me straight in the eye.

“Laurel, have you ever thought about doing anything more dangerous than cutting yourself?” I nodded yes.

We talked for over two hours that night. Apparently, as soon as my friend had received the distress text, she had talked to her mom and they had found a way to contact my mom even though I had her phone. My dad joined the conversation on the phone, since he was at home.

That night I fell asleep feeling relieved to finally get this off my chest.

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APRIL 2020 “Why did you tell them?” I asked my mom, offended and embarrassed.

“Because I need a support system as we walk through this, just like you do,” Mom answered pointedly.

“I don’t think it’s okay for you to share my personal information.” I said crossing my arms.

My mom sighed, “I’m sorry that this offends you, but I think you’ll see this is actually good. We are meant to live in community, and never do we need support more than when we are facing the hard things in life. Plus, I was careful about who I told, only confiding in close friends who would pray for us and point us to Christ.”

I shook my head, “Nope,” I said stubbornly.

I went to my room, annoyed. It wasn’t fair that my mom was sharing my story with people, even if they were trustworthy. She didn’t ask me. I didn’t give her permission. And that was a problem.

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It had been a hard day. I was feeling numb with an unhealthy dose of suicidal ideations to make it the perfect storm.

I sat in my room. It was night time, and the rest of the house was asleep. I got out of bed and made my way down the stairs into the kitchen, picking a knife out from the drawer. I cried silently as I placed the tip of the knife at my wrist. I should do it, I thought. I need to do it. Everyone else is asleep, they’ll never know. Not until it’s too late.

I threw the knife to the floor, cringing at the loud noise it made. I paused to make sure no one was awake, put the knife back in the drawer, and ran upstairs. I grabbed a sharpie. I stood in my room, unsure of what to do until I looked at my closet.

I opened the door and stepped inside. Suddenly, I just started writing on the closet door. Everything from long sentences to single descriptive words saying how I felt.

I wrote until at least midnight. It was all there in front of me–the doubts, the questions, the emotions, and my mind was unburdened, at least long enough for me to get back in my bed and sleep.

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MAY 2020 I brought mom into my room, almost every part of me thinking she shouldn’t be here and that I didn’t need anyone else. But I needed to tell her. I couldn’t do this by myself, and one small piece of me longed not to be alone anymore. I showed her the door, all of the words, the questions, the self-condemnation, and she froze, putting a hand to her mouth. I watched her unreadable face as she looked over the words I had written. “Wow, this is a lot, ” was all she finally said.

I stayed quiet, waiting for her to talk again.

“I’m so sorry you have to deal with all this,” she said after a few moments, giving me a hug.

“It’s okay; I’m used to it,” I said.

“It’s not okay, and I promise, I will get you help.”

“I think it’s okay now, by the way, to…. you know, tell other people about my story.” I said truthfully. I knew the part of me that wanted to stay secret and eat me alive would only get worse if not brought to the light, and I needed people to catch me when I fell.

AUGUST 2020 “It’s called Rogers Behavioral Health Hospital, and it’s in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin,” my mom said, showing me the website of a residential facility that she had looked up online.

“It looks cool,” I simply said.

“Now the program is 1-2 months average stay,”’ it says. It’s a long time to be that far from home, but if it helps you feel better, then it’s worth it,” Mom informed me, smiling, causing me to smile back until I saw a number at the end of the page.

“Mom! That’s a lot of money,” I said.

“I know, but if it helps you….” she started.

“You could adopt a child with the amount of money it costs for just one month there, and if I stay longer, that’s times two!” I interrupted her.

“If this is His plan for you, God will provide,” mom said determinedly, though I had my doubts.

SEPTEMBER 2020 We filled out paperwork and received a phone call that the admissions team wanted to interview me and my mom to see if I was a good fit for their OCD, Anxiety, and Depression adolescent program. On September 16, as Hurricane Sally continued to roar outside, we interviewed with my potential treatment team. The interview went well, and then it was time for them to wait. They promised a decision within a week.

The cost of the program continued to bother me until the next week when we got some incredible news. Rogers

wanted me and thought they could help. They would put me on the waiting list, and as soon as a place opened up, I would be off.

“Laurel, I just got off the phone with the insurance company, and guess what they told me? They will cover 100% percent of the cost of Rogers!” Mom said excitedly.

“What?!” I felt my face rise into a smile.

“Yep, there was a little confusion at first, but it’s all worked out and set, now we just have to wait until the call telling us to go, and we’re outta here to Wisconsin!” said mom.

OCTOBER 2020 “Laurel come here! Rogers is on the phone!” Mom yelled up at me. I came down the stairs and into the kitchen where my mom was sitting at the bar stools. It was too soon. They told us to expect a 4-6 week waiting period for a space to open up. It had only been 9 days since we’d received the acceptance notification.

“We have a spot open and available for your daughter Laurel Burcham. If you want to take it, we will need you to be here no later than next Monday (only five days away!).”

“Yes, we can make that happen,” Mom said, smiling at me, and I smiled back at her.

Rogers hung up after we had finished the conversation and I laughed, “Yay! I’m going to Rogers!” I exclaimed.

That night I sat in my room and prayed for the first time in awhile. “Dear God, Please help me at Rogers Behavioral Health to make friends and learn lots. I pray that you will give me the strength to complete this. I love you, and thank you for this opportunity. I pray that, with your help, I will learn to get better. In Christ’s name I pray. Your Daughter, Laurel.”

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***** Laurel checked into Rogers Behavioral Health on October 12, 2020.

There have been good days of lessons learned and victories won. There have been painful, tear-filled phone conversations when the darkness seemed overwhelming, and she wasn’t sure if she could make it through another day. The unraveling of her mind and spirit has continued while she has been in around-the-clock mental health care and stripped of all the safety nets and comforts of home. New labels have been attached to her.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Eating disorder. Major depressive disorder. Social anxiety. Suicidal ideations. She has bounced from one program to another within the Rogers hospital complex as they have sought to find the best place to meet her most pervasive needs. January 11 marks the three month anniversary of her arrival there, and it will be a minimum of two months more before she comes home, not necessarily healed, but equipped to re-engage in the life God’s calling her to.

As Laurel’s mom, it is impossible for me to put into words the experience of this journey I never would have thought we’d take. There have been long, sleepless nights of keeping watch. The gut-wrenching pain of knowing your child is suffering, yet being unable to take the pain away.

Cleaning and bandaging her self-inflicted wounds while trying to keep her from knowing how much I hurt and worried for her. Feeling the hole left by her absence every day. Waiting and wondering every time the phone rings- is someone calling about Laurel? Is she okay?

What will she be like when she comes home? How can we keep her safe?

In this longest and deepest of valleys, I can say without reservation that God is proving Himself faithful over and over. He has taught me through this journey that He will

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show us the way, one step at a time, and surround us with His love and protection while on it. He has taught me the “Manna Principle” of the book of Exodus. As God’s people wandered in the wilderness on their journey to the promised land, He fed them, every morning, with a bread that fell from heaven. Yet, there were rules to this provision. They had to go out early every day to collect what God had for them. They couldn’t stockpile the manna or it would spoil. In the same way that God physically sustained his people, He has been spiritually and emotionally sustaining us through this journey, one lesson, one truth, one hope at a time. And we have never lacked.

He also has given me a beautiful image to carry with me, not only for this journey, but for the rest of my days.

As my husband and I took off from the Milwaukee airport to return home without our daughter, I became overwhelmed with all the accumulated emotions of this journey. It was sunset, and I watched the view from my airplane window as I tried to compose myself. In the moment the sun dipped below the horizon, the afterglow set the sky on fire in a perfect rainbow of colors, fiery red against the silhouetted tree line that faded and blended into rising layers of every color until it reached the darkening night sky overhead. I craned my neck to look back behind me. As far as I could see, the rainbow continued, unbroken. I looked ahead. As far as I could see ahead of us, the rainbow continued, unbroken. God’s spirit reminded me, I have always been faithful. As far as you can see ahead of you, I will continue to be faithful. This place in which you find yourself is only a dot on a timeline. It is no surprise to me, nor will be the journey that lies ahead. I am already there. You can rest in Me. I will be with you (and Laurel) always.

We still don’t know what lies ahead for Laurel. For our family. For the world around us, but He does, and He is with us every step of the way. We are living in the prologue, and His story in our lives is only beginning.

***** Brittany Graham, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and member of Mars Hill Church-Fairhope reminds us that mental health issues in children and teenagers is more common than we think: According to the CDC, 7.1 percent of children aged three to 17 (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety, while 3.2 percent of children aged three to 17 (approximately 1.9 million) have diagnosed depression. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that one in five teenagers between 13 and 18 will experience at least one “severe mental disorder” during their life, as will roughly 13 percent of kids aged between five and 15 years.

Some warning signs to look out for include restlessness and agitation, acting out, lack of enthusiasm, energy or motivation forgetfulness and lack of concentration, withdrawing from friends and activities, dropping grades or frequent school absences, changes in eating or sleeping patterns, frequent headaches and body aches, substance abuse, and self-harm

3 PILLAR RESOURCES

If you or someone you know has thoughts of death or suicide, call (800) 273-TALK (800-273-8255) or 9-1-1 immediately. You can also text DBSA to 741-741. Or contact a medical professional, clergy member, loved one, friend, or hospital emergency room.

BIBLICAL TEACHING: Justin McGehee, youth pastor for Mars Hill Church, recommends the following gospel-centered books on depression and mental health issues: Depression, Anxiety, and the Christian Life by Richard Baxter and Knowing God’s Peace by Paul Tautges. These books are available for at-cost prices at both campuses.

AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY: You were not meant to struggle alone. Mars Hill Church offers many different types of community groups. Contact kyle@pomh.org to get connected with a group that would be a good fit for you.

FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP: While not an easy topic to talk with your kids about, it could be a conversation that saves their life. Brittany Graham, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist and member of Mars Hill Church-Fairhope, recommends an article

by Nicole Spector, titled “How to talk to your kids about mental health” (May 20, 2019).

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“I am trying to get past the notion that circumstances have to be pleasant in order to be good. I need to accept that I cannot tell God what He can and cannot use to sanctify me. As waters deepen and waters darken I am reminded of how much I need our Saviour.”

Katharina Luther

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DOES

ORTHODOXY REALLY LEAD TO

ORTHPRAXY?

BY KYLE BESHEARS

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“Orthodoxy leads to orthopraxy.”

You may have heard this expression before.

It’s very popular in the Protestant evangelical world. “Orthodoxy leads to orthopraxy” is shorthand for the biblical principle that binds together sound doctrine (orthodoxy) with godly living (orthopraxy). In other words, to believe the right things leads to doing the right things.

The phrase is embedded in the evangelical ethos, part-and-parcel of our ethics, and so widely used that it’s almost cliché. Certainly, it goes unchallenged and accepted as common sense. But does orthodoxy really lead to orthopraxy?

In one sense, there’s definitely a case to be made that it does. Good theology matters because, as the Lord Jesus taught, “the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:32). Truth leads to freedom from the imprisonment of sin to a life of faithfulness. And the apostles habitually warn against false doctrine because it leads us to error and sin. Not only does the link between orthodoxy and orthopraxy exist, it’s also critical to the life of a believer.

But I’ve come to the opinion that this phrase doesn’t capture the whole story and, worse, for many people, it has morphed into a false myth that whispers an empty promise into our ears: “Your faithfulness to God will come naturally if you just believe the right things.”

The problem, I think, comes from the fact that we think of ourselves as Homo sapiens. Not in the sense that we are human beings, which we are, but in the sense of what Homo sapiens means, i.e., “man who thinks or reasons.” We are told by the world that what sets us apart from the animal kingdom, what makes us unique from dogs and dolphins, is our rationality. But that’s not what scripture says. What makes us unique is that we are created in the image of God. We’re not Homo sapiens; rather, we are Homo imago, “man who images.” We reflect—or, rather, we were designed to reflect—God Himself.

And this God we reflect is not merely some immaterial mind, a spiritual super-consciousness or hyper-rationality. We reflect a God who does and a God who loves, a God who acts and a God who desires. God is not merely a mind; He is also a heart. The heart, in fact. God does not merely love—although He certainly does love—but “God is love” (1Jn 4:8).

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“We’re not Homo sapiens; rather, we are Homo imago, ‘man who images.’

We reflect—or, rather, we were designed to reflect—God Himself.”

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If we conceptualize ourselves as Homo sapiens and not Homo imago, we run the risk of viewing ourselves as programmable robots. Configured with the right data we will eventually—even inevitably—perform right actions. This is, perhaps, one reason why we love “solid teaching” and “biblical preaching” so much. It’s a comforting thought that our closeness to truth automates obedience in us.

Conversely, the opposite is also true: bad data leads to wrong actions. A computer infected with malware doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do. So, we protect ourselves with anti-heresy software and isolate from the infected. We don’t want to risk hearing and believing something false, so we keep ourselves from our neighbors, just to be safe.

We assume that the root of obedience is in our mind when it’s really in our hearts.

Again, what we think matters. Truth matters. We are called to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor 10:5) and to “be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Rom 12:2). But, while it’s true that sound doctrine is inseparably linked to godly living, it’s not true that knowledge alone automates godly living.

Here’s why.

The Missing Piece in “Orthodoxy Leads to Orthopraxy” Satan could ace a theology exam. Unlike you and me, he wouldn’t walk into the classroom, heart racing with sweaty palms, wondering if last night’s cram session will do the trick. He’d plop down at the desk, fly through the multiple-choice like he was voting straight party, and confidently walk away from a perfect score.

The enemy is very knowledgeable of truth, especially God’s Word, but instead of obeying truth, Satan enlists his knowledge in the service of temptation.

The enemy relishes in subverting and distorting truth.

His first temptation was rooted in such subversion—“did God really say?” (Gen 3:1)—and his famous temptation of Christ distorted scripture (Matt 4:5-6). As theologian Graham Cole put it, “the tempter targets the word of God.”1 How can something be targeted without being seen and known? How could the enemy have tempted the Word of God without knowing the word of God (Jn 1:1,14)?

In other words, it’s not for lack of knowledge that Satan is the archetype of sin. He knows truth—better than any of us—but lacks the desire to act on his knowledge.

Graham A. Cole, Against the Darkness: The Doctrine of Angels, Satan, and Demons (Downers Grove, IL: Crossway, 2019), 229.

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And that’s the important nuance that “orthodoxy leads to orthopraxy” lacks. The enemy knows truth but does not desire truth’s end, so he does not obey. Orthodoxy doesn’t automatically lead to orthopraxy. Instead, orthodoxy pleads for orthopraxy. Truth appeals for us to live a life of obedience to Christ.

So, what is it that moves us from sound doctrine to godly living? It’s the one thing Satan lacks—a desire for faithfulness. We must desire to act rightly from our orthodoxy, and that desire comes from a Spirit-given love.

Orthogapy, the Right Desire for Faithfulness The word we’re looking for, I think, is orthogapy. If you’ve never heard it before, that’s okay; I just made it up. Like ‘orthodoxy’ and ‘orthopraxy’, the word begins with the Greek orthos, or ‘correct, right’, and combines it with the Greek agape, or ‘love.’ In other words, ‘orthogapy’ means ‘right love’ or ‘right desire’.

The path from orthodoxy to orthopraxy is paved by orthogapy, a right love fostered and formed by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Obedience is not rooted in what we believe about God but in a “love that issues from a pure heart” (1 Tim 1:5). What we believe about God informs and shapes our worship and service to him, but orthodoxy alone is powerless to prompt our obedience.

As theologian John Dagg (1794–1884) put it: “When [theology] is learned, it ought not to be laid on the shelf, as an object of speculation; but it should be deposited deep in the heart, where its sanctifying power ought to be felt.”2 Dagg likened theology to the Spirit of God, hovering over the human heart, as he did the “original chaos, bringing order out of confusion, and infusing light where darkness and death had previously reigned.”3 Orthodoxy ought to hover over our loves, fostering in us godly, biblical truth that moves us to godliness.

And not just any love and not love on our terms. As theologian Herman Bavinck noted, because God is love, He alone is “the foundation, source, and model of our love.”4 The foundation of love is not laid on fickle culture; it is laid on the eternal Creator. The source of our love is not inside our hearts; it is in the passionate heart of God. And the model of our love is not found in aesthetics (i.e., art, film, music, etc.), but in Jesus Christ, God incarnate.

Just as orthodoxy is truth on God’s terms and not ours, so orthogapy is love on God’s terms, not ours.

This is why the heart plays such a prominent role in repentance and faithfulness. A repentant David cried out to God to “create in me a clean heart” (Ps 51:10). God promised His people that He would give them His Spirit and “a new heart,” which would enable them “to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Ezek 36:26–27).

By faith, that promise has come true in the Lord Jesus, who rules over our hearts (1Pet 3:15).

Obedience to Christ begins in the heart. Our desire to follow Him then permeates through our understanding of truth, which shapes our actions toward God, our neighbors, and ourselves. (See illustration).

So, no, it’s not necessarily true that “orthodoxy leads to orthopraxy.” Instead, “orthogapy leads to an orthopraxy, which is formed and informed by orthodoxy.” But, admittedly, that’s quite a mouthful and not as pithy.

Still, the point stands. As the Apostle Paul argued, if I know and do all the right things, if I “understand all mysteries and all knowledge” (i.e., orthodoxy) and “give away all I have” (i.e., orthopraxy), but I “have not love, I am nothing . . . I gain nothing” (1Cor 13:1–3).

Christian beliefs and behaviors that lack orthogapy are nothing.

John Dagg, Manual of Theology, 1.

John Dagg, Manual of Theology, 18.

Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics 2:215

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Fostering our Orthogapy If we want to take seriously the relationship of our orthogapy to our beliefs and life, where do we go from here? I think we begin by recognizing how a right desire affects our beliefs and behaviors. In other words, to think and to do against the backdrop of orthogapy.

For example, we ought to read the word of God to discover the heart of God. We sometimes tend to approach Scripture as if it were a textbook of knowledge and instructions for faithful living. While the Bible is not less than a treasury of orthodoxy and orthopraxy, it’s so much more than that. Scripture is the living word of a living God whose heart beats to the rhythm of His holiness and good desires. Read Scripture with an eye out for what God loves, and then love like He does.

Also, we ought to consider how orthogapy empowers our orthopraxy. Do we imagine that the “right things” we do are primarily for ourselves? In other words, does a right love motivate us only to personal obedience and not obedience as a community? I think the answer is obvious. Love requires a lover and a beloved, the one who loves and the other who receives love. How can we possibly love like God in isolation? Community is the context in which we live out our orthopraxy and experience the blessing of orthogapy.

“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ” (2 Thes 3:5).

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“The only way to dispose [the heart] of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new one.”

Thomas Chalmers

FAMILY EMPHASIS: THE KINSEYS

Editor’s Note: In each issue of KNOWN, we ask a Mars Hill family to share what it looks like to disciple their kids (of all ages). When and how do they talk about their faith? How has it changed from when they were younger? What has remained the same?

Is what you do similar to your own upbringing? What challenges have you come across? What is the fruit you have seen?

This is not about “spotlighting good Christian families.”

It’s about sharing the ups and downs of shepherding our children so that other families might be encouraged.

In this issue, we have the Kinsey Family. Rod and Jen Kinsey, along with their teenage sons, are covenant members of the Mars Hill Church–Fairhope Campus.

Hear their hearts in parenting as they share what family discipleship looks like for them.

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BY JEN KINSEY

The Kinsey family. From left: Jen, Eli, Buddy, and Rod.

Every family is different.

Ours happens to be a moving family. After living in Fairhope for about a year and a half, we no longer feel like strangers in a foreign land. We have settled in and are blessed to call Mars Hill our church home and family. It hasn’t been easy to move around 14 times in 23 years of marriage along with two boisterous boys but all the while the Lord has remained steadfast in His covenant of love. Through the good and bad times, which we’ve had plenty of, He is the Faithful One and everything happens according to His mercy.

When we were asked to participate in this article I bristled a bit, knowing we are an imperfect family, but my husband said he thought it would be a great opportunity to share. “No more toe-dipping,” he says. We’ve moved around too much for that!

Now we just jump in. I truly appreciate my handsome, hilarious husband who is, no joke, good at everything. We are definitely an active family who enjoys the great outdoors, exploring and traveling. Our family specifically enjoys the spectacular sport of golf (cue fist pump).

With all the activity, we really enjoy our slower paced times too where we watch movies together or just have some down time, like enjoying the Fairhope sunsets!

We’ve been homeschooling our children from the beginning using a national program called Classical Conversations that has truly been a blessing since it integrates all strands in light of a biblical worldview.

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Being in general a weak person, I never thought I could do it, but God equips. Along with God’s Word, this curriculum has remarkably helped to shape all of our hearts and minds over the years. It has helped us practice the hearing and the doing and taught us that it matters how we live. Through this we’ve learned that Christianity is not mindless, since the Word of God is first addressed in our mind and truth can’t be in the heart without first being in the mind. But we didn’t start out where we are now. Oh the growth.

It used to be Veggie Tales and Adventures in Odyssey, now it’s YouTube and video games. Talking about our faith has always happened but has changed over the years. It has been both sporadic and intentional. When the boys were younger, we’d have bedtime discussions and pray or talk about events and interactions of the day. Now that they’re older, maybe they are the ones to pray at mealtimes or called on to pray at events. There are morning devotions and books we read to discuss together (like Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves last summer) to challenge and encourage our faith. We all have life verses which helps with abiding in Him too.

We are involved in a family Bible study through Mars Hill where we meet with other like-minded families to discuss the recent sermon and pray. Enjoying the spontaneous topics that come up is part of the fun of parenting. I never feel like I have all the right answers but if I can keep them talking, I feel like that’s a good thing. Sanctification happens over time.

This is all very different from how my husband and I were raised.

Our story is really about what God saved us from and what God saved us to. Although we both gave our hearts to Jesus at an early age, we found out very quickly that we were not perfected. Saved or not, sin remained. As we grew up, we had questions that our parents and friends could not answer. When we were a young married couple and the boys were babies, we were under some strong

Bible teaching while studying the book of John and the proverbial scales were lifted. Questions were answered.

We realized that all men and women deserved death, yet He chose to give us life. We saw that God saved us for Himself, by Himself, and from Himself. We learned that “In Him was life… and the light shines in the darkness…” (John 1:4,5). We learned that we actually loved the darkness (John 3:19) and didn’t want the light. Out of that study years ago came a group prayer that we still pray now as a family, “Lord change our desires to match what You desire,” because no one can get what they don’t want.

We are also very thankful to be under strong expositional Bible preaching and teaching now at Mars Hill Church.

It strengthened our marriage and helped our parenting when we took the Ecclesia Academy classes that were offered last year. We learned instead of condemning ourselves and stopping there, to go on to replace the sinful, lying thoughts with the truthful Word of God. We are living proof of sanctification and, praise God that, by His Grace, the work is not done yet in us or our children.

Although the teen years can be challenging, especially in a pandemic, we can take heart and be encouraged that we’re not seeing it all. It’s easy to pray for our children’s success, but do we pray that they grow in love for God? Our goal is to trust in the Righteousness of Jesus even in pathetic parenting. Being patient with ourselves and our children is important. Battling bad attitudes still exists along with things like believing the lies of Satan and self-idolatry. Fruit is sometimes seen but other times not.

I confess at times I’m more concerned with their careers than their souls. I worry about their future mates and wonder what that will look like. But my prayer is for the cultivation of God’s grace in their lives. What does it matter if our children are happy, influential, and wealthy if they don’t know Jesus? I pray that they would know that their relationship with God is based on His forgiveness to them and not their performance. Nothing happens overnight. We don’t know it all but we know someone who does. Preaching the gospel to ourselves says our only confidence is in Christ. He is the only One who will never disappoint us. He is the Faithful One, our only hope in life and in death.

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3 PILLAR RESOURCES BIBLICAL TEACHING: The April Book of the Month (Fairhope Campus) is Family Discipleship

by Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin. This book is an excellent gospel-centered resource for parenting.

AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY: Mars Hill Family Commitment Service is Sunday, May 30 (on both campuses). Join us as we commit to partnering with families to teach and lead our children to a life of faith.

FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP: Build on the Hill (June 26) is a new annual event focused on spiritual growth for families! Registration is now open for this incredible day on the website at pomh.org.

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“No matter what your household looks like, your family is the primary instrument and environment for discipleship in all the fantastic and flawed ways that it might be worked out.”

Matt Chandler, Adam Griffin

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“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Romans 12:18

HEALTHCARE

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HOPE

DURING A PANDEMIC

BY TRICIA BUTTS

Sometimes it is hard to believe that it has been a whole year since “COVID19” became a household name.

The pandemic seems to have dug its tentacles into every thread of our lives, with healthcare obviously being at the forefront. One of Mars Hill Church’s local missions partnerships, Victory Health Partners, has certainly felt the effects of the past year.

Since opening its doors in 2003, Victory Health’s goal was to serve low income, uninsured adults in an effort to not just save lives but to restore hope and dignity. In the year prior to the pandemic, the clinic was seeing more than 19,000 patients a year, with around 70 patients seen daily.

Then as we know all too well, 2020 came along and dramatically changed everything. In March, along with most clinics nationwide, Victory Health saw an initial drop in patient visits. The uninsured population VHP serves often wait until their health is at a tipping point before finally coming to be treated. |

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According to Kim Garrett, Director for Victory Health Partners, seeing patients on a consistent and regular basis helps keep their health at bay and is a proactive measure in preventing co-morbidities like asthma and diabetes from becoming a bigger issue. During the Safer at Home order, these vulnerable patients were not able to come in for their regular check-ups.

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Thanks to advances in technology, Garrett says doctors at Victory Health were able to do Telehealth appointments. Plus, by following the CDC health measurements, along with extra support coming in from the payroll protection bill, grants, and local support, doors to the clinic were able to stay open.

for patients already struggling with mental health issues pre-COVID.

By summer 2020, scheduled visits picked up and a sharp increase in newly uninsured patients (due to COVID-related job losses) showed up. Victory Health also saw an increase in their patients’ anxiety and stress, which makes sense during this tumultuous year, but is especially hard

Through it all, the clinic has remained a beacon of hope for people in the Mobile community who need healthcare, in large part due to the support of local businesses and churches. And there are many different ways to help if you feel led.

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tographers, and more. Victory Health is a vital resource for them.

Volunteers are also currently needed to answer phones, help order medication, perform office duties, or check on patients. Donations of basic supplies such as paper towels, hand soap, and toilet pap`er divert money back to other clinic needs, so even a small donation really does add up.

And always, you can pray. Garrett offers several vital prayer requests specifically for Victory.

WAYS TO HELP: One simple way to help is to share about this resource with others. Word-of-mouth is is an easy way to help get information to people who otherwise wouldn’t know.

Garrett reminds us that uninsured people are around us.

They are our family and friends, baristas, painters, pho-

• Prayers for our patients, for their healing and hearts.

• Prayers for the staff, volunteers and Board, that we would be aligned with God’s vision and heart for Victory.

• Prayers for the continued provision, covering over the clinic and increased awareness.

• Prayers for abundant blessings over those who support, volunteer and have poured into Victory’s ministry.

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3 PILLARS RESOURCES BIBLICAL TEACHING- Read and reflect over how God instructs us to treat those in need: Matthew 25:35-40, 1 John 3:17, Luke 3:11 AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY- Like Director Kim Garrett suggested, try making it a point to share all the resources Victory Health offers with people in your personal community. That could be with co-workers, neighbors, or maybe parents at your kids’ school. They may not need the services themselves, but they might know someone who does. If you are ready to volunteer at Victory Health, e-mail Amy Browning (Development Coordinator) at abrowning@victoryhealth.org.

FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP- Talk to your children about the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and how they can serve the Lord by being like the Good Samaritan. Gather a donation bag of paper towels, hand soap, toilet paper and band-aids (because kids relate bandaids to doctors) and drop them off at the clinic.

Patient Resources Main: (251) 460-0999 New Patients: (251) 445-0038 Dental: (251) 445-0611 Fax: (251) 460-0992 Community Services Hotline: 211 Website: victoryhealth.org

Partner With Victory Health Director, Kim Garrett, (251) 460-2928 Development Coordinator, Amy Browning (251) 460-4062

Clinic Information Victory Health Partners 3750 Professional Parkway Mobile, Alabama 36609 Monday - Thursday 7:30 am - 6:00 pm

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“The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion.

Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.”

John Stott

Faith-Based

Podcast Favorites 1. Doctrine and Devotion

is a weekly podcast exploring Christian faith and practice from an experiential perspective marked by the fun and humor that characterize real friendship.

Recommended by Freddy Taul (Mobile Campus).

2. She Reads Truth

Our hope for this podcast is that it will serve as a complement to our reading plans, and to encourage you. God’s Word is for you and for now. That’s why our community is here and always open to you.

Recommended by Jennifer P. Pepper (Fairhope)

3. Made For This

Short. Fun. Truth.

Real conversations about the struggles we are facing and the God that set us free.

Recommended by Katie Hood (Mobile)

4. In the Market with Janet Parshall challenges listeners to examine major news stories and issues being debated in the marketplace of ideas and speaks to them with the Word of God. Recommended by Paige Oldshue (Mobile)

5. The Remnant Radio

Our Mission is to challenge orthodoxy, embrace diverse denominational Leaders, and empower people for practical ministry.

Recommended by Coleman Liles (Fairhope)

6. The Storied Outdoors

A podcast that is somewhere between Lewis and Tolkien and Lewis and Clark.

The Storied Outdoors is brought to you

by Mars Hill’s own Brad Hill.

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7. Pray The Word

Short, daily meditations on God’s Word that not only drive us to pray, but drive how we pray. Featuring teacher, author, and pastor David Platt.

Recommended by Judd Daughtry (Mobile)

8. Thirty Minutes with the Perrys

Preston Perry and Jackie Hill Perry will bring their humor, honesty, and insight into conversations on everything from relationships, theology, politics, race, and parenting.

Recommended by Sophie Eberhard (Mobile)

9. Risen Motherhood

This is a podcast for the imperfect mother, still learning, and still growing but comes everyday, to the base of the cross, to seek the one who does.

Recommended by Hollie Farmer (Fairhope)

10. Food Trucks in Babylon

Western Seminary professors Dr. Todd Miles and Dr. Ryan Lister discuss matters of faith, theology, and culture in a post-Christian world.

Recommended by Nate Carroll (Mobile)

11. Where Life & Scripture Meet

We recognize that biblical counseling is hard.

We want you to know that you are not the only one out there that finds it challenging, and we’re committed to coming alongside and supporting you in the process.

Recommended by Sophie Miller (Mobile)

12. Natasha Crain Podcast

Helping equip Christians to think biblically about worldviews, apologetics, culture, and parenting in a challenging secular world.

Recommended by Marshall Buckley (Mobile)

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“Only as we drink down the kindness of the heart of Christ will we leave in our wake, everywhere we go, the aroma of heaven, and die one day having startled the world with glimpses of a divine kindness too great to be boxed in by what we deserve.”

Dane Ortlund

BIBLICAL TEACHING. AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY. FAMILY DISCIPLESHIP.