We may not expect leadership experts, a Grammy Award-winning music producer, and a former USAID worker to have much in common. But as Steve and Lisa Cuss reflect on the past four episodes of Being Human , they discover a trio of themes arising throughout the conversations. Tune in as Steve and Lisa discuss words of wisdom from Uli Chi, Nathaniel Moller, Charlie Peacock, and Steve J. Cuss. They ponder the common threads of wondering what we do with fear, embracing curiosity, and exploring the int...
Mar 24, 2025•31 min
First things first: Yes, both the host and guest on this episode are named Steve Cuss. The overlap doesn’t stop there, either. Both Steves work in the leadership space, host Steve through Capable Life and guest Steve through The GamePlan Consultancy . The two discuss guest Steve’s career in the video game industry, the importance of mentorship, and the intensity of burnout. They talk about cultivating joy among teams, balancing compassion for others with one’s own needs, and the hallmarks of ser...
Mar 17, 2025•44 min
Charlie Peacock is a Nashville music producer, jazz and rock-and-roll recording artist, singer-songwriter, and author. As Steve Cuss reflects on his friend Charlie's life, work, and new book Roots & Rhythm , a beautiful theme arises: the wildly relational nature of art. Charlie and Steve talk about the world-class musicians Charlie has worked with, the vulnerability of creating songs in collaboration, and what it looks like to stay human sized on a global stage. They discuss encouragement, l...
Mar 10, 2025•49 min
“ The richest man in the world turned off billions of dollars in funding for the literal poorest people in the world. It’s just, from my perspective, incomprehensible.” So says Nathaniel Moller, former USAID worker. Nathaniel and Steve discuss the presidential administration’s recent mass cuts to USAID programs and what the effects may be. They consider the cultural moments in America’s history when “the big C Church and the little church” have had a choice—operate out of fear or from love—and w...
Mar 03, 2025•44 min
When Uli Chi thinks of wisdom, he primarily thinks of relational well-being. Steve and Uli discuss where wisdom and relationships intersect, why we need wise leaders, and what it looks like to relate rather than react. They discuss the current political climate and how it affects human connections, and they consider the importance of treating people as persons, not as simple ideas. Uli sheds light on concrete steps for living wisely, drawing on biblical examples that provide hope, direction, and...
Feb 24, 2025•37 min
What does it mean to live a fully integrated life in Christ? Lisa and Steve Cuss return to do a deeper dive into some of the profound themes that have emerged in recent episodes of Being Human . They reflect on what it means to be bewildered by God, as Zach Meerkreebs experienced during the Asbury Outpouring. They unpack Kathleen Smith’s definition of differentiation and Eugene Cho’s challenge to focus on one global need while championing others in their callings. The conversation also delves in...
Feb 17, 2025•24 min
“Did you have integrity today?” That’s the question that Steve Carter—author, podcaster, and former lead teaching pastor of Willow Creek Community Church—pictured his son asking him when allegations of sexual harassment against Bill Hybels emerged. Steve Carter shares how he has dealt with being misunderstood when his highest values were wielded against him. He talks about the power of the Resurrection and shares what propelled him to write Grieve, Breathe, Receive —a memoir on grief and healing...
Feb 10, 2025•39 min
Feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world? Steve Cuss and Eugene Cho, president of Bread for the World, offer wisdom for Christians who want to pursue justice without burning out. Eugene and Steve discuss moving from a savior complex to faithful discipleship, engaging politics with compassion, and using our gifts to fight hunger and inequality. Tune in for a powerful conversation on justice, mercy, and making a lasting impact. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Eugene Cho Bread for...
Feb 03, 2025•48 min
Where does your energy go? That’s the question therapist and author Kathleen Smith ponders with Steve Cuss as they discuss anxiety, people-pleasing, and playfulness. Their conversation covers the way people turn to relationships for comfort and the importance of recognizing our finite nature as humans. They talk about systems theory and how it shapes Smith’s therapy practice. Smith and Cuss discuss the ups and downs of gossip, the power of intergenerational connections, and the intention it take...
Jan 27, 2025•31 min
When Zach Meerkreebs finished preaching at a university chapel service February 8, 2023, he texted his wife to say he felt like his sermon hadn’t gone well at all. Four hours later, he wept into a voice memo, asking her to load up their kids and head his way as soon as possible. What we now know as The Asbury Outpouring was beginning. Meerkreebs, a pastor and author, describes what it’s like to be part of a supernatural movement that takes on a life of its own. He and Steve talk about the shame ...
Jan 20, 2025•40 min
Every human has three core relationships: to themselves, to others, and to God. Within those relationships, there are four dynamics that can infect them: assumptions, reactivity, predictable recurring patterns, and attempted solutions. Listen in as Steve and Lisa Cuss start a conversation that explores these relationships and dynamics throughout 2025. The couple provides a high-level overview of each relationship and dynamic, setting the stage for upcoming episodes that will take deeper dives. T...
Jan 13, 2025•33 min
Whether our holidays are snowy or sunny—as they are for Steve Cuss as he records from Perth, Australia—the same thing is true: Christmas is a time to remember God’s nearness to us. Steve looks to the text of Luke 2, exploring Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and their quest for a place to stay. He describes the meaning behind the Greek word philoxenia (“love of the stranger”) and the Hebrew word Immanuel (“God with us”) and considers what those terms may mean for Christians today. Ultimate...
Dec 23, 2024•15 min
When the American version of The Office premiered on NBC in 2005, its all-star cast charged right through the fourth wall and looked the audience in the eye. The show’s unique style and cringeworthy stories didn’t just put a new kind of television on display—they explored anxiety in the workplace and relationships in a fresh, often embarrassment-fraught way. As Steve Cuss and his son Andrew talk about the episode “Dinner Party”—arguably one of the most “I can’t keep watching this but I also can’...
Dec 16, 2024•38 min
What do a high schooler’s senior year and the offices of a high-fashion magazine have in common? Stress. During a discussion of The Devil Wears Prada , Steve Cuss and his college-bound daughter, Kaylee Cuss, talk about the anxiety on display in the iconic Meryl Streep film. The two talk about how Streep’s character, Miranda Priestly, may be the one in charge, but she’s arguably also the most anxious. They talk about trying to fit into existing systems, high emotions in the workplace, and relatio...
Dec 08, 2024•27 min
When Joy Allmond was fresh out of college, she struggled to find a professional role in her field. She decided to make the most of her young, single years and became a flight attendant. The Lord used that experience to broaden her perspective—especially when she staffed one of the first flights to take to the skies after September 11, 2001. Now, Allmond is the executive editor of Christianity Today. She and Steve talk about how airport behavior often reveals deeper feelings and what it takes to ...
Dec 02, 2024•35 min
As the Thanksgiving holiday draws near in the US, Steve and Lisa Cuss reflect on the importance of gratitude. They talk about intentionally prioritizing the activities, people, and places that help us feel alive. Steve shares how keeping a Life Giving List has helped him through challenging faith seasons, and Lisa gives some practical examples for cultivating thankfulness in everyday life. Steve and Lisa talk about the often emotional experience of gathering with family for holidays and how to d...
Nov 25, 2024•26 min
How can Christians know if they are managing their relationships in a healthy way? What does it look like to treat people with mental health disorders lovingly and respectfully? When should parents of young adults speak up, and when should they let their children learn on their own? These are the types of inquiries that you, listeners of Being Human, have shared with us. Listen as the Cusses answer: What are family systems theory and internal family systems theory, and how do they relate to fait...
Nov 18, 2024•34 min
Being fully seen and fully known can feel, in a word, terrifying. And yet, that’s exactly what our souls crave—and exactly what God designed for us to experience. From the Sheep Meadow of New York City’s Central Park, Steve Cuss explores the idea of being entirely ourselves. He considers the two protective extremes that often keep people from being fully human: pretense and pretending. Cuss walks through 1 John 3:19–20, which describes being vulnerable in the presence of a God who is greater tha...
Nov 11, 2024•30 min
Five years ago, Barrett Harkins walked Spain’s Camino de Santiago—an ancient Christian pilgrimage walked by over 500,000 people each year—for a friend’s birthday. Somewhere along the path, he called his wife and asked what she thought about moving there. Now a missionary in Santiago, where he works with pilgrims on the path and at a hostel, Harkins and Steve Cuss walk the path together. They talk about the power of slowing down and the profound conversations that take place as people journey wit...
Nov 04, 2024•39 min
Chuck DeGroat’s name has become somewhat synonymous with work on narcissism in the church. But as he and Steve Cuss discuss, DeGroat is devoted to shining a light on wholeheartedness and internal integration. DeGroat and Cuss talk about anxiety—specifically around dying—and the way that age often brings with it a concern for one’s legacy. They talk about experiencing pain through work in church settings, noticing emotions that arise in ourselves and others, and coming home to God and ourselves—a...
Oct 28, 2024•44 min
Brandi Wilson was happily raising her three sons with her pastor husband—that is, until he decided to leave their marriage, their family, and the church they had invested in for years. Close friends and leadership coaches Brandi Wilson and Lori Wilhite share how they weathered Wilson’s devastating loss together. They talk about the particular struggles of being a pastor’s wife and the heartbreak of feeling like someone else is controlling your life circumstances. They discuss managing anxiety, b...
Oct 21, 2024•42 min
Beth Moore is sure of one thing: In God, nothing is wasted. On this episode, Cuss and Moore talk about the trauma and trials she has faced, including her experience of being abused as a child, leaving the Southern Baptist Convention after devoting much of her life to it, and walking alongside her husband, Keith, as he navigates bipolar disorder. They discuss how Moore decided to share more of their story in her memoir and the ways God has ministered to people through that vulnerability. Tune in ...
Oct 14, 2024•44 min
Have you ever walked into a room and immediately sensed anxiety between two people? Or maybe you’ve entered into a challenging conversation and have barely been able to hear it over the thunder of your heartbeat. Perhaps you’ve received a “we need to talk” text and felt your stomach drop with dread. These types of experiences—and reactions to them—are common, yet we often lack the tools to name or address them. On this episode of Being Human , Steve and Lisa Cuss introduce a tool called the Four...
Oct 07, 2024•41 min
Why would a loving God send people to hell? When you hear the word apologetics , that’s likely the type of question that comes to mind. But Lisa Fields, one of the world’s most sought-after Christian apologists and the author of When Faith Disappoints , says there are often much more personal inquiries beneath those intellectual inquiries. In this episode, Fields and Cuss talk about pastors’ kids, pain points, and perfect love. They discuss the importance of listening when it comes to challengin...
Sep 30, 2024•40 min
Around 250,000 people walk some portion of the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile network of ancient pilgrim routes in Spain, each year. In 2016, Brian and Peri Zahnd became two of those people, and it’s marked their lives ever since. On this episode, host Steve Cuss talks with the Zahnds about the ways that the pilgrimage shaped their perspectives on life and faith. The three discuss pastoring, political participation, and peace in Jesus. Their conversation also covers the Zahnds’ books, ministry, ...
Sep 23, 2024•44 min
Humility isn’t just deferring to the desires of others. It’s also standing up for the weak. So says Dennis Edwards, vice president for church relations and dean of the seminary at North Park University, on this episode of Being Human . Cuss and Edwards talk about how Edwards’s many experiences of being the only Black man in the room have shaped him and his perspective. They talk about thoughtful and biblical approaches to theological education, the modern political landscape, and social media. A...
Sep 16, 2024•39 min•Ep. 32
The Bear is a show about cooking, kitchens, and Chicago. But for anyone who has watched more than an episode or two, it’s clear there’s more to the story. On this special episode of Being Human , host Steve Cuss looks at seven core themes in the hit FX show The Bear . Through the lens of systems theory and anxiety theory, Cuss considers the false needs and beliefs revealed in the show’s characters. He examines their contagious anxiety, sheds light on their conflict patterns, and considers what t...
Sep 12, 2024•37 min•Ep. 31
On this episode of Being Human , host Steve Cuss welcomes Alan Briggs, the founder of Stay Forth, a coaching organization that focuses on leader health and sustainable impact. Briggs’s latest book, AntiBurnout , empowers readers to avoid the perils of burnout and offers practical ways to measure one’s own health and well-being. Cuss and Briggs discuss the back-to-school anxiety that so many families face, how our individual wiring contributes to our unique anxiety triggers, and how to navigate m...
Sep 09, 2024•37 min
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Sep 02, 2024•42 min
The Sermon on the Mount is beautiful. It’s also hard. On this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss welcomes his friend, the pastor and author Rich Villodas. The two discuss Villodas’ new book, The Narrow Path , which focuses on the Matthew text. Villodas and Cuss discuss false needs, the longing for the good life, and what it means that God only dwells in reality. Resources mentioned during this episode include: New Life Fellowship Church The Deeply Formed Life: Five Transformative Values to ...
Aug 26, 2024•36 min•Ep. 28
