From Christianity Today, Being Human with Steve Cuss is Christian counseling in podcast form. Steve Cuss, a former trauma and hospice chaplain, pastor, and leadership coach, guides listeners with a gospel-informed journey of discovery into the world of emotional health: everything from anxiety and reactivity, to triangulation, overfunctioning, and the Enneagram.
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Host Steve Cuss welcomes Dr. Alicia Britt Chole (Dr. ABC) for a profound conversation on faith, doubt, and spiritual transformation. Once a strident atheist, Dr. ABC shares her journey to a deep faith in Jesus, revealing how questioning and belief can coexist beautifully. Together, they explore the art of living in the plural —inviting Jesus into our thoughts, relationships, and even the challenges of parenting a child on the autism spectrum—showing how grace, wisdom, and love shape a resilient ...
Host Steve Cuss speaks with Brian Heasley and Carla Harding of the 24-7 Prayer Movement, drawing from their experiences as a Protestant and Catholic who lived through The Troubles in Northern Ireland and the lasting impact of that divided era. Together, they discuss how prayer, faith, and empathy can bring healing, unity, and peace to both individuals and communities. Through honest reflections on anxiety, spiritual discipline, and grace, Brian and Carla share how the Lectio 365 app helps people...
Clarissa Moll is back to flip the script on Steve Cuss, unpacking the power dynamics, generational divides, and identity challenges that shape today’s leadership. From Colin Powell’s intentional practices to the biblical wisdom of Jesus and Paul, they explore how emotional safety, vulnerability, and faith create healthier families, workplaces, and churches. This conversation offers practical insights for leaders seeking to build inclusive communities, authentic connections, and resilient discipl...
Hosts Steve and Lisa Cuss look back at insights from Matt Wenger, Ben Mandrell, and Kyle Strobel on the themes of healing, leadership, and spiritual formation. Matt shares insights on overcoming pornography and sex addiction with grace and self-kindness, Ben reflects on playful leadership and resilience during his time at Lifeway, and Kyle unpacks the role of discipleship and spiritual growth in navigating life’s challenges. Episode Resources: Explore Matt’s work at the Begin Again Institute Und...
Host Steve Cuss welcomes Ben Mandrell, former president of Lifeway Resources and current senior pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church, for a rich conversation on leadership,faith, and resilience when things are good or in flux. Ben shares candid reflections on navigating cultural shifts, organizational challenges, and the personal cost of leadership amid institutional changes. From closing bookstores at Lifeway to finding joy and playfulness even amid tragedy, his journey reveals how presence and di...
Host Steve Cuss and Dr. Kyle Strobel disrupt self-help versions of spirituality and call us back to genuine encounters with Christ. Together we explore how hidden dynamics like assumptions, reactivity, and self-reliance often sabotage spiritual formation—and why cultivating watchfulness in prayer and scripture is the antidote. Drawing from Colossians 4:2, early evangelical practices, and personal stories, Dr. Strobel shows how honesty about our emotions in real time opens the door to true transf...
Host Steve Cuss sits down with Matt Wenger for a candid conversation about addiction, intimacy, and healing. Together, they unpack the complexities of sexual addiction, the ripple effects it has on loved ones, and why recovery is best understood as a "team sport." Matt highlights the power of vulnerability, group support, and true intimacy as antidotes to the false connections addiction promises. Steve and Matt also shine a light on betrayal trauma experienced by partners, offering hope, empathy...
In her monthly visit to Being Human , Clarissa Moll from Christianity Today’s The Bulletin takes the host’s chair and turns the tables on Steve Cuss for another rich exploration of the Four Spaces of Anxiety. Together, they discuss how the frenetic pace of modern life can obscure God’s presence—and how intentional pauses can restore spiritual clarity and resilience. The conversation dives into rumination, false needs like control and approval, and the role of prayer and journaling in nurturing h...
Steve Cuss is joined once again by his wife and fellow counselor, Lisa Cuss, for a practical conversation on the Four Spaces of Anxiety and how these shape our relationships, leadership, and faith. Building on recent Being Human dialogues with Toni Collier and Dr. Les Parrott, Steve and Lisa unpack the hidden assumptions that fuel reactivity, disconnection, and stress. Steve and Lisa explore how faith, vulnerability, and intentional community can break anxiety’s grip and create healthier familie...
World-renowned relationship expert Dr. Les Parrott sits down with host Steve Cuss for a raw discussion about reclaiming your mind and soul. Parrott shreds toxic beliefs about empathy, parenting, and vulnerability that have infiltrated Christian culture, replacing them with a vision for emotional and spiritual health that actually works. Together, Steve and Dr. parrott dissect the razor-thin line between empathy and enmeshment, reveal how technology can fuel genuine human connection, and unpack w...
Discover how anxiety weaves its way into every corner of life—and how to break free. Host Steve Cuss sits down with Toni Collier, founder of Broken Crayons Still Color , for a raw conversation on her journey from brokenness to healing and redemption. Together, they unpack how faith, authentic community, and radical vulnerability can transform deep wounds—like “parentification,” betrayal, and infidelity—into powerful testimonies of hope and resilience. This episode continues Steve’s exploration o...
The Four Spaces of anxiety and emotional freedom take center stage as Being Human kicks off a new monthly appearance from Bulletin moderator Clarissa Moll, who flips the script and interviews Steve Cuss. Together, they’ll shape the conversation threads that future episodes will explore every four weeks. This month, Steve unpacks the wildfire spread of anxiety and lays out practical disciplines to disrupt reactivity and foster emotional resilience. Rooted in biblical wisdom and grounded in everyd...
Jimmy Carnes, a Capable Life trainer, joins Steve Cuss—Anxiety Expert & Creator of Capable Life—for a raw, practical conversation about how unseen emotional patterns like triangulation and interconnectedness can complicate leadership and relationships. Together they explore what it means to lead without having the answers, and why “being human-sized” is more powerful than pretending to be in control. They unpack how lighting a candle can bridge the gap between belief and the felt presence of...
Steve and Lisa Cuss delve into the pervasive "expectation gap" in faith, where what we believe about God often differs from our experience. They discuss the critical distinction between a preventative gospel (focused on right living to avoid problems) and a foundational redemptive gospel (centered on God's unconditional love and grace). The episode invites listeners to examine their core beliefs, embrace full access to God, and navigate their unique spiritual development without comparing themselves to others.
Why does reflecting our Creator matter? Steve Cuss dives into the profound impact of remembering we are made in God’s image and how it is an antidote to the mundane. He challenges listeners to do the important work of engaging with beauty, wonder, the ability to learn, and more as a means of reshaping our daily focus. Steve shares actionable "summer homework" that could shift your perspective for good. Resources mentioned in this episode include: Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Steve Cus...
Lisa Cuss joins Steve to recap three powerful conversations that remind us why our place in the universal, everlasting body of Christ matters now more than ever. Together, they revisit key insights from Glenn Packiam, Chuck DeGroat, and Kyle Idleman—connecting themes of identity and spiritual resilience. From the unifying power of the Nicene Creed to confronting toxic leadership and overcoming inner battles, Steve and Lisa show how spiritual formation offers bold clarity in the chaos of modern l...
Feeling burned out by outrage culture and partisan spin? President and CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life Michael Wear joins Steve Cuss to chart a bold, faith-rooted path through today’s political chaos. Together, they unpack how Christians can reclaim civic agency through local action, community impact, and love-fueled political engagement. Michael’s sharp insights will challenge listeners to move beyond despair and toward a redemptive, grounded vision of faith and politics. Res...
Senior pastor and bestselling author Kyle Idleman joins Steve Cuss to explore the mental battles we all face—and how to overcome them. Using insights from his latest book, Every Thought Captive , Kyle explains the powerful connection between brain science, biblical truth, and emotional health. Together, Steve and Kyle offer ways to break toxic thought patterns and rewire your mindset for spiritual and mental transformation. If you're struggling with anxiety, offense, or negative talk, this episo...
Lisa’s back! Join host Steve Cuss and the therapist he turns to with his own questions – his wife. They examine some of Steve’s recent conversations about the intricate dance between faith and doubt. Drawing insights from guests like Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw and Dr. Jennifer Ripley, they explore how doubt can serve as a catalyst for spiritual growth. Unpack the ways childhood attachment styles influence our adult relationships with God and others, and offer practical ways the church can support th...
What happens when the Nicene Creed collides with TikTok theology? Host Steve Cuss and pastor-author Glenn Packiam unpack how this historic confession still anchors Christian identity in a digital age obsessed with individual “truth.” They explore the tension between personal experience and historic orthodoxy, the global church’s diverse voices, and why real unity starts in community—not algorithms. Steve and Glenn offer hope for listeners wrestling back to a rooted, resilient Christianity that r...
What happens when character formation breaks down in church leadership? Steve Cuss and psychologist-theologian Chuck DeGroat work through the hidden dynamics behind pastoral burnout, narcissism, and the slow erosion of integrity. They explore how unexamined coping mechanisms shape identity, why church boards often miss red flags, and what it really takes to create a culture of safety and true accountability. Steve and Chuck offer tools for healthier leadership—inside and outside the church. Reso...
What if your earliest relationships are still shaping your faith today? With this in mind, Steve Cuss sits down with Cyd and Geoff Holsclaw to explore how attachment theory influences our connection to ourselves, others, and God. From insecure attachment styles and coping mechanisms to trauma, church culture, and spiritual growth, Steve and the Holsclaws dive deep into the psychology behind our relational patterns—and how self-awareness and God’s love can lead to healing. Listen and join Steve a...
How can we walk with people through a crisis without burning out? Psychologist and professor Dr. Jen Ripley joins Steve to offer a practical guide for churches supporting people facing grief, trauma, and emotional distress. From setting boundaries to building strong community networks, Jen extends clear, compassionate wisdom for both pastors and lay leaders. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to care well—without losing themselves in the process. Resources mentioned in this episode...
What do a layover in London and a territorial swan have to do with your spiritual growth? Host Steve Cuss unpacks how life’s in-between spaces—layovers, limbo seasons, and even awkward encounters—can become sacred ground that helps us destroy false needs. Drawing from biblical stories and personal insights, Steve challenges the false needs of control and perfection that block peace and presence. If you’ve ever felt stuck or spiritually adrift, this episode offers surprising insight, humor, and h...
What if doubt isn’t the enemy of faith but the beginning of deeper belief? On this episode of Being Human , Steve Cuss explores spiritual deconstruction and the way writers like Frederick Buechner and Madeleine L’Engle paved the way for honest, Christ-centered wrestling with belief. Sharing personal stories and biblical insight, Steve unpacks how anxiety, reactivity, and certainty can block spiritual growth—and how curiosity and vulnerability open the door to true connection with Jesus and other...
Cohosts Steve and Lisa Cuss revisit powerful conversations with guests like Jinger Duggar, Strahan Coleman, Ian Cron, and Greg Robbins, diving deeper into themes of spiritual growth, emotional resilience, and inner healing. Exploring the intersections of faith, mental health, and discipleship, Steve and Lisa reflect on how practices like gratitude, vulnerability, and relational awareness help us experience God’s presence more fully. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, triggers, chronic illness, o...
Host Steve Cuss and theologian Greg Robbins unpack the often-misunderstood Book of Revelation. Far from being a roadmap to doom, Revelation offers a powerful message of hope, calling Christians to live with courage, sacrifice, and trust in God’s ultimate victory. They tackle Armageddon, explore the nature of true power, and reframe Revelation as a deeply pastoral text for discipleship. If you've ever wrestled with end-times anxiety, this conversation will refresh your view with biblical clarity ...
In this episode, Steve Cuss and Strahan Coleman explore the transformative power of prayer, the role of vulnerability in faith, and the ways suffering can deepen our connection with God. Strahan shares his journey through chronic illness and the spiritual awakening that followed, offering insights into how gratitude and prayer can reshape our experience of God’s love. At the center of Steve and Strahan’s conversation is the intersection of neuroscience with faith and the reasons why the church m...
Reality TV alum Jinger Duggar Vuolo joins host Steve Cuss to share her powerful journey from fear-based religion to authentic faith and emotional freedom. She opens up about growing up under Bill Gothard’s teachings, breaking free from people-pleasing, and healing from spiritual trauma. Together, Jinger and Steve explore how vulnerability, community, and self-awareness can lead to lasting transformation. This episode offers encouragement for anyone navigating identity, faith, and the pressure to...
Author, psychotherapist, and recovering addict Ian Cron joins Steve Cuss for a powerful conversation on addiction, identity, and faith. Ian shares his personal struggles with alcoholism, the complexities of living as a public figure, and the spiritual insights gained through recovery. Steve and Ian explore the nature of addiction as a misguided solution to deeper wounds, the process of deconstructing faith on the way to reconstruction, and the church’s unique role in offering forgiveness and hea...
