“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” So says Paul in Romans 7, and so, it seems, says the character of Riley in Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 . On a special episode of Being Human , host Steve Cuss and his wife, therapist Lisa Cuss, explore what the film has to say about being human. They talk about the film in terms of the internal family systems model and family systems theory. Ultimately, they consider what it looks like to notice parts o...
Aug 23, 2024•37 min
There are different kinds of anxiety, but there is one type of anxiety that always feels real in the moment when it is not. Unlike acute anxiety which is always based on a real threat , like when you have to swerve to avoid a car, chronic anxiety is always based on a false threat. Like making everyone happy, or doing it perfectly every time or always needing to be there for others. In this episode Steve and Lisa dig into what do you think you need that you don’t really need? And they also help y...
Aug 18, 2024•35 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Are you on your own conscious list of relationships? If not, this episode is for you. Host Steve Cuss is joined by his wife, Lisa, to chat about putting yourself on your conscious list of relationships, responding to your inner critic, and three simple ways to diffuse anxiety in any situation. Steve and Lisa discuss the Enneagram, opportunities for individual and collective growth, and how connecting with God can improve our sense of self. This episode offers tangible practices for those who wan...
Jul 07, 2024•39 min
Love isn’t meant to be conditional, especially when it comes to our understanding of how God loves us. But this episode’s guest—pastor, author, and podcaster Luke Norsworthy—says we’re far too normalized to the idea that love is contingent upon how we practice our faith, obey, and function in general. On this episode, Norsworthy and Cuss talk about whether or not the phrase “unconditional love” is redundant. They consider how family language can be misused and what it might look like to become m...
Jun 30, 2024•47 min
How can people connect with others without merging into them or letting them take over? How can we differentiate ourselves from one another while remaining connected in meaningful ways? These are some of the questions that Being Human host Steve Cuss poses to his guests, Grace Liu and Cory Elisabeth. The founders of Pursue Inner Growth , a coaching and counseling service in Indonesia, Liu and Elisabeth share rich and nuanced thoughts on how culture, place, and heritage shape who we are. Cuss spe...
Jun 23, 2024•39 min•Ep. 23
Artist. Theologian. Immigrant. These are the three words that come to mind for host Steve Cuss when he thinks of his guest, Phuc (Phu) Luu. On this episode, Luu responds to each of those terms, sharing how they make up who he is. Cuss and Luu discuss what it means to take refuge and the meaning to be found in the fact that Jesus himself had to take sanctuary. They talk about art as a way to depict one's inner world and what motivates Luu to paint. Luu also reacts to the image of King Charles’ ne...
Jun 16, 2024•40 min
How many minutes per week do you think you can be exactly yourself? That’s the question that host Steve Cuss poses at the beginning of this episode, and it takes on specific meaning as he converses with his guest, Marvin Williams. Williams is the lead pastor of Trinity Church in Lansing, Michigan, and is currently earning his doctorate in systems theory, particularly as it pertains to the African-American experience. His forthcoming dissertation, My Whole Black Self , considers what it’s like to...
Jun 09, 2024•47 min
Gender dynamics in the workplace. What to do when you’re the only one of your kind in the room. The power dynamics and damage of the #MeToo and #ChurchToo scandals. These are some of the heavy topics that Steve Cuss and his guest, leadership development expert Kadi Cole, consider on this episode of Being Human . Their conversation draws upon Cole’s years spent developing women leaders and working with diverse teams as one of the world’s foremost leaders in helping organizations navigate healthy ...
Jun 02, 2024•51 min
Is the gospel primarily preventative or redemptive? What did Jesus emphasize between the two? In this episode of Being Human , Steve is joined by his wife, the Friendly Neighborhood Therapist, Lisa, to consider these questions. They talk about faith gaps, how human development affects the ways we approach faith, and comparing ourselves to the pillars of the faith. Cuss also reads from his upcoming book, The Expectation Gap, which releases on May 28th. Listeners can preorder here . Get your preor...
May 26, 2024•27 min
Steve Cuss has a special burden for pastors and church staff. As someone who spent 27 years in such roles, he knows the unique challenges personally. On this episode, Cuss shares some of his own journey, including how he struggled with conflating his identities as a child of God and what felt like being an employee of God. Cuss talks about the gap between what we believe about God and what we experience from God. He guides listeners through the story of Peter walking on water (Matt. 14). Cuss di...
May 19, 2024•37 min•Ep. 18
“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. Carter realized he couldn’t go “play church.” He had to take the allegations seriously and act with integrity, which, for him, looked like resigning. On this episode of Being Human , Cuss and Carter discuss what it looks like to have integrity when...
May 12, 2024•38 min•Ep. 17
A systems theorist walks into an organization and orders playfulness and earnestness. This isn’t just a silly take on a joke format—it’s a tested method of determining whether or not teams have what it takes to go the distance. As host Steve Cuss explains on this episode of Being Human , too much seriousness on a team tends to lead to rigidity, but playful teams tend to be able to handle ambiguity and challenges. Could the same be true for worship? Sometimes we get too earnest and everything get...
May 05, 2024•31 min
“Jesus cares for our troubles, but they don’t worry him.” So says Alan Fadling, who joins host Steve Cuss on this episode of Being Human . Fadling is an author and the leader of Unhurried Living, a non-profit that trains people to rest deeper, live fuller and lead better. His latest book, The Non-Anxious Life , draws from spiritual formation and touches on systems theory, as well. Cuss and Fadling discuss the ways that anxiety is not just a personal dynamic, but an organizational one. They consi...
Apr 28, 2024•37 min•Ep. 15
If you struggle to keep your thoughts to yourself in the internet age, you’re not alone. On this episode of Being Human , host Steve Cuss admits that he struggles with a core belief that sounds something like the world needs my opinion . What are Christians to do in an era when there’s nonstop opportunity to reply, comment, and react? On this episode, Cuss welcomes someone he looks up to in this regard: Jay Kim, lead pastor of WestGate Church in San Jose, California and author of several books, ...
Apr 21, 2024•45 min•Ep. 14
So much of our experience is shaped by what gets passed down to us. Whether it's trauma, wisdom, or a signature hair color, traits and knowledge travel from generation to generation. On this episode of Being Human , Steve Cuss welcomes George Dobeler, the chaplain who first passed down the concept of family systems theory to Cuss. Doebler and Cuss talk about Doebler's learning from Murray Bowen, who founded the theory. They discuss the importance of understanding one’s family system when it come...
Apr 14, 2024•34 min
Some of the most beautiful art in existence was born of great trauma and pain. Think of Vincent Van Gogh, for example, or the Psalms written from a hiding place. On this episode of Being Human , Steve Cuss welcomes two artists who both know great tragedy and have produced remarkable creative work: Charlie Peacock and Andi Ashworth. The married couple recently published a book, Why Everything That Doesn't Matter, Matters So Much: The Way of Love in a World of Hurt , and they join Cuss for a discu...
Apr 07, 2024•48 min
The workplace can be a setting where people see their worth and have it honored by others. It can also be a hub of discouragement, aimlessness, and a lack of encouragement. On this episode of Being Human , host Steve Cuss welcomes Jeff Haanen, author of Working from the Inside Out . Haanen, who is the founder of the Denver Faith and Work Institute, sheds light on how inner work can shape outer work and what it looks like to live out Christianity in jobs and careers. He provides listeners with a ...
Mar 31, 2024•31 min
Music is one of the host Steve Cuss’ favorite ways to relax into God’s presence. On this episode he welcomes two artists who help him do just that—Andy Gullahorn and Jill Phillips. A married couple in Nashville, Tennessee, both Andy and Jill are singer-songwriters. Jill also practices as a therapist and Andy has a unique healing ministry. The three discuss the power of songs and how the music industry has changed over time. They talk about what it means to pursue “a long obedience in the same di...
Mar 24, 2024•33 min
"In Christ, God has come near and has walked with us. The transformation that is other than us has actually come near so that we could be changed and transformed.” So says pastor and author Geoff Holsclaw as he joins host Steve Cuss on this episode of Being Human . Holsclaw, who cohosts the Embodied Faith podcast and runs Western Seminary’s doctor of ministry program in spiritual formation and relational neuroscience, is deeply interested in how people grow, transform, and connect to God. On thi...
Mar 17, 2024•43 min
Presence has a profound impact on our lives. So does its opposite—absence. On this episode of Being Human , Steve Cross welcomes author, professor, and public theologian Esau McCaulley. McCaulley’s book Reading While Black is dedicated to his father, which may lead people to believe that they had a close relationship. But, McCaulley says that dedication was his way of declaring, “I forgive you.” During their conversation, Cross and McCaulley talk about how the absence of paternal love can shape ...
Mar 10, 2024•48 min
Today on Being Human , it’s all about the Enneagram. Steve Cuss welcomes back his friend and colleague Jimmy Carnes for a discussion about the nine types and how they reflect the character of God. Carnes explains the holy idea of each Enneagram type—also known as the nine faces of God—and the ways that we are all striving for one aspect of God to be true. Carnes and Cuss discuss the nuances of their types and others. They consider how the Enneagram system can help people identify where they lose...
Mar 03, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Start paying attention. Those three words sound simple enough. And yet, just about everyone who has tried to focus on understanding what’s going on inside themselves knows that the process can get tricky pretty fast. Introspection can be as infuriating as it is illuminating. On this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss welcomes his dear friend and co-laborer at Capable Life Jimmy Carnes to talk about paying attention. Their conversation covers dehumanization, inner critics, and anxiety. Carne...
Feb 25, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 6
“The reality of trauma is that it’s a perceived experience where we feel like the tools that we have, to cope with what we have experienced, have been exhausted … so those experiences and meaning made get stuck in our bodies.” So says Lisa Cuss, therapist and wife of Steve Cuss, on this episode of Being Human . Lisa and Steve talk about the ways trauma lodges inside of us, bodily techniques for processing difficult experiences, and what it means to understand God as the ultimate healer. They dig...
Feb 18, 2024•39 min
Most Christians would probably say that relaxing in the presence of God sounds like a beautiful idea. But do we know how to do that? And do we understand what gets in our way? On this episode of Being Human , Steve Cuss helps listeners identify the reactivity in their lives that keeps them from experiencing connection with God, themselves, and others. He walks through a brief history of systems theory, noting the key figures who have built a body of work exploring how relational dynamics affect ...
Feb 11, 2024•37 min•Ep. 4
What happens when we’re reactive? We disconnect from our awareness of God. So says Steve Cuss on this episode of Being Human . With concrete advice and a tone of encouragement, Cuss illuminates the path for listeners who want to name what causes their reactivity so they can stay connected to themselves, God, and others. Cuss explores how Jesus paves a way for us to connect to our so-called enemies. He directs listeners into prayer and peace as he shares stories of addressing anxiety and reactivi...
Feb 04, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Steve digs deeper into the anxiety known as "reactivity" and the different ways we all respond when our values are broken by others. He uses the 2024 presidential election as an example, giving viewers a couple of tools to manage reactivity. For more about Steve, and to download his video ‘The 4 Spaces of Anxiety’ visit stevecusswords.com Being Human with Steve Cuss, in collaboration with Christianity Today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 28, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The first episode of Being Human With Steve Cuss, in collaboration with Christianity Today. Steve talks about the nature of reactivity, how it disconnects us, and how being a ‘well self’ is kept for human flourishing. Steve shares much of his own journey and gives a couple of tools to manage reactivity. For more about Steve, and to download his video ‘The 4 Spaces of Anxiety’ visit www.stevecusswords.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jan 21, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 1
The Friendly Neighborhood Therapist joins Steve on this annual wrap up. They chat about lessons learned this year, giving yourself the gift of wellbeing in 2024 and what is coming down the pike for next year. Plus, Steve shares his favorite advent poem. We also announce the podcast's new name. NOTE: next year our podcast name is changing as we move onto a new partnership, but you don't need to do anything - you can access it through your existing podcast subscription. Click here to learn more ab...
Dec 22, 2023•57 min•Ep. 196
*Apologies for the crunchy audio at the beginning of the show* J.S. (Joon) Park is a hospital chaplain and author of The Voices We Carry . Steve first encountered J.S. through his remarkable twitter feed which is well worth a follow here . Joon talks through his first day as a chaplain, how verbatims help us grow and how to stay human in a world of constant suffering and death. This was a remarkable interview! Thanks to our sponsors: To make a difference in the lives of aged out foster youth vis...
Dec 10, 2023•48 min•Ep. 195
Brad Lomenick is the former president of Catalyst and the author of several books including the H3 Leader . Brad is a gifted connector and developer of people. For two decades he has met with thousands of Christian leaders. In this interview, Steve gets into Brad's early leadership experience when he was 8 and what wrangling horses taught him about leadership. Like others before him, he gleefully endured the Gauntlet. To make a difference in the lives of aged out foster youth visit Dream Makers ...
Dec 03, 2023•57 min•Ep. 194
