The recent close calls with yet another Northern California wildfire have brought to mind the topic of trials and suffering. As Christians, how should we view these troubles? When we are confronted with challenges, are we supposed to conclude that Jesus is not with us? When we read the New Testament, we witness countless instances of suffering, from the life Jesus to those who followed him. What does this mean for us today? Do we need a perspective shift? Connect with Max: Email maxehrman@change...
Sep 14, 2020•23 min•Ep. 67
Each of us have ways of seeing things that shape how we interpret the world around us. These can take the form of experiences, tradition or where and how we were raised. So when it comes to Christianity, could these filters be holding us back from seeing and experiencing what Jesus has for us? In this week’s episode, Steve & Vicki Orsillo talk about how a culture of unbelief, even among Christians, can hamper us. What are we trusting in that is keeping us from experiencing Jesus fully, and h...
Sep 07, 2020•54 min•Ep. 66
This week Steve & Vicki Orsillo answer more listener questions. What does the baptism of the Holy Spirit look like in a person’s life? If Jesus calls us to leave our family for Him, will my spouse leave me to follow Jesus? How can I be a light for Jesus, even in a Christian environment? Steve also tells the hilarious story of how a stranger’s misdialed phone number scared him into following Jesus 45 years ago. If you’d like to ask Steve or Vicki a question for a future Q & A episode, ema...
Aug 31, 2020•55 min•Ep. 65
By definition, our beliefs about salvation tend to form the very foundation of our Christian faith. For the most part, the way we understand salvation usually impacts how we live out our faith. Yet a lot of our commonly held views on salvation are inconsistent with what the New Testament teaches. How can that be? What are the ramifications if it is true? More importantly, what does the Bible actually teach about what it takes to be saved? For the School of Transformation: www.transformationschoo...
Aug 24, 2020•52 min•Ep. 64
When it comes to following others in Christianity, the idea seems to make most people cringe. Faith is something that is deeply personal for each one of us, and our culture has elevated individualism to the point where the idea of following another person is actually controversial. Yet when we read the New Testament, we see a different picture. Are we missing something in 21st Century Christianity when we decide to do it all on our own? For the School of Transformation: www.transformationschool....
Aug 17, 2020•51 min•Ep. 63
As Christians, most of us are probably familiar and comfortable with the idea of God’s unconditional love for us. It’s something many of us have been taught since childhood. However, most of us are probably less knowledgable about the conditions Jesus’ own words lay out in the New Testament. The Gospels are full of these types of conditions for those who would follow Jesus. So why is it so rare to hear them taught in mainstream Christianity? Why do we seem so eager to overlook them, explain them...
Aug 10, 2020•46 min•Ep. 62
The problem of anxiety and depression is running rampant in our society today. What is the cause, what are the effects, and what can we do about it? Until recently, these afflictions did not seem to be widespread within Christianity. That is not the case today, and it seems like more Christians than ever are struggling. How can hopelessness and fear be so prevalent among those who claim to know the Prince of Peace and His hope and joy? How can we regain that peace ourselves and transform our nei...
Aug 03, 2020•50 min•Ep. 61
We cover a lot of ground on the Uncommon Truth. So this week, Steve and Vicki are taking some time to answer your questions on the wide range of topics we discuss. We’re asking everything, from stories about their son Mark and Steve’s least favorite foods, to how to read the bible and stay motivated as a Christian. To submit your own question for Steve and Vicki, email Max at [email protected] and we’ll be sure to include it in a future Q&A episode. For the School of Transformatio...
Jul 27, 2020•54 min•Ep. 60
If you’re a Christian, chances are you’ve lost sleep over the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” We seem to wrestle with this question on an almost daily basis. When it comes down to big decisions, or even the general direction of our lives, are we actually looking to God for the answers? After all, everyone wants to know they are headed the right way, but most people don’t like asking for directions. Could the answer to this question be right in front of us? For the School of Transform...
Jul 20, 2020•51 min•Ep. 59
How would you define Christianity? How does that definition affect the way you live as a Christian? If you struggle to answer these questions with confidence, you’re not alone. The Bible tells us that God doesn’t change. However, as we read it, we realize that his interactions with people do involve different agreements, called covenants. The bible is full of them, and Jesus came to initiate the final one: the New Covenant. What happens when we don’t fully comprehend that New Covenant? Can we mi...
Jul 13, 2020•50 min•Ep. 58
What do we mean when we talk about the concept of revival? What is revival, and what purpose does it serve? Where did we get the idea in the first place, and is there a biblical precedent? Depending on your background and the stream of Christianity you find yourself in, these answers can be quite different. Is it like regularly scheduled spiritual maintenance to bring our focus back to God? Is it all about experiencing the manifestations of the Holy Spirit? This week on the show, Steve and Vicki...
Jul 06, 2020•49 min•Ep. 57
The idea of change is at the forefront of our minds these days. With everything that has taken place so far just in 2020––COVID-19 lockdowns, protests over police brutality, increasing political polarization––it is natural to think about enacting change. Yet how do we, as Christians, approach changing the world around us? Are we pointing out problems in our world without first examining our own lives? As followers of Jesus, we have an example of revolutionary change that transformed the entire c...
Jun 29, 2020•49 min•Ep. 56
Steve and Vicki Orsillo are away this week, so we are presenting a message Steve preached in April. It follows a theme that we have been discussing a lot on recent podcasts: the need to live and be different, transformed, uncommon. In the gospel of John, Jesus performed his first miracle, or sign, at a wedding feast. He took something common (water) and changed it into something uncommon (wine). Not just any wine either, but the best. If you’re interested in uncommon spiritual growth, look no fu...
Jun 23, 2020•29 min•Ep. 55
Studies show that, in various important categories, Christian relationships are not that distinguishable from the rest of the culture. From divorce rates and pornography use to views on premarital sex and cohabitation; the numbers are almost identical to those of our neighbors. If our lives as Christians need to reflect Jesus, then shouldn't our romantic relationships represent Jesus too? If Jesus is supposed to change and renew every aspect of our individual lives, shouldn't our relationship ex...
Jun 15, 2020•51 min•Ep. 54
COVID-19, protests, rioting and economic collapse; with everything going on so far in 2020, does the Church have a voice and a message that the world needs right now? In Matthew 23, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees with several "woes." His main criticism of the religious leaders of the day was that they were in danger of missing out on the Kingdom of God. Not only that, Jesus said, but they were actively preventing their people from entering the Kingdom as well. Fast forward to today, and the warning...
Jun 08, 2020•44 min•Ep. 53
When it comes to how we see ourselves, Christians know all the right answers; we are created in God's image, fearfully and wonderfully made and worth enough for Jesus to die for. However, when it comes to actually believing this, many of us struggle to walk it out. What does this look like, and where does it come from? More importantly, how can we overcome self-doubt and self-hate to be able to share the love of Christ with those around us? After all, if we are not able to love ourselves, how ca...
Jun 01, 2020•49 min•Ep. 52
Jesus asks his followers to be the "Salt of the earth" and the "Light of the world." What does that mean? Are we supposed to blend in with our neighbors so that we can influence them? Or should we look and act completely different? More to the point, is this type of lifestyle optional for us as Christians? What are the consequences––for ourselves and for the world––if we fail to act? Visit www.uncommonpodcast.com to listen to more of The Uncommon Truth. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a r...
May 25, 2020•51 min•Ep. 51
The topic of forgiveness is not a very popular one, even within Christianity. Most of us are eager to accept forgiveness, but we rarely focus on those whom we need to forgive. So what does Jesus have to say about it? In Western Christianity, forgiving others can sometimes be seen as optional. Even when forgiving is a focus, the question of how it is done is a challenge. Is forgiveness just a statement? Does it mean I have to forget the harm done to me? What about trusting those who have wronged ...
May 18, 2020•48 min•Ep. 50
Talking about living like Jesus and obeying his teachings can bring up tension. Should our faith be based on what we do or upon intimacy with Jesus? Is it religion or relationship? Is that even the right question to ask? As the title of our podcast suggests, Steve & Vicki Orsillo take an uncommon view of intimacy with Jesus. They discuss what an intimate relationship with Jesus looks like and how we're supposed to walk that out in our daily lives. Watch our daily livestream broadcasts, Live ...
May 11, 2020•47 min•Ep. 49
The biblical passages about sacrifice are not very popular, but they are hard to ignore. Stories and admonitions about sacrifice are riddled throughout the New Testament for those with the courage to read and apply them. What happens when we decide not to skip over these challenges and instead embrace them? Steve and Vicki Orsillo founded the Father's House Church in Oroville, California in 1997. Instead of building in the center of town, they felt Jesus leading them to Southside with its rampan...
May 04, 2020•48 min•Ep. 48
As followers of Jesus, what should our lives look like? Here in the West, do our lives look any different from our friends and neighbors who don't know Jesus? In a time of radical upheaval surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we discuss the radical change that knowing and following Jesus should bring to our lives and churches. Watch our daily livestream broadcasts, Live From The House: w ww.changeoroville.org - www.facebook.com/fathers.house.oroville - TFHC Media on YouTube . Connect with Max: Ema...
Apr 27, 2020•49 min•Ep. 47
In the midst of COVID-19 social distancing measures, church members have been sorely missing their church families. At the same time, some who have walked away from traditional church communities have began to come back via online services and Zoom chats. It raises the question, what does Jesus say about being plugged into a community of believers? In this weeks episode, we discuss how authentic connection to a group of believers can unlock the real freedom and abundant life people are searching...
Apr 20, 2020•41 min•Ep. 46
Steve and Vicki Orsillo are the senior pastors at the Father's House Church of Oroville. They have been so popular as occasional guests that we have asked them to join more regularly. This week, they discuss Jesus' perspective on selfless living in a world overcome with selfishness. Watch our daily livestream broadcasts, Live From The House: w ww.changeoroville.org - www.facebook.com/fathers.house.oroville - TFHC Media on YouTube - www.instagram.com/the.fathers.house.oroville Connect with Max: E...
Apr 13, 2020•44 min•Ep. 45
On March 27, 2020, The Uncommon Truth and the Father's House Church said goodbye to associate pastor, podcast contributor and School of Transformation director Geordie Mumby. Steve and Vicki Orsillo, senior pastors of the Father's House, join the show to remember his, "Uncommon Hope," and talk about having a foundation in the words of Jesus when the life's storms rage. Watch Geordie's sermons: G eordie's YouTube Sermons Watch our daily livestream broadcasts, Live From The House: w ww.changeorovi...
Mar 31, 2020•47 min•Ep. 44
This week's episode is a rebroadcast of a discussion from October 2019, and is surprisingly relevant for today. Steve and Vicki are no strangers to life's difficulties. They sat down with Max to talk about the role of adversity in the growth of their faith. To date, this has been the most listened to episode of The Uncommon Truth, and it is one Christians all around the world will benefit from during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Watch our daily livestream broadcasts, Live From The House: www.c...
Mar 24, 2020•54 min•Ep. 43
If you're like most Christians, you probably have an idea of how you want your faith to grow. Most of us can think of a few areas that we would like to have more success in, but we don't really know how to get there. We're taught by our culture to do life on our own, independent of others, but nothing seems to change. Steve joins the show to talk about Jesus' plan for just such a scenario, and it involves some pretty uncommon (and uncomfortable) solutions. Allowing Jesus--and those he puts in ou...
Mar 16, 2020•51 min•Ep. 42
How many of us have grown comfortable or complacent when reading the words of Jesus? When you read a parable in which Jesus calls out the religious leaders of day, who do you identify with? If you're like most in the West, you're probably more likely to place yourself in Jesus' shoes than those of the Pharisees. What if we take a step back and assume He's talking directly to you and I? In this episode Max and Steve do just that as they dissect Jesus' well-known "Parable of the Sower." They ask, ...
Mar 02, 2020•54 min•Ep. 41
Nolan Zink went from a chronic addict and felon to a father, husband and pastor. He joins The Uncommon Truth to talk about how accountability saved his life. Accountability is a topic that many Christians find awkward or intimidating. It is often completely misunderstood. Most of the time when we in the Church talk about accountability, we approach it like a car wash. If and when we sin, we return to the carwash on Sunday to receive forgiveness. Is this the freedom and peace Jesus came to bring ...
Feb 17, 2020•46 min•Ep. 40
Max is joined on the show by two guests this week: Nick Zeppi and Ildiko Zink. Nick is a pastor and assistant director for Life Recovery Ministries. He joins the show to preview the upcoming Jesus Man Conference which he will be speaking at. In the main part of the show, Ildiko recounts her amazing story of growing up in post-Communist Hungary, and eventually Northern California. Going to Jesus for comfort was never something she really knew how to do, or even seem to want. As it is for many of ...
Feb 03, 2020•51 min•Ep. 39
Derek Devine, men's pastor and former NFL quarterback, joins the show to talk about the state of manhood in light of the upcoming Jesus Man Conference. The conference will be in Oroville, CA on March 24-26, 2020. In North America, our idea of what real manhood looks like has slowly been warped. These warped ideas of manhood have even begun to infiltrate Christian thought and culture. In these confusing times, how can the men of the Church become the servants, leaders, and defenders Jesus meant u...
Jan 20, 2020•49 min•Ep. 38
