How the biblical idea of the Divine Council reshapes our understanding of spiritual warfare, justice, and humanity's role in God's world. Mike Erre and Tim Stafford continue the Elohim Series by exploring the spiritual realm of the Old Testament—the "sons of God," the supernatural rulers of the nations, and how their corruption contributes to the brokenness of the world we inhabit. This episode challenges conventional Christian views of spiritual warfare and dives deep into why justice, lament, ...
Jun 07, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Unlocking new layers of biblical meaning, Mike and Tim dive into one of the Bible's most mysterious and perplexing passages—Genesis 6—and the weird, wild world of the Nephilim, fallen Elohim, and cosmic rebellion. In this episode of the Genesis Series, they unpack how humanity's fall mirrors the spiritual realm's own betrayal, why "heaven" needs redemption too, and how it all connects to the gospel's cosmic scale. They also respond to some truly thought-provoking listener emails and celebrate Vo...
May 31, 2021•1 hr 5 min
When the rot of power, celebrity, and capitalism runs deep in modern American church culture, is walking away the best response—or is there another way forward? In this deeply vulnerable and passionate installment of the New Creation Series, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford are joined by theologian Dr. Timothy Gombis, who brings sobering wisdom, theological insight, and a dawning vision of church grounded not in success but in rest, repentance, and resistance. What begins as an honest lament about meg...
May 24, 2021•1 hr 3 min
How the myth of the American Dream and a narrow evangelical subculture are being authentically challenged by those living out the radical call to love your neighbor. Mike and Tim are joined by author and activist D.L. Mayfield to explore how her journey from youth group punk rocker to committed neighbor and advocate for the marginalized reveals a deeper and more robust understanding of faith, formation, and following Jesus. Together, they discuss what it means to reconstruct faith in a way that ...
May 17, 2021•59 min
How reading Genesis through ancient eyes—and understanding the spiritual beings behind the biblical narrative—can reshape how we think about sin, salvation, and the reconstruction of faith. In this theologically rich and mind-expanding episode, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford go deep into the cosmology of Genesis 1-3, unveiling how the biblical story tells a far more imaginative and layered tale than modern interpretations often allow. From the idea of the "heavenly hosts" and the mysterious serpent ...
May 10, 2021•1 hr 33 min
How recovering the biblical storyline from Genesis to Revelation changes everything about how we think about sin, salvation, and our role in God's mission. In part seven of the Big Story Series, Mike and Tim unpack the central question the Old Testament actually leaves us with—not "How do we get to heaven?" but "When will Yahweh return and restore his people?" From the temple imagery of Eden to humanity's original vocation as royal priesthood, they explore how sin is not merely rule-breaking, bu...
May 03, 2021•1 hr 36 min
How the way of Jesus invites us to rethink gun violence, church leadership, and what it really means to be "pro-life." In this powerful conversation, Mike and Tim are joined by author, activist, and Red Letter Christian co-founder Shane Claiborne for a deeply compelling and often hilarious episode exploring faith, justice, and embodied discipleship. While reflecting on his own spiritual evolution (including an early obsession with leadership books, apologetics, and megachurch culture), Mike shar...
Apr 26, 2021•1 hr 9 min
How the biblical image of "outside the city" reshapes our theology of hell, judgment, and salvation. In this first part of the Hell Series, Mike and Tim wrestle deeply with scriptural themes, the legacy of fire-and-brimstone fear tactics, and a more Jesus-centered, hope-filled way to understand what hell really is—and what it definitely is not. Beginning with a fiery valley outside ancient Jerusalem called Gehenna and ending with Revelation's new creation imagery, this episode traces a surprisin...
Apr 19, 2021•1 hr 4 min
How the biblical vision of judgment reveals the path toward healing, truth-telling, and the restoration of all things. Continuing the Hell Series, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford tackle the idea of divine judgment not as punitive wrath or eternal shame, but as a redemptive purifying process that reveals, restores, and renews. With reflections on Romans, 1 Corinthians, Peter, and the Sermon on the Mount, the duo proposes a vision of judgment rooted in the goodness of God and the transformative power o...
Apr 12, 2021•1 hr 16 min
How a fresh understanding of the biblical story can reshape your faith, purpose, and view of salvation. Mike Erre and Tim Stafford kick off a new three-part arc in the Exile Series that confronts the traditional evangelical narrative of heaven and hell. Instead, they reframe the story through the lens of what the Bible actually centers on — the creation, rupture, and reunification of heaven and earth. If you've ever felt unsettled by the "turn or burn" gospel or the idea of escaping the earth to...
Apr 05, 2021•1 hr 5 min
How Jesus' parable of the weeds and wheat in Matthew 13 invites followers to practice patience, not power, as the defining mark of discipleship in a world plagued by injustice and urgency. Mike Erre and Tim Stafford continue the Exile Series by deconstructing how Christians often misread their role in purging the world of evil—and how Jesus insists on a patient, Kingdom-first alternative marked by trust, hope, and transformation. Through personal stories (including Mike's call from investment ba...
Mar 29, 2021•1 hr 11 min
How the language of dehumanization and the theology of Christian nationalism distort the gospel—and what it means to respond with a Jesus-shaped posture of compassion, inclusion, and lament. This reflective episode in the Exile Series opens with a moment of silence for the victims of the 2021 Atlanta shootings, bringing attention to the realities of Asian hate crimes and how cultural and spiritual dehumanization fosters violence. Tim Stafford welcomes his wife Shauna for a powerful dialogue on l...
Mar 22, 2021•1 hr 3 min
How Paul's transformational journey from religious dominance to cruciform humility offers a radical blueprint for reimagining ministry leadership in today's churches. This episode dives deep into the themes of power and weakness, drawing from Dr. Tim Gombis's book, Power in Weakness: Paul's Transformed Vision for Ministry. Join Mike Erre, Tim Stafford, and Dr. Gombis for a wide-ranging and raw conversation about toxic leadership, authentic community, and how the New Testament calls us to somethi...
Mar 15, 2021•1 hr 17 min
A clarion call to the Church to reject the temptation of political power and reaffirm its allegiance to the upside-down Kingdom of Jesus. Mike Erre and Tim Stafford bring fire and clarity in this Exile Series finale, confronting the rising influence of Christian nationalism, the misguided embrace of culture wars, and the tragic confusion between American politics and gospel truth. With passion and unfiltered honesty, they unpack Matthew 7, expose false prophecy masked in patriotism, and call Jes...
Mar 08, 2021•1 hr 29 min
Tackling some of the most confusing, disturbing, and often-misunderstood parts of Scripture, Mike and Tim welcome author Dan Kimball to discuss his new book, How Not to Read the Bible. This episode is an honest, insightful, and sometimes humorous deep dive into how we approach the Bible's "anti-science," "anti-women," "pro-slavery," and violent passages—and how to keep our faith intact in a world full of catchy atheist memes and biblical misquotes. Dan lays out four transformative principles to ...
Mar 01, 2021•1 hr 7 min
How the church, scripture, and even your past can be reclaimed—not discarded—through the necessary, messy process of spiritual doubt and reconstruction. Author and professor A.J. Swoboda joins Mike and Tim to talk through the nuanced, painful, and transformative journey outlined in his book, "After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith Without Losing It." Together, they explore how real faith often grows not in certainty but in surrender—wrestling with hard questions that don't have easy answers, wh...
Feb 22, 2021•1 hr 9 min
How the invitation to "ask, seek, and knock" is more than just a spiritual posture toward God—it's the foundation of how we engage others without manipulation, judgment, or coercion. In part 10 of the Sermon on the Mount series, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford unravel Jesus' revolutionary teaching on relational power, dignity, and the transformative logic of kingdom ethics. Going deeper into Matthew 7, Jesus connects these ideas to the Golden Rule, summing up the law and prophets with a call to commu...
Feb 15, 2021•47 min
How do we navigate relationships through the lens of love rather than condemnation? Continuing the Sermon on the Mount Series, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford deep-dive into Matthew 7:6—perhaps one of the passage's most misunderstood verses—exploring Jesus' cryptic words about pigs, pearls, and sacred things. This conversation dismantles harmful religious strategies like condemnation and coercion, and instead paints a picture of a new posture rooted in discernment, humility, and invitation. Drawing o...
Feb 08, 2021•58 min
How do we discern truth and error, good and evil, right and wrong—without falling into the trap of condemnation? Continuing the Sermon on the Mount Series, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford unpack the often-misunderstood teaching of Jesus from Matthew 7:1–6, exploring the difference between judgment and discernment in the life of Jesus followers. It's a hard-hitting conversation about our tendency to categorize, condemn, and get a "hit" of self-righteousness from judging others—and how Jesus calls us t...
Feb 01, 2021•1 hr 1 min
How do our fears and anxieties reveal what we treasure most? In this deeply reflective and often humorous episode, Mike and Tim continue their journey through the Sermon on the Mount by unpacking Jesus's revolutionary teaching on worry—and how it's far more radical than a simple "don't be anxious." By reframing familiar verses, they reveal that Jesus isn't offering a Hallmark platitude, but an invitation to reprioritize our lives around an unshakable kingdom. The conversation is also shaped by t...
Jan 25, 2021•56 min
How can the Church respond faithfully to modern political chaos without getting entangled in the power structures of empire? In a powerful, raw reflection following the January 6 insurrection, Mike and Tim welcome Pauline theologian Dr. Tim Gombis to unpack how the Apostle Paul might interpret and respond to the events that unfolded in the U.S. Capitol. This episode invites listeners into a deep, sobering conversation about Christian nationalism, fear-fueled political movements, and how the Chur...
Jan 18, 2021•1 hr 21 min
How Christian nationalism has infiltrated the American church and why it's vital for believers to name, reject, and repent from this deceptive ideology. Pulling back the curtain on how political allegiance has replaced spiritual formation, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford tackle tough listener questions about navigating nationalism in local churches, whether to stay or leave, and how the church lost the way of Jesus by embracing cultural dominance over radical love. Key Takeaways: • Christian National...
Jan 11, 2021•59 min
How the events of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021—and the troubling use of Christian symbols within it—highlight a critical need for the Church to return to the Jesus of the Gospels. Mike and Tim process these pivotal moments in real time, connecting the cultural crisis to the deeply subversive messages within the Sermon on the Mount. Through honest reflection and spiritual clarity, they examine how political idolatry has hijacked the Christian witness—and why reclaiming the cross-shaped way...
Jan 07, 2021•38 min
How a controversial worship leader's pandemic events, a deeper understanding of Christian discipleship, and Jesus' teachings on money collide in this engaging and raw episode of Voxology. Mike Erre and Tim Stafford kick off 2021 with a candid, convicted conversation on the damaging witness of anti-lockdown worship gatherings, the real meaning of persecution, and why our cultural interpretations of worship and possessions fall short of Jesus' call to discipleship. Starting with an impassioned tak...
Jan 04, 2021•1 hr 11 min
How can we rediscover the purpose and subversive beauty of Jesus through the chaos of a pandemic-filled year? In this heartfelt and hilariously honest "Voxmas" episode, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford bring Christmas Eve energy to the mic while reflecting on the tumultuous and revealing events of 2020. From pandemic politics, cultural unraveling, and spiritual deconstruction to the wild backstory of "O Holy Night" as an abolitionist anthem, this episode swings from silly to sobering in classic Voxolo...
Dec 28, 2020•53 min
How Jewish and Christian communities read the same scripture differently, and how embracing these distinct interpretations can deepen both scholarship and spiritual formation. Mike Erre and Tim Stafford sit down with renowned Jewish New Testament scholar Dr. Amy-Jill Levine to discuss themes from her book, "The Bible With and Without Jesus," co-authored with Marc Brettler. AJ brings warmth, brilliant storytelling, and scholarly insight as they dive into how texts like Genesis, Isaiah 53, and Jon...
Dec 21, 2020•1 hr 4 min
A powerful and candid conversation exploring the intersection of sexuality, faith, purity culture, and theological growth in the modern church. Mike Erre and Tim Stafford are joined by Tyler Cherneski, a Cincinnati-based church planter, and Bridget Eileen Rivera, author, researcher, and LGBTQ+ Christian advocate, to unpack the lingering harm of purity culture and how the church can move toward a more grace-filled, Gospel-centered sexual ethic. This episode dives deep into what it means to extend...
Dec 14, 2020•50 min
How the radical intertwining of critical race theory, biblical economics, and systemic sin challenges modern Christian assumptions around capitalism, race, and justice. Continuing their Exile Series, Mike Erre and Tim Stafford welcome back theologian Timothy Gombis to explore how the teachings of Jesus, Paul, and the Old Testament offer a countercultural vision for economic and social life rooted in repentance, restoration, and community. From the Lord's Prayer's plea to "forgive debts" to Paul'...
Dec 07, 2020•1 hr 11 min
How the structure and theology of the Lord's Prayer reveal the core of Jesus's ministry, reshape the way we engage with God, and invite us to embody the kingdom of heaven here and now. Mike and Tim dive deep into Matthew 6 in this Sermon on the Mount series entry, revealing the prayer not as a script to memorize, but as a revolutionary way of aligning our lives with God's transformative mission in the world. From reimagining what "Our Father in Heaven" means to understanding God's will "on earth...
Nov 30, 2020•1 hr 3 min
How reframing prayer as a relationship between a child and a parent opens the door to deeper faith, vulnerability, and trust. In this powerful installment of the Exile Series, Mike and Tim explore Jesus' teachings from Matthew 6 and 7 and how his use of the word "Father" (Abba) radically redefines what it means to talk with God in a world driven by performance, control, and religious cliches. They unpack the difference between performative and formulaic prayers versus the genuine, raw posture Je...
Nov 23, 2020•1 hr 10 min
