In 2 Corinthians 5:20, the Apostle Paul tells Christians they are “ambassadors for Christ.” Ambassadorship is part of our Christian identity. Paul wrote these words a long time ago, so what does it look like to be an ambassador today? On this episode, communication theorist Tim Downs returns to the podcast to discuss this question with Tim and Rick. They discuss the difference between citizenship and statecraft, the nature of statecraft, including its practices and temperament, and consider what...
Jan 08, 2024•34 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast Conflict in relationships is unavoidable. Healthy and successful relationships know how to counteract unhealthy communication styles and adopt alternative forms of discourse to work through the conflict. On this episode, Tim and Rick discuss John Gottman’s famous metaphor for unhealthy communication styles that lead to failure in relationships, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They unpack each horseman - complaints vs criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling, and they discuss dia...
Dec 25, 2023•30 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast American psychologist John Gottman has a knack for discerning healthy arguments from unhealthy ones, and he is known for identifying pattern markers that spell doom for a relationship. On this episode, Tim and Rick draw key insights from Gottman’s body of research on disagreement in relationships and patterns of healthy communication and discuss application for civility and unity in disagreement, with special consideration for relationships in the Church. Show notes and a full transcript are ava...
Dec 11, 2023•33 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast Culture changes, and rapid shifts in culture generate challenges in communication. Although the truth of the Gospel is timeless, Christians should do their homework on changes in culture and figure out how to shape the Good News so that it is hearable. On today’s episode, Tim and Rick are joined by Tim Down, author, cartoonist and communication theorist. They discuss both timeless and changing methods of communication, and Tim provides insights he has learned on the value of indirect communicati...
Nov 27, 2023•31 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast Jim Davis, pastor and co-author of the recent book, The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back , comes on the podcast to talk about the current and fastest religious shift going on in America. Tim and Rick speak with Jim about a comprehensive study he help conduct looking at people who are leaving churches and the reasons why they are leaving. They discuss characteristics of people who are “dechurching,” including misconceptions on why peop...
Nov 13, 2023•26 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast We’re revisiting a question we frequently get: “Why bother talking to somebody if you aren’t going to change their mind?” Especially in the argument culture, conversing with someone who won’t change their mind can seem pointless, an exercise in futility. While persuading someone to change their mind is a good and worthy goal in a conversation, and sometimes people’s opinions need to be changed, it’s also worth recognizing goods that often come about even if the other party isn’t budging on their...
Oct 30, 2023•33 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast Tim Keller was a pastor in New York City who had enormous influence far beyond the city limits. He died of pancreatic cancer in May 2023. One of his many influences that is sure to endure will be on how engage public life with faithful Christian witness. On this episode, Tim and Rick share lessons they have learned from Tim Keller on representing the Christian faith and Christian convictions with remarkable civility, especially during difficult times and in hard places. They discuss Keller’s hab...
Oct 16, 2023•34 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast Why bother having a discussion if the other party isn’t going to change their mind? Fair question, and it’s one we get a lot. So, let’s consider what makes the struggle of sticking with it worth it. On this episode, Tim and Rick discuss what to keep in mind when a disagreement appears pointless and going nowhere, and they highlight that appearances of futility oftentimes yield fruitful learning and a deeper relationship with the other party. Show notes and a full transcript are available....
Oct 02, 2023•28 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast It can get messy when you seek to have a faithful presence in your community and love your neighbors while holding to your theological convictions. Greg Stump, pastor at Redeemer Church in La Mirada, CA, is back on the podcast to talk through how he navigated having faithful presence when presented with a great ministry opportunity in his neighborhood. Greg, Tim and Rick then shift gears and have a theological disagreement on hell. Yes, you read that right - Tim and Rick have a disagreement with...
Sep 18, 2023•47 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast “Can we love our neighbors if we don’t even know them?” This question helped to kickstart a summertime series on interfaith conversations at Redeemer Church in La Mirada, CA, to engage people and leaders of different faiths in the community. On this segment of Reports From The Front , Greg Stump, executive pastor at Redeemer Church discusses these Redeemer Conversations with Tim and Rick . Greg shares stories and insights on how they host these conversations. This episode highlights the importan...
Sep 04, 2023•27 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast There are a handful of bedrock principles and practices that inform having a winsome conviction, and a big one is perspective-taking. Tim digs into his graduate education in communication studies and draws out the difference between listening to evaluate and listening to understand . Usually, we jump right to evaluation before seeking to understand, and this often results in communication gridlock. So, they explore practices for listening to understand, ways to embody perspective-taking and whet...
Aug 21, 2023•30 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast Tim and Rick discuss a recent Barna study that highlights notable differences involving perceptions - how Christians perceive themselves and how Christians are perceived in culture. Rick also draws from his bag of metaphors and considers whether the Church is a thermometer or a thermostat in the argument culture, and they spend some time discussing aspirations to holiness and the charge in the old hymn, “Trust and Obey” in light of contemporary challenges. Show notes and a full transcript are av...
Aug 07, 2023•33 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast For another segment on Reports from The Front, Tim and Rick continue the discussion with pastor Dan Broyles on how social services and faith communities can work together to address social problems. Dan talks about the misconceptions social services and faith communities have of each other that oftentimes prevent collaboration, and they consider ways these groups might build trust and partner to help local families and communities. Show notes and a full transcript are available....
Jul 24, 2023•26 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast How do we engage with people who hold different beliefs? Oftentimes, the impulse is to correct the other, and this is especially the case in the argument culture. But what if we began by connecting, establishing a baseline of trust and finding points of agreement? Dan Broyles is a pastor in LA County who is doing just this, and he joins the podcast today to speak with Tim and Rick on the ways he is bridging the gap between county social services and religious organizations and faith communities....
Jul 10, 2023•26 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast When arguments escalate, we need to know how to make our words and actions less forceful and extreme. While many listeners will not find themselves in an argument that leads to a physical confrontation, self-defense expert Nick Drossos speaks with Tim on disciplines in self-defense that help to de-escalate heated conversations and hostile arguments. Tim and Nick discuss training in breathing and principles in the art of communication. Show notes and a full transcript are available....
Jun 26, 2023•27 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast Back in April, to help draw attention to Sexual Assault Awareness month, the Winsome Conviction Project partnered with Biola’s Center for Marriage and Relationships to host a series of events to raise awareness of sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it. Chris Grace, co-host of the Art of Relationships podcast, joined with Tim to speak with Nick Drossos, a self-defense expert, on domestic violence, and Nick shares his story of being a victim in an abusive relationship. Show ...
Jun 12, 2023•19 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast Russell Moore (PhD) is back on the podcast to speak on “convictional kindness” and how to apply it in a divisive culture. The conversation draws from 2 Timothy 2 where the apostle Paul instructs Christians to "be kind to everyone" and to "correct opponents with gentleness." Can Paul’s instruction to Christians work in our own time when we face hostility? And what factors influence our ability to embody kindness that leads to change, especially during times when we enter into ...
May 29, 2023•46 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast Prashan De Visser returns to the podcast to speak with Tim and Rick on trends and themes he observes in America that undermine peacemaking efforts. Drawing from his experience with Global Unites , Prashan underscores the importance of working with the young generation and how the older generation can help the younger generation. They also discuss theological underpinnings for peacemaking as well as practical ways to engage in peacemaking efforts. You can listen to the previous conversation with ...
May 15, 2023•26 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast Tim and Rick sit down with Dr. Robert George, a renowned professor, legal scholar, political philosopher, and public intellectual, and this year’s recipient of Biola University’s Charles W. Colson Conviction and Courage award. Dr. George has maintained a very devout and a very public Christian faith, and he is a model of what sociologist James Davison Hunter calls "faithful presence" at the most elite levels of American culture. They talk with Dr. George about modeling a genuine love a...
May 01, 2023•34 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast The temptation to resist being gentle is strong, especially in the argument culture. Personal slights and hostile communication all prey upon the urge to respond in kind, with harshness, and a gentle response most often feels irritating and ineffective. Yet, can a Christian opt out of being gentle? In this episode, Rick and Tim explore how gentleness was Jesus’ favored way of speaking up, notably when he was “in the fight” and sticking up for truth and advocating for justice. They also explore a...
Apr 17, 2023•29 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast Trading an insult for an insult is tempting, at times fiendishly satisfying, and doing so will surely deepen division. It may be for this reason Peter warns the Church against this manner of engagement and urges another way. In today’s episode, Tim and Rick look at 1 Peter 3 and reflect on Peter’s counsel to the early Christians when they experienced insult and draw relevance and application for us today. Show notes and a full transcript are available....
Apr 03, 2023•23 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast How should Christians express a Christ-like posture in the public square? What expression should that posture take when political disagreements arise? Patrick Miller is back on the podcast to speak with Rick about influences shaping how communities of Christian faith engage in disagreement, notably when disagreement involves political concern. They discuss empathy, the cost of not knowing someone who holds a different political viewpoint, as well as pastoral insights on cultivating a soul that e...
Mar 20, 2023•30 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast When relationships are fractured and church communities are splintering, what can we do to help put an end to the divisions? Rick speaks with Patrick Miller, pastor and co-author of the book, Truth Over Tribe: Pledging Allegiance to the Lamb, not the Donkey or the Elephant , on cultural influences contributing to division and how Jesus models a way forward that we can put into practice. Show notes and a full transcript are available....
Mar 06, 2023•30 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast We’re trying something new on the podcast today. Rick draws from Psalm 46 to help us reflect on fears we are experiencing with respect to political issues and engagement. Remembering that God is “a refuge” and “a help” and “a hope” has been vital for God’s people throughout history, and these truths provide needed perspective for us today in our own cultural moment. Show notes and a full transcript are available....
Feb 20, 2023•16 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast Tim and Rick have a civil disagreement with atheist philosopher and popular YouTuber Tom Jump. They explore dynamics of religious belief and factors that influence belief toward or against God. They illustrate how we might have a civil disagreement on issues involving theistic belief and religious conversion. Show notes and a full transcript are available.
Feb 06, 2023•33 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast Here at the Winsome Conviction Project we engage differing and diverse perspectives, so we’re grateful to have Tom Jump, an atheist and philosopher who runs a popular YouTube channel, join today’s episode. Tom shares some of his story that influenced a shift away from Christianity and toward atheism. Tim, Rick and Tom also discuss the influence of online chats within today’s argument culture and the very real challenges of communicating across in-groups online. They round out the time on the dan...
Jan 23, 2023•27 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast Prashan De Visser knows something about working through contention. Following 26 years of civil war in Sri Lanka, in 2009 he founded Sri Lanka Unites and began placing his effort to heal his home country by promoting hope and reconciliation. Since that time, Sri Lanka Unites has expanded to 13 countries and is known as Global Unites . They have engaged 1.5 million youth who are learning to build alliances with former enemies, work toward a just and thriving society, and deal with hatred and viol...
Jan 09, 2023•38 min•Ep 61•Transcript available on Metacast You’re enjoying some festive fare and then it happens: you hear an offensive comment or a family member says something disagreeable and your emotional heat begins to boil. What do you do? How do you respond? Is there anything you can do preemptively to help yourself and the situation in that moment? On this episode, Tim and Rick discuss spiritual discipline exercises you can do to prepare for hard conversations with family and friends during the holidays. Show notes and a full transcript are ava...
Dec 19, 2022•16 min•Ep 60•Transcript available on Metacast The holidays can be a meaningful time with friends and family, but gathering at the holiday table can also be trying and fraught with difficult conversations on hot-button issues. On this episode, Tim and Rick discuss how to navigate difficult conversations this holiday season in the hope of preserving relationship and deepening connection with others. Show notes and a full transcript are available ....
Dec 05, 2022•20 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast American theologian philosopher Richard Mouw has been championing a call to civil discourse on religious, political, and other social issues for well over four decades. On this episode, he resumes the conversation with Tim and Rick on a distinctly Christian approach to civility. Dr. Mouw shares personal experiences in interfaith dialogues and other exchanges involving pointed disagreement where he needed to simultaneously hold fast to his faith convictions while honoring and even demonstrating a...
Nov 21, 2022•26 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast 
