Many progressive and moderate Christians are passionate about justice, inclusion, and showing up for their neighbors. But what if in pursuing all the right causes, we've quietly set aside the message that makes us Christian in the first place?

Jackson Campbell Walker knows this tension firsthand. As a gay pastor who has navigated both conservative evangelical and progressive Baptist spaces, he has watched well-meaning churches slowly replace the grace of God with the works of people.

Jackson and Dennis get honest about what it feels like to be clergy who love both the gospel and justice, and why those two things should never have to compete. They talk about the quiet crisis of trust underneath it all — how, when we stop believing God is at work, we scramble to fill the void with programs, politics, and causes.

This is a conversation for anyone who has ever felt caught between their faith and their convictions — and wondered if they had to choose.

Shownotes:

Trading the Cross for a cause (Jackson's article)

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What does it mean to "submit to governing authorities" — and does that command require Christians to accept whatever their government does without question?

I sat down with Chris Nye, lead pastor of Imago Dei Community in Portland, Oregon, to take a closer look at one of the most frequently cited — and frequently misused — passages in political discourse: Romans 13:1. From immigration enforcement to protests in the streets, this text keeps resurfacing, often wielded as a call for unconditional obedience to whoever holds power.

Chris argues that reading Romans 13 in isolation misses the point entirely. Placed within the sweep of Paul's letter — and alongside 1 Peter — a richer picture emerges: one built on a higher law of God, a coming judgment, and a vision of the church as a holy nation that transcends any political order.

Shownotes:

Chris Nye's website

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In this candid and wide-ranging conversation, I sat down with my friend and media commentator Andrew Donaldson to wrestle with one of the most uncomfortable questions facing American Christianity today: Is the public display of faith we're seeing from figures like Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth genuine witness — or just performance?

This is a conversation about our failings, the danger of chasing validation over transformation, and what it really means to live out your faith when no one is looking.

Shownotes:

Heard Tell (Andrew's Substack)

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