This week on Beyond Sunday, Josh, Michael, Evan, and special guest Lorin Borntrager follow up on week two of Grace Wins with a conversation about bitterness, forgiveness, and the freedom God wants for us. After a very memorable taste-test game full of bitter foods and drinks, the conversation turns to Joseph’s story and the challenge of forgiving even when the apology is weak, the hurt is real, and bitterness feels justified.

The episode also gets practical about boundaries, reconciliation, family patterns, anger, and what it looks like to keep choosing forgiveness without pretending the hurt never happened. It is a thoughtful and honest reminder that forgiveness does not always happen overnight, but it does open the door to healing, freedom, and a heart ready to love again.

Forgiveness is the hard work of releasing bitterness. Grace wins when we choose release over revenge, even while keeping wisdom and boundaries.

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This week’s episode starts with a fun, laid-back vibe, featuring stories and a “Forgiveness Scale” game, but quickly turns into a meaningful conversation about the reality of forgiveness in everyday life. As the team works through lighthearted scenarios, it becomes clear how differently we respond to being wronged and how much harder it gets when the situation hits closer to home. The discussion naturally shifts toward the deeper truth behind the Grace Wins series: forgiveness isn’t just about what others have done to us, but what we continue to hold against ourselves.

The heart of the episode centers on Peter’s story and the powerful reminder that failure is real, but it’s not final. The group unpacks the difference between guilt and shame—one drawing us back to God, the other trying to redefine who we are—and highlights how often we live under condemnation that Christ has already removed. Forgiving yourself is not a one-time moment but a daily decision to believe what God says over what you feel. Grace doesn’t just restore... it moves you forward, calling you into what’s next rather than leaving you stuck in what was.

Grace Wins - “Forgiving Ourselves” -John 21:15-19

The journey begins by receiving Christ’s forgiveness and letting go of guilt and shame. If we cannot forgive ourselves, we will remain stuck in failure rather than walking in resurrection life.

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This week on Beyond Sunday, the conversation starts with some unbelievable stories—massive pumpkins, oversized watermelons, and gardens producing way more than expected. But what begins as lighthearted fun quickly turns into a deeper question: if your life were a garden, what would it be producing right now?

From honest reflections on things that didn’t grow the way we hoped to meaningful encouragement around relationships, leadership, and faith, this episode challenges us to take a closer look at what we’re cultivating. Growth doesn’t happen by accident—it takes care, consistency, and trust in what God is doing beneath the surface. And as the team looks ahead, there’s a powerful reminder that grace meets us right where we are and leads us forward.

IF LIFE WERE A GARDEN - The City Garden of God—Where Death Will Die - Revelation 22:1-5

The final City Garden of God is the place where everything broken is fully restored and God dwells with His people forever. Prepared from before the foundation of the world, it is a perfect and eternal home that far surpasses anything we know. Our story is not ending in loss, but in victory, moving toward complete restoration, renewed creation, and life with Him that we were made for.

Hosted by Steve Buttram with Kevin Lee, Michael Shearon, and Paxton Redd, this week’s episode brings a fun, honest look at Easter traditions—from egg hunts and Reese’s eggs to family moments that make the day special—but it quickly shifts into something deeper. As the team reflects on Easter at The Bruce and across both campuses, they unpack the powerful message of “The Garden of the Skull,” where death gives way to life and God meets us in our darkest moments. With stories of spontaneous baptisms and real-life transformation, the conversation highlights how Easter isn’t just something we celebrate—it’s something we’re invited into.

The discussion moves into a meaningful reflection on “graves into gardens,” exploring how seasons of hardship often feel like endings but are actually places where God is quietly at work. Through personal stories and biblical insight, the team reminds us that even when life feels silent or uncertain, God is preparing something greater—both in us and around us. It’s a hopeful, faith-building reminder to trust Him in every season and live with eternity in mind as we walk forward.

The garden of Golgotha is a strange place where death somehow becomes life. On that skull-shaped hill, Jesus stepped right into the darkest reality we all face and planted Himself there like a seed in the ground. What looked like the end… wasn’t the end at all. God was at work, even in the silence, bringing life out of death. The empty tomb proves there’s more to the story. And just like He called Mary by name, He still calls ours today, inviting us to step out of death and into new life. Because even in the hardest places, God is still working- turning graves into gardens and offering life to anyone who will receive it.