What’s the reality of trying to find “the One” person that you are supposed to spend the rest of your life with? Does that person exist? Is everyone supposed to find that person? This week, Elise and Pastor David tackle these questions and share some personal experiences about dating, faith, relationships, and how we find a faithful path forward.

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The ELCA is in the midst of a diversity crisis. While Beyond Sunday doesn’t claim to have the answers to this problem, we think this is a great time for us to ask the question: “What is the Church supposed to look like?” And perhaps even more importantly: "How do we get there?”

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Have you ever read some of Jesus’ teachings and thought, “Wow, if I said that people would think I was being really sarcastic?” Turns out, people probably thought the same thing about Jesus. Sarcasm and humor are used throughout scripture to help make a point and critique power structures that have strayed from God. Too bad we miss out on the joke!

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After Jesus resurrection we get stories of the first Christians and how they began to form a pattern of life based on what they witnessed in Jesus. These stories come to us in the Book of Acts. But Acts has too much great stuff to fit into one episode, so welcome to Part 1!

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This episode was recorded in the first 24 hours after the shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. Since that time new details have been released that may be different than what was said in this episode. But the focus of our episode is not on the timeline of events. Instead, the Beyond Sunday Team wants to think about our response of “thoughts and prayers.” Are prayers enough? Are they effective? We hope you’ll join us as we talk through our struggles, worries, frustrations and search for God’s promises in the midst of it all.

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Have you ever had trouble going to sleep because your mind just keeps going over your to do list? Or have you been sitting in a meeting and realized that your heart rate is way higher than it should be from sitting in a chair? These are just a few of the ways we experience anxiety in our lives every day. Anxiety comes in a lot of forms and everyone experiences it a little differently. But, as we will see on this week’s episode, we are all carrying anxiety with us all the time. What matters is how we acknowledge and react to that anxiety and how we try to follow Jesus in the face of it.

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Have you ever had trouble going to sleep because your mind just keeps going over your to do list? Or have you been sitting in a meeting and realized that your heart rate is way higher than it should be from sitting in a chair? These are just a few of the ways we experience anxiety in our lives every day. Anxiety comes in a lot of forms and everyone experiences it a little differently. But, as we will see on this week’s episode, we are all carrying anxiety with us all the time. What matters is how we acknowledge and react to that anxiety and how we try to follow Jesus in the face of it.

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Is it satanic to feed migrants? Some seem to think so, but we disagree. We also used this as a leaping off point to talk about why the satanic panic of the 80’s and 90’s happened and how we can prevent it from happening again.

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The Gospel of John stands alone as unique perspective on Jesus’ life and ministry. While the major beats of the story remain the same, John is singing a tune that isn’t always familiar to that of the other Gospel authors. But, through its design and the narrative it conveys, we also receive a new insight into who Jesus was, why he came, and what his death and resurrection means for the world.

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When you spend your days surround by people who, by in large, act, think, and worship like you do it can be easy to forget that there is a world outside of what you are comfortable with. This week, the Beyond Sunday Team is helping us explore the things that people who are not a part of church circles want churches to know.

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We all go through phases where we wonder if it’s time to find a new church home. Maybe there’s a change in leadership. Maybe you don’t agree with something that is being taught. There are good reasons to look for a new church home. Then there are a lot of excuses that we use to try and leave a situation that is difficult or uncomfortable. This week the Beyond Sunday team sorts through the mess to try and help you figure out when you should consider staying in a church even if its uncomfortable.

Today is the second day of Holy Week. This is the week that lasts from Palm Sunday through Easter and covers the story of Jesus’ final days with his disciples, his arrest, trial, death, and resurrection. For many, even those who would consider themselves religious, it’s a week that goes by without much thought until we arrive at Easter morning. This week, Pastor David wants to make a case that all of us should be paying more attention to Holy Week. Will he convince Patrick and Elise? Will he convince you?

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The Christmas story, the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal son. Some of the best know biblical stories are found in the Gospel of Luke. And this month, the Beyond Sunday team is diving head first into the Gospel to learn how Luke tells the story of Jesus. We’ll talk about it all. Luke’s preference for the poor, his desire to see the Kingdom of God in a new way, and (best of all!) his parables! We hope you enjoy this months episode in our Books of the Bible series.

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On Beyond Sunday we often talk about the importance of community. But why do so many people think their faith is a personal matter between them and Jesus alone? This week we’re wrestling with this question and trying to understand how we have a personal faith that is held accountable in supportive community. We hope you enjoy!

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Here in Texas, recent directives by the state’s Governor have opened a new realm of questions about youth and LGBTQ issues. At Beyond Sunday, we don’t claim to have all the answers but we also don’t want to back down from the hard questions that face our faith. So we’re bringing you a special 2 part episode to help us wrestle with questions and respond with love and compassion to the genuine struggles of our transgender siblings in Christ.

In Part 2, Patrick and Pastor David take a look at the Bible and how we might use an ancient text to understand modern issues.

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Here in Texas, recent directives by the state’s Governor have opened a new realm of questions about youth and LGBTQ issues. At Beyond Sunday, we don’t claim to have all the answers but we also don’t want to back down from the hard questions that face our faith. So we’re bringing you a special 2 part episode to help us wrestle with questions and respond with love and compassion to the genuine struggles of our transgender siblings in Christ.

In Part 1, Patrick and Elise are sitting down with Roxy Waguespack, Lord of Life member and clinical therapist. The three of them are looking at cultural issues that the transgender community is facing and how the world around them can help and, unfortunately, so often hurts, their journey.

As war rages in Ukraine brought on by Russia’s unprompted aggression, Beyond Sunday wants to ask the question that is on many of our minds: What should Christians do in a way? The Bible has some conflicting teachings on how to respond when violence is done to you. And, especially in the Hebrew Scriptures, doesn’t seem to have a problem sending people into war. But is taking over a country in the name of God the same today as it was 4000 years ago? Should Christians be serving in the military? Should Christians be refusing to serve and acknowledging that they will face consequences? Join the conversation on this episode of Beyond Sunday.

What is an appropriate way to punish people who are convicted of a crime? What happens when the punishment ends up affecting entire families for generations? How should Christians respond when massive institutions in our culture come into conflict with our faith? On this week’s episode we are taking a look at the way many women are convicted of crimes and the long lasting and cruel effects it can have on their families as well.

Can everything in this world be clearly marked as “good” or “evil”? According to research from the Pew center, Christians do not all agree on an answer to this question. And it turns out that how you answer it may have an impact on how you live out your faith in the world. Join the Beyond Sunday team as we tackle the challenges in identifying parts of our world as “good” or as “evil” and the faithful responses that we all strive for.

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In a rare breaking news story, the Beyond Sunday Team is heading to late night TV. Or at least, to the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In a recent episode Mr. Colbert was asked about his faith by one of his guests. His response garnered an array of responses from Christians. This week, Beyond Sunday is jumping into the conversation to ask a simple question: How do we best share our faith in the public sphere?

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