Together 4 Good: Faith, Love, and Community, Conversations for Everyday Life

Pastor Nate explores a faith-filled morning routine, less about productivity, more about presence with God.

So often, we’re told that the key to a better life is to optimize everything, including our spiritual practices. But what if faith isn’t something to "hack" or master? What if it’s about showing up, slowing down, and trusting God more than ourselves?

Through Scripture readings, prayer journaling, and honest reflection, this episode encourages listeners to trade performance for presence and start the day with intention and grace.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to shape a simple, sustainable morning routine centered on faith

• Why Scripture and prayer are powerful ways to start your day

• The danger of turning faith into a self-improvement project

• Why connection with God matters more than spiritual perfection

• How rest, humility, and trust form the foundation of a faithful life

Links and Resources: 

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Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast!

In this week’s episode, Pastor Nate dives into the complicated intersection of religion and politics and why we need to talk about both. While these topics are often labeled “too divisive” for polite conversation, Nate offers a different vision—one grounded in humility, compassion, and the Gospel message.

He explores how faith informs our values and civic life, how churches can speak into political issues without endorsing candidates, and what it means to be a people guided first by Christ and not by party lines.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why religion and politics feel so personal and polarizing

• How Jesus was deeply political without being partisan

• A faithful way to approach civic life rooted in love and humility

• The role of church in a divided culture

• Why conversations (not silence) are crucial for spiritual growth

Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast! In this deeply moving episode, Pastor Nate Preisinger sits down with Kyra Morgan to hear her powerful story of transformation—from atheist and skeptic to active member of a faith community.

Kyra shares her experience of religious trauma and alienation, and how shame shaped her perception of faith for years. But it was love—first through her husband and then through unexpected moments of grace—that ultimately cracked her heart open. Kyra’s honesty and vulnerability offer a compelling and compassionate look at how faith can be reclaimed in a world filled with hurt and doubt.

🎧 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The damaging effects of shame-based religion

• How spiritual wounds can shape our beliefs for decades

• The power of compassion and community in healing

• Why emotional manipulation and performance in church may miss the mark

• How Kyra found sacredness, not in production, but in vulnerability and real love

🛠️ Links and Resources:

In this powerful and deeply moving conversation, Pastor Nate Preisinger sits down with Bethany Young Adult Matt Pane, to explore how personal tragedy, doubt, and loss can shape a more authentic, resilient faith. Matt shares his remarkable story of walking through grief after the loss of a close friend, grappling with the "everything happens for a reason" narrative, and discovering how God uses our most broken moments to bring hope and healing to others.

This episode reminds us of the beauty of testimony, the sacredness of community, and the grace that meets us right where we are. Whether you're in a season of questioning, healing, or simply needing encouragement, this one is for you.

In this week's episode, Pastor Nate explores the beautiful, often-overlooked spiritual gift of wonder—those moments where imagination and reality overlap to reveal the presence of God. He shares personal stories, insights into how wonder shapes faith, and how practices like Lectio Divina and programs like Godly Play help reconnect us to this essential part of the human and spiritual experience.

Nate reminds us that in a world dominated by logic, order, and technology, we need space for mystery and awe. By reclaiming wonder, we open ourselves to experiencing God more deeply and seeing the sacred in everyday life.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why wonder is essential for a life of faith

• How children’s spirituality teaches us about God

• An introduction to Godly Play and how it encourages sacred imagination

• How to practice Lectio Divina for a more emotional and spiritual reading of Scripture

• Ways to cultivate moments of awe in your daily life

In this week's episode, Pastor Nate poses a powerful question: Have we been thinking about church all wrong? In a world saturated with entertainment, products, and constant striving, this episode offers a radically honest perspective on what church is truly meant to be.

Drawing from a simple yet profound five-star Google review, Pastor Nate unpacks the idea that church shouldn't be marketed as just another product. Instead, it should be a sacred space for honesty, healing, and deep connection. Through stories, personal reflection, and thoughtful commentary, this episode invites listeners to reimagine church as a place where we confront our brokenness and find true community—not flashy programs or perfect performances.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why church isn’t meant to “entertain” you—and why that’s a good thing

• The problem with marketing faith communities as products

• How boredom, vulnerability, and routine might actually bring healing

• The concept of being “scronely”—and why it matters

• A hopeful vision for the future of church in a lonely, fast-paced world

In this honest episode, Pastor Nate explores the hidden costs of pretending everything is fine. We talk about the pressure to appear put together, the fear of being seen as struggling, and how toxic positivity often masks our deeper wounds. This kind of emotional cover-up doesn't just affect our mental health, it also shapes our spirituality.

Pastor Nate digs into the way Christianity confronts this head-on. Jesus didn’t come for the polished and performative. His harshest words were for those who insisted on religious appearances while ignoring their inner brokenness. The gospel is not about pretending—it's about showing up with our full selves.

Pastor Nate also unpacks the concept of alienation—a sense of disconnection from ourselves, from others, and from the world around us. Often rooted in cultural pressures and spiritual confusion, alienation is more than a social issue—it’s a theological one too. Sin, in many ways, is a form of alienation.

Through the lens of Christ’s suffering and abandonment on the cross, we learn that our pain is not something to deny or bury but rather something God enters into. We don’t find grace by escaping struggle. We find it by embracing our lack, our need, our real emotions.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why pretending and toxic positivity hurt more than they help

• How alienation is a core human experience—and how faith addresses it

• The danger of performative religion

• The cross as a place where God meets us in suffering

• Why engaging with our struggles is a path to transformation

Links:

In this episode of Together for Good, Pastor Nate takes a deep dive into the relentless pressure of hustle culture—the constant need to do more, achieve more, and prove our worth through productivity. As an Enneagram 3, Pastor Nate knows this struggle firsthand, but he also knows that God offers us a different way.

The practice of Sabbath was given to the Israelites as a radical redefinition of identity—not as slaves who must produce, but as beloved people who are called to rest. That same gift is still being offered to us today. But are we willing to accept it?

In this conversation, Pastor Nate explores:

• The lies we believe about success and self-worth

• How hustle culture makes us feel like everyone else has it figured out—when in reality, we’re all struggling

• The Sabbath as an act of resistance against a world that tells us we are only as good as what we produce

• Practical ways to reclaim rest and redefine our identity in light of God’s grace

If you’ve ever felt exhausted by the pressure to constantly prove yourself, this episode is for you. Let’s step into the gift of Sabbath and remember: we are already enough

Links:

In this episode of Together for Good, we explore the transformative practice of Centering Prayer with Ron Rinkle, a former academic and marketing executive who has discovered deep spiritual renewal through this contemplative approach.

Ron shares how Centering Prayer speaks to the modern challenges of self-identity, time, and love, offering a countercultural rhythm of stillness in a world driven by noise and productivity. With a unique blend of psychological and sociological insights, he unpacks the ways this practice fosters inner peace, strengthens faith, and deepens our awareness of God’s presence.

If you've ever felt that traditional prayer methods weren't working for you—or if you're curious about how silence can become a powerful tool for spiritual growth—this conversation is for you.

In This Episode:

🔹 What is Centering Prayer, and how does it differ from other prayer practices?

🔹 The role of silence and stillness in deepening faith

🔹 How Centering Prayer reshapes our understanding of self and identity

🔹 The tension between hustle culture and contemplative spirituality

🔹 How this practice helps us experience God’s love in a new way

Resources & Links:

In this episode of Together 4 Good, Colleen Maki sits down with Bryan Jaster to explore One Simple Tool that can transform the way we experience God in our daily lives. This tool isn’t about adding more to your to-do list—it’s about pausing, noticing, and listening to how God is moving in your story.

Bryan walks Colleen through how this practice helps break cycles of anxiety, organize life’s chaos, and recognize sacred moments—those Kairos times when God is doing something new. By learning to pause and reflect, we can respond to life in ways that bring more love, justice, and peace.

In this episode, you’ll discover:
✔️ How to notice God’s presence in everyday moments
✔️ A simple tool that helps break patterns of stress and anxiety
✔️ What Kairos time is and why it matters for your faith journey
✔️ How listening to your life can lead to more love and justice

What if mission trips weren’t about “helping” others—but about changing the way we see the world? 🌍

In this episode ofTogether 4 Good, Pastor Nate sits down with Deacon Debra, Kevin Dragseth, and Bryan Jaster to talk about their upcoming trip to Ecuador. But this isn’t your typical mission trip conversation. Instead of focusing on what they plan to "do," they wrestle with deeper questions:

🔹Do mission trips really make a difference?
🔹How does stepping into discomfort change our perspective?
🔹What can we learn about God by traveling and serving abroad?
🔹Why does faith feel more real when we take action?

This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered:What does it mean to serve others with humility? Whether you’ve been on a mission trip before, have doubts about them, or just love stories about faith and transformation, this conversation will challenge and inspire you.

Links & Resources:

Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast! In this episode, Pastor Nate sits down with Garth Englund III to explore the beauty and depth of the liturgical seasons. Garth shares how a powerful Holy Week experience in his childhood sparked a lifelong love for the rhythms of the church year. Together, they discuss how these seasons help us align our lives with the life of Jesus, offering opportunities for reflection, anticipation, and spiritual growth.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How the liturgical seasons guide us through different aspects of faith.
• Why Holy Week worship left a lasting impact on Garth’s spiritual journey.
• Ways to engage intentionally with each season to deepen your faith.

Links & Resources:

Subscribe to the Together 4 Good podcast and explore how faith traditions shape our spiritual lives. Share this episode with a friend who wants to bring more meaning into their year!

Creativity & the Divine | An Interview with Colleen Maki

Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast! In this week's episode, Pastor Nate sits down with Colleen Maki, Coordinator of Media at Bethany Lutheran Church, to explore the deep connection between creativity and faith. They dive into the creation story in Genesis 1, reflecting on God as Creator and how our own creativity can be a spiritual practice. Their conversation touches on overcoming perfectionism, the beauty of fractals, and the ways that creative expression draws us closer to God.

In this episode you will learn:

• How creativity can be a way to connect with God.
• Why perfectionism can stifle creativity—and how to move past it.
• The surprising connection between fractals and faith.

Links and Resources:

Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast! In this week's episode, Pastor Nate sits down with Peter Hancock to talk about his work as an entrepreneur and the ways that he finds calm in the midst of his active and high-pressure work. The conversation spans stories about vulnerability, the importance of exercise, how a faith community provides connection and support, and much more.

In this episode you will learn:

Links and Resources:

Subscribe to the Together 4 Good podcast today and take this opportunity to deepen your understanding of how to find calm in chaotic times. Share this episode with friends and family who may be struggling with a difficult time.  

A Special Invitation:

Together 4 Good is a podcast from Bethany Lutheran Church ELCA in Cherry Hills Village, CO, designed to offer practical and engaging episodes that support you without expectations. Whether you’re feeling disconnected from traditional religion or exploring faith, we’re here to walk alongside you. Join us for discussions on faith, love, and community as we explore what it means to Know Love, show Love in everyday life. 

Together 4 Good Podcast Show Notes

Episode Title: Finding Calm in the Chaos

Welcome to the Together 4 Good podcast! In this week's episode, Pastor Nate reflects on the chaos that many are feeling in the world right now and offers some thoughts on how our life of faith can provide calm during uncertain or overwhelming times.

Nate discusses the ways that believing in a Higher Power opens us up to greater hope and peace, even during chaotic times. He then looks at scripture and the story of Job and how the ancient wisdom from that book still brings guidance to our life today.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• The first step in Twelve Step groups and why it matters
• A different way of thinking about the Bible
• The story of Job and its unsatisfying answers
• God as Spirit and Breath and how it helps us today

Links and Resources:

• Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter for updates and find out more about our faith community https://www.bethany-denver.org/

A Special Invitation:

Subscribe to the Together 4 Good podcast today and take this opportunity to deepen your understanding of God’s presence in the midst of difficult times. Share this episode with friends and family to help bring hope and peace to them during their struggles or questions.

Together 4 Good is a podcast from Bethany Lutheran Church ELCA in Cherry Hills Village, CO, designed to offer practical and engaging episodes that support you without expectations. Whether you’re feeling disconnected from traditional religion or exploring faith, we’re here to walk alongside you. Join us for discussions on faith, love, and community as we explore what it means to Know Love, Show Love in everyday life. 

Colleen Maki interviews Ellie Dieringer from Young Adults in Global Mission. Listen in and learn more about this incredible service year program of the ELCA.