Church Daze

Book Review: This week we are discussing Bamboozled by Jesus: How God Tricked Me Into The Life Of My Dreams written by Yvonne Orji. Orji a Nigerian-American Actress and Comedian. Best known for her role as Molly on the hit HBO series Insecure. Through her book, Yvonne takes her readers on a journey throughout life lessons she has learned by practicing her faith. Join us as we discuss Bamboozled and how living a life of vision, purpose, and service can lead you to living the life of your dreams.

Scriptures referenced: Habakkuk 2:2

Salt-N-Pepa said, “Let’s Talk About Sex” so lets do that! Join us today as we discuss where we learned about sex, how this new term “purity culture” has affected us as women, why some church’s teachings have been abstinence only, and what the Bible says about sex!

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 6:16-18; 1 Samuel 18:1; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; 1 Corinthians 7:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5; Galatians 5:19-21; Song of Solomon 8:4

What is your understanding of what an evangelical is? Although, we were familiar with the term, we didn’t really have a good understanding of what it truly meant. So, we decided to dedicate this podcast to understanding the definition of Evangelicalism. Join us as we explore the history of Evangelical churches, people who identify as Evangelical, and the difference between Evangelicals and Mainline Protestants.

Many of us are familiar with the landmark decision of the U.S Supreme Court Roe v. Wade, in which the court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. However, in the most recent election, both parties expressed promises that either supported or opposed a woman’s right to choose. Join us as we discuss how political agendas and church views have impacted freedom of choice.

Have you had to allow for both faith and science lead you? Ever wondered how far science can take you before your faith has to take the wheel? Join us as we discuss some very important moments in history that helped mold Christian beliefs, and why there seems to be tension with between people who choose either faith OR science.

Conspiracy Theories. How many have you heard? How many have you believed?  Lifeway Research says “belief in a conspiracy theory may be born out of good desire to understand the situation but dissolves into finding quickly digestible answers,” Think of it as “fast food for the mind.” Join us as we discuss the various conspiracy theories we have heard, and how conspiracy theories have impacted the church and why proving them wrong can be so challenging.

Have you ever wondered where does the money go after tithing at your church? Is it being used for outreach in the local community or sent to a a non profit organization that aids poverty stricken communities across the world? Or is it being used on lawyers and court settlements? Join us as we uncover approximately how much money the collective church brings in yearly and how that money has been allocated.

Guest Alert! On this weeks episode we had the pleasure of talking with two amazing women related to Jasmine, her mom MJ and sister Dionne. Join us as we discuss how faith, values, and grace has helped influence their parenting styles and how much parents really do understand.

Scriptures referenced: Proverbs 22:6; Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-4; I John 2:15-16; Romans 12:1-2

SZN 3 We are so excited to be back with you all! Starting off a new season is like stating a new year in school. Whether you attended public or private school growing up, the history of our education system is worth exploring. Join us as we discuss the role of Christianity in the American educational system, the link between segregation and Christian schools and what our own experiences with public and Christian Schools were.

Personality test can help you discover your thinking process, strengths, and possibly your over all character makeup. Join us for our final episode of Season 2 as we discuss our Myers Briggs, Enneagram and who we relate to the most in the Bible.

If you listened to last week's episode you got to hear where we were this time last year. Join us on our part 2 episode as we discuss what has changed with the world around us, our views and our hopes for the future.

It’s crazy to think 2020 was only a year ago. Besides COVID-19, we witnessed an on going wave of civil unrest in the United States. Through all of that, we remained hopeful In our political leaders as well as our church leaders to speak up and speak out against the wrong doing. Join us on the first of a two-part episode as we reflect on where we were this time last year and where we are post 2020.

The First Amendment guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition. However, places of worship have become under attack more frequently, which has resulted in the injury and death of many. Join us as we discuss how free we really are to practice our religion in a country who made sure to make it our first Amendment right.

Christian privilege is a social advantage that is bestowed upon Christians in any historically Christian society. In the United States, Christianity is considered the principle religion of the vast majority of citizens. Join us as we discuss the history of Christianity in American politics, the benefits Christians enjoy, and the different denominations within Christianity. Featuring special guest, Caroline.

Join us this week as we examine the five part Netflix docu-series “The Family”. A book which was originally written by Investigative Journalist Jeff Sharlet, explores how powerful religious influence can be, and how political leaders have used Jesus to push their own agenda.

Loyalty: The ability to remain committed to a cause and/or person regardless of the circumstances. As believers, should we be loyal to a church? Or is church hopping acceptable? Join us as we discuss what causes believers to change church’s and what to consider before leaving a church.

The Bible, which contains the Old and New Testament is said to be about 2,700 years old. It has been translated into over 700 languages and comes in a variety of translations ranging from the King James Version to the New Living Translation. In a world, were many people struggle with understanding how the Bible can be relevant to their daily lives, join the three of us as we talk about why it’s ok to struggle with the Bible and how important it is to keep the faith and to ask God to reveal what is meant for you.

Scriptures referenced: Mark 9:45; Mark 9:47; Matthew 26:26-28

Even though May is considered mental health awareness month, it is clear with today’s episode that our own mental health is a priority year round. Join us and our special guest Ama Owusuaa, a Mental Health Counselor Supervisor in Charlotte, NC, as we discuss the importance of mental health and the stigmatizes that have been placed by society and the church.

Self-Care is defined as, the practice of taking action to preserve ones own physical, mental and emotional health.  The media has often defined it as giving yourself more of what you want not necessarily what you need. Join us as we take it a step further to discuss selfishness vs selflessness and self-care vs squad care and what the Bible has to say.

Scriptures referenced: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Philippians 2:3-4; Mark 6:31-32; Matthew 22:39

Guest Alert! The Bible calls Jesus a wonderful counselor, but is Jesus all we need to live a holistic life? Join us and our special guest Matthew J. Kirk as we discuss men, masculinity, counseling, and how the church has helped influence men in seeking proper counseling. You don’t want to miss this episode.

SZN 2, We are back and have plenty to talk about! If you are not aware, May is Mental Health Awareness month. While everyone may not deal with a mental illness, managing our mental health can be challenging. Join us as we discuss the difference between mental health and mental illness,  strategies on how to manage mental health, and what the church and culture has taught us about managing our feelings and emotions.

Scriptures referenced: Romans 7:14-25; Luke 22:44; Psalms 51:16-17

From hello to I do. Married at First sight doesn’t give anytime to get to know who you are saying yes to. You might get lucky and meet your perfect spouse, or someone who has no business being married. Join us and our special guest Marcus Peoples as we discuss one of the couples on this season of Lifetime's Married at First Sight, Chris Williams and Paige Banks. We talk about why everybody hates Chris, why we've stopped rooting for Paige, and how some church teachings have encouraged unhealthy relationships.

Before 2020, the concept such as lockdowns, mask mandates and social distancing were unknown to must of us. One year later they are part of our everyday language as COVID 19 continues to impact our lives. Join us on our bonus episode  as we discuss how COVID 19 has affected church services and followers of Christ.

Scriptures referenced: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Romans 13:1-7

March is an exciting time for 68 Division 1 college basketball teams across the U.S. While these teams participate in a single-elimination tournament we the fans, place the teams in brackets to see who will play against each other and ultimately win the championship title. So in honor of March Madness, join us as we pick our top 16 church sayings place them in brackets and go head to head to see who is the top pick.

The wilderness is defined as a tract or region uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings. Can anything good come out of the wilderness? Join us, as we discuss Sarah Jakes Roberts's message "Wild Woman" about how God prepared places in the wilderness for people that helped prepare them for their life’s journey.

Scriptures referenced: Revelation 12:1-6

What is the nature and assignment of a woman? With Eve we see the first woman, wife, and mother on earth. Join us as we discuss the creation and purpose of a woman, and what that means to us today.

Scriptures referenced: Genesis 1:27 ; Genesis 2:18, 2:22 ; Acts 9:38 ; Ephesians 5:25 ; Proverbs 31 ;  Titus 2 ; Timothy 3

We've heard a lot about the Proverbs 31 woman. What else does the Bible have to say about being a woman? Join us as we take a closer look at Bible verses that address womanhood and how these can be applied today.

Scriptures referenced: Proverbs 31 ; Proverbs 11:32 ; Proverbs 14:1 ; Proverbs 19:13 ; Proverbs 21:9 ; 1 Peter 3:1-5 ; 1 Timothy 2 ; 1 Corinthians 14: 44-45

It maybe safe to say that not setting proper boundaries can cause trouble in your life. Join us today, as we discuss our own struggles with setting boundaries in our personal life and with the church, and how we are learning to keep up gates and not walls.

Scriptures referenced: John 2:24; Proverbs 25:17, 26:4, 4:23; Numbers 23:19

“What about your friends? Are they gonna be low down? Will they ever be around? Or will they turn their backs on you?” --TLC, circa 1992. How many of you ask these questions before becoming friends with anyone? If you are anything like us, knowing the difference between a friend and an  associate came with wisdom and maturity. Join us today as we discuss what the bible says about friends and how to pick them.

Scriptures referenced: Proverbs 18:24; 1 Corinthians 13:1

"Do you like me: Yes or no?" How many of you remember when "going together" was as simple as this little note? Whether you said yes or no, dating is definitely not as simple as we once believed. Join us today as we discuss our personal dating journeys and how the church and the world have impacted our choices.

Scriptures referenced: 1 Corinthians 7:32-39

How much do we know about the continent of Africa and how it relates to the Bible? How much do we know about the origins of Black Church in America? Join us as we discuss Blackness and Christianity and how the two intersect.

Last episode, we discussed the different parts of identity. Understanding our identity helps us to understand our purpose. In this episode, we discuss what purpose is and how we have learned to figure out our purpose(s).

Scriptures referenced: Jeremiah 1:5, Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 16:9

Identity helps us to answer the question, "Who am I?" Identity can involve a person's gender, race, religion, culture, and so much more. Join us today as we discuss our social identities and what the the Bible says about our identity as Christians.

Scriptures referenced: Genesis 1:27; 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 15:5; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Matthew 6:31; 2 Corinthians 3:4-6

Our first bonus episode! Many things make up who we are. One of those things is the culture we grow up in. Culture is the way the brain makes sense of the world; culture is the software for the brain's hardware. Join us as we dive into our church backgrounds and how these church cultures impacted our faith journeys.

Resources: Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement & Rigor among Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Students by Zaretta Hammond (Ch. 2 What's Culture Got to Do with It?)

You've accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior! Now what? Join us as we explore the challenges, needs, and new discoveries of life as a new believer.

Scriptures Referenced: Galatians 1; Proverbs 4:7

What better way to start off this journey than discussing our "come to Jesus" moments? In this episode, we discuss our personal salvation stories, our first experiences with church, and how they have shaped us.

Welcome to the Church Daze podcast with your hosts Milena, Jasmine & Erica. This weekly podcast will explore questions and conflicts about the intersections of culture and Christianity in a judgment free zone. We are regular people trying to figure out how the Bible is relevant to our lives today. We recognize that faith is a process and not perfection and we invite you on this journey with us.