Send us a text The heat of Jesus’ public life wasn’t condemnation but redemption that actually changes people and communities! Luke 19:1-10 teaches us that every sinner has a future and every sinner has a past. Zacchaeus’, a corrupt tax collector, turnaround begins when Jesus comes near to him and shares a table. turnaround in Luke 19 as a living case study. The scandal isn’t just that Jesus notices a corrupt tax collector; it’s that he moves toward him, shares a table, and sparks real ...

Send us a text We believe death is not to be feared. We believe that death does not end life, it only changes life. Fear loves the last word, but it doesn’t deserve it, and naming our fears out loud is the first act of courage. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about fear, death, and faith. How shall we live a good life that will result in us dying a good death? Listen in for the full conversation. Read For Faith, the companion devotional. Support the show ...

Send us a text Faith isn't something we own; it's something we steward to others. In Luke 18:1–8, Jesus teaches us about the persistent widow who kept knocking until a weary judge relented. Her courage becomes our template for a faith that endures indifference, resists despair, and stays tender without giving up. We talk about hope as the engine of perseverance, how small acts compound into movements, and why faith gains its richest colors when life runs hot and hard. In this episode, Meliss...

Send us a text A man turns back to say thank you—and discovers a deeper kind of healing. That small pivot in Luke 17:11-19 launches a wide‑open conversation about gratitude as action, the difference between being cured and being made whole, and why a daily practice of thanks can change your chemistry, your relationships, and your resilience. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about gratitude. They discuss starting prayer with thanksgiving, naming three to ten bles...

Send us a text Sorrow doesn’t mean you’ve lost faith; it means you’ve loved deeply enough to tell the truth. Naming our losses can be both spiritual and practical. Psalm 137 shows what happens when a community refuses euphemism, resists denial, and chooses to face reality with courage. That choice isn’t about wallowing; it’s about setting the stage for healing, responsibility, and real hope. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what we learn from Psalm 137. Th...

Send us a text What does it mean when we have proximity without fellowship? Through Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, we get a glimpse. This parable reveals two men sharing the same address—one living in luxury while the other suffers at his gate—yet separated by an unbridgeable social gulf that continues even after death. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about the parable and how the rich man's sin wasn't wealth but indifference...

Send us a text What happens when you discover your family tree has branches on both sides of America's racial divide? Dr. Spenser Simrill Jr.'s journey began with simple curiosity about his family name and evolved into a profound story of reconciliation that's now the subject of a CNN documentary. In this episode Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. Spenser Simrill Jr. and his discovery while teaching family history at the University of Georgia. Spenser found an alternate spelling of hi...

Send us a text What does it really mean to be a sinner? When stripped to its Greek roots, sin simply means "missing the mark." In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about sin and what Jesus' approach. The religious elite's biggest complaint against Jesus? That he dined with and welcomed those who missed the mark. "Now that's my kind of God," Bishop Wright reflects. This divine comfort with imperfect people creates a powerful invitation for all of us to bring ou...

Send us a text True freedom emerges not from the world's prescription of unbridled self-indulgence, but through faithful obedience."Truth in advertising" is how Bishop Wright describes Jesus' approach to discipleship. Unlike our romantic relationships, where we rarely calculate what love will cost us before diving in, Jesus takes a refreshingly honest approach. He stands at the threshold and asks us to pause, reflect, and genuinely count the cost before committing to follow him. In this epis...

Send us a text What happens when our religious rules collide with human suffering? In Luke 13, Jesus heals a woman on the Sabbath despite religious opposition. Jesus' act models the need to push beyond the status quo. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation that invites us to examine how our own spiritual boundaries might be limiting our capacity for compassion. "Why don't God's children have housing? Why isn't there equal access to medicine? Why don't God's child...

Send us a text "When we say that we believe, we are saying that we are in the response position." In our latest series, Bishop Wright invites us to consider the profound implications of the declaration "We Believe" that unites Christians across time, denomination, and geography. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about what it truly means to believe. Far more than intellectual agreement, belief positions us in relationship to a God who exists whether we ackn...

Send us a text How do we respond when the winds of division, uncertainty and despair threaten to blow us off our center? We go deep into what we believe! This episode introduces the new series "We Believe!". Bishop Wright chose this series title because belief defines us, consoles us and guides us no matter the seasons of life. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation that shifts the understanding of belief itself - moving beyond intellectual agreement to embrace t...

Send us a text The concept of dignity—the unwavering worth within each human being—lies at the heart of our religious traditions, political systems, and human interactions. But what does it mean to respect someone's dignity, especially when society has trained us to look away? In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with Dr. Beth Sarah Wright, author of "DIGNITY: Seven Strategies for Creating Authentic Community", centered on James 3:18. They discuss human dignity and how genuine communi...

Send us a text When Jesus' disciples asked, "Lord, teach us to pray," they recognized how Jesus connected with the Divine. The prayer the disciples asked for wasn’t about polished words. It was about relationship. In this episode, Melissa has a conversation with The Rev. Canon Salmoon Bashir about prayer and its power to transform our spiritual lives. Salmoon shares the story of how his mother instilled prayer as a non-negotiable daily practice in their family life. The conversation rev...

Send us a text Have you ever considered the difference between being a tourist and being a pilgrim? Justin Strickland discovered this distinction firsthand during his transformative journey to Ghana and the Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast, the companion diocese of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. His story reveals how true pilgrimage reshapes our understanding of presence, relationship, and spiritual growth. In this episode, Melissa and Justin have a conversation about Justin's recent pilgri...

Send us a text This July, we are featuring special guests from across The Diocese of Atlanta. This is the first of four special guest episodes. The Good Samaritan is a parable that many in our society have heard. We often think of ourselves as the Samaritan - the helper. But what happens when we find ourselves helpless and in need? The Rev. Tricia Templeton's personal journey offers a unique perspective taking us on a personal journey through the Good Samaritan parable—not as the helper...

Send us a text When we've been hurt or rejected, vengeance may be something we desire. Christian maturity helps us build capacities to defer and fend off the need for vengeance. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about vengeance. Using Luke 9:51-62, they unpack Jesus' response when his disciples wanted to "rain fire and brimstone" on a Samaritan village that rejected them. Jesus rebukes their desire for vengeance suggesting that vengeance distracts those who have d...

Send us a text What happens when we strip away centuries of religious interpretation and confront the actual teachings of Jesus of Nazareth? This Jesus isn't the gentle, apolitical figure often presented in modern Christianity, but rather "a holistically spiritual freedom fighter" deeply concerned with poverty, exploitation, and injustice. In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., research scholar at Columbia University and former professor at P...

Send us a text What happens when we encounter truth we aren't ready for? Jesus' words about the Spirit of Truth were a guide to his disciples who couldn't yet bear everything their teacher had to share. Jesus' teachings on the Spirit of Truth remain a guide for us today too! In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about truth and the weigh it carries in our lives. Most of us resist truth because we don't want our failures and frailties exposed. Yet spiritual maturity m...

Send us a text "Diversity belongs to God's imagination." With this bold statement, Bishop Rob Wright cuts through the political noise surrounding conversations about human difference. In this thought-provoking episode, we explore how the ancient biblical story of Pentecost offers a divine endorsement of human diversity that transcends modern political debates. In this episode, Melissa and Bishop Wright have a conversation about Pentecost centered around Acts 2:1-21 where the Holy Spirit desc...