Ascending Podcast

S2E6 - Kurt Birky - From Universal Studios To Church Ministry

Kurt Birky is a pastor and a creative.  In the modern era, narrative story dominates almost all facets of our entertainment life in the forms of TikTok, YouTube, TV shows, movies, and more. Though the Bible is largely a collection of narratives, it can be hard to appreciate and enjoy those narratives similarly. In this episode, you can expect to learn about how Kurt ended up in ministry after working at Universal Studios, how we can see Hollywood story structure in the Bible, why we can better understand and enjoy the Bible because of this, the best books to read if you’re just getting started with the Bible, how our modern love of narrative story change allow us to engage with the Bible, differently, and much more!

S2E5 - Dr. Scott Smith - You Can’t Separate Science & Religion

Dr. Scott Smith is an apologist, philosopher, and professor.  In the post-enlightenment era, it can be hard to see the world as anything other than what is physically around us. Furthermore, why should we even bother with old schools of thought like philosophy when we now have the concreteness of science?  In this episode you can expect to learn why you probably think like a naturalist (and what’s dangerous about that), how to demonstrate the existence of a world beyond the physical, the way in which philosophy is essential to science, some of Dr. Smith’s book recommendations, and much more!

S2E4 - Lily Journey - Writing Habits, Self-Revelation, & Fear Of Judgement

Lily Journey is a freelance writer and storyteller.  The art of self-expression and self-revelation through any medium, especially writing, is a long and winding road. Oftentimes, it can be difficult to know where to start.  In this episode, expect to learn Lily’s advice for building writing habits, authors that inspire her, why she thinks people should share their writing, how her faith influences her work, what she’s learned about herself since starting a Substack, how to get over the fear of judgment, and much more!

S2E3 - Jace Hardwick - Hollywood, Christianity, and Good Stories

Jace Hardwick is a CEO, filmmaker, and content creator. Though Christians believe in a creator God, there can be an internal schism that occurs when a Christian pursues the life of an artist. Integrating these two things is not usually easy or intuitive, especially for young artists. This episode should help. In this episode, expect to learn how Jace has learned to be a better storyteller because of the Bible, how writing has made him appreciate the Bible more, how he got started as an artist, advice he’d give to young creatives, if it’s difficult to work in LA as a Christian, how he combines his faith with his art, and much more!

S2E2 - R. Mark Reasoner Jr. - You Should Read Leviticus

R. Mark Reasoner Jr. is a published author, bible scholar, and biblical languages major at Biola University! Notorious for having ended many “read the Bible in a year” attempts, the book of Leviticus can be extraordinarily challenging! Beyond that, it can also seem like one of the most boring books of the Bible. On today’s episode, expect to learn why Leviticus is essential to understanding the story of the Bible, why it is at the center of the Torah, how to make your read-through of Leviticus easier, what animal sacrifice was really for, the difference between ritual and moral impurity, how the “gods” of ancient nations are real, and much more!