Why Doesn’t Success Make Us Happy? A Conversation with Nick Stroczkowski

Why Doesn’t Success Make Us Happy? A Conversation with Nick Stroczkowski

What happens when you finally get everything you thought you wanted, and it still feels… empty? In this conversation, Pastor Nate sits down with longtime friend and filmmaker Nick Stroczkowski to wrestle with ambition, identity, faith, and the quiet realization that fulfillment might not be waiting somewhere in the future. Together, they explore what it means to live fully in the present, rediscover the purpose of church, and find something deeper than success. What You’ll Learn: * Why achieving your biggest goals doesn’t guarantee fulfillment * How to tell the difference between healthy change and restless dissatisfaction * What church looks like at its best—and why it sometimes falls short * How spiritual practices help you slow down and notice what matters * Why authenticity matters more than perfection in faith and life If this conversation resonates with you, like, subscribe, and share it with someone who might need it. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: When Success Doesn’t Feel Like Success02:00 – The “Empty Box” Problem05:30 – Why We Keep Chasing What’s Next08:00 – Is Change Necessary or Just Restlessness?12:00 – Don’t Mess With Happy13:30 – Rediscovering Church in a New Season18:00 – When Church Feels Real (and When It Doesn’t)21:00 – Church as Product vs. Sacred Space27:00 – What Actually Sticks After a Sermon31:00 – Is It God or Just an Idea?34:00 – The Problem with Being “A Good Person”38:00 – Ego, Identity, and Wanting to Be Seen43:00 – Vulnerability, Community, and Healing46:30 – Why Ritual Still Matters50:00 – The Power of Slowing Down53:00 – Culture vs. Spiritual Practice56:00 – Finding Balance in Real Life57:30 – Closing Thoughts Connect with Bethany: 📍 Bethany Lutheran Church – Denver, CO 🌐 Learn more: www.bethany-denver.org [http://www.bethany-denver.org] Connect with Nick Arclight Creative: https://arclightcreative.co/ [https://arclightcreative.co/]

Sunday School Remix: Why Did God Give Manna in the Wilderness?

What if the story of manna in the wilderness is about more than food? In this episode of Sunday School Remix, Pastor Nate looks at Exodus 16 and the Israelites’ struggle to trust God after leaving Egypt. This story invites us to notice how often we long for the past, grasp for more, and miss the quiet gift of enough. What You’ll Learn: * Why the Israelites struggled to trust God after leaving Egypt * How manna teaches us that grace comes before faithfulness * Why “enough” can be holier than “more” * How Sabbath becomes an act of freedom and resistance * What Exodus 16 can teach us about scarcity, rest, and delight Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: What Is the Story of Manna Really About? 00:55 The Israelites Leave Egypt and Enter the Wilderness 02:00 Why We Romanticize the Past 04:10 God Provides Before the Israelites Trust 05:55 Why “Manna” Means “What Is It?” 08:00 God Retrains the Israelites Through Daily Provision 09:00 Enough Is Holier Than More 10:50 What Happens When We Hoard God’s Gifts 12:20 Sabbath Before the Ten Commandments 13:30 Sabbath as Freedom from Pharaoh’s Ways 15:00 Remembering You Are Not in Egypt Anymore 16:20 Why Scarcity Is So Hard to Unlearn 17:00 The Sweetness of Trusting God 18:25 Learning to Delight in Enough 19:40 Closing: The Story Didn’t End in Sunday School If this episode helped you see this familiar Bible story in a new way, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who might need a reminder that God’s provision is not always what we expect, but it is often exactly what we need. Connect with Bethany: 📍 Bethany Lutheran Church – Denver, CO 🌐 Learn more: www.bethany-denver.org [http://www.bethany-denver.org]

Can You Belong Without Believing Everything? A Conversation with Rev. Adam Arends

Coming up on the Together 4 Good podcast, Pastor Nate sits down with his longtime friend Adam Arends, a pastor in the Buffalo, NY area. They’ve known each other for years, and this conversation goes right to the heart of a question a lot of people are quietly asking: what is church actually supposed to be about? Adam shares his story—growing up in the church, stepping away, questioning a lot of it, and eventually finding his way back. Not with perfect answers, but with a deeper sense of what really matters. What You’ll Learn: * Why people still show up to church—even with doubts * How grace matters more than getting everything “right” * What Jesus actually prioritized over rules * Why community can carry your faith when you can’t * How church can be a space for truth, not certainty Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Why This Conversation Matters 01:30 Life as a Pastor in Multiple Churches 04:00 Growing Up in the Church (Pastor’s Kid Life) 06:00 Doubt, Logic, and Questioning Faith 08:00 What Keeps People Coming Back to Church? 10:00 What Is Truth? Faith Beyond Facts 13:00 Rules vs. Grace: What Jesus Actually Taught 16:00 Power, Humility, and Who “Gets It” 18:00 Why We All Fall Short (and Why That Matters) 21:00 Why Church Still Matters Today 24:00 What We Hope for the Next Generation 27:00 What Brings People Back to Church 30:00 Faith Isn’t Solo: Doing Church Together 33:00 Final Thoughts: A Different Way Forward If this conversation resonates with you, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who might need it. Connect with Bethany: 📍 Bethany Lutheran Church – Denver, CO 🌐 Learn more: www.bethany-denver.org [http://www.bethany-denver.org]

Sunday School Remix: What Does Peter’s Story Teach About Shame?

What if the resurrection isn’t just about what happens after we die—but about what God is doing in us right now? In this episode of Sunday School Remix, we revisit John 21 and Peter’s story after the resurrection. It’s a moment filled with confusion, shame, and unfinished business. But instead of avoiding it, Jesus steps right into it—offering not just forgiveness, but purpose. What You'll Learn * How Peter’s shame shapes his actions—and why that matters * Why Jesus revisits painful moments instead of skipping past them * What the charcoal fire reveals about memory, guilt, and grace * How resurrection speaks to your life right now—not just someday * Why your past might actually be part of your calling 00:00 What if resurrection is about more than life after death? 01:00 Peter goes back to fishing 02:00 The miraculous catch and what 153 fish means 03:00 Peter’s impulsive response and hidden shame 05:00 Trauma, guilt, and going back to what’s familiar 07:00 Why Jesus eats with the disciples 08:30 What bodily resurrection really means 10:00 The charcoal fire and Peter’s memory 11:00 “Do you love me?”—Peter’s redemption 12:00 Resurrection as present-day transformation 13:00 How God redeems your past 15:00 Why your story still matters If this conversation resonates with you, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who might need it. Connect with Bethany: 📍 Bethany Lutheran Church – Denver, CO 🌐 Learn more: www.bethany-denver.org [http://www.bethany-denver.org]

REBROADCAST: Is My Life Missing Something? Finding Purpose in Christ

Coming up on the Together 4 Good podcast, we’re revisiting a conversation that feels especially timely this week. Over the last couple of months, I’ve had the chance to interview several of the speakers who will be part of the ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly. The theme this year is “Vida en Cristo / Life in Christ,” and it’s been shaping a lot of what I’ve been thinking about. So while this episode is a repeat, it fits right into that theme. What am I supposed to do with my life? It’s a question most of us carry at some point. But instead of offering one perfect answer, this conversation shifts the question—grounding us in identity first. In Christ, you are already loved, already enough, and already called. From that place, purpose becomes less about chasing something new and more about noticing what’s already in your hands and how God is at work in your everyday life. What You’ll Learn: * How “life in Christ” reshapes the question of purpose * Why identity (not achievement) is the starting point * What it means to be named, claimed, and sent in baptism * How to recognize your gifts in ordinary, everyday life * Why you don’t need one perfect calling to live with purpose Chapters: 00:00 A Timely Conversation: Life in Christ 01:20 Why We Keep Asking “What Should I Do With My Life?” 04:00 You Are Already Loved: Identity Before Purpose 06:30 Baptism as Calling: Named, Claimed, and Sent 08:45 “What’s in Your Hands?” (Moses and Everyday Gifts) 11:30 Giving Your Gifts Away for the Sake of Others 14:30 You Don’t Have One Calling—You Have Many 17:30 The Myth of the Perfect Life or Career 19:30 Life in Christ Happens in Ordinary Moments 21:45 Letting Go of Pressure and Trusting Today 24:00 Noticing Where Christ Is Already at Work If this conversation resonates, like, subscribe, and share it with someone who’s been asking these same questions. Connect with Bethany: 📍 Bethany Lutheran Church – Denver, CO 🌐 Learn more: www.bethany-denver.org [http://www.bethany-denver.org]