Searching Inward Restore Small Groups

In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, George Stull, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant talk about vulnerability. They explore what this means in the context of mental and emotional well-being and break down the myths about it. Listen as they share strategies for leaning into our vulnerability and embracing authenticity.
TIMESTAMPS
[00:05] Intro
[01:19] Defining vulnerability
[03:21] Myths about vulnerability
[09:12] “I don’t do vulnerability”
[14:34] Can’t go it alone
[16:48] What is vulnerability
[22:09] Within the framework of relationships
[32:46] Takeaways and strategies 
[38:30] Four feeling questions
Follow and Contact
Facebook: Restore Small Groups
Instagram: @restoresmallgroups
YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast
Website: restoresmallgroups.org

In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, George Stull, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Jason Adam Miller, a pastor at South Bend City Church and author of the book, When The World Breaks: The Surprising Hope and Subversive Promises in the Teachings of Jesus. Jason is a helpful voice in bringing mental, well-being and faith together in such a meaningful way, so he discusses how to find hope where there’s suffering and struggle. He shares his church’s mantras and recommended practices when the hard stuff happens such as welcoming emptiness.
“When faith works until it doesn’t at a particular time in your life, like when you encounter some kind of experience and the faith we were given, sometimes it doesn't work, and you can do one of two things: you can entirely chuck faith or you can open up to maybe a new way of understanding your faith. It could be more hopeful.” -George [05:59]

“Often failure’s the best thing, right? Like whether you’re practicing a musical instrument or spiritual practice, you come to the limit of your capacity and that’s actually the liminal space where something really powerful can happen. But if you’re afraid to fail, you’ll never let yourself go there.” -Jason [16:05]

“God created each of us so incredibly uniquely. I mean, you’ve never seen two apples that look exactly alike. Like they all have very different dimensions, different qualities, and that’s what God intended for humanity. That we’re all unique. Like no two pieces of any kind of produce are identical, but anything you get coming out of a factory will be 100% identical all the time. And when we’re driven to become a carbon copy of something that we were never created to be, I just think it’s very beautiful that you’re creating this space for people to be fully human, fully unique, fully who they are.” -Anna [18:47]

“I think a lot of times people make this misconception that surrender is a passive thing, especially spiritual kind of surrender, when I think returning to the breath is an act of surrender. That I’m letting go, but it’s a deep trust that there’s something holding me while I’m experiencing this.” -Seth [24:38]

TIMESTAMPS
[00:03] Intro
[00:24] This week’s guest, Jason Adam Miller
[02:30] What opens Jason’s heart to faith and mental health
[07:31] Letting grieve consume and losing your faith
[13:16] His church’s mantras
[19:36] Recommended practices
[25:06] Misconceptions of mental health and faith
[27:27] Welcoming emptiness
[33:48] How to contact Jason
[36:02] One final message from Jason
Follow and Contact
Facebook: Restore Small Groups
Instagram: @restoresmallgroups
YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast
Website: restoresmallgroups.org
Jason Adam Miller
Web: jasonadammiller.com
IG: @jasonadammiller
Pod: South Bend City Church Podcast
Book: When The World Breaks: The Surprising Hope and Subversive Promises in the Teachings of Jesus

In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Seth Abram, Scott Reall and Anna Bryant do implement the third of their four styles of episodes in this new season by talking about curriculum. They explore one of Scott’s books, “Journey to a New Beginning after Loss: Freedom from the Pain of Grief and Disappointment,” and talk about grief and loss. Scott explains how our whole life is nothing but a journey of losing things, and nothing stays the same. The three hosts discuss how people interpret grief and loss and the different types of grief and loss as there are more than death or divorce.
“Unless we’re taught how to deal with loss, most of us aren’t going to move into processing it, which is the grief, which is allowing ourselves to feel the loss.” -Seth [09:13]

“We need to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, and normalize that life isn’t always comfortable. And be ok with that.” -Anna [13:24]

“We cannot make a new beginning if I’m still holding on and stuck in the past.” -Scott [33:48] 

TIMESTAMPS
[00:04] Intro
[01:11] The inspiration for the book
[03:33] Cultural misconceptions
[06:39] To complete communications
[08:06] The difference between loss and grief
[15:07] Different types of losses we grapple with
[32:23] Final words from the hosts
Follow and Contact
Facebook: Restore Small Groups
Instagram: @restoresmallgroups
YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast
Website: restoresmallgroups.org
Scott Reall’s Books:
Journey to Freedom: Your Start to a Lifetime of Hope, Health, and Healing
Journey to a New Beginning after Loss: Freedom from the Pain of Grief and Disappointment
Journey to Living with Courage: Freedom from Fear
Journey to Healthy Living: Freedom from Body Image and Food Issues
Journey to a Life of Significance: Freedom from Low Self-Esteem

In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Anna Bryant and Seth Abram hear from Jim Clement, a participant of Restore Small Group from Franklin, Tennessee. Jim talks about his experience in a small group, how it brought him relief during a period of grief and isolation and what the overall experience means to him.
“When I heard those stories, it was the first thing that brought me any sort of relief at all. Was just to hear that there are fellow travelers out there. I’m not alone. There are other people that are experiencing what I am.” -Jim  [06:24]
TIMESTAMPS
[00:06] Intro
[00:54] About Jim Clements
[02:05] Joining a Restore Small Group
[08:11] First and last nights of group
[13:14] The group’s impact
[14:44] Would Jim recommend a small group?
[16:42] A quick lighting round
Follow and Contact
Facebook: Restore Small Groups
Instagram: @restoresmallgroups
YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast
Website: restoresmallgroups.org

In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, George Stull, Scott Reall, Anna Bryant and Seth Abram start a new series format with a topical episode about awareness. The more aware a person is, the more cognizant they are of how they show up in the world. The hosts discuss how we see and understand this concept and how we can start by aiming the awareness towards ourselves so that we can begin to grow.
“I think you can’t find change, real meaningful change and lasting change in your life or growth in your life without cultivating some capacity for awareness, self-awareness, awareness of yourself.” -Seth [01:49]

“There’s two parts to awareness for me. There’s awareness of how I got here, but there’s also an awareness of where am I resisting? Where is it that I don’t want to be aware?” -Scott [06:58]

“Sometimes we protect ourselves and don’t want to be self-aware because there’s some greatness or some responsibility that we have to show up in the world in some way, right? And there’s some gift we are to the world. So sometimes, it can be protecting ourselves from, we don’t want to fail.” -George [09:20]

“Everybody has limitations. Everybody struggles. Everyone also has strengths. And so, the sum of your strengths doesn’t make you more superhuman. And the sum of your limitations doesn’t make you less than human. We are all human. And having an understanding of that and holding the tension between that is critical for self-acceptance, and you have to have that in order to grow.” -Anna [11:47]

TIMESTAMPS
[00:04] Intro
[01:06] An intimate look at our lives
[02:53] How we see and understand this concept
[05:30] We see what we believe
[10:51] Non-judgemental presence
[14:54] Looking from a place of shame, doubt and fear
[17:45] Moments of unawareness
[26:11] It doesn’t matter old how you are
[29:02] A couple of takeaways
Follow and Contact
Facebook: Restore Small Groups
Instagram: @restoresmallgroups
YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast
Website: restoresmallgroups.org

After exploring The Journey of Transformation over 36 episodes, George Stull, Scott Reall, Anna Bryant and Seth Abram preview what’s to come on the Searching Inward Podcast. The new format will start in the next episode. Stay tuned!
“...We’re going to have the wonderful opportunity to invite you in to meet some of the people that we dearly know and love, who have been a part of our groups, who have experienced significant life change and are going to come and just share a little part of their story and what has been so impactful for them through the group process.” -Anna [01:04]

“Stories. That’s what we all love, and especially stories of healing and hope.” -George [01:28]

“It’s one thing to hear somebody trying to describe what Restore Small Groups is. It’s another thing entirely to hear the impact going through a group has had on someone.” -Seth [01:35]

“Things like awareness and community and loneliness and hope and vulnerability, gratitude, and growth and just topics like that. Things we can really wrap our hearts around that will encourage us to stay on the path.” -Scott [02:08]

TIMESTAMPS
[00:05] Intro
[00:40] The new format
[01:51] Different topics to discuss
[03:03] How it will work
Follow and Contact
Facebook: Restore Small Groups
Instagram: @restoresmallgroups
YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast
Website: restoresmallgroups.org
Scott Reall’s Books:
Journey to Freedom: Your Start to a Lifetime of Hope, Health, and Healing
Journey to a New Beginning after Loss: Freedom from the Pain of Grief and Disappointment
Journey to Living with Courage: Freedom from Fear
Journey to Healthy Living: Freedom from Body Image and Food Issues
Journey to a Life of Significance: Freedom from Low Self-Esteem