Talks of Outkasts

Chris R. & Miles H.

Welcome to Talks of Outkasts. This is a place where we fearlessly discuss life's toughest topics. Get ready for candid conversations and insightful reflections on a journey toward Biblical clarity. We are two ministers of the gospel, one pastor and the other a collegiate minister.  

  1. Sep 29

    Why Someone Else's Good News Can Feel Like Your Rejection

    Comparison can turn someone else’s blessing into your own private accusation. Chris and Miles get painfully honest about envy, why it hits hardest when the other person feels close to your own life, and how to rejoice without pretending your ache isn’t real. For pastors, parents, and anyone who’s ever watched someone else receive the opportunity, recognition, or progress you wanted, this conversation gets underneath the feeling fast. Chris and Miles talk through the ways envy shows up in ministry, in family life, in social media, and in the quiet places where we measure ourselves against people who seem just a little farther ahead. You’ll discover: Why envy is often rooted in proximity, not celebrityThe difference between wanting something good and resenting the person who received itHow social media quietly trains us to compare our lives to everyone else’s highlight reelWhy Romans 12:15 matters more than it first appearsHow to celebrate someone’s good news without denying your own disappointmentMiles shares candid stories from ministry disappointment, growing up poor, and watching other people get what he once wished he had. Chris adds a theological framework for handling envy with honesty, including the reminder that God’s sovereignty and love are not in conflict when He withholds something you wanted. The conversation also names one of the hardest tensions in Christian life: you can be genuinely happy for someone and still grieve what you didn’t receive. That does not make you fake. It makes you human, and it points to the work of sanctification in real time. If you’ve ever felt your heart tighten when someone else gets the win, this episode will help you name it, understand it, and respond without letting bitterness take the lead. Essential listening for leaders, parents, and anyone trying to learn contentment in a world built on comparison. Send us Fan Mail https://www.youtube.com/@talksofoutkasts6899

  2. Sep 22

    Is Ambition A Sin?

    Ambition isn’t the enemy, but the wrong kind of ambition will quietly warp your heart, your ministry, and your work. Chris and Miles get brutally honest about wanting more, wanting to matter, and how easily “kingdom impact” language can hide a desire to be noticed, admired, or indispensable. Chris opens up about the tension pastors feel when people start calling them by titles, respecting them—or, sometimes, not respecting them at all. Miles pushes the conversation into real life: What happens when the next person in your role gets the applause, the help, or the growth you wished you had? And how do you tell the difference between holy desire and hidden pride? In this episode, you’ll discover: Why wanting to do excellent work, reach more people, and take on greater responsibility can be good ambitionWhere that ambition turns inward and starts feeding ego instead of faithfulnessHow ministry success, compliments, and visibility can quietly become identity trapsWhy disappointment and obscurity often reveal what your heart really wanted all alongWhat it means to be fruitful without needing to be impressiveThey also wrestle with the uncomfortable question every leader, pastor, and high-achiever eventually faces: If God made your work faithful but never publicly celebrated, would that be enough? That’s where the episode gets real—and where the idols of applause, comparison, and control start to show. Essential listening if you lead, serve, create, pastor, or simply need a sharper lens on the ambitions driving you. This is a conversation about ambition, contentment, and the kind of maturity that can work hard, dream big, and still let God decide how visible the results become. Send us Fan Mail https://www.youtube.com/@talksofoutkasts6899

  3. Sep 15

    The Hidden Difference Between Grieving and Resenting God

    The life you pictured at 25 may never arrive, and that might be the grace you needed all along. Chris and Miles get brutally honest about unmet expectations, ministry disappointment, and the slow, humbling work of learning contentment when the brochure for your life turned out to be a lie.Chris and Miles Harris open up about the gap between what they thought adulthood, marriage, parenting, and ministry would feel like and what actually showed up. From blue-collar ambition and the pressure to provide, to the loneliness of pastoring and the shock of discovering what church leadership and ministry can really cost, this conversation lands where a lot of people quietly live: stuck between faithfulness and frustration.You’ll discover: Why disappointment can be healthy at first, but dangerous when it hardens into bitternessHow sinful patterns go deeper than behavior and into the heartWhy purity-culture promises and “do the right thing and life will work out” theology can leave people disillusionedWhat contentment actually means when your life is good, but not the life you plannedHow to grieve a lost dream without accusing God for itMiles shares the hard reset he experienced as ministry exposed loneliness, conflict, and brokenness he never saw coming. Chris reflects on his own assumption that obedience should have produced a more secure, more peaceful, more “together” life, and why growing older means laying down the fantasy of control and learning to receive the life God actually gives.If you’ve ever looked at your career, your family, your faith, or your calling and thought, “This is not what I expected,” this episode will meet you there. Honest, pastoral, and deeply human, it’s a conversation for anyone trying to stay faithful when life doesn’t match the plan. Chris is a pastor and co-host of Talks of Outkasts, bringing candid reflection, theological depth, and lived honesty to the conversation. Miles Harris is a pastor and co-host of Talks of Outkasts, known for sharing the real-world pressures of ministry, family, and faith with unfiltered clarity. Send us Fan Mail https://www.youtube.com/@talksofoutkasts6899

  4. Sep 8

    When a Break Becomes an Escape: The Hidden Danger of Comfort

    What if the thing you call "rest" is actually the thing keeping you stuck? Miles Harris and Chris get brutally honest about the everyday escapes that quietly take over your life - food, sports, scrolling, work, even religious activity - and how to tell when a healthy break has become a hiding place. Miles opens up about what he reaches for when life gets hard, from disc golf and stress eating to the deeper urge to disappear when pressure builds. Chris pushes the conversation further, showing how even good things can become dangerous when they start replacing prayer, hard conversations, confession, or the responsibilities you actually need to face. You’ll discover: How to spot the line between healthy relief and unhealthy escapeWhy some of your most "spiritual" habits may still be avoidanceThe difference between rest that restores you and activity that numbs youA simple way to take one or two real steps toward what actually helpsWhy seclusion can be wise if you leave with intention and come back changedMiles and Chris also connect this to real life in ministry, parenting, and family pressure, including the temptation for pastors to bury hard feelings under busy work and the way kids can expose exactly how much grace we still need. They talk candidly about the cost of isolation, the danger of letting hobbies or obligations become captives, and the importance of choosing what leads to lasting peace instead of temporary distraction. If you’ve ever said "I just needed that" but weren’t sure whether it truly helped, this conversation will hit home. Essential listening for anyone who wants to stop escaping and start responding with wisdom, honesty, and grace. Send us Fan Mail https://www.youtube.com/@talksofoutkasts6899

  5. Sep 1

    Why Isolation Feels Safe But Makes Shame Louder

    Isolation feels like protection, but it quietly hands the loudest voices in your life the microphone. Chris and Miles Harris unpack why struggling believers and ministry leaders so often withdraw, how shame distorts reality, and why the enemy is most dangerous when he sounds exactly like your own thoughts.What starts as a candid conversation about difficulty and disconnection turns into a practical, deeply honest look at what happens when you stop letting other people in. Chris and Miles talk through the hidden reasons we isolate - fear of disappointment, the cost of confession, exhaustion, and the pressure to always look strong - and they trace those instincts all the way back to Adam and Eve, Elijah in 1 Kings 19, and the way sin hardens us when nobody is close enough to speak truth.You’ll discover: Why isolation is not always “being alone” - sometimes it’s surrounding yourself with people who never challenge youThe difference between seclusion and isolation, and why that distinction mattersHow shame, despair, and self-deception work together to keep you silentWhy spiritual disciplines include community and fellowship, not just prayer and Bible readingWhat healthy Christian presence looks like when you can’t fix someone’s problemMiles brings raw honesty about shame, temptation, and the moments when he knows something is wrong because he wants to disappear. Chris adds pastoral clarity on why vulnerability feels risky, especially in ministry, and why the church must learn to carry burdens without turning pain into a theology quiz or a quick fix.This episode is especially for anyone who has been pretending they are fine, anyone worn down by a sin they thought would be gone by now, and anyone who feels trapped in the loop of hiding, overthinking, and spiritually going quiet. It’s also a needed listen for pastors, leaders, and caregivers who want to know how to respond with wisdom instead of platitudes.If you need a reminder that solitude and isolation are not the same thing, and that God often begins rescue with a single honest sentence - “I need you” - this conversation is for you. Send us Fan Mail https://www.youtube.com/@talksofoutkasts6899

  6. Aug 25

    What Is Wrong With Me?

    What if the thing keeping you stuck is not your schedule, your stress, or even your circumstances - but the way you keep misdiagnosing what is really wrong?   Chris and Miles Harris get brutally honest about the inner life of pastors, Christians, and anyone trying to make sense of spiritual dryness, burnout, self-pity, and that nagging question: What is wrong with me? Chris and Miles come at the problem from opposite angles. Miles tends to under-spiritualize - staying busy, fixing things, and masking deeper issues with activity. Chris tends to over-spiritualize - assuming every hard season means something is deeply broken. Together, they unpack why both instincts can keep you from the truth, and why the real answer is often much closer, and much harder, than you want to admit. You'll discover: why Christians so often hide, excuse, or overcomplicate their own sinhow to tell the difference between conviction and condemnationwhy “burnout” can sometimes be a symptom of something deeperwhat Augustine, Luther, and Genesis 3 reveal about the human hearthow the gospel confronts both pride and self-loathingwhy honest self-examination is impossible without gracewhat to do when you finally identify the real issue and still do not know how to move forwardChris also shares the pastoral counsel he returns to again and again: ask the hard questions, confess without making excuses, and keep coming back to Christ when your heart wants to spiral into shame or denial. Miles presses into the practical side too, asking what this looks like for ministry, family, work, and the tension between giving your all and learning to rest without guilt. This episode lands in a place every listener needs - whether you are overloaded, spiritually numb, trapped in self-criticism, or simply tired of pretending you have it together. If you have ever wondered whether your problem is sin, exhaustion, idolatry, or just plain weakness, this conversation gives you a better starting point: the cross, the gospel, and a sober look at yourself in light of both. Essential listening for pastors, ministry leaders, and any believer who wants to stop band-aiding the symptoms and get honest about the roots. Send us Fan Mail https://www.youtube.com/@talksofoutkasts6899

  7. May 27

    Advice Every Christian Graduate Needs To Hear

    Unlock the secrets to authentic leadership, humility, and genuine community through candid conversations about the real struggles pastors face because admitting faults and leaning on grace isn't a sign of weakness; it's true strength. In this heartfelt episode, Chris and Miles share their personal journeys of growth, failures, and the lessons they wish they’d learned earlier. From the pressure of pastoral success to the pitfalls of doctrinal arrogance, they discuss how to navigate the intricacies of ministry, personal faith, and family life without losing sight of what truly matters—love, authenticity, and God's sovereignty. This episode is perfect for church leaders, pastors, ministry students, or anyone seeking to align their life more closely with Christ’s example because true strength begins in vulnerability and humility. Avoid the pitfalls many face pretending, hiding mistakes, or building an unshakeable ego—and instead, discover how embracing weakness transforms into real leadership. Chris is a seasoned pastor and ministry leader with decades of experience learning the hard lessons of faith, humility, and perseverance. His insights, drawn from personal failures and wins, make this a rare, honest peek behind the scenes of Christian leadership.Softly encouraging, deeply honest, and packed with practical wisdom, this episode will challenge you to reconsider what it means to lead well—by first leading yourself through honesty, grace, and dependence on God’s sovereignty. Whether you're in ministry or simply striving to live with integrity, you’ll walk away inspired to adopt a posture of humility that aligns with Christ’s example.Don’t miss this essential episode your journey toward authentic, grace-filled leadership begins here. Send us Fan Mail https://www.youtube.com/@talksofoutkasts6899

5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Welcome to Talks of Outkasts. This is a place where we fearlessly discuss life's toughest topics. Get ready for candid conversations and insightful reflections on a journey toward Biblical clarity. We are two ministers of the gospel, one pastor and the other a collegiate minister.