The Pastor’s Studio with Paul Basden

Paul Basden
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

The Pastor’s Studio is a space for honest conversations, meaningful questions, and stories that reveal how faith meets real life. Hosted by pastor and author Paul Basden, this podcast brings together authentic dialogue, spiritual reflection, and real-life experiences to help listeners navigate what it means to follow Jesus in a complex world. Across every season, the aim is the same: to help listeners see God more clearly, understand themselves more deeply, and live out their faith with wisdom, humility, and grace. Thoughtful, grounded, and full of heart, Pastor Paul invites you to slow down, listen well, and pay attention to the story God is writing in and around you. Season 1: Uncomfortable Conversations with Christians Season 2: Why Do I Do What I Do - Exploring the Enneagram Season 3: This is My Story Paul Basden is an author and serves as co-senior pastor of Preston Trail Community Church in Texas. A native of Dallas, Texas, Paul earned his BA from Baylor University and his Master of Divinity and PhD from Southwestern Theological Seminary. Paul also served as university minister and a professor of theology at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He and his wife, Denise, have two grown daughters and four grandsons.

  1. 3d ago

    S3E30: A Marriage Centered on Christ | Jason & Tiffany Porter on How Faith Transformed Their Marriage

    What happens when you get married without a shared faith or a clear picture of what makes a healthy marriage? Jason and Tiffany Porter spent the first years of their marriage trying to build a life together without following Jesus. Jason carried fears shaped by his parents’ divorce, while Tiffany struggled with perfectionism, anxiety, and the pressure to get everything right. In this conversation, Jason and Tiffany share how God gradually drew each of them to faith—and how their relationship changed when Jesus became the center of their marriage. Jason talks about the birth of their first son, his decision to start seeking God, and the community and service that helped him grow. Tiffany shares the moment a sermon on Romans changed how she understood perfection, grace, and her identity. Together, they describe how shared faith reshaped their communication, family values, parenting, and sense of purpose. This episode is especially for couples who want a stronger marriage but don't know where to begin, including couples where one spouse follows Jesus and the other doesn't. Jason and Tiffany offer an honest story of two people who started in very different places and gradually learned to walk in the same direction. Their story offers encouragement for anyone wondering whether God can meet a marriage in the middle of its mess and lead it somewhere new. Topics include: Building a Christ-centered marriage Marriage when spouses have different levels of faith How perfectionism can affect marriage and relationships Finding identity, purpose, and joy in Jesus How shared faith can reshape family values and parenting Taking the first steps toward faith and spiritual growth as a couple

  2. Sep 24

    S3E29: Music, Liturgy & Faith | Britt Herrington on How Music Shaped His Spiritual Journey

    What happens to your faith when life doesn't turn out the way you prayed it would? Britt Herrington began asking that question at age 12, when his mother died from a brain tumor just weeks after his birthday. His childhood faith gave him a framework for belief, but it didn't give him easy answers to grief, suffering, and the goodness of God. In this conversation, Britt shares how those questions shaped his journey through Baptist and non-denominational churches, seminary, music, and eventually Anglican worship. He talks about the connection between theology and music, why the repeated rhythms of liturgy have become spiritually rich for him, and how the church calendar helps him orient his life around the life of Christ. He also reflects on Psalm 90, learning to "number our days," and the place of lament in an honest life of faith. This episode will especially resonate with people wrestling with grief, Christians who have questions that don't fit easy answers, and anyone curious about liturgical worship or the relationship between music and theology. Britt's story offers a thoughtful perspective on how faith can grow deeper through suffering, daily rhythms, beauty, and the lifelong pursuit of wisdom.   Topics include: Grief, loss, and wrestling with God after the death of a parent How suffering can challenge easy answers about faith The connection between music, theology, beauty, and Christian faith Britt Harrington's journey from Baptist and non-denominational churches to Anglican worship Why liturgy and repetition can shape daily spiritual life Psalm 90, numbering our days, wisdom, and the role of lament Additional resources and recommended reads: Lament for a Son by Nicholas Wolterstorff A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis Psalm 90

  3. Sep 17

    S3E28: What Happens When You Start Questioning Your Faith? | Tim Stephens on doubt and Rebuilding Faith

    What happens when the faith you’ve always accepted starts raising questions you can’t ignore? Tim Stephens grew up in an independent, fundamentalist Baptist church, spent nine years traveling with a conservative revival ministry, and eventually became an executive pastor at a growing church. For decades, his beliefs felt settled—until painful experiences and difficult questions about God, suffering, Scripture, and faith began to pull at the certainty he had always known. Tim talks openly about what he calls his journey from certainty, through questioning and deconstruction, toward a faith grounded in what he could genuinely own. He shares how exposure to different churches challenged his assumptions, how his brother-in-law’s ALS diagnosis raised questions about the sovereignty of God, and why he believes there needs to be room for people to ask hard questions without being afraid of where those questions might lead. He also reflects on leadership, church culture, mentoring, and discovering that administrative and organizational leadership could itself be ministry. This conversation will especially resonate with pastors, church leaders, and Christians who have inherited a faith framework but are beginning to ask deeper questions about what they actually believe. Tim’s story offers a thoughtful perspective on questioning faith without assuming that questions have to lead away from Jesus—and on how a person can arrive at a faith marked by humility rather than certainty about everything. In This Episode Growing up in a fundamentalist Christian church Legalism and the pressure to have the “right” answer Questioning and deconstructing inherited beliefs Faith, doubt, suffering, and questions about God’s sovereignty Church leadership and the role of an executive pastor Building a healthy church culture and leading with curiosity

  4. Sep 10

    S3E27: Fearfully & Wonderfully Made | Kristen Basden on Faith, Chronic Pain & Choosing Joy

    How do you keep trusting God when the pain doesn’t go away? Kristen Basden has undergone 45 surgeries and lives with a rare genetic condition that has changed what her body can do, but she refuses to let those limitations define her life. In this deeply personal episode of This Is My Story, Pastor Paul Basden sits down with his daughter Kristen to talk about growing up as a pastor’s kid, navigating chronic pain and unanswered questions, and learning to focus on what she can do rather than everything she can’t. Through surgeries, setbacks and seasons that looked nothing like she expected, Kristen has held onto the words of Psalm 139 and the truth that she is fully known by God. “He knows me and has known me and will continue to know me more than I’ll ever know myself.” Kristen’s story is a reminder that even when circumstances don’t change, God can still use our hardest seasons to encourage someone else. In This Episode Growing up as a pastor’s daughter Kristen’s diagnosis and 45 surgeries Wrestling with God through chronic pain Finding purpose within physical limitations Friendship and community through difficult seasons “Recycling your pain” to encourage others Why Psalm 139 became Kristen’s life verse Her encouragement to anyone who feels like giving up

  5. Sep 3

    S3E26: A New Marriage With the Same Person | Warren & Sonya Jacobs on Marriage, Grace & Starting Again

    Can you build a new marriage with the same person? Warren and Sonya Jacobs fell in love as teenagers, married at 20, and were determined to build a life together. But beneath the surface, years of conflict avoidance, codependency and unresolved hurt were slowly pulling them apart. In this episode of This Is My Story, Pastor Paul Basden sits down with Warren and Sonya for an honest conversation about the moment they realized, “We are not okay,” and the counseling, community and faith that helped them begin again. More than 20 years later, they share what they’ve learned about grace, forgiveness, intimacy, identity in Christ and doing the hard work of repairing a relationship. “Our marriage as it was was really over... We wanted a new marriage. We had to have a new marriage.” For anyone wondering if deeply rooted patterns can really change, Warren and Sonya’s story offers a powerful reminder: “Your relationship can change. We’re a testimony right now.” In This Episode Falling in love as teenagers and marrying at 20 How conflict avoidance and codependency affected their marriage Knowing when it was time to ask for help Counseling, community and rebuilding trust Creating a “new marriage with the same person” Finding identity in Christ instead of your spouse Grace, forgiveness and repairing after conflict Hope for couples who feel stuck References Enjoy Your Marriage Preston Trail Marriage Ministry  The 5 Love Languages Psalm 139:14  Isaiah 30:21 Matthew 19:26 John 15 Galatians 5:22–23 Psalm 139

  6. Aug 27

    S3E25: Don’t Give Up on God | Alex Logan on Doubt, Suffering & Finding Faith

    Can you think your way into faith? What happens when your questions about God seem bigger than the answers? For Alex Logan, those questions lasted nearly 50 years. In this episode of This Is My Story, Pastor Paul Basden sits down with Alex, a retired attorney, former constitutional law professor and Mensa member whose journey with faith has been anything but straightforward. After losing his father at 59 and struggling to reconcile that loss with the idea of a good God, Alex walked away from faith and spent the next four decades as an agnostic. Then one Sunday at Preston Trail, Alex looked over at his young grandson during worship and saw tears streaming down his face. Alex remembers thinking, “I want that in my life.” That moment led him to an EQUIP class, where he showed up with plenty of skepticism and even more questions. Slowly, those questions became the path that led him back to Jesus. This is a conversation for the skeptic, the question asker, and anyone who wonders if they’ve been away from God for too long. Alex’s story is proof that questions don’t have to keep you from faith, and it is never too late to find your way home. In This Episode: • How the death of Alex’s father caused him to walk away from faith • Spending nearly 50 years as an agnostic • The moment with his grandson that made him want something more • Bringing his hardest questions about God into an EQUIP class • Finding faith and being baptized at 73 • Why Easter suddenly meant something completely different • Trusting God while living with long haul COVID • The role friendship and community played in growing his faith • Alex’s encouragement for anyone still wrestling with questions about God References: • Preston Trail EQUIP • Rooted • The Chosen

  7. Aug 20

    S3E24: You Belong | Becca Baker on Faith, Leadership & Finding Your Voice

    What does it look like to follow Jesus in the places where faith isn’t always talked about out loud? In this episode of This Is My Story, Pastor Paul Basden sits down with Becca Baker to talk about faith, family, work, and what she has learned through years of developing and coaching leaders in some of the country’s largest companies. Becca shares how a faith that began when she was seven has continued to shape the way she leads today. From coaching C suite executives to navigating career changes, raising two boys, serving as an elder at Preston Trail, and learning when to say yes and when to say no, her story is a reminder that following Jesus shows up in the everyday choices we make. She and Paul also talk candidly about living out your faith in the workplace. For Becca, it isn’t about forcing a conversation. It’s about relationships, authenticity, humility, and trying to reflect Jesus in the way you treat and lead people. And for anyone who has ever wondered whether they really deserve a seat at the table, Becca offers this: “You belong. You deserve to be where you are.” This is a conversation about finding your voice, leading with humility, building relationships that matter, and trusting that a faithful life doesn’t have to be dramatic to be a story worth telling. References: • Matthew 5:13–16 • Matthew 7:12 • Dare to Lead by Brené Brown • The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown • WorkLife with Adam Grant • Harvard Business Review

  8. Aug 13

    S3E23: Following Jesus No Matter the Circumstances | Corey Jones on Faith, Work & Trust

    What do a Halloween “hell house,” the Texas Rangers and a lesson in trusting God have in common? Corey Jones. In this episode of This Is My Story, Pastor Paul Basden sits down with Corey to talk about a life that has taken some pretty unexpected turns. Corey shares how a decision to follow Jesus as a teenager grew into a faith that would later carry him and his wife, Jenny, through one of the most uncertain seasons of their lives. He also shares how that same willingness to trust God and say yes has shaped his career. Corey started as a customer service representative at 19 and, 27 years later, serves as a senior vice president at Globe Life. Somewhere along the way, an idea he was told was a little crazy helped lead to the Globe Life name appearing on not one, but two Texas Rangers ballparks. But through all of it, Corey keeps coming back to one thing: “The circumstances don’t dictate the faith.” This is a conversation about trusting God when you don’t know what comes next, saying yes when an opportunity feels bigger than you, and learning to look back and see God’s fingerprints all along the way. References: • Hebrews 11 • Philippians 4:12 • Romans 5:8 • Proverbs 22:29 • Freakonomics • The Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast

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The Pastor’s Studio is a space for honest conversations, meaningful questions, and stories that reveal how faith meets real life. Hosted by pastor and author Paul Basden, this podcast brings together authentic dialogue, spiritual reflection, and real-life experiences to help listeners navigate what it means to follow Jesus in a complex world. Across every season, the aim is the same: to help listeners see God more clearly, understand themselves more deeply, and live out their faith with wisdom, humility, and grace. Thoughtful, grounded, and full of heart, Pastor Paul invites you to slow down, listen well, and pay attention to the story God is writing in and around you. Season 1: Uncomfortable Conversations with Christians Season 2: Why Do I Do What I Do - Exploring the Enneagram Season 3: This is My Story Paul Basden is an author and serves as co-senior pastor of Preston Trail Community Church in Texas. A native of Dallas, Texas, Paul earned his BA from Baylor University and his Master of Divinity and PhD from Southwestern Theological Seminary. Paul also served as university minister and a professor of theology at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He and his wife, Denise, have two grown daughters and four grandsons.

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