Wisdom for the Wilderness

Overland Church Midtown
Overland Church Midtown
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Join Dr. Josh Hutchens, director of Gateway Seminary's Rocky Mountain Campus and pastor at Overland Church in Fort Collins, Colorado, as he explores spiritual faithfulness amid life's challenges and suffering. Through discussions on theological questions and inspiring stories, Wisdom for the Wilderness offers guidance and hope for navigating the complexities of faith in a broken world.

  1. 4d ago

    The Role of a Pastor

    The best guest ever joins the podcast this week, Stacy Hutchens, Dr. Josh Hutchens' wife! Together, they discuss the role of a pastor, focusing on the most prevalent models of pastoral ministry in American churches. Josh and Stacy emphasize the vulnerabilities of those models, such as the church's dependence on one leader and the potential for moral failures, and advocate instead for a New Testament model of plural pastor elders, emphasizing the benefits of shared leadership, wisdom, and stability.

  2. Sep 8

    False Gospels of the Front Range

    In the first episode of our new season as the official podcast of Gateway Seminary’s Rocky Mountain Campus, Dr. Josh Hutchens talks with Brandon Dupre, pastor of Overland Church North Fort Collins. Together, they discuss the importance of understanding the culture we are called to reach and explore six “false gospels” that shape life along Colorado’s Front Range—the good life, self-creation, wellness, social progress, niceness, and nature. Throughout the conversation, they examine how these cultural narratives promise identity, purpose, and fulfillment but ultimately fall short of the hope found in Christ, offering practical insight into faithfully proclaiming the gospel in the unique context of the Mountain West.

  3. Season 3 Trailer

    Welcome to Wisdom for the Wilderness | Season 3 Trailer

    We are back! Our first episode of season three airs on September 8th. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube.

  4. Jun 2

    The Overland Story: How God Built a Church in the West

    In this heartfelt final episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness with Pastors Zack and Josh, they sit down to tell the full story of Overland Church — from the very beginning to where it stands today. Pastor Zack shares how the Lord moved his heart toward church planting while serving at Buck Run Baptist Church in Kentucky, the difficult decision to leave the Bible Belt for Fort Collins, Colorado, and the bold step of faith their family took in 2017. Hear the stories of the small core team that moved west, the miraculous way God provided their building, the challenges of early preview services, growth through COVID, major leadership transitions, and the joy of sending out new church plants to Durango and North Fort Collins. This episode is packed with encouragement, laughter, and powerful reminders of God’s faithfulness — including how the name “Overland” was chosen and the church’s core values: Proclaim, Disciple, Serve, and Multiply. Whether you’ve been part of Overland’s story or you’re simply encouraged by real church-planting testimonies, this is a powerful reminder that Jesus builds His church. Thank you, Pastor Zack, for your obedience and leadership. The best is yet to come. *Wisdom for the Wilderness will take a break over the summer of 2026. Lord willing, the new version of WFW will return in the fall.

  5. May 26

    Catholicism on the Rise? Stats, Attractions, and a Gospel Divide

    In this episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness, Pastors Zack and Josh tackle the growing conversation around Protestants—especially young men—converting to Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and high-church traditions. They examine the actual data (spoiler: Catholicism is flat or declining overall, and more Catholics are becoming evangelicals than the reverse), the cultural and emotional attractions to liturgical worship, and the real frustrations many feel with modern evangelicalism’s seeker-sensitive, entertainment-driven approach. The pastors then dive deep into the core theological differences: justification by faith alone versus faith plus works, the authority of Scripture versus tradition and the Pope, purgatory, Marian dogma, the priesthood of believers, and more. They explain why these aren’t minor preferences but represent fundamentally different understandings of the gospel itself. Whether you’re curious about the trend, considering a switch, or want to better understand Catholic teaching from a Protestant perspective, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a strong call to return to the authority of God’s Word. Don’t base your faith on aesthetics or aesthetics alone—base it on truth.

  6. May 19

    Expressive Individualism: Finding Yourself or Losing Christ?

    In this episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness, Pastors Zack and Josh address one of the most powerful cultural forces shaping our world today: expressive individualism — the idea that your deepest feelings define you, and the highest goal in life is discovering and expressing your “true self” no matter the cost. They explore: What expressive individualism really is and how it contrasts with healthy communityWhy it leads people to cut off family, leave churches, and demand the world affirm their feelingsThe surprising irony that “being unique” often makes everyone look and act the sameHow this mindset fuels consumer Christianity, church-hopping, and weak community groupsThe biblical balance between the value of the individual and the priority of the body of ChristWhy emotions and “authenticity” cannot be our ultimate authority — Christ must bePractical wisdom on doing hard things, raising children, marriage, and building life on convictions instead of feelingsDrawing from Scripture (including the early church in Acts and the “one body, many parts” teaching in 1 Corinthians), the pastors show how the gospel offers a far better identity: not found by looking inside ourselves, but received as sinners saved by grace and called into God’s family. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to “be true to yourself,” wondered why community feels so hard today, or want to help your kids navigate this cultural moment, this episode is for you. A timely, hope-filled conversation that calls us back to Christ-centered living in a self-obsessed world.

  7. May 12

    Aliens, UFOs, and the Sovereignty of God

    In this episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness, Pastors Zack and Josh tackle the latest wave of UFO and alien headlines — including President Trump’s promised disclosures, congressional hearings, and claims that alien revelation could shake people’s faith or drive them to church. With honesty and biblical clarity, they discuss: Why conspiracy theories and government secrecy stories keep resurfacingWhether intelligent extraterrestrial life would challenge core Christian doctrines like the image of God, the incarnation, and salvationThe fine-tuning of Earth that makes alien life statistically improbableThe real possibility that some phenomena could be demonic deception in a materialistic cultureHow God’s sovereignty over the seen and unseen world gives believers peace instead of hysteriaThey also explore the sufficiency of Scripture, the danger of obsessive hidden knowledge, and practical encouragement to stay grounded in God’s Word rather than getting pulled into distraction or fear. Whether you’re skeptical of the whole topic or secretly fascinated by it, this episode offers a calm, gospel-centered framework for thinking about “things outside this world” without losing sight of the One who rules over it all. Perfect for anyone wrestling with faith, culture, and the unknown.

  8. May 5

    Sending Our Founding Pastor: Navigating Transition with Hope

    In this heartfelt and transparent episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness, founding pastor Zack Thurman and Pastor Josh sit down to share the difficult news of Zack’s upcoming departure from Overland Church. With honesty, tears, laughter, and deep pastoral care, they walk the church through the emotions and practical realities of transitioning from its founding pastor to the next shepherd. Zack opens up about the internal wrestling, the Lord’s clear leading, and the mixed feelings of deep love for Overland paired with obedience to God’s new assignment in West Palm Beach, Florida. He shares the timeline of how the Lord stirred his heart and opened doors, including the opportunity to coach church planters and help a multiplying church network reach more neighborhoods with the gospel. Together, Zack and Josh give the church a clear, biblical roadmap for this season: Celebrate and send the Thurman family well (we don’t say goodbye — we send)Grieve the loss togetherThen refocus on the mission with renewed energyThey offer practical encouragement for church members: stay faithful in attendance, keep serving and giving, protect unity, refuse gossip and unfair comparisons, pray for the search team and staff, love the next pastor, and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus — the true Head of the Church. This episode is filled with hope and a strong reminder that Overland’s future is secure because Christ builds His church. Whether you’re an Overland member processing this change or a leader facing transition in your own church, this conversation offers comfort, clarity, and gospel-centered direction for walking through pastoral change faithfully.

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Join Dr. Josh Hutchens, director of Gateway Seminary's Rocky Mountain Campus and pastor at Overland Church in Fort Collins, Colorado, as he explores spiritual faithfulness amid life's challenges and suffering. Through discussions on theological questions and inspiring stories, Wisdom for the Wilderness offers guidance and hope for navigating the complexities of faith in a broken world.

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