The Ordinary Way: Life and Holiness

Lupe Acevedo, Ryan Hamm, and Brian Nutt
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Religion & Spirituality

The Ordinary Way: Life and Holiness was created out of a shared pastoral calling to help people connect Scripture with the realities of everyday life. We have sat with people in moments of deep faith and deep struggle, hospital rooms, kitchen tables, sanctuaries, and quiet conversations filled with honest questions. We are shaped by the Methodist tradition, particularly its emphasis on grace, community, and holiness of heart and life. For us holiness is about becoming more fully who God created us to be, loving God, and loving neighbor in tangible, embodied ways. This podcast is not about having all the answers. It is about walking together, asking faithful questions, and learning how the teachings of Jesus shape how we live, work, rest, forgive, and hope. We aim to be thoughtful without being academic, faithful without being rigid, and honest without losing hope.

  1. 3d ago

    Why do bad things happen?

    If God is good, why do bad things happen? It’s one of the most difficult questions Christians face, especially when suffering touches our own lives. Why does God allow evil? Does everything that happens reflect His will? And how can we trust His goodness when we don’t understand His providence? In Episode 30 of The Ordinary Way: Life and Holiness, we explore the problem of evil, the role of human freedom, and the difference between God permitting something and God approving of it. Through Scripture and the hope found in Jesus, we consider how God can bring good out of terrible circumstances without pretending that suffering itself is good. We also discuss the importance of responding to suffering with compassion rather than easy explanations. When someone is hurting, they may not need us to explain why something happened. They may need us to sit with them, listen, pray, and remind them they aren’t alone. In this episode, we explore: Why a good God allows evil and suffering.The relationship between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.What the stories of Job and Joseph teach us about suffering.How to trust God when we don’t have answers.How Christians can embody God’s goodness to people walking through painful seasons.We may never understand why every tragedy happens, but we can hold on to the hope that suffering does not have the final word. Through the cross and resurrection, we see a God who enters into our suffering and promises a future where death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more. Join us for an honest conversation about faith, suffering, and trusting God when life doesn’t make sense. The Ordinary Way: Life and Holiness - connecting biblical truth and holiness to everyday life.

    Why do bad things happen?

  2. Sep 30

    Why Does Church Hurt Sometimes?

    Church is supposed to be a place of grace, community, love, and belonging. So why can it sometimes become the place where we experience some of our deepest wounds? In this episode of The Ordinary Way, we have an honest conversation about church hurt, being hurt by pastors, church members, ministry leaders, or even the communities we've faithfully served. We talk about why wounds within the church can cut so deeply, how to distinguish normal relational conflict from unhealthy or abusive behavior, and why “Christians aren't perfect” can never be an excuse for manipulation or spiritual abuse. We also talk about what healing can look like: anchoring our faith in Jesus rather than people, honestly processing our hurt, building genuine community, setting healthy boundaries, and seeking help when we need it. And perhaps most importantly, we ask the question we don't always want to ask: What do I do when I realize I've hurt someone else? Church hurt is real. But the failures of imperfect people don't change the faithfulness of Jesus.

    Why Does Church Hurt Sometimes?

  3. Sep 20

    Is Doubt a Sin?

    What if you have questions about your faith? What if you're not sure God is listening? What if you struggle to understand something in Scripture? What if something happened in your life that made you question whether God is really good? Does having doubts mean something is wrong with your faith? In Episode 28 of The Ordinary Way, we continue our series Questions Christians Are Afraid to Ask by tackling one of the questions many Christians wrestle with quietly: Is doubt a sin? We explore the difference between doubt and unbelief, and look at the different ways doubt can enter our lives, through intellectual questions, suffering, and even painful experiences with the church. We also look at people throughout Scripture who wrestled with questions, including Thomas, John the Baptist, and the father in Mark 9 who prayed: "I believe; help my unbelief." Maybe mature faith isn't having every answer. Maybe it's learning where to take our questions. If you're wrestling with doubt, you don't have to hide it or run from God. Bring your questions to Him, seek truth, and keep walking with Jesus even when you don't have everything figured out. God isn't afraid of our questions and we shouldn't be either.

    Is Doubt a Sin?

  4. Aug 29

    Why Doesn't God Answer Every Prayer?

    Why doesn't God answer every prayer? We've all asked it. Maybe you've prayed for healing and didn't see it. Maybe you've prayed for a relationship to be restored, a job to come through, a child to come home, or someone you love to be healed, and the answer seemed to be silence. In this episode of The Ordinary Way, we begin a new series called Questions Christians Are Afraid to Ask and tackle one of the hardest questions Christians wrestle with: Why doesn't God answer every prayer? We're joined by Pastor Troy Stallings for an honest conversation about prayer, disappointment, waiting, and trusting God when His answer isn't the one we hoped for. We explore: What does it actually mean when we say God "didn't answer" a prayer?Why might God say no?What does Scripture teach about waiting?Can God be working even when we can't see it?How does prayer change us, not just our circumstances?What do we do when we don't understand God's answer?

    Why Doesn't God Answer Every Prayer?

  5. Aug 22

    Christianity Isn't About Being Good

    "Christianity is about being a good person." It sounds reasonable. Christians should be good people, right? But what if being good isn't actually the point of Christianity? In this episode of The Ordinary Way, we explore how Christianity has increasingly been reduced to morality, kindness, and self-improvement, and what gets lost when we make "being good" the center of our faith. We talk about Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, the difference between grace and performance, and why Scripture teaches that identity comes before behavior, grace comes before obedience, and relationship comes before transformation. We also explore what happens when churches become focused on appearances instead of grace, why vulnerability becomes difficult, and why some young adults walk away from Christianity because they've encountered moralism instead of the gospel. Join us as we explore what Christianity is actually about and why the gospel offers something far greater than self-improvement.

    Christianity Isn't About Being Good

  6. Aug 9

    If You Have Enough Faith, You'll Be Happy

    Does having enough faith guarantee happiness? In this episode of The Ordinary Way, we examine the common belief that strong faith should lead to health, wealth, success, and an easy life. While Scripture certainly speaks about God's blessings, healing, provision, hope, and joy, it never promises that faithful Christians will be free from suffering or disappointment. We explore the influence of prosperity theology and the "name it and claim it" mindset, and why this way of thinking can become spiritually dangerous when suffering is interpreted as evidence of weak faith. What happens when someone faithfully prays for healing and doesn't receive it? When financial struggles continue despite generosity? When grief doesn't disappear? When life simply doesn't turn out the way we hoped? Through the stories of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane, Paul's thorn in the flesh, and the message of Philippians, we explore the difference between believing God must give us what we want and trusting God with whatever comes.

    If You Have Enough Faith, You'll Be Happy

  7. Aug 1

    The Dangerous Advice Everyone Gives

    "Just be true to yourself." It's one of the most common pieces of advice in our culture. We hear it in movies, graduation speeches, social media, self-help books, and even everyday conversations. It sounds empowering, but is it actually biblical? In this episode of The Ordinary Way, we explore where this famous phrase originated, why it resonates so deeply with our culture, and what Scripture teaches about identity, the human heart, and true transformation. Together we discuss: The surprising origin of "Be true to yourself"Why authenticity has become one of our culture's highest valuesWhat the Bible says about the old self, the new self, and the human heartWhy Jesus calls us to transformation and not simply self-expressionHow to find your identity in Christ rather than your feelingsThe gospel doesn't call us to become the best version of our old selves, it calls us to become new creations in Christ. Join us as we discover that our greatest identity isn't found by looking inward, but by looking to Christ, who is continually transforming us into the people He created us to be.

    The Dangerous Advice Everyone Gives

  8. Jul 18

    God Won't Give You More Than You Can Handle

    "God won't give you more than you can handle." It's one of the most comforting, and most commonly quoted, phrases in Christian culture. But is it actually biblical? In this episode of The Ordinary Way, we explore where this popular saying came from, what 1 Corinthians 10:13 really teaches, and why Scripture paints a very different picture of suffering and dependence on God. Together we discuss: Where the phrase originatedWhat Paul was actually talking about in 1 Corinthians 10Why life often gives us more than we can handleHow God uses weakness to teach dependenceWhy the gospel is about God's strength—not oursThroughout Scripture, God consistently works through people who know they aren't enough. Because the Christian life was never meant to be sustained by our strength. It is sustained by His grace. Join us as we discover why admitting our weakness isn't the end of faith, it's often where faith truly begins.

    God Won't Give You More Than You Can Handle
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About

The Ordinary Way: Life and Holiness was created out of a shared pastoral calling to help people connect Scripture with the realities of everyday life. We have sat with people in moments of deep faith and deep struggle, hospital rooms, kitchen tables, sanctuaries, and quiet conversations filled with honest questions. We are shaped by the Methodist tradition, particularly its emphasis on grace, community, and holiness of heart and life. For us holiness is about becoming more fully who God created us to be, loving God, and loving neighbor in tangible, embodied ways. This podcast is not about having all the answers. It is about walking together, asking faithful questions, and learning how the teachings of Jesus shape how we live, work, rest, forgive, and hope. We aim to be thoughtful without being academic, faithful without being rigid, and honest without losing hope.

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