Curious For More

Redeemer Downtown
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Christianity
  • Weekly

Every week, hosts Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker take one real question from the Redeemer Downtown community and explore it in a thoughtful conversation about God and what it means to follow Jesus. Each bite-sized episode tackles topics like doubt, suffering, identity, love, and hope. Whether you're skeptical, searching, or simply curious, these conversations offer honest answers rooted in Scripture and the Christian faith. For more information visit CuriousForMore.org curiousformore.substack.com

Episodes

  1. 4d ago

    Ep 10 | Where Is God When Life Falls Apart?

    When life falls apart, it can become difficult to feel that God is anywhere near. Even if you believe He is good, loving, and present, suffering can make those truths feel distant from your everyday experience.In this episode, Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker explore what it means to experience God’s distance in the midst of suffering. Drawing on the Psalms and the life of Jesus, they consider why feeling distant from God doesn’t necessarily mean He has abandoned us. They explore how the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection give us reason to trust His presence even when we can’t feel it.But navigating suffering isn’t simply about reminding ourselves of what we believe. How do we acknowledge our emotions without being ruled by them? And what does it look like to bring our grief honestly before God while allowing Scripture and the people around us to guide us through it? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

    Ep 10 | Where Is God When Life Falls Apart?

  2. Nov 2

    Ep 9 | Why Doesn’t God Answer Every Prayer?

    What do you do when you’ve prayed for something desperately, but nothing seems to change? When healing doesn’t come, circumstances don’t improve, and the peace you’ve asked God for still feels out of reach?In this episode, Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker explore why God doesn’t always answer prayer in the ways we hope or expect. They consider what it means to trust God’s wisdom when He says no or asks us to wait, and why we might be confusing God’s answer to our prayers with His attention to us.Looking at Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Pete explores how prayer can change us even when our circumstances don’t change and how the prayer itself can become part of the answer.If you are experiencing a difficult season of life, please know that you don’t have to walk through it alone. If it would be helpful to talk with someone, we’d welcome the opportunity to connect you with a pastor who can listen and walk alongside you. You can reach us at curiousformore@redeemerdt.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

    Ep 9 | Why Doesn’t God Answer Every Prayer?

  3. Oct 27

    Ep 8 | Why Doesn’t God Stop Evil?

    If God knew that evil and suffering would enter the world, why create this world at all?In this episode, Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker explore the tension between God’s sovereignty and human freedom. If love requires real choice, then a world where people can genuinely love also carries the possibility of rejecting that love. But how does that help us understand why God permits evil and how can we trust that he remains good when the world is full of suffering?Christianity doesn't ask us to pretend evil isn't real. It asks whether the God who brought resurrection out of the darkest moment in history can also bring redemption out of our personal suffering.If you are experiencing a difficult season of life, please know that you don’t have to walk through it alone. If it would be helpful to talk with someone, we’d welcome the opportunity to connect you with a pastor who can listen and walk alongside you. You can reach us at curiousformore@redeemerdt.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

    Ep 8 | Why Doesn’t God Stop Evil?

  4. Oct 20

    Ep 7 | Why Does God Allow Suffering?

    When suffering enters our lives, belief in a loving God can become difficult to reconcile with our experience. In this episode, Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker take up one of the most difficult questions in Christianity: why does God allow suffering? If relationship with God doesn’t make grief less painful or answer every question about why suffering happens, what does it actually change?The conversation goes beyond the intellectual challenge to consider what we are looking for when life hurts, and the hope that suffering and death will not have the final word.If you are experiencing a difficult season of life, please know that you don’t have to walk through it alone. If it would be helpful to talk with someone, we’d welcome the opportunity to connect you with a pastor who can listen and walk alongside you. You can reach us at curiousformore@redeemerdt.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

    Ep 7 | Why Does God Allow Suffering?

  5. Oct 13

    Ep 6 | Does Christianity Still Make Sense Today?

    In this extended Q&A, Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker take up five questions that resist easy answers: Does faith override reason? How can you have a relationship with Jesus if he doesn’t speak to you directly? Why doesn’t God make Christianity more obvious? How will artificial intelligence affect our relationship with God and spirituality? Lastly, if God is all-loving, why does he allow suffering?Together, these questions get at something bigger than whether Christianity is believable. They speak to how we understand the modern world and our place in it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

    Ep 6 | Does Christianity Still Make Sense Today?

  6. Oct 6

    Ep 5 | Has Science Made God Unnecessary?

    It’s easy to assume that the more science explains about the world, the less room there is for God. In this episode, Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker explore whether science and Christianity are actually in conflict. They unpack the idea of a “God of the gaps,” consider what science can and cannot explain, and ask whether theories of evolution necessarily leave Christianity behind. Rather than asking whether you have to choose between science and faith, this conversation considers whether there is a better way to understand how the two relate. To learn more, visit CuriousForMore.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

    Ep 5 | Has Science Made God Unnecessary?

  7. Sep 29

    Ep 4 | Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?

    The resurrection of Jesus may be difficult to understand. But does that mean it never happened? For many people, the idea that someone could rise from the dead belongs more to the category of myth than history. But what if the resurrection accounts aren’t simply stories meant to inspire or teach a moral lesson? What would it mean to examine them as claims about something that actually happened? In this episode, Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker explore the historical case for Jesus’ resurrection, considering the eyewitness testimony of His followers, the transformation of the early disciples, and the rapid growth of the early church. They also examine whether the resurrection can be dismissed simply because it seems incompatible with our modern understanding of science. What truly happened after Jesus’ death and what can the earliest Christian testimony tell us about it?To learn more visit CuriousForMore.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

    Ep 4 | Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?

  8. Sep 22

    Ep 3 | Can We Trust the Bible?

    How can we know the Bible hasn't changed over time? The New Testament accounts were written in the ancient world and preserved through generations of manuscripts. If we’re going to build our understanding of Jesus on these texts, it’s worth asking how reliably they have been preserved and what evidence we have for their historical accuracy. In this episode, Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker explore the evidence behind the New Testament, from the time between Jesus’ life and the writing of the Gospels to the thousands of surviving manuscripts and historical sources that can be used to examine its claims. For more information visit CuriousForMore.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

  9. Sep 15

    Ep 2 | Which Christianity Should I Believe?

    There are thousands of Christian denominations, traditions, and churches that don’t always agree. For someone trying to figure out whether Christianity is true, those disagreements can be confusing and even cause more doubt. In this episode, Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker explore how to think about the differences between Christian traditions, why some disagreements matter more than others, and how Scripture distinguishes essential truth from secondary differences. If you’re trying to make sense of Christianity or wondering whether there’s a reliable way to distinguish truth from error this conversation is a great place to start. For more information visit CuriousForMore.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

    Ep 2 | Which Christianity Should I Believe?

  10. Sep 8

    Ep 1 | Why Should I Believe Christianity Is True?

    With so many religions and worldviews competing for our attention, figuring out what to believe can feel overwhelming. Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker explore how to evaluate religious truth claims without blindly accepting them and why Christianity ultimately comes down to the person and claims of Jesus Himself. This conversation offers a starting point for anyone wrestling with faith, doubt, or whether Christianity deserves serious consideration. To learn more, visit CuriousForMore.org. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

    Ep 1 | Why Should I Believe Christianity Is True?

  11. Season 1 Trailer

    Introducing ‘Curious For More’

    Curious For More is a podcast for anyone seeking to ask honest questions about church, culture, Christianity, and what it means to follow Jesus. Every week, Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker will bring their different experiences of faith to real questions submitted by people in their community, from those who have been Christians for years to those who aren’t sure what they believe. Whether you’re skeptical, searching, or simply curious, you’re invited into the conversation. To learn more visit CuriousForMore.org This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit curiousformore.substack.com

    Introducing ‘Curious For More’
  • 1 Trailer
    10 Episodes

Trailer

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out of 5
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About

Every week, hosts Pete Nicholas and Ashley Spilker take one real question from the Redeemer Downtown community and explore it in a thoughtful conversation about God and what it means to follow Jesus. Each bite-sized episode tackles topics like doubt, suffering, identity, love, and hope. Whether you're skeptical, searching, or simply curious, these conversations offer honest answers rooted in Scripture and the Christian faith. For more information visit CuriousForMore.org curiousformore.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Redeemer Downtown
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    11
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Curious For More
  • Show Website
    Curious For More

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