Culture Matters

Culture Matters
  • 4.5 (484)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Matters of culture should matter to us—because they matter to God. Hosted by Adam Hawkins, Tymarcus Ragland and Chelsea Conway—the Culture Matters podcast explores the intersection of faith and culture. Looking at everything from politics, art and entertainment to issues such as racial reconciliation and the sanctity of human life, we discuss what it looks like to live faithfully on mission—in the world but not of the world.

  1. 6D AGO

    Habits of Resistence with Elizabeth Woodson

    We’re joined (again!) by our friend, former host, and published author, Elizabeth Woodson, to celebrate the release of her new book, Habits of Resistance: Seven Ways You’re Being Formed by Culture and Gospel Practices to Help You Push Back. In this conversation, we explore the question If we’re all being discipled, who—or what—is shaping us? Elizabeth argues that the issue isn’t if we’re being formed, but by whom. In an age of expressive individualism, algorithm-driven identity, and spiritual confusion, many of us are chasing peace, control, belonging, and justice in ways that quietly deform us. But there is a better way. Through historic Christian practices—prayer, fasting, gathering, service, confession, and more—Liz invites us to resist cultural formation and recover the path to shalom: wholeness and delight in communion with God. Key TakeawaysYou Are Already Being FormedShalom Is the GoalBetter Doesn’t Mean EasierResistance Is Active, Not Passive Questions for ReflectionWhere am I being shaped more by cultural narratives (identity, success, control, visibility) than by the way of Jesus?When I long for peace, belonging, or control, where do I instinctively turn first?Which spiritual habit feels most neglected in my life right now—and what might that reveal about my formation?Do I define “better” as easier and more visible, or deeper and more faithful?What would it look like this week to practice one concrete act of resistance—intentionally choosing the way of Jesus over the way of the culture? Resources MentionedHabits of Resistance — Elizabeth Woodson Connect with ElizabethInstagram: @elizabethwoodsonWebsite: www.thewoodsoninstitute.org/ Thanks to our SponsorIn A Compelling Faith in a Compromising Culture, pastor and longtime NBA chaplain Mike Tatlock invites believers to cultivate a faith that isn’t loud or trendy—but holy, steady, and unmistakably different. To learn more about A Compelling Faith in a Compromising Culture, visit moodypublishers.com or find it wherever books are sold. Follow Us!Instagram Youtube --  Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

    38 min

  2. FEB 24

    Navigating the Chaos of the World with Christlikeness

    We’re kicking off a new season by asking a timely and necessary question: How do Christians navigate a world that feels increasingly chaotic, divided, and unstable? From political outrage cycles and media manipulation to cultural flashpoints and global conflict, it seems like everything is accelerating. Opinions form instantly. Narratives shift constantly. And Christians often find themselves pressured to pick a side before they’ve had time to pray. In this episode, Adam, Chelsea, and Tymarcus wrestle honestly with what it means to remain faithful—not reactive. Rather than offering hot takes, this conversation points us back to something sturdier: King Jesus. The Church has endured hostile empires, political instability, and cultural upheaval before—and flourished. Not by grasping for control, but by walking in peace, holiness, humility, and wide invitation. The world may be loud. But clarity still lives in what God has already made clear. Key TakeawaysThe shifting “Overton window” of what’s culturally acceptableThe exhausting pace of information in the digital ageThe temptation toward control, outrage, or apathyThe subtle ways cultural categories can replace biblical onesAnd the radical call to embody Christlikeness in the middle of it all Questions for ReflectionAre my political and cultural reactions shaped more by Scripture or by my preferred media stream?Where have I allowed outrage to replace prayer?Who is one actual person in my life I can love more intentionally this week?What might it look like to embody peace in a room full of anxiety?What “money bag” do I need to leave behind to follow Jesus more fully? Resources MentionedThe Pour Over News Follow Us!Instagram Youtube --  Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

    45 min

  3. 12/23/2025

    Advent: Peace

    In the last of our Advent conversations, Adam Hawkins welcomes back Elizabeth Woodson and Tymarcus to unpack the biblical concept of peace (shalom)—especially what it means in a season that’s often chaotic, overwhelming, and culturally mischaracterized. Merry Christmas. We will see you in the new year. In This Episode01:00 — Life Lately with Elizabeth 02:00 — Starting the Discussion: What Is Peace? 03:55 — Peace in a Broken World 04:42 — Ty’s Reflection on Isaiah & Peace 07:00 — Relational Tension & True Peace 09:00 — Peace Now vs. Peace Then 12:00 — Peace Beyond “Be Nice” 14:00 — The Reality of Brokenness 18:00 — How to Cultivate Peace Today 22:00 — Final Reflections 28:00 — Close & Christmas Blessing Key TakeawaysTrue peace (shalom) is not just absence of conflict—but wholeness and restoration found only through life with God.We can experience real peace now through obedience, worship, and trust—even as we wait for its full realization in Christ.Peace confronts brokenness at the root—requiring more than proximity or niceness, but the transformative work of Jesus.Guest ResourcesLiz's new Podcast: Shalomies Follow Us!Instagram Youtube --  Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

    28 min

  4. 12/16/2025

    Advent: Love

    We continue our conversation with Caroline Smiley for a moving meditation on Love through the lens of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Tymarcus and Caroline reflect on Mary’s embodiment of sacrificial love at the manger and at the cross. This episode explores how Mary models a risky, selfless, participatory love—one that mirrors God's invitation for us to love as sons and daughters, not merely as servants. The conversation weaves from Hebrews to the manger, from John's Gospel to the Prodigal Son, connecting the bloodied straw of the birth with the suffering of the cross. Through Mary’s obedience and Christ’s incarnation, listeners are invited into the family of God—called to love deeply, suffer faithfully, and hope fiercely. In This Episode00:00 – Introduction: Mary, Love, and Advent 03:00 – The Love of a Mother and the Love of God 10:00 – Mary’s Participation in Redemption 17:00 – Grieving the Cross: Mary and the Suffering of Love 23:00 – From Servanthood to Sonship 30:00 – Prodigal Sons and the Invitation to Come Home 34:00 – Closing Reflections: Love that Bleeds, Love that Welcomes Key TakeawaysLove Begins with Incarnation, Not Just the CrossMary Models Risky, Participatory LoveWe’re Invited into God’s Family, Not Just His ServiceSuffering and Love Are IntertwinedFollow Us!Instagram Youtube --  Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

    34 min

  5. 12/09/2025

    Advent: Joy

    In this second Advent episode, Tymarcus and guest Caroline Smiley explore what it means to experience true joy during Advent — not the manufactured “cheer” of the holiday‑season spectacle, but a deep, scripturally rooted joy anchored in the arrival of Jesus Christ. They walk through how Mary’s song (the Magnificat) in the Gospel of Gospel of Luke isn’t just a moment of personal celebration, but a fulfillment of centuries of longing, pain, exile, and promise from the Old Testament. Through that lens, Advent becomes a sacred space for honest reflection, recognition of brokenness, and hope for what God has done — and is doing — in and through us. In This Episode02:00 – Holidays & Hardship: Joy in the Midst of Pain 05:00 – The Power of Mary’s Story in Advent 10:50 – Where Mary’s Song Sits in Luke’s Narrative 11:10 – Daughter Zion: The Honest Backdrop to Mary’s Joy 17:00 – Past Tense Praise: Why Mary Says “He Has Done” 21:00 – The Magnificat: Mary’s Song Read Aloud 23:00 – Defining “Good Things” Through God’s Eyes 30:00 – Incarnation and Human Longing 34:00 – Final Reflections & A Blessing for the Listener Key TakeawaysAdvent isn’t about manufactured cheer. It’s about honest reflection — acknowledging our brokenness, recognizing the world’s pain, and yet hoping because God is entering that story.Mary connects us to the deep longing of God’s people. By framing Mary as “Daughter Zion,” we see that her joy isn’t merely personal or sentimental — it’s cosmic, spanning generations of suffering, exile, and promise.Joy precedes fulfillment. Mary sings in past tense because true joy is rooted not in what we see, but what God has already done and promised to do — God dwelling with us.Good things are deeper than comfort. For Christians, the “good” God promises isn’t just material blessing or comfort — it is Himself, righteousness, mercy, presence, and ultimate restoration.Incarnation anchors hope. The fact that Jesus became human assures us: God knows suffering, grief, exile, waiting — and in Him, even the most painful reality can be redeemed.Follow Us!Instagram Youtube --  Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

    34 min

  6. 12/02/2025

    Advent: Hope

    We're releasing a series of episodes centered around the Season of Advent. In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Lindsey Jackson by reflecting on Hope — not as wishful thinking, but as a firm trust in God's promises amid suffering. Lindsey shares the story of losing her infant daughter Hadley in 2017 to sudden unexplained infant death (SUID) and how her grief became a place where God reoriented her faith, built deeper endurance, and reshaped her understanding of biblical hope. Together, they discuss how lament differs from grief, why holidays can be hard, and how the church can show up for those in pain. In This Episode01:00 – Introducing the Advent series: Hope, Joy, Love, Peace 03:00 – Lindsey’s story: marriage, motherhood, and baby Hadley 05:00 – Hadley’s death and the immediate aftermath 07:00 – “So much of me died when she died” — grief and resurrection 10:00 – What helped: letters, meals, naps, presence 12:00 – On studying grief and counseling at DTS 14:00 – Hope and the discipline of remembering 17:00 – Hebrews: endurance, lament, and anchoring in Christ 20:00 – Longing in Advent: slow down, find wonder again 24:00 – Misplaced hope vs. rooted hope 27:00 – Lament is not passive grief — it holds expectation 30:00 – Heaven: the promise of restoration 33:00 – “Pre-Hadley” Lindsay vs. post-suffering hope 36:00 – Endurance is a group project Key TakeawaysHope is not optimism or emotional positivity — it's a discipline to root your mind in God's promises.Grief is the response to loss; lament is grief directed toward God, filled with trust and expectancy.Holidays can amplify sorrow — presence, not perfection, is what grieving people need most.Studying grief deepened Lindsey’s calling: to walk with others through loss as a biblical counselor.The resurrection reframes our pain — we grieve, but not without hope.Advent means coming — Christ came once, and He is coming again. This fuels our hope.Follow Us!Instagram Youtube --  Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

    44 min

  7. 11/18/2025

    How Church Could (Literally) Save Your Life

    In this episode, Adam and Ty sit down with Rebecca McLaughlin to discuss her new book How Church Could (Literally) Save Your Life, which explores how regular involvement in a local church is linked with mental, physical, moral, and spiritual flourishing. Drawing on rigorous academic research (especially from Harvard School of Public Health), Rebecca outlines compelling findings: weekly attendance correlates with lower rates of depression, extended life expectancy, reduced deaths of despair, and more. She also addresses objections (such as church‑hurt, abuse, selection bias) and pivots to a theological framing: the church is more than an event — it is family. In This Episode 01:00 – “church is our family” 06:00 – Why this topic? The research behind the book 08:00 – Stats: church attendance & health outcomes 11:00 – Not prosperity gospel: deeper than health hacks 12:00 – What about unhealthy churches? 14:00 – Data controls: not just correlation 16:00 – Theology: why worship matters 18:00 – Church vs. self-optimization culture 23:00 – Virtual vs. in-person: why weekly presence matters 26:00 – Making church a real family 29:00 – Marriage, singleness & spiritual kinship 32:00 – Closing reflections & next steps Key Takeaways Regular attendance at church (once a week or more) is strongly correlated with improved mental health, longer life expectancy, and reduced risk of “deaths of despair.”The positive effect is not explained solely by social support.The church is not just “another activity” but a family.Making church family real may require simple but counter‑cultural practices.The research is not a guarantee of trouble‑free life or a health‑miracle; the gospel remains central — the church is for life in Christ, not just health benefits.For those who’ve been hurt in church: the invitation is not necessarily to abandon church, but to work toward healthy, safe, loving communities. Guest Resources How Church Could Literally Save Your Life by Rebecca McLaughlinRebecca’s Website Confronting Christianity Podcast Follow Rebecca Follow Us!Instagram Youtube --  Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

    37 min

  8. 11/11/2025

    AI & Embodiment

    In this episode, we welcome back Whitney Pipkin, who explores how artificial intelligence (AI) intersects with Christianity, the body, embodiment, and culture. Whitney draws on her background in environmental journalism and Christian thought to highlight the impacts of AI: its resource footprint, its effect on how we think, its influence on discipleship, and what it means for embodied Christian living in a disembodied age. The conversation covers both practical and theological questions—How does AI shape our habits, relationships, thinking? Are we just consumers of information, or are we being formed as creatures who live in bodies and communities? In This EpisodesAI’s Real-World Environmental CostsPower, Water, and the AI BoomTheological Accuracy in AI ModelsAI’s Influence on How We ThinkShould Christians Use AI Tools?Algorithms, Formation & DiscipleshipDisembodied Faith vs Embodied LifeDiscipleship Requires CommunityWhat AI Is Discipling Us IntoEmbodied Practices in a Digital AgeForecasting the Future of Tech & FaithDigital Monks or Missionaries?Limits, Attention & AccountabilityThe Body as a Theological WitnessKey TakeawaysAI isn’t neutral — it has real environmental, ethical, and spiritual consequences.Embodiment matters — we’re made to live, think, and relate in physical bodies, not just as online users.Formation over efficiency — spiritual growth comes through limits, relationships, and real-life discipleship.Question the tradeoffs — just because AI makes something easier doesn’t mean it’s good for us.Be distinct — Christians should live and think differently in a tech-driven, disembodied world.Follow WhitneyWebsite InstagramSubstackFollow Us!Instagram Youtube --  Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

    46 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.5
out of 5
484 Ratings

About

Matters of culture should matter to us—because they matter to God. Hosted by Adam Hawkins, Tymarcus Ragland and Chelsea Conway—the Culture Matters podcast explores the intersection of faith and culture. Looking at everything from politics, art and entertainment to issues such as racial reconciliation and the sanctity of human life, we discuss what it looks like to live faithfully on mission—in the world but not of the world.

Information

  • Creator
    Culture Matters
  • Years Active
    2014 - 2026
  • Episodes
    313
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Culture Matters

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