Here We Go Podcast

Alan Hannah & Spencer Sweeting

Conversations on faith, culture, and anything else that comes to mind! This isn’t a football podcast (sorry, Steelers fans). Instead, it’s a space for grace-filled discussions about what it means to follow Jesus in the messy overlap of church and culture. Hosted by Alan Hannah & Spencer Sweeting

Episodes

  1. 11/06/2025

    Behind the Curtain – The Reality of Pastor Life

    “In this season finale, Pastors Alan Hannah and Spencer Sweeting pull back the curtain on pastoral life — the calling, the cost, and the joy of leading God’s people with honesty, humor, and hope.”  In This Episode:  -Steelers, Packers and a pastoral wager   -When Communion goes wrong  -Social media’s impact and the cultural pressure to “speak out”  -The difference between personal conviction and biblical responsibility  -What pastors actually do during the week  -The beauty (and challenge) of church diversity  -Understanding big vs. small church dynamics  -The fivefold gifts from Ephesians 4 — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers  -Why not every pastor can (or should) be great at all five  -The importance of humility, empathy, and equipping the saints    Timestamps:  00:00  Welcome & Pastor Appreciation Month Treats   02:20  The World’s Crunchiest Communion Bread  04:30  Steelers Vs. Packers (Again) And A Pastoral Wager  08:13  Episode Theme: A Look Behind The Curtain Of Ministry Life  10:55  Social Media Pressures, “Speak Up Or Else,” And The Danger Of Consumer Christianity  17:34  Why Pastors Can’t Address Every Cultural Moment  21:32  Being Pro-Life “From Womb To Tomb”  24:31  Unity, Diversity, And The Apostle Paul’s Challenge  26:30  What Pastors Really Do Mon.–Sat.: Preacher, Shepherd, Leader  39:51  Shepherding The Church: What Care Looks Like In A Large Congregation  44:34  Why Pastors Can’t Do It All-And That’s Okay  47:42  The Importance Of Phone Calls, Handwritten Notes, And Presence  49:32  The “CEO” Role: Leadership, Organization, And Stewardship  52:00  Ephesians 4 And The Fivefold Ministry  1:06:02 Big Vs. Small Churches – Dynamics And Misconceptions  1:14:04 Urban Ministry; Diversity And Discomfort   1:29:53 The Call For More Pastors – Encouragement For The Next Generation    Subscribe, share, and send us your feedback at herewego@acac.net.  Follow Alan Hannah: @alan_hannah  Follow Spencer Sweeting: @spencersweeting  Key Quotes:  “If your pastor doesn’t say what you want them to say, that doesn’t make them unfaithful — it might make them wise.”  “Every church has a context. Urban, suburban, rural — none of them are better, just different.”  “Our job isn’t to do all the ministry. It’s to equip the saints for the work of ministry.”  “In a multi-cultural church, you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable — that’s how we grow in grace.”    Resources Mentioned:  -Ephesians 4:11–12 – The fivefold gifts of the Church  -Tim Keller: Church Size Dynamics – Article on church leadership and growth https://seniorpastorcentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Tim-Keller-Size-Dynamics.pdf  -Romans 12:18 – “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  -Christian Counselors Collaborative – https://www.cccpgh.org

    1h 32m
  2. 10/30/2025

    The Halloween Episode

    Tomorrow is Halloween, and you know what that means, loads of Christians are about to lose their minds on social media!   In this episode, Pastors Alan Hannah and Spencer Sweeting tackle one of the most divisive topics in the church calendar: how should Christians approach Halloween and other cultural holidays? From trick-or-treating debates to Santa Claus controversies, they dive into the tension between personal conviction and biblical mandate.   In this episode:  -Why Halloween might be the BEST night to be a neighbor  -The truth about "pagan" traditions (spoiler: it doesn't mean what you think)  -Jesus: The Original K-Pop Demon Hunter??  -How to handle cultural holidays without losing your mind OR your witness  -Why your personal convictions don't have to become everyone else's   -The great candy debate (and a homage to Almond Joy)  Timestamps  0:00 - Intro & Shoutouts   1:30 - Halloween Candy Taste Test Begins   4:00 - Christians Losing Their Minds Over Halloween   6:14 - Pastor Alan's Fall Festival Fail   8:14 - Why Halloween is Peak Neighbor Night   11:00 - What’s in Your Headphones: Scary Movies Worth Watching   14:12 - The Real Question: Why Participate in Halloween?   18:27 - What Does "Pagan" Actually Mean?   19:59 - The Consistency Test for Cultural Boycotts   24:05 - Personal Conviction vs. Biblical Mandate   31:40 - Navigating All the Cultural Holidays   37:40 - The Santa Sermon that Went Wrong   38:42 - Making Space in the Church   40:00 - Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl and Being a Good Witness.  46:40 - The Truth About Loving People and "Stepford Christianity"   50:05 - Practical Advice for Halloween   51:40 - Gross Candy and a Homage to Almond Joy   Subscribe, share, and send us your feedback at herewego@acac.net.  Follow Alan Hannah: @alan_hannah   Follow Spencer Sweeting: @spencersweeting

    54 min
  3. 10/23/2025

    Artificial Intelligence, Faith, and the Future. (with Dr. Larry Heimann)

    Pastors Alan Hannah and Spencer Sweeting are joined by Dr. Larry Heimann—Carnegie Mellon University professor, MIT grad, ACAC elder, and AI expert—for a fascinating and thought-provoking conversation about artificial intelligence. Together the crew unpacks how AI is shaping everyday life, from sermon prep to software design, and explores the theological and ethical implications of this rapidly changing technology. With depth, humor, and humility, they wrestle with what it means to be faithful image-bearers in an age of machines that “think.” In this episode: ·       Using AI in ministry (and what “AI-assisted, not AI-generated” means) ·       Dr. Heimann’s journey to finding Christ at MIT ·       The difference between machine learning and generative AI ·       Examples of AI in daily life ·       The human side of technology: why spiritual encounter still matters more than information ·       Ethical guardrails, hallucinations, and how faith can influence technology for good ·       Raising and mentoring the next generation to be wise AI users Timestamps 00:00 Welcome & banter – “This one’s a heady one!” 00:54 Who is Dr. Larry Heimann? (CMU, MIT, ACAC elder) 02:30 AI use in ministry life 07:10 “AI-assisted, not AI-generated” – finding healthy boundaries 12:07 The danger of skipping the hard work of learning 15:22 Meet Dr. Larry Heimann 27:33 “What’s in your headphones?” – from Bach to Biggie 33:01 Teaching app development & getting under the hood 36:18 What is AI? (Machine Learning vs. Generative AI) 46:20 The morality question: will AI replace or rule over us? 57:00 AI, bias, and the problem of “hallucinations” 1:09:53 Creativity, laziness, and preparing the next generation  1:19:43 Guardrails for families and healthy habits with tech 1:26:18 Closing thoughts & takeaway Resources Mentioned ·       Evidence That Demands a Verdict – Josh McDowell ·       More Than a Carpenter – Josh & Sean McDowell ·       Wesley Huff – Christian apologist and speaker (YouTube / podcast) ·       Frank Turek – CrossExamined (podcast, books, and videos) ·       The Bible Project – Podcast & resources on biblical theology ·       Honestly with Bari Weiss – cultural and current events podcast ·       Wrinkly – Bible memorization app for iOS & Android (created by Ryan O’Dowd, mentored by Dr. Heimann) Subscribe, share, and send us your feedback at herewego@acac.net. Follow Alan Hannah: @alan_hannah Follow Spencer Sweeting: @spencersweeting

    1h 27m
  4. 10/02/2025

    Faith, Football, and Fame (with Steelers Chaplain Kent Chevalier)

    Pastors Alan Hannah and Spencer Sweeting welcome their first guest—Kent Chevalier, chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers—for a conversation about faith, football, and fame. From sideline prayers to the culture set byCoach Tomlin, Kent shares what it means to follow Jesus while navigating thepressures of celebrity and performance. The guys talk about fandom versus worship, the call to “deflect the glory,” and how humility, discipleship, and hidden faithfulness matter in both the NFL and everyday life. In this episode: ·      Kent’s journey to becoming the Steelers’ chaplain ·      Then fine line between fandom and worship ·      Faith and humility in a culture of celebrity ·      What it looks like to “deflect the glory” on and off the field ·      Guarding our hearts against idolatry in sports, church, and culture ·      Why secret service and hidden faithfulness matter more than platform Timestamps  00:25 Welcome & banter (Packers vs. Steelers) 11:10 Introducing Kent Chevalier 21:10 Faith, fame & football in Pittsburgh 24:35 The culture of Coach Tomlin 32:23 From fandom to fanaticism 34:25 “Deflect the Glory” – Kent’s challenge to athletes (and us) 01:06:48 Everyday faith: living with humility 01:11:24 What’s in Kent’s headphones 01:14:43 Closing & Takeaways 👉Subscribe and Share 👉Send us your feedback at herewego@acac.net. Follow Alan Hannah: @alan_hannah Follow Spencer Sweeting: @spencersweeting Follow Kent Chevalier: kentchevalier.com

    1h 16m
5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Conversations on faith, culture, and anything else that comes to mind! This isn’t a football podcast (sorry, Steelers fans). Instead, it’s a space for grace-filled discussions about what it means to follow Jesus in the messy overlap of church and culture. Hosted by Alan Hannah & Spencer Sweeting