The Be Unbound Podcast

Be Unbound
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The Be Unbound Podcast teaches young adults and their parents how to ask the right questions, take action, and understand key truths that will enable them to live well, by showcasing conversations with guests who display what it looks like to be extraordinary at the ordinary.

  1. What Men Really Need (But Rarely Admit)

    3D AGO

    What Men Really Need (But Rarely Admit)

    If you ask most Christian men what they value most, the answers usually sound familiar: Faith. Family. Purpose. Integrity. But if you look at something more revealing, like their calendars, their spending, their habits, or the people they spend the most time with, you might get a different picture. In this episode, Jonathan and David sit down with Jeff Pinkleton to talk about something that’s both incredibly common and rarely discussed openly: the internal struggles many men carry and the isolation that often comes with them. Jeff has spent years working in men’s ministry, walking alongside men who are trying to navigate discouragement, responsibility, faith, and relationships. And one of the biggest patterns he’s seen is this: many men are trying to live the Christian life alone. This conversation explores why that happens, why it’s dangerous, and what it looks like for men to actually support, disciple, and challenge one another in a meaningful way. __________________________________________________ Thanks for listening. And as always, Be Unbound.

    43 min
  2. The Invisible Ideas Running Your Life

    MAR 6

    The Invisible Ideas Running Your Life

    Most people think they’re making thoughtful, intentional decisions about their lives.But what if many of those decisions are actually being driven by ideas you’ve never consciously examined? In this episode, Jonathan and David pick up on themes from last week’s conversation and explore one of the most powerful hidden forces shaping our lives: the invisible assumptions behind how we measure success. Why do so many life decisions revolve around career, income, and opportunity? Why does the question “What do you want to do with your life?” almost always get answered with a job title? The problem isn’t that work or money matter. They obviously do. The problem is when economic success quietly becomes the default metric that determines where we live, how we make decisions, and what we believe a “good life” looks like. Instead of chasing the wrong scoreboard, Jonathan and David explore a different approach: consciously examining the ideas that drive your decisions—and learning to structure your life around priorities rather than metrics. Topics We ExploreWhy nearly every life plan defaults to an economic answerThe hidden ideas that quietly shape our decisionsHow metrics can become distractions instead of toolsWhy success is often measured by the wrong scoreboardThe difference between tools and ultimate goalsWhy priorities are more helpful than formulasHow family, faith, and calling interact when making life decisionsWhy two faithful Christians may make completely different choicesThe danger of assuming your life path should be everyone else'sHow understanding priorities creates humility and clarityMetrics vs. MissionOne of the key ideas in the conversation is that metrics are not inherently bad. Numbers can be helpful tools. They can help us track progress, stay disciplined, and make practical decisions. The problem happens when the tool becomes the goal. When that happens, we stop pursuing the deeper purpose and start optimizing the measurement instead. A spreadsheet meant to track spiritual discipline can slowly turn into a scoreboard for holiness. A career meant to support your family can quietly become the primary measure of your worth. The metric was supposed to serve the mission—but instead it replaces it. The Power of PrioritiesSo if life isn’t meant to be driven by metrics, what should guide our decisions? Jonathan suggests a helpful framework: priorities. Rather than asking: What will make me the most successful? You might ask: What has God called me to prioritize?What responsibilities has He placed directly in front of me?What order should those responsibilities take?For example, many Christians would broadly agree on priorities like: Faithfulness to ChristCare for familyCommitment to community and churchFaithfulness in vocationBut how those priorities play out can look very different depending on the person, the family, and the life stage. Two people may both prioritize family—and still make opposite decisions about a job move. And that doesn’t necessarily mean one of them is wrong. Living Fully AwakeThe deeper challenge here is awareness. Many people go through life reacting to circumstances or following cultural expectations without ever questioning the ideas behind their choices. But living intentionally means slowing down long enough to ask: What assumptions are shaping my decisions? Once those ideas become visible, you can begin evaluating them—testing them against Scripture, wisdom, and calling. And from there, you can begin making decisions with clarity rather than defaulting to the culture’s definitions of success. If you’re interested in conversations like this—where faith, vocation, responsibility, and real life intersect—we’d love for you to explore what we’re building at Be Unbound. Through programs, experiences like Ridgeline, and the broader Unbound community, we’re working to help people live thoughtful, responsible, mission-driven lives. Thanks for listening. Thanks for thinking with us. And as always, Be Unbound.

    33 min
  3. The Right Scorecard

    FEB 25

    The Right Scorecard

    If you’ve ever felt the tension between “real life” and “spiritual life,” you know what I mean. There’s the theology. The big ideas. The books. The podcasts. The Sunday conversations. And then there’s: The broken washing machineThe endless emailsThe job that feels either exhausting or meaninglessThe day that gets hijacked by something you didn’t planHow are those two worlds supposed to connect? In this episode, Nathan Rittenhouse from the Thinking Out Loud podcast joins us for a conversation about what it actually looks like to live out your faith in ordinary, physical, daily life — not just in theory, but in reality. What We Talk About• Why Christianity was built for the mud — not just the lecture hall • The danger of separating “spiritual” life from physical reality • The difference between the weariness of work and the weariness of worry • Why money becomes our default scoreboard • The hidden pride and quiet bitterness in both blue-collar and white-collar work • Why being human means refusing to become a machine • How community creates the safety net that makes courage possible • Why “well done, good and faithful servant” doesn’t include your salary • What it means to put your head on the pillow with a clear conscience Maybe you’re listening and thinking: “I’m just trying to get through the week. I’m not over-spiritualizing my job. I just need to survive.” Fair. But here are two things to consider: First, whether you realize it or not, you’re already living according to a scoreboard. The question isn’t whether you measure your life — it’s which metric you’re using. Second, there is a kind of daily faithfulness that leads to something deeper than productivity: what Nathan described as a “grin on your soul.” Not naïve optimism. Not denial. But a settled joy that comes from knowing you showed up in obedience — even if the day didn’t go according to plan. That kind of joy doesn’t come from control. It comes from trust. If you want to be part of a community that takes formation seriously — that values real responsibility, real relationships, and faith that works on Tuesday afternoon — we’d love for you to explore what we’re building at beunbound.us. Thanks for thinking with us. As always, Be Unbound.

    41 min
  4. Power, Pride, and Why Leaders Fall

    FEB 18

    Power, Pride, and Why Leaders Fall

    If you’ve been paying attention to headlines lately — whether political scandals, abuse of power stories, financial corruption, or sexual sin in ministry — you know the pattern. Leaders rise. Influence grows. Power increases. And then, sometimes suddenly, everything collapses. Why does this keep happening? We don’t think it’s because Christianity “doesn’t work.” And we don’t think it’s because leadership is inherently evil. Trent Emmack joins us for a discussion as we wrestle with this tough reality: We are still sinful people. And power multiplies whatever is already there. What We Talk About Why Christians shouldn’t be surprised that leaders fallHow rapid rises to influence often create spiritual vulnerabilityWhy “sin makes you stupid” — and shortens your time horizonWhy leaders must consciously place themselves under authorityThe role of accountability, objectivity, and wise counselorsWhy systems matter — even if they aren’t foolproofThe difference between leadership and personal valueHow cultural narratives about power quietly fuel arroganceSabbath, rest, and the link between burnout and moral collapse It’s easy to think, “If we just had more power, we could fix everything.” But power doesn’t sanctify you. It amplifies you. The real issue isn’t influence. It’s formation. And formation happens slowly — through accountability, repentance, rest, community, and daily obedience long before anyone is watching. Maybe you’re listening and thinking, “I’m not a CEO, pastor, or politician. What does this have to do with me?” Two things: First, you may be someday. Character is built long before influence arrives. Second, even if you never hold a visible leadership position, you will almost certainly be close to someone who does. Being the friend who asks hard questions, the spouse who notices patterns, the board member who insists on accountability, or the church member who speaks truth gently but firmly — that’s not glamorous work. But it might be the difference between faithfulness and collapse for someone else. If you want to be part of a community that takes formation seriously — that values accountability, relationships, and meaningful responsibility — we’d love for you to explore what we’re building at beunbound.us. We just returned from Ridgeline, and the wrap-up video will be live soon on the Be Unbound YouTube channel. It was an incredible reminder that real leadership is forged in community, responsibility, and shared mission — not spotlight and applause. Thanks for thinking with us. As always, Be Unbound. Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/ Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer Producer: Kyle Hill

    36 min
  5. Creation or Destruction: How to Know If Your Work Actually Matters

    FEB 4

    Creation or Destruction: How to Know If Your Work Actually Matters

    It takes millions of people, endless infrastructure, and staggering coordination to create something as ordinary as a laptop. And yet all it takes is a careless move and less than a second to destroy it. Creation is slow, difficult, and fragile. Destruction is fast, easy, and tempting. So today, we ask an uncomfortable question: Is the work you’re doing an act of creation or an act of destruction? Young adults are so often told that meaningful work must be glamorous, set-apart, or visibly heroic, but that idea misses how God actually works in the world. As Christians, we often misunderstand what “kingdom work” actually looks like. In our conversation today, we talk seriously about the idea that any genuine act of creation pushes back against evil, no matter how small or unseen it may be. Our conversation covers... Why creation is hard and destruction is easyThe hidden moral weight of everyday work“Tell truth, celebrate beauty, expose evil”—and why that applies far beyond ministryWhy we idolize visible, glamorous kingdom workHow ordinary jobs quietly hold civilization togetherHow to think about working for imperfect (or broken) organizationsWhy no institution gets this right all the time—including Christian onesWhen to change from within, and when to walk awayWhy discomfort might be a sign of moral awareness, not failure If you’re made in the image of God, you’re made to create. If this conversation resonates, you’ll feel it woven throughout Ridgeline, Ascend, and everything we do at Unbound. You can find out more about Unbound here: https://beunbound.us/ Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer Producer: Kyle Hill

    37 min
  6. Healthy Habits Set You Free

    JAN 21

    Healthy Habits Set You Free

    For an embarrassingly long time, one of us (Jonathan) believed that the solution to feeling overwhelmed was simple: just get a completely free day. No schedule. No obligations. Nothing planned. Surely that would feel restful, right? Except it didn’t. In this conversation, we unpack why those long-imagined “free days” so often leave us dissatisfied, and why a little bit of discipline often leads to far more joy, meaning, and memorable experiences than total freedom ever does. Since it’s January and everyone is talking about habits, routines, and New Year’s resolutions, we decided to slow the conversation down and go deeper. Instead of just asking what habits should we build?, we ask the more important question: why do habits matter at all? What We Talk About Why totally unstructured “free days” often feel like wasted daysThe false belief that habits restrict freedomHow routines actually make adventure possibleWhy the mundane parts of life matter more than we thinkHow contrast helps us appreciate both work and restProductivity, purpose, and why humans are wired to workThe importance of connecting habits to why, not just willpowerHow discipline creates stories, not boredom If you’re looking for a healthy disruption to your routine—and a lot of meaningful contrast—we’d love for you to explore what we do at Unbound. From our high school programs to Ascend and experiences like Ridgeline, we create environments that stretch habits, build resilience, and invite people into a more purposeful way of living. Thanks for listening, thanks for thinking with us, and as always—Be Unbound. Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/ Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer Producer: Kyle Hill

    34 min
  7. Everyone Should Be a Runner

    JAN 14

    Everyone Should Be a Runner

    This episode started the way some of our favorite conversations do: by accident. Right before we hit record, David made a bold claim: everyone should be a runner. We hadn’t talked it through, we hadn’t outlined it, and we hadn’t even agreed on it. So naturally, we decided to hit record and see where the conversation went. We talk about why physical discomfort matters, why distance running in particular teaches patience and mental endurance, and how doing hard things on purpose shapes the way we handle everything else. From goal-setting and planning to community, habit-building, and resisting temptation, this conversation connects physical training to Christian formation in a surprisingly direct way. You don’t have to love running to get something out of this episode. But you might finish it thinking differently about comfort, discipline, and the kind of person you’re becoming. What We Talk About David’s bold claim that everyone should be a runnerThe difference between short, intense effort and long, patient enduranceWhy distance running is as much mental as it is physicalGoal-setting, failure, and learning how to adjust when plans breakHow physical discomfort trains resilience for everyday lifeWhy modern life has eliminated most natural “resistance training”The surprising connection between physical training and resisting temptationThe danger of comparison—and why the only real competition is with yourselfTraining not to win races, but to be ready for life Whether it’s running, lifting, hiking, cold mornings, disciplined routines, or something else entirely—find a way to regularly do something that’s hard, inconvenient, and requires you to tell yourself, “Do it anyway.” Thanks for starting this new year with us. We’re grateful you’re here, grateful for this community, and excited about what this season holds. As always, be unbound. Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/ Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer Producer: Kyle Hill

    31 min
  8. Andrew Pudewa: Reading, Writing, and the Fight to Stay Human

    JAN 7

    Andrew Pudewa: Reading, Writing, and the Fight to Stay Human

    Welcome to 2026! This episode is special for us—not just because it’s our first episode of the new year, but because we get to kick things off with a conversation we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. We’re joined by Andrew Pudewa, and if you’ve ever heard him teach, you know that when Andrew starts talking about education, language, and the human mind, you lean in. This conversation ranges widely from AI and education, to reading and writing, to entertainment, creativity, and what it actually means to live a full human life in a hyper-digital age. Along the way, we wrestle with questions like: What happens to the soul when entertainment replaces creation?Why does reading a book change the way we think in ways videos never do?How does writing force clarity in a world that rewards speed and shortcuts?Why using AI as a counselor or companion should deeply concern usAnd what it looks like to be deliberate rather than reactive in how we use technology This isn’t an anti-technology episode. We’re not calling for retreat or nostalgia. We are calling for discernment. We believe AI, like every powerful tool before it, will do both good and harm—and Christians shouldn’t be surprised by that. The real question is whether we’ll choose to stay fully human in the middle of it. If you’re a parent, educator, student, or simply someone trying to think clearly in a noisy world, this episode will challenge you, encourage you, and probably make you reconsider how you spend your time and attention. We’re grateful to start the year with this conversation, grateful for Andrew, and grateful for you for listening with us. Welcome to 2026. As always, Be Unbound. Learn more about Unbound: https://beunbound.us/ Hosts: Jonathan Brush, David Rethemeyer Producer: Kyle Hill

    50 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

The Be Unbound Podcast teaches young adults and their parents how to ask the right questions, take action, and understand key truths that will enable them to live well, by showcasing conversations with guests who display what it looks like to be extraordinary at the ordinary.

Information

  • Creator
    Be Unbound
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    204
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Be Unbound Podcast

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