The Second Look

Kiel F. Harvey

The first take is almost never the whole truth. So I take the things we accept at face value, whether that's a workplace habit, a headline, or something I believe myself, and look at them long enough to say what actually holds. Some episodes are narrated essays from Upon Further Examination. Others are conversations that go somewhere the writing can't. kielharvey.substack.com

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    The Stress You Can't Quit

    A narrated essay from Upon Further Examination, written and read by Kiel F. Harvey. My sixteen-year-old spent eighteen months at Planet Fitness and came out the other side unrecognizable, and he did it without ever once making the weights lighter. Some weight won’t and shouldn’t come off the bar either: kids, a marriage worth keeping, a diagnosis. So the question stops being “how do I carry less” and becomes “who would I have to be to carry this.” In this one: why balance advice and a breathing app are careful answers to a question you aren’t actually asking, what capacity is and how it actually gets built, and why the thing that nearly took you under three years ago would barely register today. The fix isn’t a lighter load. It’s a bigger inside. You can’t always put the weight down. You can become the kind of person it doesn’t crush. Originally published June 30, 2026. Read the written version: https://kielharvey.substack.com/p/the-stress-you-cant-quit RockReader The social Bible journaling app I built. Pick a reading plan, connect with a few people you trust, and journal through it together. Private by default, and completely free. No subscription, no in-app purchases. From the Source My Bible study workbook. Go at your own pace and learn how to read and study the Bible so you can understand it for yourself. Also available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. Listen wherever you are Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Thanks for reading Upon Further Examination! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Upon Further Examination at kielharvey.substack.com/subscribe

    The Stress You Can't Quit

  2. 2d ago

    What Is Climbing For?

    What is Climbing for? A narrated essay from Upon Further Examination, written and read by Kiel F. Harvey. Ed Viesturs turned around three hundred feet below the summit of Everest, and his reason is the best career advice you’ll ever get: higher is a comparison, not a destination, and you can’t build a life on it. In this one: why “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard” is a misdiagnosis wearing the costume of wisdom, what a turnaround time looks like when you set one for a life instead of a mountain, and why the fix isn’t dividing your hours differently between work and home. It’s deciding what both are aimed at, before the wanting gets a vote. Pick what you are climbing for. Then climb. Originally published June 19, 2026. Read the written version: https://kielharvey.substack.com/p/what-is-climbing-for RockReaderThe social Bible journaling app I built. Pick a reading plan, connect with a few people you trust, and journal through it together. Private by default, and completely free. No subscription, no in-app purchases. From the SourceMy Bible study workbook. Go at your own pace and learn how to read and study the Bible so you can understand it for yourself. Also available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. Listen wherever you areSpotifyApple Podcasts YouTube Get full access to Upon Further Examination at kielharvey.substack.com/subscribe

    What Is Climbing For?

  3. 3d ago

    Men are One Crisis Away From Finding Out- A Narrated Article

    An essay from Upon Further Examination, written and read by Kiel F. Harvey. In 1990, 3 percent of American men had no close friends; by 2021 it was 15 percent (Survey Center on American Life). A crisis is an audit: it doesn’t change the state of your friendships, it reveals it. On men’s friendship at 40, shoulder-to-shoulder versus face-to-face, and why church quietly rebuilds the exact infrastructure men lose after 35. The RockReader Bible App is available for free (no in-app purchases either) at RockReader.com and the Google Play Store Check out my book "From the Source- understanding the depth and riches of God's word for yourself" at KielHarveybooks.com and Amazon.com Originally published June 12, 2026. Read the original: https://kielharvey.substack.com/p/men-are-one-crisis-away-from-finding Get full access to Upon Further Examination at kielharvey.substack.com/subscribe

    Men are One Crisis Away From Finding Out- A Narrated Article

  4. 4d ago

    AI Jesus Entered the Chat- A Narrated Article

    Narrated Essays are exactly what they sound like: essays from Upon Further Examination, read aloud by the guy who wrote them, for everyone who’d rather listen than read. This one is “AI Jesus Has Entered the Chat.” Someone built a chatbot to speak in the voice of Christ, and the question worth sitting with isn’t whether the machine’s answers are accurate. It’s what we’re actually reaching for when we ask it, and why a god who always agrees with you is the oldest trade in the book. Read the original essay: https://kielharvey.substack.com/p/ai-jesus-has-entered-the-chat Upon Further Examination is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Upon Further Examination at kielharvey.substack.com/subscribe

    AI Jesus Entered the Chat- A Narrated Article

  5. Jun 10

    Why I Built a Bible App That Doesn't Want Your Attention- A Narrated Article

    An essay from Upon Further Examination, written and read by Kiel F. Harvey. Every app on your phone is engineered to compress the moment between impulse and tap. Kiel built one that asks you for thirty unhurried seconds instead. The story and philosophy behind RockReader, a daily Bible journaling app with a small-group soul: private by default, social by choice. Free at rockreader.com. Originally published June 10, 2026. Read the original: https://kielharvey.substack.com/p/why-i-built-a-bible-app-that-doesnt Get full access to Upon Further Examination at kielharvey.substack.com/subscribe

    Why I Built a Bible App That Doesn't Want Your Attention- A Narrated Article

  6. Jan 7

    On Healing and Waiting- A Narrated Article

    An essay from Upon Further Examination, written and read by Kiel F. Harvey. Written in January 2026, while our daughter Raelin was still living with Sanfilippo Syndrome: six observations on prayer and healing from inside the hardest season, while I just tried to keep praying. Not from a mountaintop. From the ash and dirt. Raelin stepped out of this world and into the arms of her savior on April 13, 2026, at 8 years old, surrounded by her family. She is deeply missed by everyone who knew her. The words in this essay remain the words I can offer for why some people are healed, and some are not. There is no simple explanation. Originally published January 6, 2026. Read the original: On Healing and Waiting- Enduring with Limited Vision Get full access to Upon Further Examination at kielharvey.substack.com/subscribe

    On Healing and Waiting- A Narrated Article
  • 6 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The first take is almost never the whole truth. So I take the things we accept at face value, whether that's a workplace habit, a headline, or something I believe myself, and look at them long enough to say what actually holds. Some episodes are narrated essays from Upon Further Examination. Others are conversations that go somewhere the writing can't. kielharvey.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Kiel F. Harvey
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kiel Harvey
  • Show Website
    The Second Look