Looking for the Real God

#51 Stories of Jesus - An Unexpected Message (S3E10)

Christy finishes up the stories of Jesus back in the book of John looking at Jesus' unexpected and slightly uncomfortable message. She ponders the way Jesus didn't care about crowd size or popularity but instead spoke truth in a way that made followers leave. Truth isn't found within religious or progressive Christianity but instead within the very Person of Jesus Christ.
Scriptures Referenced: John 6
Related Blog Posts:
https://christylynnewood.com/2019/08/15/irony-and-apostasy-finding-a-solid-faith/

#50 Stories of Jesus - An Unexpected Servant (S3E9)

Christy ponders the plaque of abusive leaders within religious Christianity while telling the story of Jesus -- the ultimate authority -- who chose instead to be a humble servant and wash his disciples' feet. Looking back through history, humans seems to be obsessed with trying to gain power, money, and fame. Religion is a perfect system to help broken people to achieve their goals. Jesus tore that system apart and introduced a new way of thinking, the backwards and inside out Kingdom where the last are first, and the first are last, and the true leader is the servant of all.
Scripture Mentioned:
Philippians 2:5-8
John 13:1-16
Related Blog Posts:
https://christylynnewood.com/2018/12/13/the-lump-under-the-rug/
https://christylynnewood.com/2019/02/24/pastors-abuse-and-the-church/
https://christylynnewood.com/2019/12/22/healing-from-spiritual-abuse/
Further Resources:
"When Narcissism Comes to Church" by Chuck DeGroat
"The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse" by David Johnson and Jeff Van Vonderan

#49 Stories of Jesus - An Unexpected Witness (S3E8)

Christy begins a mini-series on some of her favorite stories of Jesus. Christians often focus on Jesus coming to save the world from their sins, and that was a huge part of His purpose. But He also came to show us God. Christy explores Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Then she ponders what it means for us that Jesus came to find sinners. We can easily focus on appeasing the god of religion and miss the Jesus that wants to restore our soul.
Scriptures Mentioned:
John 4
Resources Mentioned:
The Net Bible https://netbible.org/
Related Blog Posts:
https://christylynnewood.com/2019/10/09/im-just-here-for-the-broken-ones/
https://christylynnewood.com/2020/01/07/the-gift-of-brokenness/

#48 Tools for Healing - The Enneagram (S3E7)

In this last part to the series Tools for Healing, Christy shares how she discovered the Enneagram just about a year ago. Learning about the Enneagram and discovering that she is a 4 has been a huge part of Christy's growth this past year. Although far from an expert, Christy encourages her listeners to do some exploring on their own. The enneagram is a fantastic tool for healing and growth.
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.crystalknows.com/enneagram-test#assessment
The EnneaSummer 2019 and 2020 series on the That Sounds Fun Podcast
Related Blog Posts:
https://christylynnewood.com/2020/01/12/old-journals-the-enneagram-and-exciting-changes/

#47 Tools for Healing - Soul Care (S3E6)

In the second part of this series on tools for healing, Christy shares about Soul Care from Dr. Larry Crab. Christy discovered the beauty of Christian psychology since joining her new church over three years ago and has found healing from things she didn't even know were broken.
Even though she left the cultic church and organization over a decade ago, Christy still struggled with defensiveness over her decision. It wasn't until the summer of 2019 while visiting her old hometown that Christy found healing and peace.
Books Referenced:
"Changes that Heal" by Dr. Henry Cloud
Resources Mentioned:
Soul Care by Dr. Larry Crabb
https://christianuniversity.org/courses/soulcare-foundations-i-the-basic-model/

#46 Tools for Healing - Core Lie/Truth (S3E5)

Christy begins a series focusing on specific tools that have helped her to heal and flourish. In this episode she shares her personal experience with the concept of core lies -- something you believe about yourself based on past hurts that isn't true. She then shares the truth about our identity in Christ and how that truth has set her free.
LInk to the Core Lie/Core Truth worksheet Christy mentioned:
https://christylynnewood.com/free-resources/

#45 Deconstructing Biblical Womanhood (S3E4)

Christy walks her listeners through the transformation of her understanding of Biblical Womanhood. Godly women in the cultic-church were quiet, gentle, and submissive and Christy never felt like she fit in. Christy shares personal stories of learning to understand and accept herself as a strong, passionate woman. She also questions conservative teachings about women in the church -- what if those teachings aren't actually Biblical?
Scriptures Mentioned:
Judges 4
1 Timothy 2:8-15
1 Corinthians 14:34-35
Blog Posts Mentioned
https://christylynnewood.com/2019/10/22/not-so-silent-women/

#44 Losing Our Dreams (S3E3)

All Christy ever wanted was to be a mother. Eight months after getting married she was pregnant and so excited. But instead of the joy of a baby, Christy and her husband faced loss. The next couple of years were a rollercoaster of hope and grief. However after an incredible and unexpected gift, Christy discovered that motherhood was harder than she'd ever imagined. She was forced to face her beliefs about motherhood, identity, and God's sovereignty.
Related Episodes:
#9 But God Isn't a Vending Machine (S1E9)
Related Blog Posts:
https://christylynnewood.com/2018/07/19/choosing-trust/

#43 Who Am I Now (S3E2)

Christy continues the stories of her early marriage -- this time focusing on how ten months in her "dream job" left her with total disillusionment and a loss of identity. You'd think that the description Residential Treatment Center for Psychiatric Children would have given her a hint into reality, but it didn't.
A challenging year teaching math to troubled junior and high school students caused Christy to rethink her worldview, beliefs about God, and view of herself. It was a time of brokenness and stripping as Christy was forced to let go of useless religious formulas and Christianese ideas. Although she didn't have the vocabulary at the time, this season was the beginning of Christy's deconstruction and reconstruction journey.

#42 Then We Got Married (S3E1)

Christy begins Season Three with a peek into her early marriage. She explores the way fundamentalism initially influenced her view of marriage and how being married to her wonderfully opposite husband for the past thirteen years has changed that perspective. Christy rejects some common Christianese claims about marriage. And she suggests that while there is no perfect formual. marriage is actually a divine partnership that provides the possibility for a glimpse into the God that created it.
Scripture Mentioned:
Ephesians 5 (specifically verses 15-33)
Resources Mentioned:
“An Impossible Marriage: What Our Mixed-Orientation Marriage Has Taught Us About Love and the Gospel” by Laurie Krieg & Matt Krieg coming October 2020. Preorder here https://www.amazon.com/dp/0830847936/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BFNxFbF68V3GR