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Christian thinking in a foreign world. Hosted by Sarah Schalow, Steve Engram and Rich Holland. Episodes released every Tuesday.
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137 Episodes
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Steve is back this week as the Resident Strangers crew wraps up their final conversation on Mormonism (for now 😉). They take time to respond to listener questions like: Why not host a debate with a practicing Mormon? And why can’t people just choose whatever they want to believe? You’ll also hear Steve share his reflections on the series and offer practical ways believers can take what they’ve learned and live it out in everyday life. We hope this mini-series has been both insightful and enco...
You don’t have to travel across the world to encounter worldviews that challenge Christianity. You can find them right in your own community. Sarah and Rich sit down again with special guest Robby Lashua, and he kicks things off by sharing why he’s so passionate about apologetics today. As a young boy, Robby wrestled deeply with questions about faith, and one truth shaped his journey: if God is real, He’s big enough to be examined and questioned. This week, Robby helps unpack what Mormons bel...
Are Christians and Mormons essentially the same? Robby Lashua joins Sarah and Rich for a focused and insightful conversation on Mormonism. Robby, a longtime friend with a background in apologetics and the Lead Pastor of Palmcroft Church in Phoenix, brings years of knowledge and firsthand experience from living in a region where interactions with Mormons are common. As Mormonism becomes more visible in culture through media, politics, and social platforms it can seem like Mormons and Christian...
Last week, Steve and Rich clarified which parts of Scripture are considered doctrine. This week, they explore what it looks like when a follower of Christ feels convicted to observe Old Hebrew practices. Steve introduces this as the Hebrew Roots Movement, which teaches that modern Christianity has drifted from Jesus’ original teachings and that the Torah should be restored to prominence. This can include rejecting Christian holidays, observing ceremonial laws, and using original Hebrew names ...
Many Christians don’t have a parapet on their roof does that mean they aren’t following God’s leading for daily life? Questions like this highlight a larger conversation about how Scripture should be interpreted. One way this tension shows up is in how some people latch onto specific teachings, particularly from the Old Testament, and apply them directly to modern life. In this conversation, Rich and Steve explore how to discern what should be considered binding doctrine within Scriptur...
This week’s episode continues last week’s conversation by asking how a God who shows wrath can also show such deep grace between the Old and New Testament. Steve challenges the idea that the Old and New Testaments present different versions of God, noting that both wrath and grace are found in each. One key difference is focus. The New Testament centers on individuals and how they are called to live like Christ, while the Old Testament often addresses nations as a whole. Comparing the two isn...
It’s Tuesday again, which means a new episode of Resident Strangers is here! This week is exciting as the crew begins digging into listener-submitted questions and suggestions. Over the next two episodes, we’re diving into a big one: Is the God of the Old Testament different from the God of the New Testament? Some see stark differences between the two, while others believe God has always been the same. Steve points out that this question isn’t new as it goes back centuries. Rich helps unpack ...
Happy New Year and welcome back to Resident Strangers! A new year naturally invites reflection and a longing for something new. Steve opens the conversation by emphasizing the importance of spiritual self-examination, reminding us how easy it is to let life simply happen to us rather than living with intention. He points to 1 Kings 19, where God asks Elijah, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” This is a question that can still challenge us today. Rich agrees, sharing how vital it is to be inte...
Merry Christmas from Resident Strangers! This is our final episode of 2025, but don’t worry, Steve, Rich, and Sarah are already working on and planning great conversations for January and the start of 2026. The crew kicks things off with Christmas excitement (and, of course, a little friendly teasing of Rich, longtime listeners know why! 🎄). In the middle of the laughter, Steve offers some timely pastoral wisdom: don’t miss the season you’re in. It’s easy to get lost in nostalgia or jump ahea...
With Thanksgiving just days away, the Resident Strangers crew sat down to reflect on the themes of gratitude and thankfulness. After swapping their own Thanksgiving plans, the conversation shifted toward what it truly means to live with a thankful heart. Rich shared that growing and maturing in Christ is deeply tied to learning contentment, that gratitude is, in many ways, the opposite of selfishness. Sometimes all it takes is stepping back and gaining a fresh perspective to rekindle a spirit...
What does it actually mean to grow as a Christian? In today’s episode, Steve, Rich, and Sarah dig into the idea of spiritual maturity. After a fun conversation comparing the TV shows they each grew up with they shift to what really matters: growing in Christ. Steve kicks things off in 1 Peter 2, where spiritual growth is pictured through the human life cycle. Just like a baby slowly learns to eat and move, even an adult who becomes a Christian starts out spiritually “new.” But the goal isn’t ...
Does the Bible actually teach the sinner’s prayer as the way to receive salvation? It’s Tuesday, which means a new episode of Resident Strangers is here! This week, Steve and Rich are revisiting a topic from earlier this summer during the predestination series and bringing some clarification to a big question: What does it truly mean to believe? They unpack what it means to genuinely place your faith in Jesus and what Scripture means when it talks about salvation, a word that can also mean ...
Steve is back in the studio with Rich and Sarah for another great conversation! This episode marks the third and final installment in our unofficial mini-series on prayer. Steve dives right in with one of the most beautiful prayers in Scripture which is Elijah’s prayer in 1 Kings 18. He reminds us that prayer doesn’t have to be complicated; it’s simply talking with God, expressing what’s already in your heart. When we do that, it transforms us more than anything else can. Rich brings another ...
Larissa joins Sarah and Rich once again as they continue their conversation on prayer. Many believers would agree that some of the most powerful moments of prayer and closeness with God often come during seasons of difficulty. Scripture is full of prayers born out of hardship, many of them being expressions of lament. In this episode, Rich highlights Psalm 13 as a model of lament: it begins with a raw complaint, moves into a heartfelt petition, and concludes with a declaration of trust in who...
Sarah and Rich are joined by a very special guest — Larissa Holland! Larissa is Rich’s wife, and we’re so glad she could be part of this meaningful conversation. While Steve will be back soon, the crew wanted to begin a new series of discussions around prayer, starting with Jesus’ model of prayer from Matthew 6. In this passage, Jesus clearly answers the question, “How should we pray?” Together, they unpack what it means to be mindful of how we pray, especially when praying in front of others...
Today on Resident Strangers, Steve, Rich, and Sarah tackle a topic that continues to stir deep discussion in the church—women in ministry. Right out of the gate, Steve clarifies that spiritual gifts are not tied to gender. In the same way, he says, the use of those gifts within the church should not be restricted by gender. Rich builds on that thought, reminding listeners that every follower of Christ is called into full-time ministry, a theme they’ve unpacked in previous episodes. Sarah, how...
In today’s episode, Rich and Steve take a big picture look at different church leadership structures. Leadership within the church can vary widely from one congregation or denomination to another, and even individual churches often interpret these structures in unique ways. Most of what we understand about church leadership comes from the New Testament. In Acts, we see both the rapid spread of the church and the development of formal leadership offices, primarily elders (or bishops) serving a...
Resident Strangers is BACK! 🎉 And so is Sarah Schalow, from maternity leave. The whole crew is together again! After a full summer run of episodes, the team took a short breather, but you can now expect new episodes to drop regularly back into your feed. Today kicks off the first in a 3-part series on church polity. We start at the beginning: what exactly is a denomination? Rich explains it as a formal organizational structure that individual churches fit into. The episode also touches on som...
Does anyone really love change? It’s uncomfortable and often hard but necessary for growth. Churches especially can struggle with it. The world is always shifting, so how can the church stay anchored in truth while adapting to culture? Steve emphasizes that churches must stay mission-minded, and Rich puts it this way: if every Christian is a missionary, then every Christian should also be a student of culture. And when you study culture, you can’t miss change. The longer a church exists, the ...
Just like people, churches go through life cycles and if you’re part of a church, you’re living in one right now. Steve shares a sobering statistic: in the U.S., 8,000–10,000 churches close every year. Drawing from his work as an executive on the board of Venture Church Network, he takes us behind the scenes to explore why churches close and how understanding a church’s life cycle can reveal its overall health. One key factor stands out above the rest: vision. A church with a clear, Christ-ce...
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