Merging Wisdom

Logan Storie brings an extraordinary résumé: Division I swimmer at the University of Florida, two-time U.S. Olympic Trials competitor, Team USA modern pentathlete, and U.S. Army officer. In 2015, he set a world record in modern pentathlon’s swimming event. His accomplishments also include an 800-meter freestyle bronze medal at the U.S. Open and back-to-back podium finishes with his teammates at the Best Ranger Competition, second in 2023 and third in 2024.In this conversation, Logan joins Joel Hubbard and Dan Heroy to explore the wisdom behind those achievements: learning to stay calm under pressure, trusting years of preparation, becoming a beginner again, and finding purpose beyond a particular result. From the Olympic Trials to military service, he shares how his understanding of success has shifted from chasing outcomes to valuing the process.We also explore flow state, the ways overthinking can derail performance, and why consistency matters in everyday life. Logan closes with a candid reflection on his own experiences with anxiety and depression, the importance of seeking help, and what keeps him moving forward as an athlete, soldier, husband, and father.IN THIS EPISODE• Growing up in a family of competitive swimmers and developing a drive to improve• What individual competition teaches us about accountability and honest feedback• Shifting from results-driven ambition to enjoying the process• Choosing an environment where you are challenged instead of comfortable• Inside the Olympic Trials: nerves, preparation, and a breakthrough race• Pursuing an Olympic dream and finding a new direction when it doesn’t happen• Modern pentathlon’s military roots and its changing events• Joining the Army’s World Class Athlete Program and learning new disciplines• Why progress isn’t always linear• How discipline and coachability transfer beyond sports• Stoicism, character, and staying balanced under pressure• Flow state, trusting your training, and letting go of the last mistake• Logan’s approach to exercise consistency and fueling demanding training• Setting meaningful goals while learning to enjoy the present• An honest conversation about mental health in elite athleticsMENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION• University of Florida swimming• Team USA and modern pentathlon• U.S. Army and the Best Ranger Competition• U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials in Omaha• Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte• Coach Rick Guenther, Rowdy Gaines, and Erik Vendt• U.S. Olympic Training Center and Army World Class Athlete Program• Ashton Eaton, Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James• Mantis shooting-training systemABOUT MERGING WISDOMMerging Wisdom is a podcast exploring faith, psychology, culture, history, politics, and what it means to live wisely in a complex world.No single field, tradition, or point of view has a monopoly on wisdom. Through curiosity and honest conversation, we explore what different experiences can teach us - and how to put that wisdom into practice.Follow or subscribe so you can join future conversations.Hosted by Joel Hubbard, Dan Heroy, and Sarina Heroy.Merging Wisdom https://mergingwisdom.comLogan Storie - Team USA: https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/logan-storie#MergingWisdom #LoganStorie #Mindset #Discipline #FlowState #TeamUSA #PersonalGrowth

Jesse Eubanks returns to Merging Wisdom to explore desire through all nine Enneagram types. With Joel and Sarina, he looks at how good desires can become tangled with fear: protection becomes control, peace becomes comfort, and the longing to be valued becomes a need to perform.From perfectionism and people-pleasing to scarcity, self-doubt, and chasing the next experience, this conversation explores what helps us reconnect with our deeper desires and love and understand one another well. No prior Enneagram knowledge is needed.IN THIS EPISODE• Why motivation matters more than labeling someone’s behavior • Type 8: Protection, control, and rediscovering vulnerability • Type 9: Peace versus comfort—and waking up to your own wants • Type 1: Integrity, perfectionism, and making room for grace • Type 2: Being cherished versus being needed; receiving love in solitude • Type 3: Worth beyond achievement; naming shame with compassion • Type 4: Being seen, accepted, and celebrated without having to be different • Type 5: Competence versus collecting knowledge; moving from scarcity to generosity • Type 6: Security through support, learning to trust, and taking calculated risks • Type 7: The hunger for nurture, lasting joy, and being present to pain. MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATION• Nadia Bolz-Weber’s interview on The Road Back to You • Mike Cosper and The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill • Genesis 1:1–3: Being present to chaos before trying to fix it • Captain America and Iron Man • How We Relate by Jesse Eubanks • Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes • Tim Keller and Counterfeit Gods • Neil deGrasse Tyson • Full House, This Is Us, Parenthood, and Dan in Real Life ABOUT MERGING WISDOMMerging Wisdom is a podcast exploring faith, psychology, culture, history, politics, and what it means to live wisely in a complex world. The goal is not simply to talk about wisdom, but to practice wisdom. Allowing what we discover to lead to meaningful action, real change, and lives shaped by greater truth, goodness, beauty, and connection.No single field, tradition, or point of view has a monopoly on wisdom. We follow the questions that matter across the boundaries that usually keep our conversations apart. We desire to always be moving towards wisdom.Where disciplines meet, wisdom emerges.Follow or subscribe so you can join future conversations.Hosted by Joel Hubbard, Dan Heroy, and Sarina Heroy.Merging Wisdom: (https://mergingwisdom.com) Jesse’s Enneagram resources: (https://relatebetter.com) The EnneaCast: (https://relatebetter.com/enneacast/) Wonderology: (https://wonderologyshow.com/)#MergingWisdom #JesseEubanks #Enneagram #Desire #Relationships #Faith #PersonalGrowth #Wisdom

What do you really want and what’s underneath that longing? Author and podcast host Jesse Eubanks joins Joel and Sarina for a conversation about desire, the Enneagram, faith, and the search for a meaningful life.Jesse explores how our deepest desires shape our personalities, relationships, and dreams. Together, we consider what happens when one desire takes over, why we sometimes silence our longings, and how grieving an old dream can make room for something new.The conversation gets personal as Jesse reflects on authenticity and marriage, Joel explores the pursuit of happiness, and Sarina shares her struggle to separate intrinsic worth from other people’s approval. Along the way, we explore curiosity, beauty, gratitude, and the relationships that connect us to God, ourselves, and one another.IN THIS EPISODEDesire as a driving force behind our thoughts, feelings, and actionsWhy desire follows what we perceive as beautifulWhat daydreams, anger, and recurring longings can revealThe difference between honoring a desire and letting it take overHow the Enneagram helps us recognize our underlying motivationsGrieving unrealized dreams and discovering new expressions of purposeWhen “being authentic” comes at the expense of connectionFinding worth beyond success, image, and validationHow gratitude changes our relationship with what we wantApproaching our desires with curiosity instead of shameMENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATIONHow We Relate by Jesse Eubanks The EnneaCast RelateBetter Wonderology The James Webb Space TelescopeThe Soul of Desire by Curt ThompsonIra Glass of This American Life RadiolabThe Office ABOUT MERGING WISDOMMerging Wisdom is a podcast exploring faith, psychology, culture, history, politics, and what it means to live wisely in a complex world.The goal is not simply to talk about wisdom, but to practice wisdom. Allowing what we discover to lead to meaningful action, real change, and lives shaped by greater truth, goodness, beauty, and connection.No single field, tradition, or point of view has a monopoly on wisdom. We follow the questions that matter across the boundaries that usually keep our conversations apart. We desire to always be moving towards wisdom.Where disciplines meet, wisdom emerges.Follow or subscribe so you can join future conversations.Hosted by Joel Hubbard, Dan Heroy, and Sarina Heroy.Merging Wisdom: https://mergingwisdom.com#MergingWisdom #JesseEubanks #Enneagram #Desire #Relationships #Faith #PersonalGrowth #Wisdom

How does a community that's supposed to be built around faith, love, and trust become a place where warning signs are overlooked which results in tragedy? In this episode of Merging Wisdom, Joel Hubbard, Sarina Heroy, and Dan Heroy reflect on Mica Miller’s story and Netflix’s Death of the Pastor’s Wife to explore deeper questions about spiritual authority, accountability, and the misuse of power. Drawing on their own experiences in church and ministry, the hosts examine why charisma can be mistaken for character, how blind loyalty develops, and what happens when questioning a leader feels like questioning God. The conversation also turns inward: How do we recognize our vulnerabilities without blaming ourselves for someone else’s actions? How do we reclaim our agency, make room for anger and grief, and remain open to faith and connection after trust has been broken?IN THIS EPISODEThe Mica Miller documentary and the questions it raises about church cultureWhy spiritual authority creates a different kind of power dynamicWhen gifting, confidence, and charisma overshadow characterWomen’s unique experiences of submission, authority, and pressure to avoid questioning leadersHow trust and good intentions can be exploitedWhy healthy leadership requires more than talent or the absence of scandalThe fruit of the Spirit as a measure of maturity and relational healthThe difference between loyalty and surrendering your own judgmentLearning from painful experiences without shame or self-blameMaking room for anger and grief alongside forgivenessWhy forgiveness does not erase accountability or consequencesRebuilding trust without making another person the center of your identityStaying connected while taking responsibility of your own agencyMENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATIONNetflix’s Death of the Pastor’s WifeMica Miller and John-Paul “JP” MillerJoseph Smith, Brigham Young, and early Mormon historyG. K. Chesterton and the invitation to examine ourselvesNorm Macdonald’s Saturday Night Live Clara Turley Bible Challenge game-show sketchShawn Bolz and "hot reading" words of knowledge King Saul and King David from the BibleDISCLAIMERThis episode offers commentary and personal reflection on a documentary, public reporting, and the hosts’ experiences. Allegations should not be treated as established facts merely because they are discussed here. Anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. We are not determining anyone’s guilt or legal liability, or prejudging any investigation or legal proceeding. Information reflects what was available at recording on September 11, 2026, and may change. Our aim is to encourage reflection on faith, power, and accountability, not harassment or speculation.ABOUT MERGING WISDOMMerging Wisdom is a podcast exploring faith, psychology, culture, history, politics, and what it means to live wisely in a complex world. Conversations that seek wisdom wherever it’s found.Follow, subscribe, and share the podcast to help others join the conversation.Hosted by Joel Hubbard, Dan Heroy, and Sarina Heroy.https://mergingwisdom.com#MergingWisdom #MicaMiller #DeathOfThePastorsWife #SpiritualAbuse #ChurchLeadership #Faith #Accountability

What can the early church teach modern Christians about leaders, worship, enchantment, and the mysteries of God? In this episode of Merging Wisdom, Dan Heroy, Joel Hubbard, and Sarina Heroy are joined by professor, church historian, and author Dr. Bryan Litfin, for a wide-ranging conversation about ancient Christianity and why the church may need to look backward in order to move forward.IN THIS EPISODEBryan Litfin’s journey into studying ancient Christianity and the church fathersThe inspiration behind the Ancient Evil, Living Hope series with Kathie Lee GiffordWhat early traditions may tell us about Mary and PaulWhy God so often chooses the weak, humble, and overlookedMary as the vessel of the incarnation and the new Holy of HoliesThe tearing of the temple veil as both access to God and the movement of God into the worldWhat Christianity has lost through the disenchantment of the modern Western worldSarina’s experience navigating charismatic Christianity and excessive spiritualizationHow liturgy, creeds, and communal worship can make spiritual reality accessible to everyoneWhy Christianity may need an ancient-future expression of faithWhy incarnational theology is not the same as pantheismWhether particular places or physical objects can carry spiritual significanceThe Eucharist, Bread, wine, water, baptism, and the mystery of embodied faithThe contrast between pagan gods who demand sacrifice and the Christian God who gives himselfWhy bodily resurrection is essential to the Christian understanding of eternal lifeThe incarnation, physical creation, and the importance of embodimentWhy Christians are so often attracted to charismatic and larger-than-life leadersKing Saul, the Apostle Paul, and two radically different expressions of leadershipWhy celebrity-pastor culture can become spiritually dangerousWhat the early church fathers might recognize, and reject, in today’s churchesWhether the early church would recognize one pastor leading a congregationThe historical distinction between clergy and laityPaul’s authorship of the New Testament epistlesWhether Paul created new commandments for the early churchWhat Bryan means when he calls Christians to become “little-c catholic”MENTIONED IN THE CONVERSATIONDr. Bryan Litfin: https://bryanlitfin.comNero and Paul by Kathie Lee Gifford and Bryan LitfinHerod & Mary by Kathie Lee Gifford and Bryan LitfinThe Story of the Trinity by Bryan LitfinAfter Acts: Exploring the Lives and Legends of the Apostles by Bryan LitfinWisdom from the Ancients by Bryan LitfinBryan’s historical fiction about ConstantineBryan’s forthcoming book Church History for YouKathie Lee GiffordEmperor NeroThe Apostle PaulHerod the GreatMary, the mother of JesusSuetonius, Tacitus, and JosephusThe Acts of PaulDominion by Tom HollandThe Azusa Street RevivalMichael Heiser and the biblical theme of cosmic conflictThe Shroud of TurinC.S. Lewis and The Chronicles of NarniaJohn Piper and celebrity-pastor cultureThe Blurry Creatures podcastJohn G. Turner and the Merging Wisdom conversation about Joseph SmithABOUT MERGING WISDOMMerging Wisdom is a podcast exploring faith, psychology, culture, history, politics, and what it means to live wisely in a complex world.Follow or subscribe so you can join future conversations.Hosted by Joel Hubbard, Dan Heroy, and Sarina Heroy.https://mergingwisdom.com#MergingWisdom #BryanLitfin #NeroAndPaul #KathieLeeGifford #ChurchHistory #EarlyChurch #Faith #Christianity