This week, join Faith and Gary for a cozy post-Thanksgiving conversation covering out-of-town holidays, preparing for Advent, Faith’s second attempt at a pork roast, their ongoing health journeys, mental toughness, vices, stress, and Gary’s near-miss car accident.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
Join Gary and Faith as they talk about the real-life nature of the Bible and how sometimes Christian culture can get it wrong.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
Join Gary and Faith as they talk about Job and how we handle conflict. They ask the question - who is God to you?Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
This Week, Gary and Faith talk about Christian relationships and community: the importance of it, how to get it, and how to keep it.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
Join Faith and Gary for another episode of What’s for Lunch where they talk about taking accountability for your actions, realizing that humans are basically bad and in need of a savior, and what to do if you struggle with thinking that your sin is ‘small enough’ to not need to be dealt with.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
This Week Gary and Faith talk Sin, Anger, and Humility.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
This week, Gary and Faith discuss how Christians can respond to litmus test questions on politics and theology, ending up in a broader conversation about what the church should be all about and how Christians are called to live.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
Join Gary, Faith, and guest John Ricci as they talk 90 second deep conversations, hot ham and cheese, and defining the relationship after your children become adults.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
This week, contest winner Jon Tanner joins Gary and Faith for a fascinating discussion about deconstruction, doubts, and what it all boils down to. They talk sexuality, Biblical confidence, the old earth debate, and hot sauce.We mentioned: The Great Sex Rescue by Sheila Wray GregoireQuestions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
Join Gary as he talks natural medicine, chakras, and chi with Haakon Fiedler, a chiropractic student interested in how faith intersects with the world of natural medicine—what Christians should consider, question, and explore. They also talk about making your faith your own, life when you feel like you don’t fit in, and the everyday miracle of the human body.We mentioned:Ephesians 4:6Colossians 1:161 John 4Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
Join Gary and Faith as they talk with Gary's cousin, Steve, a certified financial planner who became interested in Jesus and Christianity after a life of nominal Catholicism.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
This Week, Gary and Faith both return from weddings and are talking legacy, ending well, and conflict resolution. They talk deathbed confessions, owning up to your mistakes, and how to think about the 2nd coming in light of the decisions you're making now.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
Join Gary and Faith for another fun episode of What's for Lunch and Other Spiritual Questions, where they unpack the difference between just wanting to receive help vs. being courageous enough to choose change. They also discuss questions like 'How do you train yourself to turn to God instead of your phone?', 'Is it our job to chase people in the church?' and 'Is the gospel just the salvation message or the message we're sending with our whole lives?'.We mentioned:The 4 spiritual lawsRomans RoadQuestions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
Why are 70% of teens turning to AI for companionship? Why is a mother holding AI responsible for her son taking his own life? Join Dean, Gary, and Faith as they unpack why AI might be more of a human problem than we think and why rising user levels indicate that people are searching for purpose, meaning, and connection. We also talk Brisket sandwiches and the upcoming season of the NFL!We mentioned:Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business (1985) by Neil Postman.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
This week on What’s for Lunch and Other Spiritual Questions, Gary returns from Mexico with stories that spark a bigger conversation: how do we recognize spiritual realities in our own lives, and why do younger generations seem more open about them than previous generations?We talk about prayer (from the big miracles to the everyday weather ones), the reality of the gospel versus what’s just cultural habit, and how easy it is to miss God’s answers when they don’t look dramatic. We also touch on Gen Z’s openness to things like manifesting, crystals, and shifting—and what that says about our culture's longing for something deeper.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
This week, Faith and Gary swap wedding and funeral stories. Faith shares about Chris officiating his first-ever wedding, Gary talks about reading the room when sharing the gospel, and they both reflect on what people actually remember from big life moments. There’s also a solid case made for bacon-wrapped dates and why the “Tanner Sandwich” deserves a spot in the hall of fame.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
This week on What’s for Lunch and Other Spiritual Questions, we’re joined by Gary’s oldest daughter Grace, coming in hot from Austin, TX! We talk woo girls, Santa cowboy hats, special education, ministry outside the church, and what it's like to come home after you've moved out. Grace opens up about what it means to be called to something that doesn’t look like traditional ministry, growing up as a pastor’s kid, and the weird in-between of young adulthood, family, and faith.We Mentioned:How I Met Your Mother, Season 4, Episode 8 ("Woooo!")Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
In this episode of What's for Lunch and Other Spiritual Questions, Gary and Faith welcome their friend Meghan Johnson — a recent Moody grad, barista, and part-time ministry worker with Decision Point. They dive into what happens to your faith after college, how deconstruction can be both faithful and painful, and what it’s like raising support while also serving coffee. Plus, Meghan brings a sandwich nomination that might change your lunch plans.Support Meghan: https://decisionpoint.org/lead-coach-detail-page/meghan-johnsonQuestions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.
In this episode, Gary, Faith, and returning guest Steve Neilson dive deep into calling, character, and what it really takes to step into ministry—whether you’re behind a pulpit or behind a camera.We talk about:What it really takes to be an associate pastorWhy your character matters more than your giftingSteve’s journey from the gutter to mentoring teensWe Mentioned:Ephesians 2:10Ignite Impactful Living PodcastQuestions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.Check out Gary on Steve's podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oW5lzxNB4g
In this episode, Gary sits down with entrepreneur and communicator Steve Neilson to talk about business, burnout, redemption, and how walking with Jesus transforms everything... even your sense of humor. We also explore how community shapes our growth, why Biblical truth has to be practical, and what happens when you know you shouldn’t say the joke... but say it anyway.Questions for WFL or want to support the ministry? Visit www.newhoperoundlake.com/WFL or email WFL@newhoperoundlake.comWFL is recorded and produced at New Hope Christian Community in Round Lake Heights, IL.Check out Gary on Steve's podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oW5lzxNB4g