Jesus and... Culture with Eric Johnson

In this episode, Jared Neusch joins Pete Portal to take on two of the most loaded words in the church right now: nationalism and Christian pacifism. Starting from Jesus as God’s clearest picture of himself, they ask what greatness and blessing actually mean in his kingdom, what changes when Romans 13 is read after Romans 12, and why rethinking the cross changed everything for Jared. The conversation keeps coming back to power, and to the difference between the kind that dominates and the kind that gives itself away. It’s a challenge to take the Sermon on the Mount seriously, even when it seems impractical.Dr. Jared Neusch is a New Testament scholar based at St. Mellitus College in London. He has taught in university and local-church settings in various capacities for over a decade, and some of his current areas of interest in research include Christian pacifism (over and against Christian nationalism!), hermeneutics, and the apocalyptic Paul. He has contributed to various popular and academic writing projects, including his recent chapter, “Nonviolent Hermeneutics” in the Handbook of Postconservative Theological Interpretation(2024), and his kids book introducing children to Christian peacemaking called, “Jesus vs the Bad Guys”.Follow Pete Portal: InstagramPete's Books:How to Be (Un)SuccessfulNo Neutral GroundPete's Community:Tree of LifeContact PeteJesus and... Everything is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast NetworkProduced and Edited by Joshua JohnsonSupport the show

In this episode, Zach Meerkreebs sits down with Pete Portal to talk about the long tail of an outpouring. Three years after the Asbury outpouring, Zach talks honestly about the fruit he has seen, the fruit he’s still waiting for, and the strange pressure of becoming “the Asbury guy.” He also talks about the costs that rarely make it into the story. Together they explore influence without cynicism, the difference between platform and character, and why belovedness may be the deepest anchor a Christian has. What would it mean to take the lowest seat and actually rest there.Zach Meerkreebs has the goal in life to be the most grateful person in the room. His gratitude is founded in the gift of Jesus and the Gospel, the joy of being married to Kristin, and being the proud father of three girls; Eden, Esther, and Mercy.After growing up Jewish and experiencing life in a broken home, Zach met Jesus through the witness and courage of his friends and their families who loved Jesus boldly around him. Since meeting Jesus, Zach has had the joy of planting churches, traveling the world as a missionary, investing in leaders, ministering on college campuses, and pastoring in the local church. His passion is to help identify and develop emerging leaders for future Kingdom impact and has recently done that as a part of Envision, a ministry of the Christian & Missionary Alliance. Zach’s latest adventure with Jesus was catalyzed by his participation in a unique outpouring of God’s Spirit at Asbury University in February, 2023 which has catalyzed traveling to universities and communities around the world to testify and spur on hunger and pursuit of God’s mission through humility, awakening, and renewal. Zach currently lives in Lexington, KY with his wife and girls and is excited to continue to watch and participate in what God is doing around the world.Follow Pete Portal: InstagramPete's Books:How to Be (Un)SuccessfulNo Neutral GroundPete's Community:Tree of LifeContact PeteJesus and... Everything is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast NetworkProduced and Edited by Joshua JohnsonSupport the show

In this episode, Tim Hughes, the songwriter behind “Here I Am to Worship” and a church leader in Birmingham, sits down with Pete Portal to talk about what happens when a song travels further than its writer ever planned. Tim reflects on being both blessed and broken by the leaders who formed him, on the comparison that robs joy, and on why the fruit of the Spirit says more about God’s work in a life than gifting or a crowd ever could. They discuss worship that refuses escapism, measuring church health without counting heads, and listening across the culture wars. It’s a conversation about faithfulness over fame, and the slow work of becoming more like Jesus.Tim Hughes is a worship leader, songwriter and pastor whose music has shaped contemporary worship across the globe. Best known for songs such as “Here I Am to Worship”, “Happy Day”, “The Way”, and “Spirit Break Out”, Tim’s songwriting and melodies inspire the church to encounter God in fresh and authentic way, seeking the presence and power of God all rooted in biblical principles. As the Senior Pastor of Gas Street Church in Birmingham, Tim leads a thriving community passionate about creativity, evangelism, and the presence of God. He also heads up Gas Street Music, the church’s worship expression dedicated to resourcing the wider Church with new songs and sounds of worship. Before founding Gas Street Church, Tim played a key role as the founder and visionary behind Worship Central, a movement and training hub that has equipped thousands of worship leaders and musicians around the world.Follow Pete Portal: InstagramPete's Books:How to Be (Un)SuccessfulNo Neutral GroundContact PeteJesus and... Everything is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast NetworkProduced and Edited by Joshua JohnsonSupport the show

In this episode, Jay Pathak joins Pete Portal to talk about encountering the Holy Spirit without striving for it, and why that encounter doesn’t excuse anyone from the slow work of being formed. They talk about how leadership and marriage expose the places we were wounded, why so many caregivers are quietly trying to fix themselves by fixing others, and what it might mean to stay connected to the people who push our buttons most. Jay also offers an unexpected answer for anyone whose faith has gone flat, one that points away from bigger moments and toward the people we most often overlook.Jay Pathak is the Lead Pastor of the Arvada Vineyard. He and his wife, Danielle, planted the church in 2001. Jay strategically guides the mission and vision of our church as a whole and is the main teaching pastor. Over the last 20 years, he has spoken nationally and internationally for Vineyard and other church networks.Committed to engaging and impacting those outside the church, Jay co-wrote the book, The Art of Neighboring, with Dave Runyon. His passion for sharing his faith with the people around him is at the center of his calling. Jay is a humble, empowering leader who is passionate about raising up leaders around him; his strengths, in particular, lie in strategically placing people on teams where they thrive. Additionally, he regularly thinks of ministry in the city and developing relationships and partnerships in the city, government and across denominational lines.Jay has a BA in Philosophy from The Ohio State University and is a graduate of the Vineyard Leadership Institute. He served on the Vineyard executive team for 5 years and helped lead the ReOrg team for the Vineyard. He is currently serving as the National Director for Vineyard USA. Jay met his wife, Danielle, in high school and they were married in 1998; they have two beautiful daughters, Jasmine and Sofia. Whenever possible, you’ll find him on the golf course, hanging out with his friends and family or enjoying a nice scotch. Maybe all together!Follow Pete Portal: InstagramPete's Books:How to Be (Un)SuccessfulNo Neutral GroundContact PeteJesus and... Everything is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast NetworkProduced and Edited by Joshua JohnsonSupport the show

In this episode, Eric Johnson joins Pete Portal to talk about leaving Bethel, the church his parents built, for a city he had barely heard of. Eric is Lead Pastor of Studio Greenville, a community where faith, culture, and creativity meet. Together they explore how the church’s most cherished words can quietly become a cage, what the charismatic tradition gets right and where it falls short, why “Christian art” may be a contradiction, and how to pastor a divided congregation through an age of outrage. Eric also opens up about the breakdown that rebuilt him. What would it look like for holiness to draw you toward the world rather than away from it?Eric Johnson and his wife Candace are lead pastors of STUDIO chuch in Greenville, South Carolina. Eric is a pastor, author, speaker, and budding entrepreneur. He is passionate about the future of humanity. He thinks deeply about many things and loves deep philosophical and cultural conversations. He is driven to see beauty, creativity, culture, and faith intersect in our lives.Follow Pete Portal: InstagramPete's Books:How to Be (Un)SuccessfulNo Neutral GroundContact PeteJesus and... Everything is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast NetworkProduced and Edited by Joshua JohnsonSupport the show

In this episode, Eric Wood, Pastor of Compassion at Bridgetown Church in Portland, joins Pete Portal in Cape Town after a week with Pete's community in Manenberg. Eric makes the case that proximity to the poor was never meant to be a specialist ministry, but the ordinary shape of following Jesus. They talk about the difference between tokenism and friendship, being led by both Spirit and Scripture, the quiet pressure to perform, and what laying down a life actually costs. Eric argues that mercy begins with the person in front of you rather than the outrage cycle. What would it take to become interruptible?Follow Pete Portal: InstagramPete's Books:How to Be (Un)SuccessfulNo Neutral GroundContact PeteJesus and... Everything is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast NetworkProduced and Edited by Joshua JohnsonSupport the show

In this episode, Danielle Strickland joins Pete Portal to ask why the charismatic and justice streams of the church so often stand apart. Danielle argues the divide says less about theology than about our reluctance to live the kingdom now rather than later. They talk about wealth, privilege, and power as things we steward rather than own, what the gifts of the Spirit are actually for, and how an encounter with Jesus in a Toronto holding cell changed the direction of her life. They also discuss why justice work without the Holy Spirit rarely lasts.Danielle lets Love lead her to inspire, challenge, provoke and disrupt the present, and to live in the future now. Having lived in different cultures and contexts around the world she celebrates diversity and deeply longs for wrong things to be made right. Danielle practises following Jesus daily. This pursuit has led to exciting entrepreneurial exploits (like co-founding multiple charities and non-profits) and a whole host of failures (that we don’t as often talk about). All of this has convinced her of the deep need we all have for hope, faith, and love. Her deepest longing is to demonstrate what living that boundless life looks like. Danielle has written seven books (the latest is Need to Know), has a podcast called The Right Side Up (which recently celebrated half-a-million downloads), and speaks to people at events all over the world. Danielle leads Boundless Communications Inc. which launches creative exploits like Women Speakers Collective (liberating voices of women around the globe), IMBY (a tiny home movement IN MY BACKYARD), Brave Global (preventing human trafficking), Infinitum (a way of living deeply), and Hagar’s Voice (support and advocacy for survivors of abuse). She lives in Vancouver, Canada with her three sons and husband Steve. Danielle loves getting outside, doing new things, physical adventures, and she can’t seem to turn down a free lunch. Follow Pete Portal: InstagramPete's Books:How to Be (Un)SuccessfulNo Neutral GroundContact PeteJesus and... Everything is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast NetworkProduced and Edited by Joshua JohnsonSupport the show

In this episode, Christine Westhoff joins Pete to talk about what the prophetic is actually for. Tracing the prophetic from Genesis to Revelation, she argues the church doesn't have a gift problem but a purpose problem, and that much of what passes for prophecy today (stage performances, personal flattery, political predictions) has little to do with what the prophetic does in Scripture. They talk about power, money, and fame, emotional health in leadership, and how our stages of faith mirror the stages of life.Christine Westhoff is a seasoned pastor, teacher, and writer with over 30 years of ministry experience across a wide range of cultural and denominational lines. She is deeply involved with the global 24-7 Prayer movement and is passionate about the voice of God, the Prophetic, and building healthy communities. Christine is the author of ReFraming the Prophetic and About the Voice of God. She serves as President of The MESH Objective and trains spiritual directors in Tulsa, OK. Christine has also faithfully served the persecuted church in the Middle East since 2007. She lives in Tulsa with her husband and delights in sharing life with their two adult sons, their wives, and two cherished grandchildren.Follow Pete Portal: InstagramPete's Books:How to Be (Un)SuccessfulNo Neutral GroundContact PeteJesus and... Everything is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast NetworkProduced and Edited by Joshua JohnsonSupport the show

In this episode Lauren Windle joins Pete Portal to talk about addiction, recovery, and what it took for her to get sober. She describes the years when drinking and cocaine ran her life, the moments that finally forced a change, and how a recovery group and a small community of women at church helped her stay sober. Lauren and Pete discuss whether faith is necessary for sobriety, why quick fixes and dramatic deliverance often fall short, and what churches can learn from the honesty of recovery meetings. They also consider the difference between simply abstaining and living a full life with Jesus.Lauren Windle is a journalist, presenter, public speaker and author of three books:  Notes on Love: Being single and dating in a marriage obsessed Church,  Notes on Feminism: Being a woman in a Church led by men and Drawing as Prayer. She is published in Vogue, Marie Claire, Church Times, Premier Christianity and others. Lauren has been clean and sober from drug and alcohol addiction for eleven incredible years, thanks to Jesus.Follow Pete Portal: InstagramPete's Books:How to Be (Un)SuccessfulNo Neutral GroundContact PeteJesus and... Everything is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast NetworkProduced and Edited by Joshua JohnsonSupport the show

In this episode Julian Adams joins Pete Portal to talk about what the Spirit actually does in a broken world. They cover racism and the ongoing work of forgiveness, why Azusa Street ended where it did, and they work out a Holy Spirit infused activism. Julian makes the case for mercy and miracles together and for prophetic ministry that stays accountable to a real community rather than a TikTok account, and they talk about hell and what the real question is when people ask about hell.Julian is an author, pastor, and internationally recognized prophetic voice with the mission to help ordinary people discover God’s preferred future for their lives. He is also a founding pastor of The Table Churches - The Table Boston (est. 2020) and The Table Cape Town (est. 2026).As a director of Frequentsee Inc, he resources people through creative media, events, and mentorship. He's also the author of  Terra Nova : Fulfilling Your Call to Redeem the Earth and Make All Things  New. My online course, Vox Dei, has helped hundreds of people confidently communicate God’s heart, step out in greater accuracy in the prophetic.  Having spent the last 20 years living in the UK and USA, Julian now joyfully resides in his home-city of Cape Town, South Africa, with his wife, Katia, and their two children.Follow Pete Portal: InstagramPete's Books:How to Be (Un)SuccessfulNo Neutral GroundContact PeteJesus and... Everything is a part of the Shifting Culture Podcast NetworkProduced and Edited by Joshua JohnsonSupport the show