Love Isn’t a Leash: Dismantling the Church of Control

Send us a textIn this special Pride Month message at Harvest Sarasota, Colby Martin, author of Unclobber, invites listeners to reflect on what it means to belong at "the right kind of party." Through a blend of humor, personal insights, and profound biblical storytelling, Colby explores how diversity isn't just a preference—it’s a divine imperative.Sharing four powerful stories from scripture, Colby makes the case that the presence of diversity—in identities, backgrounds, and life experiences—is a clear sign of God's kingdom unfolding here on earth. He challenges traditional views of purity and uniformity, highlighting how God's dream for humanity has always been radically inclusive, welcoming everyone to the celebration.This inspiring message reminds us that authentic spiritual communities embrace difference, reflect diversity, and celebrate the unique journey each person brings. When we see people from all walks of life gathered together, that's how we know we're at the right party.Join Colby in discovering the power and beauty of a faith community built on inclusion, love, and divine diversity. Harvest is a fully affirming, inclusive (including the LGBTQ+ community) progressive Christian church located in Sarasota, Florida.Follow us on Social Media:Instagram - Instagram.com/harvestsarasotaFacebook - Facebook.com/harvestsarasotaTikTok CLICK HEREDONATE to support our podcast HERERecorded live at Harvest Church in Sarasota by Michael Thomas Regina and Stephen Lehman of Boardtown Creative

Send us a textWhat happens when the Church stops listening? In this raw, unfiltered episode, LGBTQ+ voices and allies share their personal stories of pain, exclusion, and ultimately, healing from religious spaces that promised love but delivered something else.Recorded during Pride and Juneteenth, this gathering becomes sacred ground as individuals—young and old, queer and disabled, once-pastors and once-rejects—stand up to say: We’re still here. We still believe. And we will overcome.Dan Minor turns the mic over to the people, and what unfolds is holy disruption. A 17-year-old recalls being bullied and dismissed at church camp. A gay parent finds sanctuary for her son at last. A former holiness pastor loses everything when he tells the truth and finds real love on the other side. A disabled activist reminds us: This too is worship.If you've ever been hurt by the Church or wondered if there's a place for you in faith, this episode is your invitation to come back home.#WeWillOvercome#QueerFaithStories#HealingFromChurchHurt#RadicalBelonging#PrideAndFaith#SpiritualResilience#FaithBeyondBoxes#UnqualifiedButCalled#LGBTQChurchStories#GodIsLoveNoExceptions Harvest is a fully affirming, inclusive (including the LGBTQ+ community) progressive Christian church located in Sarasota, Florida.Follow us on Social Media:Instagram - Instagram.com/harvestsarasotaFacebook - Facebook.com/harvestsarasotaTikTok CLICK HEREDONATE to support our podcast HERERecorded live at Harvest Church in Sarasota by Michael Thomas Regina and Stephen Lehman of Boardtown Creative

Send us a textThis one will shake the pews. Pastor Dan dives headfirst into a story the church has tiptoed around for centuries—the radical inclusion of the first queer convert in scripture. What does Isaiah really say about eunuchs? And why did we skip Acts 8:37 in most modern Bibles? This isn't just about theology—it’s about justice, Pride, and reclaiming a gospel big enough for everyone. Whether you’ve ever felt on the outside looking in, or you're ready to challenge everything you’ve been taught about who’s “in” and who’s “out,” this message is for you.Get ready for:A divine door kicked wide openSpiritual rewiring from Isaiah to ActsA gospel that breaks the rules to welcome the marginalizedA baptism that skipped the checklistA queer outsider’s joyful liberationIt’s bold. It’s raw. It’s the gospel!#QueerFaith#InclusiveChurch#FaithWithoutBoxes#RadicalWelcome#AffirmingChristianity#ProgressiveFaith#GodLovesEveryone#SpiritualLiberation#JusticeAndJesus#QueerAndBeloved#TheGospelIsForAll#ReclaimTheGospel#ChurchForAllPeople#HarvestSarasota#DanMinorPodcast#FaithReimagined#ClickToListen#NewEpisodeDrop#PodcastWithPurpose Harvest is a fully affirming, inclusive (including the LGBTQ+ community) progressive Christian church located in Sarasota, Florida.Follow us on Social Media:Instagram - Instagram.com/harvestsarasotaFacebook - Facebook.com/harvestsarasotaTikTok CLICK HEREDONATE to support our podcast HERERecorded live at Harvest Church in Sarasota by Michael Thomas Regina and Stephen Lehman of Boardtown Creative

Send us a textWhat if everything you’ve been taught about love is… wrong?In this daring, soul-stretching episode of the Harvest Sarasota Podcast, Dan Minor rips the leash off the way we weaponize love — in religion, romance, parenting, and even in how we see ourselves. Get ready for a raw conversation that fuses science, psychology, scripture, and sacred truth to expose how we’ve traded authentic connection for comfortable control.✨ Ever felt "loved" in a way that left you ashamed, anxious, or bound?🌱 What do fungi, forests, and mitochondria teach us about the Gospel?💔 Could your trauma be trapped in your fascia?🔥 And what if resurrection isn’t about escaping death… but inhabiting life?Dan dives deep into the gut-level truth that healing doesn't mean spotless perfection — it means integrating the scars, reclaiming your wholeness, and living from your fully loved, fiercely free self.It’s time to stop calling coercion “compassion,” shame “spiritual,” and control “Christ-like.”Love is not a leash. Love sets the captive free — even if the captive is you.💥 This episode will challenge your theology, crack open your heart, and maybe… just maybe… change how you love — forever. Harvest is a fully affirming, inclusive (including the LGBTQ+ community) progressive Christian church located in Sarasota, Florida.Follow us on Social Media:Instagram - Instagram.com/harvestsarasotaFacebook - Facebook.com/harvestsarasotaTikTok CLICK HEREDONATE to support our podcast HERERecorded live at Harvest Church in Sarasota by Michael Thomas Regina and Stephen Lehman of Boardtown Creative

Send us a textWhat if everything you were taught about the nature of God was only half the story?In this bold, challenging, and deeply restorative Mother’s Day message, Pastor Dan Minor flips the script on centuries of patriarchal theology. Drawing from Numbers 27 and the courageous protest of the daughters of Zelophehad, he reexamines how the Bible — and the church — have historically erased the feminine from the divine.From the silenced wisdom of women to the gendered erasure of terms like El Shaddai, Ruach, and Shekinah, Pastor Dan exposes how empire and control distorted the image of God into a one-dimensional male authority. With historical insight, scriptural depth, and honest repentance, he invites listeners to rediscover a God who nurtures, comforts, and empowers — not just as a Father, but as Mother too.Whether you're a mother by birth, by spirit, or simply someone who's ever felt unseen in church spaces, this episode is a clarion call to speak, to stand, and to reclaim your place in the sacred story.God didn’t rebuke the daughters of Z — God affirmed them. And maybe it’s time the church did too. Harvest is a fully affirming, inclusive (including the LGBTQ+ community) progressive Christian church located in Sarasota, Florida.Follow us on Social Media:Instagram - Instagram.com/harvestsarasotaFacebook - Facebook.com/harvestsarasotaTikTok CLICK HEREDONATE to support our podcast HERERecorded live at Harvest Church in Sarasota by Michael Thomas Regina and Stephen Lehman of Boardtown Creative

Send us a textIn this soul-shaking, unapologetic episode of the Harvest Sarasota Podcast, Pastor Stan Mitchell delivers a raw and redemptive message that strips away the polite pretenses of church tradition and dives deep into the radical inclusivity of the Gospel. With the storytelling brilliance of a weathered preacher and the urgency of a prophet, Mitchell walks us through John 9—not as a theological text, but as a living, breathing cry for justice, belonging, and visibility.Mitchell doesn't merely preach; he exposes the wounds of religion, the pain of families divided by doctrine, and the betrayal felt by those cast out by the very institutions that claimed to love them. He elevates the story of the blind man healed by Jesus as a holy mirror, reflecting the experience of countless LGBTQ+ individuals who have been seen as problems instead of people. The message is piercing: Jesus saw a person. His followers saw a theological issue.This episode is not just for the deconstructed or the disenfranchised. It's for every parent caught between church and child. Every pastor afraid to step into the full light of truth. Every listener longing to know if there’s still a place called home where healing isn’t questioned and identity isn’t up for debate.If you've ever been told your story doesn't fit inside the church—this episode will tell you otherwise. This is not just a conversation. It’s a commissioning. A wake-up call. A reintroduction to a Jesus who still turns around and comes looking for the ones left behind.**"You're not tolerated here," Mitchell declares. "You're celebrated." Harvest is a fully affirming, inclusive (including the LGBTQ+ community) progressive Christian church located in Sarasota, Florida.Follow us on Social Media:Instagram - Instagram.com/harvestsarasotaFacebook - Facebook.com/harvestsarasotaTikTok CLICK HEREDONATE to support our podcast HERERecorded live at Harvest Church in Sarasota by Michael Thomas Regina and Stephen Lehman of Boardtown Creative

Send us a textForget the comforting traditions—this Easter, Harvest Sarasota boldly asked, "Are we denying the resurrection with our lives?" In this provocative sermon, we unpack the revolutionary reality of Jesus' resurrection beyond mere belief, challenging our complicity with injustice, inequality, and oppression. Pastor Dan Minor urges us to confront uncomfortable truths: when we ignore racism, homophobia, sexism, poverty, and every form of exclusion, we're effectively denying the transformative power of resurrection itself.Drawing inspiration from Mary Magdalene—the overlooked woman whose radical solidarity defied societal norms—we're called to revolutionary living, fierce advocacy, and persistent compassion. It's not enough to celebrate a historical event; it's time to embody it by standing boldly with the marginalized and silenced.Join us as we reject hollow proclamations and affirm a faith that demands action. Harvest is a fully affirming, inclusive (including the LGBTQ+ community) progressive Christian church located in Sarasota, Florida.Follow us on Social Media:Instagram - Instagram.com/harvestsarasotaFacebook - Facebook.com/harvestsarasotaTikTok CLICK HEREDONATE to support our podcast HERERecorded live at Harvest Church in Sarasota by Michael Thomas Regina and Stephen Lehman of Boardtown Creative

Send us a textWhat if the Bible has been used often to destroy instead of to redeem? What if sticking to "biblical precedent" can at times actually puts us at odds with the Spirit of Jesus? In this bold and unfiltered episode of Harvest Sarasota, Pastor Dan is taking a sledgehammer to the toxic theology that has justified everything from condemnation to oppression—all in the name of scripture."Just because the Bible says it doesn’t mean you should do it." We’re diving deep into Luke 9, where Jesus shuts down the disciples’ fiery vengeance inspired by Elijah. Because here’s the hard truth: You can be backed by scripture and still be completely out of sync with Jesus. And history proves it—slavery, segregation, religious wars, the suppression of women, and the exclusion of the LGBTQ+ community have all been biblically justified but spiritually misaligned.If it’s not bringing redemption, restoration, and love—it’s not the Spirit of Jesus.So, what spirit are YOU operating in? Join us as we confront the ways the church has missed it, challenge harmful interpretations, and call for a radical return to grace, inclusion, and the redemptive heart of Christ. Harvest is a fully affirming, inclusive (including the LGBTQ+ community) progressive Christian church located in Sarasota, Florida.Follow us on Social Media:Instagram - Instagram.com/harvestsarasotaFacebook - Facebook.com/harvestsarasotaTikTok CLICK HEREDONATE to support our podcast HERERecorded live at Harvest Church in Sarasota by Michael Thomas Regina and Stephen Lehman of Boardtown Creative

Send us a textWhat happens when the pastor’s wife stops believing in God? In this raw and unfiltered episode of The Harvest Sarasota Podcast, Robyn Minor shares the deeply personal journey that led her to walk away from faith—and what ultimately pulled her back.From growing up as a missionary kid to battling religious trauma, self-worth struggles, and the crushing expectations of church culture, Robyn gets brutally honest about the dark side of faith and the freedom she found in questioning everything. Alongside Pastor Dan Minor, they dive into the messiness of deconstruction, the dangers of toxic religion, and the radical love that refuses to let us go. Harvest is a fully affirming, inclusive (including the LGBTQ+ community) progressive Christian church located in Sarasota, Florida.Follow us on Social Media:Instagram - Instagram.com/harvestsarasotaFacebook - Facebook.com/harvestsarasotaTikTok CLICK HEREDONATE to support our podcast HERERecorded live at Harvest Church in Sarasota by Michael Thomas Regina and Stephen Lehman of Boardtown Creative

Send us a textIn this fiery and unapologetic episode of Harvest Sarasota, Pastor Dan Minor takes on one of the greatest threats to our faith and purpose: distraction. With the chaos of today’s world—political turmoil, cultural clashes, and endless noise—it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters. But distraction isn’t just an accident; it’s a weapon. And it’s being used to keep us divided, defeated, and paralyzed.Pastor Dan pulls no punches as he challenges the lies we’re told, the fear we’re fed, and the fights we’re baited into that lead us nowhere. Through Philippians 3, the powerful legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and some personal stories that will have you laughing and gasping, Pastor Dan reveals how to cut through the noise, refocus on the prize, and fight for what truly matters: people, justice, and a world transformed by the radical love of Jesus.This isn’t your typical Sunday message—it's a rallying cry. If you’re tired of the madness and ready to reclaim your purpose in the storm, this episode is for you.#deconstruction #progressivechristian  Harvest is a fully affirming, inclusive (including the LGBTQ+ community) progressive Christian church located in Sarasota, Florida.Follow us on Social Media:Instagram - Instagram.com/harvestsarasotaFacebook - Facebook.com/harvestsarasotaTikTok CLICK HEREDONATE to support our podcast HERERecorded live at Harvest Church in Sarasota by Michael Thomas Regina and Stephen Lehman of Boardtown Creative