Casual Friday Episodes
“Casual Friday” are Called and Unqualified episodes of unscripted conversation about current events and pressing topics, and sometimes, even with special guests, but they are exclusively on podcast platforms!
Hey, Friends!
Things have been pretty concerning over in Afghanistan, and while it’s a good thing we are finally talking about this, these things aren’t exactly new.
Instead of focusing on any kind of commentary regarding the Taliban or political involvement in Afghanistan, I wanted to focus on what we as Christians should be doing in response to what has been happening.
First, we should absolutely be praying for Christians who are suffering through persecution, praying that those who are the persecutors will come to know Jesus and follow Him, and we should be praying for those who are affected by all of this violence in the area that aren’t yet Saved.
Secondly, you can volunteer with refugees to welcome them into the United States or you can donate to organizations that are doing incredible work.
Lastly, we should be memorizing Scripture (and this one hit me hard.) We have such a luxury to have the freedom to open our Bibles whenever we want, but it also needs to be written on our hearts. Many of our brothers and sisters who are suffering through persecution would give anything to have the freedom to read their Bibles in the open or have a conversation about Jesus, so we should not take these freedoms for granted or become complacent. Just because it doesn’t feel urgent doesn’t mean that it’s not important.
I also wanted to go over a few Scripture references that personally brought be hope through what has been happening, because our God is still powerful and knows how this all will end.
Hey, Friends! We have one of my friends, Nick Brewer, who is joining us today to talk about the cultural influence on community, the importance of family relationships, the social fabric in our society, and race relations of the current culture of the United States.
Hey, Friends!
We’re going over some of the context of history for Israel and Palestine to explain what is currently going on in Sheikh Jarrah and how we can approach the issue to have empathy and understanding.
Hey, Friends! My friend Andrew Mount is joining us again as a guest today! Andrew is currently a PragerFORCE influencer who has found a way through creating original Reels on Instagram to spread truth and tolerance. With his experience at NYU Tish and other Conservatives and Libertarians, Andrew has built friendships with many friends in both the Christian and LGBT communities.
When Lil Nas X release his newest provocative music video followed by a Nike shoe line to worship Satan, Lil Nas X claimed that Christians had made him ashamed of his sexuality during childhood, and this music video and Nike shoe line were ways to finally get back at them. Andrew was quick to recognize and advocate that though Christians do’t approve of homosexual relationships, not all Christians are quick to condemn and hate people who are involved in homosexual relationships, and Lil Nas X is not an accurate representation of the majority of the gay and lesbian community. Lil Nas X wanted to incite hate and revenge rather than sparking a conversation, but that doesn’t mean that we’ve lost the opportunity to speak peacefully with each other.
When I first saw what Lil Nas X had released, my heart broke for the way that he had been made to feel by the Christian community, but I was also shocked with his reaction. One of my friends had pointed out that we shouldn’t be surprised when those who don’t have a relationship with Jesus worship what is evil…because didn’t that used to be us too?
We should be reacting with patience and prayer and love. Andrew and I don’t agree on some of the same things spiritually, but we do agree that listening to both sides and spending the time to grow in empathy is the best way from preventing more division. Not everyone is going to be happy to hear truth, but the way we share truth is just as important as the message.
Check out more of Andrew’s content here: @andrewmount_ak
Hey, Friends! Jerel is back as a guest today to talk about the current movements to stop Anti-Asian Hate. Jerel honestly has one of the kindness hearts and genuinely optimistic souls to bring people joy and to lead people to Jesus, and I was blessed enough to meet him in middle school, and we have been pretty close throughout high school and college.
Jerel was born in the Philippines and has spent most of his life in the United States, specifically in California. We both grew up in a liberally dominated state, but we both ended up doing our own research and were led to more Conservative ideals. Even though Jerel and I have been close for years, we have never really talked about race or even how his personal ethnic identity impacts his experience.
I asked Jerel this week if he would be comfortable sharing his thoughts on the Anti-Asian Hate movements in the United States, and he was kind and vulnerable enough to share how he really feels. Jerel believes that these movements were founded on the good intentions of hate of violence based on race, but these specific movements and tactics are not the way that this problem should be solved. He believes that instead, we should be trying to unify over our hate for violence rather than our defense of specific race. Why? Because this hyper-focus in the media over advocacy for one race will eventually pass, and then that group of people will be forgotten. All people who are hurting should be advocated for. So shop at Asian owned businesses and donate to activist projects if you really want to, but what are some other ways that we can grow in our relationships with our community?
Jerel believes that the best support is being available to listen and growing in genuine friendship to build bridges between communities. If people are really passionate about their culture, they will definitely want to share it with those who haven’t yet experienced the joy from these traditions and experiences.
Hey, Friends! This last week, I actually left my home state of California to move to Texas. Growing up, I was insistent on never leaving California, no matter how bad things got, so you can listen to this episode to see what changed my mind! I also absolutely fell in love with Texas from the first time I visited, so go ahead and listen to see what it’s like! (And you should definitely come visit Texas whenever you get the chance!)
Hi, Friends! Today, we have one of my friends, Andreas Cromack, joining us to talk about the attempt to cancel actress Gina Carano who was then promptly hired by Ben Shapiro to produce and star in a film for the Daily Wire. Do Conservatives really want to make their own industries? Can we really be canceled? Should Gina Carano really have lost her job?
Hey, Friends! I really didn’t want to do a cliche Valentine’s Day episode, but I feel like we either see two extremes. One extreme is to feel unhappy unless in a relationship, and the other is to focus on self-love in singleness. Yes, it can be difficult to celebrate singleness in our culture, but it’s so important. Relationships aren’t for our own benefit or to cure loneliness. Especially for Christian singles, we can forget that God uses every season. During our seasons of singleness, we have more time than in any other season. This time can be used to independently feed our relationship with Jesus, serve, and prepare ourselves for our future relationship (if that’s God’s will!)
Hey, Friends! It’s been a crazy couple weeks. I wanted to get a little more political than usual, because we saw some pretty wild things happen. Black Lives Matter was nominated for the Nobel “Peace” Prize for actions that brought everything but peace and unity. AOC refused to work with Ted Cruz by falsely claiming that his party tried to have her killed. Vice President Kamala Harris is being idolized as the face of women empowerment as the first female vice president. Can women only be elected by cheating? What if we can be empowered in moral ways? Can women only be empowered and find worth by being elected into Executive office? How are Christians supposed to react to all of this? We just have to keep loving each other, spreading truth and hope, trusting Jesus, and we have to remember to be in the world while we are still here.
Hey, Friends! It’s been on my heart to share some of my experiences and passion for helping refugees, because we may be in the exact same situation soon. What is a refugee? How can we learn from their experiences? How do we prepare for persecution and displacement??
Hey, Friends. It’s just me today, and I just wanted to share what I feel like may be obvious to some. The increasing censorship towards Conservatives will quickly spread to true, Jesus-loving Christians. We have lived in a privileged community where we have not really faced violent persecution for loving Jesus and spreading His truth, but that may change in the United States during our lifetime. Now, more than ever, we have to stand firm by trusting that his is exactly what we have been told.
Hey, Friends! Our guest this week is my friend Andrew who shared about some of his spiritual and political beliefs, and some of the misunderstandings of masculinity and problems with group-think. Even people don’t agree on everything, we can still have conversation and tolerate one another.
Hey, Friends! Today, we have a very special guest, Grayson Kembel, host of the College Kid Conversations podcast joining us today to share about the importance of surrendering our lives to Jesus and the rise of Leftism as a religion. Grayson is a PragerFORCE influencer and Conservative Christian content creator earning his degree at a university in Texas.
Religions require conversation between a group that shares similar beliefs regarding life and morals. With the rise of many “morally led” conversations regarding politics, religion is required for these conversations. Even though Leftism has not been identified as a religion in the past, the encouraged and instructed courses of action inspired by Leftism have brought this set of beliefs to the light of religious scholars.
The teachings of Leftism have been inspired by texts, such as “White Fragility,” and this book alone has had a major impact on the teachings of Leftism, as in a very similar way to how devotional books are held in high regard by other monotheistic communities. The urgency of political policy to require more effort for Environmentalism by prompting a sense of urgency through fear that the entire world will eventually collapse. The importance placed on abortion seems to reflect eerie similarities to human sacrifice, as women are told they can only be successful if they abort pregnancies.
Go follow Grayson on Instagram: @graysonkembel
Be sure to check out Grayson’s podcast, College Kid Conversations
Hey, Friends! Owen Stevens is our guest today, joining in conversation about gender, transgenderism, and how to love our LGBT neighbors. We don’t have to accept a lifestyle to love people, but we also don’t have to completely cut them out of our lives.
Hey, Friends! Today, we have my friend Cody sharing about his faith as a Messianic Jew, his Conservative values, and his trip to Israel!
Hey, Friends! Sam is back as a guest sharing some of the wild things happening after Election Day. How are we supposed to represent tolerance when it seems like society has become so polarized? How do we really love our neighbors in times like these?
——————————————————–
Check out “Fearless” by Eric Blehm!
Hey, Friends! We have a very special guest, Noelle Fitchett, joining us today! She shares about her experience of living as a Christian and conservative influencer in Southern California, and through her humility and bravery, she has used her platform to help share the truth about topics such as white privilege and the California lockdowns for the holiday season. Be sure to check out more of Noelle’s content to share with others who need to hear the truth!
——————————————————–
Follow Noelle on Instagram: @noellefitch
Follow Noelle on TikTok: @noellefitch
Follow Center for Biblical Unity on Instagram: @CenterForBiblicalUnity
Hey, Friends! This episode has been one of my absolute favorites, because I learned so much that I’m excited to share with you! Our culture has been attacking masculinity from all angles, but our society needs strong men now more than ever. Sam shares what it’s like to be a man in today’s culture in context with his faith, redefines what it really means to be an Alpha male, and shares the importance of raising boys to become strong young men. (Make sure to go grab your dad hats and air-soft guns.)
——————————————————–
Check out the Art of Manliness Podcast!
Why are music videos of nearly naked women labeled as “empowerment,” but being an accomplished conservative woman labeled as “oppressive?” How can we as women of all ages finally help bring change and true empowerment to the young ladies that have been placed in our lives? Where are we supposed to seek true guidance for the strength in being feminine rather than radical feminism?
Hey, Friends!
We have a very special returning guest (by popular demand,) my incredible bestie and roommate from freshman year, Autumn!
We are more than excited about the Supreme Court nomination and the superior character and example that has been set by Judge Amy Coney Barrett who currently sits on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Want to hear more about Judge ACB, the hope for women to become humble, meek, and strong, and John Mulaney????
Hey, Friends! More wild news updates! Did you know that Israeli citizens volunteered to come help California contain the wildfires? Are dog owners racist? What about RBG and the criticism she is currently facing?
Hey, Friends!
I was so blessed to have one of my sweetest friends from college, Rebekah join as a guest today! She is honestly one of the most optimistic and encouraging rays of sunshine that I have met in the adult world, and I am so grateful to have her humility and insight as we discuss voting, social media, punch bowls, and of course, penguin sweaters.
Hey, Friends! I’m so excited to introduce you to one of my favorite people, Ruth from the Average Citizen podcast! She shared a little about her personal testimony, faith and mental health, and how God has used (what some would call) hardships to build her resiliency and bless others through her spiritual gifts!
——————————————————–
Be sure to check out some of Ruth’s podcast: Average Citizen Podcast
Check out the Average Citizen website!
Hey, Friends!
If you were looking for a pity party in this episode, you’ll be disappointed. Did you know that we can actually use terrible things for good purposes? Well, we actually can’t really do this on our own, but it’s possible!
Hey, Friends! It’s just me again this week with some really wild news! Did you know that Cardi B has been one of the only people able to schedule Joe Biden for an interview? And she said had some very *profound* suggestions and demands, such as free healthcare and lower taxes. But what would really happen if we socialized healthcare? Could it ever really be free?
Hey, Friends!
It’s just me today! I was originally not going to do a Casual Friday this week, but there were so many wild things that happened. Did the United Arab Emirates actually create a peace deal with Israel? What does that mean? Why is it significant? Also, what could Joe Biden’s VP pick really mean for the future of the United States and the upcoming election? Why do so many young people support him?
Hey, Friends!
Today, we have a very special guest, and one of the sweetest souls joining us for today’s episode. Autumn was my roommate my freshman year in college, and I am so grateful for all of her wisdom, bravery, and loyalty that she uses to continue to lead and inspire others. We discuss the dangers of cancel culture and the importance of free speech in light of the Constitution, but mostly how it relates to our faith. We even talk about the super cool lettuce club on our university campus, and if you’re a college student, and your school doesn’t have a lettuce club, you should totally start one.
Hey, Friends!
I’m super excited about this episode of Casual Friday! I was lucky enough to have Jerel, one of my close friends from high school, share his thoughts on frozen lizards, the grim reaper, and major league baseball. We talk a lot about faith and the surprisingly recent event of true tolerance that took place when sports reopened. Why was this even such a big deal in modern context? Listen for more insight on this miraculous event, that I truly hope, sparks a wave of tolerance throughout United States culture.
Hey, Friends! So there has been a recent movement on my university campus for more ethnic diversity in our staff, faculty, and student body. I can imagine with current events that this movement is not unique to just my campus, but I saw some pretty serious issues in their arguments and their call to action. Why does our campus have such a low percentage of black students if there is a higher percentage of black individuals and families in the surrounding city? Has the university systemically failed black students, or could there be another reason why our representation is so low? Have students been robbed of attending this university just because of race? Actually, if this campus movement gets their way, it may just be a result of significant racism: the thing that they are actually trying to fight.
Hey Friends! I first wanted to start with a couple fun recent events that have happened around the world!
I really wanted to do something light-hearted this week, because emotions have been so intense for everyone, but I felt there were things that just couldn’t go unaddressed. If you have been feeling intense sadness, that’s okay. Please remember that it will feel better. Also, if you are considered to be the racial majority, but you are judged for your race alone, please understand that this is a result of brokenness and anger that is outside of your control. You are not evil just because you are white. You have no less value to life just because you are white. People are hurting, and we need to acknowledge each other’s pain, but if you have felt pain too, it doesn’t invalidate anyone else’s pain.
In this episode, I do share briefly some of my experiences, but I do want to acknowledge that I have been very protected. It’s okay to admit that you have been hurt and that others are hurting too. They both can happen, and do happen, at the same time.
This will not last forever. Please keep pushing through, because God can bring beauty from pain and ashes. Part of our job here is to love people, and pushing through this pain, anger, and sadness can be your way of loving people that you haven’t even met yet.
Just. Keep. Going.
Love you all. <3
Hey, Friends! This is the very first episode of a brand new Create Worship Inspire segment, “Casual Friday,” unedited conversations regarding current events and current pressing topics. Today we have our first guest, Eve, who helps me discuss a recent addition to gendered inclusive language, the hysteria of abolishing the police and the prison and jail systems, and the most recent protests from United States citizens refusing to celebrate Independence Day on July 4th, 2020.
“Casual Friday” episodes are exclusively a podcast bonus, but all other episodes of “Called and Unqualified” are available on the Create Worship Inspire YouTube channel.