Larissa joins Sarah and Rich once again as they continue their conversation on prayer. Many believers would agree that some of the most powerful moments of prayer and closeness with God often come during seasons of difficulty. Scripture is full of prayers born out of hardship, many of them being expressions of lament.

In this episode, Rich highlights Psalm 13 as a model of lament: it begins with a raw complaint, moves into a heartfelt petition, and concludes with a declaration of trust in who God is, even in the midst of pain. He reminds us that this is not only something believers can do, but something we should do. Bringing our grief, confusion, and sorrow honestly before God is both deeply biblical and deeply healing.

Rich and Larissa open up about their own experiences of lament, past and present, and how God has met them in those moments. While lament is not a step we can skip on the path to healing, it is often one of the most transformative parts of the journey. This real and vulnerable conversation offers encouragement and practical insight for wherever you are in life and in your own prayer journey.

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Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop

Larissa Holland's testimony on The Stories Collective, Episode 82

Aaron Holland's (Rich & Larissa's son!) testimony on The Stories Collective, Episode 138

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Today on Resident Strangers, Steve, Rich, and Sarah tackle a topic that continues to stir deep discussion in the church—women in ministry.

Right out of the gate, Steve clarifies that spiritual gifts are not tied to gender. In the same way, he says, the use of those gifts within the church should not be restricted by gender. Rich builds on that thought, reminding listeners that every follower of Christ is called into full-time ministry, a theme they’ve unpacked in previous episodes.

Sarah, however, notes that this conversation remains necessary because culture still struggles with how to approach it. Steve then turns to Scripture, pointing to 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:12, which two passages often cited in this debate. He poses the critical question: Are these verses addressing roles or offices? According to Steve, understanding that distinction makes all the difference.

Meanwhile, Sarah presses into what it actually means for a woman to teach and how believers should respond when she does.

This episode dives deep into a nuanced and often emotional conversation. So, as you listen, stay open, thoughtful, and ready to wrestle with the Word.

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In today’s episode, Rich and Steve take a big picture look at different church leadership structures. Leadership within the church can vary widely from one congregation or denomination to another, and even individual churches often interpret these structures in unique ways.

Most of what we understand about church leadership comes from the New Testament. In Acts, we see both the rapid spread of the church and the development of formal leadership offices, primarily elders (or bishops) serving as overseers, and deacons. Steve highlights the important distinction between an office and a role, noting that the word “pastor” actually appears only once in the New Testament. He and Rich unpack how “elder” and “pastor” are often used interchangeably and what that means for church leadership today. They also explore how every believer, whether in a leadership position or not, shares the same call to live faithfully.

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Resident Strangers is BACK! 🎉 And so is Sarah Schalow, from maternity leave. The whole crew is together again! After a full summer run of episodes, the team took a short breather, but you can now expect new episodes to drop regularly back into your feed.

Today kicks off the first in a 3-part series on church polity. We start at the beginning: what exactly is a denomination? Rich explains it as a formal organizational structure that individual churches fit into. The episode also touches on some key historical moments that led to the wide variety of denominations we see today, most often arising from theological differences or questions of church polity and politics. From baptism to the autonomy of the local church, to the authority of Scripture, these topics have shaped major denominational “splits” throughout history. Steve also unpacks what it means for churches to be part of associations (like Desert Springs is) and what that entails.

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If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Does anyone really love change? It’s uncomfortable and often hard but necessary for growth. Churches especially can struggle with it. The world is always shifting, so how can the church stay anchored in truth while adapting to culture?

Steve emphasizes that churches must stay mission-minded, and Rich puts it this way: if every Christian is a missionary, then every Christian should also be a student of culture. And when you study culture, you can’t miss change.

The longer a church exists, the stronger the pull to turn inward but that must be resisted. Sometimes evaluation needs to be ruthless: What’s working? What’s not?

The gospel, the Great Commission, and the truth never change but how we live them out often must. May this conversation challenge you to embrace change where needed and follow Jesus more fully!

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If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Just like people, churches go through life cycles and if you’re part of a church, you’re living in one right now. Steve shares a sobering statistic: in the U.S., 8,000–10,000 churches close every year. Drawing from his work as an executive on the board of Venture Church Network, he takes us behind the scenes to explore why churches close and how understanding a church’s life cycle can reveal its overall health.

One key factor stands out above the rest: vision. A church with a clear, Christ-centered vision will thrive. But when vision drifts out of focus, things can quickly unravel. True vision isn’t about “preserving and protecting”, it’s about making disciples for Christ.

Rich asks pointed, thought-provoking questions that shed light on why vision is the driving force in every church’s life cycle. This conversation might just change the way you think about vision and about the church you call home.

Learn to read & study the Bible with Rich Holland this fall

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It’s Tuesday, and that means another great conversation is ready for you! Today, Hailey, Steve, and Rich dive into the topic of churches and their philosophy of ministry, the driving force behind a church’s health and longevity. The church doesn’t belong to “us”; it belongs to Jesus. When that focus shifts, things can quickly go off track.

They explore the many different approaches churches can take (there’s not always a clear right or wrong), but one thing is certain: a solid, Christ-centered focus is essential. Steve points out that too often, churches build their philosophy around comfort rather than mobilization and if comfort is the main goal, how can we truly live on mission?

In this episode, you’ll hear different ministry models discussed, along with a strong encouragement to stay on mission no matter your approach. As you listen, take time to evaluate your own church environment; does it challenge you to grow and inspire you to live out the mission of Jesus?

Episode 110 on Oikos

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It’s a new episode of Resident Strangers! Be honest — have you ever withheld the truth from someone because you didn’t think they could handle it? Or have you joked around with your friends but made one sarcastic comment that went too far? Maybe you’ve been caught up in gossiping. Whatever the case may be, we all have misused the power of our words. What we say has the power to affect people. God knows this, and He knows our sinful nature can corrupt that. Today we dive into a passage in Ephesians 4, which warns against degrading, unwholesome, inappropriate, untruthful speech. As Christians, we need to take stock of what we say, even to each other. What we say must be truth in love spoken at the appropriate time. Steve and Rich explain the power of the tongue and the importance of speaking truth in a loving manner. If this episode convicts you or challenges you like it does for us, ask God to grow you in those areas! Tune in for this powerful episode!

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Would you please subscribe and leave us a review? This will help our podcast reach more people! We’d love it if you’d share this podcast with your friends on social media and beyond. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.