In this episode of Deep Spirituality, Russ Ewell chats with Matt McChlery about why picking up a book is actually a "rebellion" for your soul in a world of endless scrolling. After interviewing nearly 100 authors, Matt has seen firsthand how the power of story helps us connect with God far better than a dry lecture ever could.

They get real about authenticity, sharing that we need to drop the "perfect Christian" mask and be honest about our messy journeys. Matt even opens up about his own battle with cancer, explaining that when we share our "storms," it creates "light through the cracks" for everyone else. To wrap things up, they talk about the magic of music—how it gets into the gaps of our hearts to take us straight to God—and why every community should celebrate its own unique "sound".

• Check out Matt! → https://www.mattmcchlery.com/
• Matt's podcast, Christian Book Blurb → https://open.spotify.com/show/32gv1Rl6HFBneRMygfjzM2
• Matt's books → https://www.amazon.com/stores/Matt-McChlery/author/B09L4YQGCL

Scriptures:

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV
• 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 NIV
• Philippians 1:30 NLT
• 1 Corinthians 12:13 TLB
• John 13:35 BSB
• John 17:23 NLT
• 1 John 5:2 TPT

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Chapters:

00:00 - Meet Matt McChlery

02:30 - The power of pages

08:11 - The power of story when we read

16:24 - Promo: Why we're talking more about AI than God

17:32 - Insights from 98 Christian author interviews

22:39 - Struggle is normal, ditch the perfect performance

30:46 - Why we should journey together in faith

37:43 - Promo: The Kingdom of Change

38:54 - Why music is part of our spiritual journey

42:33 - What every worship leader should know

50:12 - Find and follow Matt McChlery