What do youth group dirt bikes, awkward pizza parties, and Ecclesiastes have in common? According to pastor and author Nicholas McDonald—everything.

In this honest and hopeful conversation, Elliot Sands and Nicholas talk about his new book The Light In Our Eyes and the hunger so many people feel for a faith that’s honest, embodied, and full of beauty. They explore what deconstruction really is (and isn’t), why so many have left the Church but not Jesus, and how the Church’s calling is not escape but restoration. Along the way, they laugh at awkward ministry moments, challenge escapist theology, and paint a picture of hope that makes Christians peculiar.

This episode is for anyone who's questioning, carrying someone else’s questions, or ready to rebuild their faith story with Jesus at the center.

• What deconstruction actually means

• Why many leave the church, but not Jesus

• American evangelicalism vs. the historic global church

• Escapist theology and the problem with “just get saved”

• Confession, communion, and authentic grace

• Hope as a spiritual act of resistance

• Restorying faith through Scripture, beauty, and belonging
  

Nicholas McDonald is a pastor, writer, speaker, and the author of The Light In Our Eyes: Seeing the Church Again for the First Time. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the University of St. Andrews, Nicholas has worked in both campus ministry with university students and pastoral roles. His writing explores themes of beauty, belonging, and belief in a disenchanted world. He currently serves at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis and publishes a Substack newsletter called The Bard Owl.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

Connect with Nicholas McDonald

📘 Book: The Light In Our Eyes

📰 Newsletter: The Bard Owl on Substack

🎤 X: nicholasmcd

🌐 Church: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis

Connect with Live Faith First

🌐 LiveFaithFirst.com

📷 Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

🎵 TikTok: @livefaithfirst

📘 Facebook: facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

👉 youtube.com/@livefaithfirst

Can we really bridge political, cultural, and relational divides with curiosity? Journalist and bridge-builder Monica Guzmán thinks so. In this episode of Live Faith First, Elliot and Monica explore how to disagree without dehumanizing, why curiosity is a superpower in divided times, and how grace, humility, and honest conversation can reshape our relationships—even with family members who vote very differently. They also share real stories, practical tools, and laugh-through-the-awkward wisdom for navigating today’s polarized culture.

Monica Guzmán is a senior fellow for public practice at Braver Angels, host of the podcast A Braver Way, and author of I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. A proud Mexican-American immigrant, Monica has spent her career in journalism, storytelling, and community building. She was named one of the 50 most influential women in Seattle and is a frequent speaker and commentator on depolarization, bridge-building, and curiosity.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

Connect with Monica Guzmán

🔸 Monica’s Website

📘 I Never Thought of It That Way Book

🎧 A Braver Way Podcast

🕊️ Braver Angels

🐦 Twitter/X

📷 Instagram

Connect with Live Faith First

🌐 LiveFaithFirst.com

📷 Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

🎵 TikTok: @livefaithfirst

📘 Facebook: facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

👉 youtube.com/@livefaithfirst

What if healing isn’t just about feeling better—but about finally knowing you belong?

In this powerful episode, Elliot Sands sits down with author and speaker Amy Julia Becker to explore the intersection of disability, grace, identity, and healing. Drawing from her books To Be Made Well, White Picket Fences, and A Good and Perfect Gift, Amy Julia opens up about her daughter Penny’s Down syndrome diagnosis, how it reshaped her understanding of wholeness, and what it means to truly belong in a world that often values perfection over presence.

They explore:

• The power of showing up for someone instead of trying to fix them

• The difference between brokenness and limitation

• How psychosomatic pain can reveal emotional imbalance

• What it means to practice grace as a daily rhythm, not just a doctrine

• And why acknowledging unearned privilege can become a doorway to healing and reconciliation

This episode is tender, honest, and beautifully anchored in the belief that we are all deeply loved—just as we are.

• Wholeness through community

• Parenting a child with special needs

• Privilege as invitation, not shame

• Psychosomatic healing

• Grace for ourselves and others

• Belonging beyond performance

Amy Julia Becker is an award-winning writer, speaker, and disability advocate who speaks widely on faith, family, and social healing. A graduate of Princeton University and Princeton Theological Seminary, she brings theological insight and personal vulnerability to themes like belonging, privilege, healing, and grace.

She’s the author of several books, including To Be Made Well, White Picket Fences, and A Good and Perfect Gift. Amy Julia’s work has been featured by The New York Times, TIME, Christianity Today, and NPR.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Live Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation.

As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

This conversation is raw, hopeful, and incredibly practical for anyone who’s tired of faking it and ready for a more honest walk with Jesus.

Let’s All Live Faith First!!!

Connect with Amy Julia Becker

🌐 Website: amyjuliabecker.com

📘 Books: To Be Made Well; White Picket Fences; A Good and Perfect Gift

🎙️ Podcast: Reimagining the Good Life

📷 Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

📘 Facebook: @amyjuliabeckerwriter

Connect with Live Faith First

🌐 LiveFaithFirst.com

📷 Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

🎵 TikTok: @livefaithfirst

📘 Facebook: facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

👉 youtube.com/@livefaithfirst

What if the key to spiritual growth isn’t trying harder—but admitting you can’t do it alone?

In this powerful episode of the Live Faith First podcast, Elliot Sands sits down with John Ortberg to unpack his newest book, Steps—a transformative journey that fuses the honesty of the 12-step recovery model with the heart of Christian discipleship.

They dive headfirst into the messiness of real life—addictions, control issues, emotional baggage—and talk about why surrender is actually the starting line for spiritual growth. Together, they explore how the 12 steps offer a radical framework for transformation through grace, not grit.

You’ll hear wisdom on:

• Why admitting powerlessness might be the most powerful thing you do

• How to do a fearless moral inventory (and why you'd want to)

• The connection between forgiveness, humility, and healing

• And how self-forgiveness is not weakness—but a pathway to freedom

John Ortberg is a pastor, speaker, and bestselling author passionate about spiritual formation and helping people grow in their walk with Jesus. His latest book, Steps, blends ancient spiritual wisdom with the transformational principles of the 12-step model, offering readers a clear and honest path toward emotional and spiritual wholeness. John also leads Become New, a daily video devotional designed to help people grow spiritually—one step at a time.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Live Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

This conversation is raw, hopeful, and incredibly practical for anyone who’s tired of faking it and ready for a more honest walk with Jesus.

Let’s All Live Faith First!!!

John Ortberg Resources

📘 Steps by John Ortberg Buy the book

🎧 Become New – John Ortberg’s daily devotional podcast & spiritual growth platform

📺 Become New on YouTube

🌐 JohnOrtberg.com

📷 Instagram: @johnortberg

Connect with Live Faith First

🌐 LiveFaithFirst.com

📷 Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

🎵 TikTok: @livefaithfirst

📘 Facebook: facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

👉 youtube.com/@livefaithfirst

What if humility wasn’t weakness—but one of the most powerful forces for connection, leadership, and spiritual growth?

In this episode of Live Faith First, Elliot Sands sits down with psychologist, author, and humility researcher Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren to unpack what it really means to be right-sized in a world obsessed with being the best.

They explore why humility is often misunderstood, how it helps us become better friends, leaders, and bridge-builders—and why it just might be the key to thriving in today’s divided world. Daryl also shares four distinct types of humility (spoiler: you probably need more than one), how to cultivate self-awareness without spiraling into shame, and why the most humble people are often the most emotionally free.

You’ll also hear:

• The “above average effect” and why you’re probably not as humble as you think

• What swim lessons taught Daryl about ego, grace, and being terrible at something

• How humility helps us forgive and stop tying our worth to our wins

• Why asking “How might I be wrong?” might be the most spiritual question you ask today

This episode is honest, funny, deeply insightful—and just the humility check we all need.

Guest: Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren is a social psychologist, author, and professor at Hope College, specializing in the science of meaning, humility, and forgiveness. His latest book, Humble: Free Yourself from the Traps of a Narcissistic World, explores how humility unlocks joy, emotional health, and deeper human connection.

🔗 darylvantongeren.com

📘 Humble: Free Yourself from the Traps of a Narcissistic World – Get it on Amazon

📷 Instagram: @darylvantongeren

🧠 TEDx Talk: "The Unexpected Power of Humility"

🙋‍♂️Host: Elliot Sands

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Live Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

🌐 Website: elliotsands.me

📷 Instagram: @fool.4.grace

Connect with Live Faith First

🌐 LiveFaithFirst.com

📷 Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

🎵 TikTok: @livefaithfirst

📘 Facebook: facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

👉 youtube.com/@livefaithfirst

What if Easter isn’t just about what happened—but about how we live it? In this powerful episode, Elliot Sands and Abby Olcese explore the historical and spiritual impact of Easter, unpacking the tension between love and fear—and how it all connects to the beloved filmThe Iron Giant.

⚡What’s Inside:

💡 The heart of Easter—why resurrection still changes everything

🤖The Iron Giant as an unexpected Easter analogy

🔥 Love vs. fear—how both shape our choices and our faith

❤️ Jesus’ grace, self-sacrifice, and what it means for us

🌎 Sharing resurrection hope in a world that needs it.

Like the Giant’s ultimate act of selflessness, Easter is a story of redemption, transformation, and love that conquers fear. Tune in for a deep, heartfelt conversation on how this ancient story still speaks today.

Abby Olcese is a film critic, writer, and cultural commentator who explores the intersection of faith, film, and pop culture. Her work has been featured in Think Christian, Sojourners, RogerEbert.com, and more, where she dissects the deeper spiritual and societal themes in movies and media. With a keen eye for storytelling and a passion for meaningful conversation, Abby brings a fresh perspective to the Live Faith First podcast. She challenges listeners to think critically about the narratives shaping our culture and how they intersect with faith, justice, and human connection.

Elliot Sands (MBA, M.Div.) is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Live Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion.

Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

🎙️✨Watch now & join the conversation! #Easter #Faith #Resurrection #LoveOverFear #LiveFaithFirst

Let’s All Live Faith First!!!

Abby Olcese links:

Website

Bio

Instagram

Sojourners

Live Faith First Links:

YouTube

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TikTok

Facebook

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What does Good Friday have in common with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story? More than you think. In this powerful episode, Elliot Sands and Abby Olcese unpack the emotional weight of Good Friday, exploring themes of sacrifice, community, and hope—both in the Christian tradition and incinema.

🔥What’s Inside:

⚔️Rogue One and the power of laying it all on the line

💔 The raw, emotional depth of Good Friday—why it still resonates

🌅 Finding hope in sacrifice—what the disciples (and rebels) teach us

🤝 The role of community and shared faith in overcoming darkness

🎭Character deep dives—what Jyn Erso & Jesus’ followers have in common

Good Friday is more than just sorrow—it’s about the hope that rises from the ashes. Tune in for an epic, faith-filled deep dive into storytelling, sacrifice, and the light that shines in the darkest moments.

Abby Olcese is a film critic, writer, and cultural commentator who explores the intersection of faith, film, and pop culture. Her work has been featured in Think Christian, Sojourners, RogerEbert.com, and more, where she dissects the deeper spiritual and societal themes in movies and media. With a keen eye for storytelling and a passion for meaningful conversation, Abby brings a fresh perspective to the Live Faith First podcast. She challenges listeners to think critically about the narratives shaping our culture and how they intersect with faith, justice, and human connection.

Elliot Sands (MBA, M.Div.) is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Live Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion.

Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

🚀✨Watch now & be part of the conversation! #GoodFriday #Faith #StarWars #Sacrifice #Hope

Let’s All Live Faith First!!!

Abby Olcese links:

Website

Bio

Instagram

Sojourners

Live Faith First Links:

YouTube

Instagram

TikTok

Facebook

Website

Signup for email

Donate