Merry Christmas from Resident Strangers! This is our final episode of 2025, but don’t worry, Steve, Rich, and Sarah are already working on and planning great conversations for January and the start of 2026.

The crew kicks things off with Christmas excitement (and, of course, a little friendly teasing of Rich, longtime listeners know why! 🎄). In the middle of the laughter, Steve offers some timely pastoral wisdom: don’t miss the season you’re in. It’s easy to get lost in nostalgia or jump ahead to future holidays and completely overlook what God is doing right now.

Rich reflects on what it must have been like for God’s people waiting for the Messiah. expecting political upheaval yet receiving a baby in a manger. It’s a reminder that God still works in surprising ways, often in places we least expect. It’s an encouraging conversation to close out the year!

Resident Strangers will be on break until January 6, 2026. In the meantime, catch up on any episodes you missed and don’t forget you can watch on YouTube! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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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 again on January 6th as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

With Thanksgiving just days away, the Resident Strangers crew sat down to reflect on the themes of gratitude and thankfulness. After swapping their own Thanksgiving plans, the conversation shifted toward what it truly means to live with a thankful heart.

Rich shared that growing and maturing in Christ is deeply tied to learning contentment, that gratitude is, in many ways, the opposite of selfishness. Sometimes all it takes is stepping back and gaining a fresh perspective to rekindle a spirit of thankfulness.

Steve pointed to Psalm 50:23 and Psalm 100 as reminders that thanksgiving and worship go hand in hand. The New Testament echoes this as well when Paul famously calls believers to be thankful in all circumstances in Philippians. There’s something powerful about refusing to let our circumstances define our gratitude.

Rich also admitted that the more he intentionally focuses on what he can be grateful for, the less miserable he becomes. Gratitude really does matter whether it’s for something as simple as a warm cup of coffee or as meaningful as the love of family. Every bit of thankfulness counts, touches God’s heart, and ultimately shapes our own.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Resident Strangers team!

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Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

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.

What does it actually mean to grow as a Christian? In today’s episode, Steve, Rich, and Sarah dig into the idea of spiritual maturity. After a fun conversation comparing the TV shows they each grew up with they shift to what really matters: growing in Christ.

Steve kicks things off in 1 Peter 2, where spiritual growth is pictured through the human life cycle. Just like a baby slowly learns to eat and move, even an adult who becomes a Christian starts out spiritually “new.” But the goal isn’t to stay there; growth is essential. Rich highlights this from 2 Peter 1, emphasizing the diligence and intentionality required, and then points to 1 Corinthians 13, another passage that uses growth imagery to describe maturing in our faith.

Sarah brings in the importance of understanding how that growth actually happens, especially when life gets messy. Trials and challenges often become the very place where spiritual maturity is formed. Steve ties it all together by reminding us that one of the clearest signs of maturity is recognizing that life isn’t ultimately about us; it’s about Jesus. Rich also opens up about his own recent steps toward spiritual maturity, offering a real-life picture of what growing in Christ can look like day to day. We hope this conversation challenges and encourages you as we head into a new year!

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

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.