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  • Episode 123: Church as a Recovering Community

    Episode 123: Church as a Recovering Community
    Oct 8 2026
    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland explores why recovery from hypocrisy cannot happen in isolation. We need the church, but we need a church honest enough to admit its own flaws and gracious enough to make room for people who are still being transformed. The church Jesus is building has always been a messy family filled with imperfect people who need a Savior. Derek draws from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together to explore what happens when our idealized vision of Christian community becomes more important than the actual people God has placed around us. Bonhoeffer calls this idealized vision a “wish dream.” When the illusion of a perfect Christian community is shattered, we have an opportunity to discover genuine Christian community. The episode also explores the church as a place of grace, confession, Communion, patience, and spiritual formation. Rather than demanding that people have their lives together before they belong, a recovering community welcomes people into the process of becoming whole. Derek describes this movement as belong, believe, become. Within this kind of community, we learn to practice humility and courage alongside people who share our need for grace. Key Takeaways We need Christian community to recover from hypocrisy. The church is a family, and families are messy. A healthy Christian community makes room for honest vulnerability and ongoing transformation. Bonhoeffer warns against loving an idealized vision of Christian community more than the actual Christian community. Disillusionment can become a sacred gift when it exposes unrealistic expectations about the church. The church is centered on two realities: Jesus is the Savior, and we are all people who need a Savior. Holy Communion reminds us that we come to the table by grace. Public shame and legalistic policies can drive sin deeper rather than creating genuine transformation. Churches where grace abounds can become safe places for hypocrites to bring their hidden lives into the light. Christian community should allow people to belong, believe, and become. Virtue is formed within a people who share a common story. Christian love makes sense within the story of Jesus' incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus said our love for one another would demonstrate to the world that we are his disciples. Books Mentioned Life Together — Dietrich Bonhoeffer Scriptures Mentioned Luke 2:11 Matthew 11:29 Romans 5:20 1 Corinthians 13:13 John 13:35 Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by: Leaving a review Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app Sharing this episode with a friend Support the work we are doing at thepeaceableway.com Subscribe to Derek’s Substack: https://substack.com/@derekvreeland Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: derekvreeland.com Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook
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    35 Min.
  • Episode 122: Living Free of Hypocrisy

    Episode 122: Living Free of Hypocrisy
    Oct 1 2026
    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland brings his exploration of hypocrisy and virtue to a practical conclusion. Drawing from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, Derek considers Elder Zosima’s warning to stop lying to ourselves. Hypocrisy is one form of self-deception, but Dostoevsky’s character Fyodor Pavlovich reveals another possibility: playing the buffoon so we never have to become the person we know we need to be. Both paths can cause us to lose ourselves. Derek reviews the central themes of the series: hypocrisy divides our being and doing, while virtue helps bring them back into harmony. Drawing from Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas, he describes virtue as the formation of our character, the right ordering of our loves, and an ordered disposition of the soul. Recovery requires growing in awareness of who we are and practicing the kind of life we are becoming. The episode concludes with four practical steps for becoming “hypocrites no more”: admitting our hypocrisy, practicing honest self-reflection, receiving God’s forgiving grace, and adopting new habits. Derek adapts the Ignatian Prayer of Examen as a practice for uncovering hypocrisy and encourages listeners to bring hidden sin into the light, receive God's grace, and develop habits that cultivate integrity. Key Takeaways Hypocrisy involves living as a divided person, with our being and doing out of harmony. Self-deception can keep us from recognizing the truth about ourselves. We can lose ourselves by managing our image or by using performance and buffoonery to avoid genuine change. Virtue helps bring our inner and outer lives back into harmony. Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas each offer important perspectives on virtue and human flourishing. Recovery begins with honest awareness and a willingness to practice what we are becoming. Hidden hypocrisy must be brought into the light. Self-reflection helps us recognize why we pretend and what we are trying to gain or avoid. God's forgiving grace is essential to the recovery process. New habits are necessary because habits form our character. The Four Steps of Recovery from Hypocrisy Admit to your own hypocrisy Bring hidden hypocrisy into the light and acknowledge the damage it has caused. Take time for self-reflection Review specific moments of hypocrisy and ask what you were trying to gain and what you were afraid of. Open yourself to God's forgiving grace Receive God's forgiveness rather than continuing to hide, rationalize, or justify your actions. Adopt new habits Put practices in place that help bring your being and doing into greater harmony. The Hypocrisy Examen Derek adapts the five movements of the Ignatian Prayer of Examen to help us examine our hypocrisy: Acknowledge God's presence and love. Ask the Holy Spirit for courage and insight. Look honestly at a specific moment of hypocrisy. Ask why you pretended, what you hoped to gain, and what you feared. Consider how you can respond differently the next time. Books Mentioned The Brothers Karamazov — Fyodor Dostoevsky Nicomachean Ethics — Aristotle On Christian Doctrine — Augustine Summa Theologiae — Thomas Aquinas Scriptures Mentioned Luke 9:24–25 1 John 1:9 Psalm 51 You can find the complete Ignatian Examen at https://www.jesuits.org/spirituality/the-ignatian-examen/ Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by: Leaving a review Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app Sharing this episode with a friend Support the work we are doing at thepeaceableway.com Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0 Check out the Merch Store: derekvreeland.com/merch Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: derekvreeland.com Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook
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    40 Min.
  • Episode 121: The Empowering Work of the Holy Spirit

    Episode 121: The Empowering Work of the Holy Spirit
    Sep 24 2026
    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland explores the empowering work of the Holy Spirit and its relationship to spiritual transformation. The Spirit transforms our being and empowers our doing so that our lives can increasingly reflect the integrity of Jesus. These two works belong together. We need the Spirit to form our character, and we need the Spirit to empower us to live out that character in the world. Derek explores Jesus’ promise of “power from on high” in Luke 24 and the promise of power in Acts 1:8. The Greek word dunamis can refer to power, strength, ability, or capacity. Derek focuses on dunamis as a Spirit-given capacity to act, particularly the ability to bear faithful witness to Jesus. He then considers Aristotle’s use of dunamis as potentiality and explores the interesting connection between potentiality and action in Aristotle and Luke. The episode concludes by challenging the limitations of self-help and willpower. We have practices for the body and soul, but we cannot recover from hypocrisy through human strength alone. The life of integrity requires our participation with the Holy Spirit. Jesus not only teaches us to love God and our neighbors. He gives us the Spirit who transforms us with God's love and empowers us to live it out. Key Takeaways The Holy Spirit transforms our being and empowers our doing. Spiritual maturity requires both holiness and Spirit-empowered action. Jesus promised his disciples “power from on high” before sending them into the world. Dunamis can describe power, ability, capability, or capacity. The Spirit gives us a capacity to act faithfully as witnesses to Jesus. Aristotle’s concept of dunamis offers an interesting philosophical comparison with Luke’s use of the word. The Spirit's power becomes visible through faithful action. Recovering from hypocrisy requires more than self-help or willpower. The practices of spiritual formation require the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. The life of integrity is a willingness to open ourselves to the Spirit’s power. The Spirit both transforms us into people who love and empowers us to live out that love. Books Mentioned Pentecostal Theology and the Christian Spiritual Tradition — Simon Chan Scriptures Mentioned Luke 24:46–49 Acts 1:1–8 Matthew 16:24–26 Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by: Leaving a review Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app Sharing this episode with a friend Support the work we are doing at thepeaceableway.com Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0 Check out the Merch Store: derekvreeland.com/merch Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: derekvreeland.com Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook
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    43 Min.
  • Episode 120: We Are Not All Physicality, We Are Spirituality

    Episode 120: We Are Not All Physicality, We Are Spirituality
    Sep 17 2026
    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland continues exploring what it means to be a hybrid creature, both body and soul. While the previous episode focused on practices for the body, this episode turns inward to the soul. We are physical creatures, but what we see in the mirror is not all that we are. We are also spiritual beings with the capacity to commune with our Creator. Drawing from Romans 8 and Eugene Peterson, Derek describes Christian spirituality as an embodied experience of life in the Holy Spirit. Our culture can reduce us to what we produce, accomplish, and project to others, but Christian spirituality reminds us that there is more to us than usefulness and reputation. We have an interior life that requires our attention. Derek then explores four practices for tending to the soul: silence, stillness, Sabbath, and Scripture reading. These practices help clear away the noise, motion, misplaced identities, and competing stories that can shape our interior lives. Ultimately, each is a form of prayer because prayer is more than the words we speak to God. Prayer includes the practices through which we intentionally attend to the presence of God. Key Takeaways Human beings are hybrid creatures, both physical and spiritual. Christian spirituality is an embodied experience of life in the Holy Spirit. We are more than our usefulness, productivity, appearance, and reputation. Our interior life can easily be neglected in a culture focused on performance. Silence prevents noise from cluttering our souls. Stillness interrupts the constant motion that allows us to ignore our souls. Sabbath helps prevent us from confusing who we are with what we accomplish. Scripture keeps us rooted in God's story rather than allowing competing stories to shape us. Narrative is a way of knowing ourselves, one another, and God. Jesus is the central character of the biblical story, a story upon which we can build our lives. Silence, stillness, Sabbath, and Scripture reading are all forms of prayer that help us attend to God's presence. Books Mentioned Eat This Book — Eugene Peterson The Deeply Formed Life — Rich Villodas Scriptures Mentioned Romans 8:5–6 Genesis 2:7 Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by: Leaving a review Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app Sharing this episode with a friend Support the work we are doing at thepeaceableway.com Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0 Check out the Merch Store: derekvreeland.com/merch Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: derekvreeland.com Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook
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    38 Min.
  • Episode 119: What You Do With Your Body Matters

    Episode 119: What You Do With Your Body Matters
    Sep 10 2026
    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland explores the often-overlooked role of the body in Christian spiritual formation. Because we are embodied people, following Jesus involves more than what happens in our thoughts, emotions, and souls. Rooted in the incarnation, Christian spirituality is an embodied experience. Jesus, the Word made flesh, demonstrates the goodness and importance of the human body. Derek draws from Eugene Peterson, Athanasius, Thomas Merton, and his own experience to consider the connection between body and soul. He argues that caring for our bodies is part of becoming like Jesus and encourages listeners to develop regular practices of movement. Whether running, walking, hiking, biking, swimming, gardening, playing with children, or simply taking the stairs, the goal is not intensity or athletic achievement. The goal is cultivating a life of movement and recognizing that what we do with our bodies matters. Key Takeaways Christian spirituality is an embodied experience. Our bodies are good, created by God, and essential to our human experience. Jesus took on a human body and elevated the goodness of embodied life. Body and soul are integrated rather than competing parts of who we are. What happens to our bodies affects our souls, and what happens within us can affect our bodies. Physical training has value, even though it is not the ultimate goal of Christian life. Spiritual formation includes intentional practices for the body. Movement can be a simple and sustainable practice for caring for the body. The goal is not necessarily intensity, but developing regular habits of movement. Find forms of movement you enjoy and cultivate a life of staying on the move. Books Mentioned Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places — Eugene Peterson On the Incarnation — Athanasius New Seeds of Contemplation — Thomas Merton Scriptures Mentioned Psalm 139:13–14 1 Corinthians 6:19 1 Timothy 4:8 Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by: Leaving a review Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app Sharing this episode with a friend Support the work we are doing at thepeaceableway.com Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0 Check out the Merch Store: derekvreeland.com/merch Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: derekvreeland.com Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook
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    38 Min.
  • Episode 118: The Transforming Work of the Holy Spirit

    Episode 118: The Transforming Work of the Holy Spirit
    Sep 3 2026
    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland explores the Holy Spirit’s role in transforming our character. The ancient virtue tradition gives us a valuable framework for understanding how good habits are formed, but Christian faith recognizes a deeper problem: human corruption reaches into the heart. We need more than moral education and greater effort. We need the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Derek explores Paul’s understanding of virtue through the “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5 and Paul’s powerful description of transformation in 2 Corinthians 3. The Spirit does not simply improve us by adding something we lack. The Spirit changes us from the inside out, making us more like Jesus. Derek uses the image of a caterpillar becoming a monarch butterfly to illustrate Paul’s language of metamorphosis. The episode also explores how we participate in this transformation. We can remain idle, work against the Spirit, or work with the Spirit by practicing the habits that Christians have used for centuries to place themselves where the Spirit can shape them. Derek then turns to one of the Spirit’s central works in spiritual formation: reordering our loves. Drawing from Augustine, he explains how the Spirit reshapes our desires so that we learn to love God, ourselves, others, and creation in their proper order. Key Takeaways Human effort alone cannot overcome the corruption of the human heart. Christian virtue requires the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Paul describes what Aristotle calls virtue as the “fruit of the Spirit.” Spiritual transformation is a fundamental change in who we are, not merely an improvement in behavior. The Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out while inviting our participation. Practicing virtue is one way we cooperate with the Spirit’s transforming work. The Spirit reorders our loves and desires according to God's design. Courage and humility are both expressions of a heart being shaped by the love of God. Spiritual formation is ultimately about becoming more like Jesus. Books Mentioned Nicomachean Ethics — Aristotle On Christian Doctrine — Augustine Scriptures Mentioned Jeremiah 17:3, 5, 9 Matthew 15:17–20 John 3:6 Philippians 4:8 Galatians 5:19–23 2 Corinthians 3:6, 17–18 Jeremiah 31:33 Romans 5:5 Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by: Leaving a review Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app Sharing this episode with a friend Support the work we are doing at thepeaceableway.com Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0 Check out the Merch Store: derekvreeland.com/merch Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: derekvreeland.com Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook
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    38 Min.
  • Episode 117: Humility That Conquers Hypocrisy

    Episode 117: Humility That Conquers Hypocrisy
    Aug 27 2026
    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland explores the virtue of humility and why it is essential for recovering from hypocrisy. Humility has never been particularly popular. We want to be powerful, smart, and great, yet Jesus points us toward a different kind of greatness. While Aristotle celebrated the virtue of magnanimity, or “greatness of soul,” Jesus taught his disciples that true greatness is found in becoming humble. Drawing from Jesus, Paul, John Chrysostom, Anthony the Great, Thomas Merton, and Dallas Willard, Derek explores humility as a “lowly mind”—an honest acceptance of who we are before God. Humility is not self-loathing, passivity, or groveling. It is living honestly within the reality of who God has made us to be, recognizing both our dignity and our limitations, and allowing God's grace to fill in the gaps. Derek also explores Thomas Merton's distinction between being and doing. Our actions reveal something about us, but our identity cannot be reduced to what we accomplish. When we become obsessed with our outward performance, we can lose touch with the deeper work God is doing within us. Humility, according to Willard, has three steps: 1) Never pretend 2) Never presume 3) Never push In following these steps, we create room for the Spirit to form us into people who are increasingly free from hypocrisy and increasingly like Jesus. Key Takeaways Humility is not self-loathing or passivity. Christian humility begins with an honest view of ourselves before God. Jesus presents humility as the pathway to true greatness. Hypocrisy attempts to manage and inflate our image; humility frees us from the need to pretend. Humility helps expose spiritual pride and self-reliance. Our identity is deeper than what we accomplish. Being precedes doing: our actions flow from who we are. God's grace meets us in both our strengths and our limitations. Humility creates space for genuine spiritual transformation. Books Mentioned Nicomachean Ethics — Aristotle New Seeds of Contemplation — Thomas Merton The Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection — translated by Benedicta Ward Streams in the Wasteland — Andrew Arndt Scriptures Mentioned John 10:10 Matthew 18:3–4 Philippians 2:3 Matthew 23:11–12 Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by: Leaving a review Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app Sharing this episode with a friend Support the work we are doing at thepeaceableway.com. Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0 Check out the Merch Store: derekvreeland.com/merch Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: derekvreeland.com Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook
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    32 Min.
  • Episode 116: The Courage That Conquers Fear

    Episode 116: The Courage That Conquers Fear
    Aug 20 2026
    In this episode of Peaceable and Kind, Derek Vreeland explores one of the four classic virtues: courage. While courage is often associated with soldiers, superheroes, and dramatic acts of heroism, Derek argues that the courage we need most is the quiet, everyday courage to do what is right in the face of fear. Beginning with stories ranging from The Wizard of Oz to the heroic actions of twelve-year-old Ramir Parker, Derek shows that courage is not the absence of fear but the strength to endure it. Drawing from Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and C.S. Lewis, he explores courage as the virtue that strengthens every other virtue. Without courage, honesty, mercy, purity, and compassion collapse whenever they become costly. The episode then turns inward, examining the fears that often shape our lives beneath the surface. Whether our deepest fear is rejection, failure, inadequacy, abandonment, or loss of identity, courage grows as we honestly acknowledge those fears and bring them before God. Derek also introduces the Enneagram as a helpful tool for identifying the internal fears that often fuel hypocrisy and prevent spiritual growth. Ask yourself: I am afraid of: Being defective or fundamentally wrong? Being unwanted or unloved?  Being worthless or a failure? Having no identity or personal significance? Being incapable or incompetent? Being without support or emotional security? Being deprived of something important or experiencing emotional distress? Being harmed or controlled by others? Being separated or disconnected from others? Ultimately, courage is not about becoming fearless—it is about becoming the kind of person who trusts God's love enough to keep doing what is right. Key Takeaways Courage is one of the four classic (cardinal) virtues. Courage is not fearlessness but doing what is right despite fear. Every virtue requires courage when it is tested. Aristotle described courage as the virtue between cowardice and recklessness. Thomas Aquinas emphasized endurance as the heart of courage. Internal fears often shape our actions more than external dangers. Identifying our deepest fears is essential for spiritual growth. Perfect love casts out fear and enables courageous living. Books Mentioned The Screwtape Letters — C. S. Lewis Nicomachean Ethics — Aristotle Summa Theologiae — Thomas Aquinas The Road Back to You — Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation — A. J. Sherrill Scriptures Mentioned Joshua 1:9 1 John 4:17–18 Has Peaceable and Kind been meaningful to you? Support the show by: Leaving a review Giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast app Sharing this episode with a friend Support the work we are doing at thepeaceableway.com. Order Derek's new Bible Study Series, God in the Neighborhood: Book 1: Incarnation: 8 Lessons on How God Meets Us || https://amzn.to/42jSZAs Book 2: Crucifixion: 8 Lessons on How God Saves Us || https://amzn.to/459bNUk Book 3: Resurrection: 8 Lessons on How God Restores Us || https://amzn.to/40T0sp0 Check out the Merch Store: derekvreeland.com/merch Learn more about Derek’s work as a pastor and author: derekvreeland.com Interact with Derek on Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, or Facebook
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    43 Min.