Ash Wednesday forces us to acknowledge that some day we will die. For some, that truth is abstract. For others, it is painfully personal. Esau and Mike are joined by Hannah Miller King, author of Feasting on Hope: How God Sets a Table in the Wilderness, to talk about what happens to faith when prayers for healing go unanswered. After losing her father to cancer as a teenager, Hannah began wrestling with a question many believers quietly carry: What does hope look like when God doesn't do what you asked? They explore the difference between a "transaction of goods" gospel and the communion of persons, the role of the Lord's Supper in shaping Christian imagination, and how Lent invites us to hold suffering and resurrection together. Also, can Hannah and Esau convince Mike to become anglican?

0:00 - Theme Song

1:19 - Making Mike Anglican

7:21 - King's New Book on Ash Wednesday

14:40 - The Book's Thesis

18:10 - Grief

26:07 - Community and Grief

39:22 - End Credits

Feasting on Hope: How God Sets a Table in the Wilderness by Hannah Miller King: https://amzn.to/4aHAvgh

A video shared by Donald Trump depicting Barack and Michelle Obama with a racist trope sparked outrage, swift defenses, and eventually, quiet deletion. Esau, Malcolm, and Mike explore the long history of dehumanizing imagery, the theological weight of the image of God, and why the refusal to repent may matter more than the original post. Then the conversation turns to rhetoric at the National Prayer Breakfast and the danger of blending national power with the language of the gospel. What does it mean to follow a crucified king in an age that prizes dominance?

0:00 - Theme Song

2:00 - Can You Beat Middle Schoolers at Basketball?

6:56 - Trump's Racist Obama Video

24:23 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

25:26 - The Military and Religion

35:27 - What's Part of the Gospel?

46:00 - End Credits

Students aren't just using AI to finish assignments. They're using it to manage social interactions, from emails to professors to conversations on dating apps. Esau, Justin, and Mike explore how that might spare a little awkwardness, but also skips the stage of failure where real growth usually happens. Then, are small liberal arts colleges actually better at forming students, and are universities still teaching people how to think rather than what to think? Also, sports gambling continues to cause problems and why Y2K culture, including the return of CDs, is making a surprising comeback.

0:00 - Theme Song

0:18 - Black History Month Present

2:23 - CDs Are Coming Back?

9:23 - Physical Media in a Digital World

13:29 - A.I. Keeps Us from Failing

22:12 - Sponsor - Glorify - Get full access all year for $29.00 at https://www.glorify-app.com/esau

23:33 - Sponsor - With & For: Psychology and Spirituality for Thriving Podcast. Check it out now! https://pod.link/1712333330

24:50 - Avoiding A.I. Entirely?

34:09 - Liberal Art's Inefficiency is Its Strength

40:54 - Sports Betting's Return

51:50 - End Credits

Resources:

God's Colorful Easter: The Good News Is for Everyone by Esau McCaulley:

https://www.tyndale.com/p/gods-colorful-easter/9798400501029?srsltid=AfmBOopFr6DDhzFFW4jVivkDhEgT3FNiuzM1cc8xmhgBCDtMuXLNVBSZ