Erik Jakubowski joins this episode to work through Sturgill Simpson's song, Just Let Go. It begins with a crazy cross-country journey and transitions into a discussion about how that trip becomes a life changing experience for Erik. I think you'll enjoy it.

Chris Curry joins this episode to dive into Sturgill's Brace For Impact. Using this song that investigates the meaning of life and death, we hit on questions like: What good is an awareness of our own mortality? Are we dying to live or living to die? What's the good life really like? What good is generosity while we're here? Hope you enjoy the episode!

Brandon Britton joins this episode for a great discussion revolving around Sturgill Simpson's Call To Arms. Along the way, we hit on: - Our egos and why they can be so dangerous - The distractions that prevent us from seeing what is true and good in life - What it means to be prophetic at this particular point in history "Being prophetic is not about looking into a crystal ball and predicting the future. It's about observing trends and connecting the dots of how they will impact the future." - Christopher Benek Enjoy!

T.R. Webb joins this episode to talk about Living The Dream, a song from Strurgill Simpson's Metamodern Sounds In Country Music album. Along the way, we discuss: - What's the dream, really? How do we know if we're living it? - What role does (should?) truth play in our day-to-day lives? - Why does life sometimes become a "sit around and wait to die" situation? - Are there remedies if I start to view life as pointless, meaningless, or useless? - Who's responsible for the chaos in the world? Sturgill seems to blame the "ole man upstairs," but is that really true? This episode is heavy on the restlessness and anxiety that plagues our society, digging into why so many are so disappointed with so much... Living the dream, but not really... Hope you enjoy the episode!

Evan Kirby joins me in this episode to dive into an entire album instead of a single song. The Ballad of Dood and Juanita, Sturgill's 5th album, is the story of love and loss, of rescue, redemption, and revenge. Along the way, we explore concepts like: How are habits formed and why we keep going back to them What we mean when talk about justice and how we balance the principle of reaping what we sow with the call to love our enemies The problem of chronic busy-ness The need for a sabbath-principle that slows us down in our lives Enjoy!

My friend, Dylan, joins me on this episode to throw around some ideas about why the world is the way it is, why we often do what we know we shouldn't, how we come to believe things that aren't true, and what kinds of danger that brings into our lives. The whole discussion is guided by the words of Sturgill Simpson's Voices, a song that reveals the deceitful thoughts and words that threaten to wreck our world.

Why do terrible things happen in life? How do we make sense of the evil, pain, suffering, and darkness in the world? Ever struggled with questions like these? This episode uses Sturgill Simpson's song, Life Ain't Fair And The World Is Mean, to explore some of these really difficult questions. It's a deep dive into why the world is the way it is, what our role in it may be, and how we can make the best of whatever situation we find ourselves in.

In this first episode, we talk about the project and where it's going, highlight some of the transcendent questions of Sturgill Simpson's music (and the music of others like him), and move toward a better understanding for the pain and suffering in our lives. The episode mentions a few writers and books that have shaped this conversation. Here's a short list. Andrew Root's Ministry In A Secular Age series Glen Scrivener's The Air We Breathe Justin Brierley's Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God Christopher Watkin's Biblical Critical Theory Joshua Chateau's Telling A Better Story Paul Gould's Cultural Apologetics Tom Holland's Dominion Songs referenced: Sturgill Simpson: Turtles All The Way Down Tyler Childers: Angel Band Jason Isbell: 24 Frames, Last Of My Kind Zach Bryan: East Side Of Sorrow Enjoy!