Well that's it. That's the end of season one. How fun was that? 

I am going to take a brief break and we'll be back in a few weeks, probably about mid January. But I wanted to just reflect back on the last four months of sledding race since beginning in September. 

When I made the decision to start podcasting about grace and deconstruction, to share my own voice and to create space for others to share theirs. I honestly had no idea what I was getting into, and I mean that in the most beautiful way. 

Podcasting is a lot of work. There's a lot of planning. There's a lot of scheduling, there's recording, there's editing, there's producing, there's publishing, there's social media. But it has been so much fun. 

In just a few short months, I have met some incredible people. My beliefs have been challenged and expanded. I hope yours have too. And my heart feels genuinely full. Not just because of the guests that I've had the privilege of talking with, but because of you. You guys, the listeners, the fact that there's even like three people that choose to listen to this is amazing to me. And I am just so thankful that you guys are listening and engaging and we're just getting started. So I'm really excited to see what the future brings. 

As I reflect back on this first season early on, I really had to make a few decisions. 

What am I actually passionate about? 
What do I want to focus on? 

And universal grace and deconstruction came to mind almost immediately, and when I started to write out ideas, I literally have a note on my phone that probably has thirty six ideas that still have not even been addressed in this podcast. So the fact that I was able to just plow through that many ideas told me, yeah, there's something here, at least in my spirit, that I want to engage with. 

And then there was the question of what to call it. And you guys know the title of it? Uh, that one took a while. 

There are a lot of podcasts out there, and there are a lot of Christian podcasts talking about love and grace. So what would make this one different, but not just different? To be different, because we're focusing on universal grace, and that kind of already sets it apart anyway. But how do I capture that in a title? How do I capture the edge of that, like the way religious people in Jesus's day reacted to God's grace and God's love? How do I how do I capture that in just a title? 

So a lot of names floated around. Scandalous grace, open grace, promiscuous grace. Grace for all, uh, good names. But none of them quite captured that feeling. And then this slutty grace hit my mind, and my first thought was, whoa, that is too much. I can't name it that. But something in my gut felt right. Weirdly pure and honest and uncomfortable in exactly the right way. And so I thought, let's go with it. I can always change it later. 

And I trusted that the right audience, you guys would be drawn to it. And that's exactly what's happened. I haven't had a single guest decline an invitation because of the name. And for every one vocal naysayer out there that I've heard about the title, there's at least one vocal supporter who says that title is perfect, I love it. 

But it's never really just been about the title, because it's really been about the people and the content as well. 

As a graphic designer by trade, I naturally lean towards the artistic side of things, so I try to craft each episode as thoughtfully as I can. 

Most of my episodes are hand edited, and it takes about an hour of editing for every ten minutes of final content that you hear. But I focus and I get lost in that process, and I actually really enjoy it. But it is a lot of work. A lot of time. 

Each episode has its own cover art. I create sound bites, I add chapters and transcripts, and I think through titles and descriptions, not only with the audience in mind, but with SEO in mind as well, so that people can find them. 

I don't say any of this to brag, I just simply say this to communicate how much I care about each guest and about each episode, and about giving you the audience an experience that's worth listening to. I want to put something out there that sounds good, that looks good, and that honors the story that's being told. Honestly, that's just kind of how I'm wired. If I'm going to do something, I want to do it as well as I can in that moment. I also might have ADHD, so there's that. 

What has surprised me the most since starting this podcast? 

I would say the conversations, I genuinely love them. I can look back at each episode and remember that conversation as if it happened yesterday, with clarity and with affection in my heart. Some of the conversations are more analytical, some are lighter and more playful. Some go straight for the heart. But my hope is that the connection that I feel with my guests comes through to you, the listener, that you feel our connection and then hopefully you can feel connected to them as well. 

So stats for podcasting are interesting and a lot of them don't even matter. But just for fun, I wanted to share a few numbers that I personally enjoy following from the first four months since launching slutty Grace back in September. 

In the last four months, there have been 25 episodes that have been published. Listeners have listened from over 600(!) unique cities. I think that's amazing because they are coming from 32 different countries. 

So far, I think just between Apple Podcasts and Spotify, there are about one 150+ of you that are following. And I want to say thank you guys for following. That really means a lot to me. A cool stat is about sixty five percent of those who are engaged choose to follow the show. But honestly, those numbers aren't really the most important part. They're just kind of fun. 

What matters more to me is what's happening in people's hearts. In your hearts. Who is being drawn closer to a God who genuinely likes them, who isn't disappointed and distant or against them? Who's hearing a guest's story and thinking, gosh, this is a lot like my story. God, I felt that same exact thing. S

ome of you have taken the time to reach out and share that with me. And so here are some of the notes and fan mails that I've received. 

First one is from Jim. Hey, Jeremy. Jim here. Awesome that you've started this podcast Jim. Thank you. Um, honestly, starting is the hardest part. If you guys are ever wanting to do something or even start a podcast, just get started. So Jim, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts of just like starting this podcast, because, um, it now exists. 

This one's from Chris. Uh, this may be the single best episode of a podcast I have ever heard on any podcast. I was very happy with both the host and the guest. God is good, God is all good. And she was talking about the episode entitled You Don't Deserve Love. Chris. Thank you. I'm so glad that that podcast meant something to you. And the fact that you say that is the single best episode of a podcast I've ever heard on any podcast. Uh, my natural tendency is like, go out and listen to more podcasts, but that's deflecting. And I've learned like, that's not good. So I will say, thank you so much for sharing that. Uh that's awesome. I'm glad that that really touched you and that you feel like that's that's one of the best podcasts you've ever heard. That means a lot. 

This is from Anchorage, Alaska. Hi, Jeremy, I have enjoyed every episode so far. Keep on doing it! I would love to hear a topic of salvation for Satan and the demons. Anchorage, Alaska season two. We are going to talk about that. Is there salvation for Satan and demons, and we're bringing someone on who's studied that pretty in depth and just has some really good feelings about that because, yeah, if Grace saves all, um, that includes all if all of creation is going to be reconciled and restored to God, then that also possibly could include Satan and the demons. So we're going to take a look at that. Great suggestion. I love that. 

This one's from Bruce. Hey Jeremy, I just discovered your podcast. What a provocative title. So being as the word slutty is normally used in a sexual context, it kind of got me thinking. I'm very curious about the damage to our sexuality that some evangelical theology may be doing. By that, I'm talking about the eighty five percent of us that are heterosexual. Have you ever done any thinking on this, or do you know others that are within the progressive Christianity who've done that? I would love to see you have a guest that talks about this topic of, um, sexuality. Bruce, I think that's a good idea. I will definitely consider that because I feel like there is a lot of damage that can come to our our own self and our own sexuality from some of the Christian sexual morality. Um, some of it's good, some of its protective, but I think some of it could go too far. So that might be something fun to explore. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Bruce. 

This one's from Indiana. Uh, and this one's talking about Leslie niece who was on survivor, and she just shared her story. This is what Indiana says. Wow. Leslie had me sobbing. The message resonated so deeply with me. I was driving while listening, and I'm literally hitting my steering wheel saying yes, yes, yes. I grew up Amish and then Mennonite and then ended up in a non-denominational hitch as an adult. I started deconstruction a few years ago, and I found it to be a lonely road. And now I have a brother on the same road. That helps, and I would love to find a local group to interact with because I don't have a church anymore. I disagree with so much that I was taught, but I seriously love Jesus. Thank you for this Indiana. Thanks for sharing that you are not alone in feeling alone when you start to deconstruct, it can be a very lonely process. A lot of your friend groups and family don't know what to do with that. And so it can be a very lonely road, and it can be really hard to find a local group to connect with. Keep going with that. There's some resources out there. Um, reach out to Leslie. Even, like, she would probably love to hear from you and be able to talk with you through that. I hear you where you disagree with so much of what you were taught, but you seriously love Jesus, and there's a lot of people out there that really still love Jesus, but don't really like religion that much. Thank you for sharing that. That's super cool. 

All right. As I think about what's next. So we're going to look ahead to season two. 

My goal is to keep finding this balance between the head and the heart, between experts in their fields therapists, theologians, professionals, but also the deeply human life stories that engage both of our minds and our emotions. I really try to to find a balance between that, and I want to keep exploring what it looks like to find a grace that truly surpasses understanding, and how people have navigated that journey in real life. 

One other thing that I'm also very mindful of is trying to include both the masculine and feminine voices. So I will continue to try to balance that out. Won't be one to one, but I do want to find a good balance between those two voices. Some podcasts, honestly, I hear almost all dudes and some I hear almost all women. I'm really trying to find a balance between that and just including both of those voices. 

So far for next season, I already have several guests lined up through the spring that I'm genuinely excited for you guys to hear, and I'm excited to just talk with them and find out where that goes. Because when I have a guest, I don't know where the conversation is going to go necessarily. I have some questions maybe lined up, but we just go with it and we just kind of follow the thread in the moment. 

As I continue to explore Grace, I'm realizing that something else feels just as important. Not only asking what grace is right. What is grace, but paying attention to what happens when grace is absent and because the absence of grace leaves a mark. I'm playing with this idea of creating a series. I'm playing with the title "The Unwanted". 

And this is a series that focuses on stories from people the church has historically kept at arm's length or have actively pushed away LGBTQ plus divorcees, queer parents, neurodivergent individuals. So my goal, and this is something I'm going to try to achieve next season, is to look at anywhere from four to eight of these groups and try to find stories that can talk about what their life may have looked like, had more Grace been involved, what has happened to them because of the lack of grace, the lack of love from from the Christian community and other communities? Because if grace is really for everyone, then no one should have to wonder whether they belong. 

Well, that's, uh, that's my thoughts on season one. But to cap things off for the end of the season. Just like every episode, I like to give the guest the final word and we're going to do the same here. So here is a montage of every guest that was on season one. Enjoy and we'll see you in January. 

[Jacob]
Show me this is a quote. Show me the ways in which people treat dead bodies, and I will tell you with mathematical exactness, the level of compassion and empathy in that society is powerful. Wow. I think we can take a step back and say, tell me how a society treats those who are dying, and I can show you with mathematical exactness, the level of compassion or etc. I think we can take a step back from that and say, show me the way in which you treat older adults. 

[Bob]
Whenever I close my eyes and I begin to meditate, I begin to see the day my dad passed and they came and got me at school, and they told me that the cancer got him. And so they take me back to the house and I go into the house. And my dad knew a lot of people because he was this big Baptist preacher, you know, in this area. And so everybody was at my house, and I went into the front door and I ran out the back door because I just couldn't tolerate that. And I ran into this empty field in Artesia, New Mexico. We'll never forget it. And I knelt down on the ground. I extended my middle finger up to God, and I said, 

[Chris]
God's justice is, in fact, just intertwined with grace. It's inseparable from grace. That's the only kind of justice there is, is the slutty grace, as you will. And it makes people who, like, are in the human kinds of justice, like, so annoying, like, so very upset. Yeah, that like that. Somebody getting something they don't deserve. Because the point is not that none of us deserve it. The point is that all of us deserve it. 

[Michael]
Yeah, a lot of people who are what we call deconstructing their faith, it's usually fundamentalism or evangelicalism. It's a mixed bag for an experience. A lot of it is difficult to do. And, uh, you end up losing your community, and maybe some people in your church might question you because you're asking too many questions and you're not accepting the answers that they give. Yeah. And you're maybe doing some historical research and some biblical studies to get more into to the meaning of the scriptures and maybe how the Bible was compiled. And you're discovering things that are counter to, you know, your church's statement of faith or the what typical evangelicals believe. So that part is a very disconcerting experience. 

[David]
I can say from personal experience, this is the most rewarding spiritual season of my life. Since I have come to believe in universal restoration, I have never felt better about being Christian, never felt more positive even in the midst of all the bad stuff that's going on right now, I still look around and I say, all these people, even the people I radically disagree with, they're ultimately all my eternal brothers and sisters, and we're all going to finally be delivered from whatever evil has attached itself in our lives, and I can look at even the mess of this world and say, I believe that God is bringing about. Going to bring about something beautiful. 

[Nadyia]
So my husband and I were fortunate to be married for fourteen years before we conceived. And I think that had given us a lot of good time to, um, unravel from some really strongholds in our life emotionally, mentally, um, generationally and spiritually, of course. So by the time we got pregnant with our first kid, a lot of work had been done, and we knew going into parenthood that there were certain things we would or wouldn't do. Um, I my kids have taught me so much. 

[Steve]
Through my second failed situation with church. I couldn't make sense of God. I couldn't make sense of any of it until I started looking at God in this new lens. It doesn't help the hurt of, you know, thousand people getting killed in a tidal wave in Thailand that never knew God. However, grace is bigger. And eternity is bigger. This life is short in comparison. And I'm not going to sit there and believe that those people that got wiped out. Well, too bad they didn't say the sinner's prayer. That's a real shame that ten year old's going to have to burn in hell now because of that. And it's just I'm not buying any of that. 

[Leslie]
I started listening instead of talking. I was used to being the one to talk. I was on the radio, I was speaking, I was writing books, I was teaching, I was doing Bible studies, running women's ministries, and just doing the whole speaking circuit. But for the first time in my life, I had nothing but time. There was no distractions. And it was just these people that I got to know. And they all wanted to tell me their religion story. Everybody, once they find out you're a Christian. Well, I went to church once when I was ten. You know, it's really so. But it opened a door and everybody shared, and I kind of left conflicted. Like, we tell homosexuals that they're going to hell because they're choosing their lifestyle Over a relationship with God. That was what I was taught. So I came back and started asking questions about that. 

[Benji]
Reality is, is that even within the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, you get some of the strongest words of judgment. And yet you also get these words of hope. Even in Ezekiel, it talks about Sodom being restored, Sodom, which is used as the kind of paradigm of eternal punishment. And yet even there there is restoration. So I think that's probably what I would say, and I would point them to think deeply upon other passages. Romans five and ask yourself, is what Adam did and the consequences of his actions more powerful than what Christ did? Yeah, because Paul is clearly highlighting. No way, Jose, you know what? 

[Reed]
What I think is really important is nowhere. do you see God saying, you haven't chosen me and I'm mad at you, and I'm gonna punish you and burn you for eternity because you deserve it. Yes. Never, never. Once. There is not one. And there's going to be probably some people listening that are not liking me, saying that if you look at those stories, it's like with the curses at the garden, we're all taught like God cursed them. No he didn't. He told them what was going to happen. Now that you don't get to live here anymore, you've chosen to leave. And that's what it's like out there. 

[Kristi]
Everything you've repressed from your life, it's swept under the rug. Put it in the closet. It's like a dam breaks and all of that can come rushing back on into the surface. And so I, I say, healing hurts like hell. Yeah. But if you start going into your own journey, doing your own inner work and it feels really dark, it might feel like you're very much going in the wrong direction. You're not keep going. That's what healing feels like at first, and it's worth it. It is the renewing of your mind.