Viral Jesus
129 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago -Viral Jesus is a podcast from Christianity Today about digital communication and the power of social connections. Join author and communication scholar Heather Thompson Day as she dives deep with ministry leaders, content creators, and social media influencers to find out how they're starting important conversations, building community, and sharing their faith in digital spaces.
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Episodes
Natalie Boonstra Lilly: Dealing with Insecurity
June 20, 2024 10:00 - 40 minutesToday’s episode with Natalie Boonstra Lilly is such an empowering conversation. Natalie shares her heart behind her latest book Insecure: My Story. She opens up about her deformity, and how it impacted her childhood and self-esteem. Heather and Natalie also discuss how you know when you are supposed to share your story, waiting on God to open doors, and why it is important to find safe spaces when sharing intimate experiences publicly for the first time. Heather also adds a tool to your too...
Drew Dyck: Just Show Up
June 13, 2024 10:00 - 42 minutesToday’s episode with Drew Dyck encapsulates why we started this show. Heather had never met Drew in person, but his writing and Twitter have impacted her real life. It is incredible how our online presence can bring about real-life friendships and foster spiritual growth. Heather and Drew discuss Drew’s latest book Just Show Up. Drew wants to remind you that God isn’t expecting you to do everything, or to change overnight. The gospel is an invitation to Just Show Up and engage with people an...
Gary Lawrence: Understanding Our Rejection Patterns
June 06, 2024 10:00 - 31 minutesHave you ever wondered why you behave the way you do? Dr. Gary Lawrence says he thinks it has to do with the patterns of rejection we navigated in childhood. We all experience rejection, but we all survive that rejection differently. Dr. Gary believes that he has found some helpful tools that can help us break free of toxic patterns we may be repeating. In today's episode Heather and Gary discuss how we can identify, isolate, and eliminate the root cause of most of our problems with rejection...
We Too: How the Church Can Respond Redemptively to the Sexual Abuse Crisis
May 30, 2024 10:00 - 39 minutesToday’s episode is a must listen. Mary DeMuth is the author of We Too: How the Church can Respond Redemptively to Sexual Abuse, and spends the first half of this conversation walking Heather through her own story. Mary is committed to equipping churches with tools to be able to navigate these conversations with grace. Mary and Heather also discuss how Scripture is a redemptive story that can encourage the most burdened, which is why Mary is so passionate about Bible reading. Heather and Mar...
The Church Behind Bars Is Alive and Well
May 23, 2024 10:00 - 42 minutesToday’s episode highlights the work that is being done by Christians for the incarcerated. Heather sits down with the first female president of Prison Fellowship, Heather Rice Minus and discusses what work still needs to be done outside of prisons, and in our communities, to help incarcerated individuals transition after serving their sentence. During today’s episode Heather also provides an update on Viral Jesus and requests your prayer for the future of the show. Guest Bio Heather Rice Min...
JS Park: As Long As You Need
May 16, 2024 10:00 - 50 minutesToday’s episode is for the person navigating a season of loss or grief, and trying to figure out how long this ache will last. JS Park is a chaplain who has served for nearly 10 years and has held pain for thousands of patients and their families. He believes that our need to rush past pain, only suffocates our grief, and that grief is a voice that needs to be heard. During today’s episode Heather also provides an update on her life ministry, and professional journey. Guest Bio J.S. Park i...
Andrew Farley: 101 Bible Questions And the Surprising Answers You May Not Hear in Church
April 25, 2024 10:00 - 42 minutesAre there certain questions you don't feel like you can ask in church about the Bible? For today’s episode Heather sits down with Dr. Andrew Farley, a pastor and radio show host, asks him questions he often gets during his live radio show every night about the Bible. Andrew believes in grace, freedom, and the new covenant. If you have felt that religion offered you very little grace, less freedom, and didn’t talk very much about the beauty of the New Covenant, today’s episode is for you. Dur...
Ike Miller: Good Baggage
April 18, 2024 10:00 - 39 minutesIs there such a thing as Good Baggage? For today’s episode Heather sits down with Ike Miller and discusses the baggage that we experience in our past that sometimes impacts our present and future. But, is it possible that seeing our parents' parent, or do marriage, or live out their faith, can reveal to us how we can do things differently? Ike believes that his upbringing is what gave him a passion to pursue a different path for himself. What if some baggage can be good? On today’s social too...
Brad Hill: AI and Its Impact On The Church
April 11, 2024 10:00 - 44 minutesWelcome to part two of our two part series on technology, church and culture. For today’s episode Heather sits down with Brad Hill who is the Chief Solutions Officer at GLOO, where they’ve just developed a new initiative that helps churches navigate AI. What is AI? How is it impacting church culture? And should we be concerned as Christians about its potential? Heather gets answers to these questions and more during today’s conversation. Heather also discusses deepfake videos and AI manipulat...
John-Michael Bout and Jacob Valk: Breaking Free of Porn Addiction
April 04, 2024 10:00 - 51 minutesWelcome to part one of our two part series on Technology, Church and Culture. On today’s episode Heather finally has a conversation she has been wanting to have since season 1, and that is on the topic of pornography. According to the Youth Pornography Addiction Center, 93 % of boys and 62% of girls are exposed to internet pornography before the age of 18. To discuss porns impact and what resources may be available to help a user who wants to quit, Heather sits down with John Michael Bout and...
Rachel Marie Kang: The Matter of Little Losses
March 28, 2024 10:00 - 40 minutesWelcome to part four of our four part series, Advice From a Woman. In this episode, Heather sits down with Rachel Marie Kang and talks about the relatively invisible matter of little losses. Life is full of love, but it is also full of loss. Like paper cuts to the heart, every big and seemingly insignificant loss--the loss of friendships, faith, dreams, health, community, and everything in between--grieves us more than we think it will, and often more than we let on. Rachel Marie Kang invites...
Joanna Meyer: Women, Work, & Calling
March 21, 2024 10:00 - 38 minutesIt is time for part three of our four-part series, Advice From a Woman. Today, Christian women face multiple tensions between home and work, navigating complex gender dynamics in the workplace, and social pressure to hold together picture-perfect lives. Joanna Meyer addresses a critical gap in Christian women's discipleship by speaking to the roles we play in public and professional life. Heather also adds another tool to your social toolkit as she discusses social media and how your employer...
Kristen LaValley: Even If He Doesn’t
March 14, 2024 10:00 - 40 minutesIt is time for part two of our four part series, Advice from a Woman. Today Heather sits down with Kristen LaValley. Kristen explains the problem with formulaic Christianity. Eventually God allows something to enter our lives that we never saw coming, and can’t put into a box. We have a choice in those experiences to either let our understanding of God crumble, or let go of all our preconceived formulas. Also, if you are an aspiring author, and wanting to know how important social media is to...
Jenn Schultz: She’s Not Your Enemy
March 07, 2024 11:00 - 41 minutesIn honor of Women’s History Month, today we begin a new four-part series called “Advice from a Woman.” In each episode, Heather will speak to a different thought leader to get her best advice on how to keep growing, praying, and choosing God in our everyday faith journeys. On today’s show Heather sits down with Jenn Schultz, the author of She’s Not Your Enemy. Jenn says we lose something when, by default, we view other women as our competition. She walks us through strategies that will empowe...
Lana Silk: An Iranian Daughter’s Mission
February 29, 2024 11:45 - 41 minutesAccording to Charles Spurgeon, “Religion which costs a man nothing is usually worth nothing.” In her missionary and humanitarian ministry to Iran—including its persecuted Christians and scattered diaspora—Lana Silk has been learning the meaning of costly religion. This episode features Heather’s inspiring conversation with Lana. Guest Bio Lana Silk, the daughter of Lazarus and Maggie, serves as the USA chief executive officer of Transform Iran. In this role, she actively seeks to bring freed...
Paul Kix: ‘You Have to Be Prepared to Die’
February 22, 2024 11:30 - 42 minutesThis week Heather is joined by journalist Paul Kix, whose bestselling book You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live takes readers on a sweeping tour of the chaotic streets of Birmingham, Alabama, in the spring of 1963. It’s the story of the pivotal ten-week campaign of marches, nonviolent resistance, and overnight jail stays that helped turn the tide on Jim Crow segregation. Who can forget the gut-wrenching photos and video clips from Birmingham during these days? The image...
Kevin Olusola: ‘I Thought God Was Crazy’
February 15, 2024 12:11 - 40 minutesWelcome to the final episode of our three-part “Listening to Black Creators” series for Black History Month. On today’s show, Heather gets to sit down with Kevin Olusola, a member of the three-time Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Pentatonix. Kevin shares his story, which he credits solely to God and his call to “radical reliance.” Oh, Kevin acknowledges that he had to do his part by putting in the work to become a masterful musician; however, it was God who ultimately opened doors and pro...
Why Ally Henny Won’t Shut Up
February 08, 2024 11:00 - 38 minutesOn today’s episode Heather gets to sit down with author, speaker, and activist Ally Henny to discuss Ally’s latest book, I Won’t Shut Up: Finding Your Voice When the World Tries to Silence You. Citing studies and anecdotal experience, Ally explains that in our society Black women are often made to feel like their very existence is too loud. Ally then walks us through some of the societal ways in which women are silenced, invites us to think critically about the presentations of women in Scrip...
K.A. Ellis: Theology for Real People
February 01, 2024 12:00 - 43 minutesOn today’s episode Heather visits with theologian and author K.A. Ellis—the initials stand for “Karen Angela”—to kick off our three-part series for February, “Listening to Black Creators.” Mrs. Ellis, who was 42 when she married her husband Carl, talks about the experiences of single women in the church, as well as the true meaning of the word widow (it’s not just about the death of a spouse). She also offers practical wisdom for how to trust God’s faithfulness and Christ’s sufficiency when t...
Lingering in the Tension of Scripture
January 25, 2024 11:00 - 48 minutesOn today’s episode Heather is joined by Kat Armas. Kat is a Cuban American theologian and author who specializes in seeing Scripture in new ways. Her lens for engaging with the Bible reminds us that there is always so much more to Scripture than we notice at first glance. This week there’s also more of our new segment Friends in the Kitchen, featuring celebrity chef Danielle Kartes. Today, Danielle is sharing her delicious Chicken Piccata recipe, which you can find on her blog here. Guest Bi...
Holly Oxhandler: The Soul of the Helper
January 18, 2024 11:00 - 42 minutesOn today’s episode Heather visits with researcher and licensed social worker Holly Oxhandler to discuss Holly’s latest book, The Soul of the Helper, in which she encourages caregivers and caretakers (both professional and nonprofessional) to recognize their need for stillness, rest, and spiritual renewal. Holly says helpers are prone to trying do it all and are likely candidates for burnout. She identifies seven stages that can help us see the sacred within ourselves, and that once we can see...
Madison Prewett Troutt: The Love Everybody Wants
January 11, 2024 11:00 - 46 minutesOn today’s episode Heather visits with Madison Prewett Troutt to discuss dating, waiting, and falling in love. You may recognize Madison from season 24 of The Bachelor, where she was a finalist. Madison made national news when she shared on the show that she was a virgin and saving herself for marriage. She later eliminated herself from the competition. Fans fell in love with Madison and her commitment to her Christian faith. Now she has written a book about dating and singleness to encourage...
‘Come and See’
December 26, 2023 05:45 - 9 minutesThis week, in the final installment of our Meditation Monday devotions for 2023, Heather explains why Christmas is an appropriate time to be finishing this series. “Biblically speaking, there are 400 years of silence between the book of Malachi, which closes out the prophetic ministry of the Old Testament, and the words the angel spoke to Zachariah, who would be the father of John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus. Christmas is a reminder of the fulfillment of all the promises that happened de...
Why We Choose Hope
December 18, 2023 10:00 - 9 minutesToday Heather shares a devotional that reminds each of us of the place of hope. She says hope is how she gets out of bed in the morning. Hope is how she leans into the tensions of this life. It requires our vulnerability, but it also provides us with strength to keep going. Heather will be bringing you one more meditation next week to close out 2023. We hope these devotionals have challenged your mind, encouraged your heart, and strengthened your hands. Today’s Scriptures, as rendered in the ...
Mike Planeta: Faith, Sex, and ‘The Bachelorette’
December 14, 2023 11:45 - 41 minutesOn today’s episode Heather sits down with Mike “Mikey” Planeta. You may recognize Mike as one of the contestants on season 17 of the ABC dating and relationship reality television series The Bachelorette featuring Katie Thurston. Mike was eliminated in week 6, right before the show’s hometown dates. He made national news when he revealed on the show that he was a virgin and saving himself for marriage. His celibacy was rooted in his Christian faith, and was a startling departure from the typi...
The Power of Showing Up
December 11, 2023 11:30 - 11 minutesLast week Viral Jesus hit 100 episodes. In honor of this milestone, Heather shares some thoughts on consistency, commitment, and patience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aaron Armstrong: I’m a Christian. Now What?
December 07, 2023 18:30 - 46 minutesThis is our 100th episode! Thank you so much for being a part of the Viral Jesus community. And a special thank you to those of you who have journeyed with us 100 times and back. In honor of episode 100, Heather shares a devotional thought about faith, consistency, and perseverance from Romans 4:19-22. This week, Heather also sits down with author Aaron Armstrong. Aaron’s latest book is called I’m a Christian―Now What? A Guide to Your New Life with Christ. Heather and Aaron discuss Aaron’s ex...
Barefooted Faith
December 04, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutesToday Heather shares a devotional message that reminds each of us that our circumstances do not correlate to God’s presence in our lives. Your circumstances are seasonal, situational, and circumstantial. They are not forever. They are not always. And they are not permanent. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who is forever. God is with us, even when it feels like our prayer life is blocked. Today’s Scripture can be found in Isaiah 20:2-4 in the Christian Sta...
My Shepherd, My Lord
November 27, 2023 11:03 - 10 minutesToday’s devotion is for the person who doesn’t know what happens next. I have been reading the Psalms for the past few weeks during my devotional time, and I can’t stop thinking about Psalm 23. You know the one: “The Lord is my shepherd.” Sit with what that means for a moment. For the Lord to be our shepherd, to actually be guiding each of our steps—waiting for us when we wander, picking us up when we stumble, leading us to refreshing waters that will nourish our souls. Sheep are totally depe...
From Petition to Praise
November 20, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutesToday Heather shares a devotional reminder of the power of gratitude. Did you know that gratitude and stress can’t live in the brain at the same time? If all of our prayers are simply us recounting our worry, have we really worshiped God? Heather invites you to make a list of five things you are grateful for this holiday season. And she exhorts us to “never stop looking for spaces in your life to praise God,” even amid our worries and petitions. Today’s Scripture can be found in Psalm 33:1-5 ...
Dorcas Cheng-Tozun: Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul
November 16, 2023 12:00 - 48 minutesThis week, Heather sits down with writer Dorcas Cheng-Tozun to discuss how to navigate matters of social justice when you’re a reserved or highly sensitive person. Do you have to be an extrovert to inspire people to rally around community needs? Dorcas explains small, quiet ways you can make an impact. In this episode Heather also addresses National Adoption month with Herbie Newell, president and executive director of Lifeline Children’s Services, the largest evangelical adoption agency in t...
In the Meantime
November 13, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutesToday Heather shares a devotional reminder that will encourage you in whatever waiting season you may find yourself. There is often a period of waiting between an anointing and an appointing—that is, between the event of being selected for an assignment and the act of officially stepping into that new role. David’s wait was nearly 15 years. If you are experiencing what feels like a false start, today’s episode will encourage you. Today’s Scripture can be found at 1Corinthians 9:24-27 and wi...
Brady Shearer: Shepherding Churches Through Digital Spaces
November 09, 2023 11:00 - 52 minutesThis week, Heather sits down with Brady Shearer to talk about all the complexities of social media. Brady is a leader in the online ministry landscape, training churches on how to better navigate their social networks. Today he shares his best practices and tools for pastors, ministry leaders, and pretty much anyone hoping to grow their online presence. Brady, who lives and works in Canada, also shares his “origin story,” of how God redirected his steps and put him on the path to launching hi...
Making the Invisible Visible
November 06, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesEvery Monday for the rest of 2023, we will be facing our week together, in faith. God is invisible because he is meant to be seen in his people. Anyone who has heard me preach has probably heard me say that, and I mean it. When the world cries out, “Where is God?” It is not an indictment on God. It is an indictment on us, his image bearers, because God has always chosen to make himself known through his people. That’s why we are called his image bearers. That’s why our lives and choices and d...
Taylor Lorenz: Extremely Online
November 02, 2023 10:00 - 43 minutesThis week, Heather sits down with nationally renowned tech journalist Taylor Lorenz to discuss her bestselling book, Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet. Taylor, one of the earliest and most consequential reporters on the social media beat, catalogs the sociological story of the internet starting with how “mommy bloggers” changed the social landscape. Taylor helps us explore the world of content creation, how social power has usurped the gatekeeper...
Let Us Pray Anyway
October 30, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutes“Prayer doesn’t change anything” is a sentiment Heather has heard often, even from Christians. Today, she shares a devotional reminder that will hopefully encourage you to pray confidently, no matter how dire the circumstance. Every Monday for the rest of 2023, Heather is bringing you brief messages of encouragement to provide an extra boost for your week.Today’s Scripture begins with Daniel 9:23, where the angel Gabriel tells Daniel, “As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I ha...
Scot McKnight: Rereading Revelation
October 26, 2023 10:00 - 47 minutesThis week, theologian Scot McKnight walks Heather through what we may be misunderstanding about the Book of Revelation. McKnight, a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, tackles popular misconceptions about the mysterious final book of the Bible that both fascinates and frightens its readers. Drawing from his latest book, Revelation for the Rest of Us (written with Cody Matchett), McKnight shares what John means in his use of the images of dragons, lambs, and beasts; and how the sy...
The Wisdom of Backward Design
October 23, 2023 09:00 - 8 minutesYour life is not meaningless. This day actually matters. What if you were to see your life through the lens of backward design? How would it change your perspective? Today Heather shares a devotional reminder that will stir your sense of purpose and remind you that God is always working for your good, even when it feels like you’re sinking backward into a quagmire of hopelessness. Every Monday for the rest of 2023 Heather will bring you an encouraging word in under ten minutes. This week’s S...
Karen Swallow Prior: Christian Culture in Crisis
October 19, 2023 11:28 - 48 minutesThis week, Heather sits down with Viral Jesus “honorary co-host” Karen Swallow Prior to discuss the origins of the evangelical movement’s PR troubles. And few thought leaders are better qualified to put the issue into a hopeful perspective than Karen Swallow Prior. Fun Fact: This is Karen’s third appearance on Viral Jesus, and the most of any of our guests so far. Karen’s latest book, The Evangelical Imagination, is about how art, literature, and popular culture have helped push evangelicals ...
Jesus, Our King
October 16, 2023 13:41 - 8 minutesToday Heather shares a devotional reminder that you belong to a King. Your life is never in the hands of a single individual, organization, or opportunity. We serve a sovereign and compassionate King. And Kings usually have more information than we do. They have a broader perspective, as well as resources that their servants can’t even fathom. Today’s Scripture can be found in Psalm 47:1-2 in the Christian Standard Bible: “Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with a jubilant cry. F...
Esau McCaulley: Are We There Yet?
October 12, 2023 19:30 - 46 minutesThis week, Heather sits down with Viral Jesus Hall of Famer Esau McCaulley to discuss his powerful new book, How Far to The Promised Land, Esau explains why it is important to reexamine the idea of Black excellence, and he encourages us to remember that we are a part of a story that started long before us and will continue long after. In this episode Heather also taps into a lighter conversation with her best friend and co-blogger Scarlett Longstreet in Safe Space, a new segment in which Heat...
God Is Not Superficial
October 09, 2023 16:02 - 8 minutesToday, as we observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Heather wants to remind us that our God is not superficial. He sees the unfair systems around us. He understands our struggles against inequality and injustice. He does not take our brokenness lightly. He will have the final word. But right now, we must find hope in the promise that God does not leave us alone in this tension. Every Monday for the rest of 2023, we will be facing our week together in faith. These devotional episodes will always be...
Hosanna Wong: ‘You Have a New Name’
October 05, 2023 10:30 - 59 minutesToday Heather sits down for a heartfelt chat with Hosanna Wong, the best-selling author and spoken-word poet responsible for viral-video hits such as “I Have a New Name.” If you have ever struggled with issues of identity or self-worth, today’s episode is for you. Hosanna also shares her reflections on the complicated reality of grace, and how sometimes it feels like God’s grace isn’t fair. In this episode Heather also taps into a lighter conversation with her best friend and co-blogger Scarl...
Little by Little
October 02, 2023 11:00 - 9 minutesToday, Heather wants to remind you about the God of little by little. Welcome to the first installment in our Monday Meditation series. Every Monday for the rest of 2023, we will be facing our week together in faith. These devotional episodes will always be under ten minutes, perfect for morning worship or as listening material for your commute to work. And if you find it worthwhile, please share the episode to encourage someone else. Today’s Scripture passage can be found at Exodus 23:29-30 ...
Your Brain Is Not Broken
September 28, 2023 11:00 - 47 minutesToday Heather sits down with José Bourget, assistant vice president for faith engagement at Andrews University, for an eye-opening conversation about the chills and spills of being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as an adult. More than 8 million US adults are affected by the disorder. If you have ADHD, your brain doesn’t work in the same way that a neurotypical brain may process the world. It’s not all in your head. José has learned that an important part of liv...
Disrupting the Sanitized Savior
September 21, 2023 20:27 - 57 minutesWelcome to the final session of our three-part podclass “Disrupting American gods.” Today Heather sits down with hip-hop artist Kevin “KB” Burgess, as he unpacks the themes of his latest book Dangerous Jesus. KB wants us to meet a Jesus who questions the status quo, threatens those seeking to divide us, and teaches us radical love of others. This conversation also reveals how KB discovered his call to music and ministry. Plus, KB shares his perceptive analysis of how Christians are seen in to...
How Did the Bible Become a Political Prop?
September 14, 2023 11:00 - 52 minutesHeather sits down with writer, speaker, and theologian Kaitlyn Schiess to discuss her latest book, The Ballot and the Bible: How Scripture Has Been Used and Abused in American Politics. Today’s episode is part two of our three-part pod-class on “Disrupting American gods.” Kaitlyn will explain the history of using the Bible as a prop in American politics, and she’ll also share her illuminating definition of “Christian nationalism,” a term we have heard a lot of in recent years. In this episod...
When Did White People Become White People?
September 07, 2023 17:30 - 47 minutesToday Heather sits down with Garrison Hayes, a content creator and former pastor, who has been called “TokTok’s unofficial history professor and documentarian.” As a scholar of forgotten Black history, and a talented filmmaker to boot, Garrison has garnered millions of views for his videos, including his much-talked-about TikTok on the history of whiteness. In fact, when Heather saw Garrison’s provocative overview of how white people became white people, she found it so fascinating that she a...
Disrupting Hollywood with ‘Sound of Freedom’
August 31, 2023 12:07 - 58 minutesToday Heather sits down with Jeffrey Harmon, the chief content officer of Angel Studios, to discuss the art, craft, and unconventional marketing strategies that have made both The Chosen television series and the film Sound of Freedom surprise hits in their respective mediums. Based on the true story of a US government agent who quits his job to devote his life to rescuing children from global child traffickers, Sound of Freedom stars Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ) in the lead role ...
TikTok Therapy: Red Flag or Green Flag?
August 24, 2023 13:00 - 48 minutesWelcome back Viral Jesus family! Many of you asked over the summer if you could have more mental health episodes so we wasted no time in giving you exactly what you wanted. Episode 1 of season 4 is here with an incredibly thoughtful and wise conversation with TikTok's favorite trauma therapist, Kobe Campbell. *Trigger warning* Heather and Kobe do discuss mental health and trauma, and there is a point where Kobe discusses suicide. Heather also asks Kobe what her thoughts are on the dangers of...