My Year In Podcasting

With Links To My Favorite Episodes

Dec 24, 2024

I wrote 14 articles this year (across Substack and TGC Canada, and one at Mere Orthodoxy).

But I’m more of a podcaster than a writer. This year, I ended up producing 49 podcast episodes across three podcasts. Next year, likely even more!

You might have missed some episodes. So, I’m sharing my favorites in this post.

As a refresher (and mini-update), I cohost three podcasts:

What Would Jesus Tech? is for Christians who either work in tech or who want to understand a Christian perspective on technology. It’s with Joel Jacob and Austin Gravely. Subscribe: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
Thinking About It used to be for church leaders, and now it’s for anyone who wants to know God and understand the Christian faith. The podcast started years ago with Pastor Bob MacGregor and Dr. Stan Fowler, and they mostly talked about issues facing church leaders. Dr. David Barker took over for Stan in 2022. And I became the producer around 2023.

In 2025, the podcast is changing and will be titled Thinking About The Faith. We will go through all 52 questions of the New City Catechism. We will continue the weekly 15-minute format. I think it will be my most important podcast; it’s for my church family and will unpack the most essential questions and answers about the Christian faith. You should subscribe and share it with others in your church! Apple | Spotify
Word and Words is for Christian students, pastors, and theologians. It’s with Wyatt Graham and Phil Cotnoir. Apple | Spotify | YouTube

With that out of the way, let’s get to the list!

Here are the most memorable, popular, informative, and hopeful episodes from 2024.

Most Memorable Episodes

These episodes are the ones that have stuck with me the most. I will remember them in ten years because they uncovered a searching question, a unique idea, or a profound truth.

Rule of Life as Technology, with Kirsten Sanders - WWJT, Oct 15, 2024 (also top 3 most downloaded for WWJT)

This episode got into the core of whether we live our life by technique or if we live it by God’s grace. Of course, there’s a sense in which we can use techniques by God’s grace. I find it increasingly important to reflect on this difference for the sake of my soul. - Listen on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube

God's Preferred Medium, with Alastair Roberts - WWJT, Nov 29, 2024 (also top 3 most downloaded for WWJT)

It’s rare when I can go into an episode being unclear about something and then come out of it with a deep conviction on the matter. God’s preferred medium is human flesh. It is not physical books. I can say this now with conviction. This episode paired nicely with our most recent one on Words For Conviviality. - Listen on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube

Choosing When To Retire - Thinking About It, June 4, 2024.

Dr. David Barker’s story of retiring and feeling lost, as a mature Christian, was quite something. I wasn’t expecting it. He says you need to not simply “retire from” something but “retire to” something else. Listen on Apple | Spotify

Solving The Problem of Parental Minimalism - W&W, Sept. 18, 2024.

This one was good. As Phil and Wyatt talked about, parenting is about growing in virtue, both in yourself and in your kids. However, this is not the paradigm most people adopt. Instead, they tend toward “skill enhancement,” as if their kids were characters in video games, adding to their resumes to earn points. Listen on Apple | Spotify.

Most Informative Episodes

I learn something from every episode I record. These episodes contained the most novel information to me.

For WWJT:

Embodied AI Beyond ChatGPT & Cleaning Robots - Jan. 31, 2024. Joel helped me see the potential of various technologies in this one. Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Thinking About It:

The two-part series with Jon Cleland on The History of Heritage College & Seminary was filled with history, but there were also a lot of lessons that could be learned. (Part one was also in the top five most downloaded). February 16, 2024 and February 27, 2024. Apple | Spotify
Is Music and Lighting Manipulation? With Pastor Jacob - May 7, 2024. There’s a side of being a “worship leader” that I didn’t understand until this episode (e.g. how every decision, from temperature to light, is an emotion-laden one). Apple | Spotify

For W&W:

Beauty Beyond Sensuality. I never really had a good definition of beauty until this episode. Beauty is that which we desire. Apple | Spotify

Most Hopeful

These are some episodes that particularly resonated with my soul.

For WWJT:

How Technoculture Makes God Feel Absent, with Joseph Minich. - Feb. 15, 2024. Three hopeful aspects: 1) God’s providence. 2) The realization that some aspects of modernity make God feel absent. This helps make sense of some of the difficulties we might feel in our relationship with God. 3) The reminder of our “kingly status” at the end of the episode. Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

For Thinking About It:

How Pastors Can Become More "Catholic" - Jan. 14, 2024. I appreciated Dr. Barker’s solid case for churches working together. I’d like to see this more. Apple | Spotify

For W&W:

The Mystery of the Incarnation, with Athanasius. Dec. 20, 2024. (Also top 5). There is much hope in Christmas. While this podcast goes into some theological detail, it is also devotionally rich, as all good knowledge is. Apple | Spotify

Support My Podcasting

The costs of podcasting are not insignificant. That said, it’s been easier to start new ones since Joel & I first started WWJT. And importantly, I would have never gotten started without Joel. He’s a real one. Now that we have the mics and software for editing, I’m also able to use them for W&W. And I’m thankful my church invested in a recording studio for Thinking About It, too. Lots to be thankful for to make these podcasts happen.

We also have a handful of people who give monthly to WWJT. If you’d like to financially support my podcasting, especially what I do at WWJT, please consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/WWJT.

Having supporters on Patreon (even at just $1 a month), helps establish What Would Jesus Tech not only in the Christian technology space, but in the technology space more generally. In Deuteronomy 4, Moses says that God’s laws impress the nations. A Christian view of technology is needed for people worldwide, not just Christians.

With additional funds, I’d love to grow the show beyond what it is now. I want to offload some of the admin work to a producer/editor so that I can focus on researching, recording, and writing. We had one editor for a time, but he was no longer available, and it wasn’t financially sustainable either. If we got to $100 per month, then WWJT would be in a much better place from an editing/production perspective. I already think the content is amazing. I know I’m biased. But in my defense, it is our guests who I’m most impressed with (and my cohosts!).

Just listening and following along also helps. So does commenting and sharing episodes.

Thanks for reading and following along.

May you remember our Lord’s birth this year with wonder and hope.

Merry Christmas.