The SkyePod

Why do we experience powerful moments with God—then go back to our normal lives, unchanged? Skye explains why we, like Moses, lose the effects of God's glory and how the New Covenant offers us a way out of the cycle of mountain-top highs and spiritually-empty lows.

0:00 - Intro

4:08 - Theme Song

4:24 - Sermon Starts

9:34 - Down from the Mountaintop

14:05 - Was Moses Hiding Behind the Veil?

18:30 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plu...

Drew, King of the North, brings his royal decrees and news from around the internet. He and Skye wonder why religious couples seem to be insulated from the sex recession. Does it all come back to smartphones? Then they talk about how AI is pushing people to find meaning and purpose outside of their vocations. And why does Skye seem less excited about Greta Gerwig's rock-infused Narnia than Drew is? All that, and Skye explains why he thinks Anthropic is a little like Uncle Buck.

0:01 - Theme Song

2:08 - Christians Resisted th...

Skye sifts through your questions, like panning for gold! Or, cleaning the gunk from your dishwasher, depending on your perspective. Mailman Mike's brought Skye questions about what repentance means, how we should respond to historically-questionable-sermon-illustrations, and if we take scripture-reading too seriously. Plus—what are women supposed to feel about all this talk about male circumcision in the Bible?

0:07 - Theme Song

2:13 - Repenting of Trump?

8:35 - Gehenna

17:17 - Sermon on the Mount: Serious and Literal?

30:44 - How Important is Scri...

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, it was his most public and spectacular miracle ever. But why were most of his miracles before this marked by secrecy and subtlety instead? In this message, Skye explores the role spectacles play in our faith, why we are so drawn to them, and why they usually fail to foster a transformative, sustainable love for God.

0:00 - Preamble

1:21 - Theme Song

1:52 - American Duels

6:46 - Lazarus and Duels

10:39 - How Jesus Creates Spect...

Republican candidate Bo French in Texas created a controversy when he reacted to a photo of college students at the University of Texas football game. Many in the photo were of South Asian descent. He called it a "problem." David French (no relation) talks with Skye Jethani about the unmasked racism that MAGA has unleashed and what has led to the emergence of "heritage Americans" as a way of demoting immigrants and racial minorities. They also discuss the vacuum created efforts to diminish or remove American history from schools, and why overwhelming dissatisfaction with the two major p...

Drew Dyck is back with another roundup of stories from the web. Is a "tsunami" really coming for the American church? How many of your favorite sermon illustrations are completely made up? Are parents raising successful young men who are boring to talk to? Skye and Drew also discuss the Gen Z stare, why worship leaders are burning out, and why women may be more suspicious of AI than men. Plus, if the people building AI think there's a chance it could destroy humanity, should the rest of us be a little more worried?

0:03 - T...

We are two months away from the midterm elections, and with multiple clergy running for office, faith is playing a larger role. Are evangelicals souring on MAGA? Will the Democrats close the "God gap?" Skye is joined by former chief political analyst for NBC News and moderator of Meet the Press, Chuck Todd, to discuss the intersection of faith and politics. Their conversation also turns to their diverse religious upbringings, the role of public education, backlash against big tech, and how to repair our broken, corrupt political system. Once named "The Most Powerful Journalist in Washington" by GQ magazine...

It's back to school and off to college season. Sociologists and master of "Graphs About Religion," Ryan Burge, is back with new data about which college majors are the most and least devoted to Christianity. He also has stats about declining birth rates even among religious groups, and why some kids raised with and without faith switch their beliefs as adults.

0:11 - Theme Song

2:17 - Religiosity Among Different College Majors

10:42 - Finance Bros are Major Church-Goers

20:14 - Deconstruction and College

27...

New data finds that almost half of Gen Z adults won't consider going to church because of Christians' support for Donald Trump. David French and Skye Jethani wonder what the research means for the majority of evangelical churches that avoid anything political, and why that may actually be part of the problem. They also discuss the rise of socialism on the political left and why JD Vance's recent memoir suggests socialism may be just as popular on the political right. Plus, what America can learn from the goodness of Dolly Parton.

0:00 - Theme Song

Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave, but Lazarus was not transformed. He was still mortal, subject to the curse, and destined to die again. In other words, Lazarus was resuscitated; he was not truly resurrected. This message contrasts the difference between being rescued by God and being reborn, and asks whether we have accepted a lesser gospel of mere resuscitation when the life we are called to is one of transformation possible through the power of Christ's resurrection.

0:05 - Theme Song

0:20 - Intro

4:42 - John  Newton's Resuscitation

In perhaps the most faith-centric Drew's News yet, Drew Dyck brings us the rise of A.I. sermons, the rise of exorcisms, and the delayed rise of an airplane where a woman decided to evangelize to the unenthusiastic captive audience. Skye and Drew also speculate if the brief period of lucidity dementia patients experience shortly before death points to the existence of the human soul. And why does the church favor people going through "spiritual puberty?" All this and more on the new Drew's news!

0:00 - Theme Song

2:52 - Is Deconstruction a...

Skye wants to wrap his head around what's happening with A.I. There's the economic factor, the ethical factor, the societal factor… too much for most of us to keep up with. Skye sat down with Meghan Sullivan, a leading voice on ethics with A.I., to talk about how people in Silicon Valley are navigating this thorny topic.

0:00 - Intro

8:18 - Theme Song

8:38 - LLMs with Personalties

14:57 - Market Pressure

23:45 - Theory of Secularization

27:57 -  This episode...

Guess what time it is? Once every year, David French and Skye Jethani devote an episode to movies, TV shows, and pop culture nerdery. This year's Nerdfest focuses on Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," and David makes his case that the film is a Trojan horse filled with conservative values. They also react to the new "Avengers: Doomsday" trailer, why superhero movies aren't working anymore, and their shared hatred of multiverses. Finally, from the non-nerd world, they discuss new data showing Gen Z is turned off to Christianity by the evangelical support for Donald Trump. What's really behind the numbers?<...

Christopher Nolan's take on Homer's epic "The Odyssey" is the biggest film in the world right now. Holy Post Pundit and New Testament scholar, Nijay Gupta, joins Skye to talk about what it tells us about pagan religion in the ancient world. He explains how the faith taught by the Apostles contradicted the kind of idolatry and superstition described in "The Odyssey," and what the ancient Greek understanding of hospitality toward strangers—a major theme in the movie—shares in common with both the Old and New Testaments.

0:07 - Theme Song

2:03 - The...

Drew Dyck is back with another roundup of stories from the web. Are physically unfit pastors spiritually unfit for ministry? Christian influencers are only eating foods found in the Bible. Why non-denominational churches are a myth. What's really behind the falling birthrates, and why aren't economic solutions working?

0:01 - Theme Song

0:19 - Drew's Newsletter

1:39 - Fat Pastors

5:25 - Are Pastors Aspirational?

22:58 - The Bible Diet

27:24 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscr...

Historian Daniel G. Hummel joins Skye Jethani to talk about the changing relationship between American evangelicals and Israel. Driven by a particular view of the end times, Hummel explains the origin of evangelical support for the modern state of Israel, and why current events are testing that commitment. They also examine influential media voices, like Tucker Carlson, who are aggressively pushing antisemitic conspiracy theories and half-truths about the origins of Christian Zionism.

0:07 - Theme Song

6:54 - Secularism and Zionism

12:03 - Dispensationalism

19:29 - Israel and...

In honor of Independence Day, Holy Post Media released a new explainer video titled "Should America Rededicate Itself to God?" The short 12-minute video featured clips of a conversation between Skye Jethani and Caleb Campbell, the pastor of Desert Springs Bible Church in Phoenix and author of "Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor." This episode features their full conversation, including Campbell's journey from neo-Nazi skinhead to senior pastor, what America's founders really thought about pluralism, and why so many pastors failed to speak up as their church members got sucked into Christian nationalism.

0:00 - I...

It's a history lesson on today's French Friday. David French explains the parallels between the Vichy French government that cooperated with the Nazis in WWII and Christian nationalists in America today. Both were highly misogynistic, nativist, and blamed liberal democracy for all of the country's problems. Obviously, things did not end well for the Vichy government in France. David and Skye discuss why the authoritarianism pushed by Christian nationalists won't work in America either. They also discuss the 2026 midterm elections and what the Democrats are learning from the popularity of pugilistic candidates like Platner in Maine and the decency...

Skye and Esau saw Disclosure Day by Steven Spielberg this weekend—did it make them believe in aliens? Maybe not, but it does show a cultural preoccupation with our place in the world. Would the existence of aliens change history? Would you believe aliens were telling the truth? Skye and Esau debate these issues and Esau pitches a sequel.

0:06 - Theme Song

1:15 - Disclosure Day

7:27 - Why Aliens Would Change Our View of God

13:51 - Religion Without God

25:40 - Are Ali...

The internet keeps serving up strange stories, and Drew Dyck is back to help Skye figure out what they reveal about faith, wisdom, and our very weird cultural moment. They start with a Christianity Today article on marijuana and the Christian life, but the conversation quickly turns toward a bigger question about how believers learn discernment when Scripture doesn't give a simple rule. Then they discuss Freya India's warning that prayer apps, livestreamed sermons, and gamified discipleship can quietly train new Christians to experience faith as one more thing to consume on a phone. Also this week, Skye and...

Because it's graduation season, Skye offers some lessons for those starting their careers. He takes us through the story of his professional development from seminary, to pastoral ministry, into journalism, publishing, and eventually the creation of Holy Post Media. Along the way, he draws on the metaphor from Gordon Mackenzie's 1996 book, "Orbiting the Giant Hairball," to explain the tension between our callings and feeling trapped in broken institutions.

0:04 - Theme Song

6:15 - Hairball Number One: Ministry

11:28 - Sermon ROI

17:03 - Hairball Number Two: Publ...

The Supreme Court recently struck down a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Bill that prevented the dilution of votes by racial minorities, unleashing red states throughout the South to redraw congressional districts before the 2026 midterm elections. The outcome is likely to be fewer Black representatives in Congress. David French and Skye Jethani discuss the issue of gerrymandering—partisan and racial—and why it is contrary to both the Constitution and the Christian call to love our neighbors. They also offer suggestions for fixing the problem in order to heal our broken politics.

0:00 - Theme Song

We love stories about redemption, except when it happens to our enemies. Skye and Kaitlyn Schiess discuss why our culture has become fluent in justice, punishment, and public condemnation, but has lost the language of mercy, forgiveness, and restoration. Drawing from Priya Parker's conversation with Ezra Klein, they explore what happens when justice becomes vengeance and people are permanently sorted into victims and villains. They also ask whether the church still has the theological resources our culture desperately needs, including a vision of final judgment, true repair, and communities where sinners can be reintegrated without pretending harm never happened.<...

Drew's back to talk about the youth and the Church. YouTube prophets preach about UFO's! Christian singles join dating shows on Hulu! Kids are saying "Christ is King..." but mean something different than allegiance to Jesus. It's a wild world, but Skye and Drew are here to talk about it.

0:08 - Theme Song

1:12 - Youtube Prophets and UFO Panic

16:46 - Christian Dating Reality Show?

24:52 - Gen Z Wants to be 80's Kids

26:08 - The full episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on...

Ryan Burge is back with graphs about (what else?) religion, as young men are increasingly identifying as religious, but aren't really participating in churches. What's going on? And how does this tie into Crotch Christianity? Skye and Ryan talk about this and maintaining humility in matters of faith.

0:00 - Theme Song

1:41 - People like the "Idea" of religion

5:11 - Young Men Claim Religious Identity

15:25 - Crotch Christianity, LGBTQ, and Roe V. Wade

24:01 - Moral Uncertainty and Religion

Skye reacts to recent comments by Pope Leo about the danger of assuming the church only cares about sexual morality and the backlash to his remarks from conservative evangelicals. He explains the origin and widespread acceptance of what Skye calls "crotch Christianity," why the over-correction by more progressive Christians is also problematic, and how Pope Leo points us to a healthier, more biblical vision of Christian ethics.

0:04 - Theme Song

0:45 - Live Show Recap

7:00 - Is Sex the Slippery Slope?

14:10 - What is Crot...

David French and Skye Jethani debrief David's recent debate with Governor Chris Christie about online gambling at the University of Chicago. The conversation also tackles competing definitions of liberty, and the possibility of creating a political message to unify the country around popular reforms and why neither party will try it.

0:00 - Theme Song

1:40 - Was the Pete Hegseth Prayer Actually That Weird?

2:26 - The Church Built a Blasphemer

10:55 - Online Gambling Debate

24:05 - Restricting Freedom for Virtue

 <...

Canadian Drew is watching American news with befuddlement as a US government official cites Quinton Tarantino as scripture, our scientists develop AI to be "ethical," and a pastor gets caught with stealing baseball cards from Wal-Mart.

Mailman Mike is bringing the big questions this week, as he asks Skye about servant leadership, late-stage capitalism, penal substitutionary atonement, and how we at Holy Post Media try to avoid becoming like the Evangelical Industrial Complex.

0:05 - Theme Song

1:12 - Foot-Washing Servant Leadership?

11:20 - Holy Post and the Evangelical Industrial Complex

27:40 - Is There a Good Alternative to Capitalism?

Questions Covered:

John Ortberg explains his journey of faith, how Wheaton College and Dallas Willard helped shape him, and how he discovered the need for spiritual formation.

0:10 - Theme Song

1:14 - Where'd John Ortberg Come From?

7:36 - Wheaton's Influence

20:12 - Evangelicalism in the 80's

26:34 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://www.patreon.com/posts/154622908/

David French unpacks how the Trump administration's decision to launch a war with Iran is different from previous American wars in the Middle East, including George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq in 2003. Does the criticism of Trump's war from some MAGA influencers signal the break-up of the movement? And what comes next?

0:00 - Theme Song

1:00 - Is This War Legal?

15:35 - Lack of Declared War

31:55 - What Makes People Leave MAGA?

48:04 - Trump Outperforms His Policies

1:1...

Kaitlyn Schiess, Producer Mike, and some fellow named "Noah" discuss the Harry Potter fandom, controversial Hogwarts characters, and how deep christian themes permeate the series. And was Snape really that bad?

1:25 - Theme Song

1:52 - Who's Noah?

13:41 - Ginny Weasley: Not So Bad?

17:51 - Severus Snape: Also Not So Bad?

25:41 - The Theme of Free Will

26:51 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://www.pa...

Skye and Mike Carl Erre don tin foil hats upon their bald heads and theorize about Peter Thiel's Antichrist warnings and Obama's comments on alien life. What does the Bible actually say about the Antichrist and what doctrinal implications would arise from aliens among us?

0:03 - Theme Song

4:52 - Evangelicals and Antichrist

12:29 - Gnosticism and Antichrist

24:11 - Anti-empathy and Antichrist

29:22 - This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to:

ht...

Drew supports loud children in church, clothed teenagers in the media, and non-edgy influencer adults. He and Skye go over some news and articles about generals trying to start the end of the world, christians reflecting on the sexualization of teenagers that spurred on the purity culture movement, and teens accusing Jesus of having a God-complex.

0:03 - Theme Song

2:23 - Army Generals Talking Armageddon

4:38 - Horseshoe Theory Fundamentalists

12:00 - Bad Theology and the Apocalypse

19:23 - Where Purity Culture Had a Point<...

Asbury University became a center of national attention as students had what many called a revival—Dr. Kevin Brown, President of Asbury, calls it an "outpouring of the spirit." Dr. Brown joins Skye to talk about how he experienced this take place and how he tried to steward it wisely.

0:07 - Theme Song

2:18 - Was this revival?

5:56 - Being on Campus When it was Happening

11:58 - Responsibility During Spiritual Movement

20:40 - Light Attracts Bugs

27:30 - This epi...

David French says false Christian ideas are behind the rise of antisemitism, and it requires a Christian response. He believes that response should be Christian Zionism. Skye pushes back on French's re-definition and argues that the term "Christian Zionism" creates more problems than it solves because of its roots in bad theology and the oppression of Palestinians. They also discuss the film "The Testament of Ann Lee" and what it illuminates about American ideals we still have not reached.

0:00 - Theme Song

5:00 - Rising Right-Wing Antisemitism

16:06 - Ant...

Skye and Kaitlyn discuss Harry Potter—covering its weird relationship to Christianity, who Hermione should have ended up with, and why it had such a deep effect on its fans.

This episode is available only for Holy Post Plus subscribers. Not a subscriber? Head on over to: https://www.patreon.com/posts/151173335/

Skye and Drew talk about gambling, phone addiction… and get mildly depressed. In this edition of Drew's News, Drew's brought stories about the dating recession, the dark side of servant leadership and AI being out of control. All of this leads Skye to ask if we should let children have cigarettes.

0:05 - Theme Song

3:50 - The Dark Side of Servant Leadership

12:51 - The Disciples' Arrogance

20:01 - Gambling Money on Jesus' Return

27:05 - End Credits

The Dark Sid...

Have our churches been designed to keep us from going deeper with Christ? Skye draws on brain science to explain why we need a lot more than the church gives us if we're going to become more like Jesus.

0:06 - Theme Song

1:35 - Puppy News

3:15 - Up Soon on Holy Post

8:33 - Pilots Forgetting to Fly

13:37 - Thinking Fast and Slow

22:41 - Jesus' Community Was a Challenge

26:27 - Get the full episode...

Efficiency! Remove the redundancy!" This is the cry of our individualistic, market-driven culture, but Skye thinks there's some very good reason to make things redundant. How does this lack of redundancy hurt us spiritually, politically, and socially? What does it mean for our government, our churches, and… for Boeing airplanes?

0:04 - Theme Song

0:36 - Updates

8:34 - Why Are Airplanes so Safe?

15:08 - Anti-Fragile

20:23 - We're Too Efficient

24:57 - Get the full episode by signing up for Holy Po...