The Dialog

The Pharisees caught Jesus’ disciples eating with unwashed hands. That wasn’t a sin. It was a tradition. Jesus answered, “You cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition.” (Mark 7:13)

Most of what we believe about money works the same way. We didn’t get it from Scripture. We got it from our parents, our church, our culture, and every bad example we’ve watched. Then we see more evidence for what we believe than for what God actually said.

This episode is about the gap between what God says and what we beli...

If your household makes the median American income, you make more than 92% of the world. Do you feel rich? If not, where does your lack of sufficiency come from?

A stranger walked up to me at the gym and asked if I was a pastor or something. I told him I was more of an "or something." Then he found out where our church was."

Oh, you're one of those prosperity gospel churches."So I asked him what the prosperity gospel was. He couldn't tell me. So I asked him a few questions instead.

...

WIP / Thoughts, conversations or works in progress

These are episodes from bible studies, calls, teachings or other kinds of unfinished ideas that don't quite have their place in a normal season. 

In Matthew 5:21–26, Jesus puts anger in the same sentence as murder. Then he tells people to walk away from the altar, the most sacred act of worship they knew, and fix relationships first. Not when they have something against someone else. When someone has something against them.

People judge your actions. God judges your intentions. Most of us flip that. We excuse ourselves by...

In 2007, I was a sophomore at Oral Roberts University. One night they woke us up and sent us to the chapel to pray because "the school was under attack." By Christmas, the president had resigned, ORU was $50 million in debt, and none of us knew if there would be a spring semester. Then the Green family, the founders of Hobby Lobby, wrote a $62 million check that came with conditions.

Prosperity nearly destroyed that school. Prosperity also saved it.

How can the same thing do so much bad and so much good at the same time?That's...

Season 1 finale. 

Socrates said the whole point of a dialog wasn't to talk to someone else. It was to get you into a conversation with yourself. I turned 39 this July, so I took some time to explain the 39 greatest lessons i've learned in 39 years.

I also get into the book deal I didn't get this week, and we end our accidental hiatus and look forward to a new season. 

Follow Joshua Craft on Instagram by clicking here


Get more information at jkc.is

What does the Bible actually say about manifesting?

Manifesting is everywhere—from social media to self-help books—but what if it's just a new version of an ancient human tendency?

In this conversation, Josh and Nick explore why every person is wired to worship something and how our desire for control often turns our relationship with God into a transaction instead of a covenant. From the worship of Baal in the Old Testament to today's pursuit of success, purpose, money, and self-fulfillment, we uncover the timeless patterns that continue to shape our lives.

If you...

The church has never struggled to create methods—it has struggled to remember its mission.

In this episode of The Dialog, we explore the difference between biblical principles and human preferences, why Jesus gave the Church a mission instead of a blueprint, and how tradition can quietly become mistaken for truth.

From governance models and house churches to worship, discipleship, sacrifice, and community, this conversation wrestles with one important question:

What did Jesus actually intend the Church to be?

Whether you've grown up in church, wrestled with disappointment, or are simply trying to...

What happens when traditions become more important than truth?

In this episode of The Dialog, we unpack one of Christianity's biggest questions: What is the Church actually supposed to be? From house churches to megachurches, traditions to biblical principles, we explore why every generation wrestles with church models—and why Jesus may have been after something much deeper than methods.

Along the way, we discuss greatness, God's glory, legalism, the Pharisees, generational change, and why distinguishing preferences from principles could completely transform how we view the Church.

If you've ever wondered whether we've confused tr...

It's easy to blame what happened to you. It's much harder to ask what needs to change in you.

In this episode, Josh and Nick explore how blame can quietly become one of the biggest obstacles to personal growth. After Josh receives unexpected feedback from his literary agent to shelve his first book, the conversation becomes much bigger than publishing. Together, they wrestle with what it means to receive criticism with humility, take ownership instead of making excuses, and communicate truth in a way that people can actually receive.

From leadership and influence to faith and...

Blame feels productive because it gives us an explanation. Responsibility feels harder because it demands action.

In this episode of The Dialog, Josh and Nick explore why so many people search for someone to blame—God, their parents, society, their circumstances—and why that mindset quietly robs them of the power to change. They discuss the problem of evil, self-awareness, depression, responsibility, leadership, and why meaning is often found through serving others rather than focusing on ourselves.

If you've ever wrestled with unfair circumstances, difficult emotions, or the tension between fault and responsibility, this conversation offers a di...

Why do some people grow through adversity while others stay stuck?

In this episode, Josh and Nick discuss insecurity, self-awareness, depression, personal responsibility, and the ongoing conversation happening inside every person. They explore the difference between opinions and fruit, why understanding a problem isn't the same as solving it, and how learning to lead yourself may be one of the most important skills in life.

Whether you're wrestling with self-doubt, criticism, motivation, or simply trying to become a better thinker, this conversation offers practical wisdom rooted in philosophy, faith, and lived experience.

Follow Joshua...

After spending months writing what he believed was the most important book of his life, Josh received a surprising response: the problem wasn't the message—it was how it was being communicated.

In this episode, Josh and Nick revisit the conversation on feedback and explore a lesson that has surfaced repeatedly throughout Josh's life: great ideas alone aren't enough. Whether you're leading a business, writing a book, building a ministry, or simply trying to help people, the challenge isn't just discovering what's true—it's learning how to communicate it in a way people can actually receive.

Alon...

Most people don't struggle with authority when they agree with it. The real test comes when they don't.

In this episode of The Dialog, Josh and Nick continue their conversation on spiritual authority, exploring why submission, honor, and trust are some of the most difficult values to live out in a culture built around personal preference and individual choice.

Through stories from Scripture, leadership experiences, and practical examples from everyday life, they examine the difference between principle and preference, why disagreement doesn't automatically justify rejection, and how our response to authority often reveals deeper issues of...

Most people think freedom comes from having more choices. But what if real freedom comes from understanding authority?

In this episode of The Dialog, Josh and Nick explore one of the most misunderstood concepts in modern culture: spiritual authority. From the early church under Roman persecution to the way we view leadership, government, churches, and personal responsibility today, this conversation examines how our modern assumptions about power and autonomy often clash with a biblical worldview.

Along the way, they discuss the purpose of discipleship, the danger of consumer Christianity, the surprising growth of the early church...

In this episode of The Dialog, we explore the tension between growth and the human resistance to correction. Most people say they want wisdom, purpose, and maturity, but few people realize those things are impossible without humility. Because correction does not just confront our behavior — it confronts our pride, our insecurities, and the version of ourselves we are trying to protect.

Through conversations about leadership, relationships, creativity, faith, and personal growth, we unpack why feedback feels threatening, why people become defensive, and how ego can quietly keep us stuck. We discuss the subtle difference between conviction and condemnation, an...

Most people say they want to grow, but growth requires something most of us subtly resist... being told we're wrong. In this episode of The Dialog, Josh and Nick talk about what it actually means to receive correction, and why so many people never do.

We get into why the people closest to you eventually stop speaking up, how maturity shows up in the moments before a conversation has to happen, and what it looks like when the Holy Spirit does the correcting before anyone else has to. From parenting and marriage to leadership and public communication, this...

In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about one of the biggest barriers to growth: the inability to receive correction. Most people say they want wisdom, but wisdom and correction cannot be separated. The problem is correction confronts pride, insecurity, and the version of ourselves we are trying to protect. Because for many people, feedback does not feel like a challenge to their behavior. It feels like a challenge to their identity.

We unpack why people resist feedback, how insecurity and arrogance are actually rooted in the same problem, and why so many people stay stuck even...

In this episode of The Dialog, we address something most people are trying to avoid. Uncertainty is not the problem. It is part of the design. Life is complex at every level, from your own body to the world around you, yet we expect it to be simple and predictable. The tension is not that truth does not exist. The tension is that we want certainty without doing the work required to find it.

We talk through why people resist uncertainty, how the need for simple answers leads to shallow thinking, and why many of the debates people...

In this episode of The Dialog, we confront a tension most people avoid. Do you actually want truth, or do you just want to feel right? Because those are not the same thing. The pursuit of truth requires you to question your assumptions, challenge your beliefs, and admit when you are wrong. Most people are not resisting truth because it is unclear. They resist it because it disrupts the identity they have built around what they believe.

We talk through why people defend positions they have never fully examined, how insecurity shows up as defensiveness, and why so...

In this episode of The Dialog, we wrestle with a shift most people resist but eventually have to face. Your life is not ultimately about you. Not your preferences, not your timeline, and not the outcomes you thought you needed. Growth begins when you stop interpreting everything through a personal lens and start seeing your life as part of something bigger.

We talk through the tension between what you want, what people expect from you, and what you are actually called to do. Because those three are rarely aligned. If you build your life around what you want...

In this episode of The Dialog, we break down what defining moments actually are and how most people misunderstand them. We tend to think certain experiences shaped us, but the truth is we assign meaning to those moments. The event is not what defines you. The meaning you give it is. And most people are living out beliefs they formed unintentionally, often in moments they never went back to examine.

We talk through how your interpretation of the past shapes the decisions you make today and the future you expect to have. From childhood experiences to disappointment and...

In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about something most people misunderstand about prosperity. It is not just about how much you have. It is about the order you live in. When your life is out of order, your money will be too. And when money becomes the priority instead of a tool, it starts to reveal what you actually trust.

We break down the difference between sufficiency and entitlement, why most people live beyond what God has provided, and how that creates the very pressure they blame on not having enough. This conversation challenges the idea...

In this episode of The Dialog, we wrestle with a question that exposes the gap between what we say and how we actually live. Most people don’t lack information. They lack application. We live in a time where opinions are everywhere, but conviction is rare. And the result is a culture that talks about truth without being shaped by it.

We break down the difference between knowing and doing, why knowledge alone can actually lead to pride, and how easy it is to form beliefs without ever testing them. From faith and worldview to money and stewardship, th...

In this episode of The Dialog, we step into a question most people avoid until life forces it on them. What do you actually believe when you are no longer in control of the outcome? What began as a 50 mile ultramarathon quickly turned into a life or death situation, creating a moment where belief was no longer theoretical. It was tested in real time, without warning and without certainty.

We talk through what it looks like to face fear when you do not have clear answers, how conviction is revealed under pressure, and why so many of us...

In this episode of The Dialog, we ask a question most people never stop to consider: what did it cost you to believe what you believe? Not just financially, but in time, study, humility, and truth. Because most of us didn’t arrive at our beliefs through deep examination, we inherited them. From culture, from family, from church, from experience. And over time, those beliefs can feel like truth, even if they were never tested.

We explore how traditions form and how easily they can be elevated above what God actually says. From money and prosperity to theology an...

In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about what it means to hold real conviction without losing compassion. In a world that keeps confusing tolerance with agreement, and kindness with compromise, we wrestle with a hard question: how do you stand firmly on truth without becoming harsh, cold, or self righteous? Because grace without truth can leave people bound, but truth without grace can leave people wounded.

We explore the difference between what God recognizes and what culture normalizes, and why not every issue is just a matter of personal preference. From abortion to marriage to broader...

In this episode of The Dialogue, we unpack a simple but convicting idea: your opinion is only as valuable as the price you paid to form it. In a world where everyone has a hot take, we talk about what it actually means to earn an opinion through study, experience, sacrifice, and intellectual honesty instead of scrolling headlines and repeating talking points.

From there, we go deeper into the difference between beliefs and convictions and why most cultural conflict isn’t really about preferences at all. Some things are negotiable. Some things are not. We explore how to te...

A lot of us think we are living by principles when we are really just defending preferences. We already have a value system because we make decisions every day, but the question is whether those values are actually rooted in truth or just built on what we like, what we are used to, and what feels right to us. When the storm hits, that difference shows up fast.

In this episode, we talk about what principles actually are, why preferences become so divisive, and how people end marriages, leave churches, break partnerships, and even fracture a country over...

Most of us were taught to live outcome-first. Set the goal. Picture the finish line. Execute the plan. But what happens when life doesn’t cooperate, when kids, closed doors, unexpected seasons, and circumstances outside your control blow up the timeline you were so sure about?

In this episode of The Dialog, we wrestle with a deeper question: are you focused on the process or the outcome? We talk about why goals have value, but why obsession with results can quietly become a desire for control. From parenting and career shifts to faith and calling, we explore the te...

Most of us were taught to live outcome-first. Set the goal. Picture the finish line. Execute the plan. But what happens when life doesn’t cooperate, when kids, closed doors, unexpected seasons, and circumstances outside your control blow up the timeline you were so sure about?

In this episode of The Dialog, we wrestle with a deeper question: are you focused on the process or the outcome? We talk about why goals have value, but why obsession with results can quietly become a desire for control. From parenting and career shifts to faith and calling, we explore the te...

Leadership isn’t a title, it’s weight. In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about what most people miss as they chase influence, growth, and “more” the reality that every decision you make touches someone else’s soul. Tell us in the comments, what’s one leadership lesson you learned the hard way?

We unpack Hebrews 13:17 and the scary line most people skip, leaders keep watch over your souls. That means leadership isn’t mainly about getting results, it’s about responsibility. We talk through why bad leadership is so common, how people confuse authority with control, and why...

In this episode of The Dialog, we wrestle with a question most people avoid because it’s uncomfortable: what are you actually certain of? In a world desperate for clarity, confidence, and easy answers, certainty often feels like strength. But the longer we live, the more we realize how little we truly know. This conversation starts with the tension between confidence and humility, and why the pursuit of certainty can quietly become a trap.

We talk about how people form beliefs, why comparison and self talk shape our inner world, and how life is lived in constant tension be...

In this episode of The Dialog, we ask a question most people never slow down enough to answer: what’s your standard for truth? In a world shaped by algorithms, influencers, and endless opinions, it’s easier than ever to believe something simply because it feels right or aligns with what we already think. But belief without examination has consequences.

We explore how ancient thinkers like Socrates warned against persuasion without virtue, and how that same dynamic shows up today in modern media and church culture. We talk about how beliefs are formed through experience, pain, and preference, and...

In this episode of The Dialog, we step back from the noise and ask a deeper question: what’s actually beneath the problems we keep arguing about? From culture wars and politics to division, fear, and outrage, we explore why so many of our solutions fall flat and why fixing the surface rarely changes the future.

We talk about virtue, character, and the quiet formation of the human heart. Instead of asking what “they” are doing wrong, the conversation turns inward. What kind of people are we becoming? How do comfort, convenience, and selfishness shape our decisions, our relati...

In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about the modern Christian reflex to critique from a distance. We unpack how American church culture has trained us to form strong opinions about pastors, movements, and “the way it should be,” without ever getting close enough to actually see the fruit. The question underneath the criticism is simple and personal: are we judging people we don’t know, based on races we aren’t running?

From there, we wrestle with discipleship, altar calls, and the tension between measurable moments and real transformation. A Christmas production sparks a deeper conversation about wh...

In this episode of The Dialog, we talk about Christian media and why so much of it has historically felt like a subculture that only Christians can tolerate. We compare what’s being made today to the broader world of film and music, and we give real credit where it’s due. From Angel Studios to artists like Forrest Frank, there’s a shift happening, and it’s exciting to see believers aiming higher, not just for a message, but for excellence.

But the conversation doesn’t stop at “is it good or not.” We get into something deeper: the wa...

What is the future of the Church and who actually gets to decide? In this episode of The Dialog, we wrestle with the tension between God’s intent for the Church and our human tendency to organize, systematize, and protect what feels familiar. From early church leadership models to modern megachurch expressions, we keep circling back to the deeper question beneath it all: what is the Church actually for?

We talk through how traditions are formed, how good ideas slowly turn into unquestioned dogma, and how being just a little off course can create serious drift over time. Al...

Why you MUST believe in Santa Claus is not about a man in a red suit or flying reindeer. It is about what Santa represents. Hope. Generosity. The belief that good people still exist and that giving can be done for no reason other than love.

In this Christmas episode, Josh and Nick explore the real story of St. Nicholas of Myra. A man shaped by loss, faith, persecution, and courage. They unpack the history behind Santa Claus, from secret gifts to standing against injustice, including the famous moment at the Council of Nicaea. Along the way, they...

In this episode of The Dialog, Josh Craft and Nick Surface explore why values alone are not enough to build a meaningful life. While most people choose values based on comfort, happiness, or how something feels in the moment, those values often shift with circumstances. Josh and Nick argue that values must be anchored to virtue, principles that are always good, always true, and always right, if they are going to produce lasting fruit.

Drawing from philosophy, psychology, history, and Scripture, the conversation unpacks how modern culture turned comfort into a guiding value and how that shift has...

In this episode of The Dialog, Josh Craft and Nick Surface explore one of the hardest challenges in modern life: learning to see beyond your own perspective. They look at how personal experience, political identity, social media algorithms, and inherited traditions can trap us in echo chambers where our beliefs go unchallenged. From stereotypes to broken friendships, they unpack why it has become so difficult to admit “I might be wrong” and why humility is essential for finding truth.

The conversation then shifts into one of the most debated topics in Christianity: prosperity. Josh and Nick walk through the...