Do you ever feel left out, overlooked, or like you don’t quite belong? In a world where loneliness is at an all-time high, what if the belonging you’ve been searching for has already been given to you? In today’s conversation, Dr. Carmen Joy Imes invites us to rediscover God’s vision for community and connection. In her new book, Becoming God’s Family, Carmen helps us see how the Bible reshapes our understanding of belonging—not as something we achieve, but as a gift we receive in Christ. If you need one reason to give God’s family one more try, join us for this important conversation.
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Becoming God's Family: Why the Church Still Matters
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Dr. Carmen Joy Imes is associate professor of Old Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in Southern California. She is the author of Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters, Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters, and Becoming God's Family: Why the Church Still Matters. Carmen has a YouTube channel where she releases weekly Torah Tuesday videos and you can find her writing on various websites, including Christianity Today, The Well, and The Politics of Scripture blog. Carmen is passionate about equipping the church to engage the Old Testament well and to see its relevance for the Christian life.
Does your faith feel fragile, distant, or broken? You’re not alone. In this episode, Jason Hague and Catherine McNiel share how a mid-faith crisis can actually be the doorway to a deeper, more resilient walk with God.
Doubt isn’t the end of your faith—it may be the beginning of something new. In this powerful conversation, my guests share their personal stories of grief, unmet expectations, and doubt—and how God met them in the middle of the mess. Together, we’ll explore why seasons of crisis can be fertile ground for deeper growth, how to let go of false certainties, and how to embrace a faith that is more resilient, honest, and rooted in God’s goodness.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Connect with Jason on Instagram and Facebook
Connect with Catherine on Instagram and Facebook
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Catherine McNiel is a chaplain, author, editor, and speaker searching for the creative, redemptive work of God in our ordinary lives. She lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband, three children, and one enormous garden. Catherine holds an MA in human service counseling and is finishing a Master of Divinity at North Park Theological Seminary. Her previous books include Fearing Bravely, All Shall Be Well, and Long Days of Small Things, which was an ECPA finalist for New Author.
Jason Hague is the associate pastor of Christ’s Center Church near Eugene, Oregon, and the author of Aching Joy: Following God Through the Land of Unanswered Prayer. Jason has written extensively on the subject of the Christian faith and autism, special needs families, and his own spiritual journey toward hope for his own nonspeaking autistic son. His writing has appeared in Christianity Today, Focus on the Family, and Fathom. He and his wife have five children.