The RELEVANT Podcast

This week — after the crew discusses summer vacations, cruise classes and the Jersey Shore — we talk to Jessica Koulianos, co-founder of Jesus Image, about what it actually looks like to go deeper with God instead of just consuming more church content.
In RELEVANT Buzz, Team USA has turned the World Cup into a faith story, and we get into Steven Spielberg's new film ‘Disclosure Day’ and the surprising amount of room it gives to faith. 
In RELEVANT Recommends, we talk to Christian R&B artist Sondae, whose new album is a must-listen.
In Slices, scientists are trying to find Noah’s Ark, and a pastor preached for 96 hours straight to chase a Guinness World Record. Then your feedback closes it out with the things everyone loves that you just don't get: matcha that tastes like grass, smash burgers, Hey Dudes and yes, we get distracted by your unusual usernames.
Highlights:
00:00 — Intro: Alaska cruises, classes and Jesse's classy Jersey Shore vacation
14:03 — RELEVANT Buzz: Team USA's faith goes viral at the World Cup
21:55 — ‘Disclosure Day’ and what aliens would do to Christian belief
30:31 — RELEVANT Recommends: Sondae on his vulnerable new album 'Boy'
36:23 — RELEVANT Conversation: Jessica Koulianos on real intimacy with Jesus
50:33 — Slices: Drilling for Noah's Ark near Mount Ararat
55:29 — The pastor who preached for 96 hours
59:02 — Your Feedback: Things everyone loves that you just don't get
1:07:14 — Outro

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Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed are back as Magic and Bird, and tell us all about the sequel to their 2017 cult classic album. We also get into the state of Christian hip-hop, why nobody is vetted anymore, and spend a genuinely uncomfortable amount of time guessing Derek Minor's net worth to his face.
In RELEVANT Buzz, the SBC voted to ban women from the pulpit and it wasn't close. Victory Boyd forgave Travis Scott and ended up in the studio with him. And Pharrell started his Christian rap era with a Voices of Fire song called "The One."
In Slices, someone claimed a religious exemption from using AI at work, and Derek has decided it might be the greatest finesse in history. 
We also stop to mark World Refugee Day with an eye-opening conversation from the frontlines of Sudan about the world’s largest humanitarian crisis happening there. 
Then One Has to Go closes it out: a suspiciously cheap dollar slice, Rambo in 2026, and the case against Shaq.
Highlights:
00:00 — Intro / Derek’s frustrating tech updates 
10:42 — RELEVANT Buzz: Victory Boyd & Travis Scott go from lawsuit to collaborating
14:08 — The SBC votes to ban women in the pulpit 
17:23 — Pharrell's "The One" with Voices of Fire 
20:38 — World Refugee Day: the crisis in Sudan with World Vision’s Grace Mavhezha 
25:13 — Slices: A religious exemption to not use AI at work? 
29:36 — RELEVANT Conversation: Andy Mineo & Wordsplayed on Magic and Bird 2 
36:24 — The state of Christian hip-hop 
40:16 — Putting Derek Minor's net worth on blast 
51:51 — The five-week album rollout and why nothing breaks through anymore 
56:24 — One Has to Go
1:07:40 — Outro

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This week 2819 Church pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell joins us, the Atlanta preacher whose sermon clips have taken over your feed. He tells us why he buried his old church after losing everything during COVID and why he believes the church is running out of time to wake up.
Before that convo, the guys recap a week off the grid in Montana that turned into a grown-man sleepover built around 80s action movies. We also get into how one offhand comment on Derek's "You Can't Say That in Church" podcast set off a week-long Christian hip-hop firestorm, and the unbelievable fake commercial made in response.
In Slices, dozens of mystery people keep climbing out of New York City manholes and nobody knows why. And a cop ticketed a woman for texting on her phone, even though she had a very convincing reason why she wasn’t guilty. 
Then your feedback about hills you’re willing to die on closes it out!
Highlights:
00:00 — Intro and Montana recap: the trip turns into a grown-man sleepover 
03:10 — 80s action movies and their 45-minute dialogue-free montages 
14:50 — How Derek broke Christian hip-hop
23:33 — Derek's petty clout commercial 
29:52 — Slices: NYC manhole mystery people 
38:00 — The cop who ticketed a woman with no right hand 
47:44 — RELEVANT Conversation: Philip Anthony Mitchell of 2819 Church 
57:44 — Your Feedback: Hills you'll die on 

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This week, Johnnyswim joins us to give an exclusive look at three major projects they’re about to release. The duo has had a very busy couple of years, and surprisingly it’s not been all about music. 
In RELEVANT Buzz, we bring the recent update on Mel Gibson's The Resurrection of the Christ and get some inspiration from PGA great Scottie Scheffler. In Slices, a Cybertruck owner tests his freedom by driving straight down a boat ramp into a lake because Elon said it could float, and Joey Chestnut got into some legal trouble after a recent eating contest win. Jesse has the latest.
Then we have your feedback on movies you saw way too young, and this week’s Question of the Week: What's a hill you'll absolutely die on that most people think is ridiculous? Drop your answer in the comments on YouTube or answer on our stories!
Highlights: 
00:00 — Intro and Emily's flu game show 
05:21 — Montana trip prep and the case for a basketball hoop 
07:30 — Pool basketball is just rugby in the water 
10:50 — Cameron's diving board vs. the insurance inspector 
13:08 — When America was a proper country: wood-paneled wagons 
14:44 — The factory-installed van bar (and mandatory roof ladder) 
17:24 — Emily wants to mod her Nissan Rogue 
19:43 — Pre-Slices slice: A Cybertruck goes for a swim 
28:53 — RELEVANT Buzz: Mel Gibson's ‘Resurrection’ movie announces a delay
33:39 — Scottie Scheffler’s faith
38:25 — Johnnyswim's year of musicals, movies and a surprise worship album 
48:45 — Slices: Joey Chestnut's bologna arrest 
51:00 — Question of the Week: movies that scarred you / the new question 
57:51 — Outro

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This week, we talk to Brooke Ligertwood about her new album ‘Eat,’ which is unlike anything she's put out before. 
In RELEVANT Buzz, we break down new data that highlights where the Church has actually been growing over the last decade — and where it hasn’t. We also tell the story of the e.l.f. Cosmetics co-founder who gave away his fortune and is becoming a priest. Plus we have a look at the new Moses limited series on Prime Video starring Sir Ben Kingsley. (It’s impressive.)
In Slices, Jesse has some thoughts about kamikaze dolphins, and the cast of course opens the show with thoughts on the new Drake albums, which leads to a fascinating conversation about what’s been wrong with the music industry and our thoughts on where things are going. 
This week’s Question of the Week is based on the ‘Thief In the Night’ post we had this week: What's a movie or show you watched way too young that you now realize was completely inappropriate (and your parents probably had no idea)? Drop your answer in the comments on YouTube or reply on our Stories on social — we're reading our favorites on next week's episode.
Highlights:
00:00 — Intro / Drake drops three albums and burns down his Universal deal
20:43 — RELEVANT Buzz: Elf Cosmetics founder becomes a Catholic priest
24:11 — RELEVANT Buzz: The only churches actually growing (Pew data)
34:02 — RELEVANT Buzz: Moses limited series on Prime Video
37:43 — RELEVANT Recommends: Brooke Ligertwood, Eat
45:00 — Slices: Kamikaze dolphins and the beluga whale that defected
47:45 — Editorial Question of the Week
50:55 — Outro

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