Have you ever felt a relationship shift the moment a loved one says, "I don't believe the same things you do anymore"?

In this episode, Pedro tackles "Unconditional Positive Regard." We explore the hard work of separating a person's identity from their changing beliefs, the painful reality of conditional love, and how Jesus modeled radical acceptance at the Last Supper.

What I cover:

• The Science of Identity Fusion: Why our brains instantly strip away empathy and recategorize loved ones as "outsiders" when their theology shifts.
• The Condition of Our Love: How another's deconstruction exposes that our "unconditional" love is often just a transaction based on shared agreements.
• Grace at the Table: How Jesus chose to stay close to those whose paths were about to wildly diverge from His.
• This Week's Challenge: Connect with someone whose beliefs have shifted and talk about nothing theological. Remind them your love isn't a transaction.

Connect with me:

Email me: isitbecauseofjesus@gmail.com

Buy the book.

Website: isitbecauseofjesus.com

Support the show on Patreon.

Have you ever had a friend drop a tiny hint that they are doubting their faith, and you immediately felt the urge to panic and preach?

In this episode, Pedro tackles becoming the "Safe Friend." Instead of throwing Christian clichés at a drowning person, we look in the mirror to explore why someone else's doubt triggers our own anxiety. We break down the fear of "psychological contagion" and explore how Jesus handled His friends' shattered faith on the road to Emmaus—pulling up a chair to listen rather than starting a theological debate.

What we cover:

• The Science of Panic: Why our brains process a friend's doubt as a contagious threat to our own worldview.
• The Urge to Fix: How offering quick apologetics and easy answers is often just a defense mechanism to manage our own fear of the dark.
• Grace in the Mess: How Jesus creates the ultimate safe space by walking with His disappointed friends and letting them fully unload their grief.
• This Week's Challenge: Resist the urge to preach. The next time someone shares a spiritual struggle, look them in the eye and simply say, "Tell me more."

Connect with me:

Email me: isitbecauseofjesus@gmail.com

Buy the book.

Website: isitbecauseofjesus.com

Support the show on Patreon.

Have you ever sat in your small group, nodding along to something you disagree with because you're terrified of losing your friends?

In this episode, Pedro tackles the "Fear of Relational Rupture." Instead of blaming the church for our silence, we look in the mirror to explore why we often "pre-reject" ourselves out of fear. We break down the heavy toll of hiding your doubts and explore how Jesus meets us in the dark—just like He did with Nicodemus—while gently inviting us to step into the light.

What we cover:

• The Science of Fear: Why our brains process the threat of social rejection exactly like physical pain.
• The Cost of Hiding: The exhausting emotional weight of Sunday morning imposter syndrome.
• Grace in the Mess: How Jesus handles our worldview-shattering questions without intimidation.

This Week's Challenge: Step out of hiding. Find one safe person who loves you and Jesus, and share just one question you've been keeping to yourself.

Connect with me:

Email me: isitbecauseofjesus@gmail.com

Buy the book.

Website: isitbecauseofjesus.com

Support the show on Patreon.

If you found this episode helpful, please rate the show, leave a comment, or share it with a friend who is wrestling with doubt. For more resources, visit the links in the show notes.

The Crisis of Borrowed Faith

Are you navigating your life with someone else's map? In this episode, Pedro Garcia explores one of the most terrifying milestones in a person's spiritual journey: the moment you realize your faith isn't actually yours. Whether it was handed down by parents, a youth pastor, or a tradition, "borrowed faith" often works—until the storm hits and the map no longer matches the terrain.

In this episode, we dive into:

• The Psychology of Offloading: Why our brains are biologically hardwired to "download" the beliefs of our caregivers for survival and efficiency.
• The "Imposter" Burden: Understanding the emotional exhaustion of wearing "someone else’s armor" and why feeling empty in your faith isn't a sign of failure, but of growth.
• From Testimony to Encounter: Looking at the Samaritans in John 4 to see how Jesus invites us to move past "believing because of what others said" into knowing Him for ourselves.

If your inherited beliefs are breaking down, don't panic. This isn't the end of your faith—it’s the beginning of an owned one.

The Challenge: Identify one habit or belief you maintain only because you were taught to. Bring it to Jesus this week and ask: "Is this You, or just something I inherited?"

Connect with me:

Email me: isitbecauseofjesus@gmail.com

Buy the book.

Website: isitbecauseofjesus.com

Support the show on Patreon.

If you found this episode helpful, please rate the show, leave a comment, or share it with a friend who is wrestling with doubt. For more resources, visit the links in the show notes.

The Great Cloud of Doubters

Are you the only one faking it? In this episode, Pedro tackles the "Imposter Phenomenon" within faith. If you’ve ever looked around a worship service and felt like the only person with questions, you aren’t losing your faith—you’re likely a victim of pluralistic ignorance.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Science of Doubt: Why isolation triggers a "threat response" in your brain, and how finding a fellow doubter creates "social buffering" to lower your cortisol.
• The Cost of the Mask: Why "spiritual performance" leads to burnout and why honesty is the only path to relief.
• Biblical Wrestlers: From Jacob (whose name literally means "he who wrestles with God") to Thomas, we see that God doesn't scold doubters—He meets them exactly where they are.

Doubt isn't the opposite of faith; it’s the historical norm. Stop carrying the 50lb backpack of certainty and join the long lineage of those who limped across the finish line.

Connect with me:

Email me: isitbecauseofjesus@gmail.com

Buy the book.

Website: isitbecauseofjesus.com

Support the show on Patreon.

Why does asking "Why?" about our faith feel like a betrayal of the people who raised us?

In this episode of Is It Because of Jesus?, host Pedro García tackles the "dirty secret" of doubt. Before we can even begin to look for theological answers, we have to dismantle the heavy emotional barrier of shame that stops us from asking the hard questions in the first place.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Science of Shame: Why that racing heart you feel during a moment of doubt is actually your brain's "survival mode" terrified of losing your tribe—not spiritual condemnation.
• Inherited vs. Owned Faith: The painful fear of disappointing the family who gave you your religion, and what it takes to transition from a faith you simply inherited to one you truly own.
• The Jesus Perspective: Looking at how Jesus responded to John the Baptist's profound doubts, we see that Jesus doesn't demand blind, silent agreement. He is a safe place for seekers.

If guilt is telling you to stay silent, that pressure isn't coming from Jesus. Tune in to learn how to move past the fear of betrayal and bring your very real questions to the table.

If you are doubting or deconstructing your faith, Is it Because of Jesus?

Connect with me:

Email me: isitbecauseofjesus@gmail.com

Buy the book.

Website: isitbecauseofjesus.com

Support the show on Patreon.

Description:

The surgeon delivers the words that shatter everything: "Sorry, Peter didn't make it."

In this devastating final chapter, we witness the raw reality of grief. We watch Thomas flee the hospital in a state of dissociation and end up at a lake, screaming his rage at a God he isn't sure exists. We explore the "Intrusion of the Cross"—how the image of a suffering God forces its way into our darkest moments—and the heroic choice to reject the poison of resentment.

Finally, Thomas opens Peter’s last letter, revealing the question that defines the entire journey: "Is it because of Jesus?"

In this episode:

• The Trauma Response: Why we shut down or run away when tragedy strikes.
• The Primal Scream: When rage at God is actually a sign of love.
• The Intrusion of the Cross: Why sacrificial love cannot be explained, only demonstrated.
• The Choice Against Resentment: Honoring the dead by refusing to become bitter.
• The Centurion: Finding the Son of God in the moment of ultimate defeat.

Connect with me:

Email me: isitbecauseofjesus@gmail.com

Buy the book.

Website: isitbecauseofjesus.com

Support the show on Patreon.

Description:

The day before Peter's surgery, his hospital room is filled with an unlikely mix: believers, atheists, skeptics, and family. It is a testament to a life lived with radical inclusivity.

In this pivotal episode, we witness the "Existential Surrender" of a man facing death who has found peace not by fighting, but by letting go. We also uncover a secret act of love—Thomas, despite his deconstruction, has been working behind the scenes to help his friend. This proves that character is often more stable than belief.

Finally, Thomas reaches the bottom of his doubts and asks the most famous question in history: "What is truth?" We compare this to Pilate's cynical question and Jesus's radical answer: that Truth is not a concept, but a Person.

In this episode:

• The Unlikely Community: Why the strongest friendships aren't built on agreement.
• Existential Surrender: Finding peace by relinquishing control.
• Love as Action: Thomas’s quiet sacrifice for Peter.
• Epistemological Humility: Admitting that, ultimately, "no one knows."
• "I Am the Way": Jesus redefining the search for truth.

Connect with me:

Email me: isitbecauseofjesus@gmail.com

Buy the book.

Website: isitbecauseofjesus.com

Support the show on Patreon.