The word toxic has become a cultural buzzword, especially when conversations turn to masculinity and increasingly, femininity as well.

This week on Resident Strangers, the discussion continues as Steve, Rich, and Sarah explore what the Bible says about masculinity and femininity. Rich points out that even some of the men and women we encounter in Scripture aren't always intended to be models for us to follow. Understanding the difference between passages that are descriptive and those that are prescriptive is essential.

When the topic of "toxic" gender roles comes up, Steve suggests a more helpful phrase: destructive exaggeration. He unpacks what biblical headship actually means, challenging the misconception that it's about control or unchecked authority. Together, the team explores the dynamics between men and women and what true, God-honoring partnership looks like.

Sarah reflects on how these tensions play out in today's culture, where both men and women can be tempted to elevate themselves over one another. Ultimately, the conversation returns to the root issue: sin has distorted God's good design.

The episode also revisits the story of Adam and Eve, with Steve highlighting that blame often falls solely on Eve while Adam's failure to protect and lead faithfully is overlooked.

This is a thoughtful, balanced conversation that wrestles honestly with a complex topic. Give it a listen and let us know what you think! Next week's topic: Christian Nationalism.

Steve's sermon on this topic from January 2026

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

The summer series What Does the Bible Say About ______? continues this week as the crew dives into the topic of masculinity and femininity. When Desert Springs chose this topic for a sermon series in January, Steve admitted he was unsure what people specifically wanted to know. There was just a strong sense that it needed to be discussed.

The conversation begins in Genesis 1 and 2, where God created humanity. Male and female were both made in God’s image, uniquely designed to reflect Him. Rich explains that while God is not biological, our maleness and femaleness are part of His intentional design and carry purpose.

The crew also talks about how culture can sometimes twist these distinctions, either viewing them as unequal or denying differences altogether. But the reality is that men and women are distinct, and those differences are good! Sarah encourages listeners to take a higher view of these distinctions without getting caught up in rigid expectations of what men and women “should” do day to day.

This is a lighter conversation about God’s design for men and women, but stay tuned as next week Steve, Rich, and Sarah will tackle some of the more difficult and “toxic” issues surrounding this topic.

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

This week, Steve, Rich, and Sarah continue last week’s conversation on what the Bible says about suicide. Early in the discussion, they address a difficult and often-asked question: If a Christian dies by suicide, do they still go to heaven?

To explore this, Steve references several accounts in Scripture involving suicide and briefly touches on some Catholic perspectives that have historically viewed suicide as a mortal sin. Ultimately, though, he brings the conversation back to the central question of how someone enters heaven in the first place. As Rich reminds listeners, eternity is not determined by individual sins alone but by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way.

At the same time, the discussion acknowledges the deep and unique grief that surrounds the loss of someone who takes their own life, recognizing that God is the ultimate giver of life. Every person experiences suffering and brokenness in this fallen world. While some endure darker and more overwhelming levels of pain, that suffering does not mean there is something inherently wrong with them, but rather reflects the reality of sin and brokenness in the world around us.

Steve also speaks to the role of counseling and medication in the life of a Christian facing mental health struggles. Rich adds an important reminder that people are not merely “biochemical machines,” and that wisdom and discernment are needed even as we recognize the value and help that medical and therapeutic resources can provide.

Above all, the conversation points back to God as our ultimate source of comfort and hope. This world cannot provide what only He can.

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Text or call 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Check out Resident Strangers Episodes 63 & 64 on suffering (audio only)

Ryan Risselman's testimony on The Stories Collective podcast, Episode 53

*available wherever you listen to podcasts

Care & Support ministries at Desert Springs (local counselor referrals at the bottom of the page)

Watch Resident Strangers on YouTube 🎥

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us again next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.