Last week Steve and Brian tackled the big theological questions about suffering. This week they turn to the pastoral question: what do you actually DO when suffering shows up as a phone call, a hospital room, a funeral, or a friend saying "I'm angry with God"? Steve and Brian walk through six practical suggestions for supporting someone in grief — and Brian shares vulnerably about losing his twin daughters Hannah and Olivia at 30 weeks, contrasting what was helpful with what was not. As Steve says up front: "If I could pick one episode for everybody to listen to, I would pick this one."

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction

• [01:24] The Question: How Do We Support a Grieving Friend?

• [04:02] #1: You Don't Need to Defend God From a Grieving Person

• [07:37] #2: Avoid Cliché Explanations

• [09:38] #3: Ask Permission Before Praying or Sharing

• [10:42] #4: If You Want to Help, Be Specific

• [12:19] #5: When Someone Asks "Why?" — Discern What They're Really Asking

• [13:40] #6: Remember the Anniversary — Grief Gets Lonely Later

• [14:10] Brian's Story: Hannah and Olivia

• [17:33] Closing

People's Questions Answered

"What is the best way to help a friend through a tragedy when they are asking, 'Why would God allow this?' or 'I'm so angry with God.' How do we support them without making them feel like we are pushing Jesus on them?"

Key Scripture References

• Psalms of Lament ("How long, O Lord?")
• Jeremiah
• Job
• Habakkuk
• Jesus's cry from the cross
• Romans 8 (creation groans and God works for good)
• Mary and Martha at Lazarus's tomb (John 11)

Connect With Us

Submit your questions at cherryhillsfamily.org/podcast, text "podcast" to 217-546-4818, or use the link in the show notes.

The Midweek is also on YouTube! Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

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Pastor Steve and Pastor Brian tackle one of the biggest topics anyone can bring to the Christian faith: pain, suffering, and the character of God. Grouping four listener questions together, they wrestle with why God allows suffering, whether all afflictions are ordained by God, whether the Old Testament God is really a violent dictator, and how to reconcile God's character with the conquest passages in Joshua. Their honest, humble answers point back over and over again to the same truth: what you believe about suffering ultimately depends on what you believe about the character of God — and that character is most clearly revealed at the cross.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction
• [02:02] Q1: How Can We Follow a God Who Allows So Much Suffering?
• [06:13] Q2: Are All Afflictions Ordained by God?
• [12:20] Q3: Is the Old Testament God a Dictator?
• [15:57] Q4: How Do We Reconcile the Violence in Joshua?
• [21:00] Summary of All Four Questions
• [22:52] Closing — Coming Next Week: The Pastoral Side of Suffering

People's Questions Answered

Anonymous: "How can we follow a God who allows so much suffering?"

Anonymous: "Are all afflictions ordained by God?"

Anonymous: "Is God in the Old Testament a dictator who punishes people when they refuse to follow Him?"

Anonymous: "How should we understand divine wrath and violence in Joshua?"

Key Scripture References

• John 11 (Jesus weeps)
• Romans 8:19-28 (creation groans; God works for good)
• John 9 (man born blind)
• Job 1-42
• Lamentations 3:33 (God does not afflict from His heart)
• Hebrews 5:8 (Jesus learned obedience)
• Hebrews 4:15 (great high priest)
• Genesis 15:16 (iniquity of the Amorites)
• Deuteronomy 9:4-5
• Leviticus 18
• 2 Peter 3:9 (God is patient)

Coming Next Week

Part 2 will focus on the emotional and pastoral side of suffering — how to be present with people in pain, what NOT to say to someone grieving, and how to walk through suffering when it comes to us personally. As Steve says: "None of what we just talked about should be said to somebody who is in the middle of suffering."

Connect With Us

Submit your questions at cherryhillsfamily.org/podcast, text "podcast" to 217-546-4818, or use the link in the show notes.

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Welcome back to Season 2! Pastors Steve and Luke kick things off by tackling the number-one question Steve was asked in 2025: what does the Bible say about cremation versus burial?While Scripture never explicitly commands one or the other, it does offer clear patterns and rich theology about the human body. Steve walks through four biblical statements on the topic, and Luke and Steve discuss why the theology of the body may be the most compelling reason Christians have historicallypreferred burial. Bottom line: this is a passing-lane issue where Christians have real freedom — but the biblical logic and beautiful symbolism of burial are worth understanding.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction — Welcome Back to Season 2!
• [01:00] Reminder: Passing Lane Issues vs. Double Yellow Lines
• [01:34] The Question: Cremation vs. Burial (Multiple People Asked)
• [01:44] The #1 Question Steve Was Asked in 2025
• [02:27] Why This Question Feels Weightier as We Get Older
• [03:26] Statement 1: There Is No Commandment Against Cremation
• [04:33] Statement 2: Burial Is the Overwhelming Biblical Pattern
• [05:30] Custom Doesn't Establish Command — Room for Diversity
• [06:14] Statement 3: The Few Cremation References in the Bible
• [07:16] What's the Biblical Logic Behind the Burial Tradition?
• [07:45] Statement 4: The Human Body Is Valuable in the Bible
• [08:53] Burial as a Seed Being Planted — 1 Corinthians 15
• [09:18] Can God Still Resurrect a Cremated Body?
• [10:40] Resurrection Depends on God's Power, Not Body Condition
• [10:56] So What Should Christians Do?
• [11:40] Steve's Two-Question Framework
• [12:05] Luke's Personal Perspective — Grandpa Cremated, Others Buried
• [12:57] Could Cremation Actually Be a Testimony to God's Power?
• [14:11] Freedom, Discernment, and Hope — Bottom Line
• [14:37] Closing & How to Submit Questions (Backlog Note)

People's Questions Answered

From several listeners: "What does the Bible say about cremation versus burial?"

Key Takeaways

• Cremation is NOT a sin — Christians who choose cremation are not jeopardizing their resurrection or receiving a lesser eternity
• Financial cost is a legitimate reason to choose cremation, and God understands that
• The strongest argument for burial isn't a specific verse — it's the theology of the human body
• Burial powerfully pictures a seed being planted in anticipation of future life (1 Corinthians 15)
• Resurrection does not depend on the condition of the body — it depends on the power of God
• If God can create Adam from dust, He can resurrect any body — cremated, decomposed, lost at sea, or destroyed in disaster
• Luke's insight: Cremation might actually be a testimonyto belief in God's power to raise the dead despite any circumstance

Key Scripture References

• Genesis 2:7 (Adam formed from dust)
• John 19:40 (Jewish burial custom)
• John 12:24 (seed planted)
• 1 Corinthians 6:19 (body as temple)
• 1 Corinthians 15 (resurrection body)
• 1 Samuel 31 (Saul's body)
• Amos 2:1 (Moab burning bones)

Note About Questions

There is a backlog of questions from listeners. If you submit a question now, it may not be answered this season — but rest assured, they're not being ignored! The pastors will get to them in future seasons.

Connect With Us

Submit your questions at cherryhillsfamily.org/podcast, text"podcast" to 217-546-4818, or use the link in the show notes.

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In the conclusion of Tammy Manheim's interview, Pastor Steve and Tammy explore what happened after her near-death experience — both spiritually and practically. Now three years out, Tammy shares why she waited to speak about her experience, how her family helped her test it against Scripture, and the surprising spiritual challenge that followed: her prayer life completely tanked for almost a year. They discuss what people misunderstand about NDEs, how to encounter God without needing a mystical experience, and the simple truth that runs through it all: God is real, He is active, and He's already speaking — if we'll take the time to look and listen.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction — Recap of Episode 20

• [01:09] Waking Up — Overwhelmed With Thankfulness

• [02:24] Seeing Life With Thankful Eyes

• [02:54] The Recovery — Slow, Painful, Necessary

• [03:00] Why Tammy Didn't Share the Experience Right Away

• [04:18] The First People She Told — Family and Staff

• [05:14] Testing It Against Scripture With Her Family

• [05:38] Three Years Later — How the Experience Has Shaped Her

• [07:02] Why an NDE? — Sharing God's Plan With Others

• [07:55] The Gift of Faith — And the Year Her Prayer Life Tanked

• [09:19] A Humbling Mountaintop — Surrendering Control

• [09:39] "I Held Your Heart in My Hands" — A Doctor's Words

• [10:43] Tammy's Beliefs About NDEs Before This Happened

• [11:15] The Problem With Sensationalized Faith

• [12:07] Hebrews 11 — Faith Given Sight

• [13:41] What People Most Misunderstand About NDEs

• [15:30] To Those Who Feel Left Out — God Is Still at Work

• [17:08] Moses and the Burning Bush — The Bush Is Always Burning

• [17:40] Tammy's One Takeaway: God Is Real and Active

• [18:26] Announcement: Upcoming Book Club on NDEs

• [18:45] Closing & How to Submit Questions

For Those Who Feel Left Out

"You don't have to die in order to encounter God. God is doing something in your life — you just need to see it, hear it, listen for Him." Pastor Steve adds the image of Moses and the burning bush: the bush was always burning. Moses just had to stop, look, and take off his sandals.

Tammy's One Takeaway

"God is real. He is active. Take the time to stop and look for Him, to listen for Him. He'll meet you there. He always does."

Key Scripture References

• Hebrews 11 (Hall of Faith)
• Exodus 3 (Moses and the burningbush)

Connect With Us

Submit your questions at cherryhillsfamily.org/podcast, text"podcast" to 217-546-4818, or use the link in the show notes.

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In Episode 13, Pastor Steve and Pastor Luke discussed near-death experiences (NDEs) and mentioned a friend of the church who had one. This week, that friend — Tammy Manheim — shares her remarkable story firsthand. What began as a routine outpatient surgery turned into 19 days in the hospital, including a week of unconsciousness and two times when she coded. During that time, Tammy experienced perfect peace and pure light, was shown her life as a "tangled pile of string," and was asked three times if she wanted to go back. This is her account in her own words.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction — Meeting Tammy Manheim

• [00:50] Why This Episode? — Following Up on Episode 13's NDE Discussion

• [01:34] The Before: A Routine Surgery That Wasn't

• [02:11] 19 Days in the Hospital, One Week Unconscious

• [02:26] The Conversation About Pulling the Plug

• [03:48] Coding Twice — The Experience Begins

• [03:55] Perfect Peace, Perfect Clarity, Pure Light

• [04:49] No Sense of Time, No Sense of Body

• [05:09] Asked Three Times: "Do You Want to Go Back?"

• [06:08] No Fear, Just Peace and Joy — Holiness and Love Together

• [07:23] The Tangled Pile of String — Tammy's Life Reviewed

• [08:42] Three Times Around — The Choice to Stay or Return

• [09:39] "Then I Had Grandkids" — Told She Had to Go Back

• [10:53] The Miracle — Jenny's Visit and the Turning Point

• [11:15] Waking Up — Telling Her Son Brandon He'd Be a Father

• [12:40] Robert — A Shout-Out to Her "Son-in-Love"

• [15:30] Closing & How to Submit Questions

Connection to Episode 13

In Episode 13, Pastor Luke explained common features of NDEs based on John Burke's research: peace, altered time, encounter with light, life review, a boundary point, and a return. Tammy's experience touches on nearly every one of these — yet sheemphasizes that she didn't share her story for years and only learned about NDE research after the fact.

Connect With Us

Submit your questions at cherryhillsfamily.org/podcast, text"podcast" to 217-546-4818, or use the link in the show notes.

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In Part 2 of the women in ministry conversation, Steve and Jenny introduce the third theological view — soft complementarianism — and explore how each view objects to the others. They unpack hermeneutics (the rules we use to interpret Scripture) and slippery slope arguments. Then Steve shares where Cherry Hills Church lands as a body, and the episode turns deeply personal as Jenny shares her journey as a woman with leadership gifts and Steve reflects on how his perspective has been shaped over the years. They close with a powerful word about unity, focusing on Jesus, and not letting "passing lane issues" divide the church.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction — Continuing the Conversation

• [00:35] Recap of Last Week's Two Views

• [00:48] View 3: Soft Complementarianism Explained

• [01:43] Headship as Office-Specific, Not Universal

• [02:40] Objections: How Egalitarians Critique Complementarianism

• [03:50] The Slippery Slope Fallacy — Inevitability vs. Causation

• [04:39] Hermeneutics 101 — How We Interpret Scripture

• [05:32] Fixed Meaning vs. Changing Application — The Head Coverings Example

• [07:03] Objections to Soft Complementarianism — Is It Inconsistent?

• [07:38] Where Cherry Hills Lands: Soft Complementarianism

• [08:55] Jenny's Personal Story — From Volunteer to Staff Leader

• [10:24] "Too Much and Not Enough at the Same Time"

• [10:58] Jesus as the Ultimate Servant Leader

• [11:46] Steve's Personal Reflection on Women in Leadership

• [13:32] Final Word: To the Men and Women in the Church

• [14:40] Steve on "Passing Lane Issues" and Unity (Romans 14)

• [16:32] Closing & How to Submit Questions

Where Cherry Hills Church Lands

Cherry Hills Church holds the position of soft complementarianism. They believe this best honors the Genesis2 vision of biblical headship while also celebrating that women and men are equally gifted. They joyfully affirm women's calling to leadership and teaching — including the title of "pastor" — while still holding that the office of elder is reserved for qualified men.

Key Scripture References

Genesis 2 (Ezer/helper)

1 Corinthians 11:5 (women prophesying)

1 Timothy 2

Acts 18:26 (Priscilla and Aquila)

Romans 16 (women co-laborers)

Philippians 2:5-8 (Christ as servant)

Romans 14 (disputable matters)

Connect With Us

Submit your questions at cherryhillsfamily.org/podcast, text"podcast" to 217-546-4818, or use the link in the show notes.

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After receiving multiple questions on this topic, Pastor Steve and Jenny Elliott finally tackle one of the most discussed and debated issues in the modern church: the role of women in ministry. With grace, humility, and rigorous study, they begin a multi-part series by laying out where all Christians agree (Genesis 1:26-27 — men and women are equally created in God's image) and then walk through the first two of three theological views: complementarianism and egalitarianism. They unpack the key biblical texts each view rests on — including the Hebrew word "Ezer" (helper), the Genesis creation order, 1 Timothy 2, Galatians 3:28, and the role of women like Priscilla, Deborah, and Junia.

Episode Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction — Steve and Jenny Tackle Women in Ministry

• [00:50] The Three Listener Questions (Melinda, Scott, and Tess)

• [01:51] Wrestling With This Topic — A Word About Unity and Grace

• [03:42] Roadmap: Three Views, Their Counters, and Where Cherry Hills Lands

• [04:36] Where All Orthodox Christians Agree — Genesis 1:26-27

• [05:13] The Real Disagreement: Authority and Responsibility, Not Worth

• [06:01] Introducing the Three Views: Complementarianism, Egalitarianism, and Soft Views

• [06:59] View 1: Complementarianism Explained

• [07:27] The Hebrew Word "Ezer" — A Strong Helper, Not a Subordinate

• [09:05] The Created Order and the Concept of Headship

• [09:44] Ephesians 5 — Headship as Servanthood, Not Domination

• [11:03] Headship Rooted in the Trinity — 1 Corinthians 15:28

• [12:11] 1 Timothy 2:12-13 — Teaching, Authority, and Creation Order

• [12:56] Eldership Reserved for Men — 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1

• [14:22] View 2: Egalitarianism Explained

• [14:38] Galatians 3:28 — "Neither Male nor Female"

• [14:52] Acts 2 and Joel's Prophecy — "Sons and Daughters Will Prophesy"

• [15:30] Women Leaders Throughout Scripture — Deborah, Huldah, Junia, Mary Magdalene, Esther, Miriam, Anna

• [16:06] Priscilla and Aquila — Acts 18:26 and the Word "Explained"

• [17:25] Egalitarian Response to 1 Timothy 2 — Cultural Context

• [18:22] Closing — Continuing Next Week with View 3 and Where We Land

People's Questions Answered

From Melinda: "Why can't women be in leadership positions in the church?"

From Scott: "What is the belief of Cherry Hills Church regarding women serving in the role of pastor and/or deacon? What is thechurch doctrine and what does Scripture say about these issues?"

From Tess: "Is it okay for churches to have women pastors? What about elders or deacons? I've heard both support for women pastors and discouragement depending on one'sdenomination. As a woman who has both female and male pastors in my family, this is a major question I have always wrestled with."

Key Scripture References

• Genesis 1:26-27
• Genesis 2:18-25
• 1 Corinthians 11:3
• 1 Corinthians 15:28
• Ephesians 5:22-33
• 1 Timothy 2:12-13
• 1 Timothy 3
• Titus 1:5-9
• Galatians 3:28
• Acts 2:17-18
• Acts 18:26
• Joel 2:28-29
• Romans 16:7 (Junia)
• Judges 4-5 (Deborah)
• 2 Kings 22 (Huldah)
• John 20:17 (Mary Magdalene)

Connect With Us

Submit your questions at cherryhillsfamily.org/podcast, text"podcast" to 217-546-4818, or use the link in the show notes.

Subscribe, share, and leave a 5-star review!