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Some conversations begin with a whisper… and before you know it, you’re knee-deep in the strange world of fringe theories, spiritual puzzles, and the awkward silence that follows when you bring them up at dinner. In this episode, we lean into the art of talking about the unseen without losing your spouse, your friends, or your social standing. Cohost Jen Parks joins us to break down how to communicate the blurry stuff with wisdom, patience, humor, and a whole lot of relational finesse. We get into cognitive dissonance, defensiveness, spiritual warfare, and why you can’t fire-hose your way into someone’s worldview. From coffee-pot analogies to puzzle-piece theology, this conversation is packed with practical tools for anyone trying to introduce fringe topics to the people they love. It’s part communication workshop, part spiritual formation, and part, “Please don’t think I’m crazy.”

OHH- and there's a "new guy" (cohost) you get to meet in this one!

Timestamps:
00:00:51 Setting up today’s topic: fringe talk without scaring people
00:02:10 Jen shares what inspired this episode
00:03:15 Persuasion, winsome speech, and Proverbs 25:11
00:04:50 Fear, pride, and defensiveness in conversations
00:05:36 Cognitive dissonance explained
00:07:20 Intent behind questions and how Jesus handled it
00:09:45 Asking the Holy Spirit for the right words
00:10:22 Evangelism through questions
00:11:45 You’re the coffee pot principle
00:12:43 Trajectory and small shifts over time
00:13:50 Insider language and jargon problems
00:15:05 Relationship before explanation
00:17:16 Percolator analogy and slow spiritual conversations
00:18:50 Bigfoot, breadcrumbs, and worldview expansion
00:19:38 Why fringe topics matter to spiritual formation
00:22:00 Friendship before being “right”
00:24:18 Women's approach: you can influence, not control
00:26:45 Husbands as protectors and guardrails
00:28:55 Band of Brothers: “salute the rank, not the man”
00:31:33 Asking questions and listening well
00:33:47 Fire-hosing vs slow growth
00:36:07 Early experiences listening to fringe podcasts
00:38:25 The “all knowledge” paper and circle analogy
00:40:41 Using secondhand listening at home
00:42:52 Growth, discernment, and humility
00:45:17 Requesting reciprocal respect
00:47:42 Don’t make it hard for someone to change their mind
00:49:36 Conspiracy pitfalls and being honest about “I don’t know”
00:52:03 Collecting puzzle pieces and lifelong learning
00:54:28 The glory of kings to search a matter out
00:55:43 Closing encouragement and future episode topics

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We are shaking things up in 2026--Make sure to JOIN US for ALL the content coming - https://join.unrefinedpodcast.com

Every December, it feels like the internet dusts off the same “Christmas is pagan” memes and lobs them into everyone’s feeds, and honestly… I’m over it. In this conversation, I sit down with Lindsy and our guest co-navigator Jennifer to ask where these claims actually came from and whether they hold up to real history. We talk about early church evidence for celebrating Jesus’ birth in December, why conception dates mattered in the ancient world, and how sacred time belongs to God—not Saturn, Mithras, or Yuletide spirits. We also unravel Alexander Hislop’s The Two Babylons, Nimrod conspiracies, green man imagery, and the fear that you might be “accidentally” worshiping other gods by putting up a tree. Along the way, we hit on mission, sacred space, and why intent matters more than internet paranoia. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re allowed to enjoy Christmas without guilt, this one’s for you with Dr. Judd Burton.

https://www.burtonbeyond.net/
https://drjuddburton.com/

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Timestamps:
00:03:16 Is Christmas actually pagan?
00:05:39 Why celebrating Jesus’ birth matters
00:07:56 Birth vs conception and sacred timing
00:10:20 Shepherds, winter flocks, and December
00:12:42 Saturnalia and Sol Invictus explained
00:15:08 Constantine myths and Jesus image
00:17:24 Yuletide, grottos, and reclaiming sites
00:19:20 St Nicholas, Nicaea, and legend
00:21:45 Enter Alexander Hislop and Two Babylons
00:23:59 Nimrod, Apkalū, and pareidolia
00:26:17 Fear, deception, and trusting God vs the devil
00:28:33 Magi, astrology, and God using pagan culture
00:31:00 Christmas trees, Asherah poles, and intent
00:33:08 Law, grace, and going back under Torah
00:35:31 Demonic counterfeits and mythic archetypes
00:37:52 Generational attacks, giants, and cosmic war
00:40:14 Real danger of anti-Christmas teaching
00:42:35 Judd’s projects, classes, and Christmas studies

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Some conversations feel like stepping into a warm room full of light, and this one definitely did. In this episode, we drift into that holiday crossroads where Scripture, history, memes, and misguided internet theology all collide. We talk about why Christmas is far more ancient, sacred, and deeply biblical than most people ever imagine, and why the “pagan origins” claims collapse under even a little sunlight. The conversation moves from the fall, to Abraham, to the prophets, to the early church, and then out into global Christian traditions that celebrate the incarnation in wildly different cultural ways. We explore unity vs. uniformity, Christian liberty, spiritual warfare, evangelism, and the beauty of Advent. And best of all — we unpack how the theology of Christmas leads us straight into worship, mission, and joy. Welcome back Dr. Rob Solberg.

Grab the book-->https://amzn.to/44sQJrb
Rob's website- https://thebiblicalroots.org/

Rob's spotify for Advent
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6v6t220W4qka9krXy2OZ93?si=rXj1Si8GQWa0G0oN1UWD6Q&pi=oIQEmAzkREO5_

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Timestamps:
00:56:00 Entering the “holiday zone”
01:05:00 Theology of Christmas book discussion
01:20:00 Why write a defense of Christmas
01:45:00 Offense and defense in ministry
03:18:00 Dealing with fringe teachings
05:43:00 The deeper story behind Christmas
08:09:00 Old Testament promises and patterns
10:32:00 Incarnation as the second most important event
12:52:00 Joy, celebration, and biblical precedent
15:00:00 Birth narratives in ancient biography
17:16:00 The liminal era of the early church
19:30:00 How Christmas emerged historically
21:52:00 Arbitrary dates and Christian liberty
24:11:00 Celtic incarnational influence
26:29:00 Evangelism opportunities at Christmas
28:51:00 Cultures, unity, and contextualization
31:03:00 Spiritual warfare and distraction
33:24:00 Why the book is so convincing
35:46:00 Hanukkah, Purim, and man-made festivals
38:10:00 Christian liberty and non-essentials
40:34:00 Kindness, humility, and internet debate
42:59:00 Uniformity vs. unity in church history
45:23:00 What Christians should bring back to Christmas
47:45:00 Rich theology in old Christmas hymns
50:08:00 How the Advent study guide works
52:29:00 Rob’s dissertation on Jews and Gentiles
54:47:00 Roots of Gentile-majority church
57:11:00 False teachers and humility

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