At the end of every session (almost without fail), people ask that same age-old question: did we level up? HA!!!! In this episode, Josh and Tony discuss what it means to level up both in D&D gameplay, as well as spiritually. God doesn't want us to stay where we are, but for us to grow in our faith - level up if you will - and grow closer to Him.

In this episode, Josh and Tony are joined by their first special guest, and Tony’s younger brother, Aaron Benda. Rejoicing at the appearance of their first guest, there was also tremendous gratitude because something unique (and ironic) has happened to Josh while recording as well!!!

This episode will dive into what it means to use character voices in the world of D&D. Character voices make gameplay so fun, and they share some of their favorite voices and personal inspirations! But also, how do we use our voices to carry the gospel to the nations (Matthew 28:19)? How do we find out voices? And because God also has a voice, how do we lean into that voice?

In this episode, Josh and Tony discuss what it means to be in shackles in D&D, as well as the bondage sometimes carried in our spiritual lives. Dive into a crazy episode with us we also recount some of the ways we almost ended up in shackles ourselves!

In this week's episode, Josh and Tony talk about the question that we believe is alive and well at every table, every session: "DM (or GM), did we long rest? This hits close to home as we experience this ourselves. We look forward to that point in our games when we can take a moment to catch our breath with a short rest, or benefit from the full long rest where we are as good as new! We also discuss how this concept of rest is important in our spiritual walks as well. Jesus Himself talks about that in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

After a quick recap from episode 1, we had an unexpected phone call from one of our D&D buddies, Jarek Partsch. After listening to this episode, go check out their podcast: The Tales We Tell. Jarek produces the show with his wife, Hannah, and co-host Katy.

We get back into the episode by exploring the journey from character creation to gameplay from a unique perspective. We delve into what it means to play from a meta perspective and how that translates to our spiritual walk with Jesus. More importantly, we dive into the understanding of not walking out our lives from a meta perspective, but using our God-given identity and creativity to look beyond immediate circumstances or the desire to control our situations and align with God's calling and direction. By examining biblical insights and personal testimonies, we hope to inspire listeners to integrate these lessons into their daily lives and live their lives hungry and thirsty for righteousness.

Here is the site we mentioned for all resources D&D related.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/

In the debut episode of Dungeons & Disciples, Josh Shaw and Tony Benda discussed their passion for using Dungeons and Dragons as a tool to share Jesus with others. They shared their personal experiences and emphasized the importance of building a spirit-filled role-playing community and fostering fellowship. They also discussed the two primary methods for creating characters in D&D, and how self-awareness is crucial for personal growth and communication. Later, they talked about the intersection of personal growth and safety in tabletop gaming, and how Christians can integrate their faith into the gaming community.

Welcome to Dungeons & Disciples: a show relating our Christian walk to our favorite TTRPG.