It was an easy out, give Barabbas what he deserved and let Jesus go free. Yet, Jesus had a different plan and he received what Barabbas deserved.

In the midst of the chaos of the week, Jesus finds a few final moments with his Father. It is intense. It is painful. And, it is interrupted by a betrayal.

The week begins in triumphant as Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem as the King of the Jews. Ironically, it is the very title they will later use to mock him.

Tod Bolsinger, Senior Congregational Strategist and Associate Professor of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary, joins the show to discuss his two books, Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience. Plus, @todbol explains how leaders can navigate the post-pandemic landscape and prepare their congregations for the change necessary for this next season.

Brent and Donna Jones, the team behind Bobbi Jo: Under the Influence, join the show to discuss who they got this project made and why the story of Bobbi Jo changed them and Kansas City.

Pastor Alan and Chris continue their discussion on Alan's new book, The Power to Bless, and reflect on Alan's childhood and what he learned about blessing his own children.

Our contributor Heather Strong Moore had the special opportunity to interview the creator behind @blackliturgies, Cole Arthur Riley. Cole majored in Writing at the University of Pittsburgh, has been in campus ministry for the past 7 years and works with a Christian Study Center at Cornell University. In recent years she has encountered liturgical worship which inspired her to begin an Instagram account of quotes and her own original prayers written for Black Christians. The account began at the end of June and already has nearly 25,000 followers. In our interview Heather asks more about Cole’s story and her experience of finding her own identity and belonging in what has been a historically White tradition.

This week one of our contributors, Heather Strong Moore, had the chance to interview the Rev. Dr. Esau McCaulley. Dr. McCaulley is an Opinion writer for the New York Times and an Assistant Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. His new book, “Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope” is out on September 1, and Heather got to sit down with him to hear more about the book.