Shows / The Weight
The Weight
Let’s be honest. There are some topics that are too heavy for a 20 minute sermon. There are issues that need conversation, not just explanation. That’s why we have created The Weight Podcast. Launching on March 5th, this is a podcast that creates a space for honestly discussing some of the heavy topics we face in our culture today. We believe that the church is called to engage in a way that honors the weightiness and importance that these topics have for how we live faithfully today. We’ll…
Episodes
The Weight"What If Church Looked More Like AA" with John Ortberg
Show Notes: Can people actually change — and if so, why is it so hard? Pastor and bestselling author John Ortberg joins Chris and Eddie to talk about his book…
The Weight"Hand Over The Keys" with Kenda Creasy Dean
DESCRIPTION: Kenda Creasy Dean returns to The Weight. A United Methodist minister, longtime professor of youth, church, and culture at Princeton Theological…
The Weight"The Hope Effect" with Dr. Stephen Trzeciak
Show Notes: Dr. Stephen Trzeciak, physician-scientist, ICU intensivist, and Chief of Medicine at Cooper University Health Care, joins Chris and Eddie to talk…
The Weight"Nostalgic Scarcity" with Rachel Billups & Matt Rawle
Show Notes: United Methodist pastors Matt Rawle and Rachel Billups — co-founders of the Hub for Innovation and co-authors of Dream, Dare, Disrupt — join Chris…
The Weight"What AI Will Never Have" with Dr. Meghan Sullivan
Philosopher Meghan Sullivan, the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy at Notre Dame and director of the university's Institute for Ethics and the…
The Weight"Hit Songs, Hard Losses, & Long Ball Faith" with Craig Wiseman
SHOW NOTES: Nashville hit songwriter Craig Wiseman (350+ cuts, 29 #1s, NSAI's Songwriter of the Decade) joins Eddie Rester — with Cody Hickman sitting in for…
The WeightThe Monsters Christianity Made with Dr. Bryan Stone
Show Notes: Dr. Bryan Stone has spent roughly a decade researching a single question: what does horror cinema reveal about Christianity? Watching hundreds of…
The WeightCultivating A Meaningful Ministry with Rev. Dr. Bankole Akinbinu
Show Notes: Rev. Dr. Bankole Akinbinu, senior pastor of Baptist Grove Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, has a wealth of experience in nurturing a vibrant…
The Weight"Growth & Reconciliation" with Dr. Kevin Murriel
Show Notes: In this episode, Reverend Dr. Kevin Muriel shares his journey from Mississippi to Atlanta, his insights on racial reconciliation, leadership in the…
The Weight"AI And The Church" with Jason Moore
Did you know that The Weight now features a video format? You can watch every new episode on YouTube! Show Notes: In this conversation, Jason Moore discusses…
- The Weight
Season 7 - Teaser
Season 7 of The Weight will be coming soon! We have been hard at work preparing a studio for a new video format of the podcast. While we won't have weekly…
The WeightSeason 6 Wrap Up with Chris, Eddie, & Cody
Show Notes: Cody Hickman joins Chris McAlilly and Eddie Rester as they wrap up the season with a thoughtful discussion on their favorite moments of past…
The Weight"Awake" with Jen Hatmaker
Show Notes: “It’s so interesting how grief shows itself in sometimes surprising ways that you just can't expect.” A New York Times best selling author and…
The Weight"The Cure For Sickness" with JD Walt
Show Notes: J.D. Walt, former dean of the chapel at Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, KY, and founder of Seedbed, joins Chris and Eddie with a strong conversation…
The Weight"Our Primal 5" with Matt Campbell
Show Notes: Not only is Matt Campbell a licensed psychologist, he’s also a friend of Eddie and Chris (and a member of Chris’s church—which also used to be…
The Weight"Healthy Team Culture" with Chris & Eddie
Show Notes: “Everybody in the system affects everybody else in the system.” Chris McAlilly and Eddie Rester dive into a thoughtful discussion about what it…
The Weight"Protest At Midnight" with Peter Storey
Show Notes: In this powerful discussion around faith, justice, and courage, Chris and Eddie sit down with Peter Storey, former president of the Methodist…
The Weight"Moral Humility" with Mark Chancey
Show Notes: Dr. Mark Chancey joins Eddie and Chris for an open and frank conversation about moral formation. Where should children learn about the Ten…
The Weight"The Nicene Creed" with Ted Campbell
Show Notes: Dr. Ted Campbell is a returning guest to The Weight, this time for an introduction into the Nicene Creed. 2025 marks the 1700th anniversary of the…
The Weight"Science, Philosophy, & Religion" with Sarah Coakley
Show Notes: Suffering and pain are part of life. We all struggle with finding meaning in our suffering and the suffering of others. We all need help finding…
The Weight"Extra Table" with Robert St. John
Show Notes: “I’m not necessarily a winner. Maybe I’m a loser that just never gave up.” No one would call Robert St. John a loser. A life-long Mississippian and…
The Weight"Living A Sermon" with Austin Carty
Show Notes: Eddie and Chris are joined by previous guest Austin Carty for the first part of a double episode about his new book, Some of the Words Are Theirs…
The Weight"Better Ways To Read the Bible" with Zach Lambert
Show Notes: Zach Lambert wants to give you a better way to interpret the Bible, so he wrote the book on it. In Better Ways to Read the Bible: Transforming a…
The Weight"Shaping Future Leaders" with Javier Viera
Show Notes: Rev. Dr. Javier Viera is the President of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. A long-time friend of Eddie’s, Javier served in…
The Weight"Legacy of Leadership" with Bill McAlilly
Show Notes: This episode is a special conversation between a father and son, two pastors in different eras of their ministerial careers. Chris is joined by his…
The Weight"Faith, Science, & Suffering" with Philip Clayton
Show Notes: Can science and faith exist together? If God created the world and then created people in God’s own image, why do we experience suffering? How do…
The Weight"We Aren't Machines" with Warren Kinghorn
Show Notes: Humans are not machines, so why do we treat ourselves like we are? In this episode, Eddie and Chris are joined by Dr. Warren Kinghorn, a…
The Weight"Wrestling With Scripture" with Amy-Jill Levine
Show Notes: Today’s guest, Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, has a challenge for all of us: to engage the Bible more deeply, and to do that in a way that faithful to the…
The Weight"The Entrepreneurial Church" with Mark DeYmaz
Show Notes: Mark DeYmaz is a pastor, author, and champion of the multi-ethnic church movement. He spent eighteen years as a youth pastor in Little Rock…
The Weight"Habitual Gratitude" with Neal Plantinga
Show Notes: Dr. Corneilus Plantinga has a few words to say about gratitude, and it may just change your life--physically, spiritually, and emotionally. A habit…
The Weight"Called To The Kitchen" with Hunter Evans
Show Notes: If you’re not hungry at the start of this episode, you probably will be by the end. And you’ll probably want to run down to Jackson, Mississippi to…
The Weight"Many Souths" with John T. Edge
Shownotes: John T. Edge joins Chris and Eddie for a conversation that takes them all over the South. John T. is a writer, commentator, the former director of…
The Weight"Living Through The Seasons" with Annie F. Downs
*** SUMMER BEST OF *** As we take a few weeks off to prep for the rest of Season 6 of The Weight, enjoy some of our favorite past episodes! Show Notes: Welcome…
The Weight"Ethic Of Objectivity" with Joe Crespino
Show Notes: Historians aren’t always objective, and objectivity is not the same as neutrality. These are important distinctions for Dr. Joseph Crespino. For…
The Weight"Pursuing God's Will Together" with Ruth Haley Barton
Show Notes: We don’t often create space for God in our communal decision making process, and we rarely, as a staff, community, group, or church, attempt to…
The Weight"Hope Rises" with Bill Simmons
Show Notes: Bill Simmons is the President and CEO of Hope Rises International, formerly American Leprosy Missions. Founded in 1906, Hope Rises is a parachurch…
The Weight"Trust, Transparency, & Generosity" with Chris, Eddie, & Cody
Show Notes: Eddie, Chris, and our producer Cody Hickman sit down to discuss generosity and how it’s changed over the years. The three of them have a combined…
The Weight"Wrestling With Growth" with Matt Miofsky
Show Notes: We hear a lot about the rapid decline in church attendance across the country, but there are many churches who are experiencing growth. So what…
The Weight"Deep Sea. Deeper Faith." with Rachel Jordan
Show Notes: Seeing the wonder of God’s creation in the world around us can expand our imagination, give us a hopeful perspective during difficult times, and…
The Weight"Multigenerational Organizations" with Phil Gwoke
Show Notes: If you work with people from different generations, live with people from different generations, or encounter people from different generations in…
The Weight"Hopeful Imagination" with Greg Jones
Show Notes: Chris and Eddie are joined by previous guest Greg Jones for a spirited conversation about leaning into hopeful imagination: looking for places…
The Weight"Why Your Work Matters" with Tom Nelson
Show Notes: If you are a pastor, a Christian, or a Christ-centered leader in any way, this conversation may change your life. At the very least, we hope you’ll…
The Weight"Forgiveness Can Happen" with Esther Lightcap Meek
Show Notes: Esther Lightcap Meek is a philosopher, author, and speaker known for her work on epistemology (the study of the nature, origin, and limits of human…
The Weight"What Is Forgiveness?" with Matthew Potts
Show Notes: This episode comes out on Maundy Thursday, the day when Jesus celebrated his last Passover meal with his disciples and washed their feet in an act…
The Weight"Sacred Songwriting" with Dan Forrest
Show Notes: Chris and Eddie are joined by Dan Forrest, a well-known musician and composer who has found his niche in composing and arranging music as a way to…
The Weight"What It Means To Be Healed" with John Swinton
Show Notes: Eddie and Chris are joined by previous guest Dr. John Swinton for a frank yet gentle discussion of the complexities of healing, particularly in the…
The Weight"Life Update" with Chris & Eddie
Show Notes: Today’s special guest on The Weight is none other than co-host Eddie Rester. Eddie has some big news about what’s been going on in his life over…
The Weight"Using Power To Empower" with Robert Khayat
Show Notes: It’s not always easy to treat the people and world around us with respect, but Dr. Robert Khayat seemingly does it with ease. His parents showed…
The Weight"Never Repeat An Idea" with David McDonald
Show Notes: Chris and Eddie share in a fun conversation with an old friend of Eddie’s, Dr. David McDonald. David is a preacher, teacher, and creative innovator…
The Weight"Living Through The Seasons" with Annie F. Downs
Welcome to Season 6 of The Weight Podcast! We’re kicking things off with someone who has a lot of fun while doing a lot of important work: Annie F. Downs…
The Weight"Season 6 Teaser" with Chris and Eddie
We are so excited to be back for Season 6 of The Weight! We are kicking off this season with an amazing guest, who you won't want to miss. So make sure you…
The Weight"Season 5 Wrap Up" with Christ, Eddie, & Cody
We’re wrapping up our fifth season on The Weight, and Eddie, Chris, and producer Cody Hickman talk about some highlights from this season. We have had some…
The Weight"A Fine Sight To See" with Sophie Hudson
This episode of The Weight will probably make you laugh, might lighten your spirit, and will definitely give you a new perspective on encouraging leadership in…
The Weight"Wesleyan Hymnody" with Ted Campbell
In case you were wondering, “hymnody” is an actual word and we didn’t make it up. It simply means the singing or composition of hymns, religious songs or poems…
The Weight"Solidarity & Mercy" with Chris Herlinger
What is the humanitarian response for a country in crisis? What is the church’s response? Today’s guest has experienced the love and hope the people provide…
The Weight"Believe Like Jesus" with Rebekah Simon-Peter
Show Notes: Are you an apostle of Jesus? It may seem like an easy “yes,” but the answer is a lot more nuanced than you might think. For Rebekah Simon-Peter, it…
The Weight"Holding The Faith For Each Other" with Kim Wagner
Grief lies to you. Grief will tell you that you are alone in your suffering. This conversation will remind you, over and over, that you aren’t. If you’re…
The Weight"Adaptive Leadership" with Ken Carter
Bishop Ken Carter is a leader. As the current bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, he is guiding over 173,000…
The Weight"Bite By Bite" with Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Eddie and Chris are joined by three-time guest Aimee Nezhukumatathil for a conversation about the intersection of food, faith, family, and parenthood, based…
The Weight"Highway To The Sky" with Lola Reid Allin
You might say Lola Reed Allin is a trailblazer. She is certainly an adventurer, a traveler, a pioneer, and a role model to women who work in male-dominated…