Gird Up! Podcast

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1088 | Can a Layperson Stand in the Gap? Church Planting & Digital Discipleship with Mara Rugen

August 02, 2026

Church planting sounds romantic in synodical reports, but what does it look like when the hype wears off and you're the one setting up chairs? This week, Charlie sits down with Mara Rugen—digital creator, Idaho church planter, and Lutheran laywoman. They dive deep into the beauty of ordinary vocation, the necessity of the local altar over the digital space, and how laypeople can boldly build resources for the kingdom without going "rogue." If you've ever felt too ordinary to...

1087 | Politics, Mammon, and the Two Kingdoms with the Pflughoeft Boys

July 26, 2026

Why is the church so fractured over politics when Scripture calls us to be "one in Christ"? In this episode, Charlie sits down with Pastors Chris and Tony Pflughoeft to unpack the intersection of faith, government, and the human heart.Using the framework of the Two Kingdoms, they break down the difference between God's vertical commands and our horizontal, earthly responsibilities. Why do we expect seamless political unity when even electing a congregational president causes deb...

1086 | More Joy Than Guilt: Dismantling Purity Culture with Christ with Jonny Lehmann and Isaac Hayes

July 19, 2026

Is "purity culture" actually biblical, or did it just leave a generation of young Christians with unnecessary trauma and spiritual burnout?In a high-pressure culture that constantly demands perfection, it’s easy to confuse God’s discipline with His punishment. We often treat sin like a series of isolated mistakes we can manage, rather than recognizing it as a deeper condition that we cannot fix on our own. When the church swaps the Gospel for a checklist of moralism, anxiety wins an...