Vox Podcast With Mike Erre

What does it truly mean to love someone you disagree with—especially in matters of identity, sexuality, and theology? Mike Erre and Andy Lara dig into a critically important (and often misused) phrase in Christian culture: "Love the sinner, hate the sin." In this thought-provoking episode, they unpack why this mindset—while well-intended—may actually undermine the transformative power of Jesus' love and twist the gospel's radical message of grace, especially for the LGBTQ+ community and those navigating the church's cultural contradictions. This episode challenges listeners to reevaluate how they approach difficult relational and theological conversations, particularly through the lens of love as demonstrated by Jesus, Paul, and the early church. With humor, honesty, and theological depth, Mike and Andy call for a new way of engaging others—one defined not by judgment or disapproval, but by costly presence, advocacy, and Christ-like transformation. Key Takeaways: • Why "Love the sinner, hate the sin" fails th

How do we carry truth and love in today's complex conversations around sexuality, identity, and faith? This episode explores one of the most sacred cows in the modern church: how Jesus might engage with both affirming and non-affirming sides of LGBTQ+ conversations, while staying rooted in his Jewish context and countercultural message of surrender and grace. With raw honesty and biblical depth, Mike and Andy wade through questions from the Vox Mailbag on everything from Christmas decorations and the "war on Starbucks cups" to the deep waters of sexual ethics, divine identity, and church leadership. Featuring a guest appearance by JJ Carroll (and his mustache), this wide-ranging conversation unpacks how Christians should think about desire, orientation, ministry qualifications, and being disciples in a pluralistic democracy. Key Takeaways: • Embracing Jesus's Jewish Context – Jesus didn't appear in a vacuum. His cultural context informs how he would likely have engaged sexual ethics. • Challenging All Sides w

How learning to grieve and lament can deepen our faith, not destroy it. Mike Erre sits down with special guest Bonnie Lewis to explore why lament is so often missing from Christian spaces, and how embracing it can transform both our understanding of God and our healing from trauma. Sharing her gripping story of personal loss, chronic illness, and spiritual reconstruction, Bonnie walks us through the messy reality of questioning God, confronting shame, and learning to carry grief without letting it define us. This episode is a tender, honest reflection on loss, faith, depression, and rediscovering Jesus in the most difficult seasons of life. Key Takeaways: • The Missing Voice of Lament in Evangelical Culture – Why many churches bypass pain and grief, and how this avoidance perpetuates shame and spiritual isolation. • Grieving Doesn't Mean Doubting – Understanding that sorrow, doubt, and faith can coexist—and how the Psalms model holy protest and intimacy with God through pain. • Redefining Strength and Healing

How the church responds to fear, especially in moments of national crisis, reveals a deeper truth about what we treasure. In this emotionally charged and challenging episode of the Exile Series, Mike Erre and Andy broach the tension between Jesus' command to love our neighbor and the evangelical fear complex that often dominates Western Christian discourse. Using the Syrian refugee crisis and the reaction following the Paris attacks as a backdrop, they ask: What does it really mean to follow Jesus in a world gripped by fear and self-preservation? Key Takeaways: • The Evangelical Fear Complex – How American Christianity's obsession with safety, comfort, and cultural dominion often undercuts the radical compassion Jesus calls us to. • Jesus as a Refugee – Revisiting the biblical narrative of Jesus fleeing persecution and why it matters, especially in light of refugee and immigration debates. • Treasuring the Right Things – A deep dive into the Sermon on the Mount and how anxiety reveals misplaced treasure. Jesu

How the way we embody our pro-life beliefs may betray the very heart of Jesus. Mike and Andy explore the recent Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado Springs to reflect on the complex, heartbreaking intersections of faith, violence, and societal discourse. Through this lens, they examine how pro-life convictions must be consistent—valuing life not only at conception but also throughout every stage of human existence, regardless of nationality, race, or ideology. This episode takes on the hard and often polarizing conversation around abortion, politics, domestic terrorism, and the disconnect between pro-life rhetoric and action. Mike shares compelling non-biblical reasons why he holds a pro-life position, including feminist arguments and societal shortcomings, while ultimately pointing listeners to the radical compassion and subversive love modeled by Jesus. Key Takeaways: • A Consistently Pro-Life Ethic – Why Christians must not only oppose abortion but also oppose violence, racism, war, guns, and the death

How do we walk with people through pain when words fail and comfort clichés do more harm than good? In part two of our conversation with friend and author Bonnie Lewis, the Voxology crew explores a practical theology of grief, suffering, and lament during the holiday season—a time when joy is expected but heaviness looms for so many. From horror stories of well-meaning but damaging responses, to the power of simply being present, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and biblical insight for navigating dark seasons with honesty and hope. Key Takeaways: • Cracking the Code of Christian Clichés – Why sayings like "God won't give you more than you can handle" and "everything happens for a reason" miss the mark and how they hurt more than help. • A Biblical Case for Lament – Exploring Psalms of disorientation and the theological power of grieving as a form of covenant faithfulness. • Sitting in the Silence – How Jewish grieving practices like sitting Shiva offer a counter-cultural model for communal empathy an