The Boundless Show

When going deep with others is difficult, plus handling rough family dynamics during the holidays, and bitterness over being left out.   Featured musical artist: Kerrie Roberts   Roundtable: When a Relationship Feels Shallow   Some friendships bring instant connection. You both have something in common and you hit it off. Soon you’re able to be real, challenging and sharpening each other. But for others, no matter how hard you try, the connection or the will to go deep just isn’t there. This can happen with family, too — or even a boyfriend or girlfriend. What do you do when it feels like a relationship lacks a heart and mind connection? That’s the question we get to the bottom of this week.   Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: Family Doesn’t Guarantee Holiday Happiness   Holiday hype promises warmth, family and nostalgia, but family gatherings can be anything but fun if you have to face that relative. If your family is less than picture perfect, how do you survive? Can you celebrate without hurt, resentment, confrontation or even an all-out war? Counselor Tim Sanford offers practical ways to manage expectations, establish boundaries and keep the peace, even around the most challenging family members.   Forgive for Real: Six Steps to Forgiving   Just Annoying, or Truly Unsafe? How to Navigate Get-Togethers with Difficult Family  Inbox: No Room in the Apartment   She was planning to move out with friends, but then they got a place without her. She found out after the fact and wants to know how to move on from feeling betrayed. Counselor Linda Miller weighs in.        Link to Counseling Services

When your beliefs are challenged at work, plus Madi Prewett Troutt talks “The Bachelor,” love and singleness, and how to lean on God after a breakup.                            Featured musical artist:  David Dunn   Roundtable: When Your Workplace Challenges Your Convictions (Part 2)   Managing the daily grind at work is hard enough, but it’s particularly challenging when the environment is hostile to your faith and convictions. It’s not unheard of to see Christians ridiculed, canceled, pressured or even fired for standing up for what they believe. How should this kind of workplace culture be navigated? Our guests come from fields in education, medicine, mental health and the corporate world, and have experienced ideological challenges on the job. They continue a great discussion from last week on how to stay true to your convictions in an increasingly hostile world.   Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: Beyond “The Bachelor” With Madi Prewett Troutt   In 2020, Madi Prewett Troutt became a both beloved and maligned contestant on TV’s “The Bachelor.” Her season in the public eye taught her much, especially what love is — and what it isn’t. She shares lessons learned from the show, dating in high school, marrying her husband, Grant, and most importantly — from God himself. Get Madi’s take on how to get the love you want instead of what will never last.   The Love Everybody Wants: What You’re Looking For Is Already Yours   Inbox: God Will Get You Through Your Breakup   Breakups aren’t easy, especially when you had high expectations for the relationship. People tell you to “lean on God” to deal with the pain, but what does that look like? Counselor Glenn Lutjens weighs in.

When your beliefs are challenged at work, plus how introverts can win on the job, and balancing your priorities with your family’s needs.   Featured musical artist: Nathan Tasker   Roundtable: When Your Workplace Challenges Your Convictions (Part 1)   Managing the daily grind at work is hard enough, but it’s particularly challenging when the environment is hostile to your faith and convictions. It’s not unheard of to see Christians ridiculed, canceled, pressured or even fired for standing up for what they believe. How should this kind of workplace culture be navigated? Our guests come from fields in education, medicine, mental health and the corporate world, and have experienced ideological challenges on the job. They spark a great discussion on how to stay true to your convictions in an increasingly hostile world.      Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: Introverts at Work   Are extroverts more successful in their careers? Listening to workplace lore, you’d assume that it’s easier for extroverts to get ahead, make friends, influence others, and be recognized on the job. Sometimes that’s true — but introverts, take heart. Introvert Dr. Mike Bechtle says that introverts have unique gifts and temperaments that can spell success on the job. Whether you’re an introvert or you want to better understand your introverted friends and coworkers, you’ll be encouraged by this discussion.   The Introvert’s Guide to Success in the Workplace: Becoming Confident in a Culture of Extroverted Expectations    Inbox: When Your Family Needs You   You want to focus on your own projects, priorities and friendships, but your family sometimes needs your help. How should you respond when things feel out of balance? Counselor Linda Miller gives a few tips. 

Finding hobbies beyond entertainment, plus the testimony of worship leader Stephen McWhirter, and when you feel burned out from loving others.    Featured musical artist:   Aaron Shust   Roundtable: Purposeful Hobbies    A new show to binge, a football score to check, and then some gaming (got to level up!). These pastimes are fun, but in an entertainment-saturated world, how can we balance our go-to media interests with hobbies that are more productive? Our guests open up about their struggles with consuming too much entertainment — and how they’re learning to stretch their minds and skills in other directions.   Leave Us a Voicemail   Link to Plugged In Website    Culture: Stephen McWhirter’s Journey From Meth to Ministry   Before Stephen McWhirter became known for the song “Come Jesus Come,” he spent a long season openly hating God. Growing up watching his dad, a pastor, abuse Stephen’s mom, Stephen wanted nothing to do with Christians. He turned to drugs, and for over a decade they consumed his life. But that’s where God met him. Hear Stephen tell how God redeemed his broken story and gave him a platform to show others the path to true freedom.   The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus     Stephen’s Music   Inbox: Burned Out From All the Takers   Ever feel like you’re giving your time and energy to everyone else, but getting nothing in return? If loving others is leaving you exhausted, counselor Jerry Jones offers hope.         Link to Counseling Services

Determining if you and your date align in matters of faith, plus female execs help women succeed, and pursuing a woman post-breakup.    Featured musical artist:   Mosaic MSC   Roundtable: Are You Spiritually Compatible?    You and the person you’re dating may both be Christians, but that doesn’t guarantee you’re compatible. What are your theological disagreements? Does their spiritual maturity matter? What about worship style or church experience? Our panel gives their best advice to help you determine what’s important to stay in sync spiritually with your significant other.   Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: Helping Women Succeed in the Workforce   Today’s career landscape has exploded with new opportunities for women, but that doesn’t mean success isn’t hard-won. Three female execs and business owners who’ve been there spearhead a discussion on how to be a successful working woman and leader while honoring God and achieving work-life balance.   The Way We Work: Taking Charge of Your Own Success     4-Word Women   Inbox: What If She Just Ended a Relationship?    He’s been on a couple dates, but both women recently came out of dating relationships. He’s wondering: Should a guy pursue a woman if she just ended a relationship with someone else? Lisa Anderson weighs in.   Link to Counseling Services

When you’re ignored or unwelcome at church, plus dating after trauma, and should you date someone who’s recently divorced? Featured musical artist: Danen Kane  Roundtable: When People at Church Ignore You  Have you ever visited a church only to have no one shake your hand or say hello? Maybe you haven’t been included in conversation, asked a question, or invited to participate. Most of us have faced some version of this. When it happens, what should you do? Walk out the door forever, snub people in return, or try something else? We talk about the awkward and disappointing effects of not feeling welcome at church, and offer suggestions for how to handle it short- and long-term.  Leave Us a Voicemail Culture: Dating After You’ve Experienced Trauma Whether it’s childhood trauma, circumstantial trauma or trauma related specifically to a past relationship, picking yourself up and moving on is no easy task. How do you know you’re ready to date after such an experience or season? Counselors Angel Perez and Kari Aho have experienced trauma and currently counsel many clients navigating these tricky waters. They’ll define trauma, suggest first steps, identify roadblocks, and outline healthy ways to re-enter the dating scene.  From Trauma to Transformation: A Path to Healing and Growth  Inbox: What If He’s Been Divorced?  She discovered that the guy she’s dating was recently divorced. Where does she go from here, and what does she need to know? Counselor Kari Aho weighs in, sharing how she addressed this when dating her husband.   Link to Counseling Services

Ways to be a good gift giver, plus a sex Q&A with Dr. Juli Slattery, and is a second date recommended if the first one didn’t go well?    Featured musical artist:   Ginny Owens      Roundtable: Creative Gift Giving   Yes, Christmas is coming, but you don’t have to wait until the holidays to learn how to give good gifts. Even if gifts isn’t your love language, you’ll be inspired by this conversation to be more generous and creative in blessing others. Our guests share their gift-giving and -receiving experiences, what gifts have meant a lot to them and why, and how to think out of the box when considering gifts for friends, family and everyone in between.   Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: Dr. Juli Slattery Answers Questions About Sex   We asked you to submit your questions about sex and sexuality, and this week Dr. Juli Slattery is here to answer them. Offering clinical expertise, biblical wisdom and practical application, Juli answers questions including: how to talk about sex when you’re engaged to be married, how to navigate a relationship with someone who has a sexual past, sexuality and singleness, loving your LGBT friends while affirming God’s design, and more.   Rethinking Sexuality: God’s Design and Why It Matters   Article: What’s the Purpose of Sexuality if I’m Single Article: Promise Rings and Purity Talks Aren’t Enough Article: Is It OK to Masturbate?   Inbox: Should I Try a Second Date?   If a first date didn’t go well, should you give a second one a chance? How do you know if it’s worth it? Counselor Angel Perez weighs in.         Link to Counseling Services 

Creating a useful wedding registry, plus Peter Mutabazi’s journey from street kid to foster dad, and do most adults know if they want kids?   Featured musical artist:   James Peden   Roundtable: Wedding Registry Advice   One of the most iconic tasks of the engagement season is setting up a wedding registry. But if you hop online and haphazardly add items, or run around a store with a scanner like your life depends on it, you’ll soon second-guess if you’re doing the whole registry thing right. (You’ll also be downright exhausted.) For advice on putting together a thoughtful and practical registry, we asked several of our newlywed friends to share lessons learned, out-of-the-box ideas, and how to avoid offending gift-givers. They also discuss gifts they got that have proven especially meaningful.   Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: From Street Kid to Single Dad   As a child in Uganda, Peter Mutabazi experienced life in a violent home. He escaped and ran hundreds of miles away to Kampala, where he lived on the streets. He survived this way for years until a young man showed him kindness; this small encounter changed everything. Now living in the United States, Peter is a foster and adoptive dad in addition to running a business and working in the nonprofit world. His story will inspire you as a reminder that God can redeem even the most broken situations.   Now I Am Known: How a Street Kid Turned Foster Dad Found Acceptance and True Worth    Inbox: Do You Want Kids or Not?   Do most people know if they eventually want children? How much should having kids be prioritized, especially when so many young adults are delaying marriage? Counselor Geremy Keeton weighs in.   Link to Counseling Services

The advice we need most, plus Steve and Candice Watters tell the Boundless origin story, and how to effectively ask a girl out.   Featured musical artist:  Ellie Holcomb    Roundtable: Where Do You Need Advice?    As we celebrate 25 years since the launch of Boundless.org, our guests tell how they first heard about Boundless. They’ll also share the ways they’ve benefited personally from Boundless content, areas in which they need advice, and how to prioritize growth as a young adult. Finally, they list some of their favorite show moments through the years.   The Dating Manifesto: A Drama-Free Plan for Pursuing Marriage With Purpose    Leave Us a Voicemail   Culture: Steve & Candice Watters Tell the Boundless Story   Have you ever wondered how Boundless got started? Or where the name Boundless came from? Boundless founders Steve and Candice Watters join us for a special conversation to answer these questions and more. They’ll also share their thoughts on how the world has changed for young adults since Boundless launched in 1998.   The Dating Manifesto: A Drama-Free Plan for Pursuing Marriage With Purpose    Inbox: Ways to Ask a Girl Out   When pursuing a girl, what are ways to be upfront about asking her out — without being creepy? Counselor Glenn Lutjens weighs in.

Stories of porn addiction recovery, plus finding belonging as a Christian, and how to know if your boyfriend is spiritually mature.   Featured musical artist:   Liz Vice    Roundtable: Overcoming Porn Addiction (Part 2)    Pornography addiction is increasingly common today, even among Christians. It’s a struggle many don’t want to admit, and freedom often feels out of reach. But our guests have broken the pornography cycle, and they join us this week to share more from the stories they began last week, including what worked (and what didn’t) and why through God’s grace, freedom from sexual sin is possible.       Leave Us a Voicemail   Link to Counseling Services    Culture: Fitting Into the Family of God   Katy McCown and her family moved six times in 10 years thanks to her husband’s NFL career. Uprooting yet again, her feelings of loneliness were acute. As an antidote, she had to aggressively pursue community at church and in smaller circles. She’ll share some of her best tips for making it work, with Scriptural applications for plugging in, welcoming others, and carrying friendships into a new season.   She Belongs: Finding Your Place in the Body of Christ    Inbox: Is My Boyfriend Spiritually Mature?    Her boyfriend is 20 years old and she’s wondering if his maturity is “on par” for his age. She’s nervous about predicting the health of their relational future with little data. How much spiritual maturity should she expect from him right now? Counselor Jerry Jones weighs in.