Maybe God With Eric Huffman

When it comes to God, the Bible, and the supernatural, we've all got more questions than answers. So why do Christians ask so few questions, and why do many skeptics feel judged for having doubts? This line of thinking is what inspired Maybe God host and pastor Eric Huffman to write his first book, "40 Days of Doubt: Devotions for the Skeptic," which will be released tomorrow, December 4. For this special episode, Eric invited his friend and The Story Houston member Sarah Bolton into the studio to discuss how "40 Days of Doubt" came to be, and how his favorite Maybe God episodes helped him dig deeper into the issues he addresses in the book. 

Evolution is real and creation is a myth, or so we've been told. But how can we be sure? Most of us haven't examined the evidence; we trust the experts to bring the truth down from the mountaintop of scientific knowledge. In this Maybe God Live episode, Dr. James Tour, a world-renowned organic chemist, shares the reasons why he puts his professional reputation on the line by rejecting Darwinian theory as the explanation for life as we know it. 

How do you forgive someone who doesn't feel sorry - especially when they're no longer in your life? Deana's father abandoned her at a young age, and the pain and resentment in her heart led her down some dark paths. She knows she needs to forgive him - but how? On this Maybe God mini-sode, Eric and Deana sit down for a raw and intimate one-on-one conversation about forgiving someone who doesn't deserve it.  

What do you do when life knocks you flat on your back and - whether it’s because of your bad luck or your bad choices or both - you start to wonder if you’ll ever get on your feet again? We intended for this to be part two of our Hurricane Harvey anniversary episode; we wanted to focus on people who found a way to stand tall again after that storm knocked them down. But as people shared their Harvey stories with us, they inevitably told us other stories about other times in their lives that they were flat on their backs, powerless, with no hope. On this episode, we feature Astros President Reid Ryan, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, a few of Houston's homeless, and a young woman whose life was nearly derailed by drug addiction.  

Exactly one year ago, Houston, Texas experienced a flood of Biblical proportions. As much as 60 inches of rain fell in some areas - 19 trillion gallons of water that caused over $100 Billion in property damages and sent 40,000 people to emergency shelters. 13,000 Houstonians had to be rescued by boats and helicopters. As the waters of Hurricane Harvey receded, we wondered how this could happen. If God is real, and He cares for us, where was He when our city was drowning? On this episode, we'll explore this question with some heroes who came to our rescue (the LA Cajun Navy), and some now world-famous survivors (both humans and farm animals). *** Have questions, comments, or story ideas for Maybe God? Head to maybegodpod.com to contact us. For news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @maybegodpod. 

On the last two episodes of Maybe God, we were introduced to a supernatural, spiritual world, through the eyes of three people who had near-death experiences. But some people don’t have to die and come back to life to experience the other side. Jonas Elrod, whose story has been featured by Oprah Winfrey, claims to experience both the physical and spiritual worlds on a daily basis. From his experience, he's determined one key truth we're all missing when we focus on the material world.  

What is hell, and why would a loving God send people there forever? In part two of this episode, Maybe God host Eric Huffman continues his conversation with Imagine Heaven author John Burke, who insists that the God of the Bible isn't who most people believe Him to be.  We also reveal the dramatic conclusion to Howard Storm's harrowing descent into hell, and introduce you to Crystal McVea, a sexual abuse victim who believed God could never love her...until the day she died and met Him, face to face. 

We all know that death is a fact of life, but is it the end of life?  When your heart and brain cease to function...do you?  In part one of this series, Maybe God host Eric Huffman talks to pastor and New York Times best-selling author John Burke about his 30-year journey studying over a thousand near-death claims, people from all different countries and religions who say they've "crossed over" and met God.  We'll also introduce you to Jeffrey Olsen and Howard Storm, two men who say they experienced the afterlife, in one case, hell.  

Is doubt the end of faith in God? In part one, Maybe God followed host Eric Huffman's journey from the certainty of Bible Belt religion to the moment in college when he began to reject his Christian beliefs. More than a decade later, he found himself pastoring a church in Kansas City, and questioning everything about God and his faith.  When Eric took a trip to get away from the life that had him feeling like a fraud, he never imagined coming home a new man, essentially unrecognizable to those who loved him.  CREDIT: "Praise the Lord" by Sean McConnell (closing song)

Nearly everyone doubts the existence or the goodness of God at some point in life, but what happens when you're a pastor who no longer believes? In this episode, we follow Maybe God host and pastor Eric Huffman as he retraces his steps of the journey from Bible Belt religion to atheism. Eric visits his childhood home and his college campus to speak directly with some of the people who helped shape - and wreck - his faith.

In this minisode, Maybe God host Eric Huffman and producer Julie Mirlicourtois look back at their favorite moments from season one and give listeners a special preview of season two.  Look out for new episodes starting this June.    

After years of struggling through a messy divorce, drug addiction, and depression, Casey finally had the life he always wanted: a happy marriage, healthy kids, a growing business, and a deep relationship with God. Then one afternoon, Casey and his wife, Dorian, received some news that changed their lives forever, and the ensuing battle made Casey's past struggles look small by comparison. In this episode, hear this couple's story of amazing love, devastating pain, and the everlasting Light that's carried them through it all.   Please send questions and comments to maybegodpod@gmail.com or continue the discussion on our Facebook page @MaybeGodPod.

In this minisode, Maybe God host Eric Huffman speaks live to a room full of couples at The Story Houston and goes off-script to share why he thinks "The 5 Love Languages" aren't the main ingredient to saving or restoring your marriage.  You can learn more about "The 5 Love Languages" at http://www.5lovelanguages.com.  *** Please send questions and comments to maybegodpod@gmail.com or continue the discussion on our Facebook page @MaybeGodPod.

When it comes to marriage, does God make a difference? Are marriages between believers better off than "godless" unions? This week, Eric explores these questions with his wife, Geovanna, who shares stories of how God transformed their marriage. Eric's friend, Sara Beth, also shares her story about a shocking revelation and her subsequent divorce. Finally, Eric talks with Emily and Ricardo, a couple nearly torn apart by addiction and depression before finding God together and shifting their priorities.  Please send questions and comments to maybegodpod@gmail.com or continue the discussion on our Facebook page @MaybeGodPod. ***   Eric Huffman is the founder and lead pastor of The Story Houston. Please visit thestory.church for more information. Maybe God is produced by Eric Huffman, Julie Mirlicourtois, and Brandon Duke. Sound Engineering by Patrick Laughrey and editing by Brittany Holland. Our theme music is by Nathan Bonnes whose other music can be found at nathanbonnes.com.

For our fifth episode, Eric speaks with author, pastor, and humanitarian Rudy Rasmus about baptizing Beyonce, pledging allegiance to the flag, and being Black and Christian in Trump's America. With a potent blend of grace and brutal honesty, Rudy reminds Eric of his responsibility to speak out about racism and white supremacy - a reminder that we all need to hear. Please send questions and comments to maybegodpod@gmail.com or continue the discussion on our Facebook page @MaybeGodPod. *** Rudy Rasmus co-pastors the St. John’s Church in Downtown Houston with his wife Juanita and is the author of Love. Period.: When All Else Falls. For more about Rudy, check out his website pastorrudy.net. Thank you to Pastor Rudy, Juanita, and St. John's for letting us record and use audio from their service. *** Eric Huffman is the founder and lead pastor of The Story Houston. Please visit thestory.church for more information. Maybe God is produced by Eric Huffman, Julie Mirlicourtois, and Brandon Duke. Sound Engineering

This week is all about you, Maybe God's listeners. Your response to Deb Hirsch last week was so overwhelming that we dedicated this fourth episode to your questions and feedback. In this episode, Eric and Deb address questions like, "What's wrong with a little porn?", "Is premarital sex really a sin?", and "Should it be the Church's job to police people's sex lives?" Ultimately, Eric and Deb challenge us to ask better questions as we strive to understand sex as something more than mere physical intercourse.   Please keep sending us your questions and comments to maybegodpod@gmail.com or join the discussion on our Facebook page @MaybeGodPod. *** You can follow Deb Hirsch on twitter at @debrahirsch. For more about Redeeming Sex, check out www.ivpress.com/redeeming-sex or pickup a copy on Amazon. *** Eric Huffman is the founder and lead pastor of The Story Houston. Please visit thestory.church for more information. Maybe God is produced by Eric Huffman, Julie Mirlicourtois, and Brandon Duke. Sound Engineeri

For our third episode, the Maybe God team flew to Los Angeles to speak with author, speaker, and pastor Deb Hirsch. In her latest book, Redeeming Sex: Naked Conversations about Sexuality and Spirituality, Deb addresses the overwhelming need in our society (and in our churches) to have deeper conversations about sex. She laments the way most of our cultural conversations about sex are reduced to mere intercourse, and she challenges all her readers - married and single,  LGBTQ+ and straight, Christian and non-religious - to think more broadly about the breathtaking, toe-curling, rapturous gift that is human sexuality.  Please send your questions or comments to maybegodpod@gmail.com or join the discussion on our Facebook page @MaybeGodPod. *** You can follow Deb Hirsch on twitter at @debrahirsch. For more about Redeeming Sex, check out www.ivpress.com/redeeming-sex or pickup a copy on Amazon.   *** Eric Huffman is the founder and lead pastor of The Story Houston. Please visit thestory.church for more infor

For our second episode, host Eric Huffman sat down with world-renowned street artist Mr. D (aka Sebastien Boileau). Ever since his loving grandmother warned him, as a child, never to be alone with certain priests (who were suspected of questionable behavior), Sebastien has always struggled with the concepts of religion and God. As an artist, however, he's constantly drawn to pursue transcendence and beauty. This tension between spirituality and cynicism is what makes his art so powerful, and it led Eric to wonder, "Can an artist like Sebastien really be an atheist?" Please send your questions or comments to maybegodpod@gmail.com or join the discussion on our Facebook page @MaybeGodPod. *** For more about Mr. D, check out his website mrd1987.com.  You can also view Mr. D's mural of God, Preservons La Creation, on his website   (http://mrd1987.com/2014/11/public-art). Pictures of the mural commissioned by the Story Houston, Love Has a Name, can be found on the Story's facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pg/

For our first episode, host Eric Huffman speaks with Bart Campolo, a long-time Christian pastor turned self-described secular humanist, about the reasons Bart left the church and his views on religion, culture, and morality. We wanted address with Bart why it seems like so many people love to hate religion, but the conversation did not quite go as we intended. Please send your questions or comments to maybegodpod@gmail.com or join the discussion on our Facebook page @MaybeGodPod. *** Bart Campolo is the Humanist Chaplain at the University of Cincinnati and hosts the podcast, Humanize Me. For more about Bart, please visit his website bartcampolo.org.  Information about Leaving My Father’s Faith can be found at campolofilm.com. Special thanks to director John Wright for allowing us to use clips from his documentary.   *** Eric Huffman is the founder and lead pastor of The Story Houston. Please visit thestory.church for more information. Maybe God is produced by Eric Huffman, Julie Mirlicourtois, and Brandon D