Podcast Takeover: The Skeptic Pastor — Faith, Doubt & Finding Belonging | Perspectives FUMCSD Pastors Podcast S4E8
Nov 08, 2026
Summary
Who’s in and who’s out when it comes to God, Jesus, and the Church? And what happens when we start to look at familiar Bible stories through a completely different lens? In this special podcast takeover, Rev. Trudy welcomes United Methodist pastor, author, and digital creator Reverend Jeremy Steele, also known as The Skeptic Pastor, for a conversation about faith, doubt, belonging, and the surprising ways we encounter the Divine. (Spoiler alert: God does indeed live beyond the boundaries of church!)
Detail
Who’s in and who’s out when it comes to God, Jesus, and the Church? And what happens when we start to look at familiar Bible stories through a completely different lens?
In this special podcast takeover, Rev. Trudy welcomes United Methodist pastor, author, and digital creator Reverend Jeremy Steele, also known as The Skeptic Pastor, for a conversation about faith, doubt, belonging, and the surprising ways we encounter the Divine. (Spoiler alert: God does indeed live beyond the boundaries of church!)
Exploring the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19, the conversation challenges traditional ideas about sin, salvation, and who's in or out:
- What happens when we let go of shame and judgement?
- What if we loosen our grip on traditional ideas about church?
- What encounters inspire us to become better versions of ourselves?
- What might happen when we extend our welcome beyond our familiar communities?
Jeremy also shares how his own questions and skepticism have helped him build an online spiritual community for people who have felt unseen, excluded, or hurt by traditional church. It's an honest, refreshing conversation about making room for doubt, reimagining faith, and discovering that an encounter with God can happen in some unexpected places.
Find out more about The Skeptic Pastor and join the community: https://www.patreon.com/skepticpastor
Continue the Perspectives conversation:
Whether you're exploring progressive Christianity, deconstructing your faith, studying the Bible, pursuing justice, wrestling with theology, or simply asking honest questions about Scripture, we invite you to join the conversation:
- Convergence discussion group (Sundays at 12 PM)
- Join the FUMCSD Patreon community
Timestamps
00:00 Podcast Takeover: Meet The Skeptic Pastor
04:28 Have We Been Getting the Zacchaeus Story Wrong?
07:10 Zacchaeus vs. the Rich Young Ruler: Two Very Different Encounters
10:01 What Does the Sycamore Tree Have to Do With Wealth?
13:17 Who Gets to Decide Who's a Sinner?
16:18 Rethinking Sin, Shame, and Judgment
18:04 What If Transformation Doesn't Require Shame?
21:03 Religious Trauma and Finding a Different Way Forward
23:25 What Happens When Church Doesn't Make Room for Everyone?
25:18 How The Skeptic Pastor Found His Online Community
28:31 When Someone Discovers They're Not Alone
30:07 Not Church: Creating a Community for the Spiritually Curious
32:06 Where Can We Encounter God Beyond Church?
