5 of the Best Christian Podcasts
There are so many ways to stay rooted to our faith these days. One of the newest and fastest growing ways to stay connected to God is through audio blogging, more popularly known as podcasts! Over the last decade, a huge burst in popularity has created an abundant selection of podcast genres to choose from. My favorite genre to listen to, besides true crime, is Christian-based podcasts.
One of the most important aspects of life is staying connected to God, so it only makes sense to use every available resource to continue growing in our faith. It is amazing how God will use every opportunity to speak to us, as the world changes, grows, and develops new ways of communicating.
Why Are Podcasts Important To Young Christians?
The best part about podcasts is that you can listen to them anywhere at any time. This allows us to spend more time with God’s word than other alternatives. I love catching up on my favorite Christian podcasts at the gym. Not too long ago, I witnessed the expansive reach of podcasts when I noticed a girl, cycling in front of my treadmill, watching the same podcast on Youtube that I was listening to. The chances of that are kind of insane, but it proved how podcasts are an integral tool for everyone. It is especially important for the generation of young adults still finding their place on this enormous planet He created for us.
In fact, it is important because a study done by Lifeway Research revealed that ⅔ of young adults aged 18-22 did not attend church for at least a year, due to a variety of reasons. A study is not necessarily needed to confirm this, as you just have to go to your local church. You will most likely see many children, teenagers and adults aged 35+, but not very many 20 year olds. Most of us can probably relate to the common causes of the church and God being put in the background of our lives.. All of the typical milestones begin after eighteen - such as moving out of the family home, going to college, and adjusting to a demanding job.
Another reason that is causing tension in some religious communities, is that many young adults are beginning to disagree with certain Christian values. They feel that the modern Church is not moving along with the rapidly changing culture and society. All of these reasons are creating a disconnect with God, the community, and our values, so it is important now more than ever to find new ways to stay rooted.
One thing I love about several of the podcasts mentioned in this blog is that they connect with the current generation of young adults and give advice on how to navigate life during such an important stage. As we evolve and the world advances, things begin to change in society, specifically the order of life events. The traditional life model - move out, go to college, get a job, get married, and have kids - is no longer applying to the majority of young people. Our generation now achieves life goals in different orders, delays certain milestones, or even erases some milestones to create a life that satisfies their wants and needs. Also, there is no longer the immense societal pressure to create a traditional life that society dictates for us.
This shift in society may be due to the easy access into other people's lives, through a lens on social media. In order to catch up with the influencer dominated culture, it is important to have religious resources that can continue to reach young adults.
Below is a short list of my favorite Christian podcasts. Whether you want a podcast that offers young adult advice, a unique way of listening to bible stories, or a voice to soothe you to sleep with God’s word, there are many options to choose from. As the podcasting world continues to grow, I expect there will be even more to add to the list.
5 Christian Podcasts You Need In Your Life
Watermark Community Church, centralized in Texas, is a multi-site mega church that holds weekly services to target 20-30 year olds in their young adult program. This mega church has campuses in Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, and Frisco, with nearly 11,000 members. This means they have one of the biggest youth outreach programs. Thousands more listeners also tune into the podcast every week.
Each week, alternating pastors take the stage to give sermons on biblical wisdom and answer questions relating to young adulthood. In my opinion, they have one of the best dating series for Christians. The messages are fun, relatable, easy to understand, and very captivating. I wait excitedly every week for a new episode to drop.
You can livestream their services through Youtube on Tuesdays at 7pm CT. If you miss the live streams then you can catch up anytime with saved episodes on Youtube or through any podcasting service.
2. Views From The Porch
Yes, Watermark has not one, but two podcasts for young adults! However, Views is a more traditional podcast with actual conversations, rather than sermons, between a small group of staff from the Porch. They give their biblical “views” on many lifestyle aspects that young adults deal with everyday. What I love about this one is that they tackle questions, concerns, and challenges that are not usually discussed as openly in a church environment.
The conversations are so relatable and casual that I sometimes forget I’m listening to a podcast and not talking to a group of friends.
They usually release episodes every Monday on Apple and Spotify, but there have not been any updated episodes since October of 2022. I’m not sure what the future of Views From The Porch will be, but I will wait patiently and with much hope that they return soon.
3. The Young Adult Podcast
Similar to The Porch, The Young Adult podcast is the spawn of another multi-site megachurch based in Texas *I’m seriously thinking about moving to Texas just for their abundant young adult programs.* Red Rocks Church was founded in 2005 and hosts thousands of members across several campuses in Texas, Colorado, and even Belgium!
Again, much like The Porch, this weekly podcast is centered around Christian perspectives on how to navigate your 20’s. The weekly conversations are even more in-depth and specified than most platforms. With topics like, “Are Tattoos Ok?”, “Is Love Blind,” and “How To Handle Holiday Family Dynamics,” it is easy for anyone to find an episode to relate to and be intrigued by. The podcast started in 2020, so there are plenty of episodes to catch up on. This is definitely a must-have for your daily commute to work or school. Find them on Spotify or Apple podcast every Monday!
4. Bible Stories With Brianda
Have you ever tried reading the whole Bible, but gotten stuck after Genesis? Yeah me too. What helped me get into reading my Bible again was Bible Stories with Brianda. This one is a bit hard to explain in one sentence, but I'll give it a try. It’s like a bible study with your best friend, but kind of psychedelic. It’s loud, fun, rambunctious, colorful, and playfully raunchy. I love the animated way in which the Bible is told in this podcast. The conversations are so relatable because they are exactly how I would converse and behave with my friends.
The host of this unique podcast is New York actress, Brianda Agramonte, who is the life of the podcast. Brianda brings a comical, but also serious and reflective interpretation to the Bible stories we grew up with. Her podcast is in chronological order from the very beginning and features her own self-reflections of life, culture, and mental health. It is also described as “ A safe place to confess your sins…and answer Jesus’ phone calls.” Each episode begins with Brianda answering a call from “Jesus' ' on a huge, red, old-fashioned phone. Then she dives into a monologue. On most podcasts I skip the opening monologues that don’t relate to the episode, but Brianda’s topics are always very relevant and relatable. Everything about the podcast is interesting, exciting, and original.
Unfortunately, there have been no new updates since September of 2022 where it stops at the Book of Ezekiel. According to her Instagram, Brianda may have been busy with other projects involving her acting career. Hopefully, she has plans to continue the podcast because her fans are patiently waiting and it’s too good of a podcast to not continue. I really need her guidance and witty humor to get through the next 40 books of the Bible.
5. Bible at Bedtime
Last, but not least we have Christian-based podcasts specifically for sleeping, meditation, and relaxation. This gives a whole new purpose to God’s word by making it applicable to everyday life routines and needs. You can listen to this podcast fully awake, but I think it would be pretty hard to. Two minutes into an episode and you will begin to feel drowsy.
Bible at Bedtime is created and hosted by Amber Lawton, a teacher and grad student, who created the podcast to help others with sleeping troubles and anxiety. Her soft, lulling voice, slow paced reading, and quiet background music make it nearly impossible to not close your eyes and relax. This is the best remedy for me when my mind is still racing at night. My therapist even told me I need to work on finding spaces to rest and relax.
This podcast has now become a must-have in my life, and I highly recommend it if you also have a hard time finding rest and peace. You could download Headspace or put on some white noise in the background, but you wouldn’t get to experience the peacefulness that only comes from the word of God. Seriously, it might save you a therapy appointment and paying for sleep medications.
We've run the gamut of various Christian podcasts out there, and those are just five favorites that I listen to on a regular basis. They keep me connected to my faith no matter where I am and what I might have going on in life. When I want to listen to a sermon during a busy weekday or peaceful passages to help me get to sleep, I can just open my Spotify and listen to an episode. That is the wonderful side of the internet and technology.
If you listen to any of these podcasts as well, or have other podcast recs then please let me know in the comments!
