<![CDATA[Reclaiming the Narrative: One Good Story: The Podcast]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/s/one-good-story-the-podcasthttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vaEq!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc16739b4-4d7e-4bf6-aa21-9217afaf3d3a_300x300.pngReclaiming the Narrative: One Good Story: The Podcasthttps://timvoltz.substack.com/s/one-good-story-the-podcastSubstackMon, 18 May 2026 13:19:39 GMT<![CDATA[Anniversaries and Milestones]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/anniversaries-and-milestoneshttps://timvoltz.substack.com/p/anniversaries-and-milestonesMon, 02 Mar 2026 12:02:57 GMTYesterday marked three months since I launched “Reclaiming the Narrative.” It was a relatively new initiative for me. Most of the things I’ve written I’ve kept to myself, other than the occasional online post. I didn’t bring a large social media following or a subscriber list from an active newsletter. I just told some friends and family I was doing it, had my friend Andy create a logo and header for me, and launched. On day one I had 2 subscribers, and I’m pretty sure one of them was me (I have trouble understanding the dashboard statistics).

Over the last 90 days, I’ve published ten articles (nine of my own and one guest post) and one podcast episode. Those eleven posts have generated over 2600 views, and I now have 63 subscribers (pretty sure one of them is still me, but whatever). Thanks to all who have read and shared. It’s a bit terrifying pressing the “publish” button, releasing one’s thoughts, and time, and creative energy into the ether. The intrusive thoughts generally make their way in immediately.

What if I wrote something that wasn’t true? Or stupid? Or worse yet…what if it’s just…bad? Anybody could see this! Or again, worse yet, what if nobody sees it?

So this is an appreciation post as we hit the three-month anniversary and pass 2500 article views. But this spring also marks another important anniversary and milestone. In the early spring of 2021 I approached my good friend, Justin LaRocque, about starting a podcast together. I didn’t have large ambitions. Just the two of us, talking about Bible stories, which might be a cool resource for the little church we attend in Springfield, Ohio.

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That was five years and 10,000 downloads ago. And sometime this month, we will release the 100th episode of One Good Story. I honestly am not sure I thought we would have anything left to say at this point. But it turns out I really like telling Bible stories…to the point that I created a whole other medium so I could write about them as well. Despite covering the same material, the podcast is a much different endeavor than my written articles. Justin injects a level of spontaneity and color that keeps me from getting too predictable. We meander a lot more before we arrive at the point. And sometimes the discussions don’t fully resolve. But I think that’s what happens when two good friends get together to share a story. They laugh. They quibble over details. They wonder how the other could possibly have arrived at their conclusion. And somewhere along the way, they fall into deeply meaningful conversation.

At least that’s what I hope people have gotten out of the first 99 episodes. You can find them all here on Substack now.1 We’ve gone over the big picture of the Bible, talked about the parables, the weird stories…tales of prophets, priests, and kings. And we interviewed a bunch of our friends about their own favorite Bible stories. In a way, it’s the true origin story of Reclaiming the Narrative. I’m going to end this post by sharing what I wrote five years ago when we decided to launch the podcast. I think you’ll find the seeds that have sprouted into all of this. And hopefully, it makes sense as to why we can’t stop talking about these good stories.

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A couple months ago Justin Larocque, Andy Ingram, and I began working on a project together. It was something Justin and I had messed around with for our church last winter before the pandemic started. But with the world going into lockdown, we had to cut it short, and I wasn’t sure we’d come back to it.

But a couple things happened during the painful months that followed that made me reevaluate how important this was to me. First of all, the isolation made me realize how desperately I need community. Specifically, I need friends with whom I can sit face-to-face and share the things that matter most to me. In that regard, Justin and Andy have provided some sense of a return to normalcy that has been a great comfort. Secondly, as I’ve pondered the loss of my dad and have found myself wishing I had more of him here (more pictures, videos, letters...anything), I’ve discovered my own need for a creative outlet, and a desire to ensure the things I believe at a fundamental level I don’t leave unsaid.

One of those essentials for me is a love for the Christian Scriptures that we call the Bible. I grew up hearing it, reading it, studying it, and for the past 15 years have had many opportunities to teach it. In the past couple years I have fallen in love with how incredible the story-telling is throughout its pages. Despite being written by dozens of different authors over thousands of years, these narratives build upon each other, adding layer after layer to the unfolding drama of God’s love for us. Sometimes, I think in an attempt to simplify things, we reduce scripture to a series of theological truth statements or moral platitudes. At its best, this results in a shallow faith that leaves little sense of wonder. At its worst, the bible becomes a weapon for the ambitious or the angry to prop up or tear down political and philosophical ideologies that have very little to do with Jesus.

Everyone loves a good story, and the bible is full of them. And something this beautifully written deserves to be well told. So in five days, on July 19th, Justin, Andy, and I are launching One Good Story: The Podcast, where we will attempt to do just that.

I hope you’ll listen.

Thanks for reading Reclaiming the Narrative! Subscribe to get notified everytime I release an article or we drop a podcast episode.

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https://timvoltz.substack.com/s/one-good-story-the-podcast

]]><![CDATA[Jesus Retells the Story]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/episode-99https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/episode-99Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:02:24 GMTCouple of big firsts here for One Good Story:

  • The first episode produced in our new studio! We took a long break from recording to build out a room in Justin’s basement, and now we finally get to use it.

  • This is also the first episode we’ve released since we moved the podcast over to Substack. We’re looking forward to how this allows us to interact with our audience, and there’s some features here we’re still exploring. Hopefully, this will improve our process and the listener experience.

In this episode Tim and Justin talk about the Beatitudes, which is the name given to the opening of the Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5-7. Points of discussion include the translation of “mourning,” whether the blessings Jesus invokes are “achievable” or something else, and all the ways Jesus subverts our expectations.

Thanks for reading Reclaiming the Narrative! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

]]><![CDATA[Worship is the Way we Conquer (A Revelation Sermon by Kenny Ronk)]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/worship-is-the-way-we-conquer-a-revelation-256https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/worship-is-the-way-we-conquer-a-revelation-256Mon, 09 Jun 2025 14:51:00 GMTJohn's vision of the throne room in Revelation 4, as explained by Kenny Ronk before his sermon.

]]><![CDATA[The Upside Down Reality of the Victory of God]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/the-upside-down-reality-of-the-victory-c66https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/the-upside-down-reality-of-the-victory-c66Mon, 02 Jun 2025 12:07:00 GMTIn preparation for his sermon on the first chapter of Revelation, Tim talks to Justin about what Jesus is (and isn't!) saying to the seven churches of Asia Minor.

]]><![CDATA[On Forgiveness]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/on-forgiveness-8b3https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/on-forgiveness-8b3Mon, 05 May 2025 10:00:00 GMTJesus asks Peter a question three times.

]]><![CDATA[When your Heart Burns within You]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/when-your-heart-burns-within-you-668https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/when-your-heart-burns-within-you-668Mon, 28 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMTTwo Disciples of Jesus, confused and broken-hearted, take the long walk home from Jerusalem after Passover. Somewhere along the way, they are joined by a stranger who seems oddly familiar. The conversation and meal that follows is the perfect summary to Luke's gospel.

]]><![CDATA[Finding Jesus through the Tears]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/finding-jesus-through-the-tears-1cchttps://timvoltz.substack.com/p/finding-jesus-through-the-tears-1ccMon, 14 Apr 2025 16:12:00 GMTMary Magdalene walks alone in a garden consumed by grief and confusion. She meets a stranger who changes her world forever.

]]><![CDATA[Kingdoms in Conflict]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/kingdoms-in-conflict-787https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/kingdoms-in-conflict-787Mon, 07 Apr 2025 10:00:00 GMTOn the day of his death, Jesus has one final confrontation with the powers that be. What does Pontius Pilate want from this so-called king of the Jews? And, perhaps more importantly, what does Jesus have to say to this Roman prefect?

]]><![CDATA[When it doesn't look the way you thought it would]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/when-it-doesnt-look-the-way-you-thought-acfhttps://timvoltz.substack.com/p/when-it-doesnt-look-the-way-you-thought-acfMon, 31 Mar 2025 13:35:00 GMTWhile sitting in prison, John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus with a question: Is his cousin really the one they've been waiting for? Is this doubt due to John's circumstances or something else? And what can be learned from Jesus' answer?

]]><![CDATA[When God Dwells Amongst Rich Men (part 2)]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/when-god-dwells-amongst-rich-men-5e3https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/when-god-dwells-amongst-rich-men-5e3Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMTA detestable man seeks out Jesus, but it is Jesus who finds him. What quality does Jesus see in Zaccheaus that makes him worthy of an audience? What can Zaccheaus offer Jesus in return for this honor?

]]><![CDATA[When God Dwells amongst Rich Men (part 1)]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/when-god-dwells-amongst-rich-men-46chttps://timvoltz.substack.com/p/when-god-dwells-amongst-rich-men-46cMon, 17 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMTJesus meets the kind of guy who can take him places on the road to claiming his messianic kingdom. What follows is an exchange that leaves both men dissatisfied. What went wrong?

]]><![CDATA[The Kingdoms of the World in a Moment of Time]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/the-kingdoms-of-the-world-in-a-moment-2a1https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/the-kingdoms-of-the-world-in-a-moment-2a1Mon, 10 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMTJesus is tempted in the wilderness. But what is the devil's aim? And what exactly is at stake?

]]><![CDATA[God Revealed in Human Form]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/god-revealed-in-human-form-162https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/god-revealed-in-human-form-162Mon, 03 Feb 2025 11:00:00 GMTWhat Luke is telling us when Jesus is baptized by John.

]]><![CDATA[Walking with Jesus: Introduction]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/walking-with-jesus-introduction-a78https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/walking-with-jesus-introduction-a78Mon, 27 Jan 2025 11:00:00 GMTTim and Justin return with an all new series focused on the person of Jesus as he is described in the four Gospels.

]]><![CDATA[One Word: It All Comes Down to Loving your Neighbor (Galatians 5:14)]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/one-word-it-all-comes-down-to-loving-a24https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/one-word-it-all-comes-down-to-loving-a24Sun, 22 Sep 2024 16:00:00 GMTTim and Justin sit down to discuss Tim's sermon on Galatians 5:1-15 (not yet preached at the time of recording). Although this is actually the 10th installment of a 12 part series that was planned months ago, it felt like the timing of this one was particularly providential. Given all of the noise surrounding their hometown of Springfield, Ohio currently, Tim and Justin seek to find the answer to what Paul says really matters at the end of the day.

]]><![CDATA[What We Learned Along the Way]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/what-we-learned-along-the-way-955https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/what-we-learned-along-the-way-955Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:00:00 GMTTim and Justin wrap-up the "Stories we Tell Ourselves" series, discussing their favorite episodes, things they learned from their guests, and some of the common threads that wound their way through the entire series.

]]><![CDATA[Getting Outside of Your Tribe (with Tim Gombis)]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/getting-outside-of-your-tribe-with-700https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/getting-outside-of-your-tribe-with-700Mon, 03 Jun 2024 10:00:00 GMTTim and Justin sit down with Tim Gombis, a bible professor with over two decades of experience at the undergraduate and seminary level. He is also the author of several books, including The Story of God Commentary on the book of Mark. Dr. Gombis received his PhD in New Testament Studies from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and currently lives in Louisville, Kentucky.

You can find his published work here.

]]><![CDATA[The Sound your Feet Make on the Water (with Alan Starr)]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/the-sound-your-feet-make-on-the-water-cb9https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/the-sound-your-feet-make-on-the-water-cb9Mon, 20 May 2024 10:00:00 GMTTim and Justin chat with Alan Star about translations, cultural differences, and hearing bible studies in a brand new light. Alan has worked extensively in Africa for Wycliffe Bible Translations.

You can learn more about Wycliffe and the work they do, by clicking here.

]]><![CDATA[Cain and Abel and the Function of Shame (with Stephen Herreid)]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/cain-and-abel-and-the-function-of-4b5https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/cain-and-abel-and-the-function-of-4b5Tue, 14 May 2024 10:00:00 GMTTim and Justin talk to Stephen Herreid about Cain and Abel and have a spirited discussion about the role of shame, both in the bible and our culture. Stephen is a singer/songwriter who hails from Wisconsin.

You can hear more from Stephen here, at his substack.

]]><![CDATA[Jesus Likes Road Trips (with Bri Dupree)]]>https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/jesus-likes-road-trips-with-bri-dupree-f25https://timvoltz.substack.com/p/jesus-likes-road-trips-with-bri-dupree-f25Mon, 06 May 2024 10:00:00 GMTBri Dupree joins the podcast to talk about The Embrace Collective and her favorite bible story, Saul on the Road to Damascus. Bri is an associate pastor at The Experience Christian Center in Orlando, Florida and the founder and director of the Embrace Collective.

You can learn more about Bri's work at https://www.theembracecollective.net/home

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