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The Scott Sauls Podcast

The Scott Sauls Podcast

Scott Sauls 61 Episodes Jul 23, 2026

Welcome to That’s a Great Question with Scott Sauls. In a noisy, complex world, we long for truth, goodness, and beauty that can renew our minds, steady our souls, and nourish our hope. Each episode asks one great question and pursues it through the wisdom of Scripture, history, and culture, showing how the Gospel speaks meaningfully into all of life. Episodes are approximately 10 minutes - perfect for commutes, workouts, family and small group discussion, and personal formation. New episodes every Monday and Thursday.

Episodes

Why Is There Anything At All?
Why Is There Anything At All? Jul 23, 2026 494 Why does anything exist at all? And why do we exist? It is the kind of question we can avoid for a long time, until awe, grief, success, failure, or exhaustion brings it back to the surface. Some answer by saying life is an accident and meaning is something we must create for ourselves. Others live as if meaning must be earned through achievement, usefulness, admiration, or success. But Christiani
The Tragic Cost of Friendless Popularity
The Tragic Cost of Friendless Popularity Jul 16, 2026 585 Why do so many successful, admired, high-capacity people feel so deeply alone? In this episode, Scott Sauls explores the hidden loneliness that often lives behind public visibility, leadership, popularity, and constant responsibility. From Michael Jackson’s longing to be treated like an ordinary neighbor, to Lady Gaga’s description of the silence that follows the crowd, to the quiet burdens carrie
The Hidden Joys of Ordinary Faithfulness
The Hidden Joys of Ordinary Faithfulness Jul 9, 2026 514 The small acts of faithfulness in your life may feel ordinary, hidden, and easily forgotten. But because Jesus walked out of the grave first, none of it is wasted. The meal cooked for a struggling neighbor, the correction spoken to a child, the good work done when no one was watching, and the forgiveness extended in secret are all being folded into a future that has already begun in the resurrecti
3 Lies That Steal Your Joy
3 Lies That Steal Your Joy Jun 30, 2026 528 Leo Tolstoy had nearly everything people associate with a successful life: literary genius, wealth, family, fame, influence, and security. Yet by his own account, he found himself deeply restless and despairing. In this episode, Scott Sauls reflects on Tolstoy’s crisis and the three false gospels that still steal joy today: comfort, control, and approval. Each one begins as a good desire. Each one
When Achievement Becomes A Trap
When Achievement Becomes A Trap Jun 25, 2026 645 You can believe in grace and still live as though God is disappointed in you. In this episode, Scott Sauls reflects on the hidden equation many Christians carry: God’s love equals Jesus plus our current spiritual and moral performance. Through the story of Peter in Luke 5, the ache beneath achievement, and the difference between forgiveness and mercy, Scott considers why grace can feel unsafe to r
Angry With God?
Angry With God? Jun 18, 2026 651 What should you do when your prayer is not calm, composed, or polite, but angry? In this episode, Scott Sauls looks at Habakkuk, C.S. Lewis, Job, the Psalms, and Martin Luther to explore whether anger toward God is always a sign of weak faith. Scripture is far more honest about complaint, grief, protest, and unanswered questions than many church cultures have allowed. Angry prayer may not
When God Goes Quiet
When God Goes Quiet Jun 11, 2026 653 In this episode, Scott Sauls reflects on John 11, the death of Lazarus, and Jesus’ stunning promise to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Drawing from Elie Wiesel’s Night, Tim Keller’s preaching after September 11, and C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce, this episode explores the difference between mere consolation and true Christian resurrection hope. When suffering, grief, unansw
When Your Worst Mistake Becomes Your Identity
When Your Worst Mistake Becomes Your Identity Jun 4, 2026 749 In this episode, Scott Sauls explores the difference between guilt and shame through The Scarlet Letter, Genesis 3, Brené Brown, Brennan Manning, and the mercy of Jesus. Shame says, “I am something bad,” and it drives us to cover, hide, and fear being fully known. But from Eden to the cross, Scripture tells a better story: we cover ourselves badly, but God covers us truly. If you have carr
My Most Personal Book So Far
My Most Personal Book So Far Jun 2, 2026 179 In this episode, Scott Sauls shares personally about struggles like perfectionism, drivenness, shame, and the exhausting attempt to find worth through achievement. He also shares the invitation Jesus gives to every overextended, over-functioning heart: to stop striving for an approval that has already been freely given. Drawing from Psalm 23, Luke 15, and themes from his newest book, The Mercy Kin
Words I Wish I Hadn't Said
Words I Wish I Hadn't Said May 28, 2026 617 In this episode, Scott Sauls explores why gossip can feel satisfying in the moment while quietly damaging the soul. Drawing from Scripture and personal experience, he looks at the difference between healthy processing and sinful gossip. When does venting become gossip? Why do we use another person’s failures to manage our own hurt? And how can confession, repentance, and the grace of Jesus lead us
We All Want Justice (Until We Don't)
We All Want Justice (Until We Don't) May 19, 2026 583 We all demand justice until it shows up at our own front door. In this episode, Scott Sauls works through the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18, the bishop and the silver candlesticks in Les Misérables, and the cross itself, drawing on Fleming Rutledge, Isaiah 53, and Psalm 130. The real question underneath every cry for fairness: are you willing to receive what justice woul
The Sickness That Poses as a Virtue
The Sickness That Poses as a Virtue May 4, 2026 852 Workaholism is the most socially acceptable addiction in our culture. Nobody stages an intervention for it. Nobody tells you to get help. Instead, we get rewarded with raises, promotions, and applause. In this episode, Scott Sauls draws from his forthcoming book The Mercy King (Zondervan, June 2026) and a clinical study from the University of Bergen to expose what compulsive working actually is: a

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