Things I Wish I Could Say in Sunday School

Topics: 1) David and Bathsheba; 2) What happens to David’s family; 3) Solomon’s wisdom; and 4) Solomon’s wives.

Today we have a candid look at the end of David and the rise and fall of Solomon. We discuss David and Bathsheba and how to story often misrepresents the power dynamics between them; the fallout in David’s family; Solomon’s unimpressive wisdom; and the unfair blame that Solomon’s many w...

Topics: 1) David and Goliath; 2) Jonathan; 3) Abigail; and 4) Michal.

The host critiques David's emphasis on Goliath as an "uncircumcised Philistine," explores the deep bond between Jonathan and David, reads Abigail's actions as pragmatic survival rather than idealized virtue, and examines Michal's fractured marriage with David and his dismissive response.

The episode invites thoughtful discussion about morality, power, religion, a...

Topics: 1) The beginning of kings; 2) "To obey is better than sacrifice;" and 3) "The Lord looketh on the heart."

We’re heading into the saga of Saul and David. Samuel’s sons prove unfit, the people demand a king, and God grants their request though He feels rejected. Saul is chosen, wins early victories, but power goes to his head. He disobeys God in the campaign against the Amalekites, keeping spoil for sacrifice, an...

Topics: 1) Ruth and 2) Hannah and Eli.

This is Things I Wish I Could Say in Sunday School. I share honest thoughts and ideas that differ from usual teachings, aiming to spark discussion with friends, family, or classes. Please enjoy.

Lesson for June 1–7 covering Ruth and 1 Samuel 1–7: reflections on Ruth and Naomi’s story and the limits of blind loyalty, plus Hannah and Eli’s story emphasizing parental respo...

Topics: 1) Deborah; 2) Gideon; and 3) Samson.

This episode explores Judges with a candid, non-traditional take on Deborah, Gideon, and Samson. It questions traditional authority structures, highlights Deborah's leadership as both judge and prophetess, examines Gideon's refusal of kingship and its consequences, and reads Samson's story as a tragic escalation of violence and pressure rather than a simple covenant failure.

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Topics: 1) Puzzle pieces; 2) Rahab and the fall of Jericho; and 3) Choose you this day.

This episode examines the book of Joshua, focusing on a critique of the “puzzle piece” scripture analogy, Rahab and the fall of Jericho, and Joshua’s call to “choose you this day.”

We reflect on Rahab’s dignity and lineage, question purity narratives, and urge listeners to choose consistent kindness over insti...

Topic: Moses working for a future he’ll never see.

This episode reflects on Moses spending his life leading the Israelites toward a promised land he would never enter, and how that example inspires choosing a modest present to secure a freer future for our children. Sharing practical priorities—financial saving, health, relationships, and teaching resilience—and explains how those choices create lasting freedom fo...

Topics: 1) The Tabernacle; 2) Animal sacrifice; and 3) Leviticus.

This episode focuses on the Tabernacle, animal sacrifice, and the laws in Leviticus. We question priestly barriers to God, the necessity of blood or other rituals for forgiveness from sin, and the origins of temple practices.

With candid reflection, the episode critiques religious hypocrisy, highlights Leviticus' calls to care for the poor and strangers, and urges pe...

Topics: 1) Honor thy father and thy mother; and 2) Idol worship.

This episode offers an honest, questioning look at the Ten Commandments — especially "honor thy father and thy mother" — and the Golden Calf and idol worship.

We critique how the parent-honoring commandment can be harmful when parents are abusive or unworthy, and explore why people create idols, offering a sympathetic reading of the Golden Calf and invitin...

Topics: 1) Hard and soft hearts; 2) God's miracles; 3) Strict rules; and 4) Symbols.

This is things I wish I could say in Sunday School. I share honest, critical reflections on Exodus 7–18 (lessons for April 6–19), exploring hard and soft hearts, supposed miracles, strict religious rules, and the power of symbols.

I question literal readings of the plagues and the parting of the sea, examine how stories and rules consol...

Topic: How much does God control us and what happens to us?

This episode explores the beginning of Moses' story (Exodus 1–6) and questions how much God controls our lives. We discuss the view that God may be powerful but not constantly intervening, arguing for human agency and thoughtful independence from institutional dependence.

This episode challenges common interpretations that present believers as mere instruments of God...

Topics: 1) Covenant marriage; 2) Dishonest leadership; and 3) Complicated family relationships.

A candid episode covering Genesis 24–33 that questions how church lessons frame covenant marriage, calling out awkward examples like incestuous unions and subtle anti–race-mixing vibes, and noting a shift toward the term "covenant marriage."

It examines dishonest leadership through Laban’s repeated betrayals of Jacob, d...

Topics: 1) The Abrahamic Covenant;  2) Unfulfilled desires; and 3) Sacrificing Isaac.

This episode offers a candid, critical reading of Genesis 12–23 and Abraham chapters 1–2, focusing on the Abrahamic covenant, Abraham and Sarah's struggle with infertility, and the near-sacrifice of Isaac.

We challenge the covenant’s modern application and elitist implications, highlight the mistreatment of Hagar, and explor...

Topics: 1) The flood as a baptism for the Earth; 2) The feasibility of the flood and the ark; 3) The flood was mercy?; and 4) Prophets then and now.

We discuss the idea of the flood as a baptism for the earth, practical doubts about the ark and a global flood, arguments that the flood was an act of mercy, and a critique of how ancient prophets compare to modern church leaders.

The goal is to encourage open, thoughtful conversa...

Topics: 1) Enoch and the Gulf of Mexico; 2) What Joseph Smith might have been thinking; and 3) Zion.

A candid episode exploring Genesis 5 and Moses 6–7 with a fresh look at Enoch, the claim that Zion became the Gulf of Mexico, and how Joseph Smith may have drawn on utopian and transcendental ideas.

We reflect on what Zion means, contrasting conformity with expanding belonging, while considering wealth disparity and family dyn...