Between the Walls

The Church Hurt Me...Never Going Back

We're talking about church hurt — and we're not gonna pretend it isn't real. From abuse covered up by boards to leaders who weaponize Jesus, we see you. But we're also asking the harder question: is walking away from church altogether actually protecting you, or is it costing you something? We get into what the body of Christ was always meant to be, how to vet a church before you commit, and why togetherness isn't just a nice idea — it might be your actual superpower.

Love Wins

A listener sent in one of the hardest questions we've gotten: her two close friends — both Christians — just started dating each other, and they're both women. She loves them deeply, disagrees with their relationship theologically, and has no idea what to do. We sat with this one for a minute because honestly? It's not simple.
In this episode we talk about what it actually looks like to love someone well when you don't agree with how they're living — whether that's an LGBTQ relationship, a situationship, a destructive pattern, or anything else. What does love require here? When do you say something? How do you say it? And what do you do when they don't listen?
We're not pretending to have every answer. But we do believe leading with humility and love is never the wrong starting point.

That Wasn’t God… That Was You

We're back — and we're getting into something that's behind so much confusion in dating, relationships, and honestly life in general: being ruled by your feelings instead of your convictions.
From situationship decisions made at 2AM, to driving 90 minutes just to drop off a note (yes, that happened), to a very recent disagreement about a cat and an open door — Jonathan and Jess get personal about what it actually looks like to let your emotions call the shots, and why that never ends well.
We talk about the difference between feelings and convictions, why "closure" is mostly a myth, how "follow your heart" culture has shaped a generation, and what it looks like to bring your feelings to God instead of acting on them. Plus: how to know if something is from God or just from you (hint — check the frantic meter).
Your feelings are real. They're just not supposed to be your lord.

LET THAT MAN GO!

He bought a house. You thought a ring was next. That was two years ago. This week we're in the listener questions and we're not being gentle about it — if he can't make a decision at 33, that tells you everything. We're also tackling whether you can build a life with someone who's a good person but not a believer. Spoiler: it's mango season.

We Haven't Made Money in 4 Months...

We're not gonna sugarcoat it — we've been in a drought. Four months. Zero brand deals. Zero new income. And a whole lot of conversations between us about whether we're doing enough, saving enough, trusting enough. This week, we're getting raw about what it actually looks like to trust God when provision feels absent — not as a sermon, but as a confession. We're talking financial pressure, the pride of not wanting to say "I can't afford that," Jonathan's battle with feelings of inadequacy as a husband, and what God keeps whispering in the middle of all of it: remain faithful.

This is Why You're Still Single

Everyone's got a theory on why they're single — bad luck, no good options, wrong city. But what if the answer is a little closer to home? In this episode, Jess and Jonathan get into the real reasons people stay stuck in singleness — and none of them are what you think. From wanting it so bad you're pushing people away, to being too picky for the wrong reasons, to just not doing the inner work — they're keeping it honest. But they also flip the script: sometimes being single isn't a problem to solve. Sometimes it's a gift you're sleeping on. Tune in for the real talk, the laughs, and a reminder that God's timing isn't cruel — it's actually just better than yours.

Should You Change for Love? | Is Marriage Worth Losing Yourself?

A listener wrote in with a dilemma a lot of couples quietly face — her boyfriend told her she'd need to give up drinking if they were going to get married. She doesn't think drinking is wrong. He's a church leader whose congregation doesn't condone it. And she loves him more than she loves alcohol. So what's the problem?
The problem is the reason behind the ask.
Jonathan and Jess unpack the difference between dying to self out of love and losing yourself out of pressure. They get into what it looks like to examine someone's character before accepting their convictions, what Paul says about the weaker conscience, and why his position in the church matters more than you'd think.
Plus — what do you do when your spouse's convictions change after you've already said I do?
This one's for anyone wondering where the line is between healthy compromise and quietly becoming a shell of yourself.

The Honeymoon Phase was OVER | The Story of Julie & Miguel

What happens when love isn't enough to hold a marriage together? In this episode, we sit down with our close friends Julie and Miguel Cepeda — married eight years, parents, and two of the most honest people we know — as they take us through the full arc of their relationship. From a Tinder match in 2016 and a year of no contact, to a long distance relationship built on a lie, to a marriage that nearly ended on a late night walk around the block.
Julie opens up about how her Type A personality and need for control slowly suffocated the marriage, and what it took for her to finally see her own role in their problems. Miguel shares what it felt like to carry a quiet identity crisis into a marriage he wasn't ready for, and the moment he finally pushed back.
This one goes deep. They talk about financial stress, a miscarriage, a near divorce, and what it actually looks like to rebuild — not just as a couple but as individuals who had to grow up inside their marriage.
If you've ever felt like you were carrying everything, or like your partner just doesn't get it, or if you've ever sat across from the person you love and wondered how you got here — this episode is for you.

The Content Conversation Nobody Wants to Have

We went to the Kendrick Lamar concert. And honestly? We probably shouldn't have been there.
In this episode, Jonathan and Jess get into one of those conversations that's equal parts conviction and self-check — what content are we actually letting in, and what is it doing to us? From the Sinners debate to secular music to binge-watching to those romance novels with dragons in them, we're talking through where the line is, why it's different for everyone, and why wisdom matters just as much as conviction.
No condemnation here. Just two people trying to figure it out — and inviting you into the conversation.

Do I Need to Submit to My Husband?

We're revisiting one of our very first conversations — submission — but this time with almost four years of marriage under our belts. Back when we first talked about this, we were barely a year and a half in. A lot has changed. A lot has also stayed the same.
In this episode, we get into what submission actually looks like in a real marriage, where it comes from in Scripture (hint: Ephesians 5 starts with mutual submission — men, that one's for you), and why the conversation is bigger than gender roles or who does the dishes. We also talk about the difference between personality and character, what it looks like to love your spouse when it's hard, and why gratitude might be the most underrated tool in a marriage.
Plus — a little gym saga, Jacquez being dramatic for attention, and a question about what you'd do if your nephew called you from a police station with a Snickers situation.
In this episode:
Revisiting Submission or Slavery — where we started vs. where we are now
What submission is not (and why men misquote Ephesians 5 constantly)
Mutual submission and what it actually demands of husbands
Growing up with different examples of gender roles — and how that shaped us
Loving your spouse for who they are, not who you think they should be
Raising kids to be self-sufficient, not gender-boxed
Why praying for your spouse hits different than praying about them
Between the Walls drops every Wednesday on YouTube and every Thursday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Find us on Instagram @betweenthewallspod and subscribe to our Substack for the extended, unfiltered version.