In this episode, Rowan Miller and Pastor Don Patterson examine one central tension: how Christians are meant to hold truth and grace together in the face of real suffering and difficult Scripture.

They discuss:

• Whether it’s biblically acceptable to be angry at God • How perspective reshapes personal loss • Jesus’ teaching on divorce and remarriage in Matthew 5 • The meaning of confession and forgiveness in 1 John 1:8–9 • The ongoing debate between Calvinism and Arminianism • Whether the Bible leaves room for pets in heaven

Rather than avoiding hard passages or softening biblical standards, this conversation models how clarity, humility, and theological precision can coexist with compassion.

The goal is not inspiration—but understanding.

Why does God work through weakness instead of strength—and why does the world feel hostile if God created it good?

In this episode of Relish, Roan Miller and Pastor Don Patterson explore two biblical tensions many believers quietly struggle with. First, they walk through Judges 6–7 and God’s decision to reduce Gideon’s army to just 300 men, examining why God removes human advantage and what genuine faith looks like when outcomes aren’t guaranteed.

Next, they turn to Genesis 2–3 and the question of dangerous and frustrating aspects of creation. From thorns to wasps, the hosts explain how the Fall disrupted the created order—and why hardship is not evidence that God abandoned His world.

Along the way, they also discuss Genesis 9, God’s covenant with Noah, and what the post-Flood world reveals about God’s continued care and authority.

This episode offers biblical clarity for listeners wrestling with weakness, suffering, and the goodness of God in a broken world.

09:33-Gideon’s Army and God’s Plan

15:58-The Critters of Creation

This episode was recorded live in front of students at Hillcrest Academy in Kalona, Iowa, using questions submitted directly by students.

Pastor Don addresses foundational issues many Christians struggle to explain clearly: why prayer matters if God already knows the outcome, how free will works alongside divine foreknowledge, why suffering is unevenly distributed, what Revelation is actually describing, and how baptism functions as identity and authority rather than mere ritual.

Rather than avoiding tension, this conversation leans into it—offering biblical reasoning, scriptural grounding, and practical clarity for listeners who want to think carefully about what they believe and why.