Story & Identity

Matt’s story is one of formation rather than overnight transformation. From early career choices and failed relationships to rebuilding identity through work, family, and faith, this episode explores how identity is shaped by the people we surround ourselves with, the values we live by, and the stories we choose to continue or abandon. 

At the center of this conversation is the collapse of a false identity. The stories of rebellion, escape, and self-justification eventually implode under their own weight. Identity is rebuilt only after the truth is spoken plainly: this is who I was, and I cannot return there.

This episode argues that identity is shaped by the stories we choose to live into. Drawing on cultural narratives like A Christmas Carol and Lord of the Rings, the conversation reframes the individual as a necessary participant in a larger story—one where small acts of goodness matter even when unseen.

Through stories of miscarriage, faith struggle, marriage, and moral reflection, this episode examines how the narratives we tell ourselves determine whether we see life as broken beyond repair — or as meaningful even in pain. Identity, here, is formed not by comfort, but by the story we choose to live into. 

Our identity is shaped less by grand moments and more by the stories we retell—why we decorate this way, eat that meal, or keep a certain tradition alive. This episode reveals how shared family narratives, humor, and memory create continuity across generations, anchoring identity through story rather than ideology. 

We don’t see the world through statistics—we see it through story. This conversation highlights how narrative shapes policing, leadership, and human understanding, from communicating with city officials to connecting with suspects, families, and communities. Identity is forged through the stories we live and the ones we tell. 

Identity changes when life asks something you didn’t plan for.

Elizabeth’s story explores how roles evolve through caregiving, loss, and relational obligation—and how identity must be re-negotiated without resentment or denial. This episode treats identity as something shaped by response: who we choose to become when our story takes an unexpected turn. 

When the story you’re living collapses, identity must be rebuilt.

Mark describes the disorientation that follows moral failure and the long process of reconstructing identity without denial or self-deception. This conversation explores how personal narratives can either imprison us in shame—or become the ground where integrity is rebuilt. 

This episode is about stepping into identity before feeling ready.

Brenton reflects on the shift from consuming ideas to articulating them, from private learning to public expression. This conversation examines how identity forms through action—by choosing to tell stories, share meaning, and build something imperfect rather than waiting for clarity to arrive first. 

When people are reduced to cases, their stories disappear.

Denise challenges the language of labels—addict, dependent, failure—by insisting on story as the primary lens for understanding people. This episode explores how identity is preserved or damaged by the narratives imposed by institutions, and how reclaiming story restores humanity. 

Calling often emerges from exposure to suffering, not personal ambition.

Rebekah reflects on how her identity was reshaped through listening to the stories of abused children, traumatized parents, and overwhelmed families. This episode explores how identity forms when we allow the stories of others to interrupt our plans and redirect our lives. 

Jean’s journey reveals how identity evolves across seasons: student, pastor, wife, mother, scholar, and mentor. This episode explores how rigid cultural narratives—especially around women, ministry, and motherhood—can distort identity, and how reclaiming story allows people to live faithfully without being confined to a single role. 

When life doesn’t follow the expected script, identity must be rebuilt.

Gigi’s journey reveals how identity shifts when roles, expectations, and futures change unexpectedly. This conversation explores how stories are rewritten not by choice alone, but by response—by how we interpret suffering and decide who we will be within it. 

Identity isn’t chosen once—it’s composed over time.

Ben reflects on how music, endurance, service, and creativity shaped who he became, revealing life as a series of movements rather than a single role. This episode treats identity the way Ben treats composition: themes return, evolve, and deepen without losing their core. 

Labels can clarify—or they can imprison.

Rachel and Brenton explore how identity forms around stories we tell ourselves about weakness, motherhood, addiction, and competence. This episode questions when naming a struggle brings freedom—and when it risks turning pain into a permanent self-definition. 

At the heart of this conversation is the idea that stories don’t just entertain—they shape who we are. David explains how characters, myths, and imagination help us explore identity, contradiction, and transformation, revealing that fiction often tells the truth more precisely than facts alone. 

When your conscience turns against you, who are you allowed to be?

Debra shares how scrupulosity stripped away her sense of self, replacing identity with rules, rituals, and fear of being wrong. This conversation examines how identity is shaped by the stories we’re taught about God, authority, and ourselves—and what it takes to reclaim your own story after losing it.