This week, Jen Thompson is back! We tackle history, Halloween, identity, the joys of f’uncle hood, real friendship, boundaries, masks, vulnerability, awkwardness and the reality of Grace.

We discuss the challenges of being honest and open in a world that often values superficial interactions. We reflect on the difference between perfectionism and godliness, emphasizing the freedom that comes from understanding one's identity in Christ. So many topics with one truth driving them all. Grace frees you to be truly human. Tune in.

In this episode of The Mercy Cast, I sit down with my friend Jen Thompson, author of Return to Jesus, for a heartfelt conversation that cuts right to the core of what it means to feel distant from God—and how His invitation to return never goes away. We talk honestly about those times when life feels overwhelming, when prayer feels empty, and when functional saviors (things we turn to instead of God) slowly edge Him out of our hearts.

But here's the truth we kept coming back to: God's love is unconditional. Period. It's not based on what we do or how we perform. He loves us because He made us. And He invites us—again and again—to come home.