Menlo Church Podcasts

The Cycle of Self-Liberation (Buddhism) | Let's Be Honest | Menlo Midweek Podcast

We are continuing our summer series, Let’s Be Honest, a thoughtful, humble exploration of what it means to navigate faith, culture, and big intellectual questions today. This week, host Matt Summers sits down with Brett Koerten for an honest, deeply respectful look at Buddhism. Instead of relying on easy stereotypes, they start with a deeply human question we all face: why life feels unstable and why even the good things in this world never seem to last.

Using the metaphor of two glasses—one empty, one full—they explore how different paths approach this universal ache. While Buddhism focuses on emptying ourselves of cravings to find peace, Christianity offers a completely different hope. You see, Christianity has an emptying too. But instead of that emptying being a requirement by us to receive freedom, in Jesus, God emptied himself to enter our suffering, take it upon himself, and make us whole.

📍 In This Episode:

• Naming Reality as It Is: Recognizing what Buddhism sees clearly about the heavy reality of human pain, and why Christians shouldn't just "put a smile on" and ignore suffering.

• The Empty vs. The Full Glass: Unpacking the fundamental fork in the road between a spiritual path aimed at total detachment and a Gospel aimed at relational restoration.

• The "GLP-1" of Religions: A fun, insightful look at how emptying ourselves can feel like an inoculation from the noise of the world, and where we must have our antennae up regarding "mindfulness syncretism."

• From Meditation to Relational Prayer: Brett shares practical, next-step coaching on how to transition from solo, self-reliant emptying into conversational prayer with a God who wants to carry your weight.

💬 Discussion Question: If you’ve been practicing mindfulness or meditation, is it pulling you toward trying to empty yourself of anxiety on your own, or is it leading you to cast your cares onto a living Savior who actively wants to carry them with you?

#MenloChurch #MenloMidweek #TheCycleOfSelfLiberation #LetsBeHonest #Buddhism #MenloMidweekPodcast

📅 Series Schedule:

Over the summer, we’re taking an honest, respectful look at different worldviews and traditions—check out the full series schedule below:

• June 28: Judaism (Available Now)

• July 5: Islam (Available Now)

• July 12: Buddhism (Available Now)

• July 19: Mormonism

• July 26: Catholicism

• August 2: The Nones / Agnostics

• August 9: It is Finished (The Gospel)

🎒 Next Steps & Resources

Looking to take your faith journey deeper? Here are some great next steps:

Watch or Catch Up

• Watch this episode on our website: http://menlo.church/podcasts

• Watch the accompanying weekend sermon: https://www.menlo.church/sermons/the-cycle-of-self-liberation-buddhism

Need Prayer or Have Questions?

• Text us at (650) 600-0402

Support Hope for Everyone

• Thank you for your generosity! Support Menlo Church’s mission to reach 3% of the Bay Area with the message of hope in Jesus. Learn more or give at: http://www.menlo.church/hope

Explore Faith at Alpha

• Got big questions about life, faith, and meaning? No matter what you believe—or if you don't believe anything at all—you belong here. Alpha is a safe, open space to explore the basics of the Christian faith over a meal and honest conversation with others. Learn more or find a group at: http://menlo.church/alpha

Get Connected

• We’d love to connect with you and help you find your place at Menlo Church. Visit http://menlo.church/connect and fill out a quick form so we can reach out.

📱 Stay Connected with Menlo Church

• Kids (Preschool–Grade 5): https://menlo.church/kids

• Students (Grade 6–12): https://menlo.church/students

• Explore All Ministries: https://www.menlo.church/ministries

Follow Us on Social Media

• Instagram: @menlo.church

• Facebook: Menlo Church

• Website: http://www.menlo.church

Musicbed Sync ID: (MB014RCECFXJCWL) | (MB01EKBUICB4NLC)

 

The Cycle of Self-Liberation (Buddhism) | Let's Be Honest | Brett Koerten

Buddhism identifies suffering as the core human problem and offers the Eightfold Path as the solution. It is a religion of radical self-effort and "emptying" oneself to find peace. This week, we compare the "work" of self-liberation with the "rest" of the Gospel.

Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

The Five Pillars of Effort (Islam) | Let's Be Honest | Menlo Midweek Podcast

We are kicking off week two of our summer series, Let’s Be Honest, a thoughtful, humble exploration of what it truly means to navigate faith, culture, and big intellectual questions in today's world. Host Matt Summers sits down with Menlo Church Lead Pastor Phil EuBank to take an honest, respectful look at Islam. Together, they discuss the critical importance of engaging with other worldviews on their own terms—seeking to understand the strongest, most intelligent form of what another faith actually teaches rather than knocking down weak, uncharitable caricatures. Phil pulls back the curtain on his own inbox to share the raw, tension-filled feedback he receives from both sides of the conversation, using it to highlight how difficult yet vital it is to thread the needle of truth and love in our local communities.

The conversation dives deep into the heart of the weekend message, contrasting two fundamentally different documents: the "report card" of performance versus the "birth certificate" of identity. While the five pillars of Islam demand an admirable, rigorous level of human effort, discipline, and devotion, they ultimately leave even their greatest prophets facing a ledger of profound spiritual uncertainty. Matt and Phil explore how the radical promise of Jesus completely upends the scales of behavior modification. Instead of offering a manual or an oppressive checklist to measure up, the Gospel offers an invitation to abide daily in a living relationship with a Savior who already overcame the grave to secure who we are.

📍 In This Episode:

Honesty Over Caricature: Discussing how to represent other faith systems with profound respect, intellectual clarity, and curiosity rather than trying to "own" the other side.

Report Card vs. Birth Certificate: Analyzing the foundational difference between a performance-driven faith that evaluates your best efforts and the gospel-driven security of knowing your identity is anchored in Christ.

The Admirable Weight of the Pillars: Taking a respectful look at the intense devotion, prayer rhythms, and deep commitment required by the five pillars of Islam, and why structure is so compelling to a confused world.

Engaging with Our Neighbors: Practical, warm advice on how to initiate honest, safe, and friendly conversations with the Muslim friends and co-workers in your life without feeling the pressure to "seal the deal."

💬 Discussion Question:
Are you treating your daily faith like a report card to be graded on your performance, or are you living out of the security of a birth certificate that defines your identity as a child of God?

#MenloChurch #MenloMidweek #TheFivePillarsOfEffort #LetsBeHonest #Islam #MenloMidweekPodcast

📅 Series Schedule:
Over the summer, we’re taking an honest, respectful look at different worldviews and traditions—check out the full series schedule below:

June 28: Judaism (Available Now)

July 5: Islam (Available Now)

July 12: Buddhism

July 19: Mormonism

July 26: Catholicism

August 2: The Nones / Agnostics

August 9: It is Finished (The Gospel)

🎒 Next Steps & Resources
Looking to take your faith journey deeper? Here are some great next steps:

Sermon Study Guide

Dive into this week's discussion with your small group or family: https://www.menlo.church/resources/2026-07-05-sermon-study-guide-lets-be-honest-week-2-islam

Watch or Catch Up

Watch this episode on our website: http://menlo.church/podcasts

Watch the accompanying weekend sermon: https://www.menlo.church/sermons/the-five-pillars-of-effort-islam

Need Prayer or Have Questions?

Text us at (650) 600-0402

Support Hope for Everyone

Thank you for your generosity! Support Menlo Church’s mission to reach 3% of the Bay Area with the message of hope in Jesus. Learn more or give at: http://www.menlo.church/hope

Explore Faith at Alpha

Got big questions about life, faith, and meaning? No matter what you believe—or if you don't believe anything at all—you belong here. Alpha is a safe, open space to explore the basics of the Christian faith over a meal and honest conversation with others. Learn more or find a group at: http://menlo.church/alpha

Get Connected

We’d love to connect with you and help you find your place at Menlo Church. Visit http://menlo.church/connect and fill out a quick form so we can reach out.

📱 Stay Connected with Menlo Church
Kids (Preschool–Grade 5): https://menlo.church/kids

Students (Grade 6–12): https://menlo.church/students

Explore All Ministries: https://www.menlo.church/ministries

Follow Us on Social Media

Instagram: @menlo.church

Facebook: Menlo Church

Website: http://www.menlo.church

Musicbed Sync ID: (MB014RCECFXJCWL) | (MB01EKBUICB4NLC)

The Five Pillars of Effort (Islam) | Let's Be Honest | Phil EuBank

Islam means "submission," and it offers a clear path of five pillars to please God. But even the most devout lives in uncertainty—will my good deeds outweigh my bad? We explore the exhausting nature of trying to earn the favor of a distant Master.

Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

The Burden of the Law (Judaism) | Let's Be Honest | Menlo Midweek Podcast

Welcome to the Menlo Midweek Podcast!

We are kicking off a brand new summer series called Let’s Be Honest, a thoughtful, humble exploration of what it truly means to navigate faith, culture, and big intellectual questions in today's world. Host Matt Summers sits down with Menlo Church Lead Pastor Phil EuBank to lay the groundwork for this series. Together, they tackle how to hold honesty and conviction together, ensuring we can explore what Christianity teaches without becoming dismissive, simplistic, or unfair toward other world views. Phil even shares a deeply personal look into his own story, opening up about how his mother was a first-generation Russian Jew whose discovery of Jesus as the Messiah completely reshaped how he reads and understands the biblical text.

To start things off, the discussion begins with the historical and biblical foundations of Judaism under the episode title, "The Burden of the Law." While many view religious rules as a ladder to climb up to God or a checklist to prove they are a "good person," Phil breaks down why the Law was actually intended to function as a mirror rather than a ladder. The conversation dives deep into the central promise that changes everything: Jesus didn’t come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it perfectly in our place.

Whether you are a long-time churchgoer evaluating if you've drifted into trying to earn a gift that is already free, or a curious listener trying to sort through different religious ideas, this episode offers an honest look at why we can stop trying to measure up.

 

📍 In This Episode:

Honesty Over Caricature: Setting the tone for the new series and discussing how to "steel-man" other belief systems with profound respect, intellectual clarity, and curiosity.

A Personal Legacy: Phil shares how growing up in a home with a Jewish heritage gave him a unique, second-nature perspective on reading the New Testament through a Jewish lens.

The Law as a Thermometer: Moving past the idea of the Law as an oppressive checklist to see how it functions like a thermometer—it tells you the temperature of the soul, but lacks the power of a thermostat to change it.

Grace vs. Performance: A challenging look at why even regular churchgoers can accidentally treat faith like a ladder, and how Jesus' fulfillment of the Law sets us free from the burden of performance.

 

💬 Discussion Question:

Are you currently living with the assumption that you need to be good enough, do enough, or measure up to be okay, or are you actively resting in the grace that has already been given to you?

#MenloChurch #MenloMidweek #TheBurdenOfTheLaw #LetsBeHonest #Judaism #MenloMidweekPodcast

 

📅 Series Schedule

Over the next several weeks, we’re taking an honest, respectful look at different worldviews and traditions—check out the full series schedule below:

June 28: Judaism (Available Now)

July 5: Islam

July 12: Buddhism

July 19: Mormonism

July 26: Catholicism

August 2: The Nones / Agnostics

August 9: It is Finished (The Gospel)

 

🎒 Get Connected

Watch or Catch Up

Watch this episode on our website: http://menlo.church/podcasts 

Watch the accompanying weekend sermon: https://www.menlo.church/sermons/the-burden-of-the-law-judaism  

Get Connected We’d love to connect with you and help you find your place at Menlo Church. Visit http://menlo.church/connect and fill out a quick form so we can reach out.

 

Stay Connected with Menlo Church

Kids (Preschool–Grade 5): https://menlo.church/kids 

Students (Grade 6–12): https://menlo.church/students 

Explore All Ministries: https://www.menlo.church/ministries 

Follow Us on Social Media

Instagram: @menlo.church 

Facebook: Menlo Church

Website: http://www.menlo.church 

 

Music bed Sync ID: (MB014RCECFXJCWL) | (MB01EKBUICB4NLC)

 

The Burden of the Law (Judaism) | Let's Be Honest | Phil EuBank

Many people believe that if they just follow the "rules" (The Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule), they will be right with God. We look at the rich history of Judaism and the 613 laws intended to guide God's people. However, the Law was never meant to be a ladder to heaven; it was meant to be a mirror showing us we can't get there on our own. 

Text Our Team: (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us 

Strength Doesn't Have to Be Loud | Father's Day | Menlo Midweek Podcast

Father’s Day in the church can often feel like a strange, high-stakes tension—usually landing somewhere between a heavy guilt trip and a shallow Hallmark greeting card. In this Father's Day episode, Matt Summers and Tommy Lum sit down to unpack a weekend message that intentionally tried to be neither. Instead, the conversation centers on Joseph, perhaps the quietest major character in the entire New Testament, and how his life offers us an incredibly honest, generous, and grounding picture of what faithful presence actually looks like in our lives today.

The discussion dives into the powerful, counter-cultural reality of Joseph’s story: he never gives a single speech, he never argues with God, and he never demands to explain himself to the culture around him. Instead, he simply wakes up and does exactly what he is told to do, over and over again, in the midst of wild, scandalous circumstances that would easily unravel most of us. 

The conversation holds space for every kind of father, father figure, and family dynamic in the room, ending with a deeply hopeful look at why Joseph’s quiet disappearance before Jesus' public ministry might just be the most encouraging thing we can say to anyone showing up and doing the hard work for someone else right now.

📍 In This Episode:

**Beyond the Greeting Card:** Tearing down the traditional, often exhausting cultural stereotypes around Father's Day to look at a healthier, more sustainable framework for men, fathers, and families.

**The Quietest Major Character:** Examining the unique biblical narrative of Joseph, a man of zero recorded words whose radical obedience was defined by steady action rather than a microphone.

**Faithful Presence Under Pressure:** How Joseph navigated deeply complex, confusing, and high-stakes life circumstances by simply waking up and taking the next right step of obedience every morning.

**The Grace of Disappearing:** Unpacking the profound, hopeful truth behind Joseph fading into the background of the New Testament, and what that teaches us about legacy, humility, and pouring into the next generation.

 💬 Discussion Question:

When you think about the people who have impacted your life or faith the most, how did their quiet, consistent presence shape who you are today?

**#MenloChurch #MenloMidweek #FathersDay #StrengthDoesntHaveToBeLoud**

Strength Doesn't Have to Be Loud | Father's Day | Matt Summers

The most faithful people in the room are often the ones nobody's talking about. Joseph shows us that strength doesn't require volume; it requires presence, obedience, and the willingness to play a long game you'll never see completed.

Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

Going Offline | Glitch | Menlo Midweek Podcast

We have reached the finale of our Glitch series, a month-long conversation about what it truly means to be human in a machine world. After exploring awe, agency, and identity, host Matt Summers sits down with teaching pastor Phil EuBank to tackle the final, most vulnerable layer of this cultural moment: intimacy. Reflecting on the real-time feedback from the Menlo Church lobby over the last few weeks, Matt and Phil unpack how living in a hyper-optimized, digital environment has quietly exposed a profound undercurrent of loneliness and exhaustion in our community.

This episode dives deep into the weekend message, "Going Offline," moving past abstract fears of AI companions to look at the immediate reality of how technology is actively retraining us. When we become accustomed to frictionless, digital interactions, our tolerance for real-world relational messiness plummets. Phil challenges us to consider a sobering reality: relationships that never push and pull only take and never give. By looking at Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11 and Paul's words on being "fully known" in 1 Corinthians 13, this conversation serves as a beautiful, practical roadmap for recovering our humanity through the slow, messy, and restorative work of real community.

📍 In This Episode:
The Retraining of Relationships: How technology isn't just replacing human connection, but actively altering our expectations, making us less patient with the natural friction of real-life intimacy.

The Push and Pull of Intimacy: A breakdown of why authentic relationships require vulnerability, inconvenience, and the willingness to be stretched rather than simply mirrored or tracked.

The True Definition of A.I.: Unpacking the double meaning behind the entire series—how the modern world constantly offers us artificial awe, artificial agency, artificial identity, and artificial intimacy.

The Cross-Shaped Human: Exploring the beautiful imagery of the four directions of humanity (awe up, agency out, intimacy across, identity within) and how the cross forms the true shape of a whole, thriving human being.

💬 Discussion Question:
In what areas of your life have digital connections or screens started to replace real, face-to-face relationships?

#MenloChurch #MenloMidweek #GoingOffline #Glitch

Next Steps
Looking to take your faith journey deeper? Here are some great next steps:

Need Prayer or Have Questions? Text us at (650) 600-0402.
Download this week’s sermon study guide: 

Support Hope for Everyone
Thank you for your generosity! Support Menlo Church’s mission to reach 3% of the Bay Area with the message of hope in Jesus. Learn more or give at: http://www.menlo.church/hope.

Listen to Menlo Midweek Podcast
Want a behind-the-scenes look at this week’s sermon? Tune into our Menlo Midweek Podcast where we break down the sermon, themes, and other personal insights not covered on Sunday. Listen at: http://menlo.church/podcasts.

Get Connected
We’d love to connect with you and help you get plugged into Menlo Church. Visit http://menlo.church/connect and fill out a quick form so we can reach out.

Stay Connected with Menlo Church
Kids (Preschool–Grade 5): https://menlo.church/kids
Students (Grade 6–12): https://menlo.church/students
Explore All Ministries: https://www.menlo.church/ministries
Follow Us on Social Media

Instagram: @menlo.church
Facebook: Menlo Church
Website: http://www.menlo.church
Musicbed Sync ID: (MB014RCECFXJCWL)
Musicbed Sync ID: (MB01EKBUICB4NLC)

Going Offline | Glitch | Phil EuBank

The ultimate result of the machine world is isolation. We are connected to everyone but known by no one. The series concludes by inviting people to "Go Offline" to find a real connection. We move from "Self-Optimization" to "Community Formation." Jesus invites us into the "unforced rhythms of grace," a pace of life that feels like a glitch to the world but feels like home to the soul.

Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us