Back Row Revival is the convergence of three distinctive worldviews and personalities to make for the most interesting conversation you will ever be a part of. So hold on because the ride may get bumpy as 3 former pastors sit down and rethink everything.
“For I know the plans I have for you…”“I can do all things through Christ…”“God will never give you more than you can handle.”“Judge not.”We’ve heard these verses quoted in sermons, printed on graduation cards, posted on social media, and used to build entire beliefs. But what happens when you put them back into the story they came from?In this episode of Back Row Revival, TJ, Bucky, and John Mark talk about one of the biggest problems with the way many of us were taught to read the Bible: taking a verse, pulling it out of its historical and literary context, and making it say something it may have never meant to say.We dig into Jeremiah 29:11, Philippians 4:13, Matthew 7:1, “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” and even some of the stranger teachings we grew up hearing about Lucifer, demons, alcohol, and more.But this conversation goes deeper than correcting a few misused Bible verses.If Scripture wasn’t originally written to 21st-century Americans, how should we read it? How much do history, culture, audience, and authorship matter? Can we apply Scripture to our lives without making it about us?And what happens when we stop asking, “What does this verse mean to me?” and start asking, “What was this actually trying to say?”We’re not trying to tell you what to think. We’re asking whether the faith we inherited can withstand us thinking about it.Because if it’s true, the questions shouldn’t scare us.
22 Sept 2026
#12 When the Pain Won't Stop: Depression Suicide and the Church
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and this week we're having a conversation that is much heavier than usual.We're talking honestly about depression, suicidal thoughts, and the ways many of us learned to deal with mental health growing up in the church. Bucky shares openly about his own experiences with depression and suicidal thoughts. Mark talks about losing people close to him to suicide. And we discuss what happens when someone who is already struggling is told that depression means they don't have enough faith, aren't praying enough, or have somehow disappointed God.We also talk about therapy, why men often have such a difficult time asking for help, the pressure pastors can carry in silence, and why sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply give someone a safe place to talk.This isn't a clinical discussion, and the three of us aren't mental-health professionals. It's a personal conversation between three guys who have encountered depression and suicide from very different sides of it.This episode includes frank discussion of suicide, suicidal thoughts, and loss by suicide. Please take care of yourself while listening.If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are concerned about someone who is, call or text 988 in the United States to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is an immediate danger or medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
8 Sept 2026
#11: Can We Trust The Bible | Hosts weigh in
"Can we trust the Bible?"For most of our lives, the answer wasn't just “yes.” We were taught not to question it.But where did the Bible actually come from? Who decided which books belonged in it? What does “inspired” really mean? Why do different Christian traditions have different books in their Bibles? And what happens when the text itself doesn't fit the simple explanations we were given?In this episode of Back Row Revival, TJ, Bucky, and John Mark wrestle with biblical inspiration, canon, the Apocrypha, disputed authorship, Paul versus the teachings of Jesus, apparent contradictions, and whether questioning what we've been taught means abandoning faith.By the end, all three answer the same question:**Can we trust the Bible?**Their answers aren't exactly the same.This isn't an attempt to tear down Scripture. It's three guys trying to figure out what's left when we're willing to ask questions we once thought Christians weren't allowed to ask.
26 Aug 2026
#10 What Happens When You Question the Faith You Inherited? | Guest Terry Lambertson
What happens when the faith you inherit isn't ultimately the faith you choose?Terry Lambertson grew up in a Jewish family and says that even as a child, something about the faith she inherited never quite "gelled" with her. Her search eventually took her to the Jesus Movement on Venice Beach, where she became a Christian at 17.Today, Terry still embraces much of her Jewish heritage while describing herself simply as a "Jesus freak."She joins us to talk about inherited faith, Judaism and Christianity, the questions she began asking as a child, and the complicated journey of figuring out what you actually believe for yourself.We also get into Terry's later story of grief, loss, domestic violence, addiction, and how those experiences shaped the work she does with women today.
11 Aug 2026
#09 Christian Nationalism Through the Eyes of a Trump Supporter | Randy Johnson
What does Christian nationalism look like through the eyes of someone who has actually supported Donald Trump?
Throughout our series on Christian nationalism, we’ve spent a lot of time examining the movement, its history, and the concerns surrounding the blending of Christianity with political power. This time, we wanted to hear from someone who approaches the conversation from a different direction.
Randy Johnson joins us after more than four decades in pastoral ministry to talk about faith, politics, patriotism, voting, Donald Trump, and the Kingdom of God.
Rather than bringing Randy on for a debate, we wanted to understand how someone with his theological background and political experience sees the questions we’ve been wrestling with throughout this series.
Where does supporting a political movement end and Christian nationalism begin? Can Christians strongly support a candidate while keeping their allegiance to the Kingdom of God first? When does patriotism cross the line into idolatry? And are Christians sometimes too quick to put everyone who supported Trump into the same theological and political box?
We don’t agree on everything in this conversation. That’s partly the point.
This is Back Row Revival: three guys figuring out faith, doubt, politics, and the things Christians don’t always know how to talk about.
28 Jul 2026
#08 What History Reveals About Church and State | Bill Allison Jr
Can history help us understand today’s debate over Christian Nationalism?In this episode, we’re joined by Bill Allison Jr., a retired educator who spent decades teaching American History and U.S. Government, as well as serving in ministry. Drawing from both the classroom and the church, Bill helps us examine how Christianity and politics have become intertwined in America and what history can teach us about where we’ve gotten it right… and where we’ve gotten it wrong.Rather than focusing on political talking points, this conversation explores the historical roots of Christian Nationalism, the role of the church in American culture, and why Jesus must remain the standard by which we evaluate every ideology.In this episode:* How American history shaped today’s Christian Nationalism debate* Why the church has repeated certain mistakes throughout history* Patriotism vs. Christian Nationalism* Scripture, politics, and historical context* Why Jesus must remain the Christian’s ultimate authority* How history can help us navigate today’s cultural divisionsWhether you agree or disagree with the conclusions, our goal is to have thoughtful conversations that challenge us to examine what we believe and why.
14 Jul 2026
#7 Christian Nationalism, Trump, and the Gospel We Forgot | Back Row Revival
TJ, Bucky, and John Mark continue the conversation on Christian nationalism, patriotism, Trump, church culture, and the danger of confusing allegiance to Jesus with allegiance to America.
The conversation begins with our first viewer submission, then moves into the difference between patriotism and nationalism, how Christian symbols get wrapped into political identity, and why freedom of religion only works if it applies to everyone.
This is not an anti-American conversation. It is a conversation about whether the church has confused love of country with the gospel of Jesus.
TJ, Bucky, and John Mark continue their conversation on Christian nationalism and ask a harder question: what happens when faith, politics, patriotism, and power all get mixed together?
They discuss viewer feedback, patriotism vs. nationalism, Trump and evangelical culture, flags in sanctuaries, the Pledge of Allegiance, religious freedom, and why allegiance to Jesus should not be confused with allegiance to a nation.
30 Jun 2026
#6 DEBATE: Was America EVER a Christian nation?
That’s one of the most debated questions in modern politics and religion.
In this episode of Back Row Revival, TJ, Bucky, and John Mark tackle the history behind America’s founding, the role Christianity played in shaping the nation, and why Christians today often disagree so strongly about politics, nationalism, abortion, and religious freedom.
The conversation begins with an unexpected lesson from Doubting Thomas and ends with a much larger discussion about what it means to follow Jesus in a country that has always struggled to live up to its own ideals.
Whether you’re convinced America was founded as a Christian nation, convinced it wasn’t, or still trying to figure it out, this conversation is for you.
16 Jun 2026
#5 We Still Believe ... But CHURCH Feels Different | Back Row Revival
n this cabin wrap-up episode, TJ, Bucky, and John Mark talk honestly about where they are now with faith, church, belief, and community.
They discuss what they still believe, what no longer fits, why church can feel complicated after ministry, and why this podcast may be giving them the kind of honest community they have been missing.
This is a conversation about faith after the pulpit, friendship after isolation, and the search for a church experience that feels real again.
2 Jun 2026
#4 TJ Scott: "I thought I was going to be a PREACHER" | Back Row Revival
For years, TJ believed ministry was the calling on his life. The pulpit wasn’t just part of his upbringing. It became his identity.
In this episode of Back Row Revival, the conversation turns deeply personal as TJ reflects on growing up inside church culture, preparing for ministry, and slowly confronting the emotional weight that came with it.
From homeschool culture and Pentecostal churches to therapy, EMDR, and faith after deconstruction, this episode explores the questions many former church kids carry quietly for years.
Some of the hardest things to untangle are the things you were taught were sacred.
In This Episode
Growing up in church culture
Feeling called into ministry
Religious conditioning and fear
EMDR therapy and buried memories
Identity outside the church
Faith, trauma, and deconstruction
Reprocessing childhood experiences as an adult
19 May 2026
#3 Bucky Sitsler: “I’m Very Well Loved By People… Except Me.” | Back Row Revival
In this episode of Back Row Revival, Bucky Sitsler opens up about the pressure of ministry, identity, addiction, religious fear, losing everything, and the night he nearly ended his life.
From growing up terrified of being “left behind” during the rapture… to preaching from a platform while privately falling apart… this conversation is raw, uncomfortable, honest, and deeply human.
This is not a polished success story. It’s a conversation about shame, self-worth, collapse, faith, and what happens when the image everyone loves no longer matches the person inside.
Topics include:
• Growing up in church and fear-based Christianity• Ministry pressure and identity loss• Addiction and self-medication• Public failure• Suicidal thoughts and rock bottom• Church culture and accountability• Fatherhood and rebuilding life• Faith after collapse
Follow Back Row Revival for more long-form conversations about faith, life, failure, culture, and redemption.
#podcast #christianpodcast #mentalhealth #faith #deconstruction #church #testimony #addiction #selfworth #depression
12 May 2026
Are Aliens Real? The Church, UFOs & the Perry Stone Controversy
Are Aliens Real? The Church, UFOs & the Perry Stone Controversy | Back Row Revival Podcast (Bonus Episode)
The internet is buzzing — Perry Stone claims pastors were secretly briefed by the government about an upcoming alien disclosure. But is this divine revelation, or just another distraction? TJ, John Mark, and Bucky break it all down in this unfiltered bonus episode.
In this episode:
- The Perry Stone "secret meeting" alien disclosure controversy
- UFOs, fallen angels, and the Book of Enoch — what's the connection?
- Why the government's alien file releases might just be a political distraction
- Should aliens threaten your faith? (Spoiler: No.)
- How celebrity pastors use fear and sensationalism to sell books and fill camp meetings
- Gen Z is done with the sensationalism — and that's a good thing
Our take: Love God, love people, think for yourself, and don't let social media steal your peace.
New episodes dropping soon — including Bucky's full story. Don't miss it!
Follow the show and leave us a review if you appreciate honest, grounded conversations about faith and culture.
5 May 2026
#1: I Did Everything Right… And Felt Nothing | Faith, Doubt & Deconstruction
What happens when a lifetime of belief starts to feel… empty?In this first episode of Back Row Revival, we talk to one of our hosts John Mark Smithson about growing up in church, inheriting faith, and the moment things stop making sense. This is a real conversation about doubt, identity, and what it feels like when belief no longer feels real.If you’ve ever questioned what you believe—or why you believe it—you’re not alone.⸻Timestamps00:01:06 — Raised in church: when faith isn’t a choice00:02:02 — “But what about your weed days?”00:08:36 — When belief is all you’ve ever known00:13:06 — The moment things stop making sense00:16:56 — A prayer, an expectation… and silence00:17:20 — “This is real… how could you love me?”00:26:06 — Are we choosing faith or inheriting it?00:32:06 — Seeing it differently from the outside00:39:06 — Learning to think for yourself00:45:06 — Honest disagreement and tension00:52:06 — Redefining what faith looks like01:09:56 — 51 years centered around Sunday⸻Topics Coveredfaith, doubt, deconstruction, church upbringing, questioning belief, identity, spirituality, leaving church, personal story, christianity discussion⸻About the PodcastBack Row Revival is a space for honest conversations about faith, doubt, and everything in between. No pressure, no pretending—just real talk.Subscribe for more conversations like this.Full episodes available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
14 Apr 2026
Back Row Revival Trailer
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