Thread Podcast

Accessible Depth +
Story & Spirituality

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Members cheer when they learn that the church will embark on a Spirit-led, multi-year journey through the entire Bible, fortified by a depth of teaching that few congregations can muster on their own.

THREAD PODCAST

THREAD PODCAST

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  • Thread Podcast delivers weekly rhythms of reflection and teaching, guiding members to live out the story of God in real ways with consistency and thoughtfulness.

  • The Story We’re Walking Through Together:

    • Season 1: YHWH and the People – tracing God’s covenant story through the Old Testament

    • Season 2: Jesus and the People – encountering the Messiah in the Gospels

    • Season 3: The Spirit and the People – living the mission in the remainder of the New Testament

  • Thread Podcast helps you mature the whole congregation by providing steady, scriptural teaching that leaders can draw from and members can grow through together.

  • With study recommendations from Dr. David Pocta and Hannah DeSouza, the Thread Podcast equips you with rich resources and practical tips to deepen both your own study and the way you guide others.

  • Thread Podcast emphasizes practical application, helping you and your congregation live out biblical teaching in the rhythms of everyday life.

  • Each week the Thread Podcast is paired with companion resources—daily devotionals, small group guides, and family devotionals—designed to help your whole church apply the message together.

  • Weekly Thread Podcast episodes are available wherever you listen—on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and social media—but most importantly, you can access them through the Thread App, packed with companion resources, devotionals, and guides to equip your whole church.

    Learn More

Finding your place in God’s Story.

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Season 1: YHWH & The People

Journey through the Hebrew Scriptures to see how God forms a people, revealing His character through covenant, creation, and calling.

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Season 2: Jesus & The People

Walk alongside Jesus in the Gospels as He redefines greatness, builds community, and shows us what it means to live in God’s kingdom.

Patch with stylized sun and wind design, and the text 'The Spirit & The People Thread'.

Season 3: The Spirit & The People

Explore how the Spirit empowers the church, shaping communities of faith to carry God’s story into the world.

Meet the Thread Podcast Team

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  • Joel Nagel planted and led the Lansing Area Church of Christ for 22 years. He has a passion for helping small churches “punch above their weight” through collaboration, shared resources, and expository teaching curricula. Joel serves as Director of Church Initiatives for CHORD and as Program Director for Thread, where he produces the Thread Podcast, develops immersive and integrated content for each episode, and facilitates groups of churches who choose to preach in step with the podcast.

    He holds a Master of Arts in Theopoetics and Writing from Bethany Theological Seminary and a BA in Ancient History from Michigan State University. Joel lives in Michigan with his wife, Beth (a total baller), and their two daughters. And of course, he’s the one who makes sure Dave explains all the big words he uses.

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  • Dr. David Pocta is a spirituality scholar, ministry builder, and educator. After nearly three decades of pastoral work, he earned his PhD in Spirituality from the Oblate School of Theology, where he now serves as Director of the Institute for the Study of Contemplative Spirituality. His research interests that include the spiritual journey, spiritual wilderness, contemporary church culture, and Christian mysticism. His dissertation explored how the wilderness seasons of Christians reveal the need for a reimagined church culture within Protestant evangelicalism. Through Thread, David is especially passionate about illustrating the deep threads woven throughout Scripture that bind us to God’s love.

    David is a collaborator and builder who delights in creating spaces for honest dialogue and authentic learning. He lives with his wife, Beth, of more than thirty years in San Antonio and treasures his two daughters, their husbands, two grandchildren.

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  • Hannah DeSouza holds a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, with particular interests in the intersection of literature and theology, as well as liberation theology.

    She previously earned degrees in English Literature and Spanish (BA) from King’s College London and in Victorian Literature (MSt) from Oxford University. Before pursuing theological studies, Hannah served in ministry—first in Boston and later in Moldova, where she lived and ministered primarily among refugees following the outbreak of war in Ukraine.

    Hannah is passionate about making theology accessible to everyday Christians and is eager to bring that vision to life through her work with Thread.

Hear about the great things that Thread Podcast is doing in churches.

Preview Thread Podcast Episodes

EPISODE 19: MOSES IN WILDERNESS

EPISODE 45: ESTHER

EPISODE 53: THE COMMUNITY OF JESUS

But wait,
there’s
more!

It’s not just the podcast— there’s an entire app platform designed to enrich your whole congregation!

Each week you’ll find companion resources like daily devotionals, family devotionals, and small group guides that help bring Scripture to life across every ministry setting.

Thread App
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