FreedHearts
Freeing hearts to love and be loved! Love. Inclusion. Affirmation. Susan Cottrell is the Mom of two LGBTQ+ children; the founder of FreedHearts; an international speaker with a viral TEDx talk; a pastor and theologian; an acclaimed author; and a fierce advocate and ally. In her unique tender, relatable style, Susan is a prominent voice of unconditional love and lavish inclusion. Powerful, authentic, and relevant in today’s society, Susan has a lot to say. The Advocate calls her their “Favorite Affirming Matriarch.” OutSmart magazine calls her "The Mother of all MamaBears!" Reverend Ashley Harness from Auburn Seminary says, “Susan has this fierce, loving, don’t mess with me, Mom vibe.” If you have been excluded, or if someone close to you has been excluded because of who they are or who they love - or maybe you have been the one doing the excluding - the FreedHearts podcast is for you. Join Susan, along with her husband Rob, on the journey. You are not alone. Welcome home!
Episodes
176 episodes
Triage the Chaos So We Can Be Prepared & Effective
Has the world gone crazy? Has this country gone crazy? Feels like it for sure. Do you feel like maybe you’re crazy busy, stressed and overwhelmed? Yeah, me too. We talked about everything that is happening – th...
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Season 1
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Episode 176
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35:59
Responding to All This Gaslighting
Beloved, hear me: You are not imagining things!When you see executive orders, policies, rollbacks, hate-filled rhetoric, & you feel that gut-punch of fear — it’s real. When your heart aches because you see rights str...
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Season 1
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Episode 175
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19:44
How Not to be Overwhelmed!
We wake up to news, breaking stories happen throughout the day, the barrage of executive orders and developments seem never-ending. It can easily be overwhelming. Anybody feel that way?Beloved, that actually may be t...
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Season 1
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Episode 174
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28:02
Can You Uninvite People to Your Wedding & Special Event?
We recently came through the holidays. Has anyone ever been uninvited to a family gathering? We have. Well, Spring is coming, maybe you have a wedding on the calendar?So, today, we flip the script and talk about ...
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Season 1
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Episode 173
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31:49
The Myth & Dangers of Christian "Accountability"
How much do you have to listen to someone who wants to tell you how to live and what you’re doing wrong, and if you’d just follow their advice you’d be good? Not much! Have you heard the phrase “iron sharpens iron” as ...
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Season 1
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Episode 172
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24:46
Freedom From Self-Judgment
Beloved, last week we talked about the myth and false teaching of hell and how we have been so terrorized by it. That and other false teachings cause us to think and believe the most awful things about ourselves. Things that are just...
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Season 1
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Episode 171
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16:03
Hell: The Deadliest Teaching in History!
According to religion, there are certain beliefs, certain parts of theology, that are not even debatable. Why?? Maybe because they pose the greatest threat to the power system of the church. That’s why when y...
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Season 1
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Episode 170
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42:47
The Gift of Fear!
We have talked about reclaiming our power, our hope, and not surrendering to doomscrolling or fearscrolling narratives. Today, we go deeper and press the conversation around fear - to bring us freedom. We do...
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Season 1
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Episode 169
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30:20
You Deserve to Be Believed About Who You Are
No one knows you better than you.No one knows who you are and the journey you have been on better than you. So, why do so many people not believe you when you tell them? Why do they think they know you bet...
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Season 1
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Episode 168
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22:13
Why We Are Not Wrong About Transgender People!
Today, we cover some basic faith-related questions: Why are churches so against transgender people? Are we wrong to support them? Does God ask us to support trans people in our community?Are we just listening to false doctr...
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Season 1
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Episode 167
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31:07
Why Are My Kids So Mad at Me?
The election is over. One person was elected President and one was not. Half the country is elated and half is distraught. We knew that whatever the outcome, some would be thrilled and some would be devastated. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 166
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38:22
Well Beloved, Now What??
This is our first episode since the election, and we know many of you are reeling right now, wondering what’s ahead. We have heard from so many of you. You may feel afraid, terrified, dazed, confused - not...
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Season 1
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Episode 165
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29:32
In Times Like These... Caring for Ourselves and Those We Love
This is a very special episode that I think we all need.Certainly, we are aware of what has been happening in the world, overwhelmed with media, social media, mixed feelings of hope, followed by dread, doom and fear, then replaced with ...
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Season 1
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Episode 164
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21:59
Queer Wisdom: What Queer Culture Teaches That Straight Culture Doesn't
Today we are going to share some queer wisdom. What is that? It is wisdom that accepts people for who they are, inclusive, affirming, celebrates diversity, and loves above all else.That is what Jesus modeled and taugh...
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Season 1
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Episode 163
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21:25
Unleash Your Inner Champion
What is happening in your life? Are people telling you to go out there and hustle in an economic system that doesn’t work except for the elite?Are people saying it’s okay to be gay, but you can’t act on it – that you can only have th...
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Season 1
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Episode 162
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22:51
You Don't Owe Non-Supportive People Anything!
You don’t owe non-supportive people answers when they can’t just let you be who you are. You don’t owe them your time, you don’t owe them your peace, you don’t owe them your soul. But that can be a challenge, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 161
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17:44
Strike a Pose and Light Your Inner Spark!
After diving in – no pun intended – to the recent Olympics, we really want to entice you to look at the spark in yourself, that may have been there from the very beginning. And to let it resurface. You may have been taught ...
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Season 1
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Episode 160
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22:29
Healing with the Arts!
With all this talk about the teaching of contempt and religion, we thought it was time for a little relief: a little ART relief!When I had cancer five years ago, part of the available treatment was a studio program where...
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Season 1
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Episode 159
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35:03
30 Freeing Things We Did After We Deconstructed!
When we talk so much about all the hate and contempt coming from the non-affirming, rules-based church; the hypocrisy, the division out there; it can leave us feeling pretty down.When we go so deep in our journey coming out ...
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Season 1
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Episode 158
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37:48
So, What Do We Do with the Bible?? Part II
Today, we continue with Part II of our series asking the question: "What do we do with the Bible?"People take it literally – ignoring it’s history, as well as all the additions, edits and translations that have been d...
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Season 1
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Episode 157
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32:36
So, What Do We Do with the Bible?? Part I
This is part one of an important two-part series where we ask the question: “What do we do with the Bible?”We need to deconstruct it because it is abused and used as a weapon. And then they accuse you of heresy wh...
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Season 1
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Episode 156
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34:00
What Do We Do With All This Hate?
We have talked about how the church actually teaches us to hate ourselves, to hate God and the natural next step... to hate others. Of course, they don’t say that it is hate… they even go so far as to call it love, or tou...
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Season 1
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Episode 155
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32:27
Does the Church Actually Teach us to Hate God??
Today, we talk about the Teaching of Contempt for God – and how the church actually teaches us to hate God!!We may not realize that, amidst the singing of praises, and saying, “Oh God is so good!” but all of it is over a trapdoor of ...
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Season 1
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Episode 154
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22:07
Does the Church Actually Teach us to Hate Ourselves?
You only can define God or even think about God in relation to us and the relationship with us.So, it’s important to know who are we.Today, we talk about the church’s teaching of contempt for YOU. How the church actually teac...
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Season 1
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Episode 153
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26:31
Having Fun with SLOTH and GLUTTONY!
Let's have some fun with sloth and gluttony!Have you been told you’re not working hard enough, that you just want things handed to you while you sit around and do nothing? Isn’t that the trope? That you just need to work harder, and tha...
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Season 1
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Episode 152
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30:22