Skip to content

Hi! I’m JR. Forasteros

Welcome to my corner of the web.

I’m an author, pastor and podcaster (which basically means I love words, love to talk and love to collaborate). I think everyone has a story, and I’d love to know yours.

I wrote a book about what we can learn when we look for ourselves in the villains of the Bible (yes, including Satan).

The sins of wrath, idolatry, and abuse of power are closer to us than we think. How do we guard against them? We learn not only by following moral exemplars—we also need to look at the warnings of lives gone wrong.

In this fictionalized narrative, I reintroduce you to some of the most villainous characters of Scripture. I show you what you can learn from their negative examples, with figures such as Cain, Jezebel, King Herod, and even Satan serving as cautionary tales of sin and temptation. Their vividly-told stories to help you understand their motivations, and the biblical and cultural exposition point out what we often miss about their lives.

You’ll soon discover you might have more in common with these characters than you would like to admit. Take a fresh look at the scoundrels of Scripture, and find sound pastoral guidance here to walk the path of righteousness.

Find out more about the book here.

It’s available pretty much wherever books are sold!

Podcasts

I love podcasting because I love collaboration and conversation. Here are the podcasts I currently co-host.

The Fascinating Podcast

Kathy Khang, Matt Mikalatos, Clay Morgan and I have the most compelling conversations with the most fascinating people we can find. Tune in! 
ur done portraits
Allie is Gen Z. I'm on the cusp of Gen X and Millennial. We love to argue. So we decided to host a weekly podcast where we explore everything from climate activism to how history is told to movies and video games. All in the time it takes to eat lunch.

Don't Split Up!

It's the first rule for surviving a horror film. Join Mo, Adriana, Amanda and me as we investigate horror films new and old to find out what makes them tick... and why we love them so much!

Messages

Listen to every sermon, plus those of my preaching team. Plus the talks I give elsewhere (assuming I can get my hands on them!).

In All Things Charity

Wesleyan Feminist Theology from me, Tara Tomas Smith, Robbie Cansler and Heather Gerbsch Daugherty. This one's been on hiatus for a while now, but stay tuned!

The Stuff You’ll Probably Like Weekly Newsletter

THIS IS CURRENTLY ON HOLD. STAY TUNED FOR NEW CONTENT!

Every Friday, I’ll send you a collection of pop culture recommendations. Movies, TV shows, books, podcasts, graphic novels – anything I think you’ll like. You get a devotional reflection (which is some of my favorite stuff I write every week – I’m not afraid to get a little weird). You get a list of all the podcast episodes, blog posts and talks I created that week. And newsletter subscribers are always the first to get updates on my newest projects.

Sermon Previews

Manuscripts and Discussion Guides