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The Pastor’s Studio is a space for honest conversations, meaningful questions, and stories that reveal how faith meets real life. Hosted by pastor and author Paul Basden, this podcast brings together authentic dialogue, spiritual reflection, and real-life experiences to help listeners navigate what it means to follow Jesus in a complex world.
Across every season, the aim is the same: to help listeners see God more clearly, understand themselves more deeply, and live out their faith with wisdom, humility, and grace.
Thoughtful, grounded, and full of heart, Pastor Paul invites you to slow down, listen well, and pay attention to the story God is writing in and around you.
Season 1: Uncomfortable Conversations with Christians
Season 2: Why Do I Do What I Do - Exploring the Enneagram
Season 3: This is My Story
Paul Basden is an author and serves as co-senior pastor of Preston Trail Community Church in Texas. A native of Dallas, Texas, Paul earned his BA from Baylor University and his Master of Divinity and PhD from Southwestern Theological Seminary. Paul also served as university minister and a professor of theology at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He and his wife, Denise, have two grown daughters and four grandsons.
Episodes
Thursday Dec 18, 2025
Thursday Dec 18, 2025
In this powerful season finale of Why Do I Do What I Do? Exploring the Enneagram, host Paul Basden sits in the guest chair—interviewed by creative pastor and longtime friend Allison Harrell. Together, they explore Paul’s personal journey as an Enneagram Type 1 (The Reformer) and how understanding his type has shaped his spiritual life, leadership, and relationships.
With honesty, humor, and deep self-reflection, Paul shares how childhood experiences formed his worldview, why he mistyped himself as a Two for years, how spiritual direction and counseling transformed him, and how he’s learning to distinguish his inner critic from the voice of the Holy Spirit.
This episode also addresses big questions Christians often ask about the Enneagram:
Is the Enneagram biblical? Is it compatible with Christian faith? Does it truly help us follow Jesus?
Paul offers thoughtful, pastorally grounded responses while weaving in Scripture—especially Romans 8—to show how the Enneagram can be a tool for spiritual formation when held in the right way.
Thursday Dec 11, 2025
Thursday Dec 11, 2025
This episode takes a second, deeper look at the Enneagram Type 9—this time through the voices of two leaders on the Preston Trail staff: Ryan and Cody. With humor, vulnerability, and relatable honesty, they explore what it means to lead, parent, partner, and grow as Nines in a church setting.
Ryan and Cody share openly about their experiences as Nines working closely together, leading teams, raising young families, and seeking emotional and spiritual health in a fast-paced ministry environment.
Together, they unpack hallmark traits of the Type 9—harmony-seeking, calm presence, empathy, stubbornness, avoidance, and the quiet strength that emerges when a Nine steps into healthy leadership. You’ll hear real stories, vulnerable insights, and practical reflections on marriage, parenting, ministry, spiritual formation, and how the Enneagram helps them better follow Jesus.
Whether you identify as an Enneagram 9, love a Nine, or lead alongside one, this conversation offers practical wisdom and heartfelt encouragement for your everyday life and relationships.
Thursday Dec 04, 2025
Thursday Dec 04, 2025
This episode explores the Enneagram Type 9: The Peacemaker, featuring two authentic and engaging voices—Robin Johnson and Denise Basden. Both share openly about their upbringing, personality patterns, life as pastor’s wives, and their unique journeys toward emotional and spiritual maturity. Their stories highlight why Type 9s are often called “the sweethearts of the Enneagram.”
Drawing from real stories of marriage, motherhood, life, and church leadership, Robin and Denise unpack the core motivations and struggles of the Enneagram 9: the longing for peace, the fear of conflict, the tendency to avoid decisions, and the quiet strength of loyalty, empathy, and steadiness.
Listeners will hear how Type Nines navigate relationships with strong personality types (like Enneagram 1s and 8s), how they manage emotional overwhelm, and how their calm, grounding presence becomes a gift to families, churches, and communities.
Perfect for anyone interested in:
✔ Enneagram Type 9 traits
✔ Christian spiritual growth
✔ Personality and emotional health
✔ Marriage and family dynamics through the Enneagram lens
✔ How the Peacemaker style strengthens relationships and communities
Wednesday Nov 26, 2025
Wednesday Nov 26, 2025
In this episode of Why Do I Do What I Do: Exploring the Enneagram, host Paul Basden interviews longtime friend and co–senior pastor Jim Johnson for an in-depth, engaging, and heartfelt look at the Enneagram Type 8 personality—the Challenger.
Jim shares his moving family story, including the life-altering accident that shaped his parents’ faith and filled his childhood with unconditional love. From leadership in the church to marriage and parenting, Jim offers real-life examples of how Type 8 traits show up in daily life.
Listeners will learn:
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What drives an Enneagram 8
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How Type 8s lead, love, work, and relate
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Why Eights value independence, justice, and honesty
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The common fears and anxieties of Type 8s
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What healthy vs. unhealthy Type 8 behavior looks like
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How the Eight’s passion for strength and protection can mirror the heart of Jesus
This conversation is rich with wisdom, humor, and practical takeaways for anyone who is a Type 8, loves a Type 8, or leads with a Type 8. If you're exploring personal growth, spiritual formation, or Enneagram wisdom, this episode will give you clarity, encouragement, and a deeper appreciation for the powerful, justice-oriented Enneagram Eight.