This Is What the Gospel Sounds Like: A Podcast on K-Pop Demon Hunters

Welcome to Season 2 of This Is What the Gospel Sounds Like! After a year of conversations about movies, music, theology, and grace, Sarah Crowder and Pastor Andy Jones are back with a big theme running through KPop Demon Hunters: grief.
From Rumi’s mother and her fear of losing her voice, to the grief of changing identities, broken relationships, death, and even the loss of a beloved pet, Sarah and Andy talk about why Christians don't have to hide sorrow or apologize for tears. Jesus wept, too.
And grief does not get the last word. Romans 8, John 3:16, and the biblical promise of new creation give us something much better than vague comfort: God loves His world, Christ has come to redeem it, and creation itself waits for restoration.
So what does the Gospel sound like when you're grieving? It sounds like permission to mourn, people who will sit beside you, and the promise that Jesus is making all things new.
Read more from Andy: Bible Curious, his weekly Substack exploring Scripture, theology, and the questions worth asking.

August 20 is the Release Date of Andrew Jones' Book! Get it today! Search "10 Treasures of Learning to Pray."

This episode begins with one of K-Pop Demon Hunters’ most underrated characters: Sussie the three-eyed magpie. Teacher Sarah Crowder and Pastor and Author Andy Jones explore Sussie’s place alongside Derpy, the Korean folklore behind the tiger and magpie, and a fascinating folktale that might even give us a clue about where Rumi and Jinu’s story could go next.
Then the birds lead somewhere unexpected.
From the dove at Jesus’ baptism to God gathering His people under His wings, from eagles carrying God’s people to freedom to Jesus reminding us that our Father cares even for the sparrows, Scripture is full of birds. Sarah and Andy consider how these images point us toward God’s protection, provision, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promises will not leave us alone.
And maybe that is why morning birdsong feels so hopeful. In the darkness, a song begins. A new day is coming.
So the next time you see Sussie, a sparrow outside your window, or hear birds singing before sunrise, perhaps you can remember: Christ has not left you alone. You are cared for. You are gathered under His wings. And the Spirit is still at work, pointing you again to Jesus.
That’s what the Gospel sounds like.

In this episode of This Is What the Gospel Sounds Like, teacher Sarah Crowder and pastor Andy Jones take a closer look at one of KPop Demon Hunters’ smallest but surprisingly insightful characters: Healer Han, also known as the “quack doctor.”
When Rumi comes to him desperate to fix her voice, Dr. Han notices something deeper than a vocal problem. She has “so many walls.” That observation opens up a bigger conversation about shame, vulnerability, healing, and what it means to be truly seen.
Sarah and Andy connect Rumi’s story with Jesus’ encounters in Scripture, including the rich young man, Peter, Hagar and the God who sees her, and the beautiful Gospel truth that Jesus does not merely diagnose what is wrong with us. He comes near, tears down the walls separating us from God, and gives us Himself.
They also talk about the difference between being looked at in judgment and being looked at in love, why grace frees us from constantly wondering whether we have “done enough,” and how relationships become part of Rumi’s healing.
Plus, Andy shares about his brand-new book, Ten Treasures of Learning to Pray, the third book in his trilogy following Ten Questions to Ask Every Time You Read the Bible and Ten Lies Satan Loves to Tell.
If you have ever wondered whether God really sees you behind the walls, scars, fear, and shame, this episode is for you.
In this episode:
• Is Healer Han actually a quack?
• Why does Rumi lose her voice?
• Rumi’s walls and the fear of vulnerability
• Jesus and the rich young man
• “The God who sees me”
• Law, Gospel, and the difference between judgment and love
• Why we cannot earn our salvation
• Jesus breaking down the walls between God and His people
• Andy Jones’ new book, Ten Treasures of Learning to Pray
This Is What the Gospel Sounds Like is a podcast about KPop Demon Hunters, theology, culture, and the places where this story gives us handles for talking about the good news of Jesus.
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The sequel is officially coming… eventually. So what happens next in K-Pop Demon Hunters?
In this episode, Sarah Crowder and Andy Jones dive deep into fan theories surrounding Jinu, Rumi, the Saja Boys, and the future of the franchise. Could Rumi’s father become the next major villain? Are the Saja Boys actually gone? And what themes should the next movie explore to keep the emotional depth of the original?
Along the way, Sarah shares stories from her PhD comprehensive exam preparation, reflections on storytelling, and why themes like shame, belonging, and identity resonate so deeply in both Scripture and art.
The conversation ultimately turns toward the Gospel: the freedom of knowing that we are not the main character of the story… Christ is.
Topics include:
• Jinu sequel theories
• Rumi and shame
• K-drama storytelling tropes
• Theological themes in K-Pop Demon Hunters
• Why Korean storytelling feels different
• Narrative, vocation, and the Gospel
🎧 We’d love to hear YOUR fan theories too.

What does a goofy magical tiger have to do with the Gospel?
In this episode of This Is What the Gospel Sounds Like, Sarah Crowder and Andy Jones dive into Derpy from K-Pop Demon Hunters and explore why this chaotic little tiger may be one of the most important characters in the film. From Korean folklore and tiger symbolism to Jinu’s bracelet scene and themes of memory, invitation, and redemption, they unpack the surprising emotional depth behind everyone’s favorite magical menace.
Along the way they discuss:
• Korean tiger and magpie folklore
• Derpy as messenger, comforter, and guardian
• Jinu’s memories and redemption arc
• Why the bracelet scene matters so much
• “Martha, Martha” and repeated names in Scripture
• Gospel reminders in ordinary life
• The greatest animated animal sidekicks of all time
Plus: VBS stories, Avatar: The Last Airbender praise, Disney animal debates, and why Derpy instantly became an S-tier fandom icon.
Even in a story full of demons, idols, and magical chaos, the Gospel still sounds like a message delivered for you.