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Joshua Bingaman

Location: Bastrop, Texas
Profession: Entrepreneur, Real Estate Agent, Former Musician
Companies: HELM Boots (Founder), Progress Coffee (Co-founder), Real Estate Agent at Nick's Brokerage
Connection: Met at Zach Levi's ranch event in Smithville, Texas

Background​

Joshua is an entrepreneur based in Bastrop, Texas, with a diverse background spanning music, business, and real estate. He's the founder of HELM Boots, a hand-crafted boot company, and co-founded Progress Coffee. Currently works as a commercial real estate agent in Bastrop while maintaining his business interests.

Professional Journey​

  • Former touring musician and published poet from Oklahoma
  • Founded HELM Boots in 2009 - hand-crafted boot and footwear company based in Austin
  • Co-founded Progress Coffee - coffee roaster and café with multiple locations
  • Current real estate agent specializing in commercial properties in Bastrop
  • Previously involved in various businesses including shoe retail (Subterranean Shoe Room in San Francisco)

Personal Background​

  • Family: Married to Sarah for 25 years (anniversary October 1st), three children: Ruth (at Texas Military Institute boarding school), Samuel, and Josephine Kay
  • Education: Attended L'Abri Fellowship in Switzerland (influenced by Francis Schaeffer's work)
  • Complex religious upbringing: Parents were heavily involved in charismatic/revival movements, traveled extensively for healing ministries and religious gatherings from age 5-15
  • Family trauma: Religious involvement led to family breakdown - parents and brother are estranged, several suicides among families in their religious community

Faith Journey​

Difficult Religious Past​

  • Parents were deeply involved in charismatic revival movements, constantly traveling to healing services and conferences
  • Family suffered due to constant travel and religious focus - Joshua felt "robbed of a childhood"
  • Witnessed significant trauma in religious communities including multiple suicides among children from similar families
  • Developed strong aversion to institutional Christianity and religious formalism
  • Parents funded various ministries and were heavily invested in the revival/healing movement scene

Current Faith Perspective​

  • Strong believer but anti-religious: Values authentic faith over institutional Christianity
  • Trauma-informed approach: Helps people "break chains of religiosity" through his wife Sarah's practice
  • Discerning about church: Struggles with most church environments due to past trauma, gets "triggered" by formal religious settings
  • Appreciates authentic believers: Values people who genuinely seek truth rather than those caught up in religious performance

Key Quotes on Faith​

  • "I wouldn't be a lawyer without that [faith]" - referring to how his grounded faith approach differs from his family's experience
  • "If Jesus was here, you wouldn't be in a good spot" - what he tells his estranged parents about their unforgiveness
  • "When it's real, or when somebody comes to my office... God's chosen them, and they're in a process of it"
  • "We're supposed to be changed. And we're supposed to morph and mold... like dough, like to bake bread, God's doing that to us all the time"

Relationship with Gary​

How We Met​

  • Met at Zach Levi's ranch event in Smithville, Texas
  • Joshua was "milliseconds from not getting in the back of that Cybertruck" where Gary was sitting
  • Initial impression: "this guy's a nerd" but recognized authenticity after 45-minute conversation
  • Connected over truth-seeking rather than religious performance

Shared Interests​

  • Faith exploration: Both navigating authentic Christianity vs. institutional religion
  • Truth-seeking: Value genuine spiritual pursuit over religious formalism
  • Books and intellectual discussion: Joshua introduced Gary to Francis Schaeffer, Stephen Garber, and other Christian thinkers
  • Business and entrepreneurship: Both have entrepreneurial backgrounds

Joshua's Perspective on Gary​

  • Sees Gary as "new" to faith - not carrying religious baggage
  • Appreciates that Gary is "seeking truth" rather than pushing religious agenda
  • Values that Gary is "not doing it because you're on the crest of a wave to save [people]"
  • Finds Gary's approach refreshing compared to typical "thirsty" religious people he encounters

Current Life & Work​

Business Activities​

  • Real Estate: Commercial properties in Bastrop, helping bring Austin businesses to the area
  • Community Development: Actively involved in Bastrop's growth and development
  • Consulting: Works with various businesses on strategy and growth
  • Former businesses: Stepped away from day-to-day operations of coffee shops and bars due to exhaustion

Family Life​

  • Marriage: 25-year marriage to Sarah, very strong partnership
  • Children: Three kids, oldest daughter Ruth at Texas Military Institute boarding school
  • Location: Lives in Bastrop, works downtown, 8-block walk from home to office
  • Lifestyle: More balanced life in Bastrop compared to previous Austin business life

Personal Interests​

  • Addiction awareness: Understands addictive patterns, cautious about substances
  • Community building: Focused on bringing quality businesses and people to Bastrop
  • Faith community: Seeks authentic Christian fellowship while avoiding institutional pitfalls

Key Insights & Wisdom​

On Religious Trauma​

  • "The devil used the church to hurt people" - recognizes how religious institutions can cause harm
  • Understands how church trauma can turn people away from genuine faith
  • Advocates for helping people distinguish between authentic faith and religious performance

On Authentic Faith​

  • Values relationship with God over religious ritual or institutional affiliation
  • Believes in staying open to God's molding and changing process
  • Emphasizes the importance of truth-seeking over religious conformity

On Business & Life Balance​

  • Learned the importance of sustainable business practices after burnout from managing multiple ventures
  • Values community impact over pure profit maximization
  • Prioritizes family stability while pursuing meaningful work

Notable Connections​

  • Steve Garber: Close relationship, introduced Joshua to important Christian thinkers
  • Francis Schaeffer influence: L'Abri Fellowship experience shaped his intellectual approach to faith
  • Zach Levi: Connected through events at his Smithville ranch
  • Austin business community: Well-connected in both Austin and Bastrop business circles

Future Potential​

Joshua represents an important connection for Gary's faith journey - someone who has navigated the tension between authentic Christianity and religious institutionalism. His business acumen, community connections in Texas, and hard-won wisdom about faith make him a valuable relationship for both personal growth and potential collaborative opportunities.

His emphasis on truth-seeking over religious performance aligns well with Gary's current exploration of faith, and his business experience in building authentic, community-focused ventures could provide valuable insights for future projects.

Transcripts​

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2025-09-18-gary-sheng-joshua-bingaman-faith-journey-bastropSeptember 18, 2025Faith journey discussion covering religious trauma, authentic Christianity, and business transitions