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Podcast episodes from members of the brotherhood, with direct audio links.

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Episode 118 - "Not a Resting Place"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Prove Your Mettle in Difficulty From the Tokyo Olympics to the "wise man" who "built his house on the rock," this week we set our sights on character growth. When trials test our mettle, how do we respond? And how does hope fuel our perseverance? We answer those questions in a "character" edition of our recurring word-study segment, Heavy Words. Then we close the episode by looking in the mirror and discovering how God has pruned us, purified us, and pointed us toward greater patience. The Big Idea: If we never faced difficulties, we would miss the opportunity to show love, faith, courage, and

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Replay — "Act Like THE Man"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Programming Note: This week, we're replaying one of our favorite episodes from the past. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Embrace Your Role as Salt and Light This week we look at what it means to be a change maker in the world and the people around you, from a Biblical perspective. In our Finding Jesus segment, we deal with the cynicism that says, “what’s the use, it won’t make a difference” and the suffering that comes from the Lord. Then in today’s Scripture du Jour (1 Corinthians 16), we consider what it means to “act like a man” and Bryan makes some observations about the

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Episode 117 - "Prone to Hyperbole"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Consider the Whole Truth Someone once said, “Never leave a goose behind.” But what happens when we treat some of God’s commands with little to no value? This week we’re continuing our Cross Training series, kicking off a conversation about integrity — starting with the whole truth. Since Jesus wasn’t hyperbolic when he used the word “all” with his disciples, do we give him full authority over our lives today? We’re also looking back to the sad story of a young prophet whose firm convictions faltered when he believed a lie. Plus, we’re talking about dog sitting, the Statue of Liberty, financial

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Episode 116 - "I Just Started Short-Circuiting"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Show Patience Like God Does This week's theme is — wait for it — patience! We notice all the ways we shorten our fuse and short-circuit our brains, inventing villains and moving too fast. Four Proverbs on patience get us thinking about inner warfare and training like Mr. Miyagi. And as Christ bears with Peter, he shows us that sometimes the best way to help is to pray and wait. From a "spoiler alert" on your ending to a head start on your day, we hope this week's episode gives some perspective and helps you grow in Christlike patience! The Big Idea: Patience means bearing with each other’s sho

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Episode 115 - "From All This Smiling"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Show Unexpected Kindness to Others In this week’s edition of “Hello, My Name Is...” four Bible women inspire us to greater mercy, as we admire the power of small deeds and imagine attending our own funeral. And as we learn morality from Blockbuster and State Farm (but mostly from Jesus and his “Good Samaritan”), this discussion of merciful deeds takes us back to some important basics. We close the episode by challenging ourselves to become kindness artists — becoming proficient in unusual, covert, creative kindness. The Big Idea: We reflect God’s goodness when we seek out creative ways to bles

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Episode 114 - "As Sleek as They Could Get"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Move Beyond Hurt to Forgiveness This week we learn how pushing the envelope is like pressing your nose and discover some lessons about mercy from Harry Potter and Ford v. Ferrari. Plus we count down our Top Four Proverbs about forgiveness, learning to kill with kindness, cover with love, and let the Lord judge between us and others. And one of Jesus’ parables shows us a path to Christlike mercy, from a “ba-jillion” sins to three little words. The Big Idea: We find grace to forgive when we choose compassion and leave our justice in God’s hands. Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the We

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Episode 113 - "Nevertheless"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Receive God’s Extraordinary Gift This week we happily dive into the subject of grace, learning that while we’re undeserving, that doesn’t mean we’re worthless — far from it! So how is grace like a spoonful of peanut butter but unlike free Costco samples? Why does grace overcome our timidity before God? And what one thing can I do today to love Jesus more? We talk about rationing grace, settling into grace, and growing in grace. The story of Simon and the “sinful woman” who loved Jesus teaches us how grace leads to action, and some Deep Thoughts about God’s “amazing grace” reminds us why the Lo

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Episode 112 - "Joy-Giving Dessert"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Be Holy Like God Is Holy Why is it so hard to live in the world without becoming the same as everyone around us? We’re all about holy living this week, as we finish our Cross Training on reverence. On a Psalm 19 edition of Poetry in Motion, we consider the sky’s song, the happiness of God, and the starting point for spiritual growth. We take lessons from the Lion King and Toy Story about our identity in Christ. And we’re back to candy and dessert again, as we seek to understand a life set apart for God. The Big Idea: *God has changed our identity in Christ. Our task is to live today as the new

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Episode 111 - "The Worst Taste in Candy"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth What’s the difference between flat, thoughtless worship versus knowing God Almighty is in your midst? This week we looked at two Heavy Words for worship, learning to serve as priests and bow down as true worshipers. We talked about chalkboard psalms, idols in our hearts, and Paul’s picture of an unbeliever entering an assembly and falling down in worship. We notice how morning “sugar-highs” of empty spiritual calories keep us from the soul satisfaction of worship. And we nearly end the podcast forever in a debate over the best licorice! The Big Idea: Worshi

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Replay — "With That Good News"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Programming Note: This week, we're replaying one of our favorite episodes from the past. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. This week we’re setting Poetry in Motion again, as David gets some bad advice most of us can relate to in Psalm 11. Unity and humility come up again in the Scripture du Jour. And as we go looking for Jesus in this week’s reading, Bryan finds him in flaming fire, and Ryan notices where we WON’T find Jesus. The Big Idea: Recognizing the Lord’s coming judgment gives us comfort for our trials, compassion for the lost, and reverent awe for the great Judge of all

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Episode 110 - "Hey Guys!"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Draw Closer to Your Awesome God Do you know God? This week we talked about finding secret pockets of time and having God on speed-dial. In a Psalm 18 edition of Poetry in Motion, God makes David a Superhero, while he "walks softly but carries a big stick." We ask questions like: how is knowing God like being married? What does it mean that God is transcendent and immanent? And how can seeing God's wrath and power give us the security to say "God is my rock"? Plus, a look at the "model prayer" highlights the difference between performing and talking to God. It's a great way to kick off a series

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Episode 109 - "Preach!"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Speak Up and Spread the Good News What do bumper stickers and take-out have to do with the good news? This week we complete our conversations about joy by talking about evangelism. We go Flying Through the Book of Acts, tracking how the gospel’s gladness spread across the world. It’s a close look at how we talk to people about Jesus that takes us from shotguns to laser beams, from contagions to vaccines, and from MiracleGro to the gifts of spring. In it all, we find encouragement to keep praying and keep speaking the word. (All that, plus Bryan shows Ryan his new personalized license plate!) H

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Episode 108 - "I Am the Loser"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Fall at Jesus’ Feet With Thankfulness Most people know that gratitude impacts our walk with God, our joy, even our health! But how do we actually make it a regular part of our lives? This week we talked about losing our joy, weaponizing our gratitude, and carrying Jesus' side of the load. We ask questions like: can we give thanks for everything? Am I grateful for God's discipline? And how can loss increase my thanksgiving? It's amazing what this simple activity — giving regular thanks to God — can do. We hope the reminder helps you as much as it did us! The Big Idea: When we look at the world

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Episode 107 - "Locating Hope"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Let Hope Stabilize Your Life What do you look forward to so much it can keep you going when things get hard? It’s “hope” week in our Cross Training, so this week Jesus teaches us to pray with hope and Noah teaches us to live with confidence. How is hoping for heaven like waiting for a car alarm to go off? What words help us triangulate our hope? If you’re like us, you might appreciate a reminder of the spectacular future God has in store for us! We hope you enjoy it! The Big Idea: Our hope is not in an outcome, but in the God who faithfully brings a good ending. Weekly Challenges: Find this we

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Episode 106 - "I Need To Get In on This!"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Rejoice in the Lord’s Salvation This week we’re moving onto another mark of the Master: joy! We’ll see how God rejoices over us with shouts of joy. A man and woman are thrilled to meet the redeemer of all humanity in the temple. And we’ll answer some questions about the earliest converts to Christ. How does acknowledging bad news highlight the greatness of good news? Why do some reject that fantastic news? And could our joy be stolen from us? Find out this week as we continue our Cross Training series. The Big Idea: The gospel of Jesus is grand and vast, solving the chronic problem of our huma

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Episode 105 - "The Thank You Spiral"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Outdo Each Other in Showing Honor If you've ever sent a "Thank You" card for someone's "Thank You" card, this episode's for you! What does slingin' lattes at Starbucks or scoopin' ice cream at TCBY teach us about serving others? We're wrapping up our conversation of servanthood — a mark of the Master we're working on this year — with a discussion about showing honor to others. Jesus wasn't honored in his hometown, but how can we avoid treating those closest to us disrespectfully? We rejoice to know that he's restoring dignity to the disgraced. And we find a strange boy-meets-girl story where a

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Episode 104 - "Set Free the Love Dam"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Let Love Motivate You to Sacrifice "For God so loved the world, he gave..." This week, we find some surprises in the verses surrounding the world's most beloved verse — John 3:16 — and also look at another John 3:16 ( First John 3:16, that is!). We dive into some Crosswords — Heavy Words spoken at the cross — finding potent irony and some guidance for life and death. We close with some challenges to help us "Cross Train" in sacrificial love. We hope the conversation leads you back to Calvary, as it did for us. May we all learn to love like He does! The Big Idea: We don’t have inexhaustible res

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Replay — "Tongue In A Box"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Programming Note: This week, we're replaying one of our favorite episodes from the past. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Why is spiritual development like monkey bars or the American Ninja Warrior obstacle course? On this episode, we're talking about humility and learning to learn! We cover the pervasive problem of male pride, raising children in God's discipline and instruction, and the value of wounds from a friend. And we look to Jesus' perfect pattern of humility, as one who had "the tongue of those who are taught" in Isaiah 50:4-7. We also lament our kids' muddy shoes an

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Episode 103 - "That's How We Keep Score!"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

See the Lord’s Calling Clearly Is it time for an eye exam? Like a funhouse mirror, a distorted lens can lead us in fear and pride, but Christ gives new eyes through his example and teaching. This week we start with "sons of thunder" and their bold request for glory. Then, Saul's conversion shows us what happens when the "scales" fall from our eyes, in our newest Here's the Story segment. Finally, our Through the Week challenges show us how to get personal without taking things too personally. The Big Idea: Joyful service comes from catching Christ’s vision of true blessedness. Weekly Challenge

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Episode 102 - "Those Sticky Hands!"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Do Good to Everyone Are you “open” for business, ready to serve and connect with others? In this week’s Like the Teacher, we discover the childlike goodness of Jesus and learn to evaluate interruptions like he does. We also share some Deeep Thoughts about the early church’s availability to each other. Finally, we throw down five challenges you can do with us Through the Week. It’s a conversation about friendship and fellowship, two of the best things God has given us in this world. Hope you’ll join us! The Big Idea: To love others well, we need to commit to their worth and believe the best in

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Episode 101 - "I'm Not a Slacker!"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Put First Things First “Baby steps to the door, baby steps down the stairs...” Like Bill Murray in What About Bob, this week we’re learning it’s sometimes hard to plan a future beyond the next right step. Mary and Martha teach us to slow down and ask a timely question in a Like the Teacher story. We also give our Top 4 Proverbs on priorities and discover that our most fertile mission field might be closer than we think. And we close with five challenges we can do together to help establish God-honoring priorities. The Big Idea: Our ever-changing lives require vigilant attention to prioritize t

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Episode 100 - "What’s He Doing?!"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Hold Nothing Back From God Living dangerously... but with discernment? This week we start with Jesus’ consuming zeal, as he cleanses the temple, guns blazing, so to speak. What if we acted with that kind of force and passion? That leads into a Shema Edition of Heavy Words, as we seek to live the Greatest Commandment. Finally, we take on (maybe) our toughest set of challenges yet, working on giving our whole hearts to the Lord. The Big Idea: Wholehearted service to God requires honesty before him. Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here. Show Notes Cross Training -

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Episode 99 - "I Don’t Know, Can You?"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Count the Cost What's your Impenetrable Barrier? And what does counting the cost have to do with life in a Vietnam POW camp? This week we look at the DEDICATION required of a disciple, taking on some hard words of Jesus about who "cannot" follow him. Plus, Bryan explains what it means to be the apple of God's eye, and we appreciate the "prayer of a righteous man" in a Psalm 17 edition of Poetry in Motion. As usual, we end by working through 5 challenges you can do with us Through the Week. We hope you'll join us! The Big Idea: If we’re not prepared for difficulty and sacrifice, we won’t have t

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Episode 98 - "So Merciful and So Gracious!"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Speak Up About Your Faith Silence isn’t always golden. This week, we tell the story of Jonah and draw some insights from his reluctance to speak God’s message. And speaking of speaking, what does speaking have to do with faith? We have five challenges to help you grow in your commitment to confess the Lord and share the gospel. Plus, a close look at one of Jesus’ conversations shows us that dialogue beats a data dump, when we want people to grasp the saving truth. The Big Idea: As faith comes from hearing, faith leads to speaking. Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges

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Episode 97 - "Gonna Dig a Storm Cellar"

Ryan Joy · Bible Geeks Podcast

Stick Firmly to the Lord How attached are you to the Lord? This week we continue our exploration of faith, taking steps to greater loyalty. We start by talking about the ultimate example of faithfulness, as Jesus goes all the way to the finish line. Then we learn some lessons from Job in a new segment we call “Hello, My Name Is …” Hope you’ll join us, and consider taking on our 5 Through the Week challenges this week! The Big Idea: We serve at the Lord’s pleasure, not our own. Weekly Challenges: Find this week’s Through the Week challenges here. Show Notes Cross Training - “Through Thick and T

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