Podcasts

This week, we answer a listener question about going from milk to meat and find that the next step of growth is different for all of us. The conversation takes us from muscle men with toothpick legs to babies with giant heads, as what Jesus Said in Mark 8:14-21 reminds us that the Lord expects us to follow an appropriate growth curve. How do we overcome spiritual stagnation and keep moving forward, both as Bible students and as disciples? Join us as we try to figure it out! The Big Idea: Discernment is the art of appropriately applying all the relevant Biblical principles to a circumstance or

Audio Open

Podcast Sep 17, 2019

Patience. Tornado in a Junkyard. Antonio Brown. Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about patience. Patience is a choice, just like every other virtue. The trouble is, patience comes with a price tag we are often unwilling to pay. I’ve been reading … Tornado in a Junkyard, by James Perloff. If we are supposed to believe something as ridiculous as Darwinism, we really ought to have some proof. And despite what you may have heard, we don’t. I’ve been hearing … Antonio Brown still has a job in the NFL. That may change, though. Even in pro football, bad actors will often reap what they sow. I’ve been

Website Open

Podcast Sep 16, 2019

Ep. 69 - Wider or Deeper

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! We all have things in life we'd like to do, experiences we want to have, places to see, skills to learn, and horizons to behold. But there comes a time in life when it hits you: "I'm not going to be able to do all of that." How does it feel to realize that there are experiences and accomplishments beyond your scope, that may always be beyond your scope? Not cool. And, to be honest, realities like that have bummed me out in the past. But maybe I wasn't seeing things clearly in Christ. Maybe the constant desire to go wider,

Website Open

Podcast Sep 12, 2019

Ep. 68 - Let's Compare Ourselves

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Okay, you may not agree with me on this one, but hear me out. We traditionally view comparing ourselves in a negative light. And, to be fair, comparing yourself with people you view as "better than you" can cause some serious deeds of the flesh outcomes, like jealousy and strife. Also, comparing your self to people perceived to be "worse than you" can be a pride trip and lead to unkind judgments. BUT... just because something can produce a poor outcome doesn't mean it is the wrong thing to do. In fact, there are some exce

Website Open

Podcast Sep 12, 2019

Episode 32 - "Go Milk A Cow"

Ever feel stressed out and overloaded with all the busyness of life. We sure do! So what can we do about it? This week we’re talking about margin, and how to make more time, money, and energy available to serve God and others. Two of our favorite sisters from Luke 10:38-42, Mary and Martha, show us both sides of stress. And we cover the challenges of saying “no,” the dissatisfaction we feel despite our modern conveniences, and how Jesus handled his busy schedule. The Big Idea: Saying “no” to some good things in our schedule and budget gives us the space to say “yes” to better things. Weekly Ch

Audio Open

Podcast Sep 10, 2019

Godlessness and identity. Three Finger. Soft tissue. Fallout Shelter.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about our lost sense of identity. With everyone telling us God is irrelevant or imaginary, it’s no wonder so many Americans feel lost. I’ve been reading … Three Finger, a biography of hall of fame pitcher Mordecai Brown. He earned his nickname the hard way, then he made it work to his advantage. I’ve been hearing … soft tissue has been found in dinosaur fossils. Multiple times, by multiple scientists. Evolutionists struggle to explain how that could happen. But I don’t. I’ve been playing … Fallout Shelter. Being a

Website Open

Podcast Sep 9, 2019

Ep. 67 - 90 or 52

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Are you a 90 or a 52? The difference is huge! The difference is not 38. The difference is more like 32,800! The difference is generational lethargy (vs) changing your life in less than two months. What's it gonna be? Let's examine the story of Nehemiah. What the people of God had failed to do for generations, Nehemiah got done in 52 days. He had an approach that we can replicate. In fact, we need to get passionate and active in exactly the same way! Let's own up to what has been overlooked and see how far we can go! It wo

Website Open

Podcast Sep 5, 2019

Ep. 66 - Say Thank You

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Please and Thank You are the magic words! We all learned that as kids, but do you know it still stands? Maybe we will look at Please in a future episode. Today our focus is on that second term. The truth is, in nearly EVERY situation, there is room for a Thank You. It is often a much better choice than what might awkwardly or negatively be said instead. Let's look at how this all starts with a healthy prayer life. Then it ought to live daily in healthy relationships. But finally, we'll talk about how Thank You may even be

Website Open

Podcast Sep 5, 2019

Episode 31 - "Tongue In A Box"

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 and discuss how to save a failing restaurant. The Big Idea: Hearing about our failures isn’t easy, but it’s necessary for leading us to spiri

Audio Open

Podcast Sep 3, 2019

Godlessness and values. Mark Twain. Carli Lloyd. Escape: The Curse of the Temple.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about the decline of values in a godless society. If you don’t have God defining right and wrong, there is no right and wrong. We’re proving it in America every day. I’ve been reading … quotations from Mark Twain. All this time I’ve thought I was a big Mark Twain fan. All this time I was wrong. I’ve been hearing … Carli Lloyd is thinking about trying out for an NFL team. I say, good luck. But seeing is believing, and if Ms. Lloyd is really an NFL prospect, we’ll know soon enough. I’ve been playing … Escape: Curse

Website Open

Podcast Sep 2, 2019

Ep. 65 - With You Always

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Where is Jesus? With reference to where you are right now, where is He? Is He in heaven? Is He far away? Is He right there with you? How we see Jesus and where we see Jesus will have a huge impact on His imprint on our everyday lives. The Bible helps us see His presence, and asks us to acknowledge that He is always in the room. Let's explore those passages and how you can use that Truth to grow in your faith every single day! - Where is Jesus - Is Jesus in heaven or is He right here with me - How do I know that He is with

Website Open

Podcast Aug 29, 2019

Ep. 64 - Cast Your Bread

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Solomon writes a lot about how unfair things are in the book of Ecclesiastes. Things don't always work out and there are always a million things we don't know and/or cannot control. However, he ultimately prescribes daily optimism and a willingness to cast your bread on the waters, even if you don't know what will happen after. If our attitude is right and our heart is committed, we can cast bread widely every single day, and in that way, make every single day exciting, and worth the living! - How to accept that there are

Website Open

Podcast Aug 29, 2019

Episode 30 - "Cry Me A River"

We’re putting a bow on the miracles of Jesus in John, with a discussion of the quintessentially amazing events surrounding his resurrection. We talk about going through grief, how seeing isn’t always believing, and about the transformation that comes when we cast our cares on God. Also getting into a bit of “Poetry in Motion” with David’s words from Psalm 6, and finally a challenge to reach out and submit your questions. Oh, and did we mention there’s a discussion about polar bear hunting? The Big Idea: When you feel weary, troubled, and alone, remember the Lord hears and understands. Weekly C

Audio Open

Podcast Aug 27, 2019

Godlessness and violence. Downfall of empires. Road noise. Fortune and Glory.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about the rise of violence in our godless society. The world reacts radically when situations do not suit them. People of faith should know better. I’ve been reading … prophecies about the downfall of empires. Sometimes it seems God is disconnected from the affairs of history. But He isn’t. Just ask any Assyrians or Babylonians you run across this week. I’ve been hearing … traffic noise in the background of this podcast. Sorry, I can’t fix it. I can only hope you can come to ignore it like I do. I’ve been playing

Website Open

Podcast Aug 26, 2019

Ep. 63 - Restoring World Order

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! This is our Back to School special episode! Even if school is not a part of your life, consider this a Back to Reality message for all of us transitioning from Summer into the Fall. We have travelled, enjoyed the season, loosened up on bed time and morning alarm time. In some ways it may mean a bit of a fall off in the excel still more development. But fear not, Fall is coming. It is a Return to Routine! We get to put some things back in place to counter any time of disorder that Summer has given risen to (some of which w

Website Open

Podcast Aug 22, 2019

Ep. 62 - Your Three Circles

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! We all have to deal with negative thoughts and potentially dangerous little lusts that pop up in our head. If you are waiting on those to go away in order to build a better life... well, it just will never work out like you plan. It's not about eliminating negative internal injury or temptations. It's about HOW you choose to deal with them. The way we process internal issues directly connects to how we manifest those things in real life. In this episode we talk about a 3 Ring Poor way to process these things - leading to

Website Open

Podcast Aug 22, 2019

Episode 29 - "It's a Trap!"

Believe in Jesus’ Power to Raise the Dead We have big questions on our minds, as death looms over this week’s passages. Questions like: How can we put God in a box, even when we trust him in the big stuff? Does the famously brief verse, “Jesus wept,” display Christ’s humanity or his deity? And Jesus Said he holds the keys to Hades in Revelation 1:17-18, but what does that mean for us? Throughout our seventh “Here’s Your Sign” segment, we consider how the raising of Lazarus should affect our view of death. It’s heavy stuff, but we think you’ll find it worth your while to join us! The Big Idea:

Audio Open

Podcast Aug 20, 2019

The Servant. The Babylon Bee. "My pleasure." The Resistance.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about the servant. Isaiah 53 shows us what the true servant of God looks like. Fair warning — you won’t like what you see. I’ve been reading … Some people actually believe the Babylon Bee. Maybe instead of blaming the news, or fake news, outlets, we should put the blame where it belongs — on the readers. I’ve been hearing … “My Pleasure” at Chick fil-A. Does the culture create the behavior, or does the culture create itself simply by existing as an option for like-minded individuals? I’ve been playing … The Resist

Website Open

Podcast Aug 19, 2019

Ep. 61 - Let's Talk Frogs

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! 50 Episodes ago we talked about "Eat That Frog." Well, let's catch up on that 25 weeks later. Are you still knocking out annoying things, one per day, as early in the day as possible? I've been at it since February. I want to share how that has gone, some of the specific things accomplished, and it's affect on my life and even my family! If this is not something you have tried before, we want this episode to get you going! When we take control of each day, including a morning frog, it sets the done for a well spaced day,

Website Open

Podcast Aug 15, 2019

Ep. 60 - Plugging the Hole

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Guess how many holes it takes to sink a boat? Yep. Just one. More importantly, one hole left unfixed will do the damage. It would be nice in life if there were never any holes in our boat. If we could just float along excelling still more and have no issues. Such is just not to be. The question is - are you willing to go about plugging that hole. And instead of being upset that it is there, learn to be thankful that its just a small hole and not something more. Let's talk about that today and make some application to your

Website Open

Podcast Aug 15, 2019

Episode 28 - "Knowing Is Half the Battle"

Be Confident Yet Moldable Whatta ya know? This week we take on a “Heavy Word” for “knowing,” and ask: How important is the difference between what we know and what we think we know? We get an answer when a “mic-drop” moment from a healed blind man leads to a childish moment from some Jews, in part six of our “Here’s Your Sign” series. And what Jesus Said in John 21:15-17 challenges, heals, and commissions Peter to serve others. Push play and let’s dive into the Word together! The Big Idea: It’s easy to find ways to confirm our convictions, but we establish Biblical faith by following the evide

Audio Open

Podcast Aug 13, 2019

Conscience. Moral facts. Beethoven's 3rd. Isle of Skye.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I’ve been preaching … about how our conscience is not our guide. God’s word is our guide. It is never wrong, and our conscience often is. I’ve been reading … about moral facts, and whether they exist. Our children are being taught that they do not, and that explains a great deal about children today. I’ve been hearing … Beethoven’s 3rd symphony, the Eroica. It’s a story about heroes — the ones who let you down, and the ones who push through adversity and achieve greatness. I’ve been playing … Isle of Skye. My preconceptions were keepin

Website Open

Podcast Aug 12, 2019

Ep. 59 - Eternity and Today

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! In C.S. Lewis's famous book, The Screwtape Letters, demons discuss how to win a Christian back to sin. A major point of emphasis is the need to get him dwelling on the unchangeable past and the uncontrollable future! These will keep his attention from the two things that are real, certain, guaranteed: Eternity and Today! God knows you need to consider what happened. God knows you need to plan for next week. But too much time spent on that will rob you of the great things He wants for your life. We discuss how to spend muc

Website Open

Podcast Aug 8, 2019

Ep. 58 - Five Love Languages