Live With Skill and Discernment Are you a skillful craftsman at building relationships? This week we learn to use questions to engage with hostile people like Jesus the "verbal Aikido" blackbelt. The book of Proverbs — Scripture's "Wisdom Central" — teaches us to build our lives like a house, filled with treasures rather than regrets. We learn from 4 Proverbs on Wisdom that planning for the future is good, but fixing our eyes "out there" on the horizon can keep us from accomplishing and enjoying...
Sep 09, 2021•39 min•Ep. 123
Fight Back Against the Devil’s Attacks Why does Satan want us to think we’re alone? How is overcoming temptation like dealing with mosquitoes, or like a hard-to-open jar lid? This week’s Cross Training focuses on resisting the devil. So in a new segment, we do a fantasy-style draft for our A-Team of “Resistance All-Stars” — Bible figures who stood firm against the devil. We learn about Satan’s strategies from his temptation of Christ and his conversation with Eve. And we share some personal expe...
Sep 02, 2021•39 min•Ep. 122
Live With Readiness and Vigilance Sometimes life feels like a game of dodgeball as we’re constantly on guard for Satan’s attack. This week we’re continuing our discussion about watchfulness with Jesus’ warnings to servants waiting at their master’s door. We go deep on defensive and offensive watchfulness, stopping along the way to think about preppers and sleepers. How can we keep routines from causing us to sleepwalk through life? How can we cut through the noise of life and focus on what matte...
Aug 26, 2021•40 min•Ep. 121
Open Your Eyes to the Spiritual Realm This week we start with a game of “guess the spiritual superpower” as we focus on living with spiritual awareness. The otherworldly kingdom of Jesus challenges us to “think different,” while Pilate gets stuck in his assumptions. Then we set Poetry in Motion with a quick journey through psalm 20, affirming that while some trust in chariots, we trust in our God. And we try to find some perspective on our lives as time passes and we — perhaps — see more of the ...
Aug 19, 2021•41 min•Ep. 120
Speak Boldly, Clearly, and Graciously Ever replay something you said - and regret - in your mind? Or struggled with how to tell someone a challenging truth you know they don't want to hear? An aptly spoken word can impact lives in surprising ways. This week we continue our conversation about integrity with Four Proverbs about Courageous Speaking and discuss Christ's challenge to proclaim his words "from the housetops." We see how God can make us an "iron pillar" and how we can better each other ...
Aug 12, 2021•41 min•Ep. 119
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 I...
Aug 05, 2021•39 min•Ep. 118
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 Corinth...
Jul 29, 2021•44 min
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 falt...
Jul 22, 2021•43 min•Ep. 117
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 a...
Jul 15, 2021•42 min•Ep. 116
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, cove...
Jul 08, 2021•42 min•Ep. 115
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...
Jul 01, 2021•41 min•Ep. 114
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...
Jun 24, 2021•42 min•Ep. 113
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 ...
Jun 17, 2021•41 min•Ep. 112
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 wor...
Jun 10, 2021•37 min•Ep. 111
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 g...
Jun 03, 2021•40 min
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" hi...
May 27, 2021•41 min•Ep. 110
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...
May 20, 2021•40 min•Ep. 109
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 — c...
May 13, 2021•40 min•Ep. 108
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 no...
May 06, 2021•42 min•Ep. 107
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 ...
Apr 29, 2021•44 min•Ep. 106
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 k...
Apr 22, 2021•40 min•Ep. 105
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, a...
Apr 15, 2021•35 min•Ep. 104
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 wh...
Apr 08, 2021•35 min
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. Th...
Apr 01, 2021•36 min•Ep. 103
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 j...
Mar 25, 2021•37 min•Ep. 102
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-...
Mar 18, 2021•37 min•Ep. 101
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 hi...
Mar 11, 2021•41 min•Ep. 100
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 ho...
Mar 04, 2021•40 min•Ep. 99
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 fr...
Feb 25, 2021•39 min•Ep. 98
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:...
Feb 18, 2021•43 min•Ep. 97
