Trials are times of testing and pressure. Everyone experiences them. For the Christ-follower, trials are a unique opportunity to use Kingdom leverage. If we process well with the Lord, God can gain what he's looking for ... and we can gain new territory in our life and expression of our calling. Amazingly, James writes that we can live joyfully through our trials because of the advantageous outcomes. >> To see Frank's book and course HangOnLetGo.com >> Beyond Evangelical: The Blog of...
Aug 25, 2021•47 min•Ep. 197
What's on the other side of your groaning? It's beyond worth it! "Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my groaning" (Ps 5:1). The GROANING GAP is that space between WHAT IS and WHAT WILL BE. It's there that you carry the creative tension of the Holy Spirit. Things want to happen ... in the groaning are seeds of design and destiny. So what are you groaning about? Embrace the potential. ----more---- Your rating and review help more people discover Jesus Smart: The Podcast. Thanks! See all of the...
Aug 05, 2021•11 min•Ep. 196
There's a real sense in which the horizons of our lives are placed on a curve. Just like the curvature of the earth where the sky meets the earth. Over-the-horizon thinking and applied faith are necessary to journey into new things that want to happen from heaven's point of view. In this episode, we explore 1) worshipping and praying, 2) visualizing and prophesying, 3) belief set points, and 4) "acting as if" with faith action. All 4 of these elements make up over-the-horizon thinking and faith ...
Jul 27, 2021•21 min•Ep. 195
In part 2 of this discussion with Kevin Cloud, author of God & Hamilton , we focus on slavery and today's race relations, the empowerment of women, and how we are co-creators with God. Alexander Hamilton was an influential American Founder ... second only to George Washington. How does his life speak to us in our time? Kevin Cloud's book draws upon Hamilton, the acclaimed Broadway musical.----more---- This is a recast episode. You can hear part 1 in episode 191. See the show notes page to go...
Jul 16, 2021•28 min•Ep. 194
The acclaimed Broadway musical Hamilton is now a part of the American cultural conversation. Inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, the extraordinary musical resonates with many on themes of faith, race, and immigration. Kevin Cloud, the author of God & Hamilton , is with us in this episode. Our conversation centers on spiritual themes from the life of Alexander Hamilton, an influential American Founder ... second only to George Washington. How does his life speak ...
Jul 15, 2021•35 min•Ep. 193
Look around -- progressivism is all the rage today. And it's not just political. It's leaking into parts of the Church too. What starts gradually as soft totalitarianism can evolve into terrifying tyranny. True justice is beautiful. But is Progressivism a delusion? ----more---- Even more, is it a hellish counterfeit to the real future that Jesus is bringing? This is a recast episode. For more resources and info, go to the show notes page for this episode at JesusSmart.com Get the Jesus Smart eLe...
Jun 23, 2021•25 min•Ep. 192
In Christ you have a true superpower -- it's the capacity to consecrate things. We can consecrate new frontiers -- transitions, new seasons, opportunities -- bringing all things under the lordship and leadership of King Jesus. On the other side of each frontier is new territory you're destined to possess! Listen for 6 key takeaways. ----more---- This is a special recast episode. Go to the show notes page for this episode at JesusSmart.com Get the Jesus Smart eLetter and keep current with podcast...
Jun 16, 2021•31 min•Ep. 191
You’re designed for narrative ... your Personal Life Story and the Big Story that’s moving everything. The Grand Narrative is the loving rule and reign of God. Jesus has come to put things back to right, restoring us as Vice-Regents under God as King. ----more---- You’re going to hear from Matt Raines. Get ready for this. The 5 acts of the Kingdom Story -- nuanced and subtle, and yet writ large across time and space. And in Christ, your life is written into the Big Story on the Big Stage. This i...
Jun 09, 2021•31 min•Ep. 190
I had an especially vibrant time with the Lord this morning in prayer and the Word. In this quick Godspeed episode, you'll hear the 4 min. recording of what I shared with a friend in Europe via a messaging app. ----more---- We carry the Royal Presence of King Jesus ... the Voice of the King through us ... radiating the Mind of Christ ... and the Future Is Now. Your rating and review help more people discover Jesus Smart: The Podcast. Thanks! See all of the Godspeed episodes at JesusSmart.com Get...
Jun 04, 2021•7 min•Ep. 189
Episode 186 is a special feature episode from another podcast I host -- the Wild Ox Podcast. You'll have to listen to appreciate the name! Pray with me. Discover the potential of deep and clear repentance ... it's a gift of God's grace. ----more---- As we process with Christ, we become cleaner and cleaner. By cleansing ourselves, we become an instrument for noble purposes, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work he has for us (2 Timothy 2:21). Explore the new Wild Ox Podcast ! Your ra...
Jun 03, 2021•9 min•Ep. 188
The great 20th century Chinese Bible teacher, Watchman Nee, said that 'earth governs heaven.' Could he be right? Jesus said he gave us the 'keys of the Kingdom of heaven' to bind and to loose. What if there is a clear connection between our move and heaven's move? P art 3 of the Page One series. ----more---- >> Go to the show notes page for this episode at JesusSmart.com/pageone >> Get the Jesus Smart eLetter and keep current with podcast episode releases Podcast Archive >> Jes...
May 27, 2021•25 min•Ep. 187
You need to be super creative about something important, right? Jesus Christ is creative without limits! And the New Testament claims that Christ-followers have the mind of Christ. As we advance in the mind of Christ, we have boundless potential to be super creative ... uber creative. ----more---- We can imaginate with a touch of heaven to meet needs, solve problems, and exploit opportunities! Then we can take action. This is a recast of a previous episode. Includes audio excerpt with Sir Ken Ro...
May 19, 2021•38 min•Ep. 186
Stressed? Anxious? Brain fog? With our fast-paced lifestyles and digital hyper-connectivity, are we missing real life? We’re pushing, pushing, pushing to get to a next better moment and fail to appreciate the present one. The abundant life that Jesus offers is experienced IN THE NOW. Dr. Charles Stone is a spiritual leader with advanced degrees in ministry and neuroscience & leadership. ----more---- Discover what the Bible, church history, and neuroscience say about a Christian lifestyle of ...
May 13, 2021•59 min•Ep. 185
Recently I walked into a local Catholic church for a time of prayer on a late afternoon. I pull away and pray in this church from time to time. I'd like to share a surprising insight that came to me as soon as I stepped across the threshold from the lobby into the church. This will probably be novel for you too. We can reframe our life with powerful horizons. -- Brian ----more---- Your rating and review help more people discover Jesus Smart: The Podcast. Thanks! See all of the Godspeed episodes ...
May 04, 2021•11 min•Ep. 184
Frank Viola and Mary DeMuth return for the 2nd part of this vital conversation. Does Satan have a heightened hatred for women? Is Jesus a holy feminist? Are femininity and masculinity questioned today? All this and more on this episode. ----more---- Frank and Mary collaborated on 'The Day I Met Jesus: The Revealing Diaries of Five Women from the Gospels.' Part 2 of 2 episodes. Listen to the first part of the conversation (Ep 180). >> See the show notes page for notes and links to resources...
Apr 20, 2021•36 min•Ep. 183
Those who are not of The Way (following Jesus) may be tempted to feel that Jesus or the Church is bad news for women. Has too much of the Christian movement misrepresented Jesus about women? Frank Viola and Mary DeMuth think that's the case. Is the Holy Spirit restoring the place of women in the Church? ----more---- Frank and Mary collaborated on 'The Day I Met Jesus: The Revealing Diaries of Five Women from the Gospels.' They write: “Put simply, your Lord is in the business of loving, honoring,...
Apr 13, 2021•35 min•Ep. 182
As Vice-Regents, we are designed to exercise dominion under the sovereignty of God as King. Have you lost your fierceness? It’s costing you. And those in your sphere of influence. Our full-on engagement is required to live our highest life for Christ. The authority is from above, but a fierce mastery must flow through us. Part 2 of the Page One series. ----more---- >> Go to the show notes page for this episode at JesusSmart.com/pageone Get the Jesus Smart eLetter and keep current with podc...
Apr 09, 2021•16 min•Ep. 181
The Imago Dei -- what does it really mean to be created in the image of God? Many things flow from this core understanding of the relationship between God and humanity. The first thing God says after creating the man and woman in his likeness is "rule." So how can we bear the image of God well on earth? Part 1 of the Page One series. ----more---- >> Go to the show notes page for this episode at JesusSmart.com/pageoneimage Get the Jesus Smart eLetter and keep current with podcast episode re...
Mar 31, 2021•24 min•Ep. 180
Ladies, it's time to get into your advanced place in God's story! The reality is the community of the Godhead designed humanity in the image of God ... fashioned as both female and male. If we're going to bear the image of God well, it will be fully expressed in both genders. What's at stake? Dominion. In this recast episode, you'll discover we're commissioned as Vice-Regents under King Jesus. Mary says we're "reStoried" to partner in the Royal Storyline. ----more---- >> See the show notes...
Mar 25, 2021•54 min•Ep. 179
We can look to Jesus for best practices to experience our best lives as daughters and sons of God. In this recast episode, we explore a "Jesus tactic" -- give no ground to the Devil. As we grow, we can diminish friction and terminate self-sabotaging setbacks that work against momentum. (Live podcast recording) ----more---- If listening on another app, download the Podbean app to listen to future live podcasts -- Podbean.com >> Go to the show notes page for this episode at JesusSmart.com Ge...
Mar 17, 2021•24 min•Ep. 178
Get ready for quality information. Humor. And a challenge. You can survive the current virus crisis ... even more, you can thrive! This is a recast of a conversation with the uncommon, indomitable Frank Viola. He's the author of more than 20 books, a speaker, and a consultant to writers. He says we can build 3-D immunity -- spiritually, psychologically, and physically -- to face down any threat. Plus, we can slay nutty conspiracy theories! Get your free 64-page Survival Guide at FrankViola.org S...
Mar 10, 2021•53 min•Ep. 177
Episode 174 is a special feature episode from another podcast I host -- the Wild Ox Podcast. You'll have to listen to appreciate the name! Pray with me. Could it be that the fruit of our prayer and fasting flourishes or wastes away by how we live concerning the poor, the oppressed and afflicted, the hungry, and the homeless stranger? The promised blessings for those who live in harmony with the God Ethic in Isaiah 58 are stunning! Explore the new Wild Ox Podcast ! Your rating and review help mor...
Mar 04, 2021•23 min•Ep. 176
Moving mountains in your world are related to something much greater than yourself. "Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low ... and the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together" (Isaiah 40 NIV). Ultimately, mountain moves in our lives are about the fame of the Lord and a Larger Story. What Jesus said about Mountain Moves is astonishing. (Part 1 of 2) Your rating and review help more people discover Jesus Smart: The Podcast. Thanks! See al...
Feb 25, 2021•11 min•Ep. 175
I welcome you into a growth process I think the Lord may be summoning me into. What do we do when our prayer and fasting about something seems to be fruitless? If I'm reading the words of the Lord in Isaiah 58 right, it may be that we have neglected the ethic of the Lord about the poor, widows, those in bondage, and more. The promised blessing of the Lord for those who get this right is astonishing. -- Brian >> Get the Jesus Smart eLetter and keep current with podcast episode releases Podc...
Feb 18, 2021•21 min•Ep. 174
We are designed to be ambassadors for Christ, re-presenting Him well. Metalhead turned husband and father, Stephen Lauterbach lives with a strong theme ... he says we are called to excel and "stand before kings" (Proverbs 22:29). There's a condition to follow Jesus in this way: living with excellence in the various life domains. Are you up for this commissioning? There's good news. If you are, the Holy Spirit will guide and empower you. >> Explore ManifoldMinistries.com >> Listen to ...
Feb 17, 2021•50 min•Ep. 173
What if we could reclaim God’s design for sex ... and truly experience what sex is meant to be? Grace and truth from Jesus empower us to live in harmony with Higher Design. But is the Church losing the Creator's design for sexuality? And is the world out-discipling the Church about sex? Dr. Juli Slattery of Authentic Intimacy is with us in this recast episode. >> Dr. Julie Slattery's site: Authentic Intimacy >> Java with Julie Podcast >> See the show notes page for this episode...
Feb 11, 2021•51 min•Ep. 172
God calls you into his freedom! And freedom is a gradient -- you can grow in it. Just upstream from freedom is truth. And that's a gradient too. The New Testament Greek word for truth also means reality. Did you know that when you're born again in Christ, you're born into a battle over what is real? Truth will increasingly protect you ... and release you into your potential. See all of the Godspeed episodes at JesusSmart.com Get the Jesus Smart eLetter and keep current with podcast episode relea...
Feb 10, 2021•10 min•Ep. 171
The warp and woof of your wild, wonderful life is the fabric of your world. Do you know that the weave of heaven on earth can begin to run through your life IN THE NOW? Once born again in Christ, you are a precursor to the restoration of all things ... the new heavens and earth to come. Here are some practical ideas to cultivate this stunning heaven and earth fabric. For more resources and info, go to the show notes page for this episode at JesusSmart.com Get the Jesus Smart eLetter and keep cur...
Feb 03, 2021•15 min•Ep. 170
There's nothing more priceless than the truth ... and freedom is downstream from truth. Look around -- progressivism is all the rage today. And it's not just political. It's leaking into parts of the Church too. What starts gradually as soft totalitarianism can evolve into terrifying tyranny. True justice is beautiful. But is Progressivism a delusion? Even more, is it a hellish counterfeit to the real future that Jesus is bringing? For more resources and info, go to the show notes page for this ...
Jan 28, 2021•25 min•Ep. 169
Everyone wants to "find their life" -- their best life. Jesus' offer is on the table: "If you lose your life for my sake, you will find it." To be real, few discover this. Matt Raines helps us in our quest. He draws on thoughts from Henri Nouwen, a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer, and theologian. We are CHOSEN by Christ, BLESSED, BROKEN, and GIVEN to the world. This narrow path leads to our best horizons! Go to the show notes page for this episode at JesusSmart.com Get the Jesus Smart e...
Jan 14, 2021•51 min•Ep. 168
