Podcasts

Keeping it light this week, we’re just trying to answer all of life’s biggest questions! What’s my purpose? Why does the universe exist? What’s God’s big, eternal plan? Fortunately, Paul has given us a window into “the heavenly places” in the book of Ephesians, so we’re “Flying Through the Book!” And what Jesus Said in John 3:2-3 kicks us off, leading into the discussion of our new identity. Weekly Challenge: Examine your life to expose anything “unfruitful” that you should eliminate. Show Notes Jesus Said … John 3:2-3 The Common Rule (BOOK) The Common Rule Habits (CHART) Who Was Ephesians Wri

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Podcast May 28, 2019

Paul Hammons visits: Receiving sight. Gulliver's Travels. Abortion. MMOs.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! Paul has been preaching … about the blind man in John 9. Just like Jesus brought light to the eyes of this man, so also He brings light to the world — if the world will open its eyes to Him. Paul has been reading … Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift. Exactly how advanced is human society? It depends on how honest we are willing to be with ourselves. Paul has been hearing … Alabama has criminalized abortion — but that doesn’t mean the culture war has been won, even in Alabama. Paul has been playing … MMOs — massive multiplayer online

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Podcast May 27, 2019

Ep. 37 - 30 Day Fast

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Okay, first of all, this episode is NOT about 30 days without food. I've never done that and don't plan on trying it any time soon. However, it is about two important ideas. 1) 30 days. It is the decision to commit to something for 30 days. After you have "Tried Three Times" and determined that something is doable and valuable to you, it's time to go for it! And hey, ESM people can do just about anything for 30 days! 2) Fasting. Fasting in the Bible is the giving up of something comfortable (food) to replace it with somet

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Podcast May 24, 2019

Episode 16 - "We're No Strangers To Love"

This week we take on some of the obstacles that keep us from fulfilling our two most basic purposes: loving God and others. We discuss the temptation to “hole up” away from the world, the difficulty of saying “no” to the demands and distractions of our lives, and the habit of insisting on our own way. We also talk about our favorite “love songs” in the Bible as we finish our Fruit series. And we wonder what is “new” about Jesus’ commandment to “love another” in John 13:34-35. Weekly Challenge: Choose one of the 8 habits from “The Common Rule” to try this week. Show Notes Jesus Said … John 13:3

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Podcast May 23, 2019

Ep. 36 - Be An Encourager

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! No tricks, illustrations, or planning here: just Be An Encourager! The best way to make even day worth while, and to grow as a person, is to uplift the people God puts in your life! We have to get over our own issues, and certainly pop the me-bubble, in order to fulfill our purpose of brightening other peoples' day. But when we do... life gets instantly better! To learn about a precious woman named Sarah who brightened my day during her worst day, tune in today. And we'll leave you with 4 practical tips for encouragement

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Podcast May 21, 2019

Making plans. Psalm 88. Game of Thrones. The Voyages of Marco Polo.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I have been preaching … about making plans. If you can plan for a family vacation or a comfy retirement, why not also plan to grow your faith? I have been reading … Psalm 88, arguably the saddest chapter in the Bible. But even though the psalm doesn’t say so, there is a reason for your suffering. In fact, there may be several. I have been hearing … Game of Thrones is done after 8 seasons — and unlike some Christians, I actually think that’s a good thing. I have been playing … The Voyages of Marco Polo, and it makes me wonder whether su

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Podcast May 20, 2019

Ep. 35 - Stress Free Chess

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! There is an awesome secret to daily peace! If you master this one thing, then you will have much less strife in the day. And if you repeat it day after day, boom, anxiety will disappear from your life! There is a strategy of planning your day: eliminating non essential plans, spreading out essential elements, and journalling for success, that will change everything! So much stress comes from too many options. We have so many possible things to do today, that we either do none of them, or try to do too many. But there is a

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Podcast May 16, 2019

Ep. 34 - Forfeit For Freedom

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Everyone is interested in a stress free life. No one wants to live with worry, anxiety and mental exhaustion. There are some great daily practices that can eliminate most worries, and we'll discuss that in the next episode. But first, let's talk about 4 big things that have got to go if we want to see the stress go away. Sometimes there are big ticket stress items that we hang on to, and they foster lots of unnecessary mental strain. So, by forfeiting those pesky things, we can experience freedom in thought and attitude t

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Podcast May 16, 2019

Episode 15 - "Cotton Candy and Cake Icing"

This week, what Jesus said in Luke 15:4-7 reminds us of the night we went searching the neighborhood for a dog. And what Paul says in Philippians 4 teaches us to avoid staring at “Medusa.” Join us we journey through the book of Philippians and consider how to live with joy, nearing the end of our Fruit series. Plus, Bryan uses the word “penultimate” appropriately and we ALMOST make it through an episode without mentioning Marie Kondo. Thanks for following and subscribing! Weekly Challenge: Read the book of Philippians and focus on joy. Show Notes Jesus Said … Luke 15:4-7 Chara Poster by The Bi

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Podcast May 14, 2019

Jesus' anger. The CEV. Transgender athletes. Cryptid.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I have been preaching … about Jesus’ anger, and about how the things that angered Him typically have very little in common with what angers us. I have been reading … The Contemporary English Version, or CEV, and all things being equal, I’d rather be reading the Bible. I have been hearing … Transgender athletes keep entering and winning youth athletic events. The need to win has officially gotten out of hand, and I mean for everyone. I have been playing … Cryptid, a game that pits my intelligence against my ego — and if I had more intel

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Podcast May 13, 2019

Ep. 33 - The Grit Scale

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! James Clear wrote an article titled: "The Science of Mental Toughness: Talent is overrated, mental strength is critical." It includes research proving that success is based more on grit than inherent ability or intellect. People who are passionate about something and persistent accomplish more. People who are committed to something in which they believe, and consistent in pursuing it, excel in it. Being strong or smart or both is helpful in the beginning, but is nearly always out paced by those who have grit, who test wel

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Podcast May 10, 2019

Episode 14 - “A Dinghy and the Lion’s Den”

Continuing our Fruit series, we look at the commanding words of Jesus over the wind and waves from Mark 4:37-40, the “exile ethic” of men like Daniel, the strength of a well-built wall, and the dangers of drinking coffee in a room that’s on fire. We’re talking about “Shalom,” the depth of peace which surpasses all understanding! Join us for a listen. Weekly Challenge: Find a quiet place this week to be still and acknowledge that the Lord is God. Show Notes Jesus Said … Mark 4:37-40 Shalom Poster by The Bible Project (IMAGE) Word Study: Shalom - "Peace" by The Bible Project (VIDEO) Shalom by Ry

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Podcast May 9, 2019

Ep. 32 - The Wicker Basket

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! It is great to set big goals. But beware, they are not what this is about. This is about the process. This is about you becoming the kind of people who can achieve goals. The problems with grading ourselves by goal's reached is 1) if we, for whatever reason, don't reach them, we are crushed. 2) we do reach them and they didn't satisfy or we stop trying afterward. Listen to the story of the boy with the wicker basket today. He wanted to show immediate and tangible results from his labor. But the results weren't there in th

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Podcast May 7, 2019

Wrestling with God. Different Bible versions. Vivaldi. Dead of Winter.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I have been preaching … about wrestling with God — in a good way, like Jacob did, as though your faith depends on it, which it does. I have been reading … different versions of the Bible, and it’s reminding me of what distinguishes one translation from another, and which distinctions are more important than others. I have been hearing … Vivaldi’s Concerto for Lute in D Major, RV 93 — and I have to say, I think it is best the way the master wrote it. I have been playing … Dead of Winter. I probably couldn’t survive a zombie apocalypse,

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Podcast May 6, 2019

Ep. 31 - Plan your How

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! I love Simon Sinek's book, "Start with Why." The idea of finding your purpose and passion before proceeding... crucial! Once you find your Why, you'll know What you want to do. For instance, if you find your why in fitness, you'll want to be a daily exercise person. Great! Connecting Why and What is a big deal! But don't overlook the How. The discipline to think through the action, to plan the right way to do it, can make all the difference. So, in fitness, I need to journal when I'm going to workout and where and make su

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Podcast May 3, 2019

Episode 13 - “Mental Mentos”

As we continue our Fruit series, this week’s theme is “Patience.” Or, “How to Avoid Living Like a Can of Shaken Soda.” Or, as we discuss in our Jesus Said segment in Matthew 16:22-23, “Just Because Jesus Called You Satan, Doesn’t Mean He Has Given Up On You.” Join us as we talk about patience in trials, patience with others, and even patience with ourselves! Weekly Challenge: Make a list of anything in your life that would keep you from being patient. Show Notes Jesus Said … Matthew 16:22-23 Mentos and Diet Coke Explosion in Slow Motion (VIDEO) Seeing Jesus with New Eyes (SERMON) How Do We Kee

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Podcast May 2, 2019

Ep. 30 - Resolving a Conflict

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Sometimes you can just sit down with someone and restore peace. You can establish some common agreements, and zip the jacket. But sometimes it's more difficult than that. Sometimes too much has happened. Too much time has passed. Someone went too far. What do you do in that case? Many people give up on the relationship, and accept division and maybe even hold resentment for years. We are Christians. We can do much better than that! But it takes heart and it takes strategy. Let's look at Jacob's tactics for approaching Esa

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Podcast Apr 30, 2019

Mountains and valleys. Undaunted Courage. Nurses. Istanbul.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I've been preaching... about mountains and valleys, and how God rules in both despite what we sometimes think. I've been reading... Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose, and as amazingly effective as the Lewis and Clark expedition was, it seems they underutilized one of their greatest resources. I've been hearing... nurses spend a lot of their work hours playing cards. I'm pretty sure that's not right, and I'm also pretty sure there isn't someone out there who hasn't at some point contracted foot-in-mouth disease. I've been playing...

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Podcast Apr 29, 2019

Ep. 29 - Assess the Essential

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! Do you ever feel overbooked and underproductive? Do you get stressed by all the things on the calendar? Do you wish you could do less but do it better? If you want to create a simpler, more productive schedule and life, then Essentialism, a book by Greg McKeown, is for you! In today's episode we'll walk through some of his basic concepts about defaulting to no, so that you can make more of your yeses. This process leads to more focus, less stress, and much greater progress in your journey to excel. The Word of God address

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Podcast Apr 26, 2019

Episode 12 - “Be Kind, Rewind”

On this episode, we ask “What’s the Deal” with John’s doubts and wonder what our bodies will be like in the resurrection. We try to figure out how to choose between two good things as we continue our Fruit of the Spirit series, and something Jesus Said in Mark 10:17-18 gets to the heart of what is good. Weekly Challenge: Pray for God to fulfill every resolve for good in our lives. Show Notes Jesus Said … Mark 10:17-18 Go Tell John by Ryan Joy (SERMON) Foundations: Resurrection and Judgment by Ryan Joy (SERMON)

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Podcast Apr 25, 2019

Ep. 28 - Open Your Eyes

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! God is doing incredible things in your life! He is answering beautiful questions, He is surrounding you with providential guidance and opportunities. The question is: Are you seeing it? Sometimes the lighted path is right in front of us, the next person to influence is right beside us, and our eyes are closed. I want to tell you a story from this past weekend. God would not let me keep my eyes closed to His work. He opened them with a ray of sunshine. I am determined to keep those eyes open for the people in my life He ha

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Podcast Apr 23, 2019

Natural. The Corporate Coach. Sri Lanka. King of Tokyo.

Register your feedback here. Always good to hear from you! I've been preaching... about the natural man, and how serving Jesus the way we would choose on our own is certainly wrong. I've been reading The Corporate Coach, by James Miller, which emphasizes service in the corporate world -- which both resembles and differs from service in the Lord's kingdom. I've been hearing about the bombings in Sri Lanka -- and I am neither afraid nor angry. I've been playing King of Tokyo, which makes a distinction between playing to have fun and playing to win. Check out Hal on YouTube at https://www.youtube

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Podcast Apr 22, 2019

Ep. 27 - Losing Some Battles

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks! This episode is for people who are trying to get better, who are really seeking to excel, but who fall short of that. I do. Many people give up when things go poorly. But those who are really in this war to win it, will not be stopped by a lost battle. Some people avoid losing battles by quitting the war for growth. We cannot do that! Instead, we can use the pain of a single defeat to drive us to resilience and victory in the war! Excelling in faith is a war against mediocrity and lethargy. In that war you will have setba

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Podcast Apr 18, 2019

Ep. 26 - Do Hard Things