Alert & Oriented: Conversations about God between Friends

We recently found a Christians perspective on dealing with trauma, and it fascinated us. For decades, we modern people in the western world ignored trauma, and now some seem to be over obsessed with trauma. We've lost a Christian, biblical balance.  What is the Christian perspective? How can we be honest about it in our own lives without losing hope? How do we deal with trauma without succumbing to its bewitching temptation? What does Christ say about trauma?  Join us for this podcast as we talk about what God has put on our hearts.  Link to article on trauma: Make resilience cool again | WORLD (wng.org) And join our course on "Living an Examined Life" by clicking here: Living An Examined Life (thenobleheart.com)For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: The Noble Heart Exploring Intimate Theology - Beliefs of the Heart.

In our fifteen years of working together, Gary and I realize that God has put a few key messages on our hearts: Calling, Hearing God, Friendship, Humility …… and the incredible spiritual value of Living an Examined Life.Christian self-examination is not narcissistic self-preoccupation, nor is it is morbid self-flagellation. Christian self-examination is the learned skill of breaking free from the things that hold us back and the awakened spiritual recognition of the talents God has planted in us for His Kingdom.It's a jail-break seminar coupled with spiritual-investment counseling.Join us for this podcast as we talk about what God has put on our hearts.And join our course on "Living an Examined Life" by clicking here: Living An Examined Life (thenobleheart.com)For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: The Noble Heart Exploring Intimate Theology - Beliefs of the Heart.

At the very beginning of the book of Job, Satan asks God, "Does Job serve God for nothing?" And, honestly, we should all ask ourselves the same question. Do we serve God for God Himself, or do we USE Him to get crowns and gold stars?It is ever-so-easy to serve God for honor-roll children and Facebook likes. It is ever-so-easy to use God's glory for our hidden purposes.In this episode, Gary and Sam share their reflections on Oswald Chambers' February 5 Devotional: Do we serve God to be the Hero, or are we willing to serve God even if it means we'll be a doormat?For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: The Noble Heart Exploring Intimate Theology - Beliefs of the Heart.

A chance conversation on the way home from an airport led us to re-think what God is calling us to do?What season are you in? What is God calling you to add to your life, to subtract, or to multiply? He is always talking, always refining, always inviting. And giving us room to respond or not.What are YOU going to do with the little time remaining in your life? God has an idea.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: The Noble HeartExploring Intimate Theology - Beliefs of the Heart.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: The Noble Heart Exploring Intimate Theology - Beliefs of the Heart.

Oswald Chambers wrote, "God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God's."How often in our lives does God's deepest purposes seem His biggest mistakes? How often do we find His plans for goodness to be so baffling that we almost lose heart?Join us as we discuss together, "Finding hope in the baffling purposes of God."For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: The Noble HeartExploring Intimate Theology - Beliefs of the Heart.

Ancient societies taught their children "courage," both as a skill and as a virtue. But we've lost that art, except as ways of hiding our heads in the sand or putting our trust in ourselves.How are we to face the terrors and torments of life: death of loved ones, disgrace, discovery, or the need to speak an uncomfortable truth?Join us as we reflect on the powerful spiritual gift of Courage!For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: The Noble HeartExploring Intimate Theology - Beliefs of the Heart.

God has a clear and beautiful purpose for your life, a life He has designed, birthed, nurtured, and shaped since before we were born.His plan it to bring life to others through our lives; to bring hope, and joy, and peace, and encouragement, and purpose, and Life with a capital "L." Through each of us to others, His life in us bring His life to all we meet.Join us as we reflect on the powerful, spiritual vitality of "Realizing the life you were designed to live, that brings life to others."For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: The Noble HeartExploring Intimate Theology - Beliefs of the Heart.

Even non-believers highly value an honest self-appraisal. Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living," and Mark Twain said, "Making good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from evaluating our bad decisions.” Why are so many people today so scared to admit their faults? To humbly say, "I need help"? Why are so many of us believers so afraid to look deeply into our hearts for behaviors, motives, and blindness?Join us as we reflect on the powerful, spiritual value of an examined life.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: The Noble HeartExploring Intimate Theology - Beliefs of the Heart.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam was lonely. He wasn't lonely because there was something wrong with him. He was lonely because he was perfect, he was made in the image of God. And God wants for his people, friendship.Yet Christians today never talk about spiritual friendship. We talk about servanthood, brotherhood, and sisterhood, but Jesus says, "I no longer call you servants, I call you friends." And Scripture says, "There is a friend that is CLOSER THAN A BROTHER."What does God have for us in the realm of Spiritual Friendship?For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

The second most repeated command is Scripture is to "remember the Sabbath." While Scripture also forbids us to conform to a moralistic approach to the Sabbath, Jesus also says it was made for our good. What is the value of taking "time away" with God? What are its treasures? And what are best practices? For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

We long to see a community of believers committed to helping each other grow into their calling, into becoming the men and women God designed us to be.Too many organizations recruit and train people for IT'S purpose; but Jesus leaves the 99 to find the lost sheep, to make it His. How we use our community's strengths to help believers find their God-given purpose for them personally?Prompted by this article by Sam Williamson: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/2012/06/12/i-long-for-a-calling-driven-church/For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

We undervalue the importance God places on friendship. Oh we say we treasure brotherhood, sisterhood, and community. But God works hugely through friendship. And we haven't learned how it can save us.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

Transitions are those times in our life when deep changes come, usually un-asked for and often unwelcome, and those changes can be brutally painful. How can we recognize them? And how can we find spiritual hope?For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

It seems like everyone we meet is just a tad bit discouraged. Not really depressed, but kind of melancholy, feeling the blues, just experiencing the doldrums. At least we are. What about you?For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

None of us have seen such an acceleration of cultural change. And much is abhorrible, as if we've given ourselves over to the world. How should Christians act in the face of such radical changes?For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

There is a rich, spiritual virtue that most Christians ignore; it is the virtue of persistent curiosity, to live a life of fascination with God and what He is up to.To take on online course on hearing God, visit Sam's site: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/hearing-god-online-course/For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.And very special thanks to Keith Medley for his FANTASTIC 27 string guitar background song. You can find more of Keith's music at: http://www.keithmedleymusic.com/

We all measure, all the time, all things we meet; especially our own lives. What are the best measurements for your life? To take on online course on hearing God, visit Sam's site: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/hearing-god-online-course/For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.And very special thanks to Keith Medley for his FANTASTIC 27 string guitar background song. You can find more of Keith's music at: http://www.keithmedleymusic.com/

We all want our children to grow into healthy adults, but there is a kind of safety-ISM that breeds a state of fear we call fear-ISM. And God wants something else for our lives.To take on online course on hearing God, visit Sam's site: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/hearing-god-online-course/For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.And very special thanks to Keith Medley for his FANTASTIC 27 string guitar background song. You can find more of Keith's music at: http://www.keithmedleymusic.com/

We want to share with you a life giving practice Gary and I created (by accident) in December 2011. It's an exciting, intentional, motivating way to begin each New Year. We've been doing it for years. In the show, we promised to write down our process, which follows:How To Develop a Transcendent Pursuit:First, find a friend or two (or more) who would like pursue this with you. Or you can join us (for free) at The Noble Heart Community.  CLICK HERE, request to join, and once you are in, go to the "Courses" (found on the left) and join the Discovering Your Transcendent Pursuit ClassHere are Gary's Questions:What have you dreamed of becoming or doing?Is there a craft, an artistry, a skill that you would like to gain, hone or master?One year from now, looking back, what will you be so glad that you began to pursue?What is that one thing that you've always wanted to try that you think could make a difference for someone or something?If God said to you, "this one piece of My Kingdom is yours, now perfect and offer it", what do you think that would be?What do I keep coming back to?  What keeps coming back to me?  Sam's Questions:What is God stirring in you? What has God's activity been in your life? How can you cooperate with it? What season are you in right now?What are you curious about? What is moving you?What is the one truth you would love to express?What are the moments in your life when you said, “That is good!”What do you keep seeing? What do you keep doing that is good? What has an urgency about it?All along, share your answers with your friends.

Why does fatigue take so much out out us? It's not just being tired: we snap and snarl at others, and indulge in self-pity. How do we handle the inner effects of fatigue on us and our family?For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.And very special thanks to Keith Medley for his FANTASTIC 27 string guitar background song. You can find more of Keith's music at: http://www.keithmedleymusic.com/

Have you ever wondered if you would be missed if you left your community? Scripture says we are a body, and so any missing part would be missed indeed. God might call us elsewhere, but everybody's departure should be noticeable.Community and Calling are linked. Just as the hand needs the foot, so our communities needs us to discover and walk in our calling. For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.And very special thanks to Keith Medley for his FANTASTIC 27 string guitar background song. You can find more of Keith's music at: http://www.keithmedleymusic.com/

 Many of us just sideline Scripture. We claim it's authoritative and accurate, but it just doesn't seem applicable to our lives anymore, like, we've outgrown it. So, like we do with many older players, we bench it, and put someone younger on the field.Sometimes I wonder which position is the most dangerous position to take on Scripture: outright denial of its authority? or benching it for someone younger.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

Gary called me this week to discuss a podcast he was listening to: The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. It was so fascinating, we just had to share our conversation with you. We hope  you find it challenging as we do, and we hope we all grow in knowing the real God as he really is, not as we self-focused humans often mis-portray him.To hear the podcast we reference, click here: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/  (While we are fascinated, we don't agree with all of Christianity Today's positions.)For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

On February 26, 2020, just a few weeks before COVID 19 became a household name, Gary and I (with friend John Hard) recorded a conversation together on "Dealing with Discouragement." Unknown to me at the time, I was just recovering from COVID myself, thinking it had been bronchitis. So it is even more fascinating for us to look back at this discussion in light of what would become a national discouragement for months to come. As Gary and I re-listened to it, we thought it worthwhile to share with all of you.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.To join us at THE NOBLE HEART COMMUNITY, click on this link: https://thenobleheart.mn.co/share/iyTB2uHZmzWhI-Fo?utm_source=manual

Curiosity is a great way God leads. Moses went over to look at the Burning Bush out of curiosity. How might God be leading you in ways you haven't considered?For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

It's wrong (and foolish) to live unaware of the dangers around us, but it is more wrong (and more foolish) to let the environment around us cause us to live in a state of fear. But fear is exactly the message bombarding us from both the left and right, and center: the message of FEAR-ISM.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

We all want happiness, who wouldn't?, and the world offers lots of shortcuts. What is God's plan for our happiness? What does He offer us? Listen as Gary and Sam discuss another "counterfeit answer" from the world, and the offering from God. For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

How is God calling us to do ministry in a spiritual fashion that cannot be replicated apart from the work of God? How much do we adopt the tips and techniques of the world, and how much do we stand apart?For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

Today we address the cultural moment of our culture's mishandling of God by appearing embarrassed to declare the "whole counsel" of God. Do we really think we, today, this cultural moment, know more about human problems than God does?For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

The first house Carla and I bought was a trilevel. Only two of the three floors were completed, and we decided to finish the third floor ourselves, creating a family room, office, and second bathroom. I had worked with carpentry, wiring, and plumbing before. But I had never done drywall. I figured the drywall mud would be easy to sand down, so after hanging sheetrock, I caked on mud like a teenage boy piles his plate at an all-you-can-eat buffet. And I went back for seconds.Alas. It took us more time to sand off that surplus mud than it took me to frame in and wire three rooms and to plumb the bathroom. Carla and I spent scores of hours of bored agony, sanding, wet-sponging, power-sanding, and bathing off our layers of dust.The history of the world is the long story of bad answers: I had thought mudding was the easy part. The Christian world has become flooded with worldly answers to life's problems. Jesus came to save us from the world and sin, but there is enormous pressure to adopt worldly answers that promise life but result in death; they have “eyes that do not see and ears to do not hear.” God's answers always birth a new life unlike the world's.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

It is hard to make it to the age of forty without falling prey to some form of betrayal. It may have been a spouse, friend, parent, child, or a business partner; but we've all experienced the bitter taste of having someone close betray us.Which means we all have to learn the spiritual lesson of forgiveness.Oswald Chambers wrote, “Tolerating a wrong attitude toward another person causes you to follow the spirit of the devil, no matter how saintly you are. One carnal judgment of another person only serves the purposes of hell in you.”If you aren't scared yet, Gary and I sure are.This afternoon, we want to talk about the pain of betrayal and the spiritual joy of forgiveness, a call Jesus invites us into, to nurture the life of God in us.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

The Special Forces have a saying:The battle isn't over until all the bullets have been counted.Their principle understands that the last battle is always a precursor to the next. Whether we won or lost that contest, we will be sure to face another. If we don't learn from our last encounter, we will be weakened for our next.To nurture the life of God in us, our Father invites us into an honest examination of life, struggles, friendships, prayer, faith, and prayer. Paul says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?” (2 Cor. 13:5).It is an invitation to intimacy with him.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

Jesus said, “Of those born on this earth, no one is greater than John the Baptist.” Everyone I know would love to hear that kind of high praise. What made John so great? John was famous throughout Israel. Common folk and leaders made pilgrimages to hear him speak. But after John baptized Jesus, John's disciples began to abandon him to follow Jesus. And John said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)John's life reveals the mystery of real spiritual vitality, a life rich in hope, joy, and vision. The life we all want. And it means a kind of decrease, a letting go, an abandonment of self. Letting go doesn't make us less of ourselves, it makes us more of ourselves. It was after John said, “I must decrease” that Jesus said he was the greatest of all humans till then.John had to let go of fame and followers. Most of us don't have that problem, we have no fans. We have to let go of something else:Some of the disciples had to let go of careers.Some had to let go of family.But every single disciple had to let go of their idea of who God is.What happened to Peter? What made him so brave? What turned his life around? He finally abandoned his false image of God and embrace who Jesus said he was. Someone once said: “Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. The one essential element in all our Lord's teaching about discipleship is abandon, no calculation, no trace of self-interest.”For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

Scripture says every believer lives on the border between two kingdoms. But unlike the geographical border between the United States and Canada, the border between these kingdoms runs through the center of our hearts.And these two kingdoms are in a battle to the death. Alexander Solzhenitsyn says, "The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being."On our most "spiritual" days, perhaps we recognize the spiritual forces behind the events of life, but God calls us to have a constant vigilance, an awakened awareness that even the tiniest circumstance can reflect spiritual battles:* The kingdom of darkness enticing us toward rebellion. * And the Kingdom of Light drawing us into joyful submission to the One Who Loves.James urges us to be Alert, Oriented, and Engaged, understanding the battle that rages within. He pleads with us to "resist" the devil and to "submit" to our Father. He reminds us that there is no neutrality:Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:4)We continue our series on "Nurturing the Life of God in Us" as we explore a heightened vigilance and awareness of the inner spiritual battle; and we help each other remember: The battle is already won!

Healthy living has become a major emphasis of modern society. Even many middle-schoolers can tell you that a balanced, nourishing diet significantly contributes to physical and mental well-being. (Whether they care to participate in that healthy diet is a different issue.)Likewise, there is a healthy spiritual diet that nurtures His life in us. God is at work, transforming us from one degree of glory to another; and He invites us to participate in the nourishment of the Spirit.There may be no simpler building of His life in us than active participation in Christian community.Simply gathering as believers magnifies His presence. We know that the life of God enters us when we give our lives to Him, but Jesus prioritizes community when he says there is a special way his presence is manifest when believers gather.For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.

Oswald Chambers once wrote, “The bearing of fruit is always shown in Scripture to be the visible result of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.”There is an innate desire in every human to bear fruit in this world. Some desires are for good (raising a family or caring for the poor) and some are of the flesh (greed or need for prestige). Jesus said that “It is to your advantage that I go away, for I do not go away, the Helper will  not come to you.” Scripture overflows with God's promise to pour his Spirit into us, that is to let His very presence living in us give us the desires and ability to do the things that please Him.We are beginning a new series in our Alert & Oriented podcast, and that is how we can nurture the very life of God in us. Jesus promises to “abide in us” and he wants to teach us how to “abide in Him.”For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/.