Godly Passion, Holy Flame

It's that time of year to stretch our eyes to the horizons and ask the Lord, "Oh, Father! What are you doing that I can be a part of?" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An amazing saint went home to be with her Savior this year. This recording is just my humble attempt to pay tribute to the 57 years of love that she poured into my life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'd like to share with you a play I wrote years ago, inspired by the extraordinary events in the hills outside Bethlehem on the original Christmas night. Although fictionalized, this account is drawn from my research into the story and background of the Bethlehem shepherds (as recorded in Luke 2), stirred together with some holy imaginiation of what it might have been like to experience that holy night, not to mention the years that followed...Music by Julius H. from Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many of you have already heard about the new podcast that I began recently. This is just a little promotional trailer that I put together to try to spread the word and to encourage other disciples who might be interested in the type of "deep-dive Scriptural analysis" that Project: Philippians is aiming to be.If you're interested in joining us on the journey, you can find the podcast here: https://shows.acast.com/project-phillipians (or just search for "Project: Philippians" on your favorite podcast app). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'd like to invite you into a sneak peak of a new project that I have been praying about for months. It is an ambitious new venture -- one that could only be accomplished if the Lord is in it. But, if He is, I believe this project may have a lasting impact in the spirtual journey of many people. In this episode, I'm announcing a brand new podcast that I'm launching today -- a podcast with one singular mission: to take listeners on a verse by verse "deep dive" into one of my favorite books in Scripture: Philippians.For those of you who want to join me on this journey, head over to Project: PHILIPPIANS -- https://shows.acast.com/project-phillipians Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Regardless of how old you are or how many years you already have under your treads, your story is not finished yet. Neither is mine. And the challenging question that has been swirling around in my head recently is, "What am I going to do with the time I have left?" As I've been meditating on this, I've been inspired by the story of Caleb, the man who kept charging hard into God's adventures even into his eighties. That's the type of man I want to be. And, earlier this week, the Lord gave me a little glimpse of that future in a way that has made me yearn for it even more.Joshua 14:6-14 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I want to share just a few things that I'm particularly thankful for this year. Not least of which is an amazing get-together that I got invited to by a guy named Jesus.John 1:37-39 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'd like to introduce you to one very special Hebrew word that has begun to transform my prayer life. הִנֵּֽנִי It's pronounced "hin-nê-nî", and it encapsulates, what I believe to be one of the most important postures of a servant's heart.1 Samuel 3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you lost the passion? Has your flame grown dim? Has the spiritual fire of your soul dwindled down to nothing but glowing embers? I've been there. I know the feeling. But today, I'd like to share with you some verses that the Lord God has placed on my heart, because I want to help rekindle that fire on the hearth of your heart. Men, I believe there is nothing more important in our spiritual lives than fanning into flame the eternal fire of communion with God.Leviticus 6:12-13; 9:23-34; 10:1-3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the final episode in Season Two of the Holy Flame podcast. I have to say Farewell, for a while, but I just I'd leave you with you a final verse, a final challenge, and a final prayer. Hope to see you again in the Fall! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In a world filled with distractions and diversions, it is all too easy to get a hearts off track and out of focus. I'd like to share a story with you that God has used in my life to help fix my thoughts and heart back on the Son. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sometimes all it takes to get back on the path is just a little reminder. And sometimes... the more the better. Today I'd like to share with you a few thoughts from the jogging trail that have helped keep me on the path.Isaiah 30:21 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today I want to read through another epic book of the Bible: Ephesians. I love this book because it's like a dense gem -- a summary of the entire Bible. All the major themes of Scripture converge in this one little letter. From Creation to the Cross to the Coming again; from grace, to peace, to love, to warfare. It's all here in one condensed little book. I pray that these themes will wash over you like never before. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The book of Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul while he sat chained in Roman custody. But it's a letter that explodes with the heartfelt enthusiasm of someone who has clearly learned how to fortify his joy regardless of his circumstances. I invite you to take the next few moments to sit at Paul's feet and listen to him as if you were hearing him speak these words for the very first time. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How would your friends rate your joy level? Would your wife or your colleagues characterize you as an uncommonly happy person? I'm pretty sure that is not the first adjective that would come to my friends' minds if you asked them to describe me. But recently I started pondering those questions and thinking about how much glory God would receive if that were to somehow flip in my life. So I asked the Lord about it. And I'd like to share with you the surprising (and happy) answer that He gave me.Romans 15:13 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today I want to share with you a short reading from one of the most classic books in all of Christian literature. The book is called Abide in Christ, by Andrew Murray. Murray was a great and heroic saint of the late 19th century whose books have stirred many souls through the decades. He's long been one of my favorite authors. This chapter was particularly stirring to me, so I decided to share it with all of you. I pray that it blesses you as it did me. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Some of you know what it's like to get to the end of yourself, after giving everything you've got, and then slam right into the brick wall of exhaustion. Long distance runners know all about it, but it's not just athletes that can deplete their resources.I'd like to give you two words that can help you bust right through that wall. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Psalm 63:4 calls on us to "praise the Lord as long as we live, lifting up our hands in His name." For some of you, this gesture of raising hands to praise God might be perfectly natural for you. Others are a little less comfortable with this type of expression in their worship.  But regardless of your own personal worship "style", the fact that God asks us to do it should cause all of us to ask, WHY? Why is this important to Him? What does it mean? What should it mean? These are some questions that I have been pondering this morning, and I'd love to share my thoughts with you. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recently I was inspired to study the backstory of one of the little-known characters in the Bible -- but one who has had a profound impact on the history of the entire Church. What began with just some curiosity on my part turned into a major historical/Biblical research project and a short (unpublished) article along with this podcast. It's all about the backstory of John Mark, the gospel author. I had no idea, when I first started researching him, how deeply I'd be moved by his life story. I'm sure I don't to justice to it, but, then again, that's why I wasn't selected to write a gospel!For anyone who would like the full text of this article, you can find it here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today's episode I'd like to offer a years-end challenge to the men who are on a journey with the King.  Join with me as we pause for just a few moments on the side of the trail to take stock of where we've been and a gander at where we need to be going.  

The "Godly Passion, Holy Flame" podcast started out years ago as a simple way for me to share what's on my heart for the guys in my life and community. It's all about what God has been teaching me, and what I'd love to say to the men who share my hungry heart. Here's my first-ever cast, recorded on my smart phone almost 3 years ago. It still captures the heartbeat of my desire to stir up the fire and fan the flame in the lives of men who are seeking the King.

[First published: Aug 2019]Some passages of Scripture can become so familiar to us (especially those that we hear every holiday season) that they are at risk of losing their impact in our hearts. It is my prayer that Isaiah's famous "Christmas prophesy" might be rescued from such a fate, because it is truly one of the most astounding portraits of our Savior in all of the Bible.

What is the first thing you do in the morning? When the snooze alarm is finally silenced, what is the first thing that you've got to get into your system? Because, whatever it is, it says a lot about you as a man -- about your character, about your values, about what really matters to you. Which is why I find this early morning picture of our Savior so captivating. So grab a cup of coffee, open up to the book of Mark, and take the next few moments to see what really mattered to the Messiah. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

[First Published: December 2020]Although this was quite a deviation from my normal podcasts, it turned out to be the most popular of all my  recordings.  And although it has a rather "non-traditional" ending, it's based on a significant amount of personal research which convinced me that the encounter described here was actually quite plausible. Come listen to the first century testimony of a man who saw the events of Christmas up close and personal...

One of the most famous and important stories that has ever been written, was written by a man who's own story many people have never heard. Come with me on a historical journey as I unearth the backstory of the man who wrote the first biographical record of Jesus Christ, a book known today as , "The Gospel According to Mark".

If Christianity is true -- I mean really, actually, capital "T" True -- how should that impact your heart? What would your life look like if you genuinely believed it all? Can you articulate the life-changing benefits of belonging to Jesus? Recently, I had the opportunity to have that conversation with someone, and in this episode, I'd like to try to express some of my answers to those questions.

What is the first thing you do in the morning? When the snooze alarm is finally silenced, what is the first thing that you've got to get into your system? Because, whatever it is, it says a lot about you as a man -- about your character, about your values, about what really matters to you. Which is why I find this early morning picture of our Savior so captivating. So grab a cup of coffee, open up to the book of Mark, and take the next few moments to see what really mattered to the Messiah.

AW Tozer once wrote, "Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking." Today, I'd like to spend a few minutes drawing near to one of those holy men of the past: Listen to the words of King David as he describes what his soul felt like when it had lost the vital connection it was designed to depend upon. He wrote, in Psalm 63, that the isolation and loneliness that comes from being disconnected from intimacy with God reminded him of the desperate drudgery of living in a hot, dry desert. Thankfully, he also left behind some clues to help the rest of us in our desperate efforts to quench our own thirsty souls.

In the last episode, I shared with you the story of a shepherd who had a front row seat to the entrance of God's most inexplicable entrance into this world. That story was born from quite a bit of research, prayer, and holy imagination. But the more I studied that history, the more I realized there very well could have been a little more to the story than we read in the book of Luke. So today I'd like to suggest how I think that testimony may well have ended...

I've always been captivated by God's decision to herald the most glorious announcement in history to a group of backwater herdsmen out in the hills. Have you ever wondered what it was like on the night the Bethlehem shepherds were surprised by angelic visitors? A while back I spent some time researching the background of these intriguing characters, and so now, with a bit of holy imagination, I thought I would take a stab at re-enacting the story for you, just as it might have been remembered by one of the shepherds themselves...If you enjoyed this little story, I invite to tune in to second half: Tidings: A Shepherd's Story (Part Two)

Prayer isn't comfortable. Sometimes it can be downright painful. But it is a vital responsibility and an honored privileged for men who aim to be warriors for the King.

I can guarantee you that there has been nothing more critical to my own spiritual formation then learning to cultivate an intensity of intercession. This week I learned that this type of battle can literally shake the heavens. On 10/10 at 10am, two dozen men braved pneumonia to gather on the summit of a stormy mountain and intercede for our city. I think it changed us all. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What an unprecedented year it has been! I know many people, myself included, who have been rattled and shaken this year in ways they just did not anticipate. If you happen to be in that cirecle, I'd like to share some thoughts that I believe the King has been whispering to me in recent weeks -- thoughts that have helped solidify my faith and stregthen my buckling knees.

Today I'd like to share some of the painful, hard-won lessons that I've learned recently about what it means to really "need" God and why the spiritual life is sometimes just so blisteringly difficult. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From our series on Isaiah, today we are thinking about the focus of our eyes and heart. (Isaiah 1:4-8) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

AW Tozer once wrote, "Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking." Today, I'd like to spend a few minutes drawing near to one of those holy men of the past: Listen to the words of King David as he describes what his soul felt like when it had lost the vital connection it was designed to depend upon. He wrote, in Psalm 63, that the isolation and loneliness that comes from being disconnected from intimacy with God reminded him of the desperate drudgery of living in a hot, dry desert. Thankfully, he also left behind some clues to help the rest of us in our desperate efforts to quench our own thirsty souls. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Let the prophet Isaiah be your tour guide as we take a journey into the holy presence of God, and discover that one single glimpse of the Lord God Almighty will transform your life forever. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A few weeks ago I told you that we can never understand the mercy of God unless we first come to grips with His righteous anger. What I told you was true. But it was only one side of the equation. Now it's time to complete the story. Come and spend a few moments listening to the extraordinary lyrics of a song written by an ancient prophet who was given a glimpse of what it would look like on the other side of God's audacious miracle.

There are a lot of barriers in a man's life that keep him from building blood-deep, life-altering relationships with other men. It is not easy. It is not comfortable. It is not common in today's world. But it is vital to the health of your soul. Today I want to challenge you to examine your own life and friendships and to honestly evaluate whether you have broken through those enemy-planted barriers. I want you to discover what King had in mind when He invented brotherhood. Gentlemen... it is worth it.

How did an unknown, inconsequential wanderer from an obscure Israeli village turn history upside down? What was the secret to the Messiah's extraordinary ministry? Where did he get his wisdom and power? Don't respond too quickly, because I would like to suggest that the answer may not be what you think it is. And the implications for your life and mine are jaw-dropping.

So, today's episode is going to be completely different than normal. I'm going to take you behind the scenes to explain How and Why to make a podcast. Here are some of the tools and resources I use:Lexis Audio Editor (for recording from my Samsung phone)Audacity (for transforming the recording into .mp3 format, and for adding music)Youtube Audio Library (for free intro/outro music that's licensed for re-use)Buzzsprout (for hosting the podcasts and distributing them to ITunes, Spotify, etc)Today's intro music: "This Little Light of Mine", by E's Jammy Jams.

I considered not recording this episode. And after I recorded it, I considered not posting it. And after posting it, I thought seriously about pulling it down. There are some things that are true, and right, and need to be talked about -- but that doesn't necessarily mean I want to be the one doing the talking. In fact, in this particular case, I'd just as soon leave it to someone else. But that's the problem: no one else is discussing this. Two hundred years ago, this was a fairly common topic in churches and pulpits. But I doubt you've heard a sermon on this in the last 20 years. Maybe that's part of the problem. Maybe this is a message we have avoided at our own peril. So, ready or not, it's time to suit up and dig in.Consider yourself warned...

If Christianity is true -- I mean really, actually, capital "T" True -- how should that impact your heart? What would your life look like if you genuinely believed it all? Can you articulate the life-changing benefits of belonging to Jesus? Recently, I had the opportunity to have that conversation with someone, and in this episode, I'd like to try to express some of my answers to those questions.

Some passages of Scripture can become so familiar to us (especially those that we hear every holiday season) that they are at risk of losing their impact in our hearts. It is my prayer that Isaiah's famous "Christmas prophesy" might be rescued from such a fate, because it is truly one of the most astounding portraits of our Savior in all of the Bible.

What is the first thing you do in the morning? When the snooze alarm is finally silenced, what is the first thing that you've got to get into your system? Because, whatever it is, it says a lot about you as a man -- about your character, about your values, about what really matters to you. Which is why I find this early morning picture of our Savior so captivating. So grab a cup of coffee, open up to the book of Mark, and take the next few moments to see what really mattered to the Messiah.

AW Tozer once wrote, "Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking." Today, I'd like to spend a few minutes drawing near to one of those holy men of the past: Listen to the words of King David as he describes what his soul felt like when it had lost the vital connection it was designed to depend upon. He wrote, in Psalm 63, that the isolation and loneliness that comes from being disconnected from intimacy with God reminded him of the desperate drudgery of living in a hot, dry desert. Thankfully, he also left behind some clues to help the rest of us in our desperate efforts to quench our own thirsty souls.

Where do you go when life gets dark? When your boat gets shaken in the storm, what's your go-to source for stabilizing truth? There are a lot of voices in our media-saturated world that contend for our attention, and there is no end of counselors on the book-racks offering us their advice. But in our continuing sojourn through the prophesies of Isaiah, the ancient sage reminds us that there is only one Book -- God's Word -- that deserves our deepest trust. The decision to bury it deep in our soul is more crucial than we can possibly imagine. Because if the dark waves haven't hit you yet... they are most certainly coming!

With the fate of the nation hanging in the balance, King Ahaz was given the opportunity of a lifetime: Isaiah offered to give him a miraculous sign to prove that God could be trusted in his darkest hour. Ahaz chose poorly. What's at stake in your faith test?

The twin enemies of Fear and Anxiety have done more damage to the Kingdom of God and its warriors than just about any other enemy strategy. Fear has certainly tripped up my own spiritual growth on many ocassions. Isaiah chapter 7 contains a stark contrast between two men and their attitude toward fear. One man was transformed by a fearful encounter with the King of the universe. The other man was crushed by a fearful encounter with earthly enemies. Three thousand years later, the battle against Fear is still just as formidable as ever. And Isaiah's rousing challenge is still just as stirring.

Before God can use you, He has to bruise you. The prophet Isaiah was hand-selected for a powerful ministry, but before he could be "commissioned" he had to be transformed. That prerequisite is no different for any of us.

The more I see of who God really is, the more it drives me to my knees in worship. The life of the prophet Isaiah was turned inside out when he had an encounter with the True King on His throne "high and lifted up", and for the rest of his life he couldn't stop talking about "the Holy One of Israel". His description of that extraordinary vision is recorded in Isaiah 6, a passage of Scripture that deserves to be read very slowly and prayerfully -- and a passage that I pray will shape your life as profoundly as it has mine.