Living Shema

Carl and Ben, amidst a few interruptions, continue talking about Carl's experience in India. After all of the great and miraculous things that were done through Carl and the anointing he went to Asia with, it is abundantly clear that Carl is not special. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

LIVE from Chicago it's Living Shema! Well, not live, but we did record this in person so that is neat. Carl and Ben discuss Carl and Emily's trip to India where they partnered with a small church to bring the Gospel to the people within the village. Throughout the story, God's faithfulness in the "little" things Carl has done over the past decade comes to light, and the same can and will be true for all of us if we continue to read, pray, and obey! -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Listen to us prophesy! In this episode Ben and Carl talk about the most secure promise the Christian can rely on - God's unwavering faithfulness. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Let's party! Carl and Ben talk about the exciting, fun, challenging, and simple command to love the stranger and to be with the community of believers. Hospitality, baby! It's about far more than having a great spread. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

When we approach the God of the universe, what do we expect will happen? -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Walking in the Spirit and resisting the flesh is an impossible task unless we understand the power of Jesus' true gospel. It's even more difficult when we are distant from God, when we are bogged down by sin and despair - how do we get ourselves pulled out of this pit? Ben and Carl chat about the simple answer to these questions. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

What is your favorite fruit of the spirit? Ben and Carl discuss why that is a terrible question. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

It's time for another installment of Kingdom Kicks! This time we're talking about... wait a second, the podcast? But really, more than just the podcast but how it has grown us and what it is launching us into for the future. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

What is the end goal of Living Shema? What's all this talk about transformation and sanctification even for? Carl and Ben discuss the beautiful, fantastic mystery of what and who we are being transformed; and boy, is it worth living for. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

For some it is difficult to connect with the fact that an all-powerful, all-knowing God is also a loving father to those who are Christians. Carl and Ben discuss how God's discipline of His children reveals His unfathomable power as well as His personal involvement in His children's lives. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

What happens when we obey the commandment to exhort one another every single day? Does going to a building every Saturday night or Sunday morning cut it anymore? If you are living Shema you will quickly realize that Sunday just isn't good enough. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

What do we do when times get tough? Which stock markets should we invest in to make sure our money is secure? We are not financial experts but we can let you in on a little secret about an investment that has the largest and most guaranteed ROI out there. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Ben and Carl discuss moments in their life where they have realized for the nth time that the truth of God's word is in fact just that - truth. Seems simple enough and that's because it is. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Uh oh! Recently rapper Lil Nas X released a music video and a pair of shoes that are Satan-themed and everyone lost their collective minds. It's time to take a stand as the Church and mind our own business. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

The conclusion of our "versus" series - what is going toe-to-toe with anyone all about? One word: restoration. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

What do you do when a Christian objectively sins against you? Ben and Carl discuss what the Bible lays out and the ultimate purpose of uncomfortable confrontation of sin. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

What do we do when weak Christians start crushing our vibe? Steamroll them or roll over? Perhaps there is a third, more biblical option. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Do you deal with difficult people in your life? Jesus did - all the time. Perhaps most noteworthy is His disciple Judas Iscariot, who never fully accepted the grace that was given to him. Carl and Ben talk about Jesus' example of meekness and patience in the midst of opposition. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Ben and Carl discuss the importance of spiritual retreats with a focus on Christian camping - especially the camp they met at: Bair Lake Bible Camp! Whether you are familiar with this camp specifically or live halfway across the world, we hope this encourages you to get away, experience God in a new way, and then return to your community ready to "set fires". -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

We as Christians must strive to be "average Christians". Wait, isn't that kind of a low bar? Actually, it's the highest bar we can set for ourselves. Listen to find out what we mean! -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Our hearts break for the victims and family of Ravi Zacharias and the evil administered to each and every one of them. Here is our response when we consider "what now?" -- RZIM's Open Letter: https://www.rzim.org/read/rzim-updates/board-statement -- -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

How does one approach studying the Bible? Ben and Carl discuss the edifying nature of studying scripture, letting it wash over you to change you from the inside out! -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

When the world seems like it's falling apart, what will be your response? Will you cling to your country or to your King? -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

It is abundantly better to give than to receive. Everyone knows that - but does everyone believe it? Carl and Ben explore why this is truth and how Christians can claim it for themselves. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Hey what! This podcast is titled "Judging One Another"?! Doesn't the Bible say not to do that? This is outrageous! -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

What the fast? Do people even do that anymore or is that just for crazy cult leaders? Far from it - Carl and Ben break down why fasting and praying is still a necessary and wholly beautiful discipline. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Who makes the rules? Carl and Ben discuss the rule-giver and how His rules are never arbitrary; they always result in our joy and His glory! -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

In this very personal episode Ben and Carl breakdown what it's like to wait for things that don't seem to come and what we as believers should do in the midst of the heartache that may bring. -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Carl hasn't seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and that is not cool. In this episode, Ben tries to convince Carl that he needs to see it by breaking down the passage that Linus reads at the end of the TV special. Does it work? Let's find out! -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Praying to the God of the universe can be an intimidating thing, but do you know that He desires it and even commands that we do it? Carl and Ben discuss how incredible is that we GET to pray rather than feeling like we HAVE to pray - it is a most fantastic reality! -- Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Is communion something we should take weekly, monthly, or quarterly? Or did Christ intend something much more profound and accessible for the believers to do with one another? Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Carl learned how to use his mic! Woohoo!!! In this episode Carl and Ben consider the common problem with leaning on the wisdom of men to tell you what the Bible says. Is the Bible too complicated that we need scholars and commentaries to tell us what God's will is? Spoiler: the answer is "no." So, listen to this podcast to learn that you don't have to listen to a podcast in order to know these things. Questions, comments, or quips? Reach out to us at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com and your email might be featured on an upcoming episode!

Let's put our Kingdom Kicks on! We talk a lot of about Living Shema, but far be it from us to talk the talk but never give examples of how you can actually live shema. Ben shares about a ministry him and his wife are involved in that help children and parents in dire need. Check them out at Safe-Families.org If you have a question, comment, or quip please reach out to us via email at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com - your question could be featured on an episode!

How do Christians interact with the kingdom of the world? We all know that if you are a Christian you must vote Republican. Or wait, was it that if you're a Christian you must vote Democrat? Hold on... what if you're not old enough to vote? What if you're not an American? This is confusing. Listen to the episode. If you have a question, comment, or quip please reach out to us via email at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com - your question could be featured on an episode!

What questions should we ask ourselves when we are making a decision? Carl and Ben dive into three important things to consider: 1. By what standard am I holding this decision to? 2. To what end? 3. Will it matter in a 100 billion years? If you have a question, comment, or quip please reach out to us via email at LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com - your question could be featured on an episode!

Welcome to our first podcast episode of Living Shema! Carl and Ben are passionate about "living shema" but what does that mean exactly? In this episode the two will discuss that it doesn't take a seminary degree to live a life that glorifies and pleases the God of the universe nor does any one person need to become a pastor, deacon, "missionary", or any other type of vocation in order to love God, love others, and live shema. If you have a question, comment, or quip, please send an email to LivingShemaOfficial@gmail.com - you might be featured on the podcast!