The 2nd Mile Podcast

Real love isn't just about feelings—it's about sacrifice. In a world that often chooses self over others, Jesus showed us a better way. He loved by serving, by giving, and by laying down His life. That's the kind of love we're called to show every day.

No one likes to admit when we make mistakes, but the more religious we become, the more prone we are to deflecting responsibility because we don't want to appear weak or sinful. Part of maturity is about admitting when we're immature.

Imagine handing over your student ministry to someone new—what would they focus on first? Before the events, the energy, or the excitement, there's a deeper foundation that makes all the difference.

You don't need to be a seasoned expert to share the gospel—just someone who knows Jesus and cares about others. Learn how to tell your story, explain the good news, and trust God to use your words to change someone's life.

Following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey, but we often attempt it that way. Discover why joining a local church is one of the most important decisions you can make and how it can change your faith for life.

You won't always have a Bible in your hand, but you can always have God's Word in your heart. Learn how memorizing 25 key verses can equip you to face life's battles, know your identity, and speak truth when it matters most.

Prayer isn't boring—we just often carelessly approach it without a realistic and heartfelt plan. Learn how to build a game changing, personal prayer strategy that helps you stay focused, grow deeper, and actually enjoy talking with God.

Discover why reading the entire Bible could be the most life-changing decision you ever make. It's not just about checking a box—it's about knowing who God is, who you are, and how to stand strong no matter what comes next.

Most Christians agree that knowing God's Word is vital for spiritual growth, yet many feel it's too hard to understand or explain. As disciples, we must commit to clear and faithful teaching that helps others grasp the truth.

We often become overwhelmed by the sheer number of problems pressing on us, many of which lie beyond our ability to fix. But instead of being consumed by what you can't control, choose to focus your energy on what you can.

For those who grew up in the Church, the story of the cross can become too familiar if we fail to be moved by it anymore. Reflect on the last words Jesus said while on the cross to know His heart for us.

The path of following Jesus provides ample opportunities to do amazing feats, but they typically are completed by simple steps along the way. As we help others, we must provide them with achievable goals as they progress.

Money isn't evil, but the love of it is because of all the ruin and destruction it can bring to each one of our lives. We must learn how to harness our desires and continue to keep God above our love for money, or else it will ruin us.

We often blame our children's spiritual condition on the culture we cannot control rather than the family we can alter. We must do our parts to raise our children in a positive spiritual environment, regardless of what transpires around us.

We live in a time when everyone speaks passionately about every issue regardless of whether they are the experts. Sometimes, we speak so definitively on non-essentials that we lose the right to speak of essential truths.

Many people read the Bible but forget what they studied moments later due to a tragic misstep. If you want retention from your devotional practices, you must learn the art of summarizing what you learn so you can remember and share it with others.

Every person you encounter today is going through multiple situations, positive or negative, of which you are probably unaware. In light of the knowledge of such ignorance, we must evaluate where someone is before we attempt to help them get where they need to be.

In our fast-paced, independent, result-oriented society, we seem to grow frustrated if something doesn't happen instantaneously as we desire. Oftentimes, the change we seek in multiple areas of our lives is much slower than we ever desire it to be.

When we attempt to follow God's call on our lives, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the potential opposition threatening to slow down our progress. Instead of focusing on the negative that could go wrong, anticipate what God can do through you.

We celebrate numerous milestones in life, highlighting those moments repeatedly to where those memories are cemented in our minds. If salvation is as important as you say it is, do what you can to ritualize celebrations of the conversions in your home.

When we often encounter people who are homeless, our reaction is typically to look away so that we don't feel the pressure to do anything about it. As followers of Jesus, we must be like Him and embrace those in need rather than ignoring them.

Many disciples of Jesus have a desire to grow or at least a guilt when they aren't doing so, but we rarely design a plan to help us in our efforts. To be successful in spiritual disciplines, you need to evaluate what you need to start and what you need to stop.

Do you struggle to make progress in the most important things? People often miss the essentials due to distraction, laziness, or busyness. Don't allow these mindsets to rob you of accomplishing great things with the time you have this very day.

In our younger years, we obsess greatly about who are the people we consider as our best friends, yet, we become more relationally isolated as we age. Many of us miss a key aspect of life by failing to make and keep deep friendships.

Whether or not we acknowledge it, many of our conflicts aren't against physical powers but spiritual forces. As spiritual beings, we fight spiritual battles, but if we ignore the reality of them, we are probably losing ground all around us.

It's the most wonderful time of the year (if you consider being stressed, busy, and broke as wonderful). While there are so many exciting moments to enjoy, our culture has structured this time of year to hinder our commitment to ministry.

Your hopeful plans for your life, job, or ministry may be immense, but they honestly may not be sized correctly. When we attempt something that God desires to be done, our grandest plans might potential.

We have more ministry programming for the next generation than ever before, but our kids aren't staying connected to the church. We are expecting programs to do what God expects parents to do. It's time to go the second mile in partnering with the home and the church for the sake of our children.

The United States has survived another election day, but there are plenty of questions still to be answered in the days to come. As citizens of this country, we are called to live according to our heavenly citizenship regardless of the outcome.

In hostile political times, Christians can get sucked into the vitriol that is consuming the United States of America. Instead of reflecting the words, attitudes, and actions of the culture, the Scriptures provide another path.

With all the ethical battles being waged in our culture, many people remain in a state of political outrage and intense disagreement. While men may speak their minds on the issues, few discuss them biblically in the home.

As we navigate another contentious election season, Christians should be a voice of reason, sensibility, and hope. Instead of being sucked into the outraged culture, disciples of Jesus should prove themselves different.

Maybe you feel like you have too many responsibilities and not enough time to address everything you have to do. Before you start making fixes, you first need to identify the problems that you are experiencing. It's time to go the second mile in fixing what you finally admit is broken.

All of us talk about how stressful our lives are as we seek to work through frantic schedules and numerous tasks. The fact is that nothing gets more orderly by accident, and we must be proactive to make the most of the time we have. It's time to go the second mile in personal discipline.

We talk about laziness as if it is a character trait that some people just can't help, but that doesn't address the seriousness of the issue. If you lag around life, you miss out on the wonderful opportunities God has given you. It's time to go the second mile and stop making excuses for laziness.

If you are a parent, you understand that the days are long, but the years are short as you seek to raise the children entrusted to you. Your availability is directly related to your capability as you set out to disciple your kids well. It's time to go the second mile in parental availability.

You may not feel trained as a counselor to assist in crisis situations, but you probably can do more than you give yourself credit. Discover how you do these four simple things and help someone in desperate need better than you think you can. It's time to go the second mile in counseling someone in crisis.

Many people feel stuck in a marriage that they seek to improve, only to be met with resistance or complacency from a spouse. While a healthy marriage depends on two people putting in the effort, you might have to resort to an individual strategy. It's time to go the second mile in working on your marriage.

We are all prone to wander, but we are each prone to wander in different ways. We have to evaluate our habits to find victory against temptation. It's time to go the second mile in fighting tempting situations.

Many people count teenagers out when proving themselves to be productive disciples of Jesus Christ. Instead of expecting less from these students, the church needs to raise the bar for their expectations and open the door for their opportunities.  It's time to go the second mile in equipping teenagers with radical discipleship.

What's the difference between a class and a group? One is where you listen to a teacher, but the other is a people to belong. We need more than just a class to attend and record our attendance. We need people to encourage our spiritual growth. It's time to go the second mile in small groups.

Most Christians admit that we are supposed to share the good news with others, but fear often paralyzes us from doing just that. Instead of remaining in guilt, what if there was a way for you to unlock your potential for sharing the gospel?

People typically don't spend their wedding day planning on how they can have an affair in the near future, but that doesn't stop the unfortunate sin from transpiring. With affairs, common traits are typically present and must be avoided.

Having stuff isn't sinful as long as it doesn't have you, but we often feel like our worth is wrapped up in what we own. Instead of thinking about what we can give, we focus on what we can get and miss out on a better path. It's time to go the second mile in learning biblical contentment.

Jesus spoke of His way being a narrow path that few find themselves upon, and our world is full of people who create their own paths of distorted Christianity. If the religious way is popular, it's probably not the Jesus way.

Prayer is not an emergency hotline only to dial when we get in trouble; it is an ongoing connection with our Father so we can stay in step with His Son. If we want to learn how to pray well, we best go learn from Jesus.

Teenagers get a bad wrap in our society for being self-absorbed, technologically fixated, and unwillingly sacrificial. In our churches, we must not expect less from our students who desire to follow Jesus wholeheartedly.

If you listen to the way many Christians talk today, we sound so different from the way Jesus expected us to live and serve others. Instead of making it about Him and others, we make it all about becoming as comfortable as possible.

There are traps of sin that all of us can fall into because we are humans with desires of the flesh, but there are traps of sin that are very effective on you personally. If you want to follow Jesus in obedience, you must beware those traps.

Money is a gift from God, but if it is not kept in the right position, it will take the place of God in our lives. In our society that treasures the riches of this world in an unhealthy way, disciples of Jesus must refocus their values.

Being a disciple of Jesus is more than adherence to a set of beliefs or acceptance to a momentary call; following Christ in this world changes everything. To say “yes” to Him might mean saying “no” to other things that we love.