Thriving in The Word

Featuring: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn this episode of Thriving in the Word, we continue The Hall of Faith series and we stop at a man who never died. A man who walked with God so closely that one day, God simply took him home.We walk through Genesis 5 and trace it into Hebrews 11:5, where Enoch, 300 years of unbroken communion with God, is lifted as one of the greatest acts of faith ever recorded. And he did it without a single page of Scripture in his hands.That's not a footnote. That's the whole point.We talk about what it actually means to walk with God, not just talking at Him, not just showing up when life gets hard, but walking with Him, the way you walk with someone whose company you genuinely love.That leads us into some honest questions:Are we walking with God or just talking at Him? Do we acknowledge God in all things, or only when we need something? Are we companions of God or just acquaintances?From there, the conversation gets real. Think about a hike or a long walk with someone you fully trust, the silence isn't awkward, it's comfortable. You never want it to end. God wants that same thing from us. Not constant chatter. Not a running list of needs. Sometimes He just wants you present, aware of Him, enjoying Him, the way you enjoy a meal with someone whose company you'd never trade.James shares a story about a speeding ticket and what it looks like to acknowledge God in everything, not just the moments that feel spiritual. Lenny jumps in with his own history behind the wheel. And Judah tells the story of a contest held before GPS existed, challengers had to find the fastest route from New York to San Francisco (I think it was these two cities...doesn't matter as it's not the point), and the winner didn't submit a map. He submitted two words: "Good Company."We close with 30 seconds of complete silence on the Blue Mic, because sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is stop talking and let Jesus speak. Jesus gets the mic for 30 seconds to wrap us up.Topics include: Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11, Enoch, Genesis 5, walking with God, being present with God, companionship with God, silence in prayer, awareness of God's presence, enjoying God's presence, faith without the Bible, acknowledging God in all things, spiritual intimacy, companion of God, Good Company, spiritual formation, discipleship, faith-based living, Christian podcast, Bible teaching, endurance, and the question we all eventually have to answer: Are you walking with God or just near Him?This faith-based Christian podcast is for anyone who wants Bible teaching that doesn't stay on the surface because walking with God isn't a ritual. It's a relationship. And Enoch proves it doesn't require a program, it requires His presence.More Info: ⁠https://www.thrive.church⁠ Give: ⁠https://www.thrive.church/give/⁠ Need prayer? ⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church. © All Rights Reserved.

Featuring: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James GowellEdited by: Tim NicholsonIn this episode of Thriving in the Word, we kick off a brand-new series — The Hall of Faith — and we don't start with the obvious heroes. We start at the beginning, with two brothers, one altar, and a question from God that changes everything.We walk through Genesis 4 and trace it into Hebrews 11:4, where Abel — a man who died at the hands of his own brother — is listed among the greatest acts of faith ever recorded. That's not an accident. That's a statement.We talk about what made Abel's offering acceptable and Cain's rejected — and it has everything to do with the heart behind the worship, not just the act itself.That leads us into some honest, uncomfortable questions:Are we bringing God what He asks for — or what's convenient for us?What do we do when we do the right thing and it still don't get what we expected?Is there an area of your life right now where sin is crouching at the door — and you already know it?From there, the conversation moves into the reality of unchecked anger, jealousy, and pride — and how quickly they move from a feeling to a decision to a consequence we can't take back.Hebrews calls Abel a man of faith — even after his death, he still speaks. This episode asks the question: what will your life say when it's over? Are you building something that outlasts you, or are you slowly negotiating away the things that matter most?Topics include: Hall of Faith, Hebrews 11, Genesis 4, Cain and Abel, faith and worship, acceptable offering, heart posture, jealousy and envy, anger, sin crouching at the door, God's warning, Abel's legacy, faith after death, spiritual formation, denying yourself, obedience, doing what is right, God's mercy, grace, discipleship, endurance, and the question we all eventually face: Are you doing what is right — or just what feels right?This faith-based Christian podcast is for anyone who wants Bible teaching that doesn't stay on the surface — because real faith isn't just believed, it's lived.More Info: https://www.thrive.church Give: https://www.thrive.church/give/ Need prayer? prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church. © All Rights Reserved.

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David Lamanna, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim Nicholson.In this episode of Thriving in the Word, we walk through Hebrews 13 and trace it back into the Psalms, including a stunning prayer that frames the entire chapter as a picture of who God is and what Jesus has secured for us.We talk about the God who doesn't merely command—He equips. The God who calls us to do His will also gives us everything we need to actually live it. That leads us into some honest, practical questions: Do we really believe we have access to God?Do we have a clear conscience?Are we treating Jesus like “Jesus à la carte”—picking what we like and skipping what costs us?From there, the conversation turns to the reality that this world is not our permanent home—and what it means to live as people with a home yet to come. We unpack the tension of being ambassadors of Jesus in a culture that celebrates comfort, self-justification, and “just do what you want.” Hebrews calls us to something different: deny yourself, pick up your cross, and live honorably in all we do—even when it's not easy.Topics include: Hebrews 13, Psalms, prayer, God's equipping, doing God's will, access to God, clear conscience, living honorably, Jesus à la carte, denying yourself, picking up your cross, faith as unseen, slow to speak/quick to listen, justifying behaviors, spiritual formation, discipleship, endurance, and the question we all have to face: Do you actually believe?This faith-based Christian podcast episode is for anyone who wants Bible teaching that doesn't stay theoretical—because following Jesus isn't a life of ease, it's a life of surrender, endurance, and real faith.More info: https://www.thrive.churchGive: https://www.thrive.church/give/Need prayer? prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church.© All Rights Reserved.

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David Lamanna, Lenny Selgado, Ben Cossette, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim Nicholson.In Week 19 of Thriving in the Word, we continue our deep dive through Hebrews—camped out in chapters 10 through 13—and we talk about how what you hunger for shapes what you trade for… and what that trade produces in your life. We connect that thread to the call of Hebrews to pursue peace with everyone, to receive God's discipline as love, and to live with a faith that doesn't just sound good in church—but holds up in real life.We lean into Hebrews 13's challenge to show hospitality to strangers—and the sobering reminder that you never know who God is using, or when you might be entertaining angels. Someone even says it (by accident, on purpose): “Be hospital to everyone.” And honestly? That one hits—because the people around us don't just need our opinions; they need healing, patience, and presence.We also talk about the sacrifices that please God—including a sacrifice of praise. Not praise when it's easy. Not praise when you “feel it.” But the kind of continual gratitude that says, God is still good, and I'm still here.Topics include: Bible study, Hebrews 10, Hebrews 11, Hebrews 12, Hebrews 13, Christian podcast, Christianity, discipleship, pursue peace with everyone, God disciplines those He loves, born again, hospitality, entertaining angels, strangers, sacrifice of praise, gratitude, spiritual formation.This faith-based podcast episode is for anyone asking hard questions about the Bible, Christian faith, God, and what it looks like to follow Jesus with endurance.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family. Have a blessed day.More info:  https://www.thrive.church  Give:  https://www.thrive.church/give/  Need prayer?  prayer@thrive.church This is a presentation of Thrive.Church. © All Rights Reserved.

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, Ben Cossette, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim Nicholson.In Week 18 of Thriving in the Word, we enter our fifth month of studying Hebrews and currently focus on chapters 10 through 13. If you're seeking, a new believer, or a long-time follower of Jesus and want to hear from folks who keep it real, marinate on the Word and dig deeper, this episode is for you. In this Bible study episode of our Christian podcast, we dig into Hebrews 10–13 and talk about real-life discipleship—faith that holds up when life is loud, busy, and distracting.James kicks us off sharing how difficult it can be to find alone time and quiet time with God—not always because of “bad” things, but because everyday life (work, family, responsibilities, noise, phones) constantly pulls at our attention. Then we hit a classic “Ben Moment,” get some laughs, and Mike brings the steady reminder: distractions will always be there, so we've got to learn how to stay faithful in the middle of them.Johnny jumps in on the importance of studying God's Word and “showing yourself approved,” and we unpack what the fear of the Lord really means—not being afraid, but living with deep awe, reverence, and respect for God. Judah connects it to Chronicles of Narnia (“Is He safe?”) and reminds us: God isn't safe… but He's good, He's holy—and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.Johnny shares a story from being raised around guns—why he still triple-checks the chamber even if someone tells him it's clear (“No cartridge in the pipe”). It becomes a picture of spiritual vigilance: we don't live on assumptions; we stay alert. We talk about celebrating God's loyal love, remembering God isn't one-dimensional—He's three-dimensional—and we get honest about what Scripture calls detestable: pride, arrogance, lying, stirring conflict in the Body of Christ, and more.We also lean into the goodness of God's discipline—because Hebrews says discipline isn't enjoyable in the moment, but it's proof of God's love for His people. Judah drops the line, “You're not going to hear this on K-Love” (not a jab—just a reminder that following Jesus includes the challenging parts). We close by confronting the modern temptation to write our own gospel instead of submitting to the real Jesus of Scripture.Topics include: Bible study, Hebrews 10, Hebrews 11, Hebrews 12, Hebrews 13, Christian podcast, Christianity, discipleship, quiet time with God, spiritual disciplines, fear of the Lord, wisdom, reverence, holiness, God's discipline, loyal love, Scripture study, faith in hard times.This faith-based podcast episode is for anyone asking hard questions about the Bible, Christian faith, God, and the reason believers trust in what they cannot see. If you're searching for a Christian podcast about faith, evidence, apologetics, truth, and Jesus, this conversation will encourage and challenge you.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family.Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church. © All Rights Reserved.

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Selgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim Nicholson.In Week 17 of Thriving in the Word, we walk through Hebrews 12 and talk about endurance, repentance, and what it means to fix your eyes on Jesus when life gets heavy.We connect Hebrews 12 with the wisdom of Proverbs: a righteous person falls seven times and rises again. Real faith isn't never falling—it's getting back up because Jesus is faithful. And we ask a question that can change everything: “Jesus did that… for me?” We remember the cross and talk about why so many people walked out of The Passion of the Christ in tears—because the gospel isn't theory, it's personal.This episode also gives you practical heart-check questions for everyday discipleship:Is Jesus your Pilot… or just your Copilot?Have you settled for “side-dish Jesus”—adding Him to your life instead of yielding your life to Him?What keeps you awake at night? What does that reveal about your anxiety, your control, and your trust?Where is your treasure? What do your time, money, and attention show you value most?Hebrews 12Don't grow wearyFix your eyes on JesusChristian encouragementEndurance in faithJesus Pilot or CopilotSurrender to GodGospel reminderWhere your treasure isAnxiety and trust in GodGod will finish what He started (Philippians 1:6)Plus, we use a classic Charlie Brown illustration: shooting arrows into a fence and painting bullseyes around them. It's funny—until you realize how often we do that with our choices and excuses. Hebrews 12 calls us back to a better way: surrender, endurance, and steady obedience.We end with hope: He who began a good work in you will carry it to completion. If you're weary, don't quit. Get up. Yield to Jesus. Let Him lead.This faith-based podcast episode is for anyone asking hard questions about the Bible, Christian faith, God, and the reason believers trust in what they cannot see. If you're searching for a Christian podcast about faith, evidence, apologetics, truth, and Jesus, this conversation will encourage and challenge you.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family.Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.thrive.church⁠⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church. © All Rights Reserved.

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Selgado, Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim Nicholson.In Week 16 of Thriving in the Word, we dive into Hebrews 12 and the call to strip off every weight and the sin that keeps tripping us up. Some things in life aren't always evil, but they are still heavy — and if they slow your obedience, drain your focus, or keep you from running after Jesus, they need to go. We talk about everlasting endurance, living a more minimalistic life, the walls we hide behind, and why suffering can become training ground for deeper faith. If you've been asking, What's weighing me down? this conversation will help you name it, confront it, and run lighter.This faith-based podcast episode is for anyone asking hard questions about the Bible, Christian faith, God, and the reason believers trust in what they cannot see. If you're searching for a Christian podcast about faith, evidence, apologetics, truth, and Jesus, this conversation will encourage and challenge you.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family.Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠https://www.thrive.church⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠https://www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church. © All Rights Reserved.

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Selgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim Nicholson.In Week 15 of Thriving in the Word, we begin exploring Hebrews 11 and the biblical meaning of faith as the evidence of things not seen. We talk about real questions, the search for truth, and why the evidence in creation, reality, and Scripture points to Jesus Christ.This faith-based podcast episode is for anyone asking hard questions about the Bible, Christian faith, God, and the reason believers trust in what they cannot see. If you're searching for a Christian podcast about faith, evidence, apologetics, truth, and Jesus, this conversation will encourage and challenge you.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family.Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠https://www.thrive.church⁠ Give: ⁠https://www.thrive.church/give/⁠ Need prayer? ⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church. © All Rights Reserved.

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Selgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, James Gowell, and special guest Steve Carr. Edited by: Tim Nicholson.In Week 14, we wrap up our discussion on Hebrews chapters 7–9 with one big truth front and center: Jesus doesn't just make you look clean—He cleanses you from the inside out.He is the Supreme High Priest. He is the perfect sacrifice, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. It was really hard to come up with a title for this episode, so i'll share just a few of the ideas before landing on "Inside Out Cleansing"...so here they are:Supreme High PriestThe Perfect SacrificeWithout the Shedding of BloodThe Wages of Sin is....?Out Damned Spot! Out I Say!IOU SacrificeI Can Walk ConfidentlyI Don't Deserve it, You're Right!Who Am I?You are ForgivenThe AccuserNo CondemnationYou Don't Have to be Set Free at ChurchChurch is Not a PlaceWelcome Thrive Church (not to)Jesus Did Not Care About a BuildingFalling in Love with GodWho Told You...You Were NakedAnecdotal FaithSecrets of the UniverseDon't Listen to Thriving in the Word.In this episode we discuss: This is the gospel: You don't deserve it. You're right. And that's exactly why grace is, so shocking!If you've been carrying shame, guilt, fear, or the weight of never feeling good enough, this conversation is for you. Jesus didn't come to polish the outside. He came to make you new.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family.Have a blessed day.More info: https://www.thrive.church Give: https://www.thrive.church/give/ Need prayer? prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church. © All Rights Reserved.

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Selgado, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell.Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn Week 13 We continue our discussion on Hebrews chapter 7 through 9. What if the sign on the door to God's presence really did read: Authorized Personnel Only?In Hebrews 7–9, the writer walks us through a “diagram” of holiness and access...why the old system kept people at a distance, why even the best human priest couldn't get you all the way in, and why Jesus is better than every substitute we've ever trusted.In this episode, we talk about:Why “good people”  still need a Jesus (yes… even the pope sinned)What it means that if Jesus were on earth, He wouldn't even qualify as a priestStanding in the gap and why death must be paidA quick tour of the tabernacle: Keep out. Authorized personnel only.The veil, the blood, and the moment everything changed: the veil is torn—now we have accessCovering sin vs. removing sin: what true forgiveness actually meansThe New Covenant as a last will and testament—and why it goes into effect through His bloodIf you've ever felt unworthy, far away, or locked out, this is the good news: in Jesus, the door isn't just cracked open. Access is granted!! Come close!!Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family.Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church © All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, Lenny Selgado, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell.Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn Week 12 of Thriving in the Word, we continue our discussion on Hebrews 7–9 and talk about covenants, what they are, what the mean/meant and how the old law evolved into bending rules. We unpack the difference between the old covenant (old contract) and the new covenant (new heart), and why God's plan was never just “try harder and do it all right.” From types and shadows to the real thing, we trace how the Old Testament system pointed forward to Jesus—our spotless Lamb, our better Priest, and the One whose blood speaks a better word.Along the way, we get practical (and a little humorous):What does it mean for God to write His law on our hearts?Why do we have an innate sense of right and wrong, and why doesn't that save us?How does hardness of heart keep people stuck in performance mode?We chat about Simon who carried the Cross for Jesus and what it must've felt like to actually have Jesus “blood on you”?Why the first mile is obligation, but the second mile is where we share our faith.If you've ever felt crushed by the idea that you have to be perfect to be close to God, this episode is for you. Jesus doesn't upgrade your effort, He has a new contract.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family.Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church © All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Selgado, Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell.Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn Week 11, we kick off our study of chapters 7 through 9 in the Book of Hebrews.In this episode, we circle back to Melchizedek, King of Peace, and why his “out of nowhere” appearance in Scripture matters more than most people realize. We talk about Abram getting the call from God, taking Lot, splitting their herds and Lot setting up facing Sodom. We talk about the battle of the four kings and the appearance of Melchizedek to bless Abram. Judah shares a takeaway about Abraham as the father of many nations (plural), and how God's plan was always bigger than one family tree.Then we get brutally honest about the limits of the Law: it never made anyone perfect. It could point, warn, and reveal, but it couldn't transform. That's why the old system was full of types and shadows, real, meaningful signposts…but still not the destination.We also tackle modern religious habits, like confession as a “barrier of entry”—and ask the hard question: are we trying to manage forgiveness, or receive it from the One who supplies it? (And yes… we use a weird illustration: why eat the cow when you can just eat the grass?) Ben also takes on a journey of when he used to shave and how to avoided the middle man and went direct to the supplier.The headline of Hebrews 7–9 is simple and explosive: Jesus did it once and for all. No repeat sacrifices. No spiritual paywalls. No endless striving. It is finished.If you've ever felt like you had to “earn your way in,” this episode is for you, because Jesus didn't just open the door…He broke down the barriers.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family. Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church © All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, Lenny Selgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell.Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn Week 10 we continue our study on Hebrews 4 through 6 and we encourage you to read along with us. This episode is called “God's Not Done Carving.” We talk about the kind of faith that doesn't just start, it stays. Hebrews confronts our obsession with instant results and exposes the quiet drift that happens when we want maturity without process, peace without practice, and a “gold medal” life with zero training.We riff on the temptation to put spiritual growth on a credit card, aka pay later, skip the work now and why God won't let us shortcut when He's forming in us. Like a sculptor who keeps carving long after the first shape appears, God is not finished with you. The waiting isn't wasted. The slow start isn't the story. And the pressure isn't punishment, it's precision.If you've been stuck, sleepy, discouraged, or craving a deeper walk with God, this is your nudge to move forward toward maturity. We'll unpack the why behind the what, talk honestly about discipline and endurance, and remind you that you can't trust a God you don't know, but there's also no way to keep showing up and not fall in love with Him.Listen in, let the Word redirect your thoughts, and take your next step, steady, rooted, and growing.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family. Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church © All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell.Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn Week 9 we continue our study on Hebrews 4 through 6 and we encourage you to read along with us. This episode is called “Tasted It and Walked Away.” Hebrews 4–6 doesn't let us stay casual with God: it invites us into His rest, then warns us what it looks like to get close to the fire—taste it, feel it, even be moved by it—and still turn away.We dig into the “once saved always saved” debate, deconstructing faith, and why Scripture draws a hard line between honest wrestling and willful rejection. We also zoom out to the bigger story—Jesus' spiritual lineage and the mysterious figure of Melchizedek—and what it means when Jesus is greater than the ancestors we revere. Along the way, Johnny shares a wild moment of almost falling out of a roller coaster, and we use it as a picture of what Hebrews is pleading with us to do: hold on, don't drift, and don't “lean on your own understanding” when God is calling you deeper.If you've been curious, cynical, burned, or just spiritually stuck, this is your invitation to open yourself up to the wonders of Scripture, move past milk to maturity, and take a real step toward growing closer to God—with reverence, confidence, and a faith that actually endures.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family. Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church © All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Mike McHugh, James Gowell, and Tim Nicholson.Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn Week 8 we continue our study on Hebrews 4 through 6 and we encourage you to read along with us. In this episode, we talk through Hebrews storyline of forgiveness: the Old Testament sacrificial system, what sacrifices could (and couldn't) do, and why the Red Heifer matters in the conversation about cleansing. We also tackle the idea of purgatory, and how Hebrews reframes the conversation around sin, conscience, and access to God.And yes, we go there: the veil being torn, what it actually signaled, and why the Ark of the Covenant still captures our imagination (Indiana Jones included).Then we zoom out and go straight at a hard question: why are so many grown believers still spiritually malnourished? If you're “hungry” but living on milk, it's not because God isn't feeding or you're only going to church one hour a week...you might just be refusing to chew. We talk about stunted spiritual growth, the milk vs. meat tension in Hebrews, and the uncomfortable picture of a 40-year-old still drinking out of a baby bottle.The point isn't trivia, it's transformation: Jesus didn't come to keep you on spiritual baby food. He came to bring you into maturity, confidence, and a faith that can actually carry weight.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family. Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church © All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Ben Cossette, Johnny V., James Gowell, and Tim Nicholson.Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn Week 7 we continue our study on Hebrews 4 through 6 and we encourage you to read along with us. Hebrews says God's Word isn't a butter knife—it's living, active, and sharp, and we talk about what it looks like to stop using the Bible for comfort-only Christianity and start letting it form us into people who actually rest in Christ, not in control.Then we zoom in on the good news: Jesus isn't a vague spiritual concept, He is the actual High Priest. He sympathizes with our weakness, invites us to come boldly for mercy and help, and leads us into maturity.Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family. Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church⁠⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠⁠www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church © All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell.Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn Week 6 we kick off our first week of studying Hebrews Chapters 4 through 6. James kicks us off by sharing Hebrews sharing about entering God's rest and compares this to talking about a chair, we can talk about it all day, but until we actually sit in the chair, we are carrying our weight. Johnny then jumps (yes, he's back, praise God!!) and shares his takeaways from Hebrews, learning obedience through suffering, that Good News is for EVERYBODY (including, you, the listener) and we go all over the place from there. This is an epic episode: thought provoking conversation, great detours, real issues, many laughs and lots to think about. Please come along for the ride.Read along with us as we move onto: Hebrews 4–6Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family. Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠⁠www.thrive.church⁠⁠ Give: ⁠⁠www.thrive.church/give/⁠⁠ Need prayer? ⁠⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church © All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Ben Cossette, and James Gowell.Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn Week 5 we wrap up Hebrews chapters 1 through 3, and prompt you with the following questions before listening: What are you tolerating today that you would've walked out on five years ago? If you're “fine as you are,” Hebrews has a loving but sharp question for you. Ben's VIP night out turned into a spiritual gut-check in about 30 seconds. Quick question: have you ever brought Jesus with you or left Him in the car?Lenny kicks us off by talking about the slow drift that hardens a heart over time, how constant resistance from the world can quietly corrode our spiritual sensitivity until we find ourselves putting God on the shelf.Ben shares a personal story from a VIP showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the moment he knew he needed to leave before the night pulled him somewhere he didn't want to go. That story sparks a real conversation about conviction, wisdom, and boundaries: we're called to be in the world, but not of the world and the fact that the Holy Spirit always provides a way out.Judah, David, Lenny, Ben and James also dig into why reading the Bible daily transforms your life, keeps your heart soft, why convictions are meant to shape us (not fuel judgment of others), and what it looks like to live a Spirit-led life in dark places while still walking in wisdom.Lenny closes with the takeaway that names the episode: don't leave Jesus in the car.Jesus isn't limited to “business hours”—He's King of 365 / 24-7. Bring Him with you, and He'll make your path straight.This is an epic episode: thought provoking conversation, great detours, real issues, many laughs and lots to think about. Please come along for the ride.Read along with us as we move onto: Hebrews 4–6Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family. Have a blessed day.More info: ⁠www.thrive.church⁠ Give: ⁠www.thrive.church/give/⁠ Need prayer? ⁠prayer@thrive.church⁠This is a presentation of Thrive.Church © All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, Lenny Salgado, Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, James Gowell, and Tim Nicholson.Edited by: Tim NicholsonIn Week 4 of Hebrews 1–3, we ask a simple question with huge implications: Prophet, Guru, or This Jesus?Mike opens with how Hebrews warns God's people about false idols—and why that warning still matters today.James then dives into Hebrews 3 across translations, NASB1995 “consider Jesus", LEB "consider Jesus", NLT “this Jesus”, what the Greek carries for the word "consider", and why we're called to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and pursue the truth.Judah walks through major world religions and how many acknowledge Jesus as a real historical person—yet redefine Him as a prophet, teacher, guru, or divine messenger. But Hebrews confronts us with this Jesus—and with Jesus' own claim: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)From there, we go “trust but verify” with the Dead Sea Scrolls and some seriously fun history rabbit trails—while continuing to marinate on the same three chapters for the fourth week in a row.This is an epic episode: strong conversation, great detours, and lots to think about. Come along for the ride.Read along with us: Hebrews 1–3Help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word—and thanks for being part of the family. Have a blessed day.More info: www.thrive.church Give: www.thrive.church/give/ Need prayer? prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church © All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonThis episode kicks off with an update on Johnny (thank you for your continued prayers!), and James sharing what stood out to him in Hebrews 3; "Don't harden your hearts" and aligns with an example of a callous, how it forms over time, how it protects from the pain, but it also blocks us off from feeling. James then asks, what is that one thing you have been putting off that God is nudging or asking you to do?Judah then shares about the importance of delayed obedience is the same as disobedience. The entire crew then begins to share examples of how God protected them, acknowledging God's miracles, not just shaking them off or worse yet, forgetting about them.We then find ourselves talking about spiritual drifts, aka drifting, the slow process of "drifting" away from God. Conversation goes full circle and we land on the miracle of God's Grace, how we have a direct line to Jesus via the Holy Spirit and there is no need for a intermediary.This is a page turner episode so come along for the ride...it's a great conversation! Please read along with us. Hebrews, chapters 1 through 3.Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, and we encourage you to read it and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonYou don't want to miss this episode, not only do we deep dive into Hebrews, Johnny steps outside to cough off the mics, slips on ice and breaks his leg (real time). James gets the following text message from Johnny mid-episode, "Slipped on ice outside going to cough off mic, think I broke my ankle". You will hear James say, "What?!?!" and we end up spending the rest of the day in the ER, getting xrays, getting Johnny fitted with a brace and getting him home.Prior to the incident, we dive into Hebrews 1 through 3, discussed the fact that Jesus didn't come to abolish the law of the Prophets, but to fulfill it. We discuss Jesus being Supreme over all, Angels being servants, that Salvation is a Person, Jesus is the door to our Heavenly Father, how easy it is to drift away spiritually, aka spiritual drift, God's Word is our map and then we help a brother in need. Hebrews is considered to be some of the most beautifully written Greek in all of the Bible and we uncover the gorgeous description of sovereign Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.This is a page turner episode so come along for the ride...it's a great conversation! Please read along with us. Hebrews, chapters 1 through 3.Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, and we encourage you to read it and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonWe kick off our series on the Book of Hebrews, chapters 1 through 3 and we cannot wait for you to hear what our crew uncovered. From the history of who wrote Hebrews, is it Paul? is it Barnabas? is it Apollos? is it Pricilla? Is Hebrews a book? a letter? a sermon? or all of the above? What time period did Hebrews happen?We then start to uncover the truth of the Israelites being so focused on ritual, industry, knowledge that they get wrapped up in old contracts versus new contracts. Hebrews is considered to be some of the most beautifully written Greek in all of the Bible and we uncover the gorgeous description of sovereign Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.Wouldn't be a Thriving in the Word episode without a random rabbit trail, so we reveal to our listeners the greatest secret in real estate sales in the last 2,000 years. Want to to know what it is? Well, you'll have listen and discern whether to bury a statute upside down in your yard or keep it simple, follow Jesus.This is a page turner episode so come along for the ride...it's a great conversation! Please read along with us.Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, and we encourage you to read it and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, Lenny Salgado, Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonWe wrap up our discussion on 3 John 1 which is the shortest book/letter in the New Testament. This is another page turner episode so come along for the ride...it's a great conversation! Please read along with us.Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, and we encourage you to read it and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, Lenny Salgado, Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonWe dive into first week of studying 3 John 1 which is the shortest book/letter in the New Testament. This is another page turner episode so come along for the ride...it's a great conversation! Please read along with us.Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, and we encourage you to read it and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: David LaManna, Mike McHugh and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonWe dive into our second and final week of studying 2 John 1 which is a short 13 chapters yet packed with heat. David kicks us off by sharing the background of 2 John and how easy it was for the Docetist to target the house churches due to the love followers of Christ show. James shares a real life and recent example at a recent small group and David brings it full circle in sharing the importance of discernment via the Holy Spirit.Mike shares that truth and love are inseparable and we go on a journey together imagining receiving a letter from John that he is planning to visit.This is another page turner episode so come along for the ride...it's a great conversation! Shhh, there is a bonus feature for you hardcore listeners if you listen to the end. Next week, 3 John, so please read along with us.Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, and we encourage you to read it and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonWe dive into our first week of studying 2 John 1 which is only 13 chapters, but jam packed with wisdom. David kicks us off by sharing a little background to 2 John and we all quickly jump on the watching out for the wolves in sheep's clothing. Judah hits the "soapbox" jingle and we are off!! This is another page turner episode so come along for the ride...it's a great conversation!Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, and we encourage you to read it and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonWe are back and we actually hit record this time!! Join us as we wrap up our discussion on 1 John. Johnny kicks us off by sharing five (5) key takeaways from 1 John and we launch off from there.Judah shares a powerful reminder about the importance of primary doctrine uniting us and unclear doctrine dividing people. This is another page turner episode so come along for the ride...it's a great conversation!Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, and next week we will be discussing 2 John, so we encourage you to read it and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, Lenny Salgado, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonThe crew entire crew is sick, but we rallied through it and gathered up to record this episode. Lenny kicks of us talking about 1 John chapter 4, verse 1. James then shares about his downtime on Sunday when he was sick, watching sports and how fanatic people can be with their face paint, costumes, etc. Yet some people come to church, see people praising God and think it's weird, and then brings it full circle and using everyday moments to point people to Jesus. Judah shifts the conversation and starts talking about the gift of prophecy and uses the September 23rd rapture as the example. This is a page turner episode, throw on your mask, stand six feet from your speakers and come along for the ride...it's a great conversation!Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, read 1 John 1-5 with us and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Johnny V., Lenny Salgado, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonJames kicks us off by sharing a takeaway from two of Judah's recent sermons about alone time with God, how the sun is all life giving, yet the closer you get to the sun, the more dangerous it gets. This evolves into David asking the big question, would anyone like to live forever? Then Judah shares a description of what he feels Heaven will be like and it just blasts off from there.Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, read 1 John 1-5 with us and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features David LaManna, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonDavid kicks us off by sharing his takeaways from 1 John and the crew talks for over 45 minutes about this life transforming sermon in the form of a letter. Get ready to hear about flying over the bars, sloppy Christians, falling seven times and getting up eight, not conforming to this world, letting God prune you, prune you again, and much more.Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, read 1 John 1-5 with us and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonDavid kicks us off by sharing his takeaways from 1 John and the conversation quickly turns to takeaways and sharing about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The crew shares their appreciation for ALL that Charlie Kirk did to point people to Jesus, however the importance of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, not the world.Bit of a different style of conversation, but with the world, family, social media being so loud, the Holy Spirit lead the way."Well done my good and faithful servant"Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, read 1 John 1-5 with us and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, and Mike McHugh. Edited by: Tim NicholsonDavid kicks us off by sharing his takeaways from 1 John and leads to a discussion of the Law of Entropy and how things degenerate through a gradual change or evolution, aka devolve into chaos.Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, read 1 John 1-5 with us and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonThe crew continues their discussion on 1 John and Mike kicks us off with some great questions about the letter/sermon from John. David (our history guru) responds with his research to address Mike's question and the conversation goes from there. Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, read 1 John 1-5 with us and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

Thriving in the Word Podcast was live in Terryville CT for the recording of our 200th episode. This discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonHuge thank you to all who joined us, to Amanda, Shane for baking 200 cupcakes, Itty Bitty Cookie Company, other folks who brought snacks and ALL of the folks who helped greet, set up, tear down and listen.The crew jumped into 1 John live on Monday August 18th and we are grateful that the place was full of brothers and sisters (thank you again!).Judah kicks us off with a little of how the Bible study started, how it evolved into a podcast, as well as introducing the cast. David then gets into the history of 1 John, Johnny then shares the commonality with John and the rest is for you to listen, discern and we appreciate you listening. Please help us spread the word about Thriving in the Word, read 1 John 1-5 with us and come along for the journey. Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonJoin us for our wrap up episode of the Book of James. We could spend another 6 months discussing this book but we must move on and we are so excited for you all to join us for our live recording of the 200th episode on August 18th.We will be reading 1 John and we are excited to see what God has in store as we all read and discuss 1 John as a group and with you.Please read along with us!!Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

Thriving in the Word Podcast – Ep. 200: LIVE at our Terryville Campus! We're celebrating a huge milestone—our 200th episode of Thriving in the Word—and you're invited to join us LIVE for this special recording! Come be part of the experience on Monday, August 18th at 7:00PMat our Terryville campus: 284 Town Hill Road, Terryville, CT.Our regular crew: Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell and editor Tim Nicholson.New Series Launch: 1 John We're excited to announce that we're kicking off a brand new series diving into the book of 1 John! We encourage you to start reading 1 John with us before the live discussion. Bring your friends and family for an evening of food, snacks, fellowship, and fun as we dig into Scripture together.All are welcome—let's pack the house and make this a night to remember!Help us spread the word:Share this event with your friends, church family, and on social media so no one misses out on this special night!Thank you for listening and being part of the Thriving in the Word family.Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

Thriving in the Word is preparing for our 200th episode and we are excited to share the details very soon. For now, we put together a long bonus version of our study on the Book of Acts, chapters 15 through 28.Stayed tuned for the details on our 200th and we are so grateful for all who listen and encourage you keep reading scripture as well as tuning in. This episode features, Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Selgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell.Enjoy, we will be back next week and have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonThis week, Lenny kicks us off by going back to chapter 1 and shares a story from his Pentecostal days at church. Lenny shares about the importance of endurance, suffering and eventually needing nothing. Judah then jumps in and doesn't sugar coat it by saying, "practice makes perfect is a lie" and how practicing the wrong things will not make you perfect, it is all about endurance.A ton more to share, but we will let you listen and we welcome your feedback, suggestions and encourage you to share this with others.Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonThis week, Johnny kicks us off by sharing how at times, he can be abrasive when he shares the Gospel with others and shares how what he was reading James, he himself felt convicted when reading about the care of orphans and widows. He asked himself, when was the last time I helped, visited or even prayed for orphans and widows. David then jumps in with his past experience of helping many people, taking many missionary trips...but his regret of not having it all center around sharing Jesus Christ with these various people.Lenny shares how the world often says, "well, thats not my problem."Mike then jumps in and shares his experience in pastoring our nursing home ministry at Thrive Church and how impactful it is to these people and their families. It is not done for glory, but for the spread of the Good News.James shares chapter 5:6 in the Book of James and shares the historical perspective of this scripture reading and adds the element of hoarding treasures versus being generous to expand upon the caring of the others.David talks about his experience trying to fill the God sized holes in our hearts with wordly things. It's never enough!!A ton more to share, but we will let you listen and we welcome your feedback, suggestions and encourage you to share this with others.Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonThis week, David kicks us off by asking the question, "do you understand God's Way's?" and shares what stood out to him from chapter 3 in the book of James.The conversation stays on the rails for the most part and you will hear each of the Thriving crew share about the importance of leading a Spirit lead life.A ton more to share, but we will let you listen and we welcome your feedback, suggestions and encourage you to share this with others.Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonThis week, David kicks us off by sharing some current 2025 events and how relevant "taming the tongue" is thousands of years later. Ben then shares how powerful words can be to either tear you down or build you up. Judah then talks about the power of silence.Mike shares about a time when he would pause before he spoke and found himself saying nothing.Johnny then shares a testimony of being out with his family, two teenage daughters and weeping at his flesh when some men were looking at his daughters. This then turns into a conversation about the importance of Being in Christ, denying ourselves gives us freedom. If you want to taste freedom, draw near to God as He will draw near to you.Join us for an amazing discussion on the Book of James, real life stories, practicing righteousness and how our past, our limitations, DO NOT DEFINE US, our IDENTITY IN CHRIST defines us.This is an awesome, awesome discussion and we encourage you to share this episode with a few friends. Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonThis week, James kicks us off by sharing James 5:13 where we are instructed to pray when we suffer hardships, praise when we are happy, ask for prayer when we are sick. Our James talks about being in constant communication with God versus putting Him on and off the shelf.Mike shares his perspective and personal testimony on how he has seen this impact his life and how he is grateful he no longer looks at God as a geni in a bottle.Johnny takes us in a different direction by sharing about the importance of taming our tongues and what would we insert into our own mouths to tame our tongues? How about feasting on the Bible?Judah then goes on a mini soap box about a meme accoubt that bashes pastors for using props and Judah talks about how Jesus used logs, specs, etc to teach others.We then go on a long discussion about the power of confession to a friend and the authority each of us have (in Christ) to forgive others or reinforce their forgiveness.This is an awesome, awesome discussion and we encourage you to share this episode with a few friends. Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Kirsten Salgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. This week, David launches the episode and James chats about we've all shared the Book of James is the Proverbs of the New Testament, many ref's to the Sermon on the Mount, but the Holy Spirit shined a light on the Book of James being the practical application of the Sermon on the Mount.David then shifts to chapter 4, and the spiritual adultery references and being humble in the face of God. Some people put and take God on and off the shelf versus going all in.We go all over the place in this episode and have a powerful discussion of the fact that life, goes by in a moment and we are so groomed by the world to be wordly, and so many think they have weeks and years...but today is the day, seize the moment and give your life to Christ.Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Kirsten Salgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonWhat does it really mean to be a “badass for Jesus” in today's world? In this episode, we're keeping it real and talking about the stuff that quietly pulls our hearts away from God—like our phones, comfort, and even our own pride. Let's be honest: modern idols don't usually look like golden statues. Most of the time, they're just the things that eat up our time and attention without us even noticing.We'll chat about how the Book of James calls out “spiritual adultery” (yep, that's a thing!), why it's so easy to get distracted, and how giving your life to Christ is about way more than just showing up on Sundays. Plus, we'll dive into the book Tortured for Christ and talk about what it means to actually suffer for Jesus—and why, believe it or not, that's something to be proud of.If you've ever wondered if you're loving the world a little too much, or just want some encouragement to go all-in for Jesus, this episode's for you. Let's laugh, get honest, and take some real steps toward living boldly for Christ.Also, we've included a little bonus feature at the end where the crew discusses Denny's, Waffle House, and Walmart.Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Selgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonAnother amazing convo about the Book of James. Johnny kicks us off by sharing a verse about boasting about tomorrow. We often get caught in that trap, forgetting that God opposes the proud, not to mention, God chooses us.The conversation takes a shift when Judah shares how this relates to Abram and Lot. Abram places his tent facing Sodom and how we can all get caught in that "slow degradation" trap where we see something, we edge closer to it and next thing you know, we are right dab in the middle of it.The crew then talks about the catatonic state of the world, distracted by shows, doom scrolling and we end up as couch potatoes watching life go by.David brings us back on the tracks by talking about being good stewards with not only our financial means, but the gifts that God has given to us. Being Do'ers of the Word, not just hearers.Judah elaborates and shares about knowing people who could crush anyone in Biblical Jeopardy, yet their lives are off the rails.All in all, whether it be hearing and doing, or knowing and sitting idle, we get our title for this episode, The Great Omission? Information without Application.So, lets encourage one another to read scripture as well as the importance of being obedient to the Holy Spirits calling to be Jesus' hands n feet in this world.Too often, we treat faith as a collection of facts, verses, and Sunday sermons—while our daily lives remain unchanged. James calls this out directly, urging us not to be hearers only, but doers of the Word. We'll explore how easy it is to fall into the trap of spiritual complacency, where knowing the right thing becomes a substitute for actually living it out.Together, we'll examine real-life scenarios where “the great omission” happens—when we withhold love, ignore opportunities to serve, or rationalize inaction. This episode invites listeners to reflect on the gap between what we know and what we do, and to consider how true faith is proven by action. Through stories, scripture, and honest conversation, we'll encourage each other to move beyond passive belief and step boldly into a faith that's alive, visible, and transformative. Are you ready to close the gap between information and application?Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonJoin us for our new study on the Book of James, wait a minute, we have a theme going here, the brothers of Jesus. David kicks us off this week talking about perseverance and endurance in chapter 1 of the Book of James. When followers of Christ go through trials with patient endurance, we can consider it all joy. In the end, you will be perfect and needing nothing.Judah takes us on a journey by sharing his research on ultra marathons. When one runs 1,000 miles, the importance of taking it one step at a time. David then shares about trying to take on the world by yourself versus truly surrendering your life over to Jesus Christ. When we are weak, He is strong.Johnny then elaborates on the importance of the person who is being blessed and then endures testing, we often think of blessings like winning the lottery? The disciples for example were hunted, tortured, betrayed, martyred and they considered it all joy to suffer for the Lord.The group talks about the importance of "Check Points" throughout your week, instead of relying on your one hour on Sunday to carry you through the week, join a small group, go to church on Wednesday Nights.So much more is covered and every journey of faith brings us to pivotal moments—those crossroads where we must decide: Do we turn down the easy path of Give Up Canyon, or tackle the climb toward Patient Endurance Peak? In Week 6 of our James 1-5 series, we dig into scripture for wisdom on navigating these tough choices. With real-life stories, biblical encouragement, and practical steps, this episode will inspire you to keep moving forward, even when the trail gets steep.Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonBonus: 1980's Martial Art MoviesJoin us for our new study on the Book of James, wait a minute, we have a theme going here, the brothers of Jesus. James kicks us off again this week by sharing scripture that stood out, "religion that God our Father sees as pure and faultless is this, to look after orphans and widows who are in distress and to not be corrupt by the world". He shares of the Holy Spirit working in and through us and having eyes to see and ears to hear those that are hiding or struggling in the shadows.Judah then brings up the line just before this verse about taming the tongue and how this overlaps with modern day, taming our thumbs.Lenny shares an experience prior to the start of Thrive Church where he was struggling looking at himself in the mirror. He had to learn to love himself, before he could love others.Mike jumps in and shares about not just reading or listening to the Word, but being a "Do'er" of the Word. He shares the importance of being quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.Judah then shares how certain people, famous people, famous pastors, have a following of people are quick to slam them when they mess up and forgetting that we are all broken, sinful humans. Instead, approaching things with gentleness and kindness. Again, controlling our tongues and or thumbs.We wrap up pretty quickly, however for those loyal listeners, there is a solid 10+ minutes of our pre-podcast recording where we are chatting about old 1980's martial arts movies.Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, Lenny Salgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonJoin us for our new study on the Book of James, wait a minute, we have a theme going here, the brothers of Jesus. James kicks us off by sharing an experience of listening for the voice of God and hearing the message "Value the Shadow People" and the many months asking, seeking and trying to discern the meaning. Memorial Day weekend (ironically) in 2023 the discernment was clear; as he looked out in his backyard and noticed that God had placed so many amazing people in his life, young, old, tattoos, jacked up pasts and that God had surrounded him with his tribe, the shadow people...exactly where he belonged because he himself was a shadow person.The conversation then heads into the backstage; Gold, Silver, Bronze passes to meet Jesus, and how important it is to spend alone time with Jesus...after all, we pay all this money to meet these famous musicians and celebrities and the backstage pass with Jesus is FREE!!Such an awesome conversation and no surprise, a Memorial Day story kicks us off and as I type this, it is Memorial Day...God is just THAT GOOD!!To all the fellow Shadow People, we love you and we encourage you to invite someone to church, to Bible Study or into the fold...cuz statistics show, 88% of people are waiting for the invite and will say yes.Happy Memorial Day to all and we lift ALL families and ALL brothers and sisters that have paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can praise and worship in FREEDOM. To ALL who have served this great country, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts of YOUR SERVICE. God Bless the United States of America.Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Lenny Salgado, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonJoin us for our new study on the Book of James, wait a minute, we have a theme going here, the brothers of Jesus. David kicks us off by taking us back to the beginning of James and shares what stood out to him about how to become a good follower of Jesus Christ? What questions come to mind? Am I doing the right thing? In Chapter 1, verse 2, "when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it all great joy". David reminds us that tests always serve great purpose, and reads, "when you faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow".Mike then shares how the above reminds him of the cycles in the Book of Judges and Mike calls them, "Faith Cycles".We then chat about the "World" telling us we need this or that and we will finally be happy. More, more, more...needing more.Yet, the Book of James tells us, "when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."Lenny shares how Jesus stands beside us when we go through trials and tribulations and it isn't by our strength that we get through it, it is Jesus Christ!Mike shares some personal trials he had been through and how he now sees them as blessings.Judah jumps in and shares how we often grumble and complain, but James tells us to consider it all "great joy". Judah then explains the basics of what an actual test is, it is a reward for completing the test, right?!?! A test helps us make it to the next level. Testing = troubles of any kind.This is only scratching the surface, but the conversation evolves into the importance of asking God for wisdom no matter what the circumstance. However, to not forget to the read the next few verses which stress the importance of having unwavering faith...hence, where the title came from.Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, David LaManna, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, Dan Yeadon, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonJoin us for our new study on the Book of James, wait a minute, we have a theme going here, brothers of Jesus. David kicks us off by sharing what stood out to him about Faith without works is dead and this quickly turns to Judah sharing about flying an airplane and which of the two wings is most important? Both, correct? Faith without Works is Dead.We then talk about how people often think they can stack up good deeds to offset wrongdoings.Conversation then takes a deep dive into how preparation, study, weight rooms, playbooks and the amount of prep before an NFL team takes the field for gameday.We spend quite a bit of time on this as it so applicable to life.Enjoy and we appreciate you listening.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Enjoy and have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved

This week's discussion features Judah Thomas, Lenny Selgado, Johnny V., Ben Cossette, Mike McHugh, and James Gowell. Edited by: Tim NicholsonJoin us for our new study on the Book of James, wait a minute, we have a theme going here, brothers of Jesus. Ben kicks us off talking about the humility of James, not mentioning Jesus by name. James then talks a little about James being skeptic and what happened to transform him from skeptic to being a leader of the church.We then go all over the place, from being a brother of Jesus, what that must have been like, to Bible App Streaks, to praying to God and asking Him for wisdom. It is an awesome episode and hope that you enjoy it.We encourage you to read James with us and comment on what has been sticking out to you?Enjoy and have a blessed day.For more information visit: www.thrive.churchIf you would like to give financially you can do so here: www.thrive.church/give/If you need prayer email us at prayer@thrive.churchThis is a presentation of Thrive.Church©All Rights Reserved