Writing in Faith

This special episode is an audio book! A Seed to Cast is a short story from my Christian Supernatural Suspense series, Spirit Wind. The ebook is free to newsletter subscribers, or can be purchased for $0.99 on Amazon.I hope you enjoy this story written and narrated by me!Support the show

What did Paul say? Or did Peter say that? Did Jesus? Does it matter?This week we're looking at three things Paul said, and questioning whether Jesus said it too--and, ultimately, if it matters. And also taking a quick look at part of the character of Paul to see if we should question his motives. Support the show

Kicking off a 3-part sub-series: Did God Really Say? (He usually did.) Today we answer the question: where does the Bible say to "invite Jesus into your heart and be saved"? That phrase isn't, but we can search through a number of other Scriptures to try to find the concept.Support the show

People like to remind religious folk that Jesus ate with sinners--but what do you think those dinners were like? What might have been some topics of discussion? Well, this week we take a look at five of the dinners recorded in the Gospels, who attended, and what reaction they had to sitting with Jesus and breaking bread.Support the show

What do we do when we realize we believe in a heresy? When someone else believes in one? When our pastor preaches one? There's no one-size-fits-all, but we'll take a look at a few key scriptures to help guide us.Support the show

How might Christians view tradition? The Pharisees were somewhat notorious traditionalists, and perhaps why the church tries to be so relevant today. But can we also shun tradition at our own peril--or, at least, a diminished experience in the body of Christ? Tune in to hear Scripture for and against Church tradition.Support the show

Is "Christian Supernatural" an oxymoronic genre? If you hear a book in that genre, do you think "how could a supernatural story be Christian, or vice versa?" This is the episode for you, potentially. Listen in for the briefest of dives into six Scriptures that remind us we're in a supernatural story whether we see it or not.Support the show

Today we look at a few key passages of Scripture as we consider how much value things on earth have. Is it worth fighting for? Getting into arguments over? Judging others for? Removing from our lives just for the sake of removing it? Or, by denying ourselves things, are we only writing a new law that God never gave us? Just three passages today, to maybe help us answer these questions.Support the show

When we're told to "bear much fruit" because it is "to God's glory" it is important to know what kind of fruit we should be bearing. Today we look at what we can expect, what we should expect, and what we should pray for and intentionally bear--no gardener simply throws out random seeds. Neither should we only haphazardly cultivate crops within our character and our souls.Support the show

Fate...freewill...someone should write a fantasy book exploring this idea...What is predestination? Are we able to choose salvation, or has God already determined it beforehand? We start with each verse that uses the word to see some context, and then go all over the Bible to see where else it might pop up--or might not.Support the show

What do you consider sin? Is it doing something bad? And if we are destined for Hell because of our sins--then do we just need to stop doing bad things? What about people who are mostly good? Or, at least, aren't evil?Or do we need to think of sin differently? Listen in for a slant on this idea you may not have considered before.Support the show

This week was a busy week, and I did not have the time I need to fully prepare for a discussion on predestination. So instead we're talking about red flags--when is a behavior or action a red flag, versus something we can either overlook or work through? When can we sit in uncertainty, and when should we run? Let's take a look at an interesting real-world example to help us understand how to better tell people about God.Support the show

It feels like sometimes, so much emphasis is put on coming to Christ, on being saved, that the "by faith not works" starts to bleed into the walk with Christ. Or the walk with Christ is largely ignored--that as long as you are saved, you've done the most important thing. And while it is a critical first step, it is still just the first step. In today's episode we look at why there is so much more to look forward to between salvation and heaven.Support the show

Today we're answering this question--is salvation easy, or hard? What do we have to do to be saved? What is the actual process? Do I just say a prayer? Do I have to do anything first?All this and more!Support the show

Does the Old Testament still apply? Or are the promises of Jeremiah 29:11 only for ancient Israel? Tune in to find out--or to encourage yourself of what you already know.Support the show

Psalm 1:3--does the tree planted by streams of water bear fruit each season? Every season? Should we as Christians see the ripened fruits of our labor constantly? And what about "everything we do prospers"--does that mean something specific to Americans, perhaps?So much to answer and discuss--listen in to learn more.Support the show

When you find work that gives you joy, criticism arises: well, it must not be hard work (and hard work is the only work that counts); that's great you have that, but when are you getting a real job?; and, with your education and experience you should be able to get a good job, not this...whatever you're doing.But are those things important? Will God only call you to do the most difficult things? What constitutes a "real" job? And isn't working for the kingdom "good"?Answers to all this and more in today's episode as we continue to look at work, redefined.Support the show

When God said: "Six days you shall work, but on the Seventh you must rest," was it one command? Or two? That is, do we only work because we must? And only rest because we must? Or was this commandment put in place because without it, we would love work so much as to do it every day? My guess is most of us would take any any time off from our jobs that we could--but I don't think that's what God intended when He "prepared good works in advance" for us to do. Listen in as we try to re-imagine a life of working for God.Support the show

Plenty of preaching tells us to desire what God desires; and we please Him when we do what He desires. But what is it, then, that He desires? Join me on a journey through Old and New Testament as we explore 39 verses telling us just that.Support the show

Are denominations biblical? Paul prays for the church to be unified; now we are fractured almost endlessly. At every perceived heresy, it seems like, a new denomination arises.But it doesn't mean we have to abandon the idea of denominations. Instead perhaps we can return to Scripture and find a better frame of mind when we consider doctrines and beliefs, and even the idea of the "true" Christian.Support the show

Some of the questions that come to mind when making a difficult life-choice is: "What if I screw up? What if I choose something God doesn't want for me? Will everything just fall apart?"It can be easy to think, in a works-based society, that God similarly only gives us what we need if we're doing what He wants us to. Even if you've got the "salvation by grace alone" thing down, don't we still have to obey Him for Him to bless and provide for us?Listen in and see what you think after we look at some critical Scriptures.Support the show

What is freedom? Freedom from law? What is law? Funny how something that is talked about so much has so many definitions behind it. Today though we answer these for those who follow Christ, adhering to Scripture as much as we can. We're still mostly working on the foundation though, with some (maybe) good real-life examples thrown in.Support the show

What does Scripture say in regard to obeying the laws of the land? Should we as Christians subject ourselves to those laws, or do we obey a higher authority? What if that law requires us to sin--or to aid others in the commission of that sin? Our conversation continues--but is not yet finished--in this week's episode.Support the show

Are we free from the law of the land once we receive Christ? We've been given complete forgiveness, we're told; why are we still punished on earth? From an unlikely source we get some insight into this question.Support the show

In today's episode we dive further into our previous Isaiah passage and ask: how can a good God "create the blacksmith who fans the flames and forges a weapon fit for its work"? Turns out, God uses weapons devised by the enemy to accomplish His will throughout Scripture. It may sound messy, and we may not like it, but it's a part of God worth exploring.Support the show

"It's a small world," they say, and east is not so far from west. Or is it? Just how far does God remove our transgressions from us, according to Psalm 103? Listen in for a message of hope for those seeking forgiveness.Support the show

Christianity is meant to offer a lot of hope, love, forgiveness...it can seem, to hear some talk, that a life following Christ is a lot better than one rejecting him. And in many ways, that's true. But if we're only concerned with the material, natural world, a life in Christ can be...hard. Things still go badly, sometimes. We don't always get what we want. Our path forward seems blocked or broken. And all those happy Scriptures start to ring hollow. What do we do? How do we respond? Listen in for some (hopefully) helpful things to consider.Support the show

Welcome (officially) to the new season of In Faith! Today we introduce this session as we ask ourselves an old question reimagined: when you prioritize, when you choose an action, a path, an idea--who do you do it for? Yourself? Your spouse? Your parents? Your friend? If you consider yourself a follower of Christ, do you do it for him? I would encourage you to--and I do, in this episode!Support the show

This week we finish out Genesis by mining a couple nuggets of faith and wisdom from chapters 46 through 50: inflicting our own grief when we don't trust God; sketchy government deals; another early example of God shunning favoritism; another prophecy of Christ; and the reassurance of forgiveness. It's been a great ride, and I'm thankful for all who came along. New season next week!Support the show

As we read Genesis 42-45 we see Joseph take his brothers on a journey of repentance and forgiveness, and leaves us some nuggets of wisdom as we seek our own path of forgiving others according to New Testament teaching. It can be difficult, but God's grace is. enough to help us on our way.Support the show

When God promises us something--through a dream, like Joseph, or through His Word, or through other people--how much are you willing to go through to see it fulfilled? What are you willing to give up? Joseph went through a lot, but saw God's faithfulness. Support the show

We look today at a strange set of chapter, documenting two cases where "God's People" didn't act very godly, and--what's up with genealogies? Why should we care? Listen in to find out!Support the show

Sneak preview of the upcoming Topics in Faith series--Jesus' miracle of walking on water was unprecedented. Why this miracle? The answer sounds like a punchline, except for its profound relevance to our lives.Support the show

We all wrestle for blessings from God and from Man--but should we? Or should we ask and let what comes, come? We start with Jacob as he slowly reconciles with everyone he's cheated, then look at ways we, too, wrestle and cheat.Support the show

Not only does He provide, but His providence is up to him--not us. If He promises to care for us, He will, even if we stray.Support the show

In Faith is back after a 19-month hiatus! Here's what's been happening, why we're back, and how we can "mourn on the way," as it were.Support the show

In what may be our last episode for a while, we look at God--is He a God of wrath and judgement? What do His names say about Him, and what has He shown of His character in just the first 25 chapters of the Bible? If you see the God of the OT as wielding lightning bolts, you may be in for a surprise.Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

Today we read through Genesis 17-19, and what we mean by faith, law, and righteousness. There's a lot of anger, frustration, and hate flying around out there because of those who don't follow the law--but should we as Christians expect them to? Do we, ourselves, follow the law? Some uncomfortable topics and questions, but important to ask and answer honestly in our growth toward Christ-likeness. I hope you'll join me.Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

Today we're looking at the on again/off again faithfulness of Abram and Sarai, and one of the most beautiful passages of God's faithfulness anywhere in the Bible. We need to always remember it depends on Him, not on us--and that's where true freedom lies.Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

Another week, another Special Episode--changes are coming! Spring is in the air, motivation was down the drain, and a golden opportunity to grow my faith in God is here. Lots to discuss, and more to come, take a listen and let me know what you think!Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

Today we look closer at the story of Babel in Genesis 11, tracking God's sovereignty through the scattering of language, people, and how He lead Terah, Abram, Sarai, and Lot from Ur to Haran to Canaan. When life doesn't seem to line up with what God promised, we sometimes need to remember just who is in charge!Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

This week we consider God's timing as we look through the events of the Flood, and the beauty of His first covenant. Sometimes it's easy to think God can move immediately--and He can--but no matter what speed, it is always perfect timing. The best thing we can do is follow His steps.Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

This episode takes a brief break from Genesis to let you know what's been going on behind the scenes here, and why I'm recanting Episode 8: Genesis 5-6. You can find the text of the correction at danieldydek.com/blog.The episode itself will be revised, so if you've listened to it after Feb. 13, 2021 there is no correction to be made.Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

This week we're diving into Genesis 5, and a little bit of 6, working our way through our first big genealogy and some difficult verses about the Nephilim, and God's regret at making mankind. There's a lot to distract us here, so let's keep Christ in front of us as we go.Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

This week we look at Cain and Abel's sacrifices, and when sin crouches at our doors. When someone else's sacrifice is "better" than ours, how do we respond? How do we feel? Is it the worship that is misguided, or us? Listen in to find out how to navigate through some of these questions, and more!Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

Today we talk about the unpopular and uncomfortable topic of the consequences of our sins. Thanks be to God it's not the end of the story--but it is part of the story, and we need to understand and acknowledge it if we are ever to be mature Christians. So, let's get through it today and be grateful for a Savior!Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

Today we're in Genesis 3, where we'll be for at least two weeks. For now we're just looking at the temptation of Eve and Adam, and then a whole slew of New Testament verses as we find out some common tricks of Satan, and what sin itself actually is. We finish with a mental image that will hopefully help us to rightfully compare what Satan offers and what God offers.Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

This is an update episode, first to announce that the podcast is back! It's been too long a hiatus, but we'll quickly be diving back into Genesis 3. For today, here's what's been going on for me since July last year, and what we have to look forward to for 2021.Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

Hey all, work and life can be hectic! So through the summer, until the end of October, look for new episodes every other week, beginning next Saturday, August 8. Hope you'll join me!Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

Today we read through Genesis 2, and look at a scattering of New Testament passages that quote from it, all on the topic of marriage--the two becoming one flesh. The goal is to ask some important questions about the creational reality of marriage, to get us thinking about what God has designed versus what man has turned into ceremony and tradition.Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)

Today's Passage: Genesis 1-2:3.Was the earth created in 7 days, or billions of years? Does it matter? Today we read through the first part of the Creation story, spending most of our time talking about why the earth may not have been created in 7 calendar days; then reversing in one quick passage from John 2 to show why we can accept a 'young' earth and a literal interpretation of Genesis 1. Most importantly, we talk about what the Creation story tells us about God.Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/danieldydek)