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Send us a textDownload study notes for this chapter.Download study notes for this entire book.**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show
A Bigger Life Prayer and Bible Devotionals with Pastor Dave Cover
This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination. Psalm 73:23 NIV “...I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.” Psalm 73:28 CSB “But as for me, God's presence is my good. I have made the Lord GOD my refuge…” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Send us a textDownload study notes for this chapter.Download study notes for this entire book.**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show
October 9, 2025 The Daily Walk Devotional Podcast by Walk Thru the Bible is designed to help you listen through the Bible in one year. Each episode provides a short devotional thought and a guided journey through each day's Scripture passage. Episodes are six days a week, with the weekend combined into one day as a catch-up day. Thanks to our partners at Biblica for making the NIV audio Bible available. Find out more at www.biblica.com The Listener's Bible®: NIV® Edition Audio Copyright℗ 2011 by Max McLean. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ©2020 Walk Thru the Bible All rights reserved.
In this episode, we confront one of the hardest emotions men face in divorce — anger. Emotions are real, and like a thermometer, they reveal what’s happening inside us without defining who we are. We’ll talk about how emotions are morally neutral and how understanding them can lead to healing instead of destruction. Through biblical teaching, we’ll explore how God calls men to face their anger honestly and let it refine rather than consume them. Bible Verse Inspiration: Ephesians 4:26–27 (NIV): “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Resources: www.MensDivorceRecovery.org
Send us a textDownload study notes for this chapter.Download study notes for this entire book.**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show
October 8, 2025 The Daily Walk Devotional Podcast by Walk Thru the Bible is designed to help you listen through the Bible in one year. Each episode provides a short devotional thought and a guided journey through each day's Scripture passage. Episodes are six days a week, with the weekend combined into one day as a catch-up day. Thanks to our partners at Biblica for making the NIV audio Bible available. Find out more at www.biblica.com The Listener's Bible®: NIV® Edition Audio Copyright℗ 2011 by Max McLean. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ©2020 Walk Thru the Bible All rights reserved.
Welcome to Day 2709 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom Day 2709 – A Clean Life - Strong Warnings About the World 1 John 2_12-17 Putnam Church Message – 08/31/2025 Sermon Series: 1, 2, & 3 John “A Clean Life – Strong Warnings About the World.” Last week, we explored 1 John 2:1-11 as we learned the seven rules on how to live a ‘Clean Life' with “Wise Words from a Family Meeting.” This week, we continue through the letter of 1 John, and we will cover 1 John 2:12-17 as we explore how to live a ‘Clean Life' with “Strong Warnings About the World.” Let's read 1 John 2:12-17 from the NIV, which is found on page 1900 of your Pew Bibles. 12 12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 14 I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. On Not Loving the World 15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. Opening Prayer When danger draws near, a warning is in order. And the greater the danger, the more vital the warning. Let me share a story from a long-time pastor and President of Dallas Theological Seminary, Chuck Swindoll. I will share it in the first person as he did. /When I think of warnings, my mind goes back over sixty years to when I found myself standing on the deck of a massive troopship, seeing the city of Yokohama, Japan, in the distance, just across the Tokyo Bay. Our ship was slowly snaking its way through the bay because there were still some naval mines lurking beneath those waters—leftovers from World War II. As the pilot was guiding us carefully, a full colonel called some thirty-five hundred Marines to an assembly. He called us together to give us a warning. Great danger drew near. Not the physical danger of the naval mines. Those could be easily navigated. He had other dangers in mind … dangers lurking not in Tokyo Bay but in the streets of Yokohama, where thousands of pent-up Marines were about to be unleashed. “All of you, listen up,” he said. “For many of you, you will be the foreigner for the first time in your lives. You're going to be walking in an area you've never walked before. You'll be among people who speak a language you've never spoken before. You'll be...
A Bigger Life Prayer and Bible Devotionals with Pastor Dave Cover
This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax your body and refocus your mind to experience the reality of God's presence. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination. Genesis 2:7 NIV “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The apostle says to the pagan philosophers in Athens… Acts 17:25, 28 NIV “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. …‘For in him we live and move and have our being.'” God speaks through the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah… Jeremiah 23:24 CSB “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” Psalm 73:23 NIV “...I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Send us a textDownload study notes for this chapter.Download study notes for this entire book.**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show
October 7, 2025 The Daily Walk Devotional Podcast by Walk Thru the Bible is designed to help you listen through the Bible in one year. Each episode provides a short devotional thought and a guided journey through each day's Scripture passage. Episodes are six days a week, with the weekend combined into one day as a catch-up day. Thanks to our partners at Biblica for making the NIV audio Bible available. Find out more at www.biblica.com The Listener's Bible®: NIV® Edition Audio Copyright℗ 2011 by Max McLean. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ©2020 Walk Thru the Bible All rights reserved.
Click here to read the episode highlights. The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com. 2 Helpful resources along the parenting journey: Link to 8 Feelings for Children Chart How Are You Feeling Today Four realities that no one will defeat, this side of heaven. The best we ever get at living is clumsy. No one can become perfect, even though we carry a picture of it in our hearts. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV) says, “He has set eternity in the human heart.” No matter our determination or information, we humans will always have to struggle with mistakes and sin. We have to live on life's terms, not our terms. Death and the unpredictable are a part of this life. We cannot know the future. We are dependent upon our need of each other and God. If we do not face, feel, and deal well with our neediness in a healthy way, we will become defended against the pains that come with love. No one can change or defeat this fact about life. If we don't learn how to need others and God, it increases the negative consequences we don't want for ourselves or those we love. Everything in life is practice. Doctors are practicing, and lawyers are practicing. Parents are also practicing, as are children. We are not works of perfection. We have to keep learning and risking without knowing all of the outcomes. We are in this life together; the more proactive everyone is in helping each other practice living fully and loving deeply, the better the outcomes. It takes a lifetime to learn how to live. Whether we are eight, twenty-eight, or eighty, we are still asking many of the same questions throughout our lives, like, “When will we get there?” “How much will it hurt?” or “Will you be there to get me?” No one has all the answers to life. We have to keep learning how to live, even as we gain wisdom about doing so, hopefully. There is not a destination of “having it all together.” We are all works in progress. Rather than the facts of reality defeating us, they can actually give us permission to gain more humility. Click here to continue reading the episode highlights.
GOLD Updates, Novel Treatments, and Managing Comorbidities in COPD Care Level up your COPD care with practical, evidence-based strategies. Learn how to confirm airflow obstruction with spirometry (and use LLN/Z-scores thoughtfully), stage patients with the A/B/E framework, and build treatment around long-acting bronchodilation—adding ICS selectively based on exacerbations and eosinophils. We'll highlight the nonpharmacologic moves that change outcomes (smoking cessation, vaccination, pulmonary rehab, oxygen when indicated), when to reach for add-ons (azithromycin, roflumilast), how to approach chronic hypercapnia with home NIV, and what's new (hello, ensifentrine). Pulmonologist and longtime Curbsiders member Dr. Cyrus Askin (@Askins_Razor ) returns to share real-world pearls for diagnosing, treating, and managing comorbidities in COPD. Claim CME for this episode at curbsiders.vcuhealth.org! Patreon | Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | YouTube | Newsletter | Contact | Swag! | CME Show Segments Intro Case 1 Diagnostic Workup Understanding the Ratio, LLN/Z-Scores, and Equity Symptom abd Risk Staging (A/B/E) Case 2 Foundational Care Initial Inhaler Strategy Progression & Hypercapnia: NIV & Adherence Counseling Add-On Pharmacologic Options for Frequent Exacerbators What's New and Emerging Comorbidities and When to Refer Take-Home Points Recap Plugs, CME, and Credits Credits Written and produced by Paul Wurtz MD. Show notes, cover art, and infographic also created by Paul Wurtz MD. Hosts: Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP Reviewer: Emi Okamoto MD Showrunners: Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP Technical Production: PodPaste Guest: Cyrus Askin MD Sponsor - Freed Use code: CURB50 to get $50 off your first month when you subscribe at freed.ai Sponsor - Grammarly Sign up for FREE and experience how Grammarly can elevate your professional writing from start to finish. Visit Grammarly.com/podcast Sponsor -Locumstory Learn about locums and get insights from real-life physicians, PAs and NPs at Locumstory.com
271. Ways to Engage with Youth, Teens, and Gen Z in Church and at Home with Dr. Kara Powell *Transcription Below* 1 Thessalonians 2:8 NIV "so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well." Kara Powell, PhD, is the chief of leadership formation at Fuller Theological Seminary, the executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute, and the founder of the TENx10 Collaboration. Named by Christianity Today as one of "50 Women to Watch," Kara serves as a youth and family strategist for Orange, and she also speaks regularly at national parenting and leadership conferences. Kara has authored or coauthored numerous books, including Faith Beyond Youth Group, 3 Big Questions That Shape Your Future, 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager, Growing With, Growing Young, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, and the entire Sticky Faith series. Kara and her husband, Dave, are regularly inspired by the learning and laughter that come from their three young adult children. Questions and Topics We Cover: What insights do you have to share on Gen-Z? When it comes to navigating intergenerational tensions, how can we practically turn our differences into superpowers and unite together? In your most recent book, entitled, Future-Focused Church, you begin with writing that the brightest days of the church are still ahead. What led you to that realization? Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage Other Episodes Mentioned from The Savvy Sauce: 127 Generational Differences with Hayden Shaw 2 God-Honoring Relationship Between a Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law with Author of The Mother-in-Law Dance, Annie Chapman Stories Sampler from The Savvy Sauce Stories Series: 233 Stories Series: Surprises from God with Tiffany Noel 235 Stories Series: Ever-Present Help in Trouble with Kent Heimer 242 Stories Series: He Gives and Takes Away with Joyce Hodel 245 Stories Series: Miracles Big and Small with Dr. Rob Rienow 246 Stories Series: Experiencing God's Tangible Love with Jen Moore Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“ Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“ Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” *Transcription* Music: (0:00 – 0:11) Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 2:13) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. I'm thrilled to introduce you to our sponsor, Winshape Marriage. Their weekend marriage retreats will strengthen your marriage while you enjoy the gorgeous setting, delicious food, and quality time with your spouse. To find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org. I am so honored to introduce my guest for today, Dr. Kara Powell. She is the Chief of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary and the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute. She's also founder of the 10x10 Collaboration and named by today as one of 50 women to watch. She is also extremely humble and insightful as she's going to discuss how we can leverage the power of stories and questions in our relationships at church and in our family and in beyond, and this is to model the life of Jesus. Make sure you also stay tuned in through the end because she's going to share a plethora of conversations and questions specifically to ask when we're engaging in conversation with young people, whether that's our own children and teens or our grandchildren or people in the community or our churches. It's some questions that you don't want to miss. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Kara. Dr. Kara Powell: (2:07 - 2:09) Oh, it's so good to be with you and your audience, Laura. Laura Dugger: (2:09 - 2:13) Well, I'd love for you just to first give us a snapshot of your current life and share what's led you to the work that you get to do today. Dr. Kara Powell: (2:14 - 4:06) Yeah, absolutely. So, let's see. I'll start with family. Dave and I have been married for I think 27-ish years, and we have three kids who are 24, 22, and 19. Our youngest is a college freshman, and so we're technically empty nesters, but I actually like the term open nesters better because our kids come back, which we love. They come back in the summers and sometimes after college. And we actually, since I live in Pasadena, California, which had the fires in January, we actually have another 22-year-old young woman living with us, which we love. So, we love having my husband, Dave, and I love having young people around, whether it's our own three kids or the young woman who's living with us. And I'm also a faculty member at Fuller Seminary, and while I certainly teach periodically, my main roles at Fuller actually have to do with leadership beyond Fuller. I'm the chief of leadership formation at Fuller, so I oversee all of Fuller's non-degree offerings, and then I'm the executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute, which is a research center that studies the faith of adolescents. And I love that question, what got me to the work that I do today? Well, God would be the answer to that, but I was a long-term youth pastor here in Southern California at two different churches, loved teenagers, and Fuller was getting ready to start a new research center that was going to listen to the needs of parents and leaders, and then do research to answer those needs. And that really intrigued me, because I love young people, and I love research, and I love real-life ministry and family. And so, I thought, well, I would love to hear more about that center, and I've been at Fuller now for over 20 years. Laura Dugger: (4:07 - 4:17) Wow, that's incredible. And quick side note, I'm just so sorry for everything that you all endured in January with all the fires. Dr. Kara Powell: (4:17 - 4:39) Yeah, it's heartbreaking, and in some ways, in many ways, devastating. And I'm grateful for how God is working through churches and working through God's people. So, there's all sorts of bright spots in the midst of the pain. But yes, please pray that churches and God's people would be salt and light, because it's going to be a few years of rebuilding. Laura Dugger: (440 - 4:43) Yes, Lord Jesus, may that be true. Amen. Dr. Kara Powell: (4:43 - 4:44) Yeah, thank you. Laura Dugger: (4:45 - 5:17) And I know with your background, you've studied practical theology, and you also have this broad knowledge of psychology. But some churches haven't studied psychology as much, and so I think that typically leads to less of an appreciation for it. But my fear is that they may miss out if they completely ignore it. So, will you share some of the benefits that you've seen that come from applying God's truth from any of theologies? Dr. Kara Powell: (5:17 - 8:14) Yeah, yeah. Well, at Fuller Seminary, we have two schools. One is our School of Mission and Theology, which I'm an alum of and a faculty member in. And the other is our School of Psychology. And so, Laura, you asked a question that's right at the heart of what we love about training leaders and therapists. And in fact, my favorite statue at Fuller, the title of it is Planting the Cross in the Heart of Psychology. And that's exactly what we believe. So, you know, God's made us as holistic people. And I love thinking both about how is our theology driving us as well as our psychology. And you know, one way to think about our psychology, a colleague of mine at Fuller talks about people's losses and longings. And that phrase has been so helpful for me. Like, what are people's losses and longings? And how is that connected with how they're responding? So, so much of our work at the Fuller Youth Institute relates to young people. And I remember coaching a senior pastor who was experiencing a lot of resistance to prioritizing young people from senior adults. And what the senior pastor realized is, of course, I shouldn't say of course, but in this particular church, when he was saying we need to prioritize young people, those over 60 felt like, wait, that means I'm not going to be a priority. People who are older often already feel that here in US culture. And so, no wonder that was intimidating, that was threatening, that felt like a loss to those senior adults. And so, I love what the senior pastor ended up doing is he implemented one of our principles of change that we recommend, which is people support what they create. And so, if you want to build ownership, then how can you involve as many people as possible in creating whatever you're trying to develop? And so, the senior pastor went to the senior adults and apologized for sending a message that, you know, made them feel like they were not going to be priority. And instead, he said, how can we make this church a church that your grandkids would love to be part of? And that connected with those, you know, post 60, most of whom were grandparents, whether their grandkids live locally, or, you know, globally, they wanted their church to be a place where their grandkids and other young people would connect. And so, you know, he turned senior adults feeling like they were peripheral, to really feeling like they were partners in what God was doing in the church. And so, yes, I would invite us all to think about what are people's losses and longings? And how is that contributing to how they're responding to whatever we're all experiencing? Laura Dugger: (8:15 - 10:20) Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor. Friends, I'm excited to share with you today's sponsor, Winshape Marriage. Do you feel like you need a weekend away with your spouse and a chance to grow in your relationship together at the same time? Winshape Marriage is a fantastic ministry that provides weekend marriage retreats to help couples grow closer together in every season and stage of life. From premarital to parenting to the empty nest phase, there is an opportunity for you. Winshape Marriage is grounded on the belief that the strongest marriages are the ones that are nurtured, even when it seems things are going smoothly, so that they're stronger if they do hit a bump along their marital journey. These weekend retreats are hosted within the beautiful refuge of Winshape Retreat, perched in the mountains of Rome, Georgia, which is a short drive from Atlanta, Birmingham and Chattanooga. While you're there, you will be well fed, well nurtured and well cared for. During your time away in this beautiful place, you and your spouse will learn from expert speakers and explore topics related to intimacy, overcoming challenges, improving communication and more. I've stayed on Winshape before and I can attest to their generosity, food and content. You will be so grateful you went. To find an experience that's right for you and your spouse, head to their website, windshapemarriage.org/savvy. That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E marriage.org/S-A-V-V-Y. Thanks for your sponsorship. Well, Kara, you've also done so much research on young people and just in general, I'd love to hear what insights do you have on Gen Z? Dr. Kara Powell: (10:20 - 14:16) Yeah, yeah. Well, we at the Fuller Youth Institute, we have spent a lot of time studying and doing research on Gen Z, which tends to be those who are 14, 15 and up. Our very youngest teenagers are all actually now Gen Alpha, but we'll talk about Gen Z. And as we've looked at the research, we've landed on three words which we think well describe Gen Z. First, they are anxious. And if we look at young people today, they do have unprecedented levels of mental health challenges, anxiety, depression, stress, even suicidal thoughts. And so, we do a lot of training to help parents and leaders understand mental health and how they can be a safe space and get young people the help they need. So, this is an anxious generation. This is an adaptive generation. This generation is so creative and entrepreneurial and visionary. You know, while there's a lot of downsides to technology, technology also helps young people know more about what's wrong in the world and sometimes take steps to make what is wrong right and restore God's justice to our world. And so, this is an adaptive and creative generation. And then in addition to being anxious and adaptive, this is a diverse generation. Here in the U.S., we crossed a line in 2020. In the midst of everything else that happened in 2020, we crossed a line where now 50% of those under 18 are young people of color. So, for your audience to just keep that in mind that 50% of those under 18 are white and 50% are young people of color and that percentage of young people of color is likely going to continue to grow. So, I would say those are three key attributes to this generation. And then, you know, when it comes to what this generation is experiencing spiritually, I really appreciate what my friend and fellow podcaster Carey Nieuwhof has described with young people that they are both in revival and retreat. And, you know, we see data for both. There's so much that's encouraging about how young people are responding to Jesus. They're open to Jesus. We're seeing this especially on college campuses. They're responding in mass on college campuses in some really beautiful ways. Both InterVarsity and Crew are seeing that. But then this generation is also in some ways distancing themselves from the institutional church. Springtide Research Institute did some study of 13- to 25-year-olds and found that 13- to 25-year-olds in the U.S. are almost three times as likely to say they've been hurt by organized religion as trust organized religion. So, our 13- to 25-year-olds are distrustful, a little cynical about institutional religion. And so, we have our work cut out for us to build trust back. And let me just say, sadly, we have earned young people's lack of trust by the way that by our moral failures, by the way that we have not been as loving as Jesus wants us to be and as young people want us to be. And so, the good news is the way that we re-earn trust with young people is by little acts of kindness and consistency. So, anybody listening can rebuild trust with a young person. The research on trust shows it's not about heroic acts. It's about sending a text and saying, hey, I'm praying for you. It's about remembering a young person's name at church. It's about showing up at a young person's soccer game. So, in the midst of this generation and being both revival and retreat, there are practical steps that any adult can take. Laura Dugger: (14:17 - 14:36) Wow, that's so good. You've got ideas now coming to me for how to pour into even the youth group. This is probably a very random idea, but how great would it be to have a Google calendar of all of their events and then whoever in the church is available to go support? That would just be a practical way. Dr. Kara Powell: (14:36 - 15:45) Okay, so, Laura, you have just named actually one of my favorite ideas that a church that is here in Los Angeles is doing. They created a Google calendar and volunteers as well as parents can add information. But then what this church did, they started with a Google calendar and then it's a church of about 300 people. And so, they have now started every Sunday morning. They have a slide with what's happening in young people's lives for the next week. So-and-so is in a play. So-and-so has a basketball game. So-and-so has a Boy Scout activity. And so, adults in the church, often senior adults who have some extra time, are showing up at kids' events. Plus, every week they're prioritizing young people. So, when you're a young person in that church and every week there's a slide about you and your friends and what's happening, that says something to the young people sitting there. So, yeah, you're-I actually love that idea. And especially for smaller churches, I think that's one of the big advantages of smaller churches is we can be more intimate and caring. So, yes, let's please do that. Laura Dugger: (15:46 - 16:00) Oh, that's so good. I love hearing how that played out. And now I'm also curious because you mentioned it's Gen Alpha behind. Do you have any insight onto them as well? Dr. Kara Powell: (16:00 - 16:27) Well, you're going to have to have me back because we are just-we received a grant from the Lilly Endowment, who's funded much of our research to study Gen Alpha. And they're just getting old enough that we really can, quite honestly. And so, like literally this week we are working on survey questions for Gen Alpha. And we'll have more in the next year about what's similar between Gen Z and Gen Alpha, as well as what's different. So, I'd rather wait and save that for later. Laura Dugger: (16:28 - 16:34) That sounds great. I'm especially interested in that generation. That is all four of our daughters would fall within that. So, I can't wait to hear your findings. Dr. Kara Powell: (16:34 - 16:36) Yeah. Laura Dugger: (16:38 - 17:15) And I think it's also bringing up, I'm going to link to a previous episode, Generational Differences with Hayden Shaw, because I don't know if you feel this same way. I think millennials especially got pegged as the generational bias put on them was actually confused with their life stage. And Hayden's the one who wrote about that and drew that to our attention. So, that's helpful to sift out as we're thinking of young people too, because sometimes older generations can look down on younger generations and see some of the shortcomings. Do you see that as well? Dr. Kara Powell: (17:16 - 18:55) Oh, for sure. For sure. I think we compare young people to who we are now instead of remembering our 13 and 19 and 25 year old self. And so, I mean, that's one of our biggest pieces of advice when it comes to young people is instead of judging them, how do we journey with them? How do we really empathize with what they're experiencing? And when we are tempted to judge young people, let's just start at, well, let's just stop and ask ourselves, would we want to be a young person today? It's so very challenging to be a young person today. I mean, mental health alone, like if I think about my tendency to, as a teenager myself, to compare myself with others, to be worried that I was left out. I mean, if there was a cell phone that showed me everything my friends were doing without me, and I'm stuck at home, like no wonder that young people feel more anxious. I think I would really be struggling with anxiety if I was a teenager now. I mean, honestly, even at my age, I don't check social media on Friday night or Saturday night, because I might be, Dave and I might be having leftovers and either working or watching a movie on Netflix. And I go on social media and my friends are out with their husbands and having this phenomenal time. And at my age, that makes me feel insecure, let alone imagine being a 13 or 18- or 22-year-old and navigating that. So, so yes, I think how can we empathize instead of finger point? Laura Dugger: (18:56 - 19:12) Oh, and you write about how to navigate intergenerational tensions. How can we practically turn our differences into superpowers and unite together? And I guess, especially in the church? Dr. Kara Powell: (19:12 - 22:39) Yeah, yeah, great question. So, one of our books is called Three Big Questions That Change Every Teenager. And we studied young people to try to understand the deep questions driving them. And we landed on three. Identity, who am I? Belonging, where do I fit? And purpose, what difference can I make? Identity, belonging and purpose. And those are that's such a helpful framework to understand young people and to empathize with them. First off, I would say all of us are wrestling with identity, belonging and purpose. And when I feel emotional heat about an issue, if I feel insecure about something, it's usually because it's pricking at my identity, belonging or purpose. And so, that helps us realize that we navigate those questions, too. But then also for the we who are parents, stepparents, grandparents, mentors of young people, you know, if a young person we care about is doing something that feels a little odd, a little askew, a little bit, that's not like them. If we can take a step back and ask, OK, what are they wrestling with? Is it identity? Is it belonging? Is it purpose? That helps us empathize and know how to either ask a better question or, you know, give a little bit of hope rooted in whether that's rooted in scripture or in our own experience. And so, yes, with our with our three kids, when I take a step back and ask, OK, they're saying something that feels odd or unlike them or I'm surprised this is provoking this response in them. Is it is it their identity, belonging or purpose that's at play here? It's like the penny drops and I come to understand. So, I would say, you know, if we can wear those identity, belonging and purpose lenses, that really helps us understand young people. The other thing and, you know, I'm a professor, so I would give myself about a C plus in what I'm going to share next. OK, so if this is something I'm working on, it's this it's never make a statement if you can ask a question instead, never make a statement if you can ask a question instead. And so, the more that we can ask questions about what young people are experiencing, like why, why, you know, in a very nonjudgmental way, like I'm just curious. And I start a lot of my questions with that. I'm curious. I'm curious, like what does tick tock mean to you? Then, you know, that that can open up a real conversation instead of them feeling like we're somehow judging them for their technological use. I was proud of myself yesterday. Like I said, I give myself about a C plus on this. But yesterday I was talking to my daughter about something. And I asked her, like, well, because she had stepped up to lead something. And so instead of offering my advice, I said to her, well, you know, what do you think you did well as you were leading? And is there anything that you would want to do differently? And we were in the line of a fast-food place. And I thought, yes, way to go. I ask questions instead of making statements, instead of offering my opinion. So, and sometimes we have to offer our opinion, for sure. But just as a general rule, we can ask questions, especially the older our kids get. They respond to that better than us always sharing what we think. Laura Dugger: (22:39 - 22:47) Well, and I also think you're even modeling this in the way you share stories is humility. So, when you partner that together, that seems very powerful. Dr. Kara Powell: (22:48 - 23:53) Yeah, yeah, absolutely. My one of my kids said something so interesting. At Mother's Day, my husband asked each of them to share something that they appreciated about me and which was wonderful to receive that affirmation. And one of them and I I'm not going to reveal the gender here because I haven't asked this child permission to share this. But what my child said was that I was asking them for advice in a way that made it feel more like we were becoming friends. And I had asked this child for advice in the last couple of months about a couple situations. And so, again, my kids are 19, 22 and 24. So, you know, it's different with younger kids. But for those of us with older kids, it was significant to this child of mine that I was asking them for advice. And so, I want to keep doing that. I want to keep doing that. So, because I truly do want their perspective. Yeah, I truly do want their perspective. And it means something to them when I do. Laura Dugger: (23:54 - 25:28) Yes, absolutely. And I'm thinking back, this may have been like episode three back in 2018. But I talk with Annie Chapman. She had written the book, The Mother-in-Law Dance. And what you're saying, she pointed out that what makes us a great parent and especially a great mother, the first half of our children's life or the first portion of our children's life at home, it's the opposite of the latter years. And so, you're right. You're not probably going to ask your five-year-old for advice. But at your kids' phases, that is significant. Did you know you could receive a free email with monthly encouragement, practical tips and plenty of questions to ask to take your conversation a level deeper, whether that's in parenting or on date nights? Make sure you access all of this at TheSavvySauce.com by clicking the button that says Join Our Email List so that you can follow the prompts and begin receiving these emails at the beginning of each month. Enjoy. This discussion with young people is also tied into your recent and optimistic book. So, I'll hold it up here. It's in and you did co-author this with Jake Mulder and Raymond Chang. So, it's entitled Future-Focused Church, and you begin with writing that the brightest days of the church are still ahead. So, what led you to this optimistic realization? Dr. Kara Powell: (25:28 - 26:23) Yeah. Yeah. Well, first, God, you know, this is where being a practical theologian comes into play. Like I'm always trying to understand what is God up to in this situation and just the way that God is constantly working, redeeming, recreating. So, you know, that's the heart of my optimism and Jake and Ray's optimism as fellow co-authors. And then also Future-Focused Church is based on research we did with over a thousand churches where we journeyed with them in the change process and just the way that they were able to make changes that made them more loving, made them more hospitable to young people. So, it's, you know, it's people like your listeners and churches like those that your audience is part of. That's what made us optimistic is to see how God is working through actual churches. Laura Dugger: (26:25 - 26:40) I love that. And even near the beginning, it was on page 26, you succinctly gave a definition of a future-focused church. So, will you share that definition and also elaborate on each one of the facets? Dr. Kara Powell: (26:40 - 29:17) Yeah, yeah. So, it starts with a group of Jesus followers. And, you know, if you look at the original Greek for church, ekklesia, it's not a building. We use that phrase incorrectly when we say, you know, I'll meet you at church and we mean a building. It's actually those who are called out or from. So, it's always people in the New Testament. And so, we believe a church is a group of Jesus followers who seek God's direction together. And that's really important to us is this isn't about what Kara, Jake and Ray think you should do or what the church down the street is doing or even what your denomination is doing. It's you seeking God's direction together. So, and we could have stopped there, honestly, a group of Jesus followers who seek God's direction together. But then because of the time we've spent with over a thousand churches, because of our commitment to young people, because of what we see happening these days, we added three what we call checkpoints, three things that we think should be priorities for churches these days. One is relationally discipling young people. And, you know, we were intentionally using the words relationally discipling. It's not just entertaining. It's not just standing near young people at worship service. But how are we actually investing in young people? And then secondly, modeling kingdom diversity. Again, if you look at our country ethnically and racially, we are a diverse country. And so, how can we model that? How can our churches reflect what our neighborhoods are? And then thirdly, tangibly loving our neighbors. Jesus said that, you know, they will know that we are Christians by our love for another, for each other, as well as our love for neighbors. And so, how can we make sure that we are really a place that is salt and light? As I mentioned, you know, we are trying to be in Pasadena as churches these days as we're recovering from the fires. So, we encourage churches to look at those three checkpoints in particular. But then again, we want churches to figure out what God is inviting them towards. So, maybe that's more prayer. Maybe that's being more involved globally in evangelism, you know, whatever it might be. Seek that direction together. But then what we try to do is give a map to get there, because a lot of churches know what they want to change, but don't know how to bring about change. And so, that's actually what the bulk of our book is about, is helping leaders know how to move their church from here to God's direction for them. Laura Dugger: (29:18 - 30:27) And that's incredible that you walked with so many churches through that process. But I was especially encouraged by you being partial to sharing stories. And so, we recently did an entire stories series on The Savvy Sauce, and it was so compelling and faith building. I can link to a sample of those in the show notes. But you write about stories shaping culture. And I just I want to share your quote and then ask you how we can actually implement this. So, your quote is from page 57, where you write, “Organizational culture is best communicated and illustrated by stories. As well modeled by Jesus, one of the best ways to shift the culture of a church is through the disciplined and consistent telling of clear and compelling stories that invite a different culture and way of being.” So, Kara, how have you seen this done well? Dr. Kara Powell: (30:27 - 33:10) Yeah, yeah. Well, I think about whatever system we're in, whether it's our families or whether it's our churches or whatever organization we're in. Yeah, our stories become really the key messages of what our culture is. And so, I want to go back to that church that we were talking about that had a Google calendar and now does a Sunday announcement every week of kids' events. Well, that church is also capturing stories of the 81-year-old who showed up at the 16-year-old soccer game, who didn't even know her all that well, but just had a free Thursday afternoon and knew that she was playing. And the pastor who was also on the sidelines at that soccer game, who ended up talking to both the parents of the 16-year-old and the 81-year-old. And so, that became a story for that church of how different generations are supporting young people. And so, that pastor has told that story multiple, multiple times. You know, I just think about in our family, our kids love hearing our stories. And that's part of how they I mean, it's a big, a big theme and how they come to know what it means to be a Powell. So, you know, earlier I said, you know, I said, never make a statement if you can ask a question instead. I think the exception to that, Laura, is if we're going to tell a story because stories communicate so much. One of our one of our children is struggling with being anxious about something. And I was anxious last night. I never lose sleep. I so rarely lose sleep. But I did last night. I was up for about an hour and a half in the middle of the night, finally ended up having a prayer time. And that helped me go back to sleep. But I'm looking forward to telling my child, who's also struggling with anxiety, that story of me experiencing some, you know, 3:00 a.m. anxiety and what eventually helped me is kind of reflecting on a mantra I feel like God's given me. And I want to share that with my child, not to nag them, but just to let them know that, you know, in our family, this is how we want to try to respond to anxiety. And maybe my story can be helpful for you the next time that you're struggling with it, which might be today. So, so, yes, the more that we can share our present and our past experiences, whether it's as individuals, families, organizations, the more that we communicate the cultural values that we want. Laura Dugger: (33:11 - 33:45) That's so good. And I love how you're relating that to parents as well, because from the very youngest ages, tell me a story. And if it's like if we remember a story of them when they're a child, they just grasp onto that. And we when we're tired at the end of the night, if we run out of our stories, we love even just reading aloud true stories of other people, too. OK, and I'm partnering then thinking of stories and one of your facets about I love how you said it. I'd love for you to repeat. Is it strategically discipling, relationally discipling? Dr. Kara Powell: (33:45 - 33:46) Yeah. Laura Dugger: (33:46 - 35:03) OK, so my brother and sister's church, I'm just going to highlight theirs because I love something that both of them are doing with our nieces and nephews. They just have them, the youth, write down three names of somebody in a different generation above theirs that they would enjoy getting to know, spending time with. And then they get matched with one of those people and they enter a yearlong mentorship relationship. And I'm just thinking, one, their mentors all happen to be open nesters. And the male and female who have mentored our nieces and nephews, the female took our nieces, would send them a copy of a recipe, say, get these groceries this week. I'm coming to your house on Tuesday and we're going to cook all of this together and have it ready for your family dinner. Just so practical and that they just build a love for each other. And then a similar thing with our nephews, where whatever that mentor's skill was, he was great at even making, I think, wood fired pizzas and just showing them practical skills, but relationally investing. And you see the youth's growth and maturity from that discipleship. Dr. Kara Powell: (35:03 - 36:17) So, yeah, that's awesome. And not only the young people, but the adults, too. Like what's been so great, Laura, is, you know, while much of our research has looked at how adults change young people and how churches change young people, every time we study that, we see how young people change adults and churches, too. So, you know, for that male and female who are mentoring your nieces and nephews, how they come to understand more about themselves, God, life, scripture, as they're spending time with young people, that's just really, really powerful. So, I also want to highlight, I love how your example, how it starts by asking young people, like who are some adults that you would like to spend more time with that you look up to? And, you know, we would do that with our kids when we needed babysitters. Like who are some adults that you would like to get to know and how wonderful then that we could ask those adults, especially if they were of babysitting age, to come and be with our kids. And that way we were getting the babysitting we needed and our kids were getting the mentoring that they needed. So, so, yes, I think, you know, giving a young person some agency and who they spend time with, that's really beautiful in that example. Laura Dugger: (36:18 - 36:21) Oh, that's and that's genius for a family life. Dr. Kara Powell: (36:21 - 36:22) Yeah, exactly, exactly. Laura Dugger: (36:23 - 36:39) Well, you also share some other helpful tips for churches, such as considering questions like, would anyone miss our church if it closed down? So, do you have any other practical tips that you want to make sure we don't miss? Dr. Kara Powell: (36:39 - 40:19) Yeah, yeah. I think, yeah, I'll offer a few questions that we have found really helpful. And I'll start with questions when your kids are in elementary and then I'll give a couple of questions when your kids are older. So, so one of the questions that we love asking at dinner when our kids were in elementary was, how did you see God at work today? And I will say that when I first raised that question, one of my daughters said, “Well, mommy, I can't answer that question. And I said, why not?” She said, “Well, I don't have a job. How did you see God at work today? So, then we had to say, well, how did you see God working today?” And I, you know, and equally important as our kids asking that question is that we were, excuse me, as our kids answering that question is that we were answering that question. And so, so, you know, any way that you can involve meaningful sharing, whether it's a dinner, whether it's a bedtime and that you are sharing, too. So, so that that's been a great one for our family. And then when your kids get older, a couple come to mind. One is two pairs of questions actually come to mind. One is, you know, the phrase never make a statement. Maybe you can ask the question said sometimes we do need to offer our advice as parents, our perspective. And I have found when I do that with my kids is now that they're late young adults, if I ask them first, well, what do you disagree with and what I said and give them an opportunity to critique what I said, then and then I ask a second question. OK, well, what might you agree with and what I said? They're far more open to sharing what they agree with if they first have had a chance to critique me. So, I offer that as in those moments when you do need to offer your opinion or perspective, how can we still make it a dialogue? One way is to invite your kid to critique you. And they'll probably point out things that you do need to reconsider, or at least it's good to hear those from your young person. Another pair of questions that that I have found so helpful with our kids is as they get older and really come to own their own faith. I love asking our kids, what do you now believe that you think I don't believe? And what do you no longer believe that you think I still believe? So, what do you now believe that you think I don't believe? And what do you no longer believe that you think I still believe? What I love about that is that it's making overt that our faith is going to continue to change and grow. And that's true for all of us. And it also makes differences discussable, because I'd far rather know how my kids' faith is changing and how it's different or similar than mine than not know. And, you know, as we've asked our kids those questions over the years, sometimes their answer is like, not much has changed. Like, you know, but other times they do have different opinions that they want to share with me. And then I try to have that non-defensive, oh, OK, well, I'm curious. Then again, starting phrase with I'm curious and then asking a question has given us some of the best conversations. So, you can get really tangible. How did you see God at work today? But then as your kids get older, ask questions that that are more open-ended and can help you really understand where your kids are at. Laura Dugger: (40:20 - 41:15) I love that. And I'm just thinking if people are listening like I listen to podcasts, it's when I'm on the go, when I'm doing a walk in the morning or if I'm cleaning around the house. And if you don't get a chance to take notes, we do have transcripts available now for all these episodes, but I would think so many people have written in about dialogue and questions for teenagers and how to handle. And I love the way you responded to all of that. So, even grab the transcript and write down those questions and try them at dinner or bedtime tonight. But then even thinking of churches for practical tips, what do you have as far as hospitality and the impact that it could make if we're building relationships through hospitality? But you also call out three ways to build relationships through sharing meals, sharing stories and sharing experiences. Dr. Kara Powell: (41:15 - 43:08) Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think you've named it, Laura. How do we have a hospitable, open heart and open churches? And I just want to go back to this question. Like, is our church a place that our kids and our grandkids would want to be part of? And if we keep asking that question, I think it helps us prioritize the next generation and make space for them at our meals, within our stories and within our experiences. Now, I will say this, you know, I talk so much about intergenerational relationships and bringing the generations together. Like, I do think there's a time and a place for 16-year-olds to be on their own and 46-year-olds to be on their own and 76-year-olds to be on their own. It's just finding that balance of when do we bring all the generations together? And then when do we want to have those special life development, life stage development conversations ourselves? And most churches are swinging far more toward we keep generations separate and need to swing the pendulum back to how can we have shared meals together? How can we serve together in ways that are shared? And, you know, I'll just say this last thought when it comes to sharing experiences, especially those that are service. You know, a lot of churches have young people who are serving. They're in children's ministry, they're in sound, they're in tech, etc. And that's awesome. And I think the question becomes, like, how can that young person be more than just a warm body who passes out graham crackers? And how can I think, OK, I'm teaching third graders and I'm also trying to mentor this 15-year-old who's working with me with the third graders and same with sound. So, you know, anytime you're interacting with young people, it's an opportunity to influence, especially as you're sharing more about yourself. Laura Dugger: (43:10 - 43:15) Love that. And you seem like an idea person as well. So, I'm going to bounce another idea. Dr. Kara Powell: (43:16 - 43:16) Yeah. Laura Dugger: (43:16 - 43:45) What I'm gathering is obviously we're keeping Jesus at the center and you're not downplaying the need for scripture or Bible study. And those kind of things but also adding there is value in I'm thinking shared experience. Specifically, I'm thinking of pickleball. It's something that appeals to a wide age range. What if your church had invested in a pickleball sport to do something that could bring people together? So, what are your thoughts on that? Dr. Kara Powell: (43:45 - 45:22) Yeah. Yeah. Pickleball, you know, senior adults who need tech help from teenagers. That's another great way to connect people. I mean, any kind of shared interest 1 Thessalonians 2:8 is such an important scripture passage for me when it comes to discipleship. And Paul writes that we were delighted to share with you not just the gospel, but our very lives. And so, how can we share life, whether it's pickleball, whether it's pizza? I'm running out of alliteration here. I was trying to do something else that started with P. And for leaders who are listening, how can you take what you're already doing and make it more intergenerational? So, that's the other thing we like to tell churches is whether it's pickleball or whether it's well, we're already serving at the local homeless center to help people who are unhoused. Well, instead of that only being a youth event, maybe make that an all church event and see if adults come who can be mentoring young people. So, you know, I love what one church did. Many churches have done this, actually, when they're looking for small group for homes where small groups can be for young people instead of going to like the parents of the teenagers. What if we go to our senior adults or our open or slash empty nesters and see if they'll open their homes? Because then it's bringing more adults into contact with young people. And those adults who open their homes can also open their lives. So, yeah, just continuing to ask, how can we make this more of a connection across generations? Goodness. Laura Dugger: (45:22 - 45:39) And you have so many ideas and some of these are mentioned in this book, but you've also written many more helpful resources. So, will you give us an overview of the other books that you've authored and share a bit of what we might find if we read? Dr. Kara Powell: (45:39 - 46:42) Yeah. So, our most recent book, as you've mentioned, is Future Focus Church, and that's especially geared to help leaders know how to move a ministry from where they are now to where God wants it to be. It's been so great to journey with leaders through that. Probably our best book that offers a ton of questions you can ask young people is Three Big Questions That Change Every Teenager, where we get into identity, belonging and purpose, which I mentioned. And we have over 300 questions that an adult, whether it's a family member or a mentor or a neighbor or congregant can use with young people. And then the last one I'll offer is The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family comes out of our previous Sticky Faith research. How do you help young people have faith that lasts? We have a special chapter in that book for grandparents. So, for any grandparents who are listening, that whole book and that chapter is a great resource. But also we have had a lot of parents, stepparents say that The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family has been one of their favorite books. Laura Dugger: (46:43 - 47:02) That's incredible. I'll have to link to those in the show notes for today's episode. But I'm sure you're aware we are called The Savvy Sauce because Savvy is anonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, what is your Savvy Sauce? Dr. Kara Powell: (47:03 - 48:16) That's a really good question, Laura. OK, I'll say I'll share the first thing that came to mind when you asked it. Gosh, probably 10 or 12 years ago, I read a book and from the book I adapted a phrase for my work life and my personal life, which is if it's not a definite yes, it's a no. As a busy mom, as a busy employee, as a busy leader, I see potential in so many things. And so, I want to say yes to so many things. And then I end up tired. I end up empty. I end up not being able to say yes to something maybe better that comes a month later because I've already committed to, you know, plan my seventh graders camping trip or give a talk or, you know, whatever it might be. And so, that phrase, we made it a six-month experiment in the Foley Youth Institute as well as in our family. Like it's not a definite yes, it's a no. And it really helped us say no to things, trim and I think find a much more manageable pace. So, as we pray, as we pray, it's not a definite yes, it's a no. That's been game changing for me. Laura Dugger: (48:17 - 48:57) Well, I love how much you've modeled applying these things at your work or in our church, but also in our family life. It's all transferable. And Kara, this has just been a super special conversation because you've been on my list to have a conversation with for over a decade, probably since I got my hands on Sticky Faith. And I just appreciate we've been talking as we were praying before we were recording. You desire so much, not only for young people, but for all people to experience this abundant life in Christ. And I'm so grateful for you and just want to say thank you for being my guest. Dr. Kara Powell: (48:57 - 49:03) Oh, my pleasure, Laura. And thanks to you and how you serve your audience as well as our world. It's been an honor. Laura Dugger: (49:04 - 52:19) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news. Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved. We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started. First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process. And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today. And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.
Feeling distant from God? Megan J. Conner reminds us in Hide and Seek that even when we hide from Him—whether through sin, fear, or heartache—He is patiently waiting to be found. Drawing on Deuteronomy 4:29, this devotional encourages believers to seek God with their whole heart and soul, trusting that He is always near. Highlights Hiding from God is natural, but His presence is never absent Childhood hide-and-seek illustrates how we often distance ourselves from the Lord God patiently waits for us to reach toward Him, even in dark or difficult seasons Scripture reassures us of God’s unwavering presence: Deut. 31:6; Matt. 28:20; Acts 17:27 Seeking God wholeheartedly leads to restoration and intimacy with Him Join the Conversation Are you hiding from God today, or seeking Him with your whole heart? Share your reflections and encourage others to trust in God’s presence. Tag @LifeAudioNetwork and use #SeekGod #FaithInTheWilderness #FoundInHim to join the conversation.
Preacher: Jason Min Title: Blessed are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness Sermon Series: Life Reimagined Scripture: Matthew 5:6 (NIV)
Send us a textDownload study notes for this chapter.Download study notes for this entire book.**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show
October 6, 2025 The Daily Walk Devotional Podcast by Walk Thru the Bible is designed to help you listen through the Bible in one year. Each episode provides a short devotional thought and a guided journey through each day's Scripture passage. Episodes are six days a week, with the weekend combined into one day as a catch-up day. Thanks to our partners at Biblica for making the NIV audio Bible available. Find out more at www.biblica.com The Listener's Bible®: NIV® Edition Audio Copyright℗ 2011 by Max McLean. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ©2020 Walk Thru the Bible All rights reserved.
Matthew 6:25 - “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” (NKJV) 1. Bring your worries to God in prayer. Philippians 4:6 - Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ( NLT) 2. Trade your worry for worship. Philippians 4:6-7 - Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (NLT) 3. Focus your mind on the pure and positive things. Philippians 4:8 - And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (NLT) Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (NIV) Romans 12:2 – Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. (NLT) Colossians 3:1-3 - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (NIV) Isaiah 26:3 - You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (NLT)
Christianity's highest value is not tolerance! Tolerance has become a kind of religion unto itself - and a very popular one. Those who refuse to bow to the god of Tolerance will not be tolerated! What we see in Jesus isn't open-mindedness about sin, but an offer to cleanse anyone who wants to be clean. That requires certain things of His church. We began to speak about those on Friday. We're in 1 Corinthians 5, with Jim. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS10062025_0.mp3Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4-6
When fear and weakness threaten to overwhelm us, God calls us to courageous obedience. Just as He told Gideon in Judges 6:13-14 to “go in the strength you have,” the Lord invites us to trust His power, not our own. Jennifer Slattery shares how God’s presence transforms impossible situations into testimonies of His strength and victory. Highlights Gideon’s story shows God calls ordinary, fearful people to extraordinary purposes “Go in the strength you have” reminds us our weakness is the stage for God’s strength Personal story of stepping into a difficult calling with limited resources God doesn’t expect perfection—He expects obedience and trust True victory comes from God fighting our battles for us Join the Conversation What’s one area where God is calling you to step out even though you feel weak? Share your reflections and encourage others to trust God’s strength. Tag @LifeAudio and use #CourageousObedience #FaithOverFear #StrengthInChrist to join the discussion.
SHOW NOTES In today's episode, I share my personal triathlon experience as an honest metaphor for walking through grief. From choking on the first wave to limping across the finish line, this story is a reminder that real strength isn't always graceful—and healing doesn't follow a straight path. Grief, like a triathlon, demands Acceptance, Belief, and Consistency. It's not about speed or perfection—it's about showing up for the long haul. You'll walk away from this episode encouraged to stop measuring progress by how strong you look and instead start noticing how brave you've been to keep going. Key Highlights A story of panic, perseverance, and progress in the middle of a triathlon The ABCs of healing: Acceptance, Belief, and Consistency Why showing up daily matters more than feeling strong How grief setbacks aren't failure—they're part of the journey The surprising encouragement that comes from finishing—imperfectly Scripture for This Episode “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” – Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“We cannot continue to send our children to Caesar for their education and be surprised when they come home as Romans.” “We mustn't live like those with ‘little faith' who compromise for the sake of food and clothing. What we do matters. And not every job is a good job.” “I understand that there are different expressions of Christianity in different cultures. Contextualization is essential for the growth and expansion of the church. But there is a difference between contextualization and compromise. Using goat's milk for communion in a culture that has never heard of wine or grapes is contextualization; sacrificing the goat is compromise. Having a Saturday night service because we have run out of room in all four Sunday services is contextualization; having a Saturday night service to accommodate and/or appease people who are ‘too busy' on Sunday is compromise.”~Voddie Baucham (March 11, 1969 to September 25, 2025), American pastor and author, who left this world too early “If God is Creator of the Universe, then it must follow that He is the Lord of the whole universe. No part of the world is outside of His Lordship. That means no part of my life must be outside of His Lordship.”~R.C Sproul, American theologian (1939-2017) “When Jesus is truly our Lord, He directs our lives, and we gladly obey Him. Indeed we bring every part of our lives under His lordship - our home and family, our sexuality and marriage, our job or unemployment, our money and possessions, our ambitions and recreations.”~John Stott, British theologian (1921-2011)SERMON PASSAGE1 Peter 2:1-12 (NIV) 1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
October 4 & 5, 2025 The Daily Walk Devotional Podcast by Walk Thru the Bible is designed to help you listen through the Bible in one year. Each episode provides a short devotional thought and a guided journey through each day's Scripture passage. Episodes are six days a week, with the weekend combined into one day as a catch-up day. Thanks to our partners at Biblica for making the NIV audio Bible available. Find out more at www.biblica.com The Listener's Bible®: NIV® Edition Audio Copyright℗ 2011 by Max McLean. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ©2020 Walk Thru the Bible All rights reserved.
Send us a textDownload study notes for this chapter.Download study notes for this entire book.**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show
October 3, 2025 The Daily Walk Devotional Podcast by Walk Thru the Bible is designed to help you listen through the Bible in one year. Each episode provides a short devotional thought and a guided journey through each day's Scripture passage. Episodes are six days a week, with the weekend combined into one day as a catch-up day. Thanks to our partners at Biblica for making the NIV audio Bible available. Find out more at www.biblica.com The Listener's Bible®: NIV® Edition Audio Copyright℗ 2011 by Max McLean. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ©2020 Walk Thru the Bible All rights reserved.
Our transformation comes with an obligation. We're responsible, of course, for our own actions. But what about the conduct of others? And which others? Are we accountable for the behavior of our minor children, for example? Most would say "yes" - and our laws may one day reflect that idea. But what about grownups who are not our relatives? Aren't our fellow servants of Christ allowed to serve Him however they see fit? The Corinthians had come up with the wrong answer to this question. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS10032025_0.mp3Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4-6
Send us a textDownload study notes for this chapter.Download study notes for this entire book.**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show
October 2, 2025 The Daily Walk Devotional Podcast by Walk Thru the Bible is designed to help you listen through the Bible in one year. Each episode provides a short devotional thought and a guided journey through each day's Scripture passage. Episodes are six days a week, with the weekend combined into one day as a catch-up day. Thanks to our partners at Biblica for making the NIV audio Bible available. Find out more at www.biblica.com The Listener's Bible®: NIV® Edition Audio Copyright℗ 2011 by Max McLean. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ©2020 Walk Thru the Bible All rights reserved.
Falling into factions, versus following a father. The ink was still drying on the parchment where Paul had warned the Corinthians to escape whatever cult of personality they had joined - including the "cult of Paul." But now he felt the need to correct the church, and to do that, he had to remind them that he had a unique relationship with them. It's not about personality, but responsibility. Here's a sermon Jim preached on Father's Day a few years ago, called Faith Fathers. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS10022025_0.mp3Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4:14-21
Unity. It was the prayer of Jesus. It is the sign of our identity. It is the proof of our Savior's presence. All will know we are Christ's disciples by how we treat one another. For we are one in Christ Jesus. In this three-part series, we explore the blessings, basis, and barriers to maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.The sermon today is titled "The Blessings Of Unity." This sermon is the first installment in our series "One In Christ." The Scripture reading is from Galatians 3:2-28 (NIV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on September 28, 2025. All lessons fit under one of 6 broad categories: Begin, Instill, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under SERVE: Announcing The Kingdom.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.Podcast Notes (resources used or referenced):Two Coal Piles. Taken from Ken Weilander, "Oneness," Fishers Church of Christ webpage. Oct 31, 2021.Two words for Peace. Taken from Sam Wells, "He Is Our Peace." Sermon at Duke University Chapel, July 19, 2009.Practical atheist. See Ken Weilander, "Are you a practical atheist?" The Preachers Word. Sep 29, 2019.It takes preachers to keep us apart. See Marvin Phillips, "Continuing Jesus' Prayer for Unity." Tulsa Soul Winning Workshop, 2000.Barton W. Stone, "Remarks," Christian Messenger, August 1835, p.180.Unity creates belief. See Rick Ezell, "Sermon: Unified in Purpose--Acts 4."God's presence, Christ's practice, Spirit's priority. Taken from Jeff Walling, "Let's Accept One Another." Tulsa Soul Winning Workshop, 1998.Thomas Campbell, Declaration and Address [1809]God won't have an aisle in heaven. See John Duncum, "The Creed of Unity: John 17." Pepperdine University Bible Lectureship, 1996.I drew a circle that took him in. Edwin Markham (1852-1940), "Outwitted."I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.
Should Bible translations use gender-inclusive language? Are paraphrases like The Message dangerous—or can they be helpful? And are so-called “literal” translations really more faithful to God's Word? In this episode of the Bible and Theology Matters podcast, Dr. Paul Weaver continues his conversation with Dr. Mark Strauss—New Testament scholar, Bible translation expert, and author of 40 Questions About Bible Translation (Kregel Academic). Together, they dive into the most debated issues in Bible translation, including:✅ The controversy over gender-inclusive (or gender-accurate) language in translations like the NIV ✅ The difference between translations, paraphrases, and “transculturations”✅ Whether “literal” translations are more faithful to Scripture✅ Challenges faced by translation committees and denominational influences✅ How pastors and teachers should guide their congregations in using different versionsIf you missed Part 1 of this two-part series, we recommend watching that episode first for the foundation of this discussion.
Hi friend! Have you ever gone through a season in marriage where things just felt… off? Maybe a little distant, a little disconnected, or just kind of stuck? If so, you're not alone. In this episode, we're kicking off our new Questions Jesus Asked series — exploring powerful questions from Scripture through the lens of marriage. Our first stop is John 5:6–8 (NIV), where Jesus looks at a man who had been stuck for 38 years and asks: “Do you want to get well?” At first glance, it sounds simple — but it cuts deep. Because sometimes, dysfunction feels familiar. Even comfortable. And before healing can begin in marriage, this question has to be answered honestly: Do you really want to get well? Whether your marriage feels distant or disconnected, this episode offers hope, encouragement, and a reminder: healing begins with a choice. We pray this episode blesses you. ................................................................................................
Send us a textDownload study notes for this chapter.Download study notes for this entire book.**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show
October 1, 2025 The Daily Walk Devotional Podcast by Walk Thru the Bible is designed to help you listen through the Bible in one year. Each episode provides a short devotional thought and a guided journey through each day's Scripture passage. Episodes are six days a week, with the weekend combined into one day as a catch-up day. Thanks to our partners at Biblica for making the NIV audio Bible available. Find out more at www.biblica.com The Listener's Bible®: NIV® Edition Audio Copyright℗ 2011 by Max McLean. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ©2020 Walk Thru the Bible All rights reserved.
Is a carnal Christian really a Christian? When a saved person acts like an unsaved person, all of the alarm bells should go off! We're not talking about new believers - we'll be patient with them and provide good examples while the Spirit helps them grow. But are we growing? Do we even understand that spiritual maturity is the goal? We've got problems with this in the American church, just like they did in the Corinthian church. Here's Jim to conclude his message on, Stunted Growth. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS10012025_0.mp3Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 3
In the third message from our recent special meetings, Dr. John Oswalt explores the heart behind Abraham's willingness to offer his only son to God. He calls us to examine our own hearts, and withhold nothing from God—even what is most precious to us. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
Send us a textDownload study notes for this chapter.Download study notes for this entire book.**********Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV ® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.BIBLICA, THE INTERNATIONAL BIBLE SOCIETY, provides God's Word to people through Bible translation & Bible publishing, and Bible engagement in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and North America. Through its worldwide reach, Biblica engages people with God's Word so that their lives are transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.Support the show
September 30, 2025 The Daily Walk Devotional Podcast by Walk Thru the Bible is designed to help you listen through the Bible in one year. Each episode provides a short devotional thought and a guided journey through each day's Scripture passage. Episodes are six days a week, with the weekend combined into one day as a catch-up day. Thanks to our partners at Biblica for making the NIV audio Bible available. Find out more at www.biblica.com The Listener's Bible®: NIV® Edition Audio Copyright℗ 2011 by Max McLean. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ©2020 Walk Thru the Bible All rights reserved.
Dr. Instone-Brewer received his PhD from the University of Cambridge, where he specialized in early rabbinic literature. Today he is a Baptist minister in the UK who served for twenty years as a research fellow at Tyndale House in Cambridge, He is the author of lots of books and articles, including Divorce and Remarriage in the Bible (which my friend Gordon Spivey recommends) and also The Jesus Scandals, Moral Questions of the Bible, and Science and the Bible. He has helped develop a solid Bible app called STEPBible -- one more way the academy is shaping the practice of ordinary Christians, especially as they engage scripture. Oh, and Dr. Instone-Bridges is on the NIV translation team … which totally fascinates me and is the reason I asked him to join us on AoH.
A "party spirit" isn't actually as fun as it sounds. Paul once gave us a list of "deeds of the flesh," including "hatreds, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions," and the one we'll look at today: "factions." An older translation gives that as "party spirit," as in a political party - we would say, "partisanship." Why do Christians divide themselves into streams of teaching, or teachers? We need to stop. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS09302025_0.mp3Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 3
My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. [NIV]
I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. [NIV]
So many of us Christian women have wrestled with seeking validation from guys—through relationships, attention, and even lust. Let's talk about how God used Hosea 2:6-7 to stop me in my tracks and lovingly discipline me.“Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them.” – Hosea 2:6-7 (NIV)
Friends... my heart is heavy. There have been so many senseless tragedies in the last few weeks. We know as believers that the world will get worse as we get closer to the end of time. We mourn, but we don't mourn as the rest of the world does. We keep the faith. The good news is this life is not the end. We all have the gift of eternal life, and all we have to do is accept it. Praise God for our Savior, JESUS. We reached a milestone of 50,000 followers since the last episode! God is working and people are being reached. Thank you so much for all of your prayers, comments, shares, and donations. They are such a blessing and motivation. I hope these chapters from Psalms will bring you some peace. The 23rd Psalm is my favorite and I often recite it to myself. We will fear no evil because God is with us! We are reading chapters 4, 23, 27, 34, 46, 62, 91, 121, and 139. All are read in the NIV except for chapter 23 which is read in NKJV.If you have felt blessed by this podcast and would like toshow your support with a $1 donation, please go to https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/hcharltoncrespin. I had a request for a different method other than PayPal, so for Venmo, please use @Heather-C-Crespin. Don't forget to Like and Subscribe on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/@BedtimeBibleStoriesforAdults 15% off ClevrBlends Sleeptime Latte: https://www.clevrblends.com/discount/BLONDE15?rfsn=6713548.9b6046f Cozy Earth Bamboo Pajamas and Loungewear 20% off! Use code: HEATHERChttps://cozyearth.com/heatherc
Preacher: Jason Min Title: Blessed are the Meek Sermon Series: Life Reimagined Scripture: Matthew 5:5 (NIV)
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In today’s world, amid the tragedy and turmoil we face every day, we need hope more than ever—true hope found in Jesus. Are you sharing this life-changing hope of the gospel with those around you?You have the power to start another Jesus Revolution today. Pastor Greg Laurie shares more in today’s message. Notes: Focus verses: Ephesians 4, Romans 12 God has given spiritual gifts to each of us. A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability to do something you would not normally do. Romans 12:5–16 (KJV)So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, God created you with purpose. God gave you certain gifts so you could use them to glorify Him and to serve others. We are here on this earth for three reasons:1. The glorification of God (UPWARD)2. The edification of the saints (INWARD)3. The evangelization of the world (OUTWARD) Ephesians 4:11–12 (NLT)Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Ephesians 4:11–12 (NLT) (cont)Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. Read Romans 12:6–8 There is a God-given gift of exhortation. Teachers tell you how to do it, exhorters make you want to do it. Our culture has become more combative.It's like the world has become a live version of X. Our ultimate goal is to build up, not tear down. If we really love one another, we must "speak the truth in love.”Ephesians 4:15 Paul and Barnabus worked together, visiting the churches.Acts 14:22 Hebrews 10:24–25 Romans 12:8If it is giving, then give generously. Scripture teaches each Christian should give.1 Corinthians 16:2 Romans 12:8 (NLT)And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. As we use these gifts, we grow spiritually.Ephesians 4:15–16 We are here for the evangelization of the world. Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV)Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; The church is under attack right now. This was a wake-up call for the church that went to fervent prayer.Acts 12 Whenever we are doing the work of God we will face spiritual attack. Charlie reminds me of another young man who was bold for his faith, Stephen. When Charlie took his last breath on earth, he took his first breath in Heaven.2 Corinthians 5:8 Who do we turn to at a time like this? We turn to God.Psalm 46:1 We need to mourn when we lose a loved one. As tragic as Charlie’s death is, it has been a wake-up call to a younger generation.The same was true when Stephen died.Acts 8:1 Acts 1:8 (NIV)“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." After Steven’s death the church was scattered and got on with their mission.And as the church today, we need to do the same! Joshua 1:9 It’s time to reach this hopeless generation. This could be your Jesus Revolution moment. Sharing the gospel energizes and refreshes the Christian. You need an outlet for the truth God is giving you. You are blessed to be a blessing. Discover and cultivate the spiritual gifts that God has given you. --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners. Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In today’s world, amid the tragedy and turmoil we face every day, we need hope more than ever—true hope found in Jesus. Are you sharing this life-changing hope of the gospel with those around you?You have the power to start another Jesus Revolution today. Pastor Greg Laurie shares more in today’s message. Notes: Focus verses: Ephesians 4, Romans 12 God has given spiritual gifts to each of us. A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability to do something you would not normally do. Romans 12:5–16 (KJV)So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, God created you with purpose. God gave you certain gifts so you could use them to glorify Him and to serve others. We are here on this earth for three reasons:1. The glorification of God (UPWARD)2. The edification of the saints (INWARD)3. The evangelization of the world (OUTWARD) Ephesians 4:11–12 (NLT)Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Ephesians 4:11–12 (NLT) (cont)Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. Read Romans 12:6–8 There is a God-given gift of exhortation. Teachers tell you how to do it, exhorters make you want to do it. Our culture has become more combative.It's like the world has become a live version of X. Our ultimate goal is to build up, not tear down. If we really love one another, we must "speak the truth in love.”Ephesians 4:15 Paul and Barnabus worked together, visiting the churches.Acts 14:22 Hebrews 10:24–25 Romans 12:8If it is giving, then give generously. Scripture teaches each Christian should give.1 Corinthians 16:2 Romans 12:8 (NLT)And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. As we use these gifts, we grow spiritually.Ephesians 4:15–16 We are here for the evangelization of the world. Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV)Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; The church is under attack right now. This was a wake-up call for the church that went to fervent prayer.Acts 12 Whenever we are doing the work of God we will face spiritual attack. Charlie reminds me of another young man who was bold for his faith, Stephen. When Charlie took his last breath on earth, he took his first breath in Heaven.2 Corinthians 5:8 Who do we turn to at a time like this? We turn to God.Psalm 46:1 We need to mourn when we lose a loved one. As tragic as Charlie’s death is, it has been a wake-up call to a younger generation.The same was true when Stephen died.Acts 8:1 Acts 1:8 (NIV)“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." After Steven’s death the church was scattered and got on with their mission.And as the church today, we need to do the same! Joshua 1:9 It’s time to reach this hopeless generation. This could be your Jesus Revolution moment. Sharing the gospel energizes and refreshes the Christian. You need an outlet for the truth God is giving you. You are blessed to be a blessing. Discover and cultivate the spiritual gifts that God has given you. --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners. Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.