Tag Archives: spiritual ideas

#84-For Our Veterans

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john-yell-flight

Sgt. John Yell (back, right)

This Friday is Veteran’s Day.  So, I wanted to honor my fellow Vets with music and reading.  This podcast features a little about the job I used to do for the military, the Armed Forces Medley (all the themes of each of the services), some poetry from Regina Puckett, the story of Sgt. John Yell, the uncle of one of my authors, and the prologue from a book, Undeserved Favor, that will be out in the spring featuring the fictional Sgt. Frank Ballard.  I close with some scripture and commentary that are particularly appropriate for this post-election season.

LINKS FOR THIS PODCAST

#82-Risen: The Story of Lazarus

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lazarusThis week, we break from our look at audio books to delve into some spiritual areas.  I recently spent a weekend dealing with the deaths of two parents in two families close to me. Putting these two events so close together stirred my soul deeply.  When I got back to my home church the following weekend, I heard a lesson from John 11 on Lazarus.  What should our perspective be on a story of resurrection?  I share this lesson with you on this podcast.  (This podcast is a bit longer than usual.  I hope you can hang with me!)

LINKS FROM THIS PODCAST

#72-Headlines

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Headlines IconThis week, we’re stepping away from the world of audio books to look at the timeless word of spiritual ideas.  Let me start with a question: Are you afraid?  Do you look at the headlines or hear the stories on TV news and quake from fear?  How do you cope with that fear?

Some people want to spend a lot of time and money and effort in extreme preparation.  So, we have shows on TV, like “Doomsday Preppers” from National Geograhic.  “A show dedicated to ordinary Americans who are preparing for the end of the world as we know it.”  Some people may be paralyzed by fear.  Others may just put it out of their minds.

What should be a Christian’s response to the headlines and news stories we see and hear?  Should we be preppers?  Or hide from it?  Or ignore it?  Do we realize that fear is Satan’s greatest weapon among people of faith?

This week, I want to share a lesson from the preacher at my congregation, Clear Creek Church of Christ, as he discusses what God’s Word has to say about times like these.

LINKS IN THIS WEEK’S PODCAST:

#65-Thinking of Clerical Crime

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Non-Prophet Murders cover

This week’s podcast requires some thinking. Some books just set you thinking; even if they are murder mysteries.  In this case though, I’m not thinking about how the crimes might have been better executed.  I ask some questions of Christians about the reputation of the Church – the Bride of Christ.  All of this is stimulated by re-examining Becky Wooley’s book, Non-Prophet Murders.  Join me and let me know what you think with some feedback!  I’d love to hear from you!

 

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST:

#63 – The Violin Player and the Fearsome Powers

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Anka Watt - By Bjørn Christian Tørrissen - Own work, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3991230

Anka Watt – By Bjørn Christian Tørrissen – Own work, GFDL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3991230

Randy-Harris

We explore some spiritual ideas on today’s podcast.  Randy Harris, a professor from Abilene Christian University, shares a powerful lesson from Colossians 2. He even references Anka Watt.  Why?  You’ll have to listen.

Here are some quotations which may entice you:

  • Jesus Christ has triumphed over all the powers of darkness. Why aren’t you living like that?
  • Become what you are.
  • You are set free from sin by Jesus Christ. He has conquered all the dark powers.  And we spend the rest of our lives learning to become  what He has declared us to be.
  • God loves you so much that He’s conquered the dark powers through Jesus Christ

Join me for some amazing and encouraging words!

#57-Podcast Re-Cast: Surviving Perilous Times

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We continue looking back at prior podcasts – “re-casts” if you will – while I am moving and the studio is being rebuilt.  We go back to look at a spiritual episode from the past, this week.

Most of the time we read passages like Luke 21 in light of an end-of-times narrative.  However, I think that Jesus’ hearers – his disciples and apostles – would have heard this narrative in a different way.  Jesus was preparing his disciples with instructions for survival in perilous times.  In their day, Jerusalem was going to be destroyed, the church was to be scattered through persecution, and disciples would be killed.  How would they get through those times?

In many ways, our times are not so different.  There is persecution for believers in Jesus – some that leads to death.  Churches are in trouble for various reasons.  And times seem to be getting more difficult.  How to God’s children cope?

In this podcast, I go back to Jesus’ instructions for His first followers from Luke 21:5-36.  Let’s hear Jesus’ words as they might have heard them, not as an end-of-times narrative.  What do we learn of coping in perilous times?

#55-ReCast: An Interview with Becky Wooley

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Non-Prophet Murders coverBecky WooleyIf you listened last week, you know that we are going to feature some older podcasts as “re-casts” for the next four weeks while I move and re-build my studio in a new home.  This week’s re-cast features my friend and author, Becky Wooley.  As a minister’s wife and church secretary, she has the inside scoop on how churches run.  And she has taken that information and some great imagination to write the clerical crime novel, Non-Prophet Murders.   Grit along with three pastors find themselves the target of a killer.  Can Grit and his girlfriend, Grace, find the killer before he or she strikes again!  Full of humor, satire, and some scary moments, Non-Prophet Murders keeps you guessing “who-dun-it.”  Listen and find out how she does it!

Links mentioned in this podcast include:

#53-The Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

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0411091740_0001Since this is Holy Week in the Christian calendar, I have produced a narrative of the events of Holy Week – from the arrest of Jesus through the resurrection – based totally on the Scriptures.  Rather than rely on just one of the Gospel narratives, I have meshed the four narratives together in one cogent story.  I pray that you are blessed by this telling of these important events – the most important events in all of history!

Here are some links to the Gospel records of this story:

#44-Upside Down Blessings

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blessings copyThis week, we go back to the world of spiritual ideas to talk about “blessings.”  Each week, I end this podcast with an exhortation to “share you blessings with someone else.”  The question is, “What are our blessings?”  Are they the things we have?  The people we know?  The life we lead?  Jesus tells us about blessings and this lesson from my home church talks about those definitions in the context of Jesus’ birth.

Scriptures referenced in this lesson are:

#42-The Story of Christmas

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birth-of-jesusIt’s two days before Christmas as I write this.  The season of giving, receiving, family, friends, fellowship, and food is upon us.  But, will we take time to remember the reason for this season?  Will we take time – individually and corporately – to celebrate, to contemplate, to remember the One who gave us the most important gift of all?  “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son.  And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.  God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was.  He came to help, to put the world right again.” (John 3:16, The Message)  This podcast celebrates this gift in words and music.  Enjoy!

Music heard in this podcast: