Category Archives: Spiritual Ideas

#29-On Being a BLESS-ing

BLESSThis podcast stays in the realm of Bible teaching this week – or rather faith sharing. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, how easy is it for you to share with others your faith in Him? For many, I would say that it is probably difficult. My home congregation is trying to make it easy for everyone to share the story of their faith. So, I am pleased to share the first of several messages about sharing. Today, we learn how being a BLESS-ing can help you share your faith in Christ. BLESS is an acronym to help you remember some basic steps in sharing.  Take a listen for more details!

 

The scriptures used today and some notes are below:

Matthew 28:16-20

Begin with prayer (Acts 4:23-24, 29-31)

  • God, how you want me to bless the people and the places that you’ve sent me?

Listen (James 1:19)

  • Don’t talk, but listen to people – their struggles, their pains in the places that God has sent you

Eat (Acts 2:46-47)

  • Eat. Having a meal with people builds relationships.

Serve (Matthew 20:25-28)

  • Serve

Story (1 Peter 3:15)

  • When the time is right, jump in.

Matth 5:16

#28-Surviving Perilous Times

jesus-teaching-in-templeMost 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?

#26-God Weeps

Photo by gt.Photos.

Photo by gt.Photos.

Did you know that God cries?  There are two specific incidents in the scriptures which have startling similarities.  I talk about those incidents and what they mean for you and especially for me as a Narrator of Audio Books!  Join me for a short journey into the scriptures for a unique insight.

Links to the Scriptures used in this podcast:

Luke 19:41-44

Jeremiah 2:9-11

John 12:36-43

#21-41 Audiobooks in 41 Days #3

11011774_453277944844098_2831709382067220832_nIt’s week #3 for taking a look at a short synopsis and hearing a new sample from each of the audiobooks that I’ve recorded over the last couple of years.  This week, we review a devotional book, a police mystery, some poetry, an action adventure series, and some historical fiction.

I also share some thoughts about the murderous rampage which took place last week in Chattanooga, my adopted home town.

Here are he links for this week’s book selections:

God, Me, & a Cup of Tea, by Michele Huey

Grave Obsessions-Volume 1: Chiseled Heart, by Patti J. Smith

Here Among the Ruins, by Regina Puckett

Knighthawke, by Jerry Mincew

Knighthawke: Vanishing Shadows, by Jerry Minchew

Let Freedom Ring-Volume 1: The Sutler of Petersburg, by Joy Ross Davis

#17-The Voice of Aedistamen

Voice-Cover-web

Click on book icon for more information or to purchase this title.

This week’s podcast is adapted from author Tony Hilling’s blog post about his novel, The Voice of Aedistamen.  Since I have produced the audiobook for the first volume of this series, “The Child’s Arrival”, I thought the blog would help shed some light on a book which takes place in this fictional world of Aedistamen.  Tony’s post points us to a sample from the book, an original song he composed and performs, and a spiritual idea for all to consider.

Links referenced in this podcast:

Tony Hilling on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tony.hilling

Tony Hilling on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyHilling

Tony’s book, The Voice of Aedistamen

Tony’s song, That Towering Cross

#13-How Would Jesus Date?

John Paul & Lauren

John Paul & Lauren

This week’s podcast comes courtesy of a blog posted by a young man studying at The Princeton Theological Seminary.  He asks the question which titles our podcast: How Would Jesus Date?  Intriguing to me.  Even better are the thoughts he shares with us.  Thank you, John Paul Cooke for sharing these thoughts and allowing me to use them in this podcast.

#10-The Merger of Audiobooks & Spiritual Ideas: #3 “Non-Prophet Murders”

Non-Prophet Murders coverBecky WooleyMy friend, Becky Wooley, has written a murder mystery/clerical crime/satire called Non-Prophet Murders which is full of spiritual ideas.  While making you scratch your head trying to figure out “who-dun-it”, Becky challenges you to think about the Church and your beliefs and allows you to laugh, too.  How does she do it?  Well, you have to listen to the podcast to find out!!

#9: The Merger of Audiobooks & Spiritual Ideas: #2 Novels

Swaddling Clothes coverOnce Upon a Christmas Eve coverThis is the second week exploring the merger of audiobooks with spiritual ideas. While we may usually think of Bibles, books about the Bible, or devotionals containing spiritual ideas, there are other forms of writing which can be rich in spiritual ideas. In this episode, I take a look at two novels which explore spiritual ideas using the story of the birth of Jesus as their platform.  Amber Shamel’s The Swaddling Clothes is a historical novel inspired by a Veggie Tales episode.  Anne Baxter-Campbells Once Upon a Christmas Eve tells the story of a teenage who needs to learn a lesson or two.  You’ll hear excerpts from both of these books.