Today's conversation on Back Porch Theology is both confessional and convicting because we're talking about the difference between discernment - which can be loosely described as the ability to tell the difference between right from wrong - and criticism - which is primarily focused on finding fault in others. A young Christian recently asked me, "What's the difference between 'seeing sin' in someone else's life and confronting it, and having a critical spirit?" I told her I thought the key distinction between recognizing and confronting behavior that's ungodly in someone else and criticizing others is the posture of our own hearts. Are we aware of other people's mistakes because they trust us and have confided in us, or have we appointed ourselves as the "moral police" so as to justify examining blemishes in everyone else's behavior? First Corinthians chapter five explains that part of our job description as ambassadors of Christ is to help restore those who've been tripped up by sin back into a redemptive relationship with God, not try to elevate ourselves by exposing other people's flaws! If you feel like you've taken more than your fair share of lashes from a sharp tongue or you've got a tendency to nit-pick others yourself, we hope you'll get some much-needed relief today or maybe even a necessary but non-condemning course correction. So please grab your favorite drink, a snack, and your Bible then pull your chair up to the porch - we're really happy we get to hang out with y'all.
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The Forge Movie. Click here for theaters and showtimes.
Purchase Luke in the Land here.
You can find the What Happens Next book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com or wherever you buy books!
In this episode, Christine Caine empowers you to start preparing for what God has prepared for you. When we're in the midst of difficult circumstances and frustrating setbacks, it can sometimes feel as though God has forgotten us. But there's a better perspective we can hold onto in the midst of the challenging seasons of life we face. It's not that God's forgotten you. He's getting you ready, and He's getting you stronger so that at every phase of life, you are prepared to overcome any challenges along the way to fulfilling the dreams and destiny God has planned for you. Get your free Permission to Dream resources, including a Dream Worksheet and episode reflection guide, here.
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Christine Caine is a speaker, activist, and best-selling author. She and her husband, Nick, founded the anti-human trafficking organization The A21 Campaign. They also founded Propel Women, an initiative that is dedicated to coming alongside women all over the globe to activate their God-given purpose. Each week she brings you a Gospel-centered message filled with Biblical truths that will equip and empower you to step into the life God has for you.
The Forge Movie. Click here for theaters and showtimes.
The House That Jesus Built - Buy Now
This summer on the Max Lucado Encouraging Word podcast we've been talking about what we can do to give every day a chance. That can feel especially challenging on a day when things don't go according to plan, when you're bumped off track. Just ask the apostle Paul. You think he planned to go to prison? You think Paul said to himself, "Some time in jail would do wonders for my ministry"? Of course not! But he trusted the work of Christ. May we do the same.
Purchase Devoted to Jesus here.
Learn more about The Solomon Foundation here.
The Forge Movie. Click here for theaters and showtimes.
You can find the What Happens Next book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com or wherever you buy books!
Today I'm with my new friends Hudson and Emily. They have spent the last eight years traveling to every country in the world, a journey sparked by the passing of Hudson's father that inspired them to live with greater intentionality. Along the way, they've discovered the beauty in diversity and been touched by the kindness and hospitality they've encountered. Despite challenges and misunderstandings, their commitment to loving God and loving people has remained unwavering. They've captured their adventures on video and I hope they write a book about their experiences. With just 11 countries left, primarily in the Pacific islands, they are close to completing this beautiful ambition.
Connect with Hudson and Emily: @hudsonandemily
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Connect with Bob: @bobgoff
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Come join Bob and some of his friends for a workshop this fall! Visit bobgoff.com/events to learn more.
During today's conversation on Back Porch Theology we're talking about this engaging, exciting, captivating, compelling, LIFE-GIVING, divine love story we call the Bible. Far too many of us have sat under pastors, priests, teachers, and spiritual leaders who've communicated God's Word with the same level of passion a court reporter has when recording HOA litigation over a homeowner's grass being one half of an inch above the neighborhood standard. While others of us have had the imperatives in God's Word applied to our lives in such punitive ways that we can't help thinking of it as a rigid book of rules that we'll surely get whacked over the head with. However, both of those extremes are gross misuses of the Bible - it was never intended to be used primarily for discipline or for memorizing religious data, and it's not just a collection of morality tales like Aesop's Fables, either. From the very beginning, Scripture invites and impels us to lean into a real, loving relationship with God. Just as He breathed air into Adam's lungs to jumpstart humanity, He breathed these words into being so that we could have LIFE and have it more abundantly. If you've secretly thought the Bible was a wee bit boring, or maybe just inscrutable like those teensy-weensy printed directions regarding how to set up your new Wi-Fi router, today's episode is going to be a Little Mermaid moment for you - it's going to open you up to a whole new world! So please grab a cup of iced coffee and your Bible - unless you've got both hands full trying to recoil the garden hose that your teenager put back on the reel all wonky and lopsided! - and come hang out on the porch with us.
Purchase Luke in the Land here.
The Forge Movie. Click here for theaters and showtimes.
You can find the What Happens Next book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com or wherever you buy books!
Thanks for joining us today on the Max Lucado Encouraging Word podcast. On this episode we're looking at a story in the New Testament about a daughter and the faith of her father. When the situation seemed hopeless, the father went to Jesus. And because he did, his family saw a miracle.
Purchase Devoted to Jesus here.
Learn more about The Solomon Foundation here.
You can find the What Happens Next book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com or wherever you buy books!
Sometimes we are so fearful that something might go wrong that we end up spending our whole life in the same old spot stuck. In today's episode, Christine Caine empowers you to stop languishing and instead, break up with the status quo as you rise up and step into the purposes that God has for you. It's often easier to step into cynicism, thinking that this is just your lot in life. But when we sense the difficulty of what God is calling us into, instead of allowing fear to define us, we can step forward in faith, trusting that Jesus Christ did not come for us to simply exist. He came to give us a full, fruitful, and prosperous life overflowing out of His unfailing love and abundant plan for our future! Get your free Permission to Dream resources, including a Dream Worksheet and episode reflection guide, here.
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Christine Caine is a speaker, activist, and best-selling author. She and her husband, Nick, founded the anti-human trafficking organization The A21 Campaign. They also founded Propel Women, an initiative that is dedicated to coming alongside women all over the globe to activate their God-given purpose. Each week she brings you a Gospel-centered message filled with Biblical truths that will equip and empower you to step into the life God has for you.
The House That Jesus Built - Buy Now
Candace + Jennie are wrapping up Season 6 with a special episode all about YOU - our listeners! They are answering several listener questions about emotions, connecting with those in a different generation than you, navigating burnout and finding JOY again, and more.
As they reflect on their conversations from this season, they want to encourage you once more in your journey towards emotional health.
Living life tangled up emotionally is not really living at all. And although the enemy wants to attack you with hopelessness, You are never helpless or hopeless. Through Jesus, you have authority over your feelings. Wholeness and freedom are available to us not just in heaven but here and now.
What is ONE thing you are walking away with as a tool from this season? Head to Instagram and tell us @candacecameronburepodcast
Connect with Candace and Jennie:
Grab Jennie's book: Untangle Your Emotions
Join Levi and Jennie Lusko as they sit down with licensed counselor and author Debra Fileta to explore the complexities of mental health within the Christian context. Debra shares her journey from the medical field to counseling, emphasizing the importance of addressing past traumas and the role of faith in healing.
Connect with us on social!
Levi: @levilusko
Jennie: @jennielusko
Fresh Life Church: @freshlife
Links
Debra Fileta: https://bit.ly/3zEmwZZ
Debra Fileta's book "Soul Care": https://amzn.to/3XXFjcI
Debra Fileta's Counseling Network: https://bit.ly/4bKWeCx
Focus on the Family Counseling Network: https://bit.ly/3zDeNeG
AACC Directory: https://bit.ly/4czGdAy
Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY
Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY
Want to be on the next Q&A episode? Send us your questions! https://bit.ly/3RonhJI
Timestamps
00:00 - Welcoming Debra Fileta
01:34 - Navigating Mental Health Today
07:00 - Balancing All Aspects of Health
20:04 - Unpacking Past Traumas
27:00 - Introducing "Soul Care"
53:52 - The Importance of Taking a Pause
During today's conversation on Back Porch Theology we're wading into sober, heart-rending, deep water. If you've got little ears around right now, I encourage you to pause this podcast until those precious punkins aren't within earshot. However, in light of some of the spiritual giants who've been felled by moral failures lately, we believe an honest conversation about human frailty even among Christian leaders is both timely and necessary. Please know we will NEVER name names, belittle other believers, or sensationalize what is causing deep sorrow to any member in the Body of Christ here on BPT. Frankly, it grieves us deeply that modern culture feeds a voracious appetite for gossip and tends to applaud the cruel sport of gang-piling people who've gotten tripped up by sin - especially if they have a public platform. I think far too many folks who identify as Christians have gotten comfortable squeezing into moral police uniforms and then posting uninformed critiques on social media with sanctimonious impunity. Therefore, we think this season during which several high-profile spiritual leaders have seemingly toppled over into messy heaps of humanity is an opportune time to search the Scriptures for how we can more faithfully respond when a pastor - perhaps even a personal mentor - falls into sin. What does it mean to disqualify yourself from leadership but not from Christianity? How can laypeople remain devoted to following Jesus when their leaders disobey His commands? And how do we stay engaged in the process of biblical restoration when we're just so stinkin' sad & disappointed about yet another church scandal in the news? If you've been wounded in church or by a church leader, please linger with us until the end of the episode today because while we won't wrap our time together up with a perky bow or a pithy sentiment, I can assure you there's tangible hope at the end of this tunnel. So please grab something to sip, something to snack on - on days like today I think the calories might not count quite as much - and your Bible, then pull your chair up as close as you can. We're really grateful we get to hang out with y'all today.
Click here to get a 25% discount on the Dwell Bible App.
The Forge Movie. Click here for theaters and showtimes.
You can find the What Happens Next book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com or wherever you buy books!
Today's conversation on Back Porch Theology took place very recently at The Kerygma Summit here in Franklin, TN and this particular conversation was kind of the "chips and queso" moment of the whole weekend for me because I had the undeserved privilege of sitting down with some of my favorite female Christian leaders from around the country and gleaning from their collective wisdom. I framed the question that I posed to all of them like this: At sixty I know much less about God than what I thought I knew about Him at forty and what I pretended to know about Him at twenty. But what I now know to be true of God - namely His unconditional love and immutable faithfulness - I know in the very marrow of my bones. Then I asked each of them - many of whom are leading large ministries - what they now know to be true of God in the marrow of their bones. Their answers were gut-level honest, deeply encouraging, appropriately convicting at times, and always God and others honoring. This conversation was a living example of Psalm 68:11 - the Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng. Plus, since these saints came from various streams of the church, it was also a master class in unity and it reminded me of Jesus's response to John's question in Mark 9: "Teacher," said John, "we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Christian unity is not the same thing as uniformity, y'all. We don't have to agree on every, single jot and tittle of what is theologically nuanced, but if we can agree on the fact that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way sinners like us can be reconciled with God, as well as the authority of God's Word, we're family. Remember the Bible also reveals that a divisive spirit is one of the six things that God hates (Proverbs 9) and whenever possible He calls us to be at peace and harmony with each other (Romans 12). Today's conversation is going to be like spiritual Gorilla Glue, it's going to fasten us tighter to our Creator Redeemer and tighter to the community of faith so please grab a cup of coffee or a glass of sparkling water with a wedge of lime or a thimbleful of wheatgrass juice and your Bible - unless you're trimming your roses, of course; mine have sprouted out with more enthusiasm than Einstein's eyebrows during the past few weeks of warm weather - and come hang out on the porch with us.
Sponsored by BetterHelp. Save 10% at BetterHelp.com/LisaHarper
Buy The Overcomers at
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Do It Anyway is available wherever you buy books.
Candace + Jennie are wrapping up Season 6 with a special episode all about YOU - our listeners! They are answering several listener questions about emotions, connecting with those in a different generation than you, navigating burnout and finding JOY again, and more.
As they reflect on their conversations from this season, they want to encourage you once more in your journey towards emotional health.
Living life tangled up emotionally is not really living at all. And although the enemy wants to attack you with hopelessness, You are never helpless or hopeless. Through Jesus, you have authority over your feelings. Wholeness and freedom are available to us not just in heaven but here and now.
What is ONE thing you are walking away with as a tool from this season? Head to Instagram and tell us @candacecameronburepodcast
Connect with Candace and Jennie:
Grab Jennie's book: Untangle Your Emotions
Join Levi and Jennie Lusko as they sit down with licensed counselor and author Debra Fileta to explore the complexities of mental health within the Christian context. Debra shares her journey from the medical field to counseling, emphasizing the importance of addressing past traumas and the role of faith in healing.
Connect with us on social!
Levi: @levilusko
Jennie: @jennielusko
Fresh Life Church: @freshlife
Links
Debra Fileta: https://bit.ly/3zEmwZZ
Debra Fileta's book "Soul Care": https://amzn.to/3XXFjcI
Debra Fileta's Counseling Network: https://bit.ly/4bKWeCx
Focus on the Family Counseling Network: https://bit.ly/3zDeNeG
AACC Directory: https://bit.ly/4czGdAy
Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY
Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY
Want to be on the next Q&A episode? Send us your questions! https://bit.ly/3RonhJI
Timestamps
00:00 - Welcoming Debra Fileta
01:34 - Navigating Mental Health Today
07:00 - Balancing All Aspects of Health
20:04 - Unpacking Past Traumas
27:00 - Introducing "Soul Care"
53:52 - The Importance of Taking a Pause
Today is our 12th and final biblical pearl for Season 1 of our Pearls Podcast. How in the world do we finish this season? What is the biblical pearl to leave you with for now? How do we end such a rich and generous season in the Word of God together? How do we get up from the biblical table and live forward into our lives today?
I spent quite a bit of time in prayer thinking through what the 12th pearl would be. What is ONE more thing in the "better than" Story of the Bible that I would want impart to you, bless you and wash you with today?
In today's final episode, our biblical pearl is located in John 14: 1-6. These are words in red - the words of Jesus given to his disciples at the Last Supper right before crucifixion and resurrection. It's about to go down and he knows it. What will some of his final words be at this final meal before the Garden of Gethsemane, arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection?
Today we are going to learn about the beit av - the house of the father. THIS is some of the encouragement Jesus chose to give his disciples in this final meal and final hours. The imagery and metaphor, the deep meaning that these words would have held for Jesus and his disciples 2,000 years ago speaks a WORD to us in our own lives today. The promise that Jesus speaks of in these verses are a right now promise for you and me today.
No matter what's going on in your life, now matter how high or low, how deep into sadness, ruin and loss - we are headed to the Father's House.
As we end Season 1 of Pearls, I pray these words get worked into your soul like yeast into dough. Shalom to you and your families.
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Every day you are faced with a choice. As you experience different emotions, what will you do with them? How will you respond to them? You name them, but now what?
Whether we realize it or not, we are all doing something with our feelings - addressing them and growing through them, or ignoring them and letting them control us. But what if our emotions draw us closer to God and lead us to connection with others?
What will you choose? Listen in as Candace and Jennie talk about how they choose daily to embrace + grow in their emotions, why you cannot be a great parent, spouse, student, or Christian while remaining emotionally unhealthy, and ways Jesus has transformed their lives as they have walked with Him.
Connect with Candace and Jennie:
There is a connection between your emotional health and your body. Just think about what you feel physically when you experience different emotions:
When you feel joy, where in your body do you feel it?
When you feel sadness, how do you express it physically?
When you feel fear or worry, how does your body respond?
Our bodies feel our emotions, they are connected. And often the feelings we are struggling with are exacerbated by how we are treating (or mistreating) our bodies.
In this episode, Candace and Jennie are talking about emotions + our body. They discuss how they have seen their physical health positivity impact their emotional health, and vice versa. They also share healthy physical habits that have helped them when they are feeling certain emotions (like sad or stressed).
What are ways you keep your body healthy so that it can support your emotional health well? Head over to Instagram to tell us! @candacecameronburepodcast
Connect with Candace and Jennie:
Listener Question:
Candace + Jennie answer 3 questions from listeners that ask about balance, routines, and habits. From managing time and energy to taking care of yourself without letting it become an idol. Tune in to hear more!
What are ways your emotional health impacts your marriage? Is one of you more emotionally responsive, and the other naturally stoic? Or do you see emotions showing up in different ways?
In this week's episode, Candace and Jennie dive into how your emotional health plays a role in your relationship with your spouse. Listen in as they reflect on their own marriages, talk about practical things they do to stay connected to their husbands emotionally, how they resolve conflict, and the deep value intentional counseling has had on them.
"What if my spouse doesn't want to go to marriage counseling or doesn't want to work on their emotional health?" This is a common question! Candace and Jennie share their insights and personal experiences with counseling + healing their personal emotional health, and how that has led to healing within their marriages. Because the reality is that you have the power and choice to control your emotional health, and you can bring that into your marriage and family relationships.
Connect with Candace and Jennie:
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In 2007 the Lord opened the door for me to go study the Bible in Egypt and Israel. I went and learned that the Living God is BETTER than I ever knew. When the Lord gave us the Bible, He gave us a Story. It's the best and truest Story ever told.
Each story is like a pearl, beautiful and of great price on its own. But what's more beautiful is stringing the biblical pearls together. Through the Bible, we know who the Living God is, what He's like and what it is to walk with Him. In this teaching podcast, we are going to string 12 of my most favorite biblical pearls together.
We do not just read the Bible - we interact with it. It is living and active and so we are we. When we sit down with the Word of God, it is life with life. The Bible is like a great feast. Great food is best experienced with great people so thanks for joining me at the biblical table for this 1st episode of Pearls, if you haven't make sure to subscribe so you don't any of them. We are getting ready to learn over and over that the Living God is BETTER than we ever knew.
In the Bible, the Living God repeats what He cares about. If I spend time with you, I will quickly learn what and who you care about by your words. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth will speak. There is a command, an instruction unto shalom that the Living God repeats over and over throughout the Story of the Bible. It is summed up in one simple yet powerful word - remember. Sometimes its given in the reverse - do not forget.
Zakhar is the Hebrew word for "to remember". When we think of remembering, we think of looking back to something behind us. But for the Hebrews they understood remembering as a forward-moving practice and rhythm of walking with the Living God. When you hit a moment in life and you don't know what to do, rather than striving and straining, stressing and scrambling to find the way forward, you "remember." You take time to look back, remember God's faithful record in your life, and in looking back and remembering you will find your way forward.
One of my favorite things to do with teams while in Israel is to hike through the Wilderness of Zin with them. To feel the wilderness. To experience part of the wilderness where the Israelites wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. In today's episode, we will track the Israelites through some of their wilderness wanderings as they learned to zakhar, to remember in the wilderness.
If something is going on in your life today and you feel lost and overwhelmed, sit down, breathe deep and remember. Look back over your life and remember God's faithful record. He has not failed a person yet. You will not be the first. Be encouraged today!