The God Journey - 2018

Seeing God As He Really Is (#663)

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 15:57:35 GMT

If we don't have an accurate view of God, how can we get anything else right? So much of the way we process our circumstances, share fellowship with others, or even read the Scriptures are influenced by how we view God. Brad and Wayne talk about how important it is to have our view of God right, to see him as he really is. Only then will we be able recognize what's true around us and what is false. If we see him as a demanding taskmaster, we'll interpret things very differently than if we see him as loving Father working to draw us into an affection-based relationship with him. Our salvation is not just in jumping through some religious hoops, or praying for things the way we want them, but in actually learning to follow him as he draws us into his orbit and teaches us how to live in his ways.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Blog on God as Our Salvation
The latest news from our project in Kenya

Is God After Straight A’s? (#662)

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Five years ago Wayne's daughter, Julie, joined him on the podcast to discuss raising free-range children and returns this week to update us on her journey and to talk about some fresh direction Father is bringing into her life. She talks about strategies she uses to introduce her children to Jesus and why their friendships embrace such a wide swath of humanity. They also discuss a NY Times article about why getting straight A's in school may not be the best preparation for life and how perfectionism can actually lead us away from the nudging of the Spirit.

Podcast Notes:
Julie's previous visit to The God Journey - Free Range Children
Email Julie
NY Times Article: What Straight A Students Get Wrong
The latest news from our project in Kenya

Recognizing God’s Leading (#661)

Fri, 14 Dec 2018 15:00:00 GMT

How do you know you're following the leading of the Spirit, or being deceived by your own best wisdom? Last week Brad and Wayne discussed the obedience of a young woman who went into one of the most dangerous places on earth and bore some incredible fruit. A couple of weeks ago a young man was killed hoping to share the Gospel on a forbidden island with a tribe that violently resists all outside contact. Wayne and Brad discuss how to weigh the nudges on our heart to better discern how he leads us. Their discussion led them to uncover an unfortunate superpower that all humans seem to have, and which we have to acknowledge in our learning to listen to him.

Podcast Notes:
Last week's podcast on Relying On the Spirit
U.S. Missionary Killed by "World's Most Isolated" Tribe
The latest news from our project in Kenya

Relying on the Spirit (#660)

Sat, 08 Dec 2018 05:15:20 GMT

Brad's back from Hong Kong where he spent some time exploring what God has done among the drug addicts and drug dealers in the former Walled City, It is also a place where God made himself known in some amazing ways all because Jackie Pullinger, a twenty-year old, single woman from England heard God's invitation to come to the Walled City and love the people there. That was over fifty years ago and continues to bear fruit among some of the most desperate people in Hong Kong. He shares his adventure with Wayne and how it has ignited him to live with a greater dependence on the power of the Spirit, instead of relying on human ingenuity and effort.

Podcast Notes:
Chasing the Dragon by Jackie Pullinger
The latest news from our project in Kenya

Continuing the Journey (#659)

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Why are we so inclined to prefer the stagnation of routine rather than embrace the joy of a journey with ever-changing circumstances but a deeper knowing of who he is? Wayne shares a dream that one of the God Journey listeners sent him about Jesus moving us on from places we've grown accustomed to so that we can experience a greater exchange with him. He and Brad talk about knowing God in times of joy as well as fellowshipping with him in times of suffering. He's invited us on a journey of transformation, not to build a home in the valley of our own comfort.

Podcast Notes:
The latest news from our project in Kenya

Tragedy in Our Own Back Yards (#658)

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Brad's back and together he and Wayne process the twin tragedies that ravaged their hometown. Twelve people, including a sheriff's deputy, were murdered in a local bar and grill by a lone gunman, and the very next day two different wildfires attacked the outskirts of their city and nearby communities. They talk about the impact of these days on their lives personally, how it has touched their community and their hope that God will help people realize what is truly valuable and find their way into a more meaningful connection with him. They also talk about suffering and whether or not those that follow him are immune from the atrocities that stalk our broken world.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Blog on Thanksgiving in the Midst of Pain
The latest news from our project in Kenya

Maybe it Isn’t So Difficult (#657)

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Arnita returns to help Wayne process some of the emails, comments and phone calls they both received after last week's podcast. They were delighted to find lots of wonderful engagement with people who listened to the podcast and wanted to interact further about it. Trained as a scientist, Arnita is the founder of Eight Leadership Development Group (formerly Eight Ministries) and does leadership development coaching for individuals and teams. They talk about "white privilege" and how the term can easily confuse the issue, rather than deal with the reality. After their taping, someone texted Arnita a term that might be less divisive: "culturally pre-determined advantages." It's a bit cumbersome as a term, but may be helpful. (Special Note: For those wondering, Brad will be back next week.)

Podcast Notes:
First Podcast with Arnita: Why Is It So Difficult to Talk About Race?
The Red Table Talk Discussion about Race referred to in this podcast
Email Arnita
The latest news from our project in Kenya

Why Is It So Difficult to Talk About Race? (#657)

Fri, 9 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Wayne met Arnita Taylor in March right at the time when he and a friend were looking for a collaborator on a book they were planning called The Language of Healing. Arnita has a gift of creating a safe space for people to explore racial tensions, differences, and sensitivity. Trained as a scientist, she is now the founder of Eight Leadership Development Group (formerly Eight Ministries) and does leadership development coaching for individuals and teams. She and Wayne discuss racial differences and anxiety in our culture, how much bias still exists for people of color, and how to open the door for more meaningful discovery and conversations.

Podcast Notes:
Email Arnita
The latest news from our project in Kenya

Connecting With the Heart (#656)

Fri, 02 Nov 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Last week Wayne talked to Jeff Andrechyn about the spirit of adventure that can be part of our growing walk with Jesus. After talking to Jeff, he also recorded a conversation with is wife, Dana, who is on a great journey of her own. Not quite the same as Jeff's, they prove to be a great complement to the other. She also talks about her dreams of being the model of a Christian wife and mother and what happened to her when her life didn't turn out that way. But learning to stay connected with her kids through the twists and turns of life has yielded great fruit not only in her life, but in theirs as well. Jeff and Dana live near Charlotte, NC, where she works with Zoweh Ministries.

Podcast Notes:
The latest news from our project in Kenya

When the Maps Run Out (#655)

Sat, 27 Oct 2018 04:02:07 GMT

Brad was out of town this week, so I'm filling in with a podcast I recorded last week with a good friend on my recent stay in Charlotte, NC. Jeff Andreychen is a Captain for American Airlines and is especially captured by the sense of adventure that comes from following God, especially as he leads us beyond the maps others have made and into the uncharted frontier of his unique work in each of us. What inspired this thought was a Ken Burns documentary on the Lewis and Clark expedition, though Jeff assures me he uses maps when he flies for American. So many try to find a relationship with God by following the principles and guidelines of others. While they can be helpful, Jesus will invite you beyond the experiences of others into a journey of growing dependence on his voice. At the end they also discuss how true elders encourage rather than discourage that journey.

Podcast Notes:
Lewis and Clark by Ken Burns
Frontier Thesis by Turner
The latest news from our project in Kenya

And the Spirits Danced, Part 2 (#654)

Fri, 19 Oct 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Last week Bob Prater shared a vision he had recently and their processing of it went way beyond one podcast, so they return now to finish that conversation. If you haven't heard the first podcast, giving it a listen first will help this one make so much more sense. That leads them to a discussion of how easy it is for our best intentions to be seduced by the desire for power or money, and how Father has asked us to impact the world through generosity and love, not the power of trying to lord over others.

Podcast Notes:
Part 1 of this podcast, played last week
Bob's podcast, A Christian and a Muslim Walk Into a Studio
Previous podcasts with Bob
The latest news from our project in Kenya

And the Spirits Danced (#653)

Fri, 12 Oct 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Brad is out of town, so Wayne invites an old friend, Bob Prater, to join him on the podcast as they talk about the level of political rancor in the last few weeks and a vision Bob believes the Lord gave him a month ago. It will be controversial, no doubt, but it resonated so deeply with Wayne that he wanted to process it with Bob here. So, after catching up a bit personally, they turn their attention to the current political and religious landscape. They work through Bob's vision and what it might mean for people who care about the future of our country and what is happening now to tear it apart.

Podcast Notes:
Bob's podcast, A Christian and a Muslim Walk Into a Studio
Previous podcast with Bob
Tim Keller's Article: How Do Christians Fit Into the Two-Party System? They Don't
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

The Loneliness Epidemic (#652)

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 15:00:00 GMT

There wasn't even a word for loneliness in the English language prior to the 1800s, now 40% of people report feeling lonely. Social scientists are calling it an epidemic with tragic consequences—living with loneliness increases your odds of dying early by 45%. Wayne invites Tracey Levinson, friend, author of unashamed, and occasional God Journey guest, to join him for a conversation about this remarkable trend, and how we can fight our way through it to more meaningful connections with God and with other people. Building friendships is a valuable tool for everyone, and learning to reach out to those 40% of lonely people around you will be not only an incredible gift to them, but also to you.

Podcast Notes:
Article: One is the Loneliest Number
Previous podcasts with Tracy
Tracy's book, unashamed: candid conversations about dating, love, nakedness, and faith
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

All or Nothing (#651)

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 15:00:00 GMT

"Does every area of your life honor Jesus?" That question came from a listener and opened the door to an interesting discussion as to why our religious rhetoric is so often couched in extreme measures. Is your all on the altar? Do you completely trust God in every area of your life? I surrender all. You must love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Certainly the aspiration to those realities the ongoing cry of our hearts, but to leave it there often overwhelms people with expectations they can never meet by their own efforts. By focusing on the end product, some lose sight of the process of transformation and God's presence in it. Our hearts may cry for all or nothing, but the daily reality of our lives is to live in the light and freedom we have each, which allows us to grow in our love, trust, and dependence on him.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Travel Schedule
Vote for The Shack at PBS' The Great American Read
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

From Victim to Overcomer (#650)

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 15:00:00 GMT

It's a horrible thing to feel like someone else's victim, especially with wounds that have held on for decades. When others have been the conduit of evil to attack our lives, it is easy to get sucked into the idea that we are their perpetual victim and stay captive to whatever harm they did to us. After Wayne fills Brad in on his recent weekend in Ukraine, they find themselves in a conversation about helping others move beyond victimhood to find that God is bigger than whatever trauma others have caused them and to discover the way he would lead them to overcome. He still has joy for each of us, in spite of what others have done to us. Of course, it is really helpful when we see God as the rescuer in our story, rather than the cause of our pain by something he did or didn't do.

Making the Connection With God (#649)

Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Is God's love only something we read about in the Scriptures and know in our heads, or does he want us to experience it in our hearts as well? Wayne and Brad continue the theme of last week's podcast about the importance of having a personal connection with God in the earliest days of faith and what to do if you missed that. Unfortunately much of Christendom is big on connecting us to the rules, rituals, and doctrines of faith, without actually helping us actually engage God. where we know we're not alone no matter what we face. He becomes a growing part of our lives as we learn to lean into his reality instead of being lost in ourselves. They discuss what it is to be born again, filled with the Spirit, and how to seek him that turns our heart from our own preoccupation with self, to behold him.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Engage series to help people connect with the Living God.
Vote for The Shack at PBS' The Great American Read
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Derailing Relationships (#648)

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Being right with each other is far more important to God than being right about an issue. Misunderstanding is the enemy of relationship, both in how we relate to God and how we relate to each other. Here's where a lot of humility can go a long ways in helping us move beyond a misunderstanding to embrace each other. None of us have a complete perspective about anything. Brad and Wayne in this remote podcast explore the world of relationships and how they can so easily be derailed. They talk about how religious people often try to force their views on others and why it never works. They also talk about why thinking that God's sovereignty means he "allows" hurtful situations in our lives for some higher purpose, will cause us to see him as an abusive presence in the universe and destroy our growing trust and affection for him.

Podcast Notes:
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

A Liturgy for Family (#647)

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 15:00:00 GMT

A dip into the mailbag finds some questions about dealing with people who feel led by the Spirit to try to drag us back into religious obligation with the infamous fosake-not-the-assembly passage. How do we help people see that our versions of 'church' today have very little in common with how the first century believers gathered? Well, popular blogger and pastor, John Pavlovitz may have done it for you. Wayne reads some excerpts from an article he wrote for Relevant reminding us that the church isn't a place, its the reality of the kingdom showing up where people reflect God's reality. In fact he offers a New Testament liturgy for Jesus' family: gather, eat, share, remember him, live. It's how the kingdom spread in the first century, unmoored from centralized religion.

Podcast Notes:
John Pavlovitz article in Relevant: The Church Was Never Meant to Be a Place
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

The Sins Against Me, Too? (#646)

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 15:00:00 GMT

"Jesus' death didn't just absorb my sin on the cross, but also all the sins others have committed against me." Wayne was startled to hear that thought from Thom while they had lunch in Raleigh last June. Of course, Wayne knew that Jesus died for all our sins, but he never stopped to consider how the work of Jesus also took the sting out of the sins he has suffered from others. Wow! That gave him a new place to explore life in the kingdom, so he invited Brad into that same consideration. How does that fact change and shape our relationships with others, especially when are victims of their sin.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Stumbling Over Jesus (#645)

Fri, 17 Aug 2018 15:00:00 GMT

"Blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over me." Jesus said in Matthew 11:6. What did he mean by that? How could we possibly stumble over Jesus? It turns out there are quite a number of ways we can be scandalized when he doesn't do what we might expect or want him to do. Following Jesus means to trust that he knows best and that he has things going on that we can't even conceive. His statement is actually an invitation to deeper trust, so we don't take offense at his working when there is absolutely no cause for us to do so. (The above artworks was taken from the cover of A MAN LIKE NO OTHER, which Brad and Wayne co-authored along with artist, Murry Whiteman.)

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Appropriating Grace (#644)

Sat, 11 Aug 2018 04:00:15 GMT

<img src=""/>Wayne and Brad spend some time mulling over last week's podcast with Jack Gerry about his family's encounter with Alzheimer's Disease and dig in to what it means to appropriate grace in those seasons where everything seems dark and God far away. There is a way to process our pain and questions with God that invites us deeper into the relationships, and ways to do it that can pull us deeper into the darkness and make it more difficult for us to sense his presence and hear his voice. Almost always, finding our way to a place of genuine surrender to his love will renew that relationship and allow us to see him more clearly.Podcast Notes: 
Previous podcast with Jack Gerry, <a href="https://www.thegodjourney.com/2018/08/03/finding-grace-in…perate-times-643/">Finding Grace in Desperate Times</a> 
<a href="https://www.lifestream.org/connect/waynes-travel-schedule/">Wayne's Travel Schedule</a> 
<a href="https://www.lifestream.org/a-new-farm-in-north-pokot/">The latest news from our project in Kenya</a> 
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Finding Grace in Desperate Times (#643)

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 15:00:00 GMT

It's one thing to be certain of God's love when all is well and quite another to find it deeply reassuring in the most desperate of times. Wayne has known Jack and Nancy Gerry for almost thirty years and watched God lead them on an amazing transformation. Now, well into their 80s the are facing the challenge of advanced stages of Alzheimer's Disease. How does grace work in the most desperate circumstances, and how do you find the love of God in that which you God's love would compel him to heal? In a recent trip to Maine, Wayne spent two days with this delightful couple and talked to Jack about the challenges they are facing and the provision they are finding in this season of their lives.

Podcast Notes:
First Podcast with Jack Gerry, When You Can't Play the Game Any Longer
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

In, Then Out, Then In Again (#642)

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Chris DuPré has had an interesting God Journey that we originally told on a podcast in 2010 as this long time musician and pastoral leader was finding his way outside of religious performance and religious institutions. But in the past couple years he's been invited back in to a unique pastoral role with a congregation in Pennsylvania. He was visiting Brad in Southern Cal and we decided to catch up with him. He offers some interesting perspectives about the dangers of the institutional mindset to rob us from our life and Christ, and how to be re-engaged with people there without being owned by the ministry or the expectations of people in it. He talks with Wayne and Brad about the difference between obligation and duty and finding a fulfilling journey inside the love of God.

Podcast Notes:
First Podcast with Chris Dupre
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Finding Fullness (#641)

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 15:00:00 GMT

How much does finding learning to embrace the fullness of life that's in Christ depend on our pursuit? Can we overdo it by striving in our own efforts, or alternatively, become so passive and miss what he has for us? Wayne and Brad discuss the process by which we learn to live in the fullness of the Spirit as a growing reality in our daily lives. They talk about the spirit of the disciplines, what it means to be continually filled by the Spirit, and how to help new people on this journey find their footing at the fountainhead that will lead to a lifetime of growing realitionship and ever-increasing fullness from the Lord's love and grace.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Franchising the Faith (#640)

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 15:00:00 GMT

It seems like every time we try to mass-produce the life of Jesus, be it through a workbook or "church" program, it always ends up getting sidetracked. What may be life to the first generation gets lost in subsequent generations as people are instructed in principles they've learned, rather than helping them cultivate their own relationship with Father, Son and Spirit. It's an age-old story. Is that why Jesus didn't leave us with Five Steps to Whatever, or a discipleship program we could follow instead of him. He passed on the kingdom life-to-life, through relationships of love and growing trust rather than engaging human effort to follow a checklist.There isn't a system humanity has devised that cannot be exploited to serve the needs of our flesh, rather than let him engage us with a relationship that invites us out of our brokenness and into his life.

Podcast Notes:
Article Referred to in the Podcast: How to Become America's Fastest-Growing Church
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Taking a Break (#639)

Fri, 22 Jun 2018 15:00:00 GMT

We're sorry, but Wayne and Brad weren't able to connect for some podcasts before their families went on vacation, and the vacations aren't synched up either. So, The God Journey will be taking a break for the next few weeks. We don't know when we'll be able to get back to it, so subscribe to the blog here or to the podcast (on iTunes or your favorite podcast app) to get the next one when we do it. Before we go, however, Wayne reads a bit of listener email responding to pasts podcast on Women, Breaking Up With God, and some breakthroughs some of our listeners have had in times of great darkness. In the meantime, you can also enjoy our archives.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's TEDx Talk (Sorry for the ad. Not our doing!)
The God Journey Archives by Topic
Wayne's Travel Schedule
Look up previous podcasts with Bob Stamps in our Guest Archive
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Jesus Outside of Us (#638)

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Can we unwittingly incarcerate Jesus in our own hearts by thinking he is the author of our biases, preferences, and false conclusions that free us to follow our own ambitions instead of truly following him? That's the danger of only having Jesus inside of us, and not a Jesus outside of us who can confront our prejudices and invite us to real transformation that runs counter to our own ambitions. Ending the last podcast with how the "church" today is falling for foolishness, Wayne and Brad along with their guest, Dr. Bob Stamps of Richmond, VA, continue last week's conversation and our need for objective truth that invites us into an ever transforming relationship with him.

Podcast Notes:
Part 1 of this conversation with Bob Stamps: The Infinite God in Finite Minds
Wayne's Travel Schedule
Look up previous podcasts with Bob Stamps in our Guest Archive
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

An Infinite God in Finite Minds (#637)

Fri, 08 Jun 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Did Wayne throw Brad under the bus in a previous podcast about Breaking Up With God? Brad thinks he did as they revisit their discussion of Sarah Sentilles book. Is it arrogant to make final conclusions about God from our limited knowledge of him? And is that just as true for the brash theologian as it is the atheist? Joining them today is occasional guest, Dr. Bob Stamps, a long-time friend of Wayne's, a retired Methodist pastor, and a theologian. Though they've walked very different roads, they have come to very similar conclusions about God and his work int he world as they talk about theological study and experience in sorting out our views of God.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Travel Schedule
Our Previous Podcast about Breaking Up With God
Look up previous podcasts with Bob Stamps in our Guest Archive
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Breaking the Billy Graham Rule (#636)

Fri, 01 Jun 2018 15:00:00 GMT

"If you are married, never be alone with someone of the opposite sex who is not your spouse. Never." That's the so-called Billy Graham Rule, which he followed to avoid temptation and protect his reputation. Some think it communicates to women that they are fundamentally dangerous and objectifies women as sexual objects. In this second of a two-part podcast, Wayne and Brad continue their discussion with Tracy Levinson, author of unashamed and an occasional guest on The God Journey, as the delve into questions about male/female relationships. Is the Billy Graham Rule sacrosanct? Are there ways to break the rule and not risk undermining your marriage or opening a door to the enemy's ploy? Does sexual attraction or protecting yourself against it have to dominate every exchange between men and women?

Podcast Notes:
Tracy Levinson's book, unashamed:candid conversations about dating, love, nakedness, and faith
It's Not the Billy Graham Rule or Bust by Tish Harrison Warren
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Confronting the Old Boys’ Club (#635)

Fri, 25 May 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Is there anything a man can do among the body of Christ that a woman cannot? In this first of two podcasts about issues affecting their sisters in the body of Christ, Brad and Wayne invite occasional guest, Tracy Levinson, to explore that question and a few others about the role of women in the church and how they've been mistreated and demeaned by a dominating, second-class view of women. They also talk about a letter from Beth Moore detailing how she has been demeaned as a woman with a teaching gift, look at Peter's view of women as "weaker vessels", confront the Jezebel accusation used to silence the voice of women, and whether a covering is required for women. Even though Jesus treated women with equality, respect and dignity, his followers have had a hard time catching up to his example.

Podcast Notes:
Tracy Levinson's book, unashamed:candid conversations about dating, love, nakedness, and faith
NY Times Article on The Great #Metoo Awakening
A Letter to My Brothers by Beth Moore
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Breaking Up with God (#634)

Fri, 18 May 2018 15:00:00 GMT

We've visited this theme before, but not quite this way. It's a popular theme these days: someone grows up, aspiring to Christian leadership, and then decides God isn't real and Christianity doesn't work. Then, they need to write a book and justify their decision to anyone who will read it. What's really going on here? Why are so many former Christians concluding God doesn't exist? Could it be that they never met a God worth loving for himself, and thus were not able to forge a real faith that goes beyond doctrine and ritual and grounded in a life-giving engagement with God himself? If we don't come to know him, our self-absorbed disappointments will make him seem unreal.

Podcast Notes:
Books by Sarah Sentilles
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Bias Blindness (#633)

Fri, 11 May 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Brad and Wayne catch up after a few weeks of travel for both of them—Brad to his son's wedding and a media event in Dallas, and Wayne to upstate New York. Through a strange set of circumstances, Wayne was able to spend some time with Jens Erik Gould, the Co-founder and Chief Editor of The Knife Media. As he shares their encounter with, it launches a conversation about personal bias and its impact on our convictions and our conversations. Who can be truly objective, especially when our biases hide so well? What steps can we take to help us see our own biases and lean ever more consistently into what's really true, rather than what we want to be true.

Podcast Notes:
The Knife Media
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

The Fruit of His Working (#632)

Fri, 04 May 2018 15:00:00 GMT

It's impossible to make a discipline or obligation out of something only God can produce in the human heart. Wayne and Brad let their listeners shape the conversation today as they respond to a number of recent topics from previous podcasts. They talk about walking through the darkness to the rising Son, not trying to run away from the difficulties or painful bits of our lives. They wonder why achievement is also more valued that fruitfulness, when God sees it just the opposite. They discuss how people can find a healthy way back into reading the Scriptures, not just doing it out of obligation or expectation. And, they talk about the frustrations of prayer requests when they don't begin with a grateful heart in recognition of who God is and what he has already done in us.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

A Reluctant Traveler (#631)

Fri, 27 Apr 2018 14:30:00 GMT

Have you ever felt God inviting you into a new opportunity, but instead of being excited about it, you feel a bit reluctant? That's Wayne's dilemma as God seems to be opening doors that have a bit of a déjà vu feel to him. Brad helps Wayne sort through the process here as he starts down a familiar journey. Reluctance doesn't mean unwillingness, just an eyes-wide-open approach that realizes what's at risk when you follow him beyond your current comfort zone. They also talk about pride and how it blinds us to the way God leads, and how much humility can open doors not only to recognize Father's leading, but also invites others to wholeheartedness.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Travel Schedule
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Don’t Ignore Your Yuck Meter (#630)

Sat, 21 Apr 2018 01:30:15 GMT

You know that feeling you get inside when something doesn't quite seem right? You may not even be able to put your finger on it but you're unsettled. Follow it or ignore it? We've had a lot of fun over the years talking about your Yuck Meter, which is the voice of the Spirit in us warning us when away from something that may be hurtful to us or others. Brad and Wayne talk about it again as it deals with being manipulated in religious systems, or seeking people's approval through it, and in dealing with stories in the media that often give us a distorted view of what is really going on in our world. Following those simple nudges even if you can't explain will make all the difference in the world in allowing you to embrace what's real and back away from something that isn't.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Travel Schedule
Wayne refers to the book Breaking Up With God by Sarah Sentilles
The Knife Media
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Changing the Conversation (#629)

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 15:00:00 GMT

In the aftermath of Wayne's TEDx talk, it looks like God may be freshly stirring Wayne's heart to restart BridgeBuilders and see if there are ways to change how we communicate with each other across the diversity of culture. We don't have to agree with each other to be gracious and seek not only for our interests, but also to serve the interests of others that may be different from our own. This strikes not only at our political conversation, but also how we interact with people every day. There's too much anger and arrogance in our dialog these days, and a bit of humility and kindness will go a long way not only to changing the conversation, but also to arrive at policies will serve the common good rather than the special interests of a few well-connected individuals.

Podcast Notes:
The all new BridgeBuilder website
The Jesus Lens
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The Mystery of Prayer (#628)

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Is prayer more than, "throwing up a request, hoping for the best"? On a recent visit to Dallas, Wayne sat down with Tracy Levinson, author of Unashamed, and an occasional guest on the podcast. Tracy has been thinking a lot about prayer especially in the face of some difficult circumstances in her own life. That gives Wayne, and later Brad, a chance to revisit the critical topic of prayer and how it expresses our growing connection to God. Prayer is a much more profound experience than simply trying to get God to do what we think is best, or judging his reality or the depth of our spirituality on our ability to do so. Prayer is how God sculpts his life in the world through those who live in communion with him.

Podcast Notes:
Tracy Levinson's book Unashamed
Previous podcasts with Tracy: Unashamed, Taking the Shame out of Sexuality, and Mutually Shared Selflessness
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Learning to Relax (#627)

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 14:00:00 GMT

Is it easier to follow Jesus when you're anxious and desperate for the outcome you want, or when w're relaxed in his care for you? Over the past two weeks Wayne spent time with professional athletes who discovered in their own respective sports that they were able to function better when they were relaxed and not trying to control the outcome. That got Wayne thinking again how our need to feel in control of outcomes hampers our freedom to simply live in the life God wants to gives us. As he shares that with Brad they talk about how they relax when confronted with important or difficult circumstances. Being at rest in his work is the best way to recognize the opportunities he's putting in front of us and being free enough to respond in a way that most unveils his presence.

Podcast Notes:
Order Wayne's newest book: Beyond Sundays
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Does God Need to Be Appeased? (#626)

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 15:00:00 GMT

As Wayne and Brad reflect on Billy Graham's passing, they find themselves in a discussion about how the Gospel is presented in our day and how it is perceived by the world. Do we serve a God that needs to be appeased, either by the death of his Son, or by us trying to ingratiate ourselves to him? The more Christianity paints the Gospel as God's need to be appeased rather than our need for his affection, the more the Gospel gets distorted. Why has appeasement become the overriding view of our relationship with God? And isn't it the opposite of what the Incarnation and the cross accomplished? If we live by appeasement we'll never discover the wonder of his affection for us.

Leaving My Father’s Faith (#625)

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Wayne and Brad just watched a new documentary titled, Leaving My Father's Faith. It is a conversation between popular evangelical author and speaker Tony Campolo and his son, Bart, as the process Bart's loss of faith in Jesus after a lifetime of growing up in the faith and working alongside his father as a colleague in the ministry. It is a compelling look at how these men put their relationship above their agreement about faith. But it invites some intriguing questions: How does someone so anchored in faith lose it, and how does Christianity as a religion contribute to that by disfiguring the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Podcast Notes:
Get info on Campolo documentary: Leaving My Father's Faith
Drew Marshall Interview with Bart Campolo and with Tony Campolo - See 2018 Archive
Order Wayne's newest book: Beyond Sundays
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Blessed Are the Peacemakers (#624)

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 15:00:00 GMT

If we could only find some... Jesus blessed the peacemakers and now more than ever we need some to help bridge the widening rips in our social fabric. The amount of vitriol in our culture, even between Christians, has reached epidemic proportions. Spawned by our so-called leaders and fanned into flames by an advocacy media that can no longer present a unified narrative about news events, we are becoming a nation of angry citizens each demanding our own way. When did it become ok to detest people who view the world differently than we do? How can we recover mutual respect across our deepest differences and treat others with the dignity their humanity deserves?

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's former work with BridgeBuilders
Wayne's TEDx event in Abilene, TX
Sorry Christians, We Can’t Blame the Media Any More by Karl Vaters
Order Wayne's newest book: Beyond Sundays
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Process Not Product (#623)

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 15:00:00 GMT

A dip into the ol' mailbag includes some input from women about previous comments on the #metoo movement and how women are treated in our culture. Then Brad and Wayne share a beautiful story about God winning someone out of their destructive, self-righteous arrogance and into the transformative love of the Father. Religion sets our focus on the product, leading us to frustration wherever we fall short, instead of teaching us how to relax in the process of Jesus taking shape in us. When our focus is on progress not perfection, we can much more freely yield to his work in us and we'll be much more gracious to the people still in process around us.

To Heal or Not to Heal (#622)

Fri, 23 Feb 2018 15:00:00 GMT

When God does a miracle for one person and then doesn't for another, it can present a major stumbling block to those learning to live in the Father's affection. Many come to doubt his existence or his love because the doesn't resolve situations in the way they think love would compel him to. Wayne and Brad wade into this quagmire of the seeming capriciousness of God and talk about how we can keep trust alive even when our hopes in him are disappointed.If we don't see miracles and healing as something we can contrive, then we're free to walk alongside Jesus through the pain of this world in growing trust that things are going to be fine, because he is with us. And he understands how difficult it is to learn to trust him when the world we're in is so broken.

Podcast Notes:
The poetry of Jenny Rowbury
Order Wayne's newest book: Beyond Sundays
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Community Happens (#621)

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 15:00:00 GMT

How did 5,000 strangers in the book of Acts become such a family that they cared enough about each other to sell their possessions to meet each others need? And, all that without a program to tell people how to do it? Brad and Wayne have discovered over the years that real community is not something human effort can produce, but is the joyous fruit of people learning to live in the Father's love, and open enough to let others in. A small reflection of that is seen in the people who came to Israel with us last year. Thirty-five strangers converged in Israel and became an expression of family that has persisted long after the trip. Some of those had a reunion last weekend in Southern California and joined Brad and Wayne as they talk about the friendship God gave us.

Podcast Notes:
Beyond Sundays Is Now Available
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Hijinks from the Cliff Tops (No Audio)

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Last week Brad and Wayne hosted a reunion of those who went with us to Israel last year, at their request. The first day we took a whale-watching trip out to Santa Cruz Island and hiked up the bluffs overlooking the deep blue Pacific Ocean. And there some hijinks ensued...

Meeting Gene Edwards (#620)

Fri, 09 Feb 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Gene Edwards is an enigmatic personality and a polarizing figure. No one has done more to encourage people think outside the box of institutionalized Christianity and see the Bride of Christ as Jesus is giving her shape in the world than Gene Edwards. And yet his model for replicating that church has been controversial and for some, painful. Wayne had the opportunity last month to sit down with Gene to share their mutual passion and the differences in how they see God working in the world. Brad and Wayne process that conversation and why trying to replicate his church by teaching people to follow a model, no matter how well constructed, is problematic at best. As a side note Brad and Wayne reflect on the imperfect vessels we all are, and how to celebrate God's work in a life, even when we recognize their flaws.

Podcast Notes:
More information on Gene Edwards
Beyond Sundays Is Now Available
RSS Feeds for The God Journey
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Self-Confidence Dethroned (#619)

Fri, 02 Feb 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Wayne fills Brad in on his recent trip to Florida and North Carolina. One of the amazing observations Wayne had was the number of young people standing on the cusp of a new journey. Seeing through the illusion of religious obligation, they are hungry to find a different way of walking with Jesus that leads to life. That leads the guys into a discussion about the mistaken process Christianity almost universally embraces: If we can just define the right expectations God has of us from Scripture and do our best to live up to them every day, we will live a victorious Christian life. That system, however, has a faulty linchpin—our own human effort—and will disappoint us every time. How do we lose confidence in our own abilities and learn how to let Jesus live his life through us? They finish with a letter about whether learning to follow God is more like enjoying a playground or learning to walk a tightrope.

Podcast Notes:
Listen to Wayne's Radio Interview with Vince on WBT Charlotte
Beyond Sundays Is Now Available
RSS Feeds for The God Journey
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Weaponizing Love (#618)

Fri, 26 Jan 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Of course, true love cannot be weaponized, though religion often does with what it often calls love. Whenever we think love is the prize we receive when we act "good enough", or we withhold it from people who struggle, we are trying to use love as a weapon. But from God's perspective, love is the environment in which healing and wholeness can happen; it's not the reward for it. Brad and Wayne get into this discussion prowling through the mailbag with some interesting stories from listeners of how God is transforming them. They talk about the destruction of self-righteousness and the anguish it causes others. True love seeks us out at our most broken and opens a door into greater life and freedom.

Podcast Notes:
Wayne's Blog on Weaponizing Love
RSS Feeds for The God Journey
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Politics and the Kingdom (#617)

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 15:00:00 GMT

For those who hate us talking about politics, this may be the podcast to miss. But for those who like to hear Brad and Wayne talk through their differing views while guarding their friendship, this may be right up your alley. This is not about President Trump or partisan politics, but about how the kingdom of God interacts with the kingdoms of this world and the use of political power.Just how redemptive can we be in human political systems? Brad and Wayne couldn't be more at adds in how they view the political landscape nor how they feel God is asking them to interact with it. So, rather than fight over whose might be right and who might be wrong, they struggle to be honest with their perspective while still being supportive of the differing ways God can lead his people. (Warning: This one goes into overtime!)

Podcast Notes:
RSS Feeds for The God Journey
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

How Can God’s Love Not Change Us? (#616)

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 15:00:00 GMT

Is transformation a beautiful invitation God has offered us, or his demand to preserve our salvation or to keep him from being offended? How we look at transformation tell us a lot of what we believe about God and righteousness. Following up input from the audience, Wayne and Brad revisit their conversation about character by talking about the way God transforms us as the true liberty we were created for. If we see change coming to our lives either by human effort or to somehow endear ourselves to God, we will fail to find it. If, however, we see the way God wants us to live as his desire for our good, it's a glorious trajectory to live in.

Testing the Prophets (#615)

Fri, 05 Jan 2018 15:00:00 GMT

At the end of 2016, a group of prophetic leaders called the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders (Really? Yes, really.) released words of prophecy they had been given for 2017 and what God's people could expect. Now that 2017 is over, we can take a look back and see how well they did. Not too well as it turns out. That draws Wayne and Brad into a larger discussion about prophecy, its value when truly inspired by the Spirit, and the destruction it causes when the prophets need to make a profit, and desperate people find themselves dependent on others for the voice of the Lord.

Podcast Notes:
Charsima article on 2017: Year of Breakthrough
Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018
The latest news from our project in Kenya
Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"