Love God First

Ep13 Testing 1, 2, 3

Some see the situation in the Garden of Eden as a big set up of God testing Adam and Eve. The testing part is true, but it's not a bad thing. He does the same with us today too, and it is for our good! Find out in this episode how God's testing of our hearts actually benefits us.

Ep12 Why Is There Free Will?

When I look around at the condition of the world and the evil that exists, I have to ask why the evil is so horrible. There is an answer, and we will talk about it on this episode! We will also look at the concept of free will: its effects, its necessity and our own decision-making options. 
 
References: 
D'Souza, Dinesh. God Forsaken. Tyndale House Publishers, 2012. pp. 77-102.
Duffield, Guy and Nathaniel Van Cleave. Foundations of Pentecostal Theology. Foursquare Media, 2016. 

Ep11 Practical Steps on How to Sabbath with Linnea Hagman

We get to enjoy a conversation today with a college student who is trying to figure out just like the rest of us how to have a Sabbath with God. Listen in on our conversation as we discuss the benefits, the struggles and the realizations of setting aside a day to focus on the Lord. And get some practical tips on how to implement a Sabbath day in your home!

Ep10 Taking a Sabbath is a Principle for Life

It is so easy to stay busy and distracted in life because there is so much to take care of each day! How do I slow down enough to spend quality time with God where I am hearing His voice and direction, receiving new strength of purpose from Him, and being encouraged and healed from the hits I take in life? How about taking a Sabbath?! In this episode I make a case for why a Sabbath is something that the Lord made for us that not only refreshes us physically but also gives us all we need in order to thrive the other six days as well. 

Ep9 What’s So Great about Working?

When God finished working, He rested. With the story of creation, the Lord models for us the importance of working well and resting well. So how does a person work for God, especially if they don't work at a church? And what does it mean to work "well"? In this episode we will look at where work originally came from and how to perform the jobs we have with purpose, satisfaction and excellence, no matter the task.

Ep8 What Does the Bible Say About Gender?

Everyone agrees that our society has embraced a new way of thinking about gender, and the nation and much of the world is moving fast to catch up. But what does the Bible say about gender? Is it possible that there is a better way to understand gender that is more life-giving than the current perception accepted by our culture? Find out on this episode!

Ep7 What does it Mean to be Made in the Image of God?

What does it mean to be made in God's image? We can't know all of what that means, but we can know some! Being made in God's image has to do with the very inside of who we are as human beings. We have a mind, will and emotions just like Him. We are a spirit just like Him. And we are valuable because God has made us so. He gave us the capacity to converse with Him, love Him, worship Him and obey Him to such a degree that a person could be called a "friend of God." How great is that?! 

Ep6 God is Still in the Creation Business

When I become a Christian, a miracle happens. God creates a born-again daughter or son from nothing, just like He created the world from nothing. In Genesis we see God's vast creation of the physical world. But through salvation we see God's miraculous inner creation of a born-again believer. And in the process we know the Creator of the Universe has just become our own Heavenly Father. Listen to find out the wonderful benefits of having such a close relationship with God!
 

Ep5 Philosophizing About Goodness with Darius Franklin

Here's one of the occasional episodes where we spend time discussing some deep truths from the Bible with a guest. On this show we are trying to grasp more deeply what goodness is and how it impacts our daily life. Goodness is rooted in the very nature of God. He is good, and He created a good world in the beginning. Fast forward to today, and we see moral goodness on a steep decline and everyone having a different definition of what the word good means. So is it possible to still have hope? Yes, especially after listening to a conversation with a young adult who hasn't succumbed to the culture or to hopelessness about the future! 

Ep4 Who Gets to Say What is Good?

The creation story has one theme that runs through it: everything was good. And how do we know it was good? Because God said it was. He gets to set the standard of what good is then and now. This episode will explain some of the hard to understand points in the creation story, and then we'll take a moment to check our own consciences about what we think is good and what God says is good, especially in our media choices.