Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis

How do you know God’s will for your life? Which job should you take? Who should you marry? Where should you move? In this episode, Jonny and Hank walk through what Scripture actually says about discerning God’s will, and why waiting on the Lord shouldn’t become an excuse for never making a decision.

📚 Jonny’s new book, “Get to Work,” is available now: https://a.co/d/0eqnYSsK

You’ll learn:

• The difference between God’s will of decree and God’s will of desire
• The four revealed will of God categories: purity, gratitude, suffering, and service (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:16-18; 1 Peter 4:19; Romans 12:1-2)
• Why obeying God’s clear commands comes before asking for specific direction
• Four ways God guides: your gifting, exposure to need, your desires, and wisdom
• Why gratitude is a weapon against sin and anxiety
• How to tell the difference between prayerful discernment and spiritual-sounding laziness
• Why God leads step by step, not mile by mile

If you’re stuck on a big decision, afraid of choosing wrong, or hiding indecision behind “waiting on the Lord,” this conversation will give you a biblical framework to move forward with confidence.

Christians don’t kill time, they redeem it. In this finale of the Get to Work series, Jonny and Hank walk through Ephesians 5:15-16 to unpack what it means to walk in wisdom by stewarding the time God has given you

.📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp

You’ll learn:

• Why Paul says the clearest mark of wisdom is how you use your time
• The meaning of “redeeming the time” (the Greek marketplace word behind it)
• Kairos vs. chronos: seasons of opportunity, not just minutes on a clock
• Four reasons to steward your time: it’s short, uncertain, gone forever, and the days are evil
• Practical ways to redeem your time: limit screen time, make a schedule, learn to say no, and pursue spiritual discipline
• How to stay attentive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in each season of life

If you’ve ever felt like your days are slipping away, this conversation will help you live with urgency and joy for the glory of God.

📱 This episode is sponsored by Accountable2You. Stay accountable in a digital world: check out Accountable2You at accountable2you.com/dialin — use code DIALIN for 25% off your first year.

“How do you know if your repentance is genuine? In this episode, Jonny sits down with pastor and hymn writer Matt Boswell to walk through Psalm 51, David’s prayer of confession after his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah.

You’ll learn:

• The four movements of Psalm 51: repentance, inner restoration, renewal, and response
• Why David appeals to God’s mercy, not his own résumé
• Why “against you, you only have I sinned” is the key to true brokenness
• The difference between godly sorrow and beating yourself up
• What it means to ask God to “create” a clean heart (the same word used in Genesis 1)
• How to move through repentance into restored joy, not stay stuck in shame
• Why God uses broken people after they repent

If you’re struggling with guilt, hidden sin, or doubt that God has really forgiven you, this conversation points you back to the mercy of Christ.

Featuring Matt Boswell, pastor of Trails Church, hymn writer, and professor at Midwestern Seminary.

📚 Purchase Matt Boswell's book "Create in Me a Clean Heart: Experiencing God's Abundant Mercy in Psalm 51" here: https://a.co/d/0iESOKfU

“Why did God build rest into creation before he ever gave a single command to work? In this episode, Jonny and Hank trace the Sabbath from Genesis through the Ten Commandments to Jesus, and ask what it means for our rhythm of work and rest today.

📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp

You’ll learn:

• Why God rested on the seventh day — not from exhaustion, but completion

• How the Sabbath pointed forward to Christ, and why it’s no longer binding law

• The difference between biblical rest and mere relaxation

• Why busyness (not just laziness) can be a spiritual danger

• How Jesus modeled withdrawing to be alone with the Father

• Practical questions to evaluate your own rhythm of restIf you’ve ever felt guilty resting, or like you can’t stop producing or distracting yourself long enough to be still, this conversation will reframe rest as a gift from God, not an obstacle to productivity.

This episode is part 5 in an ongoing series tied to Jonny’s book, “Get to Work.”

📱 This episode is also sponsored by Accountable2You. Stay accountable in a digital world: check out Accountable2You at accountable2you.com/dialin — use code DIALIN for 25% off your first year.

Are you accidentally raising a lazy adult? In this episode, Jonny sits down with Joel and Mary Beeke (author of "Teach Them to Work") to talk about why — and how — parents should train their children to work from an early age, not wait until adulthood.

📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp

You'll learn:

• Why waiting until your kids are grown to teach them to work sets them up to fail

• Practical ways to teach work to toddlers, young kids, and teens

• The "5 E's" of raising a hard worker: entreaty, example, expectation, equipping, enjoyment

• How to respond to the myth that "they have their whole life to work"

• Why screens and overindulgence are quietly harming your kids

• How moms play a uniquely powerful role in shaping a child's work ethic

Whether you have toddlers, elementary-age kids, or teenagers, this conversation offers practical, biblical wisdom for raising children who see work as a gift from God — not a curse.

Featuring Mary Beeke, author of "Teach Them to Work": https://a.co/d/00gl2kNs

We're excited to announce a new partnership with Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which equips leaders for the church through programs from undergraduate to master's and doctoral degrees. To celebrate, Midwestern is giving away $10,000 to one pastor this October for Pastor Appreciation Month ($5,000 for a family vacation and $5,000 for a church need), so nominate your pastor today at mbts.edu/dialin

This episode is also sponsored by Accountable2You. Stay accountable in a digital world: check out Accountable2You at accountable2you.com/dialin — use code DIALIN for 25% off your first year.

"Is laziness just a bad habit, or is it a sin? In this episode, Jonny Ardavanis and Hank Bowen dig into the Book of Proverbs to unpack what the Bible really says about the sluggard — and why laziness is a character issue, not just a productivity issue.

📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp

You'll learn:

• The 4 types of laziness: physical, mental, spiritual, and vocational

• 5 traits of the "sluggard" from Proverbs 26

• Why laziness and godliness are total opposites

• The real cost of laziness: poverty, disgrace, fractured relationships, and lost spiritual usefulness

• Practical steps to repent of and fight off laziness

Whether you're a student, parent, pastor, or professional, this conversation will challenge you to examine areas of your life where comfort has replaced diligence — and point you back to Christ's power to change.

What does the Bible actually say about your 9-to-5? In this episode, Jonny Ardavanis and Hank Bowen dig into the theology of work—why the curse of Genesis 3 made labor hard, and how believers are called to work with enthusiasm, enjoyment, excellence, integrity, and gratitude, no matter the job.

📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp

You'll learn:

• Why work was designed to be an act of worship (not just a paycheck)

• The three consequences of the Fall on our relationship to work

• How to find joy in a job that feels mundane or difficult

• Why grumbling and complaining undermines your gospel witness

• What it means to "work as unto the Lord" — even for a bad boss

Whether you're a stay-at-home mom, a CEO, a mechanic, or a student working part-time, this conversation will reshape how you think about vocation, calling, and Christian work ethic.

🙏 This episode is brought to you by The Master's University — committed to Jesus Christ and the authority and sufficiency of His Word. Learn more at masters.edu

Stay accountable in a digital world: check out Accountable2You at accountable2you.com/dialin — use code DIALIN for 25% off your first year.

#ChristianWorkEthic #TheologyOfWork #FaithAndWork #ChristianLiving #BiblicalWorldview #WorkAsWorship #DialInMinistries"

Why do you feel drawn to build, make, or create something bigger than yourself? Turns out that instinct isn't random — it's rooted in the opening chapters of Genesis.

📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/04k0sFpo

In this episode, we continue our series exploring the biblical theology of work (pulled from Jonny's forthcoming book, "Get to Work") by digging into Genesis 1 and 2. We unpack what it means that humanity is made in God's image, what the Hebrew words "radah" (rule) and "kabash" (subdue) actually mean, and why God — who could have created a "finished" universe — instead invited us into the ongoing work of cultivating, building, and creating beauty.

We also talk about Bezalel, the little-known craftsman in Exodus 31 who was the first person in Scripture described as "filled with the Spirit of God" — not for preaching, but for his artistry. Plus: why beauty isn't just decoration but a reflection of who God is, how "ordinary" work like folding laundry or fixing pipes can be done to the glory of God, and why your job (whatever it is) matters more than you think.

📖 Scripture referenced: Genesis 1:1, 1:26-28, 2:2-9, Exodus 31, Psalm 145:16, Psalm 147:13

✉️ Sign up for free weekly newsletter devotionals at www.dialinministries.org

🙏 This episode is brought to you by The Master's University — committed to Jesus Christ and the authority and sufficiency of His Word. Learn more at masters.edu

Is work a curse from the Fall — or something far more sacred? In this episode, we kick off a brand-new series on the theology of work, exploring what Scripture actually says about labor, calling, and vocation — starting not with us, but with God Himself.

📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/04k0sFpo

We dig into Genesis 1 to see God revealed as Creator, Artist, Sustainer, and Worker long before Adam and Eve ever showed up. We look at Jesus's own life — including His 20+ years as a tekton (carpenter/builder) — and unpack why the Gospel of Mark uses the word "immediately" 41 times to describe His ministry. If we're made in the image of a working God, what does that mean for how we view our own 9-to-5, our calling, and our sense of purpose?

Along the way we talk about:

✅ The Biblical theology of work vs. the "curse" mentality

✅ Genesis 1 and God as Creator, Sustainer, and Artist

✅ Jesus as a carpenter and what His "immediacy" reveals about work

✅ Why Christians talk more about rest & Sabbath than a theology of work

✅ Labor force participation, burnout, and finding balance

✅ Work as worship — from CEOs to stay-at-home parents to busboys

This is Part 1 of a multi-part series diving into a comprehensive, Scripture-grounded view of work — setting up themes from the upcoming book "Get to Work."

Jesus doesn't say the world might hate you — He says it will. In this episode, we dig into John 15:18-20 and ask a question every believer needs to wrestle with: why does the world hate Christians?

We look at four biblical reasons the world opposes followers of Jesus — because we're non-conformists, because the world hates truth, because people love their sin, and because they don't know God. Along the way we talk about the martyrdom of the apostles, Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship," the Vanity Fair scene from Pilgrim's Progress, and why smooth sailing in the Christian life isn't always a sign of God's blessing.

If persecution and opposition are growing more common for Christians in the West, this episode will help you understand why — and how to respond with truth and love, not bitterness.

This episode is brought to you by The Master's University — committed to Jesus Christ and the authority and sufficiency of His Word. Learn more at masters.edu

📖 Scripture referenced: John 15:18-20, John 17:14, Romans 12:2, James 4:4, John 3:18-20, 1 John 3:12, Luke 6:26, 2 Timothy 3:12

📚 Preorder Jonny's new book, "Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God's Good Gift" — https://a.co/d/01PnmATA (releases November 3rd)

✉️ Sign up for free weekly newsletter devotionals at www.dialinministries.org