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This episode is a Q & A time with Tracy Perez centering in on our imagination and how it has been called “make-believe” for so long that you might not realize what you lost. We sit down with Tracy for a candid follow-up conversation on the Christian imagination, why so many believers were trained to fight every battle in the mind, and why Scripture keeps pointing us back to the heart as the center of the person and the place where spiritual sight is formed.

We dig into a key problem beneath modern discipleship: the Western demand that truth must be rational, provable, and empirical. Tracy connects that mindset to the Age of Enlightenment and explains how a culture shaped by proof can slowly assume the supernatural is impossible. That assumption doesn’t just affect theology, it affects prayer, worship, and whether we feel safe admitting spiritual experience at all. We talk about what it means to renew the mind by protecting what our hearts behold and hold in affection, and why the desert fathers treated silence and attention as essential for intimacy with God.

Then the tone turns hopeful. We share stories of real impact, including spiritual seekers who felt pushed away from Christianity, then found a doorway back when they discovered a biblical, grounded way to think about imagination and the inner life. We close with a simple but demanding practice: we become what we behold, so we choose to look for Christ in all things, in people, in creation, and in everyday moments.

If this conversation challenges you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review so others can find us. What part of your faith has been most shaped by “proof-first” thinking?

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Eternal life might be more than “someday.” What if it is also hidden in plain sight, available right now as the concealed presence of God in the world? David sits down with returning guest Tracy Perez for a deep, Scripture-rich conversation that reframes spiritual growth as learning to see, not just learning to behave.

We start with Tracy’s book, The Old Way, and the story behind it: his son Connor, diagnosed with severe nonverbal autism, begins communicating profound spiritual insight and describes “the old way” as a place of saints and angels. That launches us into Olam, a biblical word often translated ancient or eternal, and the idea that “eternal” can mean hidden, not only beyond time. From there we explore the “eyes of the heart,” the heart as the center of the person, and why the imagination is not make-believe but a God-given capacity for perceiving an invisible Father.

Tracy breaks down being made in the image of God as a function we live out, then traces how imagination shows up across Genesis, from the Garden to Babel, and why unity shapes what becomes possible. We also connect to the New Testament language of nous, the inner eye, and the early church conviction that we become what we behold. The conversation ends with a practical gut-check about distraction, scrolling, and what is quietly forming us, plus a hopeful reminder that God still speaks through creation and covenant.

If you want a fresh, thoughtful take on Christian imagination, hearing God, spiritual discernment, and living the kingdom of God with clarity, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! 
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Your life can be moving forward while your inner vision gets more and more blocked, like a windshield at dusk that keeps taking hits until you can barely see the road. That’s the picture we sit with as we talk about the sanctified imagination, not as make-believe, but as the inner “eyes of the heart” where God brings clarity, direction, and hope when the world is loud and chaotic.

We pick up a thread we’ve been learning through Tracy Perez and his book The Old Way, then ground it in a straight biblical blueprint: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8) is not a distant promise, it’s a present reality. Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:18 names the issue directly: the heart has eyes, and the Holy Spirit can enlighten them. From Hebrews 11:27 to 2 Corinthians 4:18, we keep coming back to one idea: perseverance is often the fruit of clear spiritual perception.

Then we bring it down to street level with two stories that make it hard to ignore. Brother Andrew faces a Cold War border with illegal Bibles and refuses to let panic coat his mind. Helen Keller reminds us that having sight is not the same as having vision. We close with practical application: confess what you already know is clouding you, ask God to cleanse you, and keep the “wipers” moving through daily prayer and the Word so your focus stays steady.

If this strengthens you, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s discouraged, and leave a review so more people can find Life Around the Fire.

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Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! 
Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. 
Shalom to you and your home.

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Your biggest spiritual breakthroughs might be hiding inside your most annoying unfinished project. I’m rebuilding parts of our ministry from the ground up, from learning a digital audio workstation at 67 to setting up a communication center for podcasts, music recording, and video, and even moving our website away from a provider that made every step harder than it needed to be. What surprised me wasn’t the tech. It was what the pressure exposed in me: impatience, anger, and the kind of words that show up when nothing works.

That’s where our real theme lands: persistence. Not the exhausting kind where you “double down” and everyone suffers, but the kind empowered by the grace of God. We talk about grace as more than kindness. Grace is power, God’s enablement to stay with the work while learning to carry righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you’ve been fighting burnout or discouragement, this is a different way to think about perseverance: yielding instead of striving, enduring without going numb, and letting hardship drive the junk out instead of driving you away.

We also zoom out to what’s happening around Jacksonville, Florida and beyond, praying and making a spirit-led decree against spiritual exhaustion and dead religion. Then we anchor the whole message in Scripture on perseverance and endurance: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Romans 5:3-4, Philippians 4:13, and Galatians 6:9. Listen, share this with someone who’s tired of quitting, and if it helps you, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find Life Around the Fire. What are you trying not to give up on right now?

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Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! 
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Shalom to you and your home.

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The words you speak are not just noise and one dream makes that impossible to ignore. We start with Hebrews 4:12 and the claim that the Word of God is alive, active, and sharp enough to cut through the tangled mix of thoughts, motives, fear, and desire that lives inside all of us. Then we share a striking 1980 dream where a declaration from the mouth becomes a double-edged sword and the forces that torment the world suddenly look small compared to the authority of God’s Word and the reality of Jesus Christ as the living Word.

From there, we go straight into the topic many believers have a complicated relationship with: faith. Hebrews 11:6 sets the foundation, not as religious pressure, but as a clear invitation to trust a real God who rewards those who seek Him. We talk honestly about how “faith” can get distorted by out-of-balance teaching, and how the Holy Spirit restores the true nature of faith through revelation. Along the way we lean on key Bible passages like Romans 10:17, Matthew 21:22, and Hebrews 11:1 to explain how faith comes by hearing, how faith differs from hope, and what it means to walk by faith when you cannot see the outcome yet.

We also connect faith to grace and identity. Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds us that salvation is a gift, not a trophy, and even the seed of faith is something God plants in us. Obedience becomes the pathway where faith grows, relationship replaces religion, and trust (Proverbs 3:5–6) learns to move before full understanding shows up. We close with prayer and a request for support for ministry work in the Jacksonville, Florida area and upcoming dates in Callahan.

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Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! 
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We share why the podcast has been quiet lately while we build a digital audio workstation, then we turn to what’s been burning in our hearts: Spirit-led unity in the body of Christ. We walk through new birth, repentance, and 1 Corinthians 12 to remind each of us that we’re equal in value, different in function, and stronger together when God shifts our roles.

• building a DAW behind the scenes and asking for patience
• unity in the body of Christ as a work of the Holy Spirit
• moving from religion and self-effort to being born again
• repentance as turning toward God because His kingdom is at hand
• 1 Corinthians 12 and the truth that many parts form one body
• honoring hidden parts of the church like prayer and quiet service
• resisting isolation and learning real connection in smaller settings
• embracing transitions and role reversals with humility and trust
• closing prayer for God’s presence, protection, and guidance

And if you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, please feel free to drop us a line at LifeRoundTheFire at gmail.com. That’s our email address, or type in Life Around the Fire and look us up on the web. And also pray for me while I’m doing this DAW work so that it will be something achieved with excellence.

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Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! 
Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. 
Shalom to you and your home.

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Something is building in Northeast Florida, and we can feel the urgency of it. As Sukkot 2026 comes to a close, we’re joining with friends to host gatherings October 2 through 4, then leaning straight into a tent revival in McClenny from October 5 through 10. We’re asking listeners to pray with us for an outpouring of God not only worldwide, but specifically across a 250-mile radius around Jacksonville. We talk about why we believe this moment matters, and why steady prayer, fasting, and “seeding the cloud” is not hype, it’s preparation.

We also share what’s encouraging us right now: a hundred nights of worship in the Orange Park area and a growing sense of unity across the body of Christ. Even places that have felt spiritually dry or overlooked are being touched again, reminding us that God can make the desert bloom. This isn’t about chasing a vibe. It’s about becoming holy, humble, and ready to minister when God’s presence shows up with weight and clarity.

Then we pivot into a practical, Bible-based conversation on speaking in tongues and spiritual gifts, using 1 Corinthians 14 as our anchor. We unpack why Paul emphasizes love and order, how the Corinth culture helps explain his warnings, and the difference between public ministry gifts that must edify others and private prayer that builds you up. We also share personal rhythms of extended prayer in the Spirit and why it can bring strength, focus, and renewed confidence in God.

If this connects with you, listen all the way through, share it with a friend who’s hungry for more of God, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! 
Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. 
Shalom to you and your home.

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The disciples asked the question we all want answered: “Is this the time?” We go to Acts 1 to sit in that moment with Jesus, where He refuses to give a timetable and instead gives a mission. The Father holds the times and dates by His own authority, but Jesus promises something immediate and tangible: power when the Holy Spirit comes, and a life that becomes a witness from our neighborhood to the ends of the earth.

We also slow down at the ascension, because it’s not just a dramatic exit, it’s a defining promise. Jesus is taken up before their eyes, a cloud hides Him, and two angels deliver a line that still steadies the church: this same Jesus will come back in the same way. If you’ve grown tired of hearing “Jesus is coming soon,” we talk honestly about the strain of waiting, the temptation to “go back,” and why patience is not weakness. We explore how eternity reshapes the word “soon,” and how hope can be restored when our hearts feel worn out.

From there we get practical and personal: staying ready with oil in our lamps, resisting the flood of bitterness and frustration, and letting God refine us so we can host His presence. We connect end times anticipation to unity in the body of Christ, because becoming one is part of the witness the world can’t explain. We close with prayer and a simple cry the church has carried for centuries: Maranatha. If this encourages you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.

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Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! 
Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. 
Shalom to you and your home.

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*** Editors note: In the early part of this episode David miquoted the Scripture refrerrence. He should have said the text was found in Hebrews Chapert 13 not 1 Corithinians 13... even the best of us make mistakes... LoL... At least we admit to them when we make them. Selah... *** We hold up a promise from Scripture that steadies us when life feels unstable: God will never leave us or forsake us, so we can live with confidence instead of fear. We talk plainly about addiction, shame, and the painful road to freedom, then we pray for deliverance and lasting relationship with God.  
• brotherly love, hospitality, and honor as a daily way of life  
• contentment over the love of money, grounded in God’s presence  
• “second best” substitutes that turn into bondage and break down life  
• addiction as something bigger than us but not bigger than God  
• freedom as relationship, not religion, and help that meets us mid-struggle  
• fear, guilt, and shame as barriers God wants to wash away  
• prayer for breaking oppression and walking through the valley without fear  

We we love you. And if you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, you need help, drop us a line at life around the fire at gmail.com. That's our email address, or type in Life Around the Fire and look us up on the web.

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Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! 
Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. 
Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan Mail

We compare the months of planning behind King Charles III’s 2026 Washington, DC visit with the far deeper preparation we believe is underway for Jesus Christ’s return. We talk about Holy Spirit refinement, covenant relationship, and what it means to live as a people marked by the Kingdom of God. 
• King Charles’ visit as a picture of honor and preparation 
• Jesus’ literal return, future rule and reign, and the hope of a restored earth 
• evil being exposed as part of clearing the way 
• personal refinement, changing desires, and a new appetite for God 
• perfect unity and shared life within the body of Christ 
• blood covenant through Jesus as relationship rather than religion 
• the narrow way that leads to a broad life 
if you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, please feel free to drop us a line at lifearoundthefire at gmail.com or type in life around the fire and look us up on the web. 

Support the show

Loving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! 
Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. 
Shalom to you and your home.