Life Around "The Fire"

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Unity can sound abstract until you see what it does under pressure. We dig into why Spirit-led unity is one of the most countercultural signs of real Christianity and how it can literally change the atmosphere around us. When God’s internal strength meets the world’s external pressure, something shifts: peace rises, joy steadies, and people can finally see what life with Jesus looks like in the flesh and blood of everyday relationships. 

We walk through Paul’s closing words in Philippians 4, where he calls two women in conflict to live in harmony. That moment opens a bigger conversation about how small relational fractures can spread if we ignore them. We connect it to the “little foxes that spoil the vine” and a vivid microchip lab illustration: one tiny contaminant can ruin an entire batch. In community, small offenses, quiet bitterness, or casual criticism can work the same way unless we address the roots early and let God’s presence cleanse what doesn’t belong. 

Then we bring it home to the inner life. We talk about forbearance, learning to think kindly about others and ourselves, and why negative self-talk is not harmless. We end with a practical path from anxiety to prayer, thanksgiving, and the peace of God that guards our hearts and minds, helping us fix our eyes on Jesus and stay focused. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review, then reply with the “little fox” you’re ready to deal with this week.

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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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A lot of people don’t walk away from God because they stop believing He exists. They walk away because they believe He’s angry, impossible to please, and ready to punish the moment they mess up. We start with a short story that exposes how easily we misread love as control and protection as deprivation.

We share the moment that grabbed us: three kids sneak into the woods after years of hearing “don’t go without me.” At first it feels like freedom, like their dad has been holding out on them. Then darkness hits, fear spirals, and shame convinces them they should run away rather than go home. On the way back, they see their father holding something that looks like a whip and the dread spikes, until they realize it’s a towel and a washcloth. He isn’t coming to beat them. He’s coming to clean them up.

That’s the spiritual gut-punch. Many of us carry a distorted image of God the Father, assuming He’s always upset, always disappointed, and always keeping score. We challenge that lie with the gospel: God is more loving and wiser than we give Him credit for, and He moves toward us with mercy, cleansing, and freedom through Jesus Christ. We close with a prayer asking God to set the record straight and transform our imagination so we can relate to Him with trust instead of fear.

If this brought something up for you, listen through to the end, then subscribe, share the episode with a friend who needs hope, 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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Peace gets talked about like it is a vibe or a temporary break from conflict. We go somewhere deeper. Rabbi Ed Bez joins us to unpack the biblical idea of covenant through the Hebrew word breet, then lands on Ezekiel’s stunning promise: God will cut a covenant of shalom, an everlasting covenant. Shalom is not a greeting and it is not simply “no fighting.” We talk about shalom as wholeness, completeness, and God’s work of putting a scattered life back together.

We also trace how the prophets (Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36 and 37, Isaiah 55) point toward the new covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ. One of the most helpful frameworks Rabbi Bez brings is the legal concept of a codicil: an amendment that supplements and explains an existing will. That lens shifts how we read “law and grace,” because Jesus does not trash God’s earlier covenant promises. He fulfills them by clarifying God’s intent, like when he deepens the commands about murder and adultery to include what happens in the heart and in our words.

From Noah’s rainbow reset to Abraham’s inheritance and legacy to Moses’ call to live clean, we connect biblical covenants to spiritual growth that is practical and personal. If you have been craving a faith that heals instead of fragments, this conversation will give you language, Scripture, and next steps. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves Bible study, 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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“Law” is one of those words that can instantly shut people down, but what if we’ve been aiming at the wrong target? We sit with Rabbi Ed Bez and open up a covenant-focused way of reading the Bible that refuses the easy split between Old Testament and New Testament. For us, this is about spiritual growth that actually changes relationships, first with God, then with each other, and covenant becomes the thread that ties it all together.

Rabbi Ed shares why the Scriptures are a single, organic unity from Genesis to Revelation, then walks us through the covenant storyline that shapes the entire biblical narrative. We talk about why “testament” can miss the point, why “new covenant” is often better understood as a renewed covenant, and how the covenants God makes across history build a framework for reading the Torah, the Prophets, and the Gospels with clarity instead of confusion.

The heart of the conversation is Matthew 5:17, where Jesus says he does not abolish the Torah and the Prophets but fulfills them. We explore what “fulfill” means in real terms, including Jesus’ perfect obedience and his final sacrifice, and we challenge the common habit of equating law with legalism. Then we land in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36, where the promise gets intensely practical: God writes his Torah within us, gives a new heart, and empowers obedience through the Holy Spirit, not through flesh-driven striving.

If this stirred questions or brought conviction, we’d love to hear from you. Subscribe for part two, share this with a friend who wrestles with grace and obedience, 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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If you’ve ever longed for the glory of God but quietly wondered what it would demand of you, this conversation goes straight to the heart of it. We sit down with Lonnie Lane for an honest, wide ranging talk about hosting and stewarding the glory of the Lord, and why God’s presence is never meant to be a private experience we protect from the world.

We unpack what it looks like for the Church to move through a transitional season with unity in the body of Christ and the beauty of holiness, while still facing real pressure from darkness. Lonnie shares a personal story from a powerful move of God in Philadelphia where the glory was tangible for months, and how a simple warning exposed a deeper issue: when we keep revival inside the room and forget the lost, we risk losing what we’re celebrating. That story reshapes how we think about Christian revival, responsibility, and the purpose behind God’s presence.

From worship culture to church leadership, we get practical. We talk about worship that points to Him instead of us, why the one man show model limits the body, and how spiritual gifts include more than platform ministry. We also touch Israel and the Church, Jewish believers, and why Scripture should shape our posture without turning it into a war of words. We close with hopeful, grounded stories of Spirit led evangelism in everyday places, because God loves to meet people in normal moments.

Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who’s hungry for God’s presence, and leave a review so more people can find Life Around the Fire. What part of this conversation challenged you most?

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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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AI can hand you an answer in seconds, but it cannot teach you how to discern what is holy, what is true, and what is actually from God. We sit down with Lonnie Lane for a prayerful, open-mic conversation that starts with the reality we are all feeling: the nations are shifting, the noise is louder, and believers need a deeper kind of steadiness than information can provide. We also take time to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and reaffirm our support for Israel, asking God to make His faithfulness visible.

From there, the conversation turns personal and practical. We talk about why testimony matters, how “the word of our testimony” strengthens other people, and why peace is often a byproduct of alignment with God’s timing. Lonnie raises a sharp question about discernment in the age of AI, and we unpack what has guided us: learning to talk with God, listening for His voice, and staying rooted in the written Word because God does not contradict Scripture. If you have been searching for Christian discernment, spiritual maturity, and a clear way to test what you hear, this will meet you right where you are.

We also connect ancient Scripture to modern life through Abraham’s call to leave the familiar and follow God into a land he did not know. That leads into what we see changing in the church right now: a growing hunger for John 17 unity, healthier expressions of leadership beyond a one-man model, and a renewed view of holiness as something beautiful instead of legalistic. Part two is coming, and we cannot wait to keep going.

Subscribe so you do not miss what is next, share this with a friend who is asking hard questions, and leave a review to help more people 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 faith can feel strong right up until the moment real life demands proof. We start with a clear declaration we’re willing to stand on: God is faithful, and His love never fails. Then we get honest about the place many of us live in, the gap between believing God’s promises and feeling unsure when a new challenge shows up. If you’ve ever thought, “He’s been faithful before, but what about this time,” you’ll feel seen.

We talk about “daily bread” and why trusting God often looks less like a one-time breakthrough and more like choosing dependence day after day. We also draw a bright line around roles: God is God and we’re not. That simple clarity changes how we handle anxiety, prayer, and responsibility, especially when money is tight and the future feels uncertain. We want trust to be practical, not vague, and we name how stretching seasons can surface unbelief so God can refine it.

Then we share a true story of financial provision: a scam drains a shared bank account, the balance drops negative, and a mortgage payment is due with no backup. What happens next is a reminder that God can provide through unexpected relationships in ordinary neighborhoods, right on time. We read Isaiah 60 out loud, leaning into its vision of light in darkness and God’s ability to bring resources in ways that honor Him, and we pray for provision, wisdom, and stewardship without telling God how He must do it.

If you’re searching for Christian encouragement, biblical teaching on financial provision, and a faith lift rooted in Scripture, press play. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review, then tell us: where do you need God to come through right now?

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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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If you’ve ever wondered whether your faith is strong or just loud, this conversation lands like a mirror. We start by reading all of 1 Corinthians 13 and letting it set the standard: without the love of God, even the most impressive spiritual gifts, sacrifice, and knowledge turn into noise. We slow down on the words we think we already know, patience, kindness, truth, endurance, and ask what agape love looks like when it has to survive real pressure.

From there, we get practical about spiritual maturity through the lens of “putting away childish things.” We draw a sharp line between childish and childlike: childish is petty and reactive, childlike is sincere, curious, and open. We also talk about imagination as an image center God can use, and why a pure, childlike inner life makes room for peace, clarity, and love that doesn’t keep score. Kindness isn’t weakness here; we describe it as strength with authority that can outlast unkindness.

We also zoom out to the world stage, including Israel, rising hostility, and the call for believers to live as one new man in Christ rather than getting swept into hate and division. We close with prayer for transformation, provision, and the ability to steward God’s glory through hard transitions. If you’re hungry for a Christian podcast episode about agape love, spiritual growth, and staying steady in uncertain times, hit play, then subscribe, share, and leave a review, what challenged you most?

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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 talk about why Kingdom leadership flips the usual top-down model and calls us to serve from underneath as we lift people up. We also get practical about spiritual rhythm, showing how rest and play protect leaders from burnout and bring our relationship with God back to life. 

• servant leadership as the culture of the Kingdom of God 
• a balanced rhythm of work rest worship and play 
• how “the shoulds” turn worship into a checklist 
• Sabbath as a gift and rest as worship based on Mark 2:27 
• learning to rest with God in a replenishing relationship 
• why staying guarded in relationships drains us over time 
• trusting God as our shield instead of self-defense 
• play as a way to release creativity and renew imagination 
• balancing privilege with responsibility to avoid entitlement or harshness 
• integrity through obedience in small things and keeping our word 

If you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, please feel free to drop us a line at life around the fire at gmail.com, or you can type in Life Around the Fire and look us up on the web. We'd love to hear from you. 

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.

Send us Fan Mail

Two words can quietly shrink your life: always and never. When we say “it’s always going to be like this” or “I’ll never change,” we turn a passing struggle into a permanent sentence. We pull those words apart and put them where they belong, not on our temporary feelings, but on God’s unchanging character: He is always God, always good, and never anything less than who He is. 

From there, we get practical and personal about spiritual growth and surrender. We talk about the moments when God asks us to set aside something familiar so we can receive something better, even when it feels like loss. Think of the simple picture: if you want a dog to drop the hot dog, you offer a steak. That’s often what change feels like in real life, letting go of what’s immediate so we can embrace what’s greater. 

We also open Scripture to Numbers 11 and the Israelites’ craving for Egypt’s food while God provides manna. It’s an honest look at cravings, nostalgia, and how easy it is to romanticize an old life while forgetting the bondage that came with it. Along the way, we reflect on addiction recovery, why our bodies make great servants but terrible masters, and how the Holy Spirit empowers us to lead our desires instead of being led by them. 

If you’re in a hard season, feeling stuck, or tempted to compromise, let this be a reminder: it’s temporary, and God can use it to bring you into something better. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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.