Paul’s Thorn

Today, we’re exploring some of the most beloved passages in Scripture — words that have comforted, challenged, and transformed lives for generations. From the green pastures of Psalm 23 to the quiet power of 1 Corinthians 13, these verses trace a journey through faith, suffering, and love.  We’ll hear them through four different translations — the King James Version, the New International Version, the New Revised Standard Version, and The Message — not to compare which one is “right,” but to listen for the layers of meaning each voice reveals. Sometimes, hearing the same truth in a new rhythm opens our hearts in new ways. These passages are some of my personal favorites — words that have carried me through both weakness and renewal.

Throughout Scripture, the struggle between good and evil isn’t just symbolic — it’s personal, visible, and often terrifying. From ancient Israel to the ministry of Jesus, the Bible doesn’t shy away from the reality of spiritual possession. But in every encounter, there’s a deeper message: authority, freedom, and restoration.

In this episode, we’ll explore how the Bible portrays demon possession — what it looked like, what it meant, and what it tells us about human suffering and divine power.

Today, we’re diving into a topic that many believers and scholars are just beginning to talk about: neurodivergence in the Bible.

Neurodivergence is the idea that there isn’t just one right way for a brain to work. That human minds exist across a spectrum of ways of thinking, feeling, processing, and perceiving the world.  Some of us are linear and structured. Some are deeply emotional. Some are intensely focused, and others are beautifully scattered and creative. And all of it is part of the image of God.

So what if some of the great figures of Scripture—the prophets, the poets, the visionaries—experienced the world differently? What if their differences weren’t obstacles to their calling, but part of it?

In today’s episode we will be exploring a profound and sometimes painful part of the Christian journey: the dark night of the soul...those seasons when God feels silent, prayer feels empty, and faith feels harder to hold onto. Together, we’ll uncover how the dark night connects to Scripture, how it shapes the Christian life, and how, even in silence, God is doing His deepest work. 

The story of Job gives us a profound lens for thinking about suffering and disability—not just in terms of physical pain, but also how it touches relationships, emotions, theology, and community. By tracing key moments in Job’s journey, we can see how his experience speaks powerfully about the realities of disability today.

Intended as relaxing background audio.  Recorded on Labor Day morning on Camano Island.  (Part 2 of a 4 season audio project)

In Part 1, we explored the mystery of God’s will as it relates to worship and obedience. Today, we’re going to dive deeper into Scripture and theology to see how disability fits into God’s plan, not as an accident or punishment, but as something that can carry divine meaning.

Part 1 of a 2-part series on the will of God. The will of God is often a mystery, felt most tenderly in the experience of disability, where questions of weakness, limitation, and purpose arise without easy answers.

Today’s theme, especially as it relates to disability in the Bible, is the idea that experiencing hardship can be an honor—an invitation to share in the suffering of Christ.  Part 2 of a 2 part series.

Today’s theme, especially as it relates to disability in the Bible, is the idea that experiencing hardship can be an honor—an invitation to share in the suffering of Christ.  Part 1 of a 2 part series.