Riot Podcast

Tithing & Giving: Does God Really Want 10% of Your Money? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.

If Tithing Isn’t Commanded in the New Testament, Why Do So Many Churches Require It?

Is tithing still required for Christians today, or does the Bible teach something deeper about giving?

For many Christians, tithing has been presented as a simple rule: give God 10%, keep the remaining 90%, and you’ve fulfilled your obligation.

But is that what Scripture actually teaches?

In RIOT Podcast Episode 312, Pete Robertson, Bill Schoneman, and Bob Schoneman examine what the Bible says about tithing, offerings, generosity, and giving under the New Testament.

In this episode, we discuss:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:21

The question isn’t simply, “How much money does God require?”

Maybe it’s “Does God have access to everything He’s entrusted to me?”

Because biblical giving isn’t about purchasing God’s blessing, proving we’re spiritual, or following a formula.

It’s about trusting the Father who provides for us.

RIOT Podcast Episode 312

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 8:11–18, Leviticus 27:30, Malachi 3:8–10, Mark 12:41–44, 2 Corinthians 8:1–5, 2 Corinthians 9:6–8, Matthew 6:19–34

Join the conversation: Should Christians still tithe 10%, or is biblical giving about something deeper?

Real Issues. One Truth.

The post Tithing & Giving: Does God Really Want 10% of Your Money? | Riot Podcast appeared first on Riotpodcast.

How Do You Become Wise? Proverbs 1:1–3 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.

Can You Know Everything About the Bible and Still Be Foolish?

How do you become wise? Is wisdom about intelligence, experience, biblical knowledge, or something deeper?

You can know Scripture, attend church, and understand theology yet still make foolish decisions. So what does the Bible actually teach about becoming wise?

In RIOT Podcast Episode 311, Pete Robertson, Bill Schoneman, and Bob Schoneman introduce RIOT Focus, a new series of shorter, deeper Bible studies beginning with Proverbs 1:1–3.

Rather than rushing through entire chapters, we’re slowing down to examine Scripture, understand its meaning, and discover how God’s wisdom transforms everyday life.

In this episode, we explore:

Wisdom isn’t simply knowing what God says. It’s allowing His truth to change how we live.

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 7:24 that the wise person hears His words and puts them into practice.

So perhaps the question isn’t just, “How much do I know about God?”

It’s “Am I allowing God to change me?”

Join us as we begin RIOT Focus and discover why becoming wise starts with being willing to learn, listen, and receive correction.

RIOT Podcast Episode 311 | RIOT Focus

Question for you: What’s the difference between knowing what’s right and actually living wisely?

Subscribe for more honest biblical conversations about real issues.

Real Issues. One Truth.

The post How Do You Become Wise? Proverbs 1:1–3 | Riot Podcast appeared first on Riotpodcast.

Why Is It So Hard for Us to Slow Down Isaiah 58 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.

What If Your Inability to Rest Reveals What You’re Really Trusting?

We live in a world that constantly tells us to do more, achieve more, earn more, and stay busy. But what if our inability to stop reveals something deeper about where we place our trust?

In RIOT Podcast Episode 310, Pete Robertson, Bill Schoneman, and Bob Schoneman explore Isaiah 58, the Sabbath, and what it truly means to rest in God.

Is the Sabbath simply an Old Testament command? Is it about Saturday versus Sunday? Or was God teaching His people something essential about freedom, identity, and their relationship with Him?

Isaiah 58 challenges us to look beyond religious activity and examine whether our faith is transforming our everyday lives.

In this episode, we discuss:

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” — Mark 2:27

Maybe the Sabbath isn’t primarily about doing nothing.

Maybe it’s about stopping long enough to remember that God is still God when we’re not working.

And perhaps the deeper question isn’t whether we can afford to slow down.

It’s whether we trust God enough to stop.

RIOT Podcast Episode 310

Scriptures: Isaiah 58, Genesis 2:2–3, Exodus 20:8–11, Mark 2:27, Matthew 15:8, James 1:27, Matthew 5:14, Hebrews 4.

Join the conversation: Why do you think slowing down is so difficult for us today?

The post Why Is It So Hard for Us to Slow Down Isaiah 58 | Riot Podcast appeared first on Riotpodcast.

Who Is Shaping the Person You’re Becoming? Micah 7 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.

Every day, something is influencing how you think, what you believe, what you value, and how you treat others.

Culture. Politics. Social media. Money. Relationships. Success. Fear. Even religious traditions.

But have you ever stopped to ask: Who or what is actually discipling your heart?

In RIOT Podcast Episode 309, Pastor Pete, Pastor Bill, and Bob conclude their journey through the Book of Micah with a powerful discussion of Micah chapter 7, exploring spiritual influence, cultural corruption, broken relationships, God’s discipline, restoration, forgiveness, and His unchanging faithfulness.

Micah looked around and saw a society filled with dishonesty, corrupt leadership, injustice, and relationships falling apart.

Sound familiar?

Yet in the middle of everything going wrong, Micah made a personal declaration:

Micah couldn’t control the culture.

But he could decide where he would look.

And that decision changed the direction of the entire chapter.

In this episode, we discuss:

* When everything around you is falling apart

We can spend hours consuming news, political arguments, social media controversies, and stories about everything wrong in the world.

Without realizing it, anxiety, anger, frustration, and fear can begin shaping our hearts.

But Micah reminds us that we don’t have to let the world determine who we’re becoming.

“But as for me, I will look to the LORD.”

And even when we fail, Scripture gives us hope: “When I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.” Micah 7:8

Our confidence isn’t that we’ll never stumble.

The surprising ending of Micah

After seven chapters confronting spiritual drift, injustice, corruption, false prophets, idolatry, and rebellion, Micah doesn’t end by celebrating how terrible Israel has become.

He ends by celebrating how incredible God is.

“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression?” Micah 7:18

God confronts sin, but He also delights in steadfast love.

So as we conclude our study of Micah, one question remains: Who is shaping the person you’re becoming?

Because the voices we listen to today influence the person we become tomorrow.

Join the conversation

The post Who Is Shaping the Person You’re Becoming? Micah 7 | Riot Podcast appeared first on Riotpodcast.

What Does God Really Want From You? Micah 6 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.

Can You Do Everything “For God” and Still Not Walk With Him?

What does God really want from you?

More prayer? More church? More giving? More sacrifice? More Bible study? More religious activity?

In Micah 6, Israel essentially asks God the same question.

“What do You want from us?”

Their solution is to offer God more.

But God’s answer is surprisingly simple: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” — Micah 6:8

In RIOT Podcast Episode 308, Pastor Pete Robertson, Pastor Bill Schoneman, and Bob Schoneman with special guest Pastor Jeremy unpack Micah 6 and one of the most important questions we can ask:

What Does God Really Want From You?

The chapter begins like a courtroom.

God calls the mountains and ancient foundations of the earth as witnesses and challenges Israel:

“O My people, what have I done to you? And how have I wearied you?”

Then He reminds them of His faithfulness.

In other words:

But Israel still misses the point.

Can we become so busy doing things for God that we stop actually walking with God?

In this episode, we discuss:

Micah refuses to let faith remain inside a religious gathering.

God cares about how we conduct business.

A real relationship with Jesus eventually changes Monday morning, not just Sunday morning.

Micah also exposes another problem that feels incredibly modern:

“You shall eat, but not be satisfied.”

More money.

Why?

Because created things were never designed to satisfy a hunger meant for the Creator.

So perhaps the question isn’t:

“How much am I doing for God?”

Maybe the better question is:

“Am I actually walking with Him?”

Micah 6:8 isn’t a formula for earning God’s favor.

It’s a picture of a life increasingly shaped by relationship with Him.

Do justice.

Join the conversation:

Tell us what you think in the comments.

The post What Does God Really Want From You? Micah 6 | RIOT Podcast appeared first on Riotpodcast.

How Do You Know If You’re with the Right Person? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.

Are You Looking for Love, or Just Trying Not to Be Alone?

How do you know if you’re with the right person?

Whether you’re single, dating, divorced, considering remarriage, or already married, choosing who you build your life with is one of the biggest relationship decisions you’ll ever make.

But maybe we’ve been asking the wrong question.

In RIOT Podcast Episode 307, Pete Robertson, Bill Schoneman, and Bob Schoneman explore what the Bible teaches about relationships, dating, marriage, character, conflict, loneliness, and spiritual compatibility.

Because sometimes the qualities that initially attract us to someone aren’t the qualities that can sustain a healthy relationship.

Physical attraction can cause us to overlook character.

Loneliness can make attention feel like love.

Chemistry can make us ignore warning signs.

And sometimes we fall in love not with who someone actually is, but with who we hope they’ll eventually become.

So how do we discern wisely?

Scripture gives us a much deeper framework than simply “follow your heart.”

Proverbs 4:23 tells us: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Before asking whether someone is the right person, maybe we should ask: What has been shaping my heart and teaching me what to desire?

In this episode, we discuss:

One of the biggest relationship mistakes we can make is expecting another human being to give us what only Jesus can provide.

“Make me happy.”

No person can carry that weight.

When our identity and security come from Jesus, we can begin loving another person without requiring them to become our savior.

So maybe the question isn’t only: “Am I with the right person?”

Maybe we also need to ask: “Am I becoming the right kind of person?”

And even deeper: “Who or what is discipling the way I think about relationships?”

If you’re considering a relationship, look beyond chemistry. Look at the character. Look at fruit. Look at the direction of their life.

And turn the mirror around. What is the direction?

If you’re already married, ordinary conflict doesn’t automatically mean you married the wrong person. Instead of spending all your energy trying to change your spouse, perhaps another question is worth asking: “Jesus, who are You calling me to become in this marriage?”

The goal isn’t finding a flawless person.

There isn’t one.

The goal is learning to walk closely with Jesus and allowing Him to transform the way we choose, love, forgive, handle conflict, and see the person in front of us.

The post How Do You Know If You’re with the Right Person? | RIOT Podcast appeared first on Riotpodcast.

What Happens When God Removes What You Trust?

Could the thing making you feel secure actually be pulling you away from God?

Micah 5 asks an uncomfortable question. God tells His own people He will cut off their horses, destroy their chariots, and throw down their strongholds. Why would God remove the very things Israel believed were keeping them safe? Because those things had begun taking a place in their lives that belonged to God alone.

We may not trust in horses and chariots today. But we have our own versions — money, careers, relationships, political leaders, influence, health, intelligence, technology, even ministry. None of these are automatically bad. Any good thing becomes dangerous when we ask it for the identity, security, power, or hope that should come from God.

Sometimes the thing we are begging God to preserve is the very thing He knows we have begun trusting instead of Him.

That is the conversation on this week’s RIOT Podcast — Real Issues. One Truth. — Episode 306: What Happens When God Removes What You Trust? Micah 5. Listen on YouTube or Rumble. Do not settle for a summary when the conversation is waiting for you.

This week we return to Micah with one of the most important Messianic chapters in the Old Testament. Micah 5 takes us to Bethlehem — where centuries before Jesus was born, Scripture points toward the coming Shepherd-King. The King who would become His people’s peace. The King no empire could control. The King who would confront false sources of security. And the King who is coming again.

Pastor Pete, Pastor Bill, and Bob walk that line: false security then and now, why God dismantles idols dressed as safety, and what it means to trust the name of the Lord when the props fall away.

Maybe the question is not simply: “Do I believe in Jesus?”

Maybe we need to ask: “What am I actually depending on to feel secure?”

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).

Trust is not a slogan. It is where your heart runs when the horses are gone.

RIOT Podcast is hosted by Pastor Pete, Pastor Bill, and Bob. New episodes drop on Thursdays. Know Jesus. Love His people. Live it out.

The post What Happens When God Removes What You Trust? Micah 5 | RIOT Podcast appeared first on Riotpodcast.

Are We Living in the End Times? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.

What If the Biggest Sign of the End Times Isn’t the One Everyone Is Watching?

Wars are raging. Israel remains at the center of global tension. Natural disasters dominate headlines. Artificial intelligence is advancing at extraordinary speed. Digital technology is transforming how the world communicates, governs, and conducts commerce.

Then we open the Bible and read Jesus’ warning about wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, deception, persecution, lawlessness, and the beginning of “birth pains.”

So are we watching biblical prophecy unfold before our eyes?

In RIOT Podcast Episode 305, Pete Robertson, Pastor Bill Schoneman, and Bob Schoneman tackle one of the biggest questions Christians are asking today: Are We Living in the End Times?

Jesus told His followers to pay attention to what was happening around them, but He also gave an important warning: “See that you are not alarmed.” — Matthew 24:6

That changes the conversation.

Biblical prophecy was never intended to make Christians panic over every headline, identify every new technology as the mark of the beast, or predict the exact date of Christ’s return.

Jesus calls us to be watchful without becoming sensational, discerning without becoming fearful, and ready without becoming obsessed with speculation.

In this episode, we explore:

One of the greatest dangers of the end times may not be something happening in the Middle East, in technology, or in the global economy.

It may be a deception.

Jesus’ first warning in Matthew 24 was:“See that no one leads you astray.”

We can attend church, know theology, study prophecy, and argue about the end times while still allowing money, politics, entertainment, fear, success, social media, or religion itself to disciple our hearts.

That’s why the most important end-times question may not be: “Can I figure out when Jesus is returning?”

It may be: “If Jesus returned today, would I be ready to meet Him?”

Jesus didn’t give us prophecy so we would live terrified of tomorrow.

He gave it so we would faithfully follow Him today.

Know Him.

Because Christians aren’t ultimately waiting for the next war, earthquake, technological breakthrough, or world leader.

We are waiting for Jesus.

And while we wait, we don’t live afraid.

We live ready.

Join the conversation:

The post Are We Living in the End Times? | RIOT Podcast appeared first on Riotpodcast.

How Do You Trust God When Nothing Makes Sense? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast.

What If You’re Judging God’s Plan Too Soon?

In Micah 4:6–13, God gives His people an incredible promise of restoration but then tells them that suffering, exile, and Babylon are still ahead.

The promise was real.

So what do you do when what God has promised seems completely different from what you’re experiencing?

In Episode 304, we finish Micah chapter 4 and discover a powerful truth about trusting God in seasons we cannot understand.

Micah tells us that God will gather the broken and the outcast. He will restore what appears beyond repair. He even names Babylon more than a century before Jerusalem would eventually fall and then makes an extraordinary promise: “There the LORD will redeem you.”

The place Israel would have chosen to avoid became part of the story through which God would eventually bring redemption.

Then Micah gives us another crucial reminder: “They do not know the thoughts of the LORD, nor do they understand His counsel.” Micah 4:12

Sometimes we look at what is happening around us and assume we understand the whole story.

And we wonder: Where is God in this?

Micah reminds us that we should never judge the entire story by the chapter we’re currently living in.

Faith doesn’t mean we always understand what God is doing. It means we have come to know the One we’re trusting.

The deeper question may not always be: “God, why is this happening?”

It may be: “Jesus, will I continue walking with You even when I cannot see where You’re taking me?”

The post How Do You Trust God When Nothing Makes Sense? | RIOT Podcast appeared first on Riotpodcast.

Why can’t humanity ever seem to find lasting peace?

Governments, treaties, military strength, and political systems keep promising calm. Wars continue anyway. Fear remains. Division feels impossible to escape.

That is the question on RIOT Podcast — Real Issues. One Truth. — Episode 303: Why Is It So Hard to Find Real Peace? Pastor Pete, Pastor Bill, and Bob open Micah 4:1–5. Watch the conversation on YouTube or on Rumble.

Micah 3 ends with judgment and destruction. Then Micah 4 suddenly opens with hope.

Nations come to the Lord to learn His ways. Swords are beaten into plowshares. Spears become pruning hooks. People live without fear. War itself is no longer taught.

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains… and peoples shall flow to it” (Micah 4:1). Isaiah paints the same picture: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares… Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).

Micah’s prophecy is not only about what God will do someday. It confronts how we are living today.

James names the root with painful honesty: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” (James 4:1). Lasting peace is not first a policy problem. It is a heart problem.

Jesus told His disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The world can stay unsettled. Fear does not have to rule your heart.

Micah gives a beautiful picture: everyone sitting safely under their own vine and fig tree (Micah 4:4; see also 1 Kings 4:25). Security. Fruitfulness. Rest.

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The peace Micah foreshadows is not a vacation from conflict. It is life rooted in the Lord.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Peace grows where we belong to Him.

If God’s future belongs to Him, does your present belong to Him too?

Joshua’s charge still stands: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Walking in the name of the Lord is not a slogan. It is a daily decision while the headlines stay loud.

Jesus also sent His people outward: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). Real peace is not isolation. It is knowing Him, loving people, and living it out.

RIOT Podcast is hosted by Pastor Pete, Pastor Bill, and Bob. New episodes drop on Thursdays. Know Jesus. Love His people. Live it out.

The post Why Is It So Hard to Find Real Peace? | RIOT Podcast appeared first on Riotpodcast.