The gospel moved fast in the first centuries – people saw the life it gave and recognised that it was, literally, good news. In our modern western world, the same news can feel a bit dusty, like a set of rules to appease a God that can feel far from our present reality. But we have news that is utterly transformative for this cultural moment, where anxiety, loneliness and busyness have reached epidemic proportions. In this podcast, Blake explores how we can bridge the text of scripture and the context of our lives so that we can see the gospel as truly good news again.

When we are faced with crossroads in life, we often want some sort of guarantee that our decisions don’t come from thin air, but have a divine tick of approval. And yet, people who confidently assert that “God told them” the way to go in every situation can meet raised eyebrows. The "In Formation" series continues in this podcast with Steve Graham joining us to explore the murky territory of discerning God’s leading, leaning upon the historical body of Christian wisdom that shows us how to do this well. Steve is the Principal of Equippers College, which is currently training 120 people who are serving and planting churches around the world. Steve and his wife Christine have three children and one precious grandchild.

The Bible is often hard to read. It just is. It’s full of lists of old Hebrew names, St Paul’s long and confusing sentences, and all kinds of worldviews that feel outdated. But Jesus said that the word of God brings us to life – food might keep our bodies running, but being human requires more. If this book is a key to leading vibrant spiritual lives, how do we approach it? Josh Taylor explores what it would look like for us to come to the Bible with the expectation that God will use the words on the page to speak to us personally.

This not-to-be-missed interview with Angelika Halstead covers her experience with lightning, marriage proposals, and Spiritual Direction

Kiwis are famous for booking in time to get away on holiday every year for time with friends and family lazing under Pohutakawas. You might even go so far as to call it sacred. But scheduling time away just to be with God doesn’t come so easy. In fact, when was the last time you did that? It's a big part of practicing the Jesus Way: He constantly sought time away from the crowds and would head for the mountains to be with the Father. In this podcast, Spanky Moore will be exploring the Spiritual Practice of Retreat – and how we can be more intentional about scheduling times to step away from the devices and make space to hear God’s voice.

If you've ever flown through the snowcapped mountains into Queenstown airport, you know what it's like to be overwhelmed by beauty. The scale of this kind of greatness can stop us in our tracks. While these experiences often come as a surprise, we can grow our ability to notice – to become more aware – of the wonder happening around us, and in doing so, know Jesus in new ways. In this podcast, Angelika Halstead invites us to develop the spiritual practice of looking at life through a lens of awe and wonder and know for ourselves the transformation it can bring to our lives.

We continue our "In Formation" series with Blake talking about one of the practices of Jesus that could utterly transform your life – that of Sabbath. We may have heard mixed messages or had mixed experiences with the Sabbath but God has woven this day of rest and worship into the fabric of our world and reality. It is a great gift to be discovered in our fast-paced 21st-century world.

Many of us make a habit of going to the gym or for a run to develop our physical health. But how do we develop our spiritual health? Spanky Moore speaks about why a bunch of ancient spiritual practices might be due for a comeback in our fast-paced and easily distracted lives.

Newt continues our In Formation series by talking about the connection between cell phone cameras, Beyonce, and the Holy Spirit. Click play to hear what on earth he’s talking about.

We continue the "In Formation" series with our very own Dr Phil giving us a pastoral care angle on three unique (and mysterious) ways that each one of us can use our talents to become more like Jesus, bless others, and change the world.