
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Clothing may polish the image, but it doesn’t polish the character. You’ve heard the statement “You never have a second chance to make a first impression,” but does how you dress have anything to do with the inside? How do you polish that?
Based on his new book The Life You Were Reborn to Live, Gary Thomas dismantles twelve key lies Christians believe that cripple their intimacy with God.
The church names we banter about? They don’t exist in heaven. Because it’s not the denomination that saves you. And I wonder, if there are no denominations in heaven, why do we have denominations on earth?
I know this is a crazy thought, but what would happen if all the churches agreed, on a given day, to change their names to simply “church?” And then when people chose which church to attend, they wouldn’t do so by the sign outside, they’d do so by the hearts of the people inside. And then when people were asked what church they attended, their answer wouldn’t be a label but just a location. And then we Christians wouldn’t be known for what divides us; instead we’d be known for what unites us—our common Father.
Crazy idea? Perhaps. But I think God would like it. It was his to begin with!
Read more The Lucado Inspirational Reader
For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.
Learn from Colossians 1: 15-20 that genuine worship begins with knowing our Savior for who He really is.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Episode 2.53
Paul’s life was a contradiction — beaten yet joyful, weak yet unstoppable.
By the mid-50s A.D., he had endured rejection, imprisonment, and exhaustion. Yet his writings from this period reveal a man who found grace not by escaping pain, but by enduring it.
In this episode, Zach and Michael walk through Paul’s “theology of scars,” exploring how his sufferings shaped both his ministry and message. From the “spectacle” language of 1 Corinthians to the “thorn in the flesh” of 2 Corinthians and the anguish of Romans, Paul’s life becomes a living sermon: God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.
Covered in this episode:
– Why Paul’s ministry looked like failure to the world but victory to heaven
– The paradoxes of apostleship: sorrowful yet rejoicing, weak yet strong
– The “Fool’s Speech” and the radical humility behind Paul’s boasting
– Romans 7–9: Paul’s inner conflict and his deep compassion for Israel
– How hardship, not applause, authenticates the gospel worker
Takeaway:
The Christian life isn’t about avoiding pain—it’s about discovering power through it. Paul’s story reminds us that endurance, not ease, is the true proof of grace.
Find our videocast here: https://youtu.be/_scFOwyUthY
Merch here: https://take-2-podcast.printify.me/
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/reakt-music/deep-stone
License code: 2QZOZ2YHZ5UTE7C8
Find more Take 2 Theology content at http://www.take2theology.com
From the publisher's feed