Solid Steps Radio

How many friends do you have? I’m not talking about social media numbers, I’m talking about friends you can call when your world is falling apart and you need someone there for you. When life seems to be squeezing you and you need a hand or word that breathes life into your sails. A person who knows all your junk, and still is willing to meet with you. Got them in mind? Ok, now, when was the last time you sat down with that person to talk about life? A week ago? A month? How about regularly for the last 24 years? On this week’s show, Kurt and Chad welcome Brad DeVries and Glenn Bednardzyk to talk about doing life with a group of men - a band of brothers for over 20 years. Guys who meet every week for a couple hours to hear from one another, encourage one another, and sometimes, lovingly, put a finger in there chest when need be. This is not just accountability, but life-giving friendship. Paul had Barnabas. Who do you have? (this episode is a repeat from August, 2019 - enjoy!)

When you hear the word discipline what comes to mind? Often it’s in a negative connotation, as in disciplining your children. But what about spiritual discipline? The root word for discipline is “disciple,” as in being a disciple of Christ. Praying, reading the Bible, going to worship are all staples in most Christian’s lives. But how can the spiritual disciplines be soul transforming in the life of a believer - as a lifestyle - not just a weekly event. On this week’s show, 37 year seminary Professor David Roadcup, along with 3 of his past and current students, talk about spiritual disciplines and the relationship between Gods grace and our effort. (This is a repeat of an episode in August, 2018 - enjoy)

The average life span of the American male is 76 years old. If that is true, where are you on the scale age wise? And here is an even more challenging question - how are you going to finish? So-so or strong? On this week’s show, Kurt and Chad, with guests Ralph Swallows and Austin Hayes, start a three week series on the book Finishing Strong. It is so rare that men will finish life strong (1 out of 10!). Author Steve Farrar makes the case that it’s not how you start the Christian life, but how you finish!

On this week’s show, Kurt and Chad talk with professor and author Dr Eric Schansberg about Moses, his father-in-law Jethro, and how it relates to us today. Eric recently wrote a Bible study book, The Word Diet - a year long journey through key books of the Bible. It is available on www.thoroughlyequipped.org (click on the Store button).

“Spiritual practices allow us to crawl into the lap of our Father in heaven.” - 
Professor David Roadcup. Prayer. Bible reading. Those are spiritual practices that the majority of Christians acknowledge are important in spiritual formation. What are some others? How do we connect with God through different spiritual practices? On this weeks show professor and Pastor David Roadcup talks about the link between spiritual formation and spiritual practices.

When you hear the word “intimacy” what do you think about? 
Sex? Something private between 2 people? Would you say that you and your spouse have an “intimate relationship”? On this week’s show, Kurt and Chad welcome licensed counselors Don and Danna Delafield. They talk about God’s plan for intimacy in marriage, how it may differ from the world’s, and maybe even your own.

“Dead man walking!” A phrase commonly used by prison guards when a prisoner is making his way from the cell to their execution. A prisoner walking his final steps of life knows when it’s going to end, but we don’t know when we will take our last breath. But one man took his final breath before he died, and lived to tell about it. On this week’s show, Kurt and Chad talk to businessman Sherman Henderson. He shares his story of dying for 18 minutes, being brought back to life, being in a coma for 3 days and how it changed his perspective on living, and on dying. (This is a repeat program from October, 2019 - enjoy!)

Can you be an alcoholic and a Christian? On this week’s show recovering alcoholics John Jordan and Marc Davidson talk about their journey from functioning alcoholic to sober believer. Praise God, they are now dependent on a Savior and not a bottle.

A father leaves when his son is 1 month old. Then that boy attends 40 schools in 4 years - running from his stepfather’s decisions. Later, as an adult, after 12 years of a “perfect” marriage and a newborn son, his wife says she wants a divorce. He saw no hope in living, and was thinking of ending it all. And then he receives a phone call... On this week’s show, Brian Goul joins Kurt and Chad to discuss his journey. It starts off in a way that most couldn’t recover from, without an intervention - an invasion of love that transforms and sets him on a new trajectory. One that is not possible without Jesus. Brian’s story is one that is real and transformational, and available to anyone who looks in the direction of God. From a fateful and timely phone call, to a chance meeting in a unfamiliar church, God’s fingerprints are all over Brian’s story. (This is a repeat episode from August, 2019 - enjoy!)

Liminal – relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process, a threshold. Many men (and women) are content to live a life of the “seen”. What we see is what we need to be concerned about. But what about the “unseen”? Those things about us that we don’t see but help make who we are - our heart, our soul, our beliefs, even our wounds. On this weeks show, Kurt and Chad welcome Bill Weedman and Matt Robison to talk about their experience on their journey as men. Bill and Matt talk about going down the road of finding out why they do what they do, and what God wants to do in them, so they can love the people around them more deeply. Both are involved with a retreat experience called Liminal (https://liminalwork.com) “Liminal was created as a way for men to find out through groups, weekends, retreats and other experiential methods what it truly means to know freedom and live who the Creator originally intended us to be. Liminal guides men on their paths through curriculum, thoughtfully crafted experiences, and community designed to always give you an answer to what your next step should be in your growth journey.” (From the website)