Many have said that when God closes a door, he always opens a new one. To which someone added, "But it's hell in the hallway." What do you do when your weekend meeting is no longer a place you can go? Having been alongside numerous people over the years, Kyle wants to know how Wayne helps others find their footing in Christ. They discuss not seeking the same kind of meeting again, but instead using some time to explore how deeply loved they are by God. Most legalistic groups prey on fear and guilt to try to keep people on the straight and narrow, and many lose sight of his love. The journey begins as we become settled in his love, and then watch the relationships he will add to our lives, and connections that are far richer than we may have known before.

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Brad is in the house as he joins Wayne and Kyle to celebrate the unique legacy of The God Journey for our 1,000th episode. For twenty-one years, this podcast has helped people explore their own journey with Jesus and how to connect with him and others outside the box of religious obligation. They discuss their friendship, a new possibility for The Shack, and how their friendships have grown as they have explored their own God journeys in this format. They also read emails from our listeners, describing what The God Journey has meant to them over the years.

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We live in a day when relationships are easily discarded whenever they reach a bump in the road. Yet, it is normal for even good relationships to go through difficult stretches, due to discovering things you didn't know before, simple human mistakes, or insensitivities. The relationships that grow large over time learn to recover from periods of disharmony. Kyle and Wayne discuss relational repair and the relational capital required to facilitate those repairs more easily. You can bring healing to relationships without sacrificing authenticity or affection.

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A couple of weeks ago, Kyle asked Wayne about his trip to Boise. This week, we have the opportunity to hear from someone who was present at that gathering and how it affected her. In her post, she described true fellowship as human, messy, and sacred. That depiction resonated with Wayne, causing him to wonder if our attempts to organize the messy out of human engagement also lose the sacred? Kyle and Wayne explore that question and her other comments. They also talk about finding joy every day, especially through challenging stretches of thealing or struggle. They begin by talking about moments where it seems the enemy is trying to steal their joy or creativity.

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What do you do when God doesn't do what your religion taught you he would do? Do you conclude that he must not be real, or do you throw out some of what you were taught to discover God as he really is? After a conversation about certainty being the opposite of faith, Wayne and Kyle process Wayne's recent trip to Boise. You can tell if someone is truly a leader in the body of Christ by whether they are an example of his love or if they consider themselves an exception to it. They also talk about how Jesus reveals his way to us as we learn to rely on his presence, not follow the rules or expectations of others.

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We are so accustomed to the fellowship that human effort can engender that many have lost sight of the path to relational community that comes from building friendships. After discussing testing boundaries and how the enemy twists our spiritual hungers into unattainable ideals, Kyle and Wayne explore a pathway to organic community. Beginning with our growing friendship with Father, Son, and Spirit, we are in a better place to take an interest in others and see where friendships develop and who is ready to share their Jesus journeys together. When friendship is the building block of community, people can share an environment where it is safe to be vulnerable and authentic.

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How does one find romantic love today, whether you are 19 or 68, and how does God fit into that part of your journey? Kyle has been speaking with many people who are struggling to find a connection in the current culture. Tracy Levinson and Wayne join him for a candid conversation about the desire for a mate and trusting God to provide one as you make yourself available to the kind of friendships that may reveal a lifelong love. They talk in candid terms about guarding your heart, finding contentment in God, so you're not so desperate to fill a hole in your life, expectations that can get in the way, dealing with the temptation toward casual sex, and the pain that pornography can do to a relationship. At 69 minutes, this one went into overtime.

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As Kyle and Wayne dive into the mailbag, they find themselves discussing current "revival" tactics that trespass on unsuspecting people, navigating relationships in a polarized culture, and whether Jesus is waiting for an invitation from those close to him to come again and rescue the planet. There isn't so much an overarching theme here, but a lot of thoughts about how we best impact the culture in these perilous times.

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The desire for deep and authentic relationships with other believers lies at the heart of our spiritual passion. And yet, that isn't always easy to find, especially if we've moved away from religious institutions. How can we establish a more organic sense of relational community with others? Kyle and Wayne discuss how genuine community is a gift God gives, not something we can organize on our own. What we can do is foster friendships with people in our lives, as the environment in which community takes hold. To do that best, we learn to recognize the pace of others around us instead of imposing our agenda on a growing friendship.

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How many believers would answer yes to, "Are you everything God wants you to be at this moment?" Wayne invites Kyle into a conversation he is having with Tobie van der Westhuizen regarding whether spiritual growth best comes from the frustration of falling short or from contentment with what God is already accomplishing in one's life. Much of Christendom foments frustration as a way to motivate people to growth. What if it had taught contentment instead inside of God's love?  As Tobie says, "The best way to grow in whatever God has for you is to be content with where you are today."

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