The God Journey

So, how are Kyle and Wayne weathering the early days of the new presidential administration and the underlying polarization?  After a brief conversation about the value of ritual in grounding our hearts, they turn to the day's political climate. Neither one finds themselves too wound up in the political angst of the day but focused on a deeper story of how God's love and redemption are being revealed beyond the eccentricities of the human contest for power. There's another story being written beneath the political bluster that we need to keep our eyes on.

Podcast Notes:

Kyle and Wayne start with a brief conversation about the movie "A Hidden Life" and its themes of resistance, conscience, and the consequences of standing up against injustice. They touch on the intimidation and discouragement of following one's conscience when friends and family disapprove. Then they discuss Jonathan Haight's book, "The Anxious Generation," about the impact of the digital age on the mental health of the younger generation. Having a phone-based childhood instead of a play-based one has rewired their brains, making interpersonal relationships incredibly difficult. This leads to significant increases in depression, social anxiety, and even suicides. On the positive side, this rewiring can be reversed by limiting access to technology and re-engaging interpersonal relationships.

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"The Creation waits in anxious expectation for the children of God to be revealed," wrote Paul in Romans 8. That is the heart of Wayne's newest book, It's Time: Letters to the Bride of Christ at the End of the Age. Together, Kyle and Wayne drill down into the themes and motivations behind writing this book. Why does Wayne think the end of the age is near? What does he hope this book puts in the world? The themes of this podcast include the importance of a resilient trust, an others-focused way of living, and how God develops those in us as we traverse adversity with him.

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Kyle is back from a community symposium regarding the mental health of youth and invites Wayne into a conversation about where community happens for people, especially those who have not experienced it in more natural ways. Real connection and community flow best out of the adventure of a journey as Jesus guides us through life and is often expressed through intergenerational relationships. It's why so many of our attempts to fabricate community through programs or conformity-based cultures often fall flat. Reaching out to others through friendship is a critical resource for those struggling around us.

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What did Paul know about life in Jesus that made him boast gladly about his weaknesses? Wayne and Kyle landed on this verse toward the end of the previous podcast, and Kyle wanted to circle back to it again.  Paul not only tolerated difficulties in his life, he actually came to a place where he could delight in weakness, insults, hardships, persecution, and difficulties. Somehow, he knew that at his weakest was when God was at his most powerful, and that became a source of great joy for him. What did he know that we have yet to learn?

Podcast Notes:

What did Paul know about life in Jesus that made him boast gladly about his weaknesses? Wayne and Kyle landed on this verse toward the end of the previous podcast, and Kyle wanted to circle back to it again.  Paul not only tolerated difficulties in his life, he actually came to a place where he could delight in weakness, insults, hardships, persecution, and difficulties. Somehow, he knew that at his weakest was when God was at his most powerful, and that became a source of great joy for him. What did he know that we have yet to learn?

Podcast Notes:

Embarrassed to have cancer? That's one of the emotions Wayne felt in his last three-month journey dealing with a fractured back and chemotherapy. Kyle probes a bit into this stretch of Wayne's journey and what he has learned through it. Throughout their conversation, they discuss the value of silence, the power of not resisting difficult circumstances, the joy of completing some task God has given you, and the value of being able to receive help from others in our most vulnerable places. A couple of weeks ago, they talked about the conversations of community, and this is an example of it.

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How do you know if you've been born of God?  For John, it was very clear: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." That would have been a scary checklist in my younger days, but what if this is the only measure? How would it change the way we introduced people to salvation? As Kyle and Wayne revisit the justice conversation, they also talk about their Yuck Meters and how love sets them in a place where it is difficult to be unfair to others because you care about them so much.

Podcast Notes:

From listener emails, a one-thousand-year-old quote, and their own life experience, Kyle and Wayne celebrate the wonder and beauty of God showing up in conversations that inspire us to follow him and give us a better grasp on who God is. That's the power of community, where God makes himself known in us through the conversations we are having with others. They discuss how to let God lead you to such conversations, recognize them when he does, and help open the door for others to join you in conversations that matter. Then, they talk briefly about the sentence Wayne has been working on to unpack a justice view of the Gospel.

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2025 has arrived!  Wayne and Sara take this opportunity to reflect on the last year and what needed to change in their hearts to absorb the surprises that last year heaped upon them. They talk about the nitty-gritty of taking one day at a time and how that sometimes coincides with our need to plan for future events. Since grace is apportioned one day at a time, whenever we allow ourselves to live in our imagined future we are usually alone because we just can't imagine how God will be with us when the future unfolds. Here are some practical ideas about sitting with God in our pain and letting him turn our challenges into new opportunities.

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