Have you ever felt alone? The kind of alone where no one around you knows you or what it’s like to be in your shoes? It can feel suffocating – like you’re trapped in your own invisible box. But what if we told you that one way God helps us out of our pain is by guiding us to help someone else out of theirs? This was what happened to a woman in the Bible named Ruth. Ruth may not have known much about God, but he became real to her as she continuously planted seeds of love. Check out episode 2 of our Mini Quiet Time series "Where You Go I Go": Ruth's Love Story. Show Notes Ruth 1:22 ERV Ruth 2:1-2 ERV Ruth 2:3-7 ERV Ruth 2:8-12 ERV Ruth 2:13-17 ERV 1 John 4:12 NIV Ruth 2:18-23 ERV

Everyone experiences fear, but all too often, we give it so much power that it runs our lives. It's important to understand fear biblically — both its impact on our lives and how to overcome the its controlling grip. God can help us escape fear's clutches; we just have to let him help us out of it and live lives of faith. Show Notes Matthew 8:23-26 NIV Romans 10:17 NIV Deuteronomy 20:8 NIRV John 6:66-68 AMP Genesis 19:17-20 TLB Matthew 26:44 NIV The Boldness of Belief: A 7-Day Study of the Book of Acts

When we feel guilty, it’s hard to believe that God wants to forgive our sins. But the amazing thing about God is that forgiveness brings him great joy—much like the joy we feel when we give someone a present we know they’ll love. Experiencing the gift of God’s forgiveness will change our lives. It will make us joyful and grateful. It will also empower us to forgive others in the same way that God forgives us.  Listen to this Scripture Playlist to learn what the Bible says about the gift of forgiveness. Ephesians 1:4-8 NLT Psalm 130:3-4 MSG Zechariah 3:3-4 AMP 1 John 4:10 CEV Matthew 6:14-15 MSG Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT Proverbs 17:9 CEV Acts 2:38 NIV 1 Peter 4:7-8 NIV Colossians 3:13 NIrV 2 Corinthians 5:19 CEV

We're very excited for our new Mini Quiet Time series “Where You Go I Go”: a four part series on the book of Ruth. Today's episode is Part 1: “Naomi’s Brokenness Makes Her Whole.” This book tells us of people broken by life — by pain, grief, disappointment, and chronic heartbreak. Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz had incomplete stories filled with broken dreams and unfinished destinies. And yet, one by one, God fit the pieces of their lives into place so that they became together what none of them could have been alone. We can learn from their stories how God is always working to fill our emptiness and make our broken parts whole through our relationships with one another. Show Notes Romans 12:5 VOICE Ruth 1:1-5 ERV Ruth 1:6-11 ERV Ruth 1:12–13 NIV Ruth 1:14–18 NIV He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself Hosea 11:4 NLT Ruth 1:19-22 ERV

It's not always easy to admit to ourselves or others when we have given up on something. We hide behind success, status, having it all together, our religious background—you name it. However, these masks simply hide the truth; they don't heal it. We are a generation in need of hope, but the only way to get that hope is by letting go of our need to hide and lettting God heal our hurt instead. Listen to this Mini Quiet Time to learn how to find hope again. Scripture referenceds Proverbs 11:3 NLT  Isaiah 30:12 NIV Proverbs 29:23 AMP  Proverbs 29:23 CEV 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT Romans 15:13 NIV Psalm 25:4-5 NIV  Proverbs 4:18 ERV  Proverbs 4:18 ERV

Spirituality allows us to see and believe in the world beyond the physical. God has a rich and satisfying plan for our lives, but it often means living differently than the culture around us. It’s very easy to compromise our convictions or change who we are to fit in with what we see. Spirituality not only resists the pressure to fit in with the world but also rises above it.  Listen to this Scripture Playlist to learn how to resist the culture of peer pressure so we can live the great life God has planned for us. Show Notes: Romans 12:2 NIV John 10:10 NLT James 4:4 NLT 1 John 2:15-17 NIrV 1 Corinthians 15:33 NCV Proverbs 13:20 AMP Ephesians 5:11 NASB Colossians 2:8 ERV Galatians 1:10 MSG Jeremiah 1:18-19 MSG John 17:14-16 MSG Proverbs 4:14-15 ERV Matthew 7:13-14 NIrV 2 Timothy 2:23-25 ERV Matthew 5:14-16 NLT Psalm 146:3-5 MSG Colossians 3:1-3 AMP

Love is powerful! It motivates us, transforms us, and fulfills us. Without love, we will feel empty, lost, and insecure. The Scriptures communicate that God wants us to experience his unfailing love and believe in its power. We will then be able to share his love with others, creating a ripple effect that changes the world. Check out this Scripture Playlist to learn about experiencing the love of God and how it changes our lives. Show Notes 1 John 4:19 NIV 1 John 4:7-9 NLT 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV 1 John 4:18 NLT John 15:12-13 NLT Proverbs 19:22 NIV John 13:34-35 NIV Matthew 24:12 NIV Luke 6:27-28 NIV Luke 7:47 NIV Matthew 22:37-39 NIV 1 Peter 1:22 NIV Revelation 2:4-5 NLT 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ERV 1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT

In this episode, our guest contributor Margo Colvin talks about how God will use guilt, pain, and failure to transform us into the people he wants us to be. We can learn together how to find brighter days in the midst of darkness. Show Notes Hosea 2:15 NLT Psalm 107:9-11,13-14 NASB Proverbs 14:13 TPT Job 11:13-19 NLT Psalm 34:18 CEV Proverbs 13:12 GNT Matthew 12:20 TLB Job 8:7 CEV

Our faith can be vibrant at any age, and God is deeply invested in helping our faith grow throughout our lives. The challenge is that the more years we spend on Earth, the more life we experience, which often comes with disappointment, struggles, and heartbreak. But these hardships don’t have to break our faith. God believes we can get stronger in our faith with age as we keep relying on him no matter what we face. Listen to this Scripture Playlist to learn how we can renew an aging faith, no matter how old (or young) we are.  Show Notes: John 14:26-27 AMP Psalm 92:12-14 Voice 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 AMP Joshua 14:10-11 NIV Proverbs 31:25-28 TLB Psalm 23:4 TPT Proverbs 20:29 NLT Romans 4:19-21 NIV 1 Kings 11:4 AMP Hebrews 6:10-12 NLT Ecclesiastes 4:13 Voice Psalm 37:37 TPT Romans 15:1-6 MSG Psalm 71:17-18 ESV Proverbs 11:30 TPT

Choosing to attach to God gives us the power to endure hard times and emerge stronger, more courageous, and more confident about our future. On the contrary, we can become detached from God in difficult times when we choose to harden to our pain, shame, or strain. Today's guest, Sam Manuel, will help us understand how to attach to God by dealing with the deeper things inside our hearts. Check out this Mini Quiet Time to learn more about how to attach to God. Show Notes: Psalms 23:4,6 TPT Ephesians 4:18-19 NIV 1 John 1:5-7 NIV Ref. Hebrews 5:7-8 NIV Ref. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

As humans, we have about 6,200 thoughts per day, and 80% of these thoughts are negative. The good news is that we don’t have to become mentalists in order to overcome the suffocating nature of self-criticism.   God, through the Bible teaches us the solution to self-criticism is through having a learner’s heart! Check out this video devotional to learn more about how to have a learner's heart that defeats self-critical thoughts. Sign up for the 12 Days of Jesus course Show Notes: 12 Days of Jesus Course 6,200 thoughts per day (Queen’s Gazette)  80% of our thoughts are negative (Queens University)  95% of our thoughts are repeating themselves day after day (Queens University)  1 John 3:18-22 MSG Luke 22:31-32 Voice Proverbs 11:2 AMP 2 Peter 1:1-3 CEV 2 Peter 1:8-9 CEV

Christianity is a relationship religion, and the Bible has a lot to say about how to have great friendships. Scripture says that God himself is love; so the closer we are to him, the more loving we will become. Jesus gives us the ultimate example of how to love, connect, and have deep relationships. Check out this episode of Scripture Playlists to learn how to have the humility and love we need to build great relationships like Jesus did. Show Notes 1 John 4:16,19 NLT 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT John 15:13 NLT Matthew 7:12 NCV Philippians 2:3-5 NCV Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT Proverbs 17:9 NLT Proverbs 16:28 NLT James 5:9 Voice Proverbs 3:3-6 Voice Proverbs 12:15 TLB Matthew 5:14 MSG Romans 12:16 ERV Romans 13:8 MSG Colossians 3:9-10 NIV Galatians 5:25-26 NCV Colossians 3:12-14 NLT 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV James 3:17 ERV 1 Peter 4:8 NLT

God is the source of all courage. When our relationship with him is close, courage comes naturally because we trust God to protect us. This means that we don’t have to be swept away by fear or worry in even the most stressful and scary circumstances. Listen to these verses of the Bible that will fills us with courage that gives us strength, peace, understanding, patience, and hope. Show Notes Proverbs 1:33 TPT Joshua 1:9 NIV John 14:27 AMP Isaiah 35:4 Voice Isaiah 57:15 NLT Psalm 23:1-4 GW Matthew 14:24-27 NLT Galatians 6:9 AMPC 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 GNT Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT

A few weeks ago, we published our latest Featured Devotional by our editor in chief, Russ Ewell, entitled “The Blueprint for Living Spiritually: A five-step journey to a soul connection with God, through the footsteps of Jesus.” We are excited to let you know that you can now listen to the Blueprint in its entirety on our website so you can listen as you read along.  We are introducing a new show format, called Deep Reads, in which we will narrate Featured Devotionals and release them as episodes on our podcast feed regularly. To give you the best possible listening experience, we had this voiced by a great narrator rather than autogenerated text-to-speech. We will also be releasing smaller episodes for each section to allow you to more easily listen to the part you are looking to study.  We hope Deep Reads helps you get the most out of The Blueprint for Living Spiritually and many of our future devotionals! If you have any other ideas or requests, don’t hesitate to reply to this email, or drop us a line at [email protected]. 00:00 Introduction 10:12 Soul on Fire 17:22 Soul Care 27:00 Soul Connection 32:59 Soul Purpose 42:38 Soul Power 51:32 Conclusion

God loves us and is capable of doing far more than we could ask or imagine. He not only desires for us to grow but also enjoys the process of helping us become who we’re meant to be. Check out this Scripture Playlist to learn how God wants us to grow and change our lives. Show Notes Ephesians 1:5-8 NCV Isaiah 41:10 TPT Philippians 1:9 CEV Hebrews 6:10-12 ERV 2 Peter 1:5-8 CEV Galatians 6:9-10 NLT Galatians 5:25-26 MSG Philippians 3:12-14 NCV Ephesians 4:15-16 NLT

Many things in life can lead us to the bottom of a pit—from challenging circumstances to problems of our own making—but in the end, it doesn’t really matter how we got there. What matters is we have a God who can always lift us out. Listen to these verses of the Bible on how David teaches us how to pray our way out of any murky pit. Show Notes Psalm 40:1-2 NIrV Psalm 40:3-6 NIrV Psalm 40:6-8 NIrV Psalm 40:9-10 NIrV Psalm 40:11-13 NIrV Psalm 40:14-16 NIrV Psalm 40:17 NIrV

Negative thoughts about ourselves can be debilitating and discouraging. Left unchecked, they can completely take over our minds and stop us from seeing ourselves and our lives from God’s perspective. God loves the deepest parts of who we are, and his purpose for us is greater than any flaw we may feel that we have. Listen to these verses of the Bible to combat self-criticism with God’s love and truth. Show Notes Isaiah 55:8-9 ERV Ephesians 2:10 NLT 1 John 3:19-21 Voice 1 John 3:18-20 MSG Psalm 139:13-14,16 NIV 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT Hebrews 3:12-13 CEV Philippians 4:8 CEV 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 NLT Judges 6:15-16 NLT Jeremiah 1:5-8 NLT Psalm 139:17-18 NLT Zephaniah 3:17 NLT Romans 8:1-2 BSB Isaiah 43:1 NLT 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NCV

God cares about what we really think, not just about what we do. Instead of filling our minds with negative thoughts that make us feel guilty and distant from God, we can listen to his Word and train ourselves to think the way he does. His thoughts are higher than and completely different from ours. As we let him influence our thoughts, we will learn to think positively and spiritually about both ourselves and the world around us.  Let’s listen to this Scripture Playlist to learn what it means to have a positive thought life! Show Notes Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT Psalm 139:1-2 NCV Hebrews 4:12-13 NLT 1 Samuel 16:7 TLB Proverbs 4:23 NCV Ephesians 4:23 NLT Romans 12:2 NLT Hebrews 3:12 CEV Colossians 3:15-16 CEV Psalm 19:14 CEV Colossians 3:2 NIV Matthew 5:8 ERV Matthew 6:31-34 NLT Philippians 4:8-9 NLT

When our personal conviction comes from the Bible, we will be strong, courageous, and faithful to God through the ups and downs of life. We will also find the power and motivation to make changes in our lives, even when they’re not easy. We’ll be on our way to the full and satisfying life God wants us to live.  Let’s listen to this Scripture Playlist to learn how to become a person of conviction.  Show Notes Hebrews 11:1 AMP 1 Thessalonians 1:4-7 NIV Joshua 14:6-9 NIV Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV Luke 13:31-33 NIV Acts 20:22-24 AMP Romans 14:23 NLT Romans 15:1-2 AMP 1 Corinthians 1:10 BSB Colossians 4:12 AMPC Hebrews 13:7 AMP

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, and uneasiness. It’s an emotion that everyone experiences to different degrees, but it can affect our faith and make it hard to see beyond what’s right in front of us. Rather than letting anxiety drive us away from God, we can choose to let it bring us humbly toward him. Listen to this Scripture Playlist of the Bible about anxiety and how our relationship with God can help us beat it. Show Notes Mark 4:19 NLT Psalm 94:18-19 AMP ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:6-7‬ ‭AMP Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:8‬ ‭NIV ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:30-33‬ ‭MSG Psalm 55:2,5-8,22 VOICE 1 John 4:18  NIV Philippians 4:6-7 GW Proverbs‬ ‭11:25‬ ‭NLT Psalm 23:4 NLT

Attaching to God is one of the greatest and most transformative experiences anyone can have. It's also incredibly challenging. Attachment requires a level of vulnerability that can feel uncomfortable, but it's worth it because it allows amazing things to happen in our lives. Listen to this Scripture Playlist to learn to enjoy opening your heart to God and the deep connection with him that comes as a result. Show Notes John 15:4 GW John 1:18 NIV Psalm 90:1 AMP Isaiah 49:15-16 Voice Psalm 62:8 Voice Psalm 61:2-4 NLT Psalm 139:1-5 CEV Psalm 139:23-24 NLT Isaiah 28:12-13 NIrV Matthew 13:15 NLT Isaiah 43:10 NLT Psalm 131:1-2 NLT 1 John 2:5 Voice Colossians 2:18-19 NLT James 4:7-8 TLB Ephesians 3:17-19 NLT Psalm 73:28 AMP

Every day is a new day with God. He calls us to use our pasts to grow closer to him, not hold us back. God is a God of fresh starts, growth, and change. Whether it’s past pains, hurts, experiences, accomplishments, God wants us to look forward to his life and plan for us. Listen to this Scripture Playlist to learn how to let go of our pasts and move forward in faith! Show Notes: Psalm 139:5 TPT Isaiah 66:9 NCV Luke 5:36-38 BSB Isaiah 43:18-20 NLT Hebrews 11:15-16 Voice Philippians 3:8 TPT Hebrews 12:1-2 NCV Psalm 1:6 TPT Philippians 3:12-14 GW Romans 8:23 NIrV Job 17:9 NLT Jeremiah 7:24 AMP Psalm 78:10 TPT Habakkuk 3:19 AMP 1 Corinthians 10:13 VOICE Isaiah 58:6-8 NLT

In this Mini Quiet Time, we learn how to handle painful feelings of discouragement in our spiritual lives. Jesus came for the moments we feel bruised and low. His goal was to serve people, and when we share that goal, there is no way we can fail. Through a story about four faithful friends in the Bible (along with a little inspiration from the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life), we'll learn how to change our perspective and experience the truly wonderful life God wants us to enjoy. Join us for this episode about how no one is a failure who has friends.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and one of the busiest! When life speeds up, one of the biggest temptations many of us face is to stop spending time with God. But God is the only one who can bring true inner peace into our lives. No matter how fast life is going, we can find calm by listening to and trusting God’s Word more than our own ability to get things done.  Listen to our new Scripture Playlist to learn how to get peace from being close to God. Show Notes: Philippians 4:6-7 ERV Luke 10:38-42 ERV Isaiah 26:3 ERV John 14:27 NCV Psalm 46:10 ERV Matthew 11:28-30 AMP John 16:33 NIV Colossians 3:15 ERV Proverbs 17:1 CEV Proverbs 16:7 NIV Galatians 5:22-23 AMP 2 Thessalonians 3:16 NIV

By staying close to God and following his guidance, we can fill our homes with joy, love, intimacy, and resilience. Listen to this Scripture Playlist to make your marriage truly merry during the brisk (and stressful) holiday months or any time of year.  Show Notes: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIrV Genesis 2:18, 24 CEV Proverbs 18:22 NET Proverbs 31:10-12,17,25 AMP Proverbs 5:18-19 NCV Hebrews 13:4 NCV Proverbs 27:8 GW Proverbs 19:14 NLT Colossians 3:19 AMP 1 Corinthians 13:5-7 AMPC Ephesians 5:25 AMP Proverbs 17:9 NLT Ephesians 5:33 AMP Ephesians 4:26-27,31-32 NLT Proverbs 25:24 NLT Proverbs 17:1 TPT 1 Peter 3:1-5 AMP 1 Peter 3:7 AMP

God’s forgiveness is as deep as it is powerful. When we understand how personal the love and forgiveness of God is, our lives will change from the inside out. We will be filled with joy instead of regret, gratitude instead of guilt, and mercy instead of anger or resentment. Check out this Scripture Playlist to learn how God’s forgiveness can change your life. Show Notes Ephesians 1:5-8 NCV Psalm 65:3 NLT Romans 5:6-8 ERV 1 John 3:20 NLT Psalm 103:8-14 NLT Psalm 86:5 NLT Psalm 32:1-2 NLT Psalm 130:2-5 NLT Mark 2:17 AMP Luke 7:47 CEV Matthew 6:14-15 AMP 1 Thessalonians 4:9 NIV

We all need fresh starts at some point in our lives, and regardless of how many mistakes we make or how little we feel we deserve it, God always gives us the strength to start again. So in whatever area you feel like you need a fresh start today, enjoy this Scripture Playlist about how God will give us a new heart, a new way of thinking, and new strength to move forward. As you listen, take a minute to think about an area of your life where you need God’s help to start again and move forward. Ask him for help today, and you won’t be disappointed as you wait for his answer. Show Notes Lamentations 3:19-24 NCV Romans 12:2 NLT Psalm 40:1-3 NLT Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLT Genesis 17:15-16 ERV 2 Corinthians 4:7-8 ERV James 4:10 NLT Isaiah 40:29-31 AMP Proverbs 24:16 NIrV 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 CEV

When we’re truly grateful for the love God shows us and the good things he does for us, our lives will change in ways we could never imagine. Fixing our hearts on the things we are grateful for will compel us to share these things with others as well. Listen to this Scripture Playlist to learn about the power of a grateful heart. Show Notes: Psalm 107:1 NIV Psalm 50:14 CEV Psalm 118:1 CEV Psalm 50:23 CEV Colossians 4:2 ERV Philippians 4:6-7 CEV Colossians 3:15 CEV Psalm 16:8-9 GNT 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 CEV Psalm 28:7 NET Colossians 3:16 NLT Romans 1:21 CSB Psalm 92:1-4 CEV 1 Timothy 2:1 CEV 2 Timothy 1:3 CEV Philippians 1:3,5 ERV Psalm 119:7 NLT Colossians 2:6-7 GW Ephesians 5:4 ERV Psalm 75:1 NLT 1 Timothy 1:12 NIrV 2 Corinthians 2:14 CEV 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 GW

Sometimes, it’s hard to be ourselves. Fear of rejection can make us hide who we really are. We cover up our sins, insecurities, and mistakes and pretend to be people we’re not. But one of the most amazing things about having a relationship with God is he frees us up to be ourselves. The Bible can help us overcome our fear and be honest about anything so that we can build close friendships with God and other people. Check out this Scripture Playlist to learn more about how to be set free from pretending and build a deeper connection with God and people. Show Notes Matthew 6:6 MSG Psalm 139:1-6,17 NIrV Psalm 32:2 NLT Proverbs 28:1 GNT Isaiah 26:7 ERV Psalm 97:11 NCV Psalm 32:2-5 NIV John 3:19-21 NIV Psalm 51:16-17 MSG 1 Samuel 16:7 NLT Luke 18:10-14 NLT

The Bible is a book that tells the story of God's relationship with us. It is filled with stories, poems, songs, and letters showing how God created us and the world we live in with the sole purpose of establishing a connection with his beloved people. However, our perception of God may not always be accurate. To help us keep our hearts and minds focused on who God truly is, we can revisit key passages that remind us that God protects us, shows us mercy, empowers us, and cares about us. Show Notes 2 Samuel 22:33 NLT Psalm 56:9 NLT Nahum 1:7 NLT Psalm 18:2 NLT Psalm 121:5 CSB Luke 1:78 GNT Psalm 103:8 NLT Psalm 103:9-10 NLT 1 John 3:20 NLT 2 Peter 3:9 CEV Habakkuk 3:19 AMP Psalm 54:4 AMP Psalm 46:1 NLT Isaiah 12:2 NLT Psalm 16:8 NLT Psalm 104:34 ERV Psalm 103:13 ERV Deuteronomy 33:27 CEV Psalm 116:7 ERV 1 John 4:16 NLT

What do you rely on to feel confident? If it's something shakeable—like ourselves, our abilities, or other people's opinions—we will feel fragile and insecure. God wants to give us lasting confidence and teaches us how to get it through his early disciples. Check out this episode of Mini Quiet Time to learn more about how to get confidence that lasts! Show Notes: Job 8:14-15 NLT Acts 4:7-12 NLT Acts 4:13 TPT Acts 4:23-24,29-31 NLT

God desires to bring healing into our lives. Sometimes the healing we need is physical, but perhaps even more often, it’s spiritual and emotional. We may need healing from painful situations that have happened to us, or from the effects of our own sinful choices. Understanding God’s desire and power to heal will help us reveal the parts of our hearts that need it. Check out this Scripture Playlist to learn how God can bringing healing into our lives. Show Notes Psalm 147:3 MEV Proverbs 4:20-22 NLT James 5:16 NLT Malachi 4:2 NLT Romans 8:3-4 MSG Luke 5:17 NLT Luke 7:21 CEV Isaiah 57:18-19 ERV Psalm 107:17-21 NLT Jeremiah 3:22 NLT Psalm 146:7-8 CEV Hosea 14:4 NLT Acts 10:38 NLT Mark 1:40-41 NLT Proverbs 12:18 NLT Jeremiah 30:17 AMP Matthew 13:15 NLT Proverbs 3:5-8 GW Isaiah 53:4-5 NLT Isaiah 58:8 CEV Psalm 103:2-4 NLT

Fear of failure can stop us from taking chances, pursuing what God wants, and growing into who we’re meant to be. Luckily, God can help us overcome this fear. With him on our side, we can be confident that failure isn’t fatal—it’s just part of growing! God can shape everything into something good, and even if we fail, he will never fail us. He can turn every mistake into something that shapes us into who we are meant to be. Listen to this Scripture Playlist episode to bolster your courage so that you can grow in the ways God is calling you to. Show Notes Psalm 112:6-9 GNT Ecclesiastes 11:4,6 NLT Proverbs 24:16 NLT Micah 7:7-8 NLT Ephesians 2:4-5 GW Psalm 62:1-2 TPT Habakkuk 3:17-19 CEV Romans 7:24-25 NIrV 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 CEV Numbers 23:19 NLT 1 Chronicles 28:20 NLT Psalm 73:26 NLT Psalm 107:17-20 CEV Isaiah 55:10-11 GNT James 1:5 TPT 1 John 3:20-21 TPT Joshua 23:14 NIV Luke 19:26 MSG Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT Psalm 32:4-5 MSG Romans 8:35,37-39 NLT

A psychologist named Carol Dweck coined the terms “fixed mindset” and “growth mindset” in 2006. Having a “fixed mindset” means we think things like “This is just how I am," “I’ve never been good at this,” or “I’m not cut out for this.” A growth mindset says, “I don’t know how to do this yet, but I can learn.” Having a growth mindset is tied to improved mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. So it’s no surprise then that it’s also essential to our relationship with God. The idea of having a growth mindset is all over the Bible; God works through everything to help us become who he destined us to be. We don’t have to feel stuck or defined by how we’ve lived so far. Instead, we can embrace that everything in our lives—the good, the bad, and the ugly—is part of the process of becoming who we are meant to be. Listen to this episode of Scripture Playlist to start seeing everything in your life with a mindset of continual spiritual growth and learning. Show Notes: Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset Article: https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/growth-mindset-vs-fixed-mindset#:~:text=Someone%20with%20a%20growth%20mindset,stable%20and%20unchangeable%20over%20time The Influence of Growth Mindset on the Mental Health and Life Events of College Students Article: https://ggie.berkeley.edu/student-well-being/growth-mindset-for-students/#:~:text=Much%20of%20the%20research%20on,for%20different%20subgroups%20of%20students). ‘Growth Mindset’ Linked to Higher Test Scores, Student Well-Being in Global Study Article: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/growth-mindset-linked-to-higher-test-scores-student-well-being-in-global-study/2021/04 Philippians 1:9 NLT James 1:2-4 NLT Philippians 1:6 NLT Philippians 3:12 ERV 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 NLT Acts 20:32 GW 1 Corinthians 10:23 GW Romans 1:11 NLT Romans 15:2 ERV Ephesians 1:16-17 NLT Romans 12:2 NIrV Colossians 1:28 CEV Colossians 3:8-10 ERV 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ERV Colossians 4:12 ERV 2 Peter 1:5-9 CEV Acts 9:31 CEV 2 Timothy 1:6-7 ERV 1 Timothy 4:15-16 Voice Colossians 2:6-7 NIrV 2 Peter 3:18 CEV Ephesians 4:13-16 NLT 2 Corinthians 13:11 NLT

It’s easy to read the Bible and forget the significance of the book we’re reading. Sometimes it becomes a chore we grind through or a hobby we squeeze in. The truth is, reading the Bible gives us direct access to the voice and power of God. We get to hear how he feels about us, what he wants for our lives, what he promises, and most importantly, who he really is. To truly love God is to value and listen to his Words, just as we would in any other relationship we care about. Check out this episode of Scripture Playlist to learn about how to truly love God's Word. Show Notes John 1:1-5 NLT Psalm 119:47-48 TLB Deuteronomy 6:5-9 GW Psalm 119:43-44 TLB John 14:23 TPT Psalm 119:12-16 ESV Psalm 1:2-3 Voice Psalm 119:28-32 TLB Matthew 4:4 NLT Psalm 119:66-68 NCV Psalm 119:72 TPT Psalm 119:92-94 CEV 1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIrV Psalm 119:97-98 NLT Psalm 119:102-103 TPT Psalm 119:111-112 NLT Proverbs 2:1-5 NLT Psalm 119:127-128 Voice Psalm 119:140-141 ERV Psalm 40:8 TPT Psalm 119:159-160 NLT Colossians 3:16-17 GW Psalm 119:163-165 NLT Psalm 119:167-168 NLT

Anger is a normal human emotion, but the way we handle it has a huge impact on our relationships with other people and with God. If we give full vent to it, we usually end up hurting the people around us; if we suppress it or ignore it we tend to get bitter and hardened. While it isn’t wrong to feel angry, God can give us the power to handle this emotion in a spiritual and helpful way. Listen to this Scripture Playlist for when you feel angry. Show Notes James 1:19-21 NLT Ephesians 4:26-27 AMP Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT Psalm 37:5-8 NLT Psalm 86:15 NIrV Colossians 3:8-10 ERV Colossians 3:12-13 ERV Proverbs 29:11 TPT Psalm 73:21-23 NLT 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NIV Psalm 62:8 CEV Hebrews 12:14-15 NLT Leviticus 19:18 CEV Job 36:13 NLT Matthew 5:21-24 ERV Luke 6:27-31 GNT 1 Timothy 2:8 NLT Matthew 6:14-15 AMP 2 Timothy 2:16-17 TLB Proverbs 16:32 CEV Proverbs 30:33 GNT Romans 12:17-21 NLT Galatians 5:22-23 AMPC 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 AMP Ephesians 2:16-17 TLB

How much of our mental energy is spent thinking about ourselves? Thinking about others is a deliberate choice, and while it doesn’t always come naturally to us, it’s the most inspiring way we can live our lives. Jesus is the greatest example of unselfish love; he cared deeply about you and me, and can teach us to live a life of impact by following in his footsteps. Listen to this Scripture Playlist to get your mind off yourself and onto the ways you can brighten someone else’s day today. Show Notes Proverbs 11:25 NLT 1 John 3:18-20 MSG Philippians 2:1-4 NLT James 3:16-17 NIrV Luke 6:38 ERV Matthew 16:24-26 ERV Matthew 25:35-40 NLT John 15:12-13 AMP Romans 12:9-10,13 CEV Galatians 5:13-15 NLT 2 Peter 3:3 CEV 1 Peter 4:10 NLT Hebrews 10:24 NLT John 13:34-35 AMP 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV 1 John 2:15-17 MSG Galatians 6:2-3 NLT Ephesians 5:19-21 CEV 1 John 4:12 AMP Romans 15:1-2 NIrV 1 Peter 4:8 NLT 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 CEV Philippians 2:19-21 CEV 2 Timothy 2:8 GW

As humans, we often have a difficult time loving others in the genuine and unselfish way God intends. But God loves us unfailingly. He is our greatest example of love, and from him, we can learn how to love the people around us. Listen to this episode of Scripture Playlist to learn how your relationship with God will teach you to genuinely love other people.  Show Notes 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 NLT Luke 6:35-36 ERV Romans 5:8 NKJV Proverbs 3:2-3 ERV 1 John 4:16-17 NLT 1 John 4:19-20 NLT 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NLT 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT Colossians 3:12-15 NLT Ephesians 4:14-16 NLT Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT Ephesians 5:1-2 MSG John 3:16-17 NLT 2 Timothy 1:13 NLT John 13:34-35 NLT 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT Ephesians 3:17-19 NLT 1 John 3:16 ERV Matthew 11:28-29 ERV 2 John 1:5-6 NLT 2 John 1:2 CEV 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 ERV

The Bible describes guilt as an overwhelmingly heavy burden. God wants to relieve us of this burden, but we often don’t let him. Instead, we try to find relief from things that can’t provide it. People can’t take away our guilt, and neither can hiding it, lying about it, or justifying it. Only God can take away our guilt through his forgiveness, compassion, and mercy. These Bible verses will help us come to God when we feel guilty so that we can discover the relief only he can provide. Show Notes Psalm 51:1-2 TPT Psalm 32:1-5 NLT Psalm 103:8-12 TPT Romans 8:33-34 ERV Isaiah 6:7 RSV 1 John 1:9 NIrV 1 John 1:7 AMPC Romans 5:8-9 AMP Isaiah 1:18 TLB Psalm 38:4 NLT Hebrews 9:14 NLT John 1:29 NLT Isaiah 53:4-6 ERV 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT Titus 2:14 GNT 1 John 3:20-22 NLT Hebrews 10:22 ERV James 5:16 NLT Jeremiah 31:33-34 CSB

God knows that we can’t muscle through the trials of life on our own. With him by our side, we can endure and even conquer any trials life throws at us because he is the God who gives us inner strength. Listen to this episode of our Scripture Playlists for some internal strengthening! Show Notes: Psalm 28:8 NIV Psalm 32:4 TPT Psalm 138:3 AMPC 2 Corinthians 4:16 TLB Ephesians 3:14 MSG Ephesians 3:16 AMP Philippians 4:13 AMPC 2 Timothy 1:8 TLB Hebrews 13:9 GNT Psalm 73:25-26 Voice 1 Samuel 30:6 AMP 2 Corinthians 4:7 TLB Isaiah 41:10 TPT Isaiah 40:29-31 CSB Jeremiah 17:7-8 ERV 1 Chronicles 16:11 AMPC Psalm 46:1-3 AMP Exodus 15:2 NLT Psalm 84:5-7 NLT 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NLT 2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT

The heart is powerful. It’s powerful enough to determine the course of our lives: what we feel, what we say, and what we do. That’s why our hearts are so important to our relationship with God. Being close to him and living out his purpose for us means letting him not only change the way we act, but also change our hearts. Check out this Scripture Playlist to learn more about how God can change us from the inside out. Show Notes: Proverbs 4:23 NLT Ezekiel 36:26-27 NLT Acts 13:22 NLT Acts 16:14 NLT Mark 7:19-23 NLT Deuteronomy 10:16-17 NLT Jeremiah 24:6-7 NLT Romans 2:29 NLT Psalm 51:10 TPT Hebrews 3:12-13 NLT Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT Matthew 4:17 NCV Matthew 15:8-9 NIV Acts 3:19-20 ERV Deuteronomy 30:6 NLT Romans 2:4 NCV Revelation 2:2-5 ERV Psalm 119:2,10 CEV Luke 6:45 NLT Psalm 139:23-24 NLT Matthew 22:36-38 NIV

Nothing beats the adrenaline rush of being motivated to make a change, but how do you make that change last? Lasting change is hard for us humans, but it’s not hard for God. In fact, it’s one of the greatest things about having a relationship with God; God’s incredible power is always available to us, and it can change us from the inside out. The book of Acts in the Bible tells us about regular people who relied on God to help them change. Their change not only lasted but also caught the attention of people around them, who caught the vision that God could help them change too. So what do you want to change? Let’s learn from the first Christians in Acts 2 how to let God’s incredible power change us from the inside out. Show Notes: Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT Acts 2:1-6,12 NIrV Acts 2:36-39 NIrV Acts 2:42-47 NIrV

The Bible tells us over and over again that God is a loving father. We may have our own ideas about what a father is like based on our relationships with our human dads, but God is the perfect parent. He is the one our hearts ultimately long for. So no matter what our experiences might be with our human parents, we can all look to the Scriptures to learn how to build a relationship with God, the ultimate Father. Check out this episode of Scripture Playlists to for verses all about how God is a Father. Show Notes: Psalm 103:13-14 NLT Romans 8:14-16 ERV Luke 11:2-4 NLT Psalm 68:5 NLT Proverbs 3:11-12 NLT Hebrews 12:9-10 NLT James 1:17-18 NLT Isaiah 64:8 Voice Psalm 27:10 NLT 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NLT Matthew 7:9-11 NLT Ephesians 1:4-5 GNT Ephesians 2:19-21 NLT 2 Samuel 7:14 CEV Deuteronomy 1:30-31 AMP Galatians 4:6 CEV 1 John 3:1 Voice 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 NLT Matthew 6:6 GNT Luke 12:32 TLB

There's nothing better than having someone believe in us. Sometimes it can be difficult to believe in ourselves when we see all of our flaws and weaknesses, but it's possible to be self-aware without being self-critical. Being self-aware means knowing how and where we need to grow. Even if we haven't arrived yet, we believe we can get there because Jesus believes in us. What made the New Testament church so incredible was they became like Jesus in this world. They believed that God believed in them, and so they had the faith to believe in others too. Learn more in our last episode of this One Quick Thought series about how Jesus changed the world. Show Notes Mark 4:39-40 NLT Luke 17:6 NIV Acts 26:15-16,18-19 NIV

When we believe that the Bible is truly the Word of God and live it out, we will live lives of impact. We're all looking for purpose, but the greatest impact we can make is giving the Gospel to people—the Gospel that Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected so that we could have forgiveness for our sins and access to God's destiny for us. Check out this episode of One Quick Thought as we continue our series about the church that changes the world. Show Notes Hebrews 4:12 NLT Mark 7:36-37 NLT A Prophet with Honor: The Billy Graham Story, William C. Martin Acts 5:12 NLT

God wants to be real to us–he wants us to see him through our own eyes, not through the eyes of our parents, our friends, a person in a church, or the world around us. Today’s story is about a guy named Jacob who discovered God for himself by getting into a fight with him. Check out this Mini Quiet Time episode to learn from the story of Jacob that God becomes real to us when we stop running from who we are. Show Notes: Job 19:27 NIrV Genesis 32:7-9,11,21 NIV Genesis 32:24-25 NIV He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself, Russ Ewell Genesis 32:26-28 NIV

One of the many great things about having a personal friendship with God is that he satisfies. We don’t have to keep chasing unreliable things like attention, approval, or achievement to make us happy—we have a source of security and love in our lives that won’t change, on our good days or our bad days. To learn more about how to build this kind of secure, satisfying friendship with God, listen to this Scripture Playlist episode about how God is enough for us.  Show Notes Psalm 23:1-3 TPT John 4:13-14 AMP Psalm 142:5 ERV Hebrews 13:5 CEV Philippians 4:11-13 GW Psalm 73:25-26 Voice Psalm 73:28 ERV Lamentations 3:19-24 CEV Psalm 63:1,5 NLT Psalm 90:14 NLT Psalm 131:1-2 GNT Philippians 3:8-9 CEV James 1:3-4 NLT Isaiah 58:11 NCV Matthew 5:6 AMP Proverbs 19:23 AMP Psalm 107:9 NRSV Jeremiah 31:25 Voice 2 Corinthians 12:9 TPT John 10:10 NLT Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT

Endurance is one of the most important qualities Jesus had, and it's one we should all learn to develop if we want to change the world the way he did. Pain makes us break down, and the pain that is most difficult to handle is the pain that comes from sin. Talking about sin not only releases us from its mastery over our lives, but also helps us develop the endurance to resist it. Jesus endured the pressures of sin, and we can learn from him how to do the same. Check out this episode of One Quick Thought to learn more about how Jesus changed the world. Show Notes: Hebrews 12:3-4 Voice 1 John 2:1 NLT Peace with God, Billy Graham Acts 8:20-23 NIV Discussion Questions What is your view of sin? Do you avoid talking about it, deny its existence, or talk about and resist it? What is a sin that has been difficult to resist lately? How can you and your friends help each other change this week?

The church we read about in the New Testament was not made strong by the celebrity of an individual superstar preacher. It was made strong by the powerful walk with God of each individual Christian, which collectively made the early church a transformative force in the world. This transformative church can live again, but it will require a paradigm shift in how we live and lead in our churches. Check out this snippet from Chapter 7 from the audio version of our new book, He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself. Show Notes Reinventing Education: Entrepreneurship in America's Public Schools, Louis V. Gerstner Acts 11:19–21 NIV Acts 11:26 NIV Discovering the Future: The Business of Paradigms, Joel Barker Built to Last, Jim Collins

As we continue our series on building a church that changes the world, we have to decide whether we want a biblical or a traditional church. The church of the New Testament embodied five qualities that we can learn from if we want to build a biblical church: conviction, transparency, discipleship, purpose, and unity. Watch this episode of One Quick Thought to learn more about how Jesus changed the world. Show Notes John 15:1-8 NLT Ephesians 4:11-16 NLT Matthew 28:16-20 NLT John 17:21 NLT Discussion Questions Which of the five qualities do you see you need to grow the most in: conviction, transparency, discipleship, purpose, or unity? What are some practical steps you and your friends could take to grow in those qualities this week?

Have you ever watched a friend go through a storm, and felt powerless to help? Or maybe you tried to help and made it worse? God is the ultimate friend to us when we go through storms, and he can show us how to be a good friend to other people. Check out this Mini Quiet Time to learn how Jesus helped Peter through a tumultuous time, and how we can follow his example by being a calm and steady presence in our friends' storms. Show Notes: Proverbs 17:17 NIV Matthew 14:22-32 ERV

Jesus shows us how to walk with God. Even though he was equal to God, he chose to humble himself in prayer and rely on God's power. Our human pride makes us strive, push, and work to get things done, but we end up missing out on the humility that comes with walking with God. Humility is the core of Jesus's relationship with God, and it's what he taught the New Testament church to have. Check out this part of our series about how Jesus changed the world to learn to walk with God in powerful humility like Jesus did. Show Notes Hebrews 5:7 NLT "Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, over out of having more than the next man." — CS Lewis Acts 4:29 NLT

Many people come to God expecting a quick miracle that will make everything better. What the Bible actually emphasizes is "building," which is a long-term view of life. Those whose lives collapse almost always have ignored building the emotional aspect of their spiritual lives—they were not willing to dig down deep. Building or rebuilding our emotional lives will allow us to grow our character as we walk with God and develop our strength from the inside out. Check out this excerpt from chapter six of our new book, He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself⁠, which is available now on Amazon! Luke 6:47–49 NIV Ephesians 3:16–19 NIV Proverbs 15:4 NLT 2 Chronicles 6:29–31 NIV Proverbs 18:24 NIV Psalm 15:1–2 NIV Proverbs 26:24 NIV Psalm 36:1–2 NIV Psalm 51:6 NLT Hebrews 3:12–13 NIV Hebrews 5:11–14 NIV 1 Corinthians 12:18–21 NIV

A lot of people are searching for hope right now, and we can find that hope if we look at Jesus. Jesus wanted the church to be built on hope. In this episode, we learn how to build a church on hope the way Jesus did—by cultivating purpose, humility, endurance, impact, and inspiration. Check out this episode of One Quick Thought to learn more about how Jesus changed the world. Show Notes: Luke 19:9-10 ERV Thirty Years That Changed the World: The Book Acts for Today Evangelism in the Early Church Acts 2:36-38 NLT

When we feel discouraged about something we’re trying to do, it’s easy to get tired and lose heart. In our moments of frustration and failure, we need to turn to God and his Word to find the strength to keep going. Check out this Scripture Playlist for Bible verses that help us believe our efforts make a difference. Show Notes Colossians 4:2 CEV Galatians 6:9 NASB95 2 Corinthians 4:7-9 CEV 1 Corinthians 15:58 AMP Isaiah 54:10 TPT 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 MSG 2 Corinthians 6:4 ERV Ephesians 6:18 ERV Psalm 34:18 CEV Deuteronomy 20:3-4 NLT 2 Thessalonians 3:13 AMP Psalm 119:25 TLB Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV Psalm 61:2 GW 1 Chronicles 22:13 NLT Isaiah 42:1-4 NLT Isaiah 49:4 CEV Hebrews 6:9-11 Voice 2 Corinthians 7:5-6 NLT Colossians 2:6-7 TPT James 1:2-4 CEV 2 Timothy 4:7 BSB Hebrews 10:35-36 ERV Hebrews 3:6-8 CEV 1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV Don’t Lose Heart

In this excerpt from our audiobook, He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself, we look at a section in chapter 3, "When People Become God." When we experience the seemingly inevitable spiritual burnout cycle, we could easily blame God or the church, but doing so only deepens our focus on people. Returning to God is the only way we can stop living for people, stop being afraid of being different, and rediscover what it means to think differently — we need to experience a turning point. Listen as Russ describes three turning points in his life that brought him closer to God. 📖 Read Our NEW Book ... He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself https://a.co/d/3zBg1vp Show Notes 1 Kings 18:37 NIV Ezekiel 3:15 NLT 1 Kings 19:4 NLT 1 Samuel 23:16 NIV Genesis 5:24 NIV Psalm 90:14 NIV

In 30 years, the church in the book of Acts changed the world. They did this by continually following the example of Jesus, who reached out to and did good for everyone around him, regardless of whether or not they chose to follow him. We are meant to do the same. In this episode, we learn how to live a life of constant renewal and love so we can change the world by inspiring those who don't yet follow Jesus to get to know him. Show Notes: Thirty Years That Changed the World: The Book Acts for Today, Michael Green Luke 24:46-48 Voice Shub — turn back, return (OT word) Nacham — to be sorry, regret, comfort, be comforted Metanoia — a change of mind Teshuvah — repentance, return NCV def of repentance Acts 1:1-2 NKJV **** 📖 Read Our NEW Book ... He's Not Who You Think He Is: dropping your assumptions and discovering God for yourself deepspirituality.com/book

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but the good news is prayer is a powerful tool to help us deal with it. As humans, we have limits in our talents, wisdom, and strength, but God's power and care are limitless. Through prayer, we can give God our stressed, afraid, and burdened hearts and find relief.  Check out our newest Scripture Playlist to learn more about how to pray the stress away. Show Notes: Psalm 40:17 TPT Jeremiah 33:3 NET 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 ERV Psalm 46:10-11 CEV James 1:5 NLT Isaiah 65:24 NLT Hosea 14:8 NLT Daniel 10:12 NLT Psalm 130:3 TLB Psalm 143:7-11 NLT 2 Corinthians 12:10 AMP 1 Kings 8:59 CEV  1 Peter 5:7 TPT Philippians 4:6-7 Voice Colossians 4:2 TLB Hebrews 5:7 ERV Romans 8:26 NLT Psalm 145:14-19 NLT

Join us in the second part of our series as we continue to discuss how Jesus meant for the church to be, and how the early church imitated Jesus. If we don't have a biblical view of Jesus, we can become consumed with our personal preferences and traditions, and resistant to change. Jesus didn't just want to inspire us, but to inspire us to inspire others. Check out our newest One Quick Thought to learn more about how Jesus changed the world and how we can follow his example. Show Notes: Ephesians 2:19-22 NLT Thirty Years that Changed the World, the Book of Acts for Today, Michael Green Ephesians 3:10-11 NIV John 12:31-33 TPT

We are excited to present to you an excerpt from the audio version of our upcoming book He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself. This preview is from the first chapter of the book, "When God Isn't Attractive: Turning Unhealthy Thoughts Into Healthy Ones." When God is unattractive to us, it is usually a result of our having unhealthy rather than healthy thoughts about him. In this chapter we address our unhealthy assumptions head-on, tackling them one by one until we believe that God cares for us, understands us, believes in us, and loves us. Our new book will be out on April 24th, 2023! Stay tuned for more updates. Show Notes He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself out soon on April 24th, 2023! The Father Heart of God: Experiencing the Depths of His Love for You by Floyd McClung Jr. “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." AW Tozer Psalm 142:4 NIV Ecclesiastes 9:11–12 NIV Job 1:9–12 NIV Job 1:16 NIV Ephesians 4:17–19 NIV Ecclesiastes 4:7–8 NIV Nahum 1:7 NIV 1 Peter 5:7 NIV 2 Corinthians 12:7–9 NIV Ezekiel 36:25–27 NIV Acts 13:22 NIV Isaiah 40:28 NIV Acts 26:13–14 NIV Isaiah 29:13 NIV Ezekiel 36:26–27 NIV

The church of the Bible was dynamic, powerful, and life-changing. So why has church attendance today been declining? Watch our newest One Quick Thought to start learning about the church of the New Testament that changed the world, and how to build the kind of church Jesus wants all of us as Christians to build. Show Notes: His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, [11] according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 3:10-11 NIV His purpose was that all the rulers and powers in the heavenly places will now know the many different ways he shows his wisdom. They will know this because of the church. [11] This agrees with the plan God had since the beginning of time. He did what he planned, and he did it through Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 3:10-11 ERV

Check out our newest podcast episode where we talk with our editor in chief Russ Ewell about the release of our new book on April 24! He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself is a guide to seeing God in a healthy way, softening our hearts to be close to him, and inspiring the world around us to discover him too. In this episode we also talk about some of the new features of the book, like interactive notes, QR codes, and playlists to immerse you in the experience even further. Stay tuned for more updates! Show Notes: He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV Psalm 90:14 NIV Matthew 15:7-9 NIV 1 Peter 5:7 NIV Matthew 7:24-27 NIV Matthew 15:1-3 NIV Book quotes: "God cares for us. He doesn't seek to hurt us. But at the same time he does not exempt us from Satan's attacks or the natural events of life. What he does is help us so that we don't harden ourselves to the pain. This would turn off our hearts. He helps us feel rather than let us harden. Feeling is essential if we are to experience life at its fullest." "There is something deeply disturbing about the discovery that what you were against is what you are becoming. This was my realization in a conversation in which I felt increasing pressure to conform to a set of religious principles more associated with the politics and power-seeking of organized religion than the spirituality and authenticity of biblical Christianity."

We are excited to tell you about a new project that has been born out of all the work we have done on Deep Spirituality. Our first book, He’s Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself, will be released on April 24. Listen to our editor in chief Russ Ewell talk with the team about some key highlights you can look forward to. Click here for more info and updates on the book! If you want to help us get the word out about this book, click here to join our book Launch Team!

In continuing with our Finding Happiness series, we learn that it makes God happy to share his joy and love with us. When we get our happiness from him, we will want to share that happiness with others. Check out our newest episode of One Quick Thought to learn more about how to love and share your happiness with those around you. Show Notes: 1 John 4:8 NIV Luke 15:7 NLT Luke 15:24 TPT Psalm 40:8-10 NLT Psalm 51:10-13 NIV Psalm 84:10 NIV

It’s easy to wake up in the morning and quickly jump into our daily routine. But the morning is actually a precious time to connect with God. Starting the day by listening to and talking with God will not only bring our relationship with him closer but also open our eyes to see him moving all day long.  Check out our newest Scripture Playlist to help you slow down and start your morning right. Show Notes Lamentations 3:22-23 NIrV Mark 1:35 TPT Isaiah 33:2 CEV Psalm 5:3 NIV Isaiah 26:9 Voice Genesis 1:3 MSG Psalm 55:17 NLT Psalm 88:13 AMP Psalm 127:1-2 NLT Psalm 130:6 AMP Psalm 139:8-10 ERV Proverbs 4:18 ERV Ecclesiastes 11:6 ERV Ecclesiastes 11:7 ERV Psalm 92:1-2 CEV Psalm 30:5 NLT Psalm 59:16 NLT Psalm 119:147-148 CEV Psalm 90:14 NCV Luke 1:78-79 NLT Isaiah 50:4-5 NLT Psalm 143:8 NLT Psalm 63:6 Voice Psalm 3:5 CEV Psalm 119:147 NCV Psalm 139:17-18 NLT Matthew 6:34 Voice 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 NLT

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your thoughts, feelings, circumstances, and just daily life? We are not meant to carry our fears, guilt, insecurities, or anxieties alone. When we try to, they often become too much to handle, and come out in ways we don’t expect them to. We need a God who can calm us down in those moments so we have the clarity to move forward even in the midst of anxiety. Listen to these verses of the Bible on how God calms us down with his love. References Psalm 43:5 Voice 1 John 3:19-21 Voice 1 John 4:4,18 TLB Psalm 32:6 MSG Philippians 4:6-7 GW Ephesians 4:23-24, 26-27 Voice Psalm 107:28-30 NLT John 14:1 LSB John 14:27 AMP Psalm 73:21-23 NLT Proverbs 12:25 TPT Psalm 56:3 Voice Matthew 11:28-30 ERV Psalm 46:10 Voice Psalm 94:18-19 Voice Isaiah 26:3-4 Voice Psalm 61:1-3 NLT Psalm 142:1-3 NLT Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT Luke 12:7 Voice

Life is better with a friend by our side! We need someone to laugh with us, cry with us, and just be with us. God is relational; he wants a friendship with us, not a religious performance. That means we can actually become great friends with God and never feel alone. Listen to this Scripture Playlist for Bible verses about how God is a friend to us and can help us build great friendships with people around us. Show Notes Exodus 33:11 NLT Psalm 23:1-3 TPT Psalm 34:15 TPT Psalm 148:13 MSG Luke 12:29-32 MSG 1 Corinthians 1:9 TLB John 15:12-14 TPT John 15:15 TPT Proverbs 18:24 ESV Proverbs 17:17 Voice Romans 8:35-39 NLT 1 John 4:7-8 NLT 1 John 4:9-10 NLT 1 John 4:11-12 NLT Philippians 2:1-2 ERV Proverbs 17:9 TPT Psalm 139:3,5 TPT

Are you easily satisfied? Satisfied people are calm, happy, and easygoing. When we have the certainty that God loves us completely for who we are, we can be satisfied no matter what. Check out our new One Quick Thought to learn 5 ways true happiness brings satisfaction. Show Notes Psalm 63:1-5 NIV Psalm 43:4 GNT Psalm 119:47-48 CEV John 17:13 ERV Psalm 32:1 TLB Psalm 30:11 NCV

Today’s story is about a guy who had been sick for 38 years, lost in a sea of other sick, disabled, and otherwise overlooked people. It seems that he had given up long ago on any hope of connection or healing. But then, he was noticed by one person, and that one interaction changed his life forever. His story tells us what we can do when we feel invisible and alone, and how God can give us the connections we long for. Check out our newest Mini Quiet Time to learn more about what to do when you feel invisible and want to feel seen. Show Notes Psalm 31:12,14-16 Voice John 5:3,5-7 ERV John 5:8-14 ERV

God is meant to be enjoyed, not just endured or feared. We are meant to delight in God and enjoy spending time with him each and every day. When we are enjoying God, we are more willing to trust him with our life. Check out our newest One Quick Thought to learn more about the importance of enjoying God. Show Notes: Romans 8:28 Voice Psalm 37:3-4 NLT Psalm 37:5-6 NLT

Facing each day’s challenges with faith and courage is not easy, so perhaps that’s why the phrase “Do not be afraid” is repeated so many times throughout the Bible. Over and over again, God commands us not to give into our fear and reminds us that he will never fail us. Listen to this Scripture Playlist with Bible verses that say "Do not be afraid" whenever you need a reminder that God is always available to help you. Follow along at https://deepspirituality.com/do-not-be-afraid

Happiness starts with a choice: where (or to whom) will we turn to find it? In John 10, Jesus tells us a story about getting fooled by a "thief" or being taken care of by a shepherd. This thief wants to use us—stealing our faith, hope, and love. This leaves us unbelieving, untrusting, and unhappy. On the other hand, Jesus as our shepherd wants to give us life, joy, abundance, and satisfaction that last. By choosing to trust in God, we open ourselves up to a world of possibilities and true happiness. Check out our new One Quick thought to learn more about how to find happiness on God's terms. Show Notes: John 10:10 Voice John 10:14-15 Voice 1 John 5:5 NIV Psalm 90:14 NIV

Promises are fundamental to relationships—we establish trust and confidence in each other when we do what we say. Thankfully, we have a God who always keeps his promises, and we can find those promises in the Bible. Even when our lives feel unsteady, we can be secure in these and many more unchanging promises of God. Check out our newest Scripture Playlist to learn more about how God's promises can keep you strong. Follow along at https://deepspirituality.com/god-keeps-promises Psalm 37:3 TPT Hebrews 6:18-19 NLT 2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT Hebrews 13:5-6 TPT Romans 8:38-39 NLT Zephaniah 3:17 NLT Isaiah 41:10 GW Philippians 4:6-7 GW James 1:5 TPT Psalm 32:8 NIrV Psalm 103:9-10,12-14 NLT Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV Psalm 103:5 TPT Isaiah 40:29-31 NIrV Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIrV 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT Psalm 18:30 NLT Psalm 56:3 TLB 2 Corinthians 1:20 NLT 2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP

Happiness is one of the most important subjects of our time. We can be unhappy about suffering, pain, grief, loss, stress, and so much more. We may look to many places or people to find happiness, but ultimately God is how we stay happy and have inner peace. Relying on an unchangeable God will help us stay steady and happy no matter what happens in our lives. Check out our newest One Quick Thought to learn more about what God says about how to be happy. References: Philippians 3:8 AMP Yale's Happiness Professor Says Anxiety is Destroying Her Students James 2:22 NLT

God understands us—sometimes better than we understand ourselves—and he wants us to understand him too. That's why Jesus told stories like the Parable of the Sower, which is all about understanding how our heart is affecting our relationship with God. Whether our hearts are hard, rocky, thorny, or soft, God wants to meet us where we are at. He understands us, and can help us get to a place where we can understand him too. Check out this Mini Quiet Time to understand yourself better so you can understand God.

After many years of a global pandemic, it's easy to feel tired. The extra stressors in our lives put us at risk of burnout. The good thing is God and the Bible give us solutions to dealing with spiritual burnout so we don't get knocked down and give up. Things like religiosity, behaviorism, and a performance-driven mindset will make us feel burned out, and addressing these things will bring us relief. Check out this One Quick Thought to learn how God wants to give us the relief and refreshment we're looking for through our relationship with him. References: Mark 12:24 NRSV Matthew 23:1-4 NLT Matthew 23:5-7 NLT Matthew 23:25-26 NLT We Have All Hit a Wall — the new york times article American Psychological Association — Burnout and Stress Are Everywhere Mysterium Tremendum — German theologian Rudolf Otto

We have access to a powerful and loving God. As we pursue a relationship with him, we can trust that he is interested in us, cares for us, and has a plan for us. That means that even when we face the impossible, we can still have faith because God can do anything. Check out these verses of the Bible to learn to believe in the impossible. Check out our newest Scripture Playlist to learn more about how to believe in the impossible. Follow along on https://deepspirituality.com/believe-in-the-impossible/ References: Psalm 147:5 Voice Ephesians 3:20 NV Genesis 18:13-14 CSB Romans 4:18-21 NLT Matthew 19:26 CSB Matthew 17:20 CEV Hebrews 11:1 NIrV Mark 9:23 NLT John 6:29 NLT Mark 5:36 NASB Jeremiah 32:27 ERV Hebrews 11:33-34 NLT Matthew 21:21-22 NLT Matthew 14:28-29 NLT John 5:44 AMPC John 20:28-29 AMP Acts 5:38-39 NIV Matthew 9:27-29 NIV Luke 18:27 Voice Hebrews 6:18 Voice Luke 1:37 Voice

Over the years, research has shown us that more and more people have been losing their interest in attending church, and these numbers have been multiplied over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. This church attendance decline doesn't necessarily mean that people are losing their interest in God or a higher power, but it's still important. The way we live and conduct ourselves will greatly influence others' view of seeking out God and a spiritual community. Watch this One Quick Thought to learn about creating an environment that is non-traditional, non-denominational, and life-changing, instead of setting up rules and traditions that can drive people away from religious institutions. References: Mark 11:12-14 NLT Mark 11:15-17 NLT Mark 11:18-21 NLT Mark 1:14-15 NCV Matthew 15:3 NIV 1 Corinthians 1:12 NIV Mark 11:22-23 NLT Mark 11:24-25 NLT Pew Research Key Findings About Americans' View of God Barna Americans Divided on Importance of Church Barna 1 in 3 Practicing Christians Have Stopped Attending Church Since Covid-19

We have a God who is attentive to even the seemingly minor issues of our lives. When we’re worried, weary, or hurting, we need to know that God has our back; he loves and cares for us. Check out these scriptures to learn more about how God cares for you. Follow along with the scriptures on deepspirituality.com References 1 Peter 5:7 NIV Matthew 11:28-30 NLT Matthew 6:30-32 NLT Psalm 55:22 NLT Isaiah 46:3-4 GW Philippians 4:19 NLT Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT Hebrews 13:5-6 AMP John 10:14-15 NLT Isaiah 40:11 NIV Nahum 1:7 NIV Hosea 11:3-4 GNT Deuteronomy 1:29-31 NLT Isaiah 49:15 GNT Psalm 121:5-7 NLT Psalm 23:4 AMP 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 AMP Psalm 56:8-9 NLT Psalm 27:10 CEV Luke 12:6-7 NLT 1 Peter 5:7 AMP

Christianity in its purest form is about loving one another deeply from the heart. Time and togetherness are huge components of building relationships, and the past three years of the pandemic have affected that. We need to evaluate how the pandemic has influenced the way we build relationships if we are going to move forward toward God's destiny for us and our friends. Watch this One Quick Thought to learn how to create a culture of friendship in which we build each other up in love. References: 1 Peter 1:22 NIV Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV What We Learned About Relationships During the Pandemic ► https://time.com/6076596/relationship-lessons-during-covid-19/ The impact of coronavirus on mental health and relationships ► https://today.yougov.com/topics/society/articles-reports/2021/04/01/personality-study-mental-health-relationships

Sometimes life feels like a race. We have dreams we want to see happen and visions we want to accomplish, but it takes a lot of energy to keep running toward them. When we get tired, we start to think, I’m not going to make it. How bad would it be to stop now? God knows how hard it can be for us to keep trying and keep believing. He doesn’t ask us to be perfect, or to burn ourselves out, or to fake it till we make it. He just asks us not to give up on our faith. Check out this Mini Quiet Time about the Parable of the Persistent Widow to learn how to keep persisting in prayer. References: Galatians 6:9 VOICE Luke 18:1-8 NLT

When our hearts have been closed and vulnerability has become difficult, we need God's help to open up again. Rather than being anxious or negative when trying to work on things in our hearts, we can quietly wait for God. Even when things don't turn out the way we want in the moment, God can be our rock and security. When we are secure in the fact that God loves us, is interested in us, and has a plan for our lives, our focus will shift from what we or other people think to what God thinks. We can open our hearts up to him by listening, talking, turning, and committing to being close to him. Check out this week's One Quick Thought to learn more about the ways we can open our hearts to God. References Psalm 62:5-8 VOICE

Discover the God who created you for something greater with these Bible verses on God’s plans for your life. Check out our newest Scripture Playlist to learn about how God has a purpose for you. Follow along by reading the scriptures on our website at https://deepspirituality.com/god-has-a-purpose-for-me/

The Bible has a lot to say about the greatness of God. To be “great” is to be remarkable, and that’s how the Bible describes God’s presence, compassion, strength, and much more. Psalm 96:4 TPT For the Lord's greatness is beyond description and he deserves all the praise that comes to him. He is our King-God and it's right to be in holy awe of him. As we walk closely with him, he makes us great too, giving us the power to live remarkable lives. Psalm 18:35 NLT You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. Check out this week’s Scripture Playlist to learn more about how God is great. Follow along by reading the scriptures on our website at https://www.deepspirituality.com/god-is-great

Simon Peter was one of the most prominent and powerful of Jesus’ disciples. He was bold in the face of discouragement and heartbreak. He led countless people through darkness to find God, and his impact is still felt today. But before there was the persistently faithful Peter, surrounded by thousands of changed lives, there was simply Simon, a tired fisherman in a boat with no fish, who had no idea that the best of his life was yet to come. Check out our new Mini Quiet Time to learn more about how to trust God and try again. References: Luke 5:1-11 NLT

In honor of the Christmas holiday, here are some promises throughout the Bible about how Jesus is with us. But this scripture playlist is a gift that keeps on giving. Listen to these verses any day of the year for a boost of faith and confidence. Check out these scriptures on God being with you. Go to our website https://deepspirituality.com/promises-about-jesus to read along with the scriptures References: Isaiah 7:14 NLT 2 Corinthians 1:20 ERV Isaiah 11:1-3 CEV Isaiah 9:6-7 NIrV Isaiah 42:3-4 ERV Isaiah 61:1, 3 Voice Luke 1:30-32 NIrV Matthew 1:20-23 NLT Micah 5:2 ERV Luke 2:9-11 NLT Zechariah 3:8-9 NLT Isaiah 53:4-5 ERV Matthew 11:28-30 NIrV Hebrews 13:6 AMPC Matthew 28:18-20 ERV Acts 2:25 NIRV 2 Timothy 4:16-18 ERV Zephaniah 3:15-17 NLT

When we love vulnerability, we will open our hearts to God and others. If we're afraid of vulnerability, we'll close up our hearts in pride and won't admit our insecurities, weaknesses, thoughts, motives, and emotions. We may become embarrassed or angry at anything or anyone that pushes us to be vulnerable. Open hearts embrace vulnerability, trusting that God will make up for whatever we may be lacking. Check out our newest One Quick Thought to learn more about how to love vulnerability. John 3:16-17 NCV 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 NLT The Power of a Humble Life — Richard E. Simmons III Just the Way You Are — Billy Joel Jesus Take the Wheel — Carrie Underwood

A lot of the problems we get into in life come because we are searching for love—often in all the wrong places. The Bible tells us that God’s love is unconditional and unfailing, and we can feel sure about that because of Jesus. Check out this Scripture Playlist to learn about how God's love never fails. Go to our website https://deepspirituality.com/gods-love-never-fails/ to read along with the scriptures References: John 3:16-17 CEV Romans 5:6-8 NLT Romans 8:38-39 NLT Romans 8:31-34 NLT 1 John 4:9-11 NLT Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT Galatians 2:20 NLT 1 John 3:1 NLT Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT Ephesians 1:4-8 NLT John 13:34-35 NLT John 15:9-13 NLT Psalm 86:15 NLT

Fear makes us miss out on the incredible benefits of vulnerability. God wants to help open our hearts so we can see and hear him moving in our lives. When we decide to be vulnerable, we will see and admit our need for God, and in doing so open up our hearts to others. Check out this week's One Quick Thought to learn more about how to overcome our fear of vulnerability. SCRIPTURE REFERENCED: Psalm 10:4 ERV

Vulnerability is usually not the first thing we associate with being strong, but the Bible tells us true strength actually comes from embracing our weaknesses. If you don’t feel this way about your weaknesses, don’t worry. The apostle Paul, who we'll meet in this mini-quiet time, didn't feel that way at first either. Join us as we learn how this self-reliant and self-righteous man became one of the most powerful, influential spiritual leaders in the New Testament by embracing vulnerability.

In this new segment of our podcast, Deep Spirituality Editor-in-Chief Russ Ewell gives us one quick thought about walking with God to start our week. At Deep Spirituality, our goal is to practice simple Christianity, where we believe God loves us, is interested in us, and has a plan for us. We want to provide anyone and everyone access to the tools they need to build this kind of personal relationship with God. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NIV We hope these "One Quick Thought" episodes remind you how deeply God loves you, is interested in you, and has a plan for you. In this episode, Russ takes on a topic that can be difficult for many of us: vulnerability. Our lives move fast and are so easily bombarded, so it can sometimes be difficult to slow down and be vulnerable. At times, it feels easier to close our hearts and avoid the pain and potential rejection that can come with vulnerability. The problem with this is that vulnerability is one of the key ways we see our need for God. When we choose to be vulnerable with God first and believe he loves us, is interested in us, and has a plan for us, we will have the confidence to be vulnerable with others, too. Check out this week’s One Quick Thought to learn how vulnerability helps us see our need for God. NEW BOOK: He's Not Who You Think He Is: Dropping Your Assumptions and Discovering God for Yourself

The holidays are a time to celebrate hope, and there's nothing greater than the hope God brings with the birth of Jesus. Listen to our new Scripture Playlist for some hopeful verses of the Bible on the new life promised to us by Jesus. Scripture references: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NLT Matthew 4:23 TPT Isaiah 9:6-7 CEV Romans 15:12-13 ERV Luke 2:9-11 NLT 1 Peter 1:3 TPT Colossians 1:22-23 GNT Ephesians 2:12-14 ERV 1 Peter 1:13 TPT Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV Hebrews 11:1 GNT Romans 5:3-5 TPT Psalm 42:11 NLT Psalm 119:114 NLT Lamentations 3:24-26 GNT Ephesians 1:18 ERV Psalm 39:7 NLT

Do you ever feel like you need an extra dose of spirituality as you go through your day? We definitely do, especially during the extra busy holiday season. So we are excited to tell you about something that's coming soon to the Deep Spirituality channel: a new segment called "One Quick Thought"! Starting on December 5, you'll get a weekly dose of Scripture and inspiration from our Editor-in-Chief Russ Ewell in your podcast feed. Each episode is about 10 minutes long and is designed to inspire growth in your personal walk with God. We'll release a new episode every Monday, so you can use them to start your week with an extra faith boost. You can watch these episodes on our YouTube channel or listen to them in our podcast feed while you drive home from work. At Deep Spirituality, our goal is to practice simple Christianity, and to provide anyone and everyone with access to the tools we need to build a relationship with God where we believe he loves us, is interested in us, and has a plan for us. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NIV We hope these One Quick Thought episodes remind you how deeply God loves you, is interested in you, and has a plan for you, as you continue your journey to build a close and personal relationship with him. Keep your eye out for the first One Quick Thought on Monday, December 5th. Until then, make sure you're subscribed to our YouTube Channel so you don't miss any episodes or our other videos. Enjoy!

The holiday season is a good time to get grateful. Gratitude is powerful and has a significant impact on our health, mood, relationships, and ability to handle hard times — if we let it. Gratitude is also an important part of having a close relationship with God.  No matter what is going on in our lives, gratitude can help us see God moving, and hold onto the hope that we are cared for.  Check out our newest Spiritual Playlist to learn how to always be thankful.

We need to come to know God through personal experience. If we don’t make the effort to make our relationship with God personal, we end up becoming “zombie Christians”—people who go through the motions without much heart. As “zombie Christians,” we lack the spiritual power that enables us to faithfully conquer the everyday challenges we face.  Check out our newest Mini Quiet Time to learn more about how to make your relationship with God personal.

No matter what we’re feeling, God understands us. In fact, he understands us better than we can imagine. Listen to these powerful verses of the Bible that show us God’s intimate understanding of our hearts. Scriptures read: * Psalm 139:1-2 The Passion Translation * Isaiah 40:27-28 New Living Translation * Hebrews 4:15-16  - Contemporary English Version * Romans 8:27 - Contemporary English Version * Psalm 147:5 - Amplified Bible * Proverbs 2:6 - Amplified Bible * Proverbs 9:10 - Contemporary English Version * Proverbs 14:10 - The Passion Translation * Job 36:5 - Christian Standard Bible * Jeremiah 51:15 - The Voice * 1 Chronicles 28:9 - New English Translation * Genesis 16:13 - Amplified Bible * Exodus 2:25 - Amplified Bible * Psalm 10:17 - The Passion Translation * Psalm 38:9 - New English Translation * Isaiah 11:2 - Contemporary English Version * Isaiah 29:15 - Easy-to-Read Version * Isaiah 50:4 - New Living Translation * Isaiah 50:5 - Good News Translation * Jeremiah 3:15 - Amplified Bible * Jeremiah 12:3 - Amplified Bible * Jeremiah 9:24 - Amplified Bible

There are a lot of scriptures about worry and anxiety, but it’s important to understand before diving in that the Bible is not a self-help book. Though it’s good to find scriptures that calm our minds, we are meant to embrace the transformative change of our will, character, and desires that comes from walking with God. God changes lives, he doesn’t merely improve them. In today’s Mini Quiet Time, we’ll give you 3 practical tips from the Bible for how you can start trusting God when you feel worried.

In today's episode, we’re going to talk about one of the most necessary yet difficult parts of our spiritual lives: facing and defeating doubt. Doubt leads us to question ourselves, to question why we’re here, and to question whether we’re really loved. Check out this week's Mini Quiet Time to learn from Jesus how to defeat your own doubts, and come out the other side powerful and confident like he did.

It's hard to feel alone. The Bible tells us that what we all want most is to feel unconditionally loved for who we are, and God wants to give us that love. But this can feel easier said than done — how do we stay open about who we are when it leaves us vulnerable to being hurt, rejected, or misunderstood? In this week's Mini Quiet Time, we'll look at a story where Jesus had to choose to be vulnerable and what came as a result of his decision.

In the Bible, David was a guy in the Bible who had a real “best friend” relationship with God. So how do we build this kind of friendship with God? David wrote many of the psalms in the Bible. They were often his prayers, and we can learn from them how to build a close friendship with God ourselves. In today's Mini Quiet Time we'll look at Psalm 13, one of the psalms where David talked to God about some tough things but comes out closer to God as friends.

The book of Psalms is full of the prayers of people trying to take difficult emotions to God. Check out our new Mini Quiet Time, where in Psalm 32, David comes to God to help him deal with the clutter of his heart.

Sometimes people make it hard for us to love them, and it’s very easy to respond in ways that don’t help us or them. The best way to let God teach us to love is to look at how Jesus loved. In today's Mini QT, we're looking at a story of Jesus choosing to love someone a lot of other people had written off: a notorious sinner named Zacchaeus. Though Zacchaeus came with baggage, Jesus’ decision to love anyway completely changed Zacchaeus’ life for the better.

Do you ever feel like you can’t live up to the epic stories of the faithful people in the Bible?  If you actually read the stories of these people, though, you’ll see God didn’t choose them because they were so strong and capable, but because he was. Through little decisions to have faith and trust God’s process, each of these regular people became the great heroes we see in the Bible.  Check out this week's Mini Quiet Time to learn from one such a person, Gideon, how to accomplish the impossible with faith in God.

Some of the hardest feelings to deal with are the ones you feel about yourself. Hannah was a woman in the Bible who experienced not feeling good enough. She couldn’t have children, and in her day that meant she would have been seen as inferior and flawed. What are the things that make you feel inferior or flawed? How do you respond when you don't feel good enough? Join us as we explore Hannah's journey to confidence through her relationship with God with our newest Mini QT podcast.

In our next episode of our "Back to School Special" podcast series, we seek to answer the question: "Where is God When I'm Insecure?" Whether it's high school or college, school can be a time of conflicting emotions. We get stressed about class but excited about seeing friends. We are discovering who we are while being unsure of where we're headed. All of these emotions can lead to a lot of insecurity. God wants to help us navigate these feelings and thoughts so that we can become students who are secure enough to enjoy life and love the people around us. Join us as we discuss how to turn to God when we feel insecure.

How do you find God when you're overwhelmed with stress? In this episode, we discuss the inevitable stress that comes not only with going back to school, but also in any stressful time of life. Stress comes out differently for everyone, and we all need tools that help us remember God, stay calm, and not go it alone. Join us to learn more about how to find God when you're stressed.

We all have things that we think will make us happier, and it’s not necessarily bad to pursue them. But sometimes our love gets out of order, and we put things first in our lives that really shouldn’t be there. God wants to help us change that so we can find the joy and satisfaction we are actually looking for. In the story of Martha and Mary, we can learn from Jesus how prioritizing our relationships with God and people can truly make us happy.

Sometimes our experience of Christianity can feel like a lot of rule-following. Some of us respond to this by throwing ourselves into mastering these rules. We learn the “strategies” of Christianity, the things we have to do to get ahead easier or win the approval of God or other people. Others of us might feel frustrated and defeated by Christianity because we feel like we’re constantly failing at the things we are supposed to do. When we feel this way, we’ll eventually want to just walk away. Or, we might go back and forth between the two, trying to master the rules and then crashing in frustration because being perfect is impossible. The subject of today's Mini Quiet Time story was caught in just such a dilemma. This man, often referred to as the Rich Young Ruler, had a conversation with Jesus that can teach us how to break free from a frustrating, unsatisfying, and rule-dominated experience of Christianity to find a real relationship with God.

In this new series about parenting teens, Russ and friends discuss the myth of the perfect family. Many of us become parents with preconceived notions of what a family should be like, or what constitutes "normal." It's important to get spiritual perspective about family because when we compare ourselves to others, get self-piteous, or lose sight of what God's doing we become discouraged. We are living in a time when the pandemic has affected young people's mental health tremendously, so it is crucial that we as parents deal with our own minds and hearts in order to understand our kids' hearts. Join us as we delve into how not to be perfect parents, but to be parents that love and help our kids grow.

Guilt is a tricky thing to handle, but it’s something everyone experiences. It’s very easy to try to defend ourselves or blame others for our sins and mistakes so that we don’t have to face the consequences of them. Or, we may get overly emotional when we feel guilty, drowning in despair rather than simply owning up to what we’ve done and resolving the relationship. God doesn’t want us to be trapped and held back by guilt. He just wants us to come to him with our guilt, take responsibility, and move on. In Luke 18, Jesus tells a story about two people and how they handled guilt differently. Listen to this week's podcast to learn how The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector can teach us to talk to God even when we feel guilty.

The Bible gives us a powerful story about a woman who had reasons to feel bad about herself and faced criticism from other people, but Jesus didn’t see her the way other people saw her or even the way she might have seen herself. He loved her for who she was, and his forgiveness and care led the woman to give that much love back. The story of the forgiven woman and the Parable of the Forgiven Debt is a prime example of what can happen when we are grateful for God’s love, and how our own pride, selfishness, and criticism can hold us back from that love. Join Amy, Jynette, and Michele as they discuss this incredible parable and how we can respond to God’s love too.

When you think of a feast, what do you think of?  Most of us probably think of fun, friends, and good times. These feelings of joy, connection, and fullness are what God is inviting us to access in his Kingdom, rather than rules and restrictions that so many of us often associate with religion.  When we aren’t honest about our desires, motives, and values, we will make excuses and miss out on the opportunity to respond to God’s call. Check out this podcast about the Parable of the Great Feast as we discuss this opportunity and how exciting God’s invitation is to be part of his Kingdom. For more of our series on the Parable of Jesus, head over to https://deepspirituality.com/parables  References Luke 14:15-24 NLT: Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” [16] Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. [17] When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ [18] But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ [19] Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ [20] Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ [21] “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ [22] After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ [23] So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. [24] For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’”

The Bible talks a lot about being lost—not just physically, but spiritually. We can lose our sense of who we are and what really matters. Even those of us who are Christians can lose our way, going through the motions but wondering if we can ever find our way back to faith in God. Feeling lost is frustrating, confusing, and lonely. But God never leaves us hanging. Jesus tells us over and over again especially in Luke 15 that God searches tirelessly for the lost. This Mini Quiet Time about the Parable of the Lost Coin can help us understand God's heart toward us when we've lost our way.

One of the most important choices we can make is what we’ll do with the things God has given us. God wants to give us a full life, and he can work through not only our talents, but also our experiences and even our weaknesses and mistakes to make a difference in the world. Our choice is whether or not we’ll trust him and use these things for good, or live a small life held back by fear or selfishness. In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus helps us understand God by telling us about a man who goes on a journey and entrusts his servants with his things while he is gone. We can learn from this story that when we see how much God trusts and believes in us, we’ll trust him too.

Sometimes, it’s hard to know where to go to get experienced advice about building a strong marriage. In this episode, we learn how to live a life of faith that is manifested in our marriage and family with special guest Al Baird, author of A Lifetime of Love: Building and Growing Your Marriage. Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. [2] It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. - Psalm 127:1-2 NLT God, the creator of everything good, has a plan for how to build our homes. When we look to him and do things his way, our marriages become strong. When we don’t, we have a tendency to mess things up. Marriage is a melding together of two totally different people, with different likes and dislikes, and different ways of approaching life. Without God, we will find ourselves in conflict with each other at times as we naturally tend to think our own way is right. God helps us understand each other and has the power to bring us together so that our unique strengths make us stronger than we could ever be alone. Through lessons learned from Al and Gloria’s 56 years of marriage and counseling other couples, this episode helps us make marriage an adventure and enjoy each other through all stages of our lives. About our guest Al and Gloria Baird were both born in Texas. They met, fell in love, and married while still in college. After Al finished his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Texas in Austin, they moved to Boston for his first job and to be a part of a church planting. After 15 years in physics research, they decided that Al would give up his physics career and both of them would go into the full-time ministry as a part of a dynamic new church which eventually met in the Boston Garden. Al and Gloria not only helped to shepherd and lead that church but also served as leaders by planting churches in the Middle East. After 25 years in Boston, they moved to Los Angeles to serve that church. And then 22 years later, in their mid-70s they moved to Phoenix to be near one of their daughters and her family, as well as to work with the Phoenix church. God blessed their 56 years of marriage with three wonderful daughters, who are all Christians, three best-friend sons-in-law, and nine grandchildren. While Al and Gloria were writing A Lifetime of Love, God called Gloria home to paradise, temporarily pausing an incredible love affair. References (scriptures and resources) Psalm 127:1-2 A Lifetime of Love: Building and Growing Your Marriage by Al and Gloria Baird Psalm 119

By now, we all know what it feels like to try to communicate while wearing a mask. It’s not always easy; sometimes we get insecure, frustrated, or discouraged when we can’t understand other people or they can’t understand us. The same can be said about masking our real thoughts and feelings. It’s a frustrating experience to feel like you can’t be yourself around other people or around God. But God wants to be in a relationship with us where we are completely ourselves. He would rather hear what we really think—even if it sounds bad—than hear something fake. In the Parable of the Two Sons, Jesus tells a story to help us learn why we should say what we really think.

In today’s podcast, Russ and friends continue our Parable Series as they discuss the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Though this may be one of the more well-known parables about change, it’s easy to overlook what it teaches us about how we view God. When we view God as transactional, we lose sight of connection and relationship. This outlook leads us to becoming entitled, expecting him to give us what we want and becoming angry when we don’t get it. This will affect our relationships with family, friends, and spouses, as well. The moment we change our view of God is the moment we will see the hope, forgiveness, and connection that come with having a relationship with him.Be sure to read the devotional this episode is based on, called “Parable of the Prodigal Son: How You View God Matters.”ReferencesLuke 15:11-32 NLTTo illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. [12] The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. [13] “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. [14] About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. [15] He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. [16] The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. [17] “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! [18] I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, [19] and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ [20] “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. [21] His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. ’ [22] “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. [23] And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, [24] for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. [25] “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, [26] and he asked one of the servants what was going on. [27] ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ [28] “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, [29] but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. [30] Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ [31] “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. [32] We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”The Parable SeriesDefinition of entitled<a href='https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Pauper-Childrens-Thrift-Classics/dp/0486293831&lt;/__truncato

Do you remember when you first met your best friend? It may have been awkward at first, but the more you spend time together, make memories together, and go through hard times together, the closer you feel. That’s because the best of friendships are built on persistence. This is the kind of friendship God wants with us. He persists with us, and he hopes we’ll persist with him. To him, this is what it means to pray. Check out this Mini Quiet Time about the Parable of the Persistent Friend to learn about how to make God our friend.Read the Devotional &quot;You Can Count On Me: What We Should Learn from the Parable of the Persistent Friend&quot; here:  https://deepspirituality.com/parable-persistent-friend/

Sometimes many small things build up and knock us down, and other times really big storms like physical or mental health challenges, financial troubles, or relationship problems come our way. And still, other times, we’re not even sure what’s knocking us over, but we keep snapping, lashing out, or melting down, and we don’t know why.Learning how to handle life’s ups and downs is a skill everyone needs. Jesus understands that we all need help learning to keep going when life knocks us down. His stories in the Bible are not meant to preach to us about something theoretical or far off that we can’t relate to. He wants to show us he understands and can help us with our lives right here, right now. Check out our newest Mini Quiet Time about one of Jesus&apos; stories that teaches us how to have the internal strength to handle life’s storms.

&quot;The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.&quot; - Matthew 13:19 NLTIn the Parable of the Sower, Jesus makes it clear that a relationship with him is about understanding. He uses this story to push us to question how self-aware we are. Our heart condition and how well we understand our emotions is the path towards self-awareness. When we work to understand ourselves, we will understand God more clearly and intimately. The process of self-awareness is not meant to be a negative experience, but an exciting one. We get to learn more about ourselves and discover things about both ourselves and God that we never saw before!Join Russ, Mike, and Ray as they discuss Ray’s new devotional, “Parable of the Sower: Understand Yourself to Understand God,” which is the first of many in our new series about the parables of Jesus. We chose this as the first parable in the series because we won’t be able to understand God if we don’t first understand ourselves. One tip for getting the most out of this series is to read through the parable first on your own, taking it in stages rather than all at once. Read the story, listen to the podcast, and read the article at your own pace, so that you can fully embrace the self-awareness God is gently nudging you towards.References:Matthew 13:18-23 NLT - “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: [19] The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. [20] The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. [21] But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. [22] The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. [23] The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”John 8:31-32 NLT - Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. [32] And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”Parable of the Sower: Understand Yourself to Understand GodJesus and the Power of Storytelling

We are very excited about the launch of our new “Parables of Jesus” series. As RT Kendall says in his book, The Parables of Jesus, a parable can be described as a “simple story that illustrates a profound truth. Telling parables was Jesus’ main way of helping his followers grasp spiritual truth. He was building a bridge from the natural to the spiritual.” Understanding complex and deep spiritual concepts—let alone putting them into practice—can feel challenging. But Jesus gives us access to insight we could never fathom on our own through storytelling. Anyone with a favorite movie or book understands the power of storytelling and how the best stories can stick with us years after we heard them. Jesus was the best storyteller and can help us connect with and understand God in ways we never could before. With this series, we will explore twelve of Jesus’ many parables, using devotionals, podcasts, and videos to best understand and dive into these stories. We hope that we will all come out better thinkers, listeners, and friends to God and others in doing so. Join Russ and Mike as they discuss our newest parable series.Follow along at https://deepspirituality.com/parables ReferencesMatthew 13:10-13 CEV Jesus&apos; disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you use nothing but stories when you speak to the people?” [11] Jesus answered: I have explained the secrets about the kingdom of heaven to you, but not to others. [12] Everyone who has something will be given more. But people who don’t have anything will lose even what little they have. [13] I use stories when I speak to them because when they look, they cannot see, and when they listen, they cannot hear or understand.The Parables of Jesus by RT Kendall - “A parable may be defined as a simple story that illustrates a profound truth, telling parables was jesus’ main way of helping his followers grasp spiritual truth. He was building a bridge from the natural to the spiritual. It was Jesus&apos; way of helping people to make the transition that each of us must make every day of our life to move from the natural level of life to the spiritual level of life. Jesus revealed these insights through parables so that those for whom the truth was intended might know the meaning but those for whom it was not intended would not understand.”Nacho LibrePersecution and the Art of Writing by Leo StraussEstherDune<a href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ma

Here at Deep Spirituality, we are excited about our upcoming series of devotionals, videos, and podcasts exploring part of the Bible that deserves a deep dive: the parables of Jesus.These brilliant stories illustrate deep spiritual truths about building a personal relationship with God in such a way that new insights pop up every time we read them.Before we begin releasing the parable series, though, we want to take a minute to talk about how we’re doing when it comes to reading the Bible. The past two years of a global pandemic have put immense strain on everyone’s faith, increasing our worries and stressors significantly. It can be so easy to lose our inspiration to read the Bible, preferring instead to run around and do things or solve problems.With so many things attacking our faith, we need to be able to read the Bible to find faith. In this episode, Russ and guests Ray Kim and Mike Query talk about how to keep our Bible reading vibrant. We hope that this episode inspires you as it has inspired us to not get defeated in reading the Bible, but rather to believe in the power of reading Scripture.Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we launch our new series about the parables of Jesus.ReferencesHow to Have a Quiet Time: A Comprehensive GuideVideo: Finding Your Sacred Space

Just two weeks after the Russian attack on Ukraine, more than two million people have fled the country. At least half of those fleeing are children, and emerging stories of attacks on civilians have been incredibly difficult to hear. As Christians, it can be hard to know how to think spiritually about situations like these. We may begin to question whether God is really in control, or feel helpless and wonder if there is anything we can do. It’s questions like these that make our conversation in this podcast episode so poignant and important. This episode involves Christian Ray Flores, who started the Ukraine Relief Network as a decentralized way of giving aid directly to Ukrainian people in need. Though these kinds of topics are nuanced and difficult to discuss, they also remind us of why innovation within our faith is so important as Christians. We must constantly seek out those in need and be creative in our attempts to meet their needs. Check out the podcast episode, and if you would like to learn more about the Ukraine Relief Fund or make a contribution, head over to https://www.ascendmission.fund/ukraine. About our guestChristian Ray Flores has a diverse international background, having lived in North and South America, Africa, and Europe. He speaks four languages and has a Master of Science in Economics. Christian had a successful music career in the ‘90s in Russia, and has since co-founded three different companies. One of those companies, Third Drive, focuses on digital media and venture development. Christian has worked in ministries in cities around the globe including Moscow, Russia and Kyiv, Ukraine. His non-profit Ascend Mission Fund lifts children out of poverty in Mozambique through the Ascend Academy and recently launched the Ukraine Relief Network providing aid to war refugees in Ukraine. He currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and three daughters.ReferencesThird DriveFor Christian&apos;s newsletter → christianrayflores.comFollow Christian on Twitter → @ChristianRayAscend Mission FundUkraine Relief NetworkChariots of FireIs Putin Actually Popular In Russia?Tribe“There’s nothing wrong with being a wandering generality instead of a meaningful specific but don’t expect to make the change you seek to make if that’s what you do.”— Seth GodinPurple Rain - Prince

It’s Black History Month, and taking this opportunity to educate ourselves on the untold and neglected stories of history is an invaluable experience (even if you are reading this post after the end of February). To that end, we are honored to present you with a rich conversation about the power, resilience, and inspiration of Black history and the Black Church. In this episode of our podcast, Deep Spirituality Editor-in-Chief Russ Ewell is joined by Daryl Reed, Lead Minister of the DC Regional Christian Church. Their conversation explores the roots of the Black Church, key Bible verses addressing racism, and important lessons on diversity we should learn from the Black Church and bring into our spiritual communities.Visit our page for more links, resources and references - https://deepspirituality.com/the-powerful-legacy-of-the-black-church-and-what-we-should-learn-from-it/

Relationships can be one of the most rewarding parts of life … and also one of the most challenging. When our last episode ended, Mary was left with the monumental day-to-day task of caring for and raising Jesus. The decisions she makes going forward and the influence she has on Jesus will be unparalleled. It’s safe to say that no other human being knew Jesus as well, as long, or as intimately as Mary did. It’s a big deal that God entrusted her with this role. The journey she is on is incredibly important—but most of it, no one will see. There will be no round of applause for Mary at the end of each day, no special status, and no special wealth. But there will be an incredible hope given to the world, because Mary believed God saw her and that what God told her was true.These are the stories that God loves - the overlooked struggles and victories of unsung heroes whose actions send ripples through history and leave our world never the same. Mary’s story teaches us that we become these unsung heroes through our relationships. For Mary, the relationship in which she left the deepest impact was with her son. “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he meant. Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart. Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.- Luke 2:49-52 NLTIn parenting there is deep pain, crippling fear, mountains of guilt, and incredible joy, and yet so much of it goes unnoticed and unpraised. It has the highest stakes with the lowest thanks, but God sees us, and that is what matters.You don’t need to be a parent to relate to this feeling of powerlessness and invisibility. Understanding what Mary felt during this time can help us not only have an appreciation for our own parents, but recognize how deeply God sees us, and maybe even teach us how to lead and love others this way, too. Join us as we conclude our narrative podcast of Mary’s story with one final episode, “The More the Mary-er.”Writing by Alexis ColvinNarration and editing by Amy QueryAdditional voice acting by Darryl Howell and Gabe LacayoProduction by Mike Query

Get ready for our second episode of Mary’s story: Mary’s Not-So-Silent Night.Have you ever felt like life threw you a curveball and it was really unfair? Maybe it was someone’s fault or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe you had all your holiday plans figured out—you dotted every &quot;i,” and crossed every &quot;t.” And then, just when you least expected it, something came along—an illness, a variant, a new policy—and changed it all. Situations like these that are outside of our control have become all too familiar lately. And they can be frustrating. When we pick up the story of Mary in Luke chapter 2, she is in the middle of one such disruptive moment in her life. And she’s nine months pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.- Luke 2:6-7 NLTThis is the story that is at the center of countless movies, TV specials, and front lawn nativity scenes: the story of the birth of Jesus, but this time, from his mom’s perspective.Whether you’re about to celebrate Christmas or it’s the middle of August, take some time to slow down, listen, and learn from Mary how to value the little moments that get you through the hard, frustrating, and not-in-your-control curveballs of life.Writing by Alexis ColvinNarration and editing by Amy QueryAdditional voice acting by Darryl Howell and Gabe LacayoProduction by Mike Query

We’re excited for our next episode in our Mary series: Believe, and Be Mary.Mary lived in a world that wasn’t made for her. She was an unmarried woman, and most likely no more than 16 years old when she became pregnant with Jesus. In the world’s eyes, she would have been unimportant and overlooked. But she became important because of one small decision: to believe God.As we explore the origins of Mary’s journey, it helps to also look at someone in the story who the world was made for: her cousin Zechariah, the priest. Though he seemed to have everything the world says will make you happy, there were some key things missing in his life. You see, to God, what makes us important is not our achievements, status, or even talents, but our faith and humility.Luke 1:46-54 NLTMary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. [47] How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! [48] For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. [49] For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. [50] He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. [51] His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.Like Mary says in her prayer, when we believe God takes notice of us, the seemingly impossible becomes possible with him. Join Mary as she discovers God’s call for a greater purpose.

We are excited to announce our newest Paint Me a Picture series, “Because She Believed: The Story of Mary.”Jesus’ mother Mary was called many things. She was called a young virgin, a wife, and a mother. But ultimately, God defined her by her faith, as her cousin Elizabeth exclaimed in this passage of the Bible:Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”- Luke 1:42-45 NLTIn the world’s eyes, Mary was hardly noticeable. She was an unmarried woman from a small village and most likely no more than 16 years old when she became pregnant with Jesus. But she became important because of one small decision: to believe God.Because she believed, this ordinary young woman was able to travel bravely into the unseen and play perhaps one of the most significant roles imaginable in God’s plan. Because she believed, Jesus was able to live a life that brought light to the world. Because she believed, the world was changed for the better.So if you’ve ever asked yourself...Does God have a purpose for me? Does he really notice what I’m doing?Could my life really make a difference in the world?...then Mary’s story is for you. Join us as we begin Mary’s story with a Prologue: Mary, Mary, Quite Extraordinary and discover what can happen because you believe.Writing by Alexis ColvinNarration and editing by Amy QueryAdditional narration by Darryl HowellProduction by Mike QueryReferences:Drug Overdose Deaths, Fueled by Fentanyl, Hit Record High in U.S.

Psalm 62:1-2 NRSVFor God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. [2] He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken.When talking about building a relationship with God that is unshakeable, we can&apos;t expect perfection. Instead, it is a constant understanding of God and his presence. We don&apos;t pursue God; he pursues us in love and our choice is to respond to that love. When we quiet our hearts in our times with God and go to him for relief and safety, that is when we become unshakeable. Join Russ as he discusses with friend AT Arneson the importance of resting in God alone.AT Arneson is a Midwest native. Studying Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communications at Loras College, and obtaining a Masters in Speech Communication and Rhetoric at Marquette University, then returning to get a Masters of Theological Studies from Harding University. AT has been the Congregational Evangelist of the Chicago Church of Christ since 2009, working to build the Chicago Church in such a way as to be a pillar congregation in the work of strengthening, planting, and growing churches in the Midwest and across the world.&quot;Now, in a way it is a pity that we have to use the word &quot;faith&quot; to describe the faculty by which the unseen dimension is grasped, drawn upon, and lived by.&quot; — J.B. PhillipsReferences:Psalm 62:1-2 NRSVGreen Bay Packers1 John 4:10The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother LawrencePsalm 1:2-3Psalm 62:5-6 NRSVNew Testament Christianity by J.B. PhillipsBRKN by Madison Ryann WardVisit DeepSpirituality.com for more podcasts, devotionals and videos to help you walk with God like never before.If you want to send an email to the podcast drop us a line at [email protected]

So here we are, at the end of Jonah’s journey. And what a journey it’s been! Jonah has tried to run away from God, been swept up in a storm, almost died, spent several days inside a fish, got spit out by that fish, then finally decided to do what God wanted by going to preach to the enemies of his people. Those people put a stop to their evil ways, and God saved them from destruction. But Jonah is upset because he didn’t get what he wanted.[2] So he complained to the LORD about it: &quot;Didn&apos;t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. [3] Just kill me now, LORD! I&apos;d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.&quot; [4] The LORD replied, &quot;Is it right for you to be angry about this?&quot;- Jonah 4:2-4 NLTLike Jonah, God wants to help each of us shift our focus from ourselves and what makes us comfortable, to others and what they need. Join Jonah as we conclude his story, and can learn how to travel on our own unexpected journeys God has for each of us.Based on the sermon series by Russ Ewell &quot;Jonah: The Roadmap to Happiness&quot; Writing by Alexis ColvinNarration and editing by Amy QueryProduction by Mike Query

Have you ever made a really bad mistake? One of those mistakes that you just dread having to deal with? People are going to be mad at you, there might be some consequences, and you just want to crawl into a hole or move across the country. But you don’t. You own up to what you’ve done and put one foot in front of the other and start moving forward.When we pick up the story of Jonah in Jonah chapter 3, our hero is just coming off of one of those mistakes. He’s finally owned that he ran away from God and from the spiritual needs of a whole city, caused a lot of pain for a whole ship full of people, finally had a change of heart after being in a fish for a few days, and got spit out onto a beach. Then, God gives him a second chance.&quot;Then the LORD spoke to Jonah a second time: &apos;Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.&apos;&quot;- Jonah 3:1-2 NLTDeja vu anyone? Though it’s taken a while to get him here, travel with Jonah as is finally on his way to speak to the very people he’s spent this whole series avoiding.Based on the sermon series by Russ Ewell &quot;Jonah: The Roadmap to Happiness&quot; Writing by Alexis ColvinNarration and editing by Amy QueryProduction by Mike Query

In our second episode of Jonah’s Unexpected Journey, we find our protagonist stuck in a fishy situation. What does Jonah do after being stuck in the belly of a fish for 3 days? He prays:Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. [2] He said, “I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and LORD, you heard me! [6] I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O LORD my God, snatched me from the jaws of death!- Jonah 2:1-2,6 NLTSomething changes in Jonah’s relationship with God inside the belly of that fish. He goes from avoiding God to being grateful to God. Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a dark and completely unfamiliar place? And there’s no way out, nowhere to go but deal with yourself? It’s in these “belly of the fish” moments that we can discover what truly matters, and see that God’s purpose is bigger than ourselves. Join us as we continue Jonah’s story and learn to find God’s purpose in some of our most difficult moments.Based on the sermon series by Russ Ewell &quot;Jonah: The Roadmap to Happiness&quot; Writing by Alexis ColvinNarration and editing by Amy QueryProduction by Mike Query

In this first episode of Jonah’s Unexpected Journey, we meet our protagonist:The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”- Jonah 1:1-2 NLTGod called Jonah to do what he normally did - Jonah’s job was to talk to people about what God had to say. But this time, rather than talking to his fellow Israelites, God told Jonah to speak to the city of Nineveh, the most important city in Assyria and the home of the enemies of Jonah’s people. Have you ever felt the call to do something you really don’t want to do? It stays in the back of your mind, and all you want to do is avoid it and run away? Jonah can relate.This is the first episode of our new type of podcast called &quot;Paint Me a Picture.&quot; Each series will immerse you into the stories of the Bible, bringing them to life with storytelling, commentary, and lots of sound effects. As you listen, you can slow down and put yourself in the shoes of the people in the Bible and bring their experiences into your own walk with God. We&apos;ve found that immersing ourselves in these stories makes the spiritual lessons stick better too.Join us as we begin to unfold this story of rebellion, reflection, and redemption.Based on the sermon series by Russ Ewell &quot;Jonah: The Roadmap to Happiness&quot; Writing by Alexis ColvinNarration and editing by Amy QueryProduction by Mike Query

The Bible is full of stories and heroes who are inspiring because they’re real.They’re real people with real problems whose experiences can teach us how we can walk with God. With this in mind, we’re excited to launch our new narrative podcast series, “Paint Me a Picture.”Each season will immerse you into a different story of Scripture, putting you in the shoes of the person in the story and bringing the Scriptures to life in ways you’ve never experienced before. We’ll also have commentary, reflective questions, nuggets of wisdom, and lots of sound effects. Our first season of this series will dive into the story of Jonah. Some of the best stories start when someone is being called to do something that seems impossible. When their life is turned upside down, and they’re forced to courageously take on something or someone. We all love sports movies or coming-of-age dramas because we get to watch our heroes hesitate, question themselves, want to run away, but break through anyway, coming out victorious and happy.But let’s face it. In our daily life, it is hard to leave our comfort zone and enter into the unknown. We hide, run, freeze, or resist the call toward something greater. We often stick with what’s comfortable and less risky, even if it means we’re not that happy. The good thing is God takes us where we’re at, and we’re not alone. God spoke to Jonah at a time when he was settled and comfortable, not unlike many of us. Jonah can help us start answering questions like:How can I be happy when my life feels out of my control?Does God really have a good plan for my future?Why do I run from God and settle?Join us on September 29, when we will begin to travel with Jonah on his unexpected journey.

If we’re going to be real enough who show people God, we have to take our masks off. The worst culture that can exist in our families and communities is when we feel the collective peer pressure to put a mask on and appear to be something we’re not. God wants us to be our real selves, and when we decide not to hide what’s really inside, we can see that sin is not who we are, but the obstacle we are meant to overcome. Those kinds of cultures make people attracted to church. Join Russ and Mike as they discuss how our relationship with God should make us real, and how to overcome the hypocrisy that gets in our way.

This is a reupload of a previous podcast. We are releasing it because in a world where relationships are strained by the Pandemic this one is perfectly timed and at tune with what we need, relationships. Visit DeepSpirituality.com to sign up for our newsletter if you want devotionals, podcast and more delivered straight to your inbox. - - - While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul was coming to kill him. [16] But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and strengthened his faith in God. [17] Jonathan told him, “Don’t be afraid, because my father won’t touch you. You will be king of Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” [18] The two of them made an agreement before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.1 Samuel 23:15-18 NCVOur conversations are what change us. When we can understand the art of having a conversation we can then address one another&apos;s faith and deal with the fear inside that keeps us from growing. Russ Ewell sits down with Ray Kim and Nathan Schaffernoth to talk about the 5 steps to having spiritual conversations. Listening is having the curiosity to learn from every conversation. Set aside the Time, put in the time to have a relationship that has great conversations is important. Once you&apos;ve heard, you want to Reflect, to know what you don&apos;t know and think deeply about what was said. Then you can ask Questions, but you want to Understand yourself enough to know what questions to ask. Finally, Respond to share your lifeand continue deepening your conversations. Episode References:FDR&apos;s Fireside Chats&quot;Pistol&quot; Pete Maravich

This is a reupload of a previous podcast. We are pairing this episode with the article, &quot;Staying Calm | How To Have Faith That Stills Storms&quot; for our Quiet Time Kick-Starter this week. Visit DeepSpirituality.com to sign up for our newsletter if you want devotionals, podcast and more delivered straight to your inbox. - - - In this scripture, Martha’s worry and stress makes her focused on the wrong things.She is so fixated on getting everything done and checking on her to-do list that she loses sight of what really matters – our relationships, especially our relationship with God.When we get caught up in the stress of life, we miss out on the peace and contentment God really wants to give us. We must decide to dig deep in our hearts to find the source of our anxiety and worry so that God can relieve and heal us.Join Russ and Nick Straw as they discuss Nick’s article, “A Bible Study on Staying Focused (for the Chronically Anxious),” and how to get focused back on what really matters.If you’d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected] Bible Study on Staying Focused (for the Chronically Anxious)Father Heart of God by Floyd McClungHealing for Damaged Emotions by David SeamandsForrest GumpPenny HardawayMichael Jordan Magic JohnsonJackie ChanThe Karate KidSteven SeagalTom BradyJoe MontanaClint EastwoodThe Outlaw Josey WalesAnxiety and Depression in the Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Fostering Self-Regulation in Young Students by Nadja ReillyMindfulness for Teen Anxiety: A Workbook for Overcoming Anxiety at Home, at School, and Everywhere Else by Christopher WillardParenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety: A Complete Guide to Your Childs Stressed, Depressed, Expanded, Amazing Adolescenceby John DuffyUnder Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls by Lisa Damour

Matthew 6:33-34 TPT&quot;So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God&apos;s kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. [34] Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.&quot;When we are anxious, our minds are almost always focused on the material rather than the spiritual. We need God’s help to let go of control, defeat the anxiety in our hearts and lives, and embrace the joy and freedom that comes with relying on our relationship with God.Join Russ and friends as they conclude their podcast series on Why Anxiety is the Enemy of Spirituality, and discuss helpful and practical ways to break free from the grip anxiety has on many of our lives.ResourcesMatthew 6:19-21 TPTMark 4:19 NIVMark 4:18-19 MSGMatthew 6:24 TPTMatthew 6:25 TPTMatthew 6:26-27 TPTMatthew 6:31-32 TPTMatthew 5:8 NIV1 John 4:18 NIVEphesians 4:15 NIVHarveyMatthew 6:33-34 TPTThe Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer

Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God. I am the God above all the nations, and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth.Psalm 46:10 TPTAPA defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” All of us have anxiety, and we need to be aware of how it affects us and our relationships. God wants to give us the peace we need to surrender anxiety and silence our hearts. Join Russ and friends as they discuss how God’s peace can calm our hearts, along with defeating our anxiety with spirituality.Resources:APA’s definition of anxietyPsalm 46:2-3 TPTPsalm 46:4-5 TPTPsalm 46:8-9 TPT

John 15:8 TPTWhen your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father!One of the best parts of our relationship with God is the opportunity and capacity for change. But when we become self-reliant, change feels more like a burden than a cause for joy. We need God-reliance to relieve ourselves of the anxiety self-reliance brings, and simply enjoy how God transforms our lives.Join Russ and friends as they discuss the spirituality behind why we resist growth, in this first episode of a multiple-part series about why anxiety is the enemy of spirituality.Scripture References:John 15:1-8 TPT2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NIVGalatians 3:3 NETGalatians 4:15 NETJeremiah 17:5-8 ESVPsalm 34:4-6 MSG

Psalm 73:1-3 NIV[1] Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. [2] But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. [3] For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.Many of us struggle in our relationship with God and he becomes distant and unreal, and it can be hard to admit that we doubt God. Like the psalmist in the above scripture, when we go through difficulty, seeing the lives of others make us feel empty and we can see God as unreal. But the psalmist saw that he didn’t have a people problem, but a God problem. When we focus on people and religion instead of knowing God, we will see and portray God as an imaginary friend.Join Russ and friends as they discuss the importance of having such a dynamic and impactful relationship with God that others can’t help but see God as real.Resources:Joseph CampbellSecret Friends: Tapping Into The Power Of ImaginationSarah Pulliam Bailey - Washington PostGeorge Carlin Scripture referencesPsalm 90:14Matthew 9:37-38Psalm 62:7 VOICEJames 2:16-23Richard Dawkins - Outgrowing God 

Romans 15:20 NLTMy ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.In order to build a non-traditional church, we need to focus less on getting religious people to join our church rather than someone else’s, and focus more on reaching people who don’t know God. When this is our mindset, we will be more inclusive, creative, and bold in reaching others.Join Russ and friends as they discuss the 14 ideas for building the 21st-century church, and how living like a Christian is simply about loving, caring, and getting to know others.Resources: Eight Reasons People Are Leaving Denominational Churches for Non-denominational Churcheshttps://churchanswers.com/blog/eight-reasons-people-are-leaving-denominational-churches-for-non-denominational-churches/ The rise of the nons: Why nondenominational churches are winning over mainline churcheshttps://www.deseret.com/2011/2/26/20175868/the-rise-of-the-nons-why-nondenominational-churches-are-winning-over-mainline-churches New Harvard Research Says U.S. Christianity Is Not Shrinking, But Growing Strongerhttps://thefederalist.com/2018/01/22/new-harvard-research-says-u-s-christianity-not-shrinking-growing-stronger/ Shuffling Sheep: Church Growth Does Not Necessarily Equal Reaching Peoplehttps://keelancook.com/2016/09/09/shuffling-sheep-church-growth-does-not-necessarily-equal-reaching-people/ Lessons We Can Learn from J.Cole’s “Change”https://deepspirituality.com/lessons-we-can-learn-from-j-coles-change/ 

He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. [12] In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. [13] Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.” [14] “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean. ” [15] But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” [16] The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.Acts 10:11-16 NLTThe New Testament church was faced with a cultural change. When Gentiles became Christians, it was first met with resistance from the more religious Jewish Christians. They wanted to make them conform to their culture, like eating certain kinds of foods, instead of accepting and embracing their differences. But God taught Peter that he is about so much more than culture. He wants to reach hearts, not conform behaviors.Our churches today are faced with the same dilemma. We too must question our traditions and be willing to change. This doesn&apos;t mean compromising spiritual and biblical convictions, but welcoming and embracing people who are different. Join Russ and friends as they continue to discuss how to get churches more comfortable with change.

Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. [20] However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. [21] The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the LordActs 11:19-21 NLTThe New Testament Christians lived in a world very much like today, where the majority of people don’t participate in the culture that Christians live in. Just as the New Testament Christians reached the Gentiles of their time - the people who had no association with church - we must do the same. In this 21st century, our churches must have the capacity to ask themselves if what they’ve done up until now is not going to work moving forward. What does it mean to be a non-traditional church? Join Russ and friends as they discuss how to make the church accessible to someone who’s not “on the inside,” and how to experience and spread spirituality that is not only intellectual or philosophical, but relational.Resources:Paula Fredriksen - Paul: Apostle to the Pagans

Subscribe to Deep Spirituality YouTube ChannelONLY those who stand in awe of the Eternal will have intimacy with Him, and He will reveal His covenant to them. [15] PERPETUALLY my focus takes me to the Eternal because He will set me free from the traps laid for me.Psalm 25:14-15 VoiceAs we all continue to try to learn what it means to live during the pandemic, it can be easy to get in survival mode and settle for an ordinary life. Standing in awe of God like Psalm 25 talks about means fighting to live a life inspired by the vision God has for us. Join Russ and Ray as they talk about the 4 types of lives we can choose to live - ordinary, entitled, apathetic, and inspired. Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.Albus Dumbledore (J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)NBA Finals - Los Angeles Lakers &amp; Miami HeatEnola HolmesChase Center, San FranciscoSurvival Is Not Enough by Seth GodinLeBron JamesLead Different - Podcast &amp; Newsletter

Ecclesiastes 2:22 VoiceWhat exactly do people get out of all their work and all the stresses they put themselves through here under the sun?What is influencing you the most during this pandemic? Has it been the news, discouragement, your emotions, or God, the Bible, and spiritual friends? We need to be friends who challenge each other to not be so fixated on ourselves and our problems, but to look outward and care about others.Join Russ as he talks to friends John and Cecilia Coyne about how to manage your heart during the pandemic.

Psalm 119:143 NLTAs pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands.For such a time that we are in, we are given an incredible opportunity to not tread water spiritually, but to take advantage of everything that’s going on - to learn and to transform.Our relationship with God does not need to be limited to our times in the morning. There’s a joy that comes from getting out of our own heads and make an extension of our relationship with God be doing things for people. Join Russ as he speaks to his friends Dave and Kimi Traver about how to find joy from your relationship with God.

Proverbs 17:1 VoiceBetter to gnaw on a bit of dry crust in peace than to feast in a house full of stress.In the midst of dealing with the ongoing stress of 2020 and the pandemic, it can be easy to just want to run away and hope all of our problems will be magically solved. But no matter where we run, our stress doesn’t leave us. Rather than focus on reducing or ignoring stress, each of us needs to focus on where God is taking us, using our passions to do good for others.Join Russ as he talks to friends Austen and Kokeb McDonald about how to manage your home during the pandemic.

My guilt has overwhelmed me; like a load it weighs me down.Psalm 38:4 NCV   Guilt is the enemy of intimacy. When we don&apos;t deal with our guilt, it can feel like a load that weighs us down, and often overwhelms us. Rather than driving us to relationships, it can be easy to allow guilt to isolate us and drive us away from our friends. Guilt gets in the way of us being intimate with God and with people and makes us seek help somewhere other than relationships. God wants to help us be close to him and our friends, but to do so we must resolve our hearts of guilt. Join Russ and friends as they discuss the importance of valuing intimate relationships over avoiding guilt.If you’d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected]

[46] “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? [47] As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. [48] They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. [49] But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Luke 6:46-49 NIV  Jesus uses this parable to show us that having a foundation for our lives that is strong, stable, and able to withstand any storm requires depth. By digging down deep, we start the process toward having a faith in God that is not easily shaken. However, depth takes work. It is not a personality trait or a natural talent, but rather a skill that must be worked at and developed over time. When our goal is to look good and feel good about ourselves, we will skip over this necessary work, and end up like the man who build his house with no foundation. We need God and friends to help us overcome our fear, denial, and avoidance of depth if we are going to have a strong faith that makes a difference.Join Russ and friends as they discuss how to deepen our faith to make a difference, and discover with them the importance of depth in our relationships, understanding, emotions, love, and conviction.If you&apos;d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected] Holiday of Faith on Deep Spirituality Stephen CurryDeep Dish Pizza Erykah Badu Bob Dylan Bruce Springsteen John Mayer Ed Sheeran The Beatles India.Arie Lauren Daigle J. Cole Sam Cooke Witt Lowry Miranda Lambert Carrie Underwood Shallow by Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper (A Star Is Born) Deep Love on Deep

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 NIV Though in the moment our difficulties may feel like they are too much we can handle, God uses them as opportunities for us to grow. If we let him, God can use our difficulties to develop our faith to be mature, strong, and able to withstand anything. While doubt is beginning to accept an unacceptable outcome, this faith pushes us to never settle and become who we are meant to be.Join Russ and friends as they discuss the article, &quot;7 Examples of Trusting God in Difficult Times to Inspire You,&quot; and learn from characters in the Bible how God used difficulties in their lives as opportunities for growth.If you&apos;d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected] Examples of Trusting God in Difficult Times to Inspire You A Holiday of Faith Cybertruck 

Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” [20] He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”Matthew 17:19-20 NRSV  Before we are able to move the mountains in our lives, we must first acknowledge these mountains. When we live in denial of what we are struggling with or having a hard time overcoming, we get stuck, settle, and are never able to do the impossible God is ready to help us achieve. Join Russ and friends as they discuss the new article, &quot;A Holiday of Faith,&quot; and acknowledge the mountains they themselves have been denying in order to move forward toward achieving the impossible with God.If you&apos;d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected] Spirituality: A Holiday of Faith  Star Wars  Fresno State Track &amp; Field  Sky Harbor Mountain  San Antonio Spurs  Sacramento Kings New Orleans Pelicans  The Effective Executive  Jim Collins  Built To Last &amp; Good To Great 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. [7] Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV Worry and anxiety are hard to shake. Since they often cling onto us and don&apos;t let go, the Bible says to cast and throw them off, because God is taking care of us. Before we can get rid of our anxiety, we must first understand how our worries manifest themselves.  Do you ever feel overly agitated and irritated, but don&apos;t know why?  Oftentimes, anger and frustration are masks for unresolved anxiety. Join Russ and friends as they discuss the articles &quot;Feeling Anxious? Try These Scriptures on Frustration&quot; and &quot;4 Stories of Courage in the Bible That Will Make You Bold,&quot; and discover what is underneath your worry so that God can bring you peace.If you&apos;d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected] Anxious? Try These Scriptures On Frustration4 Stories of Courage in the Bible That Will Make You BoldHow to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety by Ellen HendriksenCall of DutyWashington FootballMichigan Football

Jesus continued from there toward Jerusalem and came to another village. Martha, a resident of that village, welcomed Jesus into her home. [39] Her sister, Mary, went and sat at Jesus’ feet, listening to Him teach.[40] Meanwhile Martha was anxious about all the hospitality arrangements. Martha (interrupting Jesus): Lord, why don’t You care that my sister is leaving me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to get over here and help me.[41] Jesus: Oh Martha, Martha, you are so anxious and concerned about a million details, [42] but really, only one thing matters. Mary has chosen that one thing, and I won’t take it away from her.Luke 10:38-42 Voice In this scripture, Martha&apos;s worry and stress makes her focused on the wrong things. She is so fixated on getting everything done and checking on her to-do list that she loses sight of what really matters - our relationships, especially our relationship with God. When we get caught up in the stress of life, we miss out on the peace and contentment God really wants to give us. We must decide to dig deep in our hearts to find the source of our anxiety and worry so that God can relieve and heal us.Join Russ and Nick Straw as they discuss Nick&apos;s article, &quot;A Bible Study on Staying Focused (for the Chronically Anxious),&quot; and how to get focused back on what really matters.If you&apos;d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected] Bible Study on Staying Focused (for the Chronically Anxious)Father Heart of God by Floyd McClung  Healing for Damaged Emotions by David Seamands  Forrest Gump  Penny Hardaway  Michael Jordan  Magic JohnsonJackie ChanThe Karate KidSteven SeagalTom BradyJoe MontanaClint EastwoodThe Outlaw Josey Wales  Anxiety and Depression in the Classroom: A Teacher&apos;s Guide to Fostering Self-Regulation in Young Students by Nadja Reilly  Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety: A Workbook for Overcoming Anxiety at Home, at School, and Everywhere Else by Christopher Willard  Parenting the New Teen in the Age of Anxiety: A Complete Guide to Your Childs Stressed, Depressed, Expanded, Amazing Adolescence by John Duffy  Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls by Lisa Damour 

And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:7 AMPC As the scripture says, God&apos;s peace is meant to make us content with who we are and what we have. When we aren&apos;t filled with the peace God gives, we end up trying to make ourselves content, leading us to become self-consumed. When we choose to deal with the worry that God&apos;s peace is meant to relieve, we are freed up from selfishness and can love God and others.Join Russ as he talks with Ray Kim about his article, &quot;Why Am I So High-Strung? 5 Signs Your Anxiety is Owning You,&quot; and learn how to tackle the worry in your life.If you&apos;d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected] Am I So High-Strung? 5 Signs Your Anxiety is Owning YouThe Last SamuraiBruce LeeDenzel WashingtonTom HanksMorpheus Jason BourneJames BondCool Hand LukeSpock

Rejoice always, [17] pray continually, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV  God calls us to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. When we do this, we are doing God&apos;s will! But too often in the midst of the chaos and stress that often come with the holidays, it can be easy to forget to slow down enough to do these simple things. That&apos;s where music can help us. Join Russ and friends as they discuss different songs that help them get in the Thanksgiving and holiday spirit, whether it&apos;s actual songs about Thanksgiving, or songs that remind us to be grateful and joyful.Check out and enjoy the &quot;Turkey Tunes&quot; Thanksgiving playlist discussed in this episode!If you&apos;d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected] ReferencesThe Holiday A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood How to Stop Worrying and Start Trusting God: 15 Helpful Tips Sunday Best by Surfaces We Are Family by Sister Sledge Addicted Youth by Hemlock Ernst Home by Diana Ross Home by Michael Buble Home by Philip Philips Home by Edward Sharpe &amp; The Magnetic Zeros Thanksgiving Prayer by Johnny Cash Everything We Need by Kanye West New Year&apos;s Day by Taylor Swift Feel The Need by Eryn Allen Kane 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”Psalm 46:10 NIV  God wants our times with him to still our hearts, reminding us that he is strong and capable enough to help us through anything. This is especially important to remember over the holidays. When we get caught up in the busyness and stress of the holidays and lose sight of God, we can easily fall into a few common traps. We need God&apos;s help to be aware of these traps and pull us out so we can truly enjoy the holidays.Join Russ and friends as they discuss these common traps that we can get caught in over the holidays, and how God can help us through it.If you&apos;d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected] Common Holiday Traps to Avoid (And 3 Talks to Have)The Speed TrapThe Comparison TrapThe Isolation Trap

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. [44] Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. [45] A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.Luke 6:43-45 NIVThough the holidays can be a stressful time, they often bring out of us what was already in our hearts. When we work to understand and deal with our hearts as the above scripture mentions, we can be aware of our heart condition going into the holidays, which can help us enjoy them and give to our family and friends.Join Russ and friends as they discuss more about how to handle Thanksgiving spiritually, along with movie and food suggestions to start your holidays off right.If you&apos;d like to email the show, send us a message at [email protected] Tips To Avoid Arguments Over ThanksgivingPoliticsReligionCriticismEnvy/CompetitionBitternessBe SecureBe LovingForget QuickSleepSlow DownSteps to Becoming BitterHurtResentmentBitternessSteps to ForgiveUnderstandResilienceForgivenessMovies To Enjoy With Your FamilyHoneyboyWon&apos;t You Be My NeighborA Beautiful Day in the NeighborhoodJingle All The WayForrest GumpSchindler&apos;s ListThe Blind SideThe Shawshank RedemptionClickHacksaw RidgeGet SantaThe Christmas ChroniclesPlanes, Trains and AutomobilesThe CrownDownton AbbeyHome Alone 2: Lost in New York

[6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NASB With Thanksgiving around the corner, it can be easy to get caught up in the worry and anxiety that often surrounds the holidays - whether it be getting anxious to get things done, worrying over what our families think of us, or having anxiety over finances. But when we have a relationship with God, he can and will help us have the peace and confidence to be able to not only endure the holidays, but enjoy them as well. Join Russ and friends as they discuss the article &quot;How to Stop Worrying and Start Trusting God: 15 Helpful Tips,&quot; and learn how to let go of worry and rely on God.ReferencesHow to Stop Worrying and Start Trusting God: 15 Helpful Tips Pumpkin Pancake RecipeThe Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz Scripture ReferencesPhilippians 4:6-7 NASB [6] Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:8 NASB Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.James 1:5-8 NLT If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. [6] But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. [7] Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. [8] Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.Mark 11:22-24 TPT Jesus replied, “Let the faith of God be in you! [23] Listen to the truth I speak to you: If someone says to this mountain with great faith and having no doubt, ‘Mountain, be lifted up and thrown into the midst of the sea,’ and believes that what he says will happen, it will be done. [24] This is the reason I urge you to boldly believe for whatever you ask for in prayer—believe that you have received it and it will be yours.John 14:27 NLT “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.Isaiah 40:30-31 NIV Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; [31] but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.Proverbs 11:14 MSG Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.

[39] “You are busy analyzing the Scriptures, frantically poring over them in hopes of gaining eternal life. Everything you read points to me, [40] yet you still refuse to come to me so I can give you the life you’re looking for – eternal life! John 5:39-40 TPTThe longer we are a Christian and spend time with God, the easier it is to see our times with God as rote, routine, and predictable. When we get “used” to being a Christian and know what the Bible says, we, like the above scripture says, end up reading and analyzing the Scriptures without seeing God for who he is. We don’t end up getting the eternal life Jesus talks about in the scripture. This power and hope only comes with a real and engaging relationship with God. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss how to have a dynamic relationship with God no matter how long we are a Christian, and how to answer the following questions: How am I doing spiritually? How are my friends doing spiritually? How are we changing the world?ReferencesHow to Have a Quiet Time: A Comprehensive GuideBroken Open by Elizabeth LesserScripture ReferencesPsalm 92:12-15 NRSV [12] The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. [13] They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. [14] In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, [15] showing that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. John 5:39-40 TPT [39] “You are busy analyzing the Scriptures, frantically poring over them in hopes of gaining eternal life. Everything you read points to me, [40] yet you still refuse to come to me so I can give you the life you’re looking for – eternal life!Ezra 7:10 NIV For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

Let me, your servant, walk in abundance of life that I may always live to obey your truth. [18] Open my eyes to see the miracle-wonders hidden in your word. [19] My life on earth is so brief, so tutor me in the ways of your wisdom.Psalm 119:17-19 TPTThe Bible is a book about God. Reading it spiritually is not about being able to quote better, know more, be smarter, argue effectively, memorize more, or even gain comfort. The focus of Scripture is to know God. Reading the Bible is a multilayered endeavor involving four levels of experience, through spiritual, literary, intellectual, and theological reading. The foundation of building a great relationship with God is through spiritual and literary reading.Join Russ and friends as they discuss the section of the “How to Have a Quiet Time: A Comprehensive Guide” about it really means to read the Bible spiritually.  For questions or suggestions, email us at [email protected]. ReferencesThe Book Of Basketball by Bill Simmons People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott PeckHow To Have A Quiet Time

The True God who inhabits sacred space is a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows. Psalm 68:5 Voice Our “quiet time” shouldn’t just stop at our morning quiet time we spend with God. If we truly find peace with God in the morning, we can go through the chaos of the day and still be at peace. This is what it means to find a sacred space. The time we spend in the morning should set up the day to be at peace no matter what happens, but we can only accomplish this when we find or create a sacred space in the morning. Join Russ and friends as they discuss the section of the “How to Have a Quiet Time: A Comprehensive Guide” about finding and creating sacred space in our times with God.Episode ReferencesHow to Have a Quiet Time: A Comprehensive GuideMy God and I song

[5] Why am I so overwrought? Why am I so disturbed? Why can&apos;t I just hope in God? Despite all my emotions, I will believe and praise the One who saves me and is my life.Psalm 42:5 Voice When we are emotional, it can be overwhelming and difficult to know how to manage them. Whether we indulge the emotions or shut them down, relying on ourselves to deal with the emotions we deal with on a daily basis is frustrating, exhausting, and ultimately, futile. Like the psalmist in the above scripture does, we need to turn our emotions to God, express them, and decide to believe God will take care of us. Journaling is a great way to help us navigate the emotions we feel, but we have to make sure to use this incredible tool spiritually. Join Russ and friends as they discuss how to use journaling spiritually. Whether to navigate our emotions in prayer or to understand God and the Bible better, spiritual journaling can be extremely useful in our continuous walk with God. For questions or suggestions, email us at [email protected] References:How to have a quiet time Bill Simmons Podcast The reading life - The Reading Life: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others&apos; EyesTed talk on how to drawTed Talk on drawing for memory The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking Sketch notes handbook How Handwriting Trains the Brain 6 Unexpected Ways Writing Can Transform Your Health 

Our times with God are meant to bring us delight in the midst of distress. They should refresh, replenish, and revive us, rather than show us what rules to follow. Our times with God should teach us more about who God is rather than be used as self-help or a way to please people. When we treat our quiet times as a way to change our behavior rather than a way to have a closer relationship with God, we will either not enjoy them, will get bitter at being told what to do, or will give up under the pressure of the rules we put on ourselves. What we do in preparation in our times with God will help set us up for a focused and insightful time to know God better, and this includes choosing the translation that best connects and resonates with us.Join Russ and friends as they discuss the first sections of the study &quot;How to Have a Quiet Time,&quot; and the ability for our times with God to be powerful and transformational, as long as we keep our focus and attention on who God is.Episode References:DeepSpirituality.net&quot;How to Have a Quiet Time&quot; articleMihaly Csikszentmihalyi talks about “flow”Signs movieScripture References: Psalm 37:4 TPT[4] Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life, and he will provide for you what you desire the most.Mark 1:35 NLT[35] Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.Psalm 34:18 NIV[18] The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.Psalm 42:1-3 NIV[1] As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. [2] My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? [3] My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”Genesis 32:28 NIV[28] Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”Job 42:5 NLT[5] I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.Psalm 73:21-22 NIV[21] When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, [22] I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.Nehemiah 8:2-3 NIV[2] So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. [3] He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.Nehemiah 8:8 NIV[8] They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.Hebrews 4:12 NIV[12] For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.1 Corinthians 8:1-3 NLT[1] Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that &quot;we all have knowledge&quot; about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. [2] Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn&apos;t really know very much. [3] But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes. 

About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become dull in understanding. [12] For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; [13] for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. [14] But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil Hebrews 5:11-14 NRSV  When we feel stuck, especially in our relationship with God, it can be easy to get frustrated, discouraged, and tempted to give up. When we&apos;re in this spot, our quiet times can become ritualistic, rote, and rules-focused, and we can’t enjoy them or grow from them. The way to get unstuck and grow in our relationship with God is to first identify what got us stuck in the first place. This happens in our quiet times. Russ Ewell sits down with friends to talk about how to have a quiet time, get unstuck, and rekindle our passion for God. 

If you fail under pressure, your strength is too small.Proverbs 24:10 NLT Though most of us have dreams, many of us stop fighting to fulfill them because we don’t feel like we can handle the pressure that comes with them. Without God giving us the strength to keep pushing through, we will become discouraged and fail under pressure. The above scripture is actually a positive message, because it is one that should drive us to ask the question, “How does my relationship with God need to change so I can handle pressure?” Russ Ewell sits down with Scott and Nick to talk about what we do with the pressure we feel, and how God is the only way to help us not give up in the midst of pressure. Sign up for our newsletter for quiet times, info, articles, and more! If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected] out more articles and podcasts at deepspirituality.net.

Amazing! Weren’t our hearts on fire within us while He was talking to us on the road? Didn’t you feel it all coming clear as He explained the meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures?LUKE 24:32 – THE VOICEWhen we avoid talking and emotionally engaging conversations, we stifle the fire burning within us. Our relationships with God and spiritual friends are meant to make our hearts come alive, but they will remain superficial when we refuse to acknowledge and address what is in our hearts. Our willingness to talk at a deeper level affects not only us, but how we are in friendship, marriage, dating, and especially relationship with God. We must be willing to be honestabout the fears, guilt, sadness, and anger that we often stifle if we want to have in our hearts the same fire the disciples in the above scripture felt around Jesus.Join Russ Ewell and friends as they continue to “talk about talking,” and learn how to make your heart come alive with God.Episode References:The Female Brain by Louann BrizendineTeaching Men to be Emotionally Honest – Andrew ReinerThe Friendship Factor by Alan Loy McGinnisLuke 6:45Matthew 12:44 VOICEStranger ThingsChange Series:“God of Change” Video“Can You Change?” Video about Peter changing“Do You Think You Can Change?” Devotional about Peter changing“How to Change” Video“Lessons We Can Learn from J. Cole’s ‘Change&apos;” Song Article

The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. Proverbs 20:5 NIV Talking is a huge part of deepening our friendships and relationships. When left to ourselves, it is easy to get so wrapped up in our heads and own thoughts that we don’t know how to understand let alone deal with our hearts. We need to talk and express ourselves to friends who listen. When we talk for the purpose of closeness and intimacy, we become the kind of friend who can draw others out as well. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the importance of talking, and learn how to develop true friendships.Episode References:The Death of FriendshipLiar, LiarThe Friendship Factor

When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, [22] I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.Psalm 73:21-22 NIV When we feel guilty, we end up angry and and embittered, and develop a negative view of God. The guilt may be true (we did something wrong), false (we did nothing wrong but feel like we did), or residual (we have already resolved what we did wrong but still feel guilty about it). Regardless of where the guilt is rooted, we will end up having a skewed view of God until we are honest and deal with our hearts with him. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the need for ongoing honest conversations with God that help us see him for who he really is.Episode References:The Last SamuraiJim Crow MuseumGreat conversations with God in the Bible:JobPsalm 30sGenesis 32Matthew 26:36-46

 “Then the one who received two thousand dollars came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you are a hard person to please. You harvest where you haven’t planted and gather where you haven’t scattered any seeds. [25] I was afraid. So I hid your two thousand dollars in the ground. Here’s your money!’Matthew 25:24-25 GWGod gives each of us talents, but it can be easy to become competitive, proud, or ungrateful with the talents we’ve been given. When we get burdened by the guilt of not using our talents to help other people, we become selfish and hold back our talents. At some point, money, ambition, or status won’t be enough to keep us motivated. We need to trust that God gave us our talents for a reason, and be grateful enough to serve others with our talents. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss how important it is to use our talents for good.Episode References:Peanut Butter FalconLate Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement by Richard Karlgaard“You Are God Alone” - William McDowell“Pascal Siakam Is the NBA in One Player”Jon IveDivergent Series

While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul was coming to kill him. [16] But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and strengthened his faith in God. [17] Jonathan told him, “Don’t be afraid, because my father won’t touch you. You will be king of Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” [18] The two of them made an agreement before the LORD. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.1 Samuel 23:15-18 NCVOur conversations are what change us. When we can understand the art of having a conversation we can then address one another&apos;s faith and deal with the fear inside that keeps us from growing. Russ Ewell sits down with Ray Kim and Nathan Schaffernoth to talk about the 5 steps to having spiritual conversations. Listening is having the curiosity to learn from every conversation. Set aside the Time, put in the time to have a relationship that has great conversations is important. Once you&apos;ve heard, you want to Reflect, to know what you don&apos;t know and think deeply about what was said. Then you can ask Questions, but you want to Understand yourself enough to know what questions to ask. Finally, Respond to share your life and continue deepening your conversations. Episode References:FDR&apos;s Fireside Chats&quot;Pistol&quot; Pete Maravich

Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [5] One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. [6] When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” [7] “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” [8] Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”John 5:3,5-8 NIV Like the paralyzed man in this scripture, many of us have felt stuck. Whether it is a circumstance, an emotion, or a sin, it is frustrating and discouraging to get stuck, and it can be hard to know how to get out of it. Just as the man needed Jesus&apos; help to get unstuck, we can&apos;t get unstuck alone. We need help from both friends and God to move forward in our lives, and this starts with asking what Jesus asked - &quot;Do you want to get well?&quot; By answering this question, we can begin to make the following decisions:Tell the truthStop resistingMake a changeFor any of us, but especially for teenagers, simplicity is key. By making the simple choice to either tell the truth, stop resisting help, or make a change in our lives, we make steps toward getting unstuck and becoming free. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they talk about what decisions we can make to have a summer of freedom.

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”I Samuel 17:32 NIV Do you have the heart to lead? A leader is someone who inspires people to keep pushing and not lose heart. In this scripture, David was able to lead the Israelites to defeat the Philistines because of his ability to stir and inspire the hearts of the people. Leaders have hearts that inspire, are focused, and are resolved to reach their purpose. The moment we let God parent and lead us is the moment we become the leaders he is calling us to be. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the heart to lead. Sign up for our newsletter for quiet times, info, articles, and more! If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected] Episode References:Breaking Free from the Eeyore SyndromeChasing GodDIY: What is Going on with Me?

But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.Ecclesiastes 2:11 NLT All of us are chasing something. When we feel worthless, inadequate, or insignificant, we will look anywhere and everywhere to make ourselves feel worthy. The insecurities about who we are fuel our chase for more, but if we don&apos;t go to God the insecurities will only be silenced temporarily. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the things we chase that don&apos;t really satisfy us, and how God is the only thing worth chasing.Episode References:Bob Dylan - Gotta Serve SomebodyJackson Browne - Running on Empty

For You shaped me, inside and out. You knitted me together in my mother’s womb long before I took my first breath. [14] I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, filled with wonder and awe. You have approached even the smallest details with excellence; Your works are wonderful; I carry this knowledge deep within my soul.Psalm 139:13-14 VoiceDepending on how we grew up, we may each have different experiences and perspectives on parents. Whether these experiences were good or bad, not even the best parents can or should fill our needs. This is where God comes in. Like this psalmist writes, God knows us and cares about us for who we are. As a parent, God nurtures us, challenges us, and guides us in the way we should go. Join Russ Ewell as he discusses with Sean and Mike how God gives us a place where we belong, and is the ultimate parent we all want and need. To read the article this podcast is based on, click here.

Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked. [7] They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.” [8] But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. [9] He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?” [10] The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. [11] My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’ ”1 Kings 12:6-11 NIV In this scripture, King Rebohoam took bad advice, which later costs him the entire nation when they refused follow him. Though we may look to this story and see all of the king&apos;s mistakes and flaws, what this story really teaches us is that if we are to move forward, we have to be willing to let young leaders make mistakes. This fear of failure is one of many reasons why young people don&apos;t go into spiritual leadership. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss what can hold people back from leading, and find how, despite our mistakes, God believes we can be great leaders. Sign up for our newsletter for quiet times, info, articles, and more! If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected] 

Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ assistant since his youth, protested, “Moses, my master, make them stop!” [29] But Moses replied, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!”Numbers 11:28-29 NLT Moses is known as one of the greatest leaders of the Bible, but even he saw the importance and necessity of not leading alone. He wished for everyone to contribute to leading God&apos;s people. Though terms like &quot;leader&quot; or &quot;elder&quot; have certain connotations in a church setting, what God really intended was for everyone to be involved in leading and helping the church grow. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss team leadership and what that should look like.  Sign up for our newsletter for quiet times, info, articles, and more! If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected] 

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Proverbs 29:18 KJV When any organization, especially a church, lacks vision for the future, the group is going to go into decline. But how do you know if your church is going into decline? Before any church goes financially bankrupt it will first go spiritually, socially, and emotionally bankrupt. Russ Ewell and friends discuss seven signs that a church may be going into decline: when entertainment replaces inspiration, compromise replaces conviction, rules replace relationships, behavior replaces heart, insularity replaces innovation, attachment to the past replaces vision for the future, and managers replace leaders. Sign up for our newsletter for quiet times, info, articles, and more! If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected] References:Crystal CathedralHome Improvement

But I trust in you, LORD; I say, “You are my God.” [15] My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.Psalm 31:14-15 NIVTrusting God means believing that everything in our lives is happening for a reason. Do you have this attitude toward God influencing you and your decisions in your life? When we don&apos;t have a personal and emotional connection to how God is moving, the Christian life can feel monotonous or burdensome, leading us to settle for religiosity as a coping mechanism. No religious behaviorism or rules will make us feel complete. Only a real and personally inspired relationship with God will give us the wholeness we are looking for. It’s our time to be close to God. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the launching of the new email newsletter, &quot;Kickstart Your Quiet Time.&quot; They walk through the thought process behind the first article of the series, &quot;What Time is It?,&quot; helping all of us answer the question, &quot;How do I get personally inspired in my walk with God?&quot; Sign up for our newsletter for quiet times, info, articles, and more! If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected]

Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.Proverbs 14:10 NIVOur insecurities often come from a place of feeling misunderstood. There are things we experience that no one but God can understand. When we feel misunderstood emotionally, intellectually, socially, and spiritually, we need God to help us understand and express ourselves through writing, drawing, music, or anything that will help us make our hearts and souls known to ourselves, God, and others.Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the need to seek God with all of our insecurities, and how he is the only one who can understand the depths of who we are.If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected] References:&quot;I&apos;m Feeling&quot; Spotify PlaylistRead Book of Psalms to better understand emotions&quot;Rescue&quot; by Lauren Daigle&quot;All Along&quot; by Kid Cudi

What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.Proverbs 19:22 NIVThe Bible teaches that, ultimately, what we each desire most is to be loved unconditionally. But when we let our fear of rejection prevent us from being honest about our thoughts, emotions, and insecurities, we end up feeling alone and never truly feel loved. Whether it is our appearance, intelligence, ability, or likability, there are areas of each of our lives that make us feel insecure and unhappy. It is only once we choose to be honest about these things that we will feel the unfailing love that God wants to give us. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the crippling effect fear of rejection and loneliness can have on us and our relationships. and how being honest with God and people can be what frees us up to feel loved.If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected]

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. [2] My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?Psalm 42:1-2 NIVAre you aware of your insecurities? The Bible describes insecurity as a &quot;soul thirst,&quot; one that we try to quench with others&apos; approval or our own achievements but that can never be fully satisfied without God. We all struggle with the need for security and feeling like we are good enough, and this is especially true for teenagers. Though it is easier to focus on the results of our insecurities - the things we do like drinking, drugs, getting attention, getting good grades or achieving - it is only once we acknowledge and take our insecurities to God that we truly become secure in who we are. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the effect our insecurities can have on our identity, our confidence, and our relationships with each other.If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected]

Join Russ Ewell and the team as they discuss how the moment we discover our identity with God we find we are able to build an intimate and personal relationships with God and others.Psalm 37:3-6 NIVTrust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. [4] Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. [5] Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: [6] He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.In our search for identity, purpose and intimacy we have to go to a place some do not want to enter. We have to deal with the deep things in our hearts. Fear of rejection stops us from tackling these existential questions. We can have an innate worry of being love. That journey of discovering your identity and purpose can only be found in God. Because a true identity can never be taken away from you. At the end of the day, God is our anchor. If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected] from the Episode:Psalm 30-39Gideon - Judges 6-81 John ESV Journal Bible

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.Galatians 5:13–15 NIVWhen we develop insecure relationships with both God and people, we end up experiencing spiritual and emotional decline, which leads to intellectual contention within communities, causing us to bite, devour, and destroy each other. In order to overcome the destructive superficiality that corrodes our communities and relationships, we must make an effort to discover the answers to these three questions:Who am I?Why am I here?Am I worthy of being loved?Join Russ Ewell and others as they discuss how the moment we discover with God the answers to these questions is the moment we are able to built intimate and personal relationships with each other. This is how groups and organizations, especially churches, can be sustained and thrive. If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected] 

Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.1 Corinthians 8:1 NLTWhen we are insecure, it can be easy to try to satisfy our desire to &quot;feel important&quot; by knowing all the right answers, getting people to like us, or achieving status and respect. Though these things may feel good in the moment, they can never fill the hole that only love can fill. When we don&apos;t deal with the insecurities that plague our hearts, we end up valuing people over God, behavior over heart, appearance over attachment, and performance over real relationships, leaving us feeling just as empty as before. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they discuss the necessity of addressing insecurity, and discover the security and confidence that come from an intimate relationship with God.If you have topic ideas, movies, music, documentaries, articles, or books for the show email us at [email protected] Episode LinksInsecurity: An IntroductionNetflix: How The Beatles Changed The WorldJohn Lennon on The Dick Cavett Show (1971)Netflix: Bruce Springsteen on Broadway

 Finding passion is a difficult thing. We can be hobbyist with things, but not true passion. Having it be a burning fire within you that leads you to your destiny.Psalm 63:1-5 NIrVGod, you are my God. I seek you with all my heart. With all my strength I thirst for you in this dry desert where there isn’t any water. [2] I have seen you in the sacred tent. There I have seen your power and your glory. [3] Your love is better than life. So I will bring glory to you with my lips. [4] I will praise you as long as I live. I will call on your name when I lift up my hands in prayer. [5] I will be as satisfied as if I had eaten the best food there is. I will sing praise to you with my mouth.This Psalmist considers God&apos;s love better than life. He gets his everything from God. Take the time to pray about your emotions to get your passion from God. If you don&apos;t, you suppress your emotion, and that is when you suppress your passion, so don&apos;t ignore what you need to pray about. You can&apos;t build anything without passionate people because those with passion believe it is their destiny to revolutionize whatever God has put on their heart to do. Until we believe it is our destiny we will never be passionate. If adversity stops you, then you are not passionate yet. So a daily renewal of your focus on your purpose will help you to become passionate. 

Being passionate, not just committed is something that is not examined by each and every Christian. We can settle with a committed heart but miss out on the passion for God that can change the world. Will you feed that passion?1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIrVIn a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. You know that, don’t you? So run in a way that will get you the prize. [25] All who take part in the games train hard. They do it to get a crown that will not last. But we do it to get a crown that will last forever. [26] So I do not run like someone who doesn’t run toward the finish line. I do not fight like a boxer who hits nothing but air. [27] No, I train my body and bring it under control. Then after I have preached to others, I myself will not break the rules. If I did break them, I would fail to win the prize.Russ sits down with Ray, Nick and Mike to discuss where does passion come from. It comes from within us! It is a fire that burns regardless of circumstance. We can wait for things to excite us or inspire us, but we don&apos;t stoke the fire of passion from within. The first place to start is our personal relationship with God because our passion comes from God. When we take that time to reflect deeply we can grow to become passionate about God and our purpose. We need to be passionate about changing the world and the only way to do that is if every Christian has that deep passion within them.

In Part Two of our How To Do Well Spiritually, Russ and the team dive into the remaining steps to help all of us do well spiritually with God everyday.Psalm 1:1 VoiceGod’s blessings follow you and await you at every turn: when you don’t follow the advice of those who delight in wicked schemes, When you avoid sin’s highway, when judgment and sarcasm beckon you, but you refuse.It is hard to drown out the daily influences we experience, sometimes unknowingly, that cause us to feel like we are less or we are falling behind from our peers. One of the biggest steps to doing well spiritually is &quot;thinking for yourself&quot; because the noise from the crowd can be deafening and we do not realize we have stopped thinking for ourselves. We have to streamline our lives to focus on what is important, and if that is doing well spiritually then that will be the things we decide to focus on. If we focus we can throw off the Encumbrances (distractions) &amp; Entanglements (sins) that prevent us from doing well spiritually and focus on the consistent, daily effort it takes to do the spiritual work before us. 

A lot of people ask, &quot;How do I do well spiritually?&quot; So today we decided to tackle the answer to that common question. In our two part series we dive into the necessary steps that it takes for all of us to take responsibly for our own personal walk with God and start consistently doing well. James 1:22-25 NLTBut don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. [23] For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. [24] You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. [25] But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.The first place to start for everyone is to deal with how we view the Bible. When we read the Bible is it a time to be judged or graded, or do we see the possibilities and points of progress. We all come to God and His Word with different backgrounds and baggage but we all must own the work that moves our hearts to be resilient and not get discouraged when you see the truth from the Bible. Look and see who you can be. See the opportunity! If we can take responsibility of that, and not blame anyone or anything for our spiritual condition we can begin to walk with God like we never have before.

Here it is! Best of the Best. Today&apos;s episode is a special one! Mike, Amy and Nathan sit down to discuss and share the moments from the show so far that have really stood out to them and helped their personal walk with God.2 Thessalonians 2:15 NIVSo then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.It can be easy to cruise through life and not set aside the time to reflect and share about what you&apos;ve learned and how you&apos;re working to change and grow upon the lessons that have stood out to you. What has been your favorite lessons learned from the Deep Spirituality podcast so far? How have you listened, learned and taken action to better your relationship with God? We hope to continue to learn and that you, our audience, will learn with us along the way. Thank you for listening and continuing to support the show.

In our final installment of the Defeating Discouragement Series; Russ, Brian and Stone talk about being able to fight spiritually. Leaning on Brian and Stone&apos;s lessons learn from their days as collegiate and nation judo and wrestling athletes they share stories of how they learned to fight on the mat and how that translates to everyone&apos;s walk with God.Ephesians 6:10-12 VoiceFinally, brothers and sisters, draw your strength and might from God. [11] Put on the full armor of God to protect yourselves from the devil and his evil schemes. [12] We’re not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places.We are all in a spiritual fight. It can be easy to see the people around us we direct our emotions and efforts towards them but being spiritual in how we survey the spiritual battlefield we live in. It isn&apos;t about people, it is about demons and Satan attacking us. His going to try to tear down our faith with discouragements and lies. But when we choose God we choose to fight and not quit. We can increase our faith by drawing close to God, training everyday with Him, and dealing with our fear. Become a fighter and stop complaining about today, because it is getting you prepared for tomorrow.

Overcoming fear is essential to defeating our discouragement. Russ sits down with Brian and Nick to discuss how we have to choose God to overcome our discouragement, and by choosing God we chose faith and not fear. What fear are you focused on? The fear of: shaming, hard things, failure, missing out, or change?Philippians 3:13-14 NIVBrothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.The tricky thing about fear is the more afraid we are the more self reliant we become. So if you are looking to yourself for the answers and not to God, take stock of your fear. Once you identify it you have to be specific, finding someone to share those fears with. All of us need to choose to have faith rather than being afraid.

In the third part of our Defeating Discouragement Series, Russ, Mike and Amy sit down to discuss how we need to take on the quitter in all of us. If we don&apos;t then we will persist in the pit of discouragement.Philippians 3:12 NIVNot that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.The first place we can quit is emotionally. We go through the motions but leave the heart out. We choose the be interrupted or enjoy being interrupted so we don&apos;t have to focus on the heart. In our discouragement we can: break our devotion and focus on God, we can get overly emotional about stuff so we can quit, we distract ourselves by the easy stuff to do, and never get around to taking on the hard things, or focus on the past and the things we missed out on instead of thinking about what is going on in the present. There are so many avenues that lead to quitting and we can convince ourselves quitting the the only solution but there is a way out. We have to defeat the quitter in us all. 

In the second part of our Defeating Discouragement Series, Russ and the team discuss how you can overcome discouragement and gain hope by finding your purpose. Though we can think that are purpose is wrapped up in what we do but the purpose of our lives  is not our job, but changing other people&apos;s lives. Even though we face different discouragement we should not lose hope because what you might think is discouraging, could be your destiny. Philippians 2:12-13 NIVTherefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.We all can make an identity shift by finding our purpose with God. Our lives and examples can give people hope when we work to find our purpose. Don&apos;t be afraid to have a fresh restart and find the purpose God has for you while choosing what you love.

It&apos;s Christmas time! We wanted to give you suggestions to have a joyful holidays so listen in as the Deep Spirituality team discuss their top Christmas movies, music and food.In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.Ephesians 6:16 NIVTo beat the discouragement you have to build your faith. First thing is to &quot;get past your wounds&quot; from the past. Have honest conversations with those you&apos;re spending time with and leave everything in 2018 and start 2019 fresh. Secondly, &quot;know your purpose,&quot; spend the holidays digging into the Bible and prayer to find your purpose for why you&apos;re spending time with who you&apos;re with. And lastly, &quot;resist the resistance,&quot; by getting past any opposition you might meet, whether from other or yourself. Let&apos;s Get Ready To Christmas!!!

&quot;The most wonderful time of the year!&quot; That&apos;s the standard of the holiday season, but for some it isn&apos;t the most wonderful time. The Holidays can be a discouraging time because we see our failures more plainly, or reminded don&apos;t measure up to another family member or where people expected us to be at. Defeating Discouragement is a new series tackling why we can get discouraged and what we can do with God to get ourselves out of the pit.Psalm 40:1-2 NLTI waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. [2] He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.Russ, Nathan and Cameron kick-off this series discussing what it means to humble yourself by choosing God, but first identifying your discouragement: either Emotional Discouragement (the day to day obstacles, difficulties, and disappointments), Seasonal Discouragement (discouraging memories surfaced by specific time of year), Situational Discouragement (moments of relationship rejection, personal failure, or missed opportunities), or Chronic Discouragement (a constant state of mental and emotional discouragement).Make sure to subscribe to the feed to keep up with the next episodes on Defeating Discouragement!

Becoming Fearless is not an easy task. If building character was simple enough, everyone would be fearless. But we all have to embrace the process it takes to help us develop our character so we can help others develop theirs. Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don’t be diverted. Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation.1 Timothy 4:15 MSGWith the launch of our Fearless Series; Russ, Chiara, Amy, Rhett and Mike brainstorm together the process on how anyone can use this study series. Connect, be a Conduit, Care and Compassionate: these are the steps to fully maximize the Fearless Series. Someone who is seeking God must first be sought by those around them.Fearless Series that includes articles, devotionals, videos, and of course, podcasts! Follow as we launch into our Fearless Series and develop your character along with us.

 Character is something we all lack in one way or another. We can go through life being strong in one area or ignore another part of our character, because today’s challenges are rooted in the character we have made in our past. But the great thing is this series is about who God can help you become because when you have character, you always have hope.[3] We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. [4] And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. [5] And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.Romans 5:3-5 NLTIn the second part of our introduction to our Fearless Series launch Russ, Amy, Rhett &amp; Chiara dive into the details of the series and expand upon the studies and how they help us to become who God wants us to be in fourteen different ways. Character will help you never quit no matter what you face.Visit DeepSpirituality.net/fearless to check out more of this content. For audio Bible resources mentioned in this podcast: Dwell, or YouVersion.

We can all be deeply afraid and shaken by our own sins and life challenges when we are not rooted in God. No one can be fearless by their own effort but God can produce this in us when we are confident he is with us and we are being used to fulfill His purpose.1 Samuel 17:10-11 NLTI defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!” [11] When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.Russ, Chiara, Rhett, Mike and Amy start this three part discussion about fear and how God helps us overcome our fears by having faith and developing our character. They breakdown the different fears that take the fight out of us. We have the fears of accusation, rejection, suffering, failure, and even success. This is the start of our Fearless Series that includes articles, devotionals, videos, and of course, podcasts! Follow as we launch into our Fearless Series and develop your character along with us. 

Where does fearlessness start? Well, stay tuned to the feed to hear us breakdown the new Fearless Series we are launching at DeepSpirituality.net that includes articles, devotions, videos, and of course, podcasts. Fearless Introduction - https://bit.ly/2Q9XKco1st Fearless Series Topic: Courage - https://bit.ly/2KOFGyP 

No one wishes to be overwhelmed by their guilt and God does not desire for us to be burdened by our sins. He wants us to be set free! But we have to be courageous in our effort to face our sin and our guilt with God. Psalm 51:1-2 VoiceLook on me with a heart of mercy, O God, according to Your generous love. According to Your great compassion, wipe out every consequence of my shameful crimes. [2] Thoroughly wash me, inside and out, of all my crooked deeds. Cleanse me from my sins.Russ, Cameron, Mike and Amy finish their conversation on guilt and forgiveness, diving into how do we break free and experience the forgiveness God intends for us. 

 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.1 John 1:7 NIVGuilt is one of the biggest obstacles between us and having a close relationship with God and friends. The problem with not owning our guilt and admitting our sin is that we can never truly experience forgiveness or really let go and be free. If we want to be close to God and others, we have to stay in the light and be transparent. Russ, Cameron, Mike, and Amy continue their discussion of dealing with guilt and understanding forgiveness in the second part of this series.There is a sure way for us to know that we belong to the truth. Even though our inner thoughts may condemn us with storms of guilt and constant reminders of our failures, we can know in our hearts that in His presence God Himself is greater than any accusation. He knows all things.1 John 3:19 VoiceWhen we confess our sins, forgiveness can take care of the isolation, accusations, and discouragement that guilt creates. Because God already knows all of our sin and is greater than any guilt we have burdening us but loves us anyway, we can be free and confident to be ourselves.

Forgiveness is needed because we are all assaulted by storms of guilt. How do you deal with your guilt? Where do you go? We all must identify where we go, to know where to start, and to find our path to being free of guilt.Guilt is staggering...[10] My life is exhausted from sorrow, my years from groaning. My strength staggers under the weight of my guilt, and my bones waste away.Psalm 31:10 GWGuilt is ignored...“There is an inspired truth about the wicked person who has rebellion in the depths of his heart: He is not terrified of God. He flatters himself and does not hate or ⌊even⌋ recognize his guilt.”‭‭Psalm‬ ‭36:1-2‬ ‭GW‬‬Guilt is overwhelming...“My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.”‭‭Psalm‬ ‭38:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬Guilt increases anxiety...“For I do confess my guilt and iniquity; I am filled with anxiety because of my sin.”‭‭Psalm‬ ‭38:18‬ ‭AMP‬‬Guilt is painful...“Evil surrounds me; problems greater than I can solve come one after another. Without you, I know I can’t make it. My sins are so many! I’m so ashamed to lift my face to you. For my guilt grabs me and stings my soul until I am weakened and spent.”‭‭Psalms ‭40:12‬ ‭TPT‬‬Guilt is people proof...“They trust in their treasures and boast in their riches, yet not one of them, though rich as a king, could rescue his own brother from the guilt of his sins. Not one could give God the ransom price for the soul of another, let alone for himself.”‭‭Psalm‬ ‭49:6-7‬ ‭TPT‬‬

Our internal struggle is to find security and belonging by getting secure with God. Believing that God loves you and is with you through anything that happens in life. But without internal security we attempt to fill that void with whatever we can. We scrap for security by trying to control, putting out the vibe that no one else can help us and we got it under control. As a result we burden people with our actions, that are driven by our insecurities.Luke 11:39 VoiceYou Pharisees are a walking contradiction. You are so concerned about external things—like someone who washes the outside of a cup and bowl but never cleans the inside, which is what counts! Beneath your fastidious exterior is a mess of extortion and filth.Russ, Nick, Brian and Ray finish their sit down on Deep Insecurities. Dealing with the emotions that drive our insecurities will help us get closer to God and find unshakeable confidence. Most of us are afraid of rejection so we aren&apos;t willing to allow ourselves to be authentic and &quot;wear our emotions on our sleeves.&quot; We are afraid of losing control, so we keep what we really think and feel inside, preventing us from actually facing the things that keep us insecure. We need be honest, be real, that is what produces a loving environment that we all desire. Let&apos;s make &quot;messy&quot; the normal. 

Unattractive, unlikable, unwelcome, unimportant, or unworthy: Which &quot;un-&quot; resonates with you? You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. [14] I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord! [15] You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place, carefully, skillfully shaping me from nothing to something.Psalm 139:13-15 TPTInsecurity is something that everyone has, but tries to hide. Continuing with Part 2 of our Deep Insecurity: Why Emotions Matter series Russ, Ray, Brian, and Nick dive deeper and share life examples of the insecurities that drive and shape them. It is easy to ignore the inside but it is our soul that hungers for security. Our insecurity comes from our emotions and the baggage of our insecurities lingers when we avoid, neglect or consume ourselves with our emotions. That is why our emotions matter and why we need to bring them to God. We end up not having an anchor in life. We all need an anchor, and bringing those insecurities to God will give you that anchor. Show Notes:Why Emotions Matter: Deep Insecurity, Part One - https://bit.ly/2AEuEsv Feature: Deep Insecurity -  https://bit.ly/2COo3gj Deep Insecurity Series - https://bit.ly/2P20Puz 

Why do your emotions matter? We all respond to our emotions differently, some of us will dive deep into our emotions and that is the only thing that matters, while others can deny, ignore, and even suppress their emotions. What we do with our emotions can effect whether we are secure in ourselves, or insecure. Insecurity is a normal experience, though it is not one that we all like to discuss. Even the topic of insecurity can breed more insecurity. But what does insecurity mean to you? Is it your confidence level? Your appearance? How others rank you? Insecurity is about the internal conversation that you have and how you think about yourself.1 Samuel 10:20-22 CEVSamuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the LORD chose the Benjamin tribe. [21] Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the LORD chose the Matri clan. Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found. [22] The people prayed, “Our LORD, is Saul here?” “Yes,” the LORD answered, “he is hiding behind the baggage.”Russ, Nick, Ray and Brian discuss King Saul while sharing their own insights and stories on their internal insecurities. Saul was someone who had all the outward attributes of a confident and capable person, but he lacked the internal security and relationship with God to be unshakeable. In a recent Washington Post article, We have an epidemic of loneliness. How can we fix it?, and the book Them: Why We Hate Each Other--and How to Heal by Ben Sasse, there is an pervasive problem of loneliness despite being in an age of a highly connected world. A lot of that loneliness that people can experience comes from our own internal insecurity. Until we work out the anxieties inside with God, we will not be able to find that lasting security we all desire. __________________________________________________________________________SHOW NOTES:Insecurity Bible Study - https://bit.ly/2COo3gj --Washington Post: Epidemic Of Loneliness Article - https://wapo.st/2zi35Db --Them: Why We Hate Each Other Book And How to Heal - https://amzn.to/2CQssiZ --

In the final conclusion of the How To Have A Quiet Time series Russ, David, Parker and Kelly discuss The Story Of The Lost Son. How one son sought control, while the other just conformed. Resulting in both sons missing out on the honest relationship they both could have with their father....“While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him. He was filled with tender love for his son. He ran to him. He threw his arms around him and kissed him. [21] “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.’ [22] “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. [23] Bring the fattest calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. [24] This son of mine was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found.’...Luke 15:20-24 NIrVGod desires honesty from us, not hiding the motives, but revealing our secret heart. Often, we desire reward or recognition for our performance. There is stress that comes from being religious and putting on a performance, resulting in us feeling like a slave to the rules. Or, we seek to control so we can feel empowered to do whatever we want, uninhibited. What are we trying to control? How do we try to control the truth?  God is driven out of your life by the suppression of truth. So don&apos;t fight the truth, embrace it, be emboldened by it. Work to believe that God wants us to find happiness in a relationship with Him. Reflect on your relationship with God: Which son am I? The younger (control) or the older (performance)?____________________________________________________________________________SHOW NOTES:How To Have A Quiet Time Podcast Ep1 - https://bit.ly/2EUqCQOWhy God Chose You DIY Bible study- https://bit.ly/2PySvlxFrom Humanistic Performance to Spiritual Pursuit Devotional - https://bit.ly/2RqYHJx

In the final part of the Spiritual Burnout series Part 1 and Part 2. Russ has Mike and Nick read through scriptures and give their tips on how to engage your heart and not just perform by doing some outward action.Sometimes we can think that being a Christian consists of feeling like a failure and always falling short. There are impossibly high standards that we humanly cannot reach, even if we are to try our hardest. Though that is not what God asks of us, He asks for us to start simply with being completely honest with Him about everything we think and feel. If you can start with honesty then you can start seeing the things God is teaching you throughout your day. Our eye open to how much He is involved, and working, and how much do we focus on circumstances or situations rather than God while living life. Learn how to stop relying on yourself and your performance and start relying on God. There are many practicals brought up this episode so make sure to listen all the way to the end.Be sure to check out our site at DeepSpirtuality.net and our Youtube Channel for more content like this.

Our souls are not made whole by following the rules, or by modifying our behavior. Yet more often than not, this is the trap that snares us. We get frustrated when we put in the work to become loving people but don&apos;t get the results we want, but don&apos;t realize that our ineffectiveness is a result of our heart not being in it. It&apos;s easier to focus on the actions we need to take than it is to learn to be vulnerable: slowing down enough to be aware of and share what&apos;s going on inside. And it&apos;s not always about sin. A lot of times, we experience spiritual burnout because we have emotions that we haven&apos;t learned how to unload properly. Call it emotional maturity: when we&apos;re able to talk about and deal with our emotions in a spiritual way, we are no longer hamstrung by them. We develop invulnerable behavior because we&apos;re afraid to get hurt. It&apos;s easier to do outward things than to let people in, and so a lot of the love that we could provide doesn&apos;t get a chance to come out. This is a cause of spiritual burnout that often goes unaddressed because we often associate burnout with too much activity, instead of examining our approach to God and relationships. Don&apos;t just work hard, work smart. This episode is part two in a three part series called Spiritual Burnout. Join Russ and the crew for another round of discussion about how God can help us avoid burning out by being emotionally vulnerable and avoiding living by a set of rules.

Can you list all the church rules? In our modern day religious culture, the demand for perfection can be painfully real for many. Sometimes that pressure to be the perfect Christian originates internally, and other times it&apos;s felt externally; either way it just kills. The solution isn&apos;t to run away from God, however - it&apos;s to beat the behavior modification mindset that&apos;s been engrained in many of us from years of mishandling guilt and looking for too much affirmation from the people in our lives. Since you died with Christ and were made free from the ruling spirits of the world, why do you act as if you still belong to this world by following rules like these: [21] “Don’t handle this,” “Don’t taste that,” “Don’t even touch that thing”? [22] These rules refer to earthly things that are gone as soon as they are used. They are only human commands and teachings. [23] They seem to be wise, but they are only part of a human religion. They make people pretend not to be proud and make them punish their bodies, but they do not really control the evil desires of the sinful self. Colossians 2:20-23 NCV When we&apos;re still controlled by the ruling spirits of the world, our lives get modified to fit into a Christian behavior but we remain conflicted internally. We do &quot;right&quot; things not because the Bible says to do it, but because we&apos;re unhealthily reliant on approval in the church culture we&apos;re in. Instead of hopelessly following the implied rules we feel are Christian but aren&apos;t actually in the Bible, we should spend our time learning to experience the freedom that is supposed to come from an authentic relationship with God our father. If you&apos;re feeling tired, like you can&apos;t do this anymore - always feeling terrible about yourself at church, trying to act a certain way but unfree from the accompanying turmoil inside - this podcast episode, as well as the subsequent ones that will follow, are about helping you get out of that situation. Join Russ Ewell and friends as they begin to dive into scriptures and discuss their experiences with extreme behavior modification, and how they&apos;ve learned to free themselves up from it.

A quiet time, or the time we spend with God, is meant to leave us feeling more passionate than before. But too often, guilt and a hyper-focus on rules and human judgment can cloud the clarity necessary to see how God is trying to speak to and lead us. This is why we need a “sacred space” to clear our minds of everything that could distract us to weigh us down. With sacred focus such as this, we are freed up to engage in sacred listening, where we read the Bible to hear God’s voice rather than to be told what we are doing wrong. This allows us to enter into a sacred conversation with God, where we can talk to him about our thoughts, emotions, and desires. Join Russ Ewell and friends in the second part of this series as they discuss this need to understand the importance of God’s forgiveness in the midst of our own guilt and self-judgment, in order to become more passionate and confident in our purpose. Also discussed is the introduction of our new DIY studies. These studies are not only meant for teenagers, but for anyone looking to learn how to build a personal relationship with God that is not dependent on another person. DIY studies are meant to help us learn how to have these times with God on our own, along with creative ways we can connect, which will look different for each individual.

How do you connect with God? We&apos;re all unique in the ways that we make connections with people and the world around us. There are entire curriculums dedicated to helping people better understand their personality types and how they can more effectively engage with coworkers, friends or family. In the same way that we need guidance and creativity in connecting with each other, we believe that we should put just as much if not more effort into finding better ways to personally connect with God. A quiet time is a term many people (including us at Deep Spirituality) use to describe a time we block out every day to read our Bibles and pray. And as is the case with most religious activities, our quiet times can over time devolve into a ritual - something we know we should get done every day. If you&apos;re trying hard to be a &quot;Good Christian&quot;, you likely can relate to feeling a level of guilt at some point about your quiet times: I didn&apos;t spend enough time praying, I was half asleep while trying to read my Bible, and so on. In this series, Russ Ewell and friends discuss their different approaches in how they spend time with God, and give practical advice on how to make your quiet times deeper, more personal and more intimate. In part one, they explain what it means to create a sacred space, which is a special state of mind you can achieve where you are free from distraction and able to devote your entire mind and heart to God.

Coming home is basically coming home to God. Russ Ewell, Cameron Straw, Parker Allen, and David Traver finish their discussion of what is means to them to walk with God and surrender their anxiety. For anyone to walk with God you have to go beyond a quiet time, or a morning devotional with God and make an emotional connection with God. That is what it truly means to walk side by side with God through life. Sometimes that is the hardest thing for us to do, to wake up in the morning and not be consumed with the worries of the day, the stress of family or work, the stimulation from the news or our newsfeeds that can throw off our mornings and put us out of step with God. We can&apos;t manage our day when we wake up every morning anxious. As we all learn how to walk with God then we will know how to be still with Him, because stillness is the absence of anxiety, and in our stillness we will begin to see God&apos;s power and that he is greater than whatever we might worry about or fret. The ability to be still and be home, with God is something we all are working towards and hope to find ourselves. Check out the blog

For many people, growing up around church or religion can be something of a double edge sword, to borrow a phrase from the Biblical lexicon. On one hand, assuming you had a good experience, you were likely instilled with strong values, a sense of responsibility for your family and community, and hopefully, a positive view of God and a feeling that he exists. On the other hand, it can be really hard to tell if all the good Christian stuff you&apos;re doing is actually what you believe and want, or merely what you&apos;ve learned to embody over your years sitting in the pews. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self- control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25 NIV In this episode, Russ Ewell and guests David Traver, Cameron Straw and Parker Allen continue the discussion started last week (check out Coming Home, Part One if you haven&apos;t already). They discuss the subtle differences between action that is motivated by religious duty, and deeds that are driven by an unique and intimate relationship with God. As Galatians 5:22-25 describes, there are qualities that begin to exude from us when we are in step with God and the Holy Spirit, and they are not manufactured; the closer you get to God, the more loving a person you become.

What does it really mean to have a relationship with God? Many people who seek God are faced with the challenge of making a personal connection with him that is unique, and separate from the traditions they learned growing up. A person who is used to making conversation by making small talk or jokes may have a hard time feeling like they are actually engaging in a conversation with God if it is mostly comprised of ritualistic behavior. Coming Home is a new series of episodes for our Deep Spirituality podcast that explores what it means to make God your home. Home is where you go when you&apos;re tired, lonely, looking for security, or just don&apos;t know where else to go. Coming home to God means letting go of the expectations we place on ourselves that may come from family or religious institutions, and allowing our genuine interest and desire for spiritual connection to drive our behavior instead. Russ Ewell sits down with Cameron Straw, David Traver, and Parker Allen to talk about our context and how that shapes how we view God and how we approach our relationship with God. In the end we hope to walk with God as we go through life, uninhibited and free to build a deep connection with God to transforms who we are from the inside out.

Has Christianity slipped in the public conscious because of God being less attractive? Or is it because we as people have made church about us and less about God? This is the Decline of Christianity. When the public stops having scripture and God at the center of our individual hearts and collective churches. Cameron Straw, Russ Ewell and Ray Kim sit down to expand upon the topics discussed in The Rise of the 21st Century Spiritual Theologian found on DeepSpirituality.net. What does the future hold for Christianity? No one knows exactly, but it will require everyone to examine their view of God and reignite our spiritual curiosity for God to know him more deeply.

&quot;The real us remains hidden when things are easy, but surfaces when we are faced with the impossible.&quot;The hard times we go through often feel impossible to handle, but it is our faith that helps us endure. The work we need to do is not to be able to handle everything on our own, but rather to trust God and let go of the desire for control in our lives. Russ Ewell, Nick Straw, and Ray Kim sit down to discuss how the key to turning our emotion into action is trusting God and allowing God to know us more deeply and intimately through the hard things in life, which produces transformative change in us through the process. Genesis 22:1 NIV [1] Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Genesis 22:2 NIV [2] Then God said, “Take your son , your only son, whom you love---Isaac---and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.&quot; Genesis 22:3-5 NIV [3] Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. [4] On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. [5] He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you. ”