Anything But Quiet Time

One well known pastor said "sin doesn't make you bad" and caught Carder off guard... until he finished the sentence.

This week's conversation is a great reminder that people are at different stages in their walk with God. Plus, we find encouragement from some of the very first Christians. Life was hard then, and the encouragement Paul gave them applies to us today as well. 

Maybe you've heard to "root for your enemies". While we should love them, should we be "rooting" for them if they're doing evil? One Psalm gives a great balance of love... and destruction. 

It might shock you to know how little time people spend reading their Bible. Ben Windle has been a pastor and now speaks all around the world about how to read and truly study the Bible for yourself. He shares some helpful tips and some of his story growing up as a pastor's kid. 

When hard things happen in life, our faith can be shaken. And when a faith mentor quits believing, it can really give us doubts. We dig into how to pass along truth to our kids so that they won't be shaken when life happens.

We discuss some well meaning things people say, but aren't actually scriptural truth. We also talk about things in life that people can settle for, and how our relationship with Jesus is what truly lasts.

If bitterness takes root in our lives, we may find ourselves acting irrational. We can tend to treat the person we are bitter towards, with a standard we don't hold anyone else to. But on the flip side, if we let the Spirit of Jesus lead us, we may find ourselves doing things most people find impossible. Like what one woman said to the man that killed her husband.

How should I read through prophetic scripture about the end of days? Am I apathetic about Jesus coming back again or obsessed? How would Jesus have me live until he comes back?

We looked at a family vacation drama situation from all sides, that will hopefully prepare us for similar situations in life. It led to a great conversation of what the Bible means when it uses the word "Godliness" and how sometimes we have to give grace to a situation that we will never understand.

There are moments where Jesus' words can be uncomfortable, especially if you were raised in western culture. We talk about what Jesus said and did regarding the Canaanite woman who asked for her daughter's healing.

The Bible tells us to not complain. But what does that practically look like in our every day lives? We go over specific circumstances and whether something is a complaint, or a frustration that we should take to someone else, whether it be an authority/boss or that very person.

No one author sat down and composed the entire Bible. Over the centuries, many have contributed in keeping God's word intact, and translated properly. Some of them gave their lives! We talk about these individuals of the faith and share our gratitude regarding their service.

From life's frustrating moments to the tragedy that happens: God is working in all of it. But how do we trust God through something that doesn't make sense? We find hope in what one of the apostles went through.

Matthew was the least expected person to be invited into a group of disciples. He was hated by his community and betrayed them to the Romans. What kind of community was and is God calling? Are my standards higher than His? No! But the people who I might see as being consistent with the church community might not be the same "picture" as what God sees. Does judgment have a place in my correspondence with others?

If you've ever believed the lie that God isn't loving, or involved: you're not alone. In fact, even God's chosen people were likely in doubt if God cared... or was even there. This week we discuss the facts of scripture: God is present and cares. Even in our hardest of times.

Who's Blessed? What does that even mean, "blessed." Jesus shares who is in that category and it (generally) is the opposite of what most would categorize as "blessed."

If you've ever wondered, "Is this even worth it?" you're not alone. Often we can think our vocation doesn't make a difference, or feel like we don't get through to our kids. We can even feel like our faith has been a waste of time, that all of those prayers have been in vain. This week Carder talks about people from the Bible that felt that way, with a reminder to us that the one true God loves us and isn't distant. And he works through us, even when we don't see it.

How many lenses can we see God's word through? Infinite! God invites us to change our perspective through His invitation. He invites us to cast ourselves in non-heroic roles so that we can grow in Him!

We expound on a complaint/bad comment. How do you know when people truly want to have a conversation about Jesus or are just criticizing and how should we respond either way? Are we hypocrites if we do the same thing to people of other faiths and cultures? How does Jesus turn man's "understanding" on its head and how can we love Him and others to our fullest?

We talk about what makes a good leader/pastor. What does Jesus say about good leadership? We also discuss accountability in connection to a pastor.