For years, I used Matthew 17:20, the faith of a mustard seed, to teach people about manifestation, believing in themselves, and creating the life they wanted.

But what if I was missing something?

What if the faith Jesus was talking about wasn't faith in myself, but faith in God?

Welcome to Part 1 of our journey through Matthew Chapter 17 on Friends With God.

In this episode, I'm sharing how taking the time to read the entire chapter instead of focusing on one familiar verse opened my eyes to a completely different understanding of faith and trust.

We begin with the Transfiguration of Jesus, where Peter, James, and John witness something extraordinary. And right in the middle of it, God gives them a simple instruction:

"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" Matthew 17:5 (NIV)

Three simple words. Listen to Him.

We'll explore what happens when we stop trying to figure everything out, stop making Scripture fit our existing beliefs, and begin listening with an open heart.

I'm not a pastor or a theologian. I'm just an average Joe learning to know Jesus, one day at a time.

Come along as we explore faith, trust, and what it really means to be Friends With God.

Scriptures: Matthew 17:1–20 and Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)

If this episode speaks to you, share it with someone walking their own journey of faith.

And if you'd like to join our Monday Night Mastermind, you'll find the link below.

Friends With God. One Day at a Time.

What if one Bible verse gave you three words to carry into your everyday life?

Power. Love. Self-discipline.

In 2 Timothy 1:7, we're reminded that the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid. It gives us power, love, and self-discipline.

In this episode of Friends With God, Joe explores what those three words can look like as an actual daily practice. What does it mean to remember the power God has already given us? How do we move through the world from love? And how can self-discipline help us stay connected to God instead of getting pulled into distraction, fear, and doubt?

Joe also shares a simple breath prayer inspired by 2 Timothy 1:7 that you can practice for just two minutes a day, connecting your breath with the words power, love, and self-discipline.

Maybe renewing your mind and strengthening your relationship with God doesn't have to be complicated.

Maybe it starts with a breath, a prayer, and remembering what God has already given you.

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." — 2 Timothy 1:7

Friends With God: One Day at a Time.

#honestfaithexploration #faithhopeloveteachings #christianpodcast #faithpodcast

Twenty episodes ago, I started Friends With God with a simple idea: I’m just an average Joe trying to figure out my own friendship and walk with God, and maybe sharing that journey could help someone else create their own relationship with God too.

Now, 20 episodes in, I wanted to look back and ask: What have I actually learned?

In this episode, I share seven lessons that have continued to reveal themselves throughout this journey. Fear is often happening in my own head. I don’t have to know all the answers. I do have to trust. Distractions are real. Renewing the mind is a daily practice. Surrender makes life easier. And maybe most importantly, I’m remembering that I have a friendship with God and I don’t have to do any of this alone.

We also explore Philippians 4 and the practical invitation to bring our worries to God through prayer, thanksgiving, and trust, while intentionally choosing what we allow our minds to dwell on.

This isn’t about having faith completely figured out. It’s about practicing it. Showing up. Renewing the mind. Learning to surrender. And having enough courage to be exactly where we are, even when we don’t know what comes next.

As you listen, I invite you to reflect on your own journey: What have you learned lately about your relationship with God?

And if you have a story about your own friendship with God that you’d like to share, reach out. I’m excited to begin welcoming guests onto Friends With God and hearing how God has shown up in your life.

Friends With God: an average Joe learning to know Jesus, one day at a time.

Explore more from Joe - https://stan.store/Joe_Longo

Are your thoughts coming from faith or fear? Are you trusting God's plan, or allowing doubt to keep you stuck?

In this episode of Friends With God, Joe Longo explores the connection between renewing your mind, choosing faith over fear, and learning to trust God even when you cannot see what comes next.

Inspired by Romans 12:2, James 1:2-8, and a thought-provoking quote from Pico Iyer's The Art of Stillness, Joe invites us to examine how much of our lives we spend replaying old memories, imagining worst-case scenarios, and allowing fear to influence our decisions.

What if changing the way we think could change the way we experience life?

Together, we explore how negative thought patterns, doubt, and distractions can pull us away from the present moment, and how faith, awareness, prayer, and surrender can help us reconnect with God's wisdom and guidance.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• What Romans 12:2 teaches us about renewing the mind.

• How James 1 connects faith, doubt, perseverance, and wisdom.

• Why our thoughts and imagination influence how we experience life.

• How to recognize fear-based thinking and consciously choose faith.

• What it means to surrender worry and trust God's plan.

• A practical five-step Faith or Fear Check-In to use throughout your week.

Joe also shares a simple guided prayer to help you release fear, reconnect with God's presence, and find the courage to take your next step.

Your invitation this week: Notice your thoughts. Question the stories you're telling yourself. Return to faith. Choose a new thought. Take one intentional step.

You don't need to see the entire path to take the next step.

Join Our Fall Monday Night Mastermind

We're continuing our journey of renewing the mind, building trust, and growing in faith together. Join Joe for two Monday evening gatherings in November as we explore what it means to trust God's timing and guidance.

Participation is free, with optional contributions of $10 or $20.

REGISTER HERE

About Friends With God

Friends With God: One Day at a Time is a podcast hosted by Joe Longo, an average Joe learning to know Jesus, one day at a time. Through honest conversations, biblical reflection, mindfulness, and personal experiences, Joe explores what it means to live with greater faith, awareness, and trust in God.

If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who could use a reminder to choose faith over fear today.

Scriptures referenced: Romans 12:2, James 1:2-8, Philippians 4:13, Isaiah 54:17, and the teaching about faith as small as a mustard seed.

Have you ever started your morning by setting an intention, surrounding yourself with protective white light, or asking for spiritual guidance throughout your day?

What if the Bible has been teaching us something similar for thousands of years?

In this episode of Friends With God, I'm exploring Ephesians 6:10–18 and the Armor of God, making connections between the spiritual practices I've taught and experienced over the years and the biblical wisdom I'm rediscovering through my growing friendship with Jesus.

From the helmet of salvation and shield of faith to the power of prayer and renewing our minds, we're exploring what it means to prepare ourselves spiritually for everyday life.

I also share why I once pushed the Bible aside, how my journey through yoga, meditation, and New Age spirituality shaped my understanding, and why I'm learning to stop placing limits on how God can work in our lives.

We'll close with a guided meditation inviting you to put on the Armor of God, connect with the Holy Spirit, and prepare for the day ahead.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Grab your printable Armor of God infographic, featuring our everyday Average Joe putting on his spiritual armor. Print it out and hang it somewhere you'll see it each morning as a reminder to begin your day with faith, truth, peace, and prayer.

FREE DOWNLOAD

I'm just an average Joe learning to know Jesus, one day at a time.

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10–18

What have you been rehearsing in your mind that you no longer want to become?

In this episode of Friends With God, Joe Longo explores Romans 12:2 and what it really means to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Using the simple metaphor of learning to drive, Joe looks at how repeated thoughts can eventually become automatic. Fear, scarcity, regret, worry, and the belief that we’re not good enough can become mental habits we barely notice anymore.

But awareness gives us an opportunity to interrupt the pattern.

Joe shares a simple practice for noticing repetitive thoughts, pausing, breathing, and asking: Is this thought reflecting faith or fear? Is it helping me or hurting me?

This episode is an invitation to stop trying to solve tomorrow with yesterday’s thinking and return to the grace God has given you for today.

You have a choice in what you rehearse. You have a choice in how you renew your mind. And you can continually return to faith, trust, courage, and the present moment.

If you’d like to go deeper, you can still join Joe for the Fall Monday Night Mastermind. Register for the Fall Mastermind

Join us for a special 11/11 Meditation on November 11th

What if Psalm 23 isn't simply a scripture we believe, but a roadmap showing us how to live?

In this episode of Friends With God, Joe Longo explores Psalm 23 as an invitation to stop waiting for someday and begin experiencing the presence of God right here, right now.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”

What changes when we actually carry those words into our everyday lives? When we trust that God is guiding us, refreshing our souls, walking beside us through the darkest valleys, preparing a table for us, and reminding us that we already dwell in the house of the Lord?

Joe offers a simple practice for the week: read Psalm 23 every day. Read it slowly. Let it become more than words you know. Allow it to settle into your heart and become a reminder that you are guided, provided for, protected, and never walking alone.

The episode closes with a slow, meditative reading of Psalm 23 and a prayer to help you return to the present moment and trust God one step at a time.

Stop waiting. Start living. You are already dwelling in the house of the Lord.

And if you're ready to go deeper, join Joe and the Friends With God community for the Monday Night Mastermind beginning in October as we explore renewing the mind, trusting God, abiding in His presence, and opening ourselves to receive.

Music by Andrii Poradovskyi from Pixabay

What if getting lost in the wilderness is sometimes part of finding your way back to God?

In this episode of Friends With God, Joe Longo explores the wild, mysterious side of faith and shares his own journey from fear-based Christianity, through yoga, meditation, Kundalini, manifestation, and spiritual exploration, and ultimately into a renewed relationship with God and Jesus.

Inspired by an Instagram video from James Anthony Burke, Joe reflects on John the Baptist, Jesus entering the wilderness, and a powerful idea that stopped him in his tracks: sometimes we aren't brought back to God because someone convinces us, preaches to us, or tells us what we're supposed to believe.

Sometimes God meets us in the wild. Watch the Instagram video - https://www.instagram.com/p/Daiff4mBCBy/

Joe shares why being pushed toward Christianity actually pushed him further away, how his years of spiritual exploration never felt like separation from God, and how he eventually began recognizing God and Jesus appearing throughout the path he was already walking.

This is a conversation for anyone who has questioned religion, explored different spiritual traditions, felt judged for their path, or wondered whether there is still room for them with God.

The episode closes with a prayer and meditation for abundance, provision, trust, courage, and becoming a faithful steward of what God has already placed in your hands.

Maybe your wilderness isn't evidence that you've lost your way.

Maybe something is happening there.

Join the Fall Mastermind: We begin October 5 for a three-month journey of renewing the mind, deepening trust, and learning to receive. Free and supported options are available. Find the link in the show notes or connect with Joe on Instagram.

Friends With God is a conversation about faith, awareness, life, and what it means to develop a personal relationship with God, without pretending we have all the answers.