Is the narrow way supposed to scare us?

In Matthew 7:13–14, Jesus says the gate is narrow, the road hard, and only a few find it.

For a lot of us, that sounds like a spiritual tightrope - one wrong step and we’re doomed to fail. In this episode, I explore why The Way seems scary, but is actually full of grace.

Topics:

• When Jesus keeps raising the bar
• Jesus as the gate and The Way
• “Pick Me!”
• Ask, seek, and knock
• My yoke is easy
• Why the path is not a tightrope
• The hard part: “few find it”
• Jesus promises that those who seek God find Him
• Hunger and thirst for righteousness - you will be filled

This episode is part of the “Scary Verses or Grace?” discussion of passages that sound scary at first, but surprisingly lead us toward grace as we grapple with them and seek the heart of Christ.

Wanna be a friend of God?

Turns out, Jesus talked about friendship the night before he died, already calling his followers friends. But what does it mean to really “be” his friend? Jesus dove into that too. It’s probably not what you think.

Lessons I’m still learning from my Father.

Icy answers to prayer can be full of love and surprise.

In this episode, I trace how a few strange ice formations in my fire pit became part of the covers for Bolmek, Verdekt, and the podcast, and how those images changed the way I think about answers to prayer.

Topics:

• The Dezsma cover and Vince’s fire
• Why the book covers became black and white
• Hidden codes and OCLC
• Ice sculptures in my fire pit
• How the ice became Verdekt
• How the ice became Bolmek
• The podcast cover and one more person
• Seeking icy answers we almost miss

Have you ever had a dream that felt like it might be more than just a dream?

After I quit my job, I was stuck. I wanted to write a novel, but was struggling to get started.

Then a dream gave me a small glimpse of a character who would become the heroine of Dezsma. And whoosh! I was off. I believe that was a gentle nudge from God.

Topics:

• Dreams, visions, and messages from God
• I quit my job
• Praying for help, then a dream
• Don’t be afraid to dream a little
• What dream or vision have you had?

Have you ever felt like God told you to do something, like, right now?

In this episode, I talk about one of those moments in my own life, when leaving something I loved made room for something I never saw coming.

In this episode, I talk about the phrase “And One More,” which is a hard topic for me. What does it mean, how does it impact our lives, and do I really mean it when it comes to spiritual things? In the artwork for the episode, you can see Croga in TheDraw outside Cazador’s Coliseum, where he’s being tortured, and yet Croga remained committed to his one more. I wish I could say I was that committed.

Kind of a simple question today, though maybe, not so simple. Do you view God as stingy or generous? Is He the God of More or the God of less? I think He's the God of More. Listen to this episode and then tell me what you think.