212- Your Vice and Your Dream

“How well do you know your own vices? How well do you know your dream?

We all have a vice that no matter how hard we try to remove, continues to return in one form or another. We also in like manner, all have a dream. Some are working toward that dream, while others have given up on it, and some still trying to figure it out.

In today’s post we examine the relationship between our vice and our dream and discover why we typically see them as two different things. Join me now as we see beyond our vice and discover its causal relationship to our biggest dream for life.

211- Three Levels of Thanks

“What does it mean to be thankful?”

In my contemplation recently, I have looked closely at the nature of gratitude and how we grow into grateful people. I have discovered at least three different levels of gratitude which I’ll share in this podcast.

Join me now as we see beyond our thanksgiving turkey into what makes us truly grateful people.

210- End With a Beginning

“How is a sermon supposed to end?”

At the end of Jesus’ most famous sermon, there is no invitation to convert to a religion. There is no demand for money or support. He doesn’t even close with a prayer or a song. 

Join me now as we conclude our 25-week series of the Sermon on the Mount. As we see beyond the simple metaphor that he uses to illustrate that there is a right and a wrong way to build our lives. Perhaps the most durable, lasting foundation for life is actually something beyond our ability to describe in words.

209-The Authenticity Test, Part 2

“How do we know if we are being real?” Last week we looked at the litmus test for authenticity in others. Today we explore the test for ourselves.

Think about this question. How can you determine if you are reflecting your true inner self or if you go through life wearing a persona, a fake ID, and hoping others don’t find you out?

In today’s podcast and post, we take a look at what many scholars have called the most horrifying verse in the bible. Join me now as we see beyond perfunctory religious “fronting” and discover the one thing that proves our authenticity.

208- The Authenticity Test

“How do you know if someone is truly being real with you?”

What is your litmus test for authenticity? If you are like most people, you focus on a person’s deeds or misdeeds. But do they really tell the whole story?

In today’s podcast and post, we examine the passage about wolves in sheep’s clothing. Join me now as we see beyond the fake ID, into our many pseudonyms, as we discover that becoming authentic is marked not by ascending, but by first descending.

207- The Gates

“Did rock music get it right? Is there a really highway to Hell? Is there a stairway to Heaven?

In today’s post we look closer at the teaching about the two gates that lead to two roads. This image is tattooed in the psyche of our minds as single decision point on whether to go up or down. But is that really what it’s saying?

Join me now as we continue our study and see beyond the threat and discover that the difficult path enables us to discover that we are not just an animal, but a spiritual being.

206-The Big Answer to Seeking and Knocking

“Is God some kind of cosmic vending machine?”

We are all people in need. As such, it isn’t uncommon to ask for a little help now and then. At times of need or doubt we may offer a prayer to get help from a power greater than ourselves. But how many of these go unanswered? 

In today’s podcast and post we arrive at the Apex of the Sermon on the mount. If you’ve ever wanted to ask God why he didn’t answer your prayer, then you are in the right spot. Today Jesus reveals the answer to this burning question as we learn to see Beyond Everything.

205- When Judgement Becomes Hypocrisy

“Have you ever wondered why we are all so judgmental?”

It true. We cannot drive down the road, go to a public place, visit a new city or even do our favorite pastimes without passing judgement on others.  Given the fact that we deeply resent being falsely judged, why do you suppose that we are so critical of others? Why don’t we recognize our own hypocrisy?

In today’s podcast and post, we see beyond the admonition “Do not judge.” Join me now as we explore the only counter-measure powerful enough to free us into a life of peace and acceptance: ophthalmological surgery.

204- Don’t Worry About Your Life

“How much of each day do you spend worrying about your life?”

Are you constantly drawn into the feed of politics, news events, market fluctuations, and the state of the world? What happens if things don’t get better? What is your plan should everything go to pot?

These questions help us realize that we spend quite a bit of time worrying about our life, and the marginalized around us worry about where they will live, what they will eat, or what they will wear. So how can Jesus say, in the Sermon on the Mount, “Don’t worry about your life.”? It seems impossible given the state of our world.

In today’s podcast and post, we look closer at this counter intuitive strategy for how to live in our tumultuous world without anxiety. Join me now as we see beyond our distractions and get a glimpse of the freedom from living without worry.

203- The Thirteenth

“How many of your prayers have gone unanswered?

Let’s face, nothing causes more unbelief than someone who “tries” prayer in hopes of changing their reality only to have their hopes dashed to pieces. How many of us have prayed; “How long Oh Lord? Will you forsake me forever?” Sometimes it feels this way, but today’s Psalm takes points to a dramatic change in heart and a restoration of ones’ faith. Is there something just beyond our doubts that replaces reality as it is for us with reality as it is?

Join me now as we continue in the third installment of the Pslams greatest hits where we visit the thirteenth Psalm. These feeligns of “being forgotten”can grow our soul and enables us to peek within the deepest part of our being as we learn to see beyond everything.