Rick Warren

Apr 29, 2025 • 37 min

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I hear a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” – Revelation 21:1-4   There are many pictures of what heaven may be like. From art to poetry to film and television, many people have depicted heaven one way or another. And I completely understand why people would want to do so – heaven is something I believe everybody thinks about at some point in their life. Even an atheist has likely gone through the mental exercise of thinking, if heaven is real I wonder what it may be like. So today I want to explore the mystery of heaven: what the Bible says about heaven, how culture has depicted heaven, and seek answer some of the most common questions people have. To do so I reached out to an expert. Dr. Alister McGrath recently retired as the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University where he started teaching in 1983. Dr. McGrath now serves as Senior Research Fellow at the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion at Oxford. He is the author of an immensely popular textbook, Christian Theology: An Introduction which is in its 6th edition and, most appropriate for this conversation, he’s the author of A Brief History of Heaven. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Brief-History-Heaven-Alister-McGrath/dp/0631233547 https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Theology-Introduction-Alister-McGrath/dp/1118869575 Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V) Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Mysteries of Faith: Salvation - https://youtu.be/0webo0ULhKk Mysteries of Faith: Prayer - https://youtu.be/9rFBmBKiNxI Mysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0 Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0M Longing for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIc Music, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7Tw Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Living Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0s Living with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI ]]>

Apr 22, 2025 • 43 min

Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 “I know that you can do anything,     and no one can stop you. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’     It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,     things far too wonderful for me. 4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!     I have some questions for you,     and you must answer them.’ 5 I had only heard about you before,     but now I have seen you with my own eyes. 6 I take back everything I said,     and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” Job 42:1-6 The book of Job is perhaps the most unique book in the Old Testament. Up until this point we had been reading narrative accounts of historical events, but Job ushers us into new territory as a wisdom literature book. It tracks events that happen in the life of a man named Job . . . but it does leave you to wonder if these events really happened as written, or if this is a different type of literature exercise altogether. Most importantly for the book of Job though is what it teaches us about God and about ourselves and there’s a central question at the very heart of this book that will completely change and shape how you read it.  To help us navigate the book of Job is Dr. John Walton. Dr. Walton is professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Wheaton College and other of many books including How to Read Job and the NIV Application Commentary on Job. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Job-Application-Commentary-John-Walton/dp/0310214424 https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Job-John-Walton/dp/0830840893 Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V) Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: Esther - https://youtu.be/7RZ7ATWQZuc Navigating the Bible: Nehemiah - https://youtu.be/Gok4WDgwn5I Navigating the Bible: Ezra - https://youtu.be/aBC0nEjYeyo Navigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/OG3rHTgMgEI Navigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgA Navigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTk Navigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2k Navigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7c Navigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMY Navigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaM Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>

Apr 8, 2025 • 51 min

The Bible talks a lot about salvation, or our need to be saved. Jesus is the promised savior and the central tenet of the Gospel is it is faith in Jesus that saves you from your sin. All of this is, of course, true, and if you were to ask the average Christian what it means to be saved they would likely say that their faith in Jesus saves them from hell and gives them an eternity in heaven. Again, this is not wrong. But, it is incomplete. Salvation is far deeper, far more encompassing, and far more miraculous than we typically consider it. This is the goal of this “mysteries of the faith” series: to take a topic that we think we understand and dig a little deeper.  To help guide us in the topic of salvation is Pastor Buddy Owens. Buddy is a teaching pastor at Saddleback and has been on this podcast many times. In this conversation Buddy and I talk about what happened on the cross, how salvation is more than just a saving from something, what it means to live out your salvation, and look to answer some of the most pressing questions people have about salvation.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: Buddy Owens: The Filling of the Holy Spirit - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uNk38Sug12hMTG4vrlbwmRGaW9Edn8Q6/view?usp=drive_link Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Easter Eternal - https://youtu.be/OGxyaR2jl0o Mysteries of Faith: Prayer - https://youtu.be/9rFBmBKiNxI Mysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0 Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0M Longing for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIc Music, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7Tw Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Living Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0s Living with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI ]]>

Mar 25, 2025 • 48 min

On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”  Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared.  For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.” – Esther 7:2-4 Esther holds an interesting place in the Old Testament. It’s a post-exilic narrative similar to Ezra and Nehemiah, but rather than focusing on the Jewish community returning to Jerusalem, it tells the story of some of the Jewish remnant in Susa – people who for one reason or another chose not to return to Jerusalem. In many ways, Esther reads like a thriller. There’s a nefarious plot, divine providence, and bold actions culminating in a decisive moment for Esther herself and the Jewish people. But, at its heart, Esther is a very relatable story. There are no demonstrative miracles, just people making the choice to stand up for a cause important to them and the God who is ever-present, even if not specifically named.  To help us navigate the book of Esther is Dr. Iain Duguid, Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary and author of a commentary on Esther.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Esther-Ruth-Reformed-Expository-Commentary/dp/0875527833 Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V) Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: Nehemiah - https://youtu.be/Gok4WDgwn5I Navigating the Bible: Ezra - https://youtu.be/aBC0nEjYeyo Navigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/OG3rHTgMgEI Navigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgA Navigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTk Navigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2k Navigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7c Navigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMY Navigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaM Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>

Mar 18, 2025 • 58 min

“O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses. “Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.’ “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” Nehemiah 1:5-10 The book of Nehemiah continues the post-exilic story of the people of Israel that we started in Ezra. The people of Israel had been living in exile and the temple of Jerusalem had been destroyed. Yet now they had been allowed to return to rebuild the temple. Nehemiah is a book about the workers, about the real people who took up God’s call to rebuild the temple. It’s a book about putting God first, about leadership amidst trials and opposition – but ultimately it’s a book about the truth that as much as we can build and rebuild buildings, it doesn’t take the place of letting God build his temple in your heart. To help us navigate the book of Nehemiah is Dr. Dean Ulrich, author of the book Now and Not Yet about Ezra and Nehemiah. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Now-Not-Yet-Theology-Ezra-Nehemiah/dp/1514004070 Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V) Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: Ezra - https://youtu.be/aBC0nEjYeyo Navigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/OG3rHTgMgEI Navigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgA Navigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTk Navigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2k Navigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7c Navigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMY Navigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaM Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>

Mar 11, 2025 • 44 min

“Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem! And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles. I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me.” Ezra 7:27-28 The book of Ezra continues the narrative of the people of Israel into what is known as the post-exilic period. When we left things in 2 Chronicles, the king of Babylon had conquered Jerusalem and the temple had been destroyed. But the final part of the book ends with a glimpse of what’s to come. 2 Chronicles 36:23 says, “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are the Lord’s people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you.” That then ushers us right into the heart of the story of Ezra. Ezra 1 begins with this same retelling of Cyrus’s words and then continues the story from there as we the Zerubbabel lead a group of exiles back to Jerusalem followed by Ezra’s group. What follows is a story of rebuilding, opposition, and restoration. Ezra is a book that doesn’t often get the credit it deserves as it sits alongside Nehemiah, but it is a beautiful picture of the God of continued second-chances and a people who so desperately need them.  To help us navigate the book of Ezra is Dr. Tiberius Rata, Associate Dean and Professor of Old Testament at Grace College and author of a commentary on Ezra.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Ezra-Nehemiah-Commentary-Tiberius-Rata/dp/1845505719 Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V) Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: 2 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/OG3rHTgMgEI Navigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgA Navigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTk Navigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2k Navigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7c Navigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMY Navigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaM Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>

Mar 4, 2025 • 47 min

There’s something we all experience that we usually can’t quite put our finger on or find the right words to describe. We hear the sermons about what the Christian life should be like. We read the books and hear the podcasts and we’re told what a life lived for and with God is like – a life of joy, of ease, of clear direction, of no worry. And yet . . . it doesn’t always go that way. Many people, maybe you right now, hear these things and think “why isn’t my life like that? I love God, I try to follow his Word and yet my life is hard and sad. Why isn’t the Christian life I hear about my experience?” Michael John Cusick calls this experience, “the gap” or “the delta”. And it’s a very common thing for Christians to experience.    Today host Jason Wieland is joined by Michael John Cusick to talk about his new book, Sacred Attachment: Escaping Spiritual Exhaustion and Trusting in Divine Love. In this conversation, Michael and Jason talk about embracing brokenness, what neuroscience teaches us about how we attach and process, the spiritual practice of being, addiction and shame, and much more.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://michaeljohncusick.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Attachment-Escaping-Spiritual-Exhaustion/dp/1514008319 Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Mysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0 Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0M Longing for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIc Music, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7Tw Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Living Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0s Living with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI ]]>

Feb 25, 2025 • 43 min

“Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, ‘Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.’ After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever.” – 2 Chronicles 20:20-21 2 Chronicles, the second part of the complete volume known as Chronicles, continues the retelling of the story we saw in 1 and 2 Kings. As we talked about in the 1 Chronicles episode, Chronicles is like a different vantage point look at the same events as Kings. But as we talk about in today’s episode, the vantage point allows us to identify and focus on some beautiful themes – particularly what it means to live with God at the center of your life. 2 Chronicles takes us back to King Solomon, the Temple, the dividing of the kingdom, military victories, and the many good and bad kings of age.  To help us navigate 2 Chronicles is Dr. Carol Kaminski, senior professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and founder of Casket Empty, bible studies that trace God’s plan of redemption through the entire Bible, and author of a commentary on Chronicles.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/1-2-Chronicles-Story-Bible-Commentary/dp/0310490995 Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V) Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: 1 Chronicles - https://youtu.be/lQ_Qc4zbfgA Navigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTk Navigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2k Navigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7c Navigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMY Navigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaM Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>

Feb 18, 2025 • 1h 2m

When I thought about doing a series on Mysteries of Faith, one of the very first topics that came to my mind was prayer. Now, I’ve been a Christian since I was 5. Prayer has always been a part of my life. But if I’m honest, there are elements about prayer that I always just accepted as true, nodded my head at, and then moved on with the general way I’ve always prayed.  As I got older though, I started to wonder about some things the way I imagine many of you wonder about prayer too. “Do my prayers really move God to act?” “Is there a proper way to pray?” “Why doesn’t God seem to answer all of my prayers?” I knew of prayer as talking with God, I even would say I knew why God wanted me to pray, but there were so many spiritual elements of prayer that were still so mysterious to me. Prayer is a completely spiritual practice. With Bible-reading, we’re at least engaging with a book. Prayer, on the other hand, is totally spiritual so I was excited to dive into some of the more deeply spiritual elements of prayer with my friend Dr. Kyle Strobel.  Kyle Strobel is Associate Professor of Spiritual Theology at Talbot and author of the book Where Prayer Becomes Real: How Honesty with God Transforms Your Soul. Kyle has been on this podcast a few times in the past, once to talk specifically about his book on prayer, but today I invited him on to pull back the curtain on some of the more mysterious elements of prayer – what is really happening spiritually when we pray.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Prayer-Becomes-Real-Transforms/dp/1540900770 https://kylestrobel.substack.com/ Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Mysteries of Faith: Union with Christ - https://youtu.be/U1MkOvTKvd0 Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0M Longing for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIc Music, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7Tw Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Living Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0s Living with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI ]]>

Feb 11, 2025 • 47 min

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great, O Lord God! What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me? You know what your servant is really like. For the sake of your servant, O Lord, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.” – 1 Chronicles 17:16-19  The book of Chronicles, broken into 1 and 2 Chronicles, holds an interesting place in the Old Testament. When we finished the book of Kings, we were left with a back and forth tale of the divided kingdom between Israel and Judah seeing story after story of terrible king to terrible king, with occasional bright spots. 1 Chronicles, the next book of the Bible, goes back and tells much of the same story again, but from a different perspective. We once again read about King David, but it’s as if we are getting a different vantage point to their reigns. 1 Chronicles is a fascinating book beginning with a series of genealogies, the death of Saul and the rise of David, military victories, the Ark of the Covenant, the role and duties of those who served God, and much more but, at its heart, it’s a book about what it means to live a God-centered, worship-filled life. To help us navigate the book of 1 Chronicles is Dr. Mark Boda, Professor of Old Testament at McMaster Divinity College and author of the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary on 1-2 Chronicles. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/1-2-Chronicles-Cornerstone-Biblical-Commentary/dp/0842334319 Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V) Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: 2 Kings - https://youtu.be/04q9gDhBKTk Navigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2k Navigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7c Navigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMY Navigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaM Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>

Feb 4, 2025 • 58 min

Galatians 2:20 – “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” 1 Corinthians 6:17 – “But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.”  2 Corinthians 5:17 – This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” These verses, along with many others in the Bible, paint a part of the picture of what happens as a result of salvation. And if we’re honest, I think it’s a part of the picture we tend to look past. When we think about salvation, our minds typically go to the part that is easier to understand: we will not go to hell, we will go to heaven. “I go here, not there, I get that.” But the picture of salvation in Scripture is so, so much more rich than that. In fact, as the verses I just read highlight, salvation makes us a new creation – and not just that but it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me.  The Bible paints a truly beautiful picture of oneness – it often uses the terms “in Christ” or “in him” or “united with Christ.” And again, speaking from a place of honesty, this is something I hadn’t spent too much time thinking about in my life – and I think many of us are this way. We move past it either as a truth that doesn’t seem to pertinent to the way I live every day, or too complex that we just add it to the list of mysteries of the faith.  In this series we will explore some of the mysteries of the faith we tend to move past. I want to name them, examine them from different perspectives, and talk about who these mysteries can actually have profound effects on how we approach our personal walk with Jesus.  This first episode is on what it means to be in union with Christ. To help navigate us through this is Dr. Clive Bowsher. Dr. Bowsher is provost of Union School of Theology and author of the books Life in the Son and One: Being United to Jesus Changes Everything. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.ivpress.com/life-in-the-son https://us.amazon.com/One-Being-United-Changes-Everything/dp/B0D8LNKHNG?ref_=ast_author_dp Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0M Longing for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIc Music, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7Tw Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Living Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0s Living with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI ]]>

Jan 28, 2025 • 39 min

“Fifty men from the group of prophets also went and watched from a distance as Elijah and Elisha stopped beside the Jordan River. Then Elijah folded his cloak together and struck the water with it. The river divided, and the two of them went across on dry ground. When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” - 2 Kings 2:7-9 The book of 2 Kings picks up right where 1 Kings left off. The kingdom of Israel is divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, and the prospects for God’s people seem to wax and wane on the different leaders to come to power in each of these regions. Let’s be clear, most of the leaders are, to put it mildly, not good. But there are a few bright spots too. In 2 Kings we also see Elijah taken to heaven and ascension of Elisha as we heard in the passage I read at the beginning of this episode. Trust me, you’ll want to stay tuned later in the episode when we talk about Elisha – he’s such a fun, interesting figure in the Bible. 2 Kings is fascinating because it toggles back and forth from Israel to Judah and back, all the while pointing us to a God who remains sovereign even when the kings of this earth turn away from him.  To help us navigate the book of 2 Kings is Dr. Philip Ryken. Dr. Ryken is the president of Wheaton College and author of a commentary on the book of 2 Kings.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Reformed-Expository-Commentary-Commentaries/dp/1629954462 Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V) Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: 1 Kings - https://youtu.be/aS-KoeQXl2k Navigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7c Navigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMY Navigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaM Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>

Jan 21, 2025 • 49 min

There’s a question at the heart of the new book “Delighting in Jesus” that caught my attention: it says, “I know I should read by Bible and pray every day, but I’m just not consistent. For many Christians, ‘daily devotions’ and ‘spiritual disciplines’ strike guilt and shame in our hearts. But what if we got it all wrong? What if our Christian experience hinges not on perfect spiritual disciplines, but on the perfect love of a Father who delights in us?”    This has been a topic I’ve been interested in for a while now: what does relationship with Jesus really mean. And now there’s a new word entering the conversation: delight. We often talk about joy or happiness, but I’m so grateful to my guest today, Asheritah Ciuciu, for focusing in on the word delight. Asheritah is the host of the Prayers of Rest Podcast and author of many books including Full, Bible & Breakfast, Walking with God, and her latest, Delighting in Jesus. In this conversation, Asheritah and I talk about why “delight” is an important word when thinking about our relationship with Jesus, why we don’t need to be afraid of being broken, how to build your joy center in your brain, and much more. I want to note too, in the show notes for episode you’ll find links to purchase Delighting in Jesus (which I highly recommend) and also a link to a devotional personality quiz that will help you understand better how God created you to feel most connected to him. I hope you enjoy both of these resources. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.asheritah.com/ https://www.delightinginjesus.com/ Devotional Personality Quiz - https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/65654f1a7d4c35001488e815 Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: Living Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0M Longing for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIc Music, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7Tw Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Living Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0s What it Looks Like to Give God All My Worship - https://youtu.be/E33yKXp1E9w Living with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI ]]>

Jan 14, 2025 • 45 min

“Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, ‘How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!’ But the people were completely silent.” – 1 Kings 18:21 The book of 1 Kings marks the transition from the reign of King David to the reign of Solomon. The nation of Israel is now firmly in the age of monarchy and Solomon is ready to not just take over his father’s mantle but also to build the temple his father had wanted to build. However, as is usually the case, things do not go smoothly and Solomon’s reign ends up being a rollercoaster ride. 1 Kings also introduces us to Elijah, one of the most fascinating prophets in the Bible. This book, full of accounts of Solomon’s wisdom, Solomon’s palace, the ark of the covenant, the Queen of Sheba, Elijah’s miracles and his defeat of the prophets of Baal, this full and robust book, is at its heart a book about God – who the one true God is.  To help us navigate the book of 1 Kings is Dr. Iain Provan, Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Regent College and author of the Understanding the Bible Commentary on 1 & 2 Kings.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Kings-Understanding-Bible-Commentary-ebook/dp/B008DVSWHG Subscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V) Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: 2 Samuel - https://youtu.be/ZbpafGgOW7c Navigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMY Navigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaM Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>

Jan 7, 2025 • 43 min

“The cross has spoken, I am forgiven The king of kings calls me His own Beautiful savior, I'm Yours forever Jesus Christ, my living hope” These lyrics are some of countless others written by Phil Wickham sung at church services across the world every weekend. Ever since his first album released in 2003, Phil’s songs have become part of the catalog for Christian worship, with popular songs including House of the Lord, Battle Belongs, I Believe, Living Hope, Sunday is Coming, and This is Amazing Grace. What I wanted to know is where do these songs come from? What goes into writing a song that resonates with a generation? In today’s episode, I talk with Phil about how he finds inspiration for songs, his process in songwriting, what his quiet times look like, parenthood, lessons he’s learned, and much more.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://philwickham.com/ Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Music, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7Tw Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Living Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0s What it Looks Like to Give God All My Worship - https://youtu.be/E33yKXp1E9w Living with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI ]]>

Dec 31, 2024 • 50 min

“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?” – 2 Samuel 7:18-19 In 1 Samuel, we were introduced to a new cast of characters in the story of Israel – and a new season of change. The people of Israel demanded a king and, despite God’s warnings through the prophet Samuel, they were given Saul, the first king of Israel. But all was not well and soon God’s anointing turns from Saul to David. 1 Samuel ends with the death of Saul and 2 Samuel then picks up the story of David’s reign as king. 2 Samuel is a complex book of palace intrigue, wars, adultery, murder, repentance – all wrapped around these themes of who is the real king and what does it really mean to be a man after God’s own heart.  To help us navigate this book is Dr. Heath Thomas. Dr. Thomas is the president of Oklahoma Baptist University, an Old Testament Professor, and author of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Exalting-Samuel-Christ-Centered-Exposition-Commentary/dp/0805499318 Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: 1 Samuel - https://youtu.be/lY8wPElSFMY Navigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaM Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>

Dec 17, 2024 • 50 min

“If we have eyes to see, we uncover joy almost everywhere. Like someone searching for sand crabs on the coastline, we may not find her under every rock. But we also don’t need to look too hard before we uncover her.”  This is a quote from the new book, Longing for Joy. There are many misconceptions about joy. There are many people who may struggle with joylessness because of anxiety, depression, or other factors. But there is also an availability of joy, true deep joy, to be found in Christ and his creation. This episode today is one of those moments where I think God is up to something. I’ve seen, heard, and read a lot about joy as of late. When I hear something pop up in a lot of conversations, that’s usually a sign to me that God is wanting to do a work in us related to this topic - and it was an added nudge from God when I saw the new book, Longing for Joy, by Alastair Sterne, which quickly turned into one of my favorite books of the year.  I’m joined today by Alastair to talk about the reality of longing, joy found in creation and each other, practices that help cultivate joy, and much more.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: Longing For Joy - https://www.amazon.com/Longing-Joy-Invitation-Goodness-Beauty/dp/151400898X Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  The Burden and Gift of Living - https://youtu.be/VP6kHyBUpP4 Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Living Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0s Music, Story, and Experience with Luke Smallbone of For King & Country - https://youtu.be/6I-ayiHn7Tw Living with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI ]]>

Dec 10, 2024 • 48 min

A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 1 Samuel 3:8-11 1 Samuel, the 9th book of the Old Testament, is without a doubt one of my favorite books of the Bible. Continuing the narrative of God’s people, Israel, we transition from the time of the Judges into a new season – but, as is with the case of most of Israel’s history, all was not to go so easily. 1 Samuel contains a lot of well-known stories: the calling of Samuel, the anointing of Saul, the anointing of David, David and Goliath, and so on, but it’s what we learn about God and about ourselves through this book that make it so fascinating. To help us navigate 1 Samuel is Dr. David Jensen, Professor of Theology at Austin Seminary and author of a theological commentary on 1 & 2 Samuel.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Theological-Commentary-Bible-Belief/dp/0664232493 Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: Rute - https://youtu.be/YaH-t-ZzTaM Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>

Dec 3, 2024 • 31 min

I have a very vivid memory of a specific church service about 10 years ago. My wife and I go into the worship center, find seats in our usual section, but the stage looks different. There are instruments I’ve never seen on our stage, and in a configuration that I didn’t recognize. When the service starts, a group of people come out onto the stage in long coats, suspenders, moppish hair, and then the drum starts. The rap of the single snare drum (make sound) that I hadn’t heard in that way before but have come to be very familiar with now. That service sticks out so much in my mind because that’s the kind of effect For King & Country have. The experience was so exciting, so fresh, and the music itself had a similar effect.  Since then, For King & Country have become one of the biggest names in Christian music as four-time Grammy winners with hit songs such as Crave, The Proof of Your Love, Fix Your Eyes, Priceless, Joy, and so many more. But they’ve also now ventured into other forms of storytelling, with movies they’ve been involved in like Unsung Hero and the new theatrical release of their Christmas Concert, Drummer Boy Live.  Today's guest is Luke Smallbone, half of the duo known as For King & Country along with his brother Joel. In this conversation host Jason Wieland talks with Luke about how he sees Jesus show up in the songwriting process, the power of storytelling, how being a parent changes perspective, the special effect experiences have on us, and much more.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: For King & Country website - https://www.forkingandcountry.com/ Drummer Boy Live Movie Website - https://www.fathomevents.com/events/for-king-country-a-drummer-boy-christmas-live/ Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Living Out of Overflow - https://youtu.be/aBKXbHf0X0s What it Looks Like to Give God All My Worship - https://youtu.be/E33yKXp1E9w Living with Hope in the Midst of Struggle - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fI ]]>

Nov 26, 2024 • 50 min

Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me." But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” Ruth 1:8, 16.  The Book of Ruth, the 8th book in the Old Testament, is surely one that stands apart from everything we’ve read so far in the Bible. We’ve been reading epic stories of nations, but Ruth is a little shining jewel that focuses in on one little family – really just something that happened in the lives of 3 connected individuals. While it’s a short book, only 4 chapters, it is not one to be ignored or forgotten. We learn so much about God in how he works in the lives of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz – and yet as with all Scripture there is always still much more goodness to reap.  To help us navigate the book of Ruth is Dr. Eric Redmond, Professor of Bible and Executive Director of the Moody Theological Seminary Center for Compelling Biblical Preaching, and author of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary on Ruth.  Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback). Resources Related to This Episode: https://www.amazon.com/Exalting-Jesus-Judges-Christ-Centered-Exposition/dp/1462797210 Related Doable Discipleship Episodes:  Navigating the Bible: Judges - https://youtu.be/qNGcOf2o0NU Navigating the Bible: Joshua - https://youtu.be/hF28aThBtFs Navigating the Bible: Deuteronomy - https://youtu.be/HzmNgPOM4zU Navigating the Bible: Numbers - https://youtu.be/H1HO6V9HDxs Navigating the Bible: Leviticus - https://youtu.be/08RhDCXYex4 Navigating the Bible: Exodus - https://youtu.be/NB9UTpS1F3M Navigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ]]>