The God Journey

Brad and Wayne catch up after a few weeks of travel for both of them—Brad to his son's wedding and a media event in Dallas, and Wayne to upstate New York. Through a strange set of circumstances, Wayne was able to spend some time with Jens Erik Gould, the Co-founder and Chief Editor of The Knife Media. As he shares their encounter with, it launches a conversation about personal bias and its impact on our convictions and our conversations. Who can be truly objective, especially when our biases hide so well?  What steps can we take to help us see our own biases and lean ever more consistently into what's really true, rather than what we want to be true. Podcast Notes: The Knife Media The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

It's impossible to make a discipline or obligation out of something only God can produce in the human heart. Wayne and Brad let their listeners shape the conversation today as they respond to a number of recent topics from previous podcasts. They talk about walking through the darkness to the rising Son, not trying to run away from the difficulties or painful bits of our lives. They wonder why achievement is also more valued that fruitfulness, when God sees it just the opposite. They discuss how people can find a healthy way back into reading the Scriptures, not just doing it out of obligation or expectation. And, they talk about the frustrations of prayer requests when they don't begin with a grateful heart in recognition of who God is and what he has already done in us. Podcast Notes: Wayne's Travel Schedule The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Have you ever felt God inviting you into a new opportunity, but instead of being excited about it, you feel a bit reluctant? That's Wayne's dilemma as God seems to be opening doors that have a bit of a déjà vu feel to him. Brad helps Wayne sort through the process here as he starts down a familiar journey. Reluctance doesn't mean unwillingness, just an eyes-wide-open approach that realizes what's at risk when you follow him beyond your current comfort zone. They also talk about pride and how it blinds us to the way God leads, and how much humility can open doors not only to recognize Father's leading, but also invites others to wholeheartedness. Podcast Notes: Wayne's Travel Schedule The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

You know that feeling you get inside when something doesn't quite seem right? You may not even be able to put your finger on it but you're unsettled. Follow it or ignore it? We've had a lot of fun over the years talking about your Yuck Meter, which is the voice of the Spirit in us warning us when away from something that may be hurtful to us or others. Brad and Wayne talk about it again as it deals with being manipulated in religious systems, or seeking people's approval through it, and in dealing with stories in the media that often give us a distorted view of what is really going on in our world. Following those simple nudges even if you can't explain will make all the difference in the world in allowing you to embrace what's real and back away from something that isn't. Podcast Notes: Wayne's Travel Schedule Wayne refers to the book Breaking Up With God by Sarah Sentilles The Knife Media The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

In the aftermath of Wayne's TEDx talk, it looks like God may be freshly stirring Wayne's heart to restart BridgeBuilders and see if there are ways to change how we communicate with each other across the diversity of culture. We don't have to agree with each other to be gracious and seek not only for our interests, but also to serve the interests of others that may be different from our own. This strikes not only at our political conversation, but also how we interact with people every day. There's too much anger and arrogance in our dialog these days, and a bit of humility and kindness will go a long way not only to changing the conversation, but also to arrive at policies will serve the common good rather than the special interests of a few well-connected individuals. Podcast Notes: The all new BridgeBuilder website The Jesus Lens The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Is prayer more than, "throwing up a request, hoping for the best"? On a recent visit to Dallas, Wayne sat down with Tracy Levinson, author of Unashamed, and an occasional guest on the podcast. Tracy has been thinking a lot about prayer especially in the face of some difficult circumstances in her own life. That gives Wayne, and later Brad, a chance to revisit the critical topic of prayer and how it expresses our growing connection to God. Prayer is a much more profound experience than simply trying to get God to do what we think is best, or judging his reality or the depth of our spirituality on our ability to do so. Prayer is how God sculpts his life in the world through those who live in communion with him. Podcast Notes: Tracy Levinson's book Unashamed Previous podcasts with Tracy: Unashamed, Taking the Shame out of Sexuality, and Mutually Shared Selflessness Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018 The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Is it easier to follow Jesus when you're anxious and desperate for the outcome you want, or when w're relaxed in his care for you? Over the past two weeks Wayne spent time with professional athletes who discovered in their own respective sports that they were able to function better when they were relaxed and not trying to control the outcome. That got Wayne thinking again how our need to feel in control of outcomes hampers our freedom to simply live in the life God wants to gives us. As he shares that with Brad they talk about how they relax when confronted with important or difficult circumstances. Being at rest in his work is the best way to recognize the opportunities he's putting in front of us and being free enough to respond in a way that most unveils his presence. Podcast Notes: Order Wayne's newest book: Beyond Sundays Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018 The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

As Wayne and Brad reflect on Billy Graham's passing, they find themselves in a discussion about how the Gospel is presented in our day and how it is perceived by the world. Do we serve a God that needs to be appeased, either by the death of his Son, or by us trying to ingratiate ourselves to him? The more Christianity paints the Gospel as God's need to be appeased rather than our need for his affection, the more the Gospel gets distorted. Why has appeasement become the overriding view of our relationship with God? And isn't it the opposite of what the Incarnation and the cross accomplished? If we live by appeasement we'll never discover the wonder of his affection for us. Podcast Notes: Order Wayne's newest book: Beyond Sundays Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018 The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Wayne and Brad just watched a new documentary titled, Leaving My Father's Faith. It is a conversation between popular evangelical author and speaker Tony Campolo and his son, Bart, as the process Bart's loss of faith in Jesus after a lifetime of growing up in the faith and working alongside his father as a colleague in the ministry. It is a compelling look at how these men put their relationship above their agreement about faith. But it invites some intriguing questions: How does someone so anchored in faith lose it, and how does Christianity as a religion contribute to that by disfiguring the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? Podcast Notes: Get info on Campolo documentary: Leaving My Father's Faith You can now stream the video through Amazon. Drew Marshall Interview with Bart Campolo and with Tony Campolo - See 2018 Archive Order Wayne's newest book: Beyond Sundays Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018 The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

If we could only find some... Jesus blessed the peacemakers and now more than ever we need some to help bridge the widening rips in our social fabric. The amount of vitriol in our culture, even between Christians, has reached epidemic proportions. Spawned by our so-called leaders and fanned into flames by an advocacy media that can no longer present a unified narrative about news events, we are becoming a nation of angry citizens each demanding our own way. When did it become ok to detest people who view the world differently than we do? How can we recover mutual respect across our deepest differences and treat others with the dignity their humanity deserves? Podcast Notes: Wayne's former work with BridgeBuilders Wayne's TEDx event in Abilene, TX Sorry Christians, We Can’t Blame the Media Any More by Karl Vaters Order Wayne's newest book: Beyond Sundays Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018 The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

A dip into the ol' mailbag includes some input from women about previous comments on the #metoo movement and how women are treated in our culture. Then Brad and Wayne share a beautiful story about God winning someone out of their destructive, self-righteous arrogance and into the transformative love of the Father. Religion sets our focus on the product, leading us to frustration wherever we fall short, instead of teaching us how to relax in the process of Jesus taking shape in us. When our focus is on progress not perfection, we can much more freely yield to his work in us and we'll be much more gracious to the people still in process around us. Podcast Notes: Order Wayne's newest book: Beyond Sundays Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018 The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

When God does a miracle for one person and then doesn't for another, it can present a major stumbling block to those learning to live in the Father's affection. Many come to doubt his existence or his love because the doesn't resolve situations in the way they think love would compel him to. Wayne and Brad wade into this quagmire of the seeming capriciousness of God and talk about how we can keep trust alive even when our hopes in him are disappointed. If we don't see miracles and healing as something we can contrive, then we're free to walk alongside Jesus through the pain of this world in growing trust that things are going to be fine, because he is with us. And he understands how difficult it is to learn to trust him when the world we're in is so broken. Podcast Notes: The poetry of Jenny Rowbury Order Wayne's newest book: Beyond Sundays Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018 The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

How did 5,000 strangers in the book of Acts become such a family that they cared enough about each other to sell their possessions to meet each others need? And, all that without a program to tell people how to do it? Brad and Wayne have discovered over the years that real community is not something human effort can produce, but is the joyous fruit of people learning to live in the Father's love, and open enough to let others in. A small reflection of that is seen in the people who came to Israel with us last year. Thirty-five strangers converged in Israel and became an expression of family that has persisted long after the trip. Some of those had a reunion last weekend in Southern California and joined Brad and Wayne as they talk about the friendship God gave us. Podcast Notes: Beyond Sundays Is Now Available Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018 The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Gene Edwards is an enigmatic personality and a polarizing figure. No one has done more to encourage people think outside the box of institutionalized Christianity and see the Bride of Christ as Jesus is giving her shape in the world than Gene Edwards. And yet his model for replicating that church has been controversial and for some, painful. Wayne had the opportunity last month to sit down with Gene to share their mutual passion and the differences in how they see God working in the world.  Brad and Wayne process that conversation and why trying to replicate his church by teaching people to follow a model, no matter how well constructed, is problematic at best. As a side note Brad and Wayne reflect on the imperfect vessels we all are, and how to celebrate God's work in a life, even when we recognize their flaws. Podcast Notes: More information on Gene Edwards Beyond Sundays Is Now Available RSS Feeds for The God Journey Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018 The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Wayne fills Brad in on his recent trip to Florida and North Carolina.  One of the amazing observations Wayne had was the number of young people standing on the cusp of a new journey. Seeing through the illusion of religious obligation, they are hungry to find a different way of walking with Jesus that leads to life. That leads the guys into a discussion about the mistaken process Christianity almost universally embraces: If we can just define the right expectations God has of us from Scripture and do our best to live up to them every day, we will live a victorious Christian life. That system, however, has a faulty linchpin—our own human effort—and will disappoint us every time. How do we lose confidence in our own abilities and learn how to let Jesus live his life through us? They finish with a letter about whether learning to follow God is more like enjoying a playground or learning to walk a tightrope. Podcast Notes: Listen to Wayne's Radio Interview with Vince on WBT Charlotte Beyond Sundays Is Now Available RSS Feeds for The God Journey Wayne's Travel Schedule in early 2018 The latest news from our project in Kenya Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"