The God Journey

We have been grateful to hear from so many people who have been touched by the movie adaptation of The Shack. Even those who didn't want to see the movie, fearful it would ruin their enjoyment of the book, have written to tell us how wrong they were. The movie has already touched so many lives and as Wayne and Brad go over their past few weeks with the movie's release, they also note some of the confusion that has arisen from putting The Shack back in the spotlight and those stories that distort both the content and creation of the book. Podcast Notes: Whose Afraid of the Big, Bad Shack, by Wayne A Collaborative Life - an early podcast with Paul Young about writing The Shack You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

A son comes home after sliding into the less-than-stellar influence of his friends and as his dad was trying to help him understand what maturity would invite him to embrace wound up saying, "Son, I can give you mercy, but I can't give you character. What a statement and Brad and Wayne parse that out as an expression God might feel as well. When we who claim to believe in a loving Father use his mercy and graciousness as an excuse for our dishonesty, lack of integrity, or selfishness we discredit the very love we tout. If Father's love doesn't eventually lead us out of selfishness to embrace a different way of living, the world and other Christians are right to ignore our message. Personal expedience must give way to a growing depth of character if we're going to touch the world and the principalities and powers with the reality of the God we claim to follow. Podcast Notes: Whose Afraid of the Big, Bad Shack, by Wayne You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

"The crisis in the world is the lack of good leadership." That's an astute observation our guide in Israel made as we were discussing tensions in the Middle East and in U.S. politics. It is easier for bad leaders to manipulate with fear and to polarize people to get our own way. Good leadership invites people to a greater common good by helping people work together. How long as it been since we've had that kind of leadership? Only as we have a growing confidence in God's love for us and his unfolding purpose behind human history can we separate ourselves from the the fears that drive our culture and actually become a source of blessing to people around us. But that is not easy for some to find when the values of this age and economic rewards run directly counter to the life and freedom Jesus invites us into. Podcast Notes: Whose Afraid of the Big, Bad Shack, by Wayne Tracy Levinson Podcasts: Unashamed and Mutually Shared Selflessness You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Though we are no longer in NY, this was our last video before we fled for the airport, and below it is the first outtake. In some ways historic. Don't miss it. After 570 podcasts and some 10 videos, I can count on one hand the number of times we've had to stop a recording and start over--a "Take 2" as they say in the biz. Yes, that amazes us too. We almost never talk about anything before we hit a "video" or "record" button and yet we fall into an easy rhythm when we do. That's why this is historic. It's incredibly rare that someone bails on a Take One, but it did happen yesterday morning. Brad had me totally flustered. Podcast Notes: Don't miss our other NY videos: From Central Park and from Times Square,

When did Christianity become a religion more concerned about doctrinal conformity than it is helping people know, love and follow the living God? Knowledge about God and knowing God are two different things. Wayne and Brad discuss the growing divide between academic understanding about and personal engagement with him. This is not one or the other, but how do we treasure both? Knowing what's true about God is vitally important, but if we substitute that knowledge from God as a knowable reality in the creation we will tend toward arrogance and control, rather than love and humility. They also talk about the question as to whether God needs us, and how it is that we need him. Podcast Notes: Whose Afraid of the Big, Bad Shack, by Wayne Am I a Christian, Pastor Timothy Keller? You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

As the release date for movie adaptation for The Shack gets ever closer, Brad and Wayne share a bit of the process they have been through and their excitement to see how others respond to the movie. That begins a conversation about the playfulness of God in the story and why that is offensive to some. Playfulness and truth seem to go together. The less certain someone is of what's true the more forceful and manipulative they are to get others to agree with them. But the more people relax into God's reality the more gentle they are with others and the more fun they seem to have in embracing that truth and sharing it with others. And when truth is celebrated rather than defended, it seems to open wider doors for those who want to experience the truth as well. Podcast Notes: The 2016 RSS Feed International Release Dates for The Shack The Shack Trailer Sign up for The GJ Shack Showing in Thousand Oaks, CA on March 4 You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

The boys are back from Jordan and Israel reflecting on their time with 32 others from around the world who joined them for a two-week odyssey. While they talk about the sites that most impacted them they also share some of what they learned and reflected on while there. You'll hear about Mt. Nero, the rock city of Petra, Galilee, Jerusalem, and the dungeon under Caiaphas' house where Jesus would have spent the night before his crucifixion. They also talk about the joy of watching total strangers become of family of friends over the course of their time together, with a wonderful mix of deep sharing and healing, along with moments of absolute hilarity.  Don't miss Brad and Wayne's videos from the Holy Land, listed below. Podcast Notes: The 2016 RSS Feed Video Updates from Israel:  •  From Petra  •  On the Sea of Galilee  •  In Jerusalem  •  Near Temple Mount  •  From the Airport The Shack Trailer Sign up for The GJ Shack Showing in Thousand Oaks, CA on March 4 You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Did you know that in the third century "church leaders" declared it heresy to encourage others to worship at home with friends and family? There's a lot to love about the councils and creeds, but this is not their best work especially when the establishment moves far from the reality of the Gospel and trading institutional conformity for divine community. Brad and Wayne explore the ramifications of this kind of thinking and respond to a recent article about why Millennials no longer find their local congregations a relevant space to explore their spiritual journey. This is what happens when we lose sight of the church as the company of people learning to live in the love of Jesus and following him, but seek to contain it in institutions with those who need to derive their income from it. Podcast Notes: The 2016 RSS Feed 12 Reasons Millennials are OVER Church The Shack Trailer Sign up for The GJ Shack Showing in Thousand Oaks, CA on March 4 at 4:00 pm You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

In every battle between the empowered establishment and some group of people calling out for relief from oppression, the vast majority of Christianity has been on the wrong side of the struggle. In almost every case if you would have chosen the struggle of the oppressed you would have been on the right side of God's work in history. Wayne and Sara saw Hidden Figures, a movie about racial oppression in the NASA space program. That coupled with a recent discussion about his former work with BridgeBuilders leave Wayne disturbed about oppression and whether we do enough to help people who need it the most. But our efforts seem so insignificant against he magnitude of problems that permeate society. Thinking large paralyzes us, but finding our way to love the next person and come to their aid can change the world. Podcast Notes: The 2016 RSS Feeds A Christian and a Muslim Walk Into A Studio Hidden Figures To Make the World Better, Think Small by Arthur C. Brooks The Shack Trailer Sign up for The GJ Shack Showing in Thousand Oaks, CA on March 4 at 4:00 pm You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

When we aren't finding our life in Jesus each day, we go looking in the strangest places. When our hearts are at rest in him we get to live freely and lovingly in the world. Wayne and Brad catch up on some listener email and talk about the joy of moving away from the do-good, try-harder performance of religious activity to growing in a real relationship with him. That life is not a fairy tale, but a growing curve of learning to be in him instead of left to our own devices. Life in him is not spooky-spiritual, but feels incredibly normal as you walk through circumstances with him. It also leads to a discussion about being so insecure that we seek our validation and approval from others instead of knowing we have his, and having his we don't need to use our relationship with others to feel good about ourselves. Podcast Notes: The 2016 RSS Feeds The Shack Trailer Sign up for The GJ Shack Showing in Thousand Oaks, CA on March 4 at 4:00 pm You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree is twenty-five years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is today. If you didn't then, there's no time like the present. Don't we all wish we'd given greater attention to God's working in us in years past and live more freely in the fruit of it today? We can't do anything about the past, but we can lean more deeply into him today and let his work have freer reign in us for days to come. Through listener emails and questions Wayne and Brad discuss the ongoing joy of finding our way into God's reality and how we encourage others, including our children, into that same life of transformation. In the course of the conversation they talk about how important it is to be honest in the moment with our hungers and struggles, how our mind, will, and emotions play into this process, and how we cooperate with his working without getting trapped into trying to earn it through religious works.   Podcast Notes: The Shack Trailer You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

It's such an easy trap to fall into. How many times have we seen people start out sharing a gift God has given them with others and end up using that gift to serve themselves? In this age of self-promotion the temptation has never been greater, especially if we want our gift to build our influence, satiate our ego or provide for our income stream. When ministry shifts from, "How can I serve you?" to, "What's in it for me?" everything valuable gets lost and we end up exploiting people instead of serving them. "Freely you have received, freely give," is how Jesus told us to live. In this podcast, Brad and Wayne talk about the danger of serving ourselves with the gifts God has given us instead of employing them to help others. Podcast Notes: The Shack Trailer George Michael Quotes Ann Voskamp article in Christianity Today You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Why do we think we can manage the spirituality of others instead of helping them learn to follow the Spirit of Jesus he has placed in them? It never works. It leads to conflict between fellow believers and substitutes the breath of the Spirit for telling others what principles they should be following. A search through recent emails launch Brad and Wayne on this discussion as they talk about the judgment of others, the current conflict going on at Calvary Chapel, and the challenge from a worship leader telling people they need to leave their comfort zones to follow God.  Managed spirituality doesn't work because it is the attempt to be the voice of the Spirit to others. In addition they include a song from Daniel Madison's new album, Masquerade of Mercy, which was inspired by many themes of The God Journey and how it has affected his journey. You may get a copy if you like. Podcast Notes: Masquerade of Mercy on BandCamp or iTunes by Daniel Madison  (Email Daniel) Conflict in Calvary Chapel The Shack Trailer There's still room to join Brad and Wayne on The God Journey Israel Tour, departing January 22 to Jordan, or January 25 to Israel You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Why do we only feel the pangs of unfairness when we think we're being cheated and don't carry the same passion for it when we are the ones who benefit from it? Following up last week's conversation with Brad, Wayne reads an excerpt from a new book about the crucifixion that may offer an explanation as to why that is. That takes them on a further discussion about how love and justice might work together inside of God and what implications all that might have on the end of the age. They discuss how our sense of justice might affect how we treat people around us today and how we God's redemption, restoration, and even universalism. Podcast Notes: The Shack Trailer Excerpt of Crucifixion by Fleming Rutledge.  Order book from Amazon here. There's still room to join Brad and Wayne on The God Journey Israel Tour, departing January 22 to Jordan, or January 25 to Israel You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Often our view of life is limited by our self focus that we miss the way God is working around us.  eis so limited by it's self-focus, when God is wanting to open our eyes to his Brad gets shaken down by the federales in Mexico in a recent family trip there, which opens a discussion with Wayne about fairness and the violation we feel when those with power over us use it to exploit rather than serve. But "might makes right" is the way the world has worked through most of it's history. While we all have a passion for fairness when we're being taken advantage of, few complain when they have the advantage over others. No wonder Jesus told us to treat others the way we want to be treated, it is th only way for us to find fairness. Then they discuss the recent movie release, Arrival, which surpassingly had a lot to say to both of them about the way God works in the world. (NOTICE:  Plot spoilers here. You may want to see the movie first if you don't want the boys to ruin it for you.) Podcast Notes: The Shack Trailer There's still room to join Brad and Wayne on The God Journey Israel Tour, departing January 22 to Jordan, or January 25 to Israel You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"