The God Journey

There can be no intimacy without honesty and genuineness and that's as true of God as it is our relationship with others. Wayne's time recuperating from surgery and watching some of the other people he knows who are struggling with pain and loss in their lives sparks a discussion with Brad about love and compassion in the midst of painful circumstances. They focus both on how we sort out persistent pain with God and how we can be an encouragement to others who deal with long-term challenging circumstances.  While religious rituals often encourage us to posture before God by saying the "right" things we think God wants to hear even if it is not in our heart, God's capacity to handle our fears and frustrations, our pain and complaints, is well documented in Scripture. Being honest with him opens the door to recognizing his work and his way of dealing with our challenges to the better ends he has in mind. 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"

Since the last episode Wayne ended up having open-heart surgery far sooner than he expected and Brad debriefs that whole experience with Wayne as well as how he is doing in his post-operative recovery. In this highly personal conversation they talk about God's purpose unfolding in our circumstances and how to flow along with him rather than trying to manipulate circumstances in ways that serve us best. Also, on the same day they recorded The Shack movie trailer was released so Wayne debriefed some of the movies process with Brad and how he feels about the final product. No, this does not signal a return to regular podcasting again as Wayne is still in recovery. It was just a chance for two friends to get together and talk about some key events in their lives and share it with those who are interested. 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"

Before Wayne headed to heart surgery he and Brad discussed the just-concluded election (though they didn't know the results), the efficacy of prayer and how they utilize in their lives, and how we respond to suffering, or the prospect of it in this broken world. Reading an email he got from Dave Coleman about God being present in those moments that cause us great concern or pain, they discuss the power of God to be inside our pain with us and open a door to know him better through it. God's protection doesn't always save us from the brokenness of this world, but saves us through it. If so for Jesus, how much more for us? They also read one of the comments from the recent podcast on inerrancy. (Special Note: This may be the last podcast for awhile until Wayne is able to take the time he needs to recover from surgery. We won't be giving a lot of medical updates, but what we do will be on Lifestream.org and Wayne's Facebook Author Page.) Podcast Notes: You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

There is no situation that you are in with any other human being that pouring love into it won't help. That thread runs through two emails that Wayne reads to Brad about God's ability to pour out his love when it most surprised people. Then they tear into an article in TIME Magazine about the connection between virtue and leadership. Current research shows that leaders who display authenticity, modesty, and a concern for others will lead them to cooperate ruin, while the vast majority of research shows that narcissism and lack of concern for others are better indicators of success. What do we make of this in view of a kingdom that transforms us to be more loving in the world? Does that mean we'll be less successful in the world's systems? Podcast Notes: TIME Article: Good Leaders Don't Have to Be Good. Wayne's Travel Schedule You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Evangelicals have set up camp around their belief that the Scriptures are inerrant. They judge people's faith on that belief, even if the word itself isn't used in Scripture. What does inerrancy mean? Does the book have to be inerrant to be fully trusted as God's revelation of himself? Wayne and Brad jump on this third rail of Christianity questioning the value of declaring the Bible inerrant while still affirming it as the book that gives an objective basis to appreciate our life in the Spirit. Why is it that those who are most willing to die on the mountain of inerrancy seem to lack the disposition and character of God in their lives and ministry? Was the Bible meant to replace the Spirit as our guide into all truth? You can celebrate the objective reality of Scripture while embracing a relationship with his Spirit that helps us live in its reality. Podcast Notes: The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy Andy Stanley Responds to his Critics Wayne's Travel Schedule You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

There's a reason we talk about his leading as nudges, because God's ability to draw us into his reality is so unlike the inner selfishness that tries to push its agenda to the fore, often at other peoples' expense. Wayne and Brad start by discussing Wayne's recent trip to Tennessee and his new heart concerns, before turning to some listener correspondence that continue to unfold the glorious ways in which God transforms people. Then they answer a question about what do we do when people claim to follow God's leading but doing so results in immoral behavior or even destructiveness toward others. They finally finish on a recent column by Richard Rohr about the necessity of learning powerlessness to be an effective agent of the kingdom in this world. What he says about the "social contract" between clearly and the laity will surprise you! Podcast Notes: Richard Rohr: Jesus' Invitation Follow Me Previous Podcast: Transformation Takes Time Previous Podcast: The Blue Smoke of Selfishness Wayne's Travel Schedule You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

Will God determine the result of the next election regardless of what we do?  Many think so based on a faulty interpretation of Romans 14. After spending a few moments answering a listener's question about is whether or not there is a valid calling to the ministry, Brad and Wayne talk about the difference between trusting in God's sovereignty and falling into the passive abyss of fatalism. This not only affects how we participate in a democracy, but also how we view God's work in our daily lives and the value of our responsiveness to him. Growing trust in God and walking with him never leaves us fatalistic. He's active in the world and we can be active alongside him as God touches the world through the lives of his followers. Podcast Notes: Wayne's Travel Schedule 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 whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves and wiser people so full of doubts." (Bertrand Russell) Two amazing stories of transformation by God Journey listeners opens up a discussion about how we respond to God's moving in our lives instead of trying to get him to do what we think is best. Then Wayne reads part of an article from Mark Mason about the eight reasons psychologists say we can't trust ourselves or our perspectives. It seems our brain bends our perception of reality to fit our very limited view of the world. While offering some hilarious observations, it also shows why our true freedom is not the freedom to do whatever we want, but to learn to live by the Spirit so that we are not bound by our limited perspectives.  Then we get to embrace a wider view of who he is and a gracious humility about our own conclusions. Podcast Notes: Why You Can't Trust Yourself by Mark Manson Wayne's Travel Schedule You can find our latest update on our work in Kenya here. Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"

WARNING: Be advised that this podcast is a frank and perhaps for some a controversial conversation about sexuality. Wayne and Brad continue with part two of their conversation with Tracy Levinson, author of Unashamed: candid conversations about dating, love, nakedness, and faith. They start where they left off, talking about navigating the waters where your sexual experience is a disappointment or even a cause of great pain. Then they talk about the entire relationship between a husband and wife and how it affects their sexual experience together. Loving each other is not about manipulating each other for our own wants but growing in the joy of mutually shared selflessness, Finally, they read a letter from a transgendered woman and podcast listener about the the struggles she's had in recently coming out and embracing what she considers freedom and authenticity. Podcast Notes: Wayne's Travel Schedule Original Podcast with Tracy Tracey's latest article on modesty:  Jesus, Nakedness and your Kids\ Seven Things I'm Learning About Transgendered People by Mark Wingfield unashamed: candid conversations about dating, love, nakedness and faith Tracy's website Wayne's review of Tracy's book There are still a few more slots available if you want to join Brad and Wayne on their Trip 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"

WARNING: Be advised that this podcast is a frank and perhaps for some a controversial conversation about sexuality. The sex lady returns to discuss some of your questions and comments from our earlier podcast. Wayne and Brad continue their frank and sometimes explicit conversation with Tracy Levinson, author of Unashamed: candid conversations about dating, love, nakedness, and faith, about a grace-based approach to sexuality in a variety of contexts.  They talk about how to deal with sexual issues with children  and how we can teach them modesty and restraint, without tainting their sexuality with fear or shame, and where we may have failed sexually or been taken advantage of how to be at peace with God. They also talk about masturbation and its impact on healthy sexuality, but not as a sin that will disconnect your relationship with God. They also help explore how a couple can communicate more effectively about their frequency, turn-ons  and sort through the places where it has caused pain or disappointment. h or disconnect you from God as you deal with it. Podcast Notes: Original Podcast with Tracy unashamed: candid conversations about dating, love, nakedness and faith Tracy's website Wayne's review of Tracy's book There are still a few more slots available if you want to join Brad and Wayne on their Trip 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"

New studies just out show just how powerful a network of good friendships can be. One study calls friendship better than morphine for its ability to produce endorphins that have pain-killing effects. Another suggests that the lack of human relationships may be the real cause of addiction, concluding that "the opposite of addiction is not sobriety; it's human connection." It's no wonder then that human brokenness—insecurity, loneliness, and price—keep us from the very relationships we seek.  Finding our life in the Father's affection allows us the freedom to bond with others in healthy friendships that brings joy to our lives in so many ways.  Wayne and Brad talk about what friendship really is and how you can find the connection you need, both with God and others to cultivate the friendships that can have a huge impact in your life. Podcast Notes: Wayne's Travel Schedule Friends are Better than Morphine The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered Do Your Friends Actually Like You? There are still a few more slots available if you want to join Brad and Wayne on their Trip 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"

One of the themes of our ongoing podcast is the time it takes for our brains to switch from living in the bondage of religious performance, to finding our life and freedom in the affection of a gracious Father. It is a journey that takes years and we've often wondered why. Wayne shares with Brad a recent article that excited him by seeming to confirm that this is not only a spiritual reality, but also a physiological reason why it's true. God created our brain to be an amazingly adaptive and because of that our neural pathways are influenced by everything that happens to us and everything we take in. It's an amazing process where the way we think is shaped by the neural pathways that have most influenced us in the past. The good news, however, is that we can blaze new pathways of thinking over time. Old trails unused will fade away and new ones that serve us better can become part of the fabric of our lives. Is this what Paul meant by "the renewing of the mind?" It certainly seems to be part of it and explains why conformity to a list of expectations can never change us. Podcast Notes: Article by David Eagleman on Keeping the Brain Active There are still a few more slots available if you want to join Brad and Wayne on their Trip 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"

Brad's concerned that patriotism has become a dirty word among some of his Christian friends and wants to explore why with Wayne. Of course our hope is not in the kingdoms of this world, but does that mean we just abandon the political landscape and not have influence there? That gets them into a discussion about the history of the U.S., the ideals of its founders, American exceptionalism, and how we are living that out almost 250 years later. They talk about the current election, corruption in our national leaders, and the economic greed and political necessity of polarizing the electorate instead of encouraging a moral imagination to cultivate a higher common good than each person's own self-interest. Is there hope for America's future, and is there anything we can do at the local or national level to change the nature of the debate and be a blessing to the country we live in? Podcast Notes: There are still a few more slots available if you want to join Brad and Wayne on their Trip 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"

The picture above is of the dying forest where Wayne's father lives. It is the unintended consequences of shutting down the lumber industry 20 years ago allegedly to protect the forest. But the opposite happened. It's a fitting metaphor for what charity is doing to many third-world economies. Sometimes our most well-intentioned actions have devastating impact we do not foresee and would not have chosen. Wayne recently watched a documentary called Poverty, Inc, and it lays out in stark terms how misguided approaches to helping poorer nations can actually make them more impoverished by destroying their local economy. The industry that surrounds world poverty is structured on obsolete premises and yet continues to exist because it benefits third-world warlords, the banking industry, and agri-business in the first world. This is a powerful movie that will change how you view poverty and failed government and charity polices. We need to empower people in poverty to employ their own creativity to building an economy, rather than use their need to line our own pockets. Perhaps unadvisedly at the end the wade into the current political climate of the U.S. Podcast Notes: Wayne's blog on Your Help is Hurting You can view Poverty, Inc at Netflix and read more about the people behind it here. There are still a few more slots available if you want to join Brad and Wayne on their Trip 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"

Wayne and Brad are back from their summer hiatus and as they sort through some listener email, they are asked about their own journeys and what God is doing in them at the moment. That spawns some conversation about embracing God's delight in us especially when we're not at our best, and learning the value of living helplessly in the Father's care instead of with an over-exaggerated view of our own abilities to fix the circumstances we hope to fix. Growing in our awareness of helplessness is not hopeless, especially when our hand is in the hand of the Father. In our own lives and in others, only God can work things out the way he desires. Podcast Notes: Wayne refers to this book again:  Soul of Shame by Curt Thompson There are still a few more slots available if you want to join Brad and Wayne on their Trip to Israel Add your voice to our question/comment line via Skype at "TheGodJourney"