Wholly Authentic Life: Recent Episodes
Wholly Authentic Life
We are here to share with you about the hope we have for a vibrant and sustainable life in Jesus--a life that is lived authentically from your truest self--a wholly authentic life.
How can we sing a different tune when negativity is falling like rain all around us? It seems so easy to simply follow the crowd and allow ourselves to become critical of everything. But what is this doing to us? In this podcast, we are going to talk about how we can choose (with God's help) how we think and why it's important.
Feeling discouragement and hopelessness is a real problem. Life takes sudden, unexpected turns at times which can be challenging to navigate, but sometimes it feels like more. The hurt is deeper, the emotions run higher, and the helplessness has us frozen, not knowing what to do. We desperately need the truth to set us free. Join our conversation today as we talk about the "stuff" of life.
From the beginning, we've talked about the problem of feeling fragmented and compartmentalizing all of the various roles we live on a daily basis. It leaves us stressed out and pulled in a thousand different directions all at once. Our heart longs for something different--something more. Join us today as we talk about our heart's greatest desire.
Sometimes we live the way we do because we believe that one day we're going to finally arrive at our destination, releasing all the pressure and stress and difficulty once for all. I think we all know the reality, but we can hope, right? The truth is, as long as we're still going, then life is still all about growing. Listen in as we talk about this expedition we call life and how healthy growth produces fruit as we stay connected to the vine.
It seems like everything competes for our attention these days. We're so accustomed to seeing scrolling marquees and pop-up ads we find it difficult to focus on the things that really matter. Join us today as we learn a lesson from Peter on the value of giving all our attention to the ONE who can help us walk through the most difficult storms of life.
People often talk about life's ups and downs, but what about those times when it feels like you've been thrown into a constant spin cycle? One hard thing after another keeps knocking you off your feet, leaving you bruised and battered, exhausted, and longing for relief. Listen in today as we talk about how we can keep fighting our way through when we're being beat up by life.
Why is it true that life feels so disappointing at times? We start a new job, meet someone new, or pick up a new hobby and what begins with such hope, just seems to let us down over time. This can't be all that life has to offer, right? The answer: Well, that depends, because there is a way things work. Join us this week as we dive into the key to unlocking fulfillment in a world full of disappointment.
Being a parent is the best, hardest thing we ever get to do. Every child is unique, and if they came with instructions, we must have lost those on the way home from the hospital. Yikes!
Actually, how cool is it that we learn how to parent, while being a parent, in the relationship we have with each of our children? God set it all up to allow our parenting style to constantly grow, adapt, and mature. We model real life for them as we live the ups and downs of real life everyday. Listen in as we share the joys we've found in every season of parenting.
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." - Dale CarnegieWhen we are in a hard moment it's so easy to question or complain, and totally miss the opportunities that are right in front of us. We want to pray, "God, please change my circumstances," when maybe we should be praying, "God, please use my circumstances to change me." Join us this week as we dive into the topic of growing through hard things.
In the English language we use one word to talk about love. Unfortunately, that causes us to get mixed up and confused in our relationships. We push away friendship because we fear this type of love. We question how we're made and why we feel the way we do. Join us today as we shine a light on love and all the types of love that God created us to enjoy as a part of a vibrant and sustainable life in Christ.
The word "love" gets tossed around so flippantly nowadays, and its identity is mistaken as many things get labeled as love that aren't really love at all. In today's episode we talk all about romance, dating, and marriage because when it comes to romantic relationships, it's vital that we learn love's true identity.
Doubt and uncertainty have a way of robbing us of the kind of contentment, joy, and confidence that we need to experience the vibrant and sustainable life God has for us. Join us today as we continue our series on building a wholly authentic life and take on the topic of how to increase our faith.
Today, we continue our series on building a wholly authentic life. Tammie is on the go, so I have the privilege of bringing two of our sons in to hear their perspective on the importance of following God. It's our prayer that we can encourage you as you pursue the life you were made to live.
There is a way things work. Every once in a while we bump up against a truth that we don't like. In fact, sometimes we would rather determine what is true, what is right and what is wrong, for ourselves. Life is simpler that way, AND no one gets to tell me that I'm wrong, right? Well, how's that working for you?
Our source of truth and what we believe becomes the foundation of how we live. Join us today as we look at how we can build a wholly authentic life on the foundation of absolute truth.
Freedom In Christ Ministries
https://www.ficm.org/
You can find many resources on their website for free including the "Who I Am In Christ" list we referred to in our podcast.
If we're going to build a wholly authentic life, then it all starts with deepening our relational walk with God through prayer. Join us today as we talk about prayer and how we can develop a real friendship with God.
Lasting change... let those words sink in for just a moment. The hope of it all just feels good, doesn't it? It's out with the old, in with the new. This year is going to be different, really! And year after year, old habits return, new habits fade, and on life goes returning to the comfort of the status quo.
Maybe this year, New Year's resolutions need to go "out with the old." Join our conversation today as we talk about making a New Year's Renovation.
What are your favorite memories of Christmas? Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? A favorite tradition?
Okay, now to the real question: How's your stress level these days? How are your holiday plans coming together? Everyone is so excited and happy, right? After all, tis the season!
Sometimes the holidays can be... well, anything but happy. Join us today for an open and honest conversation about life and learning, about mistakes and growth, and how we can all have a happy holidays.
Habit 5: Seek first to understand
https://www.franklincovey.com/habit-5/
Sunday Breakfast
Ingredients: 1 pkg. pre-cooked dinner rolls (cut in half, sandwich style), 1 lb. thin sliced ham, 1 pkg. Swiss cheese
Place the bottom halves of the rolls in a pan lined with parchment paper, distribute ham and cheese on each roll, then replace the top part of each roll to create little ham and cheese sandwiches.
Mix together: 1/2 stick butter, 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 3/4 tsp mustard, 1 and 1/2 tsp minced onion
Spoon over the top of each roll. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Enjoy!
No one loves being called immature. Yet, everything in this world encourages us to think of ourselves and our needs first just like we did when we were children. Maybe it's time to leave some things behind and grow up and grow into the person God created us to be.
Coping strategies help us learn how to diffuse bad situations and avoid addictive behaviors. They are so very important, but over time as we continue to fight the same battles in our lives, we become exhausted and things like doubt and hopelessness can start to creep in. What we need is a way to level up--to move from surviving to thriving. Join us as we talk about the path to real transformation.
A big part of life is making choices. What do you want to do with your life? Who do you want to do life with? Who do you want by your side when you celebrate? What do you turn to when life is hard? All of these things represent an attachment, something or someone to whom you are devoted, something or someone you love. So, you've made choices. How are things working out for you? Some attachments are healthy and others are most definitely not. Listen in as we offer a perspective on evaluating and improving our attachment issues.
https://www.whollyauthentic.com/
Sometimes our ideas about life are just plain upside down. We miss so much because we focus on all the wrong things. Join us this week as we take a new look at sowing and reaping.
Are your emotions friend or foe? Do they help you or get you into trouble? Do they motivate you to action or paralyze you? Join us this week as we talk about emotions, and we might even learn something from Spock along the way!
https://www.whollyauthentic.com/
Ouachita Baptist University Tiger Tunes 2022
https://vimeo.com/obu/tunes22
What is standing in the way of the life you're looking for? Is it you? Well... Stop it! Join us for today's conversation as we share our hope for YOU and a wholly authentic life!
Scripture references:
The Pool of Bethesda - John 5:1-15, Naaman - 2 Kings 5, The Rich Young Ruler - Matthew 19:16-22
Links:
Connect with us at Wholly Authentic Life
The Chosen: Season 2, Episode 4
Bob Newhart-Stop It
Fresh Life Church, Pastor Levi Lusko: Getting off the Ground
How many days do you wake up overwhelmed with everything that you have in front of you? Join us today as we have an honest conversation about how to shift our perspective in moments like these.
The life you're looking for, a wholly authentic life, a vibrant life, a sustainable life, is within reach. The question is, what are you reaching for--a temporary fix or something more? What you reach for in the good times will be what you are holding on to when the bad times come. Join us as we kick off Season 2 of the Wholly Authentic Life podcast.
Connect with us at: https://www.whollyauthentic.com/
Download the Pause App: https://www.pauseapp.com/
Get Your Life Back by John Eldredge: https://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Life-Back-Practices/dp/1400208661/ref=sr_1_1
Being a parent is both rewarding and challenging in every season of life. Join us today as we talk about some of the key lessons we've learned while raising our three sons.
Speaking the truth in love is one of the most misunderstood, and often mishandled, responsibilities that we have in life. Today, we talk about how we can love one another well and develop the courage to have difficult conversations in a world that would rather we stay silent.
Today, we're continuing our conversation through Philippians chapter 4 where Paul gives us reading glasses for our soul, so that we can see a new perspective, trust God more, and do the work to experience a more vibrant and sustainable life every day.
How can we see more clearly and begin to experience a more vibrant and sustainable life? If you need reading glasses, you know what a difference they make. Today, we're going to begin a conversation on finding reading glasses for our soul.
What happens when we disengage? As I ask that question it reminds me of the scene in the original Top Gun movie when Maverick was struggling to decide whether or not he was going to engage in the battle or turn his back and ignore everything. This is the same choice we have to make every day. In part two of our conversation, we talk about why we must stay engaged in the battle for a wholly authentic life.
The struggle is real. No, really, the struggle is real. There is a reason that life is hard. There is a reason that conflict is easy. Our conversation today is all about waking up to the reality that if we want real change--wholly authentic, vibrant and sustainable, then we must fully engage in the battle for our hearts and minds.
We create memorials and observe days like this one to remember the significance of people and past events that have shaped the world in which we live. This practice in our daily lives can serve as an indispensable tether to God's goodness and grace in the midst of the ups and downs of life.
Being caught off guard is the worst as it can send us spiraling downward mentally and emotionally. Join us today as we talk about how we can be wisely aware of moments when we should expect the unexpected and be better prepared to withstand all that comes our way.
Do you remember the old commercial that asked how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop? The owl licked three times and then just bit into it. Life can sometimes come at us that way. Everything is going along smoothly and then, CRUNCH! In those moments, no matter how many layers of candy-coating we have, what is on the inside will be revealed. Join us this week as we talk about getting to the real, heart of the matter.
Is fear keeping you from really living? Join us today as we talk about how to manage fear; letting it work for us when it can and confronting it when it stands in the way of the vibrant life we were created to live.
God loves you. He wants to walk with you in EVERYTHING you do. So often we exclude him from things we enjoy. Surely, our hobbies, our interests, or our music are way too secular for God. What? Why do we think this way? Let's review. God loves you. He wants to walk with you in EVERYTHING you do.
In a world of social media, video filters, and flawless special effects, it's tough to know what is real anymore. The pressure to measure up has us performing like actors day in and day out. That is just not sustainable, and thankfully, life doesn't have to be this way.
Where are you finding happiness these days? Just like looking for the keys you left in your coat pocket, it's all about looking in the right place. Join us today as we talk about how God created the world to work, and where the keys to happiness have been left for us all to find.
Today, we continue our conversation about relationships and trust as we take on the difficult question, "How can we trust God when life is hard?"
A key element in our level of confidence and security comes from our ability to trust. Can we trust the information we've been given? Can we trust the people in our lives? Every day it seems like something else happens to erode our level of trust in one thing or another. This is especially hard on our relationships. Today, we invite you to sit in on our conversation about trust, how we can understand the factors that impact our level of trust in others, and how we can bring trust back into broken relationships in our pursuit of a richer and more meaningful life.
Relationships are wonderful! Relationships are awful! Relationships are… complicated. God said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” so how do we get this right? Today, we are going to continue to challenge one another to break away from what is common so we can experience friendship on a level that transforms the way we live.
In a relationship everyone fights, right? Couples fight. Friends fight. Families fight.
Well, today we are here to say that what is common, doesn't have to be normal. We have a choice.
That's what Paul meant when he said, love is patient, love is kind...
Are you ever surprised by your response to being sidetracked from your routine or confronted with unexpected news? Life would be so much easier if these things never happened, but that simply isn't reality. Wouldn't it be great if we were more prepared?
Well, the good news is, we can be! Today we're going to talk about ways we can make investments in our journey through life to better prepare us to face, and react well to, whatever comes our way.
Can you identify with this? I am spent, my stress level is higher than I would like, I am pretty much maxed out... and it's only Monday! How did life get this way? Is there any hope for things to be better? Is this just, normal?
No, it's not normal, but unfortunately, it is common.
Thankfully, there is good news! Your best days lie ahead as you learn to live in the rhythms that God has woven into the fabric of all he made. "And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day." (Genesis 1:5b, NLT)
Often, there is a narrative playing in our mind that isn't telling us the truth, at least not the whole truth anyway. Whether it is the remnant of careless words spoken over us or negative self talk or just trash talk from our enemy, the battle for our mind is on. God speaks the real truth, the whole truth, over our lives through his word. Will we believe the truth? It seems like that ought to be easier than it is. Join us as we talk about breaking free from all these false narratives to walk in the truth of who God has made us to be.
Some of life's most frustrating moments are those when we realize that our passivity has carried us into places we never thought we'd be. Without intention we can literally fill our days with things that increase our stress and suck the life out of us.
Dallas Willard once said, "You must arrange your days so that you are experiencing deep contentment, joy, and confidence in your everyday life with God."
Today, we're going to talk about making intentional choices and replacing the influences we have passively allowed into our lives.
Did you ever just have one of those days? And then, you looked back and said, "my life seems to be a long string of just one of those days." When we were kids we had no idea that life could be like this. We had hopes that it would be filled with action and adventure and... well, more. We believe the life your heart is searching for is available--a vibrant and sustainable life. Join us as we talk about reality, making adjustments along the way, and how we can get moving from where we are to where we want to be.
Comparison. Managing other's expectations. Wearing masks. Trying to be a chameleon as we shift from one role to another in life. It's all exhausting, and something in us diminishes a little bit when we attempt to live a life that isn't who we truly are, or who we're meant to be. Today we're going to talk about what it means to have a wholly authentic life.