The Voyager: Recent Episodes
Norbert Bauer
In this podcast I will share with you my journey with God over almost 5 decades. We all can use a little help along the way in our spiritual formation. I want to help you to get closer to God and help you discover what He was thinking off when He created you.
We are invited to a counter-cultural event - a personal retreat with God. Find out how that applies to you and how you can respond to this life-changing invitation.
If the answer is "no" then you should try fasting. All religions and even modern medicin agree that fasting has numerous benefits for our body as well as our spiritual life. It has become the least popular practice among most churches, but if we want to see lasting transformation then this is an essential tool.
The loneliness in leadership is real and is something we cannot escape. Let us join Moses in the most difficult time in his life as a leader - a time when even God had left him (Or so he thought).
We are looking at warning signs - burning-bush-experiences - that can prevent us from becoming the leader that God has called us to be. Who is Jethro in your life?
The life of Moses gives us a good insight into the life of a leader. He had to learn 2 lessons in order to survive: Learning to pay attention, and recognising his own limitations. These lessons are more relevant today than ever before.
No matter who you think you are, God says that you are His masterpiece, a new creation, and His son or daughter. Say that next time you look into the mirror!
We are taking a closer look at building a trellis that expresses our true heart and longing in a way that can lead to transformation. This will lead us to creating spiritual rhythms that work for us.
What is a Rule of Life, and why should I have one? We need to build a scaffold for spiritual formation so that it can get off the ground and grow as God intended for us.
This is the ending of Season 3. What is convergence and what does it mean? Convergence is the technical definition for when a believer enters into a period in life when they discover the role that empowers them to do what they were created for before they were born.
For most people in the world "Grace" is an abstract concept that we do not pay much attention to. Understanding God's unfolding Grace is the main key to understanding your identity and purpose in life, and it will help you to anticipate major changes before they happen.
Nobody likes waiting! It has become the major source of anger, irritation, and bitterness. In Western culture it is definitely a negative thing, even something evil. But in Bible Times waiting was a virtue and sign of strength. How can we wait for the promises of God while keeping our hearts in the right place?
Did you know that God loves to ask us questions? That is right - and, He is not afraid of your questions, no matter how hard they may be.
The greatest issue in the church today is a lack of commitment, reflecting a fast-growing trend in society. We will look at the reasons behind it and talk about man's greatest need and man's greatest fear.
We all get tired on our journey. We get stuck in a rut and the excitement has gone. But there is a way to get the passion back, and it is not hard at all.
Asking for directions can be humiliating, but there are times when we just have to admit that we are lost. We are looking at the role of the spiritual director, the history and goals of spiritual direction.
The Bible makes some fantastic claims regarding who we really are in God. There is no other story ever told that comes even close to the change and promotion promised to those who put their trust in Him.
There is a beast inside you that needs to be fed! We are talking about the shadow-side of your spiritual formation. We will also look at the journey of a believer through the eyes of the church fathers and mothers of old - very illuminating, to say the least!
Spiritual formation is the great reversal. From being the subject who controls all other things to being a person who is shaped by the presence, purpose and power of God in all things.
We are taking a closer look at Ignatian Spirituality, what it means and how it can help us today. Ignatius was a man who believed that we must first lead ourselves before we can lead others – and that leading ourselves as Christians calls for constant, focused attention.
This is the start of Season 3 - Getting to know the real you.
We are starting with an exercise that will enable you to name and own some negative aspect of your character and invite true change and transformation in that area of your life.
We have all been to Christian conferences, seminars or training events and walked away inspired, encouraged and uplifted, just to realise that we were not able to integrate what we had learned in our hearts and lives. How can we keep what we have received and not loose it within the next days, weeks, or months?
We are taking a quick look at the 9 personality types found in the Enneagram. Maybe you will recognize yourself in one of these and begin the exciting journey of transformation to a healthier version of yourself.
What do you know about the person God created? The New Testament teaches that we are a "New Creation", but how does that differ from who you are today? Wouldn't you like to get to know that "real you"? I am introducing a tool that can help you with that.
There is an epidemic of exhaustion affecting a large majority of people today. Life is moving faster and faster, and sometimes it feels like it is spinning out of control. Listen to some of the warning signs that can help you gain some level of control before it is too late.
The lives of most Christians are unbalanced. Too much time spent in church and its ministries keeps us from becoming a relevant witness to the world, and build a healthy relationship with God. There is a way to fix that problem.
How can we discern things in our lives that threaten to de-throne God in our hearts? How can we live a life of surrender to God in a world where materialism, success and consumerism rule?
What is your default reaction when you encounter pain in your life? Learn about the "Dark Night of the Soul", and how you can lean into your pain in a way that will draw you closer to God.
"Holy Brakes" we can call them, the times when God forces us to slow down so that we do not miss what He is trying to say to us. Introducing another tool that can revolutionise the way you read the Bible and hear from God.
Did you ever feel inferior in the way you interact with God when compared to others? Maybe you feel there is something wrong with you because you do not like to worship God like others around you? God has created you in a specific way to connect with Him - find out more about that.
I will introduce my favorite spiritual exercise that has made me a more grateful person, and helped me to negotiate the rough places in life.
What are your defenses? What do you usually do when things go wrong and you feel like you have just hit a wall? There is a way to grow and become more mature in our emotions as they relate to our spiritual life.
If you were told that emotions are unspiritual and that you need to ignore them, then you need to take another look at who God has made you to be. We are looking at indicators of an unhealthy spirituality.
We have reached the end of Season 1 of The Voyager. There are four different ways for you to dream about your future, which will you choose? After one week's pause we will resume with Season 2 - so stay tuned!
We are continuing our exploration of the elemental life according to the Celtic Christians of old. Their wisdom and simple way to adapt the elements of nature to their journey with God can help us to dig deeper and find new inspiration.
We are studying Celtic Christianity and learn from their down-to-earth approach to the spiritual life and journey. Put up your sail and join us!
We are using the season of Lent to dive into the battle within, between the Authentic and the Adapted Self. What do you think God was thinking when He created you?
Are you longing for an experience of the Father Heart of God? Let's identify some fences and barriers that the enemy has built in order to keep us from experiencing what we all long for.
We're still talking about identity. In this episode we will revisit a topic that has become more relevant than ever: Experiencing the Father Heart of God. Have you?
We know the direction (getting to know Jesus), and we know the goal (becoming more and more like Him), but who are we on this journey? Taking a closer look at our identity.
What leads to hitting a wall? What happens after the Wall? Explore with me how God uses obstacles on our journey with Him.
Where are you on your journey with God? We are exploring the phases of our spiritual journey that millions before us have passed through.
The goal of our spiritual formation: To know Him more and become more like Him?
How is that going for you? In this episode we are looking at an ancient key that will help us to know Jesus more and as a consequence become more like Him.
We know how to talk about our natural lives, but not the spiritual. We are quite clueless when asked "How is your Soul?"
Jesus is "The Way" and the early Church was called the same. This is not an individual journey, but one done in community.
This is an introduction to our theme of walking with God. In this first season we will focus on understanding the basics of our spiritual formation.
In this episode I am addressing some of the misunderstandings that I had as a young believer, thinking that my spiritual transformation was on auto-pilot, and the resulting frustrations.