The Unbroken Ground

Ep. 34: Do You Really Want to?

Hello Fellow Travelers! Does the Old Testament and New Testament contradict itself? In Psalm 139, David asks God to know his heart and see that he hates the wicked. Jesus explains we are to love our enemies. In this podcast, I work through some of that tension (as I see it so far) and give my thoughts on what David (and Jesus) declared. Wrestling with what God is saying and wants to say should be a hallmark of every believer. Hopefully, this process I go through is helpful to you. 

Ep. 33: Spiritual EKG

Hello Fellow Travelers! I preached today, so rather than spending additional brain power (which I may have a shortage of already), I thought I would share my sermon as a podcast. Not to mention, I blogged about the same verses a few weeks ago, which you can find here: Do It Right: Tips for Spiritual Journey | Paul Tanner (patheos.com).
The sermon was specifically a meditation on Psalm 139:23-24. 

Ep. 32: Are Your For Real?

Hello Fellow Travelers! Do you follow Jesus for real? Growing up Christian, there seemed to be two extremes to live within. Follow the rules, which is legalism, or do whatever you want as long as you say the "sinner's prayer." What does it look like to follow Jesus for real? How do you practice hearing the Holy Spirit? Are you looking for more than just a Sunday morning commitment? It might not be a clear connection, but a video I watched claiming the KJV was the only translation without any error made me think about what it means to follow Jesus. As a disclaimer, I don't have a favorite or "only" version of the Bible. But if you do, please research the translation's strengths, weaknesses, and biases. Also, let us rejoice that God can change and move lives using each translation of the Bible and is not limited to one.

Ep. 31: Just a Little Bit More

Hello fellow travelers! How much is enough? Why do humans struggle with only using or taking what they need? Is there a level of having that will make you happy? From day one, the struggle of missing out or having something held back from us has been an issue. Adam and Eve could walk with God in the garden, but they were tempted by the idea that there might be something more. The serpent convinced them that God was holding out on them. And from that point forward, we have lived lives that have struggled with finding something to satisfy our desires and souls. What do Jesus and Paul say about it? Listen in to find out!

Ep 30: Looking Back, I See Your Lead of Love

Hello fellow traveler! Want a wandering tale of how the podcast started and an update on what I am blogging about on Patheos? Boy, are you in luck!! Episode 30 is a look back. No one saw that one coming and playing four-dimensional chess and winning. In all seriousness, this was a good one to do a little reminiscing on and discuss what I have been blogging about since I took a bit of a break in June. Is Jesus calling you to the wilderness? Is your God too safe, and do your worship comfort rather than character building? God loves you just the way you are! But He loves you too much to leave you that way!

Ep. 29: Any Body?

Hello fellow travelers! I am wrapping up my thought process on unity with this podcast focused on community. Our culture lionizes self-reliance and abhors dependence, but does that reflect the Bible or something else? Where do you find community? Jesus told us that the world would know we were his followers through our love for each other. How are you showing that love this week? We only have so many hours and so much to do each week. Are you taking time to build up your community? 

Ep. 28: Are You Positive?

Hello Fellow Travelers! Still thinking about uniformity and unity. Looking further at the destruction and division that "You versus Me" and "I am right and you are wrong" culture brings to the Church. How do we live like Jesus and be able to say, "Your sins are forgiven," followed up by the expectation to "go and sin no more"? How do we live out a love that always hopes, trusts, and perseveres in a world that calls us to focus on being experts on who is right and who is wrong?

Ep. 27: Did You Bring Your Sword?

Hello fellow travelers! This week I continue the topic of unity versus uniformity. In the first part of the podcast, I discuss the awful truth that churches often enforce uniformity by denying community. Deep roots of dangerous uniformity can be traced to a lack of discipleship and not trusting the Holy Spirit to convict believers. In the second part of the podcast, I talk about a verse someone quoted on a Facebook post about loving your enemies. The lack of context in the person's comment and reading of the scripture made me meditate on it this week. Does Jesus intend that we should be ready to carry a sword against our enemies? Matthew 10:34-36 specifically references the instructions Jesus gives to His disciples when they are sent out. The reference to a sword and not peace was in light of family relationships. Hopefully, those aren't your enemies, but even if they were, the idea is that God is first, and out of our love for Him, only then can we love people well.