Season 1

For this episode, I'm reading the book of Romans. If you're listening in real time, this corresponds to Kris Emerson's chapter a day group. The book itself is complex, but you see several themes woven together, and the idea o...

We know we should believe in God. But why is that practical? Why is it really important, or is it? Isn't it enough to just believe without having to get into the details? In this conversation, Bruce Reeves makes a …

This is a reading from the book of Hebrews from the World English Bible translation. You can get information regarding the World English Bible translation here . Support the show

What is good? I've ended almost every episode with some variation of be good and do good, but what does it mean to be good. This week I talk with Bryan Schiele and Ryan Joy of the Bible Geeks Podcast …

This time I read the book of Galatians, again from the World English Bible translation. Support the show

How can you help young Christians grow and participate in their newfound relationship with God? In this conversation, we talk with Tricia Stahl, author of So, You're a Christian...Now What? If you'd like to get in touch with ...

Again, this is from the World English Bible translation. A simple reading. I hope this helps you. Support the show

This is another reading of a biblical book. This time I take on First Peter, and I plan to read Second Peter soon. I hope this helps you. Support the show

This is a conversation sparked by my son Kent and my good friend Scott Beyer. Also, please support Scott's new podcast, Love Better . He's an excellent guy, and if anybody knows about love, it's got to be Scott. Support …

In this bonus episode, I record the gospel of Luke. The version I'm using is the World English Bible which is free of copyright restrictions. It's a fine translation, but I think it's an amazing story which has implications f...

So what are some of the challenges of grace? In this episode, I talk with two friends, David Osteen and Kris Emerson abotu how to conceptualize grace, and what are some of the "ditches" we should watch out for. Support …

So how is your prayer life? In this episode, Edwin Crozier introduces us to kingdom prayers. Support the show

How should we think about foreign evangelism? This week I talk to Allen Malone, who has traveled as an evangelist to several countries. Support the show

It's become an annual tradition I love. Thinking about what makes me thankful. Thank you for listening. Support the show

So why would anyone willingly choose to do something difficult? My friend Josh Creel and I talk about this idea and why the hard thing might often be the preferred one. Support the show

It's been a hard week, but these are the words helping me...and maybe they'll help you as well. Support the show

The struggle is real, especially when we struggle with God. This week we look at Jacob and his wrestling with an angel. Support the show

So how good are you at extending grace to others? In this conversation we talk about how grace can practically be used at the congregational level. If you would like the to see the materials used at Douglass Hills church, …

How do you find peace in a world of confusion? This week I talk with Hal Hammons, an evangelist and fellow podcaster from the Austin, Texas, area. Please be sure to check out his podcast Citizen of Heaven! Support the …

So we went through a hurricane this past week and it reminded me something important...I'm not in control, but I know who is. How do I trust God more especially when I want to control everything around me. Support the …

How do you deal with people who are hard to love? This week we talk with Brian Haines, an evangelist in the Portland, Oregon area. Support the show

So how good are you at Bible study? In this episode, we talk with evangelists and podcast hosts Emerson Brown and Jeff O'Rear from the Working with the Word podcast. They have some very practical advice for Bible study includ...

This week, we talk about the problems with shame and why guilt might be good news. Support the show

Are you going to heaven? In this episode we talk about having certainty in your salvation. And we find out why the reason most are not certain has to do with the difference between devotion and perfection. Support the show

So do you know what love is? We understand as Christians that God loves us, but how do we know that? This was a fun conversation with Jared Bollman, Adam Shanks, BJ Sipe and Keith Stonehart about what Christian love …

What exactly is Christian leadership? I spoke with Don Truex about how to prepare yourself to lead other Christians and what I walked away with was a deeply optimistic and inspiring view of Christianity. Support the show

This week I talk about two things which got started, my son's high school career and the new Balancing the Christian Life Conference. Support the show

Bob Darnell is a surgeon and lifelong friend in the Louisville area. He converted from Judaism and talks about what that change meant for him. He has also served as an elder in the past and has some excellent insight …

What does adoption look like if you are the one putting your child up for adoption. Amber Jimerson talks candidly about her experience as a birth mother and what she learned and how it can help other Christians understand the...

Something very simple but profound to me happened this week, and I wanted to share it. It involves an old man, a young boy and an expensive gift. I also have some information regarding the lectureship in late July, which …

In this bonus episode, we talk about the women's track in the lecture series. Jennifer Ackett talks about the thinking she had behind the putting this part of the lecture series together. I also have some information regardin...

In some ways, this was an opportunity to connect with two guys I love. It was also an excuse to really meet Jared's son Will and all six of Scott's kids. These guys represent two very impressive families, and I'm …

Being a single dad isn't something I know a lot about, but Ray Warfel is someone who understands what that means. Ray is an evangelist in rural Illinois, divorcee and father of three. The theme that comes out time and …

This week I learned a lot about growing as a podcaster, so I wanted to take a spiritual angle on growth. Support the show

So do you ever doubt yourself or struggle with self-esteem? This is about what it means to have a Godly perspective on the internal dialogue we have with ourselves and what we should believe. There's another perspective in th...

What does it mean to pursue love and why is it a big deal for Christians to do exactly that? This week we talk to David Osteen about how both balance and pursuit are essentially to loving God and each …

Chaos at the Embry house this week. Let me tell you why this week's episode is a day late. Support the show

This week we talk to Steve Wolfgang about the textual track of the lecture series. I also answer some questions about the lectureship. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/balancingthechristianlife)

This week we talk to Brady Cook from Diakonos Marketing. Brady is hosting a Bible Summit in June and participating in the Balancing the Christian Life Lecture Series in July. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/balancin...

We talk about the lecture in July 28-30. If you'd like to get a ticket, you can go to www.balancingthechristianlife.com/lecture If you'd like to see the event website still in progress, you can go to www.balancingthechristian...

Have you ever thought about adopting? Scott and his wife Jenna have adopted six children, along with their biological daughter, Holiday. Scott talks about his fears, his relationship with God, and his joy about seeking more B...

This week we give details about the lectureship we've been planning for late July. You can sign up for tickets at www.balancingthechristianlife.com/lecture In this episode, Hal Hammons discusses the track he planned and Natha...

Have you ever learned a lot from someone new in the faith? Today I talk with Daniel Lookadoo, a truly inspiring young man who understands Christianity well and can teach you a lot about having a passion for the faith. …

This week I wanted to talk to some friends and fellow podcasters about joy. So I got my friends Keith Stonehart, BJ Sipe and Jared Bollman together...and that's what we did. It was a lot of fun, but the conversation …

I wanted to start a series on digital discipleship and how Christians can use digital tools well. However, I wanted to start with the bad news first. These are the dangers of digital discipleship. Support the show (https://ww...

This week I go to an audio essay about being a Christian friend. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/balancingthechristianlife)

As a Christian, how do you think about money? Many of us are motivated by fear, envy, contempt or other negative feelings all centered around these green pieces of paper with numbers. However, Adam Shanks tells us why we shou...

So, could you use a therapist? Jeanie Campbell is a retired Christian counselor who gives you some good reasons why you might want to consider getting some help from a counselor from time to time. She also talks about how …

So what does it mean to be a Christian in a digital age? Jared Bollman is the host of the podcast Man Up! and an evangelist in Oregon. He's also enthusiastic about the use of digital tools to spread Christianity …

How does God guard your mind? I think many of us overlook this passage in Romans, but Ann Hoover understands this passage and Paul's instruction to think on good things in a different way. As someone who was diagonsed as …