The idea of character, just like the idea of Christianity, has somehow become a subjective notion, as if character can be defined by people separate from how morality defines it. But character, specifically Biblical character, is a Bible Doctrine. Which is what episode #60 is all about. Enjoy!

We've gotten to the point in our "greater Christian culture", in which the Biblical Doctrine of Repentance is not very popular. We all want to have the privilege of Christianity while at the same time attempting to deny the responsibility of repentance. This episode is not only about the value of repentance, but also the value of repenting quickly when confronted with truth.

So often when God presents us with His will for our life, if it does not fit into our desires or our will, we attempt to negotiate with Him. Sometimes, God will let us have what we thought we wanted, only for it to turn out to be more of a curse than a blessing, as our desires or solutions often become our biggest problems. This episode is about obeying God the first time.

It's very unfortunate how convoluted our desires have become. We think we want temporary pleasures and comforts, while at the same time missing the true value and worth of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Before you can have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you have to decide what you truly want, which is what this episode is all about.

This week we are sharing a conversation I had, about the heart for the ministry, with Pastor Bob Harbin, who pastored for 34 years in Dubuque, IA, and has been serving for the last 10 years as an evangelist out of Duncan, OK. Pastor Harbin made some excellent points that we would do good to consider, and as he and I have known each other for 25+ years, we had some laughs along the way. Hope you enjoy Episode #56!

This week we're talking about endurance. Our culture is full of things that have been started, but the list of things that have been completed is much shorter. This episode looks at the Biblical requirement of what it takes to build something worth having.

Episode #54 is an interview with an old friend from the U.S. Marine Corps. His name is T. D. Richardson, and when I knew him he was a Lieutenant in 3rd Battalion 8th Marines (3/8); he went on to become a member of the U.S. Navy Seals as well. Our conversation covers the spectrum from true Christian manhood, to aggression & passion, and emotional & spiritual recovery. Along the way, we have some laughs and swap some good stories. I'm 100% positive you'll enjoy this episode!

The Gospels lay out a story about a conversation that takes place between a man possessed demons, and Jesus Christ. In this conversation there are many things for us to learn, some of which are: the lack of power we have over the darkness of this world; the lack of power the darkness of this world has over Christ; and God's love for those who need a Saviour.

We serve a great, wonderful, and mighty God, who can reach into the depths of sin and death and rescue the chiefest sinner, as the Apostle Paul said. However the Word of God does very clearly lay out one sin (one individual form of blasphemy) that cannot be forgiven. This episode is about that one sin which God will not forgive.

There's two ways in which we can live this life, but only one that we can live it as Christians. We can live this life given over to our own ideas and concepts, or we can live it as Christians, given over to the doctrine of the Word of God. This episode is about the inevitable realities of a life lived with, as well as without, Christ.

One of the most difficult parts about being confronted with the truth about ourselves, is how unsettling it can be. However, when Christ confronts or convicts our conscience, He offers right along with the conviction a space for repentance and forgiveness. This episode is about that space for repentance.

In many situations in life, it's not that we don't go to Christ, it's that we go to Him in a very incorrect manner. There is quite a lot we can glean from a man in the Bible, who's name we're never given, we're only given his title - Centurion; we can learn much from his approach to Christ, which even Christ himself said, he marveled at.

In this episode, we're looking at the fascinating aspect of Paul's life, where he goes from "chief of sinners" to "not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles"; from worthless to worthy. Paul recognizes all the glory from such a transition belongs exclusively to Jesus Christ, and as it is true for him, so it is true for us.

At times familiarity can be a helpful thing, but in many instances, religion has become much too familiar (or has attempted to do so), with the Lord. He is to be reverentially worshiped with complete obedience to the doctrine of the Word of God, not systematically structured into the life we want to live.

When Christ does only things that Christ can do, the question is often "What manner of man is this?" This episode is a brief attempt to answer that question, but the matter can only be truly answered within the heart of the individual. What manner of man is Christ to you? What have you accepted concerning His love and requirements of you? Christianity is not practiced en masse, but individually, because of what Christ has done for the individual.

Happy New Year! As you go into this year, a question which you might ask yourself is whether or not THE GOD is your God. Is the God of the Bible the same God who governs your affairs? Or is He just someone else to consider along with the other gods you serve? This episode encourages the simple question as you go into a new year of whether or not God is your all in all, or just part of your sum. Being Christian is to make God your all in all.

When one is presented with the truth, there's only two options - to receive it (as it is in truth, the Word of God, as God is Truth), or to reject it (and rejection of truth is at best only temporary, as the truth will always be manifested in the end). This episode is about the benefits and value of receiving truth immediately, regardless of what it means for your own opinions. The denial of self, for the acceptance of truth, is what being a Christian is all about.

Over the course of Christ's earthly ministry, He made many statements and did many works (miracles), which very clearly proved who He was; yet people were always asking Him who He was. What we see in this episode is the fact that even now, the problem is not that Jesus Christ is not clear, it's just that we're not listening.

As we're about to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday, this episode of the On Being Christian Podcast looks specifically at thankfulness and contentment. We begin with a few thoughts from God's Word (specifically King David), a few more thoughts from President Abraham Lincoln, and we close out with some final thoughts from special guest Paul Harvey (sort of), who in his own words, shares the origin story of Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!

One of the heights of frustration, speaking personally, is when people express the desire for peace with their words, but live in an entirely Godless way - guaranteeing the lack of peace. This episode is about where peace comes from and how we will never have peace when we refuse to live by the truth.