Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Pastor Ricky Kennedy. In this episode we wrestle with how to break free from comfortable, boring Christianity and embrace obedience over comfort, anchored by our memory verse Luke 9:23: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Ricky reflects on breakthrough, church planting, and how a li...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Pastor Ricky Kennedy. In this episode we unpack Luke 9:23 — discipleship isn’t meant to be safe or comfortable; Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow him. Ricky and Arnie talk about measuring success by faithfulness rather than numbers, the posture of surrender and dependence, and practical ways carrying you...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Pastor Ricky Kennedy. In this episode we wrestle with Luke 9:23 — denying self, taking up the cross daily, and choosing obedience over comfort — exploring the hidden cost of playing it safe and the rewards of courageous faith. Pastor Ricky shares how staying the course through hardship grew his faith, empathy, and dependence on God. We con...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Pastor Ricky Kennedy. In this episode we talk about the tension between comfort and obedience, stepping out in faith (church planting), wrestling with doubt and bad timing during COVID, and the spiritual habits that sustained a fledgling church—daily Bible reading, prayer, staff support, and trusting God’s voice. Our memory verse: Luke 9:2...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Pastor Ricky Kennedy. In this episode we explore how comfort can quietly derail Jesus’ call to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Pastor Ricky shares his church-planting story—stepping out into the unknown during COVID—and what it taught him about trusting God more than clinging to safety. Take action with the 4...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce A. Today’s conversation examines why Jesus’ resurrection is uniquely reliable, how it reorders our fear of death, and how Easter calls us to live as a preview of God’s coming kingdom. 4 R action steps - Read: 1 Corinthians 15:20 — “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” - Re...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce A. Today we explore resurrection as renewal rather than escape—what Jesus’ bodily rising (1 Corinthians 15:20) means for our bodies, our suffering, grief, and how we live now as a preview of the new creation. Read: 1 Corinthians 15:20. Reflect on “firstfruits” — what happened to Christ will happen to his people. Reflect: Do I treat m...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce. In this episode we explore why the Gospels name women as the first witnesses to the resurrection, what that reversal reveals about the gospel’s inclusivity and dignity for the overlooked, and how the resurrection reshapes how we live now between the times. 4 R action steps Read: Read John 20 and 1 Corinthians 15:20–23 to see the res...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Bruce A. In today's episode we take a short, practical look at Easter. Specifically we ask why Jesus’ resurrection was a launch, not a spectacle; why He appeared first to women and ordinary people instead of Pontius Pilate; and what that means for our mission as everyday witnesses of hope. Read: Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 15:20. Read the resurr...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce A. Today’s conversation centers on Easter as the launch of new creation (not merely a happy ending), the Bible’s four-act storyline (creation, fall, redemption, restoration), and what it looks like to live as people of the firstfruits. Contact Arnie: arnie.cole@bttb.org 4 R action steps Read — Read 1 Corinthians 15:20. Reflect — Take...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole, and guest featuring Mrs. Thimijan. In this episode we explore the “spiritual seeds” that grow into lifelong roots. Mrs. Thimijan emphasizes listening, modeling kindness and manners, praising gifts, exploring interests, and the critical role of social-emotional skills for school success. Memory verse: Proverbs 22:6. 4 R Action Steps Read — Read Prov...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and his guest this week, Mrs. Thimijan. In this episode we gently explore how to support preschoolers facing divorce, death, or major family crises. We emphasize presence, listening, one‑on‑one prayer, and grounding little ones in the assurance of God’s care, using Proverbs 22:6 as our guiding memory verse. 4 R action steps: - Read: Read Proverbs 22...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Mrs. Thimijan. In this episode we address scattered adult attention, device distraction, and practical ways even the busiest parents and grandparents can create heart-anchoring moments that nurture a child’s spiritual growth. Take action with the 4 R’s - Read: Read Proverbs 22:6 aloud with your child. - Reflect: Ask together — Where do I n...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Mrs. Thimijan. In this episode they explore how to weave faith into a preschooler’s everyday life so it becomes a lasting heart-level foundation. Mrs. Thimijan emphasizes love first, using music, visual object lessons, daily small moments, and prayer to move faith from the head to the heart. 4 R practical next steps - Read: Read Proverbs 2...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Mrs. Thimijan. In this episode we explore how the everyday words and actions adults offer preschoolers can plant unbreakable confidence and early spiritual roots, anchored in Proverbs 22:6. Mrs. Thimijan draws on 43 years in Christian preschool ministry to share practical practices: give focused attention, eye contact, listening, specific...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Roy Moran. In this episode we unpack how the early church prayed for boldness, why disciple‑making movements thrive on prayer. Memory verse: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:18–20). Read - Read Matthew 28:18–20 (the Great Commission). Reflect - Ask: W...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Roy Moran. In this episode we unpack disciple-making as the everyday calling of every Christian — moving from supporting missions to actively helping others follow Jesus through simple, reproducible habits. 4 R action steps you can use right now Read — Choose a short passage like Matthew 28:18-20 or another Gospel paragraph. Read it slowly and g...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Roy Moran. In this episode they explore "holy ambition" — strategic compassion that moves ordinary believers beyond comfortable circles to love the unreached on purpose. Roy emphasizes relational, marketplace-centered disciplemaking, small-group multiplication, and obeying the Great Commission in everyday life. Memory verse: Matthew 28:18–...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie talks with Roy Moran about the Great Commission as a daily, local calling — not just overseas missions. Learn to see the mission field in workplaces, schools, neighborhoods and everyday routines. Memory verse to read: Matthew 28:18–19 4 R action steps - Read: Read Matthew 28:18–19, and Luke 15 to see how Jesus frames the missi...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Roy Moran. In this episode Roy explores how Jesus’ authority in Matthew 28:18–20 reframes the Great Commission from a risky volunteer task into a confident act of obedience. Roy shares his journey into disciple-making. 4 R action steps Read — Read Matthew 28:18–20 (memorize verse if you can). Reflect — Ask: How does Jesus’ proclaimed autho...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole, and guests Bruce A., and Randy Lube. In this episode we wrestle with “news feeds vs. God’s feed”: how to stay anchored in Scripture, avoid being shaped by media narratives, turn anxiety into prayer-driven action, and become a shining light amid cultural chaos. Key takeaways: prayer for consumers and producers of news, soak in Scripture rather than...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole, and his guests Bruce A., and Randy Lube. In this episode we unpack media bias—what it looks like (story selection, omitted facts, loaded language, source choices, placement) and practical ways to spot and navigate it as followers of Christ. Randy and Bruce offer concrete tips: read original speeches and records, compare multiple outlets, watch for...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole, and guests Bruce A., and Randy Lube. In this episode we examine why news skews negative—“if it bleeds, it leads”—how fear and anger drive headlines, and practical Christian ways to protect your mind and soul. Learn the memory verse: “Test them all; hold on to what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Try the Mental Diet Challenge: shorten your news in...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode, Arnie is joined by Randy and Bruce, two former journalists, to hjav a practical conversation about truth versus spin in today’s media. They explain what journalism should be (verified facts, fair representation of both sides, accountability), how modern coverage often shifts into narrative-building driven by audience preference and...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie is joined by Bruce A. and Randy Lube, two former journalists, for a frank conversation about truth versus spin in today’s news. They explain how narrative-building, audience preferences, and revenue pressures shape coverage, why truth matters for Christ‑followers (Jesus as the Way of Truth), and practical steps to avoid being...