Lighting the Way Today

“God’s Word says that when a man and woman get married, they become one flesh. And that one-flesh relationship is in every aspect of your marriage, including your finances. So, it’s important that you have that communication, that transparency, that level of trust with each other.” In this episode, Lauren Boner interviews Rev. Basil and Laura Makharita about managing finances as a married couple....

“You have to have a standard that the two people involved in a relationship agree to. That’s what really makes it sing and makes it successful. And that can overcome obstacles at times—all the time. It always works.” In this episode, Sierra Bergman interviews Rev. and Mrs. Don Lomax (Don and Jeanetter) on Biblical keys to a successful marriage. Don and Jeanetter wrote two recent companion Way Maga...

“One of the things I thought about recently from one of the authors that I use, I think Dr. Ed Wheat, he says that marriage, you know, a loving, committed marriage, is a function of time and will. It happens over time. Marriage isn’t a product; it’s a process.” In this episode, Taylor Thurlow interviews Rev. Nik Maxson, a minister who has significant experience in Christian premarital counseling f...

“Even if [dating is] harder because you’re holding boundaries where other people seem to have none, so you don’t necessarily fit in, your life is an example of what’s available. And your life will be an example of all the blessings currently and in the future of the dividends you get from actually living according to God’s Word.” Listen in as ministers Sierra Bergman, Lauren Boner, and Audrey Latt...

“When we’re talking about Christian dating, we really have to look at what is God’s will. What is God’s set of moral principles that should govern my behavior and how I conduct myself?” Dating in this world can be a confusing challenge or a blessing and a chance to learn about yourself and others. What makes the difference? Whether or not we choose to involve God in the process. Join three ministe...

“[Mentoring] is not getting [others] to do what you want them to do or what you can even maybe see them doing. It’s to help them pursue what they want to for God.” The mentor/mentee relationship is shown in many places throughout God’s Word. It’s seen in relationships like that of Paul and Timothy, for example. This pattern of teaching and training is important for God’s people in order to keep th...

“Including God in that artistic process is realizing what you want to communicate and what you want to represent within your work. It has to come from such an authentic place that you know that your light is flowing from you to the painting.” Heather Malinowski interviews professional artists Clem Robins and Sydney Spevak in this episode, in which they talk about how they keep God involved in thei...

“I have spent less time playing video games than I used to, now that I’m putting God first. But I’m keeping Him first, and I’m keeping Him involved even in my thoughts and in my time as I game, and I’m having more fun, despite spending less time on this thing. So whatever it is that we’re doing, doing it with God will always get us more.” Do you have hobbies that are important to you? Do you want...

“I had to work in how I could find the time [to exercise] and realize that if I gave the time to take care of myself, I’d have more to give. I would have the Word in my heart, I could pray, I could do so many things while I exercised, and then I was a better person because I had more to give.” In this episode, Lauren Boner interviews two individuals with a great passion for health and fitness, and...

“If you just study joy and rejoicing in the Word, you’re going to see that that’s God’s desire for us, right now. It’s ‘rejoice evermore,’ not ‘be miserable and somber always.’ This is what God wants for us, and a part of that is humor. It’s a great aspect of life that people might be missing out on because of an overreaction of fear.” Have you ever felt like there are misconceptions about Christi...

“Something that I really admire about Isaac is that he can express what he’s gone through, through music and his lyricism....Having the conversation not only gives a way for the solution to be said, but also helps just bring us together, because we’re going through a lot of similar things.” In this lighthearted episode, Sierra Bergman interviews young Christian rappers Isaac Parker and Tytus Witt...

“Don’t let anything that anybody else has done define your life. What should define us is what God has done for us through Jesus Christ....That’s why we forgive, it’s to move ahead with what God has done for us.” Rev. Tom Mullins returns in this episode to have a conversation about the important topic of forgiveness. He and Sierra Bergman discuss what forgiveness is and what it is not according to...

“The one thing in life that will not disappoint us is God. So we can always encourage ourselves in the Lord and put our expectation on Him, because He will always come through.” Disappointment is something we all deal with. But is there a way to lessen the impact of disappointment in our lives? Are there things we can count on that will never disappoint us? Enjoy this conversation with three minis...

“You can change the course of your day even though nothing in your circumstances has changed, just by deciding to be thankful, deciding to look at the positive.” Podcast interviewer Heather Malinowski has a conversation with minister Michele DeLisle in this episode, where they talk about Michele’s upbringing, when she started to study the Bible, and how she learned to be thankful in the midst of l...

“You can see how you would be able to grow, change, be more receptive to godly reproof when you’re confident in your righteousness. When you’re confident in who you are, then it’s so much easier to say, ‘I made a mistake.’” Is it God’s desire for us to carry guilt and shame in our lives when we do something wrong? Join three ministers—Adam Barlow, Lori Stanbridge, and Taylor Thurlow—as they go str...

“As part of demonstrating God’s compassion to people, it’s going to be necessary to be able to express emotions and not suppress them.” Enjoy this conversation with Sierra Bergman and Dr. Angela Priester, a clinical psychologist and a Christian minister, as they discuss how we should feel about our feelings from the Word’s perspective. Are certain emotions good or bad? How should we approach menta...

“We talk about people having physical ailments all the time, and we don’t judge people for that. We expect that they’ll get the help that they need. So when it comes to mental health, why is that different from physical health in the way that we approach it?”  Join Sierra Bergman as she interviews Priscilla McKie about her background as a social worker, her decision to train as a minister, and wha...

“Throughout the Word, God talks about Who He is and what He wants people to know about Him. In Jeremiah, He says I want you to know and understand that I am the Lord, that I exercise lovingkindness and judgment and righteousness. That’s what He wants us to know about Him, that it’s the goodness of God that leadeth men to repentance. In Exodus, it talks about how He is merciful and gracious, slow t...

“If you want to help somebody, if you want to inspire somebody, if you want to reach somebody and lift them up to God’s way of life...you have to give them the Word. You have to know the Word, and as you write [music], just keep that in mind, that God is your sufficiency. God is the One that’s helping you. He will not hide anything good from you when you’re writing a song because He wants people t...

“It’s so important to approach people with an earnest desire to understand them, where they’re coming from, to be able to set our beliefs aside—maybe not cast them away—but set them aside for a moment and genuinely listen, to invest in people without expecting something back. We’re getting at the heart of the love of God.” Join Adam Barlow and Hunter Mullins as they discuss practically what it mea...

“We have to realize that light does dispel darkness and that we do make a difference. Your life does make a difference. Sometimes it doesn’t seem that way, that you don’t get awards for living the Word. You go home after a hard day of work, and you’ve got to take care of your family, and it can sometimes seem a little bit thankless. And it’s like, ‘What is the difference? Is this really making a d...

“It’s really important to be able to distinguish between the things of God and the things of the Devil—when things come into your life, to be able to have that ability to say, ‘Is this from God, or is this not from God?’ Because it may look good; it may seem good. But it depends on what your definition of ‘good’ is in the context of that life circumstance.” Have you ever wondered, “Why does so muc...

“God’s Word is relevant. And I think that people need to know that. And we need to show people that God’s Word isn’t just a dusty book sitting on a shelf. It’s quick, it’s alive, it’s energetic. It has power. And when believed, it can change your life for the best. You can see the impossible become possible and you can have light where areas might be dark. You can have answers where there may be q...

Welcome to Lighting the Way Today - a podcast where we discuss how to connect God's Word with topics relevant to everyday life. We hope these conversations encourage, enlighten, and inspire you. New episodes are released every other Tuesday.