Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce. In this episode we move from naming the false, hidden, painful, shameful, and stuck stories we tell ourselves to embracing the truer story God is writing about us. Grounded in Ephesians 2:10, we’re reminded that we are God’s handiwork, created for good works prepared in advance, and given practical steps—Scripture, prayer, daily rem...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce. In this episode we unpack 2 Corinthians 5:17 and talk about why you keep repeating the same chapter of life — not from lack of willpower but because you’re still living an old script. Bruce names common false stories (I must earn God’s approval; I don’t need God; victimhood; entitlement; I’m beyond redemption), explains why insight...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce. In this episode Arnie and Bruce unpack shame vs. guilt, show how the gospel removes condemnation, and point listeners to Romans 8:1 as the Scripture that reframes identity in Christ. Bruce shares personal testimony about forgiveness, the role of Christian community, and practical steps to stop living under shame. Read: Romans 8:1 —...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce. In this episode we unpack how pain can hijack your story and how Scripture can re-author meaning—using Genesis 50:20 and Joseph’s story as our anchor. Bruce shares personal insights on suffering, lament, faith, and how to hold pain as a chapter rather than your whole story. Take the 4 Rs: Read — Read Genesis 50:20 (and the Psalms of...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. Today Arnie talks with Bruce about the stories we unconsciously tell ourselves, how those narratives shape identity, and how Scripture rewrites false internal scripts. Proverbs 23:7 — "For as he thinks in his heart, so he is" — anchors the conversation. They identify common false stories (victim mindset; needing to earn God's approval) and give a p...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Rick Small. In this episode Arnie and Rick explore how serving others can bring healing, how God redeems wreckage, and why showing up — even when you’re worn out — leads to a harvest of hope. A study of over 2,000 churchgoers found that helping others heals us more deeply than being helped; Rick’s story illustrates that truth in everyday p...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie is joined by Rick Small for a candid conversation honoring the hidden volunteers—the caregivers whose quiet acts of love often go unseen. Using Galatians 6:9 as our memory verse (“Let us not become weary in doing good…”) we explore dementia care, meeting loved ones “where they are,” the practical burdens of paperwork and benef...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Rick Small. Rick shares how a childhood dream of being a cowboy, a 40-year career in financial services, and family experiences led him to volunteer at Stillwaters Equestrian Academy, Arnie's therapeutic riding ministry for kids and adults with disabilities. Hear how God can weave childhood dreams and life wounds into service that blesses...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie speaks with Rick Small, a financial advisor turned volunteer, about how two ordinary believers showed up when Rick’s marriage fell apart. We explore how God uses ordinary people to rescue broken lives. Memory verse: Galatians 6:9 — "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do n...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie interviews Rick Small about being brought to his knees after his marriage fell apart, how God met him in the wreckage, and how the people who served him in that season helped lift him back up. We explore what it means to find new life and an unexpected harvest when life breaks the plans we made. Memory verse: Galatians 6:9 — “...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie talks with Bruce about why lasting change rarely runs on willpower and how change really runs on two rails: grace and accountability. Drawing on Philippians 1:6, they explore habits as guardrails, the power of Christian community, daily practices (Scripture, prayer, gratitude), and practical steps to move from white-knuckling...

Welcome to the podcast Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce. In this episode they explore why secrecy blocks change, how confession opens the door to mercy and transformation (Proverbs 28:13), and why honesty—before God, ourselves, and at least one trusted person—is a key predictor of lasting spiritual growth. Bruce and Arnie draw on recovery practices, the power of community, and...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and his guest Bruce. In this episode we unpack 1 Timothy 4:7-8 and explore how small, repeated spiritual habits—“reps”—build godliness over time. Bruce and Arnie discuss practical habits (scripture reading, brief prayer, gratitude, Scripture memory) and the 24-hour “win the day” approach to reshape identity and steady the soul through pain and hards...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce. In this episode we explore why painful seasons often produce spiritual growth when comfort cannot. Drawing on Romans 5:3–4 and Bruce’s personal testimony, Arnie and Bruce discuss how suffering can reveal unbelief, refine character, and draw us closer to God when we refuse to waste the pain. 4 R Action Plan Read — Read Romans 5:3–4 s...

Why doesn’t knowing better always lead to doing better? In this episode of Spiritually Fit Today, Arnie Cole and Bruce explore why information alone rarely transforms us. Drawing from James 1:22, they discuss the gap between knowledge and action, the importance of habits, and practical steps to move from insight to real change in your spiritual life. 4 R Action Steps - Read: Read James 1:22 slowly...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Paul Abbott. In this episode we tackle living faith (not dead faith) through James 2:14-17 and practical next steps you can start this week. Paul challenges ordinary Christians to leave comfort behind, notice the opportunities Jesus places on your block, and begin serving through simple, sustainable actions like volunteering or internships...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and his guest this week Paul Abbott. In this episode Arnie and Paul wrestle with Acts 2 as a practical model for serving the poor: shared life, table fellowship, prayer, and mutual accountability. Paul describes the real work of Nehemiah’s Road Home and how a discipleship community — not programs or fundraisers — can actually change lives and addres...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Paul Abbott. In this episode Arnie and Paul explore dignity in serving people experiencing homelessness—starting with something as simple and powerful as eye contact—and ground the conversation in Galatians 6:2: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Paul shares on-the-ground experience from serving in...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Paul Abbott. In this episode they unpack the common trap of paternalism in Christian service — when well-meaning help ends up stripping dignity and creating dependence — and point to Proverbs 19:17 as the corrective: kind, respectful help that seeks to make disciple-makers, not dependent recipients. Paul shares practical wisdom about liste...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Paul Abbott. In this episode Arnie and Paul unpack Matthew 25:35–40—Jesus’ call to care for the hungry, stranger, and prisoner—and wrestle with why that command so often gets sidelined in Christian life. Paul shares stories from decades serving the poor across Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and now among the chronically homeless in...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Braden Pedersen. This episode invites you into a free daily spiritual workout (5–10 minutes) built around the Four R’s and powered by an AI companion at bttb.ai. Try for seven days, and let small daily rhythms multiply your faith. Scripture to absorb today: Psalm 119:11 — "I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."...

Welcome to the podcast Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Braden Pedersen. In this episode we explore how AI can be redirected to point people back to Scripture instead of away from it. Learn about BTTB.AI — a closed, vetted library of biblical content that delivers personalized spiritual workouts guided by the four R’s: Read, Reflect, Respond, Reveal. This AI companion is designed to suppl...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Braden Pedersen. In this episode we explore new research showing many men in their 20s and 30s are turning to AI for spiritual questions. Braden explains why anonymity and perceived safety make AI appealing, and Arnie and Braden warn about the danger of trusting confident-sounding answers over Scripture. Our scripture for reflection: Prove...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Braden Pedersen. In this episode we tackle the common gap between believing and doing. We center on James 1:22: "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Arnie and Braden explore why conviction often doesn’t translate to action and how scripture absorption (quality over quantity) helps close that gap. 4R action guide -...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and this week's guest, Braden Pedersen. In this episode Arnie and Braden discuss why many Christians feel spiritually drained despite regular church attendance and Bible reading — and how spiritual fitness (not just faith effort) brings lasting change. They unpack a simple, practical daily roadmap from 1 Timothy 4:7–8: Receive, Reflect, Respond, Rev...