The GoodLion Podcast

Michael Bowles returns with fresh insight on the ancient motif of the wisdom warrior. As Aaron and Michael discuss, Michael traces the wisdom warrior path embodied by exilic prophets like Jeremiah and Daniel who navigated Babylonian captivity through wisdom above violence. Michael reveals how Jesus, the ultimate Wisdom Warrior, defeated Satan through the weapon of truth and the victory of the cros...

Struggling with Intrusive Thoughts and Doubts? You're not alone. Most Christians experience doubt from time to time, but for some the struggle with intrusive thoughts that breed uncertainty can become all-consuming. In this episode, Aaron Salvato answers a question from listener who struggles with random sudden thoughts that cause them to question if their faith is real. Aaron shares his own e...

This episode is the second part of an interview with Pieter Valk. In part one of the interview, Pieter laid out his heart and his vision for helping gay people follow Jesus and find love, support, and belonging within the church while adhering to the theological orthodoxy and commitment to the historic Christian sexual ethic of God's design for marriage and sex between one man and one woman. I...

Pieter Valk joins Aaron Salvato for a very intriguing conversation on sexuality. Pieter is a same-sex attracted Christian and ministry leader who is also committed to the historic Christian sexual ethic. This is a challenging path to walk, as it requires faithfulness and obedience to the teachings of Jesus around sexuality, often leading to a life of singleness and celibacy. In this episode, we wi...

In part 2 of our short series on theology, Dr. Gerry Breshears (Western Seminary) helps us understand the dangers of theology gone wrong. Gerry is an amazing theological mind and a fan favorite of the show. In part one, we defined theology and talked about why it's essential for discipleship. In this episode, we'll discuss how theology can at times become an idol. We'll start by asking...

In today's episode of The GoodLion Podcast, we're chatting about something super close to our hearts: what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and how theology shapes that journey. With the launch of our humble little ministry, the GoodLion School of Discipleship in Yukon, Oklahoma, we're passionate about fusing hands-on discipleship with some deep, thought-provoking theology. To that e...

In this episode Aaron sits down with his friend pastor Riley Taylor to discuss the importance of creativity in ministry. Aaron and Riley share a background in filmmaking and youth ministry, and have always believed in using their creative skills to enhance their ministry work. Riley explains that creativity in preaching can lead people to truth. By using creative elements like metaphors, stories,...

In this episode, host Aaron Salvato dives deep into the theology of "Treasures in Heaven" as described by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount. As Christians, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day demands of life and forget the deeper meanings behind Jesus' teachings. Aaron dives deep into the idea of heavenly treasures, explaining what they are, what they are not, and how we...

In this episode, we answer a question from one of our students at the GoodLion school of discipleship on the topic of servanthood, which is an essential element of Christian discipleship. At the heart of servanthood is the concept of selflessness, which requires us to put the needs of others before our own. As followers of Christ, we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, and love is the b...

In this episode, host Aaron Salvato and three of his classmates from Western seminary sit down to discuss theological concepts surrounding the love and holiness of God's character. Aaron frames this episode as an experience of"secondhand seminary", a gateway into learning and diving deeper into one's faith. Aaron explains that historically, this concept has helped him grow in his walk with Christ...

In this episode, Aaron is joined by guest Nate Holdridge to discuss the anonymity of pastoral work. While pastoral work may seem like a public job in this age of celebrity pastors, Nate argues that embracing the anonymous aspects of this work is a better path, and essential for the pastor's soul. Using Paul's image of the farmer and the field, Nate highlights that the pastor, like a farmer, is a m...

In this classic episode from season 2 of the Goodlion podcast, we join hosts Aaron Salvato and Brian Higgins on a deep dive into the Christian idea of "devotions." We explore the tension that many of us feel when it comes to devotions, often seeing them as just another chore. However, we discover that devotions are meant to be an opportunity to grow closer to God and become more devoted to Him and...

In this episode Aaron chats with pastor Terry Michaels, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Austin Texas, for a conversation about a wound that's been inflicted on the church in recent times - division. The COVID-19 pandemic brought about challenges that tested the unity of the church, with masks and vaccines becoming sources of division, causing harm to its witness.  But in this episode, we're not he...

As Christians, it is easy for us to come to God only when we want to escape the consequences of our sin, rather than coming to Him with a genuinely broken heart of repentance. Aaron reminds us that a true desire for repentance and change must come from a deep sense of sorrow for our sin and a recognition of the ways in which it has hurt God and others. The GoodLion Podcast is excited to bring you...

The GoodLion Podcast is excited to bring you this special episode featuring a sermon from Aaron Salvato. Aaron recently preached at Calvary Chapel Vista on Psalm 86, a psalm that speaks to the fatherhood of God. In this sermon, Aaron delves into the tenderness and care with which God relates to us as his children. He shares his own experiences as a new father and the ways in which becoming a fathe...

The GoodLion Podcast is a show that explores the intersection of faith and culture. Hosts Aaron Salvato and Brian Higgins have been doing the show for 8 seasons and have built a loyal audience of young adults and youth who are hungry for authentic conversations about spirituality and the world around them. In this episode, Aaron addresses a question that they often get from new listeners: "What is...

Evan Wickham and Aaron Salvato discuss the "Mission of God" and what it means for followers of The Way of Jesus. They discuss their shared background growing up as pastor's kids in evangelical culture, and how easy it is to become apathetic to the mission of the Church. Evan gives some great insights into how to break free from this apathy and find ourselves more committed to living out the call o...

So often we turn to things like money, stuff, safety and security to give us what we need. In doing so, we often grow apathetic towards our true need: Christ.  In this episode, Aaron gives a message pointing us to the reality of our need for a savior. We need to wake up to the reality that we need Jesus more than we need anyone or anything else. The world is full of sin and darkness, and apathy lu...

A dive into the concept of God's Holiness and the call for Christians to be Holy. What does Holy even mean? How can we be asleep to this reality? We explore how failing to understand Holiness can cause us to be apathetic in our faith, and discuss how to turn things around and wake up to the call to be Holy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get a...

Brian and Aaron respond to a message from a listener who 1. admits her struggle with apathy, and 2. also shares some beautiful insight on how to resist it! In this episode we try our best to acknowledge just how easy it is to lose our passion for God, but also just how possible it is to find our way back to Jesus. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers o...

Part 2 of GoodLion's series on "Resisting Apathy." The first step to waking up from the slumber of apathy is recognizing God's story and where we find our place in it. But the next thing we need to discover is the love of God. The love of God is one of the most central themes in the entire Scriptures and could be argued to be the true meaning of life. Despite this, so many Christians feel distant...

In this episode, Aaron speaks with professor Uche Anizor, author of the book "Overcoming Apathy: Gospel Hope for Those Who Struggle to Care". They discuss the struggle many church kids face, namely, growing up in a Christian environment and feeling "on fire for God", and then developing apathy in their college years and drifting to a state of complacency.  Uche offers some great guidance on what c...

Part one of a new series by GoodLion Ministries called "Resisting Apathy". Aaron and Brian speak into the problem of apathy in the Christian life, noting how it is a problem that is born out of complacency and a disconnect from Christ.  Christian apathy is defined as a lack of interest or concern for the things of God. It is a problem that plagues the church and keeps people from truly following J...

Years ago I heard one of my mentors, Evan Wickham, use a phrase I found compelling. He said: "Jesus is what God has to say." It was powerful and it stuck with me. Over the years I've been mulling over this phrase and thinking about how it intersects with one of the debates that's being had within Christianity about the concept of “the word of God.” Some people insist the Bible is the word of God....

Brian Higgins shares with us about the necessity of community in the Christian life. We are currently living through a post-pandemic cultural moment where many Christians are finding it hard to regain community. We also know many young people who've graduated out of youth group and now are trying to navigate their 20s also struggle greatly to find community. It can be easy to give up. In this epis...