Daily Thunder Podcast

In this fifth episode in Eric’s series on Teddy Roosevelt, he takes a plunge into the inner thoughts, motivations, and outlook of the man. Teddy craved his “crowded hour”. He was always on the lookout for the big moment in his life when he would be called upon to sacrifice everything in order to save many. This burning yearning that Teddy carried throughout his life compels us to keep our eyes wid...

While most people get as far from manure as possible, there is a great benefit that comes from it when we allow God to use it in our lives. In this life lesson, Eric and Nathan talk about manure, it’s benefits, and how we can leverage difficulty and problems in our lives for the glory of God. Mentioned in this episode: A Bully Buffalo Hunt and Ellerslie Discipleship Training. Links to link the abo...

If we are going to live in and through Christ, the question becomes how do we do it? Scripture makes it clear that it is not through mental toughness and physical talent, but through allowing God to live His live in and through us. In this message, we examine the concept of practical living, “work,” and “doing things for God”—but in the biblical context of being filled with God’s life and Spirit.

In this fourth episode in Eric’s new series on Teddy Roosevelt, he unpacks the formative season of this great man. It wasn't in the comfortable shade of an easy life, but in the open air arena of great challenge and adversity. The greatest men and women never emerge out of ease--they always emerge from the soil of extreme challenge and from overcoming impossible odds.

Merry Christmas from Ellerslie! In this special Christmas episode, Eric and Nathan sit down and talk about their favorite Christmas Day meditations and traditions. Please note that we will not be releasing our normal series this week.

Though Mary and Martha were sisters with similar names, their approach to Jesus was drastically different. In this life lesson, Eric and Nathan talk about their struggles living as “Marthas” and their desire to have the lifestyle of Mary. While Martha was right in her focus, we need recalibrate and becoming “more right” like Mary.

As believers, we have a choice of who we will grow in friendship with—the world or with the Living God. And as incredible as it is to grasp, God wants an intimate friendship with us. Yes, God loves us, but even more profound is that He likes us and wants to spend time with us. In this study, we examine the difference between agapē and phileō love in Scripture and discuss three ways God’s friendshi...

In this third episode in Eric’s new series on Teddy Roosevelt, he brings us into the most challenging moment of T.R.’s young life. And then shows how the great leader was not crushed by such extraordinary difficulty, but actually forged into the man that would impact the world. 

Is it more spiritual to say “yes” or to say “no”? While we may not publicly ask the question, many of us have struggled with priorities and determining what to say yes to and when to say no. In this conversation, Eric and Nathan discuss the principle of no, the importance of knowing your “yes,” and how a no frees us up to say “yes” to what matters most.

If we are going to experience life in Christ, we must first know Him—not an academic, informational knowing, but a deep, relational, intimate kind of knowing. I can know a lot about Jesus and never actually know Him personally. The declaration of the New Testament is that we must know our God and have relationship with Him. In this message, Nathan dives into His favorite Greek word (ginōskō) and d...

In this second episode in Eric’s new series on Teddy Roosevelt, he takes us on a buffalo hunt in the wild west with a young T.R. It’s a crazy adventure that is delightfully entertaining and one that has a power packed spiritual lesson stowed away inside.

Numerous times throughout the Bible we are told to remember and not forget. Yet we naturally drift toward forgetfulness unless we are intentional. In this life lesson, Eric and Nathan talk about the importance of having "piles of stones," different ways to remember, and the one thing we tend often don't do when we create a system to remember. As we head into this new season, we hope this reminder...

As Christians, we are called to live from and through the life of Christ. Because we have been crucified with Christ, we are no longer our own, for we have been bought with a price. As we start this new series examining “Life in the Word,” Nathan sets the foundation by talking about the importance of abiding and abounding in Jesus Christ.

Eric kicks off his new Winter series with this powerful message on the transformative power of difficulty. The life of Teddy Roosevelt is an amazing picture of debilitating weakness converted into profound strength. From a sickly asthmatic to a barrel-chested world-changer—the spiritual lessons that can be excavated from this one man’s life are many. 

In this third life lesson, Eric and Nathan talk about the importance of waiting. As Christians we have the tendency to either rush faster than God is moving or never want to move from where we are at. The reality of the Christian life is that we must keep in stride with our Shepherd—it is only then, that we experience His protection, provision, and direction in our lives.

In this fourth life lesson, Eric and Nathan talk about the radical difference between rules and relationships. Many believers tend to lean toward legalism and attempt to produce righteousness in our own strength and ability; but the Christian life is not based on our ability but Christ's. In this episode, Eric and Nathan talk about the importance of gaining a new perspective on Scripture, God, and...

"Life lessons" are practical truths discovered throughout one's life that become pillars for how we live. In this brand new series, Eric Ludy and Nathan Johnson sit down and discuss some of the important life lessons they've gleaned over their combined 90+ years of living and show how they can be practically applied into every Christian's life. In this second life lesson, Eric and Nathan talk abou...

"Life lessons" are practical truths discovered throughout one's life that become pillars for how we live. In this brand new series, Eric Ludy and Nathan Johnson sit down and discuss some of the important life lessons they've gleaned over their combined 90+ years of living and show how they can be practically applied into every Christian's life. In this first life lesson, they examine the principle...

In this special in-studio episode, Eric Ludy and Nathan Johnson sit down to discuss the past season of Daily Thunder— Spiritual Lessons from Black and White America (Eric) and Behold Our God (Nathan)—they talk about their highlights and key lessons they learned from their series. They also talk about what is coming up for Daily Thunder—specifically, three new series begin December 4.

In this special bonus episode, recorded as a Sunday sermon, Nathan look's at an additional name of God: Yahweh Tikvah (Lord Our Hope). Christians are the people of hope! Yet biblical hope is not like a Christmas morning desire or wish; rather, it is the joyful and confident expectation, a firm assurance about the future as we wait patiently. For many of us, we place our hope and faith in our caree...

This is the thirty-eighth and final installment in Eric's epic summer series covering the contentious and war-torn season of American history from 1914 to 1974. In this episode, he unpacks the explosive political event in the early 70’s that history simply refers to as Watergate. It’s an extraordinary event that has greatly altered and influenced American society. What is a nation to do when its t...

Leslie Ludy is the special guest for this thirty-seventh installment in Eric Ludy’s epic summer series covering the contentious and war-torn season of American history from 1914 to 1974. In this episode, Leslie dives into the lives of Keith Green and Leonard Ravenhill, showing the impact of their lives and ministries in the 70's, as well as key spiritual truths for today's American Church. -------...

As we conclude this series on the Names of God, Nathan briefly ponders some of the Names we didn’t have time to cover and discusses two critical passages on God’s Name—the Ten Commandments and the command to not take God’s Name in vain, and Jesus’ model prayer to “hallow” the Name of God. In short, this study focuses on what it means to bear God’s Name rightly in our lives (and the secret to do so...

Jesus’ Name is above every other name—He has the position of all authority, power, and honor. As we come to the final two studies in our Names of God series, we examine what it means for Jesus to have “THE Name” (Hashem) and three beautiful aspects of such a name that should evoke praise, worship, and adoration as we see His majesty on high. ------------ For more information about Daily Thunder an...

This is the thirty-sixth installment in Eric's epic summer series covering the contentious and war-torn season of American history from 1914 to 1974. In this episode, he explores the American mindset towards the unwanted and inconvenient by using Lee Harvey Oswald as a symbol of the American desire to eradicate that which disturbs our status quo. This particular message set us up to better underst...