Gospel Chats

Why does God choose to speak in symbols? In this episode we wrestle with symbolism; how to unlock it, and what happens when we embrace it. 

We talk a lot about aligning with and submitting to God’s will, but what does “God’s will” even mean? And what if His will has more to do with His heart and His desires than it does to some preset, master plan He has for our lives? Those are some of the questions we wrestle with in this episode. 

In the previous episode we wrestled with the idea of control. In today’s chat we continue that conversation and try to better understand what it really means to “be submissive.” Maybe a key to embracing submissiveness is to practice the principle of “watch and pray” more. 

So much of life is out of our control, and our desire to remain in control can often cause stress and frustration. In this chat we wrestle with what is in our control, what is not, and how to trust God more. 

So much of the gospel of Jesus Christ is about developing personal, and individual relationships with God and Jesus Christ, but can we actually develop those relationships isolated from other people? Today we wrestle with the idea of communal salvation and why it is so important that we gather, struggle, and learn together in groups. 

In today’s chat we share favorite insights from both the Bible and the Book of Mormon about Christmas and what it means for us personally. We talk about trees, fish, stars, and a baby who changed all of our lives forever. 

In today’s chat we wrestle with another word that can mean a lot of different things—grace. What is the grace of Jesus Christ and is it something we get “after all we can do,” or is it a gift that is given to us for free? Our answer to that question makes a big difference! 

In today’s chat we look at the word “ordinances” in a couple of different ways. What changes when we view ordinances as laws? And what else changes when we connect the word ordinance with the definition “to engrave”? 

When the scriptures talk about hope it is sure, firm, and unwavering. In today’s chat we try to understand scriptural hope better—what it is, how it comes, and the difference it can make in our lives. 

Elder Kearon encouraged church members recently to live the gospel in a joyful way. In today’s chat we discuss the nature of joy and how to experience it more often in our worship and in our every day lives. 

Sometimes we condemn ourselves for being exactly what God made us—human. In today’s chat we wrestle with the differences between sin and weakness, and how treating those two things differently can help us be more patient, humble, and joyful. 

A primary song poses the question “If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do?” Well, in today’s chat we look more closely at the scriptures and wrestle with the truth that the Savior doesn’t want to “stand beside us,” He wants to LIVE INSIDE OF US! 

In the most recent LDS General Conference we were warned about “doing things our way,” “doing what works for me” and trying to live “my truth”. In today’s chat we wrestle with the societal and personal dangers that come when we rationalize away eternal truths. 

What do we mean when we say that the Church is “true”? In this episode we chat about the danger of thinking we have all truth, and the opposite danger of believing that all roads lead to heaven.  

Often the Gospel of Christ presents us with soul-stirring paradoxes where losing is winning, less is more, and DOWN IS UP. In today’s chat we discuss the power that comes from falling, as opposed to our natural tendency to try and lift ourselves up. 

When we give in to feelings of perfectionism we block the grace of Jesus Christ in our lives. Today we wrestle with some of the major problems of perfectionism and some of the beautiful solutions found in the true doctrine of Christ. 

The Holy Ghost will help us remember certain things, but can He also help us forget things? Today we’ll wrestle with forgetting, and how it might be an untapped spiritual gift that we should seek more often.

Recently, Elder Bednar taught, “You don’t pray to tell God what you want or what you need; you pray to find out what God wants for you!” In today’s chat, we wrestle with that statement and how it could transform our personal prayers in really significant ways. 

In our typical church vocabulary, we talk a lot about “feeling the Spirit,” but that phrase can be limiting. In our chat today we’ll explore how the phrase “experiencing the Spirit” might be more expansive and helpful when trying to understand how God connects with us.

It’s one thing to know how to access Christ’s grace when I’ve sinned, but about when I’ve been sinned against? In today’s chat we’ll wrestle with the concepts of unfairness, compensatory grace, and a Savior who understands AND heals.

Why do we confess to a bishop when we’ve committed serious sin? In today’s chat we’ll wrestle with the concept of two confessions, two types of forgiveness, and our own experiences on both sides of the bishop’s desk. 

Isn’t forgiving myself an essential part of the repentance process? In today’s episode, we’ll chat about what it means to “forgive ourselves,” whether the scriptures teach it as part of repentance, and an alternative to forgiving ourselves that is more Christ-centered and life-changing. 

Ever thought of the phases we go through in the repentance process? This week we chat about the real gift of repentance and what it brings into our lives. The act of repenting and the process of repenting.

Good sadness? Bad sadness? What is godly sorrow? Listen more to learn about the sorrow that inspires change, repentance, and hope.

Is it hard to have help? The Savior is always there to help us through our trials or through the process of repentance. He can be that help we need to get through our struggles but will you let Him? Listen more here on our discussion "The Savior Will Help".