Heart of a Friend

Episode 10 - Book Review of Quiet, by Susan Cain Episode Notes: Quote: “If there is only one insight you take away from this book…I hope it’s newfound sense of entitlement to be yourself.” TED Talk: The Power of Introverts Website: quietrev.com The Rise of the Extrovert Ideal - We went from being a “culture of character in the 19th century to becoming a”culture of personality” in the 20th…In a big...

Episode 9 - Book Review of Grit by Angela Duckworth Episode Notes: The Grit Scale Test 1. New ideas and projects sometimes distract me from previous ones. 2. Setbacks don't discourage me. I don't give up easily. 3. I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one. 4. I am a hard worker. 5. I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that take more than a few months to...

Episode 8 - The Slower You Go, The Faster You’ll Get There Analogy with cross-country…It is important to run the right course. Is there a “course” we are meant to run? An important clue is here: 1 John 4:12. God’s love is incompletely expressed only from the perspective of the visible world. The world we live in needs love “with skin on.” It is our job to be the visible expression of God’s love. T...

Episode 7 - Why Am I a Christian? Authentic faith is not something you inherit. Every person must make the choice for themselves. John gives the single most compelling reason that was the tipping point for my own decision to invite Christ into my own heart (1John 4:9-11) His act of self-sacrifice was undeniable. The love that motivated it, was unimaginable . His invitation to follow was irresistib...

Episode 6 - The Big Mistake People Make about the Church We over weight the bad news and we under weight the good news. We may be a lot better than we think! Love is the litmus test of an authentic relationship with God. 1st Question: Does this mean that it doesn’t matter what you believe or how you live as long as you are a loving person? No. John assumes that his readers are believers already. 2...

Episode 5 - Thoughts on the Problem of Evil and Suffering Why does God allow so much suffering? (Note: In times of trouble we don’t need explanations as much as we need the love of others.) 12 Ideas: 1: We’re not the first to ask this question. Earlier believers found a way through this problem in far more brutal times. We can too. Not fatal to faith. 1: This question is problematic for everyone....

Ep. 4 | The Big Mistake People Make about God (1 John 4:7b-8) Episode 4: The Big Mistake People Make about God (1John 4:7b-8) - Why the way we think about God is wrong - the breakthrough everyone needs. Many think that God is some cosmic ogre - always out to spoil our fun? John makes two claims. First , God is love. Second , those who claim to know him should be characterized by love. This passage...

Episode 3 - Two practical steps toward implementing a transformational life-plan. Why hurry is kryptonite for your soul. Making the decision to love others changes US and it changes THEM. How Can We Get Better at Doing This? Practical steps: First ... Slow down! John Ortberg: “Love takes time and time is the one thing that hurried people don’t have.” Most of us want to be more loving... but we are...

Ep. 2 | A Simple Approach to a Better Life | Part 2 (1 John 4:7a) Episode 2 - The secret of influence and making the world a better place - the magical power of reciprocity. How does this kind of love change things? First, something changes inside of me. Second, something slowly begins to change in other people Confucius was once asked by a student: “Master, what is the one word that stands as a r...

Ep. 1 | A Simple Approach to a Better Life - Part 1 (1 John 4:7a) Episode 1 - The single most important thing you can do to improve the quality of your life…Love might not be what you think. Highlights and Notes: Here’s a couple of questions to start with: What do you think is the one thing that you could do to create greater happiness/satisfaction in your life? What is the one thing you could do...

The Heart of a Friend podcast was born out of a desire to share some of the most important things learned from a lifetime of experience. It is hosted by Andy Wiegand. Andy retired in 2017 after 40 years of pastoral ministry. He and his wife reside in Sylvania, Ohio. They have raised six children and are now very happy to be grandparents. Andy grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and received his ed...