Life Over Coffee

Each local church has a unique personality that reflects its leadership. In context, the word church refers to those who have been attending for a while and are actively participating in the environments and equipping ministries that the leadership provides. Nominal Christians or inconsistent attendees are not part of the demographic in view here. Because of the leaders’ influence, assessing the c...

One of the most important questions you’ll ever ask yourself is why you attend your local church. Outside the family unit, the local church is the primary context where sanctification happens among Christians, making how we think about and participate in our local churches crucial. Assuming you’re part of a local church, Why do you attend? Perhaps you’re part of the de-church movement; if so, Why...

Shows Main Idea – Rick Thomas interviews Sophie Ottaway, born as a boy but engineered to be a girl when he was two. Sophie had a physical abnormality but did not find out until he was twenty-two. Sophie is thirty-seven years old today. Sophie tells the story of what the doctors did, why the parents went along with it, the secrets kept, how he found out, and why Sophie chooses to live as a girl tod...

Living in a relationship with anyone means you will be disappointed and hurt by them. It is unavoidable. Since Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, we have been helplessly unable to escape a relational conflict. May I test my thesis? Have you ever been hurt by someone? Have you ever been annoyed with another person? What about being disappointed or put out by the actions of a close friend? Maybe it wa...

Shows Main Idea – In this interview, Rick talks to Miriam Grossman, MD, a board-certified in psychiatry and the sub-specialty of child and adolescent psychiatry. Before gender ideology was on anyone’s radar, she warned parents about its falsehoods and dangers in her 2009 book about sexuality education, “You’re Teaching My Child WHAT?” Dr. Grossman’s practice currently focuses on gender-distressed...

Let us go ahead and level the playing field: we are all clueless to some degree. We all need help. We all need grace. It does not matter your demographic; we need God’s grace and mercy. We are grace-dependent creatures, which is a cross-elevating, ground-leveling truth that motivates us never to judge anyone uncharitably. Perhaps a few illustrations about this universal clueless problem would be h...

Everybody loves to experience God’s mercy when we behave poorly. The alternative is the Lord’s corrective displeasure. When there is a crime, our impulse is to hope for something we don’t deserve. Have you considered applying the same perspective for your enemies, those folks you dislike? “Blessing for me but not for thee,” the cry of the spiteful heart. Perhaps this notion strikes you as odd, so...

Shows Main Idea – There are two competing authorities in our culture today that present the pathway to transformation. The secular psychological community put forth the DSM as the authority to transform your life, while the Christian believes the Bible is the world's transcending, authoritative psychology book that brings peace and change to the soul. The one you choose will determine the course a...

A throne addiction is when a person refuses to allow God to be the King of their life; they will not relinquish their throne to the only rightful authority to our lives. The addict to the throne has fully bought into the first lie of Satan—you can be a god (Genesis 3:5). After the fall, humanity came with a pre-wired craving to a throne addiction. We call it total depravity, which is why we must b...

God is a God of second chances. Have you ever heard that expression? It is one of those things we like to say about God. It is a Christian cliché that we cherish because we understand the need for and benefit of getting a second opportunity. We came into the world needing a second chance; God gave us the gospel: Christ died for our sins (Romans 5:12). Without a second shot, we would be eternally d...

Shows Main Idea – Rick interviewed Dr. Daniel R. Berger II, the founder and director of Alethia International Ministries (AIM), where he continues to write and speak around the world in churches, organizations, medical communities, and at various counseling and teacher's conferences. He is also an experienced pastor, counselor, school administrator, and the author of many books, which focus on bib...

How do you think about the trouble in your life? I counsel a lot of Christians who have a lot of adverse things happening to them. In a way, they are modern-day representations of Jonah—their difficulties are swallowing them up. One of the things I want to communicate to my friends in trouble is how they need a bigger vision of who God is, especially when life is stormy. Did you know that anything...

What do you think about when a storm comes into your life? When things are dreadful, how do you wrestle through what’s happening to you? Where does your mind go? I suppose most of us succumb to the temptation to focus more on the storm happening to us than the God of the storm. It makes sense: the storm is more real and nearer to us than the Creator of storms. God is out there, but the storm is ri...

Shows Main Idea – Rick interviewed Dr. Daniel R. Berger II, the founder and director of Alethia International Ministries (AIM), where he continues to write and speak around the world in churches, organizations, medical communities, and at various counseling and teacher’s conferences. He is also an experienced pastor, counselor, school administrator, and the author of many books, which focus on bib...

The heart of the gospel is about loving difficult people. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. His death on the cross for undeserving people is the primary example that teaches us this grand imitateable truth of loving our friends and foes well (Ephesians 5:1). Christ does not ask us to do things He is unwilling to do. He became the tested and sympathetic Savior, giving up His life for those who...

Shows Main Idea – Rick interviewed Lucas Miles, a trusted voice in the American church who has consistently addressed some of the most challenging topics in theology, politics, and culture. He hosts The Epoch Times’ Church & State with Lucas Miles, which was named the 2023 “Program of the Year” by the National Religious Broadcasters organization. Lucas has been syndicated in articles across both p...

Forgiveness is the exclusive domain and the divinely given privilege of the redeemed. Non-Christians cannot be free from sin because they are children of the devil, and God will not forgive any transgression until they become children of the light. Believers, however, can experience release from all their transgressions through forgiveness. This divinely granted gift is the means of grace that all...

During the six months, I worked with Mable, I began reorienting her life toward a God-centered way of thinking and living. The process was not easy, and there were a few setbacks. Perseverance was vital, as well as her humility. God does provide His empowering favor to the humble. Though Mable did struggle with rebuilding her theological foundation, identifying her faulty worship structure, and ap...

Shows Main Idea – This practical webinar about parenting our children will help any parent, empty nester, or soon-to-be parents learn how to release their children into the culture where they will eventually live. Parents want them to live less under our guidance and governance and more under God's direction and authority. Take notes and learn essential insights about parenting our children from z...

I have a friend who lived in open adultery for eighteen years. He was not a Christian and was not shy about his lifestyle. His wife, like Mable, knew most of his sins. My friend’s wife chose to honor God by staying in the marriage. She did not have to because she had biblical grounds for divorce, but she decided to stick it out, which the Bible does not prohibit. There is no doubt that God gave he...

When a marriage grows cold, and only one spouse is willing to work on it, that spouse must juxtapose two Biblical responsibilities: being free in Christ while working on the marriage alone for the advancement of the gospel. Paul said in Philippians 1:12, reflecting upon his prison sentence, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has served to advance the gospel.” I wanted Mabl...

Shows Main Idea – Rick interviewed Hollywood actor Kevin Sorbo, known for his roles in Hercules, Left Behind, and God's Not Dead. His latest movie is Miracle in East Texas. Kevin is a Christian and outspoken about what is happening in our culture. He talked to Rick about his passion for America and desire to make a difference in our culture through Christian moviemaking and advocacy for conservati...

When a person does not trust God, there are three primary reasons. I call these our faith-killers. We cannot trust God if we are angry with Him. We cannot trust God if we are afraid of Him. We cannot trust God if we do not know Him well. Mable had a hard time trusting God, which positioned her to succumb to a self-reliant worldview and practice. If we’re not going to trust the Lord, we must trust...

Once Mable understood the gospel, I began to walk her through how she should respond to Christ. The gospel is God’s most extravagant outpouring of His love to the world. There is nothing more profound that the Father could have done to prove His love to us than execute His Son on the cross. The gospel is God’s final and complete answer to the question, “Is God good?” He is good. He is profoundly g...

Shows Main Idea – Judd T. Saul started Equipping the Persecuted Ministry in 2011 after God led him to Nigeria to see the devastation happening on the ground to our brothers and sisters in Africa. The mission is to protect, rebuild, and strengthen families in both body and spirit. Equipping the Persecuted can respond with resources necessary after an attack within 24 hours. They provide medical aid...