Live the Bible with Wayne Stiles

“Be good.” Those two words could summarize most sermons we hear on Sundays. Imagine if that’s all we heard! That would shorten things up a bit, wouldn’t it? In this week’s episode of Live the Bible , the apostle Paul tells us in Titus 2 not only to “be good,” but also HOW to do it. The secret is the grace of God. Support the show

We could summarize most sermons in two words.  "Be good."  Yep, amen. But in this episode of ​ Live the Bible ​ , we'll discover why we should be good— and how we can.  Paul's second chapter to Titus continues our series with practical words for our Christian lives.  Support the show

Think of someone you know who inspires you. Got them in mind? Now think of why they do. If you’re like me, we get inspired by someone’s character more than their accomplishments. You know what? We can be inspiring people too. In this episode of Live the Bible , we start a brand new series on the book of Titus. Paul’s letter to Titus opens in chapter 1 with secrets of an inspiring life. Support the...

What book of the Bible most intimidates you?  For a long time, my answer was Revelation. But when I finally studied Revelation the way you’re supposed to study any book of the Bible—interpreting Scripture with Scripture—it quickly became one of my favorites! Revelation not only reveals what wonderful things lie ahead for those who believe in Christ, it also calls us to action here and now in a pra...

Your walk with God is worth fighting for.  Or at least Scripture says we should think so. The little epistle of Jude begins by urging us to “contend earnestly” for the faith. What does that mean?  And what does it mean for us right now?  In this episode of ​ Live the Bible ​ , we’re digging into Jude’s letter to find out two key steps we can apply today. Support the show

Who in your life has set a bad example?  Perhaps you had a parent who disciplined out of anger. Or a pastor who wielded his Bible like a club. Or a boss who abused his or her power. It’s easy to dismiss such lousy leadership as incompetence, but Scripture says we can learn a lot from a bad example! In this episode of ​ Live the Bible ​ , we’re turning to the book of 3 John to find out what those l...

We love to hear the Beatles croon, “All you need is love.”  And that sounds pretty basic to most of us. But—what is love? And what does it mean to love others?  In this episode of ​ Live the Bible ​ , we’ll open the seldom-seen book of 2 John, where God tells us exactly what love is—and why it must be joined with truth. Love and truth. We need them both.  (Bonus: you get to hear me sing on this ep...

There’s something inside us that hungers for resolution.  We crave songs with the perfect last note and movies with the right ending. We need loose ends tied and conflicts resolved. And yet, we live in a world that’s unresolved. In this episode of Live the Bible , we’re looking to the book of 1 John for how to deal with that tension. It’s a simple—but powerful—solution that will bring lasting peac...

What if God's promises don’t fully come true in your lifetime? This episode of Live the Bible is the conclusion of the series on waiting on God seen through the life of Joseph. It ends just as God intended, with resurrection hope. Joseph’s story reminds us that waiting on God is never wasted, even when it stretches beyond what we can see or understand. Support the show

What if the hardest thing God asks you to do is forgive? In this episode of Live the Bible , we're looking at one of the most powerful moments in the life of Joseph—his long-awaited reunion with his brothers. If you’re carrying the weight of past hurt or struggling to let go, this episode will help you see your story differently. At the center of it all is a perspective that changes everythin...

Surrender seems easy, until it costs you something. In this episode of ​ Live the Bible ​ , we continue our journey through the life of Joseph by exploring how to let go of what you think you need in order to trust God with what He knows you need. As Joseph’s brothers reenter the story, they’re faced with an unexpected test. Like a sudden pop quiz, God’s tests have a way of exposing who we really...

What if the season that feels like loss is actually God’s process of preparation? In this episode of ​ Live the Bible ​ , we continue our series on waiting on God by following Joseph into Egypt—a place of uncertainty, testing, and transformation. Joseph had already received a promise from God. But before that promise could be fulfilled, his character had to be refined. If you’re in a season where...

What do you do when the life God promised looks nothing like the life you’re living? In this episode of Live the Bible , we begin a special five-part series on waiting on God through the life of Joseph. At just 17 years old, Joseph received a dream from God about his future—only to be betrayed by his own family and sold into slavery shortly after. It raises a question many of us quietly wrestle wi...

Are you tired of taking two steps forward and one step back? It’s exhausting!  Thankfully, Scripture shows us a better way to live. In this episode of ​ Live the Bible ​ , we’ll look in 2 Peter to learn how to keep the biblical essentials firmly in mind, so we can keep going when we're ready to quit.  Do you know those essentials? Support the show

Has your road gotten way too rough?  In this episode of Live the Bible , we’re turning to 1 Peter to discover what happens when the proverbial rubber meets the road in our Christian lives—and we just want to find the nearest exit. If you’re ready to quit, this episode has what you need to keep going. Support the show

The Bible is the best-selling book in history.  Sounds like a good thing—and it is—but God’s goal isn’t for us to just have a stack of Bibles on the shelf. He wants us to, well, LIVE the Bible! In this episode of ​ Live the Bible ​ , we’re turning to the book of James to find out exactly what that means and how to do it. (And why we must.) It’s a simple process anyone can follow—and you can start...

How can we be sure our salvation is secure?  And if our salvation IS secure no matter what we do, does it matter what we do?  When we read the book of Hebrews, sometimes it seems the verses say both yes and no! In this episode of ​ Live the Bible ​ , we’re tackling those confusing passages in Hebrews head on. With a little context, we’ll see that Hebrews holds the answers, not the problems. Suppor...

Who in your life has hurt you so badly that a part of you died?  I’m talking about that person who spoke too much or showed up too little, neglected too much or lashed out too often—someone who took advantage of you, or betrayed you, or abused you. How do you forgive that person? In this episode of Live the Bible , we look in the book of Philemon to learn how to truly let go and move on when forgi...

God’s grace is helpful for more than just the hereafter.  It also works for this afternoon.  As Christians, we know God’s grace secures our eternity. The question is: How can we apply it today—now? In this episode of ​ Live the Bible ,​ we’re turning to the book of Titus for the key to making the most of God’s amazing gift right now. Support the show

 How do you want to finish your life?  That’s not an easy question to think about. When we’re young, we don’t think about it at all. And the older we get, the more distracted we get. Some folks would love to be distracted all the way to the grave. But God wants so much more for you than that. SO much more.... In this episode of Live the Bible , we’re opening God’s Word to 2 Timothy to uncover the...

There are 2,350 verses in the Bible about money.  If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is! Why would God dedicate so much of His Word to our finances? Because money competes with God as the master of our lives more than anything else. Our world is fully invested in convincing us that we’re lacking; we always need more. Can we ever really be content? In this episode of Live the Bible , we’ll...

Jesus is coming soon. But so what?  If one thing is constant in this world, it’s that the news is bad. The simple fact is: the news is a business, and when tragedy strikes, business is good. But do today’s terrible headlines mean the end is near? And if so, so what?? In this episode of Live the Bible , we’re looking at the truth about the end-times. Don’t worry! Above the clamor of our world’s bad...

Most of us can recite the Lord’s Prayer without thinking. And that’s a problem.  What if we’ve grown so familiar with it that we’ve missed what Jesus meant to teach us? In this episode of Live the Bible , I sit down with my longtime friend Brad Gray to talk about the Lord’s Prayer—where it came from, how Jesus intended it to shape our lives, and why it may be the most underutilized prayer among be...

Your life is a marathon.  And it’s tough.  In today’s episode of Live the Bible , we get to gulp down some encouragement to keep going and growing in the hardest part of every marathon: the middle! What keeps you from giving up when you have so far to go? If you’re growing weary in the race, I’m here to cheer you on! Support the show

What defines you?  In this episode of Live the Bible , we’re getting honest about how we see ourselves. Even though we know we shouldn’t, we tend to judge ourselves (and others) by the externals—our looks and our clothes, our jobs and our money, our cars and our kids, our houses and spouses. But take all that away. What defines you? The Scriptures hold the key to understanding who you truly are. S...