Live the Bible with Wayne Stiles

What do you do when God doesn’t meet your expectations? In this episode of Live the Bibl e, we’ll turn to the book of Mark to answer that tough question. We all have an idea about what life will be like when we say yes to following Jesus. The first disciples certainly had their expectations too! And Jesus disappointed them. But why does God let us experience the hurt, disappointment, and anger of...

Almost everybody knows the Bible says, “Judge not”—but what does that really mean? In this episode of Live the Bible , we examine one of the most popular verses in the Bible, Matthew 1:7, “Judge not, that ye not be judged.” We’ll take a look at what Jesus meant when He gave that famous command—and it might not be what you think! For instance, how can we not be judgmental and also have discernment?...

How has God’s Word through Live the Bible encouraged you?  In this special episode of Live the Bible , we celebrate our 100th episode! Over the last few weeks, I invited you to share how the podcast has encouraged you. Many of you took the time to call in and let me know. Thank you! Today’s entire episode is dedicated to sharing your messages! I love hearing how God’s Word has encouraged you, and...

Did you know the Old Testament ends with a curse? And not just any curse—a Christmas curse! In this episode of Live the Bible , we turn to the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, to find out exactly what this holiday curse is. No, it’s not having to hang lights again! (Anybody else too old to be on the roof?) I’m talking about something much more serious. Thankfully, as we turn to Malachi, we...

Why do you do what you do? In this episode of Live the Bible , we take a look our habits and ask that very question. We all have habits, including ones for the spiritual things we do. And we follow them religiously. But WHY? And why does what we do matter to God—or does it?  The book of Zechariah gives us the answer. Support the show

Could you list your top 3 priorities? Yep, me too. But how about when we try to actually live them? In this episode of Live the Bible , we see that Bible is not just a Sunday textbook. And during the week, it's not just devotional material to go with our morning coffee. No, the Bible is for our lives—and it directs our priorities. The problem of living our priorities is not a new one. The Pro...

Failure, shame, regret.  Just pick one, and we’ve all experienced it. And we’d all like to forget it.  This episode of Live the Bible is one you may want to listen to all alone. Why? Because we’re going to talk about the subject of personal shame. Whether it’s shame because of something you’ve done, or shame because of something done to you, we all struggle with it. The Prophet Zephaniah gives us...

What can you do when God does nothing? In this episode of Live the Bible , we get down to the nitty-gritty of our daily walk with God. Oh, I know it doesn’t sound spiritual to ask why God is doing nothing, but if we’re honest, we wonder it. A short, Old Testament book with a funny name gives us a wonderful and practical answer we can put into practice right away. Support the show

In this episode of Live the Bible , the book of Nahum agrees that we want people to get what they deserve. At the same time, of course, we want God’s grace in our lives.  See the tension? Only our wise God knows how to balance both—and to help us do the same. Support the show

Do you ever feel like life is harder than it should be? In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at what to do when life feels like a burden. And let’s be honest, since God is in charge of life, we can often feel like He has burdened our lives. God is aware of this feeling, and He offers us—through the Prophet Micah—some practical steps when we feel like God has burdened us. Support the show

Have you ever just blown it? If you need a great dose of encouragement today, you’ll want to hear today's podcast. In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at the greatest fish story in Scripture. The book of Jonah is so much more than that—thankfully. It’s about God’s marvelous grace in our lives when we blow it. Support the show

We gain a lot by putting one thing aside. What we guard as a stronghold of our hearts turns out to be one of our greatest weaknesses. In this episode of Live the Bible , we get back into our series where we take a lesson from each book of the Bible. Up next is the shortest book of the Bible, the book of Obadiah. But it packs a whallop.  Are you ready for this? Support the show

Can you even imagine what the next year will be like? After all, no one could have predicted the year we just came through. Pretend for a moment you could send scouts into your future who would report back to you all the difficulties you would face in the next year. Would you want to move forward? In this episode of Live the Bible , we see this is exactly what happened in the book of Numbers. God...

Most of us are familiar with Charles Dickens’, A Christmas Carol , right? It’s the story in which Ebenezer Scrooge gets a visit from the Spirit of Christmas past as well as the future and present. In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at the Holy Spirit of Christmas past. The Spirit of God worked in the life of a young couple, and their amazing response offers us great insight when we look a...

You want to grow deep in your walk with God. But how? So often when we think about growing, we think about some huge hurdle or goal to achieve. In this episode of Live the Bible , we see the simple formula for true growth in the spiritual life. The book of Proverbs spoon-feeds us with wisdom easy to swallow.  Support the show

It’s tempting to see your life full of holes—and missing what you need to move forward. In this episode of Live the Bible , we tackle the thinking that our current season of life lacks what we need for fulfillment, love, or whatever else we see ourselves without. We tend to look at yesterday or tomorrow as the ideal—when in reality, the Apostle Paul tells us we have so much opportunity in our laps...

Why does a good, loving God allow such evil? And since God is all-powerful, how come He doesn’t deal with evil once and for all by this evening? In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at these often-asked questions—so relevant to our day. The answer from God’s Word is simple and profound. Support the show

Sure, the Bible is the Word of God. But how can we know that it is? And how can we explain it to those not convinced? In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at these essential questions. And thankfully, God’s Word (and other evidence) gives us some great answers. Support the show

Have you ever asked, “Is Jesus Really the Only Way to Heaven? And if He is, what about the person who has never heard of Jesus?” Thankfully, we are not left to ourselves to figure out these questions. In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at the Bible’s answer to these questions. Frankly, they have greater application in our lives than any other question we could ask. The Bible’s answer is c...

Are you the person you want to be? In this episode of Live the Bible , we see how God helps us become who we want to be. And the way God helps us to be that person? You may be surprised. The Prophet Amos travels some distance to share the news with Israel, and his words have traveled the centuries to tell us the same message. Support the show

The effects of personal compromise can leave us feeling hopeless. In this episode of Live the Bible , we see what God does when sin has made a mess of our lives. Maybe it wasn’t even our sin—or maybe it was. But God can restore what sin has taken. How? The Prophet Joel gives us the good news. Support the show

Do you know a prodigal or have a prodigal in your life? In this episode of Live the Bible , we’ll see some good news for God’s prodigals from the book of Hosea. A lot of times people look at God as a mean guy with a big stick ready to clobber us when we do something wrong. Thankfully, that’s not the right picture. Our God is a loving Father with arms outstretched ready to welcome back the repentan...

Okay, quick question. Why should we be personally devoted to God? Huge thought, isn’t it? In this episode of Live the Bible , we discover why God is worthy of our personal devotion. The book of Daniel offers us some very clear reasons. Better still? Daniel even tells us what our devotion can look like in practical, daily terms.  Support the show

Have you ever felt you deserved God’s rejection? I sure have. It feels helpless. In this episode of Live the Bible , we see what it’s like when God does what only God can do. The Prophet Ezekiel stands in front of a valley of dry bones and watches them come to life. God can do the same work in our helpless lives as well.  Support the show

How can you have hope for the future when literally everything seems hopeless? In this episode of Live the Bible , we peek inside the book of Lamentations. In this great little book, the prophet Jeremiah what he witnessed—the destruction of his country. The devastation in life caused a feeling of overwhelm. Of hopelessness. The good news for us? Our hope is based on the faithfulness of God – not o...