Live the Bible with Wayne Stiles

How do you find the courage to face a fearful situation?  In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at the life of one of the most courageous women in the Bible—Esther. Don’t think that just because she was a queen that she didn’t struggle just like us. She did! Esther shows us the confidence we can have in God’s sovereignty becomes the reason for our courage to do what’s right. Support the show

How do we keep from going back to the old life?  In this episode of Live the Bible , we journey to Jerusalem with Nehemiah where he rebuilds the wall. But more importantly, Nehemiah continued what Ezra had done to rebuild the people and help them keep the changes they had made in their lives. How do we keep the change we want in our lives? Nehemiah shows us. Support the show

How well do you guard your source of truth? In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at God’s "Water Gate” in Jerusalem. That’s not a political term, but a gate that walled off and protected the water source. At this gate, Ezra gave a challenging message to God’s people that we need to hear as well.  We also need to guard our time with the source of our sustenance—God’s Word. Support the s...

What do you do when trusting God is all you have? In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at a king we don’t often hear much about. Asa had faith, but he struggled to put that faith into his life.  Our Christian life requires we walk by faith and not by sight. This podcast will show us how. Support the show

If you have ever felt like a failure, you are not alone. In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at the great King David, a man after God’s own heart—and a man who failed.  How in the world did he get restored after such awful failure? It’s an important question, because the answer tells us how we can restore our close walk with the Lord after we fail in our Christian lives. Support the show

Sometimes it feels like God has us fenced in. He surrounds us with rules or hard circumstances, and the only way to move forward, it seems, is to hop the fence. In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at the lives of Manasseh and Josiah. They remind us that the Bible isn’t a museum piece or decoration for our home coffee tables.  God gave us His Word and preserved it throughout the centuries s...

How could Solomon have been so wise and yet mess up so badly? In this episode of Live the Bible , we talk about how wisdom isn’t enough. Wisdom requires one more action. Solomon offers a great reminder in our lives to do more than simply read the Bible for knowledge and instruction.  We should also read it with a mind to apply it in our lives. Episode Scripture: Selections from 1 Kings Support the...

What can you do when you are unfairly criticized? In this episode of Live the Bible , we talk about finding a place of shelter when the critics show up in your life. King David’s example in a time of unfair criticism is a model for us in our days of discouragement.  If you're in a season of injustice, you can ease the burden of unjust criticism by knowing that God knows the truth and He will...

Ever wonder how to make it through the blah days of the week? God gives us a great example.  In this episode of Live the Bible , we head to the Elah Valley in Israel, the scene of David's fight with Goliath. It’s much more than an exciting story. Why? It shows us what to do with the blah days. (And it doesn't include throwing rocks.)  I love how practical God’s Word is. This message has...

What one thing in your past tends to hinder your future? When life hurts us deeply, it’s easy to settle into a bitter spirit. The book of Ruth gives us a jolt of hope, because Ruth's story is our story. In this episode of Live the Bible , we see God’s grace working in our daily lives for surprisingly good results.  Support the show

What are you afraid of most? Whatever it is, you’re not alone. In the book of Judges, Gideon wanted to believe what God said, but Gideon’s fear kept him from doing so. God graciously helped him past his fear just like He does us. In this episode of Live the Bible , we tackle one of the most practical issues we struggle with every day— fear .  Whatever it is you're afraid of, God is with you a...

Do you ever wish you could upgrade your relationship with God?  In this episode of Live the Bible , we take a virtual tour to one of the most significant sites in the Holy Land. We’ll hear what Joshua told Israel. His words do more than review history; they give us principles that help us renew our dedication to God. Support the show

Ever needed a second chance with God?  Yep, me too.  In this episode of Live the Bible , we see God’s people needing a second chance hardly before they had begun as a nation!  Camped on the edge of the Promised Land, they heard Moses speak encouraging words that would take them across the Jordan River—all the way home. We need to hear those words as well. Episode Scripture: Selections from Deutero...

Sometimes the most direct path for God’s will in our lives is the long way. This episode of Live the Bible deals with something we struggle with almost on a daily basis—struggling with a complaining spirit. We often think we know the shortcut to the Promised Land, just like the Hebrews did. Turns out, they struggled with what we struggle with—and the solution is the same. Support the show

Every time we read the Bible, it reveals how practical it is. But what about the book of Leviticus? This episode of Live the Bible takes us to a book few Christians look at. The book of Leviticus seems irrelevant and out of touch until we look closer at its timeless truths. Suddenly, it opens up a whole world of practical insights for our daily walks with Jesus Christ. A closer walk with God comes...

You are precious in the sight of God. How do you know that? This episode of Live the Bible takes us to the book of Exodus where we’ll see that God redeemed us. He bought us, just like He did the with Hebrews of old. This has huge implications for our lives, and it is so, so practical. We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and we have the amazing privilege of living each day for Jesus Chr...

If the Bible tells us anything, it tells us that the evil you've experienced in your life—from family, friends, even from your own doing—God can spin that on its head to bring about a wonderful result if you'll just trust Him. This episode of Live the Bible takes us into a new year with a new series where we’ll take one message from each book of the Bible. First up? Genesis, of course, w...

Christmas—it's the most wonderful time of the year! Or... Maybe it’s more accurate to call it the most stressful time of the year. If you’re struggling this Christmas season, believe me—you’re not alone. Meaning, of course, you’re not the only one who struggles. (I share my story in this episode of Live the Bible .)  But you’re also not alone because God is with you. In fact, that’s what “Imm...

Most of us are familiar with Charles Dickens,’ A Christmas Carol. It’s the story in which old Ebenezer Scrooge gets a visit from the “Spirit of Christmas Past” as well as two other “spirits.”  In this episode of Live the Bible , we look at the HOLY Spirit of Christmas past. Why?  The Spirit of God worked in the life of a young couple, and their amazing response offers us rich insights when we look...

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...

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. Episode Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:14-16 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...

Jesus is looking for fruit. No, not apples and oranges— but fruit in our lives. In fact, He wants to find 3 kinds of fruit in your life. In this episode of Live the Bible , we see the Triumphal Entry of Jesus as He begins the Passion Week. As Christians, bearing fruit for God is essential. Jesus shows us how.  Each of these 3 kinds of fruit are related to each other, and the good news is, when Jes...

God can work through you. In fact, He already is. We know how God’s grace affects us as individuals—both for salvation and for daily life. But in this episode of Live the Bible , the practical chapter of Titus 3 teaches us how we as individuals can affect others for God. Support the show