Live the Bible with Wayne Stiles

God has a surprising approach to helping us grow. As our Heavenly Father, He takes no delight in our discipline. But He does delight in the results of it. He wants for us new life and hope beyond the futility and frustration of a life of idols. In this episode of Live the Bible , our final study in Leviticus ends on a good note as we see God’s surprising approach to helping us grow.  Support the s...

God tells us about the future for good reason. Why? Because hope is critical to our health . In this episode of Live the Bible , we're looking at the Sabbath Year and the Year of Jubilee and at that godly, driving force that propels us forward–specifically about how to keep going when we want to quit. Let's find out how. Support the show

Satisfaction is a journey rather than a destination. This episode of Live the Bible contains the secret to satisfaction. Yep, that sounds like a big promise, but remember: when we get comfortable, we tend to treat important information as irrelevant. We’ll see today that life and death information should never become ho-hum to us. I’ll even tell you how I learned that on an airplane. Support the s...

We don’t build statues for people who rest. In today's world, we give kudos to hard work, and taking it easy is just a given. And yet, the Old Testament has some wisdom on how God created rest and created us to NEED it. In this episode of Live the Bible , we'll see an ironic and important truth: You don't have to be on the grind for God to provide. In fact, He provides for us even w...

If you think about it, it’s easy to be a grateful person when things are going well. But put a little vinegar in your latte, and all of a sudden, gratitude isn’t the first thing that comes to mind—especially gratitude to God. In this episode of Live the Bible , we'll find some surprises as we look at the Feast of First Fruits. In fact, Leviticus actually gives us insight into the resurrection...

Silence . . . Many of us struggle with it. Why? When we're in a quiet place, all we have are our thoughts. We have a lot of loops in our minds we'd rather not listen to. So, we grab distractions like social media, Netflix, and games. Anything to avoid the silence. In this episode of Live the Bible , we’ll discover God's provision of peace at the center of our silence. Support the sh...

How would you define worship? You may find it surprising that more than 40% of people who attend church aren't too sure what the word means! But I'm asking about Monday worship—not just Sunday. In this episode of Live the Bible , we'll look to the book of Leviticus to show us not just what worship is, but what difference it makes to our lives every day. Support the show

Our culture is a riptide. I’m talking about that almost irresistible pull the world has on our hearts—those moments when the world’s alternatives to trusting God are easy and available—but deceptive.  We know they are lies, so how can we stand strong and live lives of obedience? This episode of Live the Bible will show us how to stay firm in our love for Jesus Christ.  Support the show

When you seek answers, where do you look? (Besides Google.) It’s tough to break old habits. Whether it’s cultural bias or preconceived notions, many of us struggle to step outside of our comfortable orbits to gain a larger point of view. In this episode of Live the Bible , we'll look at the seemingly outdated customs found in Leviticus 18 and 19 and find some surprising lessons. Our challenge...

Can you imagine seeing a list of all your sins? I mean every single sin you have done–and will do? For some of us, we’d be holding a ream of paper the size of a New York phone book! Now imagine all those sins GONE. Every one. In this episode of Live the Bible , we're looking at the good news that God has provided a way for all sins to be gone. We can move from condemned by God to accepted by...

Do you know what I find so amazing about God's Word? We can look at an obscure passage written for people in another age and discover a wealth of practical applications we can take and apply to our lives today. And I mean, right now. In this episode of Live the Bible , we're looking at three tough chapters in Leviticus. It may not be obvious at first, but if you stay with me, we’ll find...

Something is missing. For most of the world, feeling “whole” is like trying to squeeze a handful of sand. The harder they clinch, the more grains slip through their fingers. Wholeness is a futile quest. In this episode of Live the Bible , we’ll look at an often confusing part of the Old Testament that talks about people being unclean. (It has nothing to do with soap, and it also has nothing necess...

Have you noticed how much space the Old Testament devotes to talking about food? Even though the dietary restrictions and kosher laws seem irrelevant for our lives today, there's a lot we can learn from these sections of Scripture. In this episode of Live the Bible , we're looking past the dinner plate to what these words have to do with us. (Spoiler: A LOT.). Support the show

Today’s prevailing opinion tells you that as long as you're sincere, you have a seat at God's table. As long as your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds, the Almighty will give you a thumb’s up. But that's not quite right, is it? Jesus’ words, “No one comes to the Father except through me,” may sound restrictive. But if He’s right, His words are actually the key to all of life. In th...

How often do you keep track of other people's mistakes? In today's episode of Live the Bible , I begin by sharing a story I’m not that proud of—when I used to count the mistakes of my English teacher! Yep. Aren’t we glad God doesn't do the same to us? If you’ve ever felt like your many sins keep you distant from God, this episode offers some great, great news.  Support the show

You’ve probably noticed, but balance is never a one-and-done deal. It takes constant focus. And it’s tough work! Oftentimes the decisions and struggles we face each day pull us in every direction, threatening to knock us off the tightrope. But there is good news. God provides a safety net for us so even if we fall, He helps us keep going. If you need a good boost of encouragement, be sure to liste...

If you’re like me, there is something you'd like to change about yourself or your life. As a society we're obsessed with self-improvement. As Christians, we’re committed to it. Whether it's exercise, dieting, or Bible reading, we're convinced we can do better if only we give it the ol' college try. While there's no shortage of motivation for getting started, maintaini...

This week is different.  In this special episode of Live the Bible , we celebrate our 200th episode! Here’s just part of the impact we have seen:   380,000+ downloads 162 countries 11,000+ cities But the true impact comes from God changing lives. That’s why this week our listeners have the microphone instead of me!  You’ll get to hear in their own voices how God has used His Word through the podca...

Here’s a tough question.. What one problem in your life, if it were solved today, would make everything better? We tend to focus on symptoms (pain points) rather than on root causes. We want to fix the problems we feel rather than what causes those problems. In this episode of Live the Bible , we will dig past the surface symptoms to get to a root question we've all yearned to answer: How do...

When someone does us a favor, we tend to feel obligated to pay back the kindness. It's just part of who we are. It's gratitude . Yet when it comes to God's favor on us, we face a debt we can never repay. So what can we do to express gratitude? This episode of Live the Bible teaches us how to respond to the overwhelming favor God has lavished on us. The book of Leviticus shows us how...

God is love.  But He is more than that. The same Bible also teaches that our Lord is a God of wrath. He loves sinners, but hates sin.  So how does God choose which attribute to act on—love or wrath? And how can we know if God accepts us—for sure ? To discover the answer, this episode of Live the Bible takes us to a surprising place: the Old Testament book of Leviticus . (That's no typo.)  If...

Good questions deserve biblical answers. In our last episode of Live the Bible , we shared a special "Questions and Answers" episode with so many questions we're adding a Part 2!   These questions ask about the Christian life, the Bible, and problems with understanding certain head-scratching Scriptures.  We'll examine each good question and offer a biblical answer.  You may ha...

The Bible tells us all we need to know, but not all we want to know. (Like, why can’t we have a little less about genealogies and more about raising teenagers?) In this special Q&A episode, I'm going to answer some listener-submitted questions about the Bible and about how to live the Bible.  Because that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Support the show

Feeling guilty feels bad. Horrible, actually. We've all done things we regret. But a surprising number of people feel like they're living life with dirty hands. A constant, low-grade guilt. The world's solution is to do good things in order to offset the bad. But maybe you've noticed, no matter how much good we do—it doesn't erase the bad. In this episode of Live the Bible...

Parenting is tough work. But so is having parents! Many of us grew up with a mixed bag of experiences that hurt a whole lot. And while our upbringing certainly shaped our lives, it doesn't define us. Only God defines us. This episode of Live the Bible   shows us how Josiah walked with God in spite of his terrible home life. We see how we can break free from our generational curse and allow th...