NCourage NSpire

In the Episode 18, we talked about consistency of agreement (being of the same mind) and consistency of application (matching out words with our actions).In today's episode, we talk more about specific ways to be consistent in various parts of our lives:- While Parenting- With Our Finance- Regarding Spiritual Development- Within the Bounds of Martial IntimacyDisclaimer:  We talk about sexual...

There are so many daily barriers to consistency - laziness, busyness, miscommunication, lack of communication, etc. And sometimes there are catastrophic events that cause us to be inconsistent - death, loss of a job, sickness, and depression. Despite all the challenges and obstacles, it is worth fighting for consistency. In this podcast, we talk about consistency of agreement (being on the same pa...

In this Episode, Nathan talks about how challenging it is to find the right words to say when facing a difficult situation, especially the loss of a loved one. For men, fixing a 'problem' is often our goal.  It challenging times, we might better sever our loved ones by remaining silent while being present. Romans 8:18-27 talks about our present sufferings, but there is a sweet promise that Go...

Faith is a communal endeavor but an individual choice.  In this episode, we chat with out oldest daughter about her recent international trip. We discuss ...- how the local church made an impact on her- how her desire to serve in the United States impacted her service in another country- advice she would give to parents who want to build faithful families- and what you would want to tell othe...

Is God dangerous?  If so, what does that mean for our lives and the lives of our families? These are two of the questions we have been wrestling with this week as we wait for the return of our oldest daughter, who has been doing Kingdom work in another country. In this podcast, we will support the following three claims:- God's presence is dangerous- God's holiness is dangerous- God's mission...

Momentous occasions are worth celebrating.  Our oldest passed her driving test.  How can one event cause so much excitement and fear? As we hand over the keys to the car, we are reminded that we are one more step closer.  One more step closer to watching our baby girl turn into a young woman. Proverbs 22:6 begins by focusing on the parents.  We are the trainers, the equippers,...

We all have hopes, dreams, and goals for our lives, marriages, and children. Although the time, effort, and energy we put into our relationships today does make a difference, it does not provide a guarantee.    We have to realize that today's success does not guarantee future success.  Equally important, today's failures do not guarantee future failures. We must continue to labor in...

Whether you are traveling the globe or crossing your street, it is important to "finish the race" well. Sometimes those last fifteen steps are the difference between victory or defeat. If the enemy can't stop you from starting the race, he will do his best to prevent you from finishing the race. What stops us from finishing? Sometimes our pride. Sometimes our rebellious disobedience. And, honestly...

What we do today as a family will have a lasting impact for years to come. In world where so much goes wrong and so much seems bad, we have the ability to create encouraging and inspiring memories for our family. The Bible says that a joyful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22). Science says that positive memories (especially from the perspective of a child about his or her parents) has lasting...

In this episode, we are talking about six simple questions that guide many of our family's discussions about God's word. The goal of these six questions is to provide a simple and reproducible method to learn from and meditate on God's written word - the Bible. The simplicity of the questions allow almost any person to participate, regardless of age or reading ability. The reproducibility of this...

Hebrews 10:19-25 reminds us that we should not forsake assembling together. All believers make up the universal Church. God clearly wants His followers to live life with other believers in local churches. In this episode, we continue to talk about what it means to be the church and what Christ has command His church to do. We asked some important questions: 1. Should church be reproducible? 2. Sho...

What verb do you most commonly associate with the noun church? Over and over, we have heard countless people talk about going to church. The words we use matter. They shine a light on our hearts regarding the things we believe, consciously and subconsciously. Going emphasizes a location. Did God intend for church to be a place? Did God ask us to emphasize a particular location? Or is church meant...

In this episode, we will be talking about the importance of community. When we came back to the United States, we desperately craved community. That was a hard time in our lives. But God showed up (like He always does) and provided exactly what we needed. He guided us to a group of people who were doing life together. His people became our people. Although living in community with others is not al...

Our family has been struggling with sickness the last several months. Life is hard when everyone is healthy. It is extra challenging, and even frustrating, when one or more people are sick. In this episode, we talk about: - Staying healthy - How to maintain strong relationships during sickness - How to care for those who are sick and those caring for the sick ---- Scripture quotations are from The...

In this episode we are spending some time telling you about our story. We share bits and pieces from our college years, early married life, and life overseas. As we share more about our life and the lessons we are learning today, we thought it would be good to give you some insights into our past. We believe it is important to share your story. You might say, "But my story is not interesting or im...

“God always keeps His promises” is a family motto that we have repeated often for many years. We started saying this phrase after God fulfilled a very special promise to us many years ago. Listen to end of this podcast to hear all the fun details! God's Word is filled with promises. Depending on who you ask, there are anywhere between 3,000 and 7,000 promises in the Bible. The following list is ju...

Christ commands us not to be anxious (Matthew 6:25). He reminds us that we more valuable than the grass of the fields and the birds of the air. But if we are being very honest, it is so easy to be consumed with our worries and anxieties. It is challenging to wait on the Lord when it feels like the work is beating us up and keeping us down. When we are hard-pressed, we need to run to God's Word. Th...

Does God still speak to people? And if so, how do we hear His still quiet voice when the world around us is loud and chaotic? In this episode, we will be talking about hearing God's still quiet voice. Why is this topic important? Because life dishes out challenges and obstacles. Our family recently experienced one of these life altering challenges - the loss of a job. We started asking the typical...