On The Phone With Josh

Spending time with God is not always “productive.” We don’t always have a new thought to share or a new insight to chew on. Instead, sometimes all we have to show for our time is nothing more than minutes in the bank. Is that enough? If so, how can we tell if we’re growing or not? On this episode we explore the boring side of unproductive spirituality.   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnTh...

Families grow and change. Our own lives, careers, and living situations change. Managing those changes and the shifting dynamics within our families can be complicated. In this episode, we explore the nature of these changes and propose a few things that will help us navigate these changes well.   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjos...

In John 14, Jesus promises that we will do “greater works” than he did. What did he mean by that? How might our own church tradition influence how we read this text? And how might we pray in light of all of this? Come wrestle through this topic with us and then share your thoughts with us on social media!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/ontheph...

Today we consider the idea that there are 3 types of churches in the U.S. – Father churches, Son churches, and Spirit Churches. What do these types of churches look like? What might it be like to have a church that combines all three? Come join the conversation on social media and let us know how this represents your experience of church.   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh...

Isaiah is a tough and sometimes intimidating book.  In this episode we explore what an initial reading of Isaiah has looked like so far and what hooks we can use to orient ourselves to the structure of this amazing book. If you’ve ever skipped reading Isaish because it was too intimidating, start here. There is some hope.   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.inst...

When the Bible refers to “the Word of God” is it referring simply to the Bible itself or not? If the Word of God can be understood to be more than the Bible, then what does that mean for our understanding of the Bible itself? And can we get “orthorelationality” to catch on as a new term? Come join the conversation and let us know what you think!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneW...

The word Christian is a little loaded in our society. What do we mean by the word? Does it really strike at the heart of what we want to convey? If not, is there a better word or term to use? How might that do a better job of describing what this whole thing is all about? We’d love to have you join us for this conversation and then chime in on social media to let us know what you think about the w...

Genesis 1-11 is a unique and often strange section of the Bible. To what genre does it belong? How should we make sense of the long lifespans or the weird god-like beings? How might genealogies help us to make sense of it all? Come join the conversation as we explore this confusion section of scripture.   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephon...

Is Jesus God? Can Christians even ask this question? Are we flirting with heresy for even suggesting this as a question? Listen in and you be the judge. Let us know what you think. Does this question have value? If so, what can we stand to learn by asking it?   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/ https://www.threads.net/@onthephon...

Today we discuss Psalm 91 in preparation for Josh from Oregon to preach from this text. We explore the theology, the emotional impact, the main point to convey in the sermon, and ways to illustrate it. You’re invited to join the conversation! And if you'd like to see the final sermon that Josh from Oregon preached, click the link below!   "The Final Say" - Sermon by Josh from Oregon ( https://www....

So many good books and so little time! What’s your reading plan for 2024? Here’s a few of the books we plan to make a part of our upcoming year. In fact, these may be a preview of many of our future episodes. Bibliophiles unite!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/ https://www.threads.net/@onthephonewithjosh   Books Mentioned on...

The West Wing might be the best show ever written. In a special off-brand episode, we geek out over the show and describe what we love best about it. This one is just pure fun. Enjoy!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/ https://www.threads.net/@onthephonewithjosh   Books Mentioned on the Podcast: Covey, Stephen M .R. The SPEED o...

A six-minute blooper reel is our gift to you this Christmas. Take a few minutes to enjoy all those moments that we picked up off the cutting room floor. Some of these are pure gold (not frankincense or myrrh though). Merry Christmas!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/ https://www.threads.net/@onthephonewithjosh

Anyone who has ever been asked to pray about a situation has asked themselves some version of the question, “what should I be praying for exactly?” Today, we ask ourselves that very question. Can intercessory prayer be more than praying for someone’s dying pet? Should it include praying for someone’s dying pet? Come join the conversation and let us know what you think of intercessory prayer.   Fol...

We discuss Christmas movies!! Also titled – “Two Middle-Aged Men Complain about Christmas Movies.” Listen in and you be the judge. Merry Christmas!   Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/ https://www.threads.net/@onthephonewithjosh   Books Mentioned on the Podcast Erikson, Thomas. Surrounded by Idiots ( https://a.co/d/9J5eeBA ) Volf...

After a long (but excellent) series on Exclusion and Embrace, we finally have a little bit of time to catch up on a few of our other thoughts from the past two months. So we thought we’d gather them all together in a little stew we are calling thought soup. Bon Appétit!     Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/OnThePhoneWithJosh https://www.instagram.com/onthephonewithjosh/ https://www.threads.n...

Yes, we did an entire episode on the appendix. Well, sort of. We also threw in one of our favorite bunny trails and an extended application section where we pull out our main takeaways from the book. If you’ve journeyed this far with us, you may as well see it through! Come join the conversation!   Current Series: Exclusion and Embrace. Read and follow along! Volf, Miroslav. Exclusion and Embrace,...

Jesus the crucified Messiah is also Jesus the rider on the white horse. How do these two images of Jesus fit together? As we imitate Christ, should it be as self-giving love or as conquering warrior? And while were are it, are the images of Jesus as warrior even appropriate for an all-loving God? Come dive into these questions and so much more as we wrestle with this incredible book.   Current Ser...

What is truth? Is there just one single truth or is truth dependent upon us as individuals to determine it? In this episode, we dive into Volf’s reflections on what is truth and how we should respond in light of our limited capacity to comprehend it. So come on in and join the conversation!   Current Series: Exclusion and Embrace. Read and follow along! Volf, Miroslav. Exclusion and Embrace, Revis...

There is so much chaos in our world right now. Everyone seems to violently oppose everyone else – each with their own sense of what true justice is. How can we see our way out of this ideological mess? Is there any hope for true justice or will oppression and violence be our only answer? Join us as we work through Volf’s thoughts on this all-important issue.   Current Series: Exclusion and Embrace...

In this, the pinnacle chapter of the book, Volf lays out his grand vision for the act of embrace. He begins by addressing the inadequacy of an emphasis on freedom alone and then proceeds to argue for the additional act of embrace. Using the act of giving a hug as his guiding metaphor, he also takes a penetrating look at the story of the Prodigal Son in order to understand further how God himself v...

Deep down, what are the real reasons that we exclude the “other”? Can the crucified Messiah give us a new identity that also removes this tendency? Join us as we take a deep dive into Volf’s thoughts in chapter 3 and a deep dive into our own self-examination to reveal why we behave as we do.   Current Series: Exclusion and Embrace. Read and follow along! Volf, Miroslav. Exclusion and Embrace, Revi...

What does it mean to distance ourselves from our culture? Does it mean that we have to leave our culture or be somehow ashamed to be from our native country? How might we create room for the other and yet remain rooted and established in our own cultural space? Let’s dive in to this complex chapter together and see if we can make some sense out of these questions.   Current Series: Exclusion and E...

Miroslav Volf argues that the cross should be at the center of Christian identity. He believes that the self-giving love of God made so apparent in the crucifixion of Jesus is the model by which all Christians should live. If this is true, how to do we live this out? What does it mean to give of ourselves like Jesus did? How do we balance that with self-care and preventing burnout? Or should we? C...

Today’s episode is a nod to all the 90s songs the helped to form us spiritually. Some of our choices may surprise you. Some may also be on your list. What would you add? What makes that song particularly formative for you? Join us this week for a lighthearted look down memory lane then come join the conversation on social media!   New Series Coming October 10th: Exclusion and Embrace. Start readin...