Provoke & Inspire Podcast

Socrates was famously credited with saying, "The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living", and in this quick hit Ben examines our cultures' obsession with busyness as a means of status, albeit a source of extreme anxiety. What does this say about our society, that used to value a person's leisure time as a measure of their value? How do we correctly deal with busyness in our lives...

Sadly, one of the most ubiquitous things in the evangelical church today seems to be an attitude of irreverence toward  biblical and spiritual things. Jokes about prayer, being saved, and ironically even the Holy Spirit are prevalent virtually everywhere. What role do Christians play in confronting these things inside, and outside of the church? How do we react to irreverence in our own hearts? Wi...

British actor, comedian, and historically outspoken atheist Stephen Fry recently took to the stage for an event called " Letters Live ." During this event, Fry gave a dramatic reading of a letter written by Nick Cave about ChatGPT and human creativity. In this episode the regulars weigh in with their opinions on the revolutionary tech that is ChatGPT, and attempt to answer the question o...

It's increasingly apparent that while our society often has an openness toward spiritual things, this does not necessarily equal an openness toward the gospel, or any kind of definitive answers in regard to the topic. A prime example of this phenomenon is Stanford professor and neurobiologist Andrew Huberman. Andrew was asked about his faith in God during a recent interview with Lex Friedman,...

We live in a time of extraordinary spiritual openness, yet find many people don't want to define who or what God is. What if you could guide someone from ambiguous spirituality to a personal relationship with Jesus? How would you navigate conversations with people who are spiritually open yet skeptical of religion? This is Provoke and Inspire's Quick Hit, where we recap full length conve...

Is it possible that a lack of gratitude in our lives signifies a dangerous underlying issue in regard to our view of reality, as well as our spiritual health? In light of last weeks' US holiday, Ben explores the application of thanksgiving as is described in Philippians 6, as well as the questions above in this P&I quick hit! ---------------------------------------------------------------...

When the world attempts to answer the deepest questions of the human experience, what kind of answers does it produce? Are they sufficient? Do they come close to providing solutions? Now more than ever, the world is searching for answers. Actor and musician Nick Cave proves this through his online blog called "The Red Hand Files," where he attempts to answer questions sent by people from...

Are there underlying reasons as to why people are leaving the church today? Especially young people?  Ben and David come to you while on tour in Argentina, and discuss some of the spiritual and cultural reasons behind why this worldwide fallout is occurring, and how we can respond and take action as followers of Jesus. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

What are the marks of a successful life. True success; a life well lived? Ben gives a tribute to the life of Joanie - his beloved grandmother, and the last of his grandparents departed to be with Jesus. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to p...

Recently, Christians on staff at The United States Pentagon supposedly opposed active exploration into U.F.O.'s and other extraterrestrial phenomenon, with the objection that the 'aliens' which might be discovered are not aliens at all, but demons. Are UFO's, including flying saucers and little green men actually fallen angels? Should we resist exploring these things, or should...

Famous tattoo influencer, Kat Von D, gave her life to Jesus, but just wait until you hear how Christians responded. This is Provoke and Inspire's Quick Hit, where we recap full length conversations surrounding events happening in culture today, all while asking the question, “what would Jesus think, and what would he want me to do about it?” ---------------------------------------------------...

Kat Von D, the famous tattoo influencer and reality TV star, had a surprising encounter with criticism from Christians after posting her baptism online. How can we see people the way that God does? Why are we quick to look at the "speck" in someone's eye, when not acknowledging the "plank" in ours?  Join Ben, Chad, and David as they explore the dangers of judgmentalism, th...

Tech-millionaire Bryan Johnson is trying to live forever . Is this a great idea, or the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone? Let's find out! This is Provoke and Inspire's Quick Hit, where we recap full length conversations surrounding events happening in culture today, all while asking the question, “what would Jesus think, and what would he want me to do about it?” ------------...

"Proverbs 20:5 says 'In the heart of every human being is a deep well, and the wise person draws it out.'" How can we create a space where people have the chance to explore faith, ask questions, and share their story? Ben and Aaron are joined by Nicky Gumbel, former Anglican priest and founder of Alpha, a multi-week course that creates a space where people come to discuss life’...

Ben goes solo to look at the bizarre emergence and emphasis of Satanic and Demonic materials in mainstream pop culture, and to explore the question, "Are Demons Trendy?" ----------------------------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram ! Follow Ben on...

Freddie Mercury of the legendary rock band Queen once asked, "Who wants to Live Forever?" and the answer now seems to be: tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson does. Is mortality a defect? Are we able to eradicate it with science and technology?   In this episode Ben, David and Chad discuss the man behind Blueprint, an extreme anti-aging project built on a conviction that death is something we...

With demon-themed material being released from artists such as Lil Nas-X, Sam Smith, and Doja Cat, it's obvious that Demons are trending in mainstream pop-culture. In this episode Ben, Luke and David try to answer the question of why demonic and satanic material seems to have become one of the next big things, and most importantly, how we as followers of Jesus should respond to it. ----------...

How can we have a spiritual conversation with the people around us? How can we engage people with things that are already pointing to God in and around them? Ben, Aaron, David, and Luke continue the conversation surrounding Aaron's new book, Not Beyond Reach , and talk about the KEY to being effective when reaching people in our lives who would not walk into a church. ------------------------...

For this very special episode, Ben and Aaron are joined by best-selling author of the book The Case for Christ , Lee Strobel! Together, they talk about Strobel's upcoming book release, Is God Real: Exploring the Ultimate Question of Life , while also wrestling through the question, "If God is real, why is he so hidden?" ------------------------------------------------- Join the Stei...

In this episode, Ben is joined by his brother Aaron, who is also the director of  Steiger International to talk about his new book, Not Beyond Reach , and discuss why it's important to know the language of the post-Christian culture we live in today, and how we can be missionaries to our own cities. ------------------------------------------------- To order your own copy of Not Beyond Reach,...

In this classic replay, the regulars explore the idea of whether everything that we decide to do is according to God's plan. How do we know whether we are following God's will, when the task at hand might seem foolish? Are we just being stupid, or is God doing something phenomenal through foolish means? ----------------------------------------------------------- Questions, comments, or f...

Why does Christian music suck? Ben shares his thoughts on why Christian art is often so generic and devoid of passion. What led us here, and what can we do about it? This is Provoke and Inspire's Quick Hit, where we recap Instant Reactions and full length conversations, all while asking the question, “what would Jesus think, and what would he want me to do about it?” -------------------------...

In this classic replay Ben is joined by Oxford professor of mathematics John Lennox to help us better understand how to biblically respond to the war in Ukraine, as well as how to suffer alongside those who suffer - as we are biblically instructed to do. To learn more about John Lennox, visit: https://www.johnlennox.org/ ---------------------------------------------------------- Questions, comment...

Ben goes solo to answer a question that universally everyone contemplates from time to time, "what do I do with my life?" or even, "what does God want me to do with my life?" This is Provoke and Inspire's Quick Hit, where we recap Instant Reactions and full length conversations, all while asking the question, “what would Jesus think, and what would he want me to do about i...

How do I stay authentic, fruitful, and obedient in my faith? Through this, what steps can I take to deepen my intimacy with Jesus?  Ben, Luke, and David reflect back to their time at Steiger's Family Gathering and the teachings given by Chip Ingram ( Living on the Edge Ministries ), and talk through these questions and more! ------------------------------------------------- Questions, comment...