Provoke & Inspire Podcast

Why is Gen-Z the most depressed, anxious, and overly medicated generation in America? PragerU attempts to answer this question in their new mini-documentary The Void: Finding Happiness in a World of Escapism. But do those solutions satisfy the problem? The regulars reunite for a discussion on whether purpose can be truly created or found by 'getting your act together'; just a few of the...

On October 27th, Korn wrapped up the North American leg of their 30th anniversary tour in St. Paul, Minnesota. But before the show, guitarist Brian Head Welch stopped by the P&I studio along with Ryan Ries of The Whosoevers for an in-person podcast. We often hear stories of God moving: healings, miracles, words of prophecy, and divine appointments - but how can we learn to hear God speak, and...

"Will & Harper" is a new Netflix documentary that follows Will Ferrell as he finds out his close friend of 30 years, Harper Steele, is coming out as a trans woman. The two decide to embark on a cross-country road trip to process this new stage of their relationship. As followers of Jesus, should we respond to the transgender movement? We want to share the truth, but we also want to s...

As followers of Jesus, how can we practically take a stand for our faith and the truth of the Gospel in the midst of a world that contradicts and opposes it all? Ben and Chad are joined by Alexizz Rodriguez, frontman of the Christian metalcore band Bloodlines . They discuss identity, accountability, and the band's recent launch into the social media spotlight when a clip from one of their sho...

It's that time of year again, and in the United States, things are tense as we get closer to the presidential elections. How can we be politically active without degrading or dehumanizing those around us who might not align with our convictions? How do we treat people as Jesus would? David and Ben sit down together to attempt to answer how to engage in politics without being a jerk as a follo...

Does your faith feel dull? What if the key to bring your walk with Jesus to life was doing the ONE thing that most frightened you? Without risk, does faith really exist? All of this and more on this week's episode with the regulars, minus Luke - who is currently in one of the Koreas. ------------------------ Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to...

Ben is joined by Jacob Coyne - author, preacher, Christian content creator, and founder of Stay Here : a mental health organization and movement dedicated to ending suicide, and healing the broken hearted by equipping millions of individuals in hope-filled suicide prevention training and awareness. Jacob is the author of, "Stay Here: Uncovering God's Plan to Restore Your Mental Health&qu...

Ben is joined by evangelist, poet, author, and speaker Preston Perry for a discussion on how we can refine and discern our God-given gifts to better reach people outside of the church, and how we can love God's glory more than our comfort. Check out Preston's latest book, " How to Tell the Truth: The Story of How God Saved Me to Win Hearts--Not Just Arguments . " --------------...

Ben and Aaron are joined by best-selling author of the book The Case for Christ , Lee Strobel! Together, they talk about Strobel's book Is God Real: Exploring the Ultimate Question of Life , while also wrestling through the question, "If God is real, why is he so hidden?" ------------------------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what...

Ben is joined by American author, Philip Yancey, who explores the most basic questions and the deepest mysteries of the Christian faith. Together, they talk through Philip's story and his new book, " Where the Light Fell: A Memoir ", deconstruction, and how you can speak to someone who is far from God. ----------------------------------------------------- Questions, comments, or fee...

As Ben returns from another amazing tour, he comes to you solo to share an invaluable strategy for helping to make the most of the life that we have. ------------------------------- 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 . Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram! Ben Pierce Davi...

Ben and David come to you from a hotel room in eastern Poland to talk about the shifting spiritual culture and how to talk to people who may be open spiritually but unwilling to commit to anything. ------------------------------- 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 . Click below to f...

In this episode, Ben meets YouTube personality Jon McCray of Whaddoyoumeme. Jon shares his story of coming to know Jesus, how he started his channel, and what has kept him going through the difficulties of what God has called him to do. Check out Whaddoyoumeme on YouTube, here ! ------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to pr...

In this episode Ben, Luke and David are joined by longtime friend and missionary, Valera of Steiger Ukraine. Valery updates the guys on what Ukraine has been like in terms of ministry, everyday life, and simply put - survival, in light of these 900 days of war since the Russian invasion began. ------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think!...

Ben goes solo for a thoughtful examination of another 2024 Olympic controversy involving an Algerian boxer named Imane Khelif as he asks the question of how we should biblically respond as followers of Jesus. ------------------------------- 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 . Click...

What in the world happened during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris? Was it a blatant attack on Christianity, or simply a highly sexualized (albeit realistic) depiction of a moment in Greek mythology? Whether it was blasphemy, or a brazen performance (or both?) it's not a question of whether we react or not as Christians, but rather how we SHOULD react to this. In this episod...

John 11:35 says, "Jesus wept." So many depictions of Jesus are of a stoic, unfeeling guru or mystic, when in reality there is no person with greater emotional depth than the person of Christ. Why is this? In this episode Ben and David examine the emotional life of our Christian culture, and how it so often falls short of Jesus' example. What can we do about it? How can we weep over...

Ben and David once again go on the record to discuss the recent assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump, David's history in dealing with rats in the home, and most prominently, how we can see what a biblical definition of success in life and ministry looks like when observing the life of John the Baptist. ------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We&apos...

In this episode, Ben is joined by Chad and David, where they attempt to address the issue of how often we get used to the suffering we see all around us. Whether it's friends, co-workers which we choose to overlook the suffering of, or something like the ongoing war in Ukraine. ------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them t...

In this episode Ben sits down with author and speaker Alicia Britt Chole to talk about her newest book, "The Night is Normal: A Guide Through Spiritual Pain." Alicia discusses how to navigate spiritual darkness, and how we can run into problems when we think spiritual maturity always equals better, happier feelings. Learn more about Alicia here . Check out "The Night is Normal"...

Carl Lentz recently sat down with his wife for an excruciatingly honest conversation about his moral failings, and how his family has managed to navigate them. In this episode, Chad and Ben discuss whether openly discussing issues of this magnitude, in this format, is the healthy, and even Godly thing to do.  ------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear...

In this week's episode, David and Ben come to you from the mountains of Norway with a special road report from No Longer Music's first tour of 2024. They share about what God has been doing in Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Norway. The two also talk about evangelism and the church's often complicated relationship with it. ------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedbac...

Did the rise of New Atheism end up doing more damage to it's own cause than good? Can we ever truly escape our need for religion, and is the West turning back to God? Ben sits down with longtime friend Justin Brierley, formerly of the "Unbelievable?" podcast to discuss the new trends in spirituality that we are seeing unfold across the secular world. They also talk about Justin&apos...

A church in Germany hosts a service based around Taylor Swift, her music, and its themes of justice, love, tolerance, and more - packing out their building. Are they on to something? Is this a sign of the collapse of the church? Ben is joined by Luke and Chad to weigh in on this controversial event. ------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you t...

Is there a deeper existential reality that sports, and our relationship to them, portray? Can David and Ben survive an expert-level Swiss ski hill? All of this and more on this week's episode of P&I! ------------------------------- 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 . Join...