Real Faith for Real Life

In this special summer bonus episode, Pastor Bill sits down with Family Ministries Pastor Eric VanderWall and Student Ministry Lead Eric Rosendahl to talk about how the church can equip young people to face the unique challenges in today's world.

Is it best to rigidly hang on to traditions from the past? Or is it best to look ahead to the future with flexibility and adaptability? Could it be that balance is best? In this episode, we look at the example of the apostle Paul, and we learn that we should hold on tightly to the things that never change and hold loosely to the things that always change. But how do you know which is which? Pastor...

They say not to talk about politics or religion at the dinner table. Well, it's not dinner time, so we're going to talk about both on this week's podcast! Specifically, we're going to ask how Christians can simultaneously be a citizen of heaven and a citizen of our country. We think the Bible has wisdom that can guide us even through the most tumultuous times, and we think you&...

The Bible tells us to be humble, but it also calls us to be confident. These two character traits seem to be opposites, so how are we to find balance? Pastor Bill and Pastor Eric tackle that on today's episode, and they look at what's in the news.

The Bible calls us to be content. And the Bible calls us to be ambitious. How can those two things both possibly be true at the same time? Pastor Bill and Pastor Eric dive deep into the Scriptures and find that the key to achieving balance is defining both correctly. Plus, we talk about what's in the news and how it intersects with faith.

In a world that seems more divided than ever, we all want to know how to come together. The Bible offers us a balance that may help. In Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul speaks about truth and love. While some people may be all truth, and some people may be all love, Paul says it is important to achieve balance. Pastor Bill and Pastor Eric talk about how to do this in church, in our marriages, and eve...

If you ask six people who God is like, you'll probably get six different answers. Every religion also has an answer, including Christianity. In today's episode, Pastors Bill and Eric talk about how we know who God is. Specifically, they say we need to find a balance that affirms he is both majestic and merciful. They look at several scriptures that hold these aspects of God together.

In John 6, Jesus talks compares himself to bread, which can be difficult to understand. But it gets even trickier when he says that unless we must eat his flesh and drink his blood, we will not have life. Pastor Bill explains that Jesus was clarifying his purpose and his mission -- to offer himself as a sacrifice in our place. On this week's podcast, dive deep into this passage and talk about...

In Matthew 5, Jesus says if you eye causes you to sin, gouge it out, and if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. This can be hard to understand. Pastor Bill explains that Jesus was trying to help his followers understand the width and depth of sin so that they would seek a Savior. On this week's podcast, we go beneath the surface to find three great applications everyone can take from thi...

In Luke 14, Jesus says you cannot be his disciple unless you hate your relatives, hate your own life, and give away everything you own. This is a difficult saying! Many people wonder what this means. Pastor Bill and Bryan talk about it in this week's episode of the Real Faith for Real Life Podcast.

Jesus says in John 14:6 that he is "the life." In a world characterized by languishing, everyone is looking for meaning in life. Could it be that Jesus uniquely brings purpose and joy into our lives like nothing else can? What did he mean when he said he wants to give us life in abundance? In this episode, Pastor Bill and Pastor Eric will examine what the Bible says about abundant living...

One of the bold claims Jesus makes in John 14:6 is that he is "the truth." In today's world, this message sounds intolerant. Many people today believe that there are many "truths" that are true, but can this be the case? In this episode, Pastor Bill and Pastor Eric will reveal the basic rules of logic that disprove this position. And we'll talk about practical ways to...

Jesus makes some bold claims in John 14:6—starting with stating he is the only way to heaven. But there are often many objections to this claim—in fact, only half of self-profession Christians believe this to be true. In this episode, Pastor Bill and Bryan address common objections to Jesus' claim and discuss what absolute truth looks like in modern culture.

What is "evangelism" anyway? In this episode, Pastor Bill and Bryan dig into the Scriptures to see what our mission—making disciples—ought to look like in the 21st century. Spoiler: It probably looks different than you think. Our actions and daily life make a major impact on our evangelism. We believe that faith and life intersect, so we discuss what that looks like. In this season final...

Disagreements and division are everywhere. Our culture is filled with polarization and it's nearly impossible to have reasonable conversations with someone when you disagree. In this episode, Bryan Haley interviews Kevin Douglas of The Colossian Forum about how Christians can take steps to disagree well, regardless of the topic. Plus Pastor Bill and Bryan discuss how we ought to strive for un...

We wrap up our series in Romans as we take a look at the final chapters. In his letter to the church in Rome, the Apostle Paul discusses conforming versus transforming. What does that look like in our daily life today? Where can we see ourselves in this letter? Plus, we dive into real life topics—Daylight Saving Time is difficult, but you probably don't need a team of people to change the clo...

What is predestination? What does the Bible say about election? In this section of Romans, the apostle Paul talks about some heavy concepts that have lots of implications on our faith. While a central tenant of the Reformed tradition, what is the role of God's mercy? How about our faith? When a man faced certain "fate" that he shouldn't play piano, he has beaten all odds to bec...

Bryan and Pastor Bill continue the discussion of Romans this week by looking at chapter 8 and the role the Holy Spirit plays in our Christian growth. This section of the book of Romans also reminds us of the security of our salvation—we have been adopted as God's own, and are now co-heirs with Jesus Christ. Before diving into Romans 8, the two discuss a newly-finished symphony from Beethoven,...

We're saved by faith alone, so what place does the Law have in a Christian's life? In this episode, we take a look at Romans 6 and 7, and walk through the conversation Paul is having about what place the grace of God has in our lives, and how we ought to handle the Law of the Old Testament. Plus, we take a look at current events: Eastern Europe trolls are creating fake Facebook Pages app...

Protestant Reformer Martin Luther once called Romans 3 the center of the book of Romans, and center to the entire Bible. But before jumping into Romans, we take a look at Amazon's new robot and a new taco subscription service from Taco Bell. Bryan and Pastor Bill visit Romans 3 and discuss what Luther meant when he talked about this chapter in Romans, and how Christians today can view the gos...

This probably isn't the most fun topic to discuss: judgement. But, in Paul's letter to the church in Rome, he talks about judgement in the beginning of his letter to help lay a foundation for our desperate need for the gospel message. In this episode, we dive into Romans 2:17-29—but we also talk about Facebook in the news again as they develop a virtual reality metaverse. Bryan and Pasto...

I've got idols, you've got idols, we've all got idols. We all have things we put before God, and it doesn't take long to find some examples. Bryan and Pastor Bill talk about a new option to have Chick-Fil-A delivered on Sundays, and the recent Apple event is a prime example of how good things can become idols. What things do we prioritize before God? Do Old Testament laws even...

Our identity is central to who we are: it’s how we see ourselves, and how others see us. Outside forces that affect our identity are everywhere: a recent study from Facebook shows the impact that social media has on mental health; SpaceX is sending everyday citizens to space; and in the book of Romans, we see the apostle Paul talking about his purpose. How do all these stories impact our identity?...