Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie talks with Bruce about why lasting change rarely runs on willpower and how change really runs on two rails: grace and accountability. Drawing on Philippians 1:6, they explore habits as guardrails, the power of Christian community, daily practices (Scripture, prayer, gratitude), and practical steps to move from white-knuckling...

Welcome to the podcast Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce. In this episode they explore why secrecy blocks change, how confession opens the door to mercy and transformation (Proverbs 28:13), and why honesty—before God, ourselves, and at least one trusted person—is a key predictor of lasting spiritual growth. Bruce and Arnie draw on recovery practices, the power of community, and...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and his guest Bruce. In this episode we unpack 1 Timothy 4:7-8 and explore how small, repeated spiritual habits—“reps”—build godliness over time. Bruce and Arnie discuss practical habits (scripture reading, brief prayer, gratitude, Scripture memory) and the 24-hour “win the day” approach to reshape identity and steady the soul through pain and hards...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce. In this episode we explore why painful seasons often produce spiritual growth when comfort cannot. Drawing on Romans 5:3–4 and Bruce’s personal testimony, Arnie and Bruce discuss how suffering can reveal unbelief, refine character, and draw us closer to God when we refuse to waste the pain. 4 R Action Plan Read — Read Romans 5:3–4 s...

Why doesn’t knowing better always lead to doing better? In this episode of Spiritually Fit Today, Arnie Cole and Bruce explore why information alone rarely transforms us. Drawing from James 1:22, they discuss the gap between knowledge and action, the importance of habits, and practical steps to move from insight to real change in your spiritual life. 4 R Action Steps - Read: Read James 1:22 slowly...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Paul Abbott. In this episode we tackle living faith (not dead faith) through James 2:14-17 and practical next steps you can start this week. Paul challenges ordinary Christians to leave comfort behind, notice the opportunities Jesus places on your block, and begin serving through simple, sustainable actions like volunteering or internships...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and his guest this week Paul Abbott. In this episode Arnie and Paul wrestle with Acts 2 as a practical model for serving the poor: shared life, table fellowship, prayer, and mutual accountability. Paul describes the real work of Nehemiah’s Road Home and how a discipleship community — not programs or fundraisers — can actually change lives and addres...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Paul Abbott. In this episode Arnie and Paul explore dignity in serving people experiencing homelessness—starting with something as simple and powerful as eye contact—and ground the conversation in Galatians 6:2: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Paul shares on-the-ground experience from serving in...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Paul Abbott. In this episode they unpack the common trap of paternalism in Christian service — when well-meaning help ends up stripping dignity and creating dependence — and point to Proverbs 19:17 as the corrective: kind, respectful help that seeks to make disciple-makers, not dependent recipients. Paul shares practical wisdom about liste...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Paul Abbott. In this episode Arnie and Paul unpack Matthew 25:35–40—Jesus’ call to care for the hungry, stranger, and prisoner—and wrestle with why that command so often gets sidelined in Christian life. Paul shares stories from decades serving the poor across Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and now among the chronically homeless in...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Braden Pedersen. This episode invites you into a free daily spiritual workout (5–10 minutes) built around the Four R’s and powered by an AI companion at bttb.ai. Try for seven days, and let small daily rhythms multiply your faith. Scripture to absorb today: Psalm 119:11 — "I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."...

Welcome to the podcast Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Braden Pedersen. In this episode we explore how AI can be redirected to point people back to Scripture instead of away from it. Learn about BTTB.AI — a closed, vetted library of biblical content that delivers personalized spiritual workouts guided by the four R’s: Read, Reflect, Respond, Reveal. This AI companion is designed to suppl...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Braden Pedersen. In this episode we explore new research showing many men in their 20s and 30s are turning to AI for spiritual questions. Braden explains why anonymity and perceived safety make AI appealing, and Arnie and Braden warn about the danger of trusting confident-sounding answers over Scripture. Our scripture for reflection: Prove...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Braden Pedersen. In this episode we tackle the common gap between believing and doing. We center on James 1:22: "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Arnie and Braden explore why conviction often doesn’t translate to action and how scripture absorption (quality over quantity) helps close that gap. 4R action guide -...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and this week's guest, Braden Pedersen. In this episode Arnie and Braden discuss why many Christians feel spiritually drained despite regular church attendance and Bible reading — and how spiritual fitness (not just faith effort) brings lasting change. They unpack a simple, practical daily roadmap from 1 Timothy 4:7–8: Receive, Reflect, Respond, Rev...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie talks with Brian Doyle (founder of Iron Sharpens Iron) about Father’s Day, the state of fatherhood, and Malachi 4:6 — “He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the hearts of the children to their parents.” They discuss how many men are still trying to become the fathers they needed, practical ways to mentor...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Brian Doyle. In this episode Arnie and Brian talk honestly about carrying grief, loss, and regret — the “walking wounded” who must still show up for life and ministry. Drawing on 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, they explore how God comforts us in suffering and how that comfort becomes the most powerful legacy we can pass on. Brian shares personal exp...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie talks with Brian Doyle (founder, Iron Sharpens Iron) about the spiritual fitness of the American father and the powerful, often nonverbal ways fathers transmit faith to their children. Our scripture to absorb is Deuteronomy 6:6–7. 4 R action steps - Read: Read Deuteronomy 6:6–7 aloud with your family or by yourself this week....

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Brian Doyle. In this episode we unpack the “question gap” many Christian fathers face—the late-night struggles, doubts, temptations, and loneliness that drive men to seek answers online instead of in community. Using Proverbs 27:17 (“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”), Arnie and Brian encourage men to move from isolated spir...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. Today Arnie talks with Brian Doyle (founder and National Director of Iron Sharpens Iron) about what fatherhood looks like when no one is watching. We reflect on Psalm 78:6–7 and on findings from the SALT Index about men’s spiritual fitness, the gaps in men’s ministries, and practical steps fathers can take to lead their homes spiritually. Scripture...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie talks with his guest Katlyn about building a lifeline for long-term resilience—how faith communities, daily spiritual rhythms, and trusted people walk with trauma survivors and trauma workers long after the immediate scene. Our Scripture to absorb: Galatians 6:2 — "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill t...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole. In this episode Arnie talks with his niece Katlyn, a flight nurse, about how gratitude can be a true resilience builder—even amid pain, broken bodies, and bad news. They ground the conversation in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus," and discuss practical ways Christian gratitude...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with host Arnie Cole and guest Katlyn, a helicopter flight nurse who has witnessed firsthand the deep emotional aftermath of tragedy, violence, and human error. In this episode, Arnie and Katlyn discuss one of the hardest spiritual challenges people face after trauma: forgiveness. This conversation is a powerful reminder that while trauma can leave lasting scars, b...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Katlyn. In this episode we wrestle with the raw “Why, God?” question that rises when life falls apart. Katlyn, a helicopter flight nurse who’s seen profound suffering, talks with Arnie about the honesty of lament and how Psalm 13:1-2, 5-6 models bringing doubts and grief straight to God — then turning back to trust. You’ll hear practical e...

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with host Arnie Cole and guest Katlyn, a helicopter flight nurse who regularly steps into some of the most traumatic and chaotic moments imaginable. In this powerful conversation, Katlyn explains how prayer becomes an anchor before the chaos even begins. Instead of allowing fear to dominate her thinking, she learned to surrender control and trust that God remains p...