The 2nd Mile Podcast

For all the failed attempts at reading God’s Word, you still have this nagging desire to know it better. Instead of wallowing in regret or focusing on failures, make a plan to go forward. You can read the Bible. You can know God better. It’s time to go the second mile in accepting a Bible reading challenge.  Download the Word 100-Day Bible Reading Plan Get more resources at travisagnew.org .

We all know the discouragement that comes when we attempt to read the Bible with great eagerness only to quit once a personal streak is broken. If we are going to be committed to knowing the God of the Bible, we must maintain our time in it. It’s time to go the second mile in Bible reading basics.  Get more resources at travisagnew.org .

While much of the world is busy making resolutions that may not last the month, I want to encourage you instead to make a plan for the most life-changing habit you can have in this life – reading your Bible. It’s time to put down the excuses. It’s time to go the second mile in finally reading your Bible. Get more resources at travisagnew.org .

It’s that glorious time of year as you are considering making new year resolutions that will most likely not last the week. We do it every year. I know you want to make some changes. I’m with you. But instead of making promises, what about making a plan. It’s time to go the second mile in reestablishing your plan.

I’m about to encourage you to do something that you may think is odd or reserved for a particular elite. I want to encourage you to gather your family together and sing. Make it a priority to declare God’s goodness alongside each other and do it outloud. It’s time to go the second mile in regathering your voices.

We all know the dangers of using social media too much, but a subtle yet significant threat is how the usage attacks our contentment as we are barraged with seeing the glamorous looks and expensive items of our friends and advertisements. It’s time to go the second mile in reclaiming your contentment.

Whether or not we realize it, we are addicted to affirmation. So much of what we do is attempting to draw the attention of others. Social media gives us an unhealthy opportunity to be fulfilled simply by the number of interactions we receive. It’s time to go the second mile in inspecting your approvals.

Our phones are often like a junk drawer in your house. You consistently put more in there and rarely take anything out. If you are serious about setting healthy limits regarding technology, you will have to make some intentional changes. It’s time to go the second mile in reorganizing your device.

In recent years, the rise of our social media interaction has caused us to communicate very differently than ever before. People who are reserved to share certain things in person become emboldened online to the detriment of us all. It’s time to go the second mile in reconsidering your comment.

Technology opens a door to helpful content and dangerous opportunities. While you may have the best of intentions, are you doing everything you can to protect yourself and your family against the dangers of online material? Do you have a plan to combat it? It’s time to go the second mile in reevaluating your filters.

I want to reintroduce a revolutionary idea that could change your most important relationships. I want to encourage you to set the table. Gather the people closest in your life, sit down, eat a great meal, turn off the tech, and engage one another. It’s time to go the second mile in setting your table.

Entertainment can inspire us to enjoy the wonder of the life God has given us, or it can entrap us into addictive and unhelpful patterns. We all have certain shows, movies, and media we love, but the danger comes when we lose our filter and limitations. It’s time to go the second mile in regulating your entertainment.

Sleep is one of those necessary parts of life that gets in the way of over-achievers, but it is essential to your ability to sustain what God has called you to do. When we neglect it, the effects can dramatically change our hours and our habits. It’s time to go the second mile in prioritizing your sleep.

With the rise of technology, we have learned that you never really have to leave work. You are a simple laptop away from robust apps or a phone away from your emails or a cloud away from all your files. But with the inability to clock out, our souls and families suffer. It’s time to go the second mile in leaving your work at work.

In your hectic schedule, do you ever feel like the most important relationships get the least amount of time? We only have so many hours in a day, and many of us are so burdened by tasks that we miss the relationships for which we are called to invest. It’s time to go the second mile in booking your relationships.

The more that our society progresses, our souls seem to regress all the more. Our technological dependence forces us to stare at screens and avoid personal interactions. Our environments are caged in keeping us away from evidence of God’s Creation. It’s time to go the second mile in exploring your outdoors.

Social media has given us a unique opportunity to know and to be known. As with any tool, it can be used for noble pursuits or nebulous purposes. We must determine if social media is using us or are we using it. And if we are using it, for what purpose? It’s time to go the second mile in limiting your social media.

We serve a God who commands us to rest. How could we ever doubt that he has our best interest in mind with such a directive? I grew up thinking the Sabbath was one thing but Scripture teaches something very different and life-changing. It’s time to go the second mile in preparing your Sabbath.

If you’ve been following Jesus for a while, someone has encouraged you to do a quiet time. Most likely, some of them made the unthinkable suggestion that the mornings are actually better, but you find yourself groggy and distracted as soon as you wake. It’s time to go the second mile in protecting your devotions.

Your phone is an incredible gift. It has more capabilities than the most expensive computers of the recent past. The opportunities to experience and produce are like never before, but if you don’t control it, it will be controlling you. Learn to establish limits. It’s time to go the second mile in silencing your phone.

We all say that we are busy, but are we really busy with the most important stuff? If you don’t schedule your week, someone will do it for you. To honor God with the time he has given us, we must start scheduling our priorities. Let’s make the days count. It’s time to go the second mile in scheduling your week.

I go to bed looking for recent updates. I wake up groggy wondering what I’ve missed on my phone the last few hours. I go throughout my day tethered to a device that constantly interrupts my concentration on what matters most. If you’re like me, it’s time to go the second mile in stilling your soul.

To be a growing Christian in this culture is challenged on numerous fronts. One of the most significant conflicts we experience is how to be in the culture but not of the culture. To win the battles, we must change the way we think and act. It’s time to go the second mile in renewing your mind.

We all have those words that we regret. That conversation we wish we could take back. But once our speech has left the dock, there is no return for them. While we can’t change the past, we can prepare for the future. It’s time to go the second mile in learning how to silence our speech. Proverbs 17:27-28 -  Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of un...

Have you ever had that disagreement that lasted way longer than it should have? Probably most of your conflicts are that way in reality. Instead of letting something get out of hand, we must figure out how to reconcile peacefully. It’s time to go the second mile in quieting quarrels. Proverbs 17:14 - Starting a quarrel is like opening a floodgate, so stop before a dispute breaks out. Proverbs 15:1...