The 2nd Mile Podcast

You’ve heard people say that you need to read the Bible, but what if you can’t stand reading? It’s not just that book – it’s any book. If reading isn’t your favorite and the Bible is a big book, what are you to do? You’ve got to retrain your mind regarding the Bible. It’s time to go the second mile in being devoted to Scripture.

We often encourage people to read God’s Word daily, but we rarely provide people with assistance so they can experience success. As you think about your personal time in the Word, do you have a plan that will help you grow in your personal discipleship? It’s time to go the second mile in rethinking Bible reading plans.

Women face unique challenges in our culture. The call of the Word contradicts the claims of the world. The Bible provides clear guidance for how to transform an individual life, a group of friends, or even a church’s ministry geared toward raising godly women. It’s time to go the second mile in rethinking women’s ministry.

The Word calls men to be bold leaders for the Kingdom of God, but the world calls men to be passive followers for the kingdom of self. Our churches cannot continue to allow the slide for men to progress. We must lead them according to God’s standards. It’s time to go the second mile in rethinking men’s ministry.

In the midst of many opportunities for spiritual growth, we can lack a needed sense of alignment. What if we are guilty of widespread efforts that only provide shallow understanding? Focus might be the component we’ve been missing. It’s time to go the second mile in pursuing alignment.

We are on the verge of one of my favorite times of year - it is the Thanksgiving long weekend. Regardless of your specific traditions, these days are often characterized by food, family, and football, but for many of us, it's also known for frustration. It's time to go the second mile in having a peaceful family gathering.

We are all in unique spiritual places. While we all need to be encouraged, we all don’t need to be encouraged in the same way. Depending upon how we are wired and what is happening, we need something different from those around us. It’s time to go the second mile in offering intentional encouragement.

Children in today’s culture have numerous forms of opposition against them. The challenges seem to increase by the year. But out of all the sources of stress, sometimes it is their parents who should provide support and actually create more issues. It’s time to go the second mile in helping our children.

You cannot avoid criticism in this life. Even if you seek to follow Jesus well, people will have issues with you and discuss it with others or confront you. How should we filter through these critics? We must decide to learn from some and ignore others. It’s time to go the second mile in filtering criticism.

If you are trying to make progress in your walk with Jesus, you will often find that the opposition increases. We tend to think that good intentions should remove any unnecessary obstacles, but we often experience the exact opposite. It’s time to go the second mile in addressing increasing opposition.

Humanity has been pointing fingers at others since the Garden of Eden. We rarely want to take responsibility for our actions but would rather blame someone else for our issues. At some point, each of us must decide how we will own up to our dilemmas. It’s time to go the second mile in taking ownership.

You don’t mean to let your temper take control. You never wanted to lash out the way you did, but you did it anyway. And you did it again. Maybe you feel like you are stuck in a cycle of regretting temperamental outbursts. It’s time to go the second mile in taming your temper.

Sometimes my mind is like a nonstop whirlwind of audacious ideas, nagging reminders, and unfortunate regrets. While my brain is on overdrive of varying thoughts, I lack clarity on what it is exactly that I need to do and am unsure of what to do next. It’s time to go the second mile in writing yourself clear.

If you undertake a massive project, you must create some reasonable steps along the way. If you don’t, you will get overwhelmed with the immensity and never make any progress. Don’t allow the project to keep you from the next task. It’s time to go the second mile in making a big project manageable.

Jesus taught that before you build a tower or wage a war, you better count the cost. When it comes to tackling a major project, like planning sermon series one year at a time, you have to put together a plan that is workable and scalable. It’s time to go the second mile in planning a year’s worth of sermons.

Each of us experiences temptation throughout our lives. We have an intentional enemy who knows where, when, and how to attack us in vulnerable areas of weakness. Ignoring his tactics will not make you impervious to personal setbacks.

Your past doesn’t have to define you. The mistakes you have made or those that others made and caused you to suffer consequences don’t have to determine your future. But to avoid that, you must consider how you must pivot as a result. It’s time to go the second mile in rerouting tragic legacies.

Your closest relationships will direct your most pivotal decisions. That’s why it is so important to consider the type of people you give the right to speak into your life. Have you ever considered how your relationships are encouraging you? It’s time to go the second mile in considering peer standards.

You can’t make it far in life without having wise guides pointing out good directions on uncertain paths. I pray you have had parents, pastors, coaches, teachers, and bosses who have guided you, but are you following their instructions? It’s time to go the second mile in adhering to wise counsel.

Good, bad, or indifferent, we all have learned lessons from our parents. Yours might have been intentional or even estranged, but you can’t deny that their life has made an impact. Have you ever considered what to do with what you’ve learned? It’s time to go the second mile in learning from parental examples.

We have all faced the looming decision that increased our anxiety. When we have to make the call, our values will come to the forefront without warning. So, before you make that next decision, have you ever considered what God desires you to do? It’s time to go the second mile in prioritizing God’s direction.

Any event that you make it to in your life is one you put on a calendar. We arrive where we plan to go. We meet with who we schedule to see. The same is true in your relationship with Jesus. If you want to know Him better, you must make the time. It’s time to go the second mile in putting Jesus on the calendar.

We often see friendships as a benefit but rarely a necessity. The reality is that we were not meant to live life alone. For many of us stalled out in our faith, the problem is not that we don’t love Jesus, we’re just not surrounded by others who do as well. It’s time to go the second mile in needed friendships.

It’s that time of year when camp is happening, and many students are praying that the change lasts this time. Don’t waste the momentum. If you or your student ministry is growing in Christ, it doesn’t have to stop once you go home. It’s time to go the second mile in camp commitments.

Most aspiring individuals attempt to exalt themselves into higher positions of leadership. Jesus breaks the common paradigm by teaching that the humble wait to be exalted. Servants allow God to do the placement and timing. It’s time to go the second mile in patient placement.