The 2nd Mile Podcast

We often categorize people’s skills by those which can serve sacred situations and others which can work in secular environments. To our detriment, we wrongly characterize the majority of how God has equipped people to a point of no usability. It’s time to go the second mile in unleashing your unlikely contributions.

You might be going to the chapel, but are you prepared for the marriage? So many people spend an unthinkable amount of time planning a 30-minute ceremony and a 2-hour reception but fail to prepare for what should be a lifelong marriage. It’s time to go the second mile in premarital preparation.

The people we allow in our lives will have a major influence on the directions we take. If you surround yourself with godly people, you have a better chance of becoming godly. But beware of the negative influences that can entice you to change course. It’s time to go the second mile with negative influences.

In church, we often talk about the need to devote ourselves passionately to Jesus. While that is true, you rarely find someone doing that if they aren’t surrounded by other people with a similar pursuit. You need spiritual companions. It’s time to go the second mile in establishing godly, relational environments.

We all know those people in our lives who appear very godly. Their sincere spirituality is apparent in everything they do. For those legitimate disciples, you will not find one whose deep dedication is not fueled by a love for God’s Word. It’s time to go the second mile in eliminating our biblical deficiencies.

Whenever someone mentions the need to know God’s Word better, most of us feel overrun with guilt. We know we should be more diligent, but we have numerous reasons why we never find the time or the desire. It’s time to go the second mile in removing our excuses to treasuring God’s Word.

As you attempt to follow Jesus, your motives and intentions may be exactly what they need to be, but they will be challenged by common yet successful opposition. Many disciples find themselves struggling due to these recurring issues. It’s time to go the second mile in identifying the subtle restraints.

We often compartmentalize our lives. We have a section for faith. We have another area reserved for our family. We sort our hobbies over here and our entertainment over there. But what if our lives are not meant to be made up of isolated components? It’s time to go the second mile in unrestricted access.

If we are going to follow Jesus truly through the 2nd mile and beyond, we must ensure that we don’t wander off onto other paths. Making our pursuit of Jesus to be our singular ambition clarifies all other decisions during our lives. It’s time to go the second mile in reclaiming a singular ambition.

You’ve made attempts to read different sections of the Bible with varying levels of success, but if you are going to be a lifelong student of the Word, you must show perseverance. Each of us needs a longterm plan for spiritual growth. It’s time to go the second mile in studying the Word.

In the last few pages of the Bible, God delivers a dazzling picture of what is to come. Despite the coming or current conflict, we can look at what God has promised and trust that his plan will come to pass. The conclusion will be a good one. It’s time to go the second mile in studying the end.

As persecution increased among the early followers of Jesus, God sought to encourage them through the words of the apostles. In addition to encouraging epistles, God gave a revelation to the Apostle John that showed what was to come. It’s time to go the second mile in studying the Revelation.

As the first church movement multiplied greatly and quickly, certain letters were sent to be distributed among these new believers. Within them, doctrine and practice were clarified to ensure that growth did not allow for dilution. It’s time to go the second mile in learning about the gospel.

In the first few years of the church, the gospel spread like wildfire. The Apostle Paul and other leaders continued to take the message of Jesus everywhere they could no matter the cost. The gospel spread due to a bold commitment. It’s time to go the second mile in learning about the spread of the gospel.

After Jesus’ commissioned his disciples, he sent the Holy Spirit to empower them for the tasks assigned. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles were transformed from unsure disciples into bold missionaries. The world changed. It’s time to go the second mile in learning about the early church.

As Jesus’ ministry swelled to a climax, his opponents grew in hatred toward him, and yet Jesus seemed focused on one task and one task alone. He was going to the cross, but the story would not end at the cross or even at the tomb. It’s time to go the second mile in learning about Passion Week.

Jesus taught in a time when there was no shortage of religious rabbis and spiritual sermons, but what set him apart from all the rest was his ability to teach with authority. When Jesus taught, people listened and followed. It’s time to go the second mile in learning about Jesus the Teacher.

Within the concluding pages of the Old Testament, the people look for the long-awaited Messiah. As the New Testament opens, we are introduced to Jesus the Christ, and the world has yet to recover from his invasion for redemption. It’s time to go the second mile in learning about Jesus the Messiah.

After severe warnings from numerous prophets, God’s people refuse to repent and reap the unfortunate consequences. God’s people are sent into exile and have to learn how to live for God in a land that did not. Will we learn? It’s time to go the second mile in learning about the exile of God’s people.

At the height of Israel’s power, the people dramatically collapse. The grandeur of King Solomon’s kingdom is undone quickly as a result of idolatrous compromises. A nation splits, a people rebel, and prophets call for repentance. It’s time to go the second mile in learning about the rise and fall of the kingdom.

Once God’s people established themselves in the land, they desired to have a king like the other nations. The problem with their reasoning was that their qualifications for a king were insufficient. They received what they wanted but not what they needed. It’s time to go the second mile in learning about the king God provides.

As God’s people wandered in the wilderness, His faithfulness continued to them regardless of their unfaithfulness toward Him. As they entered and settled into the Promised Land, they had to yet again make a decision of who they would follow. It’s time go the second mile in learning from the excursion.

God created a world and covenanted with a people. As this family grew into a nation, they were sovereignly placed into the most powerful nation in the world. This nation now had the opportunity to tell all nations about the God above all other gods. It’s time to go the second mile in learning from the exodus.

As God works through a family to usher in redemption to the world, the opening pages of the Bible portray a grouping of fragile people prone to multiple failures. Despite their missteps, God proves His unwavering faithfulness time and time again. It’s time to go the second mile in learning from the biblical patriarchs.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. With that opening line, the Bible begins and God’s grand narrative for redemption never looks back. Beyond those opening lines, do you know what God is trying to communicate? It’s time to go the second mile in knowing God from the very beginning.