The God Journey

What happens when fear no longer drives our faith, and we finally become safe enough to rest in love? What if the God we have learned to fear is not the God Jesus came to reveal? A recent article on neuroscience suggests that fear-based images of God activate the brain’s threat responses, while love-centered images foster connection, empathy, and resilience. For Kyle, that opens old memories of tr...

How do we cultivate the environment in our hearts to host the God who is already present within us? Kyle and Wayne explore further how God shapes us from the inside—through identity, beauty, relationships, surrender, and the ordinary moments where his presence is already at work. Rather than trying to force a spiritual experience or get God to fix our circumstances the way we want, perhaps the inv...

"My emotions are a messenger, not a master." So wrote one of our listeners, and that refrain continues to pop up through the podcast, not just with our emotions but with our desires as well. Kyle shares how a false identity statement he had carried for years was exposed in a recent conversation with a friend. That invites them to pick up the thread of their conversation three weeks ago about the d...

Wayne, Kyle, and Joni continue their conversation about patriarchy, moving from cultural systems and religious interpretations into the deeper ways those ideas shape how men and women see God, themselves, and each other. From reactions to The Shack portraying God through a woman, to Scriptures that have been used to silence women, to current controversies in evangelical culture, they explore how J...

"Purity culture is a system that tells women to carry the moral weight of male desire." How is that healthy or fair? Joni Menard, an occasional guest on The God Journey, helps other women discover how to live deeply loved by God. She joins Wayne and Kyle for a conversation about patriarchy, purity culture, and gender differences, and how our religious systems often negatively shape the way men and...

“At the bottom of our being is a throbbing, an aching that pines for our Other, day and night... a soul-longing that can’t be fulfilled by anything this world has to offer.” Those words from Strahan Coleman’s Thirsting open the door to a conversation about the ache beneath all our searching. What begins with people paying premium prices for meaningful emotional experiences soon turns toward the de...

"The God Journey has been a long conversation about what happens when faith migrates from obligation into love." That's how ChatGPT summarized the twenty-two-year history of The God Journey. Kyle and Wayne were blessedly shocked at how ChatGPT captured the heart of this journey with uncanny clarity as it synthesized the trajectory of The God Journey over the past twenty-two years. What began as a...

"How is the vision impacting you?" Wayne and Kyle begin with brief conversations about the permanence of love and how we are worthy of God's love not by merit, but because of the value he sees in us. After that, they circle back for a further discussion about Wayne's vision shared in the last two podcasts, responding to comments and questions others have made. They talk about what it means to him,...

Wayne and Kyle continue exploring the vision of a city waiting to be born, this time focusing on the sparkling treasure forming within it and the invitation to “give way to the treasure.” Drawing from Paul’s words about having this treasure in jars of clay, they reflect on how God’s presence flows through ordinary people for the healing and encouragement of others. From a tender apology to women w...

Kyle and Wayne explore what it means to embody kingdom power in a world driven by fear, urgency, and control. After Kyle shares a surprising conversation about leadership and pace, Wayne describes vivid prayer experiences that have deepened his awareness of Father’s delight over “a city waiting to be born.” Together, they reflect on patience, birth pangs, and the hope of a humanity restored to God...

After a quick discussion about the false self and how what we value can be opposed to what God values, Kyle invites Wayne to process an email he received from a close friend documenting his growing concerns about how he has viewed the church. They discuss how modern churches evolved from a community-based model to an institutional structure with a single leader as the face of the organization, and...

Kyle has been talking to some couples, 8-12 years into marriage, who are discouraged that they are no longer able to find a meaningful connection with their spouse. He invites Wayne into a conversation about what a couple can do when they realize their spouse isn't who they thought they were when they were dating. After they open with beauty in the midst of misery, and our false theological certai...

Wayne and Kyle discuss an email from Australia that they both found breathtaking in its simple depth. After a lighthearted reflection on the quirks of people we love, they turn to something more profound—how Jesus offered a completely different way of living than the power-driven systems we see around us. True spiritual authority doesn’t come from titles or positions, but from a life deeply connec...

What if Jesus's parable of the Talents wasn't about money, giftings, or religious work? What if he was telling this story to show us how his love finds its way into the world? After a conversation about medical professionals taking a more holistic approach and how curiosity enhances relationships, Kyle and Wayne turn to this parable and how it is often misinterpreted in a way that goes against the...

This powerful image comes from a vision an autistic boy shared with a woman, except that he saw a large beast standing before the altar in a church building, blocking someone's view of Jesus. It sums up Kyle and Wayne's conversation this week as they look through the mailbag and respond to listeners' comments and questions. They discuss finding contentment even through brutal circumstances, especi...

Following up on the World in Turmoil and the scandal at Bethel, leads Kyle and Wayne into a conversation about character. Where do you find people of character and how do you become one in a culture that says the image you project is more important than the person you are? Do you see vulnerable people as targets to exploit or people who need care and security? Even though expedience provides a qui...

"President Trump has been anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire to cause Armageddon and mark his return to earth." So said a base commander last week to his troops, according to a document filed with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Two hundred more similar complaints were also filed from 50 different military installations around the world. What do we make of this and the escalatin...

Wayne, Tobie, and Kyle continue their discussion about the release of Just Love: How One Mistranslation Distorted the Gospel . All three express excitement about the potential impact it could have on those ready to hear it. They see a return to love-shaped justice to not only be more consistent with the through-story of Scripture, but also to a more meaningful expression of their passion and faith...

"The Incarnation itself was an act of justice," says Tobie van der Westhuizen, co-author of Just Love: How One Mistranslated Word Distorted the Gospel , as he joins Kyle and Wayne for a conversation about the new book prior to its release on March 3. When English translators chose the made-up religious word, righteousness , to substitute for the word justice that the original writers would have us...

Perception is its own reality, false though it may be. The podcast begins with a brief conversation about the trajectory of life, Kyle looking forward to what might lie ahead, and Wayne glancing back in gratefulness at how Jesus has walked with him. Then, they look at perceptions—how people perceive God and how they think he perceives them. They talk about those who see God as a demanding taskmast...

It's happened again. Another major ministry in the Charismatic world admits to hiding a false prophet who was also sexually abusive—for six years! Why does this keep happening? Sadly, many who claim to follow Christ can't tell the difference between someone filled with the life of the Spirit and those who only pretend to be for notoriety and influence. In the last few weeks, horrible revelations h...

Where do you place your hope in the midst of difficult times? Kyle is finding that more and more people are turning to AI as a source of hope and direction because they don't have relationships that encourage and inspire them. Can AI be a spiritual advisor, or even a conduit to God? Or, is it becoming a golden calf for those who don't feel God's presence and wisdom aren't tangible enough? Wayne an...

"To have faith is to trust love," which is where the bulk of Wayne and Kyle's conversation goes this week as they come through the mailbag. There are comments about relational community, how prayer changes as trust grows, and the McDonald's Toy Syndrome. They finish with one email that talks about the importance of trusting God's love and not knowledge alone. While human love can be weak and condi...

How do you view friendships around you, especially those that may be short-lived? Do you shy away, not wanting to get hurt, exploit them for what you can get, or engage them as an opportunity to share life, even if it won't last long? Wayne and Kyle discuss what a healthy mindset looks like as we engage others, whether it be short-term or long-term. Be true to your "yuck meter" so you won't be man...

"The enemy's chief strategy is to make dead things look alive." And wow, does it ever work! In the backdrop of yet another revelation of moral failure on the part of a Christian celebrity, Kyle and Wayne discuss how the theology of love can fail us in our desperate moments. The question remains, however: Why doesn't love and faith transform even its most ardent advocates? How can people give lip s...