Transforming Mission Podcast with Tim Bias & Sara Thomas

Is retaliation ever justified? In this episode, you explore Jesus' teaching from Matthew 5:38–42 and what it means to live faithfully in a world shaped by revenge, power, and division. By starting with Jesus as the lens for understanding scripture, the conversation uncovers how interpretations can lead to very different responses to conflict and harm. You are guided through four common approaches...

Part 3 of a 3 part series. Episode 399: Learning to See Again – Love as a Way of Life In the final episode of this three-part series, Tim and Sara turn toward a simple but demanding invitation: to learn how to see again and to live love as a way of life. Building on the previous conversations about losing our ability to see one another as human and returning to the heart of the faith in the incarn...

Part 2 of a 3 part seies In Episode 398, Tim and Sara continue the conversation from Episode 397 by returning to the center of our faith: the incarnation. Christianity does not begin with ideas about God. It begins with God choosing to become human. God puts "skin on" and comes close, not as an abstract concept, but as presence. Vulnerable. Woundable. Near. This episode explores how the incarnatio...

This episode is part 1 of a 3 part dialogue. We begin with a quiet but dangerous shift happening in our lives and in the world around us: the gradual loss of our ability to truly see one another as human beings. What begins as small, reasonable judgments can slowly turn people into categories, stories into assumptions, and neighbors into abstractions. Through everyday examples and honest reflectio...

The next three episodes will come your way on February 10th. You'll have the opportunity to listen to a larger conversation in those three episodes we'll be back with episode 400 to start the Lenten journey with a podcast on February 24th. So today we have a setup for our next three episodes. So here's why we're dropping all three episodes at once. You might call it a little mini series. One of th...

This week, explore what it means to live and lead with truth that can be trusted. In a culture shaped by reaction, urgency, and "truth-ish" sound bites, they reflect on discernment as a spiritual practice rooted in relationship with Jesus, not impulse or opinion. This conversation invites leaders and congregations to recover holy pause, reflect deeply, and live up to the name Christian by embodyin...

In this episode of Transforming Mission's podcast, Tim and Sara explore what it means to live faithfully in the tension between what is and what can be. In a polarized, fast-paced world that trains us to react, they reflect on Scripture, identity, and presence as essential practices for Christ-centered discipleship. Drawing from Hebrews 11 and Romans 8, this conversation invites listeners to consi...

In a time when opinions are loud and certainty comes quickly, Episode 394 of the Transforming Mission Podcast offers a quieter and deeper invitation. This conversation explores what it means to trust truth not as information to defend, but as a relationship rooted in Jesus, who says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." If you are longing for discernment, grace, and a more faithful way to enga...

As we close our Advent series, we turn to Joseph in Matthew 1:18–25, a quiet figure whose actions teach us about faithful leadership. Joseph does not speak, yet his choices reveal a deep, lived righteousness. When Joseph learns of Mary's pregnancy, he chooses mercy before he has answers. He plans to protect her from humiliation, showing us that righteousness is not rigid rule keeping, but compassi...

In Episode 392 of the Transforming Mission Podcast, we continue our Advent series *Here Comes the Teacher* by turning our attention to Matthew 11:2–11 and the honest questions of John the Baptist. From a prison cell, John asks the question many faithful people wrestle with: *Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?* Jesus responds not with explanations, but by pointing to wha...

Episode 391: Here Comes the Teacher - Listen As we step into Matthew 3 and follow John the Baptist into the wilderness, this Advent conversation explores how listening prepares us for the One who is coming. From John's bold call to repentance to Jesus' quiet arrival at the Jordan, this episode invites you to slow down, clear the noise, and pay attention to God's presence. If you're longing for cla...

Episode 390: Here Comes the Teacher — Watch Advent invites us to wake up to God's presence—even in the chaos. In this first week of our Advent series, Here Comes the Teacher, we explore Jesus' call to "stay awake" in Matthew 24. Rather than predicting the future, Jesus offers a posture for faithful living: watchfulness. In a world marked by turmoil, whether in the first century or today, the Teach...

Episode 388: Holiness of Heart and Life In this episode, Tim and Sara explore Micah 6:6–8 and the Wesleyan invitation to holiness of heart and life. Through the lens of justice, kindness (Hesed), and humble walking with God, they unpack what true worship looks like; far beyond religious performance. Together, they reflect on how holiness is formed from the inside out, why justice is inseparable fr...

Episode 387: The Economy of Grace In this episode, Tim and Sara unpack one of Jesus' most practical and challenging teachings from Matthew 6:19–24. Through this passage, they explore what it means to live within God's economy of grace: a way of life where grace, not greed, defines our values, vision, and priorities. They begin with Jesus' reminder that "where your treasure is, there your heart wil...

The Wesleyan Way of Leadership Scripture: Hebrews 12:1–2 Leadership is not a sprint. It's a marathon of grace, perseverance, and faithful endurance. In this episode, Tim and Sara explore the Wesleyan way of leadership through the lens of Hebrews 12:1–2, focusing on three core practices that help Christ-centered leaders stay grounded for the long run: vision, adaptability, and accountability. You'l...

The earliest followers of Jesus didn't just gather once a week—they lived their faith together. In Acts 2:42–47, we glimpse a community formed around grace: studying Scripture, sharing meals, praying, and caring for one another so that no one was in need. In this episode, Tim and Sara explore what it means to build a grace-filled community today. They remind us that community isn't optional for fo...

Sanctifying grace is God's ongoing work of shaping us into the likeness of Christ. It does not happen through quick fixes or self-improvement, but through love that matures over time. In Episode 384 of Transforming Mission, we explore how God finishes what God starts, using the words of Philippians 1:3–11 as our guide. Through gratitude, prayer, partnership, and discernment, this conversation remi...

In this episode, Tim and Sara continue their journey through the movements of grace,this time focusing on justifying grace, God's gift of new life. If prevenient grace awakens us to God's presence, justifying grace is the moment we realize we've already been welcomed—fully, freely, and forever. Anchored in Romans 5:1–11, this conversation explores how God's grace moves first, reconciling us and se...

Episdoe 382 invites you to begin an exploration of God's grace in the Wesleyan tradition. That exploration begins with prevenient grace, the grace that goes before us, through the lens of John 1:1–9. Long before we act, plan, or even believe, God is already at work. That's the heart of prevenient grace. It reminds leaders that ministry isn't about starting something new, but discerning how to join...

In this episode of the Transforming Mission Podcast, Sara and Tim unpack Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16 to help Christ-centered leaders rethink who's at their "gate." Rather than a story about money, this parable challenges us to notice people at the edges of our leadership circles and respond before the "chasm" becomes unbridgeable. Drawing from their own experiences—ever...

In this week's episode of the Transforming Mission Podcast, Tim and Sara dive back into Luke 15:11–32, the parable most of us call "The Prodigal Son," but Tim calls "The Running Father." Together they talk about what it really means to lead with grace in a critical world. As they unpack the story, you'll hear why grace moves first, why it costs something, and how it keeps the way home open for peo...

People Over Programs: Lessons from Luke 15 In Luke 15:1–10, Jesus shares two parables that continue to speak to leaders today, the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin. On the surface, these are simple stories of something missing being found. But beneath that simplicity lies a challenge: God values people more than programs, systems, or even our best-laid ministry plans. Continue Reading a...

In this episode of the Transforming Mission Podcast, Tim and Sara explore one of Jesus' teachings in Luke 14:25–33 - the call to count the cost of discipleship. What does it mean for leaders to put God's priorities first in a world that often prizes convenience, comfort, and control? Through practical stories, everyday analogies, and honest reflection, they unpack the difference between personal p...

In Episode 377 of the Transforming Mission Podcast, Tim and Sara unpack Jesus' words in Luke 12:32–34: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Together, they explore what it means to lead in God's economy of abundance, trust, and generosity. This conversation contrasts the world's economy of scarcity and possessions with God's call to prioritize people, mission, and love. From chu...