Wayfarer

A poster in my high school classroom caught my eye. It changed my life. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Intellectual pride and control of others is as destructive an appetite as pleasures of the flesh. A chapter-a-day podcast from Jude. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

No matter how far I get in the journey, it’s always a good day to  grow . A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Peter 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Along my spiritual journey, Jesus has continuously asked me to set fire to my personal ladders. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Peter 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

God has His own Quality Assessment process — not one of condemnation, but of cultivation. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Peter 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

If I’m going to trust the Story. I have to trust His timing. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 5. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

What I am observing — and at times personally experiencing — in our current social landscape is a return of social ostracism as a form of punishment. None of this is new. It is as old as human empire itself. If Peter were to pay us a visit, he would say, “Welcome to the club." A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 4. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In my upcoming book I share the story of how as a young man I believed with certainty that I was supposed to become a pastor, and how God made clear that He had purposed for me a quirky career analyzing business phone calls (a la “This Call May Be Monitored”). My mother was greatly disappointed by the abrupt change in my vocational trajectory. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 3. The text versi...

I have for many years had a recurring brainstorm that returns every four years or so like the spring rains on the fields of Iowa. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Peter urges his fellow believers to embrace the very words Jesus spoke to him: Consider your investment strategy. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

James' final pleas feel far more poignant when I place my feet in the sandals of one of the letters’ original recipients. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 5. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

As I did some spiritual cardio evaluation yesterday, I had to come clean with the fact that I sometimes allow my self-righteous desires and pride free rein when it comes to my attitudes towards certain individuals. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 4. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

As I meditated on the tongue this morning I likened it to a living cardiogram — my words revealing symptoms of heart trouble. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Monday was one of my favorite days. Wendy made fresh, homemade Italian bread. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 2. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

As I read through the chapter in the quiet this morning, I couldn’t help but pick up on a strong undercurrent in James’ encouragement: His ways are not our ways. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 1. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

In the quiet this morning, I find myself meditating on what I can learn from Moses in the end. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 34. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In the quiet this morning, I find the chapter inviting me to do something wildly countercultural: Receive blessing without scrambling to deserve it. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 33. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com Message referenced in today’s podcast: https://youtu.be/JSbSbJMNHX0?si=Btvfw90BjlvhTUiJ

The prophesied rebellion of God’s people does not happen out of suffering, trial, or condemnation. It happens when things go well. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 32. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In all of creation, God infused music with a secret super power. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 31. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

When it comes to what my young adult children do, the only thing I really control is my response. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 30. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Mystery stays veiled. Responsibility does not. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 29. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.

Today’s chapter is arguably as tough as it gets when it comes to harsh Old Testament language. It’s the kind of chapter that causes modern readers to close the book and walk away. There’s so much going on beneath the surface of this chapter that I could write an entire book unpacking it—but let me try to explain it succinctly. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 28. The text version may alway...

The further I get in my earthly journey, the more I’ve realized my ignorance regarding creation’s role in the Great Story. It plays a central role in today’s chapter. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 27. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Very rarely has anyone recited back to me the content of a training session or message I’ve delivered. It is very common for people to tell me,  “I remember that story you told." A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 26. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

God through Moses doesn’t flirt with abstractions when it comes to the justice of every day life and business. It rolls up its sleeves, plants its feet in the dust, and whispers: " Justice is not an idea. It’s how you treat the body in front of you…every one….every day.” A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 25. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .