Doable Discipleship

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” - Danie...

“The next generation will live into the words we speak over them, so we should consider what words we are speaking over Gen Z. We, older generations, are responsible for raising, stewarding, and discipling the next generation, and right now, they are hearing from us, “We don’t like you.” - An excerpt from What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God.  We’re in a bit of a tale as old as time moment. T...

“As Scripture reveals, the kind of wisdom we drink in ultimately guides our choices. It conditions our thoughts and molds our character and habits to become who we are. It influences the longings and desires of our heart and the ways we seek to find meaning. The right question then becomes, what kind of wisdom are we currently being guided by?” - An excerpt from The Man You’re Meant to Be.  There’...

“So now, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my hold reputation! They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them. When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness...

“Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. The garlands have fallen from our heads. Weep for us because we have sinned. Our hearts are sick and weary, and our eyes grow dim with tears. For Jerusalem is empty and desolate, a place haunted by jackals. But Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation.” Lamentations 5: 15-19 The book of Lame...

“Why do some of us experience Christianity as a burden and others as a refuge? The answer, I am convinced, has to do with grace. Grace is the Big Relief at the heart of Christianity. When grace is down-played or qualified, faith turns into a project and then a burden. Project religion - the ancient human enterprise of proving ourselves morally and spiritually worthy of God’s love - is everywhere....

“But this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all...

“Marriage is hard, but there is hope. Knowing that we can win and have a fulfilling marriage gives us the hope and determination to fight for what we desire every day. A successful marriage is not easy and requires working hard and giving 100 percent as individuals and as a couple. For two people ready and willing to put in the hard work and effort, having a game plan could change everything.” - T...

I think we’d probably all agree that digital distraction is at an all time high. News from around the world is at our fingertips at a moment's notice. We get real-time updates on, well, everything. We can play any sort of game imaginable anywhere in the world and we can post our own thoughts and musings for anybody to see. Smartphones are truly an incredible innovation, but they come with a cost....

“Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlas...

Originally Released July 4 2023 Saddleback Church Content Development Pastor Jason Wieland is joined by author, teacher, and spoken word artist Hosanna Wong for a conversation around identity in Christ and how to adopt the rhythms of Jesus. One of the most fundamental questions of life is Who Am I? and, in Christian circles, we are often rushed to answer that our identity is in Christ. But how do...

“For the beauty of a journey is that it doesn’t need to be just one thing but can be many things spread out over time and over the many legs of the adventure . . . The Christian story may have already played out with robed people in a bygone past, but I believe it also continues to move, roll on, slosh, and rise in me each morning and moon.” - The Journey of God All of history has a central theme:...

Originally Released Dec. 5, 2023 When an athlete trains and practices in his or her sport, they are achieving multiple goals at the same time. They get stronger by lifting weights. They get more agile and increase endurance by running and doing sprints. They develop muscle memory by practicing their sport and certain moves over and over and over again. All of this is in pursuit of being ready for...

In this episode of Doable Discipleship, host Jason Wieland talks about what it means to choose to move in - to engage in relationships. He talks about some of the reasons why we may want to isolate or choose something easier, but offers a different perspective on why it's important to choose to engage. He talks about what the Bible says and encourages you to move in the way Jesus did.  Doable Disc...

“You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes, with a single jewel of your necklace. Your love delights me, my treasure my bride.” Song of Songs 4:9-10 Song of Songs is the last of the Biblical wisdom literature and puts a bow on our time with Solomon. It’s a book not commonly taught from because of its intimate nature, but I was grateful to f...

“What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I might be weird in this, I don’t know...

Originally published Dec. 12, 2023 Have you ever asked yourself the question: Why should I get out of bed?  In today's episode, host Jason Wieland, Content Development Pastor at Saddleback Church, talks about his favorite book of 2023. It's called On Getting Out of Bed: The Burden & Gift of Living by Alan Noble. This short, 104-page book is rich in its look at anxiety, depression, and other ha...

We’ve done many episodes of Doable Discipleship about identity, largely because it’s such an important topic in a world that constantly tries to fight for the right to control your identity, but also because there’s just so much to talk about, particularly from the Christian perspective. And today I want to add two more facets to that conversation: self-esteem and bias. The premise: who you think...

O LORD, I give my life to you. 2     I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced,     or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. 3 No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced,     but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others. 4 Show me the right path, O LORD;     point out the road for me to follow. 5 Lead me by your truth and teach me,     for you are the God who saves me.     Al...

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I hear a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God him...

Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 “I know that you can do anything,     and no one can stop you. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’     It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,     things far too wonderful for me. 4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!     I have some questions for you,     and you must answer them.’ 5 I had only heard about y...

In this episode, Doable Discipleship host Jason Wieland shares a devotional rooted in Jesus' Triumphal Entry in Luke 19. This devotional moves from Psalms to Luke to Genesis to John in an examination of what the Bible says about creation praising God. This Easter, you are invited to join in the song of praise from all of creation to Jesus - the King of Kings.  Episode originally released March 26,...

The Bible talks a lot about salvation, or our need to be saved. Jesus is the promised savior and the central tenet of the Gospel is it is faith in Jesus that saves you from your sin. All of this is, of course, true, and if you were to ask the average Christian what it means to be saved they would likely say that their faith in Jesus saves them from hell and gives them an eternity in heaven. Again,...

"I was reading the back cover of a new book when something caught my attention and just wouldn’t let go. The book is called Easter by Wesley Hill and the phrase that grabbed hold of me read “Easter is more than a day – it’s a season even longer than Lent. In fact, for the Christian who has died with Christ and been brought to life in him, Easter is the new, joyous, and radical way of living.” Woah...

On this second occasion, while they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “Tell me what you want, Queen Esther. What is your request? I will give it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”  Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared.  For my people and I have...