Crusade with Me

What happens when you take away everything we normally use to hide?For their anniversary, Dave and Kat did something completely outside their normal world: they spent their Arizona trip at a clothing-optional resort.They expected awkwardness. They expected vulnerability. They definitely expected a story.What they didn’t expect was what the experience would reveal about shame, judgment, aging, body image, intimacy, marriage—and the masks we wear every day.In this special Crusade After Dark, Dave and Kat tell the Arizona story and wrestle with one of the Bible’s most fascinating descriptions of humanity:“And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” — Genesis 2:25Maybe “naked and not ashamed” isn’t really about taking your clothes off.Maybe it’s about reaching a place where you no longer need to pretend.After nearly forty years of marriage, Dave and Kat ask what it means to be completely known by another person—and still loved.Episode 181 — Crusade After Dark: Naked and Not Ashamed — Our Arizona Story.The clothes came off.The bigger surprise was what else disappeared with them.The Truth Is Worth Seeking.

Christians have been given plenty of rules about sex.But which of those rules actually came from God—and which came from culture, tradition, fear, or our interpretation of Scripture?In Episode 180 of Crusade With Me!, we ask a question that may make some people uncomfortable: Did God actually put limits on sex?We dig into what the Bible really says, including the often-used Greek word porneia, and wrestle with the difference between sexual desire, sexual immorality, wisdom, commitment, harm, and judgment.This isn't an argument that anything goes. And it isn't another list of religious rules.It's an attempt to ask the harder question:If sexuality is part of God's creation, what was it actually created for—and where, if anywhere, did God draw the lines?No condemnation. No easy answers. Just an honest search for Truth.The Truth Is Worth Seeking.Let’s keep walking.

We’ve been taught that strong desires can be dangerous—that maturity means controlling them, resisting them, or sometimes pretending they aren’t there.But what if desire itself isn’t the enemy?In this episode of Crusade With Me!, we explore where desire comes from, what it may be trying to tell us, and the difference between suppression, indulgence, and formation.Maybe self-control doesn’t mean killing the fire inside us. Maybe it means understanding that fire well enough to direct it toward something good.What if the better question isn’t, “How do I stop wanting this?”What if it’s, “What is this desire actually pointing me toward?”The Truth Is Worth Seeking.Let’s keep walking.

Episode 178 — Why Did God Make Sex Feel So Good?If sex were only about reproduction, why did God make it pleasurable?Why did He create desire, attraction, intimacy, and bodies capable of experiencing such powerful pleasure?For centuries, Christians have sometimes talked about sexuality primarily in terms of temptation, rules, and restraint. But what happens when we begin with a different question:Why did God design it this way in the first place?In Episode 178 of Crusade With Me, Dave and Kat step into a conversation about sex, pleasure, marriage, desire, intimacy, and the goodness of the human body. We explore Scripture, human physiology, psychology, and ancient wisdom while asking whether sexual pleasure might reveal something about God's intentions for intimacy rather than merely presenting another temptation to overcome.Maybe the question isn't simply, “Where are the boundaries?”Maybe we first need to ask, “What was this created for?”This is a mature conversation about something deeply human—and something Christians shouldn't be afraid to talk about.The Truth Is Worth Seeking.

What is that fire inside you?The drive to build. The urge to create. The desire to achieve. The anger that demands action. The attraction that pulls you toward another person. The sexual energy that can feel almost impossible to ignore.Where does it all come from—and what is it for?In Episode 177 of Crusade With Me, we explore the powerful energies woven into human life: ambition, creativity, anger, attraction, desire, and eros. Are these forces something we should fear and suppress? Something we should simply indulge? Or were they given to us for a purpose?Maybe the problem isn't that the fire exists.Maybe the real question is what are you doing with it?Because fire can warm a home—or burn it down.Join me as we continue asking the questions worth asking, following wherever the answers lead.The Truth Is Worth Seeking.

If you could create God, what would He be like?Would He agree with your politics? Approve of your choices? Dislike the same people you dislike? Would He ever look at something you deeply believe and tell you, “You’re wrong”?For thousands of years, human beings have tried to understand the divine—from Zeus and Odin to the gods and philosophies of the ancient world. But maybe we never stopped creating gods. We simply gave them new names: money, success, politics, pleasure, identity…and ourselves.In this episode of Crusade With Me, we follow that question all the way to its answer. Genesis makes a startling claim: we weren't created to make God in our image. We were created in His. And Christianity makes an even greater claim—if you want to know what God is actually like, look at Jesus Christ.A God who washes feet. Touches outcasts. Eats with sinners. Loves enemies. Confronts hypocrisy. Gives Himself on a Cross—and rises from the dead.Maybe the question isn't whether God looks enough like us.Maybe the question is:Do I look anything like Him?The Truth is worth seeking. Let’s keep walking.

What does it really mean when someone says, “I’m spiritual, but not religious”?In Episode 175 of Crusade With Me, Dave and Kat explore one of the fastest-growing ways people describe their relationship with faith—and ask whether spirituality without something outside ourselves to define truth can eventually become a spirituality of our own making.This isn't an argument for religious labels or institutions. It's a conversation about truth, authority, community, surrender, and the difference between seeking God and creating a god who agrees with us.Can we be spiritual without being religious? Can religion itself become empty? And perhaps the harder question:Who gets to define God?Listen. Think. Question everything.The Truth is worth seeking.

What if the biggest obstacle standing between you and the truth… is you?We all like to believe we're open-minded. But once a belief becomes part of our identity, changing our mind can feel like losing part of ourselves. Our brains defend what we already believe. Our tribes reward agreement. And sometimes questioning the accepted story can cost us relationships, reputation, or belonging.So what happens when the evidence points somewhere we don't want to go?In Episode 174 of Crusade With Me, we explore confirmation bias, the power of first impressions, cancel culture, tribal thinking, and three words that may be among the hardest to say:I was wrong.Because maybe wisdom isn't about never being wrong.Maybe it's about remaining humble enough to be corrected.And if the Truth really is worth seeking, we have to be willing to follow it—even when it leads somewhere we didn't expect.What if you're wrong?There may be only one way to find out.Let's keep walking.

Is Something True Even If Nobody Believes It?If everyone believed something false, would that make it true? And if nobody believed something true, would it suddenly become false?In Episode 173, Dave and Kat wrestle with the difference between belief and Truth—and the uncomfortable possibility that reality doesn't need our agreement.Are good and evil real? Does reality have an order? Why are we so good at seeing other people's deception while missing our own?And perhaps the hardest question of all:Do we really want the Truth if the Truth tells us we're wrong?The Truth is worth seeking.Let's keep picking them up and setting them down.And always "Crusade With Me?"

Episode 172 – Reality Always Sends the BillEvery choice has a consequence—even the ones we think no one will ever see.In this episode of Crusade With Me!, we explore one of life's simplest and most challenging truths: reality always keeps the score. Our habits, relationships, character, and faith are all shaped by the small decisions we make every day.Why do some choices lead to peace while others lead to regret? What if God's commands aren't arbitrary rules, but the way reality itself was designed to work? And where does grace fit when we've already made a mess of things?Join us as we examine the relationship between consequence, truth, and redemption, and discover the hope found in Christ—the One who paid our greatest debt and calls us to a better way of living.Reality always sends the bill. The question is: what are we investing in today?

What if accountability isn't punishment...What if it's freedom?This week, Dave and Kathy returned home from a week at the Jasper County Fair expecting to remember horses, ribbons, and competition. Instead, they found themselves watching something far more revealing—human nature.Children accepted responsibility with remarkable humility. Adults often searched for someone else to blame.Why is it so difficult to simply say, "I was wrong?"In this episode of Crusade With Me!, we explore why accountability has become one of the rarest virtues in modern life, and why Scripture presents it not as a burden, but as one of God's greatest gifts. Along the way, we'll discover what horses, children, ancient wisdom, and the words of Christ all have in common.Maybe every excuse keeps us stuck.Maybe every honest confession sets us free.Join us as we ask another timeless question...Could the path to real freedom begin with taking responsibility for our own lives?Slow down. Think deeply. Keep walking... and Crusade With Me.

For six episodes we've been asking difficult questions.Why do we feel like there has to be more than this?Why can't we sit still?Why has wonder faded?Why are we more connected than ever, yet increasingly alone?Why won't our minds ever stop talking?What did ancient wisdom know that we've forgotten?Now we arrive where King Solomon finally arrived after chasing pleasure, success, wealth, wisdom, work, and every earthly pursuit imaginable."The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is this: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person." — Ecclesiastes 12:13In this concluding episode of the Attention series, we follow Solomon's final words to the One who gives life its meaning. The search for purpose doesn't end with philosophy. It doesn't end with self-improvement. It doesn't even end with wisdom itself.It ends with Christ.Only in Him do our restless hearts find rest, our wandering minds find peace, and our endless search finally find its home.This isn't simply the end of a series.It's an invitation to begin the journey that truly matters.

For centuries, humanity searched for wisdom not because life was easy—but because it wasn't.Today we have more information than any generation in history, yet anxiety, distraction, loneliness, and exhaustion continue to rise. We know more... but are we actually becoming wiser?In this episode of Crusade With Me!, we step away from the endless noise of modern life and listen to voices that have endured for thousands of years. From King Solomon and Ecclesiastes to the wisdom of the early Church, we explore truths that technology cannot replace and progress cannot improve.What if the life you're searching for isn't found in something new—but in something we've forgotten?If you've ever wondered why life feels rushed, scattered, and strangely empty despite having more than ever before, this conversation is for you.Because ancient wisdom wasn't trying to make life easier.It was trying to teach us how to truly live.

Have you ever noticed that your mind almost never becomes quiet?It replays yesterday. It worries about tomorrow. It imagines conversations that never happen. And somehow, in all that noise, we mistake every thought for the truth.In this episode of Crusade With Me!, we journey inward to explore one of life's greatest battles—the conversation happening inside our own minds.Together we'll explore:• Why our thoughts seem to run endlessly. • Why attention follows whatever we repeatedly think about. • What ancient wisdom teaches about stillness, silence, and clarity. • How to stop believing every thought that enters your mind. • And how practicing attention can lead us toward genuine peace.The goal isn't to silence your mind.It's to become wise enough to choose which thoughts deserve your attention.Because between every thought... there is a choice.And perhaps that's where wisdom has been waiting all along.Join me as the Attention Series continues and discover why peace isn't something we find...It's something we practice.Attention isn't just what you give. It's the life you build. Continue the journey next episode as we explore What Ancient Wisdom Knows That Modern Life Forgot.

We have thousands of followers, hundreds of contacts, and endless ways to communicate. Yet loneliness has quietly become one of the defining struggles of our time.How did we become so connected... and so alone?In this episode of Crusade With Me!, we explore the difference between communication and genuine relationship. Technology has made it easier than ever to reach one another, but true connection requires something far more valuable—our attention.Together we'll ask:• Have we mistaken contact for connection? • Why does presence matter more than proximity? • What can ancient wisdom teach us about friendship, community, and belonging? • And what simple practices can help us recover meaningful relationships in a distracted world?Perhaps the opposite of loneliness isn't popularity.Perhaps it's presence.Join us as we continue the Attention Series and discover why giving someone your undivided attention may be one of the greatest acts of love we can offer.

When was the last time something truly left you speechless?We carry supercomputers in our pockets, watch rockets land themselves, and can speak with someone on the other side of the world in an instant. Yet somehow, we've become harder to amaze than ever before.Maybe the world hasn't become less extraordinary.Maybe we've simply stopped paying attention.In this episode of Crusade With Me!, Dave explores why wonder quietly disappears—not all at once, but beneath layers of busyness, distraction, certainty, and constant noise. Together we'll ask whether our loss of wonder has also become a loss of wisdom, gratitude, and our ability to recognize truth when it's standing right in front of us.This isn't about becoming childish.It's about recovering the childlike curiosity that once made every sunrise, every conversation, and every ordinary moment feel full of possibility.What if the greatest discoveries of your life aren't waiting somewhere else...What if they're waiting for you to slow down long enough to notice?If you've felt distracted, restless, or like life has become something to manage instead of something to marvel at, this conversation is for you.Because perhaps the most important question isn't what you've accomplished this week...It's this:What truly filled you with wonder?

Why is silence so uncomfortable?Why do we instinctively reach for our phones, turn on the television, scroll social media, or fill every empty moment with noise?Maybe the problem isn't that we've forgotten how to rest.Maybe we're afraid of what we'll discover when everything finally becomes quiet.In Part Two of the Attention series, we explore one of the defining struggles of modern life: our inability to simply be still. From endless distractions to relentless busyness, we've become experts at avoiding silence—even though silence has always been the place where wisdom, healing, and the voice of God are most often found.Together we'll examine why our culture keeps us constantly occupied, what ancient Christian and timeless wisdom traditions have to teach us about stillness, and why recovering our attention may be the first step toward recovering our souls.If you've ever felt exhausted despite never slowing down, restless even when life is going well, or strangely uncomfortable whenever everything finally becomes quiet... this episode is for you.The greatest battle for your life may not be over your time.It may be over your attention.

Have you ever looked around at your life—even a good life—and quietly thought, there has to be more than this.You're not alone.In Part 1 of our new seven-part series, Attention, we begin exploring one of the most important questions of our time: What is capturing our attention, and where is it leading us?We chase success, entertainment, possessions, relationships, accomplishments, and endless distractions, hoping they'll satisfy the restless longing inside us. Yet no matter how much we consume, the feeling remains: there has to be more.What if that longing isn't a flaw to overcome, but a compass pointing us toward something greater?Drawing from Scripture, timeless wisdom, and honest life experience, we'll examine why the human heart is never fully satisfied by the temporary and how our attention shapes the people we become. Before we can discover what deserves our attention, we first have to recognize why we're so easily distracted.This episode lays the foundation for the entire series and invites you to slow down, ask the deeper questions, and begin turning your attention toward what truly lasts.Join Dave and Kat as we begin the journey.Series: Attention (Part 1 of 7)

As America celebrated its 250th birthday, it's worth asking a deeper question: What does true freedom really look like?In this special episode of Crusade With Me!, Dave and Kat reflect on the blessings of living in America, the sacrifices that have preserved our liberties, and the legacy we hope to leave for future generations. Together, they explore one of the most powerful chapters in Scripture—Romans 8—where the Apostle Paul reminds us that the greatest freedom isn't political or national, but spiritual.America can protect many freedoms, but only Christ can set us free from sin, guilt, fear, and condemnation.Join us as we celebrate our nation's past while fixing our eyes on an even greater Kingdom—one that cannot be shaken. Whether you're reflecting on America's history, your family's legacy, or your own walk with Christ, this conversation will challenge you to consider where your ultimate hope truly rests.Featured Scripture: Romans 8Questions we'll wrestle with:What are you most grateful for about America?What freedom has Jesus given you that no nation ever could?What legacy of faith will you leave for the next generation?The question we hope every listener leaves asking:If America became less free tomorrow, would Christ still be enough?Thank you for walking this journey with us. May God continue to bless America—and may He first transform our hearts.

What does a lifetime of faithful ministry look like?In this special episode of Crusade With Me!, I sit down with Rev. Schumacher, a pastor whose life has been marked by humble service, deep theological conviction, and a genuine love for people.Our conversation spans decades of ministry—from serving as a missionary in Africa with his family, to his pioneering work with the deaf community through the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, where he helped develop sign language for use in the Church's liturgy. We discuss the importance of communicating the Gospel so that everyone can hear the Good News in a language they understand.Rev. Schumacher also shares how meaningful relationships became the foundation of effective men's ministry and healthy congregational growth. His insights remind us that the Church is not built merely through programs, but through faithful people investing in one another.Now retired from full-time ministry, his work continues in a different setting: a woodworking shop where neighborhood children gather to build wooden crosses, learn practical skills, and experience the love of Christ through the gift of time and mentorship.Throughout our conversation, you'll hear the wisdom of a confessional Lutheran pastor who treasures the rich theology and traditions of the Christian faith, while also hearing the heart of a devoted husband, father, grandfather, teacher, and servant of Christ.This wasn't simply an interview—it was time spent with a man whose life reminds us that faithfulness is measured not by recognition, but by a lifetime of pointing others to Jesus Christ.I hope you'll enjoy this conversation as much as I did. It was truly a blessing to spend this time with Rev. Schumacher.

What if the greatest obstacle between you and God isn't your past—but your belief that you've gone too far?In this episode of Crusade With Me!, we explore two powerful passages of Scripture that reveal the very heart of God. In First Timothy 1:12–17, the Apostle Paul calls himself the "foremost of sinners," yet boldly proclaims the immeasurable grace of Christ. Then, in Gospel of Luke 1–10, Jesus tells the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, reminding us that God is not waiting for the lost to find Him—He is actively seeking them.Together, these readings paint a beautiful picture of a God whose mercy is greater than our failures and whose joy is found in restoring what was lost.In this episode, we'll explore:What these Scriptures meant to their original hearers.What they reveal about the character of God.How religion can distort our understanding of grace.How Jesus fulfills God's mission to seek and save the lost.Why the Cross is the ultimate expression of God's relentless love.How the Holy Spirit transforms forgiven sinners into people who reflect Christ's heart.And finally, in The Build, we'll discover how these truths shape the way we think, the way we treat others, and the way we participate in God's mission of seeking the lost.No matter where you've been, no matter what you've done, this episode is a reminder that your story is never beyond the reach of God's grace.Because the Good Shepherd is still searching.And heaven still rejoices every time one lost soul is found.

The older I get, the less certain I become about many things.Twenty years ago, I thought I had most of life's answers figured out. Today, I realize that certainty is often easier than wisdom, and arrogance is far easier than humility.In this episode, I share why Crusade With Me! exists in the first place. This podcast was never created because I believed I had all the answers. It was created because I need the questions.Together, we'll explore what it means to "connect the dots" in life. Sometimes we connect dots that have no business being connected. Other times, we fail to see the connections that are right in front of us. Our habits, relationships, health, faith, attention, and decisions are all intertwined in ways we often overlook.As I reflect on our recent comeback episodes, I've come to recognize a common thread running through them all: the pursuit of wisdom. Not information. Not opinions. Wisdom.The wisdom that comes from God.If we want to become healthier, stronger, mentally sharper, spiritually deeper, and more faithful in our daily lives, we need more than knowledge. We need Divine Wisdom to help us understand which dots matter and which ones don't.This isn't an episode about having answers.It's an episode about seeking them.So, grab a cup of coffee and join me as we explore the questions that shape our lives, the patterns we often miss, and the wisdom that can only be found by walking with God.Because information fills the mind.But Divine Wisdom transforms the soul.

Most people don't reject God because they hate him.They reject Him because they're busy.Busy building careers.Busy chasing dreams.Busy paying bills.Busy scrolling phones.Busy entertaining themselves.And before long, the important gets crowded out by the urgent.Jesus tells the story about that. Luke3:13-18John tells us what happens when we let God's love shape our lives. I John 14:16-24Together these readings challenge us to examine where our priorities truly are.

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Crusade With Me! Dave sits down with a lifelong friend — Pastor Mike Hesterman — to revisit a 30‑year friendship and a 50‑year faith journey.Pastor Mike opens up about his early life as a self‑described scoundrel, his years of rebellion, his time in the Army during a racially tense and dangerous season, and the night in 1975 when he was forced to confront the question: “If I died tonight… where would I go?”What follows is a raw, honest, and moving conversation about:Growing up between two strong traditions — Lutheran and MennoniteWrestling with infant baptism, adult baptism, and what Scripture actually saysThe dangers of drugs, deception, and dabbling in darknessThe moment in Germany that changed everythingHow identity, rebellion, and human nature haven’t changed in 6,000 yearsWhy being made in the image of God still matters todayThe struggle to mature spiritually — and why some truths only hit us decades laterThis episode is rich with wisdom, humility, humor, and the kind of honesty only two old friends can share. A must‑listen for anyone wrestling with faith, identity, or the long road of transformation.

In a world fighting for your attention, Jesus asks a deeper question: What are you really looking at?In Episode 157, we explore how focus shapes formation — and how the things we continually behold begin to shape who we become. Drawing from Matthew 6:22–33 and Romans 5:1–10, this episode dives into:Why attention is a spiritual battlegroundHow divided allegiance fuels anxietyThe subtle masters we serve without realizing itWhy peace isn’t the absence of trouble — it’s the presence of the right focusHow God loved you before you ever got betterYou’ll walk away with clarity, conviction, and a practical daily challenge to re-center your heart on the Kingdom.If you’ve been overwhelmed, distracted, or pulled in too many directions… this episode is your reset.Seek first. Look up. Live with intention. Welcome back to the crusade.

We all think we know how life is supposed to work.We make plans. We form opinions. We create expectations about what God should do, how He should do it, and when He should do it.But what happens when God's plans are different from ours?In this episode of Crusade with Me! Dave and Kathy explore the gap between what we think we know and the reality God reveals through Scripture.Abram thought he understood his future. He had a plan, a timeline, and a logical conclusion about how his life would unfold. Yet God had something far greater in mind—something Abram could not see from where he stood.The Psalmist reminds us that real security is never found in our own strength, intelligence, resources, or carefully constructed plans. The Lord is not impressed by the strength of a horse or the might of an army. Our hope is found in Him alone.In First John, we discover that God has already shown us what love looks like. Yet even with that revelation, we often reshape God's love into something more comfortable, more convenient, or more aligned with our preferences. We want God's blessings while resisting God's transformation.Then Jesus confronts us with the sobering account of the rich man and Lazarus. Even in torment, the rich man remains the same man he was in life. He still sees Lazarus as someone to serve him. He still wants to negotiate. He still refuses to truly repent. The flames reveal what was already there.Together, these readings ask a difficult but necessary question:Are we allowing God to transform us, or are we simply asking Him to bless the plans we've already made?Join us as we discuss faith, humility, self-deception, God's surprising plans, and the danger of becoming so attached to our own understanding that we miss what God is trying to teach us.Because sometimes the greatest obstacle to God's work in our lives is not what we don't know.It's what we're convinced we already know.

Crusade with Me! is back.After months away from the microphone, we're beginning a new chapter with a simple but life-changing question:What if the secret to peace, purpose, and growth is not becoming someone else—but becoming who God created you to be?A tree never struggles with its identity.An oak doesn't wish it were a maple. An apple tree doesn't envy an olive tree. A tree doesn't wake up one morning and decide it would rather be a goat.It simply receives what God made it to be and grows.Yet many of us spend our lives exhausted from comparison, chasing identities that were never ours, trying to force fruit that can only come from being properly rooted.In this comeback episode, Dave and Kathy explores one of the most powerful themes woven throughout Scripture: God's people are often described as trees.Trees planted by streams of water. Trees that endure drought. Trees that bear fruit in season. Trees that remain rooted when storms come.Drawing from Psalm 1, Jeremiah 17, Genesis 1, John 15, Romans 12, Ephesians 2, and other key passages, we'll examine what it means to stop striving to become someone else and start growing into the person God designed from the beginning.You'll discover:• Why identity always comes before behavior • Why comparison is one of the fastest ways to kill joy • What Scripture means when it says creation reproduces "after its kind" • Why fruit is not something we force but something that reveals who we are • How to stay rooted when life's heat, drought, and storms arrive • Why God's design for your life began long before your first success—or your first failureMost importantly, we'll discuss a truth that modern culture desperately needs to hear:The created thing does not define itself. The Creator does.The Christian life is not about inventing a new self.It is about recovering the person God intended all along.The tree's job is not to manufacture fruit.The tree's job is to stay rooted.And perhaps your job isn't to become someone else either.Perhaps your job is simply to remain connected to the One who created you.So welcome back to Crusade with Me!Let's begin this next chapter together.Be rooted. Be faithful. Be transformed.And above all...Just be the tree.

Our last time.Countdowns.Fireworks.Endless advice on how to reinvent yourself by midnight.As if life responds to pressure.As if becoming whole can be rushed.But tonight, we slow down.Because the dawn is not rushed.The sun has never forced its way into the sky.It has never strained to arrive.It simply rises, steady, patient, right on time.That is how real beginning work.

One more episode will follow—an episode of hope, prayer, and strength for the days ahead. But today… today is about grounding.What do we leave you with? What must remain when the music fades and the episodes stop coming?The answer is not a feeling. Not a memory.It is Truth.

And tonight… the wait is nearly over.For weeks we have watched. We have trained. We have waited in the long quiet of Advent.And now — the night has arrived.The night when angels sing. The night when eternity steps into time. The night when heaven bends low and the world is never the same again.This is Christmas Eve.

A quick chat with Ribeye (Grandson) with ten questions about Christmas. Ah, the Christmas spirit.

And today, we stand in a sacred in-between. This is our final episode of Advent. And there are only three episodes left in this entire journey.That is not coincidence.Because Advent has always been about living in the tension between what has already happened and what has not yet come. Christ has come. Christ is present. And Christ will come again.Advent does not ask us to rush forward. Nor does it allow us to linger in the past. It calls us to wait with intention.Not idle waiting. Not anxious waiting. But a waiting that is awake, aligned, and grounded — a stillness that listens for movement.

One hundred and fifty episodes in a little less than a year. That number is not just impressive— It’s meaningful.Because Scripture gives us 150 Psalms. And the final Psalm—Psalm 150—doesn’t analyze, argue, or explain.It simply says:“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”So today, Crusaders, this episode is a breath. And this breath is praise.

The first Christmas wasn’t shiny. It was dark, uncertain, and fragile.If you’ve lost your fa la la this year, this episode is for you.

This is Episode 148, and as this year draws to a close, so does this podcast.We’ve spent a year walking together—through Scripture, tradition, encouragement, and challenge. Our final episode will air on New Year’s Eve, and we hope this journey has brought you comfort, a deeper faith, and maybe even a little wisdom along the way. We’ve learned so much from this time we’ve shared together.Today, we conclude our study of the Ten Commandments with the Ninth and Tenth, as taught in Luther’s Large Catechism. But our Advent series continues—today with a reflection inspired by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, who saw the humility of Christ’s birth not as a romantic image, but as a profound truth: The King of Kings came to a stable. To dirt. To smell. To imperfection. And that is where He meets us still.

This is Episode 147, and today we continue our Advent journey through the Nativity Fast. We’ll reflect on three powerful passages of Scripture—Psalm 82, Isaiah 8:9–9:7, and 1 Peter 4:1–19—and then we’ll turn to the Seventh and Eighth Commandments, explained in the great catechetical tradition of Martin Luther’s Large Catechism.This episode is about justice and truth: preparing our hearts to live faithfully, guarding against theft and falsehood, and walking in holiness as we await the coming of Christ.

This is Episode 146, and today we’re entering deeply into, the Nativity Fast, the season of Advent and the call to holiness that prepares us for the coming of Christ. We’ll be reflecting on three powerful passages of Scripture: - Psalm 102:13–17 - Isaiah 2:1–22 - 1 Peter 1:13–25 And then, we’ll spend time unpacking two of the Ten Commandments—the Fifth and the Sixth—as explained in the great catechetical tradition of the Church. This episode is meant to be both encouragement and challenge: a call to prepare our hearts, discipline our lives, and walk faithfully as we await the Nativity of our Lord.

Today we’ll talk about Advent as a season of holy waiting, the Nativity Fast as a discipline of simplicity, and then we’ll dive into the 3rd and 4th Commandments. And yes—we’ll wrestle with the hard question: how do we honor father and mother when those relationships were complicated.

Today’s episode is a journey through gratitude, discipline, and obedience. We’ll begin at the Thanksgiving table, praising God for His abundant gifts. Then we’ll step into the Nativity Fast, a season of preparation and watchfulness. And finally, we’ll begin our study of the Ten Commandments, focusing on the first two—commandments that strike at the very heart of our lives."

The Fast Before the FeastThe world rushes toward Christmas with lights, sales, and sugar. But we are called to slow down. To prepare the way of the Lord—not with glitter, but with stillness.“Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!” (Mark 1:3, NASB)This fast is not about punishment. It is about preparation. It is about clearing space in our lives to receive the Christ who comes.

💰 Financial pressure. 👨‍👩‍👧 Raising kids in chaos. 🏘️ Living among the godless. 🙏 Still called to obey.In a world that mocks reverence and rewards compromise, how do we stay faithful? This episode dives deep into the spiritual battle of everyday life—and the quiet power of obedience.🕯️ Featuring timeless wisdom from Scripture and the stillness of the Jesus Prayer. 🎧 Listen now and join the crusade for holiness in a noisy world.

💰 Financial pressure. 👨‍👩‍👧 Raising kids in chaos. 🏘️ Living among the godless. 🙏 Still called to obey.In a world that mocks reverence and rewards compromise, how do we stay faithful? This episode dives deep into the spiritual battle of everyday life—and the quiet power of obedience.🕯️ Featuring timeless wisdom from Scripture and the stillness of the Jesus Prayer. 🎧 Listen now and join the crusade for holiness in a noisy world.

💰 Financial pressure. 👨‍👩‍👧 Raising kids in chaos. 🏘️ Living among the godless. 🙏 Still called to obey.In a world that mocks reverence and rewards compromise, how do we stay faithful? This episode dives deep into the spiritual battle of everyday life—and the quiet power of obedience.🕯️ Featuring timeless wisdom from Scripture and the stillness of the Jesus Prayer. 🎧 Listen now and join the crusade for holiness in a noisy world.

Today’s episode — “As Far as It Depends on You” — is a challenge from the Apostle Paul that feels almost impossible in our world today. We live in a culture of outrage, division, and noise. Everyone’s shouting — but few are listening. Everyone’s fighting — but few are standing for truth with peace in their heart.Romans 12:18 says,“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”This isn’t a soft verse. It’s not a call to retreat from battle. It’s a command to fight for peace — through humility, restraint, and faith in the justice of God.Let’s go deep into that today. Let’s talk about what it really means to live as peaceful warriors — firm in truth, unshakable in faith, and disciplined in heart.

Because what happened back then — is happening again. The same pressure to bow. The same attempt to silence faith. The same call to compromise what’s holy.

And today, I want to call you into something ancient — something burning, holy, and alive. Something forged long before modern man began measuring time by clocks and calendars.We’re talking about the rhythm of heaven — the sacred order of days and seasons through which God trains His warriors and sanctifies His people. This is not about being “religious.” It’s about being formed. It’s about reclaiming the sacred pattern of life that keeps a man steady when the world spins wild.Because a liturgical life is not a schedule — it’s a weapon. It’s the rhythm of victory that beats beneath the chaos of the age.

The world around us urges us to “find our tribe” — to gather with those who understand us, who think like we do, who affirm who we are. And that longing is real.But have you ever wondered why we long for it so deeply? Why our souls ache to belong?It’s because that desire — that instinct to be part of something greater than ourselves — isn’t just human culture. It’s divine imprint. It’s God’s very breath within us, calling us home.

Today, we’re diving into a question that lies at the heart of everything we believe, confess, and live by: What is sin?But before we go back to the ancient text, I want to start right here — in our time — in the way we often misunderstand sin.I saw a meme recently that said:“Society is just sinners judging other sinners for sinning differently.”That hit me hard. Because it’s true, isn’t it? In our modern world, we’ve distorted sin in both directions. Some people lessen it — they say, “Oh, that’s not really sin anymore, times have changed.” Others intensify it — magnifying someone else’s sin while ignoring their own. And then we do something even more dangerous: we start comparing sins. We calibrate them like weights on a scale — measuring, ranking, excusing, condemning — as if God grades on a curve.

This one comes straight from the heart, because today… we’re talking about our favorite hymns. Not just mine — but my bride’s as well.Music, as we know, is one of God’s greatest gifts to His people. Luther himself said, “Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.” And I think he was right. Hymns are more than just melodies — they are sermons set to song, theology that we can hum on the hardest days and shout on the best ones.

Today’s episode — number 133 — is titled “Faith That Stands in the Fire.”It’s taken from 1 Thessalonians, chapter 2, and it’s about boldness in the face of persecution, truth over popularity, and joy that comes when faith endures the test.The Apostle Paul and his young companion Timothy had been through the wringer. They had been beaten, imprisoned, mocked, and warned to keep quiet. But instead of silence, they chose proclamation.And not the kind of preaching that flatters men, or bends to public opinion — but the kind that speaks God’s Truth, even when it burns.