Life Around "The Fire"

Send us Fan MailLeadership is under strain, and a lot of what passes for “strong leadership” is really just status, volume, or branding. We go a different direction and talk about Kingdom of God leadership: the kind that carries values, practices, and priorities aligned with Jesus, and that leads people into deeper relationship with the Lord and radical obedience that goes all the way to the root.One of the most challenging ideas we share is simple and costly: if we want to advance in God’s way, we have to become willing to become “a nobody” again. That means loosening our grip on recognition, privileges, and being seen as the person with the track record, so we can come underneath emerging leaders and lift them higher. We unpack why this is not a demotion but a Kingdom promotion, where servant leadership, humility, and surrender create the space for the next generation to begin where we left off and go further.We also name some less obvious pitfalls that pull Christian discipleship off course: the “isms and itties.” When liberalism, conservatism, legalism, or other ideological extremes become identity markers, they can quietly replace allegiance to the Kingdom. From there we dig into a sharp distinction between cultural Christianity and true new birth. Jesus did not come to create a watered-down religious label. He announced the Kingdom of God, opened the way to the Father, and invites us into real kingdom citizenship now, marked by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.If you’re hungry for clearer spiritual leadership, deeper transformation, and faith that is more than a label, listen through to the closing prayer. Subscribe, share this with a leader you trust, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailLeadership has a way of bruising you in places no one can see. After nearly five years of podcasting, we slow down to thank everyone who’s been listening around the world and especially those who have been praying, because that support keeps ministry from turning into sheer self-effort. Then we get honest about what many pastors, church leaders, and spiritual leaders learn the hard way: the longer you lead, the more you’ll face moments that sting.We talk about “sheep bite” the painful reality that hurt can come from the very people you serve. The early honeymoon of leadership can make you feel unstoppable, until criticism, offense, and misunderstanding show up and you realize you were never trained for every relational hit. We share practical leadership advice for handling praise and critique, why you should believe about half of both, and how to stop chasing affirmation from people who can’t reliably carry that weight.We also dig into emotional health for leaders: why stuffing frustration can turn into depression, how “information creates emotion,” and why venting to the wrong person can feed gossip and chaos. A childhood story about a made-up rumor drives home how fast words can move and how deeply they can affect others. Finally, we look to Jesus under false accusation and what real authority looks like when you refuse to retaliate and choose to endure for the long haul.If you lead in ministry, serve on a team, or carry responsibility for others, listen and take notes, then subscribe, share this with a leader who needs it, and leave a review that helps more people find the show.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailThat jolt of insecurity can land in the middle of an ordinary day and suddenly you feel small, exposed, and “less than.” We’ve both seen how fast that inner voice can drag you back into old measurements and old shame, even after years of growth. So we slow down and name what’s really happening when inferiority and insecurity resurface, especially when life expands and the stakes feel higher.We define what we mean by a spiritual stronghold or mental stronghold: a deeply ingrained pattern of thinking or behavior rooted in a lie, built over time through wounds, repetition, and emotion until it starts to act like a fortress. We talk through the most common forms, including addictions and coping habits, negative thought loops like anxiety and rejection, relational barriers like bitterness and trust issues, and “natural reasoning” that sounds smart but quietly says, “I will never change.” If you’ve ever wanted freedom but felt stuck in the same mental grooves, you’ll recognize yourself here.Then we get practical about breaking strongholds and renewing your mind, not as a formula but as a set of principles you can actually use: identify the thought, ask what lie you’re believing, test it against Scripture, reject and evict it, and replace it with truth because your mind won’t stay empty. We also share a personal story of going from drug burnout and a fried brain to real mental clarity through daily Scripture meditation and participation with God’s Word and Spirit. If you feel like you’ve done too much damage, we want you to hear this clearly: there is hope, and your story is not over.Subscribe for more, share this with someone who’s been fighting their own inner critic, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. What stronghold are you ready to confront this week?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailThe world can feel like it’s turning up the heat by the day, and a lot of us are carrying that pressure in our minds, families, and faith. We sit with a hard but hopeful idea: heavy times are not new, and living with real expectation for Jesus Christ’s soon return is meant to form us, not frighten us. When we keep that horizon in view, it fuels hunger to know Him now and invites us into deeper unity as the presence of God melts down our defenses and reshapes us from the inside out.We dig into a simple metaphor with big spiritual punch: lift. Just as an aircraft wing needs resistance to rise, spiritual resistance can become the friction God uses to elevate our perspective. Instead of getting weighed down by conflict, suffering, and adversity, we talk about yielding to the Holy Spirit and discovering an inner-core peace that replaces striving. We also name the danger of relying on externals, especially in Western culture, and why God often uses pressure as a refiner’s fire that teaches us to live from the inside out.Along the way, we anchor the conversation in key Bible passages for Christian encouragement and spiritual growth: Isaiah 40:31, Colossians 3:1–2, Ephesians 2:6, and 2 Corinthians 4:17–18. We challenge the modern “find yourself” mindset and point to identity in Christ as stable, secure, and Spirit-empowered. Finally, we get candid about the cost of discipleship, Bonhoeffer’s warning about cheap grace, and what it means to pick up the cross daily while trusting God’s timing as perfectly on time.If this helped you reframe what you’re facing, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one pressure point in your life that you want God to turn into lift?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailPain has a way of making you ask hard questions, and we do not dodge them here. Trevor McMahon joins us again for part two on suffering with purpose, anchored in Philippians 3:10 and the challenging phrase “the fellowship of His sufferings.” We talk honestly about persecution, opposition, and the strange reality that hardship can be evidence you’re walking close to Jesus, not proof you’ve been forgotten.We dig into what suffering can produce that comfort never will: deeper intimacy with Christ, spiritual maturity, and a faith that has actually been tested. We walk through Scriptures like Psalm 34:18, James 1:2–4, 1 Peter 1:6–7, and Luke 9:23 to show how trials refine the heart, expose what still needs surrender, and build endurance in the valley. Trevor shares why fixing your eyes on Jesus changes how you interpret rejection, slander, and even real-world threats.We also connect suffering to ministry and hope. God comforts us so we can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3–4), and what you survive can become someone else’s breakthrough. We zoom out to eternity with Romans 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 4:17, then land on the center of it all: Jesus endured the cross because purpose gave meaning to pain.If you’re carrying something heavy, let this strengthen your grip on Christ. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review so more people can find it.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailPain has a way of making us ask the same question on repeat: did God leave me here? We sit down with Trevor McMahon to challenge one of the biggest misconceptions in modern Christianity, that suffering automatically means God is displeased or distant. Instead, we open the Bible and face a tougher truth with a stronger hope: the people who walked closest to God often faced the most resistance, and God still worked powerfully through them.We spend most of our time in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, where Paul describes his “thorn in the flesh.” Trevor breaks down why the text calls it “a messenger of Satan” and makes the case that Paul is talking about persecution and opposition, not a sickness. Using Scripture to interpret Scripture, we trace the Bible’s “thorn” language back to the Old Testament and then forward into Paul’s real-world ministry in Acts, where revival and resistance often arrive together. If you’ve ever felt attacked for following Jesus, this perspective gives you language for what you are experiencing.From there we talk about God’s response to Paul’s repeated prayer: “My grace is all you need.” The trouble does not instantly disappear, but grace increases, strength rises, and Christ’s power is made perfect in weakness. We connect that to Romans 5, Jesus’ teaching on persecution, and the surprising command to rejoice, not because pain is fun, but because suffering can produce dependence on God, boldness, purity, eternal rewards, and Christlikeness.If this encouraged you, subscribe to Life Around the Fire, share it with a friend who’s under pressure, and leave a review so more people can find it. What kind of opposition are you facing right now, and what would it look like to stand firm?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailSomething is shifting, and we don’t want you to miss the timing. We’re talking prophetic ministry with a simple, clarifying distinction: foretelling points to what’s ahead, while forth telling declares what God is doing right now. That lens keeps the focus where it belongs, on spiritual growth and a living relationship with God that reshapes how we relate to each other.Our main focus is a prophetic look at June 2026. We’re sensing an increased manifesting of the Kingdom of God, and the “significant punch” lands in the area of deliverance. We explore why deliverance is sometimes an instant breakthrough and sometimes a refining process, and why freedom isn’t just about feeling better but about the removal of evil’s influence so unity can actually form. When “me” becomes “us,” the prayer “deliver us from evil” takes on a different weight and points toward families, churches, and communities being set free together.We also connect deliverance to holiness, not as rigid rule-keeping, but as the beauty that grows when weeds are pulled and the good can finally thrive. Along the way, we touch spiritual warfare, the pressure that comes against your calling, and the practical encouragement to submit to God, resist the devil, and refuse to quit. We close with prayer and a reminder that we’d love to hear from you.Subscribe for more, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so others can find the podcast. What kind of deliverance are you believing for right now?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailYou can be faithful and still feel like you are breaking. If you are in a season where the pressure is higher than anything you expected, we are speaking encouragement straight into that place with a message that does not sugarcoat the struggle: God often demonstrates His strength most clearly when we feel weak, stretched, and out of options. We talk about discipleship as a real-life call into the impossible, where the kingdom of God moves forward by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by our talent or sheer will. Along the way, we get honest about the daily grind of carrying your cross, including those moments when you slip into complaint and negativity. That “whine and cheese party” might feel harmless, but it can quietly block trust, joy, and spiritual growth. We also look at the cross of Jesus Christ as the ultimate example of strength in weakness, where apparent defeat becomes resurrection power. From there, we connect the Tower of Babel to modern self-reliance and spiritual counterfeits, and we call out anything that becomes an idol between us and God’s love. The charge is clear and practical: do not quit, submit yourself to God, resist the devil, and trust the One who is faithful to bring you through. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find it. What part of your life is God asking you to surrender right now?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailYou can have the whole world and still feel empty. We go straight at that lie with a personal story that spans more than 50 years: a teenage encounter with Jesus that changed everything, the painful quiet that followed, and the long detour into a hard and fast life that looked like it would end in ruin. If you’ve ever thought, “I went too far,” or “I wasted my best years,” we want you to hear this clearly: God didn’t leave, and your story is not finished. We talk about covenant relationship with Jesus as an all of life exchange, not a religious label. That includes the raw honesty of addiction, the weight of shame, and the moment God answers the cry, “I’ve created a monster,” with a shocking promise of purpose. We also share why the cross is not abstract theology to us, but personal love, and why being made clean is possible even after years of destruction. Then we turn to a practical blueprint for Christian living and discipleship from Ephesians 5:15 to 20: be careful how you live, make the most of every opportunity, refuse drunkenness and debauchery, and be filled with the Holy Spirit with worship, gratitude, and encouragement. If you want freedom that lasts and wisdom for daily decisions, this is a passage to live in. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find it. What’s one “premature conclusion” you’re ready to lay down?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailMost of us walk into a room quietly asking, “What am I going to get out of this?” We wanted to offer a reset that’s short, direct, and practical: the next time you get together with friends, family, or other believers, plan on being a giver.We talk about what Christian generosity can actually look like in real life. Yes, sometimes it’s money. Just as often it’s a word of encouragement, a moment of prayer, or the courage to let God use you to strengthen someone through the gifts of the Spirit. The goal isn’t a one-time act. We’re aiming for a lifestyle of giving, not because we have to, but because we get to.From there, we tie generosity to discipleship and the example of Jesus. God gives, Jesus gives everything, and we’re called into that same pattern of love. We also push back on a shallow “faith equals getting stuff” mindset and name the bondage of scarcity and begging. We want abundance for a reason: so we can be free to give. Even if it starts small, it starts with a decision.We wrap with a prayer asking God for wisdom to maximize the life and provision He’s entrusted to us, so we can show the world what giving looks like. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailControl feels like safety until it starts costing you peace. We sit with one of the most personal challenges in spiritual growth: surrender to God. Not the vague kind that sounds nice on a coffee mug, but the real kind where you hand over your plans, your “rights,” your need to be understood, and your fear of what might happen if you stop managing everything.We explore why surrender feels unnatural in a culture shaped by rugged individualism, and why Scripture points us toward covenant trust instead. Along the way we bring in Ecclesiastes and the ache many of us carry when achievement still feels empty. We talk about the kingdom of God as a lived reality marked by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit and how that shalom peace pushes back on anxiety, pressure, and lack.Then we go straight at the obstacle that stops most people cold: the fear of prolonged pain. We unpack Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” from 2 Corinthians 12 and the shockingly honest promise that God’s grace is sufficient and that his power is made perfect in weakness. We also share how surrender in suffering can lead to deeper intimacy with Jesus and to a life that can carry real spiritual authority with unity, love, and endurance.If you have been asking God to take something away and nothing is moving, this will give you language, hope, and a next step. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs strength, and leave a review with the biggest takeaway you heard.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailIf you have ever done all the “right” Christian things and still felt empty, we are going straight at that tension. We talk openly about how easy it is to slip into dead religion: programs, repetition, and spiritual language without the felt reality of God’s presence. Being a decent person is not the finish line, and going through the motions cannot satisfy the hunger for real faith, real hope, and real love rooted in relationship with God. We also make a vulnerable announcement. We have been building toward a teaching series on King David, the life of David, and the Tabernacle of David, including the prophetic relevance many people connect to 24/7 worship and the soon return of Jesus Christ. But we are not launching it yet. Why? Because we do not want to deliver something that is merely presented. We want it to be birthed, shaped by prayer, humility, discernment, and the accompanying presence of the Lord, not just a well-made outline. That is where you come in. We ask for intercession, strategic prayer, and a growing base of prayer support so what we share stays alive, God-centered, and strong enough to carry fruit without toppling. We close by praying for intercessors to be raised up and for God’s kingdom to be expressed with power and clarity. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who feels stuck in routine, and leave a review so more listeners can find these conversations.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailYou can talk about the Tabernacle of David all day and still miss the point if you only mean music. We sit down with Dr. Bill Hurst for part two and treat David’s story as a blueprint for a worship lifestyle that forms something rare: a heart God calls “perfect.” That’s not a personality type or a stage gift. It’s the fruit of years of honest relationship with God. We walk through why Amos 9:11 and Acts 15 connect the restoration of David’s tabernacle to God drawing in the Gentiles, and why that restoration includes far more than a worship portion. David teaches us to worship through every kind of season: obscurity, monotony, danger, betrayal, leadership pressure, family conflict, and deep disappointment. We also get painfully practical about sacrifice, including Hebrews 13 and the forgotten “sacrifices” of doing good and communication, the kind that can save a home and mature a church. From there we lean into mercy, repentance, and the “sure mercies of David,” asking what it looks like to become people who carry God’s character and dispense mercy with authority from the throne of grace. We close with a clear-eyed look at prophetic ministry today: revelation is not the hardest part, interpretation and application are, and God is purifying the prophetic so accuracy does not inflate pride and mixture does not dilute truth. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find Life Around the Fire. What part of David’s pathway feels most real to you right now?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWe kick off a new series on David with Dr. Bill Hurst, asking why Scripture calls him a man with a perfect heart and what that means for our lives right now. We trace how worship, repentance, and “due order” train us to carry God’s presence personally and as a people. • defining the tabernacle of David as a lifestyle of relationship with God • pursuing God’s heart rather than gifts, ministry, or image • the ark as a picture of the manifest presence of God • learning from David’s mistake of the right heart but wrong method • searching Scripture to understand how to steward holy things • why God may return His presence in an unexpected context • tabernacle of Moses, tabernacle of David, and Solomon’s temple as transition patterns • the goal of God dwelling with people and God being all in all • worship as training to produce the presence with an audience of one • “due order” and the call for many to carry the presence together • partial fulfillment versus complete fulfillment in prophecy If you have any questions, thoughts, concerns, you can feel free to drop us a line at life around the fire at gmail.com. That's life around the fire at gmail.com. Or you can just type in life around the fire and look us up on the web. Stay tuned for part number two. Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhen God feels quiet, most of us assume heaven is closed. We take the silence personally, try to push harder, and end up more frustrated than formed. We go a different direction here: God is clear in His communication, and when something feels off, it’s often because our spiritual senses have grown dull. That doesn’t mean you’re hopeless. It means you can get honest about what’s happening inside and start healing.We unpack a simple image with real bite: spiritual calluses. Like physical calluses formed by repeated friction, the heart can harden through daily compromises, stressful environments that clash with your values, and relationship patterns like the constant need to be right. We also explore the Bible’s language around the “fatty heart,” a picture of spiritual insensitivity that becomes resistant to compassion and truth. One of the most searching angles is how pain avoidance can create an emotional buffer that keeps us from feeling much of anything, including the promptings of the Holy Spirit.The second half turns practical with clear next steps for Christian discipleship and spiritual growth: repent by changing direction, spend quiet time listening and letting God lavish His love, practice forgiveness that releases real debt, and invite trusted people to pray for you so you can move forward with restored spiritual sensitivity. If you want to hear God clearly, sense His presence, and obey without grinding in your own strength, this conversation will give you language and a path.Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who feels stuck, and leave a review with the biggest “callus maker” you’re ready to confront.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailGod feels silent right around the moment you need Him to move. That gap between what we pray and what we see can stretch faith to the breaking point, and it can also tempt us to ask the same question Peter heard in the first century: “Where is this coming He has promised?” We sit with that tension honestly and then anchor it in Scripture, because hope needs more than hype when life gets heavy.We read and reflect on 2 Peter 3, where Peter urges believers toward “wholesome thinking” while scoffers mock the promise of Jesus’ return. The passage reframes delay as mercy: God is not slow, He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish. We talk about how that perspective changes the way we handle pressure, persecution, financial strain, deadlines, and the inner swirl of anxiety, fear, and doubt. We also name a hard truth: feelings are real, but they are not always accurate, which is why God’s written Word becomes a lifeline when you cannot feel His presence.From there, we lean into what the early church modeled so well: encouragement, exhortation, and steady love inside community. Waiting is not empty time; it can grow obedience, kindness, gentleness, and endurance, shaping us to become more like Jesus while we look forward to God’s promises. If you’re wrestling with God’s timing or feeling worn out by unanswered prayers, come listen, share this with a friend who needs strength, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhen the world feels like it’s coming apart, what if the deepest issue isn’t politics or headlines, but whether our hearts are ready for God? We talk about prophetic ministry as a mercy, a forewarning that helps us understand the times without getting swallowed by fear. With war escalating in the Middle East and Israel once again at the center of global attention, we explore why Israel is described as “God’s sundial” and how events there can signal larger spiritual realities.From there we move into a sobering theme: the manifestation of God’s presence comes in waves, and those waves don’t land the same way on everyone. We unpack the line, “the same sun that melts butter hardens clay,” and connect it to the difference between living in relationship with Jesus versus clinging to dead religion or false security. As God reveals His majesty, some people long for His glory, while others experience terror because they feel unprepared to meet Him.We ground the conversation in Isaiah and Revelation 6, where people hide in caves and among rocks, even crying out for the mountains to fall on them to avoid the face of God. That raises an honest question: if you feel dread about the day of the Lord, could that be a spiritual alarm telling you God wants to deliver and purify something? We close with prayer, pointing to Jesus Christ as our refuge, strong tower, and only real security. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s wrestling with fear, and leave a review. What part of this stirred questions for you?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailProphecy can mess with your sense of time. One minute you’re confident you heard God clearly, and the next you’re wondering why nothing has changed. We open with a blunt picture that explains the problem: prophetic insight can be like driving down a freeway at 100 miles an hour while looking through binoculars. You can see the mountain peaks, but you can’t see the long valleys in between, and that gap is where discouragement loves to live.We turn to 2 Peter 3 for a grounded, Scripture-based reset. Peter names the voice of cynicism and spiritual fatigue, the “where is the promise?” question, then answers it with a bigger view of history and an even bigger view of God. What sounds like delay is often patience, and that patience is not weakness. It is mercy that creates time for repentance, salvation, and real inner change.From there we get practical about spiritual formation: doubts rising to the surface, the dross being skimmed away, and the difference between holiness powered by grace versus holiness powered by self-effort. We talk about “beholding and becoming,” letting the peace of God guard our hearts, and learning to steward the weighty presence of God without trying to earn what Jesus already paid for. We also touch on unity in the body of Christ and end with prayer and a clear cry of hope: Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.If this message strengthens you, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels stuck in the waiting, and leave a review. What promise are you still holding on to, and what makes waiting hardest for you?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailFollowing Jesus sounds inspiring until it costs you something real: approval, comfort, and the sense that everyone is on your side. We start with what we love about Jesus, that He tells us like it is. He doesn’t sell discipleship with a soft pitch and hide the hard parts. He names the conflict up front: if the world hated Him, it will hate His followers too, and sometimes the tension can cut right through a household.We also walk through a sobering scene from the Gospels (Mark 3 and the parallel passages) where Jesus faces pressure not only from religious authorities but from His own family. With crowds pressing in and accusations swirling, they try to pull Him back, worried about what His ministry is doing to the family name. Jesus answers with a defining question: who is my family? His response re-centers everything on faith, obedience, and doing the will of God, even when it feels lonely.From there we get painfully practical about people pleasing and fear of man. If you’re called to lead, serve, or simply obey God in a hard moment, you will eventually face the test of disappointing someone. We talk about why people pleasing is bondage, how God may even arrange circumstances that purge it out, and why that refining creates real spiritual growth and kingdom momentum. The goal isn’t becoming harsh; it’s becoming free.If you’re staring at a decision that won’t be popular, let this be your encouragement to please God first. Listen now, share this with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review so others can find us. What’s one area where you’re choosing obedience over approval right now?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailIf your life feels like it’s getting smaller instead of better, you’re not alone and you’re not broken. We talk candidly about spiritual pruning, the kind that feels like being stripped down to nothing, and why we believe God often initiates that refining work right before He entrusts greater weight and responsibility. This is discipleship without the polish: surrender over comfort, God at the center rather than on the shelf, and a faith that learns to lean on Him instead of proving how strong we are on our own.From there, we connect the personal to the prophetic. We share why Israel matters as a “sundial” for biblical prophecy and why the church should pay attention when major shifts happen in the land. With Ezekiel 38 and 39 as our anchor, we discuss Gog and Magog, the nations described in the text, and the claim that God Himself will make His name known in a way that grabs the attention of the whole world. That perspective reframes the headlines: not as fuel for fear, but as a call to discernment, humility, and readiness to meet Jesus.We also slow down on the meaning of God’s glory. We describe it as weighty and substantive, not vague or misty, and we ask what has to be removed in us before we can steward that presence well. If you’ve been hearing talk of revival while experiencing weakness, this conversation offers a different lens: refining may be the preparation you’ve been praying for.Subscribe for more, share this with someone walking through a hard season, and leave a review if it strengthens you. What part of pruning do you find hardest right now?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailYou can be tired of religion and still be headed the wrong way. We sit with a tension most of us feel but rarely name: the craving to live autonomously while claiming faith in a God who says we were purchased and now belong to Him. If you have ever said “I’m done” and meant it, done with empty rules, done with performing, done with trying to earn God’s approval, this conversation is for you.We open Luke 15 and slow down with the story of the loving father, the prodigal son, and the older brother. One runs hard into reckless living and ends up in a dry land of hunger and regret. The other stays close to home but lives like a slave, keeping score and resenting grace. We talk about why both rebellion and religious striving can create spiritual distance, and how each one quietly blocks peace, dulls our ability to hear God, and pushes us toward burnout.Then we turn toward the way back: repentance that leads to restoration, covenant relationship instead of self-reliance, and daily dependence on the Holy Spirit. The Father’s heart is not to negotiate your return but to restore your identity and bring you home. If you want spiritual growth that is real, grounded, and relational, press play.Subscribe for more conversations on Christian discipleship and spiritual maturity, share this with a friend who is tired of dead works, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of Luke 15 hits you the hardest right now?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhat if the whisper that says you’re unworthy isn’t yours at all—but a trespasser you can lawfully remove? We share how a simple homegrown show became a global conversation about the manifest presence of God, and why rising light often stirs a backlash from darkness. Through raw personal moments and clear scripture, we break down how accusation works, why fear of death hides beneath so many decisions, and how Jesus’ victory reframes both identity and authority for everyday believers.We walk through the difference between inspiration and authority, and why covenant language—spoken in the name of Jesus—carries weight that emotions can’t fake. You’ll hear practical, exact words for confronting oppression, what it means to call out trespass, and the reason the kingdom backs believers who echo what the Father has already declared. Rather than chasing trends or copying others, we return to the Bible as our standard and Christ as our model, exploring how to behold him until our speech and steps align with his.This conversation widens to a hopeful horizon: God is revealing his glory across nations in ways that are tangible, disruptive, and deeply personal. Expect pressure where light advances. Expect lies to target your past and your sense of calling. And expect breakthrough when you stand in your covenant rights as a co-heir with Christ. If you’re tired of feeling pushed around by invisible weight, this is your invitation to stand up, speak with clarity, and watch darkness move.If this resonates, share it with a friend who needs courage today, subscribe for future episodes, and leave a review with one line about the authority you’re choosing to walk in this week.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhat if one brave, ordinary act from a parent could echo for decades and reshape a child’s view of God? We share a raw, hopeful journey from the chaos of addiction to the slow, steady work of rebuilding trust—with a school bus story that became a lifelong anchor. Along the way, we preview our upcoming deep dive into 1 Samuel and the life of King David, connecting his battles, restorations, and leadership to the spiritual moment we’re all living through right now.We open our hearts about how alcohol warped communication, turned small moments into wounds, and taught our kids to brace for impact. Then we talk about the turning point: a sober life rooted in Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit, where words become clear, boundaries feel safe, and presence replaces performance. A weekend with our oldest son pulls back a treasured memory—dad stepping onto a bus, setting a firm boundary, and offering something children crave more than perfect parents: a secure defender who shows up without mocking their need.From there we unpack why trust is a survival skill, not a luxury. When parents model protection, consistency, and honest repair, children learn how to rest, how to listen, and how to believe their heavenly Father will meet them with help instead of harm. We explore honor as a practical path that opens channels for wisdom and peace, and we reflect on how recovered relationships can become living parables of grace. The throughline is simple and strong: presence builds safety, safety births trust, and trust makes faith possible.If this resonates, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a rating or review to help others find the show. Got thoughts or questions? Email [email protected]—we’d love to hear your story.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhat if the church has been running on half power—brilliant in analysis, but dim in the one faculty designed for communion with God? We sit down with Tracy Perez to explore a bold, restorative claim: the Christian life is meant to be led by the heart through a purified imagination. Not fantasy. Not trend-chasing. A scriptural, time-tested way of seeing that turns revelation into embodied practice.We trace a surprising arc: from the vivid, image-rich pages of scripture to the prayer rhythms of the Desert Fathers, where lectio divina trained believers to picture, pray, and sing the Word until it shaped their inner world. Tracy shares how neuroscience affirms what the saints practiced—mental rehearsal activates the brain as if we lived it—making contemplation a gateway to real transformation. Along the way, Connor’s nonverbal insights challenge our assumptions about attention, language, and spiritual sensitivity, pushing us to ask deeper questions without falling for spectacle.We also face the “great forgetting.” The Enlightenment’s fixation on what can be measured sidelined the heart’s ways of knowing. Exegesis and hermeneutics matter, but when they eclipse contemplation, faith grows thin. Our aim is integration: keep rigorous study, restore the inner eye, and let the Spirit join head and heart. Expect practical steps—silence, stillness, watchfulness, and imaging scripture—to help you cultivate a steady awareness of God in daily work and prayer. The goal isn’t a novel experience; it’s communion with the Father that renews desire, clarifies discernment, and bears fruit in action.If this stirs something in you, journey with us. Subscribe, share this conversation with a friend hungry for a deeper life with God, and leave a review to help others find it. Your reflections shape future episodes—send questions and tell us what practice you’ll try this week.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhat if imagination isn’t make-believe but the very way the heart sees God? We welcome Tracy Perez to pull a long thread through Scripture and history, showing how the Hebrew Yetzer (imagination/inclination) and the Greek nous (often translated mind) describe a core capacity of the heart: to behold, to be shaped, and to act. From Eden’s design to the flood and Babel, we track how powerful imagination can bless or break a people, and why Paul prayed that the “eyes of your heart” would be enlightened so we could know hope, inheritance, and power in Christ.Together we unpack why many of us were trained to distrust imagination and how that loss has thinned our worship, our discipleship, and even our planning. Jesus didn’t hand out sterile definitions; He painted moving scenes—the lilies of the field, seeds in soil—inviting us to picture truth until it forms us. We explore the etymology of “imagination” as image nation: a people of the same origin as the Image, brought forth with Him, and participating with Him. That lens reframes spiritual formation, prayer, and mission: what we repeatedly behold becomes what we quietly become.We also touch on research suggesting thoughts have shape and weight, adding urgency to the call for a sanctified imagination. Childlike seeing isn’t naivete; it is recovered design. Renewing the nous means curating our inner gaze, praying Scripture with attention, envisioning Christ’s presence in daily life, and refusing images that deform love. The goal isn’t novel experiences—it’s communion with Abba. If you’ve felt tugged to reclaim your inner vision but met resistance, this conversation offers language, theology, and practices to help you behold Jesus and be transformed from glory to glory.If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review to help others find the show. What’s one image from Scripture you’ll carry into your week?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhat if the smallest act of kindness could do more than brighten a mood—what if it could carry God’s presence into someone’s hardest hour? We open our hearts and our playbook to share how simple, intentional kindness has become a daily practice, a spiritual posture, and a bridge between communities that might never meet in person. From Jacksonville, Florida to a fellowship near Kisii, Kenya, we’ve discovered that generosity and prayer travel farther together than either could alone.Our ongoing friendship with Pastor Moses and Rock of Hope is a case study in mutuality: where American resources stretch through Kenya’s economy, and Kenya’s deep, resilient faith strengthens us when we feel thin. We talk frankly about money and integrity in a world flooded with scams, and why transparency, trust, and measurable care are non‑negotiables. We also explore how a cup of coffee, a timely message, or quiet help often speaks louder than a thousand words. Sometimes the Spirit rides on a simple gift; sometimes words of hope are the gift. Wisdom is listening for which is needed now.We share why we pursue a naturally supernatural life—seeking healing without hype, never faking what God hasn’t done, and never denying what He can do. Kindness becomes formation: loving the people who stretch us, not just the ones who are easy to love. It’s how “spots and wrinkles” are lifted from weary days, how strangers become friends, and how a Church spread across continents becomes one family. If you’re curious about praying, giving, or one day traveling with a team to support the work in Kenya, we’ll be posting updates and practical next steps on our site soon.Join us, not for a program, but for a posture. Try one intentional kindness today and see what doors God opens. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review—tell us your best idea for a small act of love we can all try this week.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhen church scandals break, the headlines move fast and the hot takes come easy. We wanted to slow down and ask the harder questions: how do we tell the truth without turning justice into a spectacle, and how do we protect people while resisting the mob’s appetite for more? From the televangelist collapses of the 1980s to today’s social media “prophecy,” staged miracles, and platform-driven hype, we pull back the curtain on deception and the subtle ways it thrives when discernment gives way to performance.We talk candidly about Jesus’ warning to “take heed that no one deceive you,” and why discernment requires both courage and empathy. That means exposing manipulation, false teaching, and spiritual abuse without celebrating anyone’s downfall. We share a raw personal story of being exposed and the damage done when private failure becomes public currency, spreading to people who cannot help and only wound. The result is often a witch-hunt culture where suspicion replaces wisdom and accountability collapses into shaming. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and outrage doesn’t make a church healthy.So what’s the better path? A ministry of reconciliation aimed at restored relationship, not a rushed return to ministry. We lay out practical principles: keep your head low, guard your tongue, involve the right people, practice discretion without cover-ups, and stay anchored in a culture of honor. Platforms come and go, but relationships are eternal. Truth and mercy can meet when we refuse to pigpile and choose to rebuild trust with patience, boundaries, and real repentance. If you’re longing for a church culture that handles hard things with both clarity and compassion, this conversation will give language, hope, and next steps.If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help others find the show. Then tell us: what does wise, compassionate accountability look like where you are?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhat if your everyday words are building the world you live in? We dive into the heart as the wellspring of life and trace how thoughts turn into speech that shapes relationships, atmosphere, and even our sense of calling. Starting with the cross, we name the sarx—the fallen nature—crucified with Christ, and we explore what it means to live as new creations who carry the life of Jesus within. From there, we get practical about language: not policing syllables, but yielding our mouths to the Holy Spirit so that what we say aligns with what the Father is saying.We press into the mystery of glory and relationship. The Father conceives, the Son speaks, the Spirit brings to pass—and that divine pattern becomes a template for how we create with God. We talk about unity forged by presence rather than debate, the intensifying revelation that illuminates what has been hidden, and the way God’s Kingdom grows like seed—quietly, steadily, even while we sleep. Along the way we confront idle talk, self-sabotaging phrases, and the small narratives we reinforce without thinking. In their place, we practice speech rooted in identity: we have the mind of Christ, equal in value though different in function, called to carry righteousness, peace, and joy.This conversation is both devotional and catalytic. Expect Scripture, honest self-audit, and a call to upgrade your inner dialogue and outer voice. If life and death sit in the power of the tongue, then our daily words are a sacred trust. Join us as we ask the Spirit to cleanse imagination and language, teach us to say what the Father is saying, and prepare us to serve as signs and wonders—people whose lives and words glow with the light of Christ. If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailA soaked boat, a silenced storm, and one piercing question: who is this man? We follow that question into a rich journey through the names of Jesus—Advocate, Creator, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace, True Vine—and explore why each name is more than a title. It’s a doorway into His heart and a remedy for ours. Instead of grinding harder to be “better,” we lean into a different way: beholding before behaving, worship before willpower, adoration before action.Across the conversation, we unpack how specific names interact with real-life needs. Call Him Bread of Life when exhaustion drains your resolve. Trust Him as Rock when the ground shifts. Look to the Good Shepherd when decisions blur, and claim Resurrection and Life where hope runs thin. By praying His names—at home, in small groups, and on Sundays—we invite His character to reshape our habits, soften our conflicts, and deepen our unity. This isn’t spiritual theater; it’s a simple practice that changes rooms and hearts: exalt the name of Jesus and see what happens.We also share a personal confession: among all these titles, Friend remains a treasure. Friendship with Jesus holds together awe and nearness, keeping reverence warm and intimacy honest. The episode closes with a heartfelt prayer for a groundswell of adoration in our gatherings and quiet hours—less distraction, more devotion, and a fresh draw toward the One who calms storms inside and out. If this resonates, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and tell us which name of Jesus you’re holding onto this week. Your reflections shape what we explore next, so leave a review or drop us a note and join the chorus.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhile I was on a call with Pastor Moses Onsongo from Rock of Hope Church in Kenya, Africa the Word of the LORD came to me and said to us, "Give IT away!" because God loves to do things together It broght Him joy as He used my body to release His Heart and Word of "Giving"... He is a Giver! Jesus is a Giver. The Father is a Giver. God is a Giver. Jesus gave everything away... Even the Life that was in His Blood shedding IT all while being beaten and tortured to death on the cross for our sins. Then a single, piercing word set the tone for our time together: "Give it away." We talked candidly about receiving from God with gratitude, using what we need with wisdom, and then releasing the overflow so others can thrive. No hype, no hustle—just a clear call to become people known for generosity in everyday life.We unpack how abundance is designed to move through us, not stop with us. From spiritual insight to practical help—food, clothing, money, time, attention—every good thing we hold can become a lifeline for someone else. We challenge the habit of hoarding and the lure of using religion to get rich, and we lean into a healthier rhythm where open hands lead to open doors. You’ll hear a heartfelt prayer for a fresh desire to give, for joy in generosity, and for courage to live on less so more can be shared. Along the way, we offer simple steps: set a percentage for giving, keep a small “ready-to-give” fund, and ask each day, “Who can I bless?”If you’ve ever wondered how to build a life that looks like love, this conversation gives you a starting line and a steady path. We believe you cannot outgive God—he keeps supplying as we keep sharing. The goal isn’t to impress; it’s to impact: meet real needs, strengthen real people, and let your reputation be generosity. Listen now, then try one concrete act of giving today and see what doors open next.If this speaks to you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review telling us one thing you’re giving away this week. Your story might spark someone else’s breakthrough.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhen a nation demands a crown it can see, it often loses a King it can trust. We follow Israel’s push for Saul, the missed opportunity to wait for David, and the hidden mechanics of compromise that feel small until they swallow the tent. Along the way, we name the pressures that lure us—comparison, speed, image—and offer a sharper path: sober patience, formed character, and choices that honor God’s timing over our impulses.We open up the camel-in-the-tent parable as a living picture of drift, then link it to the very present tension many of us feel: a global standoff, frayed systems, and a rising expectation that God is about to pour out new wine. That promise comes with a condition—new wineskins. We explore what it means to lay down good things that no longer stretch, count the cost before saying yes, and receive authority that fits the season. This is not hype. It is the steady work of becoming people who can carry weight without bursting.We also talk about practicing spiritual gifts with wisdom, the need for safe formation, and how the kingdom shows itself with clear signs: healing, freedom from oppression, and joy that lasts. The victory of Jesus is secure, but the battle is real; our part is willing surrender and faithful stewardship. If you’ve felt the pull to rush a decision, to mimic what “works,” or to cling to an old structure out of fear, this conversation offers clarity, courage, and a next step.Listen now, share this with a friend who’s in a crossroads, and leave a review so others can find the show. Subscribe if you want more stories, scripture, and practical ways to trade impulse for God’s timing and carry the new without tearing the old.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailEver wonder why some leaders break under pressure while others are shaped by it? We open up about hitting bottom, mistaking substitutes for the presence of God, and why honest surrender can reset both the mind and the soul. From Saul’s unraveling to the first steps toward David, the path is sobering and hopeful: consequences teach, grace restores, and real growth comes when relationship outruns performance.We dig into how our brains actually mature—synaptic pruning, myelination, and the shift from impulse to wise judgment around age twenty-five—and why that matters for spiritual formation. Rather than shaming the past, we show how design and discipleship work together: practice builds pathways, community steadies choices, and the Holy Spirit doesn’t bypass our wiring but brings it to life. This lens reframes leadership struggles, decision-making, and the patience required to move from reaction to discernment.We also examine why copying “successful” ministry programs often falls flat. Calling is contextual, lanes matter, and unity comes from complementary strengths, not one-size-fits-all strategies. As we pivot from Saul’s warning signs to David’s worshipful resilience, we trace the scarlet thread that points to Jesus—a king who leads through listening, waiting, and love that casts out fear. If you’re hungry for practical wisdom, spiritual depth, and an honest look at how people truly change, you’ll feel seen and strengthened here.If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who leads or serves, and leave a review to help others find it. What lesson from Saul or David is shaping your next step?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailA crown can look like destiny and still hide a fracture. We open the pages of 1 Samuel and follow Saul from public promise to private unraveling, then map that arc onto our own lives: insecurity dressed up as humility, people-pleasing disguised as wisdom, and impatience sold as leadership. Through vivid moments—an unauthorized sacrifice, edited obedience, frantic counsel from a medium—we explore how slow compromises lead to fast collapses, and how confession, not concealment, marks the road back to freedom.Across forty years compressed into a few chapters, we track the inner logic of Saul’s choices and the outer fallout on his kingdom. Along the way, we name the modern equivalents: workaholism that numbs, religious performance that tires, shortcuts that sparkle but drain the soul. We contrast those patterns with a different path—trust rooted in relationship with God, rhythms that honor limits and timing, and a willingness to let the Spirit expose roots so the fruit finally changes. The result is a grounded, practical framework: tell the truth, receive correction, choose patient obedience, and build appetites for what brings life.This conversation blends biblical insight with candid self-reflection, offering clear takeaways for leaders, parents, pastors, and anyone tired of managing an image they can’t sustain. We end with a prayerful call to courage: let God remove what’s in the way, reorder your steps, and restore your desire for what’s good, true, and lasting. If this resonates, share it with someone who needs hope, subscribe for more, and leave a review to help others find the show. What root are you ready to face today?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailA single Hebrew phrase reframed our view of leadership: long of nose, the image of breathing before reacting, patience over impulse. From there, we enter 1 Samuel not as a sprint through headlines but as a twenty-year map of the soul, tracking how Saul rises with promise and then slowly trades anointing for applause. The drift is subtle—unhealed insecurity, people-pleasing, and rushed decisions that look strategic but starve the inner life. We unpack why momentum can outlast presence, how warnings accumulate, and what it means when the Spirit’s covering lifts not in a moment but over years.We also examine Israel’s demand for a king like the other nations and how that desire still echoes when we copy models that deliver optics without covenant depth. Fear becomes the byproduct of leadership detached from love: anxiety, control, envy, and division. Yet the thread of hope runs strong. Confession restores clarity. Repentance realigns desire. Across communities, rivalry is giving way to cooperation as leaders choose presence over platform and steward unity around God’s word and glory. This is not a seminar in tactics; it’s a return to covenant identity where perfect love casts out fear and obedience outruns approval.We close with a candid invitation and a prayer: bring your whole self to God—faults, flaws, and all. Ask for a clean heart and a right spirit. Choose the slow formation that keeps you anchored when pressure says hurry. If this conversation stirred something in you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review with one insight you’re taking into your week. Your voice helps others find this space.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhat if the most mature thing you can do right now is weep, listen, and yield? We open the door on a raw, hopeful conversation about growing up in God—where tears mark holy ground, covenant outlasts spiritual highs, and surrender becomes a daily rhythm rather than a dramatic moment. We wrestle with a sobering world, challenge the comfort of old wineskins, and ask how to discern God’s voice without hiding behind nostalgia or national myths.Lonnie helps us reimagine Jesus’ tone toward the Pharisees—not as a cold rebuke, but as a plea born of heartbreak. That shift changes how we speak to people drifting from faith and how we hold truth with tenderness. We look at the cross through the lens of submission: Christ trusted the Father even when he felt forsaken, modeling a faith that stands when feelings fail. From there, we talk about shared suffering, the pruning that produces fragrance, and the real work of laying down even good distractions so we can live available to God.The story turns practical and global with our partnership at Rock of Hope in Kenya. From a small home studio, we connect with pastors, widows, and an orphanage, believing the village can blossom in agriculture, finance, and hope as we help host and steward God’s glory. It’s a quiet picture of the Kingdom’s upside-down power—the foolish things confounding the wise, the one lost sheep worth leaving the ninety-nine to find.If you’re longing for vibrant faith that can hold sorrow and joy, conviction and kindness, this conversation will steady your steps. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review to help others find these stories. Where is God asking you to surrender and grow?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailHungry work without holy fuel only scorches the wick. We open the new year by digging into the parable of the Ten Virgins and asking a simple, searching question: are we carrying oil or just waving lamps? With Stephen Crews back in the studio for our Covenant Alignment series, we frame this moment in Tevet, a month in the Hebrew calendar known for divine strategy and instruction, and we focus on building an inner life that can bear the weight of our calling.Together we trace the parable verse by verse, drawing out clear meanings: the lamp as ministry, the oil as intimacy with the Holy Spirit, and the midnight cry as the moment that reveals reality. We talk about why even sincere people grow weary, how delay exposes our foundations, and why the wise prioritize presence before performance. From Mary and Martha to the sober warning of Matthew 7, we keep the spotlight on one theme—knowing Jesus matters more than doing things for Jesus. You can’t borrow oil; you must buy it in the secret place.We get practical with rhythms that cultivate oil: steady prayer that reframes decisions in God’s presence, fasting that quiets the flesh and clears the static, and Scripture that anchors discernment so we hold tightly to what God is saying and loosely to our first interpretation. We look at Abraham’s long wait to show how perseverance is disciplined fidelity, not mere survival. If burnout has crept in or your lamp feels dim, this conversation offers a path back to intimacy, clarity, and resilient joy.Subscribe for more on covenant alignment, share this episode with someone who needs fresh oil, and leave a review to help others find the show. Then tell us: what practice will you adopt this week to tend your oil?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhat if the real shift so many feel isn’t about louder headlines, but about a quieter, deeper maturity taking root in people who carry the presence of God? We open the conversation by naming the problem with extremes—prophecy charts on one side, vague spirituality on the other—and make the case for a balanced, Scripture-wide view of the Kingdom. Instead of arguing over timelines, we focus on formation: the Kingdom within becoming visible without through a people who reflect Jesus in character, not just in claims.From there, we get practical. How do you handle lies and misrepresentation without becoming bitter? We walk through a relational path to identity, where God defines who we are and maturity is measured by Christ’s nature shining through us. We share a framework for spiritual warfare that is sober and simple: bring false words before God, refuse agreement, and keep moving in love. Then we tackle discernment with encounters. Scripture tells us to test the spirits, and we dig into Revelation to show why God welcomes wise caution. A personal story related to David illustrates how to weigh experiences under the authority of Jesus and the witness of the Word.We also explore the restoration of the tabernacle of David with fresh clarity. David’s tent wasn’t a final destination but a transitional piece in God’s larger architecture, pointing forward to a people formed by covenant mercy, worship, and a heart made whole in relationship. A powerful insight from Hebrews reframes worship as Jesus singing in the midst of the congregation—an atmosphere where pride yields, repentance flows, and authority is laid down like crowns at His feet. By the end, you’ll have a grounded vision for what this Kingdom shift looks like: balanced theology, tested spirituality, resilient identity, and worship where Christ truly leads.If this conversation helps you think, pray, or worship differently, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review with one insight that changed you. Your voice helps others find the show and join the journey.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailThe holidays can be loud with joy and still leave space where the heart aches. We sit down with Dr. Bill Hurst for a frank, compassionate exploration of the Christmas blues, the weight of complicated memories, and the quiet courage it takes to choose love when celebration feels out of reach. From childhood years in protective care to teachings that labeled Christmas “pagan,” Dr. Bill charts a path many listeners will recognize: confusion, pressure, and an uneasy relationship with a season that’s supposed to be simple. What emerges is a wiser way forward—treating Christmas not as a test of correctness, but as a practical season for love, hospitality, and gentle witness.Dr. Bill opens the door to his most painful chapter: the loss of his youngest daughter near Christmas. He shares how faith steadied sorrow without erasing it, how hope reframed grief, and why this time of year can still be meaningful when the chair at the table sits empty. We talk about moving from theological fights to relational presence, welcoming single neighbors and elders with no nearby family, and giving gifts that say “you are loved” with no strings attached. Along the way, we return to a core question that changes everything: did we learn to love?If you’ve ever felt alone in December, this conversation offers warmth without hype and clarity without judgment. We reflect on becoming light by lifting Jesus with our lives, letting the Spirit guide us from knowing about truth to living it, and using the openness of the season to share comfort, courage, and the nearness of God. Join us, then tell a friend who needs a place to breathe. Subscribe, share this episode, and leave a review to help more people find a hopeful way through the holidays.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhat if your anointing is real, but your next step is a mop bucket, not a microphone? We follow David’s path in 1 Samuel 16 to uncover how God forms leaders by placing honor on the heart, not the highlight reel. Samuel arrives ready to choose the obvious heir, and God refuses the obvious. David, the forgotten eighth son, is brought in from the fields—and that quiet moment with oil becomes the beginning of a long, hidden education in wisdom, humility, and courage.We unpack why “the Lord looks at the heart” isn’t a platitude but a blueprint. David’s passion for wisdom shows up later in Solomon’s counsel: get wisdom, develop good judgment, guard your heart. That pursuit explains how a teenager could run toward a giant. We connect Paul’s “spirit of adoption” to a royal training process—less instant promotion, more long obedience. The Spirit doesn’t just affirm identity; he tutors character. Over years, David learns to serve before he leads, to be faithful in obscurity, and to trust God when only sheep are watching.Along the way, we challenge modern assumptions about calling and influence. Anointing is not a bypass around servanthood; it is fuel for it. From lions and bears to Goliath, David’s victories flow from dependence, not bravado. We bring this home with practical steps: embrace small beginnings, love one person deeply, serve where you stand, and let the Spirit shape your judgment for the battles ahead. If your heart needs courage, your calling needs clarity, or your hands need a holy task, this conversation will meet you in the field and walk you toward the throne God has in mind.If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s in a waiting season, and leave a review—tell us the “small beginning” you’re committing to this week. Your story might spark someone else’s courage.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailObedience sounds simple until fear, pressure, and convenience crowd the soul. We sit down with Trevor McMahan to examine why “obedience is better than sacrifice,” how Saul’s half-measures cost him favor, and why David refused to strike a fallen king. Through the story of the Amalekites and the ripple effects into the book of Esther, we unpack the law of sowing and reaping, the difference between gifts and favor, and the quiet wisdom of honoring God’s timing. It’s a timely call to resist outrage culture, stop platforming division, and choose the harder path of unity and prayer.Trevor shares how divination isn’t just sorcery—it’s trusting any voice over God’s voice. That lens reframes leadership failures, our response to messy churches, and the temptation to weaponize discernment. We explore why leaving an unhealthy environment doesn’t require burning it down, why God can still work through imperfect vessels, and how a heart like David’s protects calling without compromising truth. Expect scripture, context, and a practical, pastoral tone that aims to heal rather than hype.We also step into the tender ground of suicide—naming the lying voice, rejecting the myth of an unpardonable label, and speaking directly to anyone standing on the edge. Trevor offers a grounded testimony from street outreach and a prayer for freedom, worth, and life. If enemies once held a corner on iron, God held a corner on David; that same hope meets every listener who feels outmatched today. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs courage, and leave a review to help others find a lifeline. Then tell us: where is God inviting you to choose obedience, unity, and hope this week?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailPressure mounts, the crowd scatters, and a leader reaches for a quick fix. We walk through 1 Samuel 13 and 15 to see why Saul’s hurried sacrifice and partial obedience cost him a kingdom—and what that reveals about the difference between religious activity and loyal trust. The stakes are high: when fear of people sets the agenda, authority withers and communities shrink. When obedience anchors our choices, God’s timing and presence carry the day.We explore Israel’s shift from God’s direct rule to a human king and how the desire to look like other nations reshaped expectations of power. Saul’s choices feel familiar: act now, manage optics, justify results by calling them “worship.” Samuel’s words cut through the spin: to obey is better than sacrifice. We unpack the sacrificial system as a foreshadowing of Christ, not a tool for crisis management, and we consider how partial obedience—keeping the “best” for ourselves—still breaks trust. In contrast, God is already preparing David, reminding us that He works ahead of the curve, forming hearts that rely on Him rather than on weapons, strategies, or applause.This conversation offers practical takeaways for pastors, team leads, and anyone navigating pressure: resist the urge to rush outcomes, replace people-pleasing with reverence, and let Scripture serve as your plumb line when vision is foggy. If we traded some noise for listening and acted on what God actually says, we would see more clarity, courage, and fruit that lasts. Join us, reflect on where you’re tempted to settle for almost, and share the episode with someone who needs a steady word. If this helped you, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us how you’re choosing obedience this week.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailA risky climb, a taunt from the hill, and a truth that won’t let go: nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few. We walk through 1 Samuel 13–14 and watch Jonathan move when others stall, not because the odds improve, but because covenant confidence changes how you read the odds. Alongside him stands an unnamed armor bearer whose simple yes—“I am with you heart and soul”—turns faith into action. Their partnership exposes a quiet power the modern world often misses: victories rise from visible leadership and unseen loyalty working as one.We unpack the landscape of Israel under pressure, the tension between promise and resistance, and the way God uses small teams to shift large battles. Jonathan’s sign is both practical and prophetic; he seeks confirmation, then commits. From there, we explore what this means for our daily choices: when to step forward, how to carry another’s vision without resentment, and why motives matter more than mentions. If you lead, you’ll hear a call to humility, clarity, and gratitude for those who carry the weight with you. If you serve in the shadows, you’ll find language for your courage and a reminder that shared battles mean shared victories.Woven through the story is a larger hope rooted in Jesus and the new covenant written on our hearts. Faith is not performance; it is participation in what God has promised to do. Whether your current season looks like Jonathan scaling cliffs or like an armor bearer keeping pace, the invitation is the same: act with courage, guard your heart from the lure of applause, and aim your work at God’s glory. If this conversation strengthens your resolve to move with faith—seen or unseen—subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review to help more listeners find it. Then tell us: where is God asking you to climb next?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailThe world feels like it’s shifting under our feet, and for good reason: we’ve moved from steam to screens to something even more disruptive—the intelligence age. As AI turns questions into instant answers, we’re asking a deeper one: how do we stay rooted when change is relentless? We walk through the sweep of history, from the industrial and information eras to today’s surge of artificial intelligence, and then zoom in on the spiritual reality beneath the headlines. Knowledge can be fast; wisdom is formed. That gap matters.We ground this moment in a larger story: God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel and our grafting in through Jesus. When transitions arrive, Scripture and nature agree—decrease often precedes growth. Trees shed leaves. Runners pass batons. Before resurrection, there was a cross and a silent tomb. If you feel stripped back, less capable, or spiritually thin, it may not signal failure. It might be pruning. In that hidden work, God drives the sap to the roots, building strength that will carry future fruit. We draw on Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress” to remind our hearts: from age to age, God remains the same.We also talk about the role of prophetic voices in times like these—forth-telling what is and foretelling what’s unfolding—so we can cooperate with grace rather than react to noise. Expect practical takeaways: how to name your pruning without shame, practices that deepen roots in a high-speed world, and ways to let technology serve discipleship instead of replace it. If the intelligence age accelerates access, we want to cultivate discernment, courage, and love that endure.Join us for a steadying conversation about faith, AI, weakness, and hope. If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review to help others find the show. What transition are you walking through right now?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailPeace that holds in the middle of conflict isn’t a myth; it’s the fruit of living near to God. We open up the “secret place” as Scripture presents it—covenant nearness under God’s shelter—and show how this isn’t reserved for spiritual elites. From Psalm 91’s shadow of the Almighty to Jesus’ teaching about praying in the inner room, we connect temple imagery, priesthood, and the finished work of Christ to the way you pray, think, and live today.Stephen shares a vulnerable story about wrestling with distraction, hearing the Spirit’s gentle correction about unrighteous judgments, and the freedom that followed through repentance. That moment becomes a blueprint: make space, meet God without performance, and let Him reorder what’s out of place. We talk about practical steps—fasting to clear the fog, a notepad to offload thoughts, habits that protect attention, and the simple courage to sit long enough for the mind to grow quiet. Along the way, we revisit Moses in the cleft and David in the tent, tracing a single thread: those who love God find shelter and direction beneath His wings.If your calling feels complex, we simplify it: know Him and be known by Him. Assignments and purpose flow from there. Use righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit as a living dashboard for alignment, and when they dim, return to the secret place until they brighten. We close with a clear charge: seek first His kingdom, let Jesus take first place, and build disciplined choices that match your spiritual DNA. If this spoke to you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs rest, and leave a review to help more people find the path to real peace.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhat if real spiritual authority isn’t achieved, but received through surrender? We dig into covenant alignment by tracing the promise to Abraham through its fulfillment in Jesus, then translate theology into practice with a clear, usable framework for daily life. From worship as obedience to the heart change promised in Ezekiel 36, we unpack how the Spirit transforms desire so discipline becomes a pathway, not a prison.Stephen Crews returns to map six anchors for living under Jesus’ authority: trusting God through shared history, submission by design that honors Christ and appointed leaders, servant leadership that measures greatness by the towel, alignment with Scripture that guards zeal from error, accountable community that heals and refines, and the believer’s authority that flows only when we live under authority. Along the way, we revisit the centurion’s insight into chain of command, why good works are covenant signals rather than image management, and how “sent, not went” protects you from burnout and spiritual backlash.You’ll hear practical prayer points to restore salt and light, soften hard places, and receive courage to take a step when the staircase is hidden. We press into ask, seek, knock as a lifestyle that enlarges your vision of Jesus—because the Jesus you know is the Jesus you get. If you’re hungry to reconcile faith and obedience, power and humility, mission and covering, this conversation offers clarity and a way forward.Enjoying the show? Follow, share with a friend, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. Got questions or stories to share? Reach out at life are on the fire at gmail.com—let’s keep the dialogue going.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWhen everyday life blurs into routine, it’s easy to chase quick fixes that look strong on the surface. Our conversation traces Israel’s turning point in 1 Samuel 8—when the people asked for a king like the other nations—and unpacks why impatience often taxes the future. We look at the warning God gave through Samuel about the hidden costs of human systems: conscription, taxation, and a creeping loss of freedom. That ancient caution sounds uncomfortably modern, especially when comparison and pressure make shortcuts feel irresistible.We share why comparison edits reality, why covenant identity beats cultural approval, and how spiritual compromise can blind even sincere people. You’ll hear a practical framework for healthy transitions: name the real problem without forcing the solution, test desires for fear or envy, count long-term costs, and honor God’s timing. We also speak candidly about leadership pressure and people-pleasing—how urgency can push us toward “Saul” solutions while God quietly prepares a “David” in the wings. Along the way, we return to gospel-centered identity: citizens of an eternal kingdom, co-heirs with Christ, empowered by resurrection life to wait well and lead with courage.If you’re standing at a crossroads—tired of the mundane, tempted by quick wins, or feeling the weight of others’ expectations—this episode offers clarity, biblical insight, and steady hope. Listen to learn how to resist deceptive appearances, embrace wise pacing, and make choices that align with God’s heart. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s rushing a big decision, and leave a review with the toughest wait you’re facing right now.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailChange doesn’t just test plans; it tests hearts. We walk through the turbulent handoff from judges to monarchy in 1 Samuel and explore why some leaders bless the next season while others cling to control and crumble. Samuel stands in the tension, tasked with anointing a king the people demanded, modeling how to honor the past and obey God without being ruled by public pressure. Saul reveals the cost of pride and people pleasing, choosing his own plans and others’ opinions over God’s command. David offers a counterexample—humility, patience, and trust in God’s timing—showing a path for anyone facing a hard shift.Across the conversation, we draw out practical lessons for transitions: how to bless new leadership, when to let go of approval, and why obedience beats optics. We talk about preparing for new roles without leaning on borrowed conviction, learning to hear God for yourself when mentors step back. We also dig into spiritual perception—seeing beyond what’s measurable to discern what’s true—so decisions aren’t driven by fear or trend-chasing. If you’ve ever felt torn between doing things the old way to keep peace and doing the right thing to keep faith, this one will steady your hands.You’ll leave with simple, usable practices: cultivate humility and trust, evaluate choices by obedience rather than applause, and “stay in your lane” by aligning with God’s will instead of comparison. We close with prayer for wisdom and courage, inviting you to keep growing whether you’re starting a new role, handing one off, or standing in the messy middle. If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s in transition, and leave a quick review to help others find these conversations.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailWe open 1 Samuel and trace the scarlet thread of Scripture to a revealing portrait of Saul—a leader anointed by the Spirit, admired by people, and yet undone by fear of man and a restless heart. From the mountain-top moment of prophesying with the prophets to the valley of hiding among the baggage, we explore how a surge of spiritual power differs from the steady work of intimacy with God.Together we unpack why anointing is functional—given to serve and to meet the needs of others—while relationship is covenantal, forming character that can carry weight. Samuel lays out order and obedience as the rails for blessing, a framework that protects hearts when the spotlight fades. We revisit Saul’s rally against the Ammonites, a stunning victory fueled by the Spirit’s power and righteous anger, and then face the sobering truth that public wins cannot heal private fractures. God still touches the hungry through imperfect vessels, but He cares deeply about who we are becoming when no one is watching.This conversation leans into practical, heart-level questions: What happens when the power lifts? Where do we go when insecurity speaks louder than calling? How do we move from self-help to surrender, from hype to holiness? We point back to the atmosphere of God’s kingdom—righteousness, peace, and joy—and to a simple, costly path of obedience that invites lasting transformation. If you’re tired of chasing moments and ready to build a life with God that endures, this one will meet you where you are and call you deeper.If the message resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find it. Then tell us: where have you seen character carry what charisma could not?Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailHunger is rising for a faith that runs deeper than services and schedules. We talk candidly about why programs alone can’t sustain a soul, why so many leaders end up burned out, and how true power flows when character is shaped in God’s presence. Using 1 Samuel as our guide, we slow down to the real pace of formation hidden inside a narrative that spans centuries, not minutes. Those quiet stretches—when nothing seems to happen—are where leaders decide whether to rely on hustle or learn to be carried by the Spirit.Saul’s story becomes a sober mentor. He tastes the thrill of anointing, prophesies with boldness, and then hides among the baggage because fear still rules his heart. Later, pressed by people scattering and timelines slipping, he takes the sacrifice into his own hands and loses what could have been a lasting legacy. We unpack the gap between gifting and character, the seduction of people-pleasing, and the cost of rushing God’s order. The takeaway is clear: gifts can open doors, but only character—formed in God’s presence—can carry the weight of leadership without breaking.We share practical ways to build what lasts: prioritize presence over production, welcome private testing before public collapse, practice waiting with prepared action, and measure fruit by transformed lives rather than busy calendars. For pastors, entrepreneurs, team leads, and anyone responsible for others, this is a call back to the Source. Listen for a prayer of healing and restoration for those wounded by burnout or disillusionment, and an invitation to re-enter community with renewed strength.If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who leads, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. Your story might be the encouragement someone else needs today.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.

Send us Fan MailA nation on the brink of change, a community under siege, and a leader torn between the fear of people and the fear of God—this conversation journeys through 1 Samuel 10–13 to uncover why character, not charisma, determines the future. We explore Israel’s move from judges to monarchy and why the desire to look like other nations exposed deeper heart issues. When Nahash threatened Jabesh Gilead with humiliation, the crisis revealed the danger of life on the fringe and the power of unity in covenant community.We trace Saul’s early promise—prophetic signs, the Spirit’s empowering, and a new heart—alongside the cracks that later defined his reign: fear, impatience, disobedience, jealousy, and a habit of prioritizing public opinion over God’s commands. These are not ancient relics; they’re modern leadership pressures. We talk candidly about how gifting can lift you into visibility while undealt-with issues quietly erode trust, and why waiting on God’s timing is not weakness but wisdom. Had Israel waited, they would have aligned with God’s choice of David—a leader after God’s heart—rather than accelerating a solution that mirrored their divided desires.This episode offers practical counsel for leaders and communities: stay connected to the center of fellowship where character is forged, build rhythms of confession and counsel, measure success by faithfulness not noise, and resist the lure to trade holiness for hype. We close in prayer, asking for a generation of leaders whose private lives are stronger than their platforms and whose power serves love. If this resonates, share it with someone who leads, subscribe for the next deep dive on Saul and David, and leave a review with one insight you’re taking forward. Your voice helps this message reach those who need it most.Support the showLoving Yeshua/Jesus, Loving people... Come as you are and you will be loved! Feel free to check out our website by typing in lifearoundthefire.com or Life Around The Fire ... We think you'll find some beneficial stuff to look at and apply to your life. Shalom to you and your home.