Life Around "The Fire"

Send us Fan MailThe disciples asked the question we all want answered: “Is this the time?” We go to Acts 1 to sit in that moment with Jesus, where He refuses to give a timetable and instead gives a mission. The Father holds the times and dates by His own authority, but Jesus promises something immediate and tangible: power when the Holy Spirit comes, and a life that becomes a witness from our neighborhood to the ends of the earth.We also slow down at the ascension, because it’s not just a dramatic exit, it’s a defining promise. Jesus is taken up before their eyes, a cloud hides Him, and two angels deliver a line that still steadies the church: this same Jesus will come back in the same way. If you’ve grown tired of hearing “Jesus is coming soon,” we talk honestly about the strain of waiting, the temptation to “go back,” and why patience is not weakness. We explore how eternity reshapes the word “soon,” and how hope can be restored when our hearts feel worn out.From there we get practical and personal: staying ready with oil in our lamps, resisting the flood of bitterness and frustration, and letting God refine us so we can host His presence. We connect end times anticipation to unity in the body of Christ, because becoming one is part of the witness the world can’t explain. We close with prayer and a simple cry the church has carried for centuries: Maranatha. If this encourages you, subscribe, share it with a friend, 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 Mail*** Editors note: In the early part of this episode David miquoted the Scripture refrerrence. He should have said the text was found in Hebrews Chapert 13 not 1 Corithinians 13... even the best of us make mistakes... LoL... At least we admit to them when we make them. Selah... *** We hold up a promise from Scripture that steadies us when life feels unstable: God will never leave us or forsake us, so we can live with confidence instead of fear. We talk plainly about addiction, shame, and the painful road to freedom, then we pray for deliverance and lasting relationship with God.  • brotherly love, hospitality, and honor as a daily way of life  • contentment over the love of money, grounded in God’s presence  • “second best” substitutes that turn into bondage and break down life  • addiction as something bigger than us but not bigger than God  • freedom as relationship, not religion, and help that meets us mid-struggle  • fear, guilt, and shame as barriers God wants to wash away  • prayer for breaking oppression and walking through the valley without fear  We we love you. And if you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, you need help, drop us a line at life around the fire at gmail.com. That's our email address, or type in Life Around the Fire and look us up on the web.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 compare the months of planning behind King Charles III’s 2026 Washington, DC visit with the far deeper preparation we believe is underway for Jesus Christ’s return. We talk about Holy Spirit refinement, covenant relationship, and what it means to live as a people marked by the Kingdom of God. • King Charles’ visit as a picture of honor and preparation • Jesus’ literal return, future rule and reign, and the hope of a restored earth • evil being exposed as part of clearing the way • personal refinement, changing desires, and a new appetite for God • perfect unity and shared life within the body of Christ • blood covenant through Jesus as relationship rather than religion • the narrow way that leads to a broad life if you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, please feel free to drop us a line at lifearoundthefire at gmail.com or type in life around the fire and look us up on the web. 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 louder than it used to, and not in a good way. When you’re surrounded by pressure, cruelty, and nonstop noise, it’s easy to get numb, cynical, or simply tired. We start there, naming the reality of spiritual darkness while also holding onto a bigger claim: God’s Spirit is moving like a rising wave, and we’re meant to meet this moment equipped, not overwhelmed.From that foundation, we get practical about spiritual warfare and the tools God gives believers. The focus is one weapon that’s often misunderstood or treated like a checkbox: praying in tongues, also called praying in the Spirit. We break down the difference between glossolalia (a devotional prayer language) and xenoglossia (speaking a real language you never learned), then ask the question people rarely say out loud: what does God get out of it? We talk about Spirit-to-Spirit intimacy, “perfect intercession” shaped by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27), and the beauty of surrender when you yield your voice to God in focused worship.We also lay out the real-life effects many believers experience when they practice extended prayer in tongues: spiritual edification (1 Corinthians 14:4), sharper sensitivity to God’s leading, stronger resistance against discouragement, and a deep sense of peace and rest. If you’ve been craving mental clarity, emotional release, or a way to carry shalom into your home and relationships, this conversation offers a clear path and a bold challenge: one hour a day for 30 days, with your attention fixed on Jesus.If this helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels worn down, and leave a review so more people can find it. What would you want to change most through a deeper prayer life?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 MailWorry can feel like responsibility, but it slowly turns into a vise that squeezes the life out of you. We slow down and listen closely to Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25–34, where he doesn’t offer a vague pep talk. He gives a direct command, “Do not worry,” and then points to the birds of the air and the lilies of the field as a picture of a Father who sees, knows, and provides. If you’ve been living with anxiety about money, security, or the basics of life, this conversation is meant to reset your inner compass toward trust and peace.  We focus on the line that grips us most: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” For many of us raised in the United States, “kingdom” can sound distant because we’re trained to think in elections, control, and constant self-management. A kingdom works differently because it has a king. We talk through what it means to seek the King, not just benefits, and how that shift changes your decisions about time, relationships, and what you chase all day.  Then we get practical with three clear steps for Christian living: let go of anxious worry, obey God’s voice, and make God your foundation rather than an afterthought. We also share how you can recognize when you’ve truly found the kingdom of God: there’s a new master, unshakable peace even under pressure, and a changed heart that wants to love and give like Jesus. If you’re ready for a calmer, steadier life rooted in faith, listen now, subscribe, share with a friend who needs peace, and leave a review. And if you want to talk with us, drop us a line at [email protected] 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 MailYour problem might not be as big as it feels, it might just be too close. We talk about a spiritual perspective shift that took us from staring up at pressure to standing above it, and how that change reshapes what we see, what we say, and what we expect from God when life feels tight.We share a real moment where financial need looked like it would push everything into the negative, then walk through what happened when we stopped leading from feelings and started leading from dependence. That includes a practical framework for declaring provision and speaking with intention not from random optimism, but from what we believe God is putting on our hearts. If you’ve ever felt boxed in by circumstances, this conversation is built to help you breathe again and regain spiritual clarity.From there we go deep on praying in tongues as a Spirit-filled practice for everyday Christians and leaders, including glossolalia and xenolalia, and why extended prayer can bring self-edification, intimacy with God, increased spiritual sensitivity, and strength in spiritual warfare. We also explore reported outcomes like peace, stress reduction, emotional release, renewed thinking, and deep rest, while naming the tension many feel in a Western Christianity shaped by what can be measured.Subscribe for more practical faith you can apply, share this with a friend who feels overwhelmed, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What would change if you prayed from a higher place 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 MailUnity can sound abstract until you see what it does under pressure. We dig into why Spirit-led unity is one of the most countercultural signs of real Christianity and how it can literally change the atmosphere around us. When God’s internal strength meets the world’s external pressure, something shifts: peace rises, joy steadies, and people can finally see what life with Jesus looks like in the flesh and blood of everyday relationships. We walk through Paul’s closing words in Philippians 4, where he calls two women in conflict to live in harmony. That moment opens a bigger conversation about how small relational fractures can spread if we ignore them. We connect it to the “little foxes that spoil the vine” and a vivid microchip lab illustration: one tiny contaminant can ruin an entire batch. In community, small offenses, quiet bitterness, or casual criticism can work the same way unless we address the roots early and let God’s presence cleanse what doesn’t belong. Then we bring it home to the inner life. We talk about forbearance, learning to think kindly about others and ourselves, and why negative self-talk is not harmless. We end with a practical path from anxiety to prayer, thanksgiving, and the peace of God that guards our hearts and minds, helping us fix our eyes on Jesus and stay focused. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review, then reply with the “little fox” you’re ready to deal with 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 lot of people don’t walk away from God because they stop believing He exists. They walk away because they believe He’s angry, impossible to please, and ready to punish the moment they mess up. We start with a short story that exposes how easily we misread love as control and protection as deprivation.We share the moment that grabbed us: three kids sneak into the woods after years of hearing “don’t go without me.” At first it feels like freedom, like their dad has been holding out on them. Then darkness hits, fear spirals, and shame convinces them they should run away rather than go home. On the way back, they see their father holding something that looks like a whip and the dread spikes, until they realize it’s a towel and a washcloth. He isn’t coming to beat them. He’s coming to clean them up.That’s the spiritual gut-punch. Many of us carry a distorted image of God the Father, assuming He’s always upset, always disappointed, and always keeping score. We challenge that lie with the gospel: God is more loving and wiser than we give Him credit for, and He moves toward us with mercy, cleansing, and freedom through Jesus Christ. We close with a prayer asking God to set the record straight and transform our imagination so we can relate to Him with trust instead of fear.If this brought something up for you, listen through to the end, then subscribe, share the episode with a friend who needs hope, 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 MailPeace gets talked about like it is a vibe or a temporary break from conflict. We go somewhere deeper. Rabbi Ed Bez joins us to unpack the biblical idea of covenant through the Hebrew word breet, then lands on Ezekiel’s stunning promise: God will cut a covenant of shalom, an everlasting covenant. Shalom is not a greeting and it is not simply “no fighting.” We talk about shalom as wholeness, completeness, and God’s work of putting a scattered life back together.We also trace how the prophets (Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36 and 37, Isaiah 55) point toward the new covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ. One of the most helpful frameworks Rabbi Bez brings is the legal concept of a codicil: an amendment that supplements and explains an existing will. That lens shifts how we read “law and grace,” because Jesus does not trash God’s earlier covenant promises. He fulfills them by clarifying God’s intent, like when he deepens the commands about murder and adultery to include what happens in the heart and in our words.From Noah’s rainbow reset to Abraham’s inheritance and legacy to Moses’ call to live clean, we connect biblical covenants to spiritual growth that is practical and personal. If you have been craving a faith that heals instead of fragments, this conversation will give you language, Scripture, and next steps. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves Bible study, and leave a review so more people can find Life Around The Fire.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 Mail“Law” is one of those words that can instantly shut people down, but what if we’ve been aiming at the wrong target? We sit with Rabbi Ed Bez and open up a covenant-focused way of reading the Bible that refuses the easy split between Old Testament and New Testament. For us, this is about spiritual growth that actually changes relationships, first with God, then with each other, and covenant becomes the thread that ties it all together.Rabbi Ed shares why the Scriptures are a single, organic unity from Genesis to Revelation, then walks us through the covenant storyline that shapes the entire biblical narrative. We talk about why “testament” can miss the point, why “new covenant” is often better understood as a renewed covenant, and how the covenants God makes across history build a framework for reading the Torah, the Prophets, and the Gospels with clarity instead of confusion.The heart of the conversation is Matthew 5:17, where Jesus says he does not abolish the Torah and the Prophets but fulfills them. We explore what “fulfill” means in real terms, including Jesus’ perfect obedience and his final sacrifice, and we challenge the common habit of equating law with legalism. Then we land in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36, where the promise gets intensely practical: God writes his Torah within us, gives a new heart, and empowers obedience through the Holy Spirit, not through flesh-driven striving.If this stirred questions or brought conviction, we’d love to hear from you. Subscribe for part two, share this with a friend who wrestles with grace and obedience, 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 MailIf you’ve ever longed for the glory of God but quietly wondered what it would demand of you, this conversation goes straight to the heart of it. We sit down with Lonnie Lane for an honest, wide ranging talk about hosting and stewarding the glory of the Lord, and why God’s presence is never meant to be a private experience we protect from the world.We unpack what it looks like for the Church to move through a transitional season with unity in the body of Christ and the beauty of holiness, while still facing real pressure from darkness. Lonnie shares a personal story from a powerful move of God in Philadelphia where the glory was tangible for months, and how a simple warning exposed a deeper issue: when we keep revival inside the room and forget the lost, we risk losing what we’re celebrating. That story reshapes how we think about Christian revival, responsibility, and the purpose behind God’s presence.From worship culture to church leadership, we get practical. We talk about worship that points to Him instead of us, why the one man show model limits the body, and how spiritual gifts include more than platform ministry. We also touch Israel and the Church, Jewish believers, and why Scripture should shape our posture without turning it into a war of words. We close with hopeful, grounded stories of Spirit led evangelism in everyday places, because God loves to meet people in normal moments.Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who’s hungry for God’s presence, and leave a review so more people can find Life Around the Fire. What part of this conversation challenged you 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.

Send us Fan MailAI can hand you an answer in seconds, but it cannot teach you how to discern what is holy, what is true, and what is actually from God. We sit down with Lonnie Lane for a prayerful, open-mic conversation that starts with the reality we are all feeling: the nations are shifting, the noise is louder, and believers need a deeper kind of steadiness than information can provide. We also take time to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and reaffirm our support for Israel, asking God to make His faithfulness visible.From there, the conversation turns personal and practical. We talk about why testimony matters, how “the word of our testimony” strengthens other people, and why peace is often a byproduct of alignment with God’s timing. Lonnie raises a sharp question about discernment in the age of AI, and we unpack what has guided us: learning to talk with God, listening for His voice, and staying rooted in the written Word because God does not contradict Scripture. If you have been searching for Christian discernment, spiritual maturity, and a clear way to test what you hear, this will meet you right where you are.We also connect ancient Scripture to modern life through Abraham’s call to leave the familiar and follow God into a land he did not know. That leads into what we see changing in the church right now: a growing hunger for John 17 unity, healthier expressions of leadership beyond a one-man model, and a renewed view of holiness as something beautiful instead of legalistic. Part two is coming, and we cannot wait to keep going.Subscribe so you do not miss what is next, share this with a friend who is asking hard questions, and leave a review to help more people find Life Around the Fire.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 MailYour faith can feel strong right up until the moment real life demands proof. We start with a clear declaration we’re willing to stand on: God is faithful, and His love never fails. Then we get honest about the place many of us live in, the gap between believing God’s promises and feeling unsure when a new challenge shows up. If you’ve ever thought, “He’s been faithful before, but what about this time,” you’ll feel seen.We talk about “daily bread” and why trusting God often looks less like a one-time breakthrough and more like choosing dependence day after day. We also draw a bright line around roles: God is God and we’re not. That simple clarity changes how we handle anxiety, prayer, and responsibility, especially when money is tight and the future feels uncertain. We want trust to be practical, not vague, and we name how stretching seasons can surface unbelief so God can refine it.Then we share a true story of financial provision: a scam drains a shared bank account, the balance drops negative, and a mortgage payment is due with no backup. What happens next is a reminder that God can provide through unexpected relationships in ordinary neighborhoods, right on time. We read Isaiah 60 out loud, leaning into its vision of light in darkness and God’s ability to bring resources in ways that honor Him, and we pray for provision, wisdom, and stewardship without telling God how He must do it.If you’re searching for Christian encouragement, biblical teaching on financial provision, and a faith lift rooted in Scripture, press play. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review, then tell us: where do you need God to come 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 MailIf you’ve ever wondered whether your faith is strong or just loud, this conversation lands like a mirror. We start by reading all of 1 Corinthians 13 and letting it set the standard: without the love of God, even the most impressive spiritual gifts, sacrifice, and knowledge turn into noise. We slow down on the words we think we already know, patience, kindness, truth, endurance, and ask what agape love looks like when it has to survive real pressure.From there, we get practical about spiritual maturity through the lens of “putting away childish things.” We draw a sharp line between childish and childlike: childish is petty and reactive, childlike is sincere, curious, and open. We also talk about imagination as an image center God can use, and why a pure, childlike inner life makes room for peace, clarity, and love that doesn’t keep score. Kindness isn’t weakness here; we describe it as strength with authority that can outlast unkindness.We also zoom out to the world stage, including Israel, rising hostility, and the call for believers to live as one new man in Christ rather than getting swept into hate and division. We close with prayer for transformation, provision, and the ability to steward God’s glory through hard transitions. If you’re hungry for a Christian podcast episode about agape love, spiritual growth, and staying steady in uncertain times, hit play, then subscribe, share, and leave a review, what challenged you 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.

Send us Fan MailWe talk about why Kingdom leadership flips the usual top-down model and calls us to serve from underneath as we lift people up. We also get practical about spiritual rhythm, showing how rest and play protect leaders from burnout and bring our relationship with God back to life. • servant leadership as the culture of the Kingdom of God • a balanced rhythm of work rest worship and play • how “the shoulds” turn worship into a checklist • Sabbath as a gift and rest as worship based on Mark 2:27 • learning to rest with God in a replenishing relationship • why staying guarded in relationships drains us over time • trusting God as our shield instead of self-defense • play as a way to release creativity and renew imagination • balancing privilege with responsibility to avoid entitlement or harshness • integrity through obedience in small things and keeping our word If you have any thoughts, questions, concerns, please feel free to drop us a line at life around the fire at gmail.com, or you can type in Life Around the Fire and look us up on the web. We'd love to hear from 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 MailTwo words can quietly shrink your life: always and never. When we say “it’s always going to be like this” or “I’ll never change,” we turn a passing struggle into a permanent sentence. We pull those words apart and put them where they belong, not on our temporary feelings, but on God’s unchanging character: He is always God, always good, and never anything less than who He is. From there, we get practical and personal about spiritual growth and surrender. We talk about the moments when God asks us to set aside something familiar so we can receive something better, even when it feels like loss. Think of the simple picture: if you want a dog to drop the hot dog, you offer a steak. That’s often what change feels like in real life, letting go of what’s immediate so we can embrace what’s greater. We also open Scripture to Numbers 11 and the Israelites’ craving for Egypt’s food while God provides manna. It’s an honest look at cravings, nostalgia, and how easy it is to romanticize an old life while forgetting the bondage that came with it. Along the way, we reflect on addiction recovery, why our bodies make great servants but terrible masters, and how the Holy Spirit empowers us to lead our desires instead of being led by them. If you’re in a hard season, feeling stuck, or tempted to compromise, let this be a reminder: it’s temporary, and God can use it to bring you into something better. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, 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 MailGod doesn’t need better rumors about Him, He reveals Himself. We lean hard into that conviction as we talk about why Scripture is the bedrock for Life Around The Fire and why the written Word of God still carries power for real life today. We’re not chasing religious noise or nostalgia for another era. We’re watching God move now, and we want our faith to stay anchored, honest, and alive.We unpack what we mean by awakening, reformation, revival, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, using Ezekiel’s river as a vivid picture of depth that keeps increasing until it overwhelms everything. We also get blunt about the difference between healthy spiritual disciplines and dead religion. The goal isn’t a scripted performance or a checklist. The goal is relationship, intimacy, and a life that makes God recognizable to the people closest to you.One of the most personal moments is a testimony from our own home: how our daughters once associated Jesus with lifeless church, but over time encountered real faith through consistent witness and the Holy Spirit’s work. We remind you that salvation is the crowning jewel, then we encourage you to stop fearing opinions, yield your gifts, and trust the strength of God within you when pressure hits. We close by praying for courage, power, love, and a sound mind. If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the podcast.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 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.