Culture Z Podcast

In this episode Larry reflects on the experience of Mary and Joseph as they arrived in Bethlehem and found that there was no room in the inn and what that means for our lives today.

Larry tells the story of how he and his friends in the mountains of Honduras fight through challenges just to acquire a concrete floor, and how that teaches them about Culture Z.

Jesus asks us, "Who touched me?"  Provoking us to ask what does it really mean to touch Jesus in the middle of a crowded life, in a way that leads us to a personal, powerful, redemptive encounter with him.  Join Larry as we begin a series on the story of the woman healed of bleeding in the middle of a crowd.

Do you need a word of encouragement in light of current social, political and environmental events in our world?  Listen as Larry reads from Scripture the truths that pierce through the darkness and stand the test of cultural and social change.

What do we do with passions and desires that battle within us, and which lead to fights, quarrels and wars?  Listen in as Larry digs into the call to "come and see the desolations that YHWH has done on the earth" as a step to find peace.

How can we not fear but be glad when we face the desolations on the earth and find their source the battle in our own souls?  Listen in as Larry and Allison Smoak speak of the way to peace in the midst of the wars going on outside and inside of us.

Is there a way to not get taken down when we face great difficulties in life? Join Larry and Allison Smoak as they dig in to Psalm 46 and find that there is actually a city that is glad, even when mountains are falling into the heart of the sea.

Where do we find true courage when we face danger, suffering and death close up?  Join Larry as he reflects on the current corona virus pandemic using a study in Psalm 46.  How do we not fear when the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea?

Hear about the battles and victories of the latest water project in the village of San Isidro, Honduras, after Larry and others join the Agua Viva staff for a week in the community, living and working alongside of the people, and announcing the good news of the kingdom.

What do we do when there is famine in the land and hunger in our soul?  How do we find what satisfies and sustains life?  As we continue our study in the book of Ruth, we will discuss how to join the planting and harvest of the invincible Seed.

What are the age old roots of there being no king in the land and everyone doing what is right in their own eyes?  How do we respond to the chaos caused by everyone doing what is right in their own eyes?  And what fruit of this mindset pervading our late modern age is showing up in the world?

Larry Smoak interviews his wife, Allison, who tells her story of awakening and her encountering Culture Z.

Find out what happened during the March Agua Viva Water Project trip as Allison interviews Larry about his experience.

Dallas Willard said, "Reality is what we trip over when our falsehoods don't work." Find out how the Cultural Chaos Model helps us understand this tripping over reality and how it helps us move from complacency to hunger, and from being stuck in our journey to moving further up and further in to Culture Z. This episode also helps explain what we mean by Culture Z.

God has put eternity in our hearts, and life is a journey seeking that eternity.  Each person carries a vision of what that eternity is inside their hearts, its what gets us up in the morning, or keeps us hitting the snooze button.  How do we know if our vision of eternity is leading us to what is infinitely good or if we are really walking in the dark?

Listen as Larry tells about his journey to Culture Z, including stories about experiences in Colombia and Honduras, and how he dealt with chaos and encountered Jesus along the way.

What do we do with the "chaos," or the sense of unease that there is something seriously wrong with the way life is being lived on planet earth?  Do we fight it?  Do we run away from it? Discover how to find hope of a "better place" as we journey through the chaos. Ingram, Chip. The Real God. Baker Books, Grand Rapids MI. 2016. Back cover www.epi.org guttmacher.org Music by Scott Holmes, "Driven to Success" www.scottholmesmusic.com