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November 19, 2018The word “Shema” is a Hebrew word meaning that when you actually hear something it should convert to action. Coach and Joe chat with us about a metric to tell whether or not you’re actually hearing what the Lord... -
November 16, 2018James 1:22 poses the two step process to growth of both hearing then doing. In this episode, Coach and Joe walk us through some practical thoughts on keeping from becoming hard-hearted through our disobedience to God. -
November 14, 2018Is it possible that because we’re not used to hearing loving rebuke in our lives that we forget God disciplines those He loves? Join Coach and Joe as they describe the rising measure of expectation that God has for... -
November 12, 2018Most cultures define God as character filled with wrath in the Old Testament. Coach and Joe spend some time reconsidering what our definition of “goodness” should be and whether or not we may be suffering from some major misconceptions... -
November 9, 2018Do you feel like your prayers are pointless? Do you often feel powerless in prayer? Coach and Joe sit down with us to talk about how sometimes our prayers are indicators of a lack of understanding of the authority... -
November 7, 2018We’ve all read the childhood classic The Tortoise and the Hare, but it’s hard to go at a slow, steady speed when it comes to our own development. In this episode, Coach and Joe sit down to teach us... -
October 30, 2018Is it possible that we actual create false theologies to avoid pain and tension in life? Can entire denominations be formed because of our inability to accept two seemingly opposed characteristics of God? Join Coach and Joe for an... -
October 30, 2018Everybody wants to walk in power like our favorite heroes of the faith, but nobody wants to go what they went through to get there. In this episode, Coach and Joe walk us through the importance of accepting suffering... -
October 25, 2018In this episode, Coach and Joe explore Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and talk more on the joy that we can receive when we understand both the kindness and severity of God. -
October 23, 2018Almost none of us like conflict. But if spend our whole lives avoiding it we miss something crucial. Coach and Joe spend time explaining the double-sided coin of God’s kindness and sternness mentioned in Romans 11:22. -
October 18, 2018Comparison can be an indicator that we’re trying to fulfill missing space in our relationship with God with a sense of accomplishment. Join Coach and Joe as they show us the kind of accomplishment God values and why we... -
October 16, 2018Joe sits down again with Lee Vartanian to discuss the hard truth that certain levels of proximity with the wrong people can lead to our own demise of character or worse. -
October 10, 2018Joe sits back down with his guest Lee Vartanian to chat about the responsibility we have to not just carefully deliver words from the Lord, but that they be delivered in their proper timing. -
October 3, 2018Joe sits down with special guest Lee Vartanian to talk about his role as the senior prophet of Bridgeway Church and what it looks like to properly steward messages from the Lord. -
October 3, 2018Can we be born again and still do whatever we want? Can we continue on in cyclical patterns of sin and still follow Jesus? Join today as Coach and Joe make distinctions between following Jesus or merely believing in... -
October 1, 2018Sit down with Coach and Joe as they talk about finding true fulfillment on earth by understanding that it’s merely an entry point into eternity. -
September 26, 2018Join in today as Coach and Joe draw a line between spending time chasing the promises of God or focusing completely on connecting to Jesus as the vine. -
September 24, 2018Join in today as Coach and Joe challenge us to pursue the supernatural and walk us through a practical road map towards finding (as well as being) a leader worth following. -
September 21, 2018Join Coach and special guest Will Hacker for part 2 of our look at the new movie Finger of God 2. -
September 18, 2018Join Coach with special guest Will Hacker (director of Finger of God 2) in part 1 of this podcast as Will looks back at how he got involved in making movies and the cost and reward of being all... -
September 16, 2018Coach and Joe spend some time challenging American Christianity by drawing lines in the sand between genuine discipleship and merely creating people who are competent. -
September 12, 2018Coach and Joe sit down with special guest Cristi Morris who shares with us her story on choosing to walk in friendship with a good God after unspeakable loss. -
September 7, 2018Special guest Brian Fannin joins Joe in a follow-up conversation on the ways of true community and discipleship as well as how to find leaders that are worth emulating. -
September 4, 2018In the second episode of this podcast, Coach and Joe talk about honoring the original discipleship structure that God laid out in His Church and how to avoid becoming what Leviticus 10 calls unauthorized or “strange” fire. -
August 30, 2018In Part 1 of this podcast, Coach and Joe challenge leaders to reconsider the true roll of their leadership in the church and question the western Church’s concepts of discipleship. -
August 28, 2018If we aren't investing in the generations to come, then what are we doing? Join Coach and Joe as they talk through the Legacy Campaign, investing in the generations to come for long lasting local and global impact. -
August 25, 2018Join Coach and Joe today as they help define the difference between operating in our human reasoning or having faith and obedience to do exactly what God calls us to. -
August 22, 2018In today’s episode, Coach and special guest Bryan Schwartz talk about the power of the prophetic, the importance of staying hungry, and how to boldly approach the throne of God in prayer. -
August 18, 2018In today’s episode, special guest Bryan Schwartz continues our look back into his past to discuss the supernatural power of God at work when he didn’t even believe in it. -
August 14, 2018Join Coach's friend (and special guest) Bryan Schwartz as he takes a look back and points out God’s behind-the-scenes pursuit of him throughout his entire life. -
August 8, 2018Do we hide ourselves at church to pretend to live up to a false standard? How can we be fully ourselves if we aren’t willing to be vulnerable with our community Ever felt like you were just steps away from breakthrough... -
August 1, 2018The life of David was quite a conundrum. He is remembered as a man after God’s own heart but was an adulterous murderer in the Bible. Coach and his special guest Blake Berg walk us through how to ensure... -
July 26, 2018Why do many Christians today struggle to hear God? Is it a hearing problem or a hunger problem? In today’s podcast Coach and his special guest Blake Berg chat about learning to think like God and hear His voice. -
July 24, 2018The first thing Adam and Eve did was cover themselves after they ate the fruit in the garden. Do we still continue to hide our perceived shame from God and our community? Join Coach and Joe today as they... -
July 16, 2018What if Satan hasn’t ditched his original strategy of twisting God’s language in Genesis? It worked, right? Join Coach and Joe as they pose the concept that humanity may still be prone to consuming second-hand interpretation rather than discovering... -
July 10, 2018Coach and Joe pose the question, “Is it possible to be more serious than God?” Laugh along today to part two of this podcast as we learn how to value the joy that God offers in our daily walk... -
July 5, 2018We often attend church and pray with an attitude of seriousness and reverence, but is it sometimes at the expense of understanding the joy he offers? Join us for part one this podcast exploring how to experience true joy... -
June 26, 2018God desires deep friendship with all of us, but on who’s terms? It may look legalistic to set up our lives around God, but we may find that the more we lose our lives, the more we find Him.... -
June 19, 2018We all go through different “seasons” in our lives. But is rest seasonal? Should rest be something that comes and goes, or is it a baseline, something that is always present in our lives? Jesus brings peace to chaos... -
June 12, 2018There is a current trend in the identity message to be more aware of our righteousness than our sin. And while we are as clean as Jesus, we can’t just proclaim the promises of God in our lives without... -
June 6, 2018God loves to speak to His friends, to tell us His secrets. But the prophetic words God gives us are not necessarily promises—especially when we oppose His principles. He is a good Father and will only fulfill the promises... -
May 31, 2018When God created the world He said everything was good. Everything except for one thing—for man to be alone. Join Joe and Tennison as they discuss community and vulnerability, and their role in our lives today. -
May 22, 2018Competency is good stewardship of the gifts God gave you...but it can also be an idol. Proverbs 3:5 reminds us to never rely on our own understanding. Run with Coach and Joe today as they scale the hurdle of... -
May 15, 2018Jesus knew the true identity of those around him as children of God and He never feared the challenge of helping them act like it. Join us today as Coach and Joe go after the misconception that loving someone... -
May 8, 2018Does God keep His promises? And what do you do when His promises seem to be on a completely different timeline than you expected? Could the slow wait to your calling actually be a training ground? Join Joe and... -
May 3, 2018It almost feels counterintuitive or even irreverent in today’s Christian culture to think that we could experience relationship with God like Adam did. But if we dig a little deeper we find quite clearly that we were all built... -
May 1, 2018Jesus only said what He heard His Father speaking and only did what He saw His father doing. But does that apply to our internal lives as well? Do we speak the things over us that Father is speaking... -
April 26, 2018There is a story written over our lives since before we were born. So why do we have a hard time accepting where He wants us to let down our nets (Luke 5:4-6)? Our story has already been written.... -
April 24, 2018Everyone has a story to tell. All too often, that story is the journey from brokenness to redemption, from loss to hope. This is Jessica's story. Join Coach and Joe with Jessica as they talk through what it looks... -
April 19, 2018Where do you get your identity from? Your hobbies? Your job? Your friends and family? We all have an identity and the truth is if we don’t get it from our Father, we’re going to get it from somewhere... -
April 13, 2018We’ve all encountered God one way or another. From prayer and worship, prophetic words and the beauty of creation - God is always present, looking to interact with us. But sometimes, God shows up in a burning bush, speaks... -
April 10, 2018Why are so many of us afraid of brokenness? Is it because broken people make us feel broken? Do “clean” people make us feel “clean”? The truth is, without acceptance (even in our brokenness), challenge will never bring about... -
April 5, 2018Where does hunger come from and how do you steward it? Join Coach and Joe with Paige and Joseph (Youth Pastors at Bridgeway Church) as talk about revival, hunger, what it looks like to ache for a generation, and... -
April 3, 2018Do you ever get overwhelmed with how "not enough" you are? Not patient enough with my kids Not thoughtful enough toward my spouse Not impressive enough at my job Not (fill in the blank) enough I could go on. I’m... -
April 3, 2018God loves us - so much so that He sent His Son to the cross for us. But could a loving father ever oppose his own kids? Promotion in the Kingdom is very real, but so is demotion. While... -
March 29, 2018Does the prophetic ever seem out of reach? That’s because it is…if you think that it is. Simon Peter walked on the water with Jesus, but all of the disciples could have. A big reason people don’t walk in... -
March 28, 2018I am. Often we identify ourselves by statements. I am a wife. I am a daughter. I am a pastor. I am a designer, a prophet, an apostle, a student, a friend. Most of our I am statements are true.... -
March 26, 2018The fear of the Lord is never losing sight of who God is and who we are. But can you be so committed to His principles that you lose empathy and drift into judgement? When someone is vulnerable in... -
March 23, 2018The second commandment says that we shall not make for ourselves and idol. But that was Old Testament, right? We’re in a new covenant now. Our sin has been dealt with and we’re as clean as Jesus. But can... -
March 21, 2018In the ministry circles I grew up in, my early years in leadership were marked by heated debates dubbed “the worship wars”: hymns vs. praise songs; traditional vs. contemporary; etc. The conversations at ministry conferences quickly transitioned to the... -
March 19, 2018Mentoring is important - it’s so important that Jesus said to go and make disciples of all nations, but can we give spiritual fathering a definition Father didn’t intend? The role of a spiritual father is to bring someone... -
March 16, 2018There are aspects of God that resonate with each of us differently. Friendship and fear. Freedom and structure. So which is better? Intimacy...or obedience? The answer is…yes. God’s truth supersedes our paradigms and His desire is that we live... -
March 14, 2018Have we not already realized that it’s always the same story, the great "one-trick pony"? We look each other in the eyes after a vulnerable moment from one, the other, or both, and with real Read More -
March 12, 2018We are all royalty. We are all brothers and sisters of Jesus. We are all sons and daughters of Father, but are we all kings? So many ask for His kingdom to come, but are we ready for what... -
December 3, 2015I’ve grown up with a dad who convinced me that I could win at anything I put my mind to. I’ve been a leader since I was young and I love the idea of training, competing and winning with... -
September 28, 2015My six year old son said the other day, “Dad, I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.” Love. That one, 4 letter word, has seemed elusive to me for many years. I know what it means and I’m able to speak... -
August 13, 2015I remember my very first UGA football game when I was a child. It was so overwhelming to me that I felt like I was going to explode. There were 80,000 people going crazy by cheering for their beloved... -
July 31, 2015I Cor 4:20 says, “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” This past week, I spent a few days with the students of Bridgeway Church, the family I have the honor to Pastor. Our... -
June 5, 2015America is the land of the “Mega Church”; enormous organizations built with solid business principles that are run as smoothly as a well-conditioned school or hospital. Personally, I’m not one to bash Mega Churches. I believe churches of 5,000... -
May 5, 2015As a Pastor, I have lunches with many people. I enjoy getting to know people's stories -
March 25, 2015I am currently re-reading J.I. Packer’s masterpiece “Knowing God.” It’s in my
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March 6, 2015Over the past year, the church I pastor has been through a lot of transition. That is putting it lightly. City Church and Mt. Zion Fellowship have merged and we are now...
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February 17, 2015We are all guilty of it. Every single one of us that follow Jesus Christ as His disciple asks the bizarre and awkward question, “How is church going?” Or how about this one, “Did you enjoy church yesterday?”
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February 6, 2015I walked into a Christian bookstore not too long ago, and on the wall, there was a picture of Jesus sitting on a rock. As I stared at it, I thought, "Why do so many people make Him look so..
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January 23, 2015One of my favorite things to do in life, is to take people, who are hungry to see if John 14:12 is real, down to Haiti. Jesus said "If anyone believes in me, he will do the same things I have done,...
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December 18, 2014I want to preach a sermon series soon called "Zingers." It will be based on the hard sayings of Jesus.
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December 2, 2014The other day, I overheard someone in a conversation say, "There is no need for me to confess that, it was covered at the cross."
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November 20, 2014A year ago, I met a Filmmaker out of Chicago, Illinois by the name of Darren Wilson.
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October 23, 2014This past Saturday, I internally started to really focus on a new book I am writing. It's a book about how normal people can do the works of the Father (John 10:38). On the day I decided to start...
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October 14, 2014Most clichés drive me crazy. "Time flies." "Good things come to those who wait." "A penny saved is a penny earned." We've heard so many of them it gets a little annoying.
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October 10, 2014Someone recently told me I was not what they were looking for in a Pastor.
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September 16, 2014I meet very few people who have not been influenced by Bethel Church in some way over the past ten years. Bethel Church resides in Redding, California and is Pastored by Bill and Benni Johnson. Bethel Music has influenced...
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August 8, 2014I was at P.F. Chang’s the other night with my good friend, Clay Danner. Our church will be launching Clay and Rhonda Danner to Taiwan next summer to begin a ministry there.We ate lettuce wraps, spicy shrimp pad Thai,...
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July 10, 2014If I could pick one word to describe my last five years down here on big beautiful planet earth, I would choose the word;"Conflict" I’m naturally an extroverted person and enjoy getting along with everyone. I’ve loved and appreciated the...
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June 19, 2014Have you ever wondered why God does not give you more details up front on what He is calling you to? I certainly have. I think I know why.We would not have to stretch our faith if God gave us...
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May 22, 2014I was in Haiti a couple of years ago and a friend of mine, 20 years older than me said, “Always remember God will open doors for you that you need to walk through. Don’t worry about what to...
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May 9, 2014I went to see the movie, “Heaven is For Real” tonight with my kids. Last week I watched a prominent Christian leader make fun of it and other books like this one. He arrogantly shared his thoughts against things...
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April 23, 2014My first trip to Augusta National was in 1982. I remember it vividly. When you first walk in the gates and make your way around to the Number 1 Fairway, it simply overwhelms you. You don’t have to be...
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April 8, 2014I do not come from a lineage of runners. Norris men don’t run. It’s pretty simple. All that changed this past weekend. I ran in a half marathon.In case you have never run in a half or full marathon before,...
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March 25, 2014I ran 10.2 miles yesterday. I’ve lost 19 pounds in the last 3 months and also, all desire to live. My middle name is “Carbohydrate.” For me, discipline in eating is about as fun as getting run over by...
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March 13, 2014One day, when I was around twelve years old, I was so bored in church that I picked up one of those big, hardback Bibles and began to read. I flipped it open and it landed in the book...
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March 4, 2014I am a Pastor of a church and I used to hate God. Used to.“Paradigm” is one of my top five favorite words along with “cheese-dip,” “warm-weather,” “bedtime,” and “charcoal.”“Paradigm.” The lens, through which we view the world, is no small matter.Have you ever...
