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Listen in on a Wife & Husband who just so happen to be BFFF!, (Best Fucking Friends Forever!).
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Provoke & Inspire is a weekly podcast featuring four artists, ministry leaders, and passionate followers of Jesus (Ben, David, Luke, and Chad) with decades of front-line experience and the stories to back it up! Every week they discuss how Jesus might respond to current events and issues facing the church today.
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1. Barbara Calloway - Prayer For Families 2. Victory Worship feat. Vanessa Howell - What a Beautiful Agnus Dei 3. Damara Melissa - Where I Wanna Be 4. Rachel Kerr - Artist in Me 5. Tamela Mann - He Did It For Me 6. Aaron Lavell - Saved by Grace 7. Caleb Carroll - Jesus In Me 8. Elevation Worship - You Really Are 9. Brooke Ligertwood - Ancient Gates 10. Elevation Worship Feat. Jonsal Barrientes - Same God 11. Rachel Kerr - Glory 12. Psalmist Raine & The Refresh Tea - As It Is in Heaven 13. Ry ...
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Episode 529: Imane Khelif, Wokeism, and NOT Being a Fool
18:24
18:24
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Send us a Text Message. Ben goes solo for a thoughtful examination of another 2024 Olympic controversy involving an Algerian boxer named Imane Khelif as he asks the question of how we should biblically respond as followers of Jesus. ------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to prov…
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Episode 528: Drag Queens, the Olympic Opening Ceremony, and the Christian Response
51:02
51:02
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Send us a Text Message. What in the world happened during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris? Was it a blatant attack on Christianity, or simply a highly sexualized (albeit realistic) depiction of a moment in Greek mythology? Whether it was blasphemy, or a brazen performance (or both?) it's not a question of whether we react or not …
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Episode 527: When Was the Last Time I Wept?
29:26
29:26
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Send us a Text Message. John 11:35 says, "Jesus wept." So many depictions of Jesus are of a stoic, unfeeling guru or mystic, when in reality there is no person with greater emotional depth than the person of Christ. Why is this? In this episode Ben and David examine the emotional life of our Christian culture, and how it so often falls short of Jes…
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Episode 526: Rats, Trump, and How Jesus Defines Success
39:52
39:52
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Send us a Text Message. Ben and David once again go on the record to discuss the recent assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump, David's history in dealing with rats in the home, and most prominently, how we can see what a biblical definition of success in life and ministry looks like when observing the life of John the Baptist. ----…
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Episode 525: How Do I Keep My Heart from Growing Cold?
38:03
38:03
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Send us a Text Message. In this episode, Ben is joined by Chad and David, where they attempt to address the issue of how often we get used to the suffering we see all around us. Whether it's friends, co-workers which we choose to overlook the suffering of, or something like the ongoing war in Ukraine. ------------------------------- Questions, comm…
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Episode 524: Finding Intimacy With Jesus in Dark Times W/ Alicia Britt Chole
57:20
57:20
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Send us a Text Message. In this episode Ben sits down with author and speaker Alicia Britt Chole to talk about her newest book, "The Night is Normal: A Guide Through Spiritual Pain." Alicia discusses how to navigate spiritual darkness, and how we can run into problems when we think spiritual maturity always equals better, happier feelings. Learn mo…
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Episode 523: Carl Lentz and the Power and Pitfalls of Public Vulnerability
41:16
41:16
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41:16
Send us a Text Message. Carl Lentz recently sat down with his wife for an excruciatingly honest conversation about his moral failings, and how his family has managed to navigate them. In this episode, Chad and Ben discuss whether openly discussing issues of this magnitude, in this format, is the healthy, and even Godly thing to do. Watch Carl & Lar…
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Episode 522: What About Those Who DON’T Respond?
37:29
37:29
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Send us a Text Message. In this week's episode, David and Ben come to you from the mountains of Norway with a special road report from No Longer Music's first tour of 2024. They share about what God has been doing in Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Norway. The two also talk about evangelism and the church's often complicated relationship with it. ----…
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Episode 521: Atheism Is on the Decline, but Is That a Good Thing? W/ Justin Brierley!
49:28
49:28
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Send us a Text Message. Did the rise of New Atheism end up doing more damage to it's own cause than good? Can we ever truly escape our need for religion, and is the West turning back to God? Ben sits down with longtime friend Justin Brierley, formerly of the "Unbelievable?" podcast to discuss the new trends in spirituality that we are seeing unfold…
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Episode 520: Is Taylor Swift the Key to Reaching Gen Z?
57:41
57:41
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Send us a Text Message. A church in Germany hosts a service based around Taylor Swift, her music, and its themes of justice, love, tolerance, and more - packing out their building. Are they on to something? Is this a sign of the collapse of the church? Ben is joined by Luke and Chad to weigh in on this controversial event. -------------------------…
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Episode 519: Are Sports a Hobby, an Idol, or Evidence of God’s Existence?
42:57
42:57
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Send us a Text Message. Is there a deeper existential reality that sports, and our relationship to them, portray? Can David and Ben survive an expert-level Swiss ski hill? All of this and more on this week's episode of P&I! ------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandins…
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Episode 518: Harrison Butker, Cancel Culture, and How to Share Jesus Effectively Today.
31:44
31:44
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Send us a Text Message. In this episode, Ben goes solo to weigh in on the controversial commencement speech given last week at Benedictine College by NFL kicker and Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker (Kansas City Chiefs). ------------------------------- Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinsp…
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Episode 517: I’m a Christian - Shouldn’t I Feel Satisfied?
43:19
43:19
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Send us a Text Message. Is a purpose-filled life only reserved for a select few who happen to have found their dream job and God-given calling? Is it something we have to create for ourselves? How do we deal with the fact that so many people who seem to have it all, even Christians, are dissatisfied with their day to day existence? What is the answ…
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Episode 516: What Will It Take to Reach Gen-Z for Jesus? W/ Gabrielle McCullough (Harris Creek Baptist Church)
51:10
51:10
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Send us a Text Message. How do we effectively reach Gen-Z for Jesus? Is there a common denominator between Gen-Z'ers that fall away from the faith, and those that don't? In this episode Ben and Chad talk with evangelist, disciple-maker, and bible-teacher Gabrielle McCullough who works closely with JP Pokluda of Harris Creek Baptist Church. They lea…
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Episode 515: Smartphone Addiction, Mark Driscoll, and Phantom Leg Vibrations
1:02:46
1:02:46
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Send us a Text Message. Are our smartphones killing our faith? Do we need to take drastic steps to protect ourselves from their misuse? Were Mark Driscoll's actions out of line at the Stronger Men's conference? In this episode the regulars cover these questions, amid the broader topic of our current smartphone addiction and epidemic, in light of au…
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Episode 514: Reaching People for Jesus in the Inner City of Chicago W/ Esteban Shedd
46:47
46:47
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Send us a Text Message. Ben and David sit down with rap and hip hop artist Esteban Shedd, as he shares about the beginnings of Streetlights audio bible, and how from a basement to a parking lot, to a studio, to a non-profit, to the road, to the globe - contextualizing the word of God has effectively reached millions who might never walk into a chur…
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Episode 513: What If God Doesn't Want to Heal Me?
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33:30
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Send us a Text Message. So often our culture in the church sets people up for failure with expectations of prosperity, healing, and after coming to Jesus, when the truth is that this is just not the reality to be expected. David and Ben ask the question of whether or not healing is a guaranteed part of being a Christian, or if God might sometimes h…
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Episode 512: Does Prayer Really Make A Difference? W/ Pete Greig of 24-7 Prayer
43:30
43:30
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Send us a Text Message. Is prayer something inevitably dull and boring? How can we faithfully engage in prayer to change the world for Jesus? In this episode Ben and Luke talk with the founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement, Pete Greig, and discuss how a life of prayer is the only hope we have in making a difference as Christians. --------------------…
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Episode 511: Bad Therapy, the Mental Health Crisis, and the Solution No One Is Talking About!
42:48
42:48
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Send us a Text Message. Is modern therapy making us all worse? Has the church adopted the secular mindset of medicating its way through the normal hardships of everyday life? In many ways it seems we've forgotten the healing power of the gospel, and the restorative power of the Holy Spirit. In this episode the regulars weigh in on this controversia…
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Episode 510: The Toxic War on Masculinity W/ Nancy Pearcey
50:56
50:56
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Send us a Text Message. Is the current war on men justified? How do we as Christians aim to address and remedy the toxic masculinity in our culture as followers of Jesus? Professor Nancy Pearcey sits down with Ben and Chad to discuss this topic in light of her new book, "The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes" ---------…
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Episode 509: Without THESE Changes We Will Never Reach the World! W/ Dr. Lisa Pak (Finishing The Task)
46:25
46:25
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Send us a Text Message. In this episode, Ben and Aaron sit down with Reverend and Dr. Lisa Pak, who works alongside Pastor Rick Warren at Finishing The Task, an organization that exists to see every people group in the world engaged with an indigenously led church planting movement. Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 that, "...this gospel of the kingdom w…
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Send us a Text Message. Why do we quit? What is it that is making the average American change jobs every four years? In this quick hit Ben talks about perseverance, and how the significance of our lives depends on us getting this right. ---------------------------------------------------- Want to invite Ben to speak? Click HERE! Questions, comments…
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Episode 508: Two Reasons Why We Quit When It Matters Most
43:02
43:02
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Send us a Text Message. The Bible instructs us to run the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). As followers of Jesus, how can we practically set out to accomplish this? Ben, David, and Chad wrestle through the topic of perseverance in the life of a Christian, and how we can do so in…
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Episode 507: What Should Christians Think About Marijuana? W/ Dr. Todd Miles
42:51
42:51
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Send us a Text Message. Is marijuana prohibited by scripture? Is it encouraged? As the drug increases in legalization and cultural prevalence, how do we as Christians approach it? In this episode, Ben and Chad are joined by Dr. Todd Miles, author of "Cannabis and The Christian". When it comes to marijuana, what do we make of its use recreationally,…
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Send us a Text Message. Can we actually change, or are we stuck with what we've got? What is it that keeps us stagnant, often held in the same spiritual patterns? In this quick hit Ben discusses what truly changes us, and how anything less than a shift in identity will simply not work. ---------------------------------------------------- Want to in…
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