Joil Podcasts

In this episode we will pause and consider what Jesus’s prayer for a man who was deaf and mute says about his prayer for us. He wants you to hear and speak of his goodness. Reaching back and leaning in as we go deeper in our journey with God.By Joil A Marbut

What do you do with a response from Jesus that just seems out of place? When it doesn’t really reflect what you expected to hear? Maybe even a response that is so strong it makes him look unsightly in the eyes of his listeners? You look back at church history and lean into the text to see what was really being said. In this episode, we examine one …

Your thoughts are controlling your life. Where are they coming from? It may shock you to find out in this episode of Sage Spirituality as we continue our journey through the Gospels.By Joil A Marbut

In this episode, we explore the issues at the heart of the Pharisees who persecuted Jesus and constantly attempted to entrap him with man-made legalism. We will give you a personal litmus test to check your inner Pharisee. The result may surprise you. Lean into this well-known dialogue between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day.…

In this episode, we will dive into an unconventional and difficult command given to Jesus’ disciples. Their obedience serves as a lesson for us when we face headwinds and doubts in our own journey. When we obey, it opens us up to a deeper work of grace, it is a work that may not be apparent to us.By Joil A Marbut

In this episode of Sage Spirituality, we will be leaning into a very well-known text, it is a miraculous story that is retold in all four Gospels. During this time we will look deeper than the 5000 who were fed as we listen to Jesus' message to us today. Slow down even when you are doing God's work, be kind and compassionate even when you don't fee…

What do gossip, grudges, and gyrating hips have in common? They are all found in the story of John the Baptist. From one of the most overlooked and unlikely places in this Gospel’s account, there is a deep and personal lesson for each of us to take away. You are invited to reach back, lean in, and go deeper in your relationship with God.…

What exactly did Jesus mean when he told his disciples to “shake off the dust of their feet” when they had been rejected? Are you currently hanging onto something that Jesus is asking you to let go of so you can move on to your next assignment? In this episode, we will dig deep into the first commission of the disciples as we lean in and reach back…

Unbelief is more than a simple lack of faith, it was the one thing that limited Jesus' power to do miracles in his hometown of Nazareth. In this episode, we will look deeper into the cause and effect of unbelief and three simple steps to remedy it in our lives today.

Have you ever felt like you were disappointed with God? Most likely, we have all had our moments. This episode will take a few moments to learn from some of the most notable figures in church history. From their experience, we will plot a course to overcome disappointment.By Joil A Marbut

In this episode, we consider the power of faith. Matthew Henry noted that “Jesus honored faith because faith honored him”. We will dive deep into a biblical explanation of faith and what it means to truly believe. Hold on to your seat, your faith is about to be challenged. Thank you for coming to our table.…

What do a crazy demon-possessed man and a pig farm have to teach us in our current day? More than meets the eye! We will dig into this often overlooked text to find practical application in our everyday lives. In this episode, we will identify our common enemy and some of his surest tactics and put in place a proven strategy to overcome him.…

the Bible is a multilayered living work that holds deep meaning in each verse. In this episode of Sage Spirituality, we will turn the text “around and around” to see its many facets, we will reach back into church history and lean into what Jesus was teaching to his disciples as they crossed the Sea of Galilee.…

In this episode, we consider a word widely used but rarely understood in the church and in the world. A word that can change even the worst sinner into a person of faith. Just like the old hymn reminds us, it truly is amazing. Its grace. Come to the table for our 50th episode and lean in as we discuss the one word that can truly change the world.…

If you are a disciple of Christ there is a candle burning in your life. It was lit by your Savior and it has a purpose. You were not meant to be a closet Christian, but to glorify your Father in heaven. In this episode of Sage Spirituality we consider what this means in our journey, how we can actually burn even brighter and the danger involved for…

Are you allowing distractions to steal the seeds that God is attempting to sow in your life? Are you hard-hearted to the point of not allowing eternal work to spring up in your life? Maybe you just look back with regret over your past or your feel anxious about your future. Either way, there is hope for you to become fertile soil. In this episode, …

As a follower of Christ is it ever wrong to do what's right? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the Pharisees' hypocrisy as we continue to journey through the Gospel of Mark. We will reach back to the voices of church history and see that it is always the right time to do the right things.By Joil A Marbut

Are you sedating your pain with leisure instead of healing yourself with a true Sabbath rest? In this episode, we explore the importance of entering into true obedience that leads to the recharging of the soul and physical rest. From the beginning of creation until our current chaotic reality few things have remained the same, but one is constant, …

Have you become dry or hardened in your spiritual life or as Jesus warned, are you an "old Wineskin"? In this episode, we will look at the ways that can become a reality in each of our lives and we search for the remedy for those who want to stay alive and renewed in their spiritual experience. Come to the table as we reach back and lean in as we g…

"Jesus Friend of Sinners" may mean more than you think. In this episode we will lean into our text in the Gospel of Mark and see that Jesus was much more than a friend to the sinners he met, he was truly their savior. All while performing his greatest miracle of creation, turning sinners into saints.…

In this episode of Sage Spirituality, found out if you are a great pretender. We will lean into our Gospel text and see how we can make our faith visible and apparent not only to others but to God.By Joil A Marbut

Have you ever felt trapped by "Yes"? Many Christians feel like "Yes" is the only answer they can give but in this episode, we learn from Jesus' example that both "Yes" and "No" can be valid answers that bring glory to God.By Joil A Marbut

Why is our hearing not in sync with our doing? We know what we are supposed to do, what God wants us to do, yet we pause. Some pause for a moment and others for a lifetime. How do we shorten the response between hearing and doing? How do we become immediate in our obedience to the Lord? We will turn to the teachings of Jesus to find a formula that …

"Repent and believe" formed a two-part equation that was at the heart of Jesus' preaching. Yet somehow over time, in some circles of the church, it has been reduced to simply "believe. If you have never truly reached the point of repentance you are missing half of the equation. What is repentance? Why does it matter to you? What should you do about…

Are you running away from what you should be running towards? In this episode of Sage Spirituality, we will walk away from the noise and into the solitude of the Wilderness with Jesus. It is there that we find truth; Our True God, Our True Enemy, and Our True Self.By Joil A Marbut

Join Sage Spirituality as we journey through the Gospels with an in-depth focus on the life of Jesus. In this episode, we dive into the book of Mark 1: 1-11 where John the Baptist announces Jesus's ministry and we are formally introduced to the Trinity. This amazing day in history will serve as our stepping off point in our journey towards our Savi…

We are either in a storm, coming out of a storm, or about to drive into a storm. These storms are the trials of life, we can go or grow through them. The decision is ours.By Joil A Marbut

In this episode of Sage Spirituality, we learn to discern the "If" of the enemy and the "If" of our Savior. Our lives depend on which one we respond to.By Joil A Marbut

2020 has been a year filled with pain, anxiety, and at least some form of suffering for almost everyone. We would do good to consider the current reality with the trials of Jesus' disciples. Even when they were filled with doubt and left scratching their heads and questioning the situation, they learned that God was in control and actually had a pl…

This time of the year we turn our eyes toward the advent of what God has promised to do. No matter how dark or challenging, we can choose to lean in and hear the music that is playing around us. Take time during this season to see the beauty of what God is doing in our midst and to renew your hope.By Joil A Marbut

In this episode, we reach back in church history to a time where revival seemed unlikely. A time filled with social and cultural divide. When towns and cities all had churches, but those churches were dead. Yet something happened when a young preacher began to "break ou the fallow ground" of his own personal life, a revival started that shook the e…

In this episode we tackle the first steps that Charles Finney laid out for revival. It can’t reach “them” until it reaches you.By Joil A Marbut

In this episode of Sage Spirituality we will be looking at what God is doing through the Corona Virus outbreak. It is more life giving than you can imagine.By Joil A Marbut

This week Sage Spirituality focuses on the message hidden in a rather obscure novel by a missionary hero that leads us to ask, "Is God truly God or is He simply an accomplice to your plan?" Let's reach back and lean in as we continue to grow together in our spiritual life.By Joil A Marbut

In this episode we endeavor to introduce you to Julian of Norwich and her inspirational story of growth while passing through tremendous doubts and great suffering. We will either emerge from our Coronavirus caves better or worse, but we will not emerge unchanged.By Joil A Marbut

God is attempting to get your attention. Are you willing to say, "Enough is enough"? The quarantine is a place that He is using to prepare you for a revival that will begin in your own home.By Joil A Marbut

Could it be that God is preparing us for something better, richer and sweeter? See what Pooh Bear has to do with pruning this week on Sage Spirituality.By Joil A Marbut

We can be light in the darkest of nights. How do I know that? Because even in the most dire situations of World War 2 an entire generation of pastors and priests proved it. We look at what it takes to "survive" the worst case situations and how God uses those times to shape us for future work.By Joil A Marbut

Welcome to another Corona-Quarantine Cast episode of Sage Spirituality. In this episode we invite you to lean in and ask yourself a few questions. What if God is doing something much bigger through the current circumstances that what we can see.By Joil A Marbut

Julian of Norwich serves as an inspiration in our quest to triumph over our fear of the unknown and she uses a simple nut and three sentences to do it. Lean in and remind yourself of all that God has done.By Joil A Marbut

From our government mandated lockdown to the Sage Spirituality table, we bring you the first in a special series aptly titled "Corona-Quarantine Cast". We will reach back in church history and see what some of the "greats" had to say about fear. They faced jail because of religious persecutions, cholera outbreaks that led to quarantines, and Nazis …

March 17, is a day we celebrate a great man of God. He is known as the Apostle of the Emerald Isle, Patrick of the Irish or just St. Patrick for those who pinch you when you are not dressed in green. His life is an example to us in this time of crisis and we will be reaching back to his work "Confessions". Pull up a chair at the table and let's lea…

In this episode we will have a one on one sit down with Pastor Bryan Pugner of Ocean City, Maryland. He talks about the importance of family and friends in his spiritual journey. Pull up a chair, you will not be disappointed.By Joil Marbut

Honesty has become harder and harder to find in the 21st century. What would have been called an outright lie just 40 years ago is now an accepted "half truth". Why is Jesus so insistent that His disciples maintain honesty? Why does it matter to you right now? Come to table as we dig deep into the word of God and church history to grow in this area…

Jesus never intended for His teachings to be used as rocks, thrown at those who are hurting due to circumstances outside of their control. Single? God has a plan for you. Married? God has a plan for you. Divorced? God has a plan for you. Let's reach back and lean in to see what we can do to make marriage great again.…

Bill McDonald has served over half his life reaching the unreached through church planting and discipleship. During this half-hour, you will hear about his journey and some of the spiritual waypoints that have kept him growing and passionate for the God he met in his teens.By Joil A Marbut

In this episode we are gleaning from modern professionals and church fathers to understand that we are meant for more than just lust, we are built for love.By Joil A Marbut

Sage Spirituality wishes you a Merry Christmas with this special edition episode where you will learn something about St. Nick that you never knew!By Joil A Marbut

Take a pause during this festive time and let the true meaning of Thanksgiving deepen your soul.By Joil A Marbut

Angry in traffic, angry in the drive through, angry at work. Anger is destroying us from the inside out. In this episode your host will give you some insight from the Bible and from Church history so that you can finally cut the fuse on the powder keg of anger. Part 2By Joil A Marbut