Best Ladder Christ Community Podcasts (2024)

1
Why Did Jesus Have to Die? | S4 E1 30:27

11h ago30:27

30:27

Welcome back to The Extraordinary Story, a podcast about the life of Christ. Season Four will guide us through the final week of Jesus’ life as he approaches the ‘hour’ for which he came: death on a cross. But Tom Hoopes has done some thinking during the break, and returns with a fresh perspective to share with us about why all of this even matters…

1
Episode 53: Pt. 2, The Ancient Ladder with Scott MacLellan 37:02

10M ago37:02

37:02

"The Ancient Ladder" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Ladder-Journey-Fullness-Life/dp/0830785493 Learn more about Cloudwalk Ministries and support the work of this podcast: cloudwalk.org

1
Waste It All on Jesus | Season Three Finale 22:31

10M ago22:31

22:31

Jesus is back at dinner again with Martha, her sister Mary, and Lazarus. There's a growing sense of doom in the air. It's the feeling we all know too well - that something is about to go terribly wrong, and we're not sure what. Mary takes out a jar of ointment, and everyone would have been impressed when they saw it, because it was worth a year's w…

1
The King Wants to See Your Talents | S3 E22 31:50

10M ago31:50

31:50

Jesus has been headed to Jerusalem: determined, relentless, and unstoppable. He has been telling anyone who would listen that he is going there to die, but no one is listening. Just before they reach the top of the Mount of Olives with a view of Jerusalem he stops to tell them a strange parable. This week Tom Hoopes dives into the Parable of the Ta…

1
Two Surprises on the Jericho Road | S3 E21 31:44

10M ago31:44

31:44

Jesus is headed to Jerusalem and nothing is going to stop him- certainly not on the rough and dangerous Jericho Road. A multitude joins Jesus on the path, and as they proceed to Jericho a crazed voice calls out to him: "Son of David, have mercy on me!" In the city, a little man hangs out of a tall tree staring at him. And suddenly, Jesus isn't so u…

1
The Lowest Place | S3 E20 31:59

11M ago31:59

31:59

"They are going to kill me," Jesus told his disciples. It was his third great prediction of how it was all going to end: "We are going to Jerusalem where they will condemn me to death." At this moment James, John, and their mother decided to approach Jesus and demand places of honor in the Kingdom. Jesus's response was not what they were expecting.…

1
Jesus Raises Lazarus (and His Sisters) | S3 E19 31:37

11M ago31:37

31:37

Jesus is devastated. His friend is dead. He is crying. He stands before Lazarus' tomb and cries out. Was his voice startlingly strong, or broken with the pain that had finally reached a fever pitch? We don't know how he said it, but we do know what he said: "Lazarus, come forth." In this episode, Tom Hoopes explores Jesus' relationship with the fam…

1
Episode 52: The Ancient Ladder with Scott MacLellan 52:23

11M ago52:23

52:23

"The Ancient Ladder" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Ladder-Journey-Fullness-Life/dp/0830785493 Learn more about Cloudwalk Ministries and support the work of this podcast: cloudwalk.org

1
What the Rich Young Man Lost | S3 E18 28:33

11M ago28:33

28:33

Pope Benedict XVI said, "The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness." We're going to explore just that in this episode as we read the story of the Rich young Man, which is a hinge story in the gospel. One of the big important turning points in the gospel. And we'll even touch base with Ted Turner be…

1
Is God Even Listening? Prayer Parables | S3 E17 33:10

11M ago33:10

33:10

Jesus has told us all along how loving and caring our Father is and how terrible sin is. But in the parables of the Persistent Widow, and the Pharisee and the Publican, He casts God as uncaring and indifferent in the parable anyway. Then he shows us an unrighteous, righteous man and a righteous sinner. He wants to do is powerfully put across how so…

1
Jesus’ Marriage Revolution | S3 E16 30:29

12M ago30:29

30:29

The Pharisees try to trip Jesus up by asking him about divorce and marriage. Jesus answers in words that have caused a lot of trouble ever since. "Where God has joined together, let no man put asunder." So we're going to look at divorce and marriage today. I'll try to make the case that what Jesus did here was actually a very freeing thing. I'll ev…

1
Farewell, Thank You, and New Beginnings- Courtney Lowman 43:30

12M ago43:30

43:30

Today's episode is a celebration! 150 episodes later, the Journey of Ruth Podcast is coming to an end. Today we get to celebrate all that has happened in the last 4 years and all that God did. Courtney chats about some of the most popular episodes and guests, Explains what is happening next and where you can continue to see what is next in the Jour…

1
Parables of Salvation | S3 E15 31:57

12M ago31:57

31:57

God is so unfair. Jesus tells three parables today, and each one shows God being unfair. What is up, for instance, with the shrewd steward who cheats his boss and then gets praised for it? What's up with a rich man who enjoys food and drink like you and I do? And Jesus doubles down and then quadruples down on the torment he deserves for eternity. T…

1
Painful Truths About the Prodigal Son | S3 E14 31:49

12M ago31:49

31:49

Today in three Parables of Divine Mercy, including the big one, The Prodigal Son. I always think I know about the prodigal son already. When I hear someone about to talk about the prodigal son. If that's what you're thinking, just wait. I always get more out of hearing the same thing again and I have a couple of things that I think amount to a new …

1
Disciple-making: An Anecdote to Shallow Faith- Bobby Harrington 53:50

12M ago53:50

53:50

Bobby Harrington is a lead pastor, author, disciple-maker coach, and trainer of other leaders. Dr. Harrington is the point-leader of renew.org and the Executive Director or Discipleship.org . Dr. Harrington and I chat about the importance of a clear definition of discipleship within every local church, trends he has observed in the area of dsciple-…

1
The Reality of Hell (and Mercy) | S3 E13 36:19

1y ago36:19

36:19

Today we will hear Jesus, the loving Savior, the Good Shepherd, the Lord who calls us friends, talk all about hell. "Will few be saved?" someone asks him. His answer raises issues that resound to our day. Why is there a hell at all? Why would guide make a world in which people He loves end up in hell? And what about non-Catholics? Where will they e…

1
Discovering God in Nature | S3 E12 34:13

1y ago34:13

34:13

Take a long look at the grass and birds and flowers, and relax. Jesus contrasts two worldviews. One is the worldview of Mammon, the false God of wealth. The worldview that traps us in a technological bubble as anonymous wage slaves worried about our bank accounts. The other worldview is the one where we are the billionaire children of the King of t…

1
Choosing Adoption- The Ultimate Act of Love- Laura Bruder 1:00:04

1y ago1:00:04

1:00:04

Laura Bruder works for Brave Love, a pro-adoption movement dedicated to changing the perception of adoption by acknowledging birth moms for their brave decision. Laura and I chat about the impact that creating an adoption plan can have for a mom experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. We discussed the emotions that birth mom go through before and afte…

1
The Road to Jerusalem | S3 E11 32:21

1y ago32:21

32:21

Jesus is on his relentless road to Jerusalem. He uses the road as a school of discipleship. He warns that wealth and selfishness will dog us every step of the way. Gospel: Luke, 12 The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to give us his Cross as a ladder up and out. The Extraordinary Sto…

1
Set Your Hand to the Plow | S3 E10 29:26

1y ago29:26

29:26

Christ tells us how to behave when we have set our hand to the plow and how to treat our families. In this episode we consider the paradoxes of Jesus. We learn that the only destruction Jesus commands is the destruction of your paradigm. That love and sentimentality are very different things. And the only fire Jesus wants to set is the fire of love…

1
How To Become A Willing Disciple- Courtney Lowman 36:53

1y ago36:53

36:53

This is the final episode in a series of episodes where I am addressing topics that have come up as I have discipled women through the years. Today I am talking to both those being discipled and those who are discipling. If you have been around for awhile you have heard me talk about our discipleship tree. In fact We talked in detail about the 3 le…

1
The Good Samaritan and the Laity | S3 E9 36:39

1y ago36:39

36:39

Jesus sends out seventy disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and he tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan to answer a lawyer's trick question. The mission of the seventy and the story of a robbery victim both reveal the Church's "secret weapon" - laypeople who evangelize and minister to the world's lost and wounded. The Extraordinary Story i…

1
The Good Shepherd | S3 E8 33:22

1y ago33:22

33:22

Jesus publicly announces that he is the "Good Shepherd," but this does not mean that he is a friendly farmhand. The Pharisees know this, and they attempt to silence him. If Christ is the Shepherd, who are the sheep who "know his voice?" The Extraordinary Story is a podcast about the life of Jesus Christ, who entered the maze of our world to give us…

1
Taking The Next Step Towards Your Purpose- Courtney Lowman 33:54

1y ago33:54

33:54

This episode is a continuation of topics that i have discussed with women I have discipled. Maybe the first time I came upon them, I wasn’t too confident and it would have been nice to have a couple idea of how to respond or where to go in God’s word for an example. We all come to this point in our life where we want to know what our purpose is in …

1
The Man Born Blind | S3 E7 33:36

1y ago33:36

33:36

Jesus gives sight to a man who has been blind from birth. This miracle brings Christ into further conflict with the Pharisees. We were all like the man born blind - lost in the maze of the world until we meet Jesus. When the blind man encounters the Lord, everything changes for him. Will we be like him, or like the Pharisees who are so entangled in…

1
The Woman Caught in Adultery | S3 E6 35:17

1y ago35:17

35:17

Parental Advisory: This episode addresses contemporary sexual problems and behaviors. Listener discretion advised. Religious leaders bring before Jesus a woman "caught in the act of adultery." They expect to trap Jesus in a moral dilemma with no solution. How does Christ respond the woman entangled in sexual sin? How does he react to the religious …

1
Making, Multiplying, and Maturing Disciples- Jim Baugh 59:03

1y ago59:03

59:03

In this episode, I spoke with Jim Baugh. Jim is the Ministry Partner Development Director for the Global Training Network. He teaches men and women how to understand and apply the Word of God and then how to go and teach others. Jim lets us in on some of the astounding statistics concerning Christians in the developing world, what effective discipl…

1
Revelation in the Temple | S3 E5 36:51

1y ago36:51

36:51

Christ travels from Galilee to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, where the he declares that he himself is Living Water. What is the Feast of Tabernacles (or Feast of Booths) and why does Christ choose it as the occasion to make this announcement? What is it about calling himself "water" at this feast that makes the scribes and Pharisees want …

1
Man vs. God | S3 E4 37:34

1y ago37:34

37:34

What is sin, and why does Jesus make such a big deal about it? How should we respond to our own sin and the sin of others around us? In this episode of The Extraordinary Story, we dive into several teachings of Christ that focus on themes of sin and forgiveness. From Peter's famous question, "How many times should I forgive my brother?" to the "Par…

1
Becoming a Ladder-Holding Leader - Katie Reid 47:40

1y ago47:40

47:40

Our guest today is author and speaker Katie Reid. Katie has written two books and has a beautiful perspective on leading others that matches so well with our mission here at Journey of Ruth. Katie and I chat about being Eternally Focused and Kingdom Building, the loneliness epidemic, how to be a ladder-holding leader and her book that is being turn…

1
Become Like A Child | S3 E3 31:27

1y ago31:27

31:27

What is it about children that Jesus wants us to imitate? Many of us remember our childhood selves and ask: "What happened to that person full of wonder? What happened to my childhood dreams?" In this episode of The Extraordinary Story, we dive in to Matthew 18 and discuss how God, the source of endless surprise and joy, can help us to "become like…

1
Episode 51: Raised into True Life with Winn Collier 1:00:32

1y ago1:00:32

1:00:32

Learn more about Winn Collier: https://winncollier.com/ Buy "Let God" by Winn Collier: https://www.amazon.com/Let-God-Spiritual-Conversations-Francois/dp/0692857702/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Z2UJROL7788U&keywords=winn+collier+let+god&qid=1686581142&sprefix=winn+collier+let+go%2Caps%2C392&sr=8-1 ------ Learn more about Cloudwalk: https://cloudwalk.org/ Learn …

1
A Demon Who Requires Fasting | S3 E2 31:32

1y ago31:32

31:32

In this episode, Tom Hoopes examines the story of the boy with a demon in which Jesus puts on a master class in what it takes to cast out demons through faith, hope and love.By Benedictine College

1
Episode 50: The Love of God as Life Giving Connection, Pt. 2 45:09

1y ago45:09

45:09

"God is our environment as the sea is to the fish and the air to the bird. God is over all things, under all things; outside all; within but not enclosed; without but not excluded; above but not raised up; below but not depressed; wholly above, presiding; wholly beneath, sustaining; wholly within, filling." - Hildebert of Lavardin Buy Tom's book, "…

1
The Transfiguration | S3 E1 31:40

1y ago31:40

31:40

The Extraordinary Story returns. In our first episode of Season 3, Tom Hoopes discusses The Transfiguration.By Benedictine College

1
Biblical Conflict Resolution- Courtney Lowman 37:13

1+ y ago37:13

37:13

In our relationships with others, conflict is inevitable. Is it possible for your connection to be stronger on the other side of conflict? Learning to deal with conflict correctly will not only benefit your friendships but also your family relationships, your professional relationships and marriage. Today Courtney talk about God’s opinion of reconc…

1
Loving Your Parents As An Adult- Courtney Lowman 39:56

1+ y ago39:56

39:56

The transition to adulthood can be very challenging relationaly and personally. As the relationship changes between adult children and their parents, the words “Honor you Mother and Father” take on a different framework. In this episode I talk about why it is crucial that your relationship with your parents changes, what the words Honor and Respect…

1
One Year of the Extraordinary Story | Season Two Finale 27:01

1+ y ago27:01

27:01

In the season two finale, Tom Hoopes is joined by his editor and producer, Michael Coy, to reflect on a full year of The Extraordinary Story. Topics include the origins of the podcast, favorite episodes, and hopes for the future of the church.By Benedictine College

1
Episode 49: The Love of God as Life Giving Connection 49:50

1+ y ago49:50

49:50

Learn more about Cloudwalk Ministries: https://cloudwalk.org/ Purchase Connected by Tom Ashbrook: https://www.amazon.com/Connected-Rediscovering-Life-Giving-LOVE-God/dp/B0BNH633QM/ Register for LAVISH Canada: https://cloudwalk.org/events/lavish-in-canada

1
First Prediction of the Passion | S2 E15 31:12

1+ y ago31:12

31:12

Today we are going to talk about Mark’s Midpoint. It’s the turning point in the Extraordinary Story that Mark is telling about Jesus Christ. Before, Jesus was a mystery man, after this he says who he is plainly and that means he must suffer and die.By Benedictine College

1
3 Steps To Building Relationships That Develop Disciples- Courtney Lowman 40:54

1+ y ago40:54

40:54

In a continuation of our Discipleship Deep Dive Series, this episode addresses the very beginning of the whole discipleship process. If you desire to disciple someone, but don't have someone in your life that needs discipleship, where do you start? How do you begin to build relationships that lead to discipleship? I walk through how to place yourse…

1
On This Rock | S2 E14 26:27

1+ y ago26:27

26:27

In this episode, Peter correctly answers Jesus's question "Who do you say I am?" and in reply, Jesus gives St. Peter a role of shocking prominence in his Church. How can such supreme authority be given to Peter? And how could it apply to so many weak popes that followed? And does it really apply also to Pope Francis?…

1
Sign of Jonah | S2 E13 26:37

1+ y ago26:37

26:37

Today we will hear Jesus promise to give one sign to his detractors: The sign of Jonah. Then he goes on to make references to another Old Testament figure: The Queen of Sheba. This language may be mystifying for us but it wasn’t for the Jewish leaders of his time. In fact, these verses show Jesus taking the gloves off in a new way – a new way that …

1
Don't Let Anxiety Run Your Life- Holley Gerth 50:58

1+ y ago50:58

50:58

Today I get to chat with life coach, counselor and author Holley Gerth. Holley is a self proclaimed introvert who has struggled with anxiety for many years. Anxiety is a growing issue in today’s culture and Holley was so kind to serve as our own teacher or counselor in this conversation. Holley and I chat about the foundations of anxiety, how we ca…

1
Crumbs from the Master’s Table | S2 E12 31:26

1+ y ago31:26

31:26

We often treat Jesus like a loyal dog at our heels. In truth, we are the dogs at the master's table. In this gospel passage, a Canaanite woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus' response is not only a test of her faith, but a promise of what faith and humility delivers.By Benedictine College

1
Love Jesus, Hate Religion? | S2 E11 34:03

1+ y ago34:03

34:03

We often run into the trap of loving Jesus, but hating religion. In this Gospel passage, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees, the religious orthodoxy of His day, and shows us exactly how to critique religion without destroying it altogether.By Benedictine College

1
Discipleship As A Lifestyle- Caesar Kalinowski 56:42

1+ y ago56:42

56:42

Caesar Kalinowski is a serial church planter, coach, and the author of several books, including the top-selling, The Gospel Primer. Caesar and his wife are lovers of discipleship and together they help others learn how to incorporate discipleship into their every day lives and today he’s going to be OUR coach! Caesar and I chat about what living a …

1
It is the Spirit that Gives Life | S2 E10 23:32

1+ y ago23:32

23:32

A follow up to last week's episode, where Jesus proclaimed that He was the Bread of Life. This week, Tom Hoopes reflects on Christ's revelation from John 6:63. "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."By Benedictine College

1
Episode 48: Formed By God, Pt. 2 with Carolyn Arends 39:40

1+ y ago39:40

39:40

Learn more about Carolyn: https://www.carolynarends.com/ Learn more about Renovaré: https://renovare.org/ ----- Learn more about Cloudwalk Ministries: cloudwalk.org ----- Upcoming events: Lavish Reveal Silent Retreat

1
I Am the Bread of Life | S2 E9 25:51

1+ y ago25:51

25:51

Jesus has performed miracles. He has conquered demons, challenged civic and religious authority, and called His apostle, Peter, out into the storm. This week, on The Extraordinary Story, Jesus utters perhaps the most controversial and transformative statement in the Gospels.By Benedictine College

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