This is a fascinating conversation, recorded in 2012, with Author and Executive Producer of the book and movie, 7 Days In Utopia, staring Robert Duvall and Lucas Back. Dr. David Cook is a coach in the field of Sport and Performance Psychology and a man of deep faith and conviction. You will be captured by his personal story and his experience of wo…

Have you ever had something in you that you didn't know how to express or offer? There was no instrument that could play your music. As Oliver Wendell Holmes is reported to have written, "Many people die with their music still in them." This is a conversation with someone who literally had music in him which could not be expressed with any know ins…

We recently found a Christians perspective on dealing with trauma, and it fascinated us. For decades, we modern people in the western world ignored trauma, and now some seem to be over obsessed with trauma. We've lost a Christian, biblical balance. What is the Christian perspective? How can we be honest about it in our own lives without losing hope…

This is an interview with Wayne Jacobsen about Finding Church. Wayne is the author of Finding Church, He Loves Me, So You Don t Want to Go to Church Anymore, and A Man Like No Other. Wayne served as a pastor for twenty years and was also a contributing editor to Leadership Journal.By Gary Barkalow

In our fifteen years of working together, Gary and I realize that God has put a few key messages on our hearts: Calling, Hearing God, Friendship, Humility … … and the incredible spiritual value of Living an Examined Life. Christian self-examination is not narcissistic self-preoccupation, nor is it is morbid self-flagellation. Christian self-examina…

At the very beginning of the book of Job, Satan asks God, "Does Job serve God for nothing?" And, honestly, we should all ask ourselves the same question. Do we serve God for God Himself, or do we USE Him to get crowns and gold stars? It is ever-so-easy to serve God for honor-roll children and Facebook likes. It is ever-so-easy to use God's glory fo…

A chance conversation on the way home from an airport led us to re-think what God is calling us to do? What season are you in? What is God calling you to add to your life, to subtract, or to multiply? He is always talking, always refining, always inviting. And giving us room to respond or not. What are YOU going to do with the little time remaining…

This is a fascinating interview (2011) with a bomber pilot in WW2. He is the father of a good friend, John Hard. John Hard Sr. went out of multiple bombing missions knowing that many of the planes would not be coming back. Returning to the base one time, his plane was so damaged by enemy fire and anti aircraft flak, that they had to scrap the plane…

Have you ever thought, "it's over". Your future, your life, your calling. Many things can bring such a thought, like pain, tragedy, loss. Even something that happened many, many years ago that reappears in a current circumstance. Listen to this interview with Bart Hansen in which you may find clarity and inspiration with your moments or seasons of …

Join us for this fun and insightful conversation with John Lynch: speaker, author, and former pastor. After 27 years as the teaching pastor at Open Door Fellowship in Phoenix, Arizona, John joined Trueface in 1997 and began speaking nationally and both authoring and coauthoring many resources such as The Cure and TrueFaced, and his own story in On …

What does it look and sound like for a person to be living in their calling? Our guest is a great example. What is going on in this world at this moment? What is God up to in us and through us, as believers? My very special guest, Leigh Barkalow, offers insights into these questions through her time of studying scripture, pursuing intimacy with God…

I was mesmerized in my conversation with Tom Mohen in 2012. I have mentioned him many times through the years with the wisdom he shared in this interview. Prepare to be captivated and inspired. Tom passed away this year (2023) and will missed by many.By Gary Barkalow

This is a conversation with Susie Larson about the process of developing your personal calling. Susie is the host of Live The Promise and Susie Larson Live radio show. She is also the author of many books including Your Beautiful Purpose. Her experience, insight and passion will inspire you. Susie lives out her passion to see people everywhere awak…

Nicky Cruz is the author of eighteen books, including the all-time Christian classic, Run Baby Run, published in 1968 and translated into more than 40 languages worldwide. It continues to be a bestseller and is required reading in many high school curricula in the UK, Finland, Australia, New Zealand, and many more. For nearly 60 years, he has been …

John Moorhead called me to say that he was within weeks of dying from cancer. He also told me that he had never experienced the degree of life and God's presence in and through him as he had in his last several months. I needed to hear how he viewed life on the edge of glory, and asked him if we could record our conversation. Here it is. For more r…

John Moorhead called me to say that he was within weeks of dying from cancer. He also told me that he had never experienced the degree of life and God's presence in and through him as he had in his last several months. I needed to hear how he viewed life on the edge of glory, and asked him if we could record our conversation. Here it is. For more r…

Oswald Chambers wrote, "God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s." How often in our lives does God's deepest purposes seem His bigg…

Ancient societies taught their children "courage," both as a skill and as a virtue. But we've lost that art, except as ways of hiding our heads in the sand or putting our trust in ourselves. How are we to face the terrors and torments of life: death of loved ones, disgrace, discovery, or the need to speak an uncomfortable truth? Join us as we refle…

God has a clear and beautiful purpose for your life, a life He has designed, birthed, nurtured, and shaped since before we were born. His plan it to bring life to others through our lives; to bring hope, and joy, and peace, and encouragement, and purpose, and Life with a capital "L." Through each of us to others, His life in us bring His life to al…

Even non-believers highly value an honest self-appraisal. Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living," and Mark Twain said, "Making good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from evaluating our bad decisions.” Why are so many people today so scared to admit their faults? To humbly say, "I need help"? Why are so many of us b…

In the Garden of Eden, Adam was lonely. He wasn't lonely because there was something wrong with him. He was lonely because he was perfect, he was made in the image of God. And God wants for his people, friendship. Yet Christians today never talk about spiritual friendship. We talk about servanthood, brotherhood, and sisterhood, but Jesus says, "I n…

The second most repeated command is Scripture is to "remember the Sabbath." While Scripture also forbids us to conform to a moralistic approach to the Sabbath, Jesus also says it was made for our good. What is the value of taking "time away" with God? What are its treasures? And what are best practices? For more information about Gary or Sam visit …

We long to see a community of believers committed to helping each other grow into their calling, into becoming the men and women God designed us to be. Too many organizations recruit and train people for IT'S purpose; but Jesus leaves the 99 to find the lost sheep, to make it His. How we use our community's strengths to help believers find their Go…

We undervalue the importance God places on friendship. Oh we say we treasure brotherhood, sisterhood, and community. But God works hugely through friendship. And we haven't learned how it can save us. For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/. For more information abou…

Transitions are those times in our life when deep changes come, usually un-asked for and often unwelcome, and those changes can be brutally painful. How can we recognize them? And how can we find spiritual hope? For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/. For more infor…

It seems like everyone we meet is just a tad bit discouraged. Not really depressed, but kind of melancholy, feeling the blues, just experiencing the doldrums. At least we are. What about you? For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/. For more information about Gary or…

None of us have seen such an acceleration of cultural change. And much is abhorrible, as if we've given ourselves over to the world. How should Christians act in the face of such radical changes? For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/. For more information about Gar…

There is a rich, spiritual virtue that most Christians ignore; it is the virtue of persistent curiosity, to live a life of fascination with God and what He is up to. To take on online course on hearing God, visit Sam's site: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/hearing-god-online-course/ For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https:/…

We all measure, all the time, all things we meet; especially our own lives. What are the best measurements for your life? To take on online course on hearing God, visit Sam's site: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/hearing-god-online-course/ For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsofthe…

We all want our children to grow into healthy adults, but there is a kind of safety-ISM that breeds a state of fear we call fear-ISM. And God wants something else for our lives. To take on online course on hearing God, visit Sam's site: https://beliefsoftheheart.com/hearing-god-online-course/ For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websi…

We want to share with you a life giving practice Gary and I created (by accident) in December 2011. It's an exciting, intentional, motivating way to begin each New Year. We've been doing it for years. In the show, we promised to write down our process, which follows: How To Develop a Transcendent Pursuit: First, find a friend or two (or more) who w…

Why does fatigue take so much out out us? It's not just being tired: we snap and snarl at others, and indulge in self-pity. How do we handle the inner effects of fatigue on us and our family? For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/. And very special thanks to Keith M…

Have you ever wondered if you would be missed if you left your community? Scripture says we are a body, and so any missing part would be missed indeed. God might call us elsewhere, but everybody's departure should be noticeable. Community and Calling are linked. Just as the hand needs the foot, so our communities needs us to discover and walk in ou…

Many of us just sideline Scripture. We claim it's authoritative and accurate, but it just doesn't seem applicable to our lives anymore, like, we've outgrown it. So, like we do with many older players, we bench it, and put someone younger on the field. Sometimes I wonder which position is the most dangerous position to take on Scripture: outright de…

Gary called me this week to discuss a podcast he was listening to: The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. It was so fascinating, we just had to share our conversation with you. We hope you find it challenging as we do, and we hope we all grow in knowing the real God as he really is, not as we self-focused humans often mis-portray him. To hear the podcast …

On February 26, 2020, just a few weeks before COVID 19 became a household name, Gary and I (with friend John Hard) recorded a conversation together on "Dealing with Discouragement." Unknown to me at the time, I was just recovering from COVID myself, thinking it had been bronchitis. So it is even more fascinating for us to look back at this discussi…

Curiosity is a great way God leads. Moses went over to look at the Burning Bush out of curiosity. How might God be leading you in ways you haven't considered? For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/. For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: The No…

It's wrong (and foolish) to live unaware of the dangers around us, but it is more wrong (and more foolish) to let the environment around us cause us to live in a state of fear. But fear is exactly the message bombarding us from both the left and right, and center: the message of FEAR-ISM. For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites:…

We all want happiness, who wouldn't?, and the world offers lots of shortcuts. What is God's plan for our happiness? What does He offer us? Listen as Gary and Sam discuss another "counterfeit answer" from the world, and the offering from God. For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefso…

How is God calling us to do ministry in a spiritual fashion that cannot be replicated apart from the work of God? How much do we adopt the tips and techniques of the world, and how much do we stand apart? For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsoftheheart.com/. For more information …

Today we address the cultural moment of our culture's mishandling of God by appearing embarrassed to declare the "whole counsel" of God. Do we really think we, today, this cultural moment, know more about human problems than God does? For more information about Gary or Sam visit their websites: https://thenobleheart.com/ and https://beliefsofthehea…

The first house Carla and I bought was a trilevel. Only two of the three floors were completed, and we decided to finish the third floor ourselves, creating a family room, office, and second bathroom. I had worked with carpentry, wiring, and plumbing before. But I had never done drywall. I figured the drywall mud would be easy to sand down, so afte…

The Special Forces have a saying: The battle isn’t over until all the bullets have been counted. Their principle understands that the last battle is always a precursor to the next. Whether we won or lost that contest, we will be sure to face another. If we don’t learn from our last encounter, we will be weakened for our next. To nurture the life of…

It is hard to make it to the age of forty without falling prey to some form of betrayal. It may have been a spouse, friend, parent, child, or a business partner; but we’ve all experienced the bitter taste of having someone close betray us. Which means we all have to learn the spiritual lesson of forgiveness. Oswald Chambers wrote, “Tolerating a wro…

Jesus said, “Of those born on this earth, no one is greater than John the Baptist.” Everyone I know would love to hear that kind of high praise. What made John so great? John was famous throughout Israel. Common folk and leaders made pilgrimages to hear him speak. But after John baptized Jesus, John’s disciples began to abandon him to follow Jesus.…

Scripture says every believer lives on the border between two kingdoms. But unlike the geographical border between the United States and Canada, the border between these kingdoms runs through the center of our hearts. And these two kingdoms are in a battle to the death. Alexander Solzhenitsyn says, "The line dividing good and evil cuts through the …

Healthy living has become a major emphasis of modern society. Even many middle-schoolers can tell you that a balanced, nourishing diet significantly contributes to physical and mental well-being. (Whether they care to participate in that healthy diet is a different issue.) Likewise, there is a healthy spiritual diet that nurtures His life in us. Go…

Oswald Chambers once wrote, “The bearing of fruit is always shown in Scripture to be the visible result of an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.” There is an innate desire in every human to bear fruit in this world. Some desires are for good (raising a family or caring for the poor) and some are of the flesh (greed or need for prestige). Jesu…