Daily Readings By Wild At Heart podcast

#Religion #Christianity #John Eldredge #New Books #Wild At Heart

1:00:36

Do you have fond childhood memories of summer camp? For a chance at $250,000, campers must compete in a series of summer camp-themed challenges to prove that they are unbeatable, unhateable, and unbreakable. Host Chris Burns is joined by the multi-talented comedian Dana Moon to recap the first five episodes of season one of Battle Camp . Plus, Quori-Tyler (aka QT) joins the podcast to dish on the camp gossip, team dynamics, and the Watson to her Sherlock Holmes. Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/WeHaveTheReceipts Text us at (929) 487-3621 DM Chris @FatCarrieBradshaw on Instagram Follow We Have The Receipts wherever you listen, so you never miss an episode. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

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Daily Readings are a daily excerpt from books and teachings from John and Stasi Eldredge and Morgan Snyder.

763 episodes

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

updated 21 minutes ago

Series home•Feed

Daily Readings are a daily excerpt from books and teachings from John and Stasi Eldredge and Morgan Snyder.

763 episodes

#Religion #Christianity #John Eldredge #New Books #Wild At Heart

All episodes

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Simply Himself 1:18

21 minutes ago1:18

1:18

Playful, cunning, generous, fierce — not one moment of it is contrived. Jesus never plays to the audience, never kowtows to the opposition, never takes his cues from the circus around him. He is simply being himself. The diversity of Jesus’ actions, timing, manner, words, dare we say moods; his sudden changes of direction, then his stillness — it’s hard to keep up with. It certainly is colorful, but almost dizzying, like a Byzantine mosaic, alive and shifting like the northern lights. Dazzling, but nearly to the point of leaving us confused. As soon as we’ve grabbed on to one dimension of Jesus — his generosity, his compassion, his honesty — he seems to turn it on its head, or us on ours. Perhaps the Gospel stories seem dizzying only because we’ve never seen anyone act like this before. Maybe what we are witnessing is actually one single quality, not many. Maybe Jesus is simply being true. Want more? Order your copy of Beautiful Outlaw today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Down Time 3:00

1 day ago3:00

3:00

I think it was Archibald Hart who pointed out that because we are so accustomed to moving pedal to the metal in our own world, the thing we overlook in the Gospels are all of the in-between times when Christ and his followers were walking from one town to another. When the record states, “The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee,” (John 1:43) we project our own pace upon it, not realizing it took the boys three days by foot to get there. Three days just strolling along, talking, or sharing the silent beauty; the pauses for lunch or a drink from a well; the campfires in the evening. Even as I write this, it sounds luxurious. Christ does not move immediately from one dramatic story to another; there was down time, transition time between those demands. Time to process what had happened (these are the moments you see the disciples asking questions; “what did you mean by ... ?”). Time to catch their breath before the next encounter. That was the pace Jesus felt was reasonable for people engaged in important things and wanting a life with God. Time we would categorize almost as vacation time, for those are the only periods we allow ourselves a stroll, a lingering lunch, a campfire conversation. We highly progressive moderns try to keep up without any of those intervals and transitions. The things that we require of ourselves—we go from a tender conversation with our eight-year-old anxious about going to school to an angry phone call with our insurance company as we drive to work, followed by a quick chat with our sister needing a decision about our aging parents’ “memory care unit.” Then it’s straight into a series of business meetings (during which we multitask by trying to bang out some email), firing an employee, interviewing another, making dinner reservations for our spouse’s birthday, fitting in a conversation with our boss because we can’t say no, and showing up late and haggard for the dinner. And we wonder why we have a hard time finding God, receiving more of him, feeling like we’re overflowing with life. We are forcing our souls through multiple gear-changes each day, each hour , and after years of this we wonder why we aren’t even sure what to say when a friend genuinely inquires, “How are you?” We don’t really know; we aren’t sure what we feel anymore. We live at one speed: go. All the subtleties of human experience have been forced into one state of being. Mercy. No soul was meant to live like this. What sort of madness have we come to accept as normal when a One Minute Pause feels like a luxury?! Want more? Order your copy of Get Your Life Back today.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Praying for Guidance 1:44

2 days ago1:44

1:44

How to pray for guidance. First off, do whatever you can to reduce the pressure. Pressure is a killer; it nearly always gets in the way of hearing from God. As best you can, lay down the pressure as you seek guidance. Drama never helps; stress never helps. Give the search some breathing room. Take a deep breath yourself. Second, be open to whatever it may be that God has to say to you. If you are, in truth, only open to hearing one answer from God—yes, you should buy that house—then it’s not likely you will hear anything at all. More sadly, if you do hear a “yes,” you won’t be able to trust it. Surrender is the key. Yield your desires and plans and hunches to the living God, so that you might receive from him something far better: his counsel. Consecrate the matter; consecrate the process of decision making too! Third, do not fill in the blanks! Do not spend half your energy trying to figure it out while you are giving the other half to seek- ing God. You do not want to “walk in the light of your own fires!” Far better to live with the uncertainty for a while than to be your own counselor. Finally, when it comes to major decisions, give it some time. Don’t try and get this done in five minutes. If you feel you are receiving counsel, guidance, direction from the Holy Spirit, then ask him to confirm it. Confirmation is important when it comes to big decisions and it gives you a settled assurance that you are in fact following God’s will. Want more? Order your copy of Moving Mountains today.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
A Life Worth Living 2:13

3 days ago2:13

2:13

I love watching a herd of horses grazing in an open pasture, or running free across the wide, sage-covered plateaus in Montana. I love hiking in the high country when the wildflowers are blooming—the purple lupine and the Indian paintbrush when it’s turning magenta. I love thunder clouds, massive ones. My family loves to sit outside on summer nights and watch the lightning, hear the thunder as a storm rolls in across Colorado. I love water, too—the ocean, streams, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, rain. I love jumping off high rocks into lakes with my boys. I love old barns, windmills, the West. I love vineyards. I love it when Stasi is loving something, love watching her delight. I love my boys. I love God. Everything you love is what makes a life worth living. Take a moment, set down the book, and make a list of all the things you love. Don’t edit yourself; don’t worry about prioritizing or anything of that sort. Simply think of all the things you love. Whether it’s the people in your life or the things that bring you joy or the places that are dear to you or your God, you could not love them if you did not have a heart. Loving requires a heart alive and awake and free. A life filled with loving is a life most like the one that God lives, which is life as it was meant to be (Ephesians 5:1–2). Of all the things that are required of us in this life, which is the most important? What is the real point of our existence? Jesus was confronted with the question point-blank one day, and he boiled it all down to two things: loving God and loving others. Do this, he said, and you will find the purpose of your life. Everything else will fall into place. Somewhere down inside we know it’s true; we know love is the point. We know if we could truly love, and be loved, and never lose love, we would finally be happy. And is it even possible to love without your heart? Want more? Order your copy of Waking the Dead today.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Loving God in Your Pain 3:30

4 days ago3:30

3:30

Love God in your suffering. Stay with me now. Your heart is the greatest treasure you have. Without a heart it’s impossible to love, or receive love. Without a heart you can’t possibly dream, hope, laugh, find courage. Without a heart you will never be happy. Your enemy knows this, knows he can use your suffering to both shut your heart down and turn you against God, if only subtly, in doubtful hurt. Listen to me carefully: You must not let him . You must guard your heart with everything you’ve got, especially in times of disappointment and pain. Your secret weapon against the enemy’s hatred is to love God right then and there, in the midst of the sorrow, whatever it may be. I recognize that the act of loving God often surfaces other things in our hearts, things that are currently in the way of our loving him. We might feel half-hearted in the act, and then we realize we feel hurt or distant from God, or that he feels distant from us. This is good; this allows us to bring to the surface and put words to things that are blocking the relationship. Naming those things is important. I will at this point either begin to write about it in my journal or simply say to Jesus, “I feel hurt about ...” Then I will pray, “Come into this hurt, this feeling of abandonment, this numbness,” or whatever seems to be thwarting our intimacy. “I love you here, God. I choose right here, in this, to love you.” Try it; you’ll see. When I’m feeling more disappointment than I am overflowing with reasons to love God, I turn to the things I know he has done on my behalf. “Thank you for creation,” I’ll say, because I love the world he’s made, and I can at least start there—the meadows, waterfalls, caribou, dolphins. “Thank you for creation.” I continue, “Thank you for redemption”—for I know he loves me because of Jesus Christ: “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT). “Thank you for my redemption.” And I will add, “Thank you for the coming kingdom,” because it reminds me that my dreams will come true, any day now; goodness is coming to me. So when I’m trying to bring my heart along into the genuine act of loving God, I will pray, “Thank you for creation; thank you for redemption; thank you for the coming Kingdom.” My soul comes along as I do this, and I remember that I do in fact love God, whatever my current heartache may be. This rescue helps your heart not pull away from the One Person who can heal you; it fortresses your heart against the lies of the enemy that rush in during heartbreak ( God doesn’t love you; he’s not good; you are alone; life is unfair —all that). Actively choosing to love God in our pain allows us to receive the very grace the pain cries out for Want more? Order your copy of Get Your Life Back today.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
The Traitor Within 2:42

5 days ago2:42

2:42

However strong a castle may be, if a treacherous party resides inside (ready to betray at the first opportunity possible), the castle cannot be kept safe from the enemy. Traitors occupy our own hearts, ready to side with every temptation and to surrender to them all. (John Owen, Sin and Temptation ) Ever since that fateful day when Adam gave away the essence of his strength, men have struggled with a part of themselves that is ready at the drop of a hat to do the same. We don’t want to speak up unless we know it will go well, and we don’t want to move unless we’re guaranteed success. What the Scriptures call the flesh, the old man, or the sinful nature, is that part of fallen Adam in every man that always wants the easiest way out. It’s much easier to go down to the driving range and attack a bucket of balls than it is to face the people at work who are angry at you. It’s much easier to clean the garage, organize your files, or cut the grass than it is to talk to your teenage daughter. To put it bluntly, your flesh is a poser. And your flesh is not you . Did you know that? Your flesh is not the real you. When Paul gives us his famous passage on what it’s like to struggle with sin (Romans 7), he tells a story we are all too familiar with: “I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.” (vv. 19–21, The Message ) Paul says, “Hey, I know I struggle with sin. But I also know that my sin is not me — this is not my true heart.” Want more? Order your copy of Wild at Heart today.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
His Magnetic Pull 2:53

6 days ago2:53

2:53

But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. (Hebrews 10:39) I wonder—could our heightened state of longing for things to be good again be far more than a response to trauma, chronic disappointment, and deprivation? Might it actually be pointing to something wonderful? If the heavens are thrilling as they stage for the return of Christ, if the battle on earth is raging, if Christ himself is standing at the door —wouldn’t our hearts somehow recognize it? He who is our heart of hearts, our deepest desire, and most sincere longing, is drawing near —nearer than ever before. This would be especially moving for those in whom Christ dwells. Maybe — just maybe — our hearts are responding to the imminent return of Jesus while our rational minds continue to dismiss the thought. When the moon comes closest to the earth in its orbital swing — what is called the perigee of the moon — the gravitational pull on the earth is strongest. A few times each year, the perigee coincides with a full moon and the gravitational attraction is strong indeed, causing tidal upheaval and flooding. Many scientists believe that the moon was once a part of the earth, that it broke away during a catastrophic event and now orbits like an estranged lover. When it draws near, the earth feels its presence deeply. Wouldn’t our hearts do the same? This is the greatest love story ever told, the Sacred Romance. As the Hero approaches from his long sojourn, his bride knows in her heart that he’s coming — like the lovers in the Van Morrison song "Crazy Love" who can feel each other’s heartbeat “for a thousand miles.” Compasses are known to behave strangely as they near magnetic north. A compass induced to start spinning while close to what has pulled it all these years will continue spinning until something slows and stops it. Perhaps all this crazy and erratic human behavior in this hour might indicate the loss of bearing that comes when something strong begins to overwhelm our internal compasses. Someone is approaching. What sort of magnetic pull would the approach of our Lord and Master have on the hearts that love him? Want more? Order your copy of Resilient today.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
How Is Your Soul? 2:13

7 days ago2:13

2:13

How would you score your soul these days: Are you happy most of the time? How often do you feel lighthearted? Are you excited about your future? Do you feel deeply loved? When was the last time you felt carefree? I know, it’s not even fair to ask. Our souls are bleary, seared, smeared. Still able to love, yes; still able to hope and dream. But at the end of any given day, most people come home in a state of exhaustion. Numb on our good days, fried more often than we admit. “I feel all thin, sort of stretched,” as Bilbo said, “like butter that has been scraped over too much bread.” The world has gone completely mad, and it’s trying to take our souls with it. Now, if we had more of God, that would really help. We could draw upon his love and strength, his wisdom and resilience. After all, God is the fountain of life (Psalm 36:9). If we had more of his lavish life bubbling up in us, it would be a rescue in this soul-scorching hour. But this frantic, volatile world constantly wilts the soul, dries it out like a raisin, making it almost impossible to receive the life God is pouring forth. That’s called a double bind. I tried to find more of God, knowing if I only had a greater measure of his life in me, I’d be able to navigate this rough terrain. I was practicing the usual stuff–prayer, worship, scripture, sacrament. But still I felt ... I don’t know ... shallow somehow. Sipping God with teaspoons, not drinking great gulps; wading, not swimming. My soul felt like a shallow rain puddle. But I know the soul isn’t a shallow puddle at all; it’s deep and vast, capable of symphonies and heroic courage. I wanted to be living from those deep places. Want more? Order your copy of Get Your Life Back today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Being Called Out 1:55

8 days ago1:55

1:55

The thought of me being called out of hiding is unnerving. I don’t think I want to be seen. Many years ago, during my life in the theater, I received a standing ovation for anperformance. The audience was literally on its feet, cheering. What actor doesn’t crave a standing ovation? So you know what I did? I ran . Literally. As soon as the curtain went down I bolted for the door, so I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone. I didn’t want to be seen. I know, it’s weird, but I’ll bet you feel the same about being unveiled. You probably can’t imagine there being a glory to your life, let alone one that the Enemy fears. But remember—things are not what they seem. We are not what we seem. You probably believed that your heart was bad too. I pray that fog of poison gas from the pit of hell is fading away in the wind of God’s truth. And there is more. Not only does Christ say to you that your heart is good, he invites you now out of the shadows to unveil your glory. You have a role you never dreamed of having. There’s the beautiful scene toward the end of Joseph’s life where he, too, is unveiled. The very brothers who sold him into slavery as a boy are standing before what they believe is an angry Egyptian lord, equal in power to Pharaoh himself, their knees knocking. The silver cup of this dreaded lord was found stashed away in their luggage as they headed out of town — placed there by Joseph himself as a ruse. Now Joseph interrogates them till they squirm, deepening the plot by using an interpreter as if he doesn’t understand Hebrew, pressing them hard. Finally, unable to hold back his tears, he reveals himself: “I am Joseph; does my father still live? ... So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt ... and you shall hurry and bring my father down here” (Genesis 45:3, 13 NKJV). This is who I really am! Tell him about my glory! Amazing. Want more? Order your copy of Waking the Dead today.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
What Hope Feels Like 1:36

9 days ago1:36

1:36

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:22–25) Amazing. Paul is passing along to us the secret of the sojourning heart. We live in hope, and he says hoping is waiting. And groaning. When was the last time you heard that in a sermon or the title for a new book? You, Too, Can Groan Inwardly While You Wait Eagerly! Everything I’ve seen lately offers a sure-fire way to “get what you want.” How to be a success at work. How to be a success at love. How to succeed in work and love at the same time. Here are questions to ask yourself to see if you are a pilgrim or an arranger: What am I waiting for? Is there anything I ardently desire that I am doing nothing to secure? The first time I asked myself, I couldn’t name a thing. There were many things I was working on, or fretting over, or had given up wanting. Thankfully, this was some time ago. Things are different now. Now I wonder, What am I still arranging for? I should like to let it go too. Want more? Order your copy of The Journey of Desire today.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Knowing His Presence 1:41

10 days ago1:41

1:41

I love feeling happy. Absolutely love it. Who doesn't? But my pursuit of it has sometimes gotten me into trouble. I'm pretty sure it's gotten you into trouble too. Sometimes I wonder if, in our mad pursuit of happiness, we run right past the joy that might be ours. We work hard to change our circumstances or change ourselves so that we might be happy. We get ourselves into addictive behaviors (exercise, by the way, is also very addicting; so is organizing your life). Then we work hard to get ourselves out of our addictions, which sometimes only makes matters worse. And all the while, God is right beside us with a gentle invitation to joy. But we can’t hear that invitation while we are focused on whatever it is we think has to happen in order to make us happy. If we want to live in the power of Jesus’ resurrection, we must first pass through the crucifixion. We must stop running. Self-soothing may last for a moment, but that moment may become a doorway to a cell. Jesus came to set us free, and in Him we can be. But we will not be free if we continue to hide and refuse to face the bitter sorrow that must be braved in order to bear goodness. Suffering is an essential part of all our lives. And it is when we are in the very midst of it that God reminds us that the absence of suffering is not our good. The presence of God is our good. And knowing His presence in the pain is the sweetest gift of all. Want more? Order your copy of Defiant Joy today.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
The Ifs 0:52

11 days ago0:52

0:52

Our life of faith is uncertain, but we can be expectant of good. Because we belong to God, we can rest in knowing his promises to us are true and he is faithful. It’s not a question of if God is going to show up but how and when. It is not a question of if he is going to move on our behalf but how he will. It isn’t even a question of if he is going to continue pursuing and wooing us deeper into his heart filled with affection for us but if we will recognize him. We can live with joyful uncertainty and expectancy. There are no ifs with God. The only ifs relate to us. If we trust him. If we believe him. If we ask him. If we continue to ask him. Want more? Order your copy of Becoming Myself today.…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Easter Morning 3:15

12 days ago3:15

3:15

Jesus Christ is the forerunner for the Great Renewal, “the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead” (Colossians 1:18). He died, as everyone has and will. But on the third day he was raised to life, leaving his grave clothes folded neatly in the tomb. (A very touching detail, I might add, as if to say, “And that’s that,” like a man putting away his flannel pajamas now that winter is past.) On Easter morning Jesus walked out of the grave radiantly alive, restored, and everyone recognized him. The “new” Jesus is not someone or something else now; he is the Jesus they loved and knew. He walked with them, had meals with them — just like before. The most striking thing about the post-resurrection activities of Jesus is that they were so remarkably ordinary : Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. ... When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. (John 21:4–6, 9–13) This is such a homely scene, so commonplace, the sort of thing you’d expect to run into along the shore of Lake Michigan or the Mississippi. Just a group of guys hanging out at the beach, cooking breakfast for some friends. Jesus’ restored life is surprisingly like his “former” life. As will be drinking wine at the feast; as will be the feast itself (how many of you realize you eat in the life to come?!). The Great Renewal rescues us from all the vague, ethereal, unimaginable visions we’ve been given of an eternal life Somewhere Up Above. When Jesus speaks of the Restoration, he does so in very tangible terms, pointing to the recovery of normal things like houses and lands: “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne ... everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:28–29) Want more? Order your copy of All Things New today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Betrayal And Mutiny 1:38

13 days ago1:38

1:38

You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. (Ezekiel 28:12–15) Standing at the head of the vast legions of angelic hosts (millions, as the biblical record counts) was a captain. The most beautiful, the most powerful of them all. The commander of the armies of God. The guardian of the glory of the Lord. His name was Lucifer. “Son of the morning.” Glorious as the sun. Unequaled among his noble peers. And here is where the Story takes its first dramatic turn. There is a danger for the glorious that the humble never know; a trial for the powerful that the weak never face. You see this in the worst of the dictators, the Hitlers and Stalins, the Maos and Amins — they set themselves up to be idols. They want more than power; they want to be worshiped. Pride entered Lucifer’s heart. The excellent captain came to believe he was being cheated somehow. He didn’t merely want to play a noble role in the Story; he wanted the Story to be about him . He coveted the throne; he wanted to be the star. He wanted the worship and adoration for himself. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. (Ezekiel 28:17) Lucifer turned on his Maker. And there was war in heaven. Want more? Order your copy of Epic today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
An Insatiable Desire 1:39

14 days ago1:39

1:39

What can this incessant craving, and this impotence of attainment mean, unless there was once a happiness belonging to man, of which only the faintest traces remain, in that void which he attempts to fill with everything within his reach? But it is in vain he seeks from absent objects the relief things present can not give, and which neither of them can give; because, in a soul that will live forever, there is an infinite void that nothing can fill, but an infinite unchangeable being. ( Pensées ) You can be satisfied, says Blaise Pascal; you just can’t be sated. There is great joy in a glass of cabernet; the whole bottle is another story. Intimate conversation satisfies a different thirst, but how awful to try to arrange for it again the next night and the night after that. The Israelites tried to hoard the manna—and it crawled with maggots. Our soul’s insatiable desire becomes the venom Pascal warns of when it demands its fill here and now, through the otherwise beautiful and good gifts of our lives. God grants us so much of our heart’s desire as we delight in him: “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing” (Psalm 145:16). Not always, not on demand, but certainly more than we deserve. God delights to give good gifts to his beloved. But that old root would have us shift once more from giver to gift, and seek our rest through being full. This is the turn we must be vigilant to see, watching over our hearts with loving care. Want more? Order your copy of The Journey of Desire today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
The Cross 1:09

14 days ago1:09

1:09

Most people assume that the Cross is the total work of Christ. The two go hand in hand in our minds — Jesus Christ and the Cross; the Cross and Jesus Christ. The Resurrection is impressive, but kind of ... an afterthought. It was needed, of course, to get him out of the grave. Or the Resurrection is important because it proves Jesus was the Son of God. His death was the real work on our behalf. The Resurrection is like an epilogue to the real story; the extra point after the touchdown; the medal ceremony after the Olympic event. You can see which we think is more important. What image do we put on our churches, our Bibles, on jewelry? The cross is the symbol of Christianity worldwide. However ... The cross was never meant to be the only or even the central symbol of Christianity. That you are shocked by what I’ve just said only proves how far we’ve strayed from the faith of the New Testament. The cross is not the sole focal point of Christianity. Paul says so himself: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith ... If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Cor. 15:14, 17). Want more? Order your copy of Waking The Dead today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
A Shared Loneliness 3:42

15 days ago3:42

3:42

Jesus enjoyed people. Not everyone does, you know. Many stories find him feasting with a rowdy crowd. He invited twelve men to spend day and night with him for three years. His longing for companionship intensifies to a crescendo in Gethsemane: “He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him. ...‘Stay here and keep watch with me’” (Matt. 26:37–38). Don’t leave me alone, not now. How urgently human. Yes, Jesus knew loneliness. He’s not pretending. The one who created the human heart — whose own heart was so kind and so vast — this man felt deeply. He who created love and friendship longed for it. This is no superhero, steeled and impervious to the human condition. Far from it. And loneliness is something we all share with him. To be missed, or misunderstood. To be judged unfairly. To be wanted for what you can do, rather than who you are. To go on for years unappreciated, even unknown by those closest to you. Imagine living your entire life in a world where the people closest to you don’t get you. Oh...you do live in that world. And Jesus understands. Want more? Order your copy of Beautiful Outlaw today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
God Is Our Ezer 3:10

16 days ago3:10

3:10

When God creates Eve, he calls her an ezer kenegdo . “It is not good for the man to be alone, I shall make him [an ezer kenegdo]” (Genesis 2:18 Alter). Hebrew scholar Robert Alter, who has spent years translating the book of Genesis, says that this phrase is “notoriously difficult to translate.” The various attempts we have in English are “helper” or “companion” or the notorious “help meet.” Why are these translations so incredibly wimpy, boring, flat ... disappointing? What is a help meet, anyway? What little girl dances through the house singing, “One day I shall be a help meet”? Companion? A dog can be a companion. Helper? Sounds like Hamburger Helper. Alter is getting close when he translates it “sustainer beside him.” The word ezer is used only twenty other places in the entire Old Testament. And in every other instance the person being described is God himself, when you need him to come through for you desperately . There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you ... Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. (Deuteronomy 33:26, 29, emphasis added) I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1–2, emphasis added) May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help . (Psalm 20:1–2, emphasis added) We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. (Psalm 33:20, emphasis added) O house of Israel, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. (Psalm 115:9–11, emphasis added) Most of the contexts are life and death, by the way, and God is your only hope. Your ezer. If he is not there beside you ... you are dead. A better translation therefore of ezer would be “lifesaver.” Kenegdo means alongside, or opposite to, a counterpart. You see, the life God calls us to is not a safe life. Ask Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Deborah, Esther — any of the friends of God from the Old Testament. Ask Mary and Lazarus; ask Peter, James, and John; ask Priscilla and Aquila — any of the friends of God in the New Testament. God calls us to a life involving frequent risks and many dangers. Why else would we need him to be our ezer? Want more? Order your copy of Captivating today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Emotional Fortitude 2:53

17 days ago2:53

2:53

Years in the Comfort Culture made us emotionally soft. If we don’t feel like doing something, we don’t do it. If we don’t feel like believing something, we don’t believe it. Folks like to call this authenticity, but it’s really just adolescence. Like a fourteen-year-old, we treat our emotions as some sort of right, the truest part of our existence. If we don’t feel love, we think we are no longer in love; if we don’t feel God, we think maybe he’s not around anymore. We coddle our feelings when what we need to do is bring them under the rule of Christ, just like our thought life. We build emotional resilience by not letting them control our perspective or our reaction to things. Simply because fear sweeps over you in the night doesn’t mean you have to give way to it. We honor our emotions by acknowledging them. We bridle our emotions by keeping them subject to truth. Let me remind you here of the importance of our attachment to God. Emotional fortitude is not based in severity but in security. As Mark Matousek wrote in an article for Psychology Today , “Having found a secure base in the world, according to psychologist John Bowlby, the founder of attachment theory, the child learns emotional resilience.” (Meeting Eyes of Love. How Empathy is Born in Us) We operate from a base of love and acceptance, blessing and assurance. Remember — when Jesus tells us “don’t be alarmed,” “don’t let your heart be troubled,” “be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down,” (Mark 16:6; John 14:1; Luke 21:34) he’s loving us and treating us like grown-ups, assuming that we can control our emotions. You say something you regret. You drop the ball on a project. You feel terrible. But you say to yourself, Just because I made a mistake doesn't mean I'm a failure. I am deeply loved. I am accepted in Christ . I'm telling you — this sort of emotional resilience changes your life. As the world turns further and further from God, you will be sorely tempted to surrender some of your core convictions, if not all of them. The temptation will come over your emotions, your feelings — it doesn’t feel like God is listening; it doesn’t feel like he’s coming through. You must not let those emotions undermine your faith. Want more? Order your copy of Resilient today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Doubt Is Not a Virtue 1:31

18 days ago1:31

1:31

One last thought as we sweep away some of the clutter about holiness. I don’t remember the issue my friend and I were talking about — it had something to do with Christianity — but I do remember my friend’s response: “Gosh, I’m not really sure,” he said. And I thought it a humble and gracious posture to take. Only it’s been five years now and he’s still saying, “I’m not really sure.” He has landed in that place. Now I see what happened. He has chosen doubt, a posture very attractive and honored in our day. Doubt is “in.” …So doubt, masquerading as humility, has become a virtue, a prerequisite for respect. People of strong conviction are suspect. Many Christians I know have settled for a sort of laid-back doubt, believing it to be a genuine character decision; they thinks it’s a virtue. Now, I appreciate the desire for humility, and the fear of being dogmatic. I think those are good concerns. But friends, conviction is not the enemy. Pride is. Arrogance is. But not conviction. As G. K. Chesterton said, “An open mind is really a mark of foolishness, like an open mouth … The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” Want more? Order your copy of Free to Live today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Shaping Our Character 1:52

19 days ago1:52

1:52

How does God shape our character? We hate the answer but we know it to be true: affliction. If you say that God does not intend to use affliction, then what in your mind does he then use? Joy does wonderful things for our souls—it soothes, and strengthens, and heals. But joy does not transform people’s characters in the same way affliction does. You do not grow when life is good. Any parent knows this. The child wants ice cream and video games. But the child will grow to be a narcissist if they are allowed nothing but ice cream and video games. The most radiant holiness, the most genuine and glorious love is expressed by those whose lives have known affliction. Jesus best among them. Our longing for life keeps confusing us about the purpose of life. We ache for life to come together as it was meant to be. And it will, friends; it will . Very soon. But in the meantime, the purpose of life in this hour is not escaping to Hawaii, or whatever your version of happiness may be. Our “education” in this hour, the goal of our maturing is holiness, the beauty of Jesus Christ formed in us, which is something that requires a great deal of maturity to accept (you see how few accept it). By all that is holy and beautiful — clearly the purpose of life is not the removal of all affliction, or would we put ourselves above Jesus? Want more? Order your copy of Moving Mountains today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
King 1:46

20 days ago1:46

1:46

Picture in your mind’s eye an image of a great warrior, a renowned champion, returning home from far-off lands. His fame has long preceded him, and now the reports of his feats are confirmed by the scars he bears, the remembrance of wounds more noble than any tokens of honor. With dignity he moves up the main causeway of the city, lined with the faces of his people, the very people for whom he has fought bravely, whose freedom he has secured. The warrior has returned after years on the field of battle, returning only when triumph was achieved and not a moment before. This is his homecoming, and it is as a conquering hero he returns. Before him, at the head of the street, stands the king, who is his father. The scene is both a homecoming and a coronation. For the father-king will now hand the kingdom over to his son. Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” (Isaiah 63:1 NIV) After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ...About the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever.” (Hebrew 1:3, 8 NIV) It could be a passage from David’s life, for he came to the throne after proving himself as a warrior. But I am referring to Jesus, of course, and while this is all quite true — biblically, historically — I’m afraid the power of it eludes us. Few of us have ever lived in a kingdom, under a king. Even fewer have ever met one. Want more? Order your copy of Fathered By God today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Including the Animal Kingdom 3:07

21 days ago3:07

3:07

The child-heart wants to know, “Will there be animals in heaven?” and the calloused grown-up heart dismisses the question as theologically unworthy. May I point out that the whole debate ends when you realize that heaven comes to earth ; our home is right here on a renewed planet. How could our creative God renew his precious earth and not fill it with a renewed animal kingdom? That would be like a school without children, a village without people. The sheer barrenness and bleakness of the thought is utterly abhorrent to the child-heart of God and his love for the animals, his precious creations. We know there are horses, for Jesus and his company return on horseback: Then I saw Heaven open wide — and oh! a white horse and its Rider. The Rider, named Faithful and True, judges and makes war in pure righteousness. ...The armies of Heaven, mounted on white horses and dressed in dazzling white linen, follow him. (Revelation 19:11–14 THE MESSAGE) I wonder what Jesus named his horse. Does he come to his whistle? Does he need a saddle? I bet he rides bareback like the American Indians did. I’ve seen those horses, the cavalry of heaven, several times now. It happened as we brought the gospel on mission into foreign territory. We would be in a time of worship and suddenly I would “see” the front line of mounted horsemen spreading out before me like the Rohirrim before Gondor in The Lord of the Rings , pennants waving, row upon row of horse and rider behind, lifted spears like a forest. Oh yes — there are horses in the kingdom. The wolf will romp with the lamb, the leopard sleep with the kid. Calf and lion will eat from the same trough, and a little child will tend them. Cow and bear will graze the same pasture, their calves and cubs grow up together, and the lion eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will crawl over rattlesnake dens, the toddler stick his hand down the hole of a serpent. Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill on my holy mountain. The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive, a living knowledge of God ocean-deep, ocean-wide. (Isaiah 11:6–9 THE MESSAGE) Now, unless you want to dismiss this as completely allegorical, we have wolves, lambs, leopards, goats, cows, lions, and bears in the kingdom as well. The passage is clearly describing the kingdom of God operating in its fullness on earth — the renewal of all things. And animals are clearly a part of it, praise our loving Father. Want more? Order your copy of All Things New today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Few Ever Really LIVE 1:36

22 days ago1:36

1:36

The most dangerous man on earth is the man who has reckoned with his own death. "All men die; few men ever really live ." Sure, you can create a safe life for yourself ... and end your days in a rest home babbling on about some forgotten misfortune. I’d rather go down swinging. Besides, the less we are trying to “save ourselves,” the more effective a warrior we will be. Listen to G. K. Chesterton on courage: Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die. “He that will lose his life, the same shall save it” is not a piece of mysticism for saints and heroes. It is a piece of everyday advice for sailors or mountaineers. It might be printed in an Alpine guide or a drill book. The paradox is the whole principle of courage; even of quite earthly or quite brutal courage. A man cut off by the sea may save his life if he will risk it on the precipice. He can only get away from death by continually stepping within an inch of it. A soldier surrounded by enemies, if he is to cut his way out, needs to combine a strong desire for living with a strange carelessness about dying. He must not merely cling to life, for then he will be a coward, and will not escape. He must not merely wait for death, for then he will be a suicide, and will not escape. He must seek his life in a spirit of furious indifference to it; he must desire life like water and yet drink death like wine. Want more? Order your copy of Wild at Heart today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
You Have Been Ransomed by Christ 1:48

24 days ago1:48

1:48

Jesus of Nazareth was sentenced to death by a vain puppet of the Roman government acting as district governor of Jerusalem. He was nailed to a cross by a handful of Roman soldiers who happened to be on duty, and left there to die. He died sometime around three o’clock in the afternoon on a Friday. Of a broken heart, by the way. And we call it Good Friday, of all strange things, because of what it affected. An innocent man, the Son of God, bleeding for the sins of the world. Standing in for us, as Jack gives his life for Rose in Titanic , as Sydney Carton stands in to die for Charles Darnay in A Tale of Two Cities , or as Aslan dies on the stone table to ransom the traitor Edmund. We rebelled, and the penalty for our rebellion was death. To lose us was too great a pain for God to bear, and so he took it upon himself to rescue us. The Son of God came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). You have been ransomed by Christ. Your treachery is forgiven. You are entirely pardoned for every wrong thought and desire and deed. This is what the vast majority of Christians understand as the central work of Christ for us. And make no mistake about it — it is a deep and stunning truth, one that will set you free and bring you joy. For a while. But the joy for most of us has proved fleeting, because we find that we need to be forgiven again and again and again. Christ has died for us, but we remain (so we believe) deeply marred. It actually ends up producing a great deal of guilt. “After all that Christ has done for you ... and now you’re back here asking forgiveness again ?” To be destined to a life of repeating the very things that sent our Savior to the cross can hardly be called salvation . Think of it. Want more? Order your copy of Waking the Dead today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Cling to Jesus 1:35

25 days ago1:35

1:35

Your suffering is neither pointless nor isolated. Somehow, Jesus’ sufferings overflow into our lives; somehow ours are linked to his. This is a great honor. It grants our sorrows an incredible dignity; it invites us to know an intimacy and connection with Jesus in them, because of them. The sufferings of Jesus are the noblest part of his life story; the cross, the crown of thorns. What an unspeakable honor that he would share even this with us. This fellowship is a treasure we have not tapped into but one we will need. When his suffering overflows into our lives, God’s promise is that his comfort will overflow to us as well. We can cry out for the comfort of God. Whatever your circumstances may be, he will heal your wounded heart; he will comfort. Cling to him. “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:8). He is with you now. For his name is Faithful and True. So this is what Hebrews is trying to say: Do not lose heart because of your suffering; cling to Jesus. Want more? Order your copy of Beautiful Outlaw today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Seeds of Joy 2:59

26 days ago2:59

2:59

Ignoring reality does not breed joy. Pretending that what is true does not exist is not holy defiance. The seeds of joy can only be firmly planted in the pungent soil of the here and now while at the same time being tethered to eternity. Joy is fully rooted in the truth. Joy embraces all the senses and is fully awake to the laughter, the wonder, and the beauty present in the moment as well as the sorrow, the angst, and the fear. Joy says, “Even so, I have a reason to celebrate.” Crazy, right? Sounds like God. A God who laughs at the sneers of the enemy, stares suffering in the face, and proclaims with fierce love, “You do not have the final word.” And as He does, He captures our deep hearts with a hope that defies death. Defiant may not be a word we would normally associate with the living God, but it can actually be quite fitting. Defiance means resistance, opposition, noncompliance, disobedience, dissent, and rebellion. And when it comes to things that would destroy our souls, that is exactly the right response. We are called to resist the lies of the enemy. Like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, we do not comply with the Vanity Fair offerings of the world. We are instructed not to obey the clamoring of the flesh. We are urged to rebel against sin. By the life of Christ in us, we oppose death and destruction. We dissent by casting our vote against the belief that sorrow and endless suffering win Instead we welcome life, love, and the full work of Christ to bring all of His goodness into every aspect of our and His domains. We comply with truth. We obey our God. We respect His authority and His final say. We overcome evil with good. We defy hatred by embracing love. We choose joy. In the midst of all the suffering in the world, it can feel irresponsible, even frivolous, to have joy. And yet, and still, we are called to it. Certainly there is a time to grieve. There is a time to mourn. To wail. To sigh. There is a time to know our loss and not have to cheer the teppanyaki chef, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have joy even in that painful knowing. Joy is the heartbeat of the kingdom of God. Joy is what sustains us; it is our strength. We can be resilient. We can be filled with the expectation of good things. And we can have joy in the midst of the lamentations of our lives. Want more? Order your copy of Defiant Joy today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
There Is No Escaping This War 1:34

27 days ago1:34

1:34

Remember, when Jesus boiled his whole mission down to healing the brokenhearted and setting prisoners free from darkness, he was referring to all of us. Our modern, scientific, Enlightenment worldview has simply removed spiritual warfare as a practical category, and so it shouldn't surprise us that we can't see spiritual strongholds after we say they don't really exist. If you deny the battle raging against your heart, well, then, the thief just gets to steal and kill and destroy. Some friends of mine started a Christian school together a few years ago. It had been their shared dream for nearly all their adult lives. After years of praying and talking and dreaming, it finally happened. Then the assault came ... but they would not see it as such. It was "hassles" and "misunderstanding" at first. As it grew worse, it became a rift between them. A mutual friend warned them of the warfare, urged them to fight it as such. "No," they insisted, "this is about us . We just don't see eye-to-eye." I'm sorry to say their school shut its doors a few months ago, and the two aren't speaking to each other. Because they refused to fight it for the warfare it was, they got taken out. I could tell you many, many stories like that. There is no war is the subtle — but pervasive — lie sown by an Enemy so familiar to us we don't even see him. For too long he has infiltrated the ranks of the church, and we haven't even recognized him. Want more? Order your copy of Waking the Dead today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Restored Holiness 0:54

28 days ago0:54

0:54

I think if we could recover a vision of what holiness actually is, we would be absolutely captured by it. I think we would see it as not only completely desirable, but attainable as well. King David was a man who knew well his character flaws, felt the anguish of regret, spent many a tormented night wrestling with his failings. And yet, in Psalm 119, David wrote this: “I run in the path of your commands, because you have set my heart free.” Have you ever put those two things together — freedom of heart and the passionate pursuit of God’s commands? The two go hand in hand. Genuine holiness restores human beings; restored human beings possess genuine holiness. Want more? Order your copy of Free to Live today…

Daily Readings by Wild at Heart

1
Filling in the Blanks 1:28

29 days ago1:28