Weekly Strength 2.08: The Nature of God — Peace

Most of us think of peace as the absence of war or the absence of conflict.

But there’s a war raging. There has been since the dawn of time.

In a universe at war, what kind of peace does God offer?

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback, study guide)

Other resources:

How Our Rigged Financial System Has Infected the Church — guest: Jimmy Song

In our first interview with Jimmy Song, he explained how our monetary systems are debased by fiat, or creating money from nothing, and the implications of this economic fraud.

Sadly, much of the Christian Church has adopted the same mentality as our corrupt monetary systems. This perverts incentives around fundraising, ministry, and building projects, as well as diluting the gospel in order to maintain financial support.

Jimmy, the author of the book Fiat Ruins Everything: How Our Financial System Is Rigged and How Bitcoin Fixes This, discusses the implications of a fiat currency mindset infiltrating the Church and what you can do to improve things in your own sphere of influence.

Jimmy Song is a Bitcoin developer, educator, and entrepreneur. He’s a software engineer with over 20 years of experience, an open source contributor to many different Bitcoin projects, and the author of Programming Bitcoin, The Little Bitcoin Book, Thank God for Bitcoin, and Bitcoin and the American Dream. Jimmy has been a lecturer at the University of Texas and an expert witness in legal cases involving Bitcoin, and he is an advisor to multiple companies. Jimmy writes a weekly newsletter, Bitcoin Tech Talk, and hosts the podcast Bitcoin Fixes This. His writing can also be found at bitcoinmagazine.com.

Weekly Strength 2.07: The Nature of God — Love

In addition to the Resurrection, the Gospels record 37 miracles that Jesus performed. One of them was walking on water.

Why did Jesus do that? Was it to prove that he was greater than Moses? To demonstrate that he possessed the power of God? To fulfill a prophecy? To strengthen the faith of his followers?

Or was there another reason?

This week’s Bible passage: Romans 8:31-39

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback, study guide)

Other resources:

How Our Financial System is Rigged and How Bitcoin Fixes It — guest: Jimmy Song

God reserves some his harshest words of criticism for monetary debasement. The Old Testament describes this practice as “detestable,” “violent,” and “grinding the faces of the poor.”

Jimmy Song, author of the book Fiat Ruins Everything: How Our Financial System Is Rigged and How Bitcoin Fixes This, discusses the implications of this economic fraud and how we should be thinking about it from a Christian worldview.

Jimmy Song is a Bitcoin developer, educator, and entrepreneur. He’s a software engineer with over 20 years of experience, an open source contributor to many different Bitcoin projects, and the author of Programming Bitcoin, The Little Bitcoin Book, Thank God for Bitcoin, and Bitcoin and the American Dream. Jimmy has been a lecturer at the University of Texas and an expert witness in legal cases involving Bitcoin, and he is an advisor to multiple companies. Jimmy writes a weekly newsletter, Bitcoin Tech Talk, and hosts the podcast Bitcoin Fixes This. His writing can also be found at bitcoinmagazine.com.

Weekly Strength 2.06: The Nature of God — Light

When we seek to glorify God in our actions, our light can burn so brightly that others can’t help but notice.

I, and 190 others, discovered this 30 years ago on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

This week’s Bible passage: John 1:1-14

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback, study guide)

Other resources:

Weekly Strength 2.05: The Nature of God — Life

Mark Hollis’s band had only one big hit, in 1984. Their 1988 album did so poorly that their record label dropped them. The band disbanded in 1992. Hollis left the music industry six years later and died in 2019.

So why is this entire episode devoted to the music of Mark Hollis?

Because it gave life to people. And it still does.

This week’s Bible passage: John 10:1-10

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback, study guide)

Other resources:

Your Online Preaching Coach — guest: David Murrow

A lot of pastors think online preaching doesn’t matter that much. They’re focused on getting real people into their real churches — not some cyber-campus in the Metaverse.

But here’s what many pastors don’t realize: online sermons are their church’s welcome center. Here’s how people “visit” churches today:

  • They find you online
  • They watch a sermon or two
  • If they like your sermons, they visit in person
  • If they don’t, they seek out another church. Or worse – they give up on church altogether.

The stakes are high. The future of your church and your preaching ministry depends on your ability to communicate online.

That’s where David Murrow can help.

Weekly Strength 2.04: The Nature of God — Greatness

In today’s Christianity, we like to recognize and celebrate the goodness of God. God truly is good.

But God also is great. The greatness of God is awesome, but it can be intimidating and even frightening. In fact, God’s greatness is so overpowering that it makes Him unapproachable.

Thankfully, God provided a solution.

This week’s Bible passage: Psalm 145

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback, study guide)

Other resources:

Healing from Trauma and Tragedy — guest: Dr. Tim Murphy

Trauma is shockingly common among men, but most of us don’t recognize it in our own lives, and this can create tremendous drag on our efforts to lead well.

Dr. Tim Murphy has extensive experience working with men and women, especially military veterans, struggling with PTSD. In his book, The Christ Cure, he helps trauma victims — and their family members, clergy, and counselors — gain a better understanding of the role of faith in healing from trauma.

The author of three books, Tim is a licensed psychologist specializing in resilience and recovery from psychological trauma. He consults on mental health and public policy with national organizations and speaks extensively throughout the U.S. Tim served in the Pennsylvania State Senate for six years and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives eight times. While in Congress, he championed landmark mental health reforms, including the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, which was amended into the 21st Century Cures act and signed into law in December 2016 by President Obama. Tim also served eight years as an officer in the Medical Service Corps of the U.S. Navy Reserve, achieving the rank of Commander. Learn more at his website.

Weekly Strength 2.03: The Nature of God — Grace

When Jesus explained the parable of the sower, he didn’t explain why the sower in the parable throws the seed everywhere rather than just on the good soil.

John Newton understood why.

This week’s Bible passages: Hosea 10:9-12 and Matthew 13:1-9

Podcast resource: 52 Weeks of Strength for Men (ebook, paperback, study guide)

Other resources: