Life Around "The Fire"
This podcast is dedicated to those wanting to experience a living and real relationship with God as well as growing together in love for one another. We consider that to be a true sign of spiritual growth as we journey along The Way. If this is you then come along with us as we co-operate with God in what He is doing around the corner and around the world!
Episodes
Hungry work without holy fuel only scorches the wick. We open the new year by digging into the parable of the Ten Virgins and asking a simple, searching question: are we carrying oil or just waving lamps? With Stephen Crews back in the studio for our Covenant Alignment series, we frame this moment in Tevet, a month in the Hebrew calendar known for divine strategy and instruction, and we focus on building an inner life...
What if the real shift so many feel isn’t about louder headlines, but about a quieter, deeper maturity taking root in people who carry the presence of God? We open the conversation by naming the problem with extremes—prophecy charts on one side, vague spirituality on the other—and make the case for a balanced, Scripture-wide view of the Kingdom. Instead of arguing over timelines, we focus on formation: the Kingdom wit...
The holidays can be loud with joy and still leave space where the heart aches. We sit down with Dr. Bill Hurst for a frank, compassionate exploration of the Christmas blues, the weight of complicated memories, and the quiet courage it takes to choose love when celebration feels out of reach. From childhood years in protective care to teachings that labeled Christmas “pagan,” Dr. Bill charts a path many listeners will ...
What if your anointing is real, but your next step is a mop bucket, not a microphone? We follow David’s path in 1 Samuel 16 to uncover how God forms leaders by placing honor on the heart, not the highlight reel. Samuel arrives ready to choose the obvious heir, and God refuses the obvious. David, the forgotten eighth son, is brought in from the fields—and that quiet moment with oil becomes the beginning of a long, hidd...
Obedience sounds simple until fear, pressure, and convenience crowd the soul. We sit down with Trevor McMahan to examine why “obedience is better than sacrifice,” how Saul’s half-measures cost him favor, and why David refused to strike a fallen king. Through the story of the Amalekites and the ripple effects into the book of Esther, we unpack the law of sowing and reaping, the difference between gifts and favor, and t...
Pressure mounts, the crowd scatters, and a leader reaches for a quick fix. We walk through 1 Samuel 13 and 15 to see why Saul’s hurried sacrifice and partial obedience cost him a kingdom—and what that reveals about the difference between religious activity and loyal trust. The stakes are high: when fear of people sets the agenda, authority withers and communities shrink. When obedience anchors our choices, God’s timin...
A risky climb, a taunt from the hill, and a truth that won’t let go: nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few. We walk through 1 Samuel 13–14 and watch Jonathan move when others stall, not because the odds improve, but because covenant confidence changes how you read the odds. Alongside him stands an unnamed armor bearer whose simple yes—“I am with you heart and soul”—turns faith into action....
The world feels like it’s shifting under our feet, and for good reason: we’ve moved from steam to screens to something even more disruptive—the intelligence age. As AI turns questions into instant answers, we’re asking a deeper one: how do we stay rooted when change is relentless? We walk through the sweep of history, from the industrial and information eras to today’s surge of artificial intelligence, and then zoom i...
Peace that holds in the middle of conflict isn’t a myth; it’s the fruit of living near to God. We open up the “secret place” as Scripture presents it—covenant nearness under God’s shelter—and show how this isn’t reserved for spiritual elites. From Psalm 91’s shadow of the Almighty to Jesus’ teaching about praying in the inner room, we connect temple imagery, priesthood, and the finished work of Christ to the way you p...
What if real spiritual authority isn’t achieved, but received through surrender? We dig into covenant alignment by tracing the promise to Abraham through its fulfillment in Jesus, then translate theology into practice with a clear, usable framework for daily life. From worship as obedience to the heart change promised in Ezekiel 36, we unpack how the Spirit transforms desire so discipline becomes a pathway, not a pris...
When everyday life blurs into routine, it’s easy to chase quick fixes that look strong on the surface. Our conversation traces Israel’s turning point in 1 Samuel 8—when the people asked for a king like the other nations—and unpacks why impatience often taxes the future. We look at the warning God gave through Samuel about the hidden costs of human systems: conscription, taxation, and a creeping loss of freedom. That a...
Change doesn’t just test plans; it tests hearts. We walk through the turbulent handoff from judges to monarchy in 1 Samuel and explore why some leaders bless the next season while others cling to control and crumble. Samuel stands in the tension, tasked with anointing a king the people demanded, modeling how to honor the past and obey God without being ruled by public pressure. Saul reveals the cost of pride and peopl...
We open 1 Samuel and trace the scarlet thread of Scripture to a revealing portrait of Saul—a leader anointed by the Spirit, admired by people, and yet undone by fear of man and a restless heart. From the mountain-top moment of prophesying with the prophets to the valley of hiding among the baggage, we explore how a surge of spiritual power differs from the steady work of intimacy with God.
Together we unpack ...
Hunger is rising for a faith that runs deeper than services and schedules. We talk candidly about why programs alone can’t sustain a soul, why so many leaders end up burned out, and how true power flows when character is shaped in God’s presence. Using 1 Samuel as our guide, we slow down to the real pace of formation hidden inside a narrative that spans centuries, not minutes. Those quiet stretches—when nothing seems ...
A nation on the brink of change, a community under siege, and a leader torn between the fear of people and the fear of God—this conversation journeys through 1 Samuel 10–13 to uncover why character, not charisma, determines the future. We explore Israel’s move from judges to monarchy and why the desire to look like other nations exposed deeper heart issues. When Nahash threatened Jabesh Gilead with humiliation, the cr...
Hungry for a faith that feels alive, guided, and grounded in peace? We dive into covenant alignment as a relationship that reshapes daily life—less striving, more trusting—and learn how seeking first the kingdom reframes every choice, habit, and plan. Instead of chasing clarity, we begin with obedience, stepping when God says step, and discovering that direction often arrives mid-journey. Along the way, we talk about ...
What if the battles wearing you down aren’t yours to fight—but signals that your life is out of alignment with the covenant you’re already part of? We open a new series with teacher Stephen Crews to explore covenant alignment: a clear, scriptural path from striving to authority, from constant warfare to steady union with God.
We start by defining covenant as a binding oneness—one plus one equals one—and align...
A ruthless demand to “gouge the right eye” sounds like distant history, but the siege of Jabesh Gilead reveals something uncomfortably current: the enemy still bargains for small concessions that cost us our sight in the battles that matter. We walk through 1 Samuel 11, unpack who Nahash the Ammonite was, and explain why the right eye carried military, social, and spiritual weight in the ancient Near East. That lens o...
*** Editors note: David refered to Nahash as being a Philistine King. He was an Ammonite Ruler, not a Philistine King. *** Pressure makes bad deals look reasonable. We slow down to a pace of peace and turn two vivid stories—Jabesh-Gilead under siege in 1 Samuel 11 and Samson’s collapse in Judges 16—like a diamond, catching fresh angles on compromise, courage, and restoration. Nahash’s demand to gouge the right eye was...
What if the real contest in your life isn’t busyness or burnout, but worship—what you give your attention to, and who gets to shape your desires? We open Scripture to 1 Samuel 11 and Judges 16 and trace how Israel’s story reveals the quiet currents that steer a soul: subtle influences, cultural pressure, and the unseen powers that promise fullness but leave us empty. From Samson’s slow drift to a people galvanized by ...
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