The Living Waters Podcast

A growing hunger among young men is impossible to ignore, and many are filling it with voices that pull them away from Christ. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar discuss the rise of secular influencers who offer fragments of truth about purpose and masculinity while remaining disconnected from God. The guys explain that while certain traits may be admirable, any worldview apart from Christ ultimately speaks from a fallen perspective. Young...

A growing hunger for purpose and meaning among young men has left many susceptible to secular influencers who offer fragmented truths apart from Christ. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar discuss how the church must respond with intentional discipleship, presence, and bold engagement to guide this generation toward genuine faith. They emphasize that true masculinity, authority, and purpose are found not in cultural substitutes or political...

Screens dominate modern life, quietly shaping habits, desires, and spiritual health in ways many people fail to recognize. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar examine how smartphones and social media have become powerful tools that amplify the heart’s desires, often drifting from usefulness into addiction. While technology itself is morally neutral, the guys explain that human sinfulness and spiritual opposition twist good gifts into source...

Phones have become powerful shapers of attention, habits, and spiritual health in everyday life. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar explore how digital tools, while not inherently evil, can easily drift into addiction and function as substitutes for stillness, prayer, and dependence on God. They discuss how social media is intentionally designed to capture attention, rewire desires, and normalize sin through constant stimulation, compariso...

The modern world is louder than ever, and discernment has become both more difficult and more necessary. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar discuss how constant noise from social media, messages, and endless content has created a discipleship crisis in which believers are shaped by voices not grounded in truth. The guys note that never before have so many outside influences spoken so freely into everyday life. Without intentional care, peo...

Discernment is becoming harder to practice in a world saturated with constant noise and endless opinions. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar examine how digital overload, social media, and frictionless interactions have created a discipleship problem where believers are shaped more by algorithms than by Scripture. The guys explain that discernment is not just knowing right from wrong, but recognizing truth from almost truth, and that decep...

Sometimes the most loving thing God can do is interrupt our plans and reroute our expectations. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar explore how divine disruptions are not accidents or setbacks but intentional moments in which God breaks into ordinary life to accomplish eternal purposes. The guys explain that trials and detours are not problems to escape but pathways God uses to shape trust, deepen faith, and redirect hearts. Ray shares how ...

Divine interruptions often feel like setbacks, but Scripture reveals them as invitations to deeper trust and worship. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar explore how God lovingly disrupts plans, trials, and expectations to accomplish purposes far greater than we can see. They explain that what feels like chaos is often God positioning His people rather than punishing them, and that faith is revealed most clearly when plans unravel. Drawing ...

True freedom is often misunderstood as the ability to do whatever we desire. Still, Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar examine how Scripture defines freedom as living to glorify God and walking in righteousness. The guys explain that the idol of freedom emerges when something good is taken too far, causing people to violate God’s commands in pursuit of their own desires. They emphasize that without Christ, humans are enslaved to sin, passi...

True freedom is often mistaken for doing whatever we want, but Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar explore how Scripture defines it as living to glorify God and walking in righteousness. The guys explain that the idol of freedom arises when good things are taken too far, leading people to disobey God’s commands and remain enslaved to sin, passions, and self-rule. They highlight that civil liberties do not equal spiritual freedom and that tr...

True virtue becomes visible only when the desire to walk faithfully before God outweighs the instinct to manage appearances for others. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar examine how virtue signaling has become a modern way of seeking approval, noting that the human urge to belong often pressures believers to display moral outrage or spiritual discipline without genuine conviction. The guys explain that people have always looked for safety...

Many believers confuse the appearance of virtue with its substance. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar explain how virtue signaling arises from fear, peer pressure, and the desire for approval, showing how social media rewards superficial displays of spirituality. They clarify that true virtue cannot be created through posts or outrage but develops through taking time, studying Scripture deeply, and allowing God’s righteousness to transfor...

A sober look at global faithfulness serves as a mirror for believers who often forget the cost of following Christ. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar consider the weight of persecution as they reflect on how Christians in Turkey face real danger for sharing the gospel, a stark contrast to the ease of access in the United States. They note that believers in Muslim contexts live with constant questions about government intervention, yet per...

Courage in the Christian life becomes most evident when faith faces real pressure. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar discuss how believers in places like Turkey encounter genuine danger for sharing the gospel, prompting the guys to reflect on nervousness, sacrifice, and obedience in hostile environments. They stress the importance of looking to the cross for strength, responding to opposition with gentleness, and remembering that even Jes...

True Christian love is seen when believers step into the lives of others with willingness and humility. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar reflect on Paul’s call to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, explaining that this invitation requires believers to engage rather than sit on the sidelines. Oscar notes that Christian unity is central to the verse's context and that rejoicing with others can be harder than ...

True Christian maturity is revealed when believers dare to step fully into the joys and sorrows of others. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar reflect on Paul’s call to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, emphasizing that this command invites real engagement rather than distance. They consider how Jesus held joy and sorrow together, how Paul used cultural understanding to reach the lost, and how remembering one’s ow...

Hope may sound fragile in a world filled with despair, yet biblically, it is a powerful anchor for the soul—steady, sure, and rooted in God's promises. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar remind believers that hope is not mere optimism but confident assurance grounded in the finished work of Christ and the certainty of His return. Scripture presents hope as a strength that endures through pain, loss, and uncertainty. The men reflect on...

In a culture where despair often overshadows faith, the message of true hope shines with powerful clarity. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar remind believers that biblical hope is not shallow optimism but confident assurance rooted in God’s unchanging character and the finished work of Christ. Through honest reflections on pain, loss, and perseverance, the guys show that even in suffering, faith anchors the soul and strengthens trust in G...

Brokenheartedness is a reality because we live in a broken world, and every person carries unseen burdens. Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar remind believers that Scripture—not empty platitudes—offers true comfort. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and gives rest to those who turn to Him. The pain and trials believers face are meant to draw them closer to God and loosen their attachment to the world. While the world offers temporary d...