As pastors, we get a lot of questions. How can I have a deeper connection with God? How can I discern God's voice? What does it actually look like to spend time with God? These types of questions are super common, and they're ones that we've had to wrestle with ourselves.

We're your hosts, Wes and TJ. And though we're pastors, we've had plenty of questions too. And while we're still learning, we've picked up a few things along the way. Join us for season one, which is called Formed in Freedom. Throughout this journey, we'll discuss some of the spiritual practices that have helped shape us, strengthen our connection to God, and tune our hearts to recognize the Spirit's voice.

We record each episode online via discord with a live audience every Wednesday. And after the recording ends, we have an open question and response time. If you'd like to join these live recording sessions, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372 to receive SMS notifications directly to your phone and hit that subscribe button to catch the latest episodes every week.

Summary:
In this episode, Wes and TJ dive deep into the topic of spiritual formation. They begin by sharing their personal journeys where they moved away from a checklist-style approach to spirituality toward a more meaningful and dynamic connection with God. Using the analogy of a toolbox, they explain how devotional practices can be like adding tools to enhance one's relationship with God. They emphasize the importance of not feeling pressured to adopt every spiritual discipline, but rather finding what works best for you. They highlight the significance of prayer and the freedom that comes from understanding the various forms of prayer. They also touch on the role of solitude in their spiritual journeys and hint at upcoming episodes that will explore different spiritual disciplines. Tune in to discover how you can have the vibrant relationship with God you have been desiring.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to Spiritual Formation
0:28 - Understanding Spiritual Formation: A Personal Journey
2:12 - Impact of the Pandemic on Spiritual Formation
4:01 - Overcoming Anxiety through Spiritual Formation
4:30 - Challenges in Building a Relationship with God
8:29 - The Role of Prayer in Spiritual Formation
16:29 - Understanding the Diversity of Prayer Practices
21:12 - The Role of Solitude in Spiritual Formation
22:16 - Looking Forward: The Gospel and Spiritual Formation

Live Episode Recording Details:
Join our interactive live recording sessions every Wednesday at 2pm CST. If you want to be part of the action and participate in real-time, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372. You will receive text notification with a link before the session begins each week.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of our Free to Be community! After each episode recording, we open the floor for questions and responses from our audience. It's your chance to connect, interact, and dive deeper into the discussion.

Join this gathering of believers via zoom. For more info go to www.lovereality.org/circles

Summary:
In this episode, Wes and TJ delve into their personal journeys and how they were able to move away from legalistic approaches to spirituality, toward embracing a life of freedom in Christ. They emphasize the importance of understanding the foundation of freedom in Jesus before exploring spiritual disciplines.

Devotional Practices, when approached with the right attitude, can help cultivate a continuous connection with God throughout the day. Wes and TJ stress the importance of not compartmentalizing life into "secular" and "holy" moments, but instead recognizing that God is present in all aspects of life.

The bottom line is this, freedom in Christ serves as the foundation for embracing spiritual formation without it becoming just another attempt to escape feelings of condemnation.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to Spiritual Formation
0:33 - Personal Experiences with Spiritual Formation
1:53 - Understanding the Freedom in Jesus
2:26 - The Shift in Approach to Spiritual Disciplines
10:43 - The Role of Habits and Attitudes in Spiritual Disciplines
13:56 - The Impact of Spiritual Disciplines on Daily Life
17:59 - The Importance of Identity in Christ Before Spiritual Disciplines
20:49 - Conclusion

Live Episode Recording Details:
Join our interactive live recording sessions every Wednesday at 2pm CST. If you want to be part of the action and participate in real-time, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372. You will receive text notification with a link before the session begins each week.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of our Free to Be community! After each episode recording, we open the floor for questions and responses from our audience. It's your chance to connect, interact, and dive deeper into the discussion.

Join this gathering of believers via zoom. For more info go to www.lovereality.org/circles

Summary:
In this episode, Wes & TJ share their personal Christian meditation experiences and highlight its profound impact on their spiritual journeys. They differentiate Christian meditation from common misconceptions, particularly those rooted in Eastern mysticism.

They underscore the foundational role of meditation in Christian spirituality, enabling believers to develop spiritual memory and enhance their engagement with other spiritual practices. Through intentional engagement with their thoughts, they gain practical insights into the inner workings of the mind. Meditation empowers individuals to impartially observe their thoughts, facilitating the identification of their source—whether from God, themselves, or external influences.

Furthermore, the discussion explores how meditation cultivates presence, diminishing anxiety and fear by focusing on God's continuous presence. Christian meditation involves active observation and engagement with one's thoughts, allowing God's truth to counteract prevalent falsehoods in their minds. Ultimately, meditation extends an invitation to trust God wholeheartedly, as it encourages believers to set aside distractions and concentrate on Him. It offers an opportunity to embrace the rest and peace that only Christ can provide.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to Spiritual Formation
1:39 - Exploring the Concept of Meditation in Christianity
3:11 - Personal Journey Towards Embracing Meditation
4:37 - Overcoming Preconceptions About Meditation
8:33 - The Role of Meditation in Understanding the Mind
11:56 - The Importance of Meditation in Christian Life
24:14 - The Connection Between Meditation and Trust in God
26:57 - Conclusion

Live Episode Recording Details:
Join our interactive live recording sessions every Wednesday at 2pm CST. If you want to be part of the action and participate in real-time, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372. You will receive text notification with a link before the session begins each week.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of our Free to Be community! After each episode recording, we open the floor for questions and responses from our audience. It's your chance to connect, interact, and dive deeper into the discussion.

Join this gathering of believers via zoom. For more info go to www.lovereality.org/circles

Summary:
In this episode of the Free to Be Podcast, Wes and Tj explore the nature of prayer in Christian life, discussing how it is often misunderstood and seen as a burdensome checklist item. They agree that prayer should not be viewed as a mere act of petitioning God for things, but as a deep, ongoing relationship. Referring to a verse from the Bible, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, they argue that the concept of 'pray continually' can and should be taken literally when prayer is viewed as a lifestyle, not just an event. They stress the importance of diversifying how we pray, fostering an atmosphere of prayer, and intertwining prayer with our daily lives.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to Prayer
0:21 - Understanding Prayer: Personal Experiences
2:37 - The Shift in Perception of Prayer
5:06 - The Role of Prayer in Relationships
6:45 - The Objective of Prayer
7:21 - Prayer as a Lifestyle
18:04 - Exploring Different Forms of Prayer
26:30 - The Overlap of Prayer and Meditation
28:46 - Conclusion: The Power of Believing Prayer

Live Episode Recording Details:
Join our interactive live recording sessions every Wednesday at 2pm CST. If you want to be part of the action and participate in real-time, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372. You will receive text notification with a link before the session begins each week.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of our Free to Be community! After each episode recording, we open the floor for questions and responses from our audience. It's your chance to connect, interact, and dive deeper into the discussion.

Join this gathering of believers via zoom. For more info go to www.lovereality.org/circles

Summary:
In this episode, Wes and TJ talk about how fasting goes beyond abstaining from food and can be seen as saying no to one thing in order to say yes to something else. They emphasize that fasting should not be about seeking approval or punishment but about embodying the work of God and putting faith in Him.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to Fasting
0:27 - Understanding Spiritual Disciplines
1:20 - The Role of Fasting in the Christian Church
1:45 - Common Questions about Fasting
2:14 - Physical and Spiritual Benefits of Fasting
2:45 - Personal Perspectives on Fasting
5:11 - The Interrelationship of Spiritual Disciplines
5:33 - Fasting and Celebration
6:53 - The Balance between Denial and Celebration
10:08 - Fasting in the Context of Faith
12:05 - Fasting Beyond Food
12:46 - The Role of Fasting in Devotional Life
13:18 - The Impact of Saying 'No' and 'Yes'
23:36 - The Connection between Fasting and Dependence
25:20 - Separating Spiritual and Health Reasons for Fasting
26:45 - Conclusion: Simplifying the Practice of Fasting

Live Episode Recording Details:
Join our interactive live recording sessions every Wednesday at 2pm CST. If you want to be part of the action and participate in real-time, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372. You will receive text notification with a link before the session begins each week.

After each episode recording, we open the floor for questions and

Join this gathering of believers via zoom. For more info go to www.lovereality.org/circles

Summary:
In this episode, the conversation revolves around Ruth, also known as The Secret Place poet, and her practices of creating intimacy with God. From quiet moments of journaling or reflection in nature to praying aloud or using visual affirmations like a mirror, Ruth delves into her personal practices that help her focus on her relationship with God and bring peace to her days. Her practices are fluid, changing in response to the encouragement and direction of the Holy Spirit. She counters the notion that 'organized' or 'ritualistic' religious practices are less meaningful, and emphasizes their value in teaching obedience and bringing comfort. The discussions also touch on the importance of experiencing God through vocation - acknowledging all work that honors God as spiritual, rather than segmenting our secular and spiritual lives.

Timestamps:
0:54 - Introduction and Welcoming the Guest
1:11 - The Story Behind 'The Secret Place Poet'
4:01 - The Power of Words and Poetry
6:05 - The Art of Preaching and Writing
8:28 - The Impact of Writing and Speaking Truth
10:09 - The Importance of Personal Identity in Social Media
11:59 - The Power of Prayer and Reflection
16:50 - The Role of Creativity in Faith and Work
19:48 - The Practice of Secret Place and Its Impact
26:25 - The Influence of Secret Place in Daily Life
28:25 - Personal Practices in the Secret Place
28:45 - The Balance Between Structure and Freedom in Faith
49:34 - Conclusion: The Beauty of Intimacy with God

Get the Secret Place Journal here

Live Episode Recording Details:
Join our interactive live recording sessions every Wednesday at 2pm CST. If you want to be part of the action and participate in real-time, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372. You will receive text notification with a link before the session begins each week.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of our Free to Be community! After each episode recording, we open the floor for questions and responses from our audience. It's your chance to connect, interact, and dive deeper into the discussion.

Join this gathering of believers via zoom. For more info go to www.lovereality.org/circles

Summary:
In this podcast episode, TJ & Wes delve into their evolving views on Bible study. They explore their changing perspectives on scripture as they've grown in their Christian faith, advocating for a relational rather than purely empirical approach. They reflect on their earlier experiences, where they used the Bible for validation and spiritual arguments rather than seeking a personal connection. Shifting this mindset has deepened their spiritual journeys. They encourage listeners to perceive the Bible as dynamic, advocating for active meditation, memorization, and daily reflection on smaller passages. Ultimately, they challenge the emphasis on theological expertise, advocating instead for personal, transformative encounters with God's word.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
0:05 - Understanding Bible Study
1:48 - Personal Experiences with Bible Study
3:34 - The Transformation of Bible Study Approach
4:30 - The Beauty of Studying Scripture
5:52 - The Relational Aspect of Bible Study
6:42 - The Role of Scripture in Faith
7:51 - The Purpose of Scripture
8:31 - The Story of God in Scripture
10:10 - The Significance of Bible Verses
13:11 - The Importance of Seeing Christ in Scripture
22:51 - The Connection Between Bible Study and Meditation
26:21 - Simplifying Bible Study
32:45 - Conclusion

Live Episode Recording Details:
Join our interactive live recording sessions every Wednesday at 2pm CST. If you want to be part of the action and participate in real-time, text #freetobe to 808-204-4372. You will receive text notification with a link before the session begins each week.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of our Free to Be community! After each episode recording, we open the floor for questions and responses from our audience. It's your chance to connect, interact, and div

Join this gathering of believers via zoom. For more info go to www.lovereality.org/circles