Provoke & Inspire Podcast

Send us a textBen and David come to you from a hotel room in eastern Poland to talk about the shifting spiritual culture and how to talk to people who may be open spiritually but unwilling to commit to anything.-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textIn this episode, Ben meets YouTube personality Jon McCray of Whaddoyoumeme.Jon shares his story of coming to know Jesus, how he started his channel, and what has kept him going through the difficulties of what God has called him to do.Check out Whaddoyoumeme on YouTube, here!-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textIn this episode Ben, Luke and David are joined by longtime friend and missionary, Valera of Steiger Ukraine.Valery updates the guys on what Ukraine has been like in terms of ministry, everyday life, and simply put - survival, in light of these 900 days of war since the Russian invasion began.-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textBen goes solo for a thoughtful examination of another 2024 Olympic controversy involving an Algerian boxer named Imane Khelif as he asks the question of how we should biblically respond as followers of Jesus.-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textWhat in the world happened during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris? Was it a blatant attack on Christianity, or simply a highly sexualized (albeit realistic) depiction of a moment in Greek mythology? Whether it was blasphemy, or a brazen performance (or both?) it's not a question of whether we react or not as Christians, but rather how we SHOULD react to this.In this episode all four of the regulars weigh in with their opinions on this event. -------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textJohn 11:35 says, "Jesus wept." So many depictions of Jesus are of a stoic, unfeeling guru or mystic, when in reality there is no person with greater emotional depth than the person of Christ. Why is this?In this episode Ben and David examine the emotional life of our Christian culture, and how it so often falls short of Jesus' example. What can we do about it? How can we weep over the world, as he did? -------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textBen and David once again go on the record to discuss the recent assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump, David's history in dealing with rats in the home, and most prominently, how we can see what a biblical definition of success in life and ministry looks like when observing the life of John the Baptist.-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textIn this episode, Ben is joined by Chad and David, where they attempt to address the issue of how often we get used to the suffering we see all around us. Whether it's friends, co-workers which we choose to overlook the suffering of, or something like the ongoing war in Ukraine.-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textIn this episode Ben sits down with author and speaker Alicia Britt Chole to talk about her newest book, "The Night is Normal: A Guide Through Spiritual Pain."Alicia discusses how to navigate spiritual darkness, and how we can run into problems when we think spiritual maturity always equals better, happier feelings.Learn more about Alicia here.Check out "The Night is Normal" on Amazon here.-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textCarl Lentz recently sat down with his wife for an excruciatingly honest conversation about his moral failings, and how his family has managed to navigate them. In this episode, Chad and Ben discuss whether openly discussing issues of this magnitude, in this format, is the healthy, and even Godly thing to do.  Watch Carl & Lara Lentz's interview on The B-Side's YouTube channel here.-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textIn this week's episode, David and Ben come to you from the mountains of Norway with a special road report from No Longer Music's first tour of 2024. They share about what God has been doing in Germany, Poland, Sweden, and Norway. The two also talk about evangelism and the church's often complicated relationship with it.-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textDid the rise of New Atheism end up doing more damage to it's own cause than good? Can we ever truly escape our need for religion, and is the West turning back to God?Ben sits down with longtime friend Justin Brierley, formerly of the "Unbelievable?" podcast to discuss the new trends in spirituality that we are seeing unfold across the secular world. They also talk about Justin's newest book, The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers are Considering Christianity Again.Check out his podcast: The Surprising Rebirth of God-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textA church in Germany hosts a service based around Taylor Swift, her music, and its themes of justice, love, tolerance, and more - packing out their building.Are they on to something? Is this a sign of the collapse of the church? Ben is joined by Luke and Chad to weigh in on this controversial event. -------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textIs there a deeper existential reality that sports, and our relationship to them, portray? Can David and Ben survive an expert-level Swiss ski hill? All of this and more on this week's episode of P&I!-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textIn this episode, Ben goes solo to weigh in on the controversial commencement speech given last week at Benedictine College by NFL kicker and Super Bowl champion Harrison Butker (Kansas City Chiefs).-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textIs a purpose-filled life only reserved for a select few who happen to have found their dream job and God-given calling? Is it something we have to create for ourselves? How do we deal with the fact that so many people who seem to have it all, even Christians, are dissatisfied with their day to day existence? What is the answer?In this episode the regulars, minus Chad, attempt to tackle these tough existential questions, while David applauds Luke for a highly specific attribute he is said to possess.  -------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textHow do we effectively reach Gen-Z for Jesus? Is there a common denominator between Gen-Z'ers that fall away from the faith, and those that don't?In this episode Ben and Chad talk with evangelist, disciple-maker, and bible-teacher Gabrielle McCullough who works closely with JP Pokluda of Harris Creek Baptist Church. They learn from her story how powerful the life of a young person transformed for Jesus can be and the impact they can have for the gospel on the world around them through simple obedience.Check out more about Gabrielle's ministry here: https://gabriellemccullough.com/-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textAre our smartphones killing our faith? Do we need to take drastic steps to protect ourselves from their misuse? Were Mark Driscoll's actions out of line at the Stronger Men's conference? In this episode the regulars cover these questions, amid the broader topic of our current smartphone addiction and epidemic, in light of author Jonathan Haidt's new book, The Anxious Generation.David also shares about his disdain for a phone's Airplane Mode function, and an ominous occurrence of phantom vibration syndrome.-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textBen and David sit down with rap and hip hop artist Esteban Shedd, as he shares about the beginnings of Streetlights audio bible, and how from a basement to a parking lot, to a studio, to a non-profit, to the road, to the globe - contextualizing the word of God has effectively reached millions who might never walk into a church. To learn more about the Streetlights Bible ministry, click here!-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood

Send us a textSo often our culture in the church sets people up for failure with expectations of prosperity, healing, and after coming to Jesus, when the truth is that this is just not the reality to be expected. David and Ben ask the question of whether or not healing is a guaranteed part of being a Christian, or if God might sometimes have greater plans for redeeming our suffering.-------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Discord Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke Greenwood