Provoke & Inspire Podcast

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

Send us a textIs prayer something inevitably dull and boring? How can we faithfully engage in prayer to change the world for Jesus?In this episode Ben and Luke talk with the founder of the 24-7 Prayer movement, Pete Greig, and discuss how a life of prayer is the only hope we have in making a difference as Christians. -------------------------------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 modern therapy making us all worse? Has the church adopted the secular mindset of medicating its way through the normal hardships of everyday life? In many ways it seems we've forgotten the healing power of the gospel, and the restorative power of the Holy Spirit.In this episode the regulars weigh in on this controversial subject, after reading through popular journalist Abigail Shrier's new book, "Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up."-------------------------------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 the current war on men justified? How do we as Christians aim to address and remedy the toxic masculinity in our culture as followers of Jesus? Professor Nancy Pearcey sits down with Ben and Chad to discuss this topic in light of her new book, "The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes" -------------------------------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 and Aaron sit down with Reverend and Dr. Lisa Pak, who works alongside Pastor Rick Warren at Finishing The Task, an organization that exists to see every people group in the world engaged with an indigenously led church planting movement.Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 that, "...this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." How do we practically set out to complete the great commission, especially when people groups continue to emerge such as the global youth culture?--------------------------------------------------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