David Foster a Renegade’s Guide to God
By Dr. David Foster
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Podcast Description
From Nashville TN, its the Renegade’s Guide to God show with your host David Foster. Its the show that helps you live the life for which you were created. Dr. Foster offers practical, common sense advice about God and life without all the weird religious double talk.
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CleanRG2G 056 21 Ways We Are Saving the American Church | I believe in the church. Yes, I know. It’s messed up, abusive, and sometimes outrageous the way “church people” behave. But I’m not talking about the institution, the organization, or the denominational artifact. I’m talking about the dynamic, vital, spiritual community that Jesus had in mind when He said that His church would prevail. When I entered into the ministry many years ago, it was an ominous time. The church was declining, people were leaving church en mass, and there wasn’t much on the horizon to give us hope that things would change. But I have to say that I am more encouraged than I’ve ever been. I see really good signs that things are being done to not only save the American church and her influence on society, but to turn things around and begin to grow and make a larger impact. On today’s show, we talk about the 21 movements we see going on in the American church, why they’re important, how you can recognize them, and more importantly how you can find a church to be a part of that embodies these qualities. If you agree, and you know examples of these kinds of churches, send me an email or leave a comment here on my blog. | 3/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 055 Ten Good Reasons You Need a Great Church | Something I hear constantly when I’m around people are war stories about how they’ve been burnt by the church. If you are not careful, you’ll end up thinking that just because a lot of churches are messed up, all churches are messed up. I know good people who have opted out of attending church or being a part of a church for a period of time just to be able to get their sense of self back together. And I respect that. But I, for one, am committed to the church as taught in the Scriptures; that it is a dynamic movement of God’s redeeming grace. It is a collection of messy people who have found not only their joy, but their peace and their wholeness in a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. So today I talk about the 10 good reasons why you need a great church. Remember that just because there are a lot of broken churches doesn’t mean the idea of church is a bad one. We don’t stop eating just because there are some bad restaurants. We don’t stop attending ballgames just because the teams don’t play well. I urge you to listen. Talk these ten ideas over with your family, co-workers, and small groups. Out there somewhere is a dynamic, growing, vital, vibrant gathering of people seeking to know God, love God, and live the life for which they were created. You can be a part of that. You can be a part of something big, something that makes a difference. Or you can just be mad, sad, cynical, and stay home. Your choice. | 2/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 054 Why Nobody Wants to Join Your Church | There seems to be a lot of controversy these days about church membership. In fact, there is a lot of debate going on about whether or not we even need churches with all of the online resources available. So in response to a pastor who asks the question, “Why does no one seem to want to join the church?” aren’t people committed anymore, or is everyone looking just to be a church shopper or hopper?” The idea of church membership as it relates to joining an institution is no longer attractive, if it ever was. The idea of membership was that you joined the institution called church and you were owned by that church for the rest of your life. I am not sure that was ever the idea, but it’s the idea that gets communicated. Membership classes, membership covenants all seem to give the impression that joining a church is all about obligations with few benefits. I think the paradigm shift is better understood as join the movement rather than join the institution, the organization, or the denomination. Christianity is a movement. Understand that. If you think it’s an institution or a religious force, you’ve gotten it backward. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t religious institutions that are very powerful and very forceful. Denominations have served their place in the past. But unlike my parent’s generation, people are no longer loyal to the institution. They want to be a part of things that matter, that help, that move forward, that benefit not only them, but those who need help. So as you listen to today’s podcast, think about the four aspects of belonging to a movement – any movement. I’ve applied this to The Gathering Nashville because it’s a spiritual community that I am a part of. But ask yourself, “If all four of these qualities aren’t present, are you really a part of anything that really matters?” What are the four things that are required to have a sense of belonging? Attending, serving, giving, and supporting. These are the four dynamics that allow movements to be vital, healthy, and resourced in order to do the mission that they’ve been given by God. | 2/9/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 053 Why 42 Million Christians Have Left the American Church | In a recent research study, the Barna Group has reported that over 42 million Christians in America are no longer actively attending and supporting a church. In today’s show we talk about some of the reasons why, and what can be done. If you’re one of the 42 million, there is hope. Good things are happening and you can find a church that will not only challenge you, but allow you to fulfill your desire to make a difference for God. | 1/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 052 How Do You See Yourself? | One of the haunting questions I’ve had to deal with over and over is, “Why do people who call themselves Christians behave so badly?” Is it because they are bad people, or is something else bigger going on? Here’s what I’ve learned. Identity determines behavior. How you truly see yourself is how you live. Too many Christians have been told and taught that they are just sinners saved by grace and nothing more. Others have been taught that their relationship with God is initiated by grace but depends on their faithfulness over a lifetime. All of this leaves people confused. Here is the truth. We tend to live either down or up to the expectations and the influences in our life. So the question is, is Christianity a big God-stick that people use to beat you up and keep you in line? Or is your faith something more? Has it just changed your behavior and your lifestyle, or is it a brand new life? We deal with all these things today on episode # 52. And we end by the three declarations. I don’t know if you’ve heard them. But listen, learn them, memorize them, say them over and over and over to yourself. Because the truth of the matter is, a lot of us sabotage our success simply because we see ourselves, at the core, as someone unworthy of God’s blessing. As I’ve said over and over, the number one problem in American Christianity is self-loathing. We have not accepted our acceptance. On today’s show I give you some core reasons why. | 1/19/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 051 Breaking Your Brain Out of Jesus’ Jail | You can’t be a Christan and be an intellectual, right? We all know that all Christians think alike. To be a Christian is to conform, not only in lifestyle, but in thought pattern as well. All of these lies have been shoved down our throat, and overlaid on us by others. But none of them are true. We tackle one of the biggest assumptions that’s overlaid on Christ and that is that, because we are followers of Jesus, because we have a unity of faith, our minds are somehow in bondage so that we’re not allowed to use them. But the truth is, Jesus not only redeemed my soul, He’s also in the process of redeeming my mind. If I’m free in Christ, doesn’t that make me a free thinker as long as I am thinking thoughts of Christ? As a follower of Jesus, I can embrace truth wherever I find it? I need not be afraid of any truth, whether the person who is espousing that truth is a friend or not. Science is a friend of God as long as we are in the pursuit of truth. The arts are a friend of God, the way God creates beauty in the world through broken lives as we think, connect, and express ourselves. As a matter of fact, on the show today I made this statement: “I am a creative thinker, armed with God’s truth and wisdom, free to dream and drive; able to try and trust.” If you know anyone who thinks that to be a Christian is to put your brain in Jesus’ jail, to lose your brain, to not be an intellectual, not think for yourself, to not have big ideas, they need to listen to today’s podcast because we’ll break those stereotypes and tell the truth. To anyone who loves God, God gives them not only the gift of salvation, but the gifts of wisdom, knowledge, and the happiness those two things can bring when applied. | 1/12/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 050 Going to Hell From Church | Wouldn’t it be sad to spend your life as a religious person and miss God in eternity? It scares me sometimes when, here in America, we have so much exposure to spiritual things that we fail to understand that just knowing about God, Jesus, and the content of Scripture is not enough. On today’s show, I played a recent Christmas Eve talk that I gave called “The 4 R’s.” I gave the talk because I’m scared that people could actually go to church all their lives and spend eternity separated from God. This talk is simple, brief, and to the point. It’s in the context of our Christmas Eve service during which the room was packed with people standing up around the sides and sitting on the floor. It was truly a sacred moment. Follow the 4 R’s. Have you experienced each one of these? If not, make sure that you have. It can change your life forever. Remember, Jesus isn’t looking for fans. He only accepts followers. Make sure you know the difference. | 1/5/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 049 How Do Spiritual Gifts Work, And Do I Have Any? | One of the questions I hear over and over again is, “What am I supposed to do with my life now that I’m a Christian? Now that I follow Christ, what is there for me to do that makes a difference in the world, and what has God placed in me that lets me know that He has a plan for my life here on this earth?” So today we talk about three important concepts that every follower of Jesus needs to understand, embrace, and master: the idea of calling, the idea of the measure of faith, and gift mix. Each one of these ideas will help you understand where you fit, your place in God’s plan, and why it’s significant that you excel, and grow, and mature and become healthy; a maker of better culture, a contributor to help God make of this world what He has in mind as He’s redeeming, reconciling, and restoring to Himself through Jesus Christ. No Christian can rightfully say that they are a mistake, and that they don’t matter. Each one of us has a calling, we have supernatural spiritual gifts, and a measure of faith that allows us to accomplish the life God intended. As you listen today, let me know what you think. Do you have three spiritual gifts or more? And if you do, what are they? Do you agree that when you operate out of anything but your top gift that you can only be good, not great; and only be drained, not super-charged? | 12/15/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 048 Why Are There So Many Mean Christians? | Everywhere I go I meet people who have been wounded by other Christians. The landscape all across America is littered with broken hearts and shattered dreams of those who have been turned away and turned off by churches. I believe there is a big difference between Christianity and what it means to be a Christian. The ianity part added onto Christ is about religious rules: moralism, legalism, fundamentalism, and all those other kinds of isms that obscure the fact that Jesus loves people, not rules, not denominations, and not empty buildings with big steeples on top. I think over these years I’ve discovered some reasons why so many people who call themselves Christians are really mean. I don’t think it’s because they’re crude and cruel. I happen to think it’s because they are wounded and afraid. So in this week’s episode of Renegade, I talk about the one reason why I think so many Christians find it hard to be gracious, loving, humble, and filled with joy. See what you think. Let me know if you think I’m onto something. | 12/8/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 047 Taking Christianity Back From the Fans | I love being a Christian. By that I mean I love following Jesus. By that I mean I love trying to follow Jesus, attempting to follow Jesus, aspiring to live the life for which I was created. When I was converted, I just assumed that everyone who named the name of Christian took their faith seriously, that it was a core issue; not just a cosmetic confession. I learned all too early that there is a big difference between Christ-followers and the fans of Christ. You’ve seen fans, right? Those are the people who wear the shirt, identify with the team, make bold proclamations as long as everything is going well, when it costs them little to nothing to be a fan. Then there are other fans who buy the tickets, attend the games, and yet there’s a big difference between fans and players. One of my driving passions for my whole life has been to take Christianity back from the fans – those people who somehow feel like they own Jesus, own His church, and can manipulate it for their own benefit; those who take their confessions lightly and oftentimes send mixed messages to those who are trying to find their way to God. This week on Renegade we’ll be talking about how to distinguish between fans and followers, between posers and players. This is a huge distinction and you need to know how to make it. | 12/1/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 046 Why Christian Men Are Abandoning the Church | I like to consider myself a man, a real man; maybe not a he-man, but at least a man who understands (I think) what it means to be a male and masculine. And as such, I am offended by what I consider to be our society’s onslaught on manhood. Just watch the evening TV shows; more importantly the commercials. And men come across as stupid, slow, fat, self-indulgent, pizza-stuffing, beer-guzzling sex fiends. And I’m being kind, believe me. Then there’s a whole set of guys out there who call themselves Christian guys, followers of Jesus, followers of the way, followers of the bravest man who ever lived. And yet we seem to have lost our way. And as a result, our churches are being emptied of real men; man-up men, godly men, men who have strong backs and tender hearts; men who believe that bringing their brain to church is not only a good thing, but a mandated thing. On Renegade this week we talk about some of the reasons why men are abandoning the American church, what the misconceptions are, and how we can and must do something about it. After you listen to today’s show, I’d love to get your feedback. | 11/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 045 Saving Jesus From His Followers | Jesus Christ is the greatest thing that ever happened to this world if, in fact, you believe what the Scriptures teach: that He is our Savior, that He is God come down to be 100% God, 100% man to die as a satisfaction that would give us redemption. On the other hand, there are literally millions of people on the planet today who claim to be followers of Jesus who have really hijacked the gospel, Jesus, and the Bible, for their own agenda. What are the characteristics of those who are simply out to pedal their version of religion, their desires to control, and manipulate, as opposed to those who are followers of Jesus, who truly want to live in the way of Jesus and share the hope of the gospel to the world? All of us know people who have been bruised, wounded and downright devastated by the self-righteousness of those who call themselves Christians. On the show today, we’ll talk about how to identify these people and how to stand up against their onslaught. And maybe more importantly, how to protect others from their devices. Jesus said that He’d come that we might have abundant life; that He’s the Savior of the world, the hope for what’s gone wrong with mankind. If Jesus is right and the teaching of the Scriptures can be trusted (and I think they can), then the stakes are high and worth the diligence of those who want to see people set free, not in bondage. | 10/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 044 Why Do Some Churches Die While Others Thrive? | The state of the American church is in flux. Depending on who you talk to, it’s either doing really, really well or it’s on its last legs. I, for one, am an optimist. This isn’t just a casual observation. It’s after decades of investment in planting churches and leading churches. And in that time I’ve watched churches thrive, while I’ve watched other churches that at one time were growing churches, shrivel up and die. So today we talked about why churches die, how to know if your church is dying, how to know when it’s dead, and what do you do when you have to walk away and be the last one to turn out the lights. Here is a brief bit of wisdom. The church as an institution is in big trouble. The church as a movement has a great future. Do you know the difference? | 10/20/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 043 Rescuing the Church From the Clutches of Cool | One of the things I keep hearing from people over and over again is how legalistic and institutional most churches seem to be – even the churches that claim to be cool. And by the way, cool is a new trend in the American church: cool video, cool look, cool name, hip clothing. It’s a cosmetic make-over. You may like it, you may not like it. I kind of like it. But the danger is that cool goes too far. When you take the gospel and try to make it cool by extracting from it some of the features that make you uncomfortable, you’ve gone from cool to heresy. So today we talk about the cultural cool and ask the questions, “Has it gone too far? Are those who lead the cool movement trying to redefine the gospel to make it so palatable and acceptable that it ends up having no hope and no help?” All of this today on Rengade’s Guide to God. | 9/29/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 042 I Can’t Stand My Parents; Can I Still Be a Christian? | One of the hardest things it seems for Christians to deal with are relationships. And the hardest relationships it seems to redeem, are family relationships gone bad. The Scriptures are very clear. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the Big Ten – that we should honor our father and mother. But what does a person do when they become a Christian and they realize that they are supposed to love everyone, especially their parents, and yet they’ve been estranged from their parents for many years? Maybe the relationship has been toxic since childhood. Oftentimes young Christians deal with how to approach parents that were abusive and just simply abandoned them in the past. The question is, “How do you understand the mixed feelings of wanting to honor your parents according to the Scripture, because now you love God and want to please Him, and yet the difficulty of forgiving and healing deep wounds over time?” The truth is, the command to honor your father and mother is not what a lot of people promote it to be. And that is, just allow your parents to run over you, mistreat you, abuse you, and smile and give a big “God bless you.” In this episode of Renegade’s Guide to God, we’ll help set you free from the bondage of loving parents. | 9/22/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 041 Are Mormons Christians, or Not? | One of the questions I keep getting over and over is, “What about the Mormons? For all the good that they do and the high moral teaching they hold forth, surely they are Christians.” This question is of unique interest these days, because some of the leading candidates in the 2012 upcoming election are Mormons. So it’s interesting to see what Mormonism looks like in the light of day and the scrutiny of public disclosure. Today we’ll take Mormonism and its teachings apart and see how they stack up against the basic essentials of Christianity. The principles that we use today can be used not just in Mormonism, but in any movement or group in assessing the reliability of whether or not what they believe and practice can be considered Christian. | 9/15/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 040 How Do You Go About Getting God to Bless Your Business? | One of the most important things anyone can have in their life is God’s favor. The question is, “How do you get it?” Some people believe that you earn God’s best blessing on your life, in your business, or in your marriage. That somehow doing daily devotionals, reading the Bible, and being disciplined in your spiritual life through reformation and activity can obligate God to do good things for you. So why is it that God seems to bless some people who don’t have daily devotions, who don’t attend church on a regular basis, and who don’t really practice the disciplines that we think good Christians should? And yet God seems to bless everything they touch. While at the same time, other good, godly businessmen and women can work really hard at attracting God’s favor and yet it seems as though their business endeavors flounder. We’ll talk about the key and the secret today on Renegade’s Guide to God. | 9/8/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 039 Can a For-Profit Business be a Valid Christian Ministry? | As long as I can remember, Christian businessmen have struggled with the question, “Is what I’m doing honoring to God?” Can a true for-profit Business be a valid Christian Ministry? I say “valid” in the same way a church is a spiritual endeavor. Sad to say, that many Christian businessmen and women don’t feel validated by their churches and even their other brothers and sisters in Christ. The question is, “Isn’t Monday through Friday a time to worship God, to serve God, and to do ministry, or is it just delegated to Sunday morning?” Far too often in the American church, we train people to do church work (which is volunteer), and serve the ministries of the church (which is a very good and valid thing), but fail to also validate the energy, dedication, and sacrifice that these same people make to make their businesses successful. It’s time that we give a bigger view to what ministry is, and today we’ll talk about that on Renegade’s Guide to God. | 9/1/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 038 Four Sure Signs You’re in the Wrong Church | I firmly believe that everyone should attend church. But not everyone should attend the same church. It truly does take all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people. Like anything else in life, churches have personalities, different emphasis, and styles. One size certainly doesn’t fit all. I’ve often found that good people stay in the wrong church way too long simply because they feel guilty, ever daring to look around for a better fit. Just like in marriage, in life, or at work, fit is very important. Today on Renegade we talk about the four sure signs that you’re in the wrong church; and then the four questions you need to answer as you go out and look for a better fit. What does that fit look like? We’ll help you recognize it today. | 8/18/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 037 Why You Don’t Deserve a Second Chance | We often hear people say, “He deserves a second chance.” But do we deserve a second chance? There’s something else going on in our lives when we do get a second chance. When we’re able to re-enter our lives in a saner, spiritual way, God is at work. And one of the principles that we misunderstand is that grace is not something we earn or deserve. We often talk about the love of God as if it’s a given, like air, sunshine, or the fact that we get thirsty. God’s favor cannot be assumed, or taken for granted. Because once we do that, we take God for granted. We begin to ignore Him and make a world on our own image and reflection rather than His. The song we learned as kids is still true. This is my Father’s world. He’s got the whole world in His hands. But everything He gives us is a gift, not earned. The question is, what is our response to a God who gives us everything that we can’t earn or deserve? Do we abuse it? Do we use it? Or do we turn it into an act of worship that not only pleases God, but transforms our own lives in the process? Religion is about rights, rules, and obligations. Christianity is about love, grace, mercy, and a relationship. | 8/11/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 036 How to Run Off the Church Bullies | Sad to say, there are some baaaaaad people out there. Not just dumb people, stupid people, selfish people, but bad people. And those people come to church. Sometimes it seems like more of them come to church than good people. The truth is, in every church there are people who are there to cause trouble. The health of your church and the future of its ministry depends on your ability to sanely, safely, and wisely identify these people and render them powerless. If there is one fundamental thing the Scriptures teach us that we’re always hesitant to acknowledge, it’s that there is evil in the world. As a follower of Jesus, I want to believe the best about everybody. I want to believe that everyone has the right motive, particularly those who use the name of God, those who are attracted to churches, those who want to gather in God’s name to do good things. But there are people who are there for power. They want to control. They feel powerless and helpless in every other arena in their life, and the church affords them almost an endless opportunity to step into leadership and places of influence; hide, and then all of a sudden raise their ugly head to cause dissension, conflict, and sometimes destroy not just the unity of the church, but the church itself. If you have never been a part of church conflict, you will be. How you deal with it depends on your long-term effectiveness for God, the gospel, and good, | 8/4/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 035 Does Praying for People Really Work? | Maybe you’ve been in a church service, gotten an email, or seen a conversation on Facebook that people are calling for corporate prayer. This goes on all the time. People ask us, “Hey, would you pray about this?” “Would you pray for me?” Oftentimes we say we will, but really we’re just being polite, and we forget. So it leads us to the question, “Does praying for other people really work? Is this really important? Is it in the volume or the number of prayers that God hears and answers?” It’s exceedingly frustrating to pray and nothing happens. It’s downright disappointing to pray over time repeatedly and see almost nothing happen as a result. It’s easy to get discouraged and quit praying. Today we’ll talk about why prayer is important, why corporate prayer is talked about in the Scriptures, and how we could pray more effectively. | 7/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 034 Does Predestination Mean My Choices Don’t Matter? | Today’s topic was sent in as a question by a listener. It has to do with predestination, predetermination, and things like free will. Without question, the Scriptures have something very definite to say about predestination. But oftentimes predestination is interpreted as fatalism, which means it doesn’t matter what we do or how we respond, everything is already set, every outcome is inevitable, and God doesn’t need, want, or use our pitiful efforts. Rather than predestination being a dark, depressing theological burden, it was intended to be an encouragement. It’s more about God’s providence than your own personal choices. The truth is, from Scripture, predestination and choices go hand-in-hand. You’ll see how on Renegade’s Guide to God. | 7/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 033 Five Reasons I’m Not a Christian | Remember the days when claiming to be a Christian wasn’t so difficult? I don’t mean difficult in that we’re ashamed to be Christian. It’s just that the term “Christian” means so many different things to so many different people, given the environment and the location. So on the show today, we’re going to talk about the five things we don’t mean when we say we’re Christian. Sometimes we need to know as much about what we’re not saying so we can break the stereotypical view of what being a Christian is to so many people. For example, to some people the word “Christian” conjures up politics, a capitalist view of the economy, and a moralism that few Christians can claim. For others, the word “Christian” means fanatic, irrational believer, someone stuck in the past, someone unwilling to accept that science trumps faith. One of the best things we can do as believers is to help people understand not only what we’re saying and what we’re claiming when we call ourselves Christians, but also what we’re not saying. All this today, on Renegade’s Guide to God. | 7/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 032 Where is God When it All Comes Crashing Down? | Today we’ll deal with a question from a listener about, “What do you do when you’ve done all the right things, when it seems from your family, to your job, to your friends, everything is coming unglued?” Where is God when you’ve prayed, and you’ve prayed diligently and desperately over time, and no answer seems to come? Is it something you’ve done? Something you’re not doing? Is there a magic, religious formula, some way to pray, some anointing oil or kneeling position that will give you the breakthrough you seek? One of the most trying times in the life of a believer is when God gives no evidence of either His presence or His caring in your life. The challenge is to have vision enough and faith enough to understand where you are, what you’re going through, and where it’s leading you. It’s easy to get frustrated and walk away from faith when everything else goes wrong. But maybe there’s something to be learned, something to be gained, something God is trying to tell us that we can only learn in the times when it seems like everything is going wrong. We’ll talk about all this and more on Renegade’s Guide to God, today. | 7/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 031 How to Get Unstuck With God and Go to the Next Level | Not a week goes by when someone doesn’t say to me, “David, I’m stuck in my faith. I’m losing it. God seems far away and it just seems like I’m going to church and going through the motions, but nothing is changing in my life, at least nothing for the better.” When you’re stuck in your faith, there are real reasons. It’s not a mystery. The things you can do, or maybe things that you’re not doing: acts of self-discipline that guarantee that you’re constantly moving forward with God, growing a stronger faith and being able to turn adversity into advantage, and pain into the kind of gain God had in mind when he allowed it to come your way. On Renegade’s Guide to God, today, we talk about the questions you can ask yourself when you’re stuck in your relationship with God and your faith seems distant, unreal, or plastic and artificial. Let me warn you. These questions are penetrating, they’re personal, and they just may push you out of your comfort zone. And isn’t that really what you want? The courage, the faith, the confidence and the boldness to step up to the next level with God and see God not only intervene in your life, but do actual, bonafide, real-world miracles like he did in the New Testament. They’re not over and you can experience them if you do the work to get unstuck. Start growing again. | 6/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 030 Resisting the Nice-ification of Jesus | One thing you can say about Jesus, is after two thousand years, He’s as popular as ever. But also, I might argue, as misunderstood. This is never more true than when you think about the picture that American Christianity has tended to paint of the person of Jesus. When you remember that Jesus said, “Turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, love your neighbor,” sometimes that gets translated into weak, soft, doormat faith. On the show today, we’ll be talking about what the real Jesus was like. Was He a rogue? Was He a rebel? Or was He more like a revolutionary, a renegade who pushed back and defied conventional wisdom? Remember, Jesus wasn’t crucified for being a nice guy. He was crucified for being a subversive; someone who not only challenged the authority of the Roman government, but deconstructed Judaism in the face of the Sanhedrin and all of its political power. When we study the New Testament we get a very different view of Jesus, one that might offend a major portion of American Christianity today. We’ll find out today on the show. | 6/23/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 029 How to Say “No” to Small-Minded Religion | Our desire to know God and lead a meaningful life is one of the most powerful forces that drives us forward. So powerful is this desire, that it is easily manipulated by religion. America is littered with the victims of small-minded, toxic religion. On our show today we talk about how to identify small-minded religious ideas whose only motivation is to manipulate and control. We’ll contrast this with the Christian idea that we are in the world, not of the world; that we’re challenged to be stewards of our lives and to make something beautiful, attractive, and long-term of our days. As a follower of Jesus I am challenged constantly to live up to the potential that God created in me, and gives me the chance to work out in everyday life. Being a Christian is not making the world smaller, but drawing a circle to make the world bigger. It’s not about believing less, but believing, attempting, and achieving more. It is possible to know God and love God, and live the life for which you were created. But you’re going to have to see religion for what it is: man’s attempt to control God and manipulate you. | 6/16/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 028 How to Get Over a Bad Church Experience | One of the most common experiences that Christians have is, somewhere down the road, a bad church experience. Some of these disappointments are so deep, so painful, and so long-lasting that Christians even abandon the church and their faith altogether. Today on Renegade we talk about why these things happen, how to understand them, and how are we to respond; not only in our own lives, but how do we respond to those who look on and justify their lack of faith and belief in Christ and His church because of all the foolishness that goes on in the name of God? Today you’ll get some practical help and insight from a guy who has committed his life to the American church for the last 39 years. This just may be the time for you to go back and find a community of faith where you can be loved as you are, and also make a difference. | 6/9/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 027 Since Business is Evil, Can it be Christian? | One of the famous sayings spawned by the movie, “The Godfather” is this, “It’s not personal; it’s business.” Living in Nashville, I also hear this one often: “Christian music is sometimes Christian, sometimes music, but all the time business.” We also hear phrases like this: “It’s time that big business gives back.” The truth is, more times than not, business as a trade is something that is sinister, evil, and only obsessed on making money. But is that the true nature of business? And if it is, can there be such a thing as Christian business, Christian music, Christian books, Christian bookstores? So today on our show we talk about what the Scriptures have to teach us about business. Can business be sacred? Can it be a calling? Can it be a good thing? And does it need to be hyphenated, whether we’re Christian in order to be good, to be righteous, and God-honoring? There is a ton of misinformation out there about business. We disdain business. We don’t want to be in business. We simply want to have a job and go home and leave the dirty business to the higher-ups and the corporate chiefs. But is this God’s will, God’s way, and most of all, God’s calling? We’ll find out today on episode 27. | 6/2/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 026 Why the World Didn’t Come to an End on May 21, 2011 | Once again we stand in the wake of the disappointment of those who prophesied and predicted the rapture this past Saturday. If this were just the weird prediction of a small group, we could ignore it. Reports say over a hundred million dollars was spent to advertise and promote this idea on this date. Not all the intentions and purposes were good. Maybe we need to look at what motivates these people who make these predictions. Also, while we’re at it, let’s clear up some wrong attitudes and understandings about the second coming of Christ. Because a lot of people think that what God’s going to do is destroy the earth – not true; that God is going to come and cause wars and famine – not true; that God is going to somehow out of anger and frustration just simply pull the plug, walk away, and let the world implode on itself – not true. On Renegade today we talk about what the Scriptures teach about the second coming of Christ, why we can’t and shouldn’t seek to know it, and how we should live in light of it. | 5/26/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 025 How Do You Grow a Strong and Fruitful Faith? | Millions of people attended church last Sunday. And millions more will show up this coming Sunday. For that I say, Yea God! If for you, going to church is going to worship, to connect to God and other messy people, I applaud you for making this a discipline of your week. Not only do you obey a direct command of God, you also set yourself up to win. But let’s face it. One hour, one day a week isn’t enough to grow a strong, fruitful faith. It has to be more. What else do you do? How does faith grow strong? How does faith become more fruitful with time? How does it flourish in the fires of adversity? What are the disciplines that you need to be working into your life? As you listen to the episode today, you might be surprised at not only how simple these disciplines are, but actually, believe it or not, (forgive me for being vulgar here) how much fun they really are. Let’s be honest. If you’re having to make your faith work, if you’re having to tolerate the distance of God, if you’re having to get up and drag yourself to church, maybe it’s time you made your faith fun again. Yeah, I said “fun again”. I know, it seems unimportant doesn’t it. But here’s what I’ve learned. Whenever there is high achievement, whenever relationships are good and growing, when asked, people would describe them by almost exclusively one characteristic quality: “I’m having fun out there. I’m having fun in my marriage. I’m having fun at work.” Faith should be fun too. Our fun is joy, peace, energy, passion, a love for life, and a love for God. It’s all yours, all possible, and we’ll talk about it today on a Renegade’s Guide to God. | 5/19/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 024 Does Loving God Make You Weird? | One of the most difficult things to face when you become a Christian is that not everyone who says they are a Christian, are genuine, authentic, and real. As a matter, of fact some people are just downright wolves in sheep’s clothing. They are not just misguided, they are evil. Yeah, I said it. Evil, and to be avoided. The question is, how do you know the difference between someone who is just weird, messed up, and using religion to control and manipulate other people, and people who may be just misguided, misinformed, and well-intentioned, but have never had any information that helps them see their faith as a good thing? If you’ve ever dealt with the harsh criticism of religious bullies, those who use the Scriptures to prove their points of view, then today’s show is just for you. Hear how to make a distinction between those who are genuine and real, who have a relationship with God that you can learn from and be inspired by, as opposed to religious bullies; those weird people who, in the name of God, try to force their views and opinions on other people. All this today on Renegade’s Guide to God. | 5/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 023 How to Buy a Bible | At the core of every Christian’s life is the reading and studying of Scripture. The Bible is indeed God’s word. We believe that it is inspired by God, given by God. It is the direct revelation of God. It is the foundation for all that we do. It is our ultimate authority. It tells us Who God is, what He wants, and what He expects. Unlike any other book in the world, the Bible can be read and reread and studied for a lifetime, and still only skim the surface of the depth of its meaning. It’s a living document. As you read it, the Scriptures promise that it reads us back. One of the most important things we will ever do is buy a Bible, choose a verse, and make a lifelong habit of digesting its content. On the Renegade show today, we talk about how to buy a Bible: some of the practical aspects of leather or hardbound, study or non-study, paraphrase or literal translation, which can be trusted and which others should have a warning light. How big should a Bible be? How big should the font of the text be? All today on the Renegade’s Guide to God. | 5/5/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 022 If God is So Good, Why is There So Much Suffering in the World? | One of the thorny dilemmas anyone, anywhere faces when they affirm the goodness of God, is, “How can God be good and there be so much pain, suffering, and darkness in the world?” In talking with a young seeker several years ago, he posed that question to me. He said, “I just can’t believe in a God that would allow so much pain in the world.” I responded by asking, “So you can’t believe in God because of all the pain and suffering, all the things you see that are counter to the proclamation that God is good and gracious?” He said, “Absolutely.” I said, “So you can’t live in a world with pain and God, so you’ll live in a world with just pain.” On the show today we delve deeply into that subject and help you understand that God wastes nothing; not even our pain. God is not bound by the sins and the stupidity of others as it relates to what He can do in our own lives. And here’s a revelation. He’s not even bound by our own stupidity. You’ll find out more on today’s show. | 4/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 021 You Cannot Be a Christian and Do That | One of the hottest debates, at least in American Christianity, is about how Christians behave. What can a Christian be expected to do and not do? What’s the actual nature of Christianity? Is it a sin-management program? Is it adherence to a certain strict set of doctrines? Is there a certain set of behaviors that you must demonstrate in order to be considered Christian? Today on Renegade’s Guide to God, we talk about what’s at the heart of Christianity. Is it the good works we do that make us Christian and justify us before God? Or is it simple faith? And is it faith alone, intellectual ascent to a certain set of facts that make us Christian? Or is there something more going on that we ignore to our own detriment? Today on the show we’ll answer the question, “Which is more important; faith or works, behavior or attitude, heart, or the actual things we do?” We’ll talk about what sort of things are totally out of bounds in Christianity. And this list might surprise you, because drinkin’, smokin’, and gamblin’ don’t make the list. | 4/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 020 5 Reasons Church Planters Fail | I don’t ordinarily consider myself a “church planter,” but now that I’ve planted two churches in the last 20 years, I suppose I am. I’ve been in this long enough to know that there are some things that are very predictable about planting a new church, or even starting a new business. The truth is, we can never have enough of the right kind of churches because we have an over-abundance of the wrong kind. The question is, “What are the wrong kind, what are the right kind, and what are the characteristics of those church plants and church planters that seem to always fail? And are there characteristics that will predict that a church plant will succeed?” I believe there are five reasons why church planters fail. I’ve seen it happen over and over and over again. Even in my own life, when I’ve gotten close to the edges of these harsh realities, I can look over the abyss of failure. These reasons can be avoided. And actually they’re opposites of the guarantee that a church planter will not only succeed, but succeed beyond his or her wildest imagination. And that leads to another issue, doesn’t it? What is a successful church plant? Is it a church of 4,000 or 5,000 people with 280 acres of land, a big staff, and multiple services? Well if it is, I’ve been there. But I can tell you that those are poor ways to judge the success or failure of a church plant. We’ll talk about it today on Renegade’s Guide to God. | 4/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 019 How to Know Your Christianity No Longer Is | I am of the firm conviction that you have every right to reject Jesus and all the tenants of Christianity. But you don’t have the right to redefine the Christian faith to mean anything you want it to. With all the confusion these days and all the books and other information swirling around that seem to redefine the Christian faith, I thought it was time to just sit down an lend my voice to the conversation. Christianity revolves around one person; and that’s Jesus Christ: who He is, what He taught, what He demanded how He saw the world, and how His followers understood that and have implemented it over the 2,000 years since His time on earth. On our show today I talked about some of the fundamentals of Christian faith that cannot be changed and it still be Christian. This is important for you as you judge the books you read and the talks you hear. If you are a speaker, a leader, and an influencer in the American church, it’s important for you to make sure you understand that you are not free to interpret the Christian faith in any way you choose. | 4/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 018 Why I’ve Given Up Trying to Win People to Jesus | All of my Christian life, I’ve heard how important it is to be a soul-winner, to win people to Jesus, to convince people that the Christian faith is the way to go. But for the past 21 years, I’ve seen more lives transformed through the power of Jesus than I ever dreamed or hoped that I might. And I have to tell you, in the last 21 years I have not tried to win anybody to Jesus. Winning people to Jesus gives one or two ideas. One, that Christianity is something that can be forced on someone through salesmanship against their will. Or two, that I as a Christian feel I am superior to you, and feel like I need to overlay onto you my expectations. On today’s episode, we talked about the true nature of Christianity, that Christianity is not something to be sold, but something to be lived. It is telling our story, relating where we have found hope, bread, help; being compassionate, sympathetic, and open to hearing other people’s story that goes furthest toward helping people discover the life-giving relationship that comes from opening our hearts up to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If you’ve been made to feel guilty because you don’t witness more, or because you don’t “share your faith,” today’s episode is a must. Gather other friends around you in a small group and listen, and see how the practical advice will help you be more effective in your ability to make a difference. | 3/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 017 How to Listen to a Sermon with Your Brain | I was in conversation with the guys in my small group and we were bemoaning the sad state of sermonizing and teaching in the American church. One guy said, “I feel sorry for people who are in the formation stage of their faith with all the muddied up opinions, compromised truths, and just really bad preaching.” As a result, I thought it would be good today, to talk about how to listen to a sermon. Maybe you’ve listened to a few. I’ve actually given far more than I’ve listened to, but I’ve listened to my share, believe you me. And I’ve learned there are some things you need to ask yourself when you’re listening, because when you’re listening to a spiritual talk, a teacher of any kind, you’re placing your trust in them. You’re opening up your heart and your mind for what they are saying. And oftentimes what they have to say may not line up with Scripture and ultimate truth. So if you’ve ever listened to a sermon, or listened to a teacher, or even a television preacher; read a book, or gone through a study course and you’re wondering if all this stuff is true or not, listen to this show. I’m going to give you some guidelines, some questions to ask yourself so when you listen to a sermon or spiritual talk, you will listen with your head and heart fully engaged. | 3/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 016 Five Signs You’re in a Shame-Bound Church | All across America, every seven days, in over 450,000 churches, people gather to worship. And you would think that all of that collective meeting over a long period of time would produce grace-filled, energetic, life-giving faith in the people who attend. But oftentimes the exact opposite happens. Why? Basically because all churches are not created equal. Church is not a monolith of belief or behavior. Churches are very different and you need to be as careful in choosing a church as you are in committing to attend it. On today’s show we talk about the five signs that you might be a part of a shame-bound church. If you go to church for your weekly whipping where you are condemned, where guilt is the motivation for serving and giving, then you might need to think about switching to a grace-based church rather than a shame-bound, religious church. | 3/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 015 Time to ReChurch Yourself: An Interview With Stephen Mansfield | All across America, on any given Sunday morning there are millions upon millions of people who call themselves Christians, who don’t attend church. That sounds rather odd, doesn’t it, in light of the fact that that’s what Christians are called to do: to gather, to worship God. So what’s gone wrong? Today we interviewed author, speaker, and former pastor, Stephen Mansfield on his new book entitled, “ReChurch: Healing Your Way Back to the People of God.” In this insightful volume, Mansfield traces the journey of so many who have been hurt by the church. He talks about why they don’t go back, what they’re looking for, and why they should face the hurt of the past and ReChurch themselves. This is an insightful speaker, an insightful interview, and the book worth reading. If you know anyone whose been hurt by a church, who justifies not attending church and participating in public worship because they were hurt, or betrayed and they feel bitter about what was done to them in the name of God, ask them to give today’s program a listen. | 3/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 014 Is Life a Matter of Fate, Self-Help, Destiny, or Dumb Luck? | In a recent interview, Matt Damon was asked if he believed in fate, or luck. This was in reference to his new movie called “The Adjustment Bureau.” The story behind the movie is that in our normal, everyday lives there is a force unseen; controlling, not only the people we meet, but the decisions we make and the opportunities that are even available to us. In the movie this force is clandestine and unfriendly. Damon answered the question like I’ve seen many others: thinking, pondering, considering, admitting that so many of the paths that his life had taken had looked providential in retrospect. So today on the Renegade’s Guide to God, we’ll be talking about the different options between fate, self-help, providence, or just plain dumb luck. I am often shocked at how many people who call themselves Christians, who have a theistic basis for their life, who embrace with seemingly no consistency the idea of luck, or fate, which takes God and providence totally out of the picture. You’d be pleasantly surprised to know that you are not a random accident, living a life of accidents strung together by dumb luck. There is Someone at work behind the scenes. And this person has your best at heart. | 3/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 013 Advancing the Church in the Age of Free-Agency | There’s a great big difference between the church that’s taught in the Scriptures and the church as an organization that we see in various states of decline in health. Today we talked about advancing the church; the church as a movement, a worldwide movement of redemption, reconciliation, and restoration. How does a church continue to advance its good work into a brand new world where we have the death of distance, and the gatekeepers no longer have the power to lock you out? We talked about the brave new world that’s wireless, wall-less, and worn-out; a new kind of non-church-member member called a free agent; someone who no longer lives in compliance, but defies convention, that looks for a church that is dynamic and growing, not simply one that has the denominational label. We talked about the ten ways in which the church is advancing in this brave new wireless, wall-less, world. We discussed things like the difference between crowds and community, the difference between members and mates, the difference between training people to do church work and going out to live to do the work of the church. We talked about why it’s important that we go from Sunday to every day; the difference between dogma and mystery, the difference between retreat and advance. If you have any responsibility for leading a church in the American culture, this talk is just for you. | 2/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 012 What’s Gone Wrong With the American Church? | All of my adult life, I’ve had a passion to plant, lead, and grow the American church. My years involved in this mission, this labor of love, has allowed me to see many movements come and go. In today’s show I talk about what I think the three most important developments have been since 9/11, and three diseases that have shown up in the church as a result. Let me be quick to say that there is a lot that’s going right with the American church. But to truly reach our redemptive potential, we need to look inside and see what part of who we are has drifted from what our original mandate has been. I talk about the three developments since 9/11; this brand new world that is more like the Old West was in the days when things were new, growing, and unpredictable in their directions. I talk about the three diseases, the discomforts that have grown up in the American church, that have not addressed and reversed what keeps us from going to new heights of influencing contribution in this brave new world. I truly do believe this is one of the best times to be leading a spiritual community, if you know where we are and how to engage. | 2/17/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 011 The Jesus I Never Knew | Today on Renegade’s Guide to God, David talked about the real Jesus; not the Jesus you often hear about in church – the nice, sweet Jesus. Too often Jesus is presented in American culture in a bathrobe, pale, long blond hair, blue eyes, and limp-wristed. And yet, the real Jesus was anything but. So today David talked about why the very best word used to describe the kind of man Jesus was, would be Renegade. He defied convention at every turn. He spoke truth to power. He talked about the virtues like humility, love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. He said that His followers would be peace-makers. Yet at the same time He said He’s come to set son against father, wife against daughter, house against house. What did He mean? What kind of man is it that literally turns the world upside-down? Think about it. While Christianity has its problems, Jesus is more popular than ever. After 2,000 years, Jesus simply won’t go away. Today we find out some of the reasons why. | 2/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 010 Can You be a Christian AND an Intellectual? | I got an email this week from a longtime friend bemoaning the fact that while they are a Christian, they are having a very difficult time feeling comfortable in the churches in their city. When I asked why, he responded, “It seems like to go to these churches I have to leave my brain at the door.” He asked, “Is this just me?” My response to him was that if this was the first, second, third, or even the hundredth time I’d heard this, I’d say “It could possibly be you. But since I’ve heard this hundreds if not thousands of times over 38 years, it’s really not you.” It’s a problem that a lot of religious people have that drives thinking people away. It’s not right and it shouldn’t go on. So today we’re going to talk about faith and intelligence. Are there reasons to believe? Does faith demand and require reason, and does reason, in and of itself, at some point require faith? Are they at odds with one another or can they be complements to one another? Fundamentalism and fierce denominational loyalty have arisen in the American church to obscure the true nature of the gospel. Jesus himself said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” And while the Bible is not a history or science book, it is not at odds with either one. If you’re looking for an intelligent faith, a faith that is satisfying to the mind, heart, and soul, then follow Jesus and you’ll find them all in one place. | 2/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 009 Why Aren’t Christians More Moral? | One of the most embarrassing facts about Christianity is that those who practice it are imperfect. How shocking and yet, why would we expect anything else? Oftentimes morality is used as a synonym for faith in Jesus Christ; that doing good things means I am a good person. And if I am a good person, that means I do good things. And yet, being a Christian has absolutely nothing to do with being a good person. It’s not about being good, being better, being more, being enough, being perfect. All of these are the statements of religion. So if Christianity is not about morality, what is it about? And how do you understand the difference between reformation and transformation? We discuss all these today, on Renegade’s Guide to God. | 1/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 008 How Do I Find a New Church? | It is my firm conviction that everyone should go to church, and needs to go to church. But one of the biggest questions is, how do you find a new church? Whether you are moving, have been inactive for many years, or have been hurt by a church-split or problem, if you’re now ready to try again, there are as many church choices as there are reasons to find one. Today, I talk about some of the characteristics you need to look for in a church that you commit yourself to. Going to church every seven days is not only a good thing, it’s a God thing. It will revolutionize your life, your attitude, and your future. So if you need a little help, or if you’d just like to measure your own church to see whether or not you’re the church other people would choose, today’s show is for you. | 1/20/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 007 Do I Have to Tithe to Be a Good Christian? | Giving is at the core of life, and it certainly is basic to the Christian life. But the question is, how much should we give? Why should we give? Do we have to give a certain amount in order to go to heaven? Is tithing taught in the New Testament? Even though it’s taught in the Old Testament, isn’t the fact that we are now under grace, not under law, proof that tithing is no longer the obligation? One of the most important things you’ll ever do for yourself is to learn how to use money to win at life. And you can’t win if you violate the very basic principles of giving. We put the whole tithing and giving thing in perspective today on Renegade’s Guide to God. | 1/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 006 You Can’t be Rich and be a Good Christian | A good buddy of mine sent me an email about a book that has become very popular, very fast. He asked me if I would read it and give him my input. I did, and it just kindled the flame in me again to defy conventional wisdom that you can’t be rich and be a good Christian. This book basically advocates that if you really want to love God, the best thing you can do is give away all your money and move and serve the poor. And while this sounds good and pious on the surface, nothing could be further from the truth. So today on the Renegade’s Guide to God, we talk about wealth; when it’s good, when it’s bad. Is it a sign of God’s approval? Everyone’s supposed to be wealthy; why aren’t some, why are others? What is the best godly response we can make to money, wealth, riches, and ambition? Would we be better off if everyone was poor? There are an awfully lot of people calling themselves Christians who are messing a lot of the rest of us up by their dumb views about spirituality, God, and money. Listen to today’s episode and see what you think. | 1/6/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 005 The Scandal of Performance-Based Religion | Since there are just a few days before Christmas, I think it’s important to make one last effort to expose the scandal of religion. I am not talking about a scandal where money is embezzled, or some sexual sin has been covered up. I’m talking about something that’s far bigger, more pervasive, and more damaging than those things could ever be. Today we try to understand that Jesus did not come to try to make us more religious. He did not come to give us a moral system. He did not come to condemn us to hell or purgatory. He came to demonstrate that His kind of spirituality and ultimate salvation is very, very different than a man-based religion of moralism, command, and control. It’s sad to admit that in most churches across America on any given Sunday, what you hear is a performance-based religion. Be good, be better, do better. And while the goal is indeed to live the best life possible, none of these religious theories take into account that unless God moves to us, we are helpless and ultimately hopeless to change our own lives. Today we take a good look at the first ten verses of Ephesians 2 and apply them to our lives so that Christmas might come alive with its wonder, its joy; that we might walk away with hope and humility, energized for a new year, knowing that God is truly with us. | 12/23/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 004 I Have Trouble Believing in God; I’m lost and Off-Track (part 2) | Today on Renegade’s Guide to God we’re going to continue our discussion of the questions that we’ve received from several people who are reaching out for help, asking really good questions. One of the things that attracted me to Christ in the first place is that He always entertained questions. He loves curiosity. He knows that truth is important and that we shouldn’t stop short of truth by embracing religious cliche`s or sentimental beliefs. So today we’ll talk about the real reasons you can trust the Scriptures, how you can know for sure, how you can avoid the pitfalls of condemning others. Today’s episode is a great companion to last week. Listen to them both, or share them with a friend and then have a conversation. Remember, when people ask you questions about your faith, you’re to respond respectfully and rationally; not emotionally or religiously. | 12/16/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 003 I Have Trouble Believing in God, I feel Lost and Off-Track. | I received a correspondence on Facebook recently which read, “David, I am lost. I’m having trouble believing in God, I’m off-track and I don’t know where to turn. I have a hard time believing in the entire afterlife. I’m an educated guy, and some of the things in the Bible are just too hard to believe. I really want it to be true but I just have a hard time with it. How do I do it? What makes you know that there is a God and not just something we need? I am a lost soul in true need of help. My main concern is that my children are not in church, and I want them to have their own opinion and not mine. What do I do?” When I hear these kinds of questions I, first of all, thank God that early in my life I was able to settle the question of faith. So, for me, the existence of God is self-evident. The question is, “Is He great, and is He good, and does He care for me?” In today’s episode of Renegade’s Guide to God, I try to give practical responses to each one of these questions. My heart certainly goes out to those who struggle to faith. I’ve met many thousands of them over the years. I know that Christianity is a lot to swallow. But there is a way to come to a settled and confident faith. So today we discuss each one of these questions and give solid, practical, functional answers to how you can build a first-hand faith that is solid, enduring, and growing stronger over time. You need not put your head in the sand and just simply comply to religious demands. You can be a truth-seeker, hold your head up high, use your brain, your mind, will, and emotions. Be inquisitive and curious, honest and open, and God will lead you to the truth, the truth that will set you free. All this today, on episode #3 of Renegade’s Guide to God. | 12/9/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 002 Can I know for sure I’m going to heaven when I die? | Today, we answer the question; “Can you be sure you’re going to heaven when you die?” There is a huge difference between being religious and being Christian. So much religious teaching and practice deals with modifying behavior rather than understanding that there is nothing you can do to make up for the moral deficit that exists between you and God. You CAN KNOW FOR SURE that you are right with God. You need not go through life doing good things hoping you’ve been good enough to impress God and gain entry to heaven! We discuss a 5-step process, that can help you connect to God for good and forever! Stop wondering and embrace the assurance that God wants you to have! | 12/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 001 What motivates and makes you grateful? | Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And welcome to the new Renegade’s Guide to God show. It’s a weekly show that will help you in your quest to know God, love God, and live the life for which you were created. Since today is Thanksgiving, for our first episode I thought I would talk about what motivates us to be truly grateful. One of the saddest things I see are people who have everything in the world to be grateful for, except the power to be so. So today on the Renegade’s Guide to God show, I talk about the core of Christian theology. Why is that important? Because it becomes the core of our motivation. If you’ve lost your motivation this year and you need help getting it back this would be a great show to give you the inspiration and the information that you need. | 11/25/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRG2G 000 Introducing the new David Foster a Renegade’s Guide to God Show | Announcing a brand new weekly show called, “A Renegade’s Guide to God.” I have named it after my most popular book and will be a nonreligious, no nonsense, plain-speaking, fast-paced 30 minute show about how real faith works in the real world where real people need real hope. The goal is to help you live free, have fun, and change the world. It will not be a “religiously correct” show. I am looking to inspire, inform, and motivate the growing Renegade Nation out there who are sick and tired of all the religious double talk. Here are some of the things you can expect from this show: Plain talk about the difference in between rule-based religion and a real, life changing relationship with God. Interviews with leading authors who write important book about faith and how it relates to our everyday lives. Commentary of current news that reflects on how we can live “Christianly” in the real world. Answers to questions submitted by our listeners (The Renegade Nation) Listening the introductory show will give you a little idea about who I am and what I am all about. For more on me check out this link. This show will be added to my 3 other weekly podcasts. Here are a list of the other show you can check out? The David and Paula Show David Foster at The Gathering (Audio) David Foster at The Gathering (Video) | 11/4/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 57 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Renegades guide to Redemption
Dave is wonderful at telling the story of God's redemptive love. A modern day George Whitefield taking His message to the highways and hedges. If you love God, but don't love "church" look no further!
My iMentor
I don't where to even begin describing the impact Dr. Foster has had on my life and the life of my family. I should and could have written this note of thanks and recommendation the first time I heard him speak some ten years ago as a member of BCC. We are now living in Georgia and don't get to spend Sundays at The Gathering Nashville, but I continue to listen to his encouraging words by way of his R4G, The Gathering, and Dave and Paula pod casts. The biblical truths that Dave teaches are engrained in my heart. Things like finding your FIT and how we should think, then act, and then reap the good feelings versus our tendency to feel, act, and then think. Dave is real, authentic, and bold for Jesus! Religion bad..Jesus Great! Dave led me to Dan Miller, who motivated me further. Dave encourages you to use your brain, think for yourself, and to be responsible for your relationship with Jesus. As a result of Daves teachings I truly believe that I was created by Jesus for a unique purpose. I dare you to listen and not enjoy and benefit.
Real, honest, passionate, highly qualified and engaging!
I grew up early in the Southern Baptist church and then to a charismatic church as a teen. There were a lot of bricks in the wall by the time I became an adult in regard to my perception of God. I spent 20years running from my calling which has nearly been audible at times. I became divorced and ostracized from my hometown church. I hated God for a season. I walked into a service where Dave was speaking one evening and I left totally different. David Foster speaks application of the Word in a way that seems like I am the only one in the room. He's funny, passionate, serious, sometimes raw, maybe crass...but always sincere. He's not your typical pastor. The Gathering isn't your typical church. Both are far better than any I know. I am proud to call Dr. Foster my pastor and a mentor. His wife Paula is an equally wonderful, engaged Godly lady who keeps Dave in line. :) Hey, he's bald like me, wears a goatee like me and rides motorcycles like me. A fellow renegade! The Gathering is my extended family.
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