Life Around "The Fire"

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Life Around "The Fire"

Hoot

725 episodes

16 hours ago

Send us a text The holidays can be loud with joy and still leave space where the heart aches. We sit down with Dr. Bill Hurst for a frank, compassionate exploration of the Christmas blues, the weight of complicated memories, and the quiet courage it takes to choose love when celebration feels out of reach. From childhood years in protective care to teachings that labeled Christmas “pagan,” Dr. Bill charts a path many listeners will recognize: confusion, pressure, and an uneasy relationship wi...

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Religion & Spirituality,

Society & Culture,

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Send us a text The holidays can be loud with joy and still leave space where the heart aches. We sit down with Dr. Bill Hurst for a frank, compassionate exploration of the Christmas blues, the weight of complicated memories, and the quiet courage it takes to choose love when celebration feels out of reach. From childhood years in protective care to teachings that labeled Christmas “pagan,” Dr. Bill charts a path many listeners will recognize: confusion, pressure, and an uneasy relationship wi...

Show more...

Religion & Spirituality,

Society & Culture,

Episodes (20/725)

Life Around "The Fire"

Dr Bill Hurst: Learning To Love When The Holiday Seasons Hurt

Send us a text The holidays can be loud with joy and still leave space where the heart aches. We sit down with Dr. Bill Hurst for a frank, compassionate exploration of the Christmas blues, the weight of complicated memories, and the quiet courage it takes to choose love when celebration feels out of reach. From childhood years in protective care to teachings that labeled Christmas “pagan,” Dr. Bill charts a path many listeners will recognize: confusion, pressure, and an uneasy relationship wi...

17 hours ago

28 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Trevor McMahan: So You’re Anointed… Now Go Shovel Sheep

Send us a text What if your anointing is real, but your next step is a mop bucket, not a microphone? We follow David’s path in 1 Samuel 16 to uncover how God forms leaders by placing honor on the heart, not the highlight reel. Samuel arrives ready to choose the obvious heir, and God refuses the obvious. David, the forgotten eighth son, is brought in from the fields—and that quiet moment with oil becomes the beginning of a long, hidden education in wisdom, humility, and courage. We unpack why...

1 week ago

27 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Trevor McMahan, Perspective Changes Everything: What Saul, The Amalekites, And David Teach Us About God’s Justice

Send us a text Obedience sounds simple until fear, pressure, and convenience crowd the soul. We sit down with Trevor McMahan to examine why “obedience is better than sacrifice,” how Saul’s half-measures cost him favor, and why David refused to strike a fallen king. Through the story of the Amalekites and the ripple effects into the book of Esther, we unpack the law of sowing and reaping, the difference between gifts and favor, and the quiet wisdom of honoring God’s timing. It’s a timely call ...

1 week ago

24 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

When Fear Leads: The Cost Of Disobedience

Send us a text Pressure mounts, the crowd scatters, and a leader reaches for a quick fix. We walk through 1 Samuel 13 and 15 to see why Saul’s hurried sacrifice and partial obedience cost him a kingdom—and what that reveals about the difference between religious activity and loyal trust. The stakes are high: when fear of people sets the agenda, authority withers and communities shrink. When obedience anchors our choices, God’s timing and presence carry the day. We explore Israel’s shift from...

2 weeks ago

31 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Who Gets The Credit When God Moves

Send us a text A risky climb, a taunt from the hill, and a truth that won’t let go: nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few. We walk through 1 Samuel 13–14 and watch Jonathan move when others stall, not because the odds improve, but because covenant confidence changes how you read the odds. Alongside him stands an unnamed armor bearer whose simple yes—“I am with you heart and soul”—turns faith into action. Their partnership exposes a quiet power the modern world oft...

2 weeks ago

22 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

What Looks Like Loss May Be God’s Pruning

Send us a text The world feels like it’s shifting under our feet, and for good reason: we’ve moved from steam to screens to something even more disruptive—the intelligence age. As AI turns questions into instant answers, we’re asking a deeper one: how do we stay rooted when change is relentless? We walk through the sweep of history, from the industrial and information eras to today’s surge of artificial intelligence, and then zoom in on the spiritual reality beneath the headlines. Knowledge c...

1 month ago

21 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Covenant Alignment With Stephen Crews, Part 4: Finding The Secret Place Of Peace And Restoration

Send us a text Peace that holds in the middle of conflict isn’t a myth; it’s the fruit of living near to God. We open up the “secret place” as Scripture presents it—covenant nearness under God’s shelter—and show how this isn’t reserved for spiritual elites. From Psalm 91’s shadow of the Almighty to Jesus’ teaching about praying in the inner room, we connect temple imagery, priesthood, and the finished work of Christ to the way you pray, think, and live today. Stephen shares a vulnerable stor...

1 month ago

29 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Covenant Alignment With Stephen Crews, Part 3: Trust, Authority, And A Transformed Heart

Send us a text What if real spiritual authority isn’t achieved, but received through surrender? We dig into covenant alignment by tracing the promise to Abraham through its fulfillment in Jesus, then translate theology into practice with a clear, usable framework for daily life. From worship as obedience to the heart change promised in Ezekiel 36, we unpack how the Spirit transforms desire so discipline becomes a pathway, not a prison. Stephen Crews returns to map six anchors for living unde...

1 month ago

29 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

The Cost Of Impatience And The Wisdom Of Waiting

Send us a text When everyday life blurs into routine, it’s easy to chase quick fixes that look strong on the surface. Our conversation traces Israel’s turning point in 1 Samuel 8—when the people asked for a king like the other nations—and unpacks why impatience often taxes the future. We look at the warning God gave through Samuel about the hidden costs of human systems: conscription, taxation, and a creeping loss of freedom. That ancient caution sounds uncomfortably modern, especially when c...

1 month ago

28 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Trusting God Guides Us Through Hard Transitions

Send us a text Change doesn’t just test plans; it tests hearts. We walk through the turbulent handoff from judges to monarchy in 1 Samuel and explore why some leaders bless the next season while others cling to control and crumble. Samuel stands in the tension, tasked with anointing a king the people demanded, modeling how to honor the past and obey God without being ruled by public pressure. Saul reveals the cost of pride and people pleasing, choosing his own plans and others’ opinions over ...

1 month ago

19 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

The Holy Spirit's Power, Relationship with Jesus, The Kingdom of God

Send us a text We open 1 Samuel and trace the scarlet thread of Scripture to a revealing portrait of Saul—a leader anointed by the Spirit, admired by people, and yet undone by fear of man and a restless heart. From the mountain-top moment of prophesying with the prophets to the valley of hiding among the baggage, we explore how a surge of spiritual power differs from the steady work of intimacy with God. Together we unpack why anointing is functional—given to serve and to meet the needs of o...

1 month ago

34 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Hungry For More... Stay Alert!

Send us a text Hunger is rising for a faith that runs deeper than services and schedules. We talk candidly about why programs alone can’t sustain a soul, why so many leaders end up burned out, and how true power flows when character is shaped in God’s presence. Using 1 Samuel as our guide, we slow down to the real pace of formation hidden inside a narrative that spans centuries, not minutes. Those quiet stretches—when nothing seems to happen—are where leaders decide whether to rely on hustle ...

1 month ago

35 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

When Gifting Shines But Character Cracks, Leadership Fails

Send us a text A nation on the brink of change, a community under siege, and a leader torn between the fear of people and the fear of God—this conversation journeys through 1 Samuel 10–13 to uncover why character, not charisma, determines the future. We explore Israel’s move from judges to monarchy and why the desire to look like other nations exposed deeper heart issues. When Nahash threatened Jabesh Gilead with humiliation, the crisis revealed the danger of life on the fringe and the power ...

1 month ago

27 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Stephen Crews: Part 2; Covenant Alignment (And Daily Faithfulness)

Send us a text Hungry for a faith that feels alive, guided, and grounded in peace? We dive into covenant alignment as a relationship that reshapes daily life—less striving, more trusting—and learn how seeking first the kingdom reframes every choice, habit, and plan. Instead of chasing clarity, we begin with obedience, stepping when God says step, and discovering that direction often arrives mid-journey. Along the way, we talk about how character outlasts speed, why boundaries protect what we ...

2 months ago

27 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Stephen Crews: Part 1; Covenant Alignment

Send us a text What if the battles wearing you down aren’t yours to fight—but signals that your life is out of alignment with the covenant you’re already part of? We open a new series with teacher Stephen Crews to explore covenant alignment: a clear, scriptural path from striving to authority, from constant warfare to steady union with God. We start by defining covenant as a binding oneness—one plus one equals one—and alignment as active agreement with God’s will. Stephen traces the Abrahami...

2 months ago

26 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Breaking Destructive Cycles

Send us a text A ruthless demand to “gouge the right eye” sounds like distant history, but the siege of Jabesh Gilead reveals something uncomfortably current: the enemy still bargains for small concessions that cost us our sight in the battles that matter. We walk through 1 Samuel 11, unpack who Nahash the Ammonite was, and explain why the right eye carried military, social, and spiritual weight in the ancient Near East. That lens opens up a larger theme—Israel’s recurring loop of revelation,...

2 months ago

30 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Your Choices And Words Shape Your Battle And Your Restoration

Send us a text *** Editors note: David refered to Nahash as being a Philistine King. He was an Ammonite Ruler, not a Philistine King. *** Pressure makes bad deals look reasonable. We slow down to a pace of peace and turn two vivid stories—Jabesh-Gilead under siege in 1 Samuel 11 and Samson’s collapse in Judges 16—like a diamond, catching fresh angles on compromise, courage, and restoration. Nahash’s demand to gouge the right eye wasn’t only cruelty; it was strategy to erase vision and disable...

2 months ago

30 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

How The Stories Of Israel Illuminate Our Everyday Choices And The Powers That Shape Them

Send us a text What if the real contest in your life isn’t busyness or burnout, but worship—what you give your attention to, and who gets to shape your desires? We open Scripture to 1 Samuel 11 and Judges 16 and trace how Israel’s story reveals the quiet currents that steer a soul: subtle influences, cultural pressure, and the unseen powers that promise fullness but leave us empty. From Samson’s slow drift to a people galvanized by God’s Spirit, we unpack how allegiance gets formed in tiny ch...

2 months ago

26 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

When Desire Overrides Wisdom

Send us a text What if the warning you’re tempted to ignore is actually an act of mercy? We walk through 1 Samuel 10 and the moment Israel traded a theocracy for a visible king, only to find Saul hiding among the baggage on coronation day. The picture is vivid and painfully familiar: when comparison drives our choices, we crown the wrong kings and pay for it later. From Baal’s seductive promises to the modern pull of envy and entitlement, we unpack how desire, image, and insecurity collide—an...

2 months ago

22 minutes

Life Around "The Fire"

Guest Speaker Stephen Crews Opens a Door of Understanding: We Become Like What We Behold—and God's Grace Empowers the Becoming

Send us a text Attention builds identity. That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with Stephen Crews as we explore what it really means to “behold and become.” We start with Psalm 27:4—one thing, one focus, one desire—and trace how a lifestyle of beholding Jesus forms habits of mind and heart that outlast hype and hurry. Stephen shares concrete rhythms for silence, Scripture, and prayer, including a simple image for quieting mental noise: let the day’s thoughts pass like groceries on a belt ...

3 months ago

28 minutes