Claim OwnershipProvoke & Inspire Podcast
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Provoke & Inspire is a weekly podcast featuring four artists, ministry leaders, and passionate followers of Jesus (Ben, David, Luke, and Chad) with decades of front-line experience and the stories to back it up! Every week they discuss how Jesus might respond to current events and issues facing the church today.
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How do you stay grounded in your faith despite having millions of followers, billions of views, and living in the Hollywood ecosystem? Ben talks with content creator and actor Read Choi, about achieving successes that few TikToker's ever see, and reaching people through humility and simple listening to them, rather than trying to answer questions they may not be asking. ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Cult...
Has the seeker sensitive movement gone too far? Is it irreverent for pastors to wear casual clothing during sermons, and is the church not actually for evangelism at all? The regulars react to a video of Dr. Frank Turek talking about what, from his perspective, the true mission of our church services should be. ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone longing to reach ...
Why are Christians turning to more traditional expressions of the faith? Is there something in Orthodoxy that's missing from Protestantism? Are there things we misunderstand about it? Ben talks with French-Canadian artist and YouTuber Jonathan Pageau about the beliefs, and practices of the Orthodox church, why it has become to attractive to a growing number of Christians worldwide. ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular Worl...
How do we fight an enemy that, especially via our phones, seems to be everywhere? How do we prepare our children to guard themselves against explicit content - that is explicitly targeting them? With the pervasive presence of increasing levels of internet pornography, the rise of artificial intelligence, and intersection of both with thing's such as Grok's new chatbot, "Ani", how do followers of Jesus have any hope of remaining unstained by it all? ---------------------- Ben has completely ...
Ben is joined by renowned apologist Dr. Frank Turek, as he reflects on the tragic murder of his close friend Charlie Kirk and what the tragedy reveals about evil, eternity, and the urgency of the gospel. They explore faith, politics, apologetics, and why the message of Jesus must never be watered down. ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone longing to reach tho...
What if one of the most powerful ways to reach people isn’t better arguments… but better attention? After reacting to a socially disruptive street comedian who shocks strangers with genuine, thoughtful compliments, the regulars dive into a deeper conversation about loneliness, isolation, and the lost art of truly seeing people ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone l...
Ben welcomes author and speaker Preston Sprinkle back to the show for a candid and thought-provoking conversation about one of the most debated issues in the church today: women in leadership. Preston, known for tackling controversial topics with humility and depth, shares the three-and-a-half-year theological journey behind his new book, From Genesis to Junia. Rather than starting with a fixed conclusion, he wrestled honestly with Scripture, historical context, and the strongest arguments on...
Is apologetics enough to make disciples? Are we aiming at the wrong target by focusing on them? The regulars wrestle with the role of reason, debate, and intellectual defense in a post-Christian world. Reflecting on figures like Francis Schaeffer, C.S. Lewis, and modern apologists, they explore both the value and the limits of rational arguments for faith. ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in...
What if the loneliness we feel isn’t because we’re weak, but because we’re trying to live in a system that was never meant to work? Ben reflects on a clip of comedian Trevor Noah about family, and the modern myth of independence, asking whether we’ve traded God’s design for community in exchange for a version of it that’s quietly exhausting us. ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read...
Why did Jesus call peace a gift, and why do so few Christians actually feel it? What’s the difference between being a peacekeeper and a peacemaker? Ben talks with Tim Ross of The Basement podcast, and they ask: What kind of peace did Jesus promise? Why are so many believers anxious, angry, or exhausted? Preorder Tim's new book, The Missing Peace: How to be Held Together When You're Falling Apart HERE ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesu...
From ministry success and identity confusion to burnout, failure, and suicidal ideation, this episode traces the slow erosion of intimacy with Jesus and the cost of trying to rebuild life on self-made identity. Ben and Chad explore repentance, vulnerability, accountability, and the kind of hope that isn’t tethered to outcomes or success - all through the lens of Chad's personal story. ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Se...
Why do people who look like they have it together still feel empty? What are we hiding that’s actually hurting us? And why does joy seem to show up only after confession, honesty, and real community? RobertAnthony Cruz (Coach RAC) of the Savannah Bananas reflects on what happens when things kept in the dark are finally brought into the light, and why healing follows every time. Listen to the full episode here Spotify iTunes ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his pow...
When does protecting leaders or institutions become enabling harm? And what happens to faith when silence replaces transparency? The regulars examine the recent Shawn Bolz controversy and Bethel Church’s response to ask harder questions about accountability, public leadership, and institutional self-preservation. ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone longing ...
What if leadership isn’t about influence, platform, or control, but about bearing pain, building trust, and carrying hope for others? Who pays the price when leaders avoid suffering? Author J.R. Briggs reframes leadership as responsibility, not status. Listen to the full episode here Spotify iTunes ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone longing to reach those who m...
How do we have a Jesus-perspective in a situation with so many grey areas? How do we react when protestors show up to disrupt our church services? The regulars again weigh in on the situation in Minneapolis, where ICE agents contend with protestors in the controversial enforcement of immigration law in Minnesota, and across the country. ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-r...
Author Skye Jethani unpacks how a 100-year-old divide in the American church still shapes our thinking today. Why did the gospel and justice get separated? How did faith become so politically tribal and binary? Listen to the full episode here Spotify iTunes ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone longing to reach those who may never step foot in a church. Packed wit...
Ben speaks with author, speaker, and professor of philosophy at Boston College, Dr. Peter Kreeft. Drawing from his now-famous commencement address at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, exposing the “ten lies” of modern culture, Dr. Kreeft reflects on identity, freedom, creativity, and the consequences of a world that has tried to live without God. With his characteristic blend of sharp logic, humor, and humility, he challenges the assumptions of secular humanism while making a c...
The regulars breakdown the current crisis in Minneapolis, Minnesota with ICE agents clashing against protesters, and the tragic death of Renee Good. How can we possibly respond like Jesus in this situation? Why is it so hard to remain rational, and avoid polarization in the midst of political turmoil? ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone longing to reach those wh...
Jackie Hill Perry gets radically honest about striving, identity, and why Christian ambition so often masquerades as holiness. She reflects on stepping away from platforms, embracing ordinary faithfulness, and confronting the subtle belief that being a wife, mother, or hidden servant is somehow “not enough.” Listen to the full episode here Spotify iTunes ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Cri...
As Christians, we say we follow Christ, yet we don’t always pause to ask how that commitment informs what we watch. If we've become too cavalier with what we do watch, what do we do to get things back to the way they should be? ---------------------- Ben has completely revised and updated his powerful book, Jesus in the Secular World: Reaching a Culture in Crisis—a must-read guide for anyone longing to reach those who may never step foot in a church. Packed with real-world insights and ...
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Great topic & discussion! Especially helpful in equipping us on how to respond in love and with Christ.
Excellent and POWERFUL!!! 💥
..."have the knowledge and the heart but missing the actions.." the entirety of the last 30mins are a wonderful mind-blow!!
I really disagree with the man who was talking about millennial Christians. This group of Christians often feel isolated from the church, criticized and subconsciously disrespected by people with that kind of attitude. It's my belief, millennials (I am one) are the way they are in major part because of parenting, there is a major disconnect in what people are always criticizing millennials for, when in reality the older adults need to take a hard look at their parenting styles, their communication, and how they raised this generation. The church is behind on the times, why is it that in most churches 60% of the members are married and have families and tailor every sermon to family and spouse issues when this does not fit the general population? Singles, for instance, just one example, feel isolated, criticizied, and forgotten by people within the church who don't practice empathy or reach out to anyone who is different from them and are still Christians. If this is about bringing in t
woo Chads the best.
always great messages but especially loved this! too many people think they have to "feel" a "will" of God to continue on in the things they start instead of keeping the course & pushing thru the hard to the God glorifying. they give up when it becomes hard or uncomfortable which makes a horrible example of what someone who claims to be a follower of Christ is supposed to be - particularly to those they are trying to reach for God. what is a priority in our lives is only going to be a priority if we *choose* to make it a priority. we are to "fight the good fight & keep the course to the very end".
you know it's going to be a great podcast when you're not even 10mins in & already DYING!!🤣😂
Excellent episode; so excited for Jodi to be on next! 💖
#voteforsandro !
i’ve been out of come & live loop for the past few years, glad to see these exist! the keep it up!
Love this podcast! So good!