Claim OwnershipLife Around "The Fire"
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© 2026 Life Around "The Fire"
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This podcast is dedicated to those wanting to experience a living and real relationship with God as well as growing together in love for one another. We consider that to be a true sign of spiritual growth as we journey along The Way. If this is you then come along with us as we co-operate with God in what He is doing around the corner and around the world!
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Send a text What if the church has been running on half power—brilliant in analysis, but dim in the one faculty designed for communion with God? We sit down with Tracy Perez to explore a bold, restorative claim: the Christian life is meant to be led by the heart through a purified imagination. Not fantasy. Not trend-chasing. A scriptural, time-tested way of seeing that turns revelation into embodied practice. We trace a surprising arc: from the vivid, image-rich pages of scripture to the pra...
Send a text What if imagination isn’t make-believe but the very way the heart sees God? We welcome Tracy Perez to pull a long thread through Scripture and history, showing how the Hebrew Yetzer (imagination/inclination) and the Greek nous (often translated mind) describe a core capacity of the heart: to behold, to be shaped, and to act. From Eden’s design to the flood and Babel, we track how powerful imagination can bless or break a people, and why Paul prayed that the “eyes of your heart” wo...
Send a text What if your everyday words are building the world you live in? We dive into the heart as the wellspring of life and trace how thoughts turn into speech that shapes relationships, atmosphere, and even our sense of calling. Starting with the cross, we name the sarx—the fallen nature—crucified with Christ, and we explore what it means to live as new creations who carry the life of Jesus within. From there, we get practical about language: not policing syllables, but yielding our mou...
Send a text A soaked boat, a silenced storm, and one piercing question: who is this man? We follow that question into a rich journey through the names of Jesus—Advocate, Creator, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace, True Vine—and explore why each name is more than a title. It’s a doorway into His heart and a remedy for ours. Instead of grinding harder to be “better,” we lean into a different way: beholding before behaving, worship before willpower, adoration before action. Across the conversation, ...
Send a text Ever wonder why some leaders break under pressure while others are shaped by it? We open up about hitting bottom, mistaking substitutes for the presence of God, and why honest surrender can reset both the mind and the soul. From Saul’s unraveling to the first steps toward David, the path is sobering and hopeful: consequences teach, grace restores, and real growth comes when relationship outruns performance. We dig into how our brains actually mature—synaptic pruning, myelination,...
Send a text A crown can look like destiny and still hide a fracture. We open the pages of 1 Samuel and follow Saul from public promise to private unraveling, then map that arc onto our own lives: insecurity dressed up as humility, people-pleasing disguised as wisdom, and impatience sold as leadership. Through vivid moments—an unauthorized sacrifice, edited obedience, frantic counsel from a medium—we explore how slow compromises lead to fast collapses, and how confession, not concealment, mark...
Send a text A single Hebrew phrase reframed our view of leadership: long of nose, the image of breathing before reacting, patience over impulse. From there, we enter 1 Samuel not as a sprint through headlines but as a twenty-year map of the soul, tracking how Saul rises with promise and then slowly trades anointing for applause. The drift is subtle—unhealed insecurity, people-pleasing, and rushed decisions that look strategic but starve the inner life. We unpack why momentum can outlast prese...
Send a text Hungry work without holy fuel only scorches the wick. We open the new year by digging into the parable of the Ten Virgins and asking a simple, searching question: are we carrying oil or just waving lamps? With Stephen Crews back in the studio for our Covenant Alignment series, we frame this moment in Tevet, a month in the Hebrew calendar known for divine strategy and instruction, and we focus on building an inner life that can bear the weight of our calling. Together we trace the...
Send 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 with ...
Send 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 “t...
Send 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 to ...
Send 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 Go...
Send 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 story a...
Send 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 under J...
Send 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 often ...
Send 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 can ...
Send 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 comp...
Send 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 God...
Send 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 othe...
Send 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 or ...
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