Why Life Sucks Part 5

Why Wait For Heaven

Why Wait For Heaven Episode 32 In this powerful episode of Be the Storm, host John Eckhardt welcomes special guest Rik Collins to the studio in snowy Lisbon, Maine for a conversation that challenges traditional Christian thinking. What if Jesus didn't come primarily so we could go to heaven? What if the goal was never just a future destination… but a present relationship? Through Tuesday worship gatherings, personal encounters with the Lord, and fresh revelation, Rik began sensing God whisper something unexpected: "I did not come so that you could go to heaven." That statement launched a deeper exploration of Scripture and Kingdom truth. They unpack how much of modern Christianity has emphasized eternal reward while unintentionally minimizing daily communion. From Jesus appointing the twelve "that they might be with Him" (Mark 3:14) to God walking with Adam and Eve in the garden in Genesis, the heartbeat of God has always been relationship. Heaven is real. Eternal life is promised. But the invitation starts now. #BeTheStorm #JohnEckhardt #RikCollins #ChristianPodcast #KingdomNow #RelationshipNotReligion #WalkWithGod #Emmanuel #AbideInChrist #FaithRenewal #SpiritualGrowth #JoyInTheLord #BiblicalTruth #ChristianLiving #KingdomMindset

Why Life Sucks Part 6

Why Life Sucks Part 6 Episode 31 Why does life feel stuck sometimes? In Part 6 of the "Why Life Sucks" series, John Eckhardt and Skip Simons confront a hard truth: we don't grow by avoiding discomfort — we grow by walking through it. Too often we spend our energy praying for rescue instead of pressing into resurrection power. We want the miracle check in the mail. The unexpected deliverance. The quick escape route. But God's higher plan isn't always rescue — it's resurrection. Drawing from Psalm 23, they revisit the image of the valley of the shadow of death. Skip shares a powerful illustration: pride and fear build a six-lane superhighway around the valley. It looks faster. It looks easier. But it only brings you back to the beginning. Progress is not going around the valley. Progress is going through it. #BeTheStorm #JohnEckhardt #ChristianPodcast #WhyLifeSucks #OvercomingFear #ResurrectionPower #FaithOverFear #Psalm23 #Philippians310 #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianLeadership #KingdomLiving #HopeInChrist #WalkThroughTheValley #BreakTheCycle

Why Life Sucks Part 5

Why Life Sucks Part 5 Episode 30 Why does life sometimes feel harder than it should be? In this powerful episode of Be the Storm, John Eckhardt and Skip Simons tackle Reason #5 in their ongoing series "Why Life Sucks" — unrecognized pride. Sometimes frustration is more than bad luck. As Dr. Eckhardt shares, "Frustration is God's crowbar." It may be the force prying us out of faulty thinking and misplaced confidence. Scripture tells us plainly that God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud — and that resistance isn't personal rejection. It's divine opposition to the pride we cloak ourselves in. #BeTheStorm #JohnEckhardt #ChristianPodcast #WhyLifeSucks #PrideAndHumility #SpiritualGrowth #Repentance #GraceOfGod #ChristianLeadership #FaithWalk #BiblicalTruth #Psalm23 #KingdomLiving #HeartChange #GodResistsTheProud #WalkInHumility

Why Life Sucks Part 4

Why Life Sucks Part 4 Epispode 29 Is it possible to have a relationship with God… but not enjoy fellowship with Him? In this bold and practical episode of Be the Storm, John Eckhardt and Skip tackle Reason #17 in their ongoing series "Why Life Sucks" — the failure to differentiate between relationship and fellowship with God. Many believers live secure in their salvation but struggle with distance, dryness, or frustration in their daily walk. Why? Because relationship is established through Jesus Christ — but fellowship is cultivated through daily communion, humility, repentance, and listening. Using the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, they unpack a powerful truth: The son never stopped being a son — but he stepped out of fellowship. Sin does not break your relationship with God. But it absolutely disrupts your fellowship. #BeTheStorm #JohnEckhardt #ChristianPodcast #RelationshipWithGod #FellowshipWithGod #Repentance #GraceOfGod #ProdigalSon #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianTeaching #FaithWalk #IntimacyWithGod #KingdomLiving #BiblicalTruth #DailyDevotion #AbideInChrist

What Happens When the Holy Spirit Interrupts Your schedule?

What Happens When the Holy Spirit Interrupts Your schedule? Episode 28 In this powerful episode of Be the Storm, John Eckhardt sits down with worship leader Jackie Baker for a raw and deeply challenging conversation about honoring the move of God over protecting ministry structure. Are we so committed to our order of service, time constraints, guest appearances, and polished excellence that we miss the very thing we're praying for — the manifest presence of God? Drawing from Romans 12:1–2, they discuss transformation, renewal of the mind, and the mystery of encountering God face-to-face. They reflect on the administration of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12–14 and how biblical order was never meant to suppress the Spirit — but to remove hindrances so His flow could bring life change. Jackie transparently shares a humbling moment early in his worship ministry when he sang right past a powerful move of God because he was more committed to the setlist than the Spirit. The result? A sobering lesson that the anointing matters more than the agenda. They explore: • How celebrity culture can subtly replace reverence • Why "pretty" has replaced "power" in modern church culture • What it means to be spiritually dependent instead of performance-driven • Why sometimes the most spiritual thing you can say is, "I don't know what to do right now." The conversation also references the bold worship of David before the Ark in 2 Samuel 6 — a moment where dignity was abandoned for devotion — and contrasts it with the barrenness of criticism. The central challenge is clear: Will we preserve our brand? Or will we protect the anointing? Because when the Spirit of the Lord begins to move, everything else becomes secondary. If we truly want transformation, revival, healing, deliverance, and life change, we must create room for Him to interrupt us. #BeTheStorm #JohnEckhardt #JackieBaker #HolySpirit #WorshipLeadership #Anointing #MoveOfGod #ChurchLeadership #SpiritLed #ChristianPodcast #RevivalCulture #PresenceOfGod #FiveFoldMinistry #KingdomLeadership #ChristianGrowth #LetTheSpiritMove