God the Father: Not Like Your Earthly Dad - S2E36

God the Father: Not Like Your Earthly Dad - S2E36

When you hear the word "father," you don't hear it in a vacuum. You hear it through the filter of your own experience. And for many of us, that filter carries pain. In this potentially most personal episode of the season, we're exploring God the Father — and being honest about the wounds so many of us carry around fatherhood. Whether your earthly father was wonderful, absent, or harmful, that experience is shaping how you relate to God right now. We'll unpack who the Father really is according to Scripture, why he's utterly different from even the best (or worst) human father, and how knowing him can begin to heal some of the deepest wounds you carry. "Don't let your experience define God; let God redefine your experience. Let Scripture show you what fatherhood was always supposed to look like — and discover that the Father you've always needed has been there all along." In This Episode, You'll Discover: * Five characteristics of God the Father — perfectly loving, completely trustworthy, always present, disciplining in love, and delighting in you * Why "Abba" — the Aramaic word Jesus used for the Father — is closer to "Papa" than to distant formality * How God specifically identifies himself as "a father to the fatherless" (Psalm 68:5) Practical Applications: * Acknowledge that your earthly father was not a true picture of God — you have permission to separate the two * Let Scripture redefine your understanding of fatherhood — the truth about who God is starts to heal the lies you've believed * Ask the Holy Spirit to help you experience the Father's love — this isn't just intellectual work; it's heart work Your Assignment This Week: Spend time each day this week reading one passage about God the Father and asking the Holy Spirit to make it real to your heart. Start with Matthew 6:9–13 (the Lord's Prayer), then Luke 15:11–32 (the prodigal son), then Romans 8:14–17 (adoption as sons). As you read, pray: "Father, show me who you really are. Heal the places where I've believed lies about you based on my earthly experience of fatherhood." 💬 Community Question: How has your experience of earthly fatherhood — good, bad, or absent — affected how you relate to God the Father? This might be deeply personal, but sharing can bring healing — both for you and for others who might feel alone in their struggle. Whether your earthly father was wonderful, hurtful, or missing, how are you learning to let God redefine what "Father" means? Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com [Charlie@heychurchmedia.com] or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! We're building something important together in Season 2, and YOUR voice matters. Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone who needs to know that God the Father is not like the one who hurt them! 📖 Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 2 companion guide book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Nvi2fk [https://amzn.to/3Nvi2fk] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551563/fan_mail/new] Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE [https://www.youtube.com/@EverydayTheologyInPlainEnglish] Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season 1 and Season 2 Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide [https://amzn.to/4oF8lYw] Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide [https://amzn.to/4ux7wEU] You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Charlie-Miller/author/B09RTMQCJS] Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

The Trinity Explained (Without Losing Your Mind) - S2E35

God is like water: ice, liquid, and steam! God is like an egg: shell, white, and yolk! God is like a three-leaf clover! Ever had someone try to explain the Trinity that way, and it kind of made sense, but also kind of didn't? In this episode, we're tackling what might be the most mind-bending doctrine in all of Christianity, and we're going to make it as clear as possible without losing our minds. We'll unpack what the Trinity actually is (and isn't), why those popular analogies fall short, and — most importantly — why this isn't just an abstract puzzle for theologians. Understanding the Trinity changes how you pray, how you experience community, and how you relate to God every single day. "Every time you pray, you're experiencing the Trinity. You pray to the Father, through the Son, empowered by the Spirit. The three persons are actively involved in your relationship with God right now." In This Episode, You'll Discover: * The three essential affirmations of the Trinity — one God, three fully divine persons, all distinct * Why the popular analogies (water, egg, clover) actually describe ancient heresies — and why that's okay * Why the Trinity means God is inherently relational — love existed before creation because God is Trinity Practical Applications: * Approach God with confidence — the Father isn't the "strict one" while Jesus is the "nice one"; they're one God * Enter divine community — the God who exists as community invites you into community with himself and his people * Transform your prayer life — you're not sending words into the void; you're engaging with the three-personed God Your Assignment This Week: Be intentional about engaging all three persons of the Trinity in your prayer life this week. One day, focus your prayers on the Father — thanking him for his love and provision. Another day, focus on Jesus — thanking him for salvation and asking him to help you follow him. Another day, focus on the Spirit — asking for his guidance, power, and help. Experience the fullness of relating to the three-personed God and notice how it enriches your prayer life. 💬 Community Question: Which person of the Trinity do you relate to most easily, and which feels most distant or confusing? Maybe you love Jesus but feel nervous about the Father, or you're comfortable with the Father but unsure what to do with the Spirit. Your honesty might help others realize they're not alone in finding some aspects of God easier to connect with than others — and might spark some helpful conversation about how to grow. Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com [Charlie@heychurchmedia.com] or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! We're building something important together in Season 2, and YOUR voice matters. Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone who's given up trying to understand the Trinity! 📖 Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 2 companion guide book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Nvi2fk [https://amzn.to/3Nvi2fk] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551563/fan_mail/new] Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE [https://www.youtube.com/@EverydayTheologyInPlainEnglish] Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season 1 and Season 2 Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide [https://amzn.to/4oF8lYw] Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide [https://amzn.to/4ux7wEU] You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Charlie-Miller/author/B09RTMQCJS] Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

God’s Patience: Why He Hasn’t Given Up on You - S2E34

How many times have you made the same mistake? Confessed the same sin? Promised to change and then... didn't? And yet — here you are. Still loved. Still pursued. Still welcomed back. In this episode, we're exploring one of the most underappreciated attributes of God: his patience. We'll unpack what it really means that God is "slow to anger," why his patience has a purpose (not just passivity), how it has limits (no, really), and how the patience he's shown you should reshape how you treat the people who test yours. If you've ever wondered why God hasn't given up on you, this episode is your answer. "God sees everything you've done wrong — every sin, every failure, every broken promise — and he chooses to keep working with you rather than discarding you. That's not weakness. That's supernatural restraint." In This Episode, You'll Discover: * What "slow to anger" really means — and why theologians call it "longsuffering" * Four aspects of God's patience — including the sobering truth that it has limits * Why God's patience isn't passive — it has a purpose, and it's actively buying time for sinners to be saved Practical Applications: * Find hope when you keep failing — God isn't tired of you, and his patience hasn't expired * Use this time wisely — patience isn't an invitation to procrastinate on obedience; it's an opportunity to respond * Extend patience to others — you've received far more than you could ever be asked to give Your Assignment This Week: Spend some time reflecting on God's patience in your own life. Think about a specific sin or struggle you've dealt with over and over — one where you might have expected God to give up on you by now. Thank him that his patience hasn't run out and that he's still working with you. Then ask him to show you one person you need to extend more patience to this week — someone who's testing your limits the way you've tested God's. 💬 Community Question: Looking back at your life, where do you most see God's patience at work? Is there a specific area where he's been especially patient with you — a struggle that's taken years, a pattern he keeps forgiving, a growth process that's been slower than you'd like? Your story of God's patience might encourage someone who's feeling hopeless about their own repeated failures. Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com [Charlie@heychurchmedia.com] or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! We're building something important together in Season 2, and YOUR voice matters. Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone who needs to hear that God hasn't given up on them! 📖 Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 2 companion guide book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Nvi2fk [https://amzn.to/3Nvi2fk] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551563/fan_mail/new] Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE [https://www.youtube.com/@EverydayTheologyInPlainEnglish] Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season 1 and Season 2 Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide [https://amzn.to/4oF8lYw] Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide [https://amzn.to/4ux7wEU] You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Charlie-Miller/author/B09RTMQCJS] Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

God’s Grace: Getting What You Could Never Earn - S2E33

Most Christians believe in grace for salvation but live like they have to earn everything else. We trust grace to get us in the door, then switch to performance mode for everything after that. Sound familiar? In this episode, we're rescuing the most important word in the Christian vocabulary from background-music status. We'll explore what grace really means, why it's not just how you got saved but how you live every single day, and how living by grace instead of performance can free you from the exhausting treadmill of trying to be "good enough." If your Christian life feels like an endless performance review, this episode is for you. "Grace doesn't just change your status before God — it changes your heart. When you truly understand that you're loved despite your sin, it makes you want to live differently. Not to earn more love, but because you've been so loved already." In This Episode, You'll Discover: * The crucial difference between mercy and grace — and why you need both * Five characteristics of grace — free, undeserved, all-encompassing, transformative, and not opposed to good works * Why grace covers not just the sins of your past, but the failures of your today and tomorrow Practical Applications: * Stop performing for God's acceptance — you're working from acceptance, not for it * Be honest about your failures — grace is bigger than your worst day, and honesty with God is the path to freedom * Extend grace to others — give what you've received, even when people don't deserve it Your Assignment This Week: Identify one area where you've been living by performance rather than grace. Maybe it's your quiet time routine — you feel guilty when you miss it. Maybe it's your service at church — you're driven by obligation rather than overflow. Maybe it's your constant worry about whether you're "good enough." Confess that performance mindset to God, thank him that your acceptance is already secure in Christ, and ask him to help you live from grace rather than for approval. 💬 Community Question: Where do you most struggle to live by grace instead of performance? Is it in your spiritual disciplines, your service, your sense of God's approval, or somewhere else? What would it look like for grace to transform that area of your life? Share your struggle — you might help someone else realize they're not alone in treating their relationship with God like a performance review. Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com [Charlie@heychurchmedia.com] or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! We're building something important together in Season 2, and YOUR voice matters. Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone who needs to stop performing and start resting in grace! 📖 Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 2 companion guide book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Nvi2fk [https://amzn.to/3Nvi2fk] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551563/fan_mail/new] Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE [https://www.youtube.com/@EverydayTheologyInPlainEnglish] Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season 1 and Season 2 Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide [https://amzn.to/4oF8lYw] Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide [https://amzn.to/4ux7wEU] You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Charlie-Miller/author/B09RTMQCJS] Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

God's Mercy: Getting What You Don't Deserve - S2E32

Ever done something you knew was wrong, braced yourself for the consequences — and then received kindness instead? That's mercy. And every single one of us needs it desperately. In this episode, we're exploring God's mercy — the aspect of his love that looks at our sin and says, "I could punish you, but I choose not to." We'll unpack what mercy actually is, how it's different from grace, why the cross is where God's justice and mercy meet, and how understanding it can free you from shame, transform your relationships, and change how you approach God every single day. If you've ever felt disqualified by something in your past, this episode is for you. "The cross is where God said to his justice, 'Sin must be punished,' and to his mercy, 'But not on them.' Jesus took what we deserved so we could receive what we don't deserve." In This Episode, You'll Discover: * The crucial difference between mercy and grace — not getting the bad we deserve vs. getting the good we don't * Five aspects of God's mercy — including the stunning truth that his compassions are new every single morning * Why the throne of heaven is called a throne of grace — not a throne of condemnation Practical Applications: * Let God's mercy free you from the prison of shame — the God who sees you fully has already chosen mercy * Extend mercy to others because you've received mercy — forgiveness isn't optional for the forgiven * Approach God daily without anxiety — you're not relating to a demanding boss, but a merciful Father Your Assignment This Week: Do two things. First, think of one thing in your past that you still carry shame about — something you've confessed but haven't fully released. Bring it to God again, not to re-confess it, but to thank him that his mercy has already covered it. Let it go. Second, think of one person you need to extend mercy to — someone who has wronged you and doesn't deserve your forgiveness. Ask God to help you release them, because you've received mercy you didn't deserve either. 💬 Community Question: Is there something in your past that you've confessed but still carry shame about? What would it look like to truly believe that God's mercy has covered it? Sometimes naming our shame out loud can be the first step to releasing it. Your vulnerability might give someone else permission to let go of the shame they've been carrying too. Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com [Charlie@heychurchmedia.com] or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! We're building something important together in Season 2, and YOUR voice matters. Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone who needs to hear that God's mercies are new every morning! 📖 Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 2 companion guide book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Nvi2fk [https://amzn.to/3Nvi2fk] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551563/fan_mail/new] Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE [https://www.youtube.com/@EverydayTheologyInPlainEnglish] Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season 1 and Season 2 Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide [https://amzn.to/4oF8lYw] Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide [https://amzn.to/4ux7wEU] You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books [https://www.amazon.com/stores/Charlie-Miller/author/B09RTMQCJS] Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!