Sandy Glazebrook is a 68 yr old married Christ-follower, a mother & grandmother, former drug addict and a survivor of physical, sexual, mental and verbal abuse. In this first of two shows, Sandy shares her story, which includes broken bones, a life of fear, being raped, and the difficulty of leaving her abusers. Sandy’s story is one of hope for those who are living in a nightmare.

Tim Peterson is the leader of our men’s ministry. He leads our 8 week men’s courses, leads support and prayer groups, and does counseling, including 2 day intensives. He has also been a missionary to Uganda. Sandy England has been with Blazing Grace for more than 10 years. She leads our wives ministry does counseling wives, and plays a critical role in prayer which is the engine of BG. In this second of two shows, Tim and Sandy join Mike to discuss a range of topics, beginning with Ozzy Osbourne and how Christians affirmed the life and music of someone who promoted the occult and witchcraft.

Tim Peterson is the leader of our men’s ministry. He leads our 8 week men’s courses, leads support and prayer groups, and does counseling, including 2 day intensives. He has also been a missionary to Uganda. Sandy England has been with Blazing Grace for more than 10 years. She leads our wives ministry does counseling wives, and plays a critical role in prayer which is the engine of BG. In this first of two shows, Tim and Sandy join Mike to discuss a range of topics, beginning with childlike faith.

“Every church needs to be able to answer two questions. First, what is our plan for making disciples? And second, does our plan work?” – Dallas Willard

We hear stories in the news of mass baptisms and people coming to Christ. This is fantastic news. Then we must asked, will they be equipped? Will they be told that they must be in God’s word every day for the rest of their life? Taught how powerful prayer is, and challenged to make prayer a top priority? Hear that they must not isolate themselves as 80% of modern Christians are doing today, and that they must live connected to a tribe of committed believers on an ongoing basis for support, accountability and prayer? Be encouraged and challenged to participate in prayer meetings consistently? Receive effective help for their struggles with sin, especially, sexual sin? With 70% of Christian men and 40% of Christian women viewing porn and masturbating while half of Christians seeing no problem with promiscuity, the chances that many new converts are struggling with sexual sin is high. Will they receive guidance, support, and effective answers in this area? Will they be taught about spiritual warfare, the intense battles they will face, and how to overcome? We are commanded to make disciples, not mere converts. During a time when many are falling away, it’s critical that we ask these questions.

Mike shares from personal experience how God will allow us to go through extended trials for the purpose of building up our spiritual muscles, strengthening our character and faith, and forging endurance, as we’re shown in the Bible. Endurance, as Jesus warned us in Matthew 24, will be critical for the days ahead.

“Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

Mike and Rebekah look at Revival, American Style, with the modern church’s reliance on conferences with speakers to “spark revival,” versus the Biblical version that focuses solely on crying out to God for mercy in prayer and confession and repentance of sin. At the beginning of the Hebrides Revival in 1950, Peggy Smith challenged a pastor there with the following: “I’m sure, Mr. McCie, that you’re longing to see God working. What about calling your office bearers together, and suggest to them that you spend two nights a week waiting upon God in prayer. You’ve tried mission, you’ve tried special evangelists. Mr. McCie, have you tried God?” Peggy then challenged him to 2 nights of prayer a week from 10pm to 4am. Their focus on prayer would spark one of the most powerful spiritual awakenings of the last 125 years. Peggy’s words are prophetic for what we need today.

A recent study came out showing that smartphones are warping our personalities and character at an alarming rate. In recent years, persons aged 16-39 have seen Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Extroversion rates plummet while Neuroticism has shot up, along with anxiety and depression. Many are using their phones as a drug to check out and go numb with. Mike and Rebekah look at the affects of this recent study – and what smartphones are doing to our spiritual life. It’s difficult to pray for an extended period of time if one’s attention span is fragmented. On average, Americans spend 5 hours a day on their phone. The affects of being hardwired 24/7 are having a profound affect on us chemically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Initial data from a $43 million dollar research initiative show that individuals living in developing countries score higher in having purpose and meaning. The Global Flourishing Study is surveying 200,000 participants from different countries over five years, looking at which ones score highest for human flourishing. The surveys are showing that people in developing countries have a sense of meaning and purpose, while in the States rampant materialism and the chase for more has left people with depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Mike and Rebekah look at the results of this survey and how the Bible commands us to be content. But first, they discuss Ozzy Osbourne and how some Christians are extolling his music career, which glorified the occult and witchcraft, a message that is missing from many commentaries.