Does the Bible actually teach the sinner’s prayer as the way to receive salvation? It’s Tuesday, which means a new episode of Resident Strangers is here!

This week, Steve and Rich are revisiting a topic from earlier this summer during the predestination series and bringing some clarification to a big question: What does it truly mean to believe?

They unpack what it means to genuinely place your faith in Jesus and what Scripture means when it talks about salvation, a word that can also mean deliverance. So what does salvation include? Is it simply forgiveness and the promise of heaven, or is there more to the life Jesus offers?

Rich also explores the question of how we can know someone is saved, while Sarah brings in the role of spiritual fruit and how it shows up in a believer’s life. Ultimately, only God and the individual can truly know the heart but one thing is clear: trusting Jesus changes everything. There’s a lot in this episode so listen in and take notes if needed!

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If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Steve is back in the studio with Rich and Sarah for another great conversation! This episode marks the third and final installment in our unofficial mini-series on prayer. Steve dives right in with one of the most beautiful prayers in Scripture which is Elijah’s prayer in 1 Kings 18. He reminds us that prayer doesn’t have to be complicated; it’s simply talking with God, expressing what’s already in your heart. When we do that, it transforms us more than anything else can.

Rich brings another layer to the conversation by exploring what prayer is not. He unpacks the cultural idea of “manifesting” and how even some Christians have adopted the belief that our words can create worlds. But true prayer isn’t about shaping reality through ritual, it’s about engaging with the living God. Together, Steve and Rich challenge us to consider what it really means to take God at His word and trust Him completely. We hope you’ve enjoyed this three-part journey as we’ve explored what it means to commune deeply with God through prayer!

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Happy Lies by Melissa Dougherty

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Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.

Larissa joins Sarah and Rich once again as they continue their conversation on prayer. Many believers would agree that some of the most powerful moments of prayer and closeness with God often come during seasons of difficulty. Scripture is full of prayers born out of hardship, many of them being expressions of lament.

In this episode, Rich highlights Psalm 13 as a model of lament: it begins with a raw complaint, moves into a heartfelt petition, and concludes with a declaration of trust in who God is, even in the midst of pain. He reminds us that this is not only something believers can do, but something we should do. Bringing our grief, confusion, and sorrow honestly before God is both deeply biblical and deeply healing.

Rich and Larissa open up about their own experiences of lament, past and present, and how God has met them in those moments. While lament is not a step we can skip on the path to healing, it is often one of the most transformative parts of the journey. This real and vulnerable conversation offers encouragement and practical insight for wherever you are in life and in your own prayer journey.

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Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop

Larissa Holland's testimony on The Stories Collective, Episode 82

Aaron Holland's (Rich & Larissa's son!) testimony on The Stories Collective, Episode 138

Questions or comments? Email residentstrangers@dscchurch.com

If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode, we’d be so grateful if you’d subscribe and leave a review as it really helps us reach more people with this message. We’d also love it if you’d share the podcast with your friends, on social media, or anywhere you connect with others. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.