Provoke & Inspire Podcast
Provoke & Inspire is a weekly podcast featuring four artists, ministry leaders, and passionate followers of Jesus (Ben, David, Luke, and Chad) with decades of front-line experience and the stories to back it up! Every week they discuss how Jesus might respond to current events and issues facing the church today.
Episodes
712 episodes
P&I Moments: Why Does Victory Feel Hollow? | Coach RAC
Why do people who look like they have it together still feel empty? What are we hiding that’s actually hurting us? And why does joy seem to show up only after confession, honesty, and real community? RobertAnthony Cruz (Coach RAC) of the Savann...
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7:46
631: Why Do Churches Hide Sin? Bethel, Shawn Bolz, and Cover-Up Culture
When does protecting leaders or institutions become enabling harm? And what happens to faith when silence replaces transparency? The regulars examine the recent Shawn Bolz controversy and Bethel Church’s response to ask harder ques...
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33:22
P&I Moments: Why Do So Many Leaders Break the People They Lead? | J.R. Briggs
What if leadership isn’t about influence, platform, or control, but about bearing pain, building trust, and carrying hope for others? Who pays the price when leaders avoid suffering? Author J.R. Briggs reframes leadership as responsibility, not...
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10:26
630: ICE in Minneapolis — Why People Say Christians Don’t Care
How do we have a Jesus-perspective in a situation with so many grey areas? How do we react when protestors show up to disrupt our church services? The regulars again weigh in on the situation in Minneapolis, where ICE agents contend...
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47:01
P&I Moments: Has the Church Misunderstood Justice All Along? | Skye Jethani
Author Skye Jethani unpacks how a 100-year-old divide in the American church still shapes our thinking today. Why did the gospel and justice get separated? How did faith become so politically tribal and binary?Listen to the full ...
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11:13
629: Dr. Peter Kreeft - 10 Lies Our Culture Tells Us
Ben speaks with author, speaker, and professor of philosophy at Boston College, Dr. Peter Kreeft.Drawing from his now-famous commencement address at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, exposing the “ten lies” of modern culture, Dr...
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37:09
628: How Would Jesus Respond to ICE in Minnesota?
The regulars breakdown the current crisis in Minneapolis, Minnesota with ICE agents clashing against protesters, and the tragic death of Renee Good. How can we possibly respond like Jesus in this situation? Why is it so hard to remain r...
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46:14
P&I Moments: Do You Actually Believe God Likes You? | Jackie Hill Perry
Jackie Hill Perry gets radically honest about striving, identity, and why Christian ambition so often masquerades as holiness. She reflects on stepping away from platforms, embracing ordinary faithfulness, and confronting the subtle belief that...
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8:01
627: Should I Quit TV? (The Hidden Impact of What You Watch)
As Christians, we say we follow Christ, yet we don’t always pause to ask how that commitment informs what we watch.If we've become too cavalier with what we do watch, what do we do to get things back to the way they should be? <...
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47:17
P&I Moments: Why Are Christians Addicted to Performance? | Mark DeJesus
Author and mental health therapist Mark DeJesus reflects on his journey from a performance-driven, “superhero” version of Christianity toward a healthier faith rooted in receiving the Father’s love. He explains why grief, anxiety, and weakness ...
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10:05
626: The Lie We Believe Every January
The new year invites reflection, forecasting, and goal-setting. But what if the deeper issue is not your planning. What if it’s your posture?In this solo episode, Ben shares how David's health scare made James 4:13–17 feel painfully real...
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19:32
P&I Moments: Is Death the Key to True Life? | Josh Porter
Why does a resistance to self denial seem to be so intrinsically baked into us? How can we overcome this, and actually succeed in considering others as more important than ourselves; how do we accept the invitation to come and die? List...
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9:44
625: New Years' Goals That Actually Honor Jesus
New Year's resolutions are often self-centered, with the resolution peaking right around the end of January - but not beyond it. How do we persevere into fruitfulness with these decisions, but also choose things which honor God in the first pla...
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48:58
P&I Moments: Why Do We Write Songs for Charts, Instead of God? | Rita Springer
Worship leader Rita Springer pushes back on performance-driven, industry-shaped Christian music and asks a deeper question: who are we actually ministering to on Sunday morning, and what does it mean to be near the brokenhearted? Li...
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12:23
624: Have We Let Christmas Lose It's Meaning?
Are traditions inherently wrong, in that they lead us to stagnation and a going through the motions - or are they a powerful, grounding force for good? Merry Christmas from all of us at Provoke & Inspire! Christ the savior is b...
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38:44
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P&I Moments: Can You Love Someone You’re Certain Is Wrong? | AJ Swoboda
AJ Swoboda unpacks the heart of his book Rooting for Rivals, challenging Christians to hold deep convictions without losing love for the people they disagree with most. Drawing from Scripture, the story of Daniel in exile, and A.W. Toz...
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37:04
623: Lukas Ruegger (Deflate) on Surviving the Awkward Truth of YouTube
Lukas Ruegger is an apologist, expert in cross-cultural ministry to Muslims, and founder of the YouTube channel, Deflate. Last but not least, he is a longtime Steiger missionary, and Ben sits down with him to discuss the start of h...
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54:23
622: The Masculinity Crisis No One Wants To Face
Is the crisis of masculinity not just a cultural issue, but a discipleship issue? In this conversation the guys reflect on why young men are struggling, and why recovering a Jesus-centered vision of identity matters more than swinging the cultu...
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40:59
P&I Moment: Has the Seeker-Sensitive Church Made Us Biblically Illiterate? | Landon MacDonald
What if Christians approached Scripture with the same passion fans bring to their favorite series?Ben and pastor Landon MacDonald explore why biblical engagement is collapsing, how the seeker-sensitive era shaped our assumptions, and what i...
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9:19
621: Josh Nadeau (Sword and Pencil) on the Lie That Is Ruining Your Faith
Is the often mundane, everyday life of many Christians secretly hiding incredible joy, insightful, and splendor? If so, how can we learn to see it?Josh Nadeau, the artist behind Sword a...
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58:54
620: David Shares a Serious Health Scare, and What He’s Learning As He Goes Through It
As the title suggests, David shares a health update, and the regulars discuss what it means to walk through difficult circumstances, remaining hopeful in prayer.----------------------Ben has completely revised and updated...
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44:35
P&I Moments: Is Anxiety a Brain Problem, Or a Spiritual One? | Dr. Caroline Leaf
Ben is joined by Dr. Caroline Leaf as she shares insights on how to overcome stress, worry, and more in her newest book, "Help In A Hurry".Listen to the full episode here
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9:35
619: Brandon McGuire (Daily Dose of Wisdom) on Why We Avoid God
What if the deepest objections to God aren’t solved by arguments, but by encountering a Person? And what if the very doubts we think disqualify us are actually the doorway to discovering who Jesus really is? Ben talks with YouTuber,...
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59:37
P&I Moments: Are We Saving Strangers and Losing Our Own Kids? | Sonny Sandoval (P.O.D.)
Ever tried to be the perfect Christian while falling apart inside? Ben talks with grammy award-nominated frontman Sonny Sandoval of the nu metal group P.O.D. about ditching the act, choosing your kids over your platform, and why honest love spe...
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8:12
