Blazing Grace

In his book Beloved, Francis Chan tells the story of when his daughter was in Bible College and the teacher asked the class to sit silently alone with God for 7 minutes - and how most students couldn't do it and started reaching for their phones or playing music.
Chan writes: "Silence and meditation are very important spiritual disciplines that are getting utterly lost in the American church. If you find yourself unable to be quiet for any length of time, you urgently need to start working out that spiritual muscle... This is not a light matter – I truly believe it is critical to the longevity of your faith." In this broadcast, Mike and Bekah discuss the need to rest with God in silence. 
"in quietness and in trust shall be your strength."
Isaiah 30:15

In his autobiography "Surprised by Joy," CS Lewis shares how, as a teen, he was deceived into walking away from the faith by a teacher at school who was into the wrong side of the fence spiritually, and, a professing Christian who distorted CS Lewis' view of prayer, effectively giving him a bad taste for it.
In our post-truth culture of today, it's critical to understand that the Bible is the final voice on all truth, and that we're in a spiritual battle where the enemy will try to deceive us - even by other believers.

I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
    that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in the way that is blameless
    shall minister to me.
Psalm 101:6

Mark Skalberg has over 40 years of pastoral experience, serving as the lead Pastor of Canyons Community Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, Woodmen Valley Chapel, Calvary Chapel, and others. He has served as the Ministry Director for Salem in Colorado Springs, and since 1992, Mark has been the founder and director of the Starting Over on the Inside, a transformative prison ministry with over 1,500 on-site graduates in 12 Colorado prisons and over 51,000 graduates on tablets. He has also served as a chaplain for the Colorado Department of Corrections since 2015. Mark discusses how their recovery program works, the recidivism rate, and sexual sin in the church. 

We live in chaotic, dark times. How do we not only navigate and survive, but thrive during the days we find ourselves in? Mike Genung walks through 9 ways every believer can order their lives in order to make an impact for eternity.

Gene Landers leads a support group for men who want healing and recovery from porn and sexual sin in Phoenix, Arizona. Jacob Frantz has been attending Gene's group for the past 6 months. In this second of two broadcasts we continue the discussion, beginning when Jacob had stated he believed he was a strong Christian when he initially began participating in Gene's group - and Gene's response. They discuss the key points of what has helped in them in their journey, and Gene shares the spiritual warfare he goes through in leading a men's group in this arena. 

Gene Landers leads a support group for men who want healing and recovery from porn and sexual sin in Phoenix, Arizona. Jacob Frantz has been attending Gene's group for the past 6 months. In this first of two broadcasts, both men share their stories, which collectively include sexual abuse, anger and violence, facing the issues of the heart - and having a wife discover their porn habit by walking in on them during the act. 

Leslie Vernick is a speaker, author, counselor and relationship coach. She is the author of seven books, including he Emotionally Destructive Relationship and her most recent The Emotionally Destructive Marriage. She has received the American Association of Christian Counselors Caregiver Award, and been married to Howard for over 43 years. In this broadcast Leslie shares her story with the abuse and neglect she suffered from her mother, setting proper boundaries, and what the healing and recovery process looks like for a wife in a marriage with porn and sexual sin.

Jim Tilley is a former pastor with a PHD in clinical psychology. In this second of two broadcasts Jim continues the discussion the story of his journey to hope and healing, which includes watching his father videotape young women at a swimming pool in front of Jim's mother when Jim was 13, (his father, who was an elder of a church, ended up doing prison time) the lies that were implanted in Jim's heart at an early age, his struggles with the worship of women, porn and masturbation, 3 major depressive episodes... and his journey to finding Jesus and freedom. Jim also talks about the affect that his struggles had on his marriage. 

Jim Tilley is a former pastor with a PHD in clinical psychology. In this first of two broadcasts Jim shares his story, which includes watching his father videotape young women at a swimming pool in front of Jim's mother when Jim was 13, (his father, who was an elder of a church, ended up doing prison time) the lies that were implanted in Jim's heart at an early age, his struggles with the worship of women, porn and masturbation, 3 major depressive episodes... and his journey to finding Jesus and freedom. 

The life that Jesus modeled for us included going away alone for long stretches of prayer in silence. These extended times alone in God's presence are critical to the life of every believer, especially during these days that are chaotic and draining to the soul. In this broadcast Mike shares his experience of a recent 3 day trip alone with God where the Lord showered him with love and revived him.

For the past 30 years surveys have shown that waves of youth have exited the church.
In this second of two shows, Sean Genung, 31, and Rebekah Genung, 23, join Mike to discuss what they see happening with youth. We begin this broadcast by looking at the results of a survey of youth that showed:
“I don’t believe some of the things I hear talked about at religious gatherings.” - 60%
“I do not like to be told answers about faith and religion. I’d rather discover my own answers.” 58%
“Because other things help me find meaning in my life, I don't need a faith community.” 56%
“I don’t feel like I can be my full self in a religious organization.” 55%
“Religious communities try to fix my problem instead of just being there for me.” 54%
“Religion, faith, or religious leaders will try to give me answers, but I am looking for something else.” 53%
Mike, Sean, and Bekah discuss these topics and more, including the idols that youth and adults are paying homage to.

For the past 30 years surveys have shown that waves of youth have exited the church. With such a mass exit of youth, why aren't we hearing warnings and open discussions of this from our pulpits?
If you were owner of a company and your customers were leaving in mass wouldn’t you be freaking out, calling meetings, making plans? 
One survey showed that 70-88% of Christian youth born in evangelical homes leave the faith after one year in secular college. In this first of two shows, Sean Genung, 31, and Rebekah Genung, 23, join Mike to discuss what they see happening with youth. 

The first broadcast of every year, Mike Genung shares his back story, which includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, alcohol and drug use, daily binges with pornography and masturbation, affairs, other forms of sexual sin - and how God radically changed his life. Rebekah joins Mike for this show.

Mike and Rebekah, his daughter, discuss the new "Six Seven" trend in youth with occult influence, Jesus' words to "Remember Lot's Wife" in these last days, and the wonderful blessings God promises every believer who overcomes in Revelation 2 and 3, including:

Rev. 2:7 – 
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

Rev. 2:17 –
To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Rev. 3:5-6 – 
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Rev. 3:12 – 
The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

Today, men are up against:
A culture, even in some churches, that tries to emasculate them. The media often portrays fathers as useless idiots.  
A sex-saturated society, with sirens of lust everywhere. There is often little help equipping them in these areas, including at the church.
The battles with the flesh – learning how to “buffet our body and make it our slave”
Learning how to fulfill the command for Husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church.
The isolation that is so prevalent in the church.
How to be a leader in their home? 
Mike and Tim Peterson, counselor and leader of the Blazing Grace men's ministry, discuss how men can find their way - and most importantly, their heart - so they can thrive and make an impact in today's challenging environment. 

Mike shares stories from his last trip in the UK, Finland, and Italy speaking about porn and sexual issues and The Rogue Christian topics, the warfare encountered, doors that that were opened, and walks through The Rogues Creed - 7 principles for the Rogue Christian way of life.  

Chris Landers lives with her husband Gene in Phoenix who she has been married to for 19 years. Early in their marriage Chris discovered that her husband was viewing pornography and struggling with sexual addiction. Over time with a lot of hard work and digging deep into their relationship with Jesus, God brought healing and restoration to their marriage, and now they both lead groups at their church to help men and women recover and heal from sexual sin.
Amy has been married for 30 years. She is a homemaker and mother to 8 children, 4 grown and 4 living at home. Her marriage has been plagued by sexual sin for 25 years, including a recent discovery of an affair. Amy is in the middle of a divorce and working at healing and providing a stable loving home for her children. 
In this 2nd show, Amy and Chris discuss the recovery process, some of the pitfalls they encountered along the way, and how God changes hearts.

Chris Landers lives with her husband Gene, who she has been married to for 19 years, in Phoenix. Early in their marriage Chris discovered that her husband was viewing pornography and struggling with sexual addiction. Over time and with a lot of hard work and digging deep into their relationship with Jesus, God brought healing and restoration to their marriage, and now they both lead groups at their church to help men and women recover and heal from sexual sin.
Amy has been married for 30 years. She is a homemaker and mother to 8 children, 4 grown and 4 living at home. Her marriage has been plagued by sexual sin for 25 years, including a recent discovery of an affair. Amy is in the middle of a divorce and working at healing and providing a stable loving home for her children. 
In this first of two shows, Chris and Amy share their stories. 

Dan Wiens is our ministry partner in Italy, and is the director of Liberati in Cristo, a ministry to the sexually broken and their spouse in Italy. In this second of 2 broadcasts, Dan and Mike continue the conversation by discussing the size of the Christian church in Italy (around 1-1.5% of the population), and his perspective on the Italian church. Spiritual abuse is a big problem there, as it is in the US.  
This show was recorded in Modena, Italy. 

Dan Wiens is our ministry partner in Italy, and is the director of Liberati in Cristo, a ministry to the sexually broken and their spouse in Italy. In this first of 2 broadcasts, Dan shares his story, which included porn, masturbation, and sex with prostitutes while being involved in the church. 
This show was recorded in Modena, Italy.