Summary Psalm 115 is a profound examination of the shadow side of our souls, what the Bible calls ‘idolatry.’ In this episode we examine how our souls both “make idols” and are in turn made by them. Episode 44: Souls are Idol Making Factories (Then Sings my Soul Pt. 3) Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer, Denver Institute’s […]

Summary God has designed the soul for beholding, and we become what we behold. 2 Corinthians 3:17-19 lays out how this works, and how prayer can be a participation in beholding Christ and becoming more like him. Episode 43: Soul Work (Then Sings My Soul Pt 2) Hosted by Jeff Hoffmeyer, Denver Institute’s Vice President of […]

Summary In this first episode on the soul and prayer, we look at an underutilized form of prayer found in the psalms – talking to ourselves. This kind of self-talk is different from other popular conceptions, because God is listening in. Psalm 42 commends a kind of prayerful self-talk in which we discover what is […]

Summary When Charlie Brown famously asks, “Doesn’t anybody know what Christmas is all about?!” Linus responds by reciting the King James Version of Luke 2. As it turns out, Philippians 2 is also a good answer, leading us to pray about the wonder of God becoming flesh. Merry Christmas! Episode 41: The Play within the […]

Summary For the fortieth episode of Teach Us To Pray I discuss the first few verses of Psalm 40, one of my favorites, and also one of the best U2 songs ever. Prayer is about waiting, and about God stooping to hear us, and about God putting a new song in us that we can […]

Summary In part 2 of this series, I return to the Jesus and Peter conversation on the beach scene, and raise the question of how God might want to talk about painful memories, the idolatry of work, and using our wounds to heal others – but don’t worry, this episode is merrier than you might […]

Summary This is the first of three episodes on the convergence of beauty and brokenness as found in Scripture, and how we might learn to pray about God’s redemptive activity in our lives. In this episode, I explore the famous conversation between Jesus and Peter on the shore of lake Galilee, examining how Jesus might […]

Summary Are you ever frustrated by not having enough information, foresight, and understanding, particularly in your work? Do you ever wish that things were just more clear? What if this lack, this scarcity, is by design? What if it could fuel your imagination for how God wishes to use you in your work? In this […]

Summary How surprising that the very first human mentioned in the Bible as being indwelled by God’s Spirit is a craftsman! In this episode we address what this might mean for our work, inviting a prayerful focus on human flourishing. Episode 36: God Loves Work #3: Our Work as Making, not just Producing (Exodus 31:1-11) […]

Summary The Tower of Babel is a story about how our work can go wrong, including using technology thoughtlessly, and working so as to “make a name for ourselves.” The only antidote for these work mistakes (and others) is prayer. Episode 35: God Loves Work #2: How Work Goes Wrong (Genesis 11) Hosted by Jeff […]

Summary This is the first of a four part series called God Loves Work, tied to a four day devotional you can do alone or with someone you trust. In this first episode, I look at the first book of the Bible, and invite you to consider how you can prayerfully see God’s wonder in […]

Summary The book of Acts ends with Paul under arrest, living out his vocation “with all boldness and without hindrance.” In the second episode exploring this verse, Jeff examines how we can enjoy obscurity in our lives and how kingdom impact can often happen in unseen moments. Episode 33: All Boldness and Without Hindrance (Acts […]