The God Journey

Wayne Jacobsen

The adventure of living loved

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23 episodes
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Avg 43 min
English

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Friday · 43 min
“Not Organically” (#1050)
Wayne and Kyle wrestle with how love responds when life gets complicated. They explore the tension between justice and mercy, especially when abuse comes from the very people who should have offered safety and love. They talk about parenting, spiritual abuse, distorted ideas of love, and the need to slow down to God’s pace so we can recognize what he is doing. Near the end, Wayne shares a recent dream Luis had. In it, Luis asks Jesus if he could heal him in a faster, less painful way. Jesus answers, “Not organically.” Removing the symptoms alone does not heal the wound beneath them. God patiently works at the roots, untangling fear, shame, and self-protection so that freedom can grow from the inside out. Podcast Notes: The video recording of this podcast. (Because of Facebook policies, this link will only stay active for 30 days.) Get your copy of Just Love The post “Not Organically” (#1050) first appeared on The God Journey.
August 28 · 44 min
Cultivating Presence in the Chaos (#1049)
Wayne and Kyle continue the conversation about what happens when life changes in ways we never wanted or expected. What is the difference between false hope and honest trust? They talk about grieving what has been lost and wrestling openly with God through the difficult questions. When we stop looking for tidy answers, we may discover that his presence matters more than explanations. Whether you face cancer, trauma, family upheaval, or an uncertain future, trust in his love grows as we find God within the new reality rather than trying to escape it. Learning to live each day connecting to the reality that God loves us, walks with us, and will meet us in whatever comes can make all the difference. Podcast Notes: The video recording of this podcast. (Because of Facebook policies, this link will only stay active for 30 days.) The handout Wayne & Kyle refer to to on this podcast. Get your copy of Just Love The post Cultivating Presence in the Chaos (#1049) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E32
August 21 · 41 min
Come What May (#1048)
In this solo episode, Wayne reflects on living with multiple myeloma, a recent patient seminar he attended with Sara, and what happens when a diagnosis or other life-altering event shakes our assumptions about God. Rather than trying to fix people or offer tidy answers, he describes a relational process for walking through crisis: finding a safe place for honesty, facing what has changed, inviting God into the questions, looking for his presence in a new reality, and learning to live from that companionship come what may. Trials may refine us, but not by giving us easy explanations. Often, they invite us into a deeper trust that God is with us especially when we're confronted with the unexpected. Podcast Notes: No video recording was made of this podcast. Join Wayne Next Weekend in Toronto The handout Wayne read on the podcast. Get your copy of Just Love The post Come What May (#1048) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E31
August 14 · 43 min
When Love Heals the Heart (#1047)
What happens when love reaches the places fear has wired for survival? Wayne and Kyle trace Luis’s remarkable journey from warrior to healer—a transformation unfolding through five years of night terrors in which Jesus keeps showing him another way. As fear loosens its grip, Luis is learning to see enemies not as threats, but as wounded people in need of healing. Along the way, Wayne and Kyle explore how trauma shapes self-protection, why healing can disrupt family systems, and how love rewires the heart. Perhaps transformation begins when we stop trying to win the battle and become healers instead. Podcast Notes: The video recording of this podcast. (Because of Facebook policies, this link will only stay active for 30 days.) Catch all of Luis's story on the My Friend Luis Podcast A new need in Kenya Get your copy of Just Love The post When Love Heals the Heart (#1047) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E30
August 7 · 45 min
When Gift Becomes Product (#1046)
What happens when something God gives us to share becomes entangled with the need to promote it, monetize it, or make it successful? Kyle and Wayne reflect on twenty-two years of The God Journey and the early decisions that allowed it to remain a free-flowing conversation rather than a product shaped by advertisers, audience metrics, or the pursuit of influence. Whether creating a podcast, returning to the classroom, or simply learning to abide in his presence, perhaps the invitation is the same: receive what God is giving, share it without manipulation, and trust him with where it goes. When the gift itself is enough, we are free to remain authentic. They also explore Paul’s invitation to let the message of Christ dwell richly within us. Fullness does not mean attaining some imagined spiritual capacity; it means allowing God to fill the capacity we have today. Podcast Notes: The video recording of this podcast. (Because of Facebook policies, this link will only stay active for 30 days.) A new need in Kenya Get your copy of Just Love The post When Gift Becomes Product (#1046) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E29
July 31 · 43 min
Children of Love in a World of Wrath (#1045)
After a brief conversation about how AI is helping out at Lifestream, Kyle and Wayne turn to a deeper question: What did Paul mean when he described us as “children of wrath?" Rather than people destined to receive God’s anger, could he have been describing those formed by a world of fear, hostility, and vengeance? That distinction opens a wider view of God’s character and invites us to reconsider how we read Scriptures' most troubling passages. They also consider the challenge young people face in a digital culture shaped by betrayal, comparison, and the relentless pursuit of approval. How do we become grounded in the Father’s love rather than the judgments of the crowd? In a world steeped in wrath, Jesus is forming a people who know how to live as children of love. Podcast Notes: The video recording of this podcast. Details for Tobie and Wayne's Zoom Class on How Does Love Make This Right The Jesus Lens - how to read Scripture through the revelation of Jesus. Get your copy of Just Love The post Children of Love in a World of Wrath (#1045) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E28
July 24 · 44 min
Knowing Is Not Living (#1044)
Wayne and Kyle reflect on the Just Love Conversations recently held in Kansas City through the eyes of those who gathered there with Wayne and Tobie. They do so in the context of considering how easily spiritual truth becomes information to collect, perform, promote, or even monetize without ever transforming the way we think and live. Real change does not come from mastering better ideas, or even sharing them, but from learning to live inside the love of God until we no longer need to extract life, approval, or significance from those around us. The question is not whether we understand love, justice, and grace, but whether those realities are becoming visible in the way we parent, serve, lead, and live. Podcast Notes: The video recording of this podcast. Get your copy of Just Love The post Knowing Is Not Living (#1044) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E27
July 17 · 43 min
Contented in His Love (#1043)
Wayne and Tobie van der Westhuizen, coauthors of Just Love, reflect on the Just Love Conversations they hosted last weekend in Kansas City. Their recap includes knowing God’s love from the inside—not merely as a truth we believe, but as the very substance of salvation and the source from which we live. They explore how desire can lure us outside the present moment, reaching for possessions, experiences, or relationships to satisfy an ache they were never meant to fill. But as we learn to receive the love and life already given to us in God, we no longer need to take from others to secure our own well-being. Living from fullness frees us to become distributors of life—people whose growing contentment in God expresses itself in generosity, compassion, and the kind of justice that helps set the world right. Podcast Notes: We're sorry, but no video was made of this podcast. Get your copy of Just Love The post Contented in His Love (#1043) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E26
July 10 · 44 min
At Rest in His Love (#1042)
What happens when fear no longer drives our faith, and we finally become safe enough to rest in love? What if the God we have learned to fear is not the God Jesus came to reveal? A recent article on neuroscience suggests that fear-based images of God activate the brain’s threat responses, while love-centered images foster connection, empathy, and resilience. For Kyle, that opens old memories of trying to stay off God’s radar and performing well enough to avoid his displeasure. For Wayne, it echoes a thirty-year journey of learning that God is not waiting for us to clean up our mess before drawing near. He is already present in our shame, our ache, our tears, and our disorientation, inviting us to discover that tenderness is not weakness and vulnerability is not failure. Podcast Notes: The video of this podcast. The Neuroscience of Encountering God Thirsting by Strahan Coleman Get your copy of Just Love The post At Rest in His Love (#1042) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E25
June 26 · 43 min
Hosting His Presence Inside Us (#1041)
How do we cultivate the environment in our hearts to host the God who is already present within us? Kyle and Wayne explore further how God shapes us from the inside—through identity, beauty, relationships, surrender, and the ordinary moments where his presence is already at work. Rather than trying to force a spiritual experience or get God to fix our circumstances the way we want, perhaps the invitation is to recognize where he is already with us and open more space for his love to transform us. From finances and purpose to marriage, leadership, and spiritual practices, they look at the environments that help us live more deeply in the Father’s affection and reflect his life in the world. Podcast Notes: Due to technical difficulties, we do not have a video of this podcast. My Friend Luis Podcast Thirsting by Strahan Coleman The JUST LOVE Conversations in Kansas City Get your copy of Just Love The post Hosting His Presence Inside Us (#1041) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E24
June 19 · 42 min
The Thirst Beneath Our Desires (#1040)
"My emotions are a messenger, not a master." So wrote one of our listeners, and that refrain continues to pop... The post The Thirst Beneath Our Desires (#1040) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E23
June 12 · 45 min
Patriarchy Diminishes Us All (#1039)
Wayne, Kyle, and Joni continue their conversation about patriarchy, moving from cultural systems and religious interpretations into the deeper ways... The post Patriarchy Diminishes Us All (#1039) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E22
June 5 · 43 min
Patriarchy, Purity Culture, and Wholeness (#1038)
"Purity culture is a system that tells women to carry the moral weight of male desire." How is that healthy... The post Patriarchy, Purity Culture, and Wholeness (#1038) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E21
May 29 · 43 min
Where Deep Calls to Deep (#1037)
“At the bottom of our being is a throbbing, an aching that pines for our Other, day and night... a... The post Where Deep Calls to Deep (#1037) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E20
May 22 · 41 min
How AI Summarized The God Journey (#1036)
"The God Journey has been a long conversation about what happens when faith migrates from obligation into love." That's how... The post How AI Summarized The God Journey (#1036) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E19
May 15 · 43 min
Reflections on Wayne’s Vision (#1035)
"How is the vision impacting you?" Wayne and Kyle begin with brief conversations about the permanence of love and how... The post Reflections on Wayne’s Vision (#1035) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E18
May 8 · 43 min
Give Way to the Treasure (#1034)
Wayne and Kyle continue exploring the vision of a city waiting to be born, this time focusing on the sparkling... The post Give Way to the Treasure (#1034) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E17
May 1 · 42 min
The City Waiting to be Born (#1033)
Kyle and Wayne explore what it means to embody kingdom power in a world driven by fear, urgency, and control.... The post The City Waiting to be Born (#1033) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E16
April 24 · 44 min
When Our Assumptions Unravel (#1032)
After a quick discussion about the false self and how what we value can be opposed to what God values,... The post When Our Assumptions Unravel (#1032) first appeared on The God Journey.
S22 · E15
April 17 · 46 min
When Marriage Falters (#1031)
Kyle has been talking to some couples, 8-12 years into marriage, who are discouraged that they are no longer able... The post When Marriage Falters (#1031) first appeared on The God Journey.

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