Provoke & Inspire Podcast

Russell Brand discusses his journey to Christianity, pondering if 'wokeness' leads people to Jesus. The hosts explore authenticity, supporting local churches, and embracing personal responsibility. They also touch on faith amidst allegations and the impact of suffering on one's spiritual journey.

Does our theology actually make a difference in how we live our lives as followers of Jesus? Does God determine the eternal destiny of each person before they are even born? In this episode Ben is joined by Soteriology 101's Dr. Leighton Flowers discuss these questions, among others as they dive into the mysterious and controversial doctrine of salvation.Check out more from Dr. Leighton Flowers here: https://soteriology101.com/Check out Soteriology 101 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Soteriology101Buy Leighton's book The Potter's Promise: http://tinyurl.com/yn3b8rxy----------------------------------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke GreenwoodSend us a text

Why is it that we can be so casual in dire circumstances; so slow to share our faith, even when the lives of the people around us are being destroyed by lies and hopelessness?In this quick hit episode, Ben shares a personal story of actions taken during an emergency, and contemplating what they reveal about the spiritual reality around us.----------------------------------------------------Want to invite Ben to speak? Click HERE!Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Community!Click below to follow Ben on Instagram!Ben PierceSend us a text

Should Christians watch R-rated movies? Does the Bible contain offensive art? Have we applied arbitrary moral standards to art and killed it in the process? What IS the purpose of art?In this episode Ben talks with author and artist, Josh Porter, about his new book,  "With All Its Teeth: Sex, Violence, Profanity, and the Death of Christian Art."Check out more from Josh Porter here: joshuasporter.comOrder Josh's new book here: With All Its Teeth----------------------------------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke GreenwoodSend us a text

We can often get so caught up in doing things for God and wondering what he might want us to be doing, that we miss some very simple, yet critical aspects of walking out our faith. We miss out on what God has for us; following our own dreams instead of following Jesus. In this quick hit episode, Ben dives into how we were designed to make a difference, drawing from the scriptures as well as his own life experience.----------------------------------------------------Want to invite Ben to speak? Click HERE!Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Community!Click below to follow Ben on Instagram!Ben PierceSend us a text

In this episode Ben, David, Chad, and a special guest respond to a story of a Minnesota man who dove into an icy river to save the driver of a vehicle that had just gone off of the road.How do we parallel this story with our urgency for the gospel, for those in our lives who are heading toward an eternity without God? Why are we not more vigilant, like the man who went into the river, without hesitation?Join us on Tuesday, January 30th at 12 PM CST for our Provoke & Inspire Community Zoom call! Here's the link, see you there! https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81289458902----------------------------------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke GreenwoodSend us a text

It's the 500th episode of Provoke & Inspire! Whether you've been here from the beginning or this is your first episode, thank you for listening and for your support!For this special episode, Ben, Luke, David, and Chad come together and reflect on all that God has done through the podcast in the last eight years. They remember past guests, from the late Timothy Keller to Dallas Jenkins (The Chosen), and talk through the reason why this podcast began: how do we faithfully follow Jesus in a post-Christian culture?Join us on Tuesday, January 30th at 12 PM CST for our Provoke & Inspire Community Zoom call! Here's the link, see you there! https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81289458902----------------------------------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke GreenwoodSend us a text

Late last week, rapper Lil Nas X released his new song "J Christ." The music video features a depiction of Noah's flood and a scene where Lil Nas X is being nailed to a cross.Many Christian influencers have shared their reaction, but do followers of Jesus need to always react to the latest antics of today? What's the line between being informed, or just distracted?----------------------------------------------------Want to invite Ben to speak? Click HERE!Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Community!Click below to follow Ben on Instagram!Ben PierceSend us a text

Is there something specific that is actively keeping us, the Church, from sharing the gospel? If so, what is it? How can we overcome this epidemic?In this episode Ben and David are joined by author and speaker Greg Stier, founder of Dare 2 Share, and author of the new book, Unlikely Fighter: The Story of How a Fatherless Street Kid Overcame Violence, Chaos, and Confusion to Become a Radical Christ Follower.Greg shares from the trenches how he has seen thousands of young people trained to effectively share the gospel, and how we can address barriers to doing so for people in the church.----------------------------------------------------------Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Community!Click below to follow the regulars on Instagram!Ben PierceDavid PierceChad JohnsonLuke GreenwoodSend us a text

Socrates was famously credited with saying, "The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living", and in this quick hit Ben examines our cultures' obsession with busyness as a means of status, albeit a source of extreme anxiety. What does this say about our society, that used to value a person's leisure time as a measure of their value? How do we correctly deal with busyness in our lives as followers of Jesus?----------------------------------------------------Want to invite Ben to speak? Click HERE!Questions, comments, or feedback? We'd love to hear what you think! Send them to provokeandinspire@steiger.org, or send us a message on Instagram.Join the Provoke & Inspire Community!Click below to follow Ben on Instagram!Ben PierceSend us a text