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
725 episodes
644: Christian Sex Expert: The Church has Misunderstood Desire | Jay Stringer
Is fighting our desires, sexual or otherwise, a losing battle? Have we completely misunderstood what they are, and what they point to? How do we reclaim a Godly vision for them? Ben invites author, speaker, and Christian sex expert ...
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51:57
643: Have Christians Become Too Nice?
Is following Jesus the truest expression of the punk rock spirit? Has a prominent cultural philosopher now turned to Jesus?Ben, David, and Luke react to an interview clip of artist and thinker Nick Cave of The Red Hand Files.&n...
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44:57
642: Top Christian TikToker, Read Choi: I Almost Got Canceled For Doing the Right Thing!
How do you stay grounded in your faith despite having millions of followers, billions of views, and living in the Hollywood ecosystem?Ben talks with content creator and actor Read Choi, about achieving successes that few TikToker's ever ...
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33:54
641: Is “Seeker Sensitive” Just Dumbing Down the Gospel?
Has the seeker sensitive movement gone too far? Is it irreverent for pastors to wear casual clothing during sermons, and is the church not actually for evangelism at all?The regulars react to a video of Dr. Frank Turek talking about what...
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36:30
640: A Protestant Asks: What Is Orthodox Christianity? (And Why Is It Growing?) W/ Jonathan Pageau
Why are Christians turning to more traditional expressions of the faith? Is there something in Orthodoxy that's missing from Protestantism? Are there things we misunderstand about it? Ben talks with French-Canadian artist and YouTub...
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41:31
639: How Do I Resist Porn in an AI World?
How do we fight an enemy that, especially via our phones, seems to be everywhere? How do we prepare our children to guard themselves against explicit content - that is explicitly targeting them?With the pervasive presence of increasing ...
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40:46
638: The Lasting Impact of Charlie Kirk’s Murder W/ Dr. Frank Turek
Ben is joined by renowned apologist Dr. Frank Turek, as he reflects on the tragic murder of his close friend Charlie Kirk and what the tragedy reveals about evil, eternity, and the urgency of the gospel. They explore faith, politics...
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40:43
637: The End of Loneliness Starts With You
What if one of the most powerful ways to reach people isn’t better arguments… but better attention?After reacting to a socially disruptive street comedian who shocks strangers with genuine, thoughtful compliments, the regulars dive into ...
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40:43
636: What Does the Bible Really Say About Women in Leadership? W/ Preston Sprinkle
Ben welcomes author and speaker Preston Sprinkle back to the show for a candid and thought-provoking conversation about one of the most debated issues in the church today: women in leadership.Preston, known for tackling controversial top...
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45:31
635: Are Arguments for God's Existence a Waste of Time?
Is apologetics enough to make disciples? Are we aiming at the wrong target by focusing on them? The regulars wrestle with the role of reason, debate, and intellectual defense in a post-Christian world. Reflecting on figures like Fr...
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39:29
634: Is the Modern Family Making Us Lonely? (And Is It Even Biblical?)
What if the loneliness we feel isn’t because we’re weak, but because we’re trying to live in a system that was never meant to work?Ben reflects on a clip of comedian Trevor Noah about family, and the modern myth of independence, asking ...
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17:26
633: Jesus Promised Rest, So Why Are You Still Exhausted? | Tim Ross
Why did Jesus call peace a gift, and why do so few Christians actually feel it? What’s the difference between being a peacekeeper and a peacemaker? Ben talks with Tim Ross of The Basement podcast, and they ask: What kind of...
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52:49
632: How to Avoid Rock Bottom, and Recover If You Hit It
From ministry success and identity confusion to burnout, failure, and suicidal ideation, this episode traces the slow erosion of intimacy with Jesus and the cost of trying to rebuild life on self-made identity. Ben and Chad explore...
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35:44
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
