Spiritually Fit Today

The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe - Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Pastor Ricky Kennedy. In this episode we wrestle with Luke 9:23 — denying self, taking up the cross daily, and choosing obedience over comfort — exploring the hidden cost of playing it safe and the rewards of courageous faith.Pastor Ricky shares how staying the course through hardship grew his faith, empathy, and dependence on God. We contrast a comfortable, “cruise ship” faith with a risk-taking, participatory faith that joins God in what He’s doing. Expect honest stories, practical encouragement, and a challenge to take one bold step of obedience this week.Connect: arnie.cole@bttb.org4 R Action Steps- Read: Luke 9:23. Read it slowly and aloud today.- Reflect: Which future will you choose — safe comfort or bold obedience? Imagine one concrete step that stretches your trust in God.- Respond (short prayer): Jesus, we don't want small stories. Grow our courage through obedience. Let us value faithfulness over comfort. In your name we pray. Amen.- Reveal: Share your bold step with a friend or small group and ask them to pray and hold you accountable.Keywords: Spiritually Fit, daily devotion, Christian podcast, Luke 9:23, obedience, courage, faith over comfort, church planting, COVID resilience, Pastor Ricky Kennedy, Arnie ColeSubscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily at: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft
 
 

How Fear Hides Behind “Wisdom” - Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Pastor Ricky Kennedy. In this episode we talk about the tension between comfort and obedience, stepping out in faith (church planting), wrestling with doubt and bad timing during COVID, and the spiritual habits that sustained a fledgling church—daily Bible reading, prayer, staff support, and trusting God’s voice. Our memory verse: Luke 9:23 — "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."4 R action steps:- Read: Luke 9:23 and nearby context (Luke 9:22–27) to see what following Jesus cost him and asks of us.- Reflect: Ask, Where is comfort keeping me from obedience? Which voice am I following—circumstance or God?- Respond: Short prayer — "Lord, give me courage to deny myself, clarity to hear Your voice, and faith to obey even when it’s costly. Amen."- Reveal: Share Luke 9:23 and your own story of a hard obedience with one friend or invite someone to a conversation about faith to demonstrate this truth.Contact: arnie.cole@bttb.orgKeywords: Spiritually Fit Today, Arnie Cole, Ricky Kennedy, church planting, discipleship, Luke 9:23, faith, obedience, spiritual disciplines, prayer, Bible reading, Christian podcast, pastoral encouragementSubscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily at: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft

Comfort Might Be Killing Your Calling - Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Pastor Ricky Kennedy. In this episode we explore how comfort can quietly derail Jesus’ call to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Pastor Ricky shares his church-planting story—stepping out into the unknown during COVID—and what it taught him about trusting God more than clinging to safety.Take action with the 4 R’s:- Read: Read Luke 9:23 and related passages (e.g., Luke 5:1–11) to see Jesus’ call to follow him. - Reflect: Ask: What has God already told me to do? Where am I waiting for ideal conditions? What would surrendering control look like in my family, finances, or calling? - Respond: Short prayer — Lord, help me deny myself, trust You when I can’t see the outcome, and obey now instead of waiting. Give me courage to act in faith. Amen. - Reveal: Share this truth with someone—tell a friend about one step you’ll take this week, invite someone to serve with you, or encourage a neighbor to trust God in a practical way.Contact: arnie.cole@bttb.orgKeywords: Spiritually Fit Today, Arnie Cole, Ricky Kennedy, Luke 9:23, Christian podcast, discipleship, church planting, faith, obedience, stepping out in faith, City Light South, spiritual growth, Christian living, daily devotionSubscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily at: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft

What Easter Means for Fear, Grief, and Suffering - Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce A. Today’s conversation examines why Jesus’ resurrection is uniquely reliable, how it reorders our fear of death, and how Easter calls us to live as a preview of God’s coming kingdom.4 R action steps- Read: 1 Corinthians 15:20 — “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”- Reflect: Ask—Who do I need to forgive because Christ has forgiven me? Where does fear or comfort keep me from living as a preview of God’s kingdom?- Respond (prayer): Lord Jesus, thank You for rising from the dead. Help me trust Your victory over death, forgive as I’ve been forgiven, face suffering with courage, and live for Your kingdom. Amen.- Reveal: Show the truth of the resurrection by offering forgiveness, sharing a brief testimony of hope in suffering, inviting someone to church or a conversation about Jesus, or serving someone who’s hurting.Contact: arnie.cole@bttb.orgKeywords: resurrection, Easter, Jesus alive, 1 Corinthians 15:20, Christian podcast, spiritual fitness, forgiveness, suffering, courage, witness, Arnie Cole, Bruce A., Spiritually Fit TodaySubscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily at: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft

What Most Christians Get Wrong About Heaven - Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce A. Today we explore resurrection as renewal rather than escape—what Jesus’ bodily rising (1 Corinthians 15:20) means for our bodies, our suffering, grief, and how we live now as a preview of the new creation.Read: 1 Corinthians 15:20. Reflect on “firstfruits” — what happened to Christ will happen to his people.Reflect: Do I treat my body as disposable or destined for resurrection?Respond (short prayer): Lord, thank you that your resurrection was physical, powerful, and permanent. Bring hope to those who suffer, comfort to those who grieve, and help me honor my body as part of your restoration. Amen.Reveal: Share 1 Corinthians 15:20 with someone who’s grieving, offer practical care for a neighbor, or model kingdom hope by serving visibly—let your life be a preview that invites others in.Contact: arnie.cole@bttb.orgKeywords: resurrection, bodily resurrection, Easter, new creation, Christian hope, 1 Corinthians 15:20, grief, suffering, renewal, Spiritually Fit Today, Arnie Cole, Bruce ASubscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily at: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft

The Most Unexpected Witnesses in History - Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce. In this episode we explore why the Gospels name women as the first witnesses to the resurrection, what that reversal reveals about the gospel’s inclusivity and dignity for the overlooked, and how the resurrection reshapes how we live now between the times.4 R action stepsRead: Read John 20 and 1 Corinthians 15:20–23 to see the resurrection accounts and the “firstfruits” declaration.Reflect: Where do you feel overlooked or insignificant? How might God be using small, ordinary acts through you?Respond (short prayer): Lord, thank you that your kingdom honors the overlooked and calls ordinary people to bear witness. Help me to live faithfully today, even in small, unseen ways. Amen.Reveal: Share John 20 or the prayer above with someone who feels unnoticed; do one small act of service today and tell one person why you did it.Contact: For questions or feedback, email Arnie Cole at arnie.cole@bttb.orgKeywords: resurrection, women witnesses, Mary Magdalene, Bruce Ashford, Arnie Cole, Gospel, 1 Corinthians 15:20, John 20, Christian podcast, Easter, apologetics, inclusion, dignity, faith, hope, spiritual formationSubscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily at: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft

Proof vs Purpose: What Easter Is Really About - Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and Bruce A. In today's episode we take a short, practical look at Easter. Specifically we ask why Jesus’ resurrection was a launch, not a spectacle; why He appeared first to women and ordinary people instead of Pontius Pilate; and what that means for our mission as everyday witnesses of hope.Read: Memory verse: 1 Corinthians 15:20. Read the resurrection accounts (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20).Reflect: Ask: Is Easter primarily proof or a commission? Who in my life needs resurrection hope, and am I seeking more proof or more obedience?Respond: Prayer: Risen Lord, thank you that Easter was not about spectacle but about sending. Strengthen our courage where Pilate lacked it; make us faithful witnesses. Amen.Reveal: Practical step: Identify one person who needs the resurrection hope, pray for them by name today, then share this episode or tell them one way the resurrection has changed your life.Questions or feedback: arnie.cole@bttb.orgKeywords: Easter, resurrection, Jesus, Pontius Pilate, 1 Corinthians 15, Christian podcast, Spiritually Fit Today, discipleship, witness, New Covenant, Mary Magdalene, faith, mission, spiritual formationSubscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily at: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft

Easter Isn’t the Ending—It’s the Beginning - Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and guest Bruce A. Today’s conversation centers on Easter as the launch of new creation (not merely a happy ending), the Bible’s four-act storyline (creation, fall, redemption, restoration), and what it looks like to live as people of the firstfruits.Contact Arnie: arnie.cole@bttb.org4 R action stepsRead — Read 1 Corinthians 15:20.Reflect — Take five minutes and ask: Am I living like Easter already happened? Do I see death as defeat or live with future hope? Write one area of your life that needs resurrection hope.Respond — Short prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that your resurrection begins a new creation. Help us live anchored in hope, grounded in victory, and confident that death does not win. Amen.Reveal — Share the hope: tell one person how the resurrection gives you hope, invite them to read 1 Corinthians 15 with you, or explain the Bible’s four-act storyline (creation, fall, redemption, restoration) to demonstrate the gospel’s promise.Keywords: Easter, resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:20, Christian podcast, Bible study, hope, restoration, Arnie Cole, Bruce A., Spiritually Fit TodaySubscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily at: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft

The 4 Things Every Child Needs to Thrive - Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole, and guest featuring Mrs. Thimijan. In this episode we explore the “spiritual seeds” that grow into lifelong roots. Mrs. Thimijan emphasizes listening, modeling kindness and manners, praising gifts, exploring interests, and the critical role of social-emotional skills for school success. Memory verse: Proverbs 22:6.4 R Action StepsRead — Read Proverbs 22:6 aloud with a child or quietly for personal reflection.Reflect — Ask: How can I invest 10–15 focused minutes today to notice a child’s gift, feeling, or social need?Respond — Short prayer: Lord, give us wisdom to nurture the hearts you’ve entrusted to us. Help us listen, model kindness, and point children to your love. Amen.Reveal — Put the plan into practice: put the phone down, listen, praise a strength, name an emotion, model manners, explore an interest, then share what you tried with another caregiver or mentor.Questions or resources: arnie.cole@bttb.orgKeywords: children’s spiritual formation, early childhood faith, Christian parenting, child discipleship, Proverbs 22:6, social emotional learning, preschool ministry, faith formation, parenting tips, Arnie Cole, Mrs. ThimijanSubscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily at: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft

Helping Kids Handle Grief and Change - Spiritually Fit Today

Welcome to Spiritually Fit Today with Arnie Cole and his guest this week, Mrs. Thimijan. In this episode we gently explore how to support preschoolers facing divorce, death, or major family crises. We emphasize presence, listening, one‑on‑one prayer, and grounding little ones in the assurance of God’s care, using Proverbs 22:6 as our guiding memory verse.4 R action steps:- Read: Read Proverbs 22:6. - Reflect: Consider how you can prioritize heart care—presence, eye contact, listening—rather than trying to resolve every “why.” - Respond (short prayer): Lord, in times of pain, be close to our children. Help us guide and protect their hearts, remind them You are near, and give us wisdom to love them well. Amen. - Reveal: Demonstrate this truth by finding a safe space to pray one‑on‑one with a child, read a comforting Bible story together, and show consistent love and reassurance that God is with them.Need to reach Arnie Cole: arnie.cole@bttb.orgKeywords: Spiritually Fit Today, Arnie Cole, Mrs. Thimijan, children and grief, preschoolers and death, helping kids through divorce, Christian parenting, Proverbs 22:6, children’s spiritual formation, one‑on‑one prayer, grief support for children, faith and kidsSubscribe to get each episode delivered to your Inbox daily at: https://bttb.org/subscribe2sft