The Harder Way Podcast

The Harder Way: Counting the Cost — Luke 14 to the Resurrection

Scott walks through Luke 14–24, unpacking Jesus’ call to count the cost of discipleship, the parables of the lost, teachings on wealth and endurance, the Last Supper, crucifixion, and the resurrection.

He also gives a timely update on growing crises in Cuba, asks for prayer for teams and believers facing hardship, and highlights the church’s challenges and opportunitie...

The Harder Way — Luke 1–14: When God Breaks In

Join Scott on the Harder Way podcast as he walks through Luke chapters 1–14, tracing God's divine intervention from Jesus birth to the beginning of his journey toward the cross.

This episode highlights the upside-down kingdom: humility lifted, pride scattered, authority through obedience, the Spirit's power, mercy without compromise, and the sober call to follow Jesus even when it cost...

On the Road to the Cross: Why Mark Moves

In this episode of the Harder Way Podcast, Scott dives into the Gospel of Mark, exploring its urgency, authority, and focus on discipleship under pressure. He highlights key themes: identity before mission, testing before authority, the cost of following Jesus, and endurance in the face of persecution, using Mark as a guide for faith over fear.

Scott also shares personal stories, his current...

When Expectations Meet Jesus: Grace, the Cross, and the Harder Way

Scott walks through Matthew 20 through Luke 4 (I covered too much! Don't worry, I'll get Mark 5 - 16 next week!), showing how Jesus repeatedly surprises expectations — teaching grace over merit, predicting and embracing suffering, and modeling obedience to Scripture under pressure.

The episode challenges listeners to choose the Harder Way: faith over fear, endurance...

Matthew's King: The Harder Way of Discipleship (Matthew 1–19)

Scott walks through Matthew 1–19, introducing Jesus as a king rooted in Israel's history and fulfilling Scripture. They highlight the Sermon on the Mount, parables, miracles, and the theme of the kingdom being both present and to come.

The episode explores the costly call of discipleship, the ethics of the kingdom, and how these teachings encourage and challenge believer...

From Joel to Malachi: Minor Prophets, Major Lessons

Scott walks through the final Old Testament books from Joel to Malachi, highlighting themes for believers under pressure: repentance, God’s justice, and surprising mercy. The episode explains the difference between literary and non‑literary prophets and shows how these short books call God’s people back to wholehearted covenant faith.

Listeners will hear practical applications—wh...

When Empires Rage, God Reigns

This episode walks through Ezekiel 38–48, Daniel, and Hosea, asking what faithfulness looks like when God’s people are weak, scattered, and under pressure.

Scott explains God’s sovereignty over nations, the call to trust without full certainty, and the painful but persistent covenant love that restores those who return—encouragement for believers in comfort and in suffering.

Remember to help us share t...

When God Leaves the Building: Ezekiel, Exile, and the Persecuted Church

Scott walks through Ezekiel (chapters 4–37), showing how faith looks when everything familiar collapses: God's glory departs, false prophets promise comfort, and obedience often appears foolish. He ties these themes to the persecuted church, offers an update and prayer call for Iran, and points to Ezekiel 37’s vision of resurrection and renewed life. Remember ...

When God Isn’t in a Hurry: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Harder Way

Scott walks through Jeremiah 29 and Ezekiel 1–3, reflecting on exile, endurance, and what faithfulness looks like when God doesn’t rush to fix circumstances.

The episode connects current events—Protests in Persia, suffering in Cuba, change in Venezuela, and resistance in Nicaragua—and warns against well-intended but harmful Western solutions, urging humble support for...

Faith Over Fear: Isaiah’s Promises and Jeremiah’s Hard Truths

Scott flies solo as he walks through Isaiah 54–66 and Jeremiah 18–28, unpacking the tension between comfort and confrontation, promise and warning.

He highlights promises to the wounded, God’s restoration on His terms, Jeremiah’s painful calling, and the danger of false prophets and false hope.

This episode urges listeners to choose faithfulness over popularity, trust Go...

The King Who Comes the Hard Way: Isaiah 5–53

Join Scott as he walks through Isaiah 5–53, exploring how God’s salvation comes through obedience, suffering, and faithfulness rather than power or praise. In the shadow of Christmas, Scott highlights the servant songs and Isaiah 53 to show how the Messiah’s incarnation and suffering reveal God’s presence and redemptive plan for the persecuted church.

Send Bibles to persecuted churches (...

Faith Over Fear: Psalm 141 to Isaiah 4 — The Harder Way

Scott explores Psalm 141 through Isaiah 4, tracing how honest prayer, guarded speech, and covenantal obedience form faith under pressure. He links the Psalms' seasoned laments and Isaiah's prophetic warnings to the realities of the persecuted church and the call to trust God rather than fear.

Listeners are invited to embrace the harder way: restraint, repentance, and dependenc...

Psalms in the Fire: Prayers for Persecution and Hope (Psalms 47–140)

Scott walks through Psalms 47–140, exploring how these poems teach honest prayer, praise, lament, and trust. He highlights key passages such as Psalm 51 and Psalm 119, encourages using the Psalms as a prayer book and hymnal, and explains how they shape the faith of the persecuted church.

The episode also includes a global update on rising pressures against believ...

When Words Are Under Fire: Faith, Freedom, and the Persecuted Church

Scott reflects on recent global cases of religious restriction — from Ireland and Canada to South Korea — and explores how words and speech are central to both persecution and Christian witness. He prays for believers under pressure and highlights the power of testimony, the sword of the Spirit, and the role of suffering in spiritual formation.

The episode also gu...

Scott walks listeners through 2 Chronicles 36 to Job 8, tracing a path from national collapse and exile to return, rebuilding, hidden providence, and deep personal suffering.

The episode highlights Ezra’s call to holiness, Nehemiah’s determined leadership, Esther’s quiet providence, and Job’s faithful endurance, connecting these stories to the experience of the persecuted church and the call to choose faith over fear.

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In this message, “A Tale of Two Kings,” Scott opens 2 Chronicles 14–16 and traces the life of King Asa, a leader who begins with courage and conviction but ultimately succumbs to pride and self-reliance. Asa tears down idols, leads Judah back to true worship, and cries out to God when a vast army threatens to wipe his nation out. God answers, scatters the enemy, and gives the land rest. But years later, when pressure comes ag...

Scott and Mattie continue their Bible-in-a-year journey, covering 1 Chronicles 28 through 2 Chronicles 35. They explore the themes of leadership, pride, revival, and repentance as they trace the rise and fall of Judah’s kings—from David and Solomon to Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah.

The episode highlights how obedience builds while pride destroys, the possibility of renewal after spiritual decline, and how the persecuted church’s p...

Join Scott and Mattie on The Harder Way Podcast as they continue a nine-month journey through the Bible, moving from the end of 2 Kings into 1 Chronicles. This episode examines Judah’s fall, the Babylonian exile, the hope that remains in God’s covenant, and David’s preparations for the temple, all through the lens of faith over fear and the wisdom of the persecuted church.

They highlight themes of spiritual warfare, leadership and ...

Week 10 of the Harder Way Podcast explores 1 Kings 10–2 Kings 15, tracing Solomon’s spiritual decline, the division of Israel and Judah, and the rise of bold prophets such as Elijah and Elisha. Hosts Scott and Mattie explore how idolatry, fear, and poor stewardship led to national collapse while the faithful remnant preserved God’s light.

The episode ties these Old Testament stories to the theme of faith over fear, urging listeners...