Doable Discipleship

“The act of confessing our sins to one another is a graced invitation to practice the way of faith, hope, and love. The soul tempted to despair will be particularly allergic to ecclesial confession, but it is here that they will find great remedy for their agonizing condition. For in confessing their sins to one another, they are heard with the faith of fellow saints, they are encouraged by the hope of fellow pilgrims, and...

“That is why the Lord says, ‘Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.’ Return to the Lord for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” 

Joel 2:12-13

The book of Joel, the second of the minor prophets, is such a beautiful book. It’s not long, only thre...

“O Israel and Judah, what should I do with you?” asks the Lord. “For your love vanishes like the morning mist and disappears like dew in the sunlight. I sent my prophets to cut you to pieces - to slaughter you with my words, with judgments as inescapable as light. I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings. But like Adam, you broke my covenant and betrayed my trust...

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” - Daniel 3:16-18

The book of Danie...

“The next generation will live into the words we speak over them, so we should consider what words we are speaking over Gen Z. We, older generations, are responsible for raising, stewarding, and discipling the next generation, and right now, they are hearing from us, “We don’t like you.” - An excerpt from What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God. 

We’re in a bit of a tale as old as time moment. There is a lot of discussion...

“As Scripture reveals, the kind of wisdom we drink in ultimately guides our choices. It conditions our thoughts and molds our character and habits to become who we are. It influences the longings and desires of our heart and the ways we seek to find meaning. The right question then becomes, what kind of wisdom are we currently being guided by?” - An excerpt from The Man You’re Meant to Be. 

There’s a lot of talk lately abou...

“So now, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will end the captivity of my people; I will have mercy on all Israel, for I jealously guard my hold reputation! They will accept responsibility for their past shame and unfaithfulness after they come home to live in peace in their own land, with no one to bother them. When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the na...

“Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. The garlands have fallen from our heads. Weep for us because we have sinned. Our hearts are sick and weary, and our eyes grow dim with tears. For Jerusalem is empty and desolate, a place haunted by jackals. But Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation.” Lamentations 5: 15-19

The book of Lamentations picks up right whe...

“Why do some of us experience Christianity as a burden and others as a refuge? The answer, I am convinced, has to do with grace. Grace is the Big Relief at the heart of Christianity. When grace is down-played or qualified, faith turns into a project and then a burden. Project religion - the ancient human enterprise of proving ourselves morally and spiritually worthy of God’s love - is everywhere. When anchored to grace, ho...

“But this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I ...

“Marriage is hard, but there is hope. Knowing that we can win and have a fulfilling marriage gives us the hope and determination to fight for what we desire every day. A successful marriage is not easy and requires working hard and giving 100 percent as individuals and as a couple. For two people ready and willing to put in the hard work and effort, having a game plan could change everything.” - The Marriage Game Plan.

Mar...

I think we’d probably all agree that digital distraction is at an all time high. News from around the world is at our fingertips at a moment's notice. We get real-time updates on, well, everything. We can play any sort of game imaginable anywhere in the world and we can post our own thoughts and musings for anybody to see. Smartphones are truly an incredible innovation, but they come with a cost. Instead of engaging with t...

“Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of a...

Originally Released July 4 2023

Saddleback Church Content Development Pastor Jason Wieland is joined by author, teacher, and spoken word artist Hosanna Wong for a conversation around identity in Christ and how to adopt the rhythms of Jesus. One of the most fundamental questions of life is Who Am I? and, in Christian circles, we are often rushed to answer that our identity is in Christ. But how do we really find out what thi...

“For the beauty of a journey is that it doesn’t need to be just one thing but can be many things spread out over time and over the many legs of the adventure . . . The Christian story may have already played out with robed people in a bygone past, but I believe it also continues to move, roll on, slosh, and rise in me each morning and moon.” - The Journey of God

All of history has a central theme: God wants a family. This i...

Originally Released Dec. 5, 2023

When an athlete trains and practices in his or her sport, they are achieving multiple goals at the same time. They get stronger by lifting weights. They get more agile and increase endurance by running and doing sprints. They develop muscle memory by practicing their sport and certain moves over and over and over again. All of this is in pursuit of being ready for the competition – ready for...

In this episode of Doable Discipleship, host Jason Wieland talks about what it means to choose to move in - to engage in relationships. He talks about some of the reasons why we may want to isolate or choose something easier, but offers a different perspective on why it's important to choose to engage. He talks about what the Bible says and encourages you to move in the way Jesus did. 

Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Ch...

“You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes, with a single jewel of your necklace. Your love delights me, my treasure my bride.” Song of Songs 4:9-10

Song of Songs is the last of the Biblical wisdom literature and puts a bow on our time with Solomon. It’s a book not commonly taught from because of its intimate nature, but I was grateful to find somebody who is actuall...

“What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:9-11

Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I might be weird in this, I don’t know many other people who would...