Universal Family

Jeff Wattles

A spiritual, religious, and philosophical podcast . . . presenting a philosophy of living in truth, beauty, and goodness . . . centered on the concept that we are all brothers and sisters in the universal family of God.

  1. May 19

    To Fulfill All Righteousness: The Way of Life

    This two-fold reflection portrays the risk that Jesus took by coming to John's baptism and the differences between the way of life, evil, and sin.

    9 min

  2. Apr 17

    Truth, Beauty, and Goodness in God's Answer to Prayer

    One goal of prayer is to find the will of God. Sometimes an impressive input comes into mind after prayer, and the person may struggle to discern whether it has come from God or from the human mind. The blogpost has ample context from chapter 7 of A Taste of Joy and Liberty: A Philosopher Encounters the Gospel of Jesus.  Truth, beauty, and goodness are qualities of God and values that we can live. They are blended in the divine answer to prayer, but we can reflect and discern them. I offer some helpful steps to transform the discernment process.

    4 min

  3. Mar 20

    What does it mean to be perfect in this life?

    In this episode, I awaken the question by first agreeing with some criticisms of perfection as a goal and then turning to what Jesus said, "Be you perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect." I unfold a couple of transformative implications of his present-tense imperative. Next I refer the reader to the blogpost at UniversalFamily.org and add a desert: an explanation of the photo of Jesus that I include.

    4 min

  4. Feb 7

    Revisiting Galilee (revised)

    On a pilgrimage to Israel, I discovered how seeing scenes of Jesus' ministry helped me remember, ponder, interpret, and commune. I brought back a placemat with 15 little scenes showing Jesus around the Sea of Galilee and on the water. After a dozen years, a couple days ago I saw these scenes in a transforming way. A couple days ago, this morning I looked at it anew; it was transforming to imagine myself in these scenes. I share this spiritual experience in the hope that those who listen will be may find creative ways to do something similar.

    5 min

  5. 12/27/2025

    Jesus' Scientific Knowledge

    Jesus had an excellent, down-to-earth, realistic grasp of facts, including what we today would call scientific knowledge. He was a keen observer--fearless in facing facts, logical in his reasoning, and deeply insightful about causes and effects. Two examples show why we often fail to recognize Jesus' scientific realism. He expressed his insights in ordinary language that everyone could understand. Drawing on chapter 5 in A Taste of Joy and Liberty, the blogpost at UniversalFamily.org introduces us to ways we can apply his first-century achievement in our own times. Our world urgently needs to see scientific living and spiritual living walking hand in hand.

    4 min

  6. 11/08/2025

    Treasure in your Field

    In speaking of the treasure hidden in a field, Jesus referred, I believe, to the kingdom of God within you. This video describes the experience of God's spirit within first by quotes from Jesus' Bible, the Hebrew Scriptures. Next, we go on to the idea that we do well to become friends with this gift of the presence of God. Finally comes the outpouring of a list of many of the blessings that await us from the inner divine source. This brief introduction is developed in the blogpost at UniversalFamily.org

    3 min

  7. 10/21/2025

    A Man with a Funnel in his Head

    I used to see my neighbor across the street in a fascinating duet that he and his two-year-old daughter had evolved. He would stand in the middle of the yard, and she would run around and play close to him and sometimes come to him and put up her arms to be picked up. The first story illustrates how we need the faith of a little child to receive the kingdom of God. Then I reflect on the gift of a loving God and the faith—living faith, receptive and active—that that enables us to receive God's loving gift. I close these thoughts by sharing the symbolism that I find in an image of a man with a funnel in his head. I created this video based on my experiences of living the ideas that I presented in chapter three in my book, A Taste of Joy and Liberty, a chapter that you can read in my introduction to that book on UniversalFamily.org.

    5 min

  8. 09/10/2025

    A workshop, a reflection on truth and love, and a correction

    I tell of working for months on a workshop on loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. I pose the question of how the most central truth of our relationships with God and human kind relate with the greatest commandment (to love). Finally, I make a correction in my new book, A Taste of Joy and Liberty: A Philosopher Encounters the Gospel of Jesusl

    5 min
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About

A spiritual, religious, and philosophical podcast . . . presenting a philosophy of living in truth, beauty, and goodness . . . centered on the concept that we are all brothers and sisters in the universal family of God.

Information

  • Creator
    Jeff Wattles
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2026
  • Episodes
    98
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Universal Family