The Revived Life Podcast | Jesus. No Halfway.

The Revived Life
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You believe. You pray. You show up on Sunday. And somehow nothing is actually changing. Steven Kolberg hosts The Revived Life Podcast, raw, honest conversations with everyday people who decided to stop halfway and start actually following Jesus. Real stories. Real failure. Real transformation. No programs. No performance. Just the truth about what it costs and what it changes.

  1. 2d ago

    Dear God, Why Do I Keep Getting a No?

    What do you do when life keeps handing you a no? I've prayed the same prayers for years. More book sales. Growth for the podcast. A season for my wife to start her master's. And the answer has often been no or not yet. In this episode I get honest about how I blamed God, and what Acts 16:6 to 10 shows about the Holy Spirit saying no. Read it yourself: Acts 16:6 to 10 Chapters (retime after editing): 0:00 What do you do with a lot of no's? 1:36 Are we too quick to blame God? 3:14 My no's: the channel, the studio, my wife's school 14:06 What if the Holy Spirit is saying no? 16:55 Acts 16: Paul gets blocked twice 18:00 The mission trip canceled at the airport 23:35 The event that gave me a vision 27:07 A no is not always a closed door Free resources: ReviveBrand.com My book: RevivingFatherhood.com What is the longest no you've been sitting in? Tell me below. #TheRevivedLifePodcast #HolySpirit #Acts16 #Discipleship #ChristianPodcast

    Dear God, Why Do I Keep Getting a No?

  2. Oct 26

    I Tried Silence With God (It Didn't Go How I Expected)

    What does it mean when it feels like God is silent? I read Acts 9:36 to 43 and found a question I never asked: when Peter knelt in that room, what did he pray, and what did he hear?I also tell you what happened when I sat in a quiet room, prayed, and heard nothing, and why I think silence might be an answer.0:00 Not For Theologians0:43 Reading When Nothing Answers1:29 Into the Quiet4:27 Peter and Tabitha, Acts 96:15 What Did He Pray?9:46 I Think I Fell Asleep10:41 Could I Clear the Room?13:30 Peter Cleared the Room14:31 Stories I Never Knew15:54 Sit In the Silence18:06 Are Questions the Answer?19:25 His Look of Love21:36 Silence Is Okay21:48 The ChallengeScripture read in this episode: Acts 9:36 to 43, New Living Translation. Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright Tyndale House Foundation.Buy the book, Reviving Fatherhood: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F47DSPGLFree companion guides: https://revivedbrand.comFollow on Instagram: @the.revived.lifeThe Revived Life Podcast. New episode every Monday at 6 AM Mountain Time.#TheRevivedLife #Christian #Discipleship

  3. Oct 19

    The Most Normal Place in My Life Was a Hospital

    Nolan has had surgeries since he was six weeks old. Nolan spent most of his life in and out of hospitals, and for a long time he thought that was just what life looked like. In this conversation he walks through the surgery that left him fighting with God, the friend who wouldn't let him believe it was the end, and what he started noticing about God afterward. Nolan is studying ministerial leadership at Flatirons College and serves in next gen ministry. If you are in a long season you didn't choose, this one is for you.In this episode· Growing up with surgeries since six weeks old, and when he realized it wasn't normal· Wondering if people are your friends or just being kind· The surgery where he woke up unable to see· Fighting with God during recovery· The retreat vision: two doors, then a third· Praying for strangers in the back seat of a Lyft· Acting on the Holy Spirit's nudge without trying to be the answer· Why Nolan wrote John 9:1 to 3 on our wallChapters0:00 Why telling his story is hard1:12 Opening prayer1:48 The water bottle and a stuffed animal named Hamburger4:31 Surgeries since six weeks old8:36 When the hospital felt normal13:37 The moment he realized it wasn't normal15:05 Wondering if people are friends or just being kind16:46 The surgery that felt like the end18:52 Two doors, then a third19:49 Wiggle your toes and you're all right24:14 Waking up with a breathing tube28:15 Fighting with God at night29:40 The retreat and the vision31:42 Lyft drivers and faith conversations37:36 Choosing Flatirons College40:29 Don't think about the minor details43:52 Praying for strangers in the Lyft47:33 The third option driver pattern51:43 Learning to follow the Holy Spirit's nudge53:35 My job is to be obedient58:31 Kids ministry and what it taught him1:04:28 Funny stories: trash cans and a dead fish at camp1:09:35 What he'd say to someone in a hospital bed1:11:53 What he'd tell himself before that surgery1:12:38 The wall: Acts 4:13 and Revelation 12:111:15:51 John 9:1 to 3 goes on the wall1:16:46 Not for nothing1:18:55 Job and the limits of our explanationsScripture mentionedJohn 9:1 to 3 (NLT)Acts 4:13 (ESV)Revelation 12:11 (ESV)Job 1 to 2 (NLT)If you are struggling right now, call or text 988 (US).Subscribe to The Revived Life and join us every Monday.Reviving Fatherhood: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F47DSPGLWebsite: https://revivedbrand.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/the.revived.lifeThe Revived Podcast is a long form conversation show about what actually changes when someone follows Jesus. Real stories, honest struggles, and Scripture, built to move people from information to transformation.#TheRevivedPodcast #ChristianTestimony #FaithInSuffering #NotForNothing #John9

  4. Oct 12

    Why You Still Don't Know Your Calling (I Gave God 2 Minutes a Day)

    I did everything right and still woke up asking, "What am I actually called to do?" So I finally did the math on my time with God. It was about two minutes a day. In this episode, I'm not going to tell you your calling. I don't know you. But I will tell you where to start looking for it, beginning with a 1 a.m. night with my toddler and a kitty cat. IN THIS EPISODE - Why "doing everything right" can still leave you in a fog - What a sick toddler playing kitty cat at 1 a.m. taught me about confusion - Why I kept asking God for direction without giving Him room to answer - What Acts 2 shows about the Holy Spirit and the people He puts in front of us - A simple first step: time how long you actually spend with Jesus - How to start when your mind is stuck on the negative CHAPTERS 00:00 You came here with one question 02:56 The night my toddler played kitty cat at 1 a.m. 08:33 Doing everything right and still in a fog 11:55 How much time am I really giving God? 17:03 The relationship I actually want with Jesus 18:35 When the words jump off the page 19:34 Acts 2 and the Holy Spirit 22:50 What this means for your work and your gifts 24:04 Your calling is a walk, not a plan 26:25 Where to start: the stopwatch 28:21 If you're stuck in a negative fog 30:19 This week's challenge SCRIPTURE Acts 2:1 to 11 (translation as read, confirm before publishing) Philippians 4:8 (translation as read, confirm before publishing) Subscribe so you don't miss Monday's episode. And tell me in the comments: how many minutes a day do you actually spend listening to God? Be honest. I'll go first: for years, mine was about two. Book: revivingfatherhood.com Website: revivedbrand.com Instagram: @the.revived.life The Revived Life Podcast is a diary, not a sermon. Real stories from real people learning to follow Jesus, one honest conversation at a time. #WhatIsMyCalling #FindYourCalling #HolySpirit #ChristianPodcast #RevivedLife

  5. Oct 5

    Following Jesus Doesn't Make You Wise | Here's Why

    Is God proud of me? I want to believe He is. I still don't know, and you're going to leave this episode without an answer too, right alongside me.I believe you can be a really strong Christian and still live a really foolish life. This episode is me working that out in real time, through the story of the day my kids finally learned to swim. I open my journal and walk through the four month journey of teaching my oldest two kids to swim, and what it taught me about the tension between fearing God as Creator and trusting Him as Father. Because here's the real question underneath all of it: can you do a with God kind of life and still make foolish choices? Turns out the answer says more about wisdom than it does about how close you feel to Jesus.In this episode:The unanswered questions I'm wrestling with about God as Father and as CreatorWhat four months of swim lessons taught me about forced growthWhy following Jesus doesn't automatically make you wiseThe difference between fearing God and being afraid of HimWhat Proverbs 8 says about wisdom being present before creationA practical way to find where you're living in folly instead of wisdom00:00 The Questions I Don't Have Answers For03:44 The Swimming Pool Story09:09 Why I'm Telling You This12:35 Wisdom vs Folly16:16 Father and Creator, Not Either Or20:22 What Proverbs 8 Taught Me23:28 The Real Challenge25:43 God Is BothScripture: Proverbs 8:22 to 36. Translation isn't stated on air, so update this if you were reading from a specific one.If this resonated, subscribe for a new episode every Monday. This show is built on real questions, not tidy answers. Drop a comment and tell me where you land on this one.Reviving Fatherhood: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F47DSGPLLWebsite: https://revivedbrand.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.revived.lifeThe Revived Podcast is a weekly, honest look at what it actually costs to follow Jesus. No polish, no easy answers, just one man's journal entries and the questions he's still wrestling with, opened up in front of you.#BookOfProverbs #ChristianFatherhood #WisdomOverFolly #DiscipleshipJourney

  6. Sep 28

    I Was Only Worth What I Could Perform. Then It Broke Me

    He believed he was only worth what he could perform. Then a phone call took away the one thing he thought made him enough, and what happened on his apartment floor that night changed everything.Christian is the founder of The Den Community in Denver. In this episode he walks through the season that broke him open. A football injury that cost him his identity, a relationship that ended in one phone call, and a night alone on his bedroom floor where he says God met him directly. From there the story moves through Flatirons Church, a mission trip to Edinburgh, and the moment he says God called him into ministry, all the way to why he named his community The Den.In this episode:- Where Christian's belief that performance equals worth came from- The breakup that shattered his sense of identity- The night he describes as a direct encounter with God- A former church in Scotland that is now a nightclub, and what it meant to him- Why The Den is named after both a resting place and a place monsters live- His answer to the question: what do you say to someone who feels the monster on them right nowChapters:00:00 Cold Open00:33 The Performance Belief09:22 The Girlfriend and the Collapse15:49 The Phone Call24:35 The Floor32:20 Rebuilt43:02 Calling58:42 The Den1:10:55 What Fires Him Up1:17:43 The Paper Moment1:21:34 The Bathroom FloorScripture referenced:Romans 8:28Ephesians 6:12Matthew 25 (Parable of the Talents)2 Corinthians 12:7-9Acts 4:13Revelation 12:11Note: the detail about where Jesus was born, referenced in The Den chapter, reflects historical and theological interpretation shared by the guest, not a direct scripture citation.If this episode meant something to you, subscribe and leave a comment. This show only grows because people share it with someone who needs to hear it.Christian's ministry:thedencommunity.orgInstagram: @the.den.communityReviving Fatherhood (book): revivingfatherhood.comRevived Brand: revivedbrand.comInstagram: @the.revived.lifeThe Revived Life Podcast is a faith based show for ordinary people. Every week we sit down with someone and ask one question. What changed. Ordinary people. Real stories. A life changed by Jesus.#TheDenCommunity #ChristianPodcast #DenverChurch #Testimony

  7. Sep 21

    The Temptation Every Christian Man Ignores

    I came face to face with my greatest fear that night. Twice. And I almost walked right past one without knowing it was there. That's when something clicked about sin I'd never fully understood before.A family trip to Jelly Stone turned into one of the most clarifying nights of my spiritual life. Not because of what happened with the bears. Because of what the bears made me realize about temptation and why most of us are already in the corral and don't know it.In this episode:· Why sin never shows up looking threatening· The difference between temptation and actually sinning and why confusing the two is costing people· What being trapped between two bears taught me about how Satan operates· The one question every believer needs to ask themselves this week00:00 What Happened Next Changed Everything00:31 Introduction01:29 Welcome to Jelly Stone06:39 The Night Walk09:09 First Bear13:06 Trapped16:27 Bears and Sin18:23 The Real Question21:27 Always a Way Out23:25 Pick Your One AreaScripture:1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)James 1:14-15 (ESV)New episodes every Monday at 6 AM MT.Subscribe so you don't miss one.Reviving Fatherhood (book): revivingfatherhood.comWebsite: revivedbrand.comInstagram: instagram.com/the.revived.lifeThe Revived Life Podcast explores faith, growth, and what it actually looks like to follow Jesus in an ordinary week. No performance. No polish. Just honest conversation about real life and real faith.#ChristianPodcast #Faith #Temptation#Sin #DiscipleshipPodcast

  8. Sep 14

    One Whiteboard Cracked Open Her Whole Belief System

    A girl pulls up her shirt and shows him a camp tattoo. She says she's a Christian too. Then she tells him truth is personal.He gives her the Hitler example. She says that's their truth, she wouldn't want to interfere with it.It did cause a war.Mike Mattes spent 21 years discipling college students, first at Ohio State, then at Capital University, where he ran weekly whiteboard conversations in the middle of campus. This episode is the story of what those conversations taught him about how a generation is actually being discipled, the door that slammed shut on his own career, and the phone call to his wife that started Kingdom Dads.In This Episode:- The whiteboard conversation that exposed how students hold contradictory beliefs without noticing- Why a 21-year ministry career ended with one sentence from a mentor- The Jubilee Conference moment and the call to his wife that changed everything- How Kingdom Dads grew from 40 dads to over 400 across five states in three years- A practical framework for dads who feel too far gone to start0:00 Is Truth Personal or Universal?0:35 Twenty-One Years of Campus Ministry3:19 Smartphones Reshape a Generation5:04 The Student on the Bench9:24 Becoming Mom and Dad to Students11:47 Birth of the Whiteboard Ministry15:18 Deconstructing Faith With No Foundation19:19 Called Out of the Boat23:04 The Conference That Changed Everything27:14 Building Kingdom Dads From Scratch29:49 Three Years, 400 Dads, Five States32:03 One Marriage, Restored Step by Step35:48 Starting When You Feel Intimidated38:08 A Six-Year-Old's Honest Prayer39:32 Long Obedience, Same Direction42:00 Mike's Final Word to Every DadNew episodes every Monday. Subscribe so you don't miss the next conversation.MORE ABOUT KINGDOM DADSKingdom Dads is a discipleship ministry based in Columbus, Ohio, helping fathers grow spiritually and lead their families with intentionality. Founded in 2023 with 40 dads, the ministry now engages over 400 dads across five states through small-group cohorts partnered with local churches, schools, and workplaces.Website: kingdomdads.orgLearn about the "Scripture before screens" practice, find a cohort near you, or connect with Mike directly through the site.LINKSrevivingfatherhood.comrevivedbrand.com@the.revived.lifeThe Revived Life Podcast is a journal-format show about what it actually looks like to follow Jesus in the ordinary, unglamorous parts of life. Conviction, correction, calling, wisdom, and ordinary obedience, one honest conversation at a time.#KingdomDads #ChristianDads #FaithfulnessOverPerfection

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You believe. You pray. You show up on Sunday. And somehow nothing is actually changing. Steven Kolberg hosts The Revived Life Podcast, raw, honest conversations with everyday people who decided to stop halfway and start actually following Jesus. Real stories. Real failure. Real transformation. No programs. No performance. Just the truth about what it costs and what it changes.

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