Everyday Theology In Plain English

Charlie Miller
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Christianity

What if theology didn’t feel intimidating—but inspiring? Everyday Theology in Plain English helps ordinary believers explore who God is and how His truth changes real life. In each short, conversational episode, host Charlie Miller breaks down big biblical ideas into simple, practical truths you can actually use — from understanding Scripture to trusting God in everyday moments. No jargon. No lectures. Just real conversations about who God is, what He’s like, and why that matters for your Monday morning. 📖 Season 1: God’s Word for Real People Learn how to trust the Bible, study it with confidence, and build your life on its truth. Over 18 episodes, you’ll discover that theology isn’t just for pastors or professors — it’s for anyone who wants to know God more deeply and follow Him more faithfully. Because God isn’t hiding from you. He wants to be known — and that’s exactly what we’re here to explore.

  1. 2d ago

    Prayer: Does It Actually Change Anything? - S3E45

    If God already knows exactly what's going to happen before you even open your mouth, why pray at all? In this episode, we're tackling the question that quietly turns a lot of people's prayer life into a formality: does prayer actually do anything? We'll define what prayer really is, see why an all-knowing God still invites you to ask, and find out how your real prayers and God's settled plan fit together without either one canceling out the other. “Prayer doesn't inform God of anything. Prayer lines you up with what God is already doing — and, amazingly, it's one of the real ways God has chosen to get his work done in the world.” IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER Why prayer isn't about informing an under-informed God — it's relationship, and a real means God uses to workHow prayer genuinely changes you (Philippians 4:6-7) without shrinking down to a self-help exerciseHow your real prayers and God's settled plan fit together — the same way preaching and belief do (Romans 10:14) PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Pray specifically, not just vaguely — a hedged prayer isn't more spiritual than a specific oneStop treating an unanswered prayer as proof prayer doesn't work — a "no" is still God engaging with youStop treating prayer as a last resort — bring it to the front of your process, not the backYOUR ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK Pick one situation you've been praying about vaguely, or stopped praying about altogether. Bring it back to God specifically this week — by name, with real detail, without softening it into something safer. Do it daily, even if brief. 💬 COMMUNITY QUESTION Is there a prayer you've been praying for a long time without seeing the answer you're hoping for — and how has this episode changed, even a little, how you think about continuing to pray it? Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! We're building something important together in this series, and YOUR voice matters. Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone whose prayer life has started to feel like a formality! 📖 Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 3 companion guide book on Amazon: amzn.to/3V8JFOY Send us Fan Mail Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 3 Companion Guide You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

  2. Oct 5

    Do Miracles Still Happen Today? - S3E44

    Ever wonder if God still does miracles — or if that kind of thing stopped somewhere back in the New Testament? After a heavy episode, we're shifting gears to a question that gets people fired up in every direction: do miracles still happen? We'll define what a miracle actually is, walk through the real (and respectful) debate between "cessationists" and "continuationists," and learn to spot the difference between a miracle and God's everyday providence — without landing in either ditch of pure skepticism or chasing a miracle behind every coincidence. “A miracle is less like a magic trick meant to wow a crowd, and more like a signature at the bottom of a letter. It tells you who's really behind the message.” IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER What a miracle actually is — a rarer, more startling version of the same work God's always doing, with a purpose, not just a showThe real, respectful debate between "cessationists" and "continuationists" — and what both sides actually agree onThe difference between a miracle and God's everyday providence — both are real, one's just more visible PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Keep praying expectantly — an unanswered prayer isn't proof God has stopped actingWeigh miracle claims with both an open heart and a clear head, instead of swallowing everything or sneering at itDon't miss God's ordinary, steady faithfulness while you're scanning the horizon for the dramaticYOUR ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK Think of one situation where you've quietly stopped praying with real expectation. Bring that request back to God honestly and specifically this week. Then spend a few minutes each day noticing one piece of God's ordinary, sustaining faithfulness you'd normally walk right past. 💬 COMMUNITY QUESTION Have you ever experienced something you believed was a genuine, direct answer to prayer — something that felt miraculous to you? Or are you in a season right now of wondering whether God still works that way? Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone who's wondered whether God still shows up like this! 📖 Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 3 companion guide book on Amazon: amzn.to/3V8JFOY Send us Fan Mail Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 3 Companion Guide You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

  3. Sep 28

    When Bad Things Happen: God's Hidden Plan - S3E43

    Where is God when life falls apart — when it feels like he's either not powerful enough to stop it, or not good enough to want to? This episode goes to a place that touches real pain, so we're walking it slowly and honestly instead of handing you a tidy explanation. We'll look at what the Bible actually says about how God relates to suffering and evil — how he can be completely in control of a broken world and never, ever the one behind the evil in it. No easy bow on this one. Just solid ground to stand on. “God working good through your suffering is not the same as God causing your suffering so the good could happen. The evil stays evil. The people responsible stay responsible.” IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER Why God did not create evil and is never behind it — it entered through the rebellion of his creatures, not his own doingThe real difference between God ordaining good and permitting evil — and why that distinction actually mattersWhy the Bible doesn't explain every "why" (not even for Job) but gives you full permission for honest, unfiltered lament PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Bring your honest grief to God without editing it into something more "spiritual" firstResist the urge to explain someone else's suffering for them — presence beats explanation, every timeLet God's track record, not a full explanation, be what steadies you (Romans 8:28, read rightly)YOUR ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK: If you're walking through something painful right now, give yourself permission to bring it to God honestly, without editing it into something more spiritual-sounding first. If you're not in a hard season, check in on someone who is — not with an explanation, but with your presence. 💬 COMMUNITY QUESTION: Without sharing more than you're comfortable with — has there been a season of suffering where you later saw even a glimpse of how God was working through it? Or are you still in the middle of one, still waiting? Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone who's carrying something heavy right now. Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 3 companion guide book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3V8JFOY Send us Fan Mail Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 3 Companion Guide You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

  4. Sep 21

    God Is in Control (But You Still Have Choices) - S3E42

    Ever laid awake replaying an old decision, wondering if you knocked yourself off God's plan for good? In this episode, we're tackling a question that sounds like a philosophy exam but actually shapes how you pray, decide, and handle regret: if God is completely in control, do your choices actually matter? We'll walk through what "sovereignty" and "human responsibility" really mean, look honestly at the two ways faithful Christians have held them together, and land on why both can be fully true at once — and why that's good news, not a headache. “God being in control is the reason your choices are meaningful, not the reason they're fake. Your choosing really matters — and it's genuinely, truly yours.” IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL DISCOVER What "sovereignty" and "human responsibility" actually mean — and why they're not fighting each otherThe two honest, faithful ways Christians read passages like Genesis 50:20 and Acts 4:27-28Why Scripture affirms both truths at full strength without fully explaining how they fit PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Get free from the paralysis of "did I miss God's plan?" — no decision derails God's purposesPray about decisions like it actually matters, instead of treating God like a vending machineOwn your regrets honestly, knowing nothing is outside what God can redeem (Romans 8:28)YOUR ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK: Think of one decision you've been putting off because you're anxious about "getting it wrong." Pray for wisdom about that specific decision using James 1:5 as your model. Then make the call, trusting your genuine choice is exactly what God works through. 💬 COMMUNITY QUESTION: Where has the fear of "messing up God's plan" shaped a decision you've made — or a decision you're facing right now? Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone who's frozen up over a decision, wondering if they'll get it wrong! 📖 Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 3 companion guide book on Amazon: COMING SOON Send us Fan Mail Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 3 Companion Guide You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

  5. Sep 14

    Science vs. Scripture: Do We Have To Choose? - S3E41

    Ever worry that loving science and following Jesus don't actually mix — that deep down, you have to pick one? In this episode, we're tackling a question that quietly pushes more people from their faith than almost anything else: can you take the Bible seriously and still take science seriously? We'll unpack why science and Scripture are usually answering different questions altogether, how "general revelation" and "special revelation" both come from the same God, and where faithful Christians actually land on the different views of origins — without turning any of it into a test of who's a real believer. "The heavens and the Scriptures aren't two rival witnesses contradicting each other in court. They're two witnesses telling the same story — one in pictures, one in words." In This Episode, You'll Discover: Why science and Scripture are usually answering "how" and "who/why" — not competing for the same jobHow general revelation (creation) and special revelation (the Bible) come from the same God and can't ultimately contradictThe three major Christian views on origins — and the one thing that actually unites all of them Practical Applications: Stop being scared of good science — studying the world closely is paying attention to how God reveals himselfHold your view on origins with conviction, without turning it into a test of who's a "real" ChristianLearn to spot when a worldview assumption is hitching a ride on "the science," in either direction Your Assignment This Week: Pick one question about origins that's honestly nagged at you, and spend twenty minutes reading one thoughtful source on it from a Christian who takes both the Bible and science seriously. Don't go looking for an argument to win. Go looking for understanding. 💬 Community Question: Has there ever been a moment when science and your faith felt like they were pulling you in opposite directions? What helped you work through it — or what's still unresolved for you? Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone who's ever felt like they had to choose between their mind and their faith! 📖 Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 3 companion guide book on Amazon: Coming Soon Send us Fan Mail Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 3 Companion Guide You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

  6. Sep 7

    Why God Created Everything (Including You) - S3E40

    Ever secretly wondered if you're just filler — background noise in a story God didn't really need you for? In this Season 3 premiere, we're asking the most basic question of all: why did God create anything in the first place? Was he lonely? Bored? Missing something only a universe (and you) could fill? We'll walk through what Genesis 1 actually says about creation "out of nothing," why the Trinity was already completely happy before anything existed, and what all of that means for how much you're actually worth. This isn't abstract theology — it changes how you see your worth on your worst, most "unproductive" day. "God didn't create because he was running on empty. He created because he was overflowing. That's the whole ballgame — the difference between filling a need and giving a gift." In This Episode, You'll Discover: Why "creation out of nothing" matters — and what it rules out about who God isHow the Trinity's completeness before creation changes the whole "was God lonely" questionWhy creation exists to display God's glory, and why that's generosity, not ego Practical Applications: Settle the question of your worth at the root — not by how useful you were this weekSwap "be productive" for "reflect him" as your actual purpose, even on quiet, unnoticed daysLearn to give out of overflow instead of fear, the way God does Your Assignment This Week: Finish this sentence honestly: "I've been living like my worth depends on being useful when it comes to ______." Then read Colossians 1:16 slowly and let it push back on what you wrote. 💬 Community Question: Where in your life have you felt like you're only here to fill a gap or meet someone's need — and how might it change things to see yourself instead as someone God freely chose, not someone he needed? Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! We're kicking off Season 3 — "God's World and God's People" — and YOUR voice matters as we explore why God made the world and what it means to be human. Follow the show so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with someone who needs to hear they're not just filler in somebody else's story! 📖 Want to go deeper? Grab the Season 3 companion guide book on Amazon: Coming Soon Send us Fan Mail Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 3 Companion Guide You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

  7. Aug 24

    The Living Room Church - S2 Bonus 3

    Picture the churches Paul wrote to. What do you see? A building with rows of seats? A platform up front? A screen showing today's message? That's not what was there. 🎙️ Bonus Episode — This is the last of our August bonus episodes, and I've been using these summer weeks to share ideas from a book close to my heart: Strategically Small: Why a Bigger Church Was Never the Point. One more time at the kitchen table. In this final bonus episode, we're going back. Way back. To where the church actually started — living rooms. Thirty or forty people gathered in someone's home, sitting close enough to pass the bread, listening as Paul's letter got read aloud to a group of friends and neighbors who all knew each other by name. If your church is small, this episode might change how you see yourself in the pages of Scripture forever. "That's what you're part of. Not a lesser version of church. The oldest version of church." In This Episode, You'll Discover: What the first-century church actually looked like — and why the modern picture doesn't matchThe two-thousand-year pedigree of the small church — closer to the original than most megachurches we pictureA powerful reading exercise for Philippians that will change how you experience the New Testament💬 Community Question: Have you ever read a New Testament letter and pictured it being delivered in a modern church setting — a stage, a screen, a crowd? What happens when you re-imagine it the way it was first heard: read aloud in a living room, to thirty people who know each other, who are going to share a meal together when the reading is done? Try it this week and share what shifts. Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! If that stirred something in you, I'd love for you to read the whole book. Strategically Small is available now on Amazon in paperback, hardback, ebook, and audiobook — link below. You can also head to strategicallysmall.com for more about the book, small group resources, and free tools to walk your whole church through it together. Thank you for spending these August weeks with me. Season 3 is coming soon — follow the show so you don't miss the launch, and share this with someone who needs to hear that their small church isn't a lesser version — it's the oldest version! 📖 Grab Strategically Small on Amazon: https://a.co/d/06lBOSiD  🌐 Learn more at: https://strategicallysmall.com Send us Fan Mail Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 3 Companion Guide You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

  8. Aug 17 ·  Bonus

    Small Is Not a Stage - S2 Bonus 2

    "Why aren't we growing?" It's the question hanging over parking lot conversations, business meetings, and quiet Monday mornings in small churches everywhere. But what if the question itself is built on an assumption we've never stopped to examine? 🎙️ Bonus Episode — Season 2 is officially in the books, but I'm using a few of these August weeks to talk about something close to my heart — a book I wrote called Strategically Small: Why a Bigger Church Was Never the Point. Still no fancy studio — just me at the kitchen table again. In this second bonus episode, we're pushing back on one of the most quietly damaging assumptions in the church world: that small is a stage. A phase. A waiting room you're supposed to grow out of. Because when we treat small like the cocoon a caterpillar has to escape, a church of fifty starts to feel like a church that's failing to become a church of five hundred. What if that whole framing was wrong from the start? "Small is not a stage you're trying to escape. It might just be the strategy all along." In This Episode, You'll Discover: Why the question "Why aren't we growing?" carries a hidden assumption most of us have never examinedHow Jesus chose twelve disciples on purpose — not as a stepping stone to twelve hundred, but because those twelve were the pointThe difference between grudging peace with your size and actually seeing that size as strategy💬 Community Question: Have you ever felt that Monday-morning ache — that quiet sense that your church should be bigger by now, that you're somehow behind? What would it look like to genuinely believe you're right where you're supposed to be, doing something the big room can't do as easily? Your honest reflection might free someone else who's been carrying the same weight. Email us at Charlie@heychurchmedia.com or just hit the "Send us a text" link below! If that landed with you, I'd love for you to read the rest of the book. Strategically Small is available now on Amazon in paperback, hardback, ebook, and audiobook — link below. You can also head to strategicallysmall.com for more about the book, small group resources, and free tools to walk your whole church through it together. Follow the show so you don't miss the next bonus episode, and share this with a pastor or church leader who needs to hear that small might have been the strategy all along! 📖 Grab Strategically Small on Amazon: https://a.co/d/06lBOSiD  🌐 Learn more at: https://strategicallysmall.com Send us Fan Mail Watch our podcast episodes on YouTube. Follow our channel right HERE Get The Books! Grab your copy of the Season Companion Guides from Amazon.com... Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 1 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 2 Companion Guide Everyday Theology In Plain English: Season 3 Companion Guide You can find ALL of Pastor Charlie's books on Amazon: CLICK HERE to see Pastor Charlie's books Thanks for listening to Everyday Theology In Plain English!

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About

What if theology didn’t feel intimidating—but inspiring? Everyday Theology in Plain English helps ordinary believers explore who God is and how His truth changes real life. In each short, conversational episode, host Charlie Miller breaks down big biblical ideas into simple, practical truths you can actually use — from understanding Scripture to trusting God in everyday moments. No jargon. No lectures. Just real conversations about who God is, what He’s like, and why that matters for your Monday morning. 📖 Season 1: God’s Word for Real People Learn how to trust the Bible, study it with confidence, and build your life on its truth. Over 18 episodes, you’ll discover that theology isn’t just for pastors or professors — it’s for anyone who wants to know God more deeply and follow Him more faithfully. Because God isn’t hiding from you. He wants to be known — and that’s exactly what we’re here to explore.

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