300 episodes

Have you ever felt like your spiritual life is lukewarm and lacking?

If so, this podcast is for you. In Leaving Laodicea, we will explore truths that will allow us to embrace the Higher Christian Life or experience the "abundant life" (John 10:10) as Jesus called it. You'll find practical tips and tools on how to live a more victorious life in Christ.

Leaving Laodicea is a podcast by Steve McCranie for those who are dissatisfied with the lukewarmness of their own spiritual lives and desire to grow spiritually by walking through Scripture with fresh eyes and discovering new insights into God's Word.

So what do we do? We change, we commit, we refocus, we refuse to allow yesterday's failures to define our relationship with Christ today. So join us as we strive for the Higher Christian Life while we learn how to Leave Laodicea behind.

Leaving Laodicea Steve McCranie

    • Religion & Spirituality
    • 5.0 • 5 Ratings

Have you ever felt like your spiritual life is lukewarm and lacking?

If so, this podcast is for you. In Leaving Laodicea, we will explore truths that will allow us to embrace the Higher Christian Life or experience the "abundant life" (John 10:10) as Jesus called it. You'll find practical tips and tools on how to live a more victorious life in Christ.

Leaving Laodicea is a podcast by Steve McCranie for those who are dissatisfied with the lukewarmness of their own spiritual lives and desire to grow spiritually by walking through Scripture with fresh eyes and discovering new insights into God's Word.

So what do we do? We change, we commit, we refocus, we refuse to allow yesterday's failures to define our relationship with Christ today. So join us as we strive for the Higher Christian Life while we learn how to Leave Laodicea behind.

    590 - How to Experience God When You Pray

    590 - How to Experience God When You Pray

    The Joy of PrayerWhat if your times of prayer could become so much more than reciting words or listing random requests? What if your prayers could transport you into a holy place to experience God’s presence in a very real and tangible way? What if you began having personal, life-changing encounters with the Creator of the universe every time you prayed? And what if you had the confidence to know, to truly know— that God hears your prayers and delights in answering them? How would this change your prayer life?
    All of this is not only possible, but readily available and expected every time we pray. The problem for most, however, is that we either devalue what prayer truly is or do not fully understand who we are praying to. And if we did, how the floodgates of heaven would open and pour on us an experience with God that would rock our world and change us forever.
    Let’s explore prayer a little deeper.
    What is Prayer?— In Just a Few WordsSimply put, prayer is talking with God. Or, as the theologians would say, “Prayer is personal communication with God.”¹ Ok, got that. But what does “communication with God” really mean? In essence, “communication” is the exchange of information between two entities or individuals, both the giving and receiving of the same. And “with God” means He, the Sovereign Creator of All, the One that transcends all human thought, the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Immutable One, is on the other end of our two-way conversation.
    Let that sink in for a moment.
    When we pray, and as often as we pray, we are in the process of not only talking with God but having Him also talk with us. Prayer, just like all communication between two individuals, is not saying what you want to say and then hanging up the phone. It was never intended to be a monologue. No, prayer is a two-way conversation, both giving and receiving, between you (ultimately dust and ashes) and God (revealed in resplendent glory), whereby information (praise, requests, supplication, petitions— and His answers, instructions, commands, and encouragement ) are mutually shared. And the highest glory you can ever experience is to have the only Person worthy of praise actually speak to you personally, in direct conversation. It is a life-altering and faith-building encounter that will change everything about you in an instant.
    And this is available to each of us whenever we pray. But we have to pray, and we have to understand exactly who we are in conversation with in order to have confidence when we pray.
    Let me explain.
    Sovereign, Ruler, King… and FatherIn the Old Testament, God was often presented as unapproachable. He only met with His people once a year, nestled between the outstretched wings of the Cherubim above the Bema seat of the Ark of the Covenant, hidden behind a thick veil. Or when He revealed Himself to the masses, it was usually with fire and smoke and lightning, like on Mt. Sinai, which only reinforced His unapproachableness (Ex. 19). And when Moses asked to see His glory and His face, God said, “No.” His actual words were, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live” (Ex. 33:20). And regarding seeing His glory, God also said, “No.” But He did allow Moses to look at His receding glory as He passed by (Ex. 33:23). Something like, “Not My face, Moses, but you can see My back as I walk away.”
    So much for an intimate relationship with our Creator.
    But in the New Testament (and hints in the Old), Jesus reveals another aspect of God’s nature and His relationship with us. He is not a despot— a frightening, powerful King ready to abuse and punish His lowly servants for any slight infraction. No, God is our Father, with all the implications that word conveys...

    • 49 min
    589 - The God-Ordained Way to Increase Your Faith

    589 - The God-Ordained Way to Increase Your Faith

    Just Get Out of the Boat! In almost every area of life, when we commit to a plan of self-improvement, we expect to spend time, incur costs, and suffer strain during the process. It just comes with the territory. Whether we decide to get in shape and eat healthier, or go back to school and change careers— everyone seems to follow the same pattern of sacrifice that defines our struggle, and they seldom complain about it. And when we have achieved our goal, we look back at the sacrifice as a badge of honor, something we are proud of.
    Each of us embraces this journey of sacrificing our time, effort, costs, and strain in every area of life except the spiritual. For some reason, when it comes to our relationship with God or our desire for more faith, we must think it comes by osmosis to passive observers because many of us refuse to put in the time required or count the costs to achieve the results. Therefore, we really shouldn’t be surprised when nothing changes, and we’re the same as we were before.
    Remember the words attributed to Albert Einstein:
    “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
    So, if you want your faith to grow, you will have to make some changes in your life to position it to grow. Or, you will have to deliberately place yourself in situations where you can experience God’s faithfulness firsthand by voluntarily embracing the testing of your faith and the trials that inevitably follow. And you do that when you choose to refuse to rely on your own resources and commit to only trusting in Him.
    After all, this seems to be the Lord’s preferred way of increasing the faith of those who surrender to Him. He seems to put them in situations where they either trust God… or die.
    Trust God… Or, It’s CurtainsThe Scriptures are packed with accounts of God increasing the faith of His faithful in this manner. Consider the following examples:
    •   Abraham and Isaac – Genesis 22
    •   Moses at the Red Sea – Exodus 14
    •   Joshua and the Battle of Jericho – Joshua 6
    •   Gideon and His Army – Judges 7
    •   Daniel and the Lion’s Den – Daniel 6
    •   Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath – 1 Kings 17
    In each of these examples, the people made a choice to trust God, maybe more than they had before, or die. The result was that they experienced greater faith in Him than they could possibly imagine.
    So how about you? Are you ready to get out of the boat and walk to Jesus? Or are you content to remain in the supposed security of the boat and cheer others along in their faith journey?
    For me, I want to get out of the boat. And I hope you will join me.
    To download the slides for this message, click – HERE
    Our Latest Posts:588: Be Encouraged by the Small Words in Scripture
    587: The Purpose of the Christian Life – Experiencing God
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    • 50 min
    588 - Be Encouraged by the Small Words in Scripture

    588 - Be Encouraged by the Small Words in Scripture

    Three Small Words from John 15In John 15, Jesus lays out our position in Christ and the key or path to the Higher Christian Life in the story of a vine and its branches. I mean, it really couldn’t be more clear. This key is found in the simple word abide.  We are to abide in Him— which means “to rest, remain, dwell, to make our home.” Or, literally, “to be united as one with Him in heart, mind, and will.” It is the definition of a fully surrendered life.
    Yet before we discover the concept of abiding in verse 5, we first must move through the first three verses of John 15, which often present a disturbing picture of God as our Father and is, more often than not, misinterpreted by well-meaning preachers and Bible scholars. And by misunderstanding the definition of three key words— takes away, prunes, and clean— we can fail to find the amazing encouragement Jesus offers those who are not quite up to meeting His standard of faithfulness or righteousness.
    Takes Away, Prunes, and CleanSo, let’s look at these three verses as they are found in our Bibles, compare them to what they say in Greek, and see if something is “lost in translation.”
    “I am the true (real, genuine, one who cannot lie) vine, and My Father is the vinedresser (farmer, one who tills the earth or ground)” – John 15:1
    This simply sets the stage and introduces the cast of characters:
    God = Vinedresser
    Jesus = Vine
    We = Branches of the Vine (John 15:5)
    He continues,
    “Every (pás) branch (where) in Me (Christ, vine) that does not bear (to bring, carry, have) fruit He (Father, vinedresser) takes away (aírō – G142); and every (pás) branch (implied, in Me) that bears (to bring, carry, have) fruit He (Father, vinedresser) prunes (kathaírō G2508), (why) that it may bear (to bring, carry, have) more fruit” – John 15:2
    We are now introduced to the first two of our three important words: aírō and kathaírō. The third one, katharós, is found in verse 3.
    “You are already clean (katharós – G2513) because of the word which I have spoken to you” – John 15:3
    Three Key WordsWe now have three Greek words that we need to define to see if our English translation does them justice. And I think, after you see the definitions for yourself, you will see it does not.
    From The New Testament Word Study Dictionary by Spiros Zodhaites:
    “takes away” – (aírō – G142)
    This word is translated as “takes away” in our English Bibles. But that is not what it means.
    prunes – (kathaírō G2508)
    And this word is translated as “prunes” in our English Bibles. And, yet again, that is not what it means in the Greek.
    clean – (katharós – G2513)
    Finally, this word is correctly translated as “clean.”  So now, what does this verse look like?
    Vine and the BranchesThe Vinedresser, our Father, no longer takes away unfruitful branches but lifts them up, supports them, and helps them once again become fruitful, just like a natural farmer would do to his crops.
    “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch (where) in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away (takes up, lifts up, elevates, to rise);
    In a phrase, he builds a trellis to support the fallen branches of His vine.
    But it gets better.
    “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch (where) in Me that does

    • 49 min
    587 - The Purpose of the Christian Life – Experiencing God

    587 - The Purpose of the Christian Life – Experiencing God

    The Problem: Dry Ritual Without RelationshipFor many believers, Christianity has become a religion of rules devoid of a relationship. We know we should have a quiet time, serve in church, avoid sin, and so on. But all this outward conformity easily lacks the inward reality of actually connecting with God. We act spiritual, without ever experiencing the presence of the Spirit. And that is a sad, yet common experience for many today.
    How did this happen? Partly because we’ve made faith all about knowledge over an encounter with God. We prize book learning, doctrinal precision, and intellectual comprehension of Scripture— forgetting you can memorize the Bible and miss the Lord of the Bible. Information in our heads doesn’t necessarily lead to transformation in our hearts. Why? Because head knowledge alone breeds pride, heart encounters with Christ breed authentic life change.
    The Pattern: Experiencing God Transforms UsYet Scripture shows us a better way. When Moses saw the burning bush, he experienced God’s awe-inspiring presence (Exodus 3). After Jacob wrestled with the angel of the Lord, he walked with a limp— an everyday reminder of his personal encounter with God (Gen. 32:22-32). And when Isaiah had a powerful vision of God on his throne, he was utterly transformed forever (Isaiah 6).
    For early followers of Jesus, faith wasn’t a dead tradition, but a living, vibrant relationship. Acts 2:42 says the early church “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” These early disciplines led to a powerful encounter with the Lord: “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles” (v. 43). Even repentance is meant to be an encounter, as we turn from sin and into the forgiving arms of Christ.
    The Invitation: Taste and See JesusThis is God’s invitation to us: not just to know about Him, but to experience Him— to taste His goodness and to know that He is good (Psalm 34:8). And as we behold the Lord’s glory, we are transformed into His image (2 Cor 3:18), which is the goal of the Christian life. The more we experience His presence and power, the more we reflect Christ to the world.
    So, what areas of your faith have become dry rituals rather than genuine encounters with the Living God? Consider these aspects of the Christian life that are meant to connect us with God:
    Experiencing God’s Presence in Worship
    Worship isn’t just singing songs or listening to a praise band— it’s meeting with the Lord, captivated by His beauty. Through worship in Spirit and truth (John 4:24), we experience God’s presence in a life-changing way.
    Experiencing God’s Power in Trials
    Even our trials can lead us into deeper encounters with God’s peace (Phil. 4:6-7), comfort (2 Cor. 1:3-4), and strength that carries us through. As we turn to Him, we experience His sustaining grace.
    Experiencing God’s Character Through the Spirit
    The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) are not just moral qualities. No, as we walk in step with the Spirit, He produces His fruit in our lives, whereby we experience His patience, joy, and kindness from the inside out.
    The Invitation: Draw Near to GodGod promises if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us (Jam. 4:8). So the ball is in our court. Will you accept His invitation? Will you ask the Lord for fresh encounters with Him, pray daily to behold His beauty, and let your head knowledge fuel your pursuit of heart change through experiencing Jesus?
    Remember, God invites us into an intimate walk with Him, where we encounter His presence daily through prayer, worship, Scripture, and...

    • 44 min
    586 - Experiencing True Repentance from Psalm 51

    586 - Experiencing True Repentance from Psalm 51

    How to Experience God Through RepentanceIn our quest for a deeper relationship with the Lord, we have been talking about what genuine repentance looks like in real-time. And we found ourselves in the middle of Psalm 51, examining six key words in David’s prayer of repentance that show us how to not only receive forgiveness from the Lord, but how to experience His presence in the process. And, as a reminder, the six key words found in Psalm 51:10-12 are as follows:
    Please Do:  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and
    Please Do:  renew a steadfast spirit within me.
    Please Don’t:  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and
    Please Don’t:  do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
    Please Do:  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and
    Please Do:  uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
    But what do these words mean? And how do they point us to a deeper Christian life of experiencing His presence when we come to Him in repentance?
    (You, God) Create in Me a Clean HeartAfter being confronted by the prophet Nathan, David pleads,
    “Create (bārāʾ – to bring into existence, to create out of nothing, ex nihilo) in me (personal) a clean (ṭāhôr – clean, pure, genuine, free from moral impurity) heart (lēḇ – the immaterial part of man, the seat of a person’s mind, will, knowledge, volition, and emotions), O God (ʾelōhiym – the One True God, the Creator and Sustainer, the Sovereign One).”
    He understood that he couldn’t make himself righteous through willpower alone. No, David needed God to create something completely new in Him that he couldn’t do by himself. The word “create” means to make something out of nothing, just as God created the universe by His word.
    Likewise, we need the Lord to give us a pure, undefiled heart when we come to Him in repentance. On our own, we can’t clean up the mess inside us. God must perform heart surgery, transforming us from the inside out as we yield ourselves to Him.
    (You, God) Renew a Steadfast Spirit Within MeDavid also prays,
    “and (You) renew (ḥāḏaš – to restore, reestablish on a new or improved basis, to revitalize and make new or like new) a steadfast (kûn – to be marked by firm determination or resolution, to be unshakeable, to stand upright) spirit (rûaḥ) within me (personal).”
    Though God cleansed David’s heart previously, he lost that wonderful experience through sin. Now David asks God to restore what was lost, to “renew” and reestablish the steadfast spirit he once had. David now understands he needs help staying firmly rooted in his commitment to the Lord because, left on his own, he will once again fail.
    When we walk in sin and disobedience, we become spiritually unstable, often losing our zeal for God’s kingdom. But through repentance, God renews our spirit, revitalizing our passion for Christ and His righteousness.
    (You, God) Do Not Cast Me Away From Your PresenceHaunted by his grievous offenses, David worries about losing fellowship with God. So he implores the Lord to,
    “Do not cast (šālaḵ – to throw, fling, to toss casually away, to dispose of) me (personal) away from...

    • 47 min
    585 - Our Identity — Stop Striving, Start Abiding

    585 - Our Identity — Stop Striving, Start Abiding

    Embracing Who We Really AreD.L. Moody, while on his European crusade in 1873, was so inspired by a conversation he had with British revivalist Henry Varley that he prayed:
    “The world has yet to see what God can do with, and for, and through, and in a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. By God’s help, I am to be that man.”
    This is the essence of the desire to be all God created you to be— to be “all in for Him,” as they say.  The problem is, after we conjure up the desire, we come face-to-face with the “how to.” In other words, how do I surrender my life to the Lord? How do I yield everything to him? And how do I live a truly sanctified, higher Christian life?
    In any other endeavor, we would find someone who is where we want to be and model our lives after them. But we live in the Laodicean church age, and sold-out Believers are few, especially in the West. So what are we to do? What’s the next step? And is there anything we can learn about surrender from even the obscure passages in Scripture that point us in the right direction?
    What Does it Mean to be God’s Servant?After God gave David rest from all his enemies and after he consolidated the kingdom to himself, David made what he thought was a pretty good request from the Lord. After all, he reasoned, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells inside tent curtains” (2 Sam. 7:2), and we can’t have that.  So he decided, after receiving less than stellar advice from the prophet Nathan, to take it upon himself to build a dwelling place for God, or more specifically, for the Ark of the Covenant. And, on the surface, it seemed like a good idea, even somewhat noble.
    But God was not amused, for neither David nor Nathan had sought the Lord in this matter.
    In fact, God rebuked David twice for forgetting who he was as God’s servant, or “slave” (doúlos)— which, by definition, makes God the Lord and Master of all, including David. So, in response to God’s stinging censure, David humbled himself profoundly before God’s rebuke. He owned his true identity as a “servant” or “slave” (doúlos), and acknowledged it ten times in his brief exchange with God (vv. 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29). That’s ten times in just eleven verses.
    So, what transformed David’s perspective? He simply recognized his true identity before God— not as a self-made king, but as a submitted servant or faithful slave (doúlos) to the Lord.
    David’s example highlights that discipleship stems from knowing we belong wholly to God. As Paul wrote, “You are not your own… you were bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Have we grasped this liberating truth? We cannot experience God’s depths while still stubbornly clinging to personal rights and claims over our lives. True freedom, paradoxically, comes through bonding ourselves permanently to our Master as His faithful servant, longing for Him to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant (doúlos)” (Matt. 25:21). Remember, God did not save us to be independent contractors employed in His service. He has something much greater in mind.
    Just like assuming a new family name changes the way we view ourselves, likewise, our core identity in Christ transforms how we approach life. Living “all-in” starts by accepting that we now belong to Another— to Someone far greater than we can imagine.
    Time to Re-Calibrate Your IdentityPerhaps it’s time to let Him recalibrate your identity like He did David. His Word invites us to “present your bodies a living sacrifice… and be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:1-2). When we grasp God’s complete right to direct us, surrendering fully becomes the only...

    • 43 min

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