Paying Ridiculous Attention To Jesus

Big news! We’ve re-launched Paying Ridiculous Attention to Jesus after a year-long sabbatical. Even bigger and better news—the Becky-nator is joining Rick again to co-host. So check out Episode 3 of Season 8 - “The Exclusionary Jesus” - a continuation of the series “THE WAYS OF JESUS.” Rick and Becky will be exploring themes drawn from his upcoming book (releasing June 4) titled Editing Jesus. In this episode we dive into a hard truth… Yes, Jesus was radically inclusive when he offered marginalized people dignity, or when he elevated women and Gentiles from a place of scorn, or when He chose to hang out with, and even honor, “sinners” like tax collectors and prostitutes. But when we make inclusion the superseding mission of Jesus on earth, we inevitably edit out His many, many hard boundaries and exclusions. We’ll focus on how exclusionary He often is, and discover how exclusion reflects His heart of love for us… Check out Rick’s upcoming new book, Editing Jesus. Go to its Amazon page here: https://tinyurl.c

Big news! Rick is re-launching his podcast Paying Ridiculous Attention to Jesus after a year-long sabbatical. Even bigger and better news—the Becky-nator will be joining him again to co-host. So check out the Episode 6 of Season 8 “Sitting at the Wrong End of the Table”—a continuation of the series “THE WAYS OF JESUS.” Rick and Becky will be exploring themes drawn from his upcoming book (releasing June 4) titled Editing Jesus. In this episode we’ll explore one of Jesus’ most practical teachings—this one is embedded in something that was happening in the moment, and it’s a huge help to those of us (which is all of us) living in a cultural ecosystem of self-promotion and narcissism. Check out Rick’s upcoming new book, Editing Jesus. Go to its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Editing-Jesus-Confronting-Distorted-American/dp/0802432883/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SZ09OE8Y5FF1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.52C0uKQ5Rx3ky9i7NwmLWuoqzm_zs6beDLumCZAbacSDZH8cHcXqbPQID3eVVDKahc1KR7OzPV7eutqljIKqqJneW9quHeR1y-fkasVmnNv1y4TnR_P8MtcCkmsPZh

Join Rick for the first episode of Season 8, continuing the series—“THE WAYS OF JESUS.” Our understanding of death, and our fear of it, colors our life. It plays in the background, like a haunting film score to our life narrative. But if we understand the way of Jesus, relative to death, we will have a much deeper understanding of what it means to live in deep peace, and we’ll discover the secret to the upending way he related to people. Jesus said “Death, where is your victory?” He longs for us to enter into that victory.. Check out Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution. Go to its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 Watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forget to check out his daily devotional Jesus-Centered Daily—go to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourse

Join Rick for the fourth episode of the new series—“THE WAYS OF JESUS.” We all have rutted narratives that emerge from our painful experiences. But Jesus tells us, over and over, that our un-rescued pain is beauty disguised as ugly. We see weakness as the unwelcome byproduct of pain. But in the Kingdom of God, real weakness is exposed as arrogance. Jesus’ opposes the “strength” of the Pharisees because they are arrogant, and arrogance is really a belief in, and a trust in, your own strength and resources over outside sources of strength and resource. Here we explore the mechanics of strength catalyzed by weakness. Check out Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution. Go to its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 Watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forget to check out his daily devotional Jesus-Centered Daily—go to j

After a two-month “impromptu sabbatical,” join Rick for the third episode of the new series—“THE WAYS OF JESUS.” The influence of our self-narratives. The story we tell ourselves, about ourselves, can lead us into captivity—the captivity Jesus came to set us free from. Jesus wants to “de-bug” our narrative. In Matthew 5 we have Jesus delivering the “But I Say’s”—they’re a kind of complement to “The Beatitudes.” The “But I Say’s” are a kind of martial arts practice—Jesus uses the momentum of deception against it. “Active pushback” against deception is not just a strategy, it’s a lifestyle. It does not mean that we become distrustful people, it means we become discerning people. Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.b

Join Rick for the second episode of the new series—“THE WAYS OF JESUS.” Researchers say a strong factor feeding resilience is “the degree of control that the person has over the stressor.” When we can’t exert any control over the trauma we’ve experienced, the “agency” that fuels our hope is obliterated. Put another way, painful experiences that are “inescapable and erratic” can cut the soul’s “tendons,” making it difficult to use or strengthen the muscles we need to face and overcome future challenges and pain. The healing we need is directly tied to our ability to reassert control over our story—to reattach those cut tendons and rehabilitate our agency. Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And

Join Rick for the first episode of the series—“THE WAYS OF JESUS.” There was a miraculous birth that preceded the miraculous birth of Jesus—John the Baptist. He was born of an elderly couple, chosen to “prepare the way” for Jesus by calling the Jews to repentance. John targeted their complacency and entitlement—challenging them to turn from following the way of the world to the way of the Kingdom of God, ultimately the Way of Jesus… To repent means to turn your back on, and turn your face toward. Who will be our King? Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forget to check out his new daily devotional Jesus-Centered Daily—go to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the de

Join Rick for the eighth and final episode of the series—“JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD.” By mapping our responses to moral decision-making situations we can create a “moral map” for how human beings make right/wrong choices. But what about Jesus’ moral map? We discover that map in His “Sermon on the Mount.” This is Jesus’ epic proclamation of the Kingdom of God’s culture—the “deep good” in the heart of God. It’s the map He uses to make moral decisions. Let’s figure out what that moral map looks like—with clusters of moral decision-making that are weighted with importance. And then, if we’re to live in the freedom of a trusting relationship that guides our everyday moral practice, how do we do that? Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right

Join Rick for the seventh episode in the ongoing series—“JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD.” In a curious encounter with His disciples and a gathered crowd, Jesus suggests that weather forecasting is a good metaphor for moral decision-making. Then He asks a question that seems self-evident: “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right?” Of course, we can’t decide for ourselves what is morally right because we have an unreliable “compass” for right and wrong. So the elephant-in-the-room question is: Why would Jesus ask this question? The answer has huge implications for how we live our lives. Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forget to check out his new daily devotional Jesus-Centered Da

Join Rick for the 7th episode in a new ongoing series—“JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD.” In January our focus shifts to resolutions—making commitments to improve. But are resolutions consistent with the way of Jesus? We all have a deep longing to move toward wholeness. Jesus says: “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Seems impossible... But in the Greek, perfect means “fully realized in its intended function.” St. Clare of Assisi says, “We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become.” Let’s explore how our “New You” can actually happen… Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forget to check out his new daily devotional Jesus-Centered Daily—go to je

Join Rick for the sixth episode in a new ongoing series—“JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD.” The “messaging” around Christmas is deeply embedded in us—at no other time during the year is gift-giving such a major focus of our life. And there’s a lot on the line for us. People get into fights at the mall in the name of gift-giving. Every year we vow to “make this Christmas different,” but we get swept up in the current of our culture and feel almost powerless to do anything different. Instead of guilting ourselves, or living in regret, what if we slowed down to pay attention to the gift-giving habits of Jesus—and let them infect us as His heart infects us? Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forg

Join Rick for the fifth episode in a new ongoing series—“JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD.” Jesus said: “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!” But what happens when our life experience with God makes us think God has often given us snakes and stones instead of fish and bread? How confident do you feel in asking for bread and getting bread from God, or knocking on God’s door and it opening for you? Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forget to check out his new daily devotional Jesus-Centered Daily—go to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to

Join Rick for the fourth episode in a new ongoing series—“JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD.” An ideology is “a system of ideas that aspires both to explain the world and to change it.” Another way to describe an ideology is the story we live inside. Or the self-narrative we’ve embraced. What is the greatest challenge in the church today? It’s our propensity to “edit” Jesus to conform to our ideologies, even if they are contrary to the Kingdom of God. We come to Him as clay, not as the Potter. Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forget to check out his new daily devotional Jesus-Centered Daily—go to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself

Join Rick for the third episode in a new ongoing series—“JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD.” We live in an age of enemies… Never has it been easier, or more likely, that we will create enemies just by living our life… Case In Point: Choose any random post on the social media site Nextdoor and you’ll see enemy-making up close—guaranteed. But in Matthew 5 Jesus delivers His blunt standard for Kingdom-of-God love: “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! ” Here we’ll explore what it means to “give sunlight to both the evil and the good.” Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forget to check out his new daily devotional Jesus-Centered

Join Rick for the second episode in a new ongoing series—“JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD.” We’ll be pursuing the heart of Jesus through the lens of what’s going on in the world right now… In our culture today, we are the most connected/disconnected generation in history. Never have we had more tools of connection, and habits of connection, but the research shows that this is the loneliest generation in American history. We’ll explore what people were looking for when they met and decided to follow Jesus, and how He established deep, I’ll-die-for-you relationships. Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forget to check out his new daily devotional Jesus-Centered Daily—go to jesuscentereddaily.c

Join Rick for the first episode in a new ongoing series—“JESUS IN THE REAL WORLD.” We’ll pursue the heart of Jesus through the lens of what’s going on in the world right now… Our goal is to connect what’s happening around us to the presence, priorities, and practices of Jesus. In this episode we’ll take a deep dive into “over-functioning”—what is it, how is it operating in your life, and how does Jesus confront it and resist it in His relationships? Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And if you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs And don’t forget to check out his new daily devotional Jesus-Centered Daily—go to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to

Join Rick for the 8th and final episode in the series—“THE HARVEST.” In his commentary on the Gospel of John, the great contemporary theologian N.T. Wright says: “The urgent question, then, is this: How do we ‘remain' in him?” And Vaughan Roberts, rector of St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford, says: “Jesus us not a decorative shrub, useful for giving an aesthetic religious touch to life. He is not available to be arranged in a bouquet to delight us. He is life itself, its very center—the Vine.” This is the central message of Jesus to His disciples, including you and me… Rick’s new book, The Suicide Solution, is now available! You can check out its Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/Suicide-Solution-Finding-Your-Darkness/dp/1684511593/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631675941&sr=8-1 And you can watch Rick’s webinar on the book, with co-author Dr. Daniel Emina, right here: https://youtu.be/M5KOBvGA2rs Sign Up for the FREE 7-Day Devotional Series, Drawn from the Jesus-Centered Daily https://www.mylifetr

Join Rick for the seventh episode in the series—“THE HARVEST.” We are all intimately attached to sources of life—a flower planted in soil, for instance, has more life flowing into it than cut flowers in a vase of water. Our attachments make all the difference… So let’s explore what wholeness looks like in Jesus, and in us—through the lens of how we attach (and detach) from our sources of life. We’ll consider what “differentiation” means, and how it explains the upending, renovating, and redeeming impact Jesus has in our life. And we’ll learn how to move further down the path toward differentiation ourselves. Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Sign Up for the FREE

Join Rick for the sixth episode in a new series—“THE HARVEST.” We know that Jesus is a storyteller who’s trying to tell a story of beauty in our soul—the story He’s telling in your life is a Romance. In the last episode we explored what the “Farmer” is doing about the “weeds” growing up in our field of “wheat”—our soul. Let’s uncover what Jesus is doing to set the stage for transformation in the people He encounters, and in our own life… He’s trying to influence the narrative of our life, using our “contamination stories” or our weeds as a growth-producer in our overshadowing story of redemption. Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Centered+Daily&qid=1599794429&sr=8-1 Sign Up for the FREE 7-Day Devot

Join Rick for the fifth episode in a new series—“THE HARVEST.” We’re hard-wired for story, because we’re created by a storyteller. Our life is about our story. Story works to construct, give meaning to, and set boundaries around our experience of reality. It’s the “narrative code” that unlocks the meaning behind our experiences in life. The story we tell ourselves about ourselves determines how we function and influences our limitations and possibilities in life. So, how is Jesus infiltrating our story with redemptive plot twists, and what is he doing about the “contamination stories” that thread their way into our narrative, like weeds growing up with our wheat? Rick’s new daily devotional, the Jesus-Centered Daily, is now available! Head over to jesuscentereddaily.com to download a 10-day sampler of the devotion, or to order it for yourself or as a gift. Or head straight to Amazon to order it: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Centered-Daily-Touch-Smell-Taste/dp/1470759608/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jesus-Cen