Soul Care Nomad

30/12/2024

"There is hope, and they haven't heard that from anybody. They've paid $400 an hour or two. They haven't heard that from anybody, for them to say there's hope. And they're like, 'Why? How?' And I'm like, 'I'm going to introduce you to the God of Hope. Let's open it up, and I'm going to read it to you. And I'm going to tell you why he's the God of Hope. And it's the most compelling thing. It's not mine. It's the Lord's.'"

Does God use regular people to do extraordinary things? YES! That is seen throughout the Bible, and that is how God has used our guest in this episode, Dr. Jenifer Wakefield. She went from someone who was not that interested in God to now working with and being an advocate for women because of the m...

23/12/2024

"But I think in the Christmas season why some people aren't cheery, it's hard for them because they don't have that loved one to celebrate. And I think that's why we've always opened up our home on Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's. For students or for people at our church, like, 'Hey, if you don't have a family, you don't have a home, you're going to come home with us.'"

Merry Christmas from the boys! In this episode, Dr. O and Matt talk about the necessity for a good understanding of Christmas through the lens of God's Word. You do not have to be happy, but you do need to recognize that nothing is impossible with God. No matter the time or season, He is making all....

16/12/2024

"If somebody has been abused, it's easy to fall in a pattern of victimhood, of always feeling helpless. And for me, it's been a series of truths from God's Word and His ability to assign meaning and purpose to what we experience that has caused me to have hope and know that Christ is great than any experience that I would have."

The consequences of sin infects the minds of every human. For many, child s*x abuse is a part of their past and feel as if no one will listen to them. In this episode, Matt welcomes Dr. Cheryl Bell, an abuse survivor and biblical counselor focused on helping women biblically deal with their past and...

09/12/2024

"What provides the authority, or what is the basis or the Scripture, of that secular approach? And in almost all of those approaches, it's going to be the theorist. It's going to be the theorist possibly with some data and some research to back him or her up, but the authority is going to be the theorist; it's going to be a person. And yet, the authority in God's economy is God's Word. It's Scripture."

There has been a discussion in the world of biblical counseling over the last month or so, and some are pushing to be more clinically informed in the practice of biblical counseling. In this episode, Dr. O and his mentor, Dr. John Babler, push back against this statement and give their reasoning beh...

02/12/2024

"This is where the mistake often happens. It's either we allow sin to continue because we see someone in crisis, and we don't want to call them out on it. That's bad. But also I think the flip side, and something that we need to also take into consideration and address, is that we're too harsh. It needs to be in the middle."

Emergencies happen suddenly and often without warning. How does someone truly expect the unexpected? In this episode, Dr. O and Matt talk about dealing with emergencies and give practical steps when you encounter one. After the immediate threat is dealt with, where do you go from there? Preparing fo...

26/11/2024

"But I think that we need to, as we're navigating... this holiday season, it's very easy to default to 'I want more' or 'I don't have' or all of those things. But we need to remember that, you know, thankfulness is not a choice. It's not a suggestion, it's a command."

It is the holiday season, and Dr. O and Matt want to talk about thankfulness. In the business of life, people take a lot of things for granted that play a significant role in their lives. In this episode, the boys talk about the role of thankfulness in the believer's life and how that should extend....

19/11/2024

"If I'm focusing on God's sovereignty, then I'm also going to trust in God's character. And sometimes, you know, that fear comes about because we doubt God's goodness and His plan because we're control freaks. We want to do it our way. But it's reminding them of God's character, His love and His promises."

Some people call fear a powerful motivator, but others call it an inhibitor. Fear has the power to move people to action or freeze people into submission. When it comes to the latter, many people have not idea how to move forward. In this episode, Dr. O and Matt talk about how fear's hold on the bel...

12/11/2024

"I did no work. I went on a boat, hung out with my family. You know, if I don't get another recognition from my job, but James says, 'My dad is a legend,' I'm good. So, all those things I thought I wanted, I don't."

Work is a part of life, and it is what people were created to do. Though it can be difficult to take pleasure in it, God still gives strength to carry on. But are people missing the best part about life? In this episode, Dr. O goes on a journey about the importance of being a dad and setting family....

04/11/2024

"Ephesians 6 talks about how we need to stand firm. And if you look at the full armor of God... there's no buttplate of fear. There's no backplate of worry. All the armor is on the front. Why is that? So we can walk victoriously through our trials."

We live in a world where it is easy to pander to the loudest voices. But that should not be how the Christian operates. In this episode, Dr. O and Matt talk about standing for truth. Starting with Daniel 3, they will detail what it looks like to stand for truth in modern times and how the true test....

28/10/2024

"Once upon a time, we had strong families. We didn't have a lot of broken homes. We didn't have, you know, girls with daddy issues. We had strong men who led their family well. Their kids looked up to them. He wasn't seen as a bumbling fool. But something happened, and what happened was we stopped viewing the role of the father as important."

We here it from the church and the culture all the time: Family is important. However, what that means is very different depending on who you ask. In this episode, Dr. O and Matt want to answer that question according to what the Bible teaches. Jesus led sacrificially, and He did it side-by-side wit...

23/10/2024

"Our natural, sinful bodies will say, 'This person is wrong, this person is being rejected by everyone else. I want to fit in with the culture, so I hate them, too.' Well, actually, the Holy Spirit will help you love them, will help you love them when no one else will because God loved you when no one else did."

Agape love is the Greek word that the New Testament writers used to describe God's love. It is the highest form and most unused form of love by people today, including Christians. Unconditional love is difficult because it goes against someone's sinful nature, yet it is the love that Dr. O and Matt....

14/10/2024

"We have to have some pushback/controversy, especially when it's something that's not true... But we need to have those conversations where we're not coming off as a fundamentalist, or we're coming off as rude or crude or whatever. And we need to be wise in how we have those conversations and how we say things."

A lot has transpired for Dr. O and Matt in the recent few weeks, so they just sit and talk about what has been going on. Jon wrapped up helping with the ACBC conference at the seminary, and Matt recently got back from a mission trip in San Diego. Listen to what they learned and how it affected them....

07/10/2024

"In biblical counseling, as we care for people, you give this assignment of go helping someone. I think before that, you need to understand what service is yourself: Serving those that you get no recognition for or no one knows."

When Dr. O is working with addicts and those struggling with pride, he usually prescribes serving in a local church. Why? Well, that is what Matt wants to find out in this episode. Service is one of the many ways God demonstrated His love for humanity through the life, death, and resurrection of Jes...

01/10/2024

"I wish we taught this in church, but I didn't learn this in church. I learned it when I worked for Paul Mitchell... This was one of the top stylists, and he said, 'You treat the janitor the same as you would the president.'"

When God has done so much for believers, it is easy to lose sight of His goodness in the mix of our abundance. In this episode, Dr. O and Matt talk about how pride shows itself in the most common way: lunch after church. Instead of being gracious and forgiving, church goers are known as the most dif...

23/09/2024

"What we need to do is we need to have people with us at all times checking in, checking up because that will actually bring God more praise, glory, and honor than appearing to be righteous." https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/soul-care-nomad/episodes/How-to-Stop-Moral-Failure-e2onl6e/a-abhrnlo

18/09/2024

"Yeah, the money is part of it, but it's 1) to show how smart you are, 2) it's for the rush, and 3) it's to win. Super competitive. A lot of people think it's about the money, and I think that's where, when you're helping someone overcome that part, the money doesn't matter."

When it comes to dealing with gambling, there are many issues bundled into one. Someone may gamble to get more money, but some may gamble because of pride or poor stewardship. In any case, Dr. O and Matt want to encourage listeners to stand on God's promise that He will give believers the ability to...

09/09/2024

“We have to be very careful as we interact with truth seekers and, also, those wanting to argue, making sure that our heart is in the right place.”

For those who have been Christians for a few years, the same insults get thrown around by unbelievers. Dealing with combative people can be difficult if they are unwilling to listen or consider other viewpoints. In this episode, Dr. O and Matt talk about faulty worldviews and how believers should pr...

05/09/2024

"James comes in and says, 'Daddy, you're always working.' If you're in an unhealthy place, you'll just keep working regardless. But if you're in a good place, it's like, 'You know, son, you're right,' and you save whatever document you're working on, you shut off your computer, and then you go into the tv room and watch an episode of Bluey with your kid."

Dr. O works a lot. That's been well documented in this podcast, but is he a workaholic? In this episode, he and Matt discuss the difference between working a lot and being a workaholic. When believers prioritize Christ, they have the opportunity to live their life worthy of the Gospel both at home a...