Halfway There

055: Rich Lewis Says Centering Prayer Changes You

Ever since I first read Richard Foster’s book called Prayer and learned that there were many different ways to pray and connect with God and not just the intercessory approach my evangelical church practiced, I’ve thought that it’s valuable to learn about those other methods. Today’s guest is Rich Lewis who blogs teaches about centering prayer at Silence Teaches. He shares how he discovered the contemplative practice called centering prayer, how he goes about it every day and what the benefits are in his life.
Some of the stories Rich shared with us:
Growing up in Pennsylvania and the spiritual climate of his childhood
How leading a small church and leading the youth group helped him grow
The family issue that moved him to quit his job and led to a dark night of the soul
The books about Christian mysticism that changed his life
His daily prayer routine including using a prayer rope and a lectio divina
A how to on centering prayer
Sit comfortably
Choose a word to focus on (i.e. love, peace, joy)
Close your eyes. As each thought pops up, let it pass and go back to your word and then let it go, too
Sit for a moment before you leave
The benefits of centering prayer including feeling much calmer, being full of excitement for life, and finding productive and creative solutions to problems
How he teaches centering prayer to his kids
Books and resources mentioned by Rich:
Healing the Divide: Recovering Christianity’s Mystic Roots
The Big Book of Christian Mysticism: The Essential Guide to Contemplative Spirituality
The Contemplative Outreach app
Great quotes from Rich:
God is thrilled to have me as his son. And God is really not angry with me. God loves me. God constantly loves me.
I’m in the spaces between my thoughts.
Sit with God. Walk with God.
Sitting with God quietly changes you. It’s wonderful.
Connect with Rich at his website Silence Teaches or Twitter.
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054: Mike Sares and Water, Spirit, and Scum

Mike Sares is a pastor and author at Denver’s Scum of the Earth church. Today, he shares how he became the founding pastor of Scum, the unique ways God has spoken to him, and why risk and art are so important to the church, even today. This is an episode you won’t want to miss.
Get Mike’s book detailing his story, God’s work in his life, and the challenges of his unique ministry. Pure Scum: The Left-Out, the Right-Brained and the Grace of God
Stories Mike shared:
How he came to Christ after high school
The unique way he heard from God to ask his wife to marry him
The frustrating period of time when he tried to get into full time ministry
How Scum of the Earth started including the Five Iron Frenzy crowd
The risky decision to let a poet use the F-bomb during a Christmas Eve service
Why we have to take risks for evangelism
Why art is so important for society including the Church
Great quotes from Mike:
God does not give these supernatural experiences capriciously. Usually it’s because we’re going to need one.
It appears unspiritual but really is.
Good Christian art can save a nation.
If you want to hear more about Mike’s story, get his book Pure Scum: The Left-Out, the Right-Brained and the Grace of God (affiliate link).
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053: Trevor Kapralos and The Power of Christian Community

Trevor Kapralos is a nurse in the Washington DC area. I met him through another Halfway There guest (and good friend) Rob Karch. That’s appropriate because if there’s a theme in Trevor’s life it’s the power of Christian community for living this life of faith together.
Trevor the power of Christian community in the following stories:
The unusual assignment to cover a Belarussian church in Uttica, NY (10:45)
The amazing background of the church and the powerful way God brought them to the United States (16:40)
The story of Tatiana and her powerful faith (18:32)
The Christian community in Seattle (27:15)
Why he changed careers and enjoys nursing (34:58)
The power of community in his life (50:36)
Great Quotes:
The newspaper gave multiple pages, it ran over multiple days and it was pretty well received but the impact was personal for me and for my wife.
You are not the first person to go through this, nor the last.
I don’t know where we would be without community.
Mentioned links:
Keith Giles Denver Area event. Details are found here. Please sign up so we can make this event happen!
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052: Paul Sohn and Finding Your God-Given Purpose

Paul Sohn is an author, public speaker, and coach who works with millennials to answer life’s biggest questions. He recently founded Qara, an organization dedicated to providing resources for those in the formative adult years, the 20s. His book, Quarter-Life Calling: Pursuing Your God-Given Purpose in Your Twenties, helps guide young people through confusion into the purpose God has for them.
But how did Paul get here? We talk about that and so much more:
Paul’s shares how his family’s life was changed when Bill Graham came to Korea in 1972 and his father gave his life to Christ. Paul grew up in a Christian family and finally committed his own life to Christ at age 14 and his faith personal when he decided to study abroad in Vancouver at a Christian school. (5:49)
How he overcame being a people pleaser. (12:45)
The time he quit the job he should have been comfortable in and the amazing way God provided as a result. (19:05)
His passion for helping others find their purpose. (26:40)
The realization that pursuing a calling is harder than it looks but so much more worth it. (36:51)
Great Quotes from Paul:
No one is with me except God.
When I surrender, God’s calling on my life is so much bigger.
The more I discovered more of who Jesus is, the more I know myself.
Your 20’s are your defining decade. But so many people in their 20’s feel lost, they feel stuck and don’t know where they are going.
I’m realizing how broken I am. There is power in vulnerability. Pursuing your calling is hard. It’s difficult.
If you enjoyed Paul’s story, connect with him on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). His posts will enrich your life. And get Quarter-Life Calling: Pursuing Your God-Given Purpose in Your Twenties at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
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Happy Memorial Day!

This is my dad at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.Happy Memorial Day, my friends!
This is one of those holidays that I always think of fondly because (a) it’s the unofficial start of summer and I usually smoke some sort of meat, (b) my grandmother traces the widespread adoption of this holiday to our family (naturally!) so why not enjoy it, and finally, (c) it’s a perfect time to reflect on those who gave their lives for all that the United States represents.
Today on Halfway There, I share some reflections on my father-in-law who also gave his life in a roundabout way for the cause of freedom. This is a blog post that I wrote about him on an old blog I used to write.
Perhaps you’d like to share a story about someone you know who has sacrificed for their country, too. Feel free to do that here or on social media.
The post Happy Memorial Day! appeared first on Eric Nevins.

051: The Testimony of a King (Daniel 4)

In this betweenisode, we talk about the amazing transformation of King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel. You’ve heard the Sunday School stories but did you know he acknowledged God as the true sovereign of the universe? That story doesn’t get shared as often but it’s one we can learn from.
Listen above or in iTunes, Google Play Music, or Stitcher Radio now!
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050: What I Learned from Interviewing 50 Ordinary Christians

Welcome to Halfway There’s 50th episode!
When I started this show last year, I hoped but did not know if it would become something that people would listen to and enjoy. The stories were compelling and there was enough depth in the experience of these ordinary Christian to make at least the first set publishable.
Here we are 50 episodes later and the show has been downloaded over 11,680 times, featured nearly 1,220 years of experience walking with the Lord, and it’s reaching new people every day.
The future looks bright as preparations for the next season are underway getting ready to share even more great stories from ordinary Christians who otherwise might never share what God has done in their lives. These are stories you need to hear.
But now, let’s celebrate the last 50 episodes with a look back at some of the things we’ve learned over this last year.
Episode 50 features four things I learned from doing 50 interviews for this show which are:
Seek and you shall find (4:45)
God still speaks to people (10:31)
You never know how God is going to use you (26:10)
God is relentlessly in pursuit of you (46:07)
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What one of the best things you’ve learned from another Christian in your journey? Share below.
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049: Mike Costas and Step by Step on the Camino Part 3

Mike is the gracious husband of Jan Costas who shared her story with us in two parts here and here. In today’s episode, we learn hear his story, why he went on the Camino, and how he learned to trust God in a whole new way on the trail.
Stories Mike shared with us:
How he and Jan met in Germany (6:00)
Why he ended up in Germany during the time the wall went up (10:23)
His experience overseas working in Arab communities (28:14)
Why he went on the Camino (38:10)
How Mike’s journey with the Lord started before they even left town (43:06)
The amazing food they enjoyed (1:00:13)
Great Quotes from Mike:
The Army does not put it’s posts in wonderful places. They are the armpit of the world.
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It took me three days to realize walking with her was a benefit…because in the end we really bonded like we’ve never done in 50 years so it was wonderful in that way.
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My actual first step with the Lord on the Camino was at DIA (Denver International Airport)
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