Debunking the institutional church's view of spiritual gifts and talents as abilities to be utilized for the growth of the institution, this discussion brings into perspective the integral aspect of spiritual gifts in our relationship with Father.

This topic just gives you the shivers.  Our perspective of authority has taken quite a beating from the institutional church.  Do we 'throw the baby out with the bathwater'? Hmm  And so our discussion begins.

Father often uses unique circumstances to reveal our insecurities to us.  In this discussion Bob shares about an event during the holidays where he got caught trying to be religious when a particular insecurity was revealed. 

When things are going crazy around us and often inside of us that we have no control over, do we  try to take control or surrender to divine helplessness?  What has religion taught us as opposed to relationship?

We interviewed Paul Hunter a recent friend who's journey outside of institutional Christianity has led him to start a ministry called Next Generation.

David traveled to Florida last month to a be a part of a dialogue with a group of believers that have functioned in various forms of leadership over the years.  It was a significant time of discussions and building relationships between folks that are still in the institutional church and others on their journey with Father.

Johnny Brooks paid a visit with Bob in Sacramento for a few days, Although he wasn't able to make it into the podcast, we talked a little about his journey and the ministry he and his family are doing with orphans in Kenya. The topic, turned to the concept of orphanages and how much institutional churches resemble them.

We recently returned from our trip to India where we had a chance to visit and get to know some of the believers there that have left the confines of the institutional church.

This discussion focuses on the idea that Father's love for the world in allowing us to be ambassadors of his love is the foundation of his dominion plan.

The power of humility is the topic of this discussion. However not the way that the institutional church has projected it.  In a close relationship humility is not an issue, it's a desire.

This conversation starts off about David and Bob's upcoming trip to India from Sept 30- Oct 17.  We then breakdown some recent thoughts David's had on a new perspective of God's glory and our part in it.

David received an e-mail from a lady in Norway about the WWJD movement going on over there.  Her comments prompted us to launch into another discussion of how the IC tries to work conformity into the believer's life.

In attempts to fulfill the cause of unity, often the results are no more than just conformity.  we discuss this topic from a number of angles of how the IC has mastered the art of conformity.

A crack in the Matrix has recently been exposed with the swirling issues amid the aftermath of the meetings in Lakeland Florida.  Our discussion reaches into the Matrix.  Is it fixable, or can it even be fixed?

Some folks get concerned that missions would be neglected if you left the institution.  Indeed it would appear that missions couldn't go on without the support of the institutional church.  We have evidence to the contrary.  David provides a unique report on a recent trip he made to Mexico.

We have a guest with us today.  Jim Robbins has been our featured artist, and he recently wrote a book called Recover Your Good Heart.  Ezekial  prophesied about God giving us a new heart.  At the cross, Christ not only broke the power of sin but fulfilled that prophecy.  So why has this gone unnoticed in institutional Christianity? 

This brief podcast open's up right into the heart of the discussion due to a technical burp that messed up the opening 10 minutes.  With the US in a presidential election season, we pull back the veil of thinking regarding the impact of God's people on a nation.

To look at how the institutional Church functions, you'd never know that Christ has broken the curse of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  This conversation starts off with some fun but ends up with some profound insights into the realities of what it truly means to walk with Father in relationship.

Our perspectives on life and situations around us are greatly influenced by the level of insecurities we may have.  It's amazing how much the institutional church multiplied insecurity in individuals even though Christ has set us free.

Where did fear come from?  How has it impacted our lives?  What would happen if we were no longer afraid of what others thought of us?  Has the IC had a hand in creating fear in our lives?  This stirring discussion pounces on these issues of fear.

Recently it appears that Father has been working in our lives to bring us to the bottom line.  Dealing with the foundations in our lives.  Jesus didn't come to be the answer man, he is the answer.  This discussion digs into some of the ways Father centers us into himself.

Where's the power?  Where's the miracles?  Is the demonstration of the power of God just for revival meetings?  What about those folks that walk in relationship with Father outside of the institutional church setting?  This discussion brings about a variety of thoughts regarding the supernatural life.

This topic is another one of those misunderstood concepts when viewed through the prism of institutional thinking.  Our conversation explores the variety of thoughts on the fear of God both from the OT and NT and the perspective of relationship with Father.

Our conversation delves into the more personal impact.  We can get so twisted up in trying to maintain some semblance of our own holiness through our embedded sense of the secular and spiritual within us.

The division between secular and spiritual sides of our lives has become one of the major hindrances in our ability to believe in Christ.  It is also one of the more significant sources of frustration in trusting Father.  We explore the impact this religious construct has made in our lives.

We actually start talking about children, children's ministry, youth ministry and Sunday school, and end up on creativity.  What's significant in this conversation is how creativity is allowed only as it serves in propping up the institution.  Is that what Father had in mind?

This topic is a real enigma to most Christians.  Countless believer's know God loves them from the myriad songs, reading it in the Bible and others writing books about it.  But how many Christians actually have the revelation that He loves them personally?  And if they did, how would that change their life?

This topic of selfishness is not as obvious at first glance.  This discussion is about how institutional Christianity has formed this selfish bent within us, and how outside the system, we still have to face the real fact of our spiritual selfishness.

A question was posted on our forums asking how is it possible given the clear evidence of how un-biblical the current role of the pastor is, that believers still aspire to become 'Pastors'?

Biblical principles are needed in our lives.  But do we lean on our understanding of them instead of choosing relationship with Father? Are the doctrine police in our own minds regulating our relationship with Father?

Do the subtleties of idolatry rob us from being able to receive and live in Father's unconditional love?  Where does the mindset of idolatry come from?  These and other questions are discussed in a follow-up from last week's podcast.

We often thought of revival as a glorious time of the outpouring of God's manifestation of his spirit on our lives.  The intense preparation, anticipation and perspiration would occupy us for months.  But what if it turns out to be the opposite?  What if it's a giant step back to basics?

If Peter or Paul were to show up at a local 'church' what would be their reaction?  How is it that during intense persecution, the body of Christ flourished pre-Constantine and yet today it seems to have lost it's bearings from the original vitality it once possessed?

Disappointment and the institutional church experience seem to go hand-in-hand.  How has the  unrealistic expectations placed on believers in the IC, and the subsequent failures robbed believers of their first love?

Recently there have been a couple of articles on church discipline issues.  It appears that 'leaders' trying to be sincere about new testament truth in an institutional model are creating a pharisaical nightmare.

In our recent visit with some folks living outside the box in Eureka, California, we had the opportunity to sit down with Celeste Durkin and hear the rarely told story of what it was like to be a pastor’s wife and then to step outside the walls of religion.

PASTOR'S WIFE

We continue the discussion about hearing Father's voice. How does God speak to us?  How do we know that it's Him? What are some diverse ways He communicates to us?

This dilemma was not always a problem in the IC.  What with regular meetings, sermons, and leaning solely on the Bible one could go for years never once hearing Father for themselves.  But what happens outside of the IC?

We've talked extensively on the rediscovery of who believers are as a royal priesthood.  One aspect of being a royal priesthood is intercession, but how does that happen in our lives outside of the institutional view of intercession?

One of the real sore spots people encounter is the shattering of their dreams.  Often at the hands of religious institutions.  So what do we do try to fix them? Restart them?  Or resurrect them?

Often back in the religious institution we spent large quantities of our efforts supporting the dream (vision) of the senior leadership.  Now that you've come out of that place now what?  What happens to your dreams.  This open discussion reveals the importance of dreaming with Father.

One of the difficulties we face when coming out of a religious institution is facing who you really are.  Often we tried to remove some evil spiritual influence only to now discover that the evil is us. We just never allowed ourselves to face it honestly before our loving Father.

They're back!  The FRM podcasts are ready to go.  Our first one for 2008 catches up with things Father has recently been showing us as well as the latest update on 'Where Do We Go From Here?'  the title of Part 4 of the Church Outside The Walls videos series.