Wayfarer
By Tom Vander Well
WayfarerJul 27, 2021
"The One Thing" (CaD Jhn 20)
This morning I glanced back on over forty years of believing in and following Jesus. Time and life have not diminished my belief. They have honed it. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 20. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
"The Man Who Saw It" (CaD Jhn 19)
I have observed along my journey that certain historical events become so ubiquitous, that the actual events are lost or muddled in the pervasive contemporary and cultural understanding. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 19. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Empire v. Kingdom (CaD Jhn 18)
Jesus freely and willingly submitted to a set of trials that were both illegal and illicit. He submitted precisely because His kingdom is not like the kingdoms of this world, especially the human empires that are currently judging Him. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 18. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Where His Footsteps Lead (CaD Jhn 17)
I can't be the light of the world if I'm hiding the light under a box. I can't be the salt of the earth if I'm still inside the salt shaker in the cupboard. I don't need protection from the evil one if I'm never a threat to him or his dominion. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 17. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Contrasting Statements (CaD Jhn 16)
God provides shalom, not by power but by suffering, not by force but by surrender, not through the suppression of resistance but through love, forgiveness, and freedom from sin and death. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 16. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
The Dude Abides (CaD Jhn 15)
When I invited Jesus into my life and asked Him to be the Lord of my life, I suddenly experienced something new: His indwelling. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 15. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Peace that's Not of this World (CaD Jhn 14)
In my lifetime, I've observed that the world's promise of peace has gotten more insidious with its intangible paths to peace. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 14. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Waypoints of Confusion (CaD Jhn 13)
I’ve discovered along life's road that there are times when it is only in retrospect that I can see how God was at work in me, directing my path and guiding my steps. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 13. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
The Spectrum of Belief (CaD Jhn 12)
In the subtext of today's chapter is a question that I believe motivated John to write his account of the Jesus Story in the first place. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 12. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Watershed Moment (CaD Jhn 11)
Along my own earthly journey as a disciple of Jesus, I have been able to look back on my journey and see how certain watershed moments in my own story were instrumental in driving the action. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 11. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Shepherd and Sheep (CaD Jhn 10)
He has been a Good Shepherd to this dumb sheep, and I can trust Him to continue being so. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 10. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Seeing and Believing (CaD Jhn 9)
Today's chapter is a reminder that staunch, educated religious people can be spiritually blind while humble, uneducated, and irreligious individuals can have spiritual sight which is 20/20. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 9. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Showdown (CaD Jhn 8)
Along my spiritual journey, I have observed that any human religious institution can become a perpetrator of evil. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 8. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Division (CaD Jhn7)
Our current political landscape in America came to mind in the quiet this morning simply because in today's chapter John focuses on how incredibly divisive Jesus was at the peak of His public ministry. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 7. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Filet-o'-Fish or Flesh & Blood? (CaD Jhn 6)
The further I've progressed in my spiritual journey the more I have come to believe that today's chapter contains among the most critical messages that Jesus uttered in His earthly ministry. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 6. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
"Who Am I Living to Please?" (CaD Jhn 5)
I find the question, "Who am I living to please?" worth pondering. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 5. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
No Sign Needed (CaD Jhn 4)
If Jesus was playing poker with the cultural rules of His day, His conversation with the Samaritan woman was Him going "all in." A chapter-a-day podcast from John 4. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Loyalty to a Trusted Source (CaD Jhn 3)
Along my life journey, I’ve observed that people build up a sense of loyalty to voices that resonate with them. There’s a certain trust that is built, which can often result in mistrust of any other voices. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 3. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Signs (CaD Jhn 2)
Along my spiritual journey, I've observed that God often provides signs along life's road. I may not realize it in the moment, but I will later look back and realize that the sign was there all along. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 2. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
The God Who Pitched His Tent (CaD Jhn 1)
From his opening sentence, John establishes that he is not using the chronological, reporting style of the other accounts of Jesus. He is writing thematically in presenting to us the Jesus he followed, witnessed, and knew intimately. A chapter-a-day podcast from John 1. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Best of 2023 #1: I Don't Know What I Don't Know
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #2: Death-to-Life
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #3: Plague and Blessing
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #4: A Spiritual Stake in the Ground
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #5: Will the Circle Be Unbroken
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #6: Mourners Need Not Apply
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #7: Eli's Unintended Lesson
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #8: Busy Livin'
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #9: Relationship & Communication
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #10: Culture & Compromise
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #11: Thoughts on the Prophetic
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023: #12 Scarred Hearts
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023: #13 Plea for a Mediator
i
Best of 2023: #14 Job Almighty
I'm on a three-week vacation. While I'm away I'll be publishing the top 15 episodes of 2023 as determined by plays and views at tomvanderwell.com. Enjoy!
Best of 2023 #15 Beyond the Blame
I
"Perhaps..." (CaD Phm 1)
time and time again we have experienced God ultimately redeeming circumstances in ways we could never have imagined. A chapter-a-day podcast from Philemon. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Three Things in Misery (CaD Mi 7)
May I be honest with you? The past couple of days have been miserable. Like, they’ve been really miserable. A chapter-a-day podcast from Micah 7. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Boiling it Down to Bullet Points (CaD Mi 6)
Sometimes we just want things boiled down into a bullet list. A chapter-a-day podcast from Micah 6. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Exile Required (CaD Mi 5)
Here’s the spiritual lesson I learned in my study of exile, and a spiritual truth I’ve come to embrace: exile is quite often a necessary part of the spiritual journey. A chapter-a-day podcast from Micah 5. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Two Points from the Prophetic (CaD Mi 4)
What is a modern, everyday person supposed to get out of Micah's puzzling prophecy if all I want to do is find a thought for my day that I can hold onto and that will help me to live today in a way that God desires? A chapter-a-day podcast from Micah 4. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Journalistic Prophets (CaD Mi 3)
Over the past few years, I have personally migrated to reading more and more independent journalists who write on sites like Substack, along with subscribing to non-traditional news outlets that ascribe to the journalistic principles of integrity and objectivity that I was taught in journalism classes in school. A chapter-a-day podcast from Micah 3. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Pillaging and Politics (CaD Mi 2)
It always amazes me how political power gets wielded to protect, empower, and pad the pockets of a few at the expense of the many. I don’t have to read history to know this. I only have to read today’s headlines. A chapter-a-day podcast from Micah 2. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Wordplay in The Word (CaD Mi 1)
One of the things that is lost on modern readers is the wordplay that Micah used when he wrote his messages in Hebrew. A chapter-a-day podcast from Micah 1. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Always Believe the Women (CaD Lk 24)
Looking back on my life journey, I’m grateful that God surrounded me with women. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 24. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
A Bit Part (CaD LK 23)
The more time I spent on stage, the more I began to realize the joy of playing a “bit” part. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 23. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
How the Real World Works (CaD Lk 22)
In the quiet this morning, I find myself reminded that sometimes being a disciple of Jesus is very simple. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 22. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Antidotes to Fear (CaD Lk 21)
Over the past few years, I've tried to counter-balance my fear with two things, make that three. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 21, the text version (including links mentioned in the podcast) can be found at tomvanderwell.com.
Popes & High Priests (CaD Lk 20)
Jesus has no earthly authority. He has no standing. He doesn't hold a title, sit on any committees, or wear a funny hat. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 20. The text version many be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Kings & Kingdoms (CaD Lk 19)
As a disciple of Jesus, I've had to learn along the way that when my thoughts, words, actions, and worldview start looking like a kingdom of this world, then I'm out of sync with the Kingdom of God that Jesus invested in me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 19. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
Hidden in Plain Sight (CaD Lk 18)
I can watch great movies countless times because I can perpetually find things I've never seen before. The writers and directors placed things into scenes and dialogue that are hidden from me in plain sight. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 18. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.