Shows / Wayfarer
Wayfarer
Tom Vander Well is author of "This Call May Be Monitored (What Eavesdropping on Corporate America Taught Me About Business and Life)" A "wayfaring stranger" life's road. Husband, father, writer, CEO, actor, playwright, preacher, back porch musician, and follower of Jesus, he shares his thoughts and observations on the journey. Each weekday he offers 5-10 minute Chapter-a-Day (CaD) reflections on one chapter of the Bible, perfect for a daily commute. Longer reflections are on the Wayfarer…
Episodes
- Wayfarer
The Story Isn't Finished (CaD 2 Ki 11)
The events of today's chapter do challenge my assumption that God's apparent silence means His absence. The delay did not mean the promise had died. It meant…
- Wayfarer
"And Yet..." (CaD 2 Ki 10)
Sometimes the hardest act of obedience isn't the spectacular sacrifice everyone can see. It's the quiet surrender nobody notices.A chapter-a-day podcast from 2…
- Wayfarer
Of Actions and Heart (CaD 2 Ki 9)
Busyness -- even doing God's work -- can come from very different heart motivations. Jehu was absolutely convinced that he was doing God's work. And, in a very…
- Wayfarer
Three Stories. One Question. (CaD 2 Ki 8)
In the quiet this morning, a question rises in my heart as the centerpiece of today's chapter-a-day reflections: "What am I becoming while I'm waiting for what…
- Wayfarer
Get Up. Start Walking. (CaD 2 Ki 7)
I love that the first people to discover what God has done in today's chapter aren't the king, the powerful, or the spiritually impressive. It's four poor…
- Wayfarer
Eyes Opened (CaD 2 Ki 6)
Spiritual disciplines don't magically erase what's outside my window, but train the eyes of my heart to perceive realities that fear makes me forget.A…
- Wayfarer
"I Thought..." (CaD 2 Ki 5)
Sometimes my disappointment with God isn't actually because God has abandoned me. It's because God didn't follow the script I wrote for Him.A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
"Use What You've Got!" (CaD 2 Ki 4)
Emptiness isn't always the obstacle to God's work. Sometimes emptiness is the capacity for it.A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Kings 4. The text version may…
- Wayfarer
Wait for It (CaD 2 Ki 3)
There will be no rain, but water is coming. Wait for it.A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Kings 3. The text version may always be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
Picking Up the Mantle (CaD 2 Ki 2)
At some point along the journey inheritance must become ownership. At some waypoint somebody else's faith must become my own. Following in a mentor's footsteps…
- Wayfarer
Refrigerator Reminder (CaD 2 Ki 1)
How many times a day do you open the refrigerator? It's one of the reasons that the fridge makes a great place for reminders. When Wendy puts something on the…
- Wayfarer
Challengers (CaD 1 Ki 22)
Ahab's problem is that he wants reality to conform to his desires rather than conforming his desires to reality. And that's where today's chapter wanders…
- Wayfarer
Blood and Sackloth (CaD 1 Ki 21)
Ahab possesses enormous wealth, authority, land, servants, palaces, and military power—yet one man's vineyard sparks an overflow of envy. Naboth's vineyard…
- Wayfarer
God of Hills and Valleys (CaD 1 Ki 20)
Ahab has more evidence than most people could ever ask for. Yet somehow he walks away from all of it essentially unchanged.A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Kings…
- Wayfarer
It's Not About Me (CaD 1 Ki 19)
I have always had a strong soul connection with the Prophet Elijah. Whenever I read his story, I see all the tell-tale signs of a fellow Enneagram Type Four…
- Wayfarer
Limping (CaD 1 Ki 18)
When I add "and"s to my faith, I'll eventually find myself limping back and forth. And my friend Eric can tell you from experience that it will ruin your…
- Wayfarer
Brook. Jar. Boy. (CaD 1 Ki 17)
I've learned along my journey that sometimes the drying brook isn't evidence that God has abandoned me. It is evidence that yesterday's provision has finished…
- Wayfarer
"I'm Not Laying the Next Brick" (CaD 1 Ki 16)
Every ordinary decision is adding something to the world our children, grandchildren, employees, friends, churches, and communities will inherit.A…
- Wayfarer
The Measure (CaD 1 Ki 15)
Kings and kingdoms come and go. Dynasties rise and fall. The author of Kings keeps asking: "What happened to the heart?"A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Kings…
- Wayfarer
Bronze is Shiny, Too (CaD 1 Ki 14)
The God who saw through the disguise of Jeroboam at Shiloh and knew the difference between Solomon's gold and Rehoboam's bronze is still less interested in the…
- Wayfarer
So Many Voices (CaD 1 Ki 13)
The enemy who announces himself may be easier to resist than the voice that sounds almost exactly like wisdom. And in an age where there are so many voices…
- Wayfarer
Two Leaders. One Big Lesson. (CaD 1 Ki 12)
Today's chapter is a master class in leadership. It could be titled How to Lose Half Your Kingdom in Three Days. Specifically, it reveals how not to lead.A…
- Wayfarer
The Duplicity of Age (CaD 1 Ki 11)
Rebellion may be a typical young person's problem, but spiritual drift is too often a problem in life's later stages -- when a divided heart leads to spiritual…
- Wayfarer
Accumulation (CaD 1 Ki 10)
Because sometimes the most spiritually dangerous moment isn't when everything is falling apart. It's when everything is going spectacularly well.A…
- Wayfarer
The Turn Away (CaD 1 Ki 9)
After the spiritual mountain top of a week at summer camp, there was always an inevitable question: What does real life look like on Monday morning?A…
- Wayfarer
The Turn (CaD 1 Ki 8)
The most important thing about knowing where home is isn't that I never wander from it. It's that when I eventually realize how lost I am, I always know which…
- Wayfarer
The Pillars' Silent Reminder (CaD 1 Ki 7)
As with yesterday's chapter, there is a spiritual warning hiding in the opulent beauty of Solomon's Temple.A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Kings 7. The text…
- Wayfarer
Beneath the Blueprints (CaD 1 Ki 6)
Today's chapter reads on the surface like the boring recitation of a contractor's plans. Yet, once again, there are some important spiritual truths flowing…
- Wayfarer
Temple and Stone (CaD 1 Ki 5)
God doesn't give wisdom merely so that I might know more. He gives wisdom so that I might build well.A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Kings 5. The text version…
- Wayfarer
Inflection Point (CaD 1 Ki 4)
By virtually every ancient measure, Solomon is winning. Yet the narrator has slipped several tiny warning lights onto the dashboard.A chapter-a-day podcast…
- Wayfarer
Solomon Didn't Ask for Wisdom (CaD 1 Ki 3)
Everyone knows that Solomon asked God to grant him wisdom. You know what? It's not true. Wisdom is not what he asked for.A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Kings…
- Wayfarer
Direction and Mess (CaD 1 Ki 2)
Solomon doesn't begin with a clean slate. He inherits David's kingdom. But he also inherits David's relationships, promises, enemies, loyalties, compromises…
- Wayfarer
Two Sons, One Throne (CaD 1 Ki 1)
Who will ascend to David's throne? It comes down to two brothers. Adonijah is the eldest son. Solomon is the youngest son and the offspring of the scandalous…
- Wayfarer
Not "Happily Ever After" (CaD 2 Sam 24)
Today's chapter is the final chapter of 2 Samuel. Strangely enough, it abruptly ends with a census, a plague, and a sacrifice. For the casual modern reader…
- Wayfarer
Life and Legacy (CaD 2 Sam 23)
At the end of David's story, we're given an important truth. Grace neither denies the glory nor erases the scars.A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel 23. The…
- Wayfarer
End Theme (CaD 2 Sam 22)
You know the movie is over when the song begins and the ending credits roll. Our chapter-a-day journey has reached the end of David's story. How fitting that…
- Wayfarer
Addressing What's Broken (CaD 2 Sam 21)
To the ancient Hebrews, sin was not merely an isolated transaction between perpetrator and victim. Sin created ripples through communities, families…
- Wayfarer
An Example to Follow (CaD 2 Sam 20)
An unnamed woman with no army, no office, no title, and no apparent authority saves an entire city with wisdom. Hers is an example I want to follow. A…
- Wayfarer
Two Men, Two Lessons (CaD 2 Sam 19)
As I meditated on both David and Barzillai this morning, it struck me that they have for me a beautiful lesson about what is required at different stages of…
- Wayfarer
A Prayer's Tragic Answer (CaD 2 Sam 18)
Along this earthly journey, I've observed that sometimes prayers are answered in heartbreaking ways.A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel 18. The text version…
- Wayfarer
Hashgachah (CaD 2 Sam 17)
Hashgachah refers to God's providential oversight that works through ordinary events rather than spectacular miracles. Today's chapter is a great example.A…
- Wayfarer
Thrown Stones (CaD 2 Sam 16)
I've learned along my own journey that repentance changes my posture toward criticism. David isn't defending his reputation. He is entrusting it to God.A…
- Wayfarer
One Right Step (CaD 2 Sam 15)
If one wrong move started this avalanche, maybe what David needs is just one step in the right direction.A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel 15. The text…
- Wayfarer
The Empty Kiss (CaD 2 Sam 14)
A kiss may be the quintessential act of human intimacy. Yet, through history and art it becomes a powerful device for communicating a whole host of human…
- Wayfarer
The Girl (CaD 2 Sam 13)
And, as I sat with Tamar in my heart this morning and listened to her share her story with me, my father's heart broke. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel…
- Wayfarer
Grace in Pursuit (CaD 2 Sam 12)
Some mistakes become life-defining. They get attached to a person's identity, and it follows them for the rest of their life.A chapter-a-day podcast from 2…
- Wayfarer
Drift (CaD 2 Sam 11)
For me, the lesson of today's chapter isn't simply, "Don't commit David's sins." It's the reminder to never outgrow the habits that keep me close to God in the…
- Wayfarer
"This Call May Be Monitored" Podcast Episode 5 (WW)
This is the fifth of eight Wayfarer Weekend (WW) podcasts exploring Tom Vander Well's Amazon International Bestselling Book "This Call May Be Monitored (What…
- Wayfarer
Fear's Fast Progression (CaD 2 Sam 10)
Fear has a remarkable ability to rewrite another person's motives. I know. My active mind has done it a million times. I struggle with it every day.A…
- Wayfarer
The Table (CaD 2 Sam 9)
In networking meetings and podcast interviews I am commonly asked, "Tom? What do you like to do?" I know that people expect that my answer will be something…
- Wayfarer
Open Hands (CaD 2 Samuel 8)
In today's chapter, what appears to be a boring report about military victories isn't really about battles at all. It's about stewardship.A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
Assumptions (CaD 2 Sam 7)
Sometimes God's refusal isn't rejection. It is redirection toward something larger than I can yet imagine.A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel 7. The text…
- Wayfarer
Remembering What's Forgotten (CaD 2 Sam 6)
David understood that his people needed to remember what they'd long forgotten and placed in mothballs both physically and spiritually.A chapter-a-day podcast…
- Wayfarer
David's Day, God's Purpose (CaD 2 Sam 5)
David may be leading Israel, but God is leading David. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel 5. The text version may always be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
Panic (CaD 2 Sam 4)
One of the things that I've observed in human behavior is that when panic sets in, people grasp for security and stability. And that's exactly what happens in…
- Wayfarer
The Perfect Storm (CaD 2 Sam 3)
Most of God's kingdom advances one ordinary day at a time, one act of obedience at a time, one quiet season of trust after another. While the world often…
- Wayfarer
The Next Step (CaD 2 Sam 2)
David's first move is not to act, but to ask. His ask is not about becoming King. It's about his next step.A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel 2. The text…
- Wayfarer
When Enemies Fall (CaD 2 Sam 1)
I can't always control what others become, but I can choose who I become in response to them. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Samuel 1. The text version may…
- Wayfarer
"This Call May Be Monitored” Podcast Episode 4
This is the fourth of eight Wayfarer Weekend (WW) podcasts exploring Tom Vander Well's Amazon International Bestselling Book "This Call May Be Monitored (What…
- Wayfarer
"This Call May Be Monitored” Podcast Episode 3 (WW)
This is the third of eight Wayfarer Weekend (WW) podcasts exploring Tom Vander Well's Amazon International Bestselling Book "This Call May Be Monitored (What…