Daily Thunder Podcast

To use a space analogy, most Christian education programs "orbit" far out into space, exploring the outer reaches of knowledge. But our heart is to keep our orbit tight around a central focus: Jesus Christ.

In this episode, Eric and Nathan talk about the basic structure of Ellerslie 2.0 content, why the orbiting language is helpful, and what makes Ellerslie 2.0 different than the typical seminary program.

» Discover more about Ellerslie 2.0 and see "behind the scenes" as we build out the information and details in the coming weeks.

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Exciting Specials

Let’s talk about the fish. While this tends to be everyone’s focus in the book of Jonah, the richness of the message is not about the fish but what happens from within the belly of that beast. In this study, we examine Jonah 2:1–10 and specifically talk about what Nathan calls the “positive parenthetical poetry of praise” (i.e., Jonah’s prayer). And while he does (finally) talk about the fish, Nathan’s emphasis is more on Jonah’s prayer and a key practical lesson for our lives we discover from it.

Encore: a repeated performance.

As we approach the end of 2025, we decided to do an encore of eight episodes from the past six years. With a new intro for each episode recorded by Eric Ludy and Nathan Johnson, we hope these encores will stir your soul toward Jesus and introduce you to previous series that you can explore.

Naming Idols (Nathan Johnson)

Originally recorded in 2022 as a part of his series Soul Drift … Idolatry doesn’t have to be a mysterious, abstract, or elusive concept. Scripture makes it clear what idols are and if w...

One of Ellerslie's passions since the beginning is what we call the "return of majesty." We have a longing to see the majesty of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and God's Word return to the stage of time once again.

In this episode, Eric and Nathan talk about the return of majesty, how it applies to the Ellerslie 2.0 program, and announce several new details about the program.

» Discover more about Ellerslie 2.0 and see "behind the scenes" as we build out the information and details in the coming weeks.

» Listen to Eric's original "return of ma...

Charles Spurgeon is quoted as saying that God does not let His children sin successfully. As Jonah flees from the command and commission of God, we see the pursuit of God’s mercy upon Jonah through difficulty, trial, and hardship. As the storm rages and the sailors are about to die, the unexpected occurs, everything turns upside down, and God’s mercy is seen even on a grander scale.

In this study from Jonah 1:4–17, we examine Jonah’s flee to Tarshish, the great storm he experienced, and the wondrous mercy God had upon both Jonah and on the paga...

Encore: a repeated performance.

As we approach the end of 2025, we decided to do an encore of eight episodes from the past six years. With a new intro for each episode recorded by Eric Ludy and Nathan Johnson, we hope these encores will stir your soul toward Jesus and introduce you to previous series that you can explore.

The Pursuit of Guthrum (Eric Ludy)

Originally recorded in 2021 as a part of his series Spiritual Lessons from Alfred the Great, Eric continues to unpack the remarkable story of Alfred and his battles with the...

Before Brother Andrew died, he made the declaration that if he was going to live his life over again, he would have lived "more radical." This statement has become a stirring summary of what we desire our Ellerslie 2.0 program to look like. In this episode, Eric and Nathan talk about Brother Andrew, what it means to be more radical, and discuss why this concept is helpful as we unpack Ellerslie 2.0. We are updating our Ellerslie 2.0 program page, where you can find more details about the forthcoming program, by going to: https://ellerslie.com/ellerslie2/

God is passionately pursuing the world with the transforming truth of the Gospel. In this study of Jonah 1:1–3, we look at God’s commission to Jonah, his rebellion and attempt to flee, and two key reasons behind why Jonah refused to go to Nineveh.

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» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Nathan, Eric, Leslie, and the team at Ellerslie in one of our upcoming discipleship programs – learn more at: https://ellerslie.com/be-discipled/

» Receive our free “Five Keys to Walking Through Difficulty” PDF by going to: https://ellerslie.com/subscribe/

Encore: a repeated performance.

As we approach the end of 2025, we decided to do an encore of eight episodes from the past six years. With a new intro for each episode recorded by Eric Ludy and Nathan Johnson, we hope these encores will stir your soul toward Jesus and introduce you to previous series that you can explore.

El Shaddai – God Almighty (Nathan Johnson)

Originally recorded in 2023 as a part of his series Behold Our God … There is a twofold profundity with God’s name El Shaddai (God Almighty) – it points to His overpower...

Ellerslie is excited to begin to roll out "Ellerslie 2.0" in the coming months (God willing). In the first episode of this special series, Eric and Nathan get together to talk back through the old journal entires of how Ellerslie began, what has transpired over the last sixteen years, and the beginning burden and passion behind 2.0.

» Discover more about Ellerslie 2.0 and see "behind the scenes" as we build out the information and details in the coming weeks.

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» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Eric, Leslie, Nathan, and the team at...

Something's fishy … and it's not the book of Jonah.

When most people think of Jonah, they picture a fish. Yet the fish appears in only three verses of this profound prophetic book. So if Jonah isn't really about a fish, what's it about? What many dismiss as a children's story is actually a masterfully crafted account meant to pierce our hearts, expose our prejudices, and radically transform our lives.

In this verse-by-verse study, we'll discover that Jonah is a book about the Living God who relentlessly pursues the lost, even when His own people would pr...

Something's fishy … and it's not the book of Jonah.

When most people think of Jonah, they picture a fish. Yet the fish appears in only three verses of this profound prophetic book. So if Jonah isn't really about a fish, what's it about? What many dismiss as a children's story is actually a masterfully crafted account meant to pierce our hearts, expose our prejudices, and radically transform our lives.

In this verse-by-verse study, we'll discover that Jonah is a book about the Living God who relentlessly pursues the lost, even when His own people would pr...

Encore: a repeated performance.

As we approach the end of 2025, we decided to do an encore performance of eight episodes from the past six years. With a new intro for each episode recorded by Eric Ludy and Nathan Johnson, we hope these encores will stir your soul toward Jesus and introduce you to previous series that you can explore.

A Bully Buffalo Hunt (Eric Ludy)

Originally recorded in 2023 as a part of his series Life and Leadership Lessons from Teddy Roosevelt, Eric takes us on a buffalo hunt in the wild west with...

We recently finished our summer/fall season of Daily Thunder with two incredible series: Eric focused on Spiritual Lessons from the Wright Brothers and Nathan did a study on the Awful Fear of the Lord.

In this special episode, Eric and Nathan quickly debrief the past series and talk about the three series that launch mid-November.

Please note: the audio quality was having issues, we apologize for the inconvenience.

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» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Nathan, Eric, Leslie, and the team at Ellerslie in one of our...

In this concluding message of our series on the awful fear of the Lord, we bring together the key truths we've explored and discover how holy fear transforms every aspect of Christian life. In this study, Nathan tackles several practical questions like: How can we increase our fear of the Lord? What do we do when we struggle to relate to God with fear? How does holy fear help us overcome persistent sin? And why is it impossible to live the Christian life without this foundational attribute? Whether you're battling sin, seeking deeper intimacy with God, or simply wanting...

This message puts the punctuation on the entire series. As the final episode, it brings the entire storyline in for a beautiful landing (pun intended). We follow Wilbur Wright to New York City and his final public flight. It is there that we are freshly stirred to remember that--since we never know when our last flight is going to be flown--we should fly every flight with all the gusto we possess, believing it may very well be our final one.

Throughout Christian history, the greatest longing of the believer has always been to go home to be with Jesus. As the Apostle Paul said, “to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” The world is unable to look at death as gain, but the Christian does. This message parallels the Homecoming welcome of the Wright brothers in Dayton, Ohio in 1909 with our future homecoming in Heaven. It’s a beautiful meditation that is sure to move and inspire.

Throughout Scripture, knowing God’s ways and fearing Him are inseparable. If you do not have a holy fear and live in humility, you will not understand or be able to walk in His ways. And yet, like the Israelites of old, it is possible to be close to God and yet never experience Him. The Psalmist wrote that God “made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel” (Psalm 103:7)—the Israelites saw God’s works but Moses knew His ways. In this study, Nathan explores that key difference, what it means to know the ways of Go...

The Wright Brothers built magnificent flying machines. Many of them were officially retired due to crashes in the early years of flight discovery. But there was one particular flyer that was not magnificent—it was tattered, ripped, re-stitched. It was built differently than all the others. Out of necessity, it was built out of broken and smashed pieces. And yet it was THIS tattered flying machine that was used to demonstrate to the world the miracle of flight. It sounds a bit like the Christian life, doesn’t it?

September 17, 1908 tragedy struck. At Ft. Myers, in Washington D.C., Orville Wright had broken seven aeronautical world records over the previous two weeks. He was on top of the world. And then a grief intruded into the Wright Brother’s storyline. But, as in every good story, grief is never the final chapter, it’s merely a difficult stretch along the way which works as a catalyst for even a greater triumph in the end.

In September 1908 all the pressure is on Orville Wright. In August, his older brother, Wilbur, amazed the world over in Le Mans, France, demonstrating the abilities of the Wright’s flying machine before a skeptical Europe. But now it’s Orville’s turn to show his stuff in front of skeptical America. On September 3, 1908 the pressure on Orville is nearly crushing. His task seems impossible. How can he somehow dazzle like Wilbur did in France? In many ways, we all experience this same unusual pressure when we realize that we are called to follow in the dazzling footsteps of Jesus...

After years of put-downs, ridicule, and mockery the day finally arrived for Wilbur and Orville Wright to show the world that they actually were flyers and not liars. In Le Mans, France on August 8, 1908, the stage was set for one of the most extraordinary public breakthroughs in history. There is an August 8, 1908 in every life that lives for Truth—when faith is made sight and the clouds roll back like a scroll. And, oh, is it a special day.

God has called Christians to a life of holiness, godliness, and righteousness—a life conformed to the image of Jesus Himself. Yet, for many of us, we dislike holiness and find obedience to be difficult. What is the solution to our desire for sin and our passivity toward obeying God? In this study, Nathan proposes that the fear of the Lord is the solution. If you are struggling with sin, succumbing to temptation, or stuck in disobedience, the fear of the Lord is the answer. Listen to the episode and discover why.

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» Take these stud...

Wilbur and Orville, even after discovering human-controlled flight on December 17, 1903, still traversed difficulty after difficulty in convincing everyone that they did indeed accomplish the feat. From December 1903 to August 1908, the Wrights were accused of being liars instead of flyers. Each of our lives has a segment like this-a stretch of particular difficulties that define us either as failures or phenoms. But, following this challenging stretch, the much-anticipated breakthrough awaits us all—the day that all the hard work pays off. But right before this big day is the bread and cheese moment. And that is the biggest test of al...

The Wright Brothers headed back to Kitty Hawk, NC in 1907 for the expressed purpose of getting alone and remembering afresh how to fly. They hadn’t flown for two and a half years and they had become a bit rusty in the art. How often we need the same thing in our spiritual lives—a return to wilderness, the desert, the solitude in order to rekindle the heavenly fires in the soul.

When we have a proper (godly, holy) fear of the Lord, it brings forth freedom and life within the believer. It not only dispels all other fears from our lives, it also enables us to live victorious over sin and live in obedience to God and His Word. In this study, Nathan gives a refined definition of the “awful fear of the Lord” and explores how holy fear frees us in four key ways … which can radically change our lives.

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» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Nathan, Eric, Leslie, and the team a...

Rumor has it that everyone has a price. Supposedly, even the most virtuous man or woman, the most stouthearted, have their breaking point—the price point at which they are willing to compromise. However, those concocting such theories have never met Jesus Christ—a man who had no price and was totally and completely unpurchasable. This chapter in the Wright Brothers’ story tests them on this very theory. Will they compromise or will they stand firm. History will tell.

By 1905 the Wright Brothers had officially learned to fly. They had a testable and provable flying machine. But, even though human-controlled flight was a reality, less than 1% of Americans believed the accomplishment was real. The Wright Brothers spent the entire year of 1905 attempting to convince the American War Department that they had something important—something that would greatly benefit America. However, the American government shockingly rejected the invention. Meanwhile, the British and the French were more than enthusiastic to get their hands on this important tool.

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» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in perso...

In Solomon’s introduction to the book of Proverbs, he gives three key purposes for the book but gives a central premise: the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge. In this study, Nathan explores Proverbs 1:1–7 and expounds upon wisdom, discipline, understanding, and how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (and what that even means). In short, the fear of God is the beginning (starting place) of an intimate relationship with Him!

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» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Nathan, Eric, Leslie, and the team at Ellersl...

The Wright Brother’s achieved flight on December 17, 1903 in Kitty Hawk, NC. The problem was, no one believed them. It wasn’t until nine months later (September 20, 1904), back in Dayton, Ohio that the brothers were able to demonstrate to the world that their Kitty Hawk claims of 1903 were actually true. But, outside their intimate team, there was only one witness there at Huffman Prairie on that day to actually behold the amazing feat. His name was Amos Root. Root was known as The Bee Man of Ohio. The Wright Brothers entrusted this humble eccentric man with the privilege of maki...

In the Wright Brother’s story of flight, wind was an essential ingredient. First it was the natural winds of Kitty Hawk—they learned to master the gusting winds, gain lift, and soar. But, then, in 1904, they needed to figure out how to fly even when there wasn’t any wind. And this challenge proved to be an even greater problem. Like Wilbur and Orville, we, too, must learn to “fly” when the first winds fail. We must gain a second wind.

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» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Eric, Leslie, Nathan, and t...

In Psalm 34, David invites his listeners to learn the fear of Yahweh. But far more than an intellectual pursuit, David reminds us that to fear of the Lord, it demands that our lives come into alignment (conformed) with the God that we stand in awe and tremble before. In other words, to fear God means to have His righteousness, holiness, purity, and life demonstrated in and through our own. In this message, Nathan walks through Psalm 34, and encourages us to not only learn, but to experience and live the fear of Yahweh.

In this special Daily Thunder, Eric and Nathan reflect upon their current series and mention that we are currently taking a three week break from Daily Thunder. We jump back into Spiritual Lessons from the Wright Brothers and the Awful Fear of the Lord on September 10.

Huffman Prairie represents a significant chapter in the Wright Brother’s story, but a “Huffman Prairie” chapter is certainly not unique to them. It’s a chapter that each of us must pass through. And how we pass through it defines whether or not we fulfill our high calling and actually fly.

The Wright Brothers accomplished something on December 17, 1903 that changed the course of history. And yet, no one believed them. Their hometown of Dayton didn’t pull together a big parade to welcome the boys home from Kitty Hawk—no one was in a celebratory mood. In fact, one in every hundred Daytonians believed the brothers had actually accomplished what they said that they had accomplished. Moments like this are not uncommon in the landscape of the Christian experience. Often the very things we are laboring overtime to see accomplished in our life by the Holy Spirit are not understood, beli...

“Wow!” It’s a word that expresses astonishment or admiration or to excite someone greatly. Yet that state of awe and wonder should be how stand before God and His Word. In this study, we examine what it means to have “holy fear” (reverence marked by awe and a tremble) in light of awe, wonder, and living with a “wow” before who our God is and the authority of His Word. By examining Isaiah 40, we will behold and be led into worship of the Everlasting God—for He is worthy and worthy to be praised. Let’s us stand in awe of Him!

The Christian life is all about faith. But, what many Christians don’t realize is that it is not just the presence of faith that causes the Christian to triumph. It’s the testing of that faith; the proving of that faith as genuine that showcases the power of heavenly triumph. December 17, 1903 was a day of triumph. It was the first day of human controlled flight. And that triumph only lasted twelve short seconds. But those twelve seconds were the first twelve seconds of the trillion seconds of triumphant flight to follow. Often the first breakthrough in the living out...

When we think of the Wright Brothers, we think of two extraordinary men that pulled off an impossible feat all by their lonesome. And that is correct . . . sort of. There was actually a third person involved in this amazing accomplishment, but he is rarely ever discussed and, still to this day, is relatively unknown. His name was Charlie Taylor. It was Charlie that built the first plane engine. And without that miracle engine, human controlled flight simply would not have taken place. In the work of salvation, the Father and the Son get a good deal of our focus...

I’ve been defining the “fear of the Lord” as having reverence for God mixed with tremble and awe. Over the past few studies we’ve looked at the idea of “tremble” and defined “reverence,” but what does it mean to stand in awe of God? In this study, we explore the idea of wonder, what it means to be lost in the wonder and greatness of our God, and seven ways we can do so.

The Wright Brothers were not dashing, debonaire men. They were not highly educated nor were they confident with the lady folk. They were simple men. And the adjective used to describe them more than any other was “humility.” The other leading aeronautical geniuses at the time were highly financed, highly educated, and highly snooty. Samuel Langley, the director of the Smithsonian Institute had one goal: to beat the Wright Brothers. Langley had everything needed for success. He had loads of money, loads of intelligence, and loads of scientific helpers. But, the one thing he lacked was humility. And that cost...