Dial In with Jonny Ardavanis

"Is laziness just a bad habit, or is it a sin? In this episode, Jonny Ardavanis and Hank Bowen dig into the Book of Proverbs to unpack what the Bible really says about the sluggard — and why laziness is a character issue, not just a productivity issue.

📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp

You'll learn:

• The 4 types of laziness: physical, mental, spiritual, and vocational

• 5 traits of the "sluggard" from Proverbs 26

• Why laziness and godliness...

What does the Bible actually say about your 9-to-5? In this episode, Jonny Ardavanis and Hank Bowen dig into the theology of work—why the curse of Genesis 3 made labor hard, and how believers are called to work with enthusiasm, enjoyment, excellence, integrity, and gratitude, no matter the job.

📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/0aFMdjNp

You'll learn:

• Why work was designed to be an act of worship (not just a paycheck)

• The three consequences of the Fall...

Why do you feel drawn to build, make, or create something bigger than yourself? Turns out that instinct isn't random — it's rooted in the opening chapters of Genesis.

📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/04k0sFpo

In this episode, we continue our series exploring the biblical theology of work (pulled from Jonny's forthcoming book, "Get to Work") by digging into Genesis 1 and 2. We unpack what it means that humanity is made in God's image, what the Hebrew words "radah" (rule) a...

Is work a curse from the Fall — or something far more sacred? In this episode, we kick off a brand-new series on the theology of work, exploring what Scripture actually says about labor, calling, and vocation — starting not with us, but with God Himself.

📖 Pre-order Jonny Ardavanis's new book Get to Work: Seeing Your Daily Grind as God’s Good Gift here: https://a.co/d/04k0sFpo

We dig into Genesis 1 to see God revealed as Creator, Artist, Sustainer, and Worker long before Adam and Eve ever showed up. We look at Jesus's own life — in...

Jesus doesn't say the world might hate you — He says it will. In this episode, we dig into John 15:18-20 and ask a question every believer needs to wrestle with: why does the world hate Christians?

We look at four biblical reasons the world opposes followers of Jesus — because we're non-conformists, because the world hates truth, because people love their sin, and because they don't know God. Along the way we talk about the martyrdom of the apostles, Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship," the Vanity Fair scene from Pilgrim's Progress, and why smooth sailing in the Chri...

Colby Parkinson, tight end for the Los Angeles Rams, joins Jonny Ardavanis for a raw conversation about faith, football, and what it really means to be "salt and light" (Matthew 5:13-16) in a secular, high-pressure NFL environment.

Colby opens up about a difficult season where he feared being cut from the roster, the identity crisis that followed, and how a shift from a works-based mindset to a grace-based one transformed not just his walk with Christ — but his career, leading to a breakout season with the Rams.

Stay accountable in a digital world: check out Ac...

He sat in the place of honor. He preached the gospel. He cast out demons. And Judas Iscariot still walked straight into the darkest corner of hell — without ever seeing it coming.

In this episode, we dig into John 13 and Matthew 26–27 to answer a question every believer should wrestle with: what actually went wrong with Judas? It wasn't a single dramatic moment of rebellion — it was a slow, quiet hardening that looked a lot like normal Christian life right up until it didn't.

🎓 This episode is brought to you by The Master's University — 150+ fields of study built...

What does the Bible really teach about speaking in tongues? In this episode, Jonny and Hank dig into the gift of tongues from a biblical perspective — walking through Acts 2, Acts 10, Acts 19, and 1 Corinthians 12–14 to examine whether tongues in Scripture refers to known languages or a private prayer language.

Hank shares a personal story from his college years visiting a charismatic church, then unpacks:

- What tongues meant in Acts 2 (the Day of Pentecost)

- How Luke's authorship and timeline shape the interpretation of Acts

- 1 Corinthians 13 and the "tongues of angels" — litera...

Are there apostles and prophets today? In this episode, we break down the difference between cessationism, continuationism, and charismatic theology — and answer the question so many Christians are asking as self-proclaimed "apostles" and "prophets" (like Katherine Krick and leaders in the New Apostolic Reformation/NAR movement) gain massive followings online. We define the key terms — cessationist, continuationist, and charismatic — then walk through:

🔹 The 3 biblical criteria for a prophet in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 18, Deuteronomy 13, Jeremiah 28)

🔹 The 3 biblical criteria for an apostle in the New Testament (Acts 1, Ephesians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 12:12)

🔹 How to think about Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 14...

In this episode of Dial In, Jonny and Scott Ardavanis walk through Scripture to answer some of the most important questions every Christian asks:

- Can a genuine believer lose their salvation?

- What's the difference between eternal security and assurance of salvation?

- What does Jesus mean in Matthew 7 when He says, "I never knew you"?

- How can you avoid false assurance while enjoying biblical confidence in Christ?

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. Join thousands living in freedom with nothing...

What is the biblical role of a church elder or pastor — and why should it matter to you, even if you never plan to be one? In this episode, a father-son pastoral duo break down the calling, qualifications, attitude, function, and motivation of a biblical elder, drawing from 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5.

You'll learn:

✅ How a man is called to be an elder (subjective desire + objective qualifications)

✅ The biblical qualifications of an elder or pastor (1 Timothy 3 & Titus 1)

✅ Why elder plurality matters — and why no pastor should act like a CEO

✅ The ri...

Blockbuster had 9,000 stores and was worth $9 billion. Today, only one location remains. What happened — and what does it have to do with the church?

In this episode, Pastor Scott Ardavanis sits down with his son Jonny for a father-son conversation on what actually makes a church healthy. Is it true that churches need to "change with the times or die," like Blockbuster and Kodak failed to do? Or are there timeless, transcendent principles every healthy church must hold onto regardless of culture?

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. Join th...

What does the Bible actually say about exercise, fitness, and taking care of your body?

In this conversation, a Desiring God pastor and author David Mathis unpacks a biblical theology of exercise — covering the six-layer biblical story of the human body (creation, the fall, the incarnation, the indwelling Holy Spirit, obedience, and future glorification), how to think about 1 Timothy 4:8 ("bodily training is of some value"), and why sedentary modern life and body-idolatry are two ditches to avoid.

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. Join thousands living in freedom with no...

In this episode, we walk through the most common rebuttals to the biblical view of homosexuality — not to win arguments, but to equip believers with Scripture and point people toward the truth in love.

This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit https://www.masters.edu

We cover:

• Did Paul only condemn exploitative relationships — not committed gay couples?

• Was "homosexual" added to the Bible in 1946?

• Doesn't Jesus never mention homosexuality?

• Isn't God ju...

In this episode, we walk through what the Bible says about homosexuality from Genesis to Romans — not to condemn, but to teach truth with clarity and care.

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. Join thousands living in freedom with nothing to hide, and visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin. Use our unique code DIALIN to get 25% off your first year of an Accountable2You Personal or Family Plan

We cover:

• God's original design for marriage and sexuality (Genesis 1–2)

• The sin of Sodom and what it actually...

What does the Bible actually say about dating? And why does the church barely talk about it?

This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit https://www.masters.edu

We brought in Greg Gifford — biblical counselor, professor, and author — to give us a theology of dating that applies whether you're 22 or 45. This is one of the most practical and honest conversations we've had on the show.

Topics covered:

• Acquaintance → Friend → Best Friend: the 3 stages of a datin...

What is worship, really? Most people say "singing" — but Jesus has a very different answer.

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. Join thousands living in freedom with nothing to hide, and visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin. Use our unique code DIALIN to get 25% off your first year of an Accountable2You Personal or Family Plan

In John 4, Jesus sits down with the last person anyone expected: a Samaritan woman with a broken past. And in that conversation, he gives the clearest definition of worship in all of Scripture — in s...

In John 4, Jesus has the longest recorded conversation found anywhere in Scripture — and he has it with the most unlikely person imaginable: a Samaritan woman with a broken past.

In this episode, we unpack why Jesus went out of his way to find her, what "living water" really means, and why he lovingly confronted her sin before offering salvation.Whether you feel too good to need a Savior (like Nicodemus in John 3) or too far gone to deserve one — this passage is for you.

📖 Key Passages: John 4:1–26 | Jeremiah 2:13 | Isaiah 55:1 | John 7:37–38 | Revelation 21:6

🔑 In this episode:

Is mysticism creeping into your church? Are you unknowingly influenced by New Age or New Thought beliefs?

In this eye-opening conversation, Jonny Ardavanis sits down with apologist and author Melissa Dougherty to unpack the subtle but dangerous ideas infiltrating modern Christianity — from the Law of Attraction and Christ consciousness to Christian mysticism, universalism, and the teachings of Richard Rohr.

Melissa shares her personal story of being deeply involved in the church while unknowingly holding occultic, unbiblical beliefs — and what finally woke her up.

📖 Topics covered: — What is New Thought and how is it different...

What does it mean to abide in Christ — and why does Jesus say it's the key to everything in the Christian life?

This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit https://www.masters.edu

In this episode, we open up John 15 and break down what abiding in Jesus actually looks like in practical, everyday terms. If you've ever felt like your Christian life was running on empty, or wondered why real joy and spiritual fruit seem out of re...

Did you know the Apostle Paul — who wrote half the New Testament — never once called himself a "Christian"? Instead, he used the phrase "in Christ" nearly 200 times. In this episode, we unpack what it means to find your identity in Christ, why so many believers struggle with temptation and insecurity, and how understanding union with Christ is the grip of the entire Christian life.

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. Join thousands living in freedom with nothing to hide, and visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin.

**Use our unique code...

Why does worship feel shallow? Why does preaching feel flat? Why has passion for God gone cold? The answer might be simpler — and more uncomfortable — than you think: a low view of God.

This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit https://www.masters.edu

In this episode, we open in Isaiah 6 — widely considered the greatest passage on the holiness of God in all of Scripture — and trace it through the story of King Uzziah, the seraphim, Palm Sunday i...

Is the Bible trustworthy? In this episode, we tackle one of the most important questions a Christian can ask — how did we get the Bible, and can we actually trust it?

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. To join thousands living in Freedom with nothing to hide visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin.

**Use our unique code: DIALIN to get 25% off your first year of an Accountable2You Personal or Family Plan**

We start with the famous story of the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53–8:11) and the aste...

In this episode of Dial In Ministries, we dive deep into John 3:16 — arguably the most well-known verse in all of Scripture — and unpack what it truly means with fresh eyes.

This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit masters.edu

Topics Covered:

What if everything you thought about “being a good person” was wrong?

In this episode, we explore a shocking but deeply biblical truth: Even the most admired humanitarian like Mother Teresa and the most notorious criminal like Jeffrey Dahmer need the exact same thing to be saved—a miracle of God.

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. To join thousands living in Freedom with nothing to hide visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin.

**Use our unique code: DIALIN to get 25% off your first year of an Accountable2You Pe...

What does it actually mean to be born again? In this episode, we dive deep into John 3 and Jesus' shocking conversation with Nicodemus — the most religious man in all of Israel — to unpack the biblical doctrine of regeneration and why it changes everything about how we understand salvation.

We cover:

What does it mean to be "born again"? Jesus told the most religious man in all of Israel — a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, a man of wealth, power, and Scripture — that he still wasn't good enough to enter the kingdom of God. In this episode, we unpack John 3:1–8 and the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus to answer the question that heaven and hell hang on.

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. Join thousands living in freedom with nothing to hide, and visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin. Use our unique...

What does the Bible really say about sex, romance, and marriage? Pastor Todd Fletcher joins us to break down 10 powerful keys drawn from King Solomon's life and writings — including Song of Solomon, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes — that can transform your relationship and marriage.

This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit https://www.masters.edu

In this episode, we cover:

✅ Rejecting the sins of your parents

✅ How to choose a godly spouse

✅ Why avoiding s...

Is obsessing over seed oils, beef tallow, sourdough, and toxin-free living actually biblical stewardship — or is it something else?

Biblical counselor and professor Greg Gifford joins the podcast to tackle the growing "crunchy" movement inside the church. We define what extreme crunchiness looks like, why it's spreading among Christians (especially post-COVID), and how fear-based eating can quietly become legalism.

In this episode we cover:

• What "crunchy" and "extreme crunchy" actually means

• Why stewardship gets misused to justify health anxiety

• The danger of Christian Gnosticism in wellness culture

• Romans 14...

Are you struggling with anxiety, fear, or feeling like life is out of control? In this episode, we dive deep into Psalm 46 to uncover three powerful truths about God's character that can transform the way you face life's hardest moments.

This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit: https://www.masters.edu/dialin

Get your copy of The Triumph of Love here (Study Questions Below): https://www.gracebooks.com/the-triumph-of-love-the-believers-victory-over-dou.html

What We Cover In this...

Is Ephesians 5:18 really the most important verse in the New Testament for believers? In this conversation, we break down what it truly means to be filled with the Holy Spirit — and how to actually live it out every single day.

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. To join thousands living in Freedom with nothing to hide visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin.

**Use our unique code: DIALIN to get 25% off your first year of an Accountable2You Personal or Family Plan**

We cover:

Are you being productive for the world's reasons or God's glory? In this episode, Reagan Rose (author of "Redeeming Productivity: Getting More Done for the Glory of God") shares the biblical foundation for Christian productivity and practical steps to steward your time well.

This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit masters.edu

What You'll Learn:

• The difference between worldly productivity and Christian productivity

• 5 pillars of biblical productivity (why we belong to God matters)

Living for Jesus in an increasingly hostile culture can leave Christians feeling bitter and defensive. But what if we're missing something crucial about how we're called to engage the lost world?

In this episode, we walk through Titus 3 and unpack three essential truths for staying tender-hearted toward unbelievers:

1️⃣ Remember who you were before Christ (vv. 1-3)

2️⃣ Remember what God has done (vv. 4-7)

3️⃣ Remember your calling (v. 8)

We discuss navigating a post-Christian America, the danger of confusing the mission field with your enemy, and why evangelistic engagement is the antidote to...

In this episode, we dive into what the Bible says about how Christians should use their tongues. Building on our previous discussion about illegitimate uses of speech, we explore four biblical purposes for our words and practical ways to honor God with what we say.

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. Join thousands living in freedom with nothing to hide, and visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin. Use our unique code DIALIN to get 25% off your first year of an Accountable2You Personal or Family Plan

🗣️ Four Reasons God Gave...

How powerful are your words—really? In this episode, we open James 1:26 and James 3 to expose the “respectable sins” of the tongue: gossip, slander, lying, crude talk, and careless words. Scripture is clear: the tongue reveals the heart, and unchecked speech can lead to self-deception and spiritual harm.

This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit: https://www.masters.edu

We walk through five biblical realities about the tongue—why it’s powerful, restless, foul, prone to lying, and deadly...

Have you been serving, staying doctrinally sound, and doing all the “right” Christian things—but feel your love for Jesus growing cold? In Revelation 2, Jesus praises the church in Ephesus for their diligence, discernment, and perseverance, but then gives a sobering rebuke: “You have left your first love.”

This episode is sponsored by The Master's University. To learn more about how you can invest in a college education devoted to Christ & Scripture, visit: https://www.masters.edu

In this episode, we unpack what it means to leave your first love (not in sequence, but in prominence...

In this episode, we walk through Luke 18:9–14—the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector—and answer one of the most important questions in human history: How can a sinner be made right with God?

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. Join thousands living in freedom with nothing to hide, and visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin. Use our unique code DIALIN to get 25% off your first year of an Accountable2You Personal or Family Plan

This passage completely reshaped the way I understood the gospel of grace, becaus...

Over 1.6 billion Google results for "how to find peace" – yet anxiety continues to plague our generation. In this episode, we explore Isaiah 26:3-4 and discover why true peace isn't found through self-help books or better circumstances, but through a steadfast mind fixed on God.

This episode is brought to you by our ministry partner Accountable2You. To join thousands living in Freedom with nothing to hide visit https://accountable2you.com/dialin.

**Use our unique code: DIALIN to get 25% off your first year of an Accountable2You Personal or Family Plan**

KEY TOPICS CO...

Start 2026 with a life-changing Bible reading plan.

In this video, Jonny Ardavanis will break down two proven Bible reading plans that transformed my walk with God—and can help you stay consistent in Scripture.

📖 What you’ll learn:

• Why daily Bible reading matters

• Robert Murray McShane Plan (4 chapters/day, 15–20 min)

• Grant Horner Plan (10 chapters/day, 30–35 min)

• Best Bible translations (NASB 1995, ESV, LSB)

• Practical tips for building a lasting habit

⏱ Timestamps:

0:00 Why Read the Bible

3:03 Benefits of a Reading Plan

5:03 McShane Plan<...

Discover how the entire Old Testament points to Jesus Christ in this deep dive into biblical prophecy and the grand narrative of Scripture. From Genesis 3:15 to the prophets, learn how every story anticipates the coming King.

KEY TOPICS COVERED:

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Luke 24:13-27...