The Dallas Willard Podcast

Latest Episodes:

21. The Life We are Given in Christ (1993) Feb 03, 2025

Show notes

The Life We Are Given in Christ

Today we begin a series of 8 episodes taken from a 3-day conference hosted by African Enterprise with the theme “Hearing the Voice of God.”

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

August 16, 1993

Dallas lays a foundation for the conference by explaining how a conversational relationship with God works, and he uses Colossian 3:1-17 to give us a vision of what the life we are given in Christ looks like.

Learn more about the book Hearing God on our website: https://dwillard.org/resources/books/hearing-god

Dallas Willard Ministries exists to proclaim, teach and manifest the love, truth and transforming power of Christ and the Kingdom of God. We invite you to partner with us by praying for our team, our efforts and our students, or by contributing financial gifts at dwillard.org/donate.

Visit DWillard.org for a wide variety of resources and opportunities that can serve as a means to help you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US:

Email: DWMinistries@DWillard.org

Newsletter: Signup at DWillard.org/mailing-list

Facebook Discussion Group: Dallas Willard is My Homeboy

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dallaswillard

Dallas Willard and Friends Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626471

Instagram: dallas_willard_ministries

Facebook: dallas.willard.0717

Threads: dallas_willard_ministries

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20. Living Without Hurry and Worry in “Such a Time as This” – a Letter from the Roman Jail (2004) Jan 27, 2025

Show notes

Living Without Hurry and Worry in “Such a Time as This” – a Letter from the Roman Jail

Baylor University and Truitt Seminary Church Staff Retreat
Retreat Theme: For Such a Time as This
February 23-24, 2004

Philippians 4:6-8

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Overheads Used in this Session:

What is a Discipline?
The Prayer of Saint Patrick
Leadership magazine “funny”
Aspects of Me That I Am in Great Danger of Confusing
(Job, Ministry, Work and Life, in a circle diagram)
“The Wind, One Brilliant Day," by Antonio Machado can be found at https://mypoeticside.com/show-classic-poem-17888

Dallas reads a passage about managing our calendars that is from The Art of Pastoring by William C. Martin. This little book contains helpful advice for anyone in leadership (and that includes parents!).

Hear the “For Such a Time as This” series in its entirety and with all the associated resources on DWillard.org: https://dwillard.org/resources/audio/for-such-a-time-as-this. You’ll also find the series on our YouTube channel, with helpful slides and fill-in-the-blank notes created by our wonderful DWM volunteers.

Visit DWillard.org for a wide variety of resources and opportunities that can serve as a means to help you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US:

Email: DWMinistries@DWillard.org

Newsletter: Signup at DWillard.org/mailing-list

Facebook Discussion Group: Dallas Willard is My Homeboy

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dallaswillard

Dallas Willard and Friends Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626471

Instagram: dallas_willard_ministries

Facebook: dallas.willard.0717

Threads: dallas_willard_ministries

X: @DallasAW...

19. Finding the Kingdom of God Now, Through Jesus and His Words (2004) Jan 20, 2025

Show notes

Finding the Kingdom of God Now, Through Jesus and His Words

Baylor University and Truitt Seminary Church Staff Retreat

Retreat Theme: For Such a Time as This

February 23-24, 2004

Overheads:

Obedience is the organ of knowledge in the spiritual life.
“If you then be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above where Christ sits on the right hand of the Father. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth, for you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ and God. When Christ who is our life shall appear with him, glorious.” Colossians 3:1-4 (slightly paraphrased)
Does the gospel I preach have a natural tendency to produce disciples as distinguished from consumers of religious goods and services?
The Great Commission:
“I have been given say over everything in heaven and on earth. So, as you go, make disciples of all kinds of people, gather them in trinitarian reality, and teach them in such a way that they do all things I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you every moment, until the job is done.” Matt. 28:18-20 (Willard paraphrase)
Who is an Apprentice of Jesus?
As Jesus’ apprentice (disciple, student), I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of God as he would lead my life if he were I.

The Heart That Jesus Gives Us—Seen in the Sermon on the Mount

Visit DWillard.org for a wide variety of resources and opportunities that can serve as a means to help you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US:

Email: DWMinistries@DWillard.org

Newsletter: Signup at DWillard.org/mailing-list

Facebook Discussion Group: Dallas Willard is My Homeboy

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dallaswillard

Dallas Willard and Friends Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626471

Instagram: dallas_willard_ministries

Facebook: dallas.willard.0717

Threads: dallas_willard_ministries

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18. Streams In the Desert and Wells of Living Water: Christ's Congregations as Fountains of Light and Life (2004) Jan 13, 2025

Show notes

Streams In the Desert and Wells of Living Water: Christ's Congregations as Fountains of Light and Life

Baylor University and Truitt Seminary Church Staff Retreat
Retreat Theme: For Such a Time as This
February 23-24, 2004

In today’s episode, Dallas discusses the Four Great Questions of Human Life:

What is the nature of reality?
Who is well-off?
Who is a “really good” person?
How do I become a “really good” person?

Hear the series in its entirety on DWillard.org: https://dwillard.org/resources/audio/for-such-a-time-as-this

Visit DWillard.org for a wide variety of resources and opportunities that can serve as a means to help you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US:

Email: DWMinistries@DWillard.org

Newsletter: Signup at DWillard.org/mailing-list

Facebook Discussion Group: Dallas Willard is My Homeboy

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dallaswillard

Dallas Willard and Friends Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626471

Instagram: dallas_willard_ministries

Facebook: dallas.willard.0717

Threads: dallas_willard_ministries

X: @DallasAW...

17. An Invitation to a "With-God Life" in Jesus Dec 16, 2024

Show notes

An Invitation to a "With-God Life"; in Jesus
Today’s episode is a session from the Renovaré International Conference held in Denver, Colorado, on June 19-22, 2005. The conference title was, "The With-God Life: The Dynamics of Scripture for Christian Spiritual Transformation."
Dallas’s full title for this session was, "No Longer Alone with God as Jesus in the Eternal Kingdom - NOW: The’ With-God Life’ Under the New Covenant"
Download Dallas’s handout and follow along: https://dwillard.s3.amazonaws.com/2005-Renovare-No-Longer-Alone.pdf
You can see the video of this talk on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN1K43YePCc&t=807s
Audio of the full conference is available for purchase on ChristianAudio.com
The Renovaré Study Bible is still available, and we highly recommend it!
https://dwillard.org/resources/recommended-reading/the-life-with-god-bible
If this is the first time you’re hearing about Renovaré, we encourage you to visit their website and learn more. Dallas was a founding member of the team that created Renovaré under the leadership of Richard Foster in 1988. https://renovare.org

Visit DWillard.org for a wide variety of resources and opportunities that can serve as a means to help you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US:

Email: DWMinistries@DWillard.org

Newsletter: Signup at DWillard.org/mailing-list

Facebook Discussion Group: Dallas Willard is My Homeboy

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dallaswillard

Dallas Willard and Friends Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626471

Instagram: dallas_willard_ministries

Facebook: dallas.willard.0717

Threads: dallas_willard_ministries

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16. Celebration: The Recollection of God (1997) Dec 09, 2024

Show notes

This is a seminar from the Creating Inner Peace conference hosted by Loyola Marymount University, March 15-16, 1996.

We have been unable to find a copy of the handout Dallas distributed. But you can find more of Dallas’s teaching on practicing the discipline of celebration in The Spirit of the Disciplines (https://dwillard.org/resources/books/spirit-of-the-disciplines).
The section on Celebration (referred to in this episode) includes comments on Deuteronomy 14:22-27. We also highly recommend the chapter on Celebration in Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline

(https://dwillard.org/resources/recommended-reading/celebration-of-discipline).

Visit DWillard.org for a wide variety of resources and opportunities that can serve as a means to help you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US:

Email: DWMinistries@DWillard.org

Newsletter: Signup at DWillard.org/mailing-list

Facebook Discussion Group: Dallas Willard is My Homeboy

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dallaswillard

Dallas Willard and Friends Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626471

Instagram: dallas_willard_ministries

Facebook: dallas.willard.0717

Threads: dallas_willard_ministries

X: @DallasAW...

15. The Good "Half-Breed" and the Full-Blooded Stinkers. The Neighborliness of the Kingdom. (1983) Dec 02, 2024

Show notes

The Good "Half-Breed" and the Full-Blooded Stinkers. The Neighborliness of the Kingdom.

Parable: The Good Samaritan

Presented at Harbor Church, Los Angeles, California

May 29, 1983

Scripture: Luke 10 :23-42

This is the final session of a 12-part series Dallas called “The Parabolic Teaching About Christ’s Kingdom by Christ Himself.” All the talks in this series, along with quite a bit of Dallas’s additional teaching about the parables of Jesus can be found in his book The Scandal of the Kingdom: How the Parables of Jesus Revolutionize Life with God. https://dwillard.org/resources/books/the-scandal-of-the-kingdom. The word “scandal” is in the title because of the way the religious leaders in Jesus’ day responded to him. As we’ve learned in this series, they thought Jesus’ behavior (eating with sinners!) and his teaching (saying all are welcome in the kingdom of heaven!) was scandalous.

If you’d like to explore some of the writing of G. Campbell Morgan that was so influential for Dallas in teaching this series, start here: https://amzn.to/3AW54AY

To learn more from Dallas about loving your neighbor, see the Neighborhood Initiative playlist on the Dallas Willard Ministries YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ7tmLfYg7S-VCAg20hSQKXILRx2iGC41

Visit DWillard.org for a wide variety of resources and opportunities that can serve as a means to help you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US:

Email: DWMinistries@DWillard.org

Newsletter: Signup at DWillard.org/mailing-list

Facebook Discussion Group: Dallas Willard is My Homeboy

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dallaswillard

Dallas Willard and Friends Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626471

Instagram: dallas_willard_ministries

Facebook: dallas.willard.0717

Threads: dallas_willard_ministries

X: @DallasAW...

14. Persistence is the Prerequisite: The “Unprofitable” Servant, and The Widow and the Mean Judge (1983) Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

Persistence is the Prerequisite: The “Unprofitable” Servant, and The Widow and the Mean Judge

Parables: The Unprofitable Servant, The Persistent Widow, The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Presented at Harbor Church, Los Angeles, California

May 22, 1983

Scripture: Luke 17:3-10; Luke 18:1-17

“Strive to enter at the straight gate. For straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth into life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13

One of the better-known quotes from Dallas Willard is, “Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning.” In today’s episode, Dallas is teaching on the persistent effort that is required if we expect to grow in our faith. Dallas says, “Faith is a matter of knowing how to speak the creative word of God with God. That's faith. Faith is seeing things to be so, which are in the will and vision and purpose of God, so that you are joined with God in speaking the creative words.”

This is the eleventh session of a 12-part series Dallas called “The Parabolic Teaching About Christ’s Kingdom by Christ Himself.” This series is the foundation for Dallas’s book, The Scandal of the Kingdom. https://dwillard.org/resources/books/the-scandal-of-the-kingdom Join us next time as Dallas wraps up the series with the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Visit DWillard.org for a wide variety of resources and opportunities that can serve as a means to help you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US:

Email: DWMinistries@DWillard.org

Newsletter: Signup at DWillard.org/mailing-list

Facebook Discussion Group: Dallas Willard is My Homeboy

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dallaswillard

Dallas Willard and Friends Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626471

Instagram: dallas_willard_ministries

Facebook: dallas.willard.0717

Threads: dallas_willard_ministries

X: @DallasAW...

13. The Folly of Possessions and Riches: The Rich Fool (1983) Nov 18, 2024

Show notes

The Folly of Possessions and Riches: The Rich Fool
Parable: The Rich Fool

Presented at Harbor Church, Los Angeles, California

May 15, 1983

Scripture: Luke 12:13-40

Today we’re studying the Parable of the Rich Fool. A fool is a person who misjudges means to ends and chooses the wrong end. The farmer in the Parable of the Rich Fool was a man who had chosen to let his soul rest in his wealth instead of in God.

In this parable and the story of what caused Jesus to tell it, we learn how to have a Kingdom mindset with our finances and other assets. Dallas helps us apply these concepts by inviting us to consider the question, “What is your life?”

John Wesley offered the following counsel on wealth management: “Get all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can.” Dallas recommends inserting “Use all you can” into Wesley’s instructions after “Save all you can.” Use what you have for the glory of God. It’s better to have wealth in the hands of Christ’s followers than anywhere else.

This is the tenth session of our 12-part series entitled “The Parabolic Teaching About Christ’s Kingdom by Christ Himself.” On the Sunday prior to teaching about the Parable of the Rich Fool, Dallas had taught a class based on The Parable of the Hours. We don’t have that recording, but where Dallas has taught it elsewhere, he used it to illustrate the upside-down kingdom in action through the way we do business and care for those less fortunate than us. That teaching is available along with more from Dallas about financial responsibility in the Kingdom of God in The Scandal of the Kingdom: https://dwillard.org/resources/books/the-scandal-of-the-kingdom

Visit DWillard.org for a wide variety of resources and opportunities that can serve as a means to help you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US:

Email: DWMinistries@DWillard.org

Newsletter: Signup at DWillard.org/mailing-list

Facebook Discussion Group: Dallas Willard is My Homeboy

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dallaswillard

Dallas Willard and Friends Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626471

Instagram: dallas_willard_ministries

Facebook: dallas.willard.0717

Threads: dallas_willard_ministries

X: @DallasAW...

12. The Unforgiving Servant (1983) Nov 11, 2024

Show notes

Session 9. The Forgiving Heart and the Kingdom of God

Parable: The Unforgiving Servant

Presented at Harbor Church, Los Angeles, California

May 1, 1983

Scripture: Matthew 18:15-35

This is the ninth session of a 12-part series Dallas called “The Parabolic Teaching About Christ’s Kingdom by Christ Himself,” and today’s focus is on the gift of forgiveness. Many of us have a hard time with forgiveness, and sometimes that’s because of misunderstandings about what it is and how we should approach it.

In this episode, Dallas clarifies what is and is not a part of what it means to forgive someone (i.e. it doesn’t mean you forget about it and your relationship becomes the same as before) and offers helpful advice about things we can do to help us practice forgiveness. He also shares his interpretation of Matthew 18:35 (So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.) and Matthew 6:12 (Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.).

If you’d like to learn more about how to make forgiveness a natural part of your life, visit our website and listen to the 3-hour workshop Dallas taught in 1996 called “From Forgiveness to Blessing.” https://dwillard.org/resources/audio/from-forgiveness-to-blessing

Visit DWillard.org for a wide variety of resources and opportunities that can serve as a means to help you “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US:

Email: DWMinistries@DWillard.org

Newsletter: Signup at DWillard.org/mailing-list

Facebook Discussion Group: Dallas Willard is My Homeboy

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dallaswillard

Dallas Willard and Friends Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2626471

Instagram: dallas_willard_ministries

Facebook: dallas.willard.0717

Threads: dallas_willard_ministries

X: @DallasAW...