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
Lost and Found (CaD Lk 15)
Heaven celebrates recovery more than consistency. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 15. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
- Wayfarer
A Dinner Dripping With Intrigue (CaD Lk 14)
Jesus is invited to a dinner party. This isn’t a casual dinner. This is a set-up. The table is dripping with intrigue and tension. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Hidden in Plain Sight (CaD Lk 13)
Hidden in plain sight, Luke foreshadows this trinity of kingdoms of this world under the dominion of the Prince of this World. They desperately hate one…
- Wayfarer
The Weight of April (CaD Lk 12)
This month brings a harmonic convergence of three important milestones in my life journey. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 12. The text version may always be…
- Wayfarer
Socially Inappropriate (CaD Lk 11)
Heaven’s door doesn’t open for the well-mannered. It opens for the ones who won’t stop knocking. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 11. The text version may…
- Wayfarer
A Good Question for the Week (CaD Lk 10)
Today’s chapter contains four episodes. Each episode has its own lesson, but together they have a cohesive thought to send me into another work week. A…
- Wayfarer
The Mountain (CaD Lk 9)
In case you didn’t know it, mountains are a whole theme across the Great Story, and in today’s chapter we encounter one of the most crucial examples. A…
- Wayfarer
My Part in Jesus' Ministry (CaD Lk 8)
Along my journey I’ve continued to observe individuals who still see the Kingdom of God through the binary lens of professional ministry and everyone else. A…
- Wayfarer
Surrendering Expectation (CaD Lk 7)
Faith is not about shaping Jesus into who I expect Him to be—but allowing Him to shape me into who I am meant to become. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 7…
- Wayfarer
Into the Quiet (CaD Lk 6)
It turns out mountainsides aren't just for Jesus. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 6. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
- Wayfarer
Every Day People, Every Day Lives (CaD Lk 5)
When I’m asked to deliver a message, I often take a few moments before I speak to survey the room. A chapter-a-day podcast from Luke 5. The text version may…
- Wayfarer
A Different Way (CaD Lk 4)
In the quiet this morning, Jesus example, in contrast to what the world has to offer, has me asking myself “What kind of Messiah do I want?" A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
Putting the Mission to Work (CaD Lk 3)
It’s one thing for my company to have a mission statement. It’s another thing for me to actually do business like I believe it. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
At the Table (CaD Lk 2)
It’s no accident that Luke’s version of Jesus’ story begins with a baby laid in a feeding trough and ends with bread broken at a table. From the beginning, God…
- Wayfarer
When the Spirit Hovers Again (CaD Lk 1)
Luke begins his version of Jesus’ story by telling us that God’s glory no longer lives in a golden box inside a temple. God has moved out of the temple and…
- Wayfarer
Serving in Small Empires (CaD Est 10)
God’s hand is often most present not in spectacle but in faithful people who quietly use whatever influence they have for the good of others. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
Miraculous Turnaround (CaD Est 9)
Esther isn’t just a story of survival. It’s a story of reversal. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 9. The text version may always be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
In a System I Don’t Control (CaD Est 8)
Both Mordecai and Esther have no control over the culture of the foreign Persian Empire in which they live. In this game of thrones, they found themselves…
- Wayfarer
Evil Implodes (CaD Est 7)
Evil eventually implodes—and when it does, it often finds its own unforeseen justice. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 7. The text version may always be…
- Wayfarer
Machinery of Heaven (CaD Est 6)
The machinery of heaven is astonishingly quiet. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 6. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
- Wayfarer
Shrewd (CaD Est 5)
Esther reminds me that when it comes to dealing with enemies and those who wish me ill will, I don’t need to force the outcome. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Choosing Real (CaD Est 4)
One of the lessons I've have learned along this life journey is that it’s best to choose to get real about what’s real. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 4…
- Wayfarer
Bowing (CaD Est 3)
What would it take to make me bow? A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 3. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
- Wayfarer
Taken (CaD Est 2)
Esther isn’t Jasmine on a magic carpet singing A Whole New World. Esther is more Destiny’s Child roaring out a gritty I’m a Survivor. A chapter-a-day podcast…
- Wayfarer
Divine Bulletin Boards (CaD Est 1)
A poster in my high school classroom caught my eye. It changed my life. A chapter-a-day podcast from Esther 1. The text version may always be found and shared…
- Wayfarer
Two Sides of Heresy (CaD Jude)
Intellectual pride and control of others is as destructive an appetite as pleasures of the flesh. A chapter-a-day podcast from Jude. The text version may…
- Wayfarer
Perhaps Today. Likely Not. (CaD 2 Pet 3)
No matter how far I get in the journey, it’s always a good day to grow. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Peter 3. The text version may always be found and shared…
- Wayfarer
The Question Beneath the Ash (CaD 2 Pet 2)
Along my spiritual journey, Jesus has continuously asked me to set fire to my personal ladders. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Peter 2. The text version may…
- Wayfarer
God’s QA Program (CaD 2 Pet 1)
God has His own Quality Assessment process — not one of condemnation, but of cultivation. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Peter 1. The text version may always…
- Wayfarer
Due Time (CaD 1 Pet 5)
If I’m going to trust the Story. I have to trust His timing. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 5. The text version may always be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
Fiery Ordeals (CaD 1 Pet 4)
What I am observing — and at times personally experiencing — in our current social landscape is a return of social ostracism as a form of punishment. None of…
- Wayfarer
Without Words (CaD 1 Pet 3)
In my upcoming book I share the story of how as a young man I believed with certainty that I was supposed to become a pastor, and how God made clear that He…
- Wayfarer
An Open Invitation (CaD 1 Pet 2)
I have for many years had a recurring brainstorm that returns every four years or so like the spring rains on the fields of Iowa. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Wise Investments (CaD 1 Pet 1)
Peter urges his fellow believers to embrace the very words Jesus spoke to him: Consider your investment strategy. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Peter 1. The…
- Wayfarer
The View from James’ Sandals (CaD Jam 5)
James' final pleas feel far more poignant when I place my feet in the sandals of one of the letters’ original recipients. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 5…
- Wayfarer
Grace, Served Neat (CaD Jam 4)
As I did some spiritual cardio evaluation yesterday, I had to come clean with the fact that I sometimes allow my self-righteous desires and pride free rein…
- Wayfarer
Diagnosis I Didn’t Ask For (CaD Jam 3)
As I meditated on the tongue this morning I likened it to a living cardiogram — my words revealing symptoms of heart trouble. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Of Yeast and Fruit (CaD Jam 2)
Monday was one of my favorite days. Wendy made fresh, homemade Italian bread. A chapter-a-day podcast from James 2. The text version may always be found and…
- Wayfarer
Not Our Ways (CaD Jam 1)
As I read through the chapter in the quiet this morning, I couldn’t help but pick up on a strong undercurrent in James’ encouragement: His ways are not our…
- Wayfarer
Journey’s End (CaD Deu 34)
In the quiet this morning, I find myself meditating on what I can learn from Moses in the end. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 34. The text version…
- Wayfarer
The Blessing (CaD Deu 33)
In the quiet this morning, I find the chapter inviting me to do something wildly countercultural: Receive blessing without scrambling to deserve it. A…
- Wayfarer
A Love Song that Aches (CaD Deu 32)
The prophesied rebellion of God’s people does not happen out of suffering, trial, or condemnation. It happens when things go well. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
“Give Them a Song” (CaD Deu 31)
In all of creation, God infused music with a secret super power. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 31. The text version may always be found and shared…
- Wayfarer
Teshuvah (CaD Deu 30)
When it comes to what my young adult children do, the only thing I really control is my response. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 30. The text version…
- Wayfarer
Of Covenant and Mystery (CaD Deu 29)
Mystery stays veiled. Responsibility does not. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 29. The text version may always be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
Bad Motorcycle, Better Covenant (CaD Deu 28)
Today’s chapter is arguably as tough as it gets when it comes to harsh Old Testament language. It’s the kind of chapter that causes modern readers to close the…
- Wayfarer
The Rocks Remember (CaD Deu 27)
The further I get in my earthly journey, the more I’ve realized my ignorance regarding creation’s role in the Great Story. It plays a central role in today’s…
- Wayfarer
Trust the Story, Tell the Story (CaD Deu 26)
Very rarely has anyone recited back to me the content of a training session or message I’ve delivered. It is very common for people to tell me, “I remember…
- Wayfarer
Same Table, Same Measure (CaD Deu 25)
God through Moses doesn’t flirt with abstractions when it comes to the justice of every day life and business. It rolls up its sleeves, plants its feet in the…
- Wayfarer
Stories and Choices (CaD Deu 24)
“Remember” is a word Moses uses three times in today’s chapter. He returns to what Jewish teachers called zakhor, memories that help build moral muscle. A…
- Wayfarer
The Place God Dwells (CaD Deu 23)
Who was in our home last weekend mattered deeply to us. And that reality informed our thoughts, our decisions, and our behavior that day. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
Controlled Burns (CaD Deu 22)
As I lace ‘em up for this another day on this earthly journey, I’m not so much thinking about what’s out there. I’m thinking about what’s in me. A…
- Wayfarer
Wooden Spoon on the Headboard (CaD Deu 21)
God in today's chapter is not cold—He is careful with blood, with power, with people. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 21. The text version may always…
- Wayfarer
Go Big! (or Maybe Not) [CaD Deu 20]
There is something innately human—and perhaps especially American—that equates big numbers with success, status, and safety. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
A Step Toward Refuge (CaD Deu 19)
Mercy has an address. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 19. The text version may always be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com.
- Wayfarer
Presence, not Possession (CaD Deu 18)
Faith is not the absence of uncertainty — it is the refusal to worship false certainty. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 18. The text version may…
- Wayfarer
Authority with Ink-Stained Fingers (CaD Deu 17)
In today’s chapter, Moses prescribes the most astonishing of tasks for every person appointed to the throne: Handwrite a copy of the Torah onto a single scroll…
- Wayfarer
Not History - A Moment Relived (CaD Deu 16)
God does not dwell just in places. He inhabits moments. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 16. The text version may always be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
Open Hands, Open Heart (CaD Deu 15)
At Christmas, God provides an eternal object lesson of what Deuteronomy 15 is all about. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 15. The text version may…
- Wayfarer
Holiness, Heart, & Hearth (CaD Deu 14)
Today’s chapter whispers to me of God’s heart: generous, selfless, and servant-hearted. From the beginning God's prescription for Life flowed from His Spirit…