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 Knife, the Cradle, and the Cross (CaD Deu 13)
Today’s chapter is jarring, especially at the beginning of the week of Christmas as I hum O Little Town of Bethlehem. Yet one of the things that I’ve…
- Wayfarer
Gathering (CaD Deu 12)
For eleven chapters Moses has been teaching Israel how to remember. Today, he teaches them how to desire. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 12. The text…
- Wayfarer
Land That Drinks Rain (CaD Deu 11)
The message I found flowing through the chapter in the quiet this morning was that the danger is not rebellion or disobedience. The danger is forgetting. A…
- Wayfarer
“Because You Were Foreigners” (CaD Deu 10)
As I meditated on these things in the quiet this morning, I was amazed at how much it resonated with our current culture and headlines. A chapter-a-day podcast…
- Wayfarer
Stiff-Necked, Still Chosen (CaD Deu 9)
In the quiet this morning, sentimental twinkle-light memories get balanced with the sobriety of zakhor memories. Moral memory isn’t shame, it’s schooling. It’s…
- Wayfarer
The After-Meal Blessing (CaD Deu 8)
Many years ago I memorized Deuteronomy 8:10. I began quietly quoting Deuteronomy 8:10 to myself as a post meal blessing. I didn’t know it, but I had stumbled…
- Wayfarer
What’s In a Name? (CaD Deu 7)
God promises protection, fruitfulness, and flourishing—not as wages earned, but as the natural overflow of covenant intimacy. Obedience here is not…
- Wayfarer
The Story We Tell With our Lives (CaD Deu 6)
In my Bible there is a photograph. I don’t even remember putting it there. I think it randomly surfaced and I just shoved it inside the cover of my bible…
- Wayfarer
Ten Words (CaD Deu 5)
Suddenly, my life-long perception of ten black-and-white “commands” is laid bare for the hollow and meager interpretive shell it has always been. A…
- Wayfarer
Final Message (CaD Deu 4)
Deuteronomy is Moses taking the face of his people lovingly in his withered hands and looking them in the eye one last time. These are the words of his…
- Wayfarer
Facing the Giants (CaD Deu 3)
Before there was Goliath there was Og, King of Bashan. There are moments for all of us when we’re facing our own giants. Sometimes they are just rumors…
- Wayfarer
A Season of Waiting, A Moment to Move (CaD Deu 2)
Today’s chapter is about restraint, timing, and finally stepping into what God has purposed, planned, and prepared. A chapter-a-day podcast from Deuteronomy 2…
- Wayfarer
An 11-Mile Journey in 40-Years (CaD Deu 1)
What could and should have been an eleven day trip has taken them 40 years to bring them to this place in this moment — because they were afraid to follow God…
- Wayfarer
Last Day of Camp (CaD Heb 13)
Today’s final chapter of Hebrews reads like the last day of camp. A a heart-felt list of loving marching orders from a camp counselor to a tearful camper who…
- Wayfarer
Run (CaD Heb 12)
The author of Hebrews is writing to an audience of believers in the middle of a grueling real-life marathon. They are at risk of hitting the wall. The author…
- Wayfarer
Seduced by the Unseen (CaD Heb 11)
When today’s chapter speaks of the unseen — of walking toward a country you’ve never seen, of trusting a God that cannot be measured — it presses all my…
- Wayfarer
Earthly Woes, Eternal Realities (CaD Heb 10)
There is a spiritual reality and an earthly reality. Spiritually I am graciously and mercifully forgiven forever, eternally cleansed from sin’s stain…
- Wayfarer
Trust Amidst Troubles (CaD Heb 9)
Troubled times. Political corruption. Nationalism zealously on the rise. Assassinations increasingly common. Political resentments. Religious fervor. Arrogance…
- Wayfarer
New Things Come (CaD Heb 8)
If I miss this thread in the Great Story, it’s like me watching the original "Star Wars" movie and thinking Luke and Darth Vader are unrelated antagonists. A…
- Wayfarer
My Forever High Priest (CaD Heb 7)
As a shame-based person, I can tell you that shame will always doggedly remind me what a worthless wretch I am. A chapter-a-day podcast from Hebrews 7. The…
- Wayfarer
Attention and Maintenance (CaD Heb 6)
The rain of grace keeps falling; what I tend determines what grows. A chapter-a-day podcast from Hebrews 6. The text version may always be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
Revelation (CaD Heb 5)
Along my journey, I’ve come to realize that there are certain spiritual truths that require effort, pursuit, experience, and even suffering in order for them…
- Wayfarer
Safe Harbor, Even Amidst the Storm (CaD Heb 4)
There is then a spiritual “rest” that Jesus offers “Today” as shelter amidst the violent daily storms that arise unexpectedly on this earthly journey. A…
- Wayfarer
Today (CaD Heb 3)
Today's chapter whispers a simple but fierce truth to me in the quiet this morning: Faithfulness is a daily choice. A chapter-a-day podcast from Hebrews 3. The…
- Wayfarer
Trailblazer (CaD Heb 2)
The God who spoke galaxies into being also whispers comfort beside our hospital beds and tax forms and broken dreams. He doesn’t rescue from afar; He wades…
- Wayfarer
Light and Life (CaD Heb 1)
The author of Hebrews has forever been steeped in mystery, but from the opening sentences there is no doubt what the book is about. A chapter-a-day podcast…
- Wayfarer
Spiritual Waxing & Waning (CaD Ne 13)
There is a spiritual waxing and waning that most people experience across their lives. The spiritual journey is not an event but an epic story. A chapter-a-day…
- Wayfarer
Home Joy (CaD Ne 12)
Being home. What a crazy thought. For most of my life, that desire barely existed inside me. A chapter-a-day podcast from Nehemiah 12. The text version may…
- Wayfarer
Phase Two (CaD Ne 11)
Sometimes, God needs people who simply have the faith and willingness to show up and do what needs to be done. A chapter-a-day podcast from Nehemiah 11. The…
- Wayfarer
Second Marriage (CaD Ne 10)
Nehemiah and the Hebrews’ story is really a love story between God and a people saying again: “We’re still yours.” A chapter-a-day podcast from Nehemiah 10…
- Wayfarer
The Tension (CaD Ne 9)
Truth is always found at the point of tension between the two extremes. Whether in QA or in Life, the covenant relationship between God and humanity is…
- Wayfarer
Refuge and Restoration (CaD Ne 8)
Nehemiah's restoration of the walls and gates of Jerusalem led to a very different type of restoration. A chapter-a-day podcast from Nehemiah 8. The text…
- Wayfarer
Holy Order (CaD Ne 7)
As I embark on a new work week, I’m quietly grateful for my Senior Director of All the Things. Order is a good thing. Order is holy. A chapter-a-day podcast…
- Wayfarer
Finishing Well (CaD Ne 6)
Faithfulness isn’t measured by enthusiasm at the beginning but by integrity at the end. A chapter-a-day podcast from Nehemiah 6. The text version may always be…
- Wayfarer
Kindom & Empire (CaD Ne 5)
Yesterday’s chapter was about external opposition from neighboring enemies. Today’s chapter is about the enemy within. A chapter-a-day podcast from Nehemiah 5…
- Wayfarer
Not Without Struggle (CaD Ne 4)
If I were standing in Nehemiah’s sandals, I would be descending into. a brooding puddle of pessimism. But Nehemiah was the right man for the job. A…
- Wayfarer
Every Hand Dirty (CaD Ne 3)
The Kingdom of God begins with every believer, no matter who they are, no matter what they’ve done, no matter how they are gifted, no matter what they do for a…
- Wayfarer
Prayer, Providence, & Planning (CaD Ne 2)
In the quiet this morning, I’m reminded that on this journey I never stop praying, never stop planning, and never stop paying attention. The hardest part is…
- Wayfarer
New Season, Big Challenge (CaD Neh 1)
Sometimes the best seasons begin with the greatest challenges. A chapter-a-day podcast from Nehemiah 1. The text version may always be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
“Bring Mark” (CaD 2 Tim 4)
Paul’s desire to have Mark by his side at the end of his earthly journey is a reminder to never give up trying to make things right in relationship. A…
- Wayfarer
Of Learning and Truth (CaD 2 Tim 3)
It’s one thing to learn interesting facts but another thing to absorb and embrace the truth that’s sitting there in plain sight. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2…
- Wayfarer
Words’ Worth (CaD 2 Tim 2)
The further I progress on this earthly journey the more I find myself discerning what I really care about, what I find worthwhile, and those things that are…
- Wayfarer
Darkness & Chains (CaD 2 Tim 1)
Sometimes our prayers don’t yield the results we desire, even for Paul. A chapter-a-day podcast from 2 Timothy 1. The text version may always be found and…
- Wayfarer
Not So Trivial Pursuit (CaD 1 Tim 6)
What we actively pursue in life isn’t a trivial matter. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Timothy 6. The text version may always be found and shared at…
- Wayfarer
Putting “Religion Into Practice” (CaD 1 Tim 5)
No one who knew my Grandpa Spec would call him a particularly spiritual man. His faith, however, was genuine. It was proved genuine in the way he put his…
- Wayfarer
Body, Mind, & Spirit (CaD 1 Tim 4)
I’m reminded in the quiet this morning that God continually calls me to wholeness in body, mind, and spirit. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Timothy 4. The text…
- Wayfarer
No Excuse (CaD 1 Tim 3)
Shouldn’t my family and my closest friends get the best of me? Why would I ever conclude that I’m excused from rude, discourteous, disrespectful, and mean…
- Wayfarer
“An Appeal to Heaven” (CaD 1 Tim 2)
When there is no other appeal to be made on earth, there is still an appeal to heaven. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1 Timothy 2. The text version may always be…
- Wayfarer
The Goal (CaD 1 Tim 1)
The further I get in my spiritual journey, the more I’ve come to embrace the preeminence of love as the goal in all things. A chapter-a-day podcast from 1…
- Wayfarer
“Yeah, but…” (CaD Nu 36)
In the long arc of the Great Story I see the Kingdom of God perpetually pushing against the curse of sin and the patriarchal nature of humanity that flows from…
- Wayfarer
Cities of Refuge (CaD Nu 35)
This life journey contains moments where guilt—intentional or accidental—feels like a crushing weight. In today’s chapter God whispers: "There is a place to…
- Wayfarer
Boundary Stones (CaD Nu 34)
When you go through a divorce life can seem like boundaries are erased. Everything moves and shifts, what was once established is now contested and negotiated…
- Wayfarer
Just Another Day, or Not (CaD Nu 33)
In the quiet this morning I’m staring down a rather boring and mundane Monday. How about you? A chapter-a-day podcast from Numbers 33. The text version may…
- Wayfarer
A Sage Warning (CaD Nu 32)
One of the quirky things I love about this chapter-a-day trek is that I’m constantly reminded of the source of what has become commonly known sayings and…
- Wayfarer
Momento Mori (CaD Nu 31)
"Momento Mori" is Latin and it translates “Remember your death” or more aptly “Remember you’re going to die.” A chapter-a-day podcast from Numbers 31. The text…
- Wayfarer
Oaths and Pipe-Dreams (CaD Nu 30)
I commonly hear people use the phrase, “I swear to God.” It’s casually thrown out in our culture, but the concept of a divine oath is as old as humanity itself…
- Wayfarer
The Nations, and Me (CaD Nu 29)
In the quiet this morning, I’m reminded that God’s ultimate plan for humanity in the Great Story is rooted in the individual. A chapter-a-day podcast from…
- Wayfarer
Rhythms (CaD Nu 28)
Just this past week as Wendy and I enjoyed a little vacation we took time to talk about and review our rhythms. A chapter-a-day podcast from Numbers 28. The…
- Wayfarer
God’s Radical Decision for Women (CaD Nu 27)
On the edge of the fulfilled promise of a land to call one’s own, one of the most amazing stories in the entirety of the Great Story takes place. Most people…
- Wayfarer
The Next Generation (CaD Nu 26)
Chapters like today’s are easy to ignore or overlook. What spiritual lesson can an ancient census possibly have? Yet there are spiritual lessons lurking…