Gear Check
Ten Essentials: Sun Protection
Out beyond the treeline, exposure can wreck you fast. So can a life without rest. In this week’s 10 Essentials, we explore Sabbath as God’s sun protection for a burned-out world.
Bryan Schiele
Pour-Over
Pour-Over: Before the Next Mile
Before stepping into the next mile, I wanted to pause and look back at a year of growth, unexpected fruit, and steady ground. Grateful for where the Lord has led, and prayerful for what’s ahead as he establishes the work of our hands.
Field Notes
Resigning as Creator
We’re told we can be anything, but that promise often feels exhausting. Scripture offers a quieter truth: we aren’t the architects of our lives — we’re the work of a Potter. Rest begins when we resign from the job of Creator.
Gear Check
Ten Essentials: Illumination
A headlamp on a dark trail doesn't show you the destination — it shows you the next safe place to put your foot. God's guidance often works the same way, providing just enough light for the next faithful step.
Field Notes
The Shakedown Hike
You don’t rise to the occasion, you revert to your training. Watchfulness is forged in daily “shakedown hikes” of faith — where we practice resisting temptation and walking wisely before the storm hits.
Gear Check
Ten Essentials: Navigation
On the trail, navigation is more than a convenience — it’s survival gear. The same is true for faith. God’s Word isn’t just a map, it’s how we tune our ears to the living voice of our Guide.
Pour-Over
Pour-Over: Looking at the List
After outlining ten spiritual “essentials,” I had to get real about the pressure such lists can create. A vulnerable look at ditching the checklists, the shame, and the comparison trap to embrace God’s grace for the actual trail we’re on today.
Gear Check
Ten Essentials: Equipped for the Journey
Before you step onto the trail, you check your pack — not just for what you’ll use, but what you might need when the path gets rough. This series explores 10 spiritual “essentials” to equip you for a durable, field-ready faith.
Tuning In
The same spiritual discipline that guards our peace can also cultivate our joy. A behind-the-scenes reflection on learning not just to watch for threats, but to actively tune in to gratitude.
Basecamp
The Watchful Rest
Real peace doesn’t come from avoiding danger or controlling outcomes — it comes from knowing the One who surrounds you. When life feels unpredictable, God invites us into the kind of watchfulness that brings deep, lasting rest, even when the trail ahead feels uncertain.
Pour-Over
Pour-Over: Trusting God for Breakfast
Sometimes faith isn’t about giant leaps — it’s about small, steady steps God establishes. Even wobbly ones count when he’s holding your hand.
The Trailhead
Give Me This Mountain
At 85, Caleb looked at a giant-infested mountain and said, “I’ll take that one.” His story shows us that faith doesn’t expire — it gets stronger. Learn how to breathe a different spirit, finish strong, and trust the God who still moves mountains.