How might your life change if you truly believed you were no longer a slave to sin?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore how faith—given to us when we were “dead in sin”—forms the foundation for a new identity in Christ. The conversation reframes spiritual growth from striving to sin less into trusting the truth of who God has already made us to be.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:41) How Christians often miss the obvious truth that faith is a gift.(02:39) The cycle of striving to sin less and hiding failures, and why it traps believers in defeat.(03:53) How Jesus not only died for sins but took believers into His death to give them new life.(05:13) Bill shares the short prayer that helped him believe he truly had the ability to serve righteousness.(06:20) Scott and Bill discuss the shift from “freedom from sin” to “freedom to live into God’s purposes.”(07:08) Bill begins unpacking 1 John 3 and what it means to be called children of God with the DNA of Jesus.(09:23) Bill explains why believers are righteous now, even though they are not yet fully mature.(12:41) Bill warns that focusing only on avoiding sin without embracing new identity leads to immaturity and defeat.(17:55) Bill prays for God to teach believers to trust their ability to love, and Scott shares how grief awakened his desire for shared love and community.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/
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19:47
The Danger of Using the Law to Become Godly
How much of your spiritual struggle comes from trying to manage your sin instead of trusting your identity?In this episode, Bill and Scott unpack why so many believers live stuck in shame, hiding, and sin-management even though they’ve been given a new identity. Through stories, Scripture, and vulnerable examples, they show how experiencing love—not effort—is what transforms the heart. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:00) Scott shares how misunderstanding grace left him feeling imprisoned during his wife’s cancer battle.(02:40) How trying to use the law to become godly cuts Christians off from grace.(04:20) Bill describes the years he believed God loved him but never experienced that love personally.(06:00) How conflict with others can impact whether we view ourselves as a saint.(08:00) How passiveness was secretly the voice of Bill’s anger. (09:50) How transformation means the old patterns no longer own you, even if reactions still occur.(11:20) How hiding sin made Bill a slave to it. (15:20) Scott describes a leadership program that revealed how his self-protection was rooted in fear.(18:40) How shame awakens hopeless striving, and why a new reality is the only solution. This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/
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20:47
From Sinner to Saint: Living Dead to Sin
How do I move from seeing myself as a sinner to living as someone dead to sin?This episode explores what it truly means to be dead to sin and alive in Christ. Bill and Scott challenge the deeply ingrained belief that Christians are still defined by their sin, revealing how that mindset robs us of joy and love. Together, they unpack how trusting God with your new identity leads to freedom, love, and a life rooted in grace instead of fear.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:29) How believers can move from seeing themselves as sinners to being dead to sin.(01:04) How seeing yourself as a sinner keeps sin your focus, but seeing yourself as a saint makes love your focus.(03:42) Faith in Christ gives believers a new identity under grace.(05:33) Why being dead to sin means living out righteousness through love.(07:05) How churches often reinforce a sinner mindset instead of grace.(10:49) Bill explains that the Christian life is not behavior change—it’s death to the old self.(14:03) What it means to trust Jesus not just with sin, but with your whole life.(18:51) Success comes from loving people.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/
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21:12
How Has Grace Influenced You?
How have you been influenced by grace?In this episode, Bill and Scott reflect on how grace has shaped their lives, leadership, and communities. Scott shares how discovering grace changed his business culture, replacing control with trust and empowerment. Bill tells stories of how grace led to the founding of Open Door Fellowship, where commitment, love, and valuing people created a movement of transformation and freedom.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:40) How Scott’s company built a culture where people felt valued and empowered.(03:20) How grace-based leadership helps businesses thrive.(06:30) Seeing value in people, and how that challenges old frameworks of sin management.(11:30) On choosing to be “for, not against,” and how that simple conviction is transformative. (18:10) How grace expands people’s potential and inspires communities built on love, trust, and possibility.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/
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21:38
How Sin Management Blocks You from Experiencing Love
Have you ever thought about how your theology is influencing you?This episode explores how many Christians have unknowingly built their theology around sin management rather than grace. Bill and Scott reflect on the harm caused by striving to become godly instead of trusting who God already says we are. Through personal stories and heartfelt reflection, they reveal that transformation begins not with working on sin, but with receiving and living from love.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:03) The idea that theology shapes how people see themselves and God.(01:15) How sin management creates pride or despair, depending on whether someone feels they’re “winning” or “failing” at holiness.(02:43) How striving to sin less never works; instead, love naturally reduces sin’s grip.(05:49) A personal story about how sin management led to painful separation from friends in pursuit of false godliness.(09:38) The discussion exposes how fear-based theology leads Christians to isolate from the world rather than engage it with grace.(13:12) How legalism grows from a theology that refuses to see saints as saints.(15:27) Sin management never touches our reality—only grace does.(16:03) Scott shares a personal story about how grace began transforming him during his wife’s cancer journey.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/
About Living Influence with Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd
Discovering who God says you are may be your most important life pursuit. Imagine what our world might be like if we believed we were designed and gifted by God for each other.
Living Influence is co-hosted by Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd.
Bill Thrall is an author, mentor, public speaker, and co-founder of Trueface. He is married to Grace, who loves to mentor women and to come alongside leadership couples with Bill. They have three children, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. They live in Phoenix.
Scott Boyd founded QuesTec Companies, a mechanical contracting and HVAC service business. He is married to Aileen. Scott and Aileen both lost their first spouses to cancer. They together have five children and seven grandchildren.
No matter who you are, your influence matters. We believe your view of you may be the most critical factor in your influence.
Whatever your role, professional, pastor, parent or student, the most significant expression of your influence will be from your person.
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