Living Influence with Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd

Who is Jesus, and can you really trust Him with who you are?
In this episode, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar explore why believers often find themselves in crisis, and why the church and striving to lead “the Christian life” frequently fail to provide the necessary relief. They challenge us to shift our focus from religious performance to the person of Jesus. They also invite us to consider that healing often begins with trust and vulnerability, as well as being loved by Jesus and others. Bill, Scott, and Waldemar highlight the freeing power of vulnerability, trusted relationships, and allowing love to reach the places shame has kept hidden.
Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode:
(02:19) The Real Question Many Christians Are Asking Is Why Christianity Isn’t Working For Them.
(04:50) The Difference Between Striving To Live The Christian Life And Resting In The Reality That Believers Are Already Made Righteous.
(07:31) The First Critical Step In Crisis: Admitting That You Are Actually Hurting And Need Help.
(09:24) Shame Keeps People From Being Known - Bringing Darkness Into The Light Breaks Its Power.
(10:50) The Connection Between Trust And Love Is Explored, Emphasizing That The Degree Of Trust Determines The Degree To Which Love Can Be Experienced.
(17:34) Honestly Asking Whether Jesus Has Been Blamed For The Crisis and The Freedom That Comes From Realizing Faith Is About Who Is Being Trusted

This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, Waldemar Kohl, 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
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This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How would your life change if you truly believed that God is delighted in you right now?
In this episode of Living Influence, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar address the quiet frustration of the exhausted believer who wonders why faith doesn’t seem to “work.” They discuss why many feel their faith is failing when they rely on personal effort over the finished work of Jesus. The hosts explain that true rest and joy come from shifting focus from "becoming" to simply living out of one’s established identity in Christ. By embracing humility and being authentic with God and others, believers can finally step into a life defined by grace and mutual love.
Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode:

(02:14) Challenging the phrase “my faith is not working” and questions whether faith has subtly become effort rather than trust.
(04:21) Exploring how turning spiritual growth into self-effort leads directly to exhaustion.
(06:28) The difference between striving to become godly and expressing who you already are.
(09:39) Can you trust that God is already delighted in you?
(10:54) God actually enjoys His people and offers them His joy.
(15:17) Grace is given to the humble and defines humility as trusting God “with me.”
(18:39) Scott describes the powerful experience of being fully known in a safe community and discovering love instead of rejection.

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/

How often do you measure your worth by what you are doing rather than who you are?
In this episode, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar unpack why so many believers feel spiritually exhausted despite doing all the “right” things. It’s a deep-seated fatigue many feel when they attempt to maintain their standing with God through constant effort and "doing." They reveal how a performance-based theology and the internal voice of shame quietly drain joy and hope. Through a renewed understanding of grace and identity, they offer a path toward hope, freedom, and living without condemnation.
Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode:

(01:44) The concept of the “exhausted Christian” is introduced, including the struggle to feel joy despite spiritual effort.
(03:19) Empathy for those who feel worn out and questioning whether exhaustion stems from misunderstanding identity in Christ.
(06:28) How constant spiritual activity, achieving a sense of worth, and “trying to be right with God” create deep fatigue.
(07:51) Trying to be right with God through effort inevitably produces discouragement and exhaustion.
(10:48) The internal critical voice is identified as shame, shaping identity apart from God’s truth.
(13:19) Trust that Christ’s finished work fully secured your right standing with God.
(15:19) Unresolved shame fuels frustration, anger, and inner turmoil.
(19:20) Romans 8:1 is presented as God’s counter-voice to shame: no condemnation for those in Christ.

This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, Waldemar Kohl, 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/

How can suffering actually accelerate your maturity?
In this episode, Bill and Scott explore the profound relationship between spiritual maturity, suffering, and the willingness to take risks for the benefit of others. They challenge the assumption that obedience guarantees safety and comfort, emphasizing instead that it often leads to risk-filled purposes. Ultimately, they encourage listeners to move toward a Christ-centered life where they trust God with their unknown futures and embrace the influence they have on those around them.
Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode:
(01:10) Suffering as an intentional part of God’s process of maturing people.
(02:14) The difference between knowing information and obeying truth.
(03:54) The difference between suffering common to humanity and suffering unique to believers.
(05:10) Challenging the belief that obedience always leads to comfort or blessing.
(06:16) Are you willing to take risks for the benefit of others?
(08:26) Taking risks to care for your family.
(10:46) Trusting God with the future.
(13:01) Mature leadership and owning the influence one has on others.

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/

Are you living out what the Bible says for you or are you living out what others expect of you?
In this episode, Bill and Scott challenge the assumption that spiritual or personal growth comes from knowledge alone. They explore how trust, not compliance, leads to lasting transformation and authentic maturity.

Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode:

(03:11) How knowing the right answers does not equate to making right choices in life.
(04:19) The difference between teaching knowledge and teaching trust in truth.
(06:33) How acting on trusted truth leads to transformation and changed choices.
(10:06) How compliance often produces judgment and a lack of love.
(12:33) The idea that people adapt themselves to the expectations placed upon them.
(14:48) How children raised to meet expectations often grow up compliant but unprepared.
(22:44) Warnings against turning trust into rigid patterns instead of teaching principles of truth.

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/