Living Influence with Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd

Episode: The Possibility of Being New
Date: December 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the profound idea that discovering and believing who God says you are is central to transformation and influence. Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd reflect on how faith, as a gift granted while spiritually “dead,” opens the door to a new life in Christ. They consider the implications of being “no longer enslaved to sin” and discuss what it truly means to live as someone new, empowered to love and serve others, as intended by God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Faith: Gifted to the Dead

• Faith is a Gift from God:
  Scott opens by summarizing their ongoing series—moving from "sinner to dead to sin, and from dead to sin to alive in Christ" (00:05).

  • “Faith is a gift of God to a dead man.” - Scott (00:08)
  • Bill elaborates: it's faith given to people separated from God, so they may trust Him and find life (00:24).

• Often Missed Simplicity:
  Both agree on how easily believers overlook the simplicity and radical nature of this gift, and miss who it’s given to—those spiritually dead (00:45).

2. The Possibility of Being New

• Transformation at Calvary:
  Bill shares personally:

  • “For many years, I lived with almost no awareness of all Jesus actually did for me at Calvary.” (03:09)
  • The message is not merely forgiveness, but the "old self" died in Christ and a new life began (03:35).

• No Longer Slaves to Sin:
  The co-hosts challenge the common narrative that Christians remain bound by sin, reframing the gospel promise:

  • “If I really believed I was dead, I would have a new foundation from which I would be able to believe I am no longer a slave to sin. Because if I’m dead, I ain’t sinning.” - Bill (03:58)

3. Freedom FROM and Freedom TO

• Freedom Reframed:
  The discussion pivots to not just freedom FROM sin but freedom TO live righteously and fulfill God’s purposes (06:01).

  • “It’s not only a freedom from, but a freedom to.” - Scott (06:05)
  • “Freedom to love one another, freedom to enjoy God and life.” - Scott (06:05)

• It's About Identity, Not Performance:
  Bill addresses the trap of striving and appearances:

  • “So much of our dominant theology is… strive, struggle… hide from each other all the sin that we do. And that’s a cycle, a vicious cycle of defeat.” (02:32)
  • The solution: trust in what God has done, not in our own efforts.

4. The New Destiny: Becoming Like Jesus

• Scriptural Foundation (1 John 3):
  Bill reads and unpacks 1 John 3 (07:08–13:44), emphasizing:

  • We are now children of God, bearing Jesus’ “DNA.”
  • “My new destiny is that I’m going to be like Jesus.” - Bill (08:10)
  • John’s point: “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him…” (1 John 3:9, 12:16). The focus is on abiding and living into the new identity, not endless self-fixation on resisting sin.

• Notable Emphasis:
  Bill stresses: “We must not just talk about being dead to sin unless we talk about being alive to righteousness.” (12:30)

5. Dealing with Sin: A Paradigm Shift

• Don't Deal with Sin by Focusing on Sin:

  • “Don’t deal with sin by dealing with sin. It’ll only keep you trapped in sin.” - Bill (14:24)
  • The alternative: embrace your new reality in Christ, which leads naturally to “practice sinless.”

• Loving as the Fulfillment of the Law:
  The paradox: focusing on loving others is how one “obeys” the law (16:55).

  • “What if the evidence of my Christian life was not how little I sin, but how much I love?” - Bill (17:34)

6. Personal Vulnerability & Living Love

• Scott’s Story of Loss and Love:
  Scott opens up about losing his first wife to cancer:
  • “If you love somebody, one of the two of you is going to experience the other one dying and how hard that would be.” (18:04)
  • He shares why he sought companionship again, highlighting mutual support through hardship:
    • “Life is hard. Let’s help each other make it through.” - Scott (18:42)
  • This reflection brings the conversation back to Jesus’ command to “love one another” (19:04).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Faith is a gift of God to a dead man.”
  — Scott (00:08)

• “If I really believed I was dead, I would have a new foundation… I am new, I am loved. I am no longer under the tyranny of the law.”
  — Bill (03:58)

• “It’s not only a freedom from, but a freedom to.”
  — Scott (06:05)

• “My new destiny is that I’m going to be like Jesus.”
  — Bill (08:10)

• “Don’t deal with sin by dealing with sin. It’ll only keep you trapped in sin… Deal with the reality of who God is making you to be.”
  — Bill (14:24, 14:39)

• “What if the evidence of my Christian life was not how little I sin, but how much I love?”
  — Bill (17:34)

• “Life is hard. Let’s help each other make it through.”
  — Scott (18:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:05: Introduction—Faith as a gift for the spiritually dead
• 02:00: Possibility of no longer being a slave to sin
• 03:09: Bill’s personal journey—discovering the depth of Christ’s work at Calvary
• 04:58: Short prayer—learning to serve righteousness
• 06:05: Not just freed from sin, but freed to live purposefully
• 07:08–13:44: 1 John 3 unpacked—identity, destiny, life practice
• 14:24: Paradigm shift—stop fixing sin by focusing on sin
• 16:55: Love as the fulfillment of the law
• 18:04: Scott’s personal story of love, loss, and mutual support
• 19:04: Jesus’ command to love one another as central Christian evidence

Tone & Style

The conversation is warm, direct, and pastoral, rich with personal anecdotes, biblical references, and empathetic encouragement. Bill’s seasoned wisdom and Scott’s open vulnerability create a relational and hope-filled invitation for listeners to embrace their true identity in Christ and to live it out in love.

Conclusion

This episode is a practical, theologically rich reflection on what it means to be “new” in Christ. Bill and Scott challenge listeners to shift from a focus on limiting sin toward embracing their God-given identity and destiny: to love and influence others as children of God. The transformation comes not from striving, but from trusting in Christ's life within—a possibility open to everyone.