To Learn, Love, Lead

The largest book club team yet! Demerious, Mat, Arri, and I dive into Gene Edwards modern Christian Classic about three kings in Israel's history. King Saul, King David, and wanna-be King Absalom. The Book Club team shares their highlight and favorite quotes from the book. Tune in to learn and make sure to read The Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards for yourself. Keep up with the Book Club Members:Demerious' Instagram: @demeriousnelson and @indefensemenArri's Instagram: @realarrievans and @thrivewomensclinicMat doesn't "do" social media but his new company's Instagram: @heartoftexasirrigationI would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

Esau was the first born son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham -- however, he did not inherit the promise God made to Abraham. Instead, Esau traded away his birthright and settled in a wilderness. He did become the father a nation and we can learn several leadership insights into his life from his biblical narrative. I would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

Dr. Brent Thomason and I discuss 6 questions we can ask while we study scripture. This is not an exhaustive list, but simply a tool we can use to help us grow in understanding of Scripture and how the Truths in God's word can change our lives. Dr. T's List of Questions:Who are the plot participants in the text?What are the ‘hinge' words/concepts in the text?Why are they saying this rather than something else?What did it mean to them/then? How does that translate to us/now?What other texts shed light on this one?How does the meaning of this text change my life today?Dr. T's Favorite Book:This Momentary Marriage by John PiperDr. T's Contributions to Book Projects:Luther on LeadershipDietrich Bonhoeffer: Perspectives on Costly LeadershipThe Educational Ministry of a ChurchDr. Thomason's Bio Page with DBUI would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

Arri and I dive into Dr. Henry Cloud's book how to embrace endings in our lives, relationships, and careers. Cloud's book is full of practical application and insight into how we need to change our perspective and practices around endings. Read the book yourself:Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry CloudAdditional Resources:Seasons of God by Richard BlackabyLeading Change John Kotter Follow Arri:Thrive Women's ClinicArri on Instagram - @realarrievansI would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

I had the honor to connect with Dr.  David Allen. He is THE Preaching Coach. In our conversation, he walks us through 12 steps of sermon preparation and sprinkles in wisdom and insight from Scriptures and his 45+ years of ministry experience. Make sure to check out the following resources and recommendations from Dr. Allen. Dr. Allen's Website-includes resources, podcast, blog, etc...: Preaching Coach WebsiteDr. Allen's Favorite Book:Lectures to My Students by Charles SpurgeonSome of Dr. Allen's Books Mentioned in the Podcast:Lukan Authorship of HebrewsNAC Commentary on Hebrews I would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

This episode, we welcome a new member to the book club. Arri Evans, who serves as the Mens Minister at Thrive Women's Clinic here in Dallas, joins the team. Arri, Matt and I dive into Stephen Covey's book The Speed of Trust. We spend most of the time unpacking the Core Four (integrity, intent, capabilities, and results) and we each highlight one of the 13 behaviors to build trust with others. Make sure to buy the book for yourself below:The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. CoveyNext Month's Book: Necessary Endings by Henry CloudArri's Favorite Book : Spiritual Leadership by Oswald SandersThrive Women's Clinic's WebsiteI would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

In Episode 61, we dive into the life and legacy of Rebekah--the wife of Isaac. She is great study in how a strength and gift pushed too far can create division and strife in a family. Just like so many people, she has traits to admire and behaviors to avoid. Hope you enjoy. Other Biblical Episodes:Abraham's Biblical Profile Isaac's Biblical ProfileSources:BibleThe Holman Bible DictionaryI would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

Chris Comstock, Mat Richter and I dive into a leadership must-read! Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges, & Phyllis Hendry wrote this book to help leaders grow as leaders. Tune in to hear our insights and challenges from our time reading how to Lead Like Jesus.Buy the Book for yourself:Lead Like Jesus by Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges and Phyllis HendryCheck out the Lead Like Jesus Website: HERETo see Chris' Christmas decor, go find him @thechriscomstock on InstagramI would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

Mike Bonem and I talked about his latest book The Art of Leading Change. In his book, Mike walks through 10 perspectives of leading in ministry, but we only have time to  discuss 4 of them--so you should purchase his book for yourself. Make sure to check out his website and other resources below. Mike Bonem's WebsiteMike's Books:The Art of Leading ChangeLeading from the Second ChairThriving in the Second ChairIn Pursuit of Great and Godly LeadershipLeading Congregational ChangeMike's Favorite Books:Canoeing the Mountains by Todd BolsingerGood to Great by Jim CollinsStrengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley BartonI would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

In episode 58, Chris Comstock, Mat Richter, and I reflect on the book Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership by Dr. Sam Rima and Dr. Gary McIntosh. Their book is divided into three portions which we all share some of highlights and key lessons in the conversation. If you want to buy the book for yourself, click the link below: Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership by Dr. Sam Rima and Dr. Gary McIntoshI would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

In this episode, I investigate what does someone mean when they say, "I feel called to..." As I explore this topic, I have three questions come to mind. My hope for this episode is to encourage you to reflect and identify what destination God is calling you to. Here are the main sources for this episode:Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley BartonLeading from the Inside Out by Dr. Sam RimaConversion & Discipleship by Bill HullThe Disciple-Making Church by Bill HullThe Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich BonhoefferI would love to hear how God is moving in your life and ministry! Send me an email at tolearnlovelead@gmail.com. Stay CuriousBe CompassionateLead with a Servant' s Heart

In my conversation with Dr. Goodie Goodloe, we dive into his book Habits, where he highlights 6 habits leaders practice to increase their level of influence. Dr. Goodloe speaks from the overflow of a life of learning and ministry and I'm so excited to share our conversation with you. Buy Dr. Goodloe's Books:King Maker by Dr. Goodie GoodloeHabits by Dr. Goodie Goodloe & Octavio MartinezThe Next Level by Dr. Goodie GoodloeBuy Dr. Goodloe's book recommendations:Who is this Man by John OrtbergCelebration of Discipline by Richard FosterMartin Luther King Jr. trilogy by Taylor BranchCheck Out Dr. Goodloe's website and Social Media:goodiegoodloe.com@goodiegoodloe on instagram

In my talk with Dr. Alex McFarland, I ask him two main questions:1. How did he prepare to do what he does today (listen to the first 5 mins to hear his resume)?2. How does he balance truth and love when answering difficult questions?His responses are profound and challenging.If you want to follow Alex:His WebsiteHis BooksHis book recommendations:More than a CarpenterEvidence that Demands a VerdictMorning & Evening

Ps. Dan is the executive Pastor at 12 Stone Church in Lawrenceville, GA. He is an author, blogger, leadership coach & church innovator. We had a great conversation on how young leaders need to have a long perspective and how to finish well in ministry. Check out the following resources provided by Ps. Dan:Dan Reiland's BlogLeadership Alone Isn't Enough DevotionalConfident Leader Book

In this episode, Chris, Demerious and I walk through Peter Drucker's book The Effective Executive. This book is considered a leadership forerunner and classic. Drucker's approach to effectiveness is a challenge for our personal growth and the overall growth of the organization. Prepare to be challenged and encouraged! Get your copy of the Effective Executive hereFollow Chris' podcast here. Because Chris forgot what SWOT stood for: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats. Follow Demerious on Instagram: @demeriousnelson and @indefensemen

I had the privilege to talk with Jeff Lamb, President and COO at VARI, about the importance of building relationships. Jeff is a highly successful and influential leader in the workplace, so I wanted to learn from him how we can effectively minister to people in the business world. Jeff has a heart to develop people and he provides great insight into the art of building relationships. Check out his company: VARICheck out more on Jeff: BIO and Promotion

The life and legacy of Isaac. He was a promised child and yet a flawed man! Listen in to hear how God worked through the life of Isaac. If you haven't yet, check out the previous episodes of people mentioned in this the Biblical Profile of Isaac. AbrahamSarahIshmaelHagar

This episode is the final installment to the 4 part "How To Lead Yourself" series. I dive into the idea of how to "Inspect what we Expect" from our personal growth plan. I discuss a system to evaluate our progress which includes: daily questions, quarterly check-in and an annual review. Check out the awesome music from our podcast friend Gladden: GLADDEN originals"Don't Break My Heart"

Chris, Mat and I dive into Samuel Chand's book Leadership Pain. Tune in to hear our major challenges and reflections from the book. Also, check out the below resources: Leadership Pain by Samuel ChandSamuel Chand's Website & PodcastChris' PodcastChris' Church-Crossroads ChurchChris' Church's PodcastRate, Review, and Subscribe! 

What a great conversation with Dr. Michael Whiting--a professor of Christian History and Leadership! We talked through three/four different men from church history who significantly impacted the church. Tune in to hear more and check out the following books:Augustine's ConfessionsWilliams Carey's JournalFaithful Witness -- Biography on William CareyFour Loves by C.S. LewisMere Christianity by C.S. LewisTurning Points by Mark NollLast Light Ascending -- Fiction Novel by Dr. Whiting and his Daughter. Also check them out on instagram @light.creators

Russ Sarratt is the Senior Director of Leadership for the Winshape Foundation and is the coauthor of the book Teamwork:13 Timeless principles for creating success and fulfillment as a team member. In our conversation, Russ, Nathan and I discuss how to own your role as a team member and how good leaders must first learn to be good followers. Check out the Winshape FoundationCheck out his book: Teamwork

Lead Yourself Part 3 is all about ways we can develop our own personal leadership development plan. I lay out 5 models and strategies I've learned, practiced and developed through the years. Also check out the below resources:Habitudes #1 by Tim ElmoreZig Ziglar Wheel of LifeLead Yourself From the Inside Out by Sam RimaAtomic Habits by James ClearGreg Mathis' 40 Devotional on Soul-Care

My wonderful wife and I sit down and dive into Ps. Jan's book The Grace Giving Leader. We were both impressed and challenged by her unique approach and view of leadership. Her focus was on how we extend grace to ourselves and others by how we lead. Read Ps. Jan's book: The Grace Giving LeaderCheck out the book Meagan mentioned: Connecting 

I had a great conversation with Dr. Sam Rima. He is a leadership coach, spiritual development director, author, former pastor, professor, and much more. Listen in to our conversation as we talk about how we need to prioritize how we lead ourselves before we lead others. Check out the following links: Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership by Dr. Samuel Rima & Gary McIntoshLeading from the Inside out by Dr. Samuel RimaDeoworks--Where Dr. Rima serves as Director of Leadership FormationSpiritual Capital and Moral Leadership InstituteDr. Rima's Personal Website

What do you know about Abraham's first born son? Tune in to hear about the life and legacy of Ishmael and what we can apply from his life in our own life and leadership. Also, if you haven't already, check out the below episodes to have a better context surrounding his story: AbrahamSarahHagarI want to hear how God is moving in your ministry. Send me an email to let me know what you're learning:  tolearnlovelead@gmail.com

You are uniquely made, gifted and prepared! Our responsibility is to understand how God wired us. This episode is filled to the brim with details on personality assessments, strengths, gifts, and how our experiences have shaped our passions. Check out the below resources:What is Personality TestingStrengths vs EnneagramDISC Model of Human Behavior AssessmentMyers Briggs Personality AssessmentEnneagram AssessmentClifton Strengths Finder AssessmentSpiritual Gifts AssessmentLet me know what you discover:tolearnlovelead@gmail.com

The Book Club episodes dive into popular and influential books with the goal to inspire you to read the book for yourself. Malcolm Gladwell is a great thinker and writer for our day with several best sellers. In Outliers, Gladwell challenges our concept of success and challenges Demerious and I to extend the opportunities given to us to those in our circle of influence. Buy the book for yourself here: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Tune into Demerious' podcast: The Demerious Show

I got a chance to reconnect with a former professor of mine on the topic of discipleship. He outlines 3 characteristics of a disciple and identifies a few methods on how facilitate discipleship in the local church. Check out his book: Family Ministry and the ChurchCheck out his School: Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries at  SWTBSFollow To Learn Love Lead on Facebook.

The biggest lesson from Hagar's life, for me, is how God both sees us and hears us! Join in on the story of Hagar as we reflect on her life and legacy and how God blessed her through the painful circumstances of her life. 

In this episode, we dive into one of my favorite topics of developing a personal mission statement, values, and your leadership legacy! I hope these encourage and challenge you do go through the work of building out your own leadership profile. Check out these books to help with your work:Leaders Who Last by Dave KraftThe Advantage by Patrick LencioniLeading from the Inside Out by Samuel Lima The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner

Come sit down with my friend Nathan Escamilla as we walk through Ruth Haley Barton's book Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership. Leaders need to practice the spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude in order to lead out of their relationship with Jesus. Nathan and I share some of the challenges and major insights we received from her book. Buy the book for yourself here: Strengthening the Soul of Your LeadershipFollow Nathan's ministry at the following links:WinshapeFacebookEmail is nescamilla@winshape.org

Ps. Jan is a pastor, author, and teacher. She has a passion to help others grow in their relationship in Christ and embrace the calling they have to lead. Her first book is Women at War and most recent book is The Grace-Giving Leader which we discuss in this episode.  Connect with Ps. Jan at her website Brave Strong Girl or on social mediaInstagram: @jangreenwoodfacebook: jangreenwood.16

Welcome to the to Learn Love Lead Podcast, this episode is all about the life and legacy of Lot, Abraham's little nephew. He had a difficult life and ended several traumatic events. He does not have the best reputation in scripture and his descendants were bitter rivals of Israel. But even in difficult situations, God can still move in our lives. I hope you are encouraged and challenged in this episode. Also, check out Will Gladden's music right here! 

 In this episode, I share what a friend of mine refers to as the Theology of Recreation and elaborate on ways we can incorporate recreation into our personal lives and leadership. I love to have fun! I believe God designed us to have fun and engage in activities which bring us joy and energize us. Through recreation individually, one-on-one, small groups, and organizationally, we can grow closer to God and build community with each other.

Dr. David Cook is one of my former professors at Dallas Baptist University from the Cook School of Leadership. Our conversation focused on the topic of post traumatic growth. He experienced two traumatic events growing up which led him to study the affects of trauma on leaders and how their faith helped them to grow through their trauma. He provides some practical ways to help others grow through crisis as well. Click the following link, if you want to know more about DBU's Masters of Arts of Leadership.

Caleb & Mat sit down to review Robert S. McGee's book The Search for Significance. McGee identifies four lies we tend to believe which affect our sense of purpose and identity. Sit in with us to learn and grow through this book together. If you want to buy McGee's book click here: The Search for Significance.

In this episode, we dive into the life and legacy of the mysterious Old Testament figure Melchizedek. Despite his brief moment in the Biblical narrative, he established a precedent which helped us understand Jesus' role as a High Priest. 

There are three Rhythms of Rest that have helped me combat the craziness of life! Daily, Weekly & Quarterly. I share my approach to each of they rhythms and a few additional resources to help you get started: Robert Morris--Take the Day OffPeter Scazzero--The Emotionally Healthy LeaderSamuel Rima--Leading from the inside out

This is the first episode of the updated book club. Throughout the year, I'll sit down with a handful of friends to discuss meaningful books for leadership, ministry, and personal development. This episode, Christ Comstock (Paster at Crossroads Church in Douglasville, GA) and I walk through Carey Nieuwhof's At Your Best. If you want to follow Chris, check out the following links:Crossroads ChurchBack Porch Conversations Podcast

I had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Richard Blackaby from Blackaby Ministries International. He talks on the importance of a leader's growth. Check out the following links to learn more about Dr. Blackaby: Book Spiritual LeadershipBlackaby Ministries InternationalRichard Blackaby Podcast

This is the biblical profile on Sarai/Sarah who experienced a miraculous event when she was 90 years old! 

In this episode, I had the honor to talk with Ken Sande--author of The Peacemaker and found of Peacemaker Ministries and Relational Wisdom 360. Ken Sande has been used by God in tremendous ways around the globe and God continues to give me a vision and passion for helping others manage and protect relationships. Check out the following links:The PeacemakerandRelational Wisdom 360thanks for listening and make sure to subscribe! 

In this episode, we go over Ps. Steve Gladen's book "Small Groups with Purpose" I encourage you to get the book for yourself! Great resource. 

In this episode, we dive into the life and legacy of Abram(ham). He is the patriarch of the Hebrew people and sets the standard of a faith-filled relationship with God.  He is an influential person who is mentioned throughout the entire Bible and because of his faith, every nation & person is blessed. After we do a brief summary of his life, we dive into an analysis and extrapolate lessons for how we learn, love, and lead. 

Ps. Steve is the small groups pastor at Saddleback church. He has written three books, all on small groups. Check out the links below:Small Groups with PurposeLeading Small Groups with PurposePlanning Small Groups with PurposeIn addition to writing and leading in ministry, Ps. Steve also founded the Small Group Network which is a place for small group pastors and leaders to connect with other like minded ministry people to share resources and encouragement. I had a great conversation with Ps. Steve and I know you will be encouraged through his testimony, and his explanation of the small group culture at Saddleback Church. 

In this episode I have a great sit-down talk with one of my professors at DBU about the importance of incorporating a structure for Assimilation in the church with the four pillars he mentions in this podcast. Also, his book recommendation for us is: The Search for Significance by Robert McGee

In episode 17, I got to interview Dr. Brent Taylor about his book and in this episode, we have a short review of his book. Tune in to hear some of the leadership wisdom Dr. Taylor has mined in the lives of some of America's presidents. My hope is for you to get the book for yourself so you can go deeper than what I am able to do in this episode. Click here to go to Amazon. 

This episode focuses in on the three sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. In addition to the biblical narrative of their lives, we also dive into the legacies of each brother through their genealogies and ultimately to present day. Sources used were the Lexham Bible Dictionary from the Logos Bible App,  the Creation Museum website, and my handy-dandy study bible. 

This is part two of episode 15. In this episode we talk about Willard's Golden Triangular model of spiritual growth which includes the role of: the Holy Spirit, our experiences and spiritual disciplines. The following are a few books I reference which I strongly encourage you to pick up for yourself and read! Winning the War in your Mind by Craig GroeschelThe Divine Conspiracy by Dallas WillardThe Cost of Discipleship by Deitrich BonhoefferThe Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

This episode outlines and reviews David Livermore's book, Leading with Cultural Intelligence. I read his book for one of my classes in 2020 and learned so much about how to connect with people from other cultures. Make sure to get a copy of the book and read it for yourself--link below:https://www.audible.com/pd/Leading-with-Cultural-Intelligence-Second-Editon-Audiobook/B0167KTAVQ?source_code=GO1DH13310082090P1&ds_rl=1262685&ds_rl=1263561&ds_rl=1260658&gclid=CjwKCAjwn6GGBhADEiwAruUcKkjK9cdlziGV8YcLG_YG0PA07RTcbSgcYD20mANp3TCElPPBuy1Z3hoC4lIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Dr. Taylor is a husband, father, pastor, author, professor and Krispy Kreme enthusiast. We had our conversation over his new book "Presidential Leadership." I hope you are encouraged from his wisdom and perspective for the next generation of leaders in the church. Check out his books here: "Founding Leadership"https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Leadership-Business-Personal-Revolution/dp/1642792047/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=brent+taylor&qid=1623512753&sr=8-1"Presidential Leadership" https://www.amazon.com/Presidential-Leadership-Presidents-Better-Leader/dp/1642799831/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=brent+taylor&qid=1623512784&sr=8-2