In Christianity, the first of the three persons of the Trinity, who begets the Son and from whom the Holy Spirit proceeds
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With the Saints in Independence struggling to fulfill the Lord's command to build a temple, the Saints in Kirtland, Ohio, get the invitation from the Lord to build a temple there. The Saints in Kirtland dig in and begin construction as the miracles start to commence. Join Lynne Hilton Wilson and special guest Steven C. Harper, Church History professor at BYU, for the stories, insights and experiences surrounding the construction of the first temple of God in the latter days. In addition to learning about the historical events related to the construction of the Kirtland Temple, Professor Harper offers a deep dive into how the temple is designed to prepare us to return to our Heavenly Father. Thank you for joining us at Scripture Central! We hope that you have enjoyed this content.
What an amazing truth this is! Our Heavenly Father has lavished his love on us. The word “lavished” refers to something generous or extravagant. God has been extremely generous in His love for us. So much so that He has adopted us into His family and He now calls us His children. We are the children of God.Main Points:1. Because of our past sins, failures, and mistakes, we may feel as if we are unloveable and unworthy of God's love. In and of ourselves, we are unworthy of his love. We can't earn, merit, or ever deserve the love of God. You might even think, “Why would God love someone like me.”2. Here is the good news: Jesus makes us worthy. It is Jesus who gives us access to the Father's love. In fact, there is no other way. Jesus opens the door to a relationship with the Father. It is here that we become the children of God. 3. Let this truth fill your heart and mind today: You are loved deeply by your Heavenly Father.Today's Scripture Verses:1 John 3:1 - “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”John 1:12 - “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”1 John 4:19 - “We love because He first loved us.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group
Simple faith. Child-like faith. We must come to God with this same simplicity and sincerity. Just as a child can have complete faith in the protection and provision of their parents, so we must come to God with such faith. We must completely believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the he alone can save us from our sins.Main Points:1. Let's think for a minute what characteristics little children possess when it comes to faith. They are innocent and sincere. They're eager to learn. They are teachable, humble, trusting, open, simple, and spontaneous. They are unpretentious.2. It's my prayer that as adults, we could develop this assurance in God. As a child has assurance of the love of their parents, couldn't we develop assurance of our Heavenly Father's love? Couldn't we find assurance of our salvation and forgiveness of sins? Could we also obtain assurance of God's care, provision, and protection? Could we lay our head on our pillow at night with assurance in our hearts, knowing that if we passed in the night we have the promise of eternal life?3. We spend our days stressed out, worried, anxious, afraid, frustrated, and even angry. Surely this is not God's will for the lives of his children. Let's come back to simple trust and childlike faith in a God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Today's Scripture Verses:Matthew 18:1-3 - “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group
As Christians, we put the future in God's hands. We cannot predict the future. We don't know what will happen tomorrow. Many will choose to worry about the future, but instead, we can choose to trust our Heavenly Father. We trust His will, His plan, and His purpose for our lives. Main Points:1. Tomorrow is on our minds. It's likely you are thinking about the future as it relates to your family, your health, your finances, your retirement, your work, and your ministry. What does tomorrow hold? What will the future be like?2. Planning our future gives us a sense of comfort and control. It's not wrong for us to plan and prepare for tomorrow, but we cannot leave God out of our planning. Why? Because He is the only one who truly knows what tomorrow brings. 3. As we look to tomorrow and our future, let's be quick to consult God and ask Him to show us His will. Ask Him to lead, guide, and direct your steps. Pray and ask the Lord to show you His will concerning every aspect of your life. Let's return to the verbiage of believers in a previous generation and say, “if it is the Lord's will."Today's Scripture Verses:James 4:13-16 - “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.”Proverbs 27:1 - “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group
266. Choosing Fun and Adventure in Your Marriage and with Your Family: An Interview with Dan & Sam Mathews Isaiah 55:12 MSG “So you'll go out in joy, you'll be led into a whole and complete life. The mountains and hills will lead the parade, bursting with song. All the trees of the forest will join the procession, exuberant with applause. No more thistles, but giant sequoias, no more thornbushes, but stately pines— Monuments to me, to God, living and lasting evidence of God.” *Transcription Below* Dan and Sam Mathews have been married since 2014 and currently reside in Missouri with their two kids, Canyon and Ember. Since the moment they got married, Dan and Samantha have been living a life of sacrifice and faith. From backpacking in Arkansas to RV road trips across the US, they have always taken the adventurous route. Sam is a lifestyle vlogger and content creator, and Dan hosts a hunting podcast in addition to his social platforms. Together they share their life of adventure online with millions of followers. Follow them on socials @wearedanandsam. Thank You to Our Sponsor: Sam Leman Eureka Questions and Topics We Cover: What are a few adventures you're so grateful you said yes to in life? Matthew 25:26 MSG says, "That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that!" So drawing your wisdom from the Lord, how does your faith fuel your sense of adventure? How can we begin to enjoy an adventurous life in our marriage and with our family? Other Episodes Mentioned from The Savvy Sauce Podcast: 82 Traveling with Your Family with Katie Mueller 242 Stories Series: He Gives and Takes Away with Joyce Hodel Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, Instagram or Our Website Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“ Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“ Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” *Transcription* Music: (0:00 – 0:09) Laura Dugger: (0:11 - 1:47) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today over 55 years later at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka. Owned and operated by the Burchie family, Sam Leman's Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at lemangm.com. Dan and Sam Mathews are my guests for today, and you may know them from all the social platforms at WeAreDanAndSam. They live a life of high faith and delightful adventure, and their book, Always Choose Adventure: One Couple's Journey of Chasing the Things in Life That Matter Most, is actually going to release this month. I would highly recommend it. It was an amazing read. I read through it so fast, and it was a great combination of enjoying the stories but learning so much along the way. It's kind of like our chat for today. We're going to cover various stories, but Dan and Sam are also going to give us simple and practical ideas and tips for adding a sense of fun into our marriage and into our family life. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Dan and Sam. Dan Mathews: (1:47 - 1:48) Thank you for having us. We're excited. We are really excited. Laura Dugger: (1:49 - 1:59) Well, I'm so excited to journey back and get to hear more of your story, but will you first just give us an overview of what current life looks like right now? Sam Mathews: (2:00 - 2:29) Yes. Currently, I'm 22 weeks pregnant with our third baby. We have two kiddos. Canyon is almost nine. Ember is seven. We live in Southern Missouri. We love adventuring and traveling, and Dan hunts. We share life on every platform, so just lifestyle, vlogging, and sharing our adventures. We recently settled down in a home, and so this is our first time doing DIYs for ourselves. Yeah, it's a fun season right now. Dan Mathews: (2:29 - 2:46) And Sam loves to host, so I think we have 48 parties scheduled this summer and knocked out a couple already, but yeah, we're excited about life, excited about adventure, and sharing that with people and how they can actually get out and adventure more. Laura Dugger: (2:47 - 3:01) You do that so well, but if we're going back then to more of the origin stories, will you both share your journey of growing up and your stories that eventually led for the two of you to overlap with one another? Sam Mathews: (3:01 - 3:37) Yeah, definitely. It's always been me, my mom, and my sister. My mom was a single mom raising us, born in California, but then she moved us to Southern Missouri when I was young, and this was a great place to raise us. In the Bible Belt, we were raised pretty much in church. She did an amazing job as a single mom, just caring for us and pointing us to Christ. We got plugged into a church very early on. We volunteered there. My sister and I worked there. We attended there, and so we're really involved, and that's how I met Dan when he came to Bible College. Dan Mathews: (3:37 - 4:58) Yeah, I grew up in central Wisconsin. We went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, was very, very involved with the kid's ministry and youth group and just any opportunity I could be around that church community, I was. We had a group called Master's Commission that would come up and do outreach at our church. They were from Florida, and I was like, man, I want to do that one day. These guys are awesome. They're doing human videos, and they're all musical. My dad's brother and his family moved down to Southern Missouri, and I get a call one day right after high school. They were like, “Hey, there's a Master's Commission program down here. If you want to do it, we'll pay for it.” I was like, “Sure, let's do it.” Almost no questions asked, just kind of like, all right, tell me the date I have to be there. Then, I started packing stuff up and quit my job and moved down knowing absolutely nobody. I got plugged into the church. I became very, very involved, and then just built a community, and through that, I went there with Sam's sister, her older sister, and I got to know Sam, and then I ended up working out at the gym that she worked at. Sam Mathews: (4:59 - 5:00) Which was at our church. Dan Mathews: (5:00 - 5:15) Which was at the church, and so we were just around each other all the time, and that kind of developed over years and years and years. Then one day, I was like, wow, this chick is awesome, and now we're here doing podcasting. Laura Dugger: (5:16 - 5:32) Which is incredible. Okay, so just to pause, and you go into more of these stories, love your books, so easy to read, but can you take us back to what you both first thought of one another when you were meeting those days at the gym? Oh, gee. Sam Mathews: (5:33 - 6:22) For sure, Dan is the life of the party, like he is comedy, and just, he has all the jokes, and definitely a charmer with all the ladies, but so fun to be around, and not only his humor draws you in, but I didn't grow up with a father, and so I liked the, I don't know, like strong aspect that he had, just like the confidence, and then his relationship with the Lord was something that I desired to have for myself, you know, a leader in a couple like together, someone to point me towards Christ, but the lightheartedness and jokes and humor keep the hard days fun, but that for me was, you know, I always can count on you for a good joke. Dan Mathews: (6:23 - 6:41) Yeah, I, when I first met Sam, it was kind of in a group setting, and it was with her older sister with my younger brother, and it was like, oh, this is, you know, Justine's sister. Little sister. Didn't really think a whole lot of it, but after a couple years, I think you were probably a sophomore at that time when I first met you. Sam Mathews: (6:41 - 6:42) Yeah. Dan Mathews: (6:42 - 7:36) And, and then after a couple years, it was like she was volunteering in the youth group, and she was on the recreation staff at our camps, and so it's like we were spending more time together, and I'm like, oh, Justine's sister's kind of cute, and yeah, we started, we started just kind of a friendship. We were just around each other all the time. I mean, like before we were dating, we're really interested in each other. It's like I was walking back from the lake, and she'd hop on my back, and I'd just give her a piggyback ride up to the cabins, and then looking back, I'm like, wow, our lives just were really intermingled and overlapped for years and years, but early on, she was younger. She had braces. She was a hip-hop dance instructor, so I mean, she would have like one sweat pant leg rolled up, high-top Nikes on all the time, like thought she was the coolest thing ever. Laura Dugger: (7:36 - 7:52) I was. I didn't think. Oh, that's amazing. I love that, and my husband and I were also friends first, and I feel like that does set you up well in marriage. Like you've got your built-in buddy. Sam Mathews: (7:53 - 8:30) Exactly. I was going through pictures yesterday, because I was going to post a trend online, and it was like, oh, how cute. How many months have you been married? And it's like months? You put a picture for every year, and it's like we've known each other since like 2008, maybe 2009. Then, like started our like dating in 2010. I look at pictures of us from 2010 as a couple. I'm like, oh, my gosh, we've grown so much just like, you know, like physically, but even just relationally and spiritually, and like it's crazy looking back, and so thankful for so many years of friendship with him, but you know, relationship-wise, it's been great. Dan Mathews: (8:30 - 8:52) Well, and I feel like doing life together is a great model before ever like the romantic side comes in. You get to know the person in group settings. You get to know who they are without the interest, because people can put on a different face once you're trying to impress somebody, you know, but we were just being our genuine selves around each other for a long time. Sam Mathews: (8:52 - 8:59) Probably saw some stupid moments, some hard moments, but that's, yeah, that's what you want to see before you get into a relationship with someone. Laura Dugger: (9:00 - 9:12) Absolutely. Yeah. And as we're starting back that far, then when you reflect back, what are some of the adventures that you're most grateful you've said yes to in life? Sam Mathews: (9:13 - 10:38) Yeah. Oh, my gosh. I feel like dating, we weren't even dating at this point, the canoe trip when you did a master's commission, and that was so fun. It was like all of his friends, my sister, all the master's commission group went kayaking, and I decided to tag along as a sibling, and his brother did, and maybe a couple others. And that was fun, but it also gave me an opening into how Dan adventures, because his way of adventuring is way different than mine. I grew up, like I said, with a mom. We would camp at a cabin, and you'd pack the car full of everything you need. Dan would literally just put everything in a backpack and hike in two miles to go camping. And so being in that group, going kayaking, it was so fun, and it sparked this new love for adventure and new desire to learn a new way of adventuring. That was so fun. I mean, that was before we were married, but this is kind of jumping far ahead, but when we were married, we moved to Colorado for a couple of years, and although it was a hard season for us, we learned so much. We gained so much from it. A lot was birthed in us in that season. I mean, physically, I welcomed my daughter. We welcomed our second child in Colorado, but spiritually, I think God planted a lot of seeds that it may not have been a tangible adventure of being out in the woods, but spiritually, we were in the woods, and we grew so much, and I'm glad we said yes to it because it opened the door and led to so many other things. Dan Mathews: (10:38 - 12:31) Yeah, I feel like a lot of our adventures, some are traditional. I mean, a big adventure for me was leaving home. I mean, I moved straight out of my parents' house to a different state, and that was totally crazy for me. But then watching Sam, I mean, she moved out to California for a summer, went to a ministry out there. Then I saw her go to Colorado and Nanny for a couple, all summer long, and so I was like watching this, and we were talking, and I realized, like, we're both all in on an adventurous life, and even when we don't have the answers, it's like, is the Lord telling you not to do it? No? Okay, well, then we'll see what happens, and I thought that was really cool to watch her just like, oh, I'm going to California for a summer, and at first, I was like, please don't. I don't want you to come all the way to California, but then I was like, that's going to be so incredible. Like, you're just leaving everything behind and starting over for a whole summer in a different state, and so that was like the early dating years where we were kind of doing our own adventures, but we were watching and encouraging each other in doing them, and then we started actually going out and camping and floating rivers and hiking up waterfalls, and if you've never camped in the backcountry with someone, I suggest doing it. It's a great metric for if there's someone you want to marry. Like, if you can figure out canoeing and camping, you're probably going to be okay in marriage. That's good. And so, yeah, we started doing that stuff, and then from there, it was just like one after the next, going to Alaska, camping in grizzly country by ourselves, and it's our first time there. Like, we've done some pretty wild things, some pretty traditional things, but at the end of the day, all of the adventures are what brought us together. Laura Dugger: (12:32 - 12:45) Well, and just thinking of the adventure that drew you together, and then also your current platforms on socials and vlogging and preserving all of these pictures, like you said, you've captured all the pictures throughout the time. Sam Mathews: (12:45 - 12:45) Yes. Laura Dugger: (12:47 - 12:58) When you look back, do you feel like God had given you little seeds of what was yet to come or what kind of career you would be in someday, or was this totally a shock to both of you? Sam Mathews: (12:59 - 13:57) You know what? Looking back at pictures or even videos that I took, I could see how it was something that the Lord was birthing in us, and I would say probably me so more than Dan. I think Dan's like, whatever you want to do, I'm along for the ride type of thing. It probably wasn't his first choice as a career, but now that we're in it, we love it and we're thankful for the blessing it is to our family and the time that we get to spend with the kiddos. But I look back and I started videoing and taking pictures like years before even starting on social media, and then even the first few months in the year of sharing, it was like I didn't know what I was doing, but I still wanted to just share life and encourage people and love on people and inspire people. And yeah, it's crazy to look back on, but I also see the work the Lord was doing to get it all started before we even thought about it and knew that it would be something that we'd be doing. Dan Mathews: (13:57 - 16:00) Yeah, and I feel like with Sam, she gets promptings from the Lord that she doesn't know what it is. She doesn't know what it means. And early on, I think the very first one, she's like, babe, I just have this feeling like a big change is coming. And I'm like, anymore? Like, do you have any more information for me? That's not a whole lot to go off of. And I mean, in the conversation, I was like, okay, we'll see. Then I just forgot about it. And I mean, it was like the next day. There was an issue at work, just a very immoral thing that they were asking us to do as employees. And I was like, no, I can't be part of this. And I called her right after, and I was like, babe, I think this might be it. Like I'm going to resign tomorrow. And we talked and prayed, and I only had like a five-minute car ride home. We talked, prayed, got off the phone, and immediately I get a call from my buddy. And he's like, “Hey, dude, don't know what you're doing for work right now, but I've got a job for you if you want to come work at this place I'm at.” And I was like, “Oh, my gosh.” So then two years later, the same thing happened. She's like, I feel like a change is coming. Boom, big change. Two years later, I feel like a change is coming. All of a sudden, we're in a car moving out to Colorado. And it was just like that cycle. And so now when she's like, hey, there's a change coming, I'm like, oh, my gosh. I got to pack my bags. Something big's happening. I know something major is happening. And so, I don't know that early on either of us expected us to be where we are today. But we knew that we wanted to prioritize time together. We wanted to prioritize time with our kids and above all of it, time with the Lord. And if we could get those three in the right order, it didn't really matter where we were. It didn't matter what state we were in. If we were living in a bumper pole camper, an RV, a tiny home, or a regular sized house, we just knew that we had to prioritize those things, and everything was going to work out. Laura Dugger: (16:01 - 18:03) Truly. And that's the promise from Matthew 6:33, that you're really living that out. And now a brief message from our sponsor. Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka has been owned and operated by the Burchie family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago. If you visit their dealership today though, you'll find that not everything has changed. They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did, with honesty and integrity. Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle. This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle-free as possible. They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple, Welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different. I've known Sam and Stephen and their lives my entire life and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today. Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you and they appreciate your business. Learn more at their website, samlemanchevy.com or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka. You can also call them at 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship. There's a verse that you quoted in your book, and I had never read it before, in the message translation. So, it's Matthew 25:26 that says, “That's a terrible way to live.” It's criminal to live cautiously like that. So, drawing your wisdom then from the Lord, how does your faith fuel your sense of adventure? Sam Mathews: (18:04 - 19:50) Yeah, a lot of faith and trust. Several points in our life have been like a crossroads where we feel like we want to almost desire more out of everything to go towards the direction where God is leading us, where we don't know the outcome. We don't know what's ahead. We don't know what's coming and it's forcing us to trust the Lord, to have faith, even though we're fearful of it. Or we look at another option where it's like, you know what, this is very comfortable. We know the outcome. We know what's going to be required of us. We know how we're going to get there, how we're going to pay for it. And it was something we didn't desire. We liked being in a position where we needed the Lord. We're reliant upon Him. And so, you know, we talk often in the book about being comfortable. And I feel like when you're in a comfortable setting in life, it's safe. There's no risk involved. There's little to no trust in the Lord. I say that, you know, there's more to the story of that. But that you don't want to be at a place where you don't need God, where you don't need to rely on Him. And so, for us, we just encourage people that if you do find yourself in a comfortable place, to maybe step out of your comfort zone a little bit. To what's an area where you need to trust the Lord more? Is it finding that new job that you've been waiting for, that you've been hoping for? Is it moving to the state that's closer by your family or closer by your friends that you really desire but you're scared too? To not just be comfortable and stay for the sake of not being fearful or not, like knowing what's next, but instead step out, trust the Lord, you know, as long as you have peace and as long as you feel that yes from Him. And just lay fear aside and move forward with the Lord. Dan Mathews: (19:50 - 21:54) Yeah, with every big decision that we make, we're led by peace. And we've said it for years. If either one of us don't have peace about it, we're not doing it. But when there are multiple doors open, we say we're going to choose the most adventurous one. If we don't feel a specific direction from the Lord, let's just pick the most adventurous one. And it's kind of become common practice for us to not have really many of the details planned out on a major decision on a trip. And people are like, do you have any idea of what you're going to do when you move there? Or how long you're going to be traveling the country in an RV? And we're like, nope, we'll figure it out. I joke with my buddies all the time because they're like, “I mean, how do you know everything's going to be okay? How do you know this?” I go, well, between me and God, we've got everything figured out. And they're like, “Oh, okay, I get it.” I'm like, “well, the Lord has everything figured out, but I can throw myself in that team, you know?” And I feel like it's been an encouragement to some of our friends as they watch it. And they're like, whoa, you guys did it. I'll talk about it for years. And even when we moved out to Colorado, in our minds, we were going to move out there. All of our friend group was like, one person needs to move. And then everybody else is going to slowly follow out. Well, we end up moving out there. And I'm like shooting my buddies messages like, “All right, when are you coming out? And one by one, it was like, “No, I don't think we're coming.” No, it's not going to be for at least five years. It's going to be, you know, maybe when the kids graduate, all of these different responses. And I'm like, man, that was one of the biggest things that we missed when we were out there. But we knew that moving to Colorado, taking a pay cut, paying more in rent, like all of those things were a stepping stone to get us to where we were today, to trusting the Lord and starting our first business together, trusting the Lord with our finances, with our time. And really putting us in a position where we were fully dependent on him for our survival. Sam Mathews: (21:54 - 22:40) And so even if something doesn't work out, we mentioned a couple of stories in the book where we may have moved forward without peace, and it did not end well. But the Lord always brings it around and teaches us something from it or a situation where we felt the peace to move to Colorado, but we were only there for two years. It was hard on us financially. We got into debt. We had no friends, no family out there. It was a hard season. We still gained from it. So instead of looking at something as a complete loss, we still look to find the good. You know, what did the Lord birth in us? You know, like Dean said, spiritually, we grew together. Financially, we started a business. Like so much good came from it that even though it maybe on paper or to others, it didn't make sense. It was still good. And something that the Lord, yeah, started for us. Laura Dugger: (22:41 - 23:05) And you've learned those lessons and now you get to share them with others. Even super practical with this one. Our family has never done the RV thing before, but even just dipping our toes in and trying a vacation that way. What tips do you have for families, maybe who aren't traveling around, living out of their RV, but vacationing with one, what are some of your best tips? Sam Mathews: (23:05 - 24:27) I just saw a video of someone sharing the other day where they took their family of, let's see, four, six total on an RV for the first time. And I was like, oh no, because the first warning I give to everyone is you have to drain your poop through the hose. If you're out on that, RV life is not for you. RV vacation is not for you. Do you have to get down and dirty and take care of a few things? There's a lot more maintenance that comes with RV vacationing or RV life. And I usually have the dirty work for Dan to do and I'm inside cooking, cleaning. But an RV has all your basic needs. You can still go to the bathroom, you can still shower, there's a toilet, there's a bed. It's just on a lot smaller scale. And if you're not good with being in close proximity with all your children or your spouse, then you may just need a little bit of a bigger space to stay in. But it's fun because you get to navigate it together and you get to learn just a new way of life or new way of traveling. And yeah, the maintenance of the restroom, you have to have water hookups, or you need solar for electric or you have to be hooked up to electric. The great part is you can go anywhere, and you can get right up close to some great adventures. Our favorite spot to park an RV is the rim of the Badlands. It's so pretty. Is it the North Rim? Dan Mathews: (24:28 - 24:28) Yeah. Sam Mathews: (24:28 - 24:54) It's gorgeous. You wake up to the sun rising over it and it's the most peaceful thing to be right there next to it. And you can't do that with a cabin in the woods. But the benefit to a cabin in the woods is that's its own adventure. And so just do a little bit of research on the maintenance required for setting up, tearing down the RV in order to get on the road and to like park it and set up. Dan Mathews: (24:55 - 26:44) I like how you weave some of the worst parts about our RV life in there. But I will say being on the road, traveling and like just kind of deciding on the way is one of the greatest things ever. I did not, like we definitely had a plan. It was like, “Hey, we're gonna stop one time.” Growing up, we've got five kids. So, it was like, we're stopping one time to go to the bathroom. If you have to go, you're just gonna have to hold it type of thing. We were fairly structured in the traveling to a place. But being in an RV, it really opens up so much to where you can on the way be like, oh, I just saw a billboard. I wonder what that is. Look it up. How far away is it? Hey, what if we take a 45-minute detour and go check this out? Like we found places in the middle of Kansas that 1% of the population knows about. We camped. There's spots that you can camp on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Like no guardrail, back your vehicle right up, walk out the door, sit there, have coffee or whatever in the morning. And that was like our favorite part about it. There were nights that we would drive until like one in the morning. And we might be sleeping in a truck stop. But we were on the way to Glacier National Park or to the Oregon coast or wherever. And so, I feel like ditching the schedule and just kind of figuring it out as you go is one of the most freeing things on a vacation. And the other nice part about it is if you find a place that you absolutely love and you're like, we want to spend four days here, do it. You don't have a new reservation somewhere else that you have to get to. You can just go wherever the wind blows, have fun with the family. And yeah, I think everybody needs to do it at least one time. Laura Dugger: (26:44 - 27:02) Oh yeah, for sure. What a great challenge to step outside our comfort zone like you said. Well, one other amazing adventure that you've embarked on together is becoming a surrogate twice, I believe. Will you tell us a little bit more about that process and that experience? Sam Mathews: (27:03 - 31:10) Yeah, definitely. So, in 2018, we had our daughter and she was a little bit more work than our first. So, our first was super easy. Ate well, slept well, like barely cried. And our daughter, maybe it was just her being a girl. A little bit more needy and required some extra grace and some more prayer for patience on my part. But at that point, I was like, yeah, I think I'm done. Having children of our own and parenting our own children because even raising two kids is going to be a task. But I didn't feel like I was done carrying children. And I'm like, I still want to have babies, but I don't want to have more to parent. How do I do that? But I felt like the Lord just laid surrogacy in my heart. And I started thinking about it, praying about it, researching it. And I brought it up to Dan like, hey, what would you think about me doing this? And I had to educate him a little bit on like what being a surrogate was. As a gestational surrogate, I wasn't carrying an embryo with an egg that was mine. So, I'm not biologically related to the baby. And after some prayer, we both felt at peace about it. And so, we walked through that door and started the process of meeting a couple or going through an agency to start a journey. And yeah, we've done two now. So, in 2022, I delivered a baby boy for a couple. And then in 2024, so just last year, I've just actually in a few days, I'm going to hit my year mark of my second belly bud being one and a little girl for a couple. And it was like the most, one of the greatest adventures I've been on. And I've gained so much from it. And it's so rewarding to see someone who desires to be a parent, to be a mom, but physically can't. To see them walk that road and just step into the role that like watching her become a mom is like, you can tell that's what she was meant to be. That's what the Lord had for her. And it's so fun seeing the joy of their family and watching her grow up and like being a part of her life. That, yeah, like we just encourage other people, if you're able to do something like that, or no matter what it is, it's not just surrogacy, but if God's calling you to something that may require a lot more from you or something that is not normal, it's not traditional, you don't see it a lot, like just step out and do it. And yeah, it's been fun. It definitely grouped Dan and I closer together. Spiritually, he was there for me in times of emotional hardship. Pregnancy in itself is hard, but to do it multiple times, you know, this is my fifth pregnancy now. There's a lot of roles that he takes on to care for the kids more, to care for me more. And we've grown closer and just his love for me, seeing it that even though it's not our baby, like he's still caring for me and taking care of me as if it was. And the Lord, I've had to rely on the Lord so many times because pregnancy and birthing in itself is a miracle. To go through moments of transfer, like the embryo doesn't always take the first time on a transfer or your levels are off or maybe one of the ultrasounds is, you know, something doesn't look good on it. We're constantly relying on the Lord and it gives us an opportunity to share with intended parents, you know, someone who didn't have hope, didn't have anything to look forward to for parenting their own children, to just like be an encouragement to them spiritually and then share these journeys with others publicly has been a great way just to share our faith and to share how going through a surrogacy journey caused us to rely on the Lord and, you know, point everything back to Christ and, you know, God being just very pro-life and we're excited to bring this life into the world. And so, yeah, definitely a big adventure to embark on to bring two babies into the world that aren't ours, but one of like the greatest things I've ever done. It's awesome. Laura Dugger: (31:11 - 31:25) It's a beautiful sacrifice and I'm sure others are also wondering at that moment when you meet the baby that you've been carrying, how did you handle those emotions of sharing the baby? Sam Mathews: (31:25 - 33:42) Yes. Yeah, definitely. So, when you go into surrogacy, you know, from the beginning that it's not your child, especially as a gestational carrier, not related to it. Throughout the pregnancy, all these milestones that you hit, you're excited for it, but you're excited for it for the parents. So, finding out, you know, there's a heartbeat and seeing the baby for the first time on ultrasound, you're excited for them. Finding out the gender, you're excited for them. You know, delivering the baby, you're excited for them that you do a lot of mental prep, but there's also like a lot of research that shows to like plan something after delivery for your family to do, something for you to do with your kids so that when you do leave the hospital, you don't think about what you don't have anymore. You think about what you do have at your house with your family. And so, it may seem hard. I think a lot of times people compare it to adoption where the birth mom is literally giving up her child to somebody else and the hardship that that would cause on her as a surrogate. And I can only speak for myself because I'm sure there are times where it is hard for a surrogate. But for me, it wasn't because I did a lot of mental preparing, emotionally preparing that I knowing that this child wasn't mine going into it. I knew that at the end of it, I would deliver the baby and the baby would be taken from me and I'm not raising this child. And a lot of times you don't even touch a baby until like maybe you're discharged to see the baby before you leave. So, it's not like I'm delivering the baby. The baby's being given to me and I'm holding and I'm bonding with it. And then it's being taken away. It's no, this is from the moment it comes out of the womb. It is their baby and it's in their care. And again, seeing their face, their joy, the moment where like they're seeing their child for the first time is so rewarding. And that's something that I would never want to take from them. It was never my role to be this baby's mother. It was to just carry their baby and to bring their baby into the world. And so, it's not as hard as you think, thankfully. I mean, I wouldn't have done it a second time for sure if it was. And we're praying about a third one. But it's so rewarding. And yeah, you know from the beginning that it's not yours. So, it's easy to, in a sense, pass the baby off. Laura Dugger: (33:43 - 34:56) Well, that's a story that really encapsulates stewardship. I think that's a great example. Did you know you could receive a free email with monthly encouragement, practical tips, and plenty of questions to ask to take your conversation a level deeper, whether that's in parenting or on date nights? Make sure you access all of this at thesavvysauce.com by clicking the button that says join our email list so that you can follow the prompts and begin receiving these emails at the beginning of each month. Enjoy. For both of you, your lives are just fascinating mostly because you're living this life of faith and sacrifice. So, it's compelling to get to hear how you're actually doing that. But then I love how you call out that you don't recommend people go to the other extreme and become reckless and chase adventure. You discern between choosing adventure and chasing adventure. So, I'm wondering if you can give us any of your definitions or parameters around what choosing adventure does and does not look like for you. Dan Mathews: (34:57 - 38:00) Yeah, I think that choosing adventure for us is looking at opportunities where we can spend as a family, where we can get outside of our comfort zones and just really put it in the Lord's hands. Have fun along the way, you know, whether it's ziplining or jumping off a cliff, like a lot of people think adventure has to be this grand thing and super dangerous. And for us, it isn't really. Like there's been a couple of times where we've been like, this got crazy quickly. Maybe we could have planned it out a little bit better. But at the end of the day, it all worked out. And so, when we talk about people choosing instead of chasing or not being reckless, it's all about like, do something new, do something fun, do something that puts you outside of your comfort zone, but isn't going to put you in a bad position. I'm not the guy that's like, you know what? Never swam across Lake Michigan. I'm going to give it a go, see how it happens, and see what happens. If that's the case, it's like maybe start out with a triathlon and see what you're going to do and work your way up. And so, I don't ever want anyone to take the book or take the things that we say or the adventures that we've had in life and think I'm going to do something absolutely crazy that doesn't make sense. That's not logical. That's not safe. Like, that's not what this is about. It's about just getting outside of your comfort zone. And the more you're outside of it, the more comfortable you become with being uncomfortable. And I tell people, like on some of my backcountry hunts, I want to be comfortable in suffering. Like when I'm really, really struggling physically to climb up a mountain with a 70-pound pack on my back, I want to be like, I know I'm making it out of this. It's not fun in the moment. Like it hurts. My legs are burning. My back hurts. I feel like I need a break, but I'm going to keep pushing through. And when I look back on that, I'm going to go, that was brutal and awesome. And I loved every second of it. And I feel like that's how, how we view our trips, our road trips. I mean, driving, what was it? Thirty something thousand miles in a couple months and visiting dozens and dozens of states. It was like, there were times where it was like, I don't want to be on the road anymore. The wind is literally about to tip the RV over. I'm almost taking out construction cones or running into things because I had never driven an RV before. And the very first place we go is Wisconsin. And we drive right past Chicago and there's like construction for a hundred miles. And so it's like all of those things, they were fun. Yeah, they were scary in the moment we got through, we were never in any real danger. And so, yeah, I feel like it's a stair step when it comes to adventure. I didn't start out just wandering around Alaska by myself. It started with going down to Arkansas, being five miles away from the vehicle and then kind of built from there. Sam Mathews: (38:00 - 39:50) Yeah, to not be reckless, like to, you know, we talked about this earlier to move forward when you have peace. And just because you have peace with it, someone else may not understand it. But with peace, like there's wisdom too. You don't want to move forward with a lack of peace and not using wisdom in a decision because yeah, that will get you in trouble and that will cause hardship and pain later down the road. But if you have peace about something and there is that open door and you feel the release from the Lord to go on this adventure, then do it. And even though if it doesn't work out, you know, God will still work everything out. But yeah, like Dan said, when you, the more you do things that are outside your comfort zone or that, you know, even others may not agree with, but you feel at peace with and you're moving forward, the easier it becomes to do those. And the more you would trust the Lord. And like you said, again, it doesn't have to be some grand adventure. We encourage people that if they're new to choosing adventure and they're new to stepping outside their comfort zone, try like a new restaurant one day, go to like a new, I was thinking the other day, we live in Missouri and we always travel outside of Missouri for adventure. I'm like, we need to do a six-month adventure just within Missouri. Like we drove two hours South and through Missouri to go to Georgia last week. And we were driving down this hill on one of the roads. I'm like, this looks like, it looked like Georgia already, or it looked like Colorado, the hillside and the trees and the fog, I'm like, this is beautiful. And I look down, I'm like, oh, we're still in Missouri. So, there's so much to adventure and to explore in your own backyard or down your street that it doesn't have to be something crazy wild. We're not saying go, you know, jump out of a plane and skydive or something, but just start small, start where you have peace and where you feel the Lord's leading. Laura Dugger: (39:52 - 40:26) That's great. I love having a handful of practical things. I think of my brother, Drew and his wife, Amanda, when their kids were really little, they just drew a two hour radius to see what places would be fun to go invest and explore. Or for us, I would say one of our most recent adventures, we didn't know what it would look like on the other side, but it's become one of our favorite things in life and probably our best decision in parenting for us as we started homeschooling our kids last year. And it has been a wild adventure. Sam Mathews: (40:26 - 40:27) That's an adventure. Laura Dugger: (40:28 - 40:36) So, any other tips to get people started? Those are even trying the new restaurant. Yeah. Anything else like that that you would say? Dan Mathews: (40:37 - 42:13) The nice thing is that we all have this supercomputer in our hand or in our pocket all the time. And there are so many lists of like the top 10 places to see, places to eat. There's books that are just like places to canoe before you dive, places to hike before you dive, and they have all of this stuff listed out. And so, it's not that you have to be a pioneer and find a new place that nobody's ever been before. Look at the research that people have done before you and look at lists, get on Pinterest or any social media platform and try to just figure out what are practical things that you can do. And then you can also say, how difficult is this going to be for me? Do I really need to jump that far into it right now? Or should I just go to a local park that might have a cool cave that I can explore? Or maybe there's a creek near the house and like, what if we just go down there and see if we can find fish or crawdads or try to skip rocks? My kids, that is one of their favorite things. I'm like, I love doing it as a kid. I didn't realize how exciting just the act of watching a rock skip on the water would be for kids. And so there's, yeah, there's a million different resources online for things that you can practically do close to home. And it might, for some people, just be trying that DIY project instead of calling a carpenter to put yourself up, you know, or a handyman. Like, give it a try. The worst that's going to happen, you have a hole in your wall. Now you watch a video on how to patch it. Laura Dugger: (42:14 - 42:37) That's so good. And I'm seeing a theme. A lot of these are getting outdoors and nature. That's always an adventure. But then I'm even thinking simple things in conversation, trying out a new question, even with a loved one. Or you said at the beginning that you love hospitality. So inviting somebody new into your home. I think any of that novelty is just really good for us. Yeah, definitely. Dan Mathews: (42:38 - 44:32) Yeah, I think even making it a point in conversation when somebody asks you how your day is, instead of just saying good and continuing on, actually stop and talk to them. Because a lot of people, their biggest fear might not be going on a road trip, might not be financial ruin. It might just be opening up and being vulnerable with another person. And so it could be the person at the office that you've never actually had a conversation with. You know each other. You might wave when you walk by their desk. But actually talk to them. Get to know them. Tell them about yourself. And so the book has a lot of those types of things lined out where it's like it might not be physical. It might not be out in nature. It might be within your home. It might be, I mean, some people need to do this with their kids. Like that might be the scariest thing is talking to your teenager. Like actually having a conversation. And we're going to sit down and we're going to have a meal together and actually talk as a family. And so, yeah, it looks different for everybody. And that's one thing, because our passion is being outside. Like Sam wants a houseboat. She wants to buy a houseboat and renovate it and live in it for a certain amount of time. And we've had other people who a bunch of homeschool families bought sailboats and sailed all around the world as they were homeschooling their kids. And I heard that and I was like, yeah, yeah, we're going to have to do that at some point. But I know for a lot of people, just going outside is a big deal. And so it looks different for everybody. We do give a lot of nature examples, but there's different ways for every type of person, every level of. What would you even call it? Social. There's a lot of different levels to the social scale. And so no matter where you are, there's something for you to be a little bit more adventurous. Laura Dugger: (44:34 - 44:42) OK, so like I said, you've made a compelling argument for getting outside of our comfort zone. Why do you think some of us resist this attractive lifestyle? Sam Mathews: (44:43 - 46:46) Yeah, I think there's fear in it. There's sadly nowadays, you know, what will other people think of me? What will what if we fail? What if we lose money? What if we what if I look a certain way that I don't want to appear to others? And that's where you just have to think back to Christ. Like what is it? What really matters at the end of the day? It's how God views you. And if you fail, oh, well, what if the Lord like just opens up so many doors and creates an avenue for you to get out? Or what if so much good comes from it that we can't be afraid of failure? Again, move forward cautiously with wisdom and with the Lord's peace and direction. But in our book, we share one of our biggest adventures was going out to Colorado and renovating a van for five days. And we broke down on the side of the road, something no one wants to do in the desert, in the middle of twice. We did twice. We broke down in the middle of Kansas and then in Colorado again. And it was we'll be honest, it was not fun. It was one of like the scariest times. But looking back, like we're so thankful we did because so much good came from it. Like we met some amazing people who helped us along the way. And it's now one of our favorite stories to tell of encouragement that just because you say yes to adventure and just because something bad happens, it's not all a waste. And I think, yeah, that fear just keeps people from being able to move forward and being like, you know what? Like I'm comfortable right here in my house, my kids in public school, not going anywhere because I know where my money's coming. I know like what's happening tomorrow. I know how people are going to respond. And I'm just going to like stay here. Not that that's a bad thing, because the Lord needs people in every season in every situation. But if he's prompting you to step out and to try something new, like don't be afraid of what's required from you or what could happen. You never know like where it could lead. Dan Mathews: (46:47 - 48:10) Yeah, I think a lot of it is those few things, fear, pride, or just you believing that God isn't big enough or doesn't care about your situation. And unfortunately, a lot of people are there where I really want to try this, but like what if things go wrong? And for us, it's like when things go wrong, that's where the Lord provides. That's where the Lord directs. That's where he leads. That's where his word can be the lamp to your feet and a light to your path. When you're trying to do it all on your own and you're staying in this safety net of comfort, nothing amazing happens in that place. And so, we've seen it time and time again, the Lord's provision, the Lord's provision in our lives and not only the provision financially, but actually like setting us free from constraints like social constraints of like you have to work nine to five. We heard that over and over and over. And I'm like, well, the nice thing is Sam and I are both hard workers and super driven, and I'm sure we could get jobs again. Yeah, so like worst case scenario, we run completely out of money and we go back to go back to work. And I'm like, what does failure actually look like? And I try to get people to break it down for me. People who are like, I'm glad that worked for you, but that couldn't work for us. And I go, why? Sam Mathews: (48:10 - 48:10) Yeah. Dan Mathews: (48:11 - 48:20) Like, why couldn't it work for you? And they're like, well, I like what happens if it doesn't work out? And I'm like, let's expand on that as far out as we can think. Sam Mathews: (48:20 - 48:21) Even the worst. Dan Mathews: (48:21 - 48:24) Like, does that work? Like, are you going to die? No. Sam Mathews: (48:24 - 48:24) Yeah. Dan Mathews: (48:24 - 49:02) Like, no, you'll probably just come back home if it doesn't work out, you know? And so, trying to trying to show people that because the fear of the unknown is pretty significant to people. Something completely new to them that they've never tried it's really challenging to get people to take that first step. But once they do, the second step is easier. The third step is easier. And pretty soon you're jumping and sprinting and you're like, whoa, this whole life is out here that I didn't even know existed. So yeah, I definitely think it's those three, though. Laura Dugger: (49:03 - 50:59) That's good. And it makes me think that typically the way that we grow our faith is action. We put our faith into action and God gives us with more faith when we're faithful with the little faith that we have. And it also makes me think back, I believe it was episode 82, 82. Traveling With Your Family With Teacher, Wife, and Mother to 4,, with the guest, Katie Mueller. I'm going to link to it. I think you guys would love it where she parallels what God called people to do throughout the Bible with travel, what that looks like today, practical, fun things. But Sam, something that you said reminded me of this when you're like, “Well, if nothing else, it's going to be a great story.” And she referred to that, like when things went wrong growing up on their travels, they laughed so hard about those memories. And in their family, they tragically lost their dad very unexpectedly. Actually, her mom, I'll link to Joyce Hodel's episode as well. She shares that story. But their family has all of these stories and all of these memories from choosing adventure. So that makes me start to think of marriage and family. And as we put that together with adventure, you guys always make adventure feel approachable, even in parenting. And I'm thinking on page 15, you wrote that as a kid, anytime you get to drive cross country, stay at a hotel or eat at a restaurant, it's an adventure for no reason other than it's a break from the norm, right? And you know what? That's the whole point. Choosing adventure is about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new. There's no right or wrong way to do it. So, with that in mind, Dan and Sam, how can we begin to enjoy this adventurous life in marriage and in family? Sam Mathews: (51:00 - 51:49) Yeah. Bringing your kids along is such a fun, it requires a little bit more packing, but such a fun aspect to adventure. And going on date nights with your spouse, trying something new, experiencing it together, finding something you enjoy together, but realizing that it can also, there's another level of fun to have your kids along with. And sometimes we'll drive 30 minutes away and stay at a hotel for a night just because it's a new place to go and the kids love it. And it doesn't have to be expensive. They go putt-putt and that for them is the greatest thing. If you end it with ice cream, it's even better than the cherry on top, that it's just something fun for them. But yeah, realizing that it can be a family thing, but it could just be you as a couple too. But yeah. Dan Mathews: (51:50 - 54:56) Well, and for kids, there's so much adventure to be had right at home or right in your backyard. I bought, I went to Walmart one day and I bought two extra large king-size sheets just so that we could do forts. I was like, I'm gonna put these in the closet and now I've got like the alligator clips and so I can clip them to different things. And when it's a rainy day and the kids are bored and we're stuck inside, it's just a break from the norm. And then they'll be like, mom, dad, come see what we did. And they might build like a little shop where they sell us stuff inside of their fort. Or they might make beds for us and for the stuffed animals and for our dog and all of these different things. And so, breaking out of the norm is just what adventure is. Like if they're not used to that, if they're not used to that time together, like some days it's, we're gonna go jump on the trampoline and they're like, wait, both of you at once? Normally one of us is getting stuff done and the other one's hanging out with them. And when all of a sudden it's like both of us unexpectedly are walking to the trampoline, they're like, oh, family trampoline jump. If you need really good ideas for adventure and you're a parent, just watch Bluey. If you haven't seen Bluey, that dad is awesome. And like we used to do the claw game. I would put all of their stuffed animals in my lap. My thumb was the joystick and then my other hand was the claw and they had to move it and I would pick up the stuffed animals. And to them, it was the greatest thing they'd ever done. And we saw it on a cartoon. And so, incorporating family into it, I feel like it's just, it's really easy. And aside from excuses, there's no reason not to get the kids involved in it. Also, there's a million books about getting kids outside. And so, like checklists that they can do. Every national park, if for those that don't know or haven't visited national parks, I didn't know this because we didn't go to any national parks growing up, but your kids can become a junior ranger. They get these booklets and they get badges of the individual parks and they have to learn about nature and about the animals that are there and about the history. And so that became a thing for the kids. Every place we went, it was like, “Oh, I need a junior ranger badge.” And I mean, they had wooden badges just lining their chest. Like they were some war hero and they absolutely loved it. And so there's things like that locally in nature parks and stuff. But doing it together. I mean, that's what it's all about. For me, I watched the guys on TV and I'm like, that guy just went to New Zealand by himself or like watching alone. I'm like, I don't want to do that. It would be pretty crazy, I feel like. I think everybody needs some type of alone time here and there. But for me, I want to share this stuff with my wife, with my kids, with my buddies. And so, yeah, that's what it's all about. Sam Mathews: (54:56 - 55:07) Yeah, like you said, have those stories to tell with your family, of your family members. That way, if something does happen and they pass, you have so much to look back on of the memories you're able to share together. Laura Dugger: (55:09 - 55:15) Absolutely. And to bring those up and share them with our kids while we are together. They love hearing stories about when they were little. Sam Mathews: (55:16 - 55:16) Oh, yeah. Laura Dugger: (55:17 - 55:29) And you guys have taken it a step further where you document it then and preserve. So if we want continued inspiration after this conversation, where can we go to follow you two and your adventures? Sam Mathews: (55:30 - 56:08) Yes, we do. Our kids love watching our travels and stuff. We share along for videos and stuff on YouTube, Facebook. But we share our life on every platform. We are Dan and Sam. Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook. And then Dan has his hunting content over at the Nomadic Outdoorsman. And yeah, we share day-to-day life, what that looks like, lifestyle. But then our travels, our adventures, mom life, welcoming a new baby, our surrogacy journeys, whatever life looks like at that time and how we're enjoying it, what God's teaching us, where we're going. And we laugh along the way, the encouragement and try to inspire you to live an adventurous, fun-filled life. Laura Dugger: (56:09 - 56:28) Love it. We'll add links to all of those things in the show notes for today's episode. And you two may already be familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for both of you today, what is your savvy sauce? Sam Mathews: (56:31 - 57:15) Ooh, practical knowledge. Let's see. I would say with motherhood, don't think that, I don't know if this would be considered savvy sauce, but it's just a good reminder to myself that as a mom, you may think you're alone in something, you're going through it, and it's just you, but you're not. You are with a community of people who are feeling the same thing that you're walking through, going through the same thing, and just reminding yourself you're not alone because I think it makes the journey a lot easier to know that there's other people walking through the same season, the same hardship, the same joy, the same trials as you. And it makes life a little bit easier when you feel less alone. Dan Mathews: (57:16 - 58:26) I think for me, it would be that your kids are going to be an extreme version of what you are. So, if you're showing fear and decisions, if you're hesitant, if you're not trusting the Lord, that's gonna be compounded in their lives. And they're just a more magnified mirror image of what their parents are. And so, we try to, in everything that we do, go, is this something that's gonna set up our kids for success? And it's not like, oh, we have to have money in the bank for them, you know, for a retirement fund one day or a college fund. I'm talking like everyday lessons. If I put my phone screen in front of my kids, they're gonna do that more and more and more. If I prioritize things that aren't meant to be prioritized over my wife, they're gonna see that. And so, we try to be very, very clear about what our priorities are. We try to live intentionally, showing them the right way to do things and being an example to them. And so, yeah, that'd be my savvy sauce. Laura Dugger: (58:27 - 58:49) I love it. You two are so full of integrity and you definitely shine the love and the light of Jesus brightly by the way that you live. So, I know I'm leaving this conversation feeling very inspired to choose adventure. And I just wanna say thank you for being my guest today. Sam Mathews: Thank you so much for having us. It was a joy. Dan Mathews: (58:49 - 58:50) It was a blast. Laura Dugger: (58:52 - 1:02:06) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news. Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved. We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now? Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents
Have you ever watched your husband and wondered if they have the same quality of relationship with the Lord as you? Have you wondered exactly when, where, and how they spend time with Jesus? Have you compared what you see in their walk with what you may view as a truly solid relationship with God?The reality is that there is no one way to commune with our Heavenly Father. God made us each different with different temperaments and personalities, so it makes sense that there are numerous ways to have a healthy relationship with Jesus. If God created us each with the ability to make choices instead of making robots, then He appreciates the variety in which His people walk with Him.Listen in today as Tiffany Jo Baker shares the concept of the book Sacred Pathways: 9 Ways to Connect to God by Gary Thomas. She will name and explain 9 ways that you or your loved ones might connect with God. This could clear up many lingering questions you might have on the topic.Listen in for:•Ways we might compare our walk with the Lord with our husbands•Why we cannot compare our relationship with God with others•What some of the different relationship styles are•How we might finally understand our own relationship styleFavorite Quotes:"My way is not always the best way, it may be for me because that's how I'm wired, and how God made me." - Tiffany Jo Baker"Not one way of worship is better or more right than the other way." - Tiffany Jo BakerVerse:"My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek." - Psalm 27:8*If you're looking for perfectly polished people or podcast, this isn't for you. We're real people, with real good information, and a really great God.*Want timely words, resources and episodes delivered right to your inbox to help you fuel and fulfill your faith journey? Simply subscribe today at https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com/subscribe (don't worry, you won't get spam or excessive emails)Don't miss the next My Full Life + Faith Leaps Podcast episode as we continue to help you GET FREE, LIVE FULL & THANK GOD! You can watch My Full Life + Faith Leaps Podcast on YouTube and https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com/myfulllife-and-faithleaps or listen in on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a quick review and share with a friend! Ratings and reviews are like high-fives and “go-girl's” on podcast players. https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com/subscribeHelping you refresh and refocus so you can do all the things you are called and created to do, my 31 Day Devotional “Soul-Care for Go-Getters” is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and my website shop here. ( https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com/go-getters-devo )As a 3x Surrogate, Speaker, Soul-Care and Success Coach and Spirit-led Strategist, I uplift the soul and success of women like you who are walking out your WHY, so you can birth your God-given dreams at home, online, and in the real world. Find me, @TiffanyJoBaker, on Instagram , Facebook and https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com. I would love to connect with you there!
This week, Clint Leavitt returns from paternity leave, bringing with him fascinating observations about the fifth commandment, 'Honor your father and mother.' He invites us to dive deep into the heart of family relationships and their profound impact on our spiritual lives. The message challenges us to see honor not as a mere greeting card sentiment, but as a transformative force that shapes individuals and entire societies. We're reminded that honoring our parents isn't just about obedience, but about recognizing their inherent value and allowing that recognition to guide our actions. This commandment, found in Exodus 20:12, is presented as a pathway to personal and societal flourishing. The parallels drawn between our earthly parents and our Heavenly Father are particularly striking, encouraging us to view our family relationships as a reflection of God's covenant love. As we grapple with the complexities of honoring imperfect parents, we're called to a higher understanding of grace, forgiveness, and the unconditional love that can heal even the deepest wounds. The movie clip is from *The Hateful Eight* (2015), directed by Quentin Tarantino. Distributed by The Weinstein Company.
God Couldn't Love You Anymore Than He Does Right Now!Titus 3:4-5 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”Today I want to share with you a song that I heard this weekend. I was driving home from spending time with some of my family, and this song came on. It stuck with me, and I wanted to share it with you. What I heard from the Lord was that we need to focus on His love. Even after all these podcast episodes and all these years of people sharing their witness on Witness Wednesday, it is still hard for some of us to fathom the love that God has for us. We know He loves us on some level, but thinking about how much he loves us is not something we do.Often, we let negative thoughts overwhelm the positive ones. We can start to let the way the world views love creep into our thoughts about how God loves us. We can begin to think that God's love is based on our performance, because most worldly love is. We can start to believe that God's love is based on our behavior, because we have been taught from an early age that we are loved when we are good and when we are not causing trouble.This song reminds us that God loves us for who we are, not what we do or how we behave. It reminds us that even when we feel unworthy, God still loves us. It reminds us that no matter how crappy we feel or how bad we think we are, or how many times we have messed up, God could not love us any more than He does right now. God loves you fully and completely before you are even born and will always love you perfectly, no matter what you do. It doesn't matter if you feel you deserve it or not. God will still love you perfectly. Always! Let me share the lyrics of the song titled, “Any More” by Cain.1st Verse:You got a voice in your headThe same old guilt and regretYou heard a thousand times beforeAfter the choices you've madeYou're waiting for me to sayI couldn't love you anymoreIs this you? Are you just waiting for the Lord to say that He doesn't love you anymore? Have you been expecting it for a while now? Are you sure that with all you have done, the number of times you have turned away or messed up, He surely has given up on you. He has decided He doesn't love you anymore, it is just too much work loving you. That is something many of us think. It's too hard to love us, we are too much and God has said enough is enough. If this is what you think, listen to the rest of this song.The Pre-Chorus says:The enemy has lied to youBut listen to me, here's the truthChorus:I couldn't love you any moreThan I do right nowThere's nowhere I wouldn't goTo get to you my childTake a look at the crossThen you'll know it for sureI couldn't lovе youI couldn't love you any moreAny moreAny morеThan I do right nowAny moreAny moreThat is pretty amazing, don't you think? If you think this is just a song and it doesn't mean anything, let me remind you of the verse above. “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” God did not save us because of anything we did or anything we deserved. He saved us because of His love and His mercy. God loves us. He loves you. He loves you more than you can even imagine. He couldn't love you any more than He already does, than He always has. God's love is unchanging. Our human love tends to be fickle. We may love someone more when they are being kind to us, or not love them as much when they are being brats to us. However, God's love is not like our love. God loves us with a perfect love. He loves us with a truly unconditional love that is unchanging, no matter what we do or do not do.The song goes on to say:2 Verse:When the sin and the shameTry to lock you awayMy grace is breaking down the doorYeahYou're the one that I'm running afterYou're mine, and you matterYour life's worth dying forThe Lord is telling us in this song that we don't have to be stuck in sin and shame. God's grace is breaking down the door to sin and shame. We just have to let Him. I love the next line because I think it is something we don't think of often. It says, “You're the one that I'm running after.” It is hard for many of us to believe that God would be running after us. I have heard this in many songs, and I love the imagery. It reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son from the Bible. The father sees his son when his son is still a long way off, and he goes running to his son. The head of the household back in that day and time would not run. It would not have been proper. Yet, this father did not care. He saw his son, and he ran to him.That is what our Heavenly Father does for us as well. He not only runs to us when He sees us coming, but He runs after us when we are going in the other direction. He runs after us to save us from ourselves and to save us from this world. God never stops loving you. He is always loving you, protecting you, and wanting you to come back home, no matter how far you've strayed or how long you've been gone.The last verse of the song says:3 Verse:The past doesn't own you anymoreThe grave doesn't hold you anymoreYeahI say that you're worth dying forAnd I couldn't love you anymoreThis verse reminds us of three very powerful things. First, it says your past doesn't own you anymore. This is a fact. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, forever defeating the evil in this world. However, we have to live in this truth. We have to believe it. We have to refuse to let the enemy hold us hostage with our past. God has forgiven you; now you have to forgive yourself and move forward, move past it. If your past is full of trauma or if really bad things happened to you, then you may need therapy to help you move past that trauma. I promise you, though, if you put in the work, there is freedom beyond your past. You don't have to let it keep you stuck anymore. Your past doesn't have to own you anymore. There is a way out, and that way is Jesus!Next, it says the grave doesn't hold you anymore. You are not stuck in the grave you have dug. Jesus died so our sins would be forgiven and we would have eternal life. Some of us are walking around as if we have a death sentence on our hands. We are acting as if we are already dead. You are not. God is life, not death. That grave you think you are in is just an illusion. God can save you; He has saved you. You just have to accept his help and then walk right out of that grave.The last important thing that this song reminds us of is that “We are worth dying for.” We often say we are not worthy. However, the creator of the entire universe has sent His only son to die on the cross for you. If God Almighty says that we are worth dying for, who are we to argue? We are not worthy because of anything we did or said. We are worthy because we are made in the image of the one true king and because Jesus made us worthy when he took all of our sins to the cross with him. Believe that and you will start to live with more freedom.I pray you hear this episode today and you allow yourself to take it all in. I pray you allow yourself to feel God's love and believe that He couldn't love you any more than He does right now. You, yes you, are incredibly special to the Lord, and He loves you so much. He knows all you are going through, and He is right there by your side, loving you through it all. Even if you can't see why He would love you, it doesn't change the fact that HE does.Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening. Lord, thank you for loving us so perfectly. Thank you for loving us even though we might not feel like we deserve it. Thank you for hanging in there and loving us in even our worst moments. Thank you for the times when you laughed with us and cried with us. Thank you for believing in us when I don't believe in ourselves. Lord, please help us to feel your love more. Help us to truly believe in our hearts that you love us no matter what. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen!Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. There are just six more weeks to sign up for my retreat. It is October 11-12, and it is in Easton, MA. The theme is Identity, and it is going to be a great weekend. If you have never gone on a retreat before, I want to encourage you to give it a try. It can be scary to do something you haven't done before, but I promise you will not regret it. It will be so life-giving. It will be that thing that you didn't even know you needed, but you did. CLICK HERE for all the information and to sign up. I look forward to seeing you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! Have a blessed day!Today's Word from the Lord was received in January 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “I knock at the door of your heart, my children. Will you open the door for me? Will you accept the new wine that I am offering you? Will you also be my new skins that will hold my goodness, my joy, my hope, everything that is good? I want you to hold it so that you may share it with the world.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace
God created us to flourish—spirit, heart, mind, and body! Being healed and whole begins with checking the "soil" in the garden of our hearts. When we allow God's love and truth to inform our emotions and transform our minds, we experience healing and freedom. In this conversation, join Laurie Crouch, Dr. Anita Phillips, Sheila Walsh, Dr. DeeDee Freeman, and Blynda Lane as we discuss how to experience healing that begins in our hearts. ---- If you are feeling weary today, run to your Heavenly Father! When we don't know what to pray, the Psalms give words to our emotions. Read 15 Psalms to Heal Your Heart. ------- If you missed last week's conversation, we encourage you to go back and listen to “Embrace Growth.” ------- Do you want more Better Together? We have 1000+ conversations available! Start watching now for free on the TBN+ app! -------- If you need prayer, join our community on Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // TikTok and let us know how we can pray for you! --------- Better Together is TBN's first daily original program made by women for women! We discuss faith, family, friends, and so much more—no topic is off-limits. Find out what happens when real friends get together for real conversations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Discipline is a necessary thing for a parent to inflict on their children so that their children can grow to live in obedience. In the same way, our Heavenly Father disciplines His children so that we can learn obedience to Him and live the life He intends for us to live. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/640/29
In todays message Pastor Dan Martin shows parents how God loves and guides His children through grace, unconditional love, security, healthy boundaries, purpose, and truth. When we understand how our Heavenly Father parents us, we can raise strong, confident kids who know they are deeply loved and created for something significant.
What if the key to raising thriving kids isn't choosing between gentle or strict parenting, but finding God's balanced way? Pastor Van shares how Godly parenting requires both loving connection and consistent correction—just as our Heavenly Father disciplines those He loves. Through personal stories and biblical wisdom, he reveals practical steps for "bending their will without crushing their spirit." Whether you're managing toddler tantrums or teen challenges, discover how setting loving boundaries with consistency creates children of character who flourish. Don't miss this transformative message about raising the next generation God's way.
Discipline is a necessary thing for a parent to inflict on their children so that their children can grow to live in obedience. In the same way, our Heavenly Father disciplines His children so that we can learn obedience to Him and live the life He intends for us to live.
Megan J. Conner invites us to confront the fears and anxieties we often harbor around money and control. Drawing from her personal journey and key scriptures like Hebrews 13:5 and Philippians 4:19, she challenges us to shift our trust from financial security to God’s faithful provision. This devotional gently reminds us that money itself isn’t evil—our hearts and priorities matter most. Through surrender and faith, Megan shows how we can find peace and contentment even amid economic uncertainty. ✨ Highlights Why money is a tool, not the enemy, when used with the right heart How financial fear often signals a deeper trust issue with God Megan’s personal struggle with anxiety and the breakthrough found in surrender Scriptural promises to anchor your faith in God’s provision and care Practical step: physically “surrender” your financial worries through journaling and prayer
Five thousand miles in one month! That's not too bad if you're in an airplane, but that's how far I drove at least one summer and we've had many long trips like that. We just about ran the wheels off of our van driving from one conference, or speaking assignment, or college trip to another. Let's see, if I averaged 50 miles per hour, that means I drove for 100 hours. Oh, man! Well, it was a great time, it really was. You know why? My wife was with me. We finally got to be together for extended blocks of time with no phone, no errands to do, no people to take us away. We didn't talk all the time, although we had a lot to catch up on. We probably could have been catching up for about 100 hours. Right? Sometimes we just played music, or occasionally we would just spontaneously pray about something together. Or a lot of times we just enjoyed the silence or some of the beautiful scenery. And then every once in a while you'd hear the silence punctuated with an occasional comment or just an "I love you." I think my wife spoke for both of us when she described what was so nice about all those 5,000 miles. She said, "It was just so great being in your company; just the two of us." I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Just the Two of Us." You know, relationships need time together and especially times when there's like no agenda. It really enriched me to have that kind of time with my wife during all that driving. There's another relationship that might be a need, maybe a desperate need of some "just being" time. Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 42, out of the heart of David, verses 1 and 2. "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God; for the living God." And then he asks this powerful question, "When can I go and meet with God?" That's the cry of a believer for the greatest emotional need he has - to be intimate with his Lord. When was the last time you just sat down with Jesus and enjoyed His company? Or do you only see Him when you have a list for Him? Jeremy was over at our house with his parents, and he'd been downstairs playing. Suddenly he came into the living room and kind of sat down in his dad's lap, and his dad liked that. His dad kind of wrapped his arms around him, started to cuddle him, and Jeremy didn't settle down; he just kept wiggling. He looked up at his dad and he said, "Daddy, you know I'm not sitting here just because I want to be with you." Great! Yeah, he needed something. Wow! How often is that me with my Heavenly Father, or you maybe? In fact we say, "Well, I'm not here just because I want to be with You; I've got my list. I need something." But you're growing up as a child of God when you want to be with God just to be with God. You say, "Ron, I don't really feel that way yet." Well, that's okay. Tell Him that. Ask Him for the desire for His company; this passion that David had just to be with Him. "When can I go and meet with God?" We have the indescribable privilege to cuddle in the lap of the King of the Universe, to call Him "Daddy," to let Him comfort our battered emotions, to speak new ideas and insights into our quiet heart. He can't do that while you're talking to Him. To be real, real close, you can't just run in and run through your "pleases" and "thank yous" and then run out. You can do all that, but then stay a little longer. I think you and Jesus will feel the same way about it. It's like my wife said, "It was so great just being in your company, Lord, just the two of us."
In this episode of the Love Never Fails podcast, Minister Jeremy Squires of St. Peter Baptist Ministries delves into the profound challenge and opportunity of loving the worst in people. Drawing from Matthew 5 and Luke 6, Jeremy explores how embracing this challenge allows us to reflect God's unconditional love and mercy. Join us as we learn to embody the love of our heavenly Father, showing kindness and forgiveness even when faced with ingratitude and hostility. This episode encourages listeners to rise above self-preservation and reflect God's glory through love and kindness. Tune in for an inspiring message on living out your faith authentically.
God's Love For UsEphesians 3:16-19 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”I love this verse. I probably say that about a lot of these verses. I think when I am reading through the whole Bible, one chapter at a time, I miss a lot of the information that is contained in each verse. I get the idea of the chapter, and I understand the lesson and the main things I am supposed to learn, and yet even as I write this, I am not sure I do get all the things I am supposed to learn, as it seems like there is so much in each verse. I am really enjoying taking a look at each verse or a couple of verses individually and trying to see what they are telling us and how they apply to our lives. I think this verse is particularly special, as I read it today, as I have a friend who is struggling with inner strength. Her situation is so difficult right now, and she is trying so hard to be the strong one. She was trying to hold it together for her family. I bet if you are a parent, you find yourself doing this a lot. We feel all the weight of the family on our shoulders. No matter if you are a mom or a dad, you feel the weight. We try to stay strong because we feel that if we fall apart, our family will fall apart. We stay strong because we want our kids to feel secure and know that we have it all together. We want them to know we are there for them. We all do this; you are not alone. My friend said something today that made me think, if she is feeling this way, maybe others are too. Then, when I read this verse, I thought it could help me explain why we don't need to feel this way. My friend said she tries to stay strong because she doesn't want God to be disappointed in her. I am guessing that she is not the only one of us who feels this way. It can be tough because we know that we have a lot to be grateful for, and we don't want God to think we are ungrateful for all the things that are going right. We love God and we want to please Him. We want to do what we can to make Him happy. He is our Heavenly Father, and it makes sense that we don't want to disappoint Him. My first thought was that we can't disappoint Him. He loves us more than we could even imagine. However, I don't think that is true. I think that He is probably disappointed when we sin, especially if it is something that we know better than to do and yet we do it anyway. We know how He wants us to live, and so if we are continually breaking his commandments, He probably does get disappointed with us. Short of this, I do not think He gets disappointed with us. God is the one who made us who we are. He made us with our unique personalities and all of our feelings. He knows that we are not perfect. I don't think that He gets disappointed in us when we feel weak. God said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God's power is made perfect in our weakness. It is when we can admit our weakness that God can move in and give us power. “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” This is a powerful statement. The Holy Spirit lives in each one of us. And God gives us power through this Spirit in our inner being. Through this power of the Holy Spirit, Christ dwells in our hearts as well. Think about that for a minute. You not only have the power of the Holy Spirit strengthening your inner being, but you also have Christ dwelling in your heart. You can handle anything that comes your way. God has you covered. He is there every step of the way. This is something that He is repeatedly telling our Prayer Group. I am there for you, in good times and in bad. I will lift you up when you fall. Lean on me in times of trouble. When we are weak, God is not disappointed; He expects it. He knows we can't do it all on our own, and He doesn't want us to. He wants us to lean into Him. He wants us to ask for help. His Glory shines when we ask for help. Think about your children or your pets. What do you feel inside when they ask for help, or when they are sad? Are you disappointed or frustrated with them? No, you love them, and you would do anything to help them. This makes me think of a verse in Matthew 7:11: "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” In this circumstance, it would be more like “If you have compassion on your children when they are sad and feeling weak, how much more compassion would your Heavenly Father have on you?” He loves you!The second verse from above describes this love. “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Did you catch it? It talks about being able to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of God is. I wonder if we are even capable of this? The Lord is also repeating this message over and over again to our prayer group. This is a word that was given at one of our meetings, “I love you so much. You cannot understand the depth of my love. If I let the power of my love loose and hugged you, I would crush you. My love for you is that great. It consumes you.” Can you imagine this kind of love? Think of the biggest bear hug you have received from someone, or maybe given to someone. Now times that by a million. That is how much God loves us. I really liked this image. I think it helps me to imagine how much God loves us. It also helps me to remember that He loves us more than we are capable of loving others. You can see examples of God's love all throughout the Bible. There were so many times when he gave grace to people who didn't deserve it. When you read about all Jesus' interactions with people, they were full of love. When I am struggling with thoughts that I might be letting God down, I remember this word and how much He loves me. I truly believe that He looks down on us and is so proud of us for all of our efforts. I will leave you with another word that was given at our prayer group. “My children, you strive hard to follow me. But I am asking you to simply lean into me. When doubts assail you and enemies crowd near; when your own thoughts rise in rebellion against my goodness; praise me and watch me work.”Dear Heavenly Father, I ask that you bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we ask that you help us to feel your love today. We pray as it said in the verse that we are able to grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is. Heavenly Father, we love you so much, and we know our love is just a fraction of how much you love us. Remind us of this, Lord. When we are struggling and we feel we are letting you down, remind us of your love. We are grateful, Lord, for all you've given us, and we know that you are with us even in the hard times. Help us lean into you. Help us to praise you, Lord, even when we're sad and even when it's difficult. We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will, and in Jesus's holy name, amen www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace
In this enriching episode of the Double Edged Sword Podcast, we journey with Father Genard into Acts 15, where faith, obedience, and divine authority converge. Discover how the early Church faced the challenge of Gentile salvation, learning that true faith in Christ transcends the law through love and obedience to His commandments. Drawing from the wisdom of the apostles and the unity of the Jerusalem Council, we're reminded that to know and love our Heavenly Father, we must embrace the Son as the way, and honor the apostles He appointed. As James 2:17 teaches, faith without deeds is lifeless—let us live out our belief, trusting in Christ's authority and the guidance of His Holy Spirit. Tune in and be strengthened in your walk with God!
We can learn from the Donner party's failed trek West and glean principles to help us on our eternal journey back to Heavenly Father. Click here to see the speech page.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Megan J. Conner reminds us of the incredible truth that the Creator of the universe calls us His own. Through Scripture like 1 John 3:1 and Romans 8:17, we’re invited to embrace our identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. This devotional explores God’s intentional design for relationship, His relentless pursuit to reconcile us through Christ, and His promise of an eternal inheritance. Whether you’ve struggled with feelings of unworthiness or wrestled with viewing God as a loving Father, this message will help you rest in His unconditional, everlasting love. ✨ Highlights The biblical foundation for belonging in God’s family (1 John 3:1, Gen. 2:18) How God’s love restores intimacy broken by sin through Jesus’ sacrifice Our inheritance as heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17) Encouragement for those whose earthly relationships make trusting God difficult Key verses affirming God’s faithfulness and unconditional love (Jer. 31:3, Rom. 5:8, 1 John 4:16, John 3:16)
For Church News reporter Sydney Walker, the journey into journalism involved viewing challenges as opportunities and trusting the Lord would guide her to where she needed to be. A Brigham Young University journalism graduate in 2017, she interned for the Deseret News’ Faith section, worked as an assistant in the Priesthood and Family Department at Church headquarters and later became a reporter at the Church News. In this episode of the Church News podcast, Walker joins Church News editor Ryan Jensen to discuss how faith in a loving Heavenly Father and in the Savior, Jesus Christ, has helped her embrace opportunities to serve in various roles and places. The Church News Podcast is a weekly podcast that invites listeners to make a journey of connection with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the globe. Hosts Jon Ryan Jensen, editor of the Church News, and Church News reporter Mary Richards share unique views of the stories, events, and people who form this international faith. With each episode, listeners are asked to embark on a journey to learn from one another and ponder, “What do I know now?” because of the experience. Produced by KellieAnn Halvorsen.
The desire to be liked is natural—but left unchecked, it can quietly shape your daughter's identity in unhealthy, even addictive ways. From the playground to the group chat, the pressure to earn approval can steal her joy, distort her view of self, and distance her from the truth of who she is in Christ. In this must-listen episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, co-hosts Rachael Culpepper and Natalie Ambrose dive deep into the social and spiritual undercurrents of girls' need for affirmation. Together, they unpack how a girl's early development can fuel her craving for praise—and how loving, intentional parenting can redirect that desire toward the One whose love never wavers. You'll hear candid personal stories from both hosts, powerful Scriptural truths, and timely insights from American Heritage Girls Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay in the Raising Godly Girls Minute. You'll also learn how to reframe your daughter's attention-seeking behavior, not as manipulation, but as a longing to be seen, known, and loved. This episode doesn't just name the problem—it offers the Christ-centered path out. In this episode, you'll explore: How girls' early need for affirmation can spiral into an identity crisis if left unaddressed The “Hawthorne Effect” and what it reveals about your daughter's desire to be seen The difference between “fitting in” and standing out for Christ (Philippians 2:15, Romans 8:5) How to help your girl root her confidence in Colossians 3:2 living—setting her mind on things above Practical steps to break the approval addiction and reestablish her identity in Christ Scriptures Referenced: Philippians 2:15 — “...shine like stars in the sky.” Romans 8:5 — “Those who live according to the flesh...” Colossians 3:2 — “Set your minds on things above...” John 15:5 — “Abide in me and I in you...” This episode reminds you that your daughter's desire to be liked isn't the problem—it's where she looks for that affirmation that matters most. Help her turn from the fleeting approval of the world to the everlasting love of her Heavenly Father. And as a mom, be encouraged: your voice, your presence, and your daily words of truth are shaping the next generation of confident, Christlike women. Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com. To find or start an AHG Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.
Who are you pleasing most today? Yourself, mankind, your Heavenly Father?
SummaryIn this conversation, Bryan Albert and Cathy Coute discuss the profound impact of service on youth, the importance of building long-term relationships in missions, and the personal connections formed through child sponsorship. They emphasize the value of humility in service, the return on investment in missions, and the differences between short-term and long-term missions. The discussion also touches on navigating identity in service, the significance of community support, and the ripple effect of small acts of kindness. Bryan encourages listeners to be intentional in their faith journey and to celebrate small victories along the way.TakeawaysBryan Albert has a heart for Latin America and has been involved in ministry there for many years.He emphasizes the importance of keeping the fire of faith alive through intentional practices and disciplines.Balancing work, family, and faith requires intentionality and prioritization of time.Identity can be shaped by family of origin, but finding identity in Christ is crucial.Understanding God as a loving Heavenly Father can help overcome past wounds.Supporting house parents in ministry is vital for the well-being of children in care.Involvement with the James Project has been a significant part of Bryan's ministry work.Team dynamics and unity are essential when serving in mission trips.Experiencing God's orchestration in ministry can be profound and encouraging.Hope and encouragement can be just as impactful as tangible help in ministry.Living out faith daily involves integrating spiritual practices into everyday life.Intentionality is key in a busy life filled with distractions.Free will plays a significant role in parenting and the choices children make.Challenges in living a counter-cultural lifestyle for Jesus are ongoing but rewarding.The return on investment in spiritual disciplines is evident in the fruit of one's life. Service helps us get our minds off ourselves.We wanted a long-term relationship and connection.Excellence without extravagance is key.They share what little they have with others.The return on investment in missions is significant.Just jump in and go for it, there's never a perfect time.Celebrate the little wins in your journey.Chew the meat and spit out the bone when listening. Keywordsfaith, family, Latin America, identity, Christian life, service, mission trips, parenting, spiritual disciplines, encouragement, service, missions, youth impact, community, long-term relationships, humility, investment, identity, intentional living, ripple effectChapters00:00 Introduction to Bryan Albert and His Family01:56 Heart for Latin America: A Personal Journey05:03 Keeping the Fire Alive: Priorities in Faith07:10 Listening to God: Overcoming Distractions10:09 Serving Beyond the Pulpit: Bryan's Life and Work12:14 Identity and Family: Shaping Bryan's Heart15:05 Finding Approval in God: A Personal Reflection16:28 Imparting Hope: The Role of House Parents18:24 Connecting with the James Project: A Missionary Journey21:48 Experiencing God: The Impact of Team Missions25:55 Balancing Identity and Productivity28:40 Incorporating Faith into Daily Life30:39 Building a Relationship with Jesus32:37 Authenticity in Faith and Life34:28 The Role of Parenting and Homeschooling38:30 Challenges in the Christian Walk41:11 Return on Investment in Spiritual Practices43:26 The Impact of Service on Selflessness46:39 Long-Term vs. Short-Term Missions57:52 Wrestling with Identity and Purpose01:02:16 The Importance of Community01:06:18 Intentional Living and Spiritual Growth01:14:31 Encouragement for the Journey01:24:59 pod out.mp4
Many of us grew up in legalism hearing, “Don't sin! People will think badly of you!” But is that the right motive not to sin? And if not, what is the right motivation? The answer is Love for the Father.The Busses dive into the Scripture to explore this life-changing topic. We must each understand that our sin doesn't just hurt other people, but it hurts the heart of our Heavenly Father. The Father wants to hold us so close to Him, but when we sin, we separate ourselves from His Presence. It's not just about a list of dos and don'ts, it's really about your relationship with your Father. So if you've found yourself in some blunders, now is the time to confess, repent, and just come back to Him. Let Him remind you how much He loves you and draw you back into relationship, and you'll stop sinning because when you love Him, you will keep His commandments. EMAIL: feedback@globaloutpouring.orgWEBSITE: https://globaloutpouring.net Upcoming Events:School of the Supernatural – Translation by Faith 2025 Related Links:Podcast Episode 273: “The Multiple Consequences of Disobedience and the Grace to Overcome Temptation”I Went to Heaven and This Surprised Me! (YouTube Interview)He Died For 30 Mins & Jesus Showed Him End Times STORM From Heaven... (YouTube Interview) CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIAGlobal Outpouring Facebook PageGlobal Outpouring on InstagramGlobal Outpouring YouTube ChannelGlobal Outpouring on X
WORD: LIVELY This week we are studying, A Principle with Promise, Doctrine and Covenants 89-92 in Come, Follow Me. You will find the word of the week, teaching tips, and more in our newsletter. Here's what to look forward to in this episode: IN TOKEN OF THE COVENANT WHO, WHY, AND THE PROMISE A LIVELY MEMBER YOU WILL NEVER BE SORRY SUMMER OF PRAYER Principle of Prayer: Read D&C 90:24 Be believing when you pray. Put your heart into it. This will make your prayers come alive. We love studying with you! Grace and David You will find the word of the week, teaching tips, and more in our newsletter. Sign up here: www.dontmissthisstudy.com Videos can be found on YouTube: Don't Miss This Grace Freeman Instagram: @thisweeksgrace David Butler Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrdavebutler/ Instagram: @mrdavebutler Come, Follow Me is a resource offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is designed to be used in the home to support personal and family scripture study to build faith in Heavenly Father and His plan of salvation and in the Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Come, Follow Me is self-contained and adequate, when used properly. Products and materials designed to supplement this resource, though they may be helpful in some instances, are not necessary for a successful home study program. Don't Miss This Team hello@dontmissthisstudy.com
When Christopher Columbus brought tobacco to Europe, it became a miracle drug. It was used for over 250 maladies (e.g., warts, asthma, ulcers, arrow wounds, toothaches, bad breath, deafness, tonsillitis, nosebleeds, epilepsy, etc.). From 1790 to 1830, alcohol consumption rose in America. Most men and some women and children drank alcohol regularly. Steven Harper recorded that in 1820, the upstate New York region near Joseph's home made a lot of corn whiskey and exported 65,277 gallons and 69 tons of beer. However, by 1830, temperance movements across the states—including a 239-member society in Kirtland—began attacking alcohol, tobacco, and other social ills (Harper, Making Sense of the D&C, 322-323). Several other food issues were discussed in local newspapers. A 19th-20th century contemporary of the Saints, Catherine Beecher, spoke against tea and coffee specifically as dangerous as alcohol. On February 1, 1833, four weeks before Joseph received this revelation, a Kirtland distillery (1819- 1833) closed due to a local temperance society's work to decrease their clients (P.H. Peterson, 13). It was part of a national organization, with the nearby larger city of Albany, NY, boasting twelve temperance societies. Joseph subscribed to local newspapers that also denounced alcohol consumption. It was a national issue, and it was on Joseph's mind. These local issues, and Emma's request, probably contributed to the Prophet Joseph's desire to learn the Lord's will on the subject. The Word of Wisdom differs from regularly published temperance society claims as it never claimed to be a cure for a list of ills, nor the cause of many illnesses (including cholera). Temperance societies also built on biblical warnings like Ephesians 5:18, that denounces excessive use of wine, or Proverbs 23:2 on gluttony (and 23:21; Deut. 21:20; Luke 21:34). Revelation in Kirtland, Ohio On February 27, 1833, Joseph met on the upper level of the Whitney's Store with a group of about 22 Saints for an institute-style class called "the school of the prophets." Zebedee Coltrin remembered that Joseph received this revelation in an adjoining room with only two or three others present, right before the school met. When he entered the school of the prophets, he had the revelation in his hand. As he began to read, all but one were using tobacco, but all put down their pipes as he read. Also at the School of the Prophets a remarkable vision occurred in which several members of the group saw Jesus Christ and/or Heavenly Father. Eye witness accounts are explored in this video podcast. Finally, information on the Apocrypha is given and Dr. Wilson goes into detail about each book including the ones she considers to be her favorite. Join Dr. Lynne Hilton Wilson as she examines these exciting elements of Church history.
You're listening to Come Follow Me Kids! A Come Follow Me Podcast for Primary Kids of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We are an interactive game play podcast for kids. Children will learn shout the scriptures while playing games that go with the Come Follow Me Lessons from the church. This year we are studying the Doctrine and Covenants. If you are looking for a Doctrine and Covenants Podcast for Primary Kids, look no further! Our podcast is called Come Follow Me Kids. Come Follow Me for kids that are primary aged 2-12 in the Church or Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We follow the come follow me manual from the church but are not officially affiliated in any way. Some audio segments come from the friend magazine and other church sources. On this podcast we play interactive games while learning about the gospel and atonement of Jesus Christ. If your children would like to be guests on this podcast or to receive a baptism shout out, please email us at their info at comefollowmekidspodcast@gmail.com Podcast for Primary Kids This week we learn: Doctrine and Covenants 88:67–76 I can become clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father wants me to learn. Our home can be holy like the temple. As you read Doctrine and Covenants 88:119 to your children, they could make a temple spire with their arms every time they hear the word “house.” Explain that Heavenly Father wanted Joseph Smith and the Saints to build a temple, or a “house of God.” You could ask your children to choose seven words that describe their home. Then help them find, in Doctrine and Covenants 88:119, the seven words the Lord uses to describe His house. How can we make our home a “house of God”?
265. Servant Leadership, Mentoring, and Actionable Steps with Kathryn Spitznagle 2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV) "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." **Transcription Below** Questions and Topics We Cover: What are some servant leadership principles you've learned over the years? How did you learn forgiveness is part of leadership? Will you elaborate on a leadership tool mentioned in your book, which is called the "Hero Page?" Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage Kathryn Spitznagle is the author of "Rock Star Millennials--Developing the Next Generation of Leaders," and the companion workbook, "Rock Star Millennials Toolkit." She is a professional coach and the founder of Mentoring Women Millennials, LLC. She has 30+ years of mentoring, coaching and leadership development in corporate, small business and not-for-profit environments as well as 10+ years of mentoring cancer survivors and their families throughout their journey. Her mission is to foster the personal and professional development of leaders... for the life they lead today...and the one they want tomorrow. Savvy Sauce Episodes Mentioned in Episode: Being Intentional with Marriage, Parenting, Rest, Personal development, and Leadership with Pastor, Podcaster, and Author, Jeff Henderson Biblical Principles as Wise Business Practices with Steve Robinson Additional Previous Episodes on Business and Leadership on The Savvy Sauce: The Inside Scoop on Chick-fil-A with Mark Dugger How to Apply Successful Business Principles to Your Life with Dee Ann Turner Leadership Principles and Practices with Former NFL Player, J Leman How to Lead When You're Not in Charge with Author and Pastor of North Point Community Church, Clay Scroggins Understanding the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator to Improve Your Marriage, Family, and Work Relationships Thriving at Work, Home, and Life with Author, Blogger, Podcaster, and Business Owner, Crystal Paine Energy to Spark Success in Your Business with Best-Selling Author, Speaker, and Podcaster, Christy Wright How 2 questions can grow your business and change your life with author, pastor, and podcaster, Jeff Henderson Radical Business and Radical Parenting with Gary & Marla Ringger, Founders of Lifesong for Orphans Stewardship as the Daughter of Chick-fil-A Founders with Trudy Cathy White Living Intentionally with Shunta Grant Generational Differences in the Workplace with Haydn Shaw Pursuing Your God-Given Dream with Francie Hinrichsen Leadership Training: Five Key Elements for Creating Customer Loyalty in Your Business with Elizabeth Dixon Uncover Your Purpose with Clarity with Isimemen Aladejobi Unlocking Meaning and Purpose in Your Life and Overcoming Burnout with Dale Wilsher Leading Your Family, Marriage, and Self with Justin Maust Divine Productivity with Matt Perman 223 Journey and Learnings as Former Second Lady of the United States with Karen Pence Patreon 27 Re-Release: Purposeful and Practical with Emily Thomas Special Patreon Re-Release: Creativity and Career While Raising a Family with Jean Stoffer Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast! Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“ Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“ Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” **Transcription** Music: (0:00 – 0:09) Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:20) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. I'm thrilled to introduce you to our sponsor, WinShape Marriage. Their weekend marriage retreats will strengthen your marriage while you enjoy the gorgeous setting, delicious food, and quality time with your spouse. To find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org/savvy. Kathryn Spitznagle is my enchanting guest for today, and her resume is quite impressive, but what actually is even more of a standout is her humble heart. So, if you are one who learns from stories and encouragement, and you also appreciate actionable, practical tools, this conversation is definitely for you. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Kathryn. Kathryn Spitznagle: (1:21 - 1:24) Oh, thank you, Laura. Appreciate you having me. Laura Dugger: (1:24 - 1:32) Well, I'd love for you just to start us off by giving us a snapshot of your background and also your current phase of life. Kathryn Spitznagle: (1:33 - 6:47) Okay, lots of seasons. Yeah, learned, you know, you learn something from all of them. So, I started out in journalism. I've kind of come back to my roots interviewing folks. I was a sports writer, so I grew up in a family with four brothers, so when I went to college, I knew sports, and at the time, that was unusual to have a female sports So I did that, and then went into publishing after I got my journalism degree, and since I'd been a sports writer, they put me in the men's division of this magazine publishing company. So, I started out learning, I started out working for a helicopter magazine, and I was an editor, and the only one that did know how to fly, and so they sent me to flight school in order to be a better editor and, you know, learn how to communicate with our readers. And again, then because I'd done that and was in the men's division, they moved me then to shooting times, which was hunting and sports shooting. So, then I learned how to shoot guns and reload in that whole industry. From there, I went to fashion. So, I went to the women's division, and at first they said, you know, are you sure you want to do this? And I said, well, this will be the first job you've put me on that won't kill me. You know, I've learned how to fly planes and shoot guns. You know, let me have a shot at that Singer sewing machine. And I was a terrible seamstress. And they said, really, what we want you to do in fashion is to create a presence in New York, in Manhattan. And so, the publisher was in Peoria, Illinois, but they wanted a presence in Manhattan. And so that's what I did for three years, worked remotely back and forth, and created that presence, joined the Fashion Group International. They hired three consultants to fix me up. And so, I laugh if you've ever seen the movie Miss Congeniality, that was me. So, you know, learned all about the fashion industry and built those relationships with our advertisers. And also, then we went into television and did a lifetime, the TV show, weekly TV show on Lifetime called Make It Fashion. And we're trying to blend that the home sewing industry with the fashion industry. So, if you saw this on the runway, in Milan, or in New York, or in Paris, this is how you can make it yourself, be your own designer kind of thing. So that was my journalism start, then moved to St. Louis, got married, had babies, and went into corporate communications, worked for Purina in St. Louis, where I learned so much about leadership, moved back to Peoria, and I went to work for Caterpillar. And when I retired from Caterpillar, then I started this business, Mentoring Women Millennials. And I have such a heart for this generation. I think they're so bright and smart and creative and entrepreneurial, and they get a bad rap. And so, I wanted to have a platform to lift them up, and also to give them tools. So, the first year I wrote a book, Rockstar Millennials, Developing the Next Generation of Leaders. And what I found, there were so many really sharp, bright millennials that had never had good leaders. They never had a mentor. They didn't have the tools. Many of them were entrepreneurs. They didn't intend to lead people. They had a craft. They started a business, and it grew. And they're like, now I got people. What do I do with people? And as I was out speaking about my business, I found the audience very consistently had two types of attendees. One was what I would call a seasoned leader, who said, for helping the millennials, thank you. Something along that line. And then I would have a young person stand up and say, “Do you have a book”? And after that happened several times, okay, Lord, I got this. Yeah, write a book. And I remember saying, “That's a good idea, God, but I don't have time.” And so if you want to know why COVID happened, it was me. Because the good Lord said, hey, it's February of 2020. It looks like you have time right now. And so I hired an editor. We wrote a book in four months and published it at the end of the year. And in 2021, then started the podcast. Laura Dugger: (6:48 - 7:04) Well, that's an incredible resume and such a whirlwind to getting here today. But you mentioned some leadership principles, especially at Purina. So, Kathryn, what are some of those servant leadership principles that you've learned and acquired over the years? Kathryn Spitznagle: (7:04 - 9:34) Over the years, yeah. Just some amazing leaders at Purina. Their culture was very much a servant leadership culture. Purina as a company was created in the 1950s by an independently wealthy gentleman, William H. Danforth. And he created the Youth Foundation in St. Louis. And he found once he got kids out of gangs and out of jail and off drugs, nobody would hire them. So, he created a company to hire those kids, Purina. And so, they, yes, told us that, you know, the first day he said, you know, this is never confused what we make with why we're here. We were here, we were created to develop people for life. What we make will change. But the reason we're here will not. And Danforth also wrote a book called I Dare You. I Dare You to be the best you can be and help someone else do the same. And so that very first day we were told the story of the genesis of Purina, we were given that book, I Dare You. And when we left orientation, we met, they had 360-degree mentoring. And they said, “This is how we create this culture. And we continue this for generations through mentoring.” So, when you leave orientation, you're going to meet your leader mentor, your peer mentor, and in 90 days, you'll be mentoring. Everyone at Purina mentors, and we all learn from each other constantly. So that was the platform. And that was the culture. And when you think about feeling cherished, and valued, that's how they did it. Because if you're going to mentor someone, and someone's going to mentor you, you have value. And the people you're working with have value. And so that creating a cherished culture was their legacy. And then it's something that I took on to Caterpillar. And I continue now, in my keynote speaking, that's one of the most popular is how to create a cherished culture in the boardroom, in the living room, and in the classroom. Hmm. Laura Dugger: (9:35 - 9:47) And so, I won't ask for the entire keynote speech then, but is there an overview that you can give us of those things that we could implement that you've learned to implement over time as well? Kathryn Spitznagle: (9:47 - 11:29) Yes, some of the tools. And, and that was another wonderful thing about Purina that I saw then, and haven't seen it since. You know, it seemed unique to me at the time. Fast forward a few years, and it was like, yeah, that was very unusual leadership. And one of the things that they valued was, know your people, understand them, know their needs, know their wants. Even at this point, so, you know, I'm talking 30 years ago, I went to work there in 1990. They were talking about purpose. What's your purpose? Purina had a very specific purpose. We are a purposeful company. We're here to develop people for life. And, and they even said, I thought this was unique to it at orientation. They said, and we hire bright, smart people, and we don't expect you to stay here very long. Our job is to send you off better than we found you. And with a positive impression of Purina. And here's why. When you leave here, you may go to another Fortune 50 company, which I did. You may be in a position to impact a merger or acquisition. You can buy and sell our stock. And at the very least, when you go to the grocery store, you can buy dog food. And we want it to be Purina. Laura Dugger: (11:31 - 11:36) That's incredible. That actually happened then with you taking that forward. Kathryn Spitznagle: (11:37 - 16:07) And all of those lessons learned. So, when I talk about creating a cherished culture, Purina, one of the things they did very well was to introduce a concept, illustrate it with a story, and then activate it with a tool. So mentoring, they talked about here is the platform on which our company is built, developing people for life. And they told us that story then about Purina. Then they gave us the book. And then they gave us a mentor that we were meeting with each week. And they gave us a, what do I want to say, an outline. So, when you meet with your mentor or mentee, here are questions to ask. Here's a way to go about this. And the number one reason people do mentor is because they don't know how. What's a process? And so how smart? Purina's like, here. Here's an outline. Here are things to ask. Here are discussion topics. And here are different tools we're going to give you as you progress in leadership. And they're designed for you then to pass on. And so those are some of the tools when I talk about creating a cherished culture. One of the tools is here are questions to ask. Here's how to have that dialogue. Here are discussion topics. When you're developing a relationship with this person, ask about their life outside of work. Ask about their family and friends and whatever, as much as they'd like to share. Not everyone does. That's okay too. Ask about their best day at work. What's a bad day at work? What's their best boss like? How do they like to be recognized? What's their purpose? One of the most insightful questions they asked at Purina was, why do you want to succeed? And why do you want this company to succeed? And those two questions give insight to someone's purpose. And so, then if you frame discussions around their purpose and their values, it is exponentially more meaningful to them. So, when I talk about how do you lead millennials and how is it different? Those are a couple of the things. Understand their purpose. Understand their life. Their values outside of work, and frame things within their purpose. Here's an example and or their values. If someone says, my values are hard work and transparency. I want people to be honest. Those are a couple of my values. Okay. So, if I were leading that person and I saw them being transparent with someone else, being open and honest, I would recognize them for that. Not just recognize them for the work, but recognize them for their value, demonstrating their value. I saw you be open and honest with that person. Thank you for that. If kindness is a value, I saw you. I saw what you did there today to help someone out without being asked. Thank you for that kindness. That resonates on a whole different level. And if you have to have a tough discussion with that person to say, frame it in those words. I know you value honesty, and I do too. And so, we need to have an honest conversation. And here's some things that I'm seeing in your behavior, in your leadership, or in your work style that can hold you back. So, let's fix this whole different way to lead. Laura Dugger: (16:09 - 16:39) Absolutely. And I love how some of these even one-page practical tools you've included in the back of your book. So, it's a plug and play, but I'm even thinking back to your mentoring relationships where you had this circle of mentors and you were mentoring. I think it's also helpful to get to hear one another's mistakes. So, are you comfortable sharing any mistakes that you've made along the way that actually even turned out to be beneficial learning opportunities? Kathryn Spitznagle: (16:40 - 20:32) Absolutely. Loads of them. I've got loads of them. And one of the women I mentor has said, I think I've advanced my career 10 years by learning from your mistakes. And I love that. And she's like, now I'm going to make plenty of my own, but I'm not going to make yours. And I said, “Good. That's the point of all this.” One of the big ones I made at Purina. I think a lot of places I would have been fired, probably should have been. I was working in the marketing group, and we were like an internal marketing. So, we did the new product introduction, point of purchase, point of sale materials, the legal documents that went out, the whole packet that would go out to a distributor, a grocery store. And EverReady Battery was one of our product lines. So, we had internal clients. And as they had new product introductions, we'd get the materials together. We had in-house printing, all of the things, graphic design, and that was all under my purview. The letter, there's a letter that went out to distributors that was a legal document and had a number. And I pulled the wrong letter, the wrong number. And it wasn't discovered until last minute. And we sat down with the client and they're like, oh my gosh, this is the wrong legal letter. And I, you know, I'm the account rep, that was on me. So, I had to go back, I had to go to Neil Lewis, my boss and say, “Okay, we've got to pull this back before it all goes out, reprint, which is going to be all our expense. We're going to have to have people working off shifts and all that sort of thing to do it quickly. And then reassemble all these Eveready Battery packets and, you know, do as close as we can to meeting their deadline.” And so basically it's going to eat up our margin and we're going to have more printing expense. We're going to have more labor and we're going to have some unhappy people. And our client's not real happy either. And that was all me. And Neil said to me, “You know, I learned something today. And he said, until today, I thought you walked on water.” And he said, “Now I know you're human, just like the rest of us.” And I thought, oh, my word. And he's like, okay, so what happened? That was a mistake. How are we going to fix it? And I said, “I've already pulled the right letter, getting it reprinted. Here's the, additional time and money. Here's how it's going to impact our margin.” And he said, “You know, can we do it? And can we satisfy the customer and get, if not meet their deadline very close?” And I said, “We can meet their deadline if we have people work third shift.” And, you know, and he said, “Okay, let's do it. That's the right thing to do.” And, and he said, Kathryn, “I told you what I learned today. What did you learn?” And I said, “I learned how to be the kind of leader I want to be when someone makes a mistake.” Laura Dugger: (20:36 - 21:05) Wow. The humility in that is incredible. And thank you for sharing. Stories are so memorable. It makes me instantly reminded of two previous episodes. I'll make sure I link in the show notes, both with Jeff Henderson and Steve Robinson, accomplished businessmen, but who were also willing to share stories and how just like you, it actually made them a better, more relatable leader. And so that's encouraging. Kathryn Spitznagle: (21:06 - 21:34) And I knew when I got to Caterpillar and, uh, particularly when I was running the Caterpillar visitor center, because that was so new and never been done in Caterpillar. And so, we're going to make some mistakes and we're going to learn, you know, along the way. And there was more than one occasion where I was reminded of Neil Lewis. And I said, okay, I learned something today. You are human. Just like the rest of us. Now, how are we going to fix this? Laura Dugger: (21:35 - 23:48) And then what did you learn? Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor. Friends, I'm excited to share with you today's sponsor, WinShape Marriage. 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During your time away in this beautiful place, you and your spouse will learn from expert speakers and explore topics related to intimacy, overcoming challenges, improving communication, and more. I've stayed on site at WinShape before and I can attest to their generosity, food, and content. You will be so grateful you went. To find an experience that's right for you and your spouse, head to their website, to find out more, visit them online at winshapemarriage.org/savvy. That's W-I-N-S-H-A-P-E marriage.org slash S-A-V-V-Y. Thanks for your sponsorship. You've had so much experience in different areas and as a corporate leader. So what is it that drew you specifically to have a heart for millennials, which we can define as those approximately born between the 1980s and early 2000s? Kathryn Spitznagle: (23:50 - 28:18) I really started working with them. My last role at Caterpillar, I was a director of global sustainability and it was within public affairs. So, we were leading, Caterpillar was leading a natural infrastructure coalition. I was working with a lot of different entities, public, private, governmental. We're trying to get language passed into law. That was a big portion of my job. Another portion of my job was to be out speaking about what Caterpillar was doing in the world of sustainability. And I loved that. What I found was the sustainability groups of Caterpillar employees all around the world, we do a global call quarterly, learning what everybody was doing. They were all this age group. And when we would do the river cleanup on Saturday, these are the people that showed up with their kids. And when we do tree plantings, these are the people that showed up with their kids. It's like, okay. And I remember saying to my peers, you know what, this group of employees, these young people are not going to retire with a pension like we are with health care like we do. There's so many things that we have garnered through our career appropriately. They don't have that. What drives loyalty for them and what engages them with Caterpillar are these things. These things we're doing through the foundation where we're giving back and improving the world and the things we're doing in sustainability, giving back, improving the world. They are so much more engaged in our company through these things. And so, I kind of knew, I thought, okay, I'm not sure exactly where the Lord is leading, but it's going to be with those people. And that was the thing I knew when I retired that, okay, this is what I want to do. And then the more I worked, you know, I started the business mentoring women millennials. The more I worked with these young women, the more I saw, yes, there's a need. There's a need here. And I always, you know, again, people would ask, why? Why are you so connected? And I said, first of all, I saw the value in them. But secondly, I think I was one. My husband and I laughed that we never really fit in with our generation. And here's why. We both were out of school and working on our careers when we met. And in our generation, you got married right out of high school, or at the very least right out of college. And so, you know, our families had given up. They're like, they're never going to get married. They're working. They got this whole career thing going. And so, when we got married, well, then we didn't have children until we were in our 30s. You know, highly irregular for our generation. We were entrepreneurial. So, we were looking at franchises in our 20s. And our families were like, just get a job. What is this? You got to buy something and then you buy something else. And my husband owned a business, his first business in his 30s. We both had side hustles. Again, friends and family were like, just do one job. What is with you guys? Always got all these things, you know, going. And then when I took the job in fashion, and I was working in Manhattan and living in Peoria, like, what do you even call that kind of work to call it remote? Working remotely? Yeah. And so, I think part of my heart for them is I was one. And so, when they talk about some of the struggles and the things that are endearing to them, like, I got you. I felt like that, too. Laura Dugger: (28:20 - 28:57) That is incredible. And I think it really does make you the perfect person for that mentor mentee relationship. And I kind of want to camp out on that further, because we've alluded to it. And some of these tips are in your book, where you highlight those discussion topics that give people the tools. But then if we take it a step further or personalize it, how can all of us as listeners begin a mentoring relationship like the one you've described? And I'm even thinking of the beginning point. Do you think it's up to the mentor or the mentee to initially reach out? Kathryn Spitznagle: (28:58 - 33:07) Either one. Yeah, either one can work. When I left Purina, having had this wonderful leadership experience and mentoring environment, I thought, well, this must be what all corporations are like. No. Doesn't make them bad. They're just different. So, when I got to Caterpillar that was male, very male dominated, I remember calling my mentor at Purina, who is still my mentor today. She mentored me for 22 years at Caterpillar after I left Purina. And then was one of the biggest proponents of me writing my book and starting my business. And we still get together today. So, when they talk about developing people for life, they're very serious about that. And so, when I got to Caterpillar, I thought, well, they don't seem to have this. I think I'll start a mentoring program. Well, I was, you know, some little gal in marketing. You're not going to start a mentoring program for a Fortune 50 company out of that spot. It comes up through HR and Office of Business Practices and Legal and all of that. Anyway, I called my mentor at Purina, very frustrated, and I said, “Lynn, you and Neil make a place for me. I'm coming back. They don't have a mentoring program here.” I don't, you know, and she said, “Okay, first of all, we didn't train you up to come back. Your job is to take this forward.” And she said, “Are there young women there?” Yes. And she said, “Mentor them.” And she said, “Are there leaders that need support?” And I said, “Yes.” And she said, “Okay, support them.” She said, “Are there teams that need to be built?” And I said, “Yes.” And she said, “Then you have good work to do there.” Go. And she hung up. I thought, OK. And so, from that moment on, when I would see an announcement that would come through email where a woman was being hired into Caterpillar, I would reach out to her and just say, do you have a mentor or would you like one? And for 22 years, they all said yes. And so that's what I did. I worked with those women. And, you know, here's another God wink when my announcement went out, then that I was retiring. These women all started coming back to me wherever they were in the nation and even in the world. Many of them had gone on to do other things, bigger, better things. And they all started reaching out to me. Someone had forwarded the announcement to them and said, “We want you to start a business, a mentoring business and help others just like you helped us, and we will help you.” And one said, “You need to write a book, and I'll write the forward.” Another one said, “Yes, and you need to do podcasts and I'll be on one.” Another one said, “I know what's going to stop you at your website, so I'm going to help you with your website.” Another one said, “You're going to need testimonials.” So, she posted on social media that anyone that's ever been mentored by Kathryn Spitznagel, leave a message here. Very humbling. And another one said, “I'm now VP of a big company in Chicago and I will hire you.” And so, I retired one day and started a business the next. Laura Dugger: (33:09 - 33:30) Incredible how that all came back around. And I gleaned so much from your stories in your book, and then even getting to connect with you before today. But there's another story about servant leadership that you shared from the man who you've named your previous boss, Neil Lewis. Will you share? Do you know which one I'm thinking of? Kathryn Spitznagle: (33:31 - 36:35) Yeah. You need to know three personal things about everyone who works for you. Okay. So, Neil Lewis had leadership meetings. There were 12 of us were his leadership team every Monday morning. He was also a minister outside of work. So, a lot of times we would laugh that we were getting the rehash of the sermon from yesterday as part of his leadership. But he often gave us assignments. And one Monday morning, he said, okay, here's your assignment. I want you to know three personal things about everyone who works for you. And they need to be things that aren't in their personnel file. And he said, I'm going to ask you sometime this week about one of those people, but you won't know which one. So, you need to know all of them. And I, you know, lousy leader, I was just learning. And I said, Neil, I have 10 people, three things, 10 people, that's 30 things I got to know. And he said, Kathryn, good math. You have some work to do. So, I went back, and I interviewed each one of my 10 people, three things, found him out, followed the assignment. And I was ready. And I saw him in the hall later in the week. He said, “Kathryn, walk with me. I'm going to the next meeting.” I said, “Okay.” Tell me three personal things about Kathy, who works for you. I said, “Okay.” Kathy has recently divorced. Uh, she has an 18-month-old baby, and she is moving to a new apartment. And he said, “What have you done to help her?” And honest to God, I said, “That wasn't part of the assignment.” And he looked at me and I said, “No, wait a minute. I did help her. I changed her hours. She has a longer commute now into St. Louis. So, she's going to come in at 8:30 am and work till 5:00 pm.” And I was feeling pretty proud of myself, like bonus question. And he said, “Did she come to you, or did you go to her?” And I said, “Well, she came to me, but I said, it was okay.” So, Kathryn know your people. If you don't know your people, you don't know what they need. And if you don't know what they need, you can't help them. And if you can't help them, what in the world are you doing here? It says leaders were here to serve. And if you're not here to serve, you need to step out. I became a different leader that day. One who chose to lead by serving. Laura Dugger: (36:38 - 37:17) I just wanted to let you know there are now multiple ways to give when you visit thesavvysauce.com. We now have a donation button on our website and you can find it under the donate page, which is under the tab entitled support. Our mailing address is also provided. If you would prefer to save us the processing fee and send a check that is tax deductible. Either way, you'll be supporting the work of Savvy Sauce Charities and helping us continue to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus Christ. Make sure you visit thesavvysauce.com today. Thanks for your support. Kathryn Spitznagle: (37:18 - 38:19) You know, the other piece, uh, the other thing that he taught me there, uh, Laura, as we continued to walk, uh, because he always wanted to bring things back around to, to a positive. He was going to make his point, but he was not going to leave me there, you know? He said, Kathryn, “Do you understand what you missed there?” It was such a missed opportunity with Kathy, um, to engage her and to help her feel cherished. He said, “That's the difference when you anticipate someone's needs and you go to them before they ask. That's the opportunity.” That's the gold. That's what engages people and, uh, garners their loyalty. And that's when they feel cherished. That was the real missed opportunity. Laura Dugger: (38:23 - 38:35) And that never left you. And that's probably blessed so many people hearing that. What about lessons of forgiveness in leadership as well? Do you have any stories to illustrate that? Kathryn Spitznagle: (38:35 - 42:28) Yes. And that's another lesson from, from Neil Lewis that was a profound lesson for me that I've never heard anywhere else. Forgiveness is part of leadership. So, I learned this, um, again, lousy leader just starting out. And, um, when he put me into leadership, I was like, how hard could it be? Tell people what to do. They do it. And then came my first employee opinion survey results and they were bad. The numbers were bad. The comments were bad. The people were unhappy. Um, and the comments to me were, were hurtful. They were justified, but they were hurtful. And so, when I got, uh, you know, got all the information, I left, I was upset. The next day when I came into the office, I just went into my office and closed the door. I thought they don't want to talk to me. I don't want to talk to them. That's fine. I was working here. So, Neil gave me a little time to cool off. And then he came in and, um, on my desk, uh, one of the things that they, um, Purina does in terms of creating that cherished culture is, um, to have things around you that revitalize you. And so, they ask you one of the first days about what, what are things that revitalize you? And I said, okay, uh, fresh flowers revitalize me. They remind me of my grandmother, nanny, and being in the garden. Um, notes are cards from handwritten, you know, from friends and family and a walk outside. Those are three things that revitalize me. Okay. So again, I registered with Neil Lewis. He knew that was a way to frame things for me. So, when he came in that morning, he picked up one of the cards from my desk and he handed it to me and he said, to read that card. And I said, you can read it. He said, “No. No, I'm asking you to read it out loud to me.” So, it was a card from someone on my team, very complimentary about my leadership style and what it, how it impacted them. And he said, “Is that the leader you are today?” And I said, “No, but in fairness, they were mean to me. They said some very hurtful things and yeah, I'm not happy.” He said, “Okay.” And he said, “Kathryn, as leaders, our job is to give first and give again”. And he said, “Do you know what the bridge is between giving first and giving again?” And I said, “No.” I said, “Neil, I'm not tracking with you.” And he said, “Forgive.” And I said, “Oh, forgiveness.” And he said, “Nope. Forgiveness is something someone else does. That's a noun. Forgive is a verb. And that's what I need to see you do. Forgive.” He said, “Kathryn, forgiveness is a big part of leadership and it's something that will hold you back for the rest of your life. So, I am asking you today to be the leader I know you to be and forgive them.” Laura Dugger: (42:32 - 42:52) Well, in even the way he modeled that in the way you shared that story, it also reminds me of another leadership tool that you mentioned in your book, which I think if somebody is experiencing this, that could be a really practical next step. So, it's called the hero page. Will you elaborate on that for us? Kathryn Spitznagle: (42:52 - 52:07) Yes. And so, at Purina, when they talked about having these one-on-ones with your team, with your mentees, with your mentors, kind of framing the dialogue in three buckets, called it three bucket exercise. And I still, this is how I still mentor today. Uh, so the first thing we ask people to come prepared with is bucket one. What are we celebrating? What have you learned? What have you accomplished? What has gone so well? Um, since the last time we spoke, because we, as people, but particularly as women pass through things very quickly and go, yep, done good onto the next. Yeah. We don't take that time to celebrate. And Purina was very focused on what they called reveling. Take just a minute to revel. That was good work, did good work, but whatever was accomplished personal and professional, it was, there were things at home, baby slept four hours straight. Okay. So, bucket one, what are we celebrating? Um, so bucket one, they called aha. Bucket two, they called, hmm, what is, uh, what's out there that you need to, um, do, you know, what's on your to-do list. Is there something you need to get a plan for? Um, is there something that you want to talk through that's kind of on your assignment board, something like that. And we'll talk through some tactics. Bucket three is what in the world. So, anything that seems overwhelming, uh, caught you by surprise. You didn't know it was part of the job. You didn't know it was part of life. Those are the things we want to talk about in bucket three, every time. So, you want me to tell you the things that are overwhelming me and that I don't know where to start. Yes. Yes. Every week, because here's what we'll do. We will take the power out of that. Once you, that's it. We're going to fix it and say, okay, this is what's overwhelming me. This is what I'm anxious about. This is what caught me by surprise. And we're going to figure out how to break it down into something actionable. And then we're going to move it to bucket two. And next week, we're going to be talking about those action steps and pretty soon it's going to move to bucket one. There you go. We're celebrating that process that I learned at Purina still did at Caterpillar and doing today. Um, that just warms my heart. Uh, when I see, um, the folks that I've worked with who've now gone on to do other things. And, uh, one of the guys on my team at Caterpillar, um, now works for McDonald's in Chicago. And he said that Kathryn, that's our onboarding process. And so, anybody that comes through his team in McDonald's, that's what they learn how to do. And he said that it was just gold. And you can talk about creating a safe space, but again, the difference with Purina was they gave you a tool, not ours, we are a cherished culture. We create a safe space. And you know what, here's how, by asking this question and by setting aside time to answer it and wrestle with it and work through it. Now, having said all that, where do you put this information as you're learning this about this person? Uh, you're learning what they're celebrating. You're learning, um, what their values are. You're learning what they like to do outside of work. What's important to them learning about their purpose. That's a hero page. And so, they gave us a tool and they said, you know, it's very simple, a hero page. You, you just record things that you have learned about this person that you respect and admire about them. And you can do one for yourself. They ask you to do the first one for you. Um, but then also to do them for, you can do them for a peer or a leader. Um, you can also do them for someone you're struggling with because oftentimes we aren't really looking for the positives in that person. So, the, uh, the logic behind the hero page is once you've created it, uh, you're going to look for things to put on it. Positives, all positives, negatives we remember. Positives we're looking for and that's the first reason. The second reason for a hero page is you may have a tough day with that person sometime. And if you do, you go back and look at your hero page and it puts things in perspective. Yeah, this isn't going well today, but here are the things I respect and admire about this person. And yes, um, perspective. The third reason is they may have a tough day sometime and what an incredible gift you can be to them. Here's an example. When I worked at Caterpillar, um, had wonderful leaders, some remarkable women leaders at Caterpillar, I think because there were so few of them, they were rock stars. And one that I worked for, uh, was sent to Beijing, China on a short term, like a, I don't know, six month or one year assignment as it at the same time, I was also mentoring someone in that Beijing office and it was very remote. They were, in a remote area, creating an office, creating an HR office, you know, where they, where there's a factory and the person I was mentoring said, you know, let me give you an idea of what we're struggling with here. What kind of, what our situation is. And I'm at corporate and I said, well, whatever it is, I think I could send you some of our signage, some of our value signs. Those are, those are, that's what you need. I'll send you some value signs. You can put them up on your walls. And she said, Kathryn, we don't have walls. We're working out of a tent. And she said, each morning we send a bus out to the rural areas here in China and it stops to pick up workers. And if dad can't go, he sends mom. And if mom can't go, she puts a couple of kids on the bus. And we never know from day to day who's coming to work. What we do know is that the bus will be full. They will get two meals while they're at work, breakfast and lunch. And then when it returns them home, they will have gotten paid. She said, we are all but paying people and chickens. Do you understand the situation, the gravity of what we're trying to do to come in here and create an office and HR processes? And she said, first, we're trying to determine who our employees are. I said, “Oh, our leader is struggling”. And she said, “Will you get on a call with her today?” I said, “Give me a minute.” And she said, “You're going to get her hero page.” So, we got on the call. Lois, “Kathryn, is this the woman that led one of the first NPI projects for Caterpillar as a woman with our flagship tractor?” And she said, “Yes.” I said, “Is this the woman who was handed a belt buckle and a t-shirt and created global merchandising stores all around the world?” And she said, “Yes.” I said, “Is this the woman who has been married 30 plus years happily, raised two remarkable children and showed us all it was possible?” Yes. I said, “I don't know what you're struggling with today, but I do know the woman who did these things can tackle this.” What a gift you would be to another leader on the day that they needed it in that moment, just to remind them of their value. Laura Dugger: (52:10 - 52:40) That encouragement is so powerful. And you're such an engaging storyteller. And like you had mentioned previously, you've gone on from corporate America to now beginning your own business, including your podcast that will link to Rockstar Millennials. So, I'm curious, Kathryn, are there any stories from those podcast episodes that really come to mind as you think of any standout lessons or your favorites? Kathryn Spitznagle: (52:41 - 55:51) Oh my gosh. There are so many. It just seems like when I think I can't meet someone any more incredible, I do. And again, good Lord's hand, they come from all different paths. We're international now. A couple of them that really stand out to me, Michael Kuzma,: he invented the self-playing guitar. He knew people in his life who had either never been able to play the guitar and wanted to, or they had experienced some sort of an injury or illness that then prevented them from doing what they loved. And so, he created this and just said, “I want this to bring joy and be fun for people.” And I guess the part of the platform that I have for the podcast is purpose. How are you living your purpose? Khushi Shah is 19 years old. So, she's a little bit younger than a millennial even. Created a company called Drizzl and it is an informed, what I want to say, it's an irrigation company. And she created this as a science project in grade school. She's now in college at MIT and Harvard and Northeastern. So, she's attending classes at all. She went to a science and math school in Chicago for high school, finished early and took a gap year at 17. And I said, “So you traveled?” And she said, “Nope, I decided I'd just run that business full-time, Drizzl.” And so, her families of Indian descent. They'd gone to India and seen the need for water, clean water. And she said, coming back to the States, I saw sprinklers, lawn sprinklers running and it was raining. And I thought, I need to fix that. There are products on the market that will turn a sprinkler off if it's raining. Her product is predictive. She's 19. Yeah. So, folks from St. Jude, folks from Midwest Food Bank, just incredible. Obviously, I can't name one. There are so many. And those who are living their purpose in all walks of life, in all places around the world, I want to talk to. Laura Dugger: (55:52 - 56:07) Wow. And Kathryn, you've invested in so many people and highlighted so many people through your podcast. As you look back, what are you happiest that you invested your life in? Kathryn Spitznagle: (56:09 - 57:07) Well, I'm a mom, boy mom. So that would have to be my first, my boys. Again, one of the women that I mentor said to me early on, Kathryn, one of the things I love the most is you're from the other side. I said, Kelsey, what does that mean? I'm from the other side. And she said, you've already done all of this. You've done the corporate life. You understand small business. You have a decades long, happy marriage. You've raised your boys. They're happy. They're successful. If you did this, we can do this and you can help us. And so that investment on so many levels, yeah, is coming back. Laura Dugger: (57:08 - 57:19) I love that. And would you be willing just to share anything else about your business or what all you have to offer so that we can continue learning from you after this conversation? Kathryn Spitznagle: (57:20 - 1:00:49) Oh, absolutely. So, the book that you mentioned, Rockstar Millennials, Developing the Next Generation of Leaders. That's the book. And it recounts so many of these leadership stories. And then in the back, as you said, are the different tools. And I have to credit the Caterpillar engineers because when I went to Caterpillar and I would tell these stories about Purina or I would live something that they had taught me. Very early on, in the meeting, or after the meeting, some of these gentlemen came up to me and said, “That thing you just did in that meeting, can you write that down? Like what?” And they said, “Like the words and or the process.” And so, it began. So, I'd start writing down the words and they might put a graphic with it or somehow improve it. And so, through the years, this same group kept coming back to me. And when they saw the announcement that I was retiring, they showed up again and said, “Okay, we need one more thing, a spreadsheet.” What do you mean a spreadsheet? They said, “You know, all through the years, we have all of these tools now that we've created out of your head on this paper that we can use and we're using.” If you can give us a spreadsheet that says, “If you're having this leadership issue, use this tool.” So, God bless the engineers. So, I credit them, and the tools are in the back of the hard book. What I found when I started doing workshops was people didn't want to write in the book and they also wanted something bigger and they wanted a place to make notes and doodle and that sort of thing. So that's why we have the book and then the toolkit. So, my business is Mentoring Women Millennials and I do one on one mentoring with individuals, small business primarily. They'll bring me in to work with their women leaders, but also just individuals who are in some sort of a transition in life or that have never had a mentor and would like one. And so, I do the one-on-one mentoring also with nonprofits. And I'm now an 18-year breast cancer survivor, still in treatment. And I also mentor breast cancer survivors. And keynote speaking. I work with the Capital City Speakers Bureau. And so, I do speaking there and I'm prepping for a TED Talk. So those are the next things. Laura Dugger: (1:00:50 - 1:01:16) I love it. Always something up your sleeve. We will link to your website so that people can follow up and get in touch if that would be a good partnership. And you may already be familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge or insight. And so as my final question for you today, Kathryn, what is your Savvy Sauce? Kathryn Spitznagle: (1:01:18 - 1:01:49) Um, when I left Purina, um, I asked Neil, “You know, how do I ever repay this company that has given so much to me?” And he said, “Take what you've learned and help someone else.” And so, if you learn from me, that would be my ask, help someone else. Laura Dugger: (1:01:50 - 1:02:05) I love that. Amen. Great Savvy Sauce. And Kathryn, you're just so poised and classy and full of insight. And it was an absolute pleasure to get to host you as my guest today. So, thank you for being my guest. Kathryn Spitznagle: (1:02:05 - 1:02:07) Thank you. Thank you for having me. Laura Dugger: (1:02:09 - 1:05:52) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news. Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved. We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now? Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible, and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process. And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “In the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today. And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.
It takes zero supernatural energy to love a good friend. It takes no divine enablement to warmly welcome a brother or sister. Anybody can do that. You don't need the Holy Spirit to love loved ones. But followers of Jesus who desire to look like their Heavenly Father will demonstrate his supernatural power in the way they practice enemy love.
Christi Le Fevre shares from her children's book, “The Adventures of Twirling Girl,” how God proved to her at a young age that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us, cares for us and hears us when we pray. Proving, “A father of the fatherless is God.” Psalm 68:3CHECK OUT the rest of Christi's story at www.mylon.orgOn the Road to Freedom TV at www.mylon.org/on-the-road-to-freedom/SUPPORT Christi's New Season at www.mylon.org/support/ConnectFB: /MylonLeFevreMinistriesIG: @Christi_LeFevreX: @Christi_LeFevre
Welcome to Week 1 of our brand-new sermon series, Home Sweet Home! In this series, we're diving into God's design for the family — marriage, children, parenting, singleness — and how every season of life can flourish when Jesus is at the center of our home. In today's message, “A Christ-Centered Home,” Pastor Dustin unpacks the biblical blueprint for family, reminding us that the home is more than a physical place — it's a sacred space where faith is formed, character is shaped, and love is lived out daily. Whether you're single, married, parenting, or an empty-nester, God's vision for the home begins with Him at the center. Key Scriptures: Mark 10:6–8 | Psalm 127:3–5 | Deuteronomy 6:5–9 | Ephesians 6:1–3 | 1 Corinthians 7:7–8 | Proverbs 3:6 | Colossians 3:15–17 | Acts 2:46 | 1 Thessalonians 5:11 In this message, you'll discover: – God's view of marriage, children, parenting, and singleness – Why the home is a sanctuary, not a stage – 8 practical keys to building a Christ-centered home – How to create rhythms of peace, love, and authenticity – Why protecting the table and building memories matters for spiritual formation “Marriage is a covenant, not a contract. Children are a gift, not a project. Singleness is a season with divine assignment. The home is sacred because God designed it that way.” 8 Keys to a Christ-Centered Home: 1. Make God normal in your home 2. Set the tone with peace, not pressure 3. Let love be obvious and ongoing 4. Be the same person at home and in public 5. Say sorry and forgive quickly 6. Protect the table 7. Build memories, not just schedules 8. Remind each other who they are in Christ Closing Prayer from today's message. Heavenly Father, I thank You for our family. We declare that Jesus is the center of our home, our hope, and our future. We choose to love one another deeply, forgive quickly, and speak life over each other. We will make time for what matters most: Your Word, Your presence, your church, and each other. Our home will be a place of peace, joy, and grace. As for us and our house, we will serve the Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.
What if the life you dreamed of for yourself never showed up—because God used it to write an even better story?This week on Latter-Day Lights, life coach and host of “The Single LDS Woman Podcast,” Sharon Lamar, opens up about spending 30 years of her life as a single Latter-Day Saint before marrying at 52. With humor, candor, and resilient faith, Sharon unpacks the quiet heartache of unmet expectations, the societal pressures we inherit from romcoms to fairytales, and the backhanded statements from friends and acquaintances that can silently erode our worth.Scott and Alisha join her in exploring how to rewrite that script—seeing singleness merely as an identifier, and not a verdict of one's worth; turning marriage from the main course into the cherry on top; and partnering with Heavenly Father to create a full, abundant life by allowing Him to become a collaborator in your journey. Along the way, Sharon shares the pivotal lessons that helped her trade confusion for clarity, how “nothing has gone wrong” became her new mantra, and how love remains the ultimate answer to all obstacles.If you've ever wondered whether your path still counts when it doesn't match the picture you grew up with, Sharon's journey will help you see that you're not behind, you're not broken, and you're exactly where you're meant to be.*** Please SHARE Sharon's story and help us spread hope and light to others. ***To WATCH this episode on YouTube, visit: https://youtu.be/Qbjalk-Ue9c-----To BOOK a session with Sharon, visit: https://www.sharonlamarcoaching.com/To GET Sharon's "Summer Rewind Playlist," visit: https://www.sharonlamarcoaching.com/insiderTo LISTEN to Sharon's podcast, "The Single LDS Woman," visit: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-single-christian-woman-faith-and/id1712937838To READ Scott's book “Faith to Stay,” visit: https://www.faithtostay.com/-----Keep updated with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latter.day.lights/Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latterdaylightsAlso, if you have a faith-promoting or inspiring story, or know someone who does, please let us know by going to https://www.latterdaylights.com and reaching out to us.
Prayer isn't a wishlist, a last-resort spare tire, or a way to earn God's favor—it's the heartbeat of our relationship with Him. In this message, Pastor Michael Norman unpacks what prayer is not, why it matters, and how it transforms us to think, love, and desire like God. Drawing from Scripture, personal stories, and practical insight, he invites us to move past preconceived ideas and step into prayer as an ongoing, life-giving conversation with our Heavenly Father.If you've ever struggled with what to say to God, wondered if your prayers matter, or longed for a deeper connection with Him, this message will help you take the next step in your prayer journey.
Congregations of faith all around the world use the word amen. Although many people use it in the right context, not everyone knows what this word means.“Amen” is an ancient Hebrew word, and Scripture uses this word in three primary ways:· At the beginning of a sermon or important statement, the word “amen” often means “verily,” or “truly.”· The Old Testament uses the word “amen” to describe God's character as true and faithful.· The most common placement of “amen” is at the end of a prayer, sermon, or statement, and is used to show agreement. It could then be translated as ‘so be it,' ‘so it is,' or ‘may it be fulfilled.'In fact, the very last word in the Bible is amen!That last verse in the New Testament, Revelation 22:20–21 says, “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”Consider then, the powerful history of this simple word as an ending to our prayers. We speak directly with our Heavenly Father, praising His name, sharing our gratitude and our concerns, and we often end with amen...so be it. So, it is. May it be fulfilled.1 Thessalonians 5:17 reminds us to “Pray continually.” Can we get an amen for this encouraging reminder to keep the lines of communication with the Lord open on a daily basis? Let's pray.Father God, your Word, the Bible, shares powerful truths for living from beginning to end. Thank you for teaching us when and how to pray. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.
In our 1 Kings reading we find Solomon's wonderful beginning as he loved Yahweh his God and offers a thousand cattle at Gibeon as a mark of thanksgiving to Almighty God, Solomon's Sovereign. King Solomon also married Pharaoh's daughter, who he loved deeply as the Song of Solomon shows. It was at Gibeon that the Almighty appeared to Solomon and him to ask from God whatever he desired. Solomon requests wisdom to rule the people of the LORD according to divine ways, indeed a wise choice indicating that Solomon already possessed, to a large extent, wisdom. In the understanding of human behaviour Solomon demonstrates that he was able to discern who was the true mother of the living child. His wisdom became legendary.In Jeremiah 30 we undoubtedly have a prophecy of the unprecedented horrendous time that was to come upon Israel soon - called "the day of Jacob's trouble". This term is an obvious allusion to Genesis 32. This is the time called, in Daniel 12, "a time of trouble such as never was". And Matthew 24 refers to it as "the time of great tribulation". The Jewish People call a time such as this 'The Dire Straits". It will be when the Russian confederacy under Gogue seeks the total destruction of Israel. However, they will be delivered . Read aloud and reflect on verses 8-11. The end result will be blessing in Messiah's Kingdom, verses 18-22. This time will be after the Almighty's wrath has been poured on the persecutors of His people.Mark 4 commences with the most fundamental of all parables - the Sower. We have seen, that it could be called the parable of the Soils. For God's Word tests the calibre of the soil. What type of soil will our Heavenly Father find us to be? Pray God that we may be found to be good soil! Then follows an explanation of why our Lord uses the parabolic method. It was to reveal truths to the responsive and conceal them from the reprobates (Psalm 78 and Isaiah 6). Next follows the parable of the Lampstand, its only purpose, like that of disciples, is to give light, ie testimony. The progress of the Gospel is like seed multiplying. In the parable of the Mustard Seed we learn that small beginnings can have powerful ends. Jesus calms the storm on the sea of Tiberius showing him to be the Son of God - read Psalm 104 verses 23-32. Pause and ponder the power of the message.
Send us a textIn this brief episode I share some thoughts about leaning into our divine femininity and the struggle some women have in and with culture. Learning about Heavenly Mother cannot be separated from her son Jesus Christ, nor her husband and partner, Heavenly Father. Separating the divine masculine and feminine comes at devastating costs.❤️ ❤️ ❤️My current work in Progress: Emerging from the Wilderness: Rediscovering our Mother in Heaven✨ ✨ ✨ ✨❤️ Join our Facebook community - Exploring the Divine Femininehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/937748690065723❤️ Follow this channel on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/exploringthedivinefeminine/❤️Follow my author channel https://www.instagram.com/ramonasiddoway/❤️ Follow me on Facebook author-- https://www.facebook.com/ramonasiddowayauthor/regular nutty day-to-day me--https://www.facebook.com/ramona.siddoway✨ ✨ ✨ ✨Exploring the Divine Feminine YouTube ChannelSUBSCRIBE NOW -- ExploringTheDivineFeminineChannel✨ ✨ ✨ ✨About Me: ⬇️I am a nonfiction and fiction writer who absolutely loves research! I have three published books available on Amazon; the latest is "We Are Adam: The Partnership of Adam and Eve in the Garden and What It Means for You."I live on a homestead in the country with a large garden, several chickens, 3 dogs, a cat, a large garden, and a few acres of forest just to myself. I love yoga, gardening, reading, and spending time with my best friends (who are my husband, four children, and their families). Sounds cliche, but they are the ones who know all about me, but still like me.Buy my book here: Amazon WeAreAdam CedarFort https://www.cedarfort.com/products/we-are-adam
Sadly, in the U.S., there are more than 18 million children with no father in the home. Dads are absent from 80% of single-parent homes. But each and every one of them has a Heavenly Father who cares deeply for them. And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us recognize the blessing of provision and protection that provides. Pastor Greg points out we have a Father in heaven who loves us and always has time for us. Good encouragement coming from the Psalms. Join us on August 16 for the annual Jesus Revolution Baptism, a celebration of new life in Christ at Pirate’s Cove with Pastor Greg Laurie! --- Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sadly, in the U.S., there are more than 18 million children with no father in the home. Dads are absent from 80% of single-parent homes. But each and every one of them has a Heavenly Father who cares deeply for them. And today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us recognize the blessing of provision and protection that provides. Pastor Greg points out we have a Father in heaven who loves us and always has time for us. Good encouragement coming from the Psalms. Join us on August 16 for the annual Jesus Revolution Baptism, a celebration of new life in Christ at Pirate’s Cove with Pastor Greg Laurie! --- Learn more and subscribe to Harvest updates at harvest.org A New Beginning is the daily half-hour program hosted by Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California. For over 30 years, Pastor Greg and Harvest Ministries have endeavored to know God and make Him known through media and large-scale evangelism. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners.Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of the What Now Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Carla Suarez, a pediatrician whose inspiring journey began in poverty as a first-generation American. Raised by a single mother after her father left, Carla faced food insecurity, cultural barriers, and emotional hardship, but through faith, community, and her passion for learning, she found a way forward.Carla shares how her testimony of a loving Heavenly Father began as a child and deepened through experiences with missionaries, church service, and quiet spiritual moments. With the support of mentors, counselors, and her devoted husband, she pursued her dream of becoming a doctor, graduating debt-free and now serving immigrant families with empathy rooted in lived experience.She opens up about the miracles that shaped her path, the strength she found in service and scripture, and her message for young women who feel unseen: God knows your heart, and He will guide you.✨ New episodes every two weeks!
Thursday, 7 August 2025 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory; Matthew 12:20 Note: You can listen to today's commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen). You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen). “A reed, being battered, not He will break, and flax being smoldered, not He will extinguish, until if He ejects judgment into victory” (CG). In the previous verse, Matthew continued his citation of Isaiah 42, revealing that the passage prophetically pointed to Jesus and His ministry. That citation continues with his next words, which are comparable to Isaiah 42:3 – “Reed bruised, not He will break, and flax darkish, not He will extinguish it. To truth, He will cause to bring verdict” (CG). Matthew's words of citation begin with, “A reed, being battered, not He will break.” Two new words are seen here. The first is suntribó, to crush completely, such as breaking into pieces. The next is katagnumi, to rend in pieces, such as cracking apart. The words of Isaiah, and now cited by Matthew, point to extreme care and attentiveness to being gentle. A bruised reed will collapse with the slightest bit of force because its fibers have been damaged. The analogy is to a person who has been bruised by a life of sin or affliction. For example, in Luke 7:36-50, we read about the sinful woman who came to Jesus, washing His feet with her hair. The Pharisee would have taken her and cast her out, destroying any faith-fiber left in her. But Jesus allowed her to wash and kiss His feet, knowing she was crushed from her life of sin. Because of her faithful display of love for the Lord, His words to her were, “Your sins are forgiven,” and “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” In a similar metaphor, Matthew next says, “and flax being smoldered, not He will extinguish.” Three new words are seen in this one clause. The first is linon, flax. It is the material (the flax plant) used to make linen. One can see the etymological connection between the two, linon and linen. The second new word is tuphó, a word found only here in the New Testament. It signifies to make a smoke, as in something slowly being consumed by fire, but without a flame. It is hot enough to burn, but there isn't enough oxygen for it to turn into a blaze, and so it sits and smolders. Also, the word sbennumi is used. It signifies to quench or extinguish. The idea is that a smoldering flax, such as a piece of linen, will go out with the slightest touch. The teeny amount of oxygen that was available to cause the smoldering is removed, and even the smoldering is quenched. The meaning of the words is that of someone with the smallest bit of faith will not have it quenched by the Lord. He will never deprive such, quenching their faith by treating them contemptuously or as if they were unimportant. And this state of care for His people is, “until if He ejects judgment into victory.” There are various opinions on the meaning of the words. Each of them, however, finds its fulfillment in the work of Christ. The care of the Lord for those who are bruised or smoldering will not cease until the end. Their judgment will be realized in victory. The direct translation from Isaiah said, “To truth he will cause to bring verdict.” The judgment of the Lord will be vindicated as a state of truth. The idea seems, therefore, to ultimately point to the Lord's care of His people until the final victory is realized, such as the state of those who are glorified at the rapture of the church – “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.' 55 ‘O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?'” 1 Corinthians 15:53-55 None shall be rejected who comes to the Lord by faith, even if their faith is comparable to a bruised reed or a smoldering piece of linen. Life application: Understanding the care of the Lord for His people, we should be careful how we evaluate others. The sinful woman at Jesus' feet would have been cast out by anyone in the religious circles of Israel. But Jesus understood her faith and was unwilling to quench it merely out of social propriety. The same will be true with anyone who comes to Him in true faith. Each of us will fail the Lord from time to time. This is inevitable, but it demonstrates the immense grace of God that is found in Jesus. Despite our failings, He forgave us. Despite our continued failings, His grace continues. The Lord would have us not sin at all, but He is aware of our limitations. Because of this, even when we do sin, He is not counting those transgressions against us any longer – “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19 Heavenly Father, You are aware of our every failing, and yet You still have forgiven us through our faith in Jesus. Help us to be strong in our ability to stand against sin and its many temptations so that we will be pleasing to You. Above all, help us to keep our faith in Christ strong as we live in Your glorious presence, holding fast to Him until that wonderful Day of redemption. Amen.
When you get saved, you change families, you change fathers. Do you know God as your Heavenly Father? Are you born again? Are you His child?
God loves lost people. But even once we've been found, we can't forget that fact, or else we risk missing the heart of our Heavenly Father. If you prefer to listen, stream, and/or watch, join us and subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kingwoodmethodist
Today we are talking about how our bodies will respond to kindness, even if we haven't been kind to them for years. They are forgiving, just like our Heavenly Father is! You'll hear today: 1. How our bodies are wired to reflect the characteristics of God 2. A powerful moment during a university class where I realized I needed to say sorry to my body for how I had treated it 3. The required first 3 steps in asking God to heal your relationship with food 4. How miracle stories in the Bible are there for us to find hope for change in our own life stories Bible verses mentioned: Genesis 18:14 "Is anything too hard for the Lord? As I said, nine months from now I will return, and Sarah will have a son." Psalm 25:7 "Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and loving devotion, for they are from age to age. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my rebellious acts; remember me according to Your loving devotion, because of Your goodness, O LORD." Connect with Nyla: Nyla's IG Nyla's website Nyla's second podcast, On the Job with God
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6:9-11 / Luke 11:2-3SHOW NOTES: For encouragement on your spiritual journey, we invite you to visit our ministry website, Discover God's Truth, where you can access additional resources to enrich your Walk with God. Do you remember when you first memorized The Lord's Prayer? How old were you? "This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10 (NIV) As children of God, we have a personal connection with our Heavenly Father. Each of us can approach Him to share our requests and burdens. He is holy and deserving of our praise. "See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us his children, and that is what we are!" - 1 John 3:1 (NLT)The Kingdom of God is a fundamental concept in Christian theology, representing God's rule and authority over His creation, especially among believers. It represents God's presence and power, both now and in the future. During His earthly ministry, Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God. People's lives are transformed and renewed as they turn away from their sin and follow God's will. "Kingdom Come" – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlQQcQc0eHU&list=RDNlQQcQc0eHU&start_radio=1
WORD: ALL This week we are studying, Establish a House of God, Doctrine and Covenants 88 in Come, Follow Me. Here's what to look forward to in this episode: A PROMISED BLESSING LIGHT WILL BE THERE IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH GET EXCITED SUMMER OF PRAYER Principle of Prayer: Read D&C 88:119 Organize, prepare, and establish prayer habits We love studying with you! Grace and David You will find the word of the week, teaching tips, and more in our newsletter. Sign up here: www.dontmissthisstudy.com Videos can be found on YouTube: Don't Miss This Grace Freeman Instagram: @thisweeksgrace David Butler Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrdavebutler/ Instagram: @mrdavebutler Come, Follow Me is a resource offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is designed to be used in the home to support personal and family scripture study to build faith in Heavenly Father and His plan of salvation and in the Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Come, Follow Me is self-contained and adequate, when used properly. Products and materials designed to supplement this resource, though they may be helpful in some instances, are not necessary for a successful home study program. Don't Miss This Team hello@dontmissthisstudy.com
Have you ever felt like you've just plain run out of juice? The book you've been reading seems pointless halfway through. That new sofa or lawnmower or set of wheels was pretty exciting last month, but now you're not sure what the big deal was. Even your relationships feel lackluster.Human beings aren't like cell phones or toy robots. We can't rev up with a fresh set of batteries...we need other, more meaningful fuel to refill our tanks, and the energy we seek can't be found at any store.1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray continually.”One of the shortest verses in God's Word, the Bible, this pithy reminder was written by the Apostle Paul to believers in Thessalonica, an ancient city in what is now Northern Greece. These new converts to Christianity faced persecution, but Paul's colleague Timothy reported that they were persevering in the face of challenges.Paul's letter, recorded as the biblical book of First Thessalonians, is written to inspire renewed energy in these early followers of Jesus. They were looked down upon, their motives and actions were questioned, they sometimes struggled with doubt about the outcome of their faith — and Paul wisely encouraged them to keep on praying, just as the Lord wants us to do today.Let's pray.Heavenly Father, sometimes we feel exhausted by our struggles, and sometimes we feel alone. Remind us that the greatest power in the universe — You, our Creator God, are just a prayer away. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:• Prayer is petitioning your Heavenly Father.• There is a better reality in heaven than the one we live on earth.• Before asking what we want, we acknowledge who He is.• Prayer is the process of submitting your request, while submitting to His will• Receive. Recite. Reflect.==================== SCRIPTURES: • Matthew 6:9-13 • Luke 11:1 • Kings 2:20-5 • Matthew 7:11 • Psalms 100:4
WORD: PROPHECY This week we are studying, Stand Ye in Holy Places, Doctrine and Covenants 85-87 in Come, Follow Me. Here's what to look forward to in this episode: YOUR MARVELOUS EXPERIENCES HELPING THEM STAY PATIENCE AND DISCERNMENT A CHRISTMAS PROPHECY SUMMER OF PRAYER Principle of Prayer: Make prayer your first stop During those times you don't know what to do, don't forget to pray. We love studying with you! Grace and David You will find the word of the week, teaching tips, and more in our newsletter. Sign up here: www.dontmissthisstudy.com Videos can be found on YouTube: Don't Miss This Grace Freeman Instagram: @thisweeksgrace David Butler Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrdavebutler/ Instagram: @mrdavebutler Come, Follow Me is a resource offered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is designed to be used in the home to support personal and family scripture study to build faith in Heavenly Father and His plan of salvation and in the Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Come, Follow Me is self-contained and adequate, when used properly. Products and materials designed to supplement this resource, though they may be helpful in some instances, are not necessary for a successful home study program. Don't Miss This Team hello@dontmissthisstudy.com