Podcasts about Thankful

Topics:  Breaking Animal News, Thankful, Tickle Study, Shame, History Segment, The Way Of Jesus, Fast & Furious, Safest Drivers, AI Christian Insults   Quotes: "Forgiveness helps you not carry home anger from work." "We forget how good we've got it." "You're not gonna win everybody over." . . . Holy Ghost Mama Pre-Order! Want more of the Oddcast? Check out our website! Watch our YouTube videos here. Connect with us on Facebook!

What happens when you spend your life trying to find your way in a religion that never seems to have a space for you? Today, Mormon Stories welcomes Eli McCann, attorney, writer, podcaster, and humor columnist for The Salt Lake Tribune, to hear insights into his upbringing as a gay man in the LDS faith.Eli knew from a young age that he was gay, but understood that there would never be a place for him as an openly gay man in Mormonism. He served a mission, held leadership callings, and became deeply involved in the church while largely keeping his sexuality to himself. Eventually, after moving to Palau and serving as a Young Men's president, Eli reached a point where he could no longer reconcile his life with the church's teachings about homosexuality.He shares what led him to stop attending, come out to his family, and ultimately resign his membership—including the memorable experience of resigning with a Mormon bishop on top of a Book of Mormon. We also discuss the 2015 LGBTQ+ policy, his evolving views on faith, and why he has chosen to remain in Utah despite his complicated relationship with Mormonism.Eli is now known for finding humor in the quirks of Mormon culture through his writing for The Salt Lake Tribune. His new book, We're Thankful for the Moisture: A Gay Guy's Guide to Mormon Faith, Family, and Fruit Preservation, collects many of those stories and explores the intersections of Mormon culture, family, faith, and life as a gay man in Utah.This is a conversation about faith, family, sexuality, and learning to move forward without losing meaningful parts of your past.You can purchase Eli's new book here: https://www.signaturebooks.com/books/p/were-thankful-for-the-moisture___________________YouTubeAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.  Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions

An idea that saved me untold frustrations down the road. (SO. THANKFUL.)

Topics:  Dropping Your Phone, Miracles, Love Your Enemies, People At The Gym, History Segment, Thankful, Manual Engines, Hansen 2042 Quotes: "God holds everything together." "If you don't have love, you're a bunch of noise." "I implicitly trust Gus." "I registered my stamp club." . . . Holy Ghost Mama Pre-Order! Want more of the Oddcast? Check out our website! Watch our YouTube videos here. Connect with us on Facebook!

In this episode Kiran Chawla sits down with Barry Posey, the father of 19 year old Blake Posey as they discuss his son Blake's diagnose of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and heart failure and how the community stepped up to help make memories for the family.Timestamps04:14 Living With Heart Failure06:02 Saying Everything Now11:17 Forrest Frank Concert Wish15:14 Community Rallies Around Blake19:58 Cars, Wheels, and Bucket Lists26:11 Making Memories Together29:10 Thankful for Every DayLocal Sponsors for this episode include:Neighbors Federal Credit Union:Another Chance Bail Bonds:Family Worship Center ChurchTwin Team Realty If you are looking to buy or sell your home, look no further!Call (225) 354-9761 Today!Sound and Editing for this audio podcast by Envision Podcast Production:

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:15–23 is that believers would have their spiritual eyes opened to see more clearly what God has already given them in Christ. Thankful for their faith in Jesus and love for one another, Paul prays that they would know God more deeply and understand the blessings that are already theirs: the hope of His calling, the riches of His inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of His power toward those who believe. That power is dramatically displayed in Jesus Christ, whom God raised from the dead, seated at His right hand, exalted above every authority, and made Head over the church. Our great need is not simply for God to give us more, but for Him to open our eyes to know Him better, see what we have in Christ, and live in light of it.

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:15–23 is that believers would have their spiritual eyes opened to see more clearly what God has already given them in Christ. Thankful for their faith in Jesus and love for one another, Paul prays that they would know God more deeply and understand the blessings that are already theirs: the hope of His calling, the riches of His inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of His power toward those who believe. That power is dramatically displayed in Jesus Christ, whom God raised from the dead, seated at His right hand, exalted above every authority, and made Head over the church. Our great need is not simply for God to give us more, but for Him to open our eyes to know Him better, see what we have in Christ, and live in light of it.

SPORTS: Eala thankful for ‘Barangay Toronto' support | August 13, 2026Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net Follow us: Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital Check out our Podcasts: Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcherTune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein#TheManilaTimes#KeepUpWithTheTimes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Al Dagel's advice was never more on point than in today's lesson.

Hey y'all ! Welcome to another Wednesday with CWCOI ! In this week's episode, our host, Ally Yost talks about how sometimes as Christians, we can accidentally minimize trauma we've experienced in our lives. We don't define ourselves by the things that have happened to us but it is also important to recognize that they happened. Finding the balance between those two things can be hard so let's talk more about that today. Thankful that we serve a God who is a healer and deliverer.  "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8 _____________________________________________ ☆ PRE-ORDER 'LOVE THAT LASTS' HERE: https://allyyost.com/en-usd/pages/book ☆ OUR NEW MERCH IS LIVE! SHOP AT: https://allyyost.com ☆ MY BIBLE (code 'ALLYYOST' at checkout) ➤ https://hosannarevival.com/collections/beautiful-bibles/products/nlt-notetaking-bible-belfast-theme ☆ TUMBLER LINK ➤ https://allyyost.com/products/cwcoi-glass-tumbler-white _____________________________________________ Connect further with us ! TikTok ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@christwithcoffeeonice  Instagram ➤ https://instagram.com/christwithcoffeeonice  _____________________________________________ Connect further with Ally ! TikTok (2M) ➤ https://www.tiktok.com/@ally_yost  Instagram ➤ https://www.instagram.com/ally_yost/  ShopMy ➤ https://shopmy.us/allyyost  Pinterest ➤ https://www.pinterest.com/ally_yost1/_created/

Join us as elder Adam McCloud teaches us through the passage in Psalm 107. Notes from the sermon can be found at the link below. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rvTmHPHpqlXX92QmrmE-R8bxOJDboqPN/view

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Spence Shelton, Lead Pastor of Mercy Church, a rapidly growing multisite church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since launching in 2015, Mercy has expanded to multiple campuses while maintaining a relentless focus on reaching people, developing leaders, and sending them into ministry. In this conversation, Spence shares how churches can intentionally build a culture of multiplication by developing leaders from within, creating healthy sending pathways, and stewarding opportunities for church revitalization. Stop “plucking” leaders. Start growing them. // One of Spence’s biggest challenges to church leaders is resisting the temptation to solve leadership shortages by hiring talent from elsewhere. Just as churches prioritize reaching lost people rather than simply attracting Christians from other churches, they should approach leadership development the same way. Instead of constantly recruiting experienced leaders, churches should intentionally identify, disciple, and develop people already sitting in their congregations. This approach takes longer, but it creates leaders deeply shaped by the church’s culture and mission. The power of the shoulder tap. // Many future ministry leaders never consider vocational ministry simply because no one asks them. Spence encourages pastors to intentionally “tap people on the shoulder” when they observe leadership potential. Some of Mercy’s key leaders—including executive pastors and campus pastors—came directly from marketplace careers like banking, manufacturing, and physical therapy. Rather than waiting for seminary graduates to apply, Mercy helps people connect their existing gifts and experiences to ministry opportunities. Create a clear leadership profile. // To make leadership development intentional, Mercy created a “Lead Pastor Profile” built around three categories: character, competency, and calling. While designed for future church planters, the framework serves as a roadmap for developing leaders throughout the church. By clearly defining what healthy leadership looks like, staff members know exactly what qualities to identify, cultivate, and reproduce in others. Character matters before charisma. // Within the character category, Spence believes self-awareness is one of the most overlooked leadership traits. Effective leaders understand both their strengths and limitations and are secure enough in their identity in Christ to build teams around areas where they are weaker. Without self-awareness, talented leaders can make excellent first impressions while creating long-term organizational damage. Character requires observation over time and not just impressive interviews. Multipliers build movements. // When evaluating leadership competency, the ability to multiply is critical. Can this person develop other leaders? Have they demonstrated the ability to move beyond accomplishing ministry personally and instead equip others to lead? Churches often unintentionally hire capable “doers” rather than leader-builders, limiting long-term growth. Multipliers create healthy ministries because they reproduce leadership instead of accumulating responsibility. Alignment creates unity. // Calling isn’t simply about theological agreement, but also includes ministry philosophy. Spence stresses the importance of ensuring leaders share the church’s convictions about how ministry is carried out. When someone consistently wants to reshape the church into something fundamentally different, the healthiest response may be helping them pursue the ministry God is calling them toward elsewhere. Clear alignment creates healthier teams and stronger long-term partnerships. Let people discover their gifts by leading. // Churches shouldn’t expect to know someone’s leadership potential before giving them opportunities to serve. Mercy intentionally creates pathways where people can lead community groups, coach leaders, and gradually assume greater responsibility. Some will flourish as long-term small group leaders. Others will demonstrate broader leadership gifting and eventually plant churches. The key is creating a culture where trying, learning, and growing are celebrated rather than feared. Revitalization begins with humility. // Spence also shares lessons from Mercy’s experience helping revitalize struggling churches. Successful partnerships require patient relationships, deep humility, and genuine respect for the legacy of existing congregations. Rather than viewing church buildings as opportunities to expand Mercy’s influence, the team approaches every conversation as the stewardship of Kingdom resources. By honoring the faithfulness of previous generations, Mercy has seen older congregations joyfully become part of new seasons of ministry fruitfulness. Faithfulness compounds over time. // Spence closes with an encouragement for church leaders: don’t underestimate what God can do through long-term faithfulness. Leaders often overestimate what can happen in five years while dramatically underestimating what God can accomplish over twenty. Healthy multiplication isn’t built through shortcuts. It grows steadily through consistent obedience, patient leadership development, and a commitment to stay the course. To learn more about Mercy Church, visit mercycharlotte.com or follow Spence Shelton or the church on social media for additional leadership resources and updates. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Risepointe Do you feel like your church’s or school's facility could be preventing growth? Are you frustrated or possibly overwhelmed at the thought of a complicated or costly building project? Are the limitations of your building becoming obstacles in the path of expanding your ministry? Have you ever felt that you could reach more people if only the facility was better suited to the community’s needs? Well, the team over at Risepointe can help! As former ministry staff and church leaders, they understand how to prioritize and help lead you to a place where the building is a ministry multiplier. Your mission should not be held back by your building. Their team of architects, interior designers and project managers have the professional experience to incorporate creative design solutions to help move YOUR mission forward. Check them out at risepointe.com and while you’re there, schedule a FREE call to explore possibilities for your needs, vision and future…Risepointe believes that God still uses spaces…and they're here to help. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in. You know, this week is a great conversation and was recommended by one of my favorite church leaders in the country. And so you’re going to love this conversation. It’s going to be super helpful. And I do think it’s going to challenge you and provide you some steps forward. Rich Birch — Excited to have Spence Shelton with us. He is from Mercy Church, a multi-site church with three locations, if I’m counting correctly, in Charlotte, plus Church Online. God is leading Mercy Church into a season of a bunch of expansion and investment in ministry facilities and outreach over a two-year discipleship initiative called All to Him. They have a goal to launch the Mercy Family of Churches in in late 2025, which I think is maybe launched, or we’ll see where that goes, and is aiming to form their own collective within the next five years. Super excited to have you on the show today, Spence.Spence Shelton — Man, such an honor to be with you, Rich. Man, this is, I’m a big, going to say it, I’m a big fan of yours, man… Rich Birch — That’s kind of you to say. Spence Shelton — …because you have produced so much helpful content for me as a leader to lean into and grow little by little. And I can only hope that I can contribute a little bit more to the great work you’ve been doing, man.Rich Birch — Come on, that’s amazing. Honored to have you with us and to learn from you today, Spence. And mutual friend in Andrew Hopper…Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — …who I love, fantastic leader. And so shout out to Hopper. Thankful for what God’s doing in his church as well. So Mercy Church started in 2015. Give us a picture of kind of where things are at today. If we were to come to the church, what would we experience? Kind of talk us through the last season, kind of the last couple of years. What’s that look like?Spence Shelton — Yeah, man. So if you came to Mercy today, what you’d find is a church, you might be surprised to learn how big it actually is because the church is, you know, a couple thousand people, but it’s across seven services and three campuses. And there’s some of some of that’s intentional. Some of that is, hey, we’re just kind of following the Lord where he’s led in this. And we didn’t really plan for it, you know, so. Spence Shelton — Our average service size is not that big, but we’ve the Lord’s been really gracious. If you came what you’d find is especially at our broadcast campus you’d find an old church building that you’d be thinking: wait are all these people how are they you know filling in here, you know. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — And you’d see cars parked uh all through a neighborhood and everything else and you’d see a retrofitted old church building, and that’s just the story of God’s grace on us – a building that was given to us and a church family that decided, hey we want to join you guys and they gave us their building. Really cool moment that like a legacy moment of faith in our church. And a couple other spots where we’re seeing similar sorts of things and it’s just it’s awesome, man. Spence Shelton — So we feel blessed. We feel like we are um doing what God has called us to do because we’re seeing that kind of momentum in the ministry that we’re doing. But none of our facilities are going to wow you, I promise. I actually love training church planters because, you know, so many times they come in and they’re like, Oh, ah we can do this. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — I’m like, yeah, you can do it. You know? Rich Birch — That’s normal like us.Spence Shelton — So we are praying and asking the Lord for better wins. Yeah. But you can do it, man. If you can do it here, you can do it anywhere kind of thing. So Lord’s been really gracious to us. And it’s a, it’s been a real joy these past 10 years.Rich Birch — It’s so cool. It seems like you guys are in a bit of a pivotal season or an inflection point season where you’ve got a bunch of things on the horizon, launching Mercy Family of Churches… Spence Shelton — That’s right. Rich Birch — …the 50 Missionary Goal by 2030, a collective. Talk me through those. What is the future look like? What’s driving the urgency? Help us understand kind of what the future looks like.Spence Shelton — Yeah, man, I think this happens for any church, both leader and in just the life of a church. You come to those milestone moments. We hit it last year with 10 years, and it was not only a milestone in terms of age. There was some just real growth that had been happening to the church that was forcing some good conversations around long-term you know expansion so that we can continue to facilitate what we believe God, actually, I should say we could steward what God is doing in our church.Spence Shelton — And so we launched an initiative that we called All to Him. I was teaching through the book of Romans all year last year. And so it comes out of Romans 12:1 and 2, because Christ gave his all for us, we give our all to him. That is our living sacrifice that we do. Spence Shelton — And so we said, we got some goals as a church, man. We want to see our church, we got some reaching goals. We got some training up goals. We got some sending out goals. Because when I planted Mercy Church, one of the things that was on my heart: if we’re going to come to Charlotte, North Carolina, we were going to be a sending church. Which means we’re going to build a sending hub here where this thing’s going be like an aircraft carrier that just sends out missionaries all over the place into the battles that the Lord has for us across the world.Spence Shelton — That was just on my heart. Instead of going to, you know, a place that might be, might have a, I don’t know, like a north Pacific Northwest or Northeast, something like that. If we’re coming to the Southeast to the Bible Belt, we’re doing so intentionally. Very intentional.Spence Shelton — So that’s been on our heart um ever since day one and this All to Him initiative. You know, we were hoping that by 2030, we double the size of our church. That’s because Charlotte is growing by 150 people a day.Spence Shelton — So like, we’ve got to, you know, this isn’t like it’s just because it’s something we want to do. It’s a calling, a good stewardship of the moment that we’re in. And we want to we’re launching a seminary certificate program for our members of our church because we want to train them up. Right.Spence Shelton — And we got a goal to see 50 missionaries go on the mission field by 2030. We just planted a couple of weeks before the recording of this, we planted our next church here in Charlotte, and we’ve got plans for several more.Spence Shelton — We are a large family of churches about to become a collaborative. We’re, we’re ah you know, 2028, 2029, somewhere around there, we’ll officially form that collaborative if the Lord continues to do what he’s doing. All because, man, we are convinced that God has brought us here to reach people, train them up, send them out, which I hope does not sound novel to any church leader listening to this.Spence Shelton — I hope it just sounds like, yeah, man, that makes sense.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — It’s like, well, then what’s the the magic or what’s the the secret sauce? It’s just putting your hand to the plow. And now here we are 10, 11 years in, and we’ve been steadily doing that same work. And I think the Lord is, um you know, our buddy Andrew would use the flywheel. That’s his favorite version of that illustration. But you keep putting your hand to the same thing and eventually the Lord starts to bear fruit. And that’s what we’re seeing now.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. And yeah, you know that and you’re a kind leader, you know that for some leaders, the reason why we’re talking to you today is unfortunately, that is more novel than it should be. And so we want to dig into that a little bit.Spence Shelton — Sure..Rich Birch — Particularly, let’s maybe start with that middle section, this training goals, you’re working on trying to train people up. When you’re thinking about the kind of leadership vision you have as a church, you’re thinking about, hey, we’re going to raise up leaders both you know here to and then also sending.Rich Birch — I think we we can fall into this dichotomy around, okay, so do we find these leaders from other places and attract them to come here? Or, do we grow them up internally?Rich Birch — Do we find a way to develop them internally? So it’s this idea of plucking talent rather than developing it. Talk to me through why is training so hard in so many churches? Why do we struggle with that? And we seem to default towards, let’s just find somebody from over there and have them come and help us here.Spence Shelton — Yeah, man, I think that mentality starts all the way down to the idea of reaching people that don’t know Christ versus just sheep swapping from one church to the other church. Right.Spence Shelton — So you can grow your church by transfer growth. Um, which I actually am one who, Hey man, if somebody on the sideline in one church and then they plug into your church, I I’m all for it And if the same thing happens with Mercy, all for it. Spence Shelton — But our aim, what we all know as pastors and ministry leaders is our aim is man, let’s reach lost people and then disciple them. Right. Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — The same thing I think should be true with leadership development. For some reason, when it comes into developing leaders, we tend to go a different direction and think, well, let’s just go find where some leaders are and get them to to plug in.Spence Shelton — It’s like, we don’t do that even with discipleship. Why are we switching our mindset? And so I want to just kind of, I have to, I was convicted and wanted to call our church and I would call others to the same mindset that you have with discipleship. Let that carry over into your leadership and your leadership development as well.Spence Shelton — And I think that’s how we’re going to grow, just as how we’re going to grow the kingdom by reaching lost people, how we’re going to grow the leaders in the kingdom, the number of leaders we have, it’s going to be developing them in our church. And I just… I don’t know that we’re even thinking that way and asking the question, is the guy who’s a 27-year-old physical therapist in my church, has anybody ever bothered to tap him on the shoulder and ask, hey, man, could God be calling you into ministry?Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — Because I watch you and no we’re not doing the shoulder tap, man. And so um right now, I just I love it. Just a little bit of the story of our church… Rich Birch — Yeah. Spence Shelton — …our executive both of our executive pastors and two of our three campus pastors were all in the marketplace. One of our executive pastors was in banking. Another was a plant manager. We have two campus pastors who were both, I use physical therapists because they’re both former physical therapists. And you know, we’re sitting there having these conversations.Spence Shelton — You know what makes a great pastor is someone who has sat with person after person told them, hey, you should do this to feel better. And then they come back to you later and say, hey, I don’t feel better. And you say, did you do the thing I told you to do? And they say, no. And you say, well, you should have done that.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — And a patient, long suffering physical therapist turns out to be a great pastor, but somebody’s got to tap him on the shoulder and say, hey, man, I think God might be calling you into this. And so my my encouragement to anybody who’s a in ministry right now, kind of in that leadership development role, and you’re like, I don’t know, we’re gonna have to go outside to find some talent.Spence Shelton — I promise it’s going to take longer the way I’m talking about. But if you will seek the Lord, ask the Lord, and then start shoulder tapping and giving some opportunities for guys to lead, for men and women to lead there in your ministry and whatever the leadership roles might be, I think there might be more people in there than you realize. Because I believe that God provides for the church that he’s growing, that he’s called you to lead. Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. Spence Shelton — And so I think the same thing is true with leaders as well.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. I love that. And I you know I love the even the vision for, hey, maybe there are some people within your church. We see this statistically, like even if you’re thinking about campus pastors, 9 out of 10 campus pastors are coming from within, which means we’ve got which means we’ve got to get good at this. Spence Shelton — Yeah.Rich Birch — And yeah, if your church has any kind of unique slant on the world, you’ve got to find people who have come up through that culture to ah to ultimately push that culture forward.Spence Shelton — Yes.Rich Birch — I love this this marketplace to ministry transition. How do we help people do that? That’s a real key transition. I would imagine on your end, you’ve got to help connect the dots for somebody. I love that there, how you even with the physical therapist, we’re able to connect the dots between, hey, here’s what you’re doing. Let me talk to you about the kind of role that we’re thinking about. How do you make that transition? Have you developed anything to try to help make that, you know could you know, connect those dots for people as you’re having those conversations?Spence Shelton — Yeah, I would say we don’t I don’t have a conversational map that I’m doing.Rich Birch — Sure.Spence Shelton — I don’t have that yet, though I think that’s just like many things, trial and error, and I’m still in the still cooking to formulate that map.Spence Shelton — But what I do have that we’ve worked through with our staff is something we call, it’s interesting, we actually call it the lead pastor profile.Rich Birch — Okay.Spence Shelton — The reason we call the lead pastor profile is because everything we’re doing, we’re building towards, developing towards planting more churches. And you’ve got to have a lead pastor to go and plant those churches. Rich Birch — Yeah. Spence Shelton — Now, the thing is actually when you when you look at it, it’s actually just a ministry leader profile, you know? Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — Everything on there, but there may be a couple of things that are nuanced specifically to lead pastors, but it’s kind of like when you go into Timothy and you see what are the characteristics of an elder? Well, every single one of them is just a good Christian, except then you got this thing able to teach. You know what mean? Rich Birch — Right, right.Spence Shelton — So it’s a similar thing is like most of our profile, nine points on it and divided into three buckets, it’s mostly just what makes a good ministry leader. Well, then what I’m doing is what we are doing is we’re taking that and we’re training our whole staff through it and saying, Hey, here’s what we are looking for. Here’s what we’re trying to develop. And then here’s everything. So I do a training monthly with our staff on these points. Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — And then I do it and I say, yeah, I have to verbally say it, never underestimate or never overestimate, I guess just that it’s going to happen without you saying it, always say what you want them to do, you know, just good old preaching point there. But man, Hey, I want you guys to take what I’m teaching you and go teach your volunteers. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — And go teach those that. And I want you to teach your leaders. And then I want your leaders to be able to teach them. And if it doesn’t work, I want you to come back and tell me so that we can get better at making this a multiplying thing. Right. Spence Shelton — So we just got to have a lot of checks and balances along the way. So we’re hopefully training. And it took a while to pull this together in a way that it makes sense to all of us. And now that we’re kind of running it, we can see the value in it of, hey, this is what we’re looking for. And now you can go shoulder tap and say, I know what I’m looking…So the the kids director can go, I know what I’m looking for.Spence Shelton — Now I can go and start shoulder tapping because I know what, you know what i mean? Now that know what I’m looking for, it’s…Rich Birch — Totally.Spence Shelton — Those are probably the the beginnings of a conversational map to to walk somebody through, but at least you know what you’re looking for. You can start to have those conversations. And if you have the relational equity, those conversations can really go somewhere.Rich Birch — Love it. I’d love to double click on that. I love this lead pastor profile idea. I think working to get the clarity I think is in is a great, you know, a great task for all of us to wrestle through.Rich Birch — We think, well, we want to develop our leaders, but then we don’t have any definition of what do we mean by a leader, like at its more most basic level.Spence Shelton — Yes.Rich Birch — So we don’t need to get into all nine, but are there a couple of them that are either counterintuitive or maybe we miss, or you find yourself coming back to time and again, that are like real dividing points or like ones that kind of stick out to you in the in the framework?Spence Shelton — Yeah. All right. So obviously all nine matter to me or I wouldn’t have had them all. So I’ll do my best.Rich Birch — Yes, exactly.Spence Shelton — I’ll do my best.Spence Shelton — So we divide him into three buckets, character, competency, and calling. So each one of those has three points under it. And I’ll click on one of them, maybe in each, and you can tell me if you want to go further.Rich Birch — Sure. That’s great. Yeah.Spence Shelton — But in character, the one that I find to be the most overlooked is self-awareness.Rich Birch — So true.Spence Shelton — I find that to be the most overlooked characteristic of a good leader is one who is aware of their strengths and aware of their weaknesses and is settled in their identity in Christ so that their weaknesses don’t crush them.Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — You know, they can instead build a team around them, you know. Because the classic thing with a lead pastor is to say, well, I’m good at vision and bad at details. It’s like, OK, man, maybe we need to do something a little more thoughtful than that, because that resonates with me for sure… Rich Birch — Right. Right. Spence Shelton — …that you ask the guys around me for sure. But what what? what about are you better at vision casting or vision creating? And what are the evidences of that in your ministry? You know, so for me, I’m better at vision casting than I am vision creating. That’s probably my my 9 to 10 is actually sharing it.Spence Shelton — But I got to have some help and and love having help in the other side of that. And so there are plenty of other things like that. But when we have someone who’s not aware of their strengths and weaknesses, usually that’s that’s like a stop point for us.Spence Shelton — And so if we’ve got someone we think, oh, man, they they come across because here’s the thing. Unless you have these points, somebody will can make a great first impression and a lot of long term damage in your ministry. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — Not because they have bad intent, but because they’re not aware of what they’re… And you give them a lot of responsibility and maybe they’re not actually, they don’t have the eyes of Jethro in Exodus 18 to know how to build out a ministry.Rich Birch — Right. Right. Spence Shelton — You just thought they did because they gave off a good first impression.Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — So that’s my biggest biggest one in that character, or not biggest one, but that’s a key one, I think, in the character is…Rich Birch — Right. A key one that sticks out.Spence Shelton — …man, are you self-aware? And so whatever we use, we love different, whether it’s the personality assessments, leadership assessments, but we also, and we just, we wanna develop from within because that gives us the ability to see.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — We can see what their strengths and weaknesses are. Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — Because we’ve had people eyes on them for months and years and you can’t really trade that out.Rich Birch — Yeah, and character takes a long time of up-close observation to really get a sense of where where people are at.Spence Shelton — Yes.Rich Birch — Because, and you know we know this is, this is you know we don’t have to think long. There are lots of examples of leaders who—and all look great—but there’s like a 2% you know, problem in their character that ended up showing itself in the most kind of ugly of ways.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — So I know all nine are super important. I get that. appreciate that. But we can’t be here for three hours. So competency, what was what’s one in there that that that tends to say we’re just trying to whet people’s appetite to kind of help them think through it a little bit.Spence Shelton — Yeah, man. For competency, the one that I would, the the one that, yeah, that spend a lot of time on when it comes to competency, what I would say is the multiplier. Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — I want someone who is a proven multiplier before I move them into an increased um level of leadership and responsibility. I want to see it, man. And if we, otherwise, again, what I’m trying to weed out is someone that talks a good game or someone that just has a, there may be someone I think a lot of leaders that might actually be really strong in the gift of hospitality have found themselves in the arena of administration simply because they are, like generous, kind, easy to talk to people. And they’re great. You want to be around them. They’re probably encouragers, that kind of thing. Spence Shelton — And it’s like, wait a minute, have they multiplied? Do they actually understand what it takes…Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — …to take someone from leading self, to use the old Ramsharan leadership pipeline, from leading self to leading others, have they actually, do they understand what it takes? Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Spence Shelton — And do they understand what it takes to go from leading others to leading leaders? And have they, let’s let’s just look behind them. If you wanna go the the Bible route, you just take 2 Timothy 2:2…are they able to train up faithful teachers who can then teach others also? That to me is, especially when we get into who’s going to go out and plant a church…Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — …and I’m not sending somebody out that’s not a builder. Another way to say multiplier would be builder, but I say multiplier because I’m specifically thinking around leadership and leading those who will lead others. Rich Birch — Yeah. Spence Shelton — If we want to build a movement of churches for the sake of the glory of God, and we want these churches to go and continue to build, there’s got to be multipliers leading this. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes.Spence Shelton — You know, gotta be. So when it comes to competency, that’s like a a deal breaker for me for who we’re going to send out the plant. And so I want to develop it starting in our student ministry, you know, and working our way through or starting in our college ministry, working our way through.Spence Shelton — I don’t want to wait until we just try to, otherwise we’ve got to go pluck out from the, you know, ether, somebody that we hope is a multiplier. And I don’t want to do that. I’d rather raise them up.Rich Birch — Well, and we see this temptation in churches when they get to, say, 1,000, and then they’re they’re growing you know they’re they’re eyeing 2,000 beyond. There’s a there’s a dangerous temptation that can come in, particularly for our staff teams. I know we’re talking broader than just staff teams, but particularly for our staff teams, we can ah we can forget the Ephesians 4 call to equip others to to ministry.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — And we just become doers. We hire doers rather than multipliers… Spence Shelton —Yes. Rich Birch — …because they get stuff done. And we’re like, oh man, they’re solving problems for us. But that is can then erode a church long-term very quickly. I’ve seen that so many times where they end up with, you know they slow down.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — They’re like, why are we slowing down? It’s well, because you’ve stopped multiplying. You’ve stopped doing what we’re called to do. I love that. Rich Birch — So then the third category calling anything in there that would, that steps that kind of is similar. Again, I know all nine are are really important, but, but any of those that that kind of jumped to the, to the front.Spence Shelton — Maybe I’ll give you one that has we’ve learned through some some painful trial and error, Rich Birch — Okay. Sure. Spence Shelton — And that is, we call it alignment. And what we mean by that is: as you develop a leader, when it comes to their long-term place in your church and leading maybe even beyond your, so in our case, beyond our church to going in and leading ah a church that’s going be a part of the family of our churches, it’s really important that not only are they theologically aligned, but they are philosophically aligned in terms of how we do church.Spence Shelton — So no shade on any other way of doing church. What I’m saying is so that we can continue to be united in one voice internally, so at Mercy Church with how we do discipleship, and then so that we can be united in how we can help and train one another as a family of churches, we got to be aligned not just around our theological convictions, but on our ministry convictions, how we do it.Spence Shelton — I would say to those of you out there who have a promising young leader, but it seems like they just don’t want to do, they want to change your church into their, a different kind of church.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — The best thing you can do is set them free. Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — And I don’t mean like, that’s not like code for firing, by the way, that genuinely that genuinely is like, help them find a way, an off ramp to whatever it is they sense God calling them to. If they’re not, you know, they might be just, they need more season of development. That might be all it is. But when it comes to appointing people towards and, and, setting people into key leadership. So take an elder role at Mercy Church, community group coaching, shepherding, that kind of thing where you’re in now, you are shaping, not just participating. You’re really shaping the DNA of our church. Spence Shelton — We’ve got to be aligned with what we’re doing. It also makes for a much more enjoyable experience. I’m not saying we’re not thinking. We’re always thinking over here about how to do it better and trying to be faithful and everything else.Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — Of course. But I’m saying, man, you want to feel like you’re locked arm and arm going together. And when conviction comes that goes a separate way, it’s like best to separate. So we’ve we’ve learned that the kind of the hard way. I think a lot of lessons are hard.Rich Birch — Sure.Spence Shelton — And so I offer this as our missions pastor likes to say, we have paid some dumb tax. Rich Birch — True. Spence Shelton — And so wherever we can save another person from paying it, we’d love to do that for you.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. I love that. and And yeah, I think alignment’s a massive deal and and calling it out. And I would think being in a church that is um so focused on sending, you’re you’re hoping that that’s a big part of what’s kind of the outcome of the church. Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — That, you know, having an an outlet for that sending in a way that makes the most sense. Hey, here’s a leader who seems to have the skills and, you know, and and and then you can celebrate, hey, they seem to have some unique ideas that they want to go and see happen somewhere else.Spence Shelton — Yes. Yes.Rich Birch — That’s fantastic. Rather than having to like fight that. I think that’s cool. That’s really good. Rich Birch — So, you know, help me ah pick this apart a little bit. So one of the interesting things I find in this whole kind of leadership pathway, leadership pipeline conversation is there are, so I think we all can be influential. I think in one way we are all called to be leaders, but not necessarily everyone that we’re discipling is necessarily going to be a lead pastor. They’re not all necessarily going to. Rich Birch — Now I understand we’re kind of discipling towards that, but help me understand what are you doing internally with folks that you’re like, I just, they’re just not going to make that jump eventually. How do you have that conversation? I know that’s a hard conversation. What does that look like?Spence Shelton — Right.Rich Birch — Or am I just looking at this wrong? Which could be the case too. Happy to be wrong. Help help me think through that.Spence Shelton — Well, we’ve got to have some freedom that comes from distinctive categories. This will help us a great deal. Helps me in pastoring a great deal. First, we got to have the category of spiritual gift. The Lord has given everyone a spiritual gift… Rich Birch — Yep. Spence Shelton — …and we got to celebrate that. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — And we got to be careful not to turn the leadership pipeline into, or that concept of leader development, turn that into a a grading of gifts. Like you’ve got a, you know, you’re, you need to graduate from one gift. Maybe that’s a better way to say it. Graduate from one gift to the other, to the other. It’s like, no, no, no. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — What we’re not talking about is graduating out of your gift set. God has given you that. And the best thing for you and for his church is to get really good at how he’s given you or how he’s gifted you. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — And when we when we conflate those, when we only talk about just you know getting better, it’s like, man, we got to watch out. Instead, let’s say, how can we get better at the giftings God has given us so that we can steward it really well?Spence Shelton — And then we find ourselves able to say, and when it comes to leadership, and here we are as church leaders, we’re now inside of a category. We’re inside of a category of leadership. And how can we develop leaders who are gifted by God as leaders? Well, the good news is maybe take some pressure off everybody, you’re not really going to know if someone’s gifted in leadership until you let them try to lead. Rich Birch — True, yes. Spence Shelton — So you got to let them try to lead, man. And then as they lead and you give them a couple of swings, two, three, four, whatever, and you coach them along the way, hey, here’s what we’re looking for in a leader. Here’s how you can grow from leading self leading others. Take the pressure off. Spence Shelton — This might be how God has gifted you, we don’t know. But the best way to see, based on what we’ve seen so far, is to let you try. So here’s a community group, and here are the things you’re gonna need to be a good community group leader, and we’re gonna coach you and support you.Spence Shelton — Let’s go. And let’s see what the next six months brings, right? Rich Birch — Yep, that’s great.Spence Shelton — Hey, this went really well. We wanna take you out of this community group leader seat and put you in as a coach. Now there’s a different set of skills you’re gonna need to be a coach, but man, it seems like your people responded to your leadership. What do we think about you as a coach? Spence Shelton — Each set of the way, man, do I have the, the way I always say it to our staff—they’re sick of me saying this, so it’s great to talk to you because…Rich Birch — I’m not sick of it. Yeah.Spence Shelton — …[inaudible] fresh person to say this too—is that clarity in expectations creates confidence in execution. The clearer you are with what you are asking someone to do, the more confident they will be in doing it. Another way to say it.Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — So that’s just my my big thing there on on this. Let’s get over now that we’re, and what we’re going to find is some people are going to lead a community group faithfully for 20, 30 years at our church. Rich Birch — Right, right.Spence Shelton — Praise the Lord. What we can’t see is that we can’t see that a failure. Rich Birch — No. Spence Shelton — Others are going to lead for six months to two years. And we’re going to man, this, this person’s a leader and, and we’re seeing it. They already, they’re planting. Spence Shelton — I had someone come up to me the other day at church and tell me, Hey man, I just wanted to tell you, we’re so excited. You challenged me about five years ago to lead a community group. And we just planted our fifth group. And I went, like I went, I was, my mind went so far. I didn’t even have time to be, to be celebrating. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — Cause I was like, does anybody know that there’s a guy out here… Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Who’s just cranking out groups. Spence Shelton — …with the with an apostolic gift just planting groups every year what’s going so so. Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That’s great. Spence Shelton — I was like hey, but so that that was a a great moment the Lord gave me just of, hey this is this is going really well and there will be some that will lead a group and things won’t go well and they won’t go well and you’ll keep trying different efforts. So to my community group leader friends, hey once someone tries and tries and tries, would you maybe tap their shoulder and say hey can we try something else. You know. Rich Birch — Good. Spence Shelton — Like you are not a failure. We just got to find the gift that God has given you. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — And the more that’s in the conversation of your church, that’s in the atmosphere of your church—We’re just looking for the way God’s gifted you. And we’re going to try and make you the best you can be at how he’s gifted you.—The easier the conversation is going to be of, I don’t think it’s community group leadership. I don’t think it’s this. I don’t think it’s that. Because we have a culture of, Hey, trial and error, you know?Rich Birch — Right. That’s good. That’s so good. I love that. And I love this has been a great kind of look under the hood of this whole multiplication issue. I think a lot of church leaders out there have the desire. They have the like, oh, we, man, I would love to be a church that has that kind of vision. But then what are the mechanics underneath of that? How do we actually do that?Spence Shelton — Yeah. Yeah.Rich Birch — Super helpful. Pivoting in this totally, well, it’s a related but different direction. Your church has been involved in a number of revitalizations. You talked about on the you know top end, you had a you know facility given to you. And I this is like a super inappropriate, with just a few minutes left, curveball to throw in there. What’s your shorthand thing for us to learn about that? Rich Birch — You know that we’ve seen, particularly from a multisite point of view, this area has grown hugely in the last 10 years. It was 10 years ago, 5% of new campuses came about because multiple revitalization. The most recent study showed showed it was 40%. Spence Shelton — Wow.Rich Birch — I suspect Warren’s out talking right now. I suspect the number is even going to be higher. What are the few things that you’ve learned about, you know, those kinds of conversations and relationships that have allowed it to work for you? And it’s been helpful. It’s been a joy giving part of the story at Mercy. Talk us through that.Spence Shelton — I’m going to do so using another point in my lead pastor profile just to have some fun here.Rich Birch — Love it.Spence Shelton — So one of the things we look for in a leader is confident humility. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — Confident in terms of, man, they believe God has called them to something. You know there’s a there’s a settled confidence there. But the humility to be patient and wait on the Lord and see what he has and to consider others, Philippians, to consider others more important than yourself. Right? This matters a great deal when it comes to this area of revitalization.Spence Shelton — What a leader needs to know that there’s this temptation, and I had it, of why would you not give us your church building? Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — Things are going well for us and struggling for you. Why would you not do that?Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — Well, it’s that there’s an unintentional, I’m call it a holy ambition that may be a little bit creating some blinders. Okay, let’s use the positive side of that. The the negative side would be there’s some arrogance there. Rich Birch — Right. Yeah.Spence Shelton — But the positive would be holy ambition. But what you gotta know is, man, often these facilities that are housing these churches, the ones that are remaining, a lot of the times that there are people that have been there for decades and for a generation or two, and they put blood, sweat, tears and money into where they are. Spence Shelton — And we had to take the the approach of slow by my standards, still fast by theirs… Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — …slow by my standards. Conversation after conversation that began with , in both of these cases, began with the church that needed revitalizing coming to us. We didn’t go to them. Spence Shelton — They came to us and said, hey, we’re trying to figure out what’s next. We hear you might be able to help. How can you help?Spence Shelton — And we had to present them. We had to consider that a stewardship process. of a kingdom resource, not a how do we advance the name of Mercy Church.Spence Shelton — And so it’s happened two different ways for us right now. One is a campus of our church. You know, we it took months and months, but they wound up voting to hand us the keys, join our congregation, and we held their hand the whole way through. And it was a really beautiful thing. And it’s where our broadcast campus meets today. Spence Shelton — There’s another one that happened where we decided the best thing was for that to be a, because of the neighborhood it’s in in East Charlotte, to be a church planting incubator where we could plant a church every 18 months to two years. Rich Birch — Love it. Yeah.Spence Shelton — And so that’s what we’re doing right now. And there’s a church plant in there. And that was the best stewardship of that building. And after the conversation with their people, but we kind of, we basically put that with them and say, I had a lot of lunches and dinners that I just I’m going to tell you, if you want to get into this game and you want to do it in a way that’s going to honor the Lord, you got to be ready for the patient handholding that I would say is honoring a legacy of faith these folks are are taking.Spence Shelton — In many ways, the greatest step of faith taken in our church has been a couple of other churches handing us keys…Rich Birch — Yeah, 100%.Spence Shelton — …to something that the Lord was an outpost for the gospel at one point. And now in both of those cases for us and in the others that we’re starting to see that are still too soon for me to talk about, it’s just, man, now there’s an outpouring happening in both of those places. And you got like, man, there’s a couple of folks that are from the original congregation of what is now our, where our broadcast campus now is. And they, they, they’re greeters. They have tears more mornings than they don’t on Sunday mornings.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, for sure.Spence Shelton — It’s beautiful, man. Rich Birch — Yeah, it is.Spence Shelton — I mean, they’re all in. They are way bigger fans of Mercy Church than I am. And I’m the lead pastor of the church. Rich Birch — Yes, right. Spence Shelton — You know what I mean? And they just, they are like, they love, because what they actually are is they, they took a step of faith, a huge step of faith, trusting the Lord. And the Lord has blessed them and renewed a a vigor in their ministry. Spence Shelton — I saw a couple of them, mid 80s, and it was about 11 a.m. weekday and they were leaving the church building. I was pulling up. I just put windows down. Hey, what are you doing? It’s like, well, we just finished prayer walk in the neighborhood a couple of times…Rich Birch — Wow.Spence Shelton — …and it’s getting too hot now. We’re going inside. And I’m like, these are the people I want, man. Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — Like just they’re retired and they have chosen they’re going their day prayer walking. It’s like, well, you told us to pray. And I’m like, yeah. Yeah. Rich Birch — That’s amazing. Yeah, that’s incredible.Spence Shelton — Thank you for leading the way you have the time and this is what you do with it. So, man, there are if if all we see is just, Oh a facility to advance my cause. And we miss what has actually been the sweetest thing for our church has been our very young church got some grandparents.Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — It’s beautiful, man. Beautiful. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. That’s so good. Spence Shelton — So that’s just a little bit I learned from that ah from those couple of runs we’ve had. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s amazing. And yeah, that underlines, so it’s definitely the majority—I think it’s three quarters, if I remember the most recent statistics on these sort of revitalizations—are coming about because the joining church is coming to the lead church, not the other way around.Spence Shelton — That’s right. That’s right.Rich Birch — And so you have to position yourself in a way that that confident humility is a great kind of benchmark to be thinking about, friends. How do we you know hold ourselves in a way that we’re here to serve other people, we’re here to care for them in a way. And I say to church leaders when we talk about these things, I’m like, you have to handle these relationships well enough so that then they’ll tell other people, hey, wow, we loved working with Mercy Hill.Rich Birch — Man, there we love working with Mercy Church. Well, we love working with mercy Mercy Hill too. Spence Shelton — Sure. That’s right.Rich Birch — We love working with Mercy Hill, Mercy Church, too many Mercies. Wow, what a great you know interaction that was been. And wow, that’s a life-giving thing.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — And I loved that. That is what ultimately we’ll see more of these happen long-term. Not because you did some, you know, so too many people have these like, You know, like they use merger and takeover and like this kind of aggressive language, which just doesn’t help in the conversation at all.Spence Shelton — No, it doesn’t help at all. Yeah, that’s exactly right. You got to have that humility. And if somebody’s sitting there wondering, okay, man, well, how do I how do I wait on that without, I want to go get it. I want to get started. I’d say two or three things to do if you’re looking and you believe your church might be a good church candidate for helping another church revitalize, whether that’s being a campus of yours or or something to that effect. Spence Shelton — I’d say first start praying and asking the Lord. And that if you’re not fasting, then you’re not praying yet. Rich Birch — Yeah. Love it.Spence Shelton — So I don’t want to hear that you’re praying if you’re not fasting on this. Secondly, man, this is why networks matter. So I would say whatever your denomination or stream is, whatever, however you’re kind of tied to other churches in your community. If you have no relationships with other churches in your community, and then you want to go and be the revitalizer, that’s going to come, that’s probably going to come across a certain way.Spence Shelton — So There are a number of—years and years and years—of meetings that I’ve gone to, conversations I’ve sat in, in order to genuinely try to say, how can we help? How can we help?Rich Birch — Yeah.Spence Shelton — Whether that’s sending a worship leader to go serve at a church one Sunday morning or helping one church with a a building fundy kind of like thing they got to upfit or something, you know.Spence Shelton — Basically, I’m trying to be a team player in the Kingdom here in our little corner of the world in Charlotte. And then that’s going to earn the respect and the trust for when those conversations can happen in the relational network, those conversations can happen. Spence Shelton — So I am one who just in my nature, I do not like meetings. I don’t like them. Rich Birch — Sure.Spence Shelton — They feel like necessary evils. Rich Birch — Love it.Spence Shelton — And I’m trying to get better about that. But they are actually what I do love and value is trust and relationships. And again, confident humility. I have to be more about the Kingdom than I do about my own church. And a rising tide lifts all boats, you know.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. Well, this been a great conversation today, Spence. I really appreciate that. And thanks for going with me there with that little you know detour at the end.Spence Shelton — Of course, the joy.Rich Birch — That was fantastic. But anything you’d love to share just as we wrap up today’s conversation?Spence Shelton — I would say too—I don’t know what’s spurring this, but something that has helped me so much in my ministry to the leader out there, especially the young leader, but maybe to all of them—you will always overestimate what you can do in five years and you will drastically underestimate what you can do in 20. Rich Birch — That’s so true.Spence Shelton — And there maybe a way to say it is you will overestimate what God will do and underestimate what God will do. So this is a little plug of me saying, stay the course, stay the course where you’re at. The Lord is going to do a work in honor of your faithfulness to the work. Stay in it, man. Stay in it.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Just to add to that, I’m doing some research on working on a book on churches that break the 2000 barrier. And one of the interesting telltale signs are senior leaders and senior leadership teams that have been in the same church or the same community for 20 plus years. Spence Shelton — There you go. Rich Birch — So going into their third decade, it just takes time. Spence Shelton — There it is. Rich Birch — You know, it’s not it’s it’s not you know’s not overnight. Rich Birch — Well, I really appreciate this. This has been a great a great conversation. Spence, if people want to track with you or with the church, where do we want to send them online? Spence Shelton — Yeah, man, you can go to probably social media is the the day and age that we live in. So @SpenceShelton is my social media handle. It’s Instagram and and those kind of things. Our church is just @MercyCharlotte. And you can go on our website, mercycharlotte.com. Find everything you need there. Spence Shelton — We’re launching a podcast. Praise God, let’s go. You can find all of it, though, just through our Instagram handles, which is usually a good first landing point for folks. And however we can help, man, feel free to reach out. Nothing super shiny about what we got going on over here, but we love being in the game for the Kingdom. However we can help.Rich Birch — All the best as you serve in Charlotte. Thanks so much, man.Spence Shelton — Thank you, brother.

I Thessalonians 1:2-3 – Thankful Prayer

The Disciples Corner

Kayla Kunz was eating lunch with her two sons, Oscar and Harrison, at a Panda Express in Pooler, Georgia. They saw two soldiers eating there and asked if they could go and say thank you to the guys. They approached the soldiers and in a simple but powerful gesture thanked them for their service. We were able to celebrate a 250-year birthday of America because of men like those two soldiers who served our nation and many of them died. The 250-year celebration needs to go on every day as we thank people and God for how they have given us a future. We need more boys like Harrison and Oscar. Are you willing to offer a thank you today to people who are making a difference in our country? That doesn't take much talent, but it does take a thankful heart to give the time to say thank you.

Our “PsalmCast” from International Gospel Hour focus’ on Psalm 4 and God’s provisions to those who are obedient to Him—those IN Christ whose prayers are through Christ.

Remember God loves you so much he sent his Son Jesus Christ to take the punishment for your sins. You are of great value. Jesus loves you and He is just a prayer away! This episode includes AI-generated content.

It's Thursday, July 30th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus Iranian Muslim authorities shut down oldest Protestant church Iranian officials recently shut down the oldest Protestant church in the country. Christians have held worship services at St. Peter's Evangelical Church in Tehran for 150 years. Authorities have now seized the property and banned church gatherings there. They also ordered 28 families living on the church compound to leave. Iran has been seizing Protestant church properties for years. Mansour Khajehpour previously served as an elder at St. Peter's Church. He told Christianity Today that the church in Iran grows despite persecution. He said, “This is the dynamic reality of the church. The church will not die. The church will grow, and we are a part of that church.” In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” United States launched strikes on Iran last night Speaking of Iran, the United States began launching strikes on Iran at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 29th, according to the U.S. Central Command. The U.S. attacks were “a powerful response to [Tuesday's] attempted Iranian attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East.” The attacks by Iran on U.S. forces did not get past U.S. defenses. And The Western Journal reports that foreign governments are taking part in the fighting now, where they hadn't before. For the first time, the Saudi Arabian military joined with the U.S. in striking Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, reports the Associated Press. Retired Navy Vice Adm. Robert Harward, a retired SEAL and former deputy CENTCOM commander, said, “You see the Lebanese government making an agreement with Israel to undermine and try to get rid of Hezbollah.” He added, “You're seeing the pressure build on Iran on all fronts.” Ukrainian refugees have planted 160 churches across Europe Millions of Ukrainians have fled their homes since Russia invaded the country in 2022. Despite this, these refugees have planted churches across Europe.  European Christian Mission International reports displaced Ukrainians have started 160 churches in Europe in the last four years.   A report from the organization stated, “Increasingly, Ukrainian believers are refusing to see themselves only as refugees. Instead, many are embracing a different calling - missionaries sent by God into the nations of Europe.” Canadian labor board ruled in favor of COVID-shot rejecter LifeSiteNews reports that a Canadian labor board ruled in favor of a Christian man who objected to the COVID-shot mandate. The Canadian Revenue Agency suspended Steven Porter without pay after denying his religious exemption. The agency must now pay $5,000 in damages to Porter.  He wrote in his exemption request, “Christ is my supreme King and Lord and I am subject to His final authority alone in all matters of life, faith and conscience.” In Acts 5:29, the apostles said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Senator questions CDC's billion-dollar COVID-shot contract to Pfizer The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded $1.24 billion in COVID-shot contracts to Pfizer last month. Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin questioned this decision in a letter to Secretary of Health & Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  Johnson wrote, “The CDC's reported awarding of approximately $1.24 billion in new contracts to Pfizer for a vaccine linked to serious adverse events—including potentially the deaths of children—suggests [that the] CDC continues to fail to take its vaccine safety responsibilities seriously.” Pro-lifer Paul Vaughn got settlement over wrongful arrest Praise God! A pro-life, Christian father reached a $1 million settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice. The case involved his wrongful arrest under the Biden administration, reports Highlight Truth Ministries. Federal agents raided the Tennessee home of Paul Vaughn in 2022 and arrested him for his pro-life activism.  My family and I had the honor of meeting Paul Vaughn several years ago. He's an amazing Christian patriot. Steve Crampton, Senior Counsel at the Thomas More Society, said, “This settlement is not just about one family. It is a warning and a precedent. The weaponization of federal law enforcement against pro-lifers, against people of faith, against those who dare to stand for the unborn—that era is over.” Treasury has saved $99 million from going to dead recipients The U.S. Department of the Treasury implemented a new payment verification process.  The safeguard has already kept about $99 million from being sent to deceased individuals.  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “Treasury has delivered on a key promise of President Trump's mandate to stop improper payments and fraud before money leaves the Treasury, and strengthen the integrity of the federal payment system.” 70th anniversary of America's “In God We Trust” motto Today is the 70th anniversary of when “In God We Trust” became America's motto. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the law on July 30, 1956. The resolution also required the motto to appear on all U.S. currency.   Democratic Representative Charles Bennett of Florida introduced the resolution. He said, “Nothing can be more certain than that our country was founded in a spiritual atmosphere and with a firm trust in God. ... In these days when imperialistic and materialistic communism seeks to attack and destroy freedom, we should continually look for ways to strengthen the foundations of our freedom.” Texan mother shares that her kids have contributed Here at The Worldview in 5 Minutes newscast, Leticia in Blum Texas wrote, “Adam, we are so thankful for your radio newscast. It is a great encouragement to us! We listen to it on the road or when we're at home. It is great to hear stories that I know wouldn't normally make it into traditional newscasts. “The Worldview is concise and informative! Thankful for the work you are doing!  Our four children -- Fletcher (15), Halen (12), Beck (10), and Murphy (7) -- contributed some of their money to our donation.” McVeda kids' mother in Montana contemplates why sponsor this newscast And Melissa McVeda, the mother of the four kids under the age of 11 in Great Falls, Montana who have raised hundreds of dollars for The Worldview selling chocolate chip cookies, iced tea and hand crocheted puppets on their dairy farm, weighed in with her thoughts. She wrote, “Adam, there are so many ministries that I would like to donate to: earnest missionaries and people hurting from natural disasters, among others. In light of those needs, it has been difficult for me to reconcile giving to The Worldview. And I imagine I'm not alone in that. “Because of my kids' fundraiser, which naturally has come to involve the entire family, I've spent time considering if The Worldview is worth the effort and funds we're putting into it. This is the primary answer I have seen:  “I would not KNOW about many of the other needs if it weren't for The Worldview in 5 Minutes! Your newscast is a connection point -- a bridge, if you will - between Christians and people in need around the world.  “Because of this ‘bridge,' I heard about the dear brother in Uganda who lost both of his hands to his Muslim family's persecution. And God stirred me to pray for his faith not to be shaken! Because of The Worldview, I heard about the steadfast pro-life sister in Britain who recently was killed. I rejoiced to hear how God used her faithfulness and I was stirred to consider if she has family who are grieving.  “The Worldview IS an important ministry. It is connecting those who have a supply to those who have needs as 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 articulates. It is also building the Body of Christ as brothers and sisters across the world hear about each other and pray for and encourage each other as a result.  “I remember when I first heard about The Worldview in 5 Minutes back in 2018. Kevin Swanson was sharing how he had personally invested $30,000/year of his own money to fund it when it started in 2015.  He had recently reached out to this man, Adam McManus, a talk show host down in San Antonio Texas, to see if Adam would voice the newscast. Kevin, obviously, had a vision for how God would use The Worldview. “One final note. Yesterday, when my kids and I heard you cite some of the large donations coming in, where people were giving one-time donations of $500 and $1,000, I realized that those donors were not just donating for the benefit that they, themselves, receive from The Worldview. They were also donating so that someone else could have the same benefits.  I praise God for the work He's doing through this newscast.” 11 Worldview listeners gave $1,775.96 And finally, by Wednesday night at 8:00pm Central, 11 Worldview listeners stepped up to the plate and invested their treasure to fund the 6-member team behind The Worldview for another year. Our thanks to Augustine in Auburn, California and Ben in Eureka, California – both of whom gave $20 as well as Carri in Oro Valley, Arizona who gave $25, and Bethany in Austin, Texas who gave $50. We're grateful to God for an anonymous donor in Oxford, New York and David in Houston, Texas – both of whom gave $100, and the McVeda Kids in Great Falls, Montana who gave another $160.96! We appreciate Steven in Ulster Park, New York and James in Lancaster, South Carolina – both of whom gave $200 as well as Leticia and her kids Fletcher, Halen, Beck, and Murphy in Blum, Texas who also gave $200. And we were touched by the generosity of Karl in Grand Rapids, Michigan who gave $700. Those 11 gifts add up to $1,775.96. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (drum roll sound effect) $ 81,119.96 (sound effect of people cheering) We need to raise $42,380.04 by midnight on Friday, July 31! That means in order to hit our final goal of $123,500 by tomorrow night, Friday, July 31st, God needs to prompt folks to give a seemingly impossible amount of $42,380.04 in order for the 6-member Worldview newscast team to be fully funded for another year. I see the finish line from here.  But, without God's help, we are not going to get across it! We still have matches open for the next 4 people who give a one-time gift of $500 because our friend in Naples, Florida will match your gift with another $2,000 of his own money. If those four donations come in, that would leave the difference of $38,380.  Listen. Could you be one of 38 people – just 38 -- to give a one-time gift of $1,000? Or, if that's not doable right now, would you consider a monthly pledge of $83.33? No gift is too big or too small.  We have received a $5 gift and a $2,400 gift.  If everyone does something, we can get there with the Lord's help. Just ask Him. “Lord, how has this newscast made a difference in my life?”  What is that worth to you?  We had a college student sacrificially give $500.  We've had Africans in Eswatini, who have very little funds, invest $10/month. And we've had kids raise hundreds of dollars through creative fundraisers selling cookies and hardboiled eggs and lemonade. Just go to TheWorldview.com, click on Give, select the dollar amount, and make sure to click on the “recurring” button if that's your wish.  This newscast team champions the truth and uses the Bible as our plumbline.  Don't forget: The Worldview in 5 Minutes is commercial free. We have no sponsors. Nor do we have a pay wall.  Anyone who wants to access this newscast can get it for free. So, all we have is you! What is God prompting you to do right now? Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, July 30th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In a world obsessed with leaving an earthly legacy through wealth, status, or career achievements, many believers still find themselves asking a quiet question: How do I make my one life truly last? We often treat the Great Commission as an intimidating, high-pressure job description for a select few street-corner evangelists. But God's vision for your life has never been about frantic performance—it's about an intentional overflow. From the Garden of Eden to the halls of eternity, God has always desired a diverse, vibrant multitude to enjoy fellowship with Him, and He invites us to play a direct role in expanding that kingdom family.In this capstone message of the ZOEOLOGY series, we look at the mechanics of spiritual multiplication through Matthew 28, Genesis 1, and 2 Timothy 2. Scripture reveals that making disciples isn't an isolated event on a calendar; in the original Greek context, it is a lifestyle directive meant to happen naturally "as you are going" through your daily life. By unpacking Deuteronomy 6, we see that leaving a lasting impact starts in our homes with our children and grandchildren, extends into our local faith communities through spiritual mentorship across generations, and is fueled by a simple, radical posture: loving people into belief.Key Takeaways:The "As You Go" Mandate: Discover the rich Greek grammar behind Matthew 28:19, where "go" is actually a participle meaning "as you are going"—reframing discipleship from a forced program to a daily lifestyle.Teaching Your Children Well: How Moses in Deuteronomy 6 and Paul in 2 Timothy 2 map out a intentional, 4-generation blueprint for passing the torch of faith down to children, grandchildren, and spiritual sons."Lord, Lay Some Soul Upon My Heart": A moving tribute to "Mr. Bill" (William Wallace Davis) and a reflection on Ray Bolts' classic song Thankful, illustrating what heavenly rewards and eternal influence actually look like.Loving People Into Belief: Tim Keller's profound wisdom on evangelism—why we can never debate or argue someone into the kingdom, but can only love them into faith as God's love flows through us.Scripture: Matthew 28:16–20; Genesis 1:26–31; Deuteronomy 6:1–9; 2 Timothy 2:1–2; Revelation 5:9–10

antiochindy.com

(Host: Jessica) The human cost of World War I was extreme; enlisting meant you and the other men in your village went off to serve together. This also meant that in a single battle, one community might lose all of its young men. And yet there were a few villages where everyone came home; these 'Thankful Villages' became both a blessing and a curse.    For further reading suggestions and more, please visit: https://www.footnotinghistory.com

The little red hen has one friend in the whole corral, and she likes it that way. Then a storm hits, and the animals she walks past every morning are the only ones close enough to help.A story about gratitude, and the people who hold us up while we walk right past them.Turn this episode into a Spanish lesson, for your family or yourself:✓ Mi Cuento ($5/mo). One story a week plus transcript, translation, and vocab guide.Join on Patreon: patreon.com/spanishstoriesforkidsHave a story idea? Email us at hello@spanishstoriesforkids.com+++++La gallinita roja tiene un solo amigo en todo el corral, y así le gusta. Hasta que cae una tormenta, y los únicos que están lo bastante cerca para ayudarla son los animales que nunca saluda.Una historia sobre la gratitud y las personas que nos sostienen mientras pasamos de largo.Convierte este episodio en una lección de español, para tu familia o para ti:✓ Mi Cuento ($5/mes). Un cuento nuevo cada semana, más transcripción, traducción y guía de vocabulario.Únete en Patreon: patreon.com/spanishstoriesforkids¿Tienes una idea para un cuento? Escríbenos a hello@spanishstoriesforkids.com

Some days you wake up and almost instantly evaluate where you are currently in your life… and you start your day grateful thankful. Today was one of those days for me. Let's talk about it.

Sunday | Family Worship | 07.19.26 http://theanchor.church https://www.instagram.com/theanchorchurch/ https://www.facebook.com/TheAnchorChurch

Anxiety lives in tomorrow. Gratitude lives in today. We live in a world that keeps our minds divided, distracted, and running on high alert. But the answer to burnout isn't just doing less—it's being intentional about who we are focusing on. In this message, Pastor Josh unpacks the anatomy of anxiety and shares how to recapture the lost art of stillness. Stop letting comparison and endless scrolling rob you of your peace. It's time to drop the distractions, return to your first love, and let gratitude change your perspective.

Hi friends! Back with a pt. 2 to the july q&a! I hope you enjoy + I hope you are taking care of yourself. Thankful for you and talk to you soon

Nathan Thiry // Ephesians 1:15-23 Sermon notesFaith Bible Church is a loving community making disciples of Jesus Christ.View our full archive of sermons and resourcesLearn more about our church

Happy 54th to me! Thankful is all I can say.

This week Pastor Jesse teaches on the 10 lepers and the 1 who remembered who healed him.  Main Scripture: Luke 17:11-19 *This episode was recorded on 07/5/26

Be Thankful to God Pt.2

Sunday Morning Expositional Message

Paul's supernatural gratitude came from his wholehearted love for God and his work among the Corinthian church. How can we become thankful like him?

Be Thankful to God Pt.1

Allie sits down with Ashley and Patrick Sullivan, creators of the documentary “Breaking Big Food.” The documentary dives into how the tobacco industry has hijacked our food system and caused the major health crisis in our country. Ashley and Patrick flag hidden toxins like food dyes and pesticides while encouraging families to invest in their local farmers market. To help people as they navigate the grocery store, they provide practical advice as well as a cheat sheet for ingredients to look for and avoid when shopping. Jigsaw Health's Cheat Sheet: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0286/5666/4654/files/The_Dirty_Dozen_Ingredients_Cheat_Sheet_8.5_x_11.pdf?v=1780069357 Share the Arrows 2026 is on October 10 in Dallas, Texas! Tickets are on sale now at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sharethearrows.com⁠⁠⁠ Share the Arrows is sponsored by: A'del Natural Cosmetics: AdelNaturalCosmetics.com Range Leather: RangeLeather.com/ALLIE We Heart Nutrition: WeHeartNutrition.com Buy Allie's book "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.toxicempathy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Time Codes 0:00 Introduction 1:33 How Big Tobacco Became Big Food 14:06 The Food Toxin Cheat Sheet 23:16 What Is Glyphosate? 35:18 What Is HHS Doing About Big Food? 41:48 Davids Against Big Food Goliaths 50:42 The Inspiration for 'Breaking Big Food' 54:44 How to Start Getting Healthier – Today's Sponsors: We Heart Nutrition | Check out We Heart Nutrition at ⁠⁠⁠WeHeartNutrition.com⁠⁠⁠ and use the code ALLIE for 20% off. Good Ranchers | If you go to ⁠⁠⁠GoodRanchers.com⁠⁠⁠ and subscribe to any box of 100% American meat, you'll save up to $500 a year! Plus, if you use code ALLIE, you'll get an additional $25 off your first order. Go to ConcernedWomen.org/Allie, donate $20 to receive copy of their resources on Gender Identity or Sexual Exploitation, or donate $35 to receive both. Fellowship Home Loans | Start with a free consultation at FellowshipHomeLoans.com/Allie and receive a $500 credit at closing. Episodes You May Like: The Shocking List of Foods Killing You | Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shocking-list-of-foods-killing-you-florida/id1359249098?i=1000749732790 Ep 1149 | Alex Clark on Finding the One & Why She's Thankful for Botox https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1149-alex-clark-on-finding-the-one-why-shes/id1359249098?i=1000697484043 --- ► Buy Allie's book, "You're Not Enough (and That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love": https://alliebethstuckey.com/book ► Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes: https://apple.co/2UVssnP Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2FwkXxj ► Connect with Allie on social media: https://twitter.com/conservmillen https://www.instagram.com/alliebstuckey/ https://facebook.com/allieBlazeTV/ ► Relatable merchandise — use promo code 'ALLIE10' for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey

The Disciples Corner

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach explores recent research on marriage and the often-overlooked benefits it provides beyond financial stability. He reflects on how God designed marriage to foster security, companionship, and flourishing, while acknowledging that it is not the only path through which people can live meaningful lives. Drawing from Scripture, he encourages married listeners to recognize the blessings within their relationships and to thank both God and their spouse for the gift of marriage.Have an article you'd like Pastor Zach to discuss? Email us at wakeup@ccchapel.com!

Brian Priebe | Executive Pastor | July 5, 2026 Referenced Scripture: Romans12:1-21, Matthew 5:44, Matthew 7:12, Matthew 22:39 Reflection Questions:1. What's one thing that stood out to you from the sermon and why? 2. How would people close to you rate your seeking of relationship over seeking revenge on a scale of 1-10? 3. What motivates you to seek relationship over revenge? Can you share an experience of seeking relationship after being hurt that was meaningful to you? 4. What are Biblical examples of Jesus seeking relationship over revenge? 5. Do you find that revenge or relationship comes to you more naturally? Why or Why not? What things make it challenging for you? 6. One of Brian's focal points was that Jesus' death on the cross offers us a mercy that we ought to be able to pass along to others. Do you agree or disagree? Why? Can you give an example of how that practically plays out in your day to day life? 7. What would the church look like if everyone took the posture of pursuing relationship over revenge in relation to the daily hurts we incur from people around us. 8. Brian referenced the idea that we tend to seek control as a motivating factor in ultimately choosing revenge over relationship. Do you find maintianing control a challenge in your life and if so, why? What's your next step? * Connect: We'd love to connect with you! Fill out our Connect Card to receive more information, have us pray for you, or to ask us any questions: http://journeybozeman.com/connectcard * Connect: Get your children connected to our children's ministry, Base Camp: https://journeybozeman.com/children * Connect: Our Student Ministry is for High School and Middle School students: https://journeybozeman.com/students * Give: Want to worship through giving and support the ministry of Journey Church: https://journeybozeman.com/give * Gather: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneyChurchBozeman * Gather: Download our app: https://journeybozeman.com/app * Gather: Join our Facebook Group to stay connected throughout the week: https://facebook.com/groups/JourneyChurchBozeman  Chapters (00:00:00) - Happy 250th Birthday America!(00:05:01) - Revenge and Escalation in Romans 12(00:11:44) - Why Do We Seek Revenge in Our Lives?(00:18:34) - Seek the Best for Your Neighbors(00:27:35) - Revenge and the Call to Seek the Good of Others(00:33:22) - Celebrating Communion(00:35:47) - Thankful for Your Word

Across generations, public moments of prayer and thanksgiving have shaped how many people understand national identity and responsibility. Whether one looks at early proclamations or later seasons of national hardship, the consistent theme is simple: gratitude toward God is meant to be expressed, not assumed. It keeps perspective steady and prevents freedom from turning into entitlement. At its core, this kind of reflection isn’t just about looking backward—it’s about asking what we do with what we’ve been given today. Gratitude becomes a posture that influences how we live, serve, and treat one another right now. Highlights: Scripture invites believers to actively remember and proclaim God’s works Gratitude is a stabilizing force in how we view history and present blessings Public and personal thanksgiving have long shaped spiritual and cultural identity Freedom carries responsibility, not just privilege Remembering God’s faithfulness helps anchor perspective in the present Continue the conversation with the Crosswalk community here: https://forums.crosswalk.com/ Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: A Call to Be Thankful for America on Its 250th Anniversary By Lynette Kittle Bible Reading: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done.” - Psalm 105:1 As America celebrates its 250th Anniversary, we, as citizens of the United States, have much to be thankful for! History books record, and historical monuments stand, in honor of the Christians whom God led across the ocean, who were seeking a land where they could freely and openly serve Him, those willing to leave all they had behind and risk their lives to set sail for a New World. As the forerunners, the Pilgrims’ trek led them to America, where they brought their deep spiritual convictions to lay the groundwork and foundational biblical beliefs; truths that led our Founding Fathers to base our Declaration of Independence on godly principles; and truths that have given us the right to worship God freely and without reserve since their coming. Without our founders humbling themselves before God, there would be no USA today. As American history records, prayer and fasting were called for and practiced in America’s founding and the establishment of our nation, playing a major role in establishing America by the first patriots who practiced James 4:10 on a national level: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” By our leaders calling our nation to humble itself before God in prayer and fasting, our founders followed 2 Chronicles 7:14, urging, “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land.” By humbling ourselves as a nation, our leaders seemed to understand what Galatians 5:13 reminds us: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” America’s History Reveals Decades of National Thankfulness Even before the official establishment of the United States, historical documents record that, throughout the American Revolution, the Continental Congress, in response to winning critical battles, called for national days of Thanksgiving, asking colonists to express gratitude to God for His divine protection over the troops. After the Declaration of Independence, national thanksgiving continued, beginning in 1789, with President George Washington issuing the first official United States Thanksgiving proclamation, calling upon all Americans to demonstrate gratitude to God for the end of the war and the Constitution’s successful ratification. President Washington said, “Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.” Following Washington’s example, Presidents John Adams and James Madison also called for national days of Thanksgiving during their presidential terms. As well, President Abraham Lincoln, on October 3, 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving. A Nation’s Living Testament to God’s Faithfulness The United States is a living testament to God’s faithfulness and to what happens when a nation is willing to humble itself before God… recognizing His sovereignty over the earth and publicly thanking Him for His protection and provision for its leaders and people. As citizens of the USA, we have much to be thankful to God for our nation, as we celebrate our 250th anniversary. Thankfulness to God for what He has done in America through the faith of our Founding Fathers, who feared and worshipped Him and laid a godly foundation for our land based on biblical truth, and whose beliefs continue to this day across our nation. Intersecting Faith & Life: As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, ask God to help you find reasons to be thankful for our country, our godly heritage, and the freedoms we still enjoy today. As well, ask the Lord to move in the hearts of people across our nation, encouraging them to praise and thank Him for all that He has done for us as a country. Further Reading: A Prayer to Praise God for Our Nation Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Disciples Corner

What does it actually mean to be thankful for your country without loving it more than you love the Kingdom of God? In this Journey Together Summer teaching, Pastor Russell Howard marks the nation's 250th birthday with four specific reasons for gratitude: God's sovereign hand over the rise and fall of nations, the principle of religious liberty born out of a Baptist conviction, America's unmatched missionary heritage, and the everyday common grace God has poured out on this country. He closes with a challenge from Philippians 3:20, that every citizenship a believer holds is layered, and the highest one never fades. Whether you find it easy to celebrate the Fourth of July or complicated, this teaching gives you a clear, biblical way to hold gratitude for your country and greater devotion to God's kingdom in the same hand. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

As the Fourth approaches, Howie asks the listeners to let him know what you're thankful for here in America.  Visit the Howie Carr Radio Network website to access columns, podcasts, and other exclusive content. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Howie continues to take calls about what listeners are thankful for.  Visit the Howie Carr Radio Network website to access columns, podcasts, and other exclusive content. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This time in Strangerville, Eli needs to stop reading reviews of his book Stitched online because they are stressing him out, Meg likes to text her body parts to Eli's husband allegedly for medical reasons, and two stories about Skylar's dermatology residency.StoryDermatology, by Eli McCannProduction by Eli McCann and Meg WalterJoin our Patreon!Find Eli's book We're Thankful for the Moisture and novel STITCHED.

-The World Herald's Sam McKewon did a great dive into the B1G's 54 non-conference games this year, and it's not pretty as we exist ina world where it's all about making the playoffs and pushing toward the least amount of losses prior to conference play as possible-McKewon points out that there are just 14 games against Power 4 competition of the 54 non-con games of the league---Nebraska,Indiana, Penn State, USC and Washington have zero---28 games vs. Group of 6 teams, and 12 games vs. the FCS. We'll see you all in lateSeptember/early October for conference play….Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Marco Langon - 9-Time All-American and Villanova middle distance runner from New Jersey, recognized as one of the top collegiate 1500m–5000m athletes in the U.S. with personal bests of 3:32.79 (1500m) and 13:05.21 (5000m).  Follow Marco: https://www.instagram.com/marcolangon/  Follow along: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameronrhanes Twitter: https://twitter.com/cameronhanes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/camhanes/ Website: https://www.cameronhanes.com Timestamps: 00:00:00 – From Working at a GAs Station to Olympian Status 00:14:18 – Marco's Childhood Struggles 00:18:37 – Hard Work for Financial Stability 00:23:20 – Growing up Without a Father Figure 00:31:42 – Confidence in Talent 00:34:04 – College Recruitments & Getting in to Villanova University 00:37:48 – Villanova - “You're Never Tired if You're Winning” 00:41:52 – Get Back to Work 00:44:03 – Dealing with Criticism: Attention is Currency 00:47:59 – Rivals, Ego, & Outworking the Rest 00:58:15 – Upcoming 2 Mile Pro Race 01:01:19 – A Student to the History of Running: Eamonn Coghlan 01:03:52 – Goals to be an Olympic Champion 01:06:55 – Sebastian Coe, Dave Patrick, and other Notable Runners 01:08:23 – Marco's Experience at the Bow Rack 01:10:11 – Running Pisgah 01:12:21 – F**k, Marry, Kill: Running, Cooking, Getting Tattooed 01:14:25 – People Watching 01:17:13 – Thankful for a Difficult Childhood 01:18:06 – Final Thoughts Thank you to our sponsors: Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/ Use code KEEPHAMMERING for 10% your order Montana Knife Company: https://www.montanaknifecompany.com/ Use code CAM for 10% off  MTN OPS Supplements: https://mtnops.com/ Use code CAM for 20% off & Free Shipping Hoyt: http://bit.ly/3Zdamyv use code CAM for 10% off Grizzly Coolers: https://www.grizzlycoolers.com/ use code KEEPHAMMERING for 15% off Ketone IQ: https://www.ketone.com/Cam use code CAM for 30% off your first subscription

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