Podcasts about Young Life

In high school Bill played football where he was the Quarterback. He was also a high school All American in wrestling and was voted NJCAA Wrestler of the year in 1979. Bill holds black belts in four different styles of martial arts: 1st black in Hawaiian Kenpo, 1st Black in Okinawa Kobudo (weapons), 3rd Black in American Kenpo and a 4th Black in American jujitsu. He is a retired High school chemistry teacher of 39 years, football coach for 34 years and former team Idaho pole vault coach for 32 years.He has multiple Idaho State Championships in rifle shooting - Rimfire Silhouette and Centerfire Silhouette. He has been married to Melanie Barr for 36 years and has three daughters: Micaela Barr a graduate of BSU, Chelsea Barr a graduate of NNU and Aubrielle Barr a graduate of BSU. He was vice president of his college sports ministry team called AIM (Athletes In Ministry). He was a YoungLife advisor and leader before getting involved in FCA. He was a Huddle group advisor for student-athletes and coaches for 19 years. He has helped coordinate and organize Fields of Faith events throughout Canyon County and has been the head pole vault coach at the FCA PNW Camp since 2008. He has currently taken up the sport of archery and sees the potential of this sport to impact multiple generations for the glory of Christ.  The Fellowship of Christian Athletes' exciting local radio program, Heart of the Athlete, airs Saturdays at 9:30 am MST on 94.5 FM and 790 AM Boise's Solid Talk. The show is hosted by local FCA Director, Ken Lewis. This program is a great opportunity to listen to local athletes and coaches share their lives, combining sports with their faith in Jesus Christ each week!Our relationships will demonstrate steadfast commitment to Jesus Christ and His Word through Integrity, Serving, Teamwork and Excellence.NNU Box 3359 623 S University Blvd Nampa, ID 83686 United States (208) 697-1051 klewis@fca.orghttps://www.fcaidaho.org/Podcast Website: https://www.790kspd.com/podcast-heart-of-the-athlete/

In March 2003, 17-year-old Hannah Foster vanished after a night out in Southampton. Days later, her body was found a few miles from home. She'd been attacked and murdered - but by who?A chilling 999 call made from Hannah's phone captured the voice of her killer and sparked an international manhunt.What followed was a bold escape, a pursuit that crossed continents, and a family's relentless fight for justice that would change UK extradition history forever.Exclusive content:Patreon - Ad Free, Early Access, Exclusive EpisodesFollow the show:YouTubeInstagramFacebookTikTokWebsiteDisclaimer:The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the No Regrets Podcast, Nate Gruber is joined by Russ Ewell, pastor and leader in the Bay Area, who is doing incredible work engaging and empowering Gen Z and millennials. Russ shares his story of growing up in a church-filled community but never feeling connected—until a friend invited him to a Young Life event that changed everything. It was there he first saw what authentic Christian community could look like. Now, as pastor of a multi-campus church that continually raises up young leaders, Russ talks about the importance of releasing control, giving the next generation real opportunities to lead, and creating environments where young people can shape the church in a biblical and relevant way. He shares how his team intentionally simplifies messages, includes younger voices in sermon writing, and keeps new people close to stay connected and grounded in everyday ministry. Russ and Nate also discuss practical ways to reach Gen Z in today's world—meeting people where they are, investing deeply in relationships, and addressing the rising challenges of anxiety, ADHD, and depression with compassion and understanding. If you're looking for ways to lead young people in your context in a way that makes sense to them and invites them to grow in faith, this episode is for you. Learn more about Russ and his ministry: Russ Ewell Deep Spirituality The Chemistry Lab

Today on the No Regrets Podcast, Albo Esilaba is joined by Dr. Chap Clark to talk about the power of intentionality in leadership. Chap shares how his life was shaped through Young Life, when someone remembered his name and invited him into authentic community. That early encounter taught him the lasting impact of seeing others with intentionality—and it continues to shape how he leads today. Together, Albo and Chap explore what it looks like to create intentional spaces that reflect the heart of Jesus—spaces marked by care, service, and encouragement, rather than aggression or hierarchy. They discuss how leaders can honor and empower people in everyday settings, paying close attention to those God has placed in their care. Chap also shares practical insights for equipping and celebrating young people, preparing them for faith, and affirming them through relationship and encouragement. He emphasizes the importance of being like a "big brother" who calls out the value in youth while also being willing to learn from them as mutual partners in faith. This conversation is a reminder that every act of intentional leadership—whether with young men or men of any age—has kingdom impact. Even small investments of encouragement can ripple out in ways that change lives. Learn more about Dr. Chap Clark at chapclark.com

274. Holy Spirit Stories and Fruit and Ways to Identify His Guidance in Our Lives with Margaret Feinberg   Exodus 31:3 NIV "and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—"   *Transcription Below*   Questions and Topics We Cover: Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, so will you share some insight into what you've been learning about the Holy Spirit from your most recent research for your latest book, entitled The God You Need to Know? If someone listening has trouble identifying the Spirit's role and God's direction or Jesus' voice in their life, how would you encourage them to grow in attention and recognition of His voice and leading? Do you have any stories to give as illustrations for the Spirit still mightily being at work in the world and in people's lives today?   Margaret Feinberg, one of America's most beloved Bible teachers, speaks at churches and conferences and hosts the popular podcast The Joycast. Her books and Bible studies, including Taste and See, Fight Back with Joy, More Power to You, and The God You Need to Know have sold more than one million copies and received critical acclaim and national media coverage from the Associated Press, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and more. She was named by Christianity Today as one of fifty women most shaping culture and the church today. Margaret savors life with her husband, Leif, and their superpup, Zoom.   Margaret's Most Recent Work: The God You Need To Know Book and Bible Study   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Dream Seller Travel, Megan Rokey   Other Related Episodes on The Savvy Sauce: 150 Brain Science and Spiritual Abundance with Ken Baugh Special Patreon Re-Release Theology and Discipleship with Ken Baugh 259 God Speaks to His Kids . . . Here's How with Chris Allen Fruitful with Laura Dugger   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:09 - 2:18) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Do you love to travel?   If so, then let me introduce you to today's sponsor, DreamCellar Travel, a Christian-owned and operated travel agency. Check them out on Facebook or online at DreamCellarTravel.com. Today we get to learn from one of the most joyful human beings I've ever encountered.   My guest for today is Margaret Feinberg, and she's an author and researcher and podcaster and speaker. Most recently, her research project turned into a book where she was researching all about the Holy Spirit and His work in the Old Testament and the New Testament, and still His work that's present and active in our lives and around our world today. So, her stories of His specific presence at work in our lives are so moving, and she also pairs that with practical ways that we can more clearly hear from the Holy Spirit and identify His voice in our lives.   We also chat about the true definition of the word weird, which I actually want to elaborate on now because in the moment I couldn't find the definition that was so powerful. So, weird is defined as unearthly or uncanny, extraordinary, involving or suggesting the supernatural, and completely fantastic. Sometimes we think the Holy Spirit may be inviting us into something that seems weird, but He's redefined weird for us, and I just pray that all of us after this conversation will accept the invitation with gladness from Holy Spirit in our lives to join in whatever adventure He has planned for each one of us today.   Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Margaret.   Margaret Feinberg: (2:18 - 2:24) What a delight to be with you today. It's absolute joy, and you look fantastic, by the way.   Laura Dugger: (2:24 - 2:45) You're so kind. I can tell that joy is one of your markers already, and that makes me think you just have such a rich spiritual heritage in general. So, we don't typically start here, but can you go back and share your parents' story of coming to faith in Jesus Christ?   Margaret Feinberg: (2:46 - 5:22) Absolutely. I share this in the book, The God You Need to Know, in Bible study, but it's pretty beautiful. They actually came to know Jesus back in the 1970s during the Jesus movement, and my father was raised Jewish, and my mom was not really raised much in the church, and so, they got married, and separately on the same weekend, they came to know Christ. My father, back in the 1960s, he was actually a surfboard manufacturer.   He helped build longboards the very first time that longboards were cool, and these customers kept coming into his little store and telling him about Jesus, and eventually he grew so frustrated that one weekend he went out turkey hunting, and he was sitting in turkey blind, had tons of time around him, and decided to sit down and read the entire New Testament over the course of that weekend, and he read it, and he thought, “Wow, Jesus came to earth.”   He lived, he died, and he was resurrected that we can have eternal life for free, and he thought, in his Jewish brain, that is a good deal, and so, he just believed in Christ, and meanwhile, my mom is at home and has her own encounter. She's finishing reading a book by the name of The Great Late Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey, which was actually the best-selling book of the decade back in the 1970s, and at the end of that book, it had an invitation to come to know Christ, and so, both of them come to know Christ separately on the same weekend. They come home on that Sunday, and they're a little awkward about it because it sounds weird. They don't really want to tell each other, and then finally start to spell out, and there's such joy that they both came to know Christ because the Holy Spirit was at work in their lives. What's amazing is that they had been trying to have kids for the first eight years of their marriage and hadn't been able to conceive, and within a month of them coming to know Jesus, I was conceived. So, you just see the work of the Holy Spirit all over that, and that He is leading people to Christ. He is on the move, and sometimes it doesn't involve any of us doing anything, and that's a freedom marker for us. It's not our job to run around and try to save everybody. Holy Spirit is already at work, and when we have the opportunities to be part of that, it is a privilege and a joy. Trust in a God who is so good and so loving and so kind that He will find people through reading books and hiding out in a turkey blind hunting turkeys all weekend.   Laura Dugger: (5:23 - 5:45) That gives me goosebumps even to hear the timing of that and you being conceived. Then you also had a unique childhood. At that time, not as many people were homeschooled, and your story was fascinating. So, what was homeschooling and spiritual discipleship like for you in the growing up years?   Margaret Feinberg: (5:46 - 8:18) Yeah, so, in those early years, my mom and dad had that mom-and-pop kind of surf shop down in Cocoa Beach, Florida. For all you surfing nerds, Ron Jon loaned my dad the money to marry my mom. I mean, so, we're talking deep surfing roots, still friends to this day, and so, they would work, and a lot of you are entrepreneurs and are listening, and you get this, but they would often work seven days a week, 14 hours a day, just trying to keep this little store open with their employee. It just was. It's just a rough business, retail, and so, the only way that they could get away was they would leave the store in the hands of a manager. They decided to buy a really small, inexpensive boat, and we would go sail from the coast of Florida into the Caribbean. So, as we did that, what do we do for school. I remember for third grade, we actually went for an entire year, and so, it was homeschooling. Now, this is like early 80s, and you have to think like it's not exactly fact-checked, reputable, like you send your work in like once or twice a year. So, I'm living on this boat, super remote, not even around a ton of kids, pretty isolated, and I figured out that if I did all my schoolwork in one day that I could play the other six, and so, that was my year of third grade. Fortunately, things turned out okay, but I learned so much more just meeting people from all over the world, surfing or swimming.   I learned how to, at eight years old, shoot my first lobster because we had to survive off the ocean. So, it was an incredible experience. Then after that, ended up going into public school in the later years once we got to like probably fifth, sixth, a lot more steady than those early years. But you know, the thing that I always saw in my mom was I would wake up, and she would usually be on the couch or on the deck of the boat, and she would be reading her Bible, and there was something about that. It wasn't spoken.   It wasn't like you must do this, but I watched it, and I saw it, and now all these years later, that's what I do. So, for all those mamas and papas who are listening and watching, I just want to encourage you - like how you live, those little things, the kids and the grandkids and the great-grandkids, they watch, they see, and it matters, and so, thank you. Those of you who are engaging in those things. It pays dividends for decades and generations to come.   Laura Dugger: (8:20 - 8:28) That's incredible, and then can you share about your own faith journey? You saw that modeled. When did it become personal to you?   Margaret Feinberg: (8:29 - 11:44) Yeah, you know, even as a young kid, I was aware of God and Jesus and Holy Spirit, and just the Lord was very tender to make Himself real to me when I was young. When I went away to college, and this is just normal behavior, you know, there is that kind of making faith your own, figuring it out, and so, my freshman year of college, I partied like a rock star. I got the bees, the beer, the boys, and the Ben and Jerry, like I, you know, I just all the things, and I remember at the end of that year, I had this sense that God was saying to me like, you are my child. I have called you by name.   You are mine. Come back to me, and I read about this in The God You Need to Know, but one of those was a turning point I went to. It was actually a Methodist conference on Holy Spirit, and while I was there, I had an unusual experience, but in it, you know, I'm watching, I'm listening to all these lectures.   I'm in the conference. I'm attending all these things, and at one point, I had a thought pop into my mind that was not my own, and the thought was go to the prayer room and look underneath the tablecloth. I was like, okay, that's weird, but it was like go to the prayer room and look underneath the tablecloth. So, I'm like, you know what? At the end of the day, like what do I have to lose?   I mean the worst thing that happens is I wander into our prayer room. Okay, we'll take the risk, and I remember going in there, and I'm kind of like there's some people praying (a couple). I'm trying to like I don't want to be weird like I know it's a conference on the Holy Spirit, but still I'm like I am not going to be weird about it. So, I'm like trying to peek underneath a tablecloth, and there's nothing there, and there's all these tables around the room. So, I'm kind of like making my way across, and I'm seeing like one lady like eyeing me like what is happening. So, I peek under another one. Anyway, I go table after table, nothing after nothing until I reach the very last table. I pick up the tablecloth, and there is a Bible, and I look, and it's full of like notes and photographs. So, I pull it out, and there's a name on the front, and so, I just kind of said, “You know, excuse me in the prayer room like does anybody know this person, and most people were like no, and one lady says you know what I do know her, and she had to leave the conference early, and I actually have her phone number.” So, all of a sudden I'm on the phone calling this lady and saying “Hey, I just found your Bible on the phone.”    She says, “You have no idea. That Bible is full of decades of prayers and notes and photos that can't be replaced. I have been sitting here praying that someone would find my Bible.” So, I'm just in awe like Holy Spirit, I didn't even know - like wow like this is not just a mental learning.   This is a real experience, and so, I told a couple people at the conference about it. One said' “You know what, actually, if you're driving up that direction, I've been praying to get a ride up that direction.” So, I was able to drop off this ministry worker, return this Bible to this precious woman, and that really became one of the markers in my life. Oh my goodness Holy Spirit is real. He is on the move. He is leading and guiding us, and this is such an exciting thrilling adventure to be on.   Laura Dugger: (11:45 - 12:12) Wow, and it absolutely is. You are an incredible storyteller. It's so powerful the way that you wrote some stories in your books, the way that you're sharing it now. God has really gifted you with that, and that's part of your purpose in life being that storyteller. So, how did you begin to uncover the purpose that God had for you in life?   Margaret Feinberg: (12:12 - 15:09) That's such a great question, so, I'm going to answer that a couple different folds. Can I do that? So, the first answer is all of our purpose is the same. It is to love God, love others, and delight in Him forever.   That is the purpose of all of our lives, and so, that is the answer. At the same time, a lot of what I think you're saying is purpose is a little bit about vocation. Is that right?   And so, we need to recognize that as believers that this idea that somehow our vocation or what we do is our purpose and is supposed to give us meaning and value to God has really only been around for the last 50 to 75 years and largely established in the American culture. But for thousands of years, that has never been the case. And so, what that does is that for a lot of us, when we don't kind of understand that it puts a heavier weight on the job. The vocation that we do to carry all of this burden of purpose, fulfillment, meaning, ordained by God.   I mean, that becomes like a heavy burden for a single job or vocation to carry that it was never meant to. Right? And so, again, back to what is our purpose? It is loving God, loving others, and delighting. And that never changes no matter whether you are raising littles, whether you are whatever the title on your business card, if you still have those, or identification on social, whatever it is. But that never changes.   And so, I think that we have to step back and recognize that. Now, I do understand that I am in a role in which my job provides spiritual meaning. And that is delightful.   And I am super grateful for that. But in that, my spiritual meaning is still not about what books I write or podcasts or any of that nonsense. It's all about how I'm living in my community and real one-to-one relationships that are done privately and never published on social media.   That is the real life. And so, I just want to encourage everyone out there to think that that job is the thing. The job is never the thing.   Now, don't let that distract you because what do you do when you're retired? What do you do if you can't do that job? But if you are in a vocation, if you are in a role, that to understand, yes, God can use that, and to invite Holy Spirit into that space, but to make sure that we don't find our identity in that.   Because that's a short runway. That's going to end at one point. And to really ground ourselves into the eternal and what does not have an end and what will sustain us from our first breath until our last.   Laura Dugger: (15:10 - 16:38) Wow, I love how you put all of that. And so, I'm going to share a story, so, bear with me because you may not be aware, but back in 2013, our lives first crossed paths. So, back then, we were pregnant with our first child.   And my husband, Mark, and I went with my parents to the American Association of Christian Counselors conference in Nashville. And you were one of those keynote speakers at the Opera Land Hotel. And I was just mesmerized by every word you shared.   And so, I see why people write about you, and they say you're one of America's most beloved Bible teachers, because you were so endearing from the first word spoken. But at the time, you were battling cancer. And yet you were still willing to generously and joyfully share about the goodness of the Lord and the ways that we encounter Him in nature through olives and bees and so on.   But the one other thing that has stuck with me for over a decade is when you encourage the audience of probably thousands of people in attendance, that if we don't know what to be thankful for today, be thankful for nose hairs. So, do you remember that?   Margaret Feinberg: (16:39 - 19:24) I do. Yeah, that defined gratitude in the little things and in the heart. I do.   And the reason I said that, because without context, that sounds really, really strange. But whenever anybody who's out there and is walking through any medical, whether that's mental health or physical challenges, one of the difficulties is in the medical world, they don't tell you everything that's coming. And so, there are all these hidden surprises, and you can read about it, and you can WebMD it, and you can read online, and all of them are just going to say you're going to die tomorrow.   We already know that. We know we shouldn't Google these things, right? But no matter what you're walking through, there are things that people just don't tell you.   And so, I knew that going through chemotherapy, I would lose my hair. And sure enough, in 10 days, it was all falling out. Nobody told me that that included all my hair, including my nose hairs.   And so, what I had to learn the hard way is when you don't have nose hairs, like kind of what holds anything that's liquid in your nose, it just falls out. And so, my encouragement was to everybody, you don't have anything to give thanks to God for today. Give thanks for your nose hairs.   And just a light way of saying, you know, even when you're walking through the darkness, and I know some of your listeners and your viewers are, you are in dark seasons. And if that is you, I just want to say, I get you. I get it.   I have battled cancer. I have battled autoimmune. I have battled being sick for years.   I have battled being embezzled. I have battled surviving a destructive pastor. I know suffering and pain.   But even when we're in the darkness, we are a people who poke holes in the darkness until it bleeds light. And that's who we are. And gratitude is just one of those tools that helps us do that.   So, I just want to encourage you today, like whatever it takes for you. And there is something in this concept of joy. And I don't quite understand.   I can't quite wrap my head around it. But joy is something that you can give away even when you don't have it. And in the process of giving away joy when you don't have it, somehow our capacity for joy expands.   It's a strange equation in God's economy. It does not add up. It does not make sense.   But whether it's, you know, climbing in an MRI machine and saying, man, has anybody praised God from this square inch today? Whether it's showing up and giving just a simple gift to someone else, whether it's writing the note, whether it's encouraging someone else, even in our own pain. When we do that, our capacity for joy just grows bigger and bigger.   Laura Dugger: (19:25 - 21:58) And now a brief message from our sponsor. Do you have a bucket list of travel destinations? Or maybe you have a special event coming up like a big anniversary, a honeymoon, or even just that first trip to Europe?   If so, you need to call DreamCellar Travel. DreamCellar Travel is located in central Illinois, but works with clients all across the USA. Whether you're wanting to plan a large family get together someplace tropical or take a cruise with your family, or maybe you want to explore the history and culture of a European town.   Regardless of the trip, DreamCellar Travel is there to assist you with your planning needs. From the customized trip design and the ideas through the small details and the preparations before the trip, and even while traveling. DreamCellar Travel is there with you every step along the way, making it seamless and stress free.   DreamCellar Travel can work with your travel plans as you have laid them out, or they will customize a trip for your request. In most cases, there's absolutely no service fee for this work. That's worth saying again, in most cases, there is absolutely no service fee for this work.   Instead of booking online and being the one to deal with your airline schedule changes or the sudden change in country entry requirements, or the hotel that looks beautiful but is really under construction, call a professional. Let them deal with the problems that arise while traveling so you can just enjoy the trip. DreamCellar Travel has been planning dream trips since 2005 to amazing destinations such as Alaska, Italy, Hawaii, Canada, the Caribbean, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, France, South Africa, Iceland, and more.   Where do you dream of going? You can reach out to the DreamCellar Travel at 309-696-5890 or check them out online at DreamCellarTravel.com. Thanks for your sponsorship.   You just lived this so well, and I know joy is a fruit of the spirit. Will you share some insight into what you've been learning about the Holy Spirit, especially from all your research from your latest book? As you mentioned, it's entitled The God You Need to Know.   Margaret Feinberg: (21:59 - 25:44) Yeah, I'm super excited about this book and Bible study. I've had a lot of questions about the Holy Spirit since I was a little girl. I remember reading the Bible and thinking, Jesus, He's so real.   He's so human. That I can recognize, and I get the picture of God on the throne, all powerful and sovereign. But when I think about the Holy Spirit, I'd be like, I'm struggling here a little bit.   And growing up in Southern Baptist and Methodist and Episcopal and non-denominational and charismatic, I got little pieces of Holy Spirit, but I just kind of struggled. And I think one of the reasons I struggled is that often, maybe like you, when I ask questions about Holy Spirit, I was like, “Well, you need to go read the book of Acts and read Acts 2.” And that's that beautiful moment of Pentecost where the spirit comes in and it's like a violent wind and tongues of fire.   They descend and people start speaking in other languages and other people hear they're declaring the glories of God. And then all of a sudden 3,000 people get saved. I think that is awesome.   But that doesn't look like my every day. So, I'm not quite sure. And so, for the last few years, I've been struggling to write this book.   And when I really came alive was with a scholar by the name of Jack Levison, and he focused in on the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. And all of a sudden that changed everything for me. Because what happens is if we jump to Acts, and particularly Acts 2 to understand Holy Spirit, it would be like showing up on your wedding day and being like, this is who you're marrying.   And you're like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I don't know this person. Like we haven't courted. We haven't dated.”   I don't, what, what, what? And yet that's often what we do as believers when we're directing people. And so, I took a deep dive into Holy Spirit throughout the Old Testament, looking at Genesis where Holy Spirit hovers over the waters, the chaos, the darkness, looking at how Holy Spirit hovers over our lives and how that's consistent with God, as in the book of Deuteronomy, as well as Jesus in the New Testament, that hovering like a, like a hen, I wanted to gather the children.   And you start to see this through it. You start to look in the lives of Bezalel, who was the first person who was filled with Holy Spirit, to do what to make and to make those, you know, the tabernacle and to lead an entire guild of artisans. We see the life of the Spirit in Daniel, where all of a sudden Nebuchadnezzar on multiple occasions is saying the Spirit of God is in him.   We have somebody who is literally running around like a wild animal at certain points in his life, who is still recognizing the power of Holy Spirit. I think it's the word in Hebrew is Ketria. We start seeing it in the life of Ezekiel, where the Holy Spirit is lifting him up, giving him new perspectives.   And what's cool is that once you start to recognize the rule of Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, you arrive at Acts 2 and you go, of course, it would happen this way. And suddenly for those of us who for maybe we've been hesitant about Holy Spirit, or maybe we've had maybe a lack of teaching or maybe some teaching that was a little bit abusive and was used to manipulate. Like all of a sudden we can back up from that and be like, oh, Holy Spirit, this is you from the beginning of time.   This is so normal. This isn't weird. This is just part of just being a follower of Jesus.   And so, one of the things that I love about this book is it takes the weird out, takes the scary out. It's so just biblically based, especially in the Old Testament. And I think some of your listeners and viewers will be surprised like, whoa, I didn't know that was, what?   That's where? And that's really fun and exciting.   Laura Dugger: (25:45 - 26:14) Absolutely. I think it did bring to light so many things from the Old Testament, like I said, especially. And I think you were even able to share some of your own stories, and that's why we're so often called to remember.   I think when we preserve and document those and share those stories, we can reflect back and remember God nudging us like he did with you, putting a thought in your mind that was not your own. That increases our faith in others, I think, as well.   Margaret Feinberg: (26:14 - 28:25) I think it really, really does. I think that one of the things we have to remember when Holy Spirit, so, in Psalm 139, we know that God knows he made us in the womb. And so, to recognize that all of us are made differently, and my hunches are some listeners right now who are thinking, man, yeah, I know people who talk a lot about Holy Spirit, but that's just not me.   I don't really see or enact or feel Holy Spirit. And so, first of all to you, I want to say I don't feel Holy Spirit either. I've been to a ton of churches and conferences, and the person on the stage will say, man, do you feel the Holy Spirit here?   And I'll be like, nope, nope, not at all. So, I'm not a feeler. But what I can do in those moments is I can acknowledge with my head, Holy Spirit is here, because we know that as part of the Trinity, Father, Son, Spirit, Holy Spirit is here.   And then secondly, to recognize that like Psalm, you know, that describes that He knew us in the womb, that we are all different. We know today that there's a neurodiversity, right? So, some people learn audio, some people visual, some people like myself, ADD, ADHD.   And God knows that, like the Creator did not make a mistake. And so, wouldn't it make sense that the Holy Spirit, who knows us as the spirit of a living God, would interact with us in different ways? I have an e-newsletter, and I've surveyed, you know, thousands of people, how they recognize the spirit, and it's just so diverse.   Some are like me, a thought pops back in my head that is not my own, that causes me to love God, love others, serve others, take risks in godly good ways. For other people, they do feel it. Some people have like a warmth in their body.   Some people kind of just feel like this, this just comfort or peace, like liquid love that envelops them. Some people recognize God and the Holy Spirit through nature. And so, I listen to this, and I think, doesn't that make sense that God and Holy Spirit would know us so well that He would know how to communicate with us?   And so, that when we start gathering with other believers and say, “Hey, how is Holy Spirit working in your life?” It starts to get this excitement of recognizing it and celebrating it and making it normal and not weird.   Laura Dugger: (28:28 - 28:48) And I think let's even take that one step further. So, if somebody is listening and they currently have trouble identifying the spirit's role or God's direction or Jesus's voice in their life, how would you encourage them with even first steps to grow in attention and recognition of His voice and leading?   Margaret Feinberg: (28:49 - 34:09) Goodness, that's such a great question. Something that's really changed my life in the last few months is my friend, Drake. He's a Young Life leader here.   And he said, Margaret, when I'm training people how to recognize Holy Spirit, he says, “I and the kids get a journal and write one question down for Holy Spirit each day. The question could be about purpose, identity, Holy Spirit, what's on your heart, Holy Spirit, who do I serve today? And write that one question down.”   That's it. That's all we're doing. And then throughout the day, return to that one question in prayer again and again.   And then pay attention to conversations that suddenly you have, Bible passages that flutter through your mind, the sermon that's given, conversations with other believers. Like just pay attention. And it's amazing.   And then the next day or that night, jot down whatever happens. The next day, change the question or keep the same question. And just start changing the posture of your life to pay attention to that one question.   And I think you're going to start to see and encounter some things. It may not happen quickly. It may take a few weeks or even months, but it will happen.   I think I was thinking about this just this morning. I haven't shared this with anybody. But in some ways, like people are like, I don't recognize Holy Spirit.   It's kind of like my friends who are birders. Okay. Some people super into birding.   And I know there are birds. I mean, occasionally I'll see a bird out the window, but birders have a whole different mentality. They slow down.   They pay attention. And they have some tools like binoculars to be able to look and to see. And it's the same thing about paying attention to Holy Spirit.   We've got to slow down, pay attention. And maybe the tool is just asking Holy Spirit one question a day. But suddenly you'll start to see and recognize.   Can I give you a fun story? Please. Okay.   So, just at Easter came around and I was probably a couple weeks before and they're having this crazy good sale at Target on some new releases. So, I'm at the Target website early in the morning before they sell out. And I saw a purse and I bought myself a few things.   But I saw a purse and I immediately thought of my friend Janella. And so, I was just like, I'm just going to buy this for her. Now, let me be clear.   I've never bought a purse for her before. I don't really carry around a ton of purses. I'm a Apple pay, like keep it light.   Like it's just not my thing. But put it in the cart, send it to her. So, I get a text from her about a week or two later.   And she goes, how did you know? Did I tell you about my Easter meltdown? And I said, no, I didn't know.   And she tells me, and I had known this, that her mother had passed away last year. What I didn't know is every single year, since she was a little girl for Easter, her mom would buy her a dress and a purse. And this was the first Easter without her mom.   And she could justify financially buying the dress, but not the purse. And all of a sudden this purse, which wasn't a normal purse. She's like, this is an Easter purse.   I was like, I don't know that, but okay. Arrived. And she said, I just, I just cried because I knew that the Lord saw me.   He heard me. You know, he was with me, part of his kingdom. And so, she says, but here's the thing.   The purse matched my dress perfectly. And you start to see that happen. And I didn't hear a voice from God say, go buy your friend a purse.   I was just like, “Hey, I've been praying every day, a single thing from Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, will you order my steps?” And then you see something that you couldn't orchestrate on your own in 500 years happen.   And you go, that is the work of Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit in the New Testament, it's parakletos. It means advocate.   It can be translated comforter, advisor, barrister. For those of you watch too many British shows like I do, you know, the legal counsel. But if I were to kind of break that down from just biblical words, here's how we know it's the Holy Spirit.   Number one, Holy Spirit will remind you: God loves you. God sees you. God hears you.   And you're part of His kingdom. And what happened in that story was both of us experienced that. God loves, He sees, He hears, and we're part of His kingdom.   And so, that is the thrilling part about life in the Spirit. It's not so I feel good or I have little things that happen. It's about being part of God's kingdom on this earth, living out the life that Christ describes and designed for us.   And so, we cannot do that apart from Holy Spirit. And also, you may notice I haven't been using the term the Holy Spirit because we wouldn't say I talked to the God today. I talked to Jesus.   And Holy Spirit is a person; a person you can have a relationship with. And just as you can have a relationship with Christ and talk to Christ, you can do the same with Holy Spirit who is, again, paracletes, your advisor, your comforter, your helper. Why would you not tap into that?   Why would you want to spend a life missing out on the fullness of that?   Laura Dugger: (34:10 - 36:48) Oh, that's good, and I'll have to try and apply that and refer to Holy Spirit rather than I even did it there, the Holy Spirit. I'm thinking in the book of John, I love the amplified version where it says, “one of the things to describe Holy Spirit is standby.” And I've thought of that so many times because I love looking up definitions and seeing exactly what that means.   And it's just the immediacy of the help available. And that's been a way that I've experienced Him in my life especially the short prayers of help, please help now. Or if I need direction, a lot of times it comes in parenting for me, like, I'm not sure which way to go.   Can you give me discernment right now? And He's immediately available. So, I would say my own personal experience, it's a lot of what you've mentioned, definitely through reading the Bible that I feel like He speaks so much.   You're like, well, bring the words off the page. Journaling is such a practical way. And I'll link to our friend Chris Allen's episode just about hearing from God and training our kids on how they can do the same.   Just those thoughts that they're not always from us, but we're processing thoughts that are given to us. But one other thing, so, this is inspired from your book. You mentioned about dreams and just asking Holy Spirit to speak to you through dreams.   So, in our life currently, one of our daughters is going through some health issues and we were launched into having to do this FODMAP diet. And it's not that big of a deal, but I had never heard of it before. And it limits and restricts quite a few things.   So, the immediate need of that seemed a little bit overwhelming. We're kind of in a busy season and completely revamping everything our family eats all day. I've been preoccupied and kind of consumed with that.   So, twice this week, because in my quiet time I felt like God just kept saying, bring it to me, come to me with this, ask me the questions. And so, I've been journaling and I feel like He's been responding with Scripture. But the last two nights in a row, I've woken up with a recipe in mind for our family.   And that has never happened before. But you are the one who challenged us just to say, just ask. And that was probably, probably started asking over a month ago.   So, thank you.   Margaret Feinberg: (36:49 - 40:32) Wow. I love it. And you know what?   That makes me want to ask. Does that make sense? Like there's this excitement and there's this joy.   When you share about how Holy Spirit is working in your life, I'm like, I want that too. And that's just, yeah, I think that so often we forget who is with us.   The person, the person of Holy Spirit is with us. We don't have to keep all this striving and straining. And man, I got a life hack this on my own.   You know, there is this availability of the power and the presence of the person of Holy Spirit, the spirit of the living God. One thing I want to note on the Trinity, just so that I don't, I don't want anybody to think, oh, she's just cutting out one part of the Trinity. No.   Trinity is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A couple of things on that. Number one, often, and part of the emphasis on the Holy Spirit, a little bit more in looking at this in the Old Testament, is when we see things in groupings of three, we tend to think that the third one listed tends to be lesser than or third place.   Right. And yet Father, Son and Spirit are equal. And what we see throughout the Bible is we have to remember that where there is one, all are present.   And so, like in creation, we see God take the lead. But, you know, Holy Spirit is mentioned in Genesis 1 to Jesus using the reference of we is there. And so, we start to see that the word, I think it's the word perichoresis is this term that describes the Trinity in a dance.   And so, at different parts of Scripture, we'll see one member of the Trinity take the lead, but the others are always present, whether it's, you know, Jesus taking the lead in the Gospels. But we see the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. We see God saying, this is my son and whom I am pleased.   Well, please listen to Him. And so, to recognize that, but also to recognize, again, like this, this reality that Holy Spirit is in us and with us. Like, wow, that starts to change everything.   So, all of a sudden, and you say, “It's no big deal changing the way your family eats. Can I just say that is an enormous deal. The time that it takes to prepare the food, the thinking, the thought space, the bad recipes, it is so big.”   So, you can try to minimize that. But I'm just going to say, “First of all, I'm glad there's a way forward, but I'm sorry, because that is massive. And it's a lot.”   And Holy Spirit wants to meet us there. Remember Genesis 1:2, “In the beginning, God created the heavenly earth and the earth was formless and void.” Tohu wavohu in the Hebrew.   “And the spirit was hovering over.” That word is merechefet. And it means to hover, to brood like a mama eagle.   One rabbi translated it as to flutter. And what is the spirit fluttering? Remember in the Bible, sorry to go to teaching mode, but whenever someone is introduced in scripture, the introduction is the most important.   We see that in the life of Saul. He literally is hiding in baggage and can't find his own donkeys. And it plays out that way, right?   So, how is Holy Spirit introduced? Could have entered any place and comes on the scene hovering over the chaos, the uncertainty, and the unknown. And so, here you are in that place of uncertainty and unknown, a little chaotic.   And what is Holy Spirit? Here's a recipe.    Doing what? Reminding you, you are loved by God. You are seen by God.   You are heard by God. And you are part of this kingdom. Man, when we start to share these stories, it just, oh, it creates this hunger to experience and know the spirit more.   Laura Dugger: (40:32 - 42:02) It does, and it's so humbling, just his loving kindness.    I want to make sure that you're up to date with our latest news. We have a new website.   You can visit thesavvysauce.com and see all of the latest updates. You may remember Francie Heinrichson from episode 132, where we talked about pursuing our God-given dreams. She is the amazing businesswoman who has carefully designed a brand-new website for Savvy Sauce Charities.   And we are thrilled with the final product. So, I hope you check it out. There you're going to find all of our podcasts, now with show notes and transcriptions listed, a scrapbook of various previous guests, and an easy place to join our email list to receive monthly encouragement and questions to ask your loved ones, so that you can have your own practical chats for intentional living.   You will also be able to access our donation button or our mailing address for sending checks that are tax deductible, so that you can support the work of Savvy Sauce Charities and help us continue to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus Christ. So, make sure you visit thesavvysauce.com.    Are there any other stories that come to mind to think of Holy Spirit being alive and moving and working in people's lives today?   Margaret Feinberg: (42:03 - 46:15) Oh, I'll give you one that I just found. You know what's so funny? Again, when you start to use the prayer prompts, when you start to do these just like a burger, all of a sudden you're like, oh my goodness, I didn't know how many birds there were.   So, went over to our friend's house. It was somebody at church. We actually, they weren't our friends at that point.   We noticed that when they came to our church, the son is on the spectrum. And so, in Sunday school class would often just stare at the wall in the corner by himself, not interact a whole lot, and their daughter. And so, my husband said, hey, let's bring a meal over to them.   And they invited us to stay for dinner. And so, the son comes in and he's probably maybe nine years old, wrapped up in a blanket, like a little burrito. And he won't make any eye contact with us.   You know, the mom's like, say, “Hello to Margaret.” Won't interact. Kind of woombas around, disappears, comes through a few times.   Finish eating. We go out in the living room. And the mom starts telling the story that she was exhausted as a mom.   She was completely burnt out. And she just said, “You know what? I'm going to the reservoir and I'm going to go paddle boarding.”   Just take a few minutes for myself. So, she goes out. She's paddle boarding.   All of a sudden she sees like a piece of paper on the surface of the water. She looks down and she goes, what is that? So, she picks it up.   Turns out to be a QR code to the zoo. Now, she doesn't know if it's used trash or what, but she's like, I'm going to keep this. She paddles some more, sees another piece of paper.   It's another QR code to the zoo. She's like, maybe they blew away from the, I don't, so, she grabs it. And she prays and she says, Lord, now you know that we're a family of four.   So, if we're really supposed to go to the zoo, we need four of these. Keeps paddle boarding. Finds two more.   And so, she comes home and says, “Guys, we're going to try to go to the zoo. I don't even know if these work.” But next day goes to the zoo, scans them.   Boop, boop, boop, boop. They all work. So, they go to the zoo.   So, they're walking through. And all of a sudden, the son comes upon a display of red pandas. And he just stops in his tracks.   And he stares and he watches. And the rest of the family, you know, the sister and the dad want to go on and they do. But he just says, “Mom, can we stay here?”   And so, he stays there for several hours just staring in this strange connection. He's never had, Mom had never seen anything like this with the red pandas. And so, she's telling me this story.   And suddenly I look around their living room and I realize there is panda paraphernalia everywhere. She looks at her son and says, “Honey, why don't you go put on your panda outfit?” Disappears, comes back in the panda outfit.   And all of a sudden, he's looking at us. He's talking to us. He's engaging us.   He goes over to his parents and paws them like a panda. And all of a sudden is snuggling with them. And she says that one encounter at the zoo changed their relationship with their son.   She says there are days that my son will get completely overwhelmed and start having a meltdown. And she'll use panda language and go up to him and say, “Well, you know that pandas eat 13 hours a day. Maybe you need a snack.”   And it is provided this connection and this new language for them as a family that they never had before. All because she went paddle boarding at the reservoir and pieces of paper started floating on the surface of the water. Friends, this is the work and power and presence of Holy Spirit.   Reminding us we are loved by God. We are seen by God. We are heard by God.   And we are part of this kingdom. And for your listeners, that may be strange stories of paper. And that may seem really odd.   But, man, I read a book that talks about Jesus saying, “Hey, go check out the fish.” And all of a sudden a coin to pay taxes comes out of his mouth. I read a book that declares that, you know, he is the alpha and the omega.   He is the beginning and the end. He knows where we are. He knows what we need.   And He wants to intercept. And sometimes that shows up like recipes in your brain in the morning.   Laura Dugger: (46:16 - 47:27) Amen, sister. And you can keep sharing as many stories as you want. But one more.   As I was reading your book, it was actually over Easter weekend. And at that time we had some tornadoes that were passing through the Midwest where we live. And in the middle of the night, we're all up.   We're in the basement. And once the sirens ceased, we got our girls back to bed. And we came and I just wondered, we came back to bed and I thought, is this just going to be for a few moments?   Is it going to happen again? Are we going to be up all night and need to take cover? So, with those concerns on my mind, I crawled back into bed.   And, you know, cortisol is kind of rushing through. So, I picked up your book to read. And my eyes fell to the words you quoted from part of Isaiah 31:5.   So, I specifically fell to this where it says, “He will shield it and deliver it. He will pass over it and will rescue it.” And I fell asleep well knowing that I could receive comfort from Holy Spirit, that the storm had passed for the night and God was shielding our family from it.   And indeed He did. They ceased.   Margaret Feinberg: (47:28 - 47:42) Isn't that incredible? I mean, we talk about I mean, just that's the word of God and the power of Holy Spirit, like speaking right in that moment in that exact situation. That is awesome.   Absolutely awesome. I love it.   Laura Dugger: (47:43 - 48:17) So, I love just Holy Spirit is even working through the words on your pages. I want you to be encouraged. I know you've prayed over this resource, but it's so incredible.   Somebody once said that books are little missionaries. And it's so true throughout the world. You have no idea who's cuddled up in bed reading these words and getting to encounter him.   So, thank you for all of your work for this. But Margaret, do you have any other practical tips that you want to impart to us so that each of us can cultivate the fruit of spirit in our lives?   Margaret Feinberg: (48:18 - 50:39) Yeah, I would say, you know, if you're if you're new to this and this idea, you know, pick up a copy of The Gods You Need to Know. There's also a Bible study. I am passionate about doing this in community.   The Holy Spirit, we often in the Americana church, think of our little personal private relationship with Jesus. And that's not church history. That's not the work of God.   Since the beginning of time, it has always been through relationships and community and recognizing that each of us has something to bring to the table in relationship with God and each other and gifts and talents and insights. I am in my questions. I think I referred to this later or earlier about, you know, I surveyed a bunch of people in my newsletter just about, hey, so, how do you recognize Holy Spirit?   One lady responded and she said, “Well, I recognize Holy Spirit because whenever I'm lost, I ask Holy Spirit for directions, and I just know where to go.” And she goes and it happens over and over in, you know, neighborhoods when I'm driving, when I'm going places. And I thought, okay, so, first I'll just be honest. My first thought was that's weird. I haven't heard that before.   And we assign anything weird that we aren't familiar with. And then I thought a little longer. I thought, man, I want her on my team.   I want her on my team because I get lost all the time. And I think that at times, sometimes we encounter people who encounter the Spirit differently than us. Remember that neurodiversity, but to recognize living in relationship, hearing how Holy Spirit works in different, sharing those stories.   There's something contagious and powerful in it. So, I would say definitely pursue Holy Spirit in relationship with others. Get together with others.   Start talking about this. Start praying together. Holy Spirit, we want to know you.   You know, it's okay to say, Holy Spirit, in the past, I've seen really unhealthy things. Or nobody's really taught me about you. But I trust that as the Spirit of the living God that you want to reveal yourself.   Just start praying, Holy Spirit, I want all of you. See what happens over the course of a week or two of praying that.   And what you become aware of. What Bible passages flutter through your mind. What conversations you suddenly stumble upon.   What answers to things you've been plagued with suddenly come. I trust God that if you ask and you honestly pursue, God will show up and show off.   Laura Dugger: (50:41 - 51:45) I completely agree. And now I'm curious to look up. I feel like the Lord has kind of put on my mind the word weird this year a few times.   Because truly, when you think of what he did, even in the Old Testament, think of Noah, just like, okay, I'm obeying. I'm putting nails in this wood for never seeing rain. It's weird what we're called to sometimes.   And I think that's what can make me hesitate for obedience sometimes. Like, that feels weird. Or I don't want people to think I'm weird.   So, I'm going to look up the definition of weird. I'd love to read it to you. Okay, so, I just looked up the definition of weird.   And it says, suggesting something supernatural or uncanny. And I think we should reframe the word weird. And when we're invited into something weird by supernatural God of the universe, that's an incredible invitation, like you say, to adventure.   So, I hope we can embrace the weird.   Margaret Feinberg: (51:47 - 54:41) And to recognize that feeling of, I don't want to do this. This feels strange. That is universal.   That is not you. That is not unique. And for all of our listeners and viewers, I have it.   Everybody has it. When we're trying to discern, you know, if something is prompted by the Holy Spirit, number one, is this, does this align with scripture? And does it align with the character of God?   Does it increase my dependence on God? Which means it's probably going to go against my natural instinct, which unfortunately is pretty self-word rather than outward. Does it cause me to love God and love others more?   And so, of course, Holy Spirit is going to be working in this expansive ground to pull us away from our self-word direction outward. And that is always going to be stretching and feel strange. And sometimes we're not going to see the outcome.   And we've got to become comfortable with that. We are not responsible for the outcome. We are responsible for obedience.   Some time ago, I swim a lot. And I just felt just in my gut, like, talk to the person in the lane next to you. And so, I go out swimming, and he's next to me, and I'm like, okay.   And so, I started this conversation with this elderly gentleman. And I'll just be honest. It was more like a non-versation.   I mean, we talked about sports ball teams and the weather and nothing. I really cared. Nothing deep.   Nothing meaningful. And on one hand, maybe I misheard. Okay.   But no harm, no foul. I mean, I showed kindness to a stranger. Loved others.   Like, there's no, like, okay. You know, on the other hand, I will never know what might have happened. Maybe he felt left alone.   Maybe he felt seen. But the outcome doesn't matter. And so, there are going to be times that we step out, and we see it, and we encounter it, and it's so exciting.   And there's going to be other times that we go to that thing, and we go, Lord, I didn't even know what that was. But maybe that was about quick obedience. You know, almost like building a muscle, getting stronger to say, you did it then.   I'm going to keep challenging. I'm going to give you opportunities to do this again and again. Because I want you on the front lines of, you know, eyes are searching to and fro for people who are, you know, obedient, quick to respond, that Holy Spirit wants to use.   And so, know that not seeing a result, totally normal. Keep going. Keep going.   Because you will see responses sometimes. And it is awesome. And in part of that, it's almost like building a muscle that I think God is so gracious and so loving kind that he will show you, like, quick outcomes sometimes when you respond to that little impulse to keep you going.   But there are going to be times you're not going to see them, but he's still at work. Because, again, you may be one of 17 people in a long chain where the fruit or the outcome as part of God's kingdom is still coming. And after a while, it's fine to be number 4, 7, 9.   You don't always have to be number 17.   Laura Dugger: (54:42 - 55:06) That's so good. That is such the biblical principle of being faithful with little. And then sometimes He allows us to be faithful with much.   And, Margaret, this is not your only resource that you've written for all of us to enjoy. Can you share some of your other resources and what's available or what you've learned that we may learn if we pick up a copy?   Margaret Feinberg: (55:06 - 56:31) Yeah. You know, I've definitely the most passive. I just gave four years of my life to this book and Bible study.   I do a ridiculous amount of research, so, I'm very, very slow. So, top would be The God You Need to Know book and Bible study. But I think another one, and you referenced it earlier, is a book called Fight Back with Joy, and it's also a Bible study.   And it just takes a look. You know, it tells a little bit about my cancer story, but it's really about anybody who's battling anything. You know, sometimes in life we pick the battles, and sometimes the battles pick us.   And sometimes that's in your marriage, maybe a custody battle. It may be a health issue. It may be a financial calamity.   It may be the loss of a business. There's just so much in a strange relationship with a kid that you love so much. And in that darkness, you know, it's so easy to sink.   And this book and study is just, it shows that more than whimsy, joy is the weapon we use to fight life's battles. And gives just tons of practical tactics on how to enact that and what that looks like, and how, most importantly, how to rally around others in a healthy, beautiful way when they are in the midst of that. I think one of the failures of the church today is to really equip and train believers of every size and form of how to love others well in the midst of their pain.   What to say, what not to say, how to give, how to support. And this book and resource really does that well.   Laura Dugger: (56:32 - 56:43) Oh, so grateful for all of those. We'll make sure and add a link in the show notes. And if we want to connect or follow you after today's conversation, where would you like to direct us online?   Margaret Feinberg: (56:44 - 57:09) You can find me at my website at Margaret Feinberg. I do my most loving of my people, I'll just be honest, through my e-newsletter. I mean, I sit down, I pray over, I pour my heart and my life into that.   It's quiet. Nobody ever sees it. I am also on socials, on Instagram, at Facebook, at MA Feinberg, at Margaret Feinberg.   But I would love to connect with you. And if anybody wants to email, my email is hello@margaretfeinberg.com.   Laura Dugger: (57:09 - 57:26) Love it. Thank you for sharing all of that. And you may be aware that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge or discernment.   And so, as my final question for you today, Margaret, what is your savvy sauce?   Margaret Feinberg: (57:27 - 58:05) My savvy sauce is waking up every day and asking the Holy Spirit one question. When I don't know what to pray, I just say, “Holy Spirit, order my steps.” And if you will do this, you will do this for just 15 days.   I have a belief. It may just change the course of your life. The great part, it takes less than 30 seconds.   This is not doing heavy lifting. This is not time consuming, man. If you're raising those littles and you are overwhelmed, if you're running a business and you are overwhelmed, something very simple like this can change everything.   Laura Dugger: (58:06 - 58:10) So good. And you are so obviously connected to the vine, to the Lord. And I just want you to receive this, the fruit of the spirit.   I have experienced every single one in this conversation from engaging with you today. You are loving, joy, peace, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. And all wrapped into one.   So, praise the Lord for the way He made you. You are an absolute delight. I have enjoyed this so much.   Thank you for being my guest.   Margaret Feinberg: (58:10 - 58:11) What a privilege and joy. Grateful for you.   Laura Dugger: (58:11 - 1:02:30) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.    Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.    We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.    That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.    This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.    Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.    And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.    First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.    You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.    We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.    And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.    And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

Robyn StuttsRobyn Stutts has served with Young Life for more than 20 years, helping young people encounter the hope of Jesus. In 2008, she moved to Fayetteville to launch Young Life College at the University of Arkansas, and under her leadership, the ministry expanded to reach students and adolescents across multiple schools and communities in Arkansas. She now serves as Associate Regional Director, overseeing Young Life ministries statewide. She and her husband Gregg have four adult children and seven grandchildren.

In this episode of The Best Dam Podcast, Jill is joined by Roger Devine, a partner at SchoolAuction.net. As a former PTA president who saw vital school programs go underfunded, Roger breaks down his 18-year mission to stop "burning out" volunteers. He explains how the SchoolAuction.net platform provides not just the software, but the 20 years of data-driven wisdom that grassroots nonprofits need to run efficient, successful, and even fun fundraising events.Roger provides a masterclass in event-based fundraising. He also discusses why, in the uncertain economic climate of 2025, local events are "showing their superpower" as donors focus their giving "closer to the heart".DISCUSSIONStop Burning Out Volunteers: Roger explains that his mission began when he saw fundraisers relying on "rudimentary" tools, forcing them to "throw bodies at a problem". The goal of his platform is to respect volunteers by giving them efficient tools, bounding their time, and providing a structure they can work within.It's Not Just for Schools: Despite the name, SchoolAuction.net is designed for all "grassroots nonprofits". Roger works with local Humane Societies, Young Life chapters, food banks, churches, and any community organization that needs to raise money but doesn't have the resources of a national charity.The 20-Year"Human AI": Roger emphasizes that clients get more than software; they get his team's wisdom and data. With 20 years of data, he can tell a group "the top five things that work in a live auction for churches in 2024," acting as a human AI for fundraising strategy.The"Signup Party"(Aha Moment): Roger shares a brilliant fundraising item called a "signup party". These are fixed-price items, like a teacher feature or a pig roast he hosted. This makes the event more equitable, allowing people who don't have the "fattest wallets" to participate.A Cautionary"Tail": Roger tells a hilarious story of how the "Heads or Tails" game went horribly wrong. One "particularly lubed up" guest bought 100 chances to play, angering all the other guests who wanted a fair shot. When the auctioneer changed the rules mid-game, she "caused a scene".Fundraising's "Superpower" in 2025: With federal grants under review and private foundations "scared," Roger explains that event-based fundraising is "showing its superpower". In uncertain times, giving gets "closer to the heart," and people are more likely to fund local causes.Cultivating the"Baby Donor": Auctions obey a 90/10 rule (90% of money from 10% of the audience). But Roger explains you need the other 90% for two reasons: 1) to provide the applause and "ego gratification" for the big donors, and 2) to treat them as "baby donors" you can cultivate into future supporters.From Publishing to... Artisanal Sardines?: Roger shares his journey from working in book publishing in New York to the tech world. He also reveals a fun fact: he has become a "complete sardine enthusiast".LEARN MORETo learn more about Roger Devine and his fundraising platform, visit SchoolAuction.net. and on these social sites:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchoolAuctionInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/schoolauctionKEYWORDSSchoolAuction.net, Fundraising, Virtual Fundraising, Donor Cultivation, Volunteer Management, The Best Dam Podcast, Boulder City Chamber of Commerce#SchoolAuctionNet #Fundraising #VirtualFundraising #DonorCultivation #VolunteerManagement #TheBestDamPodcast #BoulderCityChamberofCommerce

What is Gen Z really asking about God? In this episode of FrontStage BackStage, Jason Daye sits down with Tanita Maddox, national director of generational impact for Young Life and author of What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God.Together, they dive into the surprising questions and spiritual longings shaping Gen Z today. They highlight how the Church can respond with honesty, humility, and hope. This is a practical and encouraging conversation for pastors, ministry leaders, and parents who want to better understand and engage the next generation with the gospel.We explore:What the latest research reveals about Gen Z's spiritual curiosityWhy the Church and Gen Z are missing each otherHow the Church can communicate the gospel in ways that truly connect with Gen Z Practical ideas for pastors, parents, and leaders to disciple and empower young peopleEncouragement for ministry leaders navigating generational changeIf you want to reach Gen Z with the gospel, and walk with them as they ask real questions about faith, this episode will give you both clarity and hope.Dig deeper into this conversation: Find the free Weekly Toolkit, including the Ministry Leaders Growth Guide, all resource links, and more, at http://PastorServe.org/networkSome key takeaways from this conversation:Tanita Maddox on the importance of bridging the gap between Gen Z and the Church: "Gen Z has a lot of questions that the Church is not addressing."Tanita Maddox on the significance of understanding before responding: "If we just start answering questions without understanding where it's coming from, we can accidentally give the wrong answer."Tanita Maddox on the importance of earning Gen Z's trust through authenticity and integrity: "What I love about Gen Z is they actually realize that their trust has a value to it, and they're not going to squander it."----------------Looking to dig more deeply into this topic and conversation? FrontStage BackStage is much more than another church leadership show, it is a complete resource to help you and your ministry leaders grow. Every week we go the extra mile and create a free toolkit so you and your ministry team can dive deeper into the topic that is discussed.Visit http://PastorServe.org/network to find the Weekly Toolkit, including the Ministry Leaders Growth Guide. Our team pulls key insights and quotes from every conversation with our guests. We also create engaging questions for you and your team to consider and process, providing space for you to reflect on how each episode's topic relates to your unique church context. Use these questions in your staff meetings, or other settings, to guide your conversation as you invest in the growth of your ministry leaders. Love well, live well, & lead well Complimentary Coaching Session for Pastors http://PastorServe.org/freesession Follow PastorServe LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | FacebookConnect with Jason Daye LinkedIn | Instagram...

“The next generation will live into the words we speak over them, so we should consider what words we are speaking over Gen Z. We, older generations, are responsible for raising, stewarding, and discipling the next generation, and right now, they are hearing from us, “We don't like you.” - An excerpt from What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God. We're in a bit of a tale as old as time moment. There is a lot of discussion about Gen Z - and a lot of it negative. Honestly this seems like a not uncommon issue where older generations speak negatively about younger generations, but there is something that does seem different about the conversation surrounding Gen Z. Gen Z is considered the first digital native generation and there is data to show a decline in church engagement in Gen Z. As I read from the excerpt earlier, there is a narrative in place that Gen Z is lazy, difficult, and weak. But what if we flipped the narrative? What if we approached Gen Z with hope and optimism, maybe even appreciation for what we can learn from them? Gen Z isn't just the future of the church, it's the church today so how can we think of and approach Gen Z differently than the prevailing narratives. My guest today is Dr. Tanita Maddox, national director at Young Life and author of the new book What Gen Z Really Wants to Know About God. In this conversation, we talk about who Gen Z is, how they think, the relationship between Gen Z and the church, and why we should not only be hopeful about Gen Z but even see them as a brave, resilient generation. Doable Discipleship is a Saddleback Church podcast produced and hosted by Jason Wieland. It premiered in 2017 and now offers more than 400 episodes. Episodes release every Tuesday on your favorite podcast app and on the Saddleback Church YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/saddleback).Resources Related to This Episode:https://www.amazon.com/What-Really-Wants-Know-About-ebook/dp/B0DT5J9QZM?ref_=ast_author_dpSubscribe to the Doable Discipleship podcast at Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doable-discipleship/id1240966935) or Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zc9nuwQZOLadbFCZCmZ1V)Related Doable Discipleship Episodes: The Man You're Meant to Be - https://youtu.be/Zrn5ws4rFecThe Urgency of Grace in a Worn Out World with David Zahl - https://youtu.be/kiOQU4TO3QULiving with Hope in the Midst of Struggle with Alan Noble - https://youtu.be/99Nki49V0fIDelighting in Jesus with Asheritah Ciuciu - https://youtu.be/nHFPW4QLc9sEmbracing Brokenness with Michael John Cusick - https://youtu.be/Wzky80I2lPwMysteries of Faith: Prayer - https://youtu.be/9rFBmBKiNxILiving Hope with Phil Wickham - https://youtu.be/1U_aetP2H0MLonging for Joy with Alastair Sterne - https://youtu.be/HNXAl4wTmIcNavigating the Bible: Genesis - https://youtu.be/ddhjMfOoasA

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Ty Earlewine. He shares how he transformed from cautious to courageous, making bold decisions that changed everything. Join us for an honest conversation about stepping into courage and taking faith-filled risks. WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER: ⚡️How to become "comfortable in the uncomfortable" ⚡️Why choosing faith over familiarity leads to growth ⚡️The power of disconnecting to connect with God ⚡️How to navigate family expectations while finding your own path ⚡️Senior year advice that actually matters ⚡️Why taking the leap of faith was worth the fear Ty opens up about his journey from being the "safe" kid to hiking 25 miles in the wilderness, leading Young Life camps, and choosing to attend Grand Canyon University across the country. This conversation reveals how God uses discomfort to grow our faith and courage. WORK WITH DARON: ⚡️FREE: Jumpstart to Purpose ➡️ https://rb.gy/4qpsgb ⚡️BOOK: The Death of a Dream ➡️ https://rb.gy/a9ifwi ⚡️COACHING: Register ➡️ https://rb.gy/0is05k

Do you ever feel invisible in youth ministry—like your work with students doesn't matter? Heaven sees you. And you are not alone. In this powerful episode of Youth Worker on Fire, Doug Edwards reminds youth pastors, volunteers, and parents that God's angel armies are surrounding you as you fight for the hearts of the next generation. Drawing inspiration from Bo Jackson's legendary grit, missionary stories of angelic protection, and Scripture's reminders of spiritual warfare, this episode will reignite your courage and hope in ministry. Through Matthew 11:11, Psalm 34:7, 2 Kings 6, Hebrews 12:1, and Exodus 14, Doug unpacks: ✅ Why student ministry is the highest calling in the church ✅ How heaven honors those who disciple teens, preteens, and children ✅ Real stories of angelic protection from missionaries and believers ✅ Why you're not battling people—but principalities and powers ✅ How to lead with boldness, knowing heaven is cheering you on

In this episode of the Fundraising Masterminds Podcast, we're talking about 4 biblical paradigm shifts that will transform your fundraising and reshape your entire worldview on development.Join us as we walk through these 4 key principles and discuss how they apply to your everyday life. From understanding why God owns it all to recognizing that all giving is Spirit-led, we're talking about everything you need to know to align your development strategies with Biblical truth.Find out how the Young Life camp experience relates to experiencing a holy moment of giving. Discover what it means to be a blessings broker. Learn what made the Macedonians such generous givers. And uncover how the cosmic battle of two-kingdom living defines your path in development.So whether you're just starting out in development or looking to strengthen your long-term strategy, this episode will give you the perspective shift you need to move forward with confidence and faith.Subscribe to our channel for more nonprofit mindset training!ASK US A QUESTION:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/fundraisingmasterminds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NEED HELP WITH YOUR NONPROFIT?Most nonprofits are under-funded. Even if you think your nonprofit is doing well, we've found you could be doing much better. However, most nonprofits don't have a clear development strategy that keeps them grounded. As a result, they "get creative" and "try new things" based on what is popular or trending, or they get comfortable with where they are at and don't realize the dangers they will be facing in just a few short years.The Perfect Vision Dinner Course is a 20-week "live video" course that addresses this problem head on. The course was developed by Jim Dempsey after 38+ years as a Senior Development Director at Cru. After Jim had personally done over 2,500 vision dinners in his lifetime and raised over $1 billion worldwide, Jim and Jason have partnered together to bring you Fundraising Masterminds. Our first course, The Perfect Vision Dinner is a time-tested proven formula that will introduce our development system and grow your nonprofit to its maximum potential.The course includes 20-hours of personalized development coaching from Jim Dempsey and Jason Galicinski and also includes a real-time community group where you have access to everyone attending the course and also our Masterminds throughout the course.The goal for this course is to fully equip you with a Biblical basis for Development so that you can Win, Keep and Lift new partners to higher levels of involvement with your nonprofit. → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FundraisingMasterminds.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:→ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/fundraising.masterminds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠→ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/fundraising.masterminds⁠⁠⁠Episode Keywords:Biblical Paradigm Shifts, 4 biblical paradigm shifts, biblical paradigm shifts that will transform your fundraising, transform your fundraising, development 101, fundraising masterminds, fundraising masterminds podcast, development strategies, young life, blessings broker, two-kingdom living, nonprofit mindset training, nonprofit mindset, jason galicinski, jim dempsey, fundraising mastermidns, four biblical paradigm shifts, giving partners, biblical development worldview, jims.

Discipleship: Trusting and Receiving with Robbie Eng | Disciple Makers Podcast In this insightful episode of the Disciple Makers Podcast, host Josh engages in a deep conversation with Robbie Eng from True Face. Robbie shares his personal journey and the pivotal shift from a performance-based faith to one rooted in trusting and receiving God's love. They discuss the importance of correct beliefs and philosophy in creating effective discipleship environments and the impact of leaders' personal spiritual health on their ministry. Robbie emphasizes a relationship with God based on trust and receiving over merely knowing more and doing better. Tune in to discover practical ways to foster healthy discipleship cultures in your ministry and personal life. 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:05 Meet Robbie Eng: A Journey of Faith 02:41 The Importance of Small Groups in Discipleship 03:34 Understanding True Face and Its Impact 05:03 The Core of Discipleship: Beliefs and Philosophy 10:05 Practical Applications and Leader Development 12:02 The Role of Identity in Ministry 16:10 Creating a Culture of Trust and Receiving 32:24 Final Thoughts and Resources Get Discipleship.org's premium Podcast Feed: https://disciplemakerspodcast.supercast.com/  Check out the following eBooks from Discipleship.org: -- What Is Church? And How Important Is It?  https://discipleship.org/shop/what-is-church-and-how-important-is-it/ -- Family Discipleship Blueprint: A Year-by-Year Guide to Family Discipleship https://discipleship.org/shop/family-discipleship-blueprint-a-year-by-year-guide-to-family-discipleship/ -- Becoming a Disciple Maker https://discipleship.org/shop/becoming-a-disciple-maker/ In this episode of the Disciple Makers Podcast, host Josh welcomes Robby Angle, president of True Face, for a deep and candid conversation about cultivating authentic discipleship by aligning personal identity with ministry practice. The discussion opens with lighthearted banter, quickly establishing a tone of vulnerability and friendship that sets the stage for the episode's core themes. Robby shares his journey through various ministry roles, from Young Life staff to international disaster response with Samaritan's Purse, professional counseling, and leading small groups at North Point Church. He describes how his experiences shaped his understanding that spiritual growth is most effective in the context of authentic relationships, but also acknowledges the widespread problem of “lame” small groups that fail to foster real transformation. The heart of the episode centers on the subtle but critical distinction between doing ministry for God out of a sense of earning versus operating from a place of received identity and grace. Robby and Josh both reflect on how easy it is for ministry leaders to derive their sense of worth from their roles and achievements, rather than from their identity as beloved children of God. Robby recounts a pivotal moment during his time in Pakistan, where he realized that his drive to “do more and know more” for God was rooted in pride and a misunderstanding of the gospel. He emphasizes that true discipleship is not about earning God's love, but about trusting and receiving it, which then naturally overflows into loving action. The conversation unpacks how beliefs about God and self form the foundation for ministry philosophy and, ultimately, the environments and outcomes in churches. Robby argues that most leaders focus on tweaking environments or adopting new resources, but the real transformation comes from regularly revisiting and realigning core beliefs and philosophies. He illustrates how a leader's internal posture—whether rooted in striving or in secure identity—directly shapes the culture and effectiveness of their groups. Josh and Robby discuss practical implications for church leaders, highlighting the importance of developing leaders who are secure in their identity and philosophy before focusing on group formation or equipping. Robby outlines four key areas for churches: developing leaders, supporting leaders, getting people into groups, and equipping those groups, stressing that leader development is the most crucial and often overlooked step. The episode concludes with practical resources, including True Face's “The Cure” and discipleshipframework.com, and an invitation for leaders to reach out for support. Ultimately, the conversation calls ministry leaders to examine their motives, root their identity in Christ, and lead others from a place of freedom, trust, and genuine love. More Discipleship.org Resources:  -- Recreated to Be like God: Making Disciples in the Image of Jesus https://a.co/d/6DDvUrC Stay informed - Get our newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/hPViAr Listen - Disciple Maker's Podcast:  https://discipleship.org/resources/podcast/

How do you respond in when life gets really tough? Jerry Leachman says to remember that we're just a baby in a basket.What does that mean, "a baby in a basket?" When Moses was just a few months old, Pharoah, the most powerful man in the world, had a hit order on his life. Moses' family put him in a little frail reed basket and set him afloat in the crocodile-infested Nile River.His chances are going down the further this story goes along. And then they watched him—talk about a heartbreaking scene.I think most of you know how this story goes along. The daughter of Pharaoh finds Moses, and then they hire Moses' family back. So, now they're taking care of their own baby again, and they're getting a paycheck to do it.Pharaoh had a plan for Moses to annihilate him, but God had another plan for Moses. He was going to be God's deliverer. That little baby was indestructible until God was through with him.As long as God has a purpose for us to be here, your magnificent obsession should be not to sit here and have fun, not to sit here on earth and try to be the man. You need to find out why God put you here and be about that and fulfill your destiny.Be part of the solution, not the problem—be part of the answer. We don't want God to remove His Holy Spirit. And if there's anything in your life this morning, only you would know, that grieves the Holy Spirit, get it out. That's your call.Jerry Leachman of ⁠⁠Leachman Ministries⁠⁠ is a favorite speaker at The Center's events. Along with being an associate Chaplain in The NFL for many years, Jerry has done ministry in Guatemala, Scotland, Russia, Europe and Africa as well as all over the U.S. He and his wife Holly have been on Young Life Staff and continue to be involved with Young Life here and also internationally.

Get ready for a deeply moving conversation about navigating faith, family dynamics, and devastating loss during the most important year of high school. Ty Earlewine opens up about finding purpose through unthinkable tragedy. WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER: ⚡️The unique blessings and challenges of being the middle child ⚡️How worship music became his strongest connection to God ⚡️Why leadership through Young Life transformed his faith journey ⚡️Walking through the loss of two close friends during senior year ⚡️Learning to live fully in the present moment after tragedy ⚡️How Baron's quiet kindness and Mason's infectious joy shaped his character This is part of a special family series where each Earlewine family member shares their perspective on faith, growing up, and finding purpose. Don't miss the powerful insights from a young man who learned to find light in the darkest moments. WORK WITH DARON: ⚡️FREE: Jumpstart to Purpose ➡️ https://rb.gy/4qpsgb ⚡️BOOK: The Death of a Dream ➡️ https://rb.gy/a9ifwi ⚡️COACHING: Register ➡️ https://rb.gy/0is05k

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of What Are You Made Of?, host Mike “C-Roc” sits down with Zach Gurick, a leader in nonprofit organizational development and longevity innovation at Shell Point—the largest single-site nonprofit life plan community in the country. Zach shares his journey from years of youth-focused nonprofit leadership with Young Life to now curating wellness, biohacking, and longevity initiatives for seniors in Southwest Florida. He opens up about what he's made of at his core—love, adventure, and the drive to make a lasting impact—and explains how that perspective shapes the way he leads and serves others. Together, Zach and Mike "C-Roc" discuss the importance of authentic relationships, the differences between nonprofit and for-profit work, and the exciting advances in functional medicine, AI-driven healthcare, and biohacking that could one day move people from assisted living back into independence. Zach's vision is bold and full of hope: to add not just years to life, but life to years, and to help transform aging into an empowered, purpose-filled stage of life.Website-https://www.shellpoint.org/podcast/https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-gurick-9684883a/

Welcome to another episode of Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick. Today, Michael sits down with Rachel Moses, the newest therapist to join the Restoring the Soul team. In this heartfelt conversation, Rachel shares her fascinating journey—from growing up with dreams of being a missionary, to living in Munich, Germany with Young Life, and ultimately becoming a seasoned therapist with nearly two decades of experience. Together, Michael and Rachel delve into her background working with individuals abroad, her deep experience with trauma and intensive therapy, and how challenges like depression shaped her life and faith. Rachel opens up about her passion for helping motivated clients do the deeper work of healing, as well as the importance of community and compassion in her counseling approach.Support the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

She's back!! After a short break to welcome baby Chip into the world, Kenz is back on the mic with Mac, and y'all—this one's full of laughs, life updates, and one big announcement you won't want to miss. We catch up on all the summer highs and lows—from blowout mishaps and photo shoot chaos to cozy newborn cuddles and life in ministry. Mac shares about Young Life camp in Colorado, Kenz opens up about the challenges of navigating two kids while supporting Josh through a busy work season, and together we talk about making space for fun, connection, and God's faithfulness in every season. Grab your coffee, settle in, and get ready to smile, laugh, and maybe even tear up—this episode feels like a warm hang with your best friends. And seriously, stick around to the end for the big news! In This Episode [00:00] Kenz is back! Baby Chip's arrival + catching up on life [03:00] Blowout salon drama (and why Kenz shed a tear in Nashville) [07:00] Meeting baby Chip for the first time [09:00] Newborn life, nicknames, and adjusting to two kids [10:40] Summer highs and lows: Kenz's cozy newborn rhythm + marriage challenges in a busy season [16:40] Mac's highlight: Young Life camp in Colorado and an inspiring camp speaker [20:00] Ministry, relationships, and craving more time for fun [24:00] Navigating boredom, routine, and connection in this season [??:??] The Big Announcement

Pastor Darren has a panel interview discussion with our Children's Pastor Laura Wilson, our Student Ministries Pastor Cody Mullins and YoungLife volunteer leader Sue Hair about how each of their ministries are impacting the different generations right here in Freedom Fellowship Church. After the panel interview, Cody, challenges us with a Word about being rooted in community and church and how necessary it is for us to be in community. Thank you for listening to our podcast! We hope you have been encouraged today.Check us out on social media, or to learn more, you can visit our website at www.freedomcanyon.com.

In this powerful episode, Jack and Riley sit down with Renee Boucher, a leader with 24/7 Prayer International, to uncover how prayer changes cities and breaks spiritual strongholds. Renee shares the remarkable story of how God led her to pray over the former Rashneesh cult property in Oregon after Young Life acquired it—and the spiritual cleansing that followed. We also dive into stories of revival in Portland, the transformation of entire neighborhoods, and why persistent, unified prayer is critical in this dark hour. If you've ever doubted the impact of prayer, this conversation will reignite your faith.

Are you in a painful place in your life today? Do you feel like the wheels are coming off? Do you feel bitter toward God?Whenever you feel God may be far from you, whenever you feel the wheels are coming off in your life, choose to praise God. The worse it gets, praise God. And mathematically, God has to draw near because He always inhabits the praise of His saints. Don't question Him, don't curses him. Praise Him. And He will draw near to you in. In your worst pain and in your worst moment, you can make it your finest hour if you'll praise God.Then use that comfort you've received from God to give your life away. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:3-6"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer."Jerry Leachman of ⁠⁠⁠Leachman Ministries⁠⁠⁠ is a favorite speaker at The Center's events. Along with being an associate Chaplain in The NFL for many years, Jerry has done ministry in Guatemala, Scotland, Russia, Europe and Africa as well as all over the U.S. He and his wife Holly have been on Young Life Staff and continue to be involved with Young Life here and also internationally.

In Part 2 of my convo with Tyler, we're diving into the number one thing that has completely transformed our marriage. It's something we're deeply passionate about—and honestly, it might surprise you. We reflect on how we went from Netflix nights to stepping into something that gave our relationship new purpose and depth. We share the story of how it all began, what we've learned along the way, and how it continues to challenge and shape us. Whether you're single, dating, or married, we hope this episode encourages you to think about what it could look like to say “yes” to something bigger—together. Why Serving Together Matters Backstory: How We Got the Heart to Serve The Boredom That Sparked Purpose Our Call to Young Life and Choosing Butler A Text, a Taco Spot, and a God Moment Saying Yes to Something Bigger The Reality of Doing Ministry Alone From One Kid to Many: The Power of Showing Up Marriage, Ministry, and the Trench Moments When It's Not Glamorous — But It's So Worth It Camp Stories and Catching the Vision When It's Not Easy to Keep Going Why Showing Up Matters More Than Being Perfect How Ministry Reshaped Our Marriage What We'd Say to Couples Wanting to Do Ministry Together A Word for the Girl Who's Waiting on Her Person Final Thoughts + The Real Heart Behind It All Mac's Closing Prayer Resources Mentioned Check out Younglife.org to learn more about what they are doing and how to partner with them! If you'd like to partner with For The Girl as a sponsor, fill out our ⁠Advertise With Us⁠ form! Follow us!

What does it really take to stay disciplined when no one is watching? How do you keep going when motivation fades, your friends are out having fun, and no one's cheering from the sidelines? In a world where young people are bombarded with distractions and the pressure of perfection on social media, how do you build a mindset strong enough to thrive — not just survive?In this episode, let's dive deep into the heart of those questions, offering a raw and inspiring look into the life of a young woman who's not only navigating the demands of collegiate athletics but using them as a powerful training ground for leadership, self-respect, and purpose.Issy is a Division I cross country and track athlete at Nicholls State University in Louisiana. But she's not just a runner—she's a leader, a role model, and a force of positive energy. From competing at a high level to mentoring high school students through Young Life, Issy embodies the values of discipline, joy, and resilience. Her story is one of quiet grit, unexpected beginnings, and a refreshing commitment to finding the fun in hard things.Whether it's wearing her “lucky socks,” leading her team through rough summer runs, or singing Ariana Grande at the start line, Issy shows that being disciplined doesn't mean being miserable—it means choosing your priorities, day after day, with purpose and joy.Quotes:"Comparison is the thief of joy, because I truly believe that it is." - Issy Rivault"There's days that I wake up and the last thing I want to do right now is go run for an hour. But having people there in the same shoes as you, and them being like, 'okay, we got this today' - that makes all the difference." - Issy Rivault"Just knowing that there's other chances to be better. Maybe today wasn't my day, but there is a next time to do better and be a better version of myself." - Issy RivaultActionable Takeaways:Create a Consistency Ritual: Develop a morning routine that prepares you mentally and physically for your goals. This could include a specific breakfast, wake-up time, or pre-activity preparation that signals your brain it's time to perform.Practice the "Fun Injection" Technique: For any repetitive task or training regimen, intentionally introduce elements of novelty and enjoyment.Develop a "Next Opportunity" Mindset: After any setback or less-than-ideal performance, immediately reframe your thinking. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, ask yourself: "What can I learn from this? How can I improve for the next opportunity?"Conclusion:Issy's journey reminds us that discipline isn't about perfection — it's about consistency, mindset, and showing up even when it's hard. Through early mornings, solo summer runs, and choosing rest over reckless hustle, she's learned that true strength comes from building habits, leaning into community, and finding joy in the process.For young leaders everywhere, her story is a powerful reminder: your habits matter more than your hype, your mindset shapes your momentum, and the small, often unseen choices you make every day are what set you apart.So — what's one area in your life where you can start showing up with more intention today?

In this episode of Men of Influence, host Tim Holloway sits down with Steve McNitt, a seasoned high school teacher, coach, therapist, and leadership consultant with over 30 years as a licensed clinical social worker and 40 years in youth ministry with Young Life. Steve shares his inspiring journey from a Catholic upbringing to a deeply personal faith sparked at age 15, emphasizing God's unwavering faithfulness through life's ups and downs, including church hurt and personal challenges. As a husband of 38 years, father of two, and author of a book on Romans 8, Steve offers practical wisdom on balancing faith, love, and purpose to live a life of influence.Steve explores the importance of growing in both grace and knowledge, drawing from 2 Peter 3:18, and likens spiritual balance to a four-legged chair; physical, emotional, spiritual, and social. He shares actionable habits like daily devotionals, journaling, and reading the Gospels to foster exponential spiritual growth, while stressing the power of awareness and intentional time with God. Steve also discusses his book, which unpacks Romans 8's promises of no condemnation and inseparable love, offering readers tools to reduce anxiety and deepen faith. With heartfelt stories from his work with at-risk youth and personal anecdotes, Steve encourages men to embrace their brokenness, serve with love, and lead by example, inspiring others through authentic influence rather than perfection.Key Takeaways:Balanced Faith: Grow in both grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18) to avoid legalism or complacency, ensuring a grounded spiritual life.Daily Habits: Use devotionals like Jesus Calling or My Utmost for His Highest, journal, and read scripture daily to stay connected to God's purpose.Four-Legged Chair: Balance physical, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of life, prioritizing God's kingdom first (Matthew 6:33).Authentic Influence: Lead through love, compassion, and service, not just knowledge, as people are drawn to genuine care (John Maxwell: “People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”).Romans 8 Power: Embrace God's promises of no condemnation and inseparable love to reduce anxiety and live confidently in faith.“God's been faithful the whole time, even when I haven't been. If I'm going to have a relationship with Him, I have to show up.” - Steve McNittLearn more about Tim through the following links:FacebookPodcasting group

The fellas are back from vacation and have lots to catch up on! Jon recently returned from Europe. He bravely transformed into "vacation Jon," embracing the holiday spirit by not stressing about money and being ready to spend "enchanted money," despite usually being more frugal. He even endured intense cycling in Mallorca and had a run-in (kinda) with Obi-Wan. Meanwhile, Dave took his own family to Trail West, a Young Life camp in Buena Vista Colorado, describing it as a resort experience focused on family bonding, conveniently without televisions in the rooms. They also delved into their kids' music tastes. Dave, ever the music enthusiast, admitted to running a "regime" in his car, making his kids listen to '90s R&B and hip-hop. He uses these car rides as teaching moments for music history. They also dive deep on getting your teenager their first phone. Join us: ⁠http://dadville.substack.com⁠ Thanks to our sponsors! BetterHelp - Our listeners get 10% off their first month at ⁠http://betterhelp.com/dadville Shopify - Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at ⁠http://shopify.com/dadville Quince - Go to ⁠⁠http://quince.com/dadville for⁠⁠ 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! The Road to Kaeluma - Visit ⁠⁠http://jesusfilm.org/kaeluma-dadville⁠⁠ to listen, learn more, or access discussion guides and other bonus content! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amber speaks on inviting others to the great banquet table prepared for those in the kingdom as well as an update on Young Life ministry.

In this episode of Space for Life, Tommy Thompson and long-time friend Tuck Knupp discuss the concept of aging well, highlighting its relevance at any age. The conversation delves into Tuck's life journey, which spans decades of ministry work, including his involvement with Young Life and pastoral roles. Tuck shares insights on maintaining health, nurturing relationships, and the importance of spiritual practices. The discussion also addresses the challenges of aging, such as learning to grieve losses and reframing regrets within the context of God's grace. Both Tommy and Tuck emphasize the value of intergenerational relationships and leaving a legacy of faith and wisdom.Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! http://tommythompson.org

Join Erica, Gina, and special Guest Pastor Mary Pena as they talk about the hard places being a place of growth.Mary Pena, is a foundation layer, builder, seed planter and an encourager in the Lord. She has served in Young Life both in the United States and Costa Rica. She taught high school Spanish for six years and helped plant a church, where she has served in many capacities. She has a heart for mentoring and discipleship to build the Kingdom of God.

 When parents find out their child is facing a serious challenge, most will do whatever it takes to help. That was certainly true for Janel Rodriguez after she learned her teenage son was battling a marijuana addiction. But despite her efforts, Janel's world was shattered in a way she never saw coming.Just weeks into his sophomore year, her son Noah bought what he believed was a Percocet. It turned out to be fentanyl—and it cost him his life.In this episode of Grieving Out Loud, Janel shares her powerful message for other parents, what she wishes she had known sooner, and how she's channeling unimaginable grief into action to help save lives.If you liked this episode, make sure to listen to these episodes next: Mother spearheads lawsuit against Snapchat in wake of teen's fentanyl fatalityA pill bought via Craigslist cost him his lifeSend us a textThe Emily's Hope Substance Use Prevention Curriculum has been carefully designed to address growing concerns surrounding substance use and overdose in our communities. Our curriculum focuses on age-appropriate and evidence-based content that educates children about the risks of substance use while empowering them to make healthy choices. Support the showConnect with Angela Follow Grieving Out Loud Follow Emily's Hope Read Angela's Blog Subscribe to Grieving Out Loud/Emily's Hope Updates Suggest a Guest For more episodes and information, just go to our website, emilyshope.charityWishing you faith, hope and courage!Podcast producers:Casey Wonnenberg King & Marley Miller

Sponsors & Partners Freedom Scholars Academy (FSM) My Story Matters / Captain Your Story - mystorymatters.org The Other Side Academy (TOSA) - theothersideacademy.com 00:00 - Ryan 01:30 - Sponsors 02:44 - Younglife 04:40 - Didn't Fit In 07:20 - Sexual Trauma 10:20 - The Substance Spiral 12:50 - Broke His Dad's Ribs 14:00 - 20 Years of Relapse 19:40 - A New Kind of Addiction 22:00 - Mapping Out a New World 22:50 - My Story Matters 25:50 - Finding Vision 29:35 - We Attract What We Are 33:00 - Your Opinions are a Reflection of Yourself 46:30 - Continued use of the My Story Matters tools 48:50 - Final piece of advice “My Story Matters Will Change Your Life”

What is the wrong you are meant to right in the world? In this episode, Jeff and Cale discuss: Understanding the narrative, not just the numbers.Finding joy while giving before you're gone and disinheriting the IRS.Putting your talents to work for the Kingdom.Living an abundant life.  Key Takeaways: Take a look inside your family and what you're called to do. For some, it is disenfranchised youth or Christian entertainment. It may be missionary work, Bible translation, or the environment. Various things can be done and continue to need to be done.Let God move your heart - He moves within everyone in different ways.We all only have one chance here - let's use what we have for the good of others.There is not really a one-size-fits-all setup. It will be different for your family as it speaks to your values and purpose.  "What we encourage people to do is start with something simple - just see if you can name three values, three words that you and your spouse feel really speaks to this and summarizes what we feel like God has called us to be as a family." —  Cale Dowell About Cale Dowell: After diving deep into the hurdles clients face when picking a financial partner, Cale determined that financial advice should offer more than just managing a portfolio. He left Morgan Stanley to help launch Arkos and “Rebuild Wall Street” by creating a paradigm shift in the way the wealth management industry serves and impacts people. His passion is rooted in the mission to help families thrive across generations.Cale is a published thought leader in vulnerability analysis and risk mitigation. He is the creator of Wealth Languages™, a captivating public speaker, and has consulted with many of the world's largest corporations. His diverse experience spans technology, commercial real estate, O&G, private equity, and startups. Cale spends an inordinate amount of time igniting contagious, positive environments and investing in relationships… because culture devours strategy for breakfast. After graduating from Baylor University, Cale tied the knot with his Aggie sweetheart, Lynne, and now calls Houston home with their two little ones. They are actively involved in their church and Young Life, where Cale has served for over 15 years. He is a 40 under 40 recipient, actively contributes to several non-profit boards, and is a 7th-generation Texan. Not surprisingly, he is just as stubborn about Texas as you would imagine. Connect with Cale Dowell:Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Email: cale.dowell@arkosglobal.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caledowell/  Connect with Jeff Thomas: Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-upEmail: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdvFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw

#216: Micah Lacher is the President and Founder of Anchor Investments, a Nashville-based real estate investment firm with a mission to become the most generous real estate company in America. Anchor specializes in the acquisition, development, and management of commercial properties across the Southeast and Midwest. In addition to his real estate ventures, he leads Mission Hotels, a unique hospitality initiative that repurposes historic church buildings into boutique hotels. These hotels operate with a distinctive model: over 50% of their profits are donated to local nonprofits supporting underserved communities, including organizations like Nashville Rescue Mission and Room in the Inn. Prior to forming Anchor Investments, he was a local partner in a regional development and brokerage firm as a developer of new retail facilities and residential communities. Along with a local partner, Micah founded and ran the Nashville office.Prior to that partnership, he had several successful years in brokerage in the Nashville office of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, which is now called Cushman & Wakefield. Over the course of the last 14 years, Micah has been involved as the managing partner in the acquisition and development of close to 2 million square feet of commercial real estate.Beyond his professional endeavors, he is deeply committed to community service. He has held board and volunteer positions with several Nashville organizations, such as the Nashville House Foundation for Young Life, The Halftime Institute, and Redbird Ministries. Micah is also a co-founder of Team Chad, a nonprofit that has raised over $1.6 million for leukemia-related charities since its inception in 2007. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Tennessee, graduating Summa Cum Laude.For more on Micah you can find him on Linkedin as well as achorinv.com and missionhotels.com Enjoy the show! 

A Double Lifetime Sentence Sponsors & Partners  The Other Side Academy - theothersideacademy.com  My Story Matters / Captain Your Story - mystorymatters.org  Freedom Scholars Academy Timestamps 00:00:00 George Smith  00:01:38 Sponsors  00:02:39 Young Life  00:08:38 Back to Compton at 16  00:15:08 Filling a Need  00:23:00 Double Life Sentence at 18 years old  00:30:35 A Moment of Reflection   00:47:40 Discovering Miracles  00:50:30 Being an Agent for Change  01:01:50 From Life-Sentence to Free  01:08:34 Advice for Young Self  “Ask for help… It's okay…” - George Smith

How do you turn your resources into a tailwind for your kids, not a headwind?In this episode, Jeff and Cale discuss: Customizing your children's inheritance to what fits your family. Inheritance transfer that is led with purpose, not tax mitigation, in mind. Establishing a committed form of generosity to the Lord.The importance of communication at appropriate ages and stages.   Key Takeaways: Knowing what to give to the next generation should be more than just dividing your estate equally.  You can love your kids equally, but treat them uniquely. Giving each child the same amount may not be the right decision for your family. Are the decisions that you're making for your family based on empowering your children or controlling them?Make sure you and your spouse are on the same page with a unified purpose.   "What could you do today for your kids (or in some maybe it's grandkids or great grandkids) now to start investing in that full inheritance?" —  Cale Dowell About Cale Dowell: After diving deep into the hurdles clients face when picking a financial partner, Cale determined that financial advice should offer more than just managing a portfolio. He left Morgan Stanley to help launch Arkos and “Rebuild Wall Street” by creating a paradigm shift in the way the wealth management industry serves and impacts people. His passion is rooted in the mission to help families thrive across generations.Cale is a published thought leader in vulnerability analysis and risk mitigation. He is the creator of Wealth Languages™, a captivating public speaker, and has consulted with many of the world's largest corporations. His diverse experience spans technology, commercial real estate, O&G, private equity, and startups. Cale spends an inordinate amount of time igniting contagious, positive environments and investing in relationships… because culture devours strategy for breakfast. After graduating from Baylor University, Cale tied the knot with his Aggie sweetheart, Lynne, and now calls Houston home with their two little ones. They are actively involved in their church and Young Life, where Cale has served for over 15 years. He is a 40 under 40 recipient, actively contributes to several non-profit boards, and is a 7th-generation Texan. Not surprisingly, he is just as stubborn about Texas as you would imagine. Connect with Cale Dowell:Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/ Email: cale.dowell@arkosglobal.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caledowell/  Connect with Jeff Thomas: Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-upEmail: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw

Have you and your spouse thought about and set your financial finish line? In this episode, Jeff and Cale discuss: When is enough enough?Being a steward and not an owner of God's resources. Orienting your life for abundance today, but also for treasures in heaven. Taking inventory of what is yours to steward.   Key Takeaways: Keeping up with the Joneses is not the finish line that brings about any sense of significance or purpose. You can't take it with you, but you can send it ahead. Change your view on giving. Instead of asking “how much should I give?” ask “how much am I allowed to keep?”Everyone will define a full life differently. But everyone who leans into their definition of a fuller life  "This speaks to another principle we have at Arkos called: have a written plan. Well, it's hard to have a written plan if you don't know where everything is, and have some semblance of what we're marching towards." —  Cale Dowell Episode References: The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn About Cale Dowell: After diving deep into the hurdles clients face when picking a financial partner, Cale determined that financial advice should offer more than just managing a portfolio. He left Morgan Stanley to help launch Arkos and “Rebuild Wall Street” by creating a paradigm shift in the way the wealth management industry serves and impacts people. His passion is rooted in the mission to help families thrive across generations.Cale is a published thought leader in vulnerability analysis and risk mitigation. He is the creator of Wealth Languages™, a captivating public speaker, and has consulted with many of the world's largest corporations. His diverse experience spans technology, commercial real estate, O&G, private equity, and startups. Cale spends an inordinate amount of time igniting contagious, positive environments and investing in relationships… because culture devours strategy for breakfast. After graduating from Baylor University, Cale tied the knot with his Aggie sweetheart, Lynne, and now calls Houston home with their two little ones. They are actively involved in their church and Young Life, where Cale has served for over 15 years. He is a 40 under 40 recipient, actively contributes to several non-profit boards, and is a 7th-generation Texan. Not surprisingly, he is just as stubborn about Texas as you would imagine. Connect with Cale Dowell:Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/ Email: cale.dowell@arkosglobal.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caledowell/  Connect with Jeff Thomas: Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-upEmail: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw

Is anything holding you back from fully embracing Christ?Today's message from Jerry Leachman closes with this prayer, interceding for all istening:"Dear God, there's no catch today. We don't have anything for anybody to join. We don't want anybody's money. We don't want anybody's anything. We're a band of brothers in here this morning. Lord, if there are men here that go, 'You know, I've believed in Christ, but I think the chaplain's right. I've been chasing idols. That's what's been holding me back.'Lord, I pray we just crash and break all the idols, like in the book of Acts. Paul went in and shared Christ with a town, and it says they begin to destroy all their idols. Idols either break our heart, leave us frustrated, or punish us all our days. There may be guys here who go, 'You know, I've never connected with Christ.' They may be looking over the ledge of that crater. I pray they would jump in the arms of Jesus. Now.I pray we all would jump into the crater in the arms of Christ. Lord... when my faith gets really thin, and it does from time to time. I think, 'I can't see you Lord, but You can see me.' Thank God Almighty.Thank you for Eric Liddell's example. He knew You made him fast. These men are so gifted, so talented. I pray they would get a chance to use their gifts, their talents; and when they do, they'd feel Your pleasure. But I pray they'd cease trying to validate themselves, stop wasting their life, covering up, trying to convince everybody else they're somebody they're not. Let them walk out of here free men today, I love the words of William Wallace about to go into impossible battle. He said: 'Men, the moment's going to come for all of us when we die. By God's help, let's just at least die free men.'Lord, I don't want to go to my grave a slave. I don't want to live another day a slave. Free us today, Lord. We're asking You for a miracle here today. In Christ's name, amen. Amen." - Jerry LeachmanJerry Leachman of ⁠⁠Leachman Ministries⁠⁠ is a favorite speaker at The Center's events. Along with being an associate Chaplain in The NFL for many years, Jerry has done ministry in Guatemala, Scotland, Russia, Europe and Africa as well as all over the U.S. He and his wife Holly have been on Young Life Staff and continue to be involved with Young Life here and also internationally.

Are you planning for the Kingdom or the world? In this episode, Jeff and Cale discuss: Thinking about your financial estate plan from a different angle.Planning your giving before you die.Generous giving as a family with a non-traditional framework of giving.The top five questions are frequently asked by generous business owners.  Key Takeaways: The three key questions: How much is enough for us? How much is enough for the kids? What do we do with the rest?There is value in community and in having like-minded advisors as you write your estate plans.You should have a financial finish line written down. You should also be on the same page as your spouse with that finish line and what is happening with any excess.It's not about the balance sheet or the barn, it is about what God tells you and your spouse to do.Write a blessing letter to your children - write why you love them, what sticks out to you about their lives, about seeing God's hand in their lives, and more. Update it over the years.  "God doesn't care about how many talents you have. What He cares is what you do with them." —  Cale Dowell About Cale Dowell: After diving deep into the hurdles clients face when picking a financial partner, Cale determined that financial advice should offer more than just managing a portfolio. He left Morgan Stanley to help launch Arkos and “Rebuild Wall Street” by creating a paradigm shift in the way the wealth management industry serves and impacts people. His passion is rooted in the mission to help families thrive across generations.Cale is a published thought leader in vulnerability analysis and risk mitigation. He is the creator of Wealth Languages™, a captivating public speaker, and has consulted with many of the world's largest corporations. His diverse experience spans technology, commercial real estate, O&G, private equity, and startups. Cale spends an inordinate amount of time igniting contagious, positive environments and investing in relationships… because culture devours strategy for breakfast. After graduating from Baylor University, Cale tied the knot with his Aggie sweetheart, Lynne, and now calls Houston home with their two little ones. They are actively involved in their church and Young Life, where Cale has served for over 15 years. He is a 40 under 40 recipient, actively contributes to several non-profit boards, and is a 7th-generation Texan. Not surprisingly, he is just as stubborn about Texas as you would imagine. Connect with Cale Dowell:Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Email: cale.dowell@arkosglobal.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caledowell/  Connect with Jeff Thomas: Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-upEmail: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdvFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw

In Deuteronomy 32, Eugene Fidell challenges us to respond to God's goodness by walking in faithful obedience. We also celebrated another child dedication and commissioned our team heading to England to serve alongside Young Life.

Sponsors & Partners Freedom Scholars Academy (FSM) My Story Matters / Captain Your Story - mystorymatters.org The Other Side Academy (TOSA) - theothersideacademy.com 00:00 - Andrew Lewis 01:37 - Sponsors 2:50 - Younglife 5:30 - Early Influences 11:00 - Young Kid Under Pressure 13:31 - Diagnosed with Cancer 14:30 - Drug Store Candy Shop 15:15 - “I wanted to die.” 22:45 - The Other Side Academy 33:15 - Growing with the Company 42:15 - Healing with His Family

Producer's note: This episode of Beyond the Rodeo includes open and honest conversations about mental health, including topics like depression and suicide. As always, your WSF family is here to offer support through the highs and the lows. If you're interested in learning more about WSF's mental health resources, please visit wsf.org/mental-health. If you or someone you love is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please dial 988 or text 'HOME' to 741741 to reach the National Suicide Hotline.  --  Join us on Episode 27 of Beyond the Rodeo as Nick Luciano shares his journey from the East Coast to the heart of Texas, where he turned his love for Western culture into an online community that now includes 7 million followers. Discover how a pivotal moment at a Young Life camp helped Nick find his faith and shaped his future endeavors, including his passion for mental health in the Western community. Nick's story is one of courage, resilience, and the power of a "bulletproof mindset." Nick takes listeners through a raw and honest exploration of mental health as he opens up about his personal battles with depression and the transformative power of physical health, community, and faith. We dive into the essence of Nick's community, Club Bulletproof, which fosters mental resilience and encourages men to speak up about their struggles, and explore Nick's work with Tratter Foundation, which supports rural communities and the Western lifestyle.  Nick's collaborations with notable Western figures and his advocacy for a lifestyle rooted in faith and resilience offer a fresh perspective on achieving mental wellness. Whether you're drawn to the cowboy life or a longtime member of the Western community, Nick Luciano's story promises to leave a lasting impact.

Mike Iversen came from an Evangelical background, and after getting degrees in English and Earth Science, he felt called to bring his skills to youth ministry, going on to get an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Seminary. During his studies, he also spent many years working with Young Life. His study of apologetics, Church history, and more helped him realize the need for a solid authority in a world plagued by relativism. He was also drawn by the reality of Christ's power in the sacraments, and knew he had to come home to the Catholic Church.

Andy is a great man of God who deeply loves Jesus, his wife and kids!  Pay attention to a man who has his priorities in place!

Double Lifetime Sentence + George SmithSponsors & Partners  The Other Side Academy - theothersideacademy.com  My Story Matters / Captain Your Story - mystorymatters.org  Freedom Scholars Academy Timestamps 00:00:00 George Smith  00:01:38 Sponsors  00:02:39 Young Life  00:08:38 Back to Compton at 16  00:15:08 Filling a Need  00:23:00 Double Life Sentence at 18 years old  00:30:35 A Moment of Reflection   00:47:40 Discovering Miracles  00:50:30 Being an Agent for Change  01:01:50 From Life-Sentence to Free  01:08:34 Advice for Young Self  “Ask for help… It's okay…” - George Smith

Caller Questions & More: Sheri explains the difference between “betrayal trauma induced control” and codependency.  My mom says I shouldn't be a Young Life leader because I haven't been through anything to qualify me as a leader.  I was sexually abused by my dad from a young age until I was 40yo and still have […]

Caller Questions & More: Sheri explains the difference between “betrayal trauma induced control” and codependency.  My mom says I shouldn't be a Young Life leader because I haven't been through anything to qualify me as a leader.  I was sexually abused by my dad from a young age until I was 40yo and still have […]

Topics: Betrayal, Mother Issues, Leadership, Sexual Abuse, Insomnia, Counseling Hosts: Brian Perez, Dr. Sheri Keffer, Dr. Jacqui Mack-Harris Caller Questions & More: Sheri explains the difference between "betrayal trauma induced control" and codependency.  My mom says I shouldn't be a Young Life leader because I haven't been through anything to qualify me as a leader.  I was sexually abused by my dad The post New Life Live: April 23, 2025 appeared first on New Life.

Welcome to the first full episode of Season 5! We kick things off with Mary B Safrit, a writer and podcaster who actually interviewed Scott a few weeks ago on her podcast, Found Family. Mary B grew up in a mix of christian traditions and went to a normal college where she worked with Young Life. This solidified her evangelical identity at the time, but she went on to come out as bisexual while still remaining a progressive christian. But fear not. She has done the work, decolonizing from patriarchy and White christian nationalism, and she is awesome to talk to.Chapel Probation is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dauntless Media Collective⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dauntless Media Discord ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for more conversation with all the podcast communities.Scott's book, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Asian-American-Apostate- Losing Religion and Finding Myself at an Evangelical University⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is available now!Music by Scott Okamoto, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jenyi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Azeem Khan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shin Kawasaki⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wingo Shackleford⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chapel Probation Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to support Scott and for bonus content. Join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chapel Probation Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ group to continue the conversations.Follow Scott on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠Bluesky⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can subscribe to Scott's newsletter and learn more about the book, the blog, and performances at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rscottokamoto.com⁠

Justin sits down with his brother-in-law, Jonathan Willis, for a conversation about faith, discipleship, and the power of community. Jonathan grew up in a Christian home, but for years, his faith was more about structure than relationship. Pride and self-reliance kept him from surrendering, and when life felt uncertain, he found himself frustrated and lost. But in that searching, God kept whispering, Remember, remember. Looking back, Jonathan saw that God had been there all along. For 16 months, he was without a job, wondering what God was calling him into. But provision doesn't always come as expected. God's provision is often people. Community pointed him back to Jesus, reminded him of God's faithfulness, and helped him navigate uncertainty. Real Christian community isn't about doing life alone—it's about leaning on others and allowing God to work through relationships. The biggest breakthroughs often happen in the unplanned moments. Discipleship has become Jonathan's greatest passion. Whether through Young Life, outreach trips, or intentional conversations, he's seen how helping people recognize their gifts and equipping them to love others can transform lives. It's not just about teaching—it's about walking together and creating space for God to move. His journey is a reminder that we aren't meant to do this alone. When we rely on God and the people He places in our lives, we find strength, direction, and a deeper understanding of what it means to truly follow Jesus. This podcast is brought to you by The CL Thomas Fellowship non-profit. Our mission is to inspire leaders and parents to be providers and servant leaders like Jesus. For more encouragement, sign up for our free weekly newsletter, "Always Provide," at www.alwaysprovide.org.    Follow on Instagram @clthomasfellowship  Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clthomasfellowship/