The Discerning Leader Podcast

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Tara Owens “As much as we think we’re not, we’re heavily defended against God; we have a lot of walls up, but creativity sneaks around those walls and opens us up to God.” – Tara Owens Tara Owens, founder of Anam Cara (which means soul friend, coming alongside another in spiritual friendship), shares about how we deepen our affection for God through creative expressions. God is a creative God…he could have made just one kind of flower or one kind of grass, but he chose to be creative instead. Jesus celebrated children as representatives of the kingdom of heaven, for they are the ones who innocently play and joyfully create. What are the creative outlets that enhance your prayerfulness and your fruitfulness as co-creator with God? Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Alan Fadling “We have a cultural assumption that fast is good and slow is bad…how might slow be good for your soul?” – Alan Fadling Today we commence a new season focusing on the pace of your soul. Our souls don’t operate at the pace of our smart phones and so much slower than the speed of technology. Our brokenness, weariness, and hunger for more of God leads us into a deeper, more reflective space. Learning how to walk the pace of Jesus will bring us into the pace of grace, love, and peace, fostering the depth and quality of our lifestyle and relationships.  Jesus often withdrew to alone and quiet places to find some rest and reconnect with the Father. Perhaps we can too.  Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Alice Fryling “I want to look back on my life to see what I’ve learned about God and apply it to my life now and in the future.” – Alice Fryling The aging process is never-ending, and it’s a goldmine for transformation. We have a choice as we age: will we do so selfishly and begrudgingly, or will we age gracefully and faithfully? Alice Fryling offers us wisdom for how best to lovingly give of yourself in the twilight years as we embrace the holy invitation of growing older. If we are vulnerable in our old age, we will acknowledge our weakness and losses, and shift from a transactional to a transformational spirituality. It’s a tipping point with a choice to keep growing in God or hang it up forever. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Gary Thomas “The Christian life is about an abundance of good fruit. We must walk away from toxic people in order to preserve that good fruit.” – Gary Thomas Gary Thomas speaks to a glaring issue today: dealing with toxic people. He says, “Before you walk away from your ministry, try walking away from toxic people first.” We need to learn how to play defense, to protect what God has planted in our hearts and in our service to others. When we invest so much of our energy on toxic relationships, we lose sight of God’s missional call to build up the Kingdom. There may in fact come a time when it’s simply best to just “walk away” and maintain your focus on Jesus and his mission. Be wise. Say no. Turn away. Be free. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Amy Murgatroyd “When you live as if you’re dying, you begin to see the world in a much different way.” – Amy Murgatroyd Mom, wife, and award-winning photographer and film-maker, Amy Murgatroyd (amymurgatroyd.com) shares today about the importance of capturing our emotions and relationships. She invites us to consider how we can become story catchers, who with wide-eyed wonder see the glory of God in the beauty that surrounds us, particularly in the people with whom we share our lives. Seeing with the eyes of our heart and listening to the whispers of God is a great spiritual practice. We are designed by God to co-create with him in this life. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Gary Thomas “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?” – Gary Thomas Imagine what your marriage would look like if you first and foremost prioritized your relationship with God. “If only we could just be Christians first, then our marriages wouldn’t become so difficult,” according to our guest Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Marriage.  Best marriage advice: seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. Marriage isn’t for our personal romantic passion and family happiness, it’s for helping each other deepen our affections for God. When we focus on reverencing God, we in turn can love our spouses.  Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Alison Cook “In my own personal story, I found it easy to love God, but very challenging to know and love myself.” – Alison Cook In her ground-breaking book Boundaries for Your Soul, Alison Cook is seeking to help us turn our overwhelming thoughts and feelings into our strongest allies. Using the internal family systems model, she illumines our pathway forward by addressing the true struggles we face in life and relationships. She describes how a Christ-centered way to self-awareness will lead to internal freedom and joy, and much healthier relationships with others.  Her “U-turn” approach to emotional wholeness includes five key phases: focus, befriend, invite, unburden, and integrate.  Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net  

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Adele Calhoun “Shaming voices have the power to cripple us. They isolate us from the truth about ourselves and others.” – Adele Calhoun Shame is universal. It’s been with us since Adam and Eve hid from God after succumbing to the shaming voice of the devil.  How we deal with the shaming voices of our past will either set us free to live more abundantly, or will keep us crippled by their falsehood. In today’s episode, Adele Calhoun offers great wisdom and truth about the importance of knowing and naming the shaming narratives of our lives, and invites us to embrace practices that will lead to redemptive healing. Trust Jesus with your shame. When we are even at our worst, he comes to set us free.  Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Susan Currie “Providing an hospitable presence helps us to notice God together.” —Susan Currie Group spiritual direction is a ministry of listening that is unique among all other small group experiences. Susan Currie unpacks how to create, protect, and nurture such groups, offering wise principles and priorities that embody this transformative practice. When we help each other listen to the voice of God we do so tenderly, prayerfully, and gracefully. The Lord does the work when we come alongside another in their earnest desire to hear from God. In this hospitable space, we notice together that “our hearts are burning with the presence of Jesus.” Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Susan Currie “In spiritual direction, one person is being present to another for the sake of being attentive to the voice of God.“ – Susan Currie Are you looking for a spiritual director or a training program in spiritual direction? LTI’s Director of Selah, Susan Currie, joins Steve in this episode focusing on the ministry of spiritual direction. Distinct from other forms of companionship – discipling, mentoring, coaching, pastoring – spiritual direction is laser focused on helping another listen attentively to the voice of God. When we have a trusted confidante helping us notice and prefer God in all aspects of our life, we grow in our affection for God. Holy listening transforms us into a person of discernment. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net