Making It Work: God and Your Work

Are you facing a problem in your work that feels like it's too big for you to solve? How do you find hope amidst work that feels overwhelming? Guest Victor Boutros is the CEO and co-founder of the Human Trafficking Institute. Before launching HTI, he served as a federal prosecutor in the US Department of Justice's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, and trained law enforcement from different parts of the world on how to investigate and prosecute human trafficking. Victor is co-author of The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence. Human Trafficking Institute: https://www.traffickinginstitute.org Scripture References Luke 10:25-37 John 5:1-9 Matthew 18:10-14 John 6:5-13 Matthew 14:22-33 Matthew 25:14-30 Ephesians 2:10 James 4:14 Instagram: @DePreeCenter, @TheologyOfWork Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate here

Does spiritual development have to be dull? Or can growing with God be more like a game? Our guest today, Xalavier Nelson Junior, is a BAFTA-nominated narrative director and video game developer. He creates video games that communicate spiritual truths in places where they're perhaps least expected. People playing games such as Hypnospace Outlaw or Can Androids Pray, or any number of the many games Xalavier has worked on, find themselves connecting with their shared humanity and examining the big questions of life, even as they solve puzzles in a futuristic universe inhabited by robots. We talk to Xalavier about how games including his latest release: An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs, can connect us to God's truth, and to each other. An Airport for Aliens Currently Run by Dogs Scripture References Luke 10:25-37 Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Instagram: @DePreeCenter, @TheologyOfWork Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate here

Where is God when you're putting out a fire at work, or dealing with a difficult co-worker, or trying to make a complicated decision? If you could discern God's guidance and presence in your everyday life and work, what would you ask? Guest Tracy Mathews leads Attune, a ministry that helps leaders and teams grow in their capacity to attune to Jesus in the midst of everyday work. Attune to Grow: https://attunetogrow.org Scripture References Matthew 6:25-27 Proverbs 3:5-6 Matthew 9:36 Luke 10:33 Luke 8:43-46 Psalm 139:23-24 Instagram: @DePreeCenter, @TheologyOfWork Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate here

Interacting with customers and clients can be stressful. Guest Ron Johnson has worked in customer service call centers for over a decade, both as a frontline customer service representative and as a manager, and he is author of the book Customer Service and the Imitation of Christ. He'll show us how an active relationship with God can get you through the workday fulfilling your calling to serve others in Christ's name. Scripture References Mark 1:40-45 Leviticus 13:45-46 Matthew 6:24 Matthew 5:21-22 1 Corinthians 14:1 Additional Resources Customer Service and the Imitation of Christ, by Ronald Johnson Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute Transcript at https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/customer-service-and-the-imitation-of-christ-ron-johnson/

Do you work in a job where you have to win? Whether it comes to landing a new account or getting approved for a grant, sometimes there are clear wins and losses in your work. In this context, how can you face a big loss? How can you stay humble amidst a big win? And how do you cope with the day-to-day stresses when winning or losing feels like everything? Our guest Nate Proctor is a campaign director in the very divisive field of politics and policy. He's here to talk about his experience of defining success in his work, and what this has meant for his faith. Scripture References Galatians 5:16-26 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Additional Resources Theology of Work Project: www.theologyofwork.org De Pree Center at Fuller Seminary: www.depree.org Instagram follow: @theologyofwork, @depreecenter

Do you work in a job where you have to win? Whether it comes to landing a new account or getting approved for a grant, sometimes there are clear wins and losses in your work. In this context, how can you face a big loss? How can you stay humble amidst a big win? And how do you cope with the day-to-day stresses when winning or losing feels like everything? Our guest Nate Proctor is a campaign director in the very divisive field of politics and policy. He's here to talk about his experience of defining success in his work, and what this has meant for his faith. Scripture References Galatians 5:16-26 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Additional Resources Theology of Work Project: www.theologyofwork.org De Pree Center at Fuller Seminary: www.depree.org Instagram follow: @theologyofwork, @depreecenter

Whether or not you're intentionally forming your habits, your habits are forming you. With constant distraction at our fingertips, our routines around work can add up to days filled with anxiety, restless busyness, and even depression. Our guest Justin Whitmel Earley is a corporate lawyer who has experienced both slavery to bad habits, and the freedom that comes from healthy spiritual disciplines. His book is The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction. Scripture References Romans 12:1-2 Gnesis 1:27 Genesis 2:2-3 Additional Resources The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction, by Justin Whitmel Earley Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute Produced by Fuller Seminary's De Pree Center for Leadership and Theology of Work Project Transcript at https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/habits-of-purpose-for-an-age-of-distraction-anxiety-justin-whitmel-earley/

How do you lead with faith in a world that is uncertain? The COVID-19 pandemic presented many organizations with levels of uncertainty that they had never seen before. One of the populations that has been hardest hit by the pandemic has been children with disabilities, their families, and the organizations that support them. Our guest today, Laura Whitaker, is the executive director of Extra Special People, a non-profit that has not only weathered the storms of COVID but managed to grow in this uncertain time. Laura's here today to talk about her work, her faith, and how we can all lead better in times of uncertainty. Java Joy: https://javajoy.org Follow: https://www.instagram.com/java.joy/ Extra Special People: https://espyouandme.org Follow: https://www.instagram.com/esp_inc/ Laura Whitaker: https://www.instagram.com/laurahopewhitaker/ Scripture References: Matthew 14:13-33 Romans 12:12 Mark 4:38-40 Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute Transcript at https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/leading-in-times-of-uncertainty-laura-whitaker/

Have you found your passion at work? That perfect job or life mission that you're great at, that only you can do and excites you to jump out of bed every morning? If your answer is no, then our guest Liz Forkin Bohannon says, "Stop trying." Liz was once herself directionless and clueless about her purpose, but today, she is the CEO of Sseko Designs, an international ethical fashion brand that works to educate and empower women around the world. Liz says, 'You're never going to get anywhere trying to find your passion. You need to build it.' She is the author of Beginner's Pluck, Build Your Life of Purpose, Passion and Impact Now. Sseko Designs: https://ssekodesigns.com Liz's book: Beginner's Pluck, Build Your Life of Purpose, Passion and Impact Now

What do you do when God calls you to stay in a job that's making your life difficult? Our guest, Dave Hataj, obeyed God's call to work in a messy, broken environment. His obedience to God changed Edgerton Gear, a Wisconsin-based custom gear manufacturer, and his community for the better. It also broadened his own experience of his faith and his work. Dave is the author of Good Work: How Blue Collar Business Can Change Lives, Communities, and the World. Additional Resources Craftsman with Character Course: www.craftsmanwithcharacter.org Scripture References Exodus 211-3:7 Exodus 31:1-5 Luke 17:20-21 Matthew 6:33 Matthew 5:37