Finding God at Work

Chris interviews Ben Kraker about his vocational journey from youth ministry to tech sales to managed IT and app development, and how he grew closer to God through each shift. His work with youth, while fruitful, grew out of a sense of obligation to others’ expectations. Eventually, he ended up on empty: disillusioned and driftless. But then, after shifting to a “secular” career, Ben discovered space to make room for his own desires and voice, finding healing in being seen by God for who he really is, not who others expected him to be. Ben Kraker is a technologist in the managed IT space, founder and lead developer at SEEN:app, and a spiritual director in training. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #LeavingMinistry #IT #Tech #SeenApp #Journaling #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Every industry has negative externalities—some way that in the course of getting business done, the world around the business is negatively affected. As disciples of Jesus, how do we make sense of our responsibility in regards to the negative externalities of the industries where we work? Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Psalm 15 (ESV) Esther 7:3-4 (ESV) Timothy Keller with Katherine Leary Alsdorf, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work (New York: Penguin Random House, 2012).   #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #NegativeExternalities #WorkplaceEthics #EthicalDilemma #Persia #Esther #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Sometimes the most stressful part of work is how little it pays. It can feel like you’re doing everything you know how to do, and you still come up short. When that’s your situation, it’s easy to become resentful. But even when you feel like you have your back against the wall, there’s an alternative to resentment. Jesus shows us a different way. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Proverbs 12:14, 27; 13:22-23 (ESV) Matthew 6:25-26 (ESV) Matthew 5:40-42 (ESV) “The State of ALICE in Illinois,” United for ALICE, United Way of Northern New Jersey. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Resentment #LowPay #Wages #BadJob #PersonalAgency #Faith #Generosity #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Chris interviews Evelea Solgos about her harrowing first year working as a teacher, why she stuck it out even though it wasn’t what she signed up for, and what she learned about herself through the process. After moving on from that role, with the help of a Christian therapist, Evelea learned how to discern God’s presence in that experience even after-the-fact. She shares, “It’s not too late. Even if you didn't handle a situation well while you were in it, God is still waiting for you with open arms.” Evelea Solgos is an academic service provider for children with disabilities in Chicago through Catapult Learning, where she was honored as their 2025 Teacher of the Year. Evelea previously taught middle school Language Arts. When she’s not helping students learn and grow, you may find her performing Elizabethan drama in a public park with the Shakespeare Blood Oath Theater Company. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #Teachers #Teaching #LanguageArts #CatapultLearning #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Henri Nouwen calls burnout “a convenient psychological translation for a spiritual death.” Sometimes work feels more like death than life. When you’re facing burnout at work, what can you do? How can you access the spiritual resources that Jesus offers in that dark place? Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Quadrants Visual: Healthy and Unhealthy Activation at Work Sources: Ephesians 1:18-20 (NIV) Henri Nouwen, ¡Gracias!: A Latin American Journal (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1983).   Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989). Wilmar B. Schaufeli and Marisa Salanova, "Burnout, Boredom and Engagement in the Workplace" in An Introduction to Contemporary Work Psychology, ed. Maria C.W. Peters, Jan de Jonge, and Toon W. Taris (Malden, Massachusetts: Wiley, 2013). Richard Foster, "Understanding the Means," in The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible, ed. Richard Foster (New York: HarperCollins, 2005).   #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Burnout #Overwhelmed #Stressed #StressedOut #HenriNouwen #Gracias #InTheNameOfJesus #RichardFoster #Renovare #Indirection #Sabbath #Activation #Engagement #Resentment #Love #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Work isn’t always bursting with excitement. Is there a way to find meaning in the boring moments? Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Quadrants Visual: Healthy and Unhealthy Activation at Work Sources: Ephesians 5:15-16 (NIV, KJV) Colossians 3:23 (NIV) Wilmar B. Schaufeli and Marisa Salanova, "Burnout, Boredom and Engagement in the Workplace" in An Introduction to Contemporary Work Psychology, ed. Maria C.W. Peters, Jan de Jonge, and Toon W. Taris (Malden, Massachusetts: Wiley, 2013). Frank C. Laubach, Letters by a Modern Mystic (Naples, FL: Mockingbird Press, 2022). First published 1937. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Expectations #Race #Boredom #Bored #Boring #BoringJob #Burnout #Activation #Engagement #FrankLaubach #Resentment #Love #Burnout #Disillusionment #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Chris interviews Dr. Luke Bobo about his 2019 book, Race, Economics, and Apologetics: Is There a Connection?. Hear about how previous policies like redlining and restrictive covenants continue to affect the economy today, how you can respond if you’re facing racial discrimination in the workplace, and how we can offer our workplaces an “embodied apologetic.” Luke Bobo (PhD, University of Missouri-St. Louis) is the co-owner of the consulting firm Pursuing the Greater Good, LLC. He is a visiting instructor of contemporary culture at Covenant Seminary, where he previously directed the Francis Schaeffer Institute. In an earlier career, Luke spent 15 years as an electrical engineer. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Genesis 1-2 (NIV) Revelation 21-22 (NIV) Philippians 3:10-14 (NIV) 1 Corinthians 7:21 (NIV) Philippians 4:19 (NIV) Amy L. Sherman, Senior Scholar at the Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University. Michael O Emerson and Christian Smith, Divided By Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001). “True Colors - Racial Discrimination in Everyday Life 1,” Primetime, hosted by Diane Sawyer (September 26, 1991), Mayfield Sociology (April 25, 2012). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Expectations #Race #RacialInjustice #Racism #Discrimination #LukeBobo #MichaelEmerson #DividedByFaith #AmySherman #Economics #Apologetics #EmbodiedApologetic #Resentment #Love #Burnout #Disillusionment #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Sometimes work feels pointless. We get stuck in the comparison/competition trap, never achieving enough to be content. We get enslaved to our work, sacrificing everything else that matters. We end up in jobs that are dehumanizing, treating us more like machines than human beings. It’s all so empty. What does Jesus invite us into when work is like that? Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 (NIV) Matthew 5:43-48 (NIV) Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV) Colossians 3:23-25 (NIV) Lee Hardy, The Fabric of This World Inquiries Into Calling, Career Choice, and the Design of Human Work (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990). Dallas Willard, “Fulfilling the Promise of the New Life,” Dallas Willard Ministries, 1991. #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Expectations #Empty #Emptiness #Pointless #Competitors #Opponents #LoveYourEnemy #Sabbath #LeeHardy #PeterDrucker #WorkDesign #Machines #DallasWillard #Resentment #Love #Burnout #Disillusionment #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

One of the most painful forms of disappointment at work is disappointment in a leader. Sometimes you're excited to work for a specific team or a specific organization, but your boss or your boss's boss or a different leader in the organization isn't the person who you thought they were. How can we, as disciples of Jesus, meet the Lord when we're disillusioned about a leader we respected? Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Hebrews 3:1-4 (NIV) J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (New York: Scholastic, 2007). Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989, 2004). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Disillusionment #Expectations #Character #Personality #MeToo #ChurchToo #BillHybels #HarryPotter #JKRowling #Dumbledore #StephenCovey #7Habits #Resentment #Love #Burnout #Disillusionment #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral

Chris interviews Drew Boa about his new book, Outgrow Porn: Find Lasting Freedom Without Fighting an Exhausting Battle. We come to work as whole human beings: mind, body, and soul. That includes our sexuality, which can sometimes “interrupt” our work day unexpectedly. Drew shares how to respond in a healthy way when that happens, why sexual development is like surfing, and the way our “origin story” influences our sexuality today. Drew Boa is the founder and CEO of Husband Material Ministries, where he helps men outgrow porn. He is also a podcaster, coach, Pastoral Sex Addiction Professional (PSAP), and Certified Brainspotting Practitioner (BSP). Drew enjoys living in Colorado and going on adventures with his wife and kids. Learn more at drewboa.com. Take the course at FindingGodAtWork.org. Sources: Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV) 1 Corinthians 6:18 (NIV) Drew Boa, Outgrow Porn: Find Lasting Freedom Without Fighting an Exhausting Battle (Husband Material Ministries, 2025). Andrew A. Boa, Redeemed Sexuality: 12 Sessions for Healing and Transformation in Community (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2017). Aundi Kolber, Try Softer: A Fresh Approach to Move Us out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode— and into a Life of Connection and Joy (Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 2020). #FindingGodAtWork #FaithAndWork #Vocation #Disappointment #Sexuality #DrewBoa #HusbandMaterial #OutgrowPorn #SexualDevelopment #Pornography #Porn #Purity #PurityCulture #Healing #Friendship #Fear #Shame #Heart #Recovery #HusbandMaterialMen #HusbandMaterialMinistries #Resentment #Love #Burnout #Disillusionment #Layoffs #LaidOff #GettingFired #Quitting #MoralInjury #Failure #DreamJob #ToxicWorkplace #ToxicBoss #WorkplaceDiscrimination #Pain #Suffering #Sorrow #FeelingEmpty #Lament #SufferingWithChrist #Perseverance #Purpose #Redemption #Restoration #DivineAppointments #MissionCentral