Does your work matter for eternity? We asked this same question a couple of weeks ago. Sadly, most believers don’t think so. Sure, the 1 percent of the time they spend sharing the gospel with their co-workers matters. But most Christians view the other 99 percent of their time as meaning very little in the grand scheme of things. But that’s not how God sees it. As a follow-up to Steve's interview with Jordan Raynor, we assembled our team to dig deeper into the Sacredness of Secular Work. Join us! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Does your work matter for eternity? Sadly, most believers don’t think so. Sure, the 1 percent of the time they spend sharing the gospel with their co-workers matters. But most Christians view the other 99 percent of their time as meaning very little in the grand scheme of things. But that’s not how God sees it. Jordan Raynor joins Steve in this week's podcast as they uncover why secular work is a sacred assignment. “The Sacredness of Secular Work does an extraordinary job of being both personally relevant and, more importantly, biblically faithful.”—Randy Alcorn, New York Times bestselling author of Heaven The Sacredness of Secular Work Jordan Raynor is a leading voice of the faith and work movement. Through his bestselling books (The Sacredness of Secular Work, Redeeming Your Time, The Creator in You, etc.), keynote speeches, podcasts, and devotionals, Jordan has helped millions of Christians in every country on earth connect the gospel to their work. In addition to his writing and speaking, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup that Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own. Jordan has twice been selected as a Google Fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush. A sixth-generation Floridian, Jordan lives in Tampa with his wife and their three young daughters. The Raynors are proud members of The Church at Odessa. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Sentenced to life in prison, Greg Womack shares his story of salvation, redemption, and restoration. How God met him right where he was, behind bars, with no hope of seeing anything other than prison walls until the day he died. But God.... 28 years later, had something else in store. In this week's podcast, Steve interviews Greg as he shares a miraculous intervention by a God who had something else in mind in his new-found freedom in Christ. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Did you ever feel abandoned by God? You're not alone. He never promised us a rose garden, but he did say he was our ever-present help. It often doesn't always feel that way. It's the messiness of life that confuses us when we don't see God in it. Thing is - He's in everything. In this podcast, our team discusses the challenges and opportunities to invite Him into the mess. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Here we go again. Another messy situation to navigate in the middle of all the chaos. We have to stay connected to the vine and gather our tribe to work out our faith in the face of unexpected difficulties. In this podcast, our team discusses how to approach the messy middle with the community of Christ. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

One of the greatest challenges we as Christ-followers face is how to then navigate our daily lives in concert with him. Life gets messy in a hurry. Jesus was clear, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 ESV) In this podcast episode, the team here at Embracing Brokenness discuss what that means in our lives, with a perspective that may help you to see the mess in the middle as an opportunity to grow in your journey with Christ. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

With January nearly in the rearview mirror, we can see just how quickly life passes. Early on we gathered our team to talk about Spiritual Practices that each of us engages in to help kick-start the new year and provide clarity from God for what's next.  Listen in to the second episode in our 2-part podcast series as we discuss spiritual practices that will be helpful in any season. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Here we are, 2024! We all have expectations heading into the new year. Some of us with a positive outlook, others do not. God has a plan though. As we open 2024 we gathered our team to talk about Spiritual Practices that each of us engages in to help kick-start the new year and provide clarity from God for what's next.   Listen in to this 2-part podcast series to garner a few tips for starting 2024 with a focus on God and His purposes for you. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Joni Eareckson Tada joins Alisa Childers on our first podcast of 2024.  A diving accident left her quadriplegic at a young age. Yet through it all God has been faithful. After two years of struggling through depression and rehabilitation, she emerged with new skills and a fresh determination to help others in similar situations.  Joni is a beloved Christian author, speaker and an internationally renowned advocate for people with disabilities. She is Founder and CEO of Joni and Friends, a Christian organization known for sharing hope through hardship within the disability community. Located in Agoura Hills, California, the Joni and Friends International Disability Center serves as hub for a global outreach which impacts hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities and their families.   Pick up her latest book, The Practice of the Presence of Jesus, Daily Meditations on the Nearness of Our Savior --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

As we celebrate this Christmas season and close out the year, here's an opportunity to get up close and personal with the core team at Embracing Brokenness Ministries. Join us in welcoming Katie Scott as she shares her heart for moms and desire to see the healing hand of Jesus at work in all those wanting to be well. You'll get a glimpse at what's next for the ministry as we enter 2024. "But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart." (Luke 2: 19) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

God's given each of us gifting and a purpose. Scott Wozniak joins Steve on the podcast to share his heart for people, business, and ministry straight from his latest book, Make Your Brand Legendary. Jesus certainly made his brand legendary as the Savior of the world. He also empowered us to live like He did. We simply need to invite Him into our journey. How? Listen in as Scott shares his story. Get his latest book here: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Brand-Legendary-Experience/dp/B0CBHH58SY/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1701372010&sr=8-1 Learn more at https://www.scottwozniak.com/ Scott Wozniak, CEO of Swoz Consulting, has consulted with leaders on six continents, including Silicon Valley startups, multi-generation family enterprises and Fortune 500 companies. Scott is a member Mensa (international high IQ society), reads over 200 books each year and has written four books. His latest book, Make Your Brand Legendary, debuted at #1 on Amazon in the customer category. He also spent eight years as an employee at the Chick-fil-A headquarters, working on company-wide upgrades and though he is not an employee there anymore, he regularly consults with their leaders. Before becoming a business consultant, Scott was a ministry leader, from youth ministry to music ministry to serving as a senior pastor. Before all of that, Scott performed on stages all over the United States for 18 years a child actor (including a Christmas special on NBC). Scott lives in Atlanta with his wife and four children. In his spare time, he pushes his boundaries through a variety of extreme sports, from heli-skiing to kitesurfing. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

We have much to be thankful for and plenty to be concerned about in a world filled with chaos. But God calls us to unity in purpose and oneness with Him. The time is short. Jesus' return is imminent. How are you investing your energy? On today's podcast, we look at the challenges we face in a world that wars against us and our purpose in it all. Bonus PDF attached for a little Thanksgiving fun around the dinner table. https://embracingbrokenness.org/thanksgiving-download/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Our journey as Believers in Christ can seem long and arduous. We get stuck in places we never knew existed. God intends for us to develop a deeper intimacy with Him but we lose sight of His goodness and grace. Jesus’ greatest commands seem illusive yet He provides the antidote. Working harder to garner His love is not the solution. On today’s podcast, Steve and Colleen delve deeper into the stuckness and solutions toward a deeper relationship with Christ. Link to Barna Study Summary https://embracingbrokenness.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Research-on-How-God-Transforms-Lives-Reveals-a-10-Stop-Journey-Barna-Group.pdf Link to Maximum Faith - George Barna https://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Faith-George-Barna/dp/0983172900/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1699035027&sr=8-1 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

With the unrest we see in the Middle East and around the world, there's no better time than this for Shalom, Shalom. Peace be with you. Nothing missing. Nothing broken. God has called each of us to live by the rules of the Kingdom today not just on the New Earth. It's the operating system that God built into each of us from the very beginning. Colleen shared her thoughts on being a culture of blessing in the Shalom of God's Kingdom during a presentation to our friends at Scott Mission in Toronto, Canada. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Part 2 of our 2-part Podcast series with special guest, Professor Nancy Pearcey. We go deeper into the toxic war on masculinity and examine our roles and cultural mandate as Christians. Nancy Pearcey's latest book is The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes. Her earlier books include Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality, The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and two ECPA Gold Medallion Award Winners: How Now Shall We Live (coauthored with Harold Fickett and Chuck Colson) and Total Truth. Her books have been translated into 19 languages. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. A former agnostic, Pearcey has spoken at universities such as Princeton, Stanford, USC, and Dartmouth. She has been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek, highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today, and hailed in The Economist as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual." The Toxic War on Masculinity: https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-War-Masculinity-Christianity-Reconciles/dp/0801075734 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

On today's podcast, special guest Professor Nancy Pearcey. Nancy Pearcey's latest book is The Toxic War on Masculinity: How Christianity Reconciles the Sexes. Her earlier books include Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality, The Soul of Science, Saving Leonardo, Finding Truth, and two ECPA Gold Medallion Award Winners: How Now Shall We Live (coauthored with Harold Fickett and Chuck Colson) and Total Truth. Her books have been translated into 19 languages. She is professor and scholar in residence at Houston Christian University. A former agnostic, Pearcey has spoken at universities such as Princeton, Stanford, USC, and Dartmouth. She has been quoted in The New Yorker and Newsweek, highlighted as one of the five top women apologists by Christianity Today, and hailed in The Economist as "America's pre-eminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual." We take a deeper dive into the subject of masculinity in a society that challenges the Biblical narrative of what Manhood entails. The Toxic War on Masculinity: https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-War-Masculinity-Christianity-Reconciles/dp/0801075734 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Steve interviews Jay Payleitner in Part 2 of this 2-part series. Jay is one of the top freelance producers for Christian radio, having worked on Josh McDowell Radio, Today's Father, Jesus Freaks Radio, and Project Angel Tree with Chuck Colson. Jay is a long-time affiliate with the National Center for Fathering and Iron Sharpens Iron. He speaks at men's retreats, marriage weekends, writers' conferences, and weekend services. Jay has sold more than half million books including the bestselling 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad, The Prayer of Agur, and What If God Wrote Your Bucket List? His books have been translated into at least ten languages. And he has been a guest multiple times on The Harvest Show, Moody Radio, Cornerstone TV, and Focus on the Family. Jay and his high school sweetheart, Rita, live in the Chicago area where they raised five great kids, loved on ten foster babies, and are cherishing grandparenthood.Jay shares his journey to finding God, purpose, calling, and serving as an author, speaker, and producer. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Jay Payleitner is one of the top freelance producers for Christian radio, having worked on Josh McDowell Radio, Today's Father, Jesus Freaks Radio, and Project Angel Tree with Chuck Colson. Jay is a long-time affiliate with the National Center for Fathering and Iron Sharpens Iron. He speaks at men's retreats, marriage weekends, writers' conferences, and weekend services. Jay has sold more than half million books including the bestselling 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad, The Prayer of Agur, and What If God Wrote Your Bucket List? His books have been translated into at least ten languages. And he has been a guest multiple times on The Harvest Show, Moody Radio, Cornerstone TV, and Focus on the Family. Jay and his high school sweetheart, Rita, live in the Chicago area where they raised five great kids, loved on ten foster babies, and are cherishing grandparenthood. Jay shares his journey to finding God, purpose, calling, and serving as an author, speaker, and producer. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Michael Kurtz joins Steve on this episode of the Embracing Brokenness Podcast to discuss the process toward transformation in Christ. If you have been on this journey for any length of time, you know that miraculous process of transformation that begins when we say “I do” to Jesus and invite him to sit upon the throne of our hearts. It is a process. Michael shares a recent article he wrote as our ally and content contributor. "I have been on this journey. Sometimes it seems like one step forward and two steps back, and there are seasons where I am tempted to doubt whether Jesus sits upon any throne in my life, especially when I focus on all of the things I 'get wrong'. But in time we begin to see and experience real change, measurable growth, and we experience freedom where once there was captivity." And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  2 Corinthians 3:18 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support

Chuck Girard joins Steve in this final episode of a 3-Part Embracing Brokenness Podcast series. Chuck shares how he met his wife, Karen, his struggles with alcohol, and how God saved him and moved him and his fellow Love Song bandmates to join Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel, bringing the beginning of contemporary Christian music to all of us. He discusses his solo career and what will be his first album in a couple of decades. He leaves us with great advice and encouragement to join in what God has for each of us. Singer, Songwriter, Recording Artist, and Worship Leader, Chuck is a Pioneer of Contemporary Christian Music, Member, and Co-Founder of the CCM group 'LOVE SONG.' Born in Los Angeles, and raised in both Southern and Northern California, Chuck began playing music at an early age. In his teens, he formed a group called THE CASTELLS, which had two national top 20 hits, “Sacred..” and “So This Is Love”. They also released the song “I Do”, which was produced by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. It was during this time as a teenager that Chuck shared the stage with stars such as Roy Orbison, Jan and Dean, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Vee, Jackie Wilson, Brenda Lee and others. This led to a successful career as a studio singer and musician which included singing the lead vocals on THE HONDELLS first two albums and their biggest hit, “Little Honda”. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/embracing-brokenness/support