Connecting Dots

Connecting Dots

The older I get, the less certain I become about many things. Twenty years ago, I thought I had most of life's answers figured out. Today, I realize that certainty is often easier than wisdom, and arrogance is far easier than humility. In this episode, I share why Crusade With Me! exists in the first place. This podcast was never created because I believed I had all the answers. It was created because I need the questions. Together, we'll explore what it means to "connect the dots" in life. Sometimes we connect dots that have no business being connected. Other times, we fail to see the connections that are right in front of us. Our habits, relationships, health, faith, attention, and decisions are all intertwined in ways we often overlook. As I reflect on our recent comeback episodes, I've come to recognize a common thread running through them all: the pursuit of wisdom. Not information. Not opinions. Wisdom. The wisdom that comes from God. If we want to become healthier, stronger, mentally sharper, spiritually deeper, and more faithful in our daily lives, we need more than knowledge. We need Divine Wisdom to help us understand which dots matter and which ones don't. This isn't an episode about having answers. It's an episode about seeking them. So, grab a cup of coffee and join me as we explore the questions that shape our lives, the patterns we often miss, and the wisdom that can only be found by walking with God. Because information fills the mind. But Divine Wisdom transforms the soul.

No More Excuses

Most people don't reject God because they hate him. They reject Him because they're busy. Busy building careers. Busy chasing dreams. Busy paying bills. Busy scrolling phones. Busy entertaining themselves. And before long, the important gets crowded out by the urgent. Jesus tells the story about that. Luke3:13-18 John tells us what happens when we let God's love shape our lives. I John 14:16-24 Together these readings challenge us to examine where our priorities truly are.

“From Scoundrel to Shepherd: The 1975 Turning Point — A Conversation with Pastor Mike Hesterman”

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Crusade With Me! Dave sits down with a lifelong friend — Pastor Mike Hesterman — to revisit a 30‑year friendship and a 50‑year faith journey. Pastor Mike opens up about his early life as a self‑described scoundrel, his years of rebellion, his time in the Army during a racially tense and dangerous season, and the night in 1975 when he was forced to confront the question: “If I died tonight… where would I go?” What follows is a raw, honest, and moving conversation about: * Growing up between two strong traditions — Lutheran and Mennonite * Wrestling with infant baptism, adult baptism, and what Scripture actually says * The dangers of drugs, deception, and dabbling in darkness * The moment in Germany that changed everything * How identity, rebellion, and human nature haven’t changed in 6,000 years * Why being made in the image of God still matters today * The struggle to mature spiritually — and why some truths only hit us decades later This episode is rich with wisdom, humility, humor, and the kind of honesty only two old friends can share. A must‑listen for anyone wrestling with faith, identity, or the long road of transformation.

What Are You Looking At?

In a world fighting for your attention, Jesus asks a deeper question: What are you really looking at? In Episode 157, we explore how focus shapes formation — and how the things we continually behold begin to shape who we become. Drawing from Matthew 6:22–33 and Romans 5:1–10, this episode dives into: * Why attention is a spiritual battleground * How divided allegiance fuels anxiety * The subtle masters we serve without realizing it * Why peace isn’t the absence of trouble — it’s the presence of the right focus * How God loved you before you ever got better You’ll walk away with clarity, conviction, and a practical daily challenge to re-center your heart on the Kingdom. If you’ve been overwhelmed, distracted, or pulled in too many directions… this episode is your reset. Seek first. Look up. Live with intention. Welcome back to the crusade.

Plans, What We Know, and How We Act

We all think we know how life is supposed to work. We make plans. We form opinions. We create expectations about what God should do, how He should do it, and when He should do it. But what happens when God's plans are different from ours? In this episode of Crusade with Me! Dave and Kathy explore the gap between what we think we know and the reality God reveals through Scripture. Abram thought he understood his future. He had a plan, a timeline, and a logical conclusion about how his life would unfold. Yet God had something far greater in mind—something Abram could not see from where he stood. The Psalmist reminds us that real security is never found in our own strength, intelligence, resources, or carefully constructed plans. The Lord is not impressed by the strength of a horse or the might of an army. Our hope is found in Him alone. In First John, we discover that God has already shown us what love looks like. Yet even with that revelation, we often reshape God's love into something more comfortable, more convenient, or more aligned with our preferences. We want God's blessings while resisting God's transformation. Then Jesus confronts us with the sobering account of the rich man and Lazarus. Even in torment, the rich man remains the same man he was in life. He still sees Lazarus as someone to serve him. He still wants to negotiate. He still refuses to truly repent. The flames reveal what was already there. Together, these readings ask a difficult but necessary question: Are we allowing God to transform us, or are we simply asking Him to bless the plans we've already made? Join us as we discuss faith, humility, self-deception, God's surprising plans, and the danger of becoming so attached to our own understanding that we miss what God is trying to teach us. Because sometimes the greatest obstacle to God's work in our lives is not what we don't know. It's what we're convinced we already know.