Followed By Mercy

From Burnout to Beloved: Practical Soul Care with Austin Gardner & Mike Pennington

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339198/fan_mail/new] Are you living as God’s employee or His beloved child? In this episode of Followed by Mercy, Austin Gardner sits down with his longtime friend and cousin, Mike Pennington, to discuss the radical shift from performance-based religion to the rest of "belovedness." Mike shares his journey from the hills of Tennessee to the mission fields of Venezuela, revealing how even decades of successful ministry can hide an exhausted soul. If you’ve ever felt like your spiritual life is just a series of spinning plates, this conversation is your permission to let them drop. In this episode, we dive into: * The Iceberg Analogy: Why 90% of your spiritual life happens under the surface. * Breaking the Chain: How Mike and his wife, Kristi, intentionally broke the cycle of anger in their family heritage. * Practical Soul Care: Why you need to visit your "Beloved Tree" every morning. * The Sabbath Shift: How to unplug from technology to plug back into God’s presence. * The Power of Holy Imagination: Why Jesus wants to give you a hug before you start your "To-Do" list. Resources Mentioned: * Mike’s Website: belovedlivingnow.com [https://belovedlivingnow.com/] * Kristi’s Website: christycoaching.com [https://christycoaching.com/] * Soul Care Institute: soulcareinstitute.com [https://soulcareinstitute.com/] * Austin Gardner’s Hub: waustingardner.com [https://waustingardner.com/] Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnr4HVuInKpwTE-Vybc-iLA], Substack [https://waustingardner.substack.com], Twitter, [https://twitter.com/waustingardner] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/waustingardner/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/waustingardner/], and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/austingardner211/].

Trauma, Shame, and the Truth About Being God's Beloved

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339198/fan_mail/new] Why do we feel like we have to "perform" to be loved by God? In this third part of our series, I’m joined by my cousin Mike Pennington to tackle the heavy weights of trauma and shame. Mike opens up about his own childhood trauma and how it created a cycle of shame that took years to break. We discuss why shame is a "slap in the face to God's grace" and how to return to the reality that you are already 100% attached to Him—not because of what you’ve done, but because of who He is. In this episode, we cover: * The "LOTSA" framework for a simple Christian life: Love, Obey, Trust, Seek, Adore. * The three questions God asks us in our mess: Where are you? Who are you listening to? What are you hungry for? * How to stop "auditioning" for God and start abiding in Him. * Why your past trauma does not define your standing with the Father. "You can't do anything to make Him love you more, and you can't do anything to make Him love you less." Connect with us: * Website: waustingardner.com [https://waustingardner.com/] * Join the community: W. Austin Gardner on Substack [https://waustingardner.substack.com/] SEO Keywords & Tags Austin Gardner, Mike Pennington, Followed by Mercy, Overcoming Shame, Healing from Trauma, Christian Identity, Grace vs Performance, Biblical Counseling, Abiding in Christ, John 17:23, Romans 8, Inner Healing, Spiritual Growth. Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnr4HVuInKpwTE-Vybc-iLA], Substack [https://waustingardner.substack.com], Twitter, [https://twitter.com/waustingardner] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/waustingardner/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/waustingardner/], and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/austingardner211/].

4 Enemies of Your Peace: Overcoming Shame & Performance 🛡️

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339198/fan_mail/new] Why is it so much easier to believe God loves us in our heads than it is to feel it in our hearts? In today’s episode of Followed by Mercy, Austin Gardner continues his conversation with missionary and SoulCare coach Mike Pennington. Together, they dive deep into the "blockages" that keep us from resting in our identity as God’s beloved. If you’ve ever felt like your spiritual life is just a "check-box" of performance, or if you struggle with a voice in your head telling you that you’re a mistake, this episode is for you. In this episode, we discuss the 4 major enemies of belovedness: 1. Self-Rejection: Breaking the habit of negative self-talk. 2. Performance: Why the "exhausted life" is NOT the abundant life. 3. Perfectionism: The lie that you have to "fix yourself" before God can use you. 4. Shame: Moving from "I did something wrong" to "I am loved anyway." Mike also shares the life-changing advice from Dallas Willard: "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." Challenge for you today: Try a "40-day fast" from self-rejection. Stop the negative self-talk and start listening for the voice of the Father saying, "Where are you? I miss you." Resources Mentioned: 📖 John 17:23, Isaiah 43, Romans 5:6-8 🌐 Mike’s Website: [Beloved Living] 📩 Austin’s Substack: https://waustingardner.substack.com [https://waustingardner.substack.com/] Connect with Austin Gardner: Website: https://waustingardner.com [https://waustingardner.com/] Alignment Ministries: https://alignmentministries.com [https://alignmentministries.com/] #AustinGardner #FollowedByMercy #Belovedness #ChristianPodcast #OvercomingShame #GraceOverWorks #SoulCare #FaithWalk #DallasWillard Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnr4HVuInKpwTE-Vybc-iLA], Substack [https://waustingardner.substack.com], Twitter, [https://twitter.com/waustingardner] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/waustingardner/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/waustingardner/], and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/austingardner211/].

God is Smiling at You: Breaking the Performance Trap with Mike Pennington

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339198/fan_mail/new] Are you tired of trying to prove you deserve God’s love? In this episode, Austin Gardner sits down with his cousin, Mike Pennington—a former missionary and pastor—for a deeply personal conversation about the "bedrock of a healthy soul": Belovedness. For decades, both Austin and Mike lived under the heavy weight of legalism, relating to God through performance rather than relationship. Mike shares the transformative moment in the Colorado mountains where he finally heard the Father say, "Yes, you are my beloved child." Inside this episode: * Why we treat salvation like a gift but live like we have to pay it back. * How childhood traumas of shame, fear, and anger color our view of God. * The "Trifecta" of blockages that keep us from resting in grace. * The life-changing truth of John 17:23: God loves you just as much as He loves Jesus. If you’ve ever felt like you were on the "trash heap" of ministry or life, this episode is your invitation to stop striving and start being held. Connect with us: Visit waustingardner.com [https://waustingardner.com/] for more resources on grace and leadership. https://belovedlivingnow.com Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnr4HVuInKpwTE-Vybc-iLA], Substack [https://waustingardner.substack.com], Twitter, [https://twitter.com/waustingardner] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/waustingardner/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/waustingardner/], and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/austingardner211/].

The Fierce Compassion of God

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339198/fan_mail/new] "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you." — Isaiah 66:13 We often focus on the "Fatherhood" of God, but on this Mother’s Day episode, Austin Gardner explores the deep, nurturing, and protective "Motherly" love of our Creator. Using his own childhood memories of his grandmother’s house and the profound imagery of Scripture, Austin reframes our relationship with God. If you’ve ever felt like you were "auditioning" for God’s approval, listen to this. Austin explains how the Hebrew word for compassion is tied directly to the word for "womb," showing us that God’s love isn't a reaction to our behavior—it’s His very nature. Key Takeaways: * Love didn't start with Mamas; it started with God. * The difference between "Daddy’s discipline" and "Mama’s comfort" in the eyes of God. * Why God's love is a source of restoration, not a reward for performance. * The Prodigal Son: A story of a Father who runs like a Mother toward His child. Stop striving and start resting. You are not an employee; you are a beloved child held in the palms of a God who will never forget you. Subscribe & Review: If this message encouraged you, please leave a review and share it with someone who needs to know they are loved today! Thanks for listening. Find us on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnr4HVuInKpwTE-Vybc-iLA], Substack [https://waustingardner.substack.com], Twitter, [https://twitter.com/waustingardner] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/waustingardner/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/waustingardner/], and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/austingardner211/].