Gifts, Calling, and the Courage to Create With Stephen Landis (Ep 168)

Why Don't I Feel Different After Becoming a Christian (Ep 170)

In this episode, I want to talk to anyone who said yes to Jesus and then woke up the next morning wondering if anything really changed. That quiet question (why don't I feel different?) is one of the most common things new believers wrestle with, and I think the church has done a poor job of answering it. So I walk through what actually happened at salvation, why feelings are not a reliable measuring stick for your relationship with God, and what spiritual growth really looks like when it shows up in ordinary life. We spend time in 2 Corinthians 5, Philippians 1, and 1 Peter 2, along with some honest, practical steps for growing when you cannot feel a thing. If you are new in your faith, or walking with someone who is, this one is for you. Interesting Links: * 26,000 Baptized Across U.S. In Largest Mass Baptism Event In American History - Worthy Christian News [https://www.worthynews.com/105901-26000-baptized-across-u-s-in-largest-mass-baptism-event-in-american-history] * Well Versed - Asbury Revival 2023 [https://wellversedworld.org/asbury-revival-2023] * Soul Shepherding. Spiritual growth survey. [https://www.soulshepherding.org/spiritual-growth-survey/] * Peterson, E. (1980). A long obedience in the same direction. InterVarsity Press. [https://www.ivpress.com/a-long-obedience-in-the-same-direction] * Packer, J. I. (1973). Knowing God. InterVarsity Press. [https://www.ivpress.com/knowing-god] * Lloyd-Jones, M. (1965). Spiritual depression: Its causes and cures. Eerdmans. [https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/0849/spiritual-depression.aspx] * Grudem, W. (1994). Systematic theology. Zondervan. [https://www.zondervan.com/p/systematic-theology/] * Bleidorn, W., et al. (2024). Psychological change before and after religious conversion and deconversion. Journal of Personality. [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jopy.12881] * Barna Group. (2025). The declining importance of faith: New Barna findings. [https://www.barna.com/trends/faiths-shrinking-influence/] * Barna Group. (2025). New research: Belief in Jesus rises, fueled by younger adults. [https://www.barna.com/research/belief-in-jesus-rises/] * New Survey Shows Areas of Spiritual Life People Feel Most Confident About – and Those They Want Help With the Most - Barna Group [https://www.barna.com/research/new-survey-shows-areas-of-spiritual-life-people-feel-most-confident-about-and-those-they-want-help-with-the-most/] * New Research on the State of Discipleship - Barna Group [https://www.barna.com/research/new-research-on-the-state-of-discipleship/] * Asbury University. (2023). The outpouring story of revival. [https://www.asbury.edu/about/revival-history/outpouring/] * Anderson, N. T. (1990). The bondage breaker. Harvest House Publishers. [https://www.harvesthousepublishers.com] References to Bible Verses: Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 1:6; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:1; Lamentations 3:21–23; Hebrews 12:1; Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:12–13; Ephesians 1:13–14; 1 John 5:11–12; Romans 8:1; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 2:2; Colossians 2:6–7 My Ministry Mission Information 1. Website: https://myministrymission.com/ [https://myministrymission.com/] 2. Become a Guest: https://myministrymission.com/guest [https://myministrymission.com/guest] 3. Support the Show: https://myministrymission.com/support [https://myministrymission.com/support] 4. Contact Me: https://myministrymission.com/contact [https://myministrymission.com/contact] 5. Free Christian Resources: https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/ [https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/] My Ministry Mission Social Media 1. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission [https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission] 2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyMinMission [https://twitter.com/MyMinMission] (or @MyMinMission) 3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myminmission [https://www.instagram.com/myminmission] (or @MyMinMission) 4. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission [https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission] Support The Show If you are enjoying the content and would like to support this show, consider giving me a tip. It's not required or expected, but certainly appreciated Buy me a Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/myminmission] Credits: Cover Image & Music from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com/]

Boundaries, Love, and the Secular World (Ep 169)

In this episode, I sit down with a question many Christians are afraid to ask out loud: when is it time to step back from a friendship with someone whose influence is pulling you away from Christ? I work through 2 Corinthians 6:14, Matthew 18:15–17, and Proverbs 4:23 to build a biblical framework for one of the hardest relational decisions a believer can face. We talk about the difference between love and unlimited access, the warning signs that a relationship has crossed a line, and what it looks like to walk away with grace while still leaving the door unlocked. If you have ever wrestled with guilt over creating distance, this conversation is for you. Interesting Links: * Cloud, H., & Townsend, J. (1992). Boundaries: When to say yes, how to say no to take control of your life. [https://a.co/d/08rcoLp3] * Fee, G. D. (1987). The First Epistle to the Corinthians. Eerdmans. [https://a.co/d/08uxwJaQ] References to Bible Verses: Luke 4:30; Matthew 10:14; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Deuteronomy 22:10; 1 Corinthians 5:9–10; Matthew 18:15–17; Proverbs 4:23; Romans 16:17; Jude 1:22–23; Galatians 6:1 My Ministry Mission Information 1. Website: https://myministrymission.com/ [https://myministrymission.com/] 2. Become a Guest: https://myministrymission.com/guest [https://myministrymission.com/guest] 3. Support the Show: https://myministrymission.com/support [https://myministrymission.com/support] 4. Contact Me: https://myministrymission.com/contact [https://myministrymission.com/contact] 5. Free Christian Resources: https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/ [https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/] My Ministry Mission Social Media 1. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission [https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission] 2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyMinMission [https://twitter.com/MyMinMission] (or @MyMinMission) 3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myminmission [https://www.instagram.com/myminmission] (or @MyMinMission) 4. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission [https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission] Support The Show If you are enjoying the content and would like to support this show, consider giving me a tip. It's not required or expected, but certainly appreciated Buy me a Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/myminmission] Credits: Cover Image & Music from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com/]

Gifts, Calling, and the Courage to Create With Stephen Landis (Ep 168)

In this episode, I sit down with Stephen Landis, a Christian poet and author from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and founder of Dust Bunny Poetry, for a deeply honest conversation about what it means to use the creative gifts God has placed in us. Stephen shares his faith journey, from rededication at sixteen to a defining moment at nineteen when the truth of Ephesians 2:8-9 anchored him in grace over works, and how that foundation now fuels everything he writes. We talk about the courage it takes to create for God's glory, the beauty of wrestling with calling, and why stewardship of your gifts is an act of obedience. Stephen's story is a reminder that God doesn't call the polished or the finished. He calls the willing. Whether you are an artist, a teacher, a parent, or a podcaster, this conversation will stir you to pick up what God has placed in your hands and trust Him with where it goes. You can find Stephen's work, including his award-winning collection Grace and Other Poems, at https://dustbunnypoems.online [https://dustbunnypoems.online]. I hope this episode blesses you and lights a fire under the gifts you may have quietly set aside. Guest Links: * Stephen Landis | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/spyke_landis/] * Dust Bunny Poetry [https://www.dustbunnypoems.online/] References to Bible Verses: Ephesians 2:8–9 My Ministry Mission Information 1. Website: https://myministrymission.com/ [https://myministrymission.com/] 2. Become a Guest: https://myministrymission.com/guest [https://myministrymission.com/guest] 3. Support the Show: https://myministrymission.com/support [https://myministrymission.com/support] 4. Contact Me: https://myministrymission.com/contact [https://myministrymission.com/contact] 5. Free Christian Resources: https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/ [https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/] My Ministry Mission Social Media 1. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission [https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission] 2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyMinMission [https://twitter.com/MyMinMission] (or @MyMinMission) 3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myminmission [https://www.instagram.com/myminmission] (or @MyMinMission) 4. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission [https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission] Support The Show If you are enjoying the content and would like to support this show, consider giving me a tip. It's not required or expected, but certainly appreciated Buy me a Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/myminmission] Credits: Cover Image & Music from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com/]

Miracles in the Mundane: Seeing Do in Everyday Life (Ep 167)

What if the miracle you have been waiting for already happened, and you slept right through it? In this episode, I want to invite you to slow down and look at your everyday life through the lens of Scripture. We explore what I call miracle blindness, the quiet spiritual nearsightedness that causes so many of us to miss God's constant presence in ordinary moments. From Elijah's still small voice in 1 Kings 19 to Jeremiah's stunning declaration of new mercy in Lamentations 3, the Bible consistently shows us a God who loves to show up in the small and the simple. We also dig into Romans 1:20, Matthew 6:26, and the surprising story of the ten lepers to uncover how gratitude is not just a feeling but a spiritual discipline that trains your eyes to recognize what God is already doing around you. If your faith has felt more transactional than relational lately, this episode is for you. Join me and let's go find God in the ordinary together. References to Bible Verses: Psalm 19:1; Psalm 30:5; Psalm 118:24; Lamentations 3:22–23; Exodus 3:2; Exodus 16:21; 1 Kings 19:11–12; John 1:14; Romans 1:20; Matthew 6:26; Luke 17:17–19; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Colossians 3:17; Philippians 4:6–7 My Ministry Mission Information 1. Website: https://myministrymission.com/ [https://myministrymission.com/] 2. Become a Guest: https://myministrymission.com/guest [https://myministrymission.com/guest] 3. Support the Show: https://myministrymission.com/support [https://myministrymission.com/support] 4. Contact Me: https://myministrymission.com/contact [https://myministrymission.com/contact] 5. Free Christian Resources: https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/ [https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/] My Ministry Mission Social Media 1. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission [https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission] 2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyMinMission [https://twitter.com/MyMinMission] (or @MyMinMission) 3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myminmission [https://www.instagram.com/myminmission] (or @MyMinMission) 4. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission [https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission] Support The Show If you are enjoying the content and would like to support this show, consider giving me a tip. It's not required or expected, but certainly appreciated Buy me a Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/myminmission] Credits: Cover Image & Music from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com/]

Presence Over Performance: A Faith Reset With Eric G Reid (Ep 166)

In this episode, I sit down with author, publisher, and co-founder of Skinny Brown Dog Media, Eric Reid, for an honest and deeply personal conversation about what happens when faithful people quietly drift from abiding in Jesus to performing for Him. Eric shares from his own story of confusing closeness to God with usefulness to God, and how Jesus has been reforming him around something better: presence over performance, hiddenness over recognition, and faithfulness over followers. We dig into John 15:5, where Jesus reminds us that apart from Him we can do nothing, and we sit with the invitation of Matthew 11:28 to come to Him when we are weary and burdened. If you have ever loved Jesus and still felt exhausted by your own faith, this conversation is for you. Eric brings the kind of honest, Scripture-rooted reflection that will help you recognize the drift, return to the vine, and take one step back toward simply abiding. I believe this episode will reach you right where you are. Come listen in. Interesting Links: * Skinny Brown Dog Media | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/skinnybrowndogmedia/] * Eric G Reid | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericgreid/] * Eric G Reid | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ericgreid/] * Eric G Reid | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/ericgreid] * Leadership Was Never My Calling | Website [https://lwnc.net/] References to Bible Verses: John 15:5; Psalm 46:10; Matthew 11:28–30; Romans 10:17 My Ministry Mission Information 1. Website: https://myministrymission.com/ [https://myministrymission.com/] 2. Become a Guest: https://myministrymission.com/guest [https://myministrymission.com/guest] 3. Support the Show: https://myministrymission.com/support [https://myministrymission.com/support] 4. Contact Me: https://myministrymission.com/contact [https://myministrymission.com/contact] 5. Free Christian Resources: https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/ [https://myministrymission.com/resources/free-resources/] My Ministry Mission Social Media 1. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission [https://www.facebook.com/myministrymission] 2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/MyMinMission [https://twitter.com/MyMinMission] (or @MyMinMission) 3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myminmission [https://www.instagram.com/myminmission] (or @MyMinMission) 4. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission [https://www.youtube.com/@myministrymission] Support The Show If you are enjoying the content and would like to support this show, consider giving me a tip. It's not required or expected, but certainly appreciated Buy me a Coffee [https://buymeacoffee.com/myminmission] Credits: Cover Image & Music from Pixabay [https://pixabay.com/]