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

You Were Created for a "Love Party": Rethinking the Gospel

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339198/fan_mail/new] Do you feel like God is an angry judge who only tolerates you because He’s looking through a "Jesus filter"? In the final installment of this series, W. Austin Gardner and Steve McVey (author of Grace Walk) dismantle one of the most damaging lies in modern Christianity: the idea that the Father is a vengeful punisher while the Son is a merciful savior. What you’ll discover in this session: * The "Jesus Filter" Fallacy: Why the Father, Son, and Spirit were all in the rescue mission together—not at odds with each other. * The Eternal Love Party: Why humanity wasn't a "Plan B" to fix sin, but an invitation to join the pre-existing love of the Trinity. * Redefining Justice: Moving from "Judicial Justice" (retribution) to "Divine Justice" (restoration). * The Cross wasn't for God’s Anger: Understanding that the Cross was God’s way of reconciling the world to Himself, not a way to "get it out of His system." The Big Takeaway: The Gospel didn't start with your sin; it started with God’s love. You were created not to be a project, but to be a participant in a love that has existed for all eternity. Chapters: 0:00 - The "Jesus Filter" Problem 7:45 - Is Jesus Nicer Than God? 14:20 - The Eternal Love Party: Our True Origin 25:10 - Why the Cross wasn't Plan B 33:45 - Judicial vs. Divine Justice: Restoring the Broken 46:30 - Final Reflections on the Grace Walk 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/].

Fig Leaves and Fake Religion: Why We Still Hide from God

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339198/fan_mail/new] Are you exhausted from trying to "achieve" a spiritual status you already possess? In part two of this deep-dive series, W. Austin Gardner and Grace Walk author Steve McVey dismantle the "Original Lie" that keeps most Christians stuck in a cycle of religious performance. Austin shares a candid confession about his early years in ministry: he used to read the Bible like a "Chilton’s Repair Manual"—looking for instructions to fix himself instead of looking for the heart of his Father. Key Themes in this Episode: * The Chilton’s Manual Trap: Moving from "How do I fix this?" to "Who is my Father?" * The First Act of Religion: Why Adam and Eve’s fig leaves were the birth of legalism. * Doing vs. Being: Understanding that we don't "do to be" (servants/children); we "do because we are." * The Idolatry of Guilt: Why wallowing in self-condemnation is actually a rejection of the finished work of Christ. The Big Takeaway: God doesn't need your service. He spoke the universe into existence—He’s doing just fine. But He wants you. He invites you into His work not because He needs an employee, but because He loves His child. Chapters: 0:00 - Why God Doesn't Need You (But Wants You) 8:45 - Confessions of a "Bible Repair Manual" Reader 15:30 - The Original Sin: The Myth of Independence 24:10 - Fig Leaves: The Birth of Religion 32:50 - The Lie: Trying to Become What You Already Are 45:15 - Is Your Guilt Actually Idolatry? 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 Dangerous Prayer That Changes Everything | Austin Gardner & Steve McVey

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339198/fan_mail/new] What happens when you’ve known someone longer than your own wife? You get the kind of raw, honest conversation that only 54 years of friendship can produce. In this episode of Followed by Mercy, Austin Gardner sits down with his lifelong friend and mentor, Steve McVey—the best-selling author of Grace Walk. They take us back to the beginning in 1972, sharing hilarious stories of street preaching and "witnessing" in bars, before diving into a profound truth: the danger of asking God to know Him more deeply. Inside the Episode: * The Bumblebee Bar Story: Why Betty (Austin’s wife) caught him coming out of a bar at a Baptist college. * The Performance Trap: How Steve went from a "successful" pastor at 19 to finding true intimacy with Christ. * Defining Brokenness: Why Steve defines brokenness as "giving up confidence in our own ability to manage life." * The "Dangerous Prayer": Why praying to know God more deeply often leads to chaos, but always leads to grace. Whether you are struggling with the pressure to perform or navigating your own season of "chaos," this conversation is a roadmap to finding rest in the finished work of Jesus. Connect with Austin Gardner: 🌐 Website: https://waustingardner.com [https://waustingardner.com/] 📩 Substack: https://waustingardner.substack.com [https://waustingardner.substack.com/] 📘 Alignment Ministries: https://alignmentministries.com [https://alignmentministries.com/] About Steve McVey: Steve is the author of Grace Walk and has spent decades helping people move from performance-based religion to the freedom of a relationship with Christ. SEO & Ranking Keywords * Primary Keyphrase: Grace vs Performance * Secondary Keywords: Steve McVey Grace Walk, Austin Gardner Podcast, Christian Brokenness, Spiritual Growth through Chaos, Finding Peace in Christ, Grace-filled Leadership, Overcoming the Performance Trap. 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/].

Spiritual Direction: Finding a Safe Place for Your Story

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2339198/fan_mail/new] * "Evicting Shame and Embracing the Identity of the Beloved." Podcast Show Notes / Description: "Most of us are busy trying to 'fix' ourselves, but Mike Pennington suggests a different path: Spiritual Direction. Unlike coaching, which focuses on your next action step, Spiritual Direction asks: 'What is God’s invitation to you right now?' Austin and Mike get 'down in the weeds' to talk about: * Shame & Self-Rejection: Why the devil never takes a day off, and how to use Romans 8:1 as your defensive line. * Living in the Present Tense: Why God is 'the God of the I AM,' not the God of your past trauma. * The Power of Being Seen: Why every human needs to feel seen, soothed, safe, and secure in the arms of the Father. Resources Mentioned: * Mike Pennington’s Website: belovedlivingnow.com [https://belovedlivingnow.com/] * Christie Pennington’s Spiritual Direction: ChristiCoaching.com [https://christicoaching.com/] * The REACH Forgiveness Tool (Google 'REACH Forgiveness' for the full path). Connect with Austin: Visit waustingardner.com [https://waustingardner.com/] for more resources on grace-filled leadership and marriage restoration." 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/].

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/].