The Power of Responsibility

In this podcast episode I answer the question: “Should a faithful Christian be dissatisfied with the Church?”

Here’s a few things that I cover in this episode:

why the real problem is that we are not dissatisfied enough

the difference between “productive dissatisfaction” and “destructive dissatisfaction”

the three ways to ensure that your dissatisfaction is productive

This may be a controversial topic for some. I would love to hear your thoughts. Reach out to me if you have any questions.

In this episode of the Struggling Pastors Podcast, Thien gives us some encouraging thoughts and insights about renewal and restoring our love and passion for God.

On this episode of the Struggling Pastor Podcast, I talk with Pastor Mike Larsen about the difficulty of leading a church during COVID. We talk about suffering, depression, suicide, and caring for people who are suffering. Mike talks about having a panic attack while preaching and writing a book on suffering.

Learn some life lessons from the amazing story of Marques Ogden. Marques was an NFL player and multi-millionaire business owner who lost it all. He lost his business and became a janitor making $8.25 per hour. See how he turned his life around and became an author and successful motivational speaker. 

After a long break, I'm relaunching this podcast with a new name and focus. It's called the "Intentional Life Coach" Podcast. Stay tuned for more information.

Chase Replogle is a bi-vocational pastor, web designer, and writer. He currently hosts the Pastor Writer Podcast at pastorwriter.com. The show takes a contemplative look at the writing process for pastors and church leaders pursuing their call to write. 

Chase has just finished a book-length manuscript based on the life of Moses. It's title, Discontented: How Your Heart's Desires Betray You. Discontented takes an honest look at our universal journey of identity formation: adventure and commitment, competition and attraction, idolatry and faith.

In this interview, we talk about the dealing with the dreaded “Imposter Syndrome” and other things new writers face.

Check out Chase’s podcast - www.pastorwriter.com

Our guest today is just getting started on this writing journey. Rachel Larkin is a blogger and has written a couple of books. She lives in New Zealand with her husband and their three young adult sons.

In this interview, we talk about getting started and dealing with the fear and doubts as a new writer.

She writes about growing in faith and developing your potential on her website at- https://rachellarkin.com.

Peyton Jones is a pastor and church planter. He trains and coaches church planters all over the world. He is a prolific content creator. He writes books, blogs, and magazine articles. He speaks at conferences, runs a magazine, and two podcasts. He is known as the “Church Planting Ninja.”

Today, Peyton and I discuss…

• How he got into writing books
• Finding your writing voice
• How to get an agent
• And other practical advice for new writers

Here’s how to connect with Peyton:

Peytonjones.ninja

Newbreednetwork.org

churchplantermagazine.com

Episode 015 - 7 Reasons Why Pastors Should Self-publish

In this short episode, I talk give pastors 7 reasons why they should self-publish. If you’re a pastor, I hope this would encourage you to self-publish. If you’re not, please pass this recording onto your pastor.

7 Reasons Pastors Why Should Self-publish:

1) You can change the world with your words.

2) Reach thousands of people you’ve never met.

3) Makes you a better pastor and preacher.

4) Rescues and redeems your half-baked sermons

5) It’s great practice

6) It sets you apart

7) It’s not that hard

This was an unplanned interview with pastor Josh Best.  He is an author and runs a small publishing company called “Unprecedented Press.” Unprecedented Press helps indie authors self-publish and launch their books.

Here’s how their website describes what they do:

“Traditional publishers rarely bet on new authors, and vanity presses gouge them for services instead of investing in their success. This often leads a writer to self-publish, but the endeavor can be extremely difficult to do alone. [Unprecedented Press] exists to help our author-partners feel more confident in the process than they would on their own, produce a higher quality product than they could on their own, and have access to more people than they would on their own. Like a business partner, we’re here to share the load.”

Jean Wise is a hybrid author with 9 books traditionally and self-published. He is a retired nurse and picked up writing in her 50s. She has written devotional books for women. She has a unique perspective on writing. We talked about writing Christian devotionals for women, blogging, and the importance of building a platform. We also discuss dealing with rejection, overcoming hurdles, and finding yourself after retirement.

Best quote: “You never retire. You just find a new ministry.”

You can learn more about Jean’s blog and “100 Day Platform Power-Up Challenge” at healthyspirituality.org.

Today, I have the privilege of interviewing Shelley Hitz. Shelly has written over 40 books. She is a busy woman. She also a professional speaker, artist, author coach, podcaster, YouTuber, and blogger. Her website was voted one of the best 100 websites for writers in 2017.

She is the owner and creator of the Author Audience Academy. Her goal is to “help you reach more people with your message and let your light shine.”