Jesus-Centric Life

Is there such a thing as a “bad” prayer? In this episode, we wrestle with selfish prayers, unanswered prayers, God’s will, and whether His “no” might sometimes be a better answer than the “yes” we desperately wanted.

It's one of the hardest and most important questions people ask: What happens to those who never hear about Jesus? In this episode, we explore what the Bible says—and what it doesn't—about God's justice, mercy, and the hope of salvation through Christ. Join us for an honest, grace-filled conversation as we wrestle with this difficult question.

In this episode, we take an honest look at one of the Bible's most debated passages and discover that Paul and James weren't opposing each other. They were addressing different problems with the same Gospel. Join us as we explore what saving faith really is, why good works matter, and how grace and obedience fit together in the life of every follower of Jesus.

Join us as we sit down and talk with special guest Kara Druffel, as she shares the unexpected story of her family’s foster care and adoption journey. What began as a desire to love children and families like Jesus became a firsthand experience of God’s love, faithfulness, and provision. This conversation is about obedience, surrender, and how God often transforms us as we step into His calling.

We were never meant to carry life's burdens by ourselves. Betsy Bowers joins us for a discussion about the importance of vulnerability, community, and seeking support while discovering the hope and healing God provides through others.

Stressful situations are inevitable, but they don't have to control us. Join our conversation with Licensed Professional Counselor Betsy Bowers as she shares practical ways to respond to life's challenges with a mindset rooted in Christ—finding peace, clarity, and confidence even in the middle of uncertainty.

Life will bring challenges, but resilience helps us face them with hope instead of fear. In this episode of Jesus-Centric Life, we invite Betsy Bowers to share practical tools for building emotional strength while discovering how God meets us in life's hardest moments.

The LCMS has voted, and President Matthew Harrison has been elected to another term. But what does this election reveal about the current state and future direction of our Synod? In this special edition of the Jesus-Centric Life Podcast, we take an honest look at leadership, unity, mission, declining congregations, generational change, and the challenges facing the LCMS.

In a world full of competing voices, how do we raise children who truly know, love, and follow Jesus? In this episode of Jesus Centric Life, Pastor Josh and Donna discuss how parents can help build deep roots of faith—raising kids who are grounded in Christ, shaped by truth, and courageous enough to live for Jesus wherever life takes them.

From social media and endless scrolling to online influence and digital pressure, technology is shaping today’s children in powerful ways. Pastor Josh, Donna, and Thomas MacLean explore how screens are disciplining the next generation—and what families and the Church can do to help young hearts and minds stay anchored in Jesus.

Every day, we move past people carrying invisible burdens—loneliness, grief, shame, doubt, exhaustion, or simply the feeling of being unseen. In this episode, we will explore what it means to slow down, open our eyes, and notice the people Jesus never overlooked.

In this episode of Jesus Centric Life, Sadie Hixson shares what it looks like for faith to become your own—shaping the way you serve, the path you choose, and the person you are becoming. Through disaster relief, a growing call toward nursing, and a deepening walk with Christ, her story highlights a faith that is lived, trusted, and truly her own.

We spend our lives hiding parts of ourselves—afraid that if others truly knew us, we would be rejected, judged, or unloved. Yet the heart of the Gospel is this: in Christ, we are fully known and deeply loved. This episode explores the freedom, healing, and courage that come from stepping out of hiding and living honestly before God and others.

Grace is a gift from God—freely given, deeply needed, and often hard to fully receive. Yet many people still live weighed down by guilt, shame, striving, or the feeling that they must earn what God has already given. This episode explores what it means to truly live in the freedom of grace and how that freedom changes the way we see God, ourselves, and others.

In a world quick to react and easy to offend, what would it look like for Christians to live with deeper grace, humility, and a steadiness rooted in Christ? In this episode of Jesus-Centric Life, Pastor Josh and Donna discuss what it means to have hearts that are less reactive, more forgiving, and shaped by the grace we ourselves have received.

More and more, we live with the mindset of “I can handle it” or “I’ve got this.” But what happens when self-reliance slowly replaces dependence on God? In this episode we will unpack the subtle lie of self-sufficiency, and how true strength is found not in carrying life alone—but in learning to fully rely on Christ.

The voting continues, and with it come important questions about the future direction of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. In this special edition of Jesus Centric Life, Pastor Josh, Donna, and Thomas provide an update on the latest presidential election results, explain what has happened so far, and discuss what the next round of voting means for congregations, pastors, and members across the S...

In this episode of Jesus-Centric Life, Pastor Josh and Donna explore one of discipleship’s most important questions: How do we define spiritual maturity—and how do we invite people toward it? Together, they unpack what Scripture says about maturity in Christ, the marks of a growing disciple, and how churches can create clear pathways for deeper faith.

In this special edition of Jesus Centric Life, Pastor Josh and Donna provide an update on the current state of the LCMS as it moves through another election season. Together, they discuss key issues facing the Synod, the opportunities and challenges ahead, the importance of leadership, and how decisions made at the national level can impact local congregations. 

You’re not alone if you’ve wrestled with faith—or even been tempted to walk away from it. In this episode, Pastor Josh and Donna step into the real concerns many unbelievers carry. Not to dismiss them, but to understand them. Because behind every objection is often a story, an experience, or a question that deserves to be heard.

In this episode of Jesus-Centric Life, Pastor Josh and Donna sit down with Mindy Chapman to talk about the shift that happens when kids are grown, and life looks different—exploring what it means to stay rooted in church, find renewed purpose, and embrace the significance of this next season.

In this episode of Jesus-Centric Life, Pastor Josh and Donna sit down with Dave and Sheri Himmelburg to share their journey through the tragic loss of their son, Sean. With honesty and courage, they talk about grief, faith, and what it looks like to keep holding onto God in the middle of unimaginable pain. 

Pastor Josh and Donna talk with Harold Benecke about the reality of parenting adult children with different faith journeys. With honesty and grace, they explore the tension, the questions, and how to hold onto hope when the story isn’t what you expected.

In this episode of Jesus Centric Life, Pastor Josh and Donna sit down with Kathy Boye as she shares her story of walking through an intense and uncertain season where nothing was in her control. With honesty and depth, she reflects on what it looked like to live in the unknown, how her faith was tested, and where she experienced God in the middle of it all.

Faith and family often sound like they should fit together naturally—but many parents discover it’s harder than they expected. In this episode of Jesus Centric Life, Sarah and Josh Krepel join the conversation to talk honestly about the challenges of raising a family in faith, the pressures families face today, and the tension between what we hope for spiritually and what real life actually looks...