On The Trail

Tis the season where Christians often have questions or draw sides on whether or not we should have anything to do with Halloween. In this week's episode, we're discussing some common questions, such as... ❓Should Christians celebrate Halloween at all? ❓Can costumes, decorations, or trick-or-treating open a doorway to the enemy? ❓How do you talk with your kids about Halloween? ❓What if Christi...

How do you grow your capacity to feel emotions without having them define or control you? In this episode, we look at the second element of a R.A.R.E. Leader, the ability to "act like yourself." We discuss three categories of leader: predators, possums, and protectors. The mature version of you will always be a protector. How do you develop the skills to be the more mature version of yourself? How...

One of the defining qualities of a mature leader is the ability to remain relational even in the face of problems or conflict. This does not mean ignoring problems but handling issues in a relational way and treating people like people, not problems. In this episode we're discussing relational strategies (C.A.K.E.), fear mapping and problem solving, and recognizing that sometimes we can't save eve...

How can we be intentional about noticing and imitating people with maturity skills we need to strengthen? How do we "practice the presence of God"? What's the difference between an Identity Group and an Accountability Group? This episode looks at Chapter Six "Where You Start: Imitation, Identity, Intimacy" and builds the framework we'll use for the rest of the series to put what we're learning int...

When you know who you are, you get results. In leadership, many think almost exclusively in terms of getting results. Results do matter, and there's no getting around that in leadership. But chapter five of Rare Leadership argues that our top priority should be our culture and then from there we pursue results. Who are we as a group, as a company? How is it like us to act? People who focus only on...

Fear controls us when we avoid emotions we can't handle. What makes communities toxic, and how do we foster healthier, more resilient communities?   In this episode, we continue to unpack how the "Slow Track" and "Fast Track" in the brain influence leadership and relational dynamics and how this all affects toxicity in a group. And if the Slow Track is by nature Slower than the Fast Track, what ho...

Good news! You can build your emotional competence. God designed our brains to run on the fuel of joy, and we have the ability to grow our capacity for joy as long as we live. In this episode, we're in Chapter Three: The Elevator in Your Brain where we look at Jesus Christ as a wonderful example of emotional competence and then unpack the four levels of the Joy Elevator. When these functions are w...

Immaturity is rampant in our culture, is it not? But it doesn't have to stay this way. In this episode, we discuss the difference between mature and immature leadership, the importance of IDENTITY + BELONGING = TRANSFORMATION, and how to build cultures that produce results through joy rather than fear. Celebrating Ten Years of Rare Leadership! Since its release in 2016, this book has equipped lead...

New book study series! The goal of this series is to equip you to live and lead with more emotional intelligence and resilience on your walk with God. The book Rare Leadership by Marcus Warner & Jim Wilder combines theology, brain science, and decades of counseling and consulting experience to equip you to cultivate maturity in yourself and others, develop strong group identity, keep relations...

Can Christians command holy angels? Do parents have authority over the enemy in the lives of their adult children? Where are the boundaries on authority & jurisdiction when praying for someone else?   This week is a Q&A episode. Thank you for submitting your questions and testimonies! More questions will be answered at the Battle Ready Conference happening August 29, 2026. (link in descrip...

Experience often guides our perspective of spiritual realities. But what is it's role in understanding spiritual warfare?   This week we wrap up the What Every Believer Should Know About Spiritual Warfare series. We're reading out of Appendix 2, looking at the sufficiency of Scripture, biblical examples of appeals to experience, the importance of worldview and interpretation, navigating various th...

What does every Christian need to understand about the occult? The word "occult" means "hidden" or "secret." Occult practices seek secret knowledge and power from sources other than God. This week we dig into Chapter Six of What Every Believer Should Know About Spiritual Warfare by Marcus Warner. We look at what the occult is, three key reasons people seek it (power, knowledge, attachment), the da...

What are demons, and how do they use deception to keep us in bondage? This week we dig into Chapter Five of What Every Believer Should Know About Spiritual Warfare by Marcus Warner. We look at three levels of spiritual warfare, the nature of demons, and three categories of deception strategies: random thoughts, tapes, and voices. The goal of this series is to equip you with a spiritual warfare fir...

~Hello friends, this episode went through the trenches to get to you. We are so sorry for the technical issues in this episode's video. ~   Ready for some practical hope with spiritual warfare?   This week we dig into Chapter Four of What Every Believer Should Know About Spiritual Warfare by Marcus Warner. We're walking step by step through the CCC-C process of removing enemy permission: 1) Confes...

Is authority a spiritual gift? What can it look like to use a Christian's authority in Christ?   This week we dig into Chapter Three of What Every Believer Should Know About Spiritual Warfare by Marcus Warner. We're looking at the difference between power and authority, a biblical understanding of our victory in our Christ, and practical applications like binding, loosing, and evicting demons.   T...

What does the devil have permission to do in a Christian's life?   This week we dig into Chapter 2 of What Every Believer Should Know About Spiritual Warfare by Marcus Warner. What's happening in God's throne room, and how does it affect the realities of spiritual warfare? We introduce the principles of permission and authority in a legal approach to spiritual warfare and unpack 5 categories that...

Happy Four Years of Podcasting!! See the links below for an epic giveaway.   We were born into the middle of a great, cosmic conflict that affects every area of life. As Christians, we really only have three options. We can live in fear, in ignorance, or we can learn to fight.   Where in the Bible does it say, "Ignore the devil, and he will leave you alone"? Nowhere! It warns us repeatedly, "Be al...

Could the monster in the closet be real? How can we help children who see scary things? How does our worldview inform what we believe is possible? Today we’re continuing our prequel discussion of spiritual warfare before launching our next book study. Last episode we addressed the reality of so many Christians who think spiritual warfare is not something to concern everyday believers. And it’s und...

Is spiritual warfare an elective for advanced Christians? Maybe you hear "spiritual warfare" and think "paranormal activity." Maybe you've been a Christian for a long time and haven’t had to deal with spiritual warfare. How important is it really? Many Christians feel like they see no evidence of spiritual warfare around them. They might undersand that cosmic realities exist and intercessory praye...

"Christianity is not a religion. It's a relationship." What does this adage actually mean? John 15 gives a picture of this when Jesus describes our relationship to Him as branches attached to a vine. Relationships are attachments. Christianity is about forming an attachment with Jesus Christ, then spending the rest of our lives walking deeper with Him. And if we want to be relationally engaged wit...

Does it ever look "awfully peopley out there"? Community is one of the great gifts of being human, but it comes with its share of hurt and problems... Belonging is a transformation agent crucial for cultivating emotional resilience. In this On the Trail episode, we discuss Building Bounce Chapter Seven: Connecting with People , where we talk about relationships in the Bible, vulnerabilty and authe...

Did you know your brain has its own propaganda department? The left side of your brain can be thought of as your narrative engine. Part of its job is to explain life. Our beliefs can have a profound impact on our bodies, our emotions, and our behavior. It is no wonder that the Bible has so much to say about meditating on God’s Word, renewing the mind, repenting, thinking about what is true, practi...

Learning how to let yourself enter into the feeling of appreciation for five minutes or more helps your body relax and your mind quiet. For Christians, appreciation goes beyond only a brain exercise. It's an act of connection with God.  With that in mind, in this On the Trail episode, we discuss Building Bounce Chapter Five: Appreciation , where we unpack the joy-building tool G.A.M.E.S. for pract...

The number one predictor of good emotional health is the ability to quiet. Quieting is about learning how to calm our bodies and minds once triggered and about learning how to practice being quiet without the regular need for distraction.  With that in mind, in this On the Trail episode, we discuss Building Bounce Chapter Four: Quieting , where we unpack tools such as the acrostics B.E.S.T. for qu...

Time to pop the hood and get a look at our wiring! What has brain science to do with emotional resilience?  God has designed our brains to run on the fuel of joy, and joy is what is crucial to resilience. So, understanding how God designed our brains to operate helps us understand what we should develop in order to be as resilient as possible.  With that in mind, in this On the Trail episode, we d...