Craft & Character

In this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter interviews author, minister, rapper, and stand-up comedian Jelani Greenidge about the use of humor in preaching. Jelani does an incredible job breaking down how to discover humor in the text, how to use humor effectively, and what humor brings to a sermon. Also, they spend time unpacking Jelani’s latest book called Undercover Prophets that breaks...

In this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter interviews pastor Tyler Gorsline about his love for preaching and staying put in Seattle. Tyler shares about what he's learned along the way as he and his incredible team lead A Seattle Church. The leaders they have been able to develop, empower, and release as well as having this missional desire for people to learn and practice the way of Jesus....

In this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter interviews Diane Langberg about how a pastor must pursue truth, care for the wounded, point people to Jesus above themselves, and to resist abuse at all costs. For 50 plus years, Langberg has been a leader in the unfortunate field of church abuse and trauma. An incredibly wise guide who deeply loves the church so much that she continues to call ou...

In this episode of the Craft & Character podcast, Steve Carter interviews Pastor Jon Thompson from Sanctus Church in Toronto, Canada about the importance of perseverance in pastoral ministry. Jon is one of Canada’s most thoughtful and insightful shepherds and he shares about a book he wrote that unpacks 15 different observations at the halfway point about how to finish well. Bobby Clinton, the leg...

In this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter interviews pastor Mike Goldsworthy around the topic of plagiarism and the crafting of sermons. Mike shares ways we can easily give credit to an idea or author without slowing down the flow of the teaching. He also unpacks what’s happening in a pastors life that makes them believe this is ok. The character required to give proper credit actually co...

In this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter talks with author, spiritual director, and founder of the Transforming Center, Ruth Haley Barton about the importance of spiritual formation for pastoral care. Ruth Haley Barton offers up so many moments of pure gold as she talks about the soul, the art of discernment, and how she came to discover the goodness with spiritual formation decades ago....

In this episode of the Craft & Character podcast, Steve Carter interviews pastor and thought leader Brian Lee about healing from church hurt. Brian has a heart for those who feel like wanderers looking for a safe place to land. He has created an incredible community for anyone who has felt cast aside, betrayed, or hurt from religious institutions. Brian is hosting a conference for pastors to learn...

On this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter talks with pastor, founder of Capable Life, and author Steve Cuss about the tiny gap for preachers between our beliefs and experiences of God. Steve Cuss unpacks why this matters from theological, emotional, and character fronts, so we can begin to confront these gaps with curiosity and openness. Steve Cuss offers us a way forward to not just help...

There is a discipleship opportunity right now that pastors and preachers must take advantage of. Pastor Daniel Im and Steve Carter discuss how we must understand the audience is different in our congregations than from 10, 20, 40 years ago. They’re asking different kinds of questions. They’re more cynical in some ways and wildly curious in others. When our messages can invite people into the deepe...

In this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter interviews the Win Today Podcast host Christopher Cook about how leaders can transform their mental, emotional, and spiritual health from the inside out. Christopher shares wisdom he has learned, how the reliance on the Holy Spirit is everything, and what courage looks like as you face past trauma. This episode explores key insights from Cook’s ne...

In this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter interviews leader, coach, and author Alan Briggs about avoiding burnout and finishing the race well. Alan recently released a new book called AntiBurnout that will help you lead for the long haul by sharing practical steps that he has learned advising pastors and business leaders. This episode is so practical and will help you take a good hard loo...

In this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter interviews Westover Hills Senior Pastor Luke Norsworthy about having the internal character to meet the six demands of life. It can be so easy to give time and energy wondering if my life would be better if I was in a new role or at a new church; but Luke beautifully articulate to love the life you already have isn’t about changing your circumstan...

In this special episode, the host of the Craft & Character, Steve Carter, unpacks how holy weekend is an incredible gift to anyone walking out a grief journey. Steve opens up about what led to him writing these words, what his hope is for Grieve, Breathe, Receive, and how to honor what comes up when change shows up. This is a book that will help you know what to do when life shocks us or we experi...

In this Craft & Character episode, Steve Carter interviews author and youth pastor Micha Boyett about her new book Blessed Are The Rest Of Us. Micha talks about how she discovered the slow way when her son was born with Down Syndrome and later diagnosed with autism, she was drawn into the ancient teachings of the Beatitudes. In a culture that values performance, perfection, and strength, Micha fou...

In this episode of Craft & Character, Steve Carter interviews author and pastor Jay Kim about how to hear God’s voice and communicate truth in a noisy world. Jay unpacks what led him to write his new book that comes out on April 16th called Listen, Listen, Speak. He talks about how discernment, mastering the art of listening well to God and one another, and also being able to clearly speak to the...

The relationship between a worship pastor and the preacher is crucial, especially on holiday weekends. In the latest episode of the Craft and Character podcast, Steve Carter interviews the worship pastor at Forest City Church, Carrington Gaines about how to work well together. Steve and Carrington serve together and breakdown how they planned out the Good Friday and Easter services around the song...

In this episode, Steve Carter interviews pastor and author Jay Hewitt about finding strength in our deepest need and weakness. A few years back Jay was diagnosed with brain cancer and during his chemo treatment he decided to train for an Ironman to show his young daughter what resilience looks like. Jay ended up completing the Ironman and wrote an incredible book called “I Am Weak, I Am Strong” ab...

In this episode of Craft and Character, Steve Carter interviews Justin Davis about how transparency leads to transformation. Justin details the hard lessons he had to learn and what God has redeemed and refined because of it. They also unpack Justin’s latest book entitled Being Real > Being Perfect and how to embody that from the pulpit, in our leadership, marriage, and with the deepest friendship...

In this episode of Craft and Character, Steve interviews author Jenn Kautsch, who is the founder and creator of the SoberSis community. They talk about the season of Lent, what being sober curious is all about and how to renegotiate our relationship with alcohol. Jenn opens up about showing up to church many Sunday mornings a little foggy from the night before. You would have never known this was...

The majority of pastors are not looking forward to this 2024 presidential election season. The division between parties. The vitriol online. The angst within the congregation. The last few elections have been so difficult to navigate. There has to be a better way! In this episode, Steve Carter interviews Michael Wear who is the President of The Center of Christianity and Public Life as well as the...

As we kick off 2024, Mark Scandrette offers up profound wisdom from the nine sayings of Jesus from the Beatitudes. It’s what Mark writes about in his latest book, The Ninefofd Path of Jesus. This episode is an invitation to the postures that the beatitudes provide us personally but also how to communicate these from pulpit. Mark unpacks his preaching methodology, how he arranges a sermon to be pra...

Do you ever feel like the tyranny of the urgent runs your life? Do you ever feel shame for wanting to take a day off or go on a vacation? As pastors, the needs are great and time is limited. Sadly, for many this means neglecting the things that matter most: our relationship with God, family, and the health of our souls. In this episode, Mark Dance, Director of Pastoral Wellness for Guidestone Fina...

How much does your upbringing influence your life now? The answer for all of us is ... more than we realize. In today’s episode, Ike Miller一who pastors Bright City Church alongside his wife Sharon一shares about his new book called Good Baggage: How Your Difficult Childhood Prepared You for Healthy Relationships. Growing up in a dysfunctional family impacted by alcoholism and divorce, Ike shares f...

Every pastor needs a pastor一someone to offer wisdom, empathy, and an example of finishing well. Lee Eclov is a shepherd to shepherds, and in this episode he shares with Steve Carter: How to care more about people and less about numbers. The role of spiritual formation in preaching. The importance of working through a text in your own soul before you preach. Why thinking of Scripture as a song wil...

As the world continues to progress technologically, how do we begin to approach this theologically. Jason Thacker, a professor of ethics and author joins Steve Carter on the craft and character podcast to help us better understand what is at stake and what we can do about it. Technology is not a net neutral conversation; but rather one we must approach with greater wisdom and discernment. With the...