Simple Faith with Rusty George

Greg Atkinson is a powerhouse leader and influential voice in better the modern church. His well-known books "Secrets of a Church Shopper" and "Church Leadership Essentials" have transformed churches and their pastoral leadership nation-wide. Today, Greg and I are discussing the secrets of his experience going undercover as a "church-shopper". We discuss hospitality, first-impressions, worship tea...

The church is meant to be a place where you can find healing and wholeness. But, unfortunately, sometimes the church can be the very place where brokenness happens. Covid was a dark time for many of us in terms of mental health. For many of us who already struggled with mental health issues, the stress and anxiety and fear that Covid brought on only made those issues greater. I'm honored to join y...

There are a lot of keys to being a great communicator - but Danielle Strickland has a few tips that are about to change the game for speakers and leaders around the world. Best-selling author of, Danielle Strickland is a powerhouse voice for. In this episode, we discuss ways to be a positive disrupter - someone who changes the world with optimism and positivity, like Jesus did.

Churches are finally open, mask rules are waning, and the season of Covid is slowly but surely coming to an end. Praise the Lord! But even though this pandemic season is getting better by the day, churches, pastors, and church go-ers have been forever changed by the impact that the last year and a half has had.  In today's episode, my friend Rich Birch from unSeminary joins me to discuss the one t...

We all want to be more like Jesus, right? But sometimes it can be hard to know where to start in that journey... Fourth-generation pastor and my friend Zach Zehnder is on a mission to challenge Christians to become greater followers of Jesus. Zach and his wife Allison are the best-selling authors of the "Red Letter Challenge", a 40-day workbook that makes faith and discipleship simple, practical,...

What does the Bible tell us to do when we have faith in God, but we're still struggling with anxiety and panic attacks? Are you looking for peace and purpose? Are you fed up with stress and anxiety?  Best-selling author of Rhythms of Renewal, Rebekah Lyons is a contemporary, honest voice who's works focus on mental health, and more specifically, anxiety. Her testimony of supernatural healing and p...

A Part 2 Q&A episode special! Pastor John Burke returns in this episode to answer the questions that our listeners submitted about the afterlife.

Ken Costa has an impressive background. He is a master of financial knowhow, as well as a spiritual leader and minister of the gospel. Ken's ministries operate at the intersection of the sacred and the secular: work and worship. His mission is to share the lesson that "if you know your why, you know your way". His unique standpoint on marketplace knowledge and Holy Spirit guidance makes him a must...

Lead pastor of one of the most influential churches in America (Community Christian Church in Chicago) and award-winning author, Dave Ferguson and his brother Jon are on a mission to share how you can change the world one neighbor at a time. Author of "BLESS: 5 Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World", Dave's insights into church planting and spreading the gospel to all parts of the world...

We've all faced unanswered prayers... Is God ignoring us? Does he not care? Did we pray the prayer wrong? Did our sin block us from having God hear us? The Bible has a lot to say about this topic, and today, I I want to share the real reason that God may feel silent in your life. Join me as we read an excerpt together from my most recent book, "After Amen: What to do When You're Waiting on God". I...

Have you experienced tension and frustration in your marriage during Covid and lockdown? Mental health doesn't just affect the individual, but it affects your marriage too. For those who are wanting to work on the mental health of their marriage this year, I can't wait for you to listen to this episode with my friend Dave Willis.  Dave Willis, the co-founder of XO Marriage and the "Naked Marriage"...

Author, speaker, podcaster, and entrepreneurial coach Jo Saxton is on a mission to inspire leaders to own their voice, lead confidently, and to make a difference; and this unforgettable conversation is no exception. In this episode, Jo shares her personal journey of discovering her gifts, the process and vision that took place in writing her books, and even her love for Target. We discuss women em...

The Covid season has forced church leaders to make some of the most difficult and controversial decisions of their ministry career. But specifically, the question has been: "When do we move church back inside?" ... Do we wait until it's legal? Do we stay outside for the betterment of our community? Do we move indoors for the betterment of our community? What does the Bible say about this problem?...

We all have questions about the afterlife... Will I be myself? Will I see friends and loved ones? What will Heaven look like? What is God like? What will we do forever? What about children and pets? John Burke is the New York Times best-selling author of "Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future that Awaits You". As the lead pastor of Gateway Church and t...

We want to take some time this year to discuss an important topic: mental health. But, more specifically, practical and doable ways that we can all build better, stronger mental health in 2021. This last year took quite a toll on all of us... Statistics of depression, anxiety, and suicide are through the roof as the world attempts to recover from the stress and difficulty we all experienced. So ho...

Did Jesus Christ really raise from the dead after three days? And if yes, how can we really know for sure? This Holy Week, I'm joined in this rerun episode by best-selling author and former investigative journalist, Lee Strobel. An atheist-turned-Christian, Lee has sought answers to all of the questions that come with the Christian faith. His best-selling novel "The Case for Christ" details his co...

Tuvya Zaretsky, a leader at "Jews for Jesus", joins me to discusses the importance & significance of The Passover for Christians today. A rerun episode from last year, we discuss Tuvya's background in Judaism, his faith transformation to becoming a Christian, and what we can learn from Jesus' growing up as a Jew. I know that Tuvya's message will illuminate your path of faith this Holy Week.

Tim Celek from Stadia Church Planting Group joins me in this episode today to discuss everything that church planters need to know in 2021. Tim has pioneered and planted churches that have reached thousands for the gospel, with a keen understanding on how to make the modern church refreshing and new for young believers. Tim is a personal hero of mine, and I'm so glad that you're getting to meet an...

Nona Jones is a global thought leader, author, executive, and pastor taking the social media world by storm. But what's her mission? To share the kingdom impact that social media can have... As well as to shed light on the darker side. Author of "From Social Media to Social Ministry: A Guide to Digital Discipleship", Nona quite literally wrote the book on digital ministry. Our conversation today i...

ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jimmy Dykes joins podcast host Michael Hinton and myself to discuss filling out our NCAA March Madness brackets this season. Jimmy, former basketball player and coach, gives us the expert advice that we're all looking for. We're answering all of the questions you can think of during March Madness, and I can't wait for you to listen. Jimmy is a follower of Jesus and...

Hearing from God... Is it possible? Is it an audible voice? Writing on the wall? How do you really *know* when God has spoken to you? My friend and co-host Brad Williams joins me in this episode to discuss our personal experiences in hearing God and what we believe the Bible teaches us about listening to His voice. A special welcome to our friends at Charisma Podcast Network! I'm honored to have j...

How is your mental health really doing? Anxiety, stress, suicide, and prescription medication statistics are on the rise at an alarming rate. And since the beginning of Covid-19, things have only gotten much, much worse. So, how do we get our mental health back on track? Dan Broyles(LMFT, Social Worker, and Care Pastor)joins me today to share how we can all have strong mental health in ourselves a...

Stress less. Accomplish more. Win the day. Who doesn't want more of all of that? Well-known author of "The Circle Maker" & lead pastor of National Community Church, Mark Batterson joins me in this episode to discuss the life-changing lessons and habits he's learned on winning the day in writing, fatherhood, leadership, and pastoral ministry. We discuss his best "Jedi mind tricks" for writing a...

Sean Morgan, KC-10 Air Force pilot and Executive Pastor, joins me in this episode to discuss crisis leadership lessons he's learning in flight, as well as learning to embrace discomfort and unpredictability in life, work, and ministry. Sean has spent the last few years inspiring leaders and pastors as he merges his ministry background with his vocational leadership as the podcast host to "Leaders...

Brad Williams and I tackle one of the most difficult questions in Spirit-led leadership: How do I discover God's timing for all of my leadership decisions? It's been a difficult year, and many of us are desperately seeking ways to make the best leadership decisions possible for better outcomes than 2020 brought us. We want a better year, and we want it now. But are we operating and making decision...