Dream Big Podcast with Bob Goff and Friends

It's always tempting to try to live up to the expectations other people have of us. Even if our past is marked by success, it's burdensome to try to keep that up.  Normally, most of us keep at it- we keep striving the fulfill the expectations we think people have of who we are and what we do. It can feel overwhelming or frightening to imagine dealing with their disappointment with us.  F...

If you’ve participated in a community of faith before, you’ve probably quickly realized what most people eventually discover- it’s filled with a bunch of imperfect people. Whether you go to a megachurch or a local community church, it’s not uncommon for us to have experiences that get us more than a little off-kilter and disoriented about our faith. Sometimes, we can even get the wires all crossed...

With all of the serious things happening in the world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or even bummed out. It’s hard to go through your normal routines and carry out your obligations while carrying the stress of the world on your shoulders. Sometimes, if you’re like me, you feel a level of anxiety to fix everything, or at least do something heroic to make a big splash and try to change where everyth...

Sometimes, without realizing it, we can find ourselves off track from the life we’re meant to live. Or, to put it another way, we wake up one day with a sense that we’re living someone else’s life; we’re in the wrong story. Maybe you might even say it’s a good story- it’s just not the right one for you. Most of us didn’t find a lot of clarity about ourselves- our identity and purpose especially, w...

We just returned from a bus tour, visiting with friends from Tulsa to Charlotte. One consistent theme I heard from hundreds of conversations was about finding hope again after nearly two years of what our world has gone through. In the words of my friend, Max, “Don’t measure the height of the mountain. Ponder the power of the one who made it. Don’t tell God how big your storm is. Tell the storm ho...

Whether you feel it acutely or not, today marks a new season. As the long, hot summer days wane, and the shorter, crisp days of autumn come upon us, it's a natural moment to pause and pay attention to the transitions of our lives, too. So, we wanted to put together a special episode this week that can help you take an appropriate pause and reflect on the bigger things that are happening. We're tak...

It’s easy to get distracted by our circumstances- whether it’s how our body feels, an urgent problem to solve at work, a house filled with noisy kids, or the latest news headline. Our distractions are just that- distractions from what’s most important.  So what does it look like to navigate through those distractions? We can’t control the world around us, but we can develop habits that help u...

We all want to be known- it’s a deep need inside of everyone. We want to have people in our lives we can count on to hold onto us even when we lose it a little. But, that gets tricky.  On one hand, we don’t want to be a bummer to our friends. We don’t want to weigh them down. On the other hand, we want to be people others can count on. We want to build ideas, companies, and lives that are str...

In our busy, frenetic world, it’s easy to slip into a mode of living that looks and feels a lot like autopilot. We go through the motions, move through our calendars, and rinse and repeat each day. In so many ways the life we long for and the life we’re designed for remains out of our grasp.  So, for so many people, we try to shake things up. We sign up for a sprint triathlon. We announce to...

For some people, it’s a really big deal to feel like they’re in control. When life throws them curveballs (or worse), cue the anxiety or frustration. For others, they spend quite a bit of energy trying to avoid complexity or surprises. They prefer life to happen in a predictable way, and like it when they can switch into autopilot mode. But, reality doesn’t work either way. In the wise words of my...

There’s very little in life that’s predictable or promised- except for the guarantee of the unexpected to happen. Whether it’s a small thing like getting stuck in traffic or a big thing like getting stuck inside for over a year, how do you find yourself responding? Although we can’t predict or control what happens to us, we can certainly choose how we’ll respond. Nobody more beautifully demonstrat...

One of the most consistent themes we keep returning to is the theme of daring to take great risks. There’s something hardwired in so many of us that want to avoid risks at all costs, so we create lives that are routine, consistent, and safe.  The problem is, as the famous quote says, we can easily slip into “leading lives of quiet desperation”, and miss out on who we’re meant to be.  For...

Without realizing it, we can easily slip into a way of doing life that’s overly predictable and monotonous. The status quo is far from the life that God wants us to live. When you’re feeling overwhelmed with the predictability of your own life, one of the most important moves you can make is to get outside of yourself.  Cam Greenwood is a guy that’s going to push you to make that move. ...

One thing that you won't miss if you're tuning in to watch the Summer Olympics is loss and disappointment, more so even than victory and celebration. The games, and the journey to get there, are filled with grief, setbacks, rejection, loss, and pain. The question for every athlete who experiences loss is this: what will you do with it? Will you allow it to define you and predict your path? The sam...

If you've ever found yourself with a full schedule but an empty heart, you're in good company. It's far too easy to get caught up in our tasks and commitments and miss out on the presence of God who's always with us. Tim Timmons is one of my friends who reminds me that God is always available in the here and now. After two decades of ministry and a lifetime of looking for Jesus, Tim is no stranger...

We all want to make a difference with our lives, to do something meaningful and leave a mark. But for so many people, they wait too long to be zapped by a specific, unique calling. If that’s you- you find yourself waiting and wondering, maybe on the verge of feeling like you’re languishing, then you’re going to want to meet my friend, Liz Bohannon. Liz Forkin Bohannon is the founder of Sseko Desig...

It's far too easy to take things too seriously. It makes sense- life is intense, especially the long season we just went through. Even when we approach our dreams and ambitions- things that are actually designed to bring us more life, more joy, and more adventure- it's easy to slip into a mode of intensity that saps all the goodness from us.  So what does it look like to return to joy, even a...

Some of us can sense the moments or seasons when we know deep down that the path we're on is no longer working. Whether you'd describe it as a deep dissatisfaction or a draw towards something else, sometimes it feels like we're on the edge of discovering our next ambition.  For anyone right now feeling like it's about time for a change, I can't wait for you to listen to Todd Tilghman's journe...

It's tempting to look at someone who's been successful and assume it was an easy ride for them. For most people though, success didn't come easy at all. They pushed through a bunch of obstacles and kept persevering through a variety of setbacks. Confronting fear and anxiety, tolerating a lot of risks, maintaining a relentless focus on an ambition despite the odds or opinions- those are the ingredi...

With Father's Day this Sunday, this is your official reminder- it's not too late to send a gift! Honoring the dads, granddads, and father figures in our lives is a great way to not only acknowledge them but also to give a nod to God for placing them in our lives.  I know that Father's Day can be a mixed bag. Not everyone grew up with a kind, loving dad in their lives. There are many dads them...

For those of you who live a life of constant confrontation- whether it's with the status quo or injustice, you know what it's like to push through. You've developed the fortitude, strength, and resilience to keep moving and keep fighting. But, have you developed the "unforced rhythms of grace" you need to continuously restore your soul, too? As we transition to summer, this is your official invita...

Nobody stands at the altar on their wedding day and vows, "Hey- let's just shoot for typical, ok?" Rather, wedding days are filled with hope and imagination for a beautiful life spent together. But then real life happens. Marriage is certainly not an easy endeavor. And rarely does anyone get taught how to navigate the complexities of marriage, like navigating conflict, financial stress, career str...

There are so many ways to get distracted from pursuing our big ambitions. Some of them, though, are much more serious than others- like depression and other mental health challenges. We can't separate our mental health from the rest of our lives- it's the foundation for everything. That's why it's so important to develop habits of getting real, being authentic and honest with friends, and seeking...

We talk often about what we do for work- it's one of the most common questions and points for conversation. But rarely do we talk about how we work, which matters as much if not more than what we do.  When we're not approaching our work with thoughtful intentionality, when we aren't allowing others to speak into our approach, our calendars, and our commitments, we miss the opportunity to expe...

Bart Millard, best known as the front man of award-winning Christian group MercyMe, is also an acclaimed songwriter and artist in his own right. The iconic song “I Can Only Imagine,” written solely by Millard, made history in 2019 as the first song in Christian music to go 4x platinum.  The band was recently named Billboard's Top Christian Artist of the 2010 decade and in. In 2009, Billboard...