Placed For A Purpose

Rachel Gilson, author of "Parenting Without Panic in an LGBT Affirming World," joins us to talk about how we can love our LGBT+ neighbors and how Christian parents can navigate complex conversations with their children about faith, gender, and sexuality. The discussion touches on Rachel's personal journey to faith, the importance of teaching kids God’s positive vision for the body and relationship...

After moving into their new neighborhood—ironically named Sleepy Hollow—Jimmy and Kelly Needham were surprised to learn their home had a big reputation. Upon learning their house was famous for being one of the spookiest Haunted Houses in Dallas, the Needhams had a decision to make. Listen as they share about transforming their home's reputation as "The Haunted House" to "The Generous House" throu...

While the concept of moving your body while talking to God might seem intuitive to some, many of us could use a "prayer walk tutorial." We have this idea that heartfelt prayers should be spontaneous, but many of us struggle with scattered senses, short attention spans, and feel we’re lacking in the language of prayer. The challenge feels high. Perhaps the disciples felt some of the same when one t...

Has guilt been a good long-term motivator in your life when it comes to prayer??? We didn't think so. Today, we're making the move from "should" to "could" in hopes that God will move in our hearts and ignite a deep desire for prayer. As we follow Jesus' example in this, we're asking the Father this question: "What is it I want him to do right now in my life? In my family? In my work? In my neighb...

In this episode, we're joined by Marc Dunkelman, author of The Vanishing Neighbor: The Transformation of American Community. Marc explores how American neighborhoods have evolved, focusing on the growing disconnect between neighbors and the impact suburbanization and smartphones have had on neighborly relationships. We discuss the importance and decline of "middle ring relationships", the Chinatow...

In this episode, we’re joined by Malissa Mackey, who lives and works in downtown Chicago. As the Director of Faith and Work Chicago and a resident of Wicker Park—one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods—Malissa discusses the call to live in intentional missional communities. She sheds light on the unique challenges of urban living and shares how her church, Holy Trinity, encourages its members...

Asking good questions can be a powerful way to love our neighbors. Jon and Pam Strain, co-founders of You Gotta Ask and co-authors of the book You Gotta Ask, share their expertise on how to ask meaningful questions that foster deeper spiritual conversations. Drawing from years of ministry experience, they emphasize the importance of creating relational environments where people feel valued and hea...

Phil Callaway, an award-winning author, speaker, and humorist known for his best-selling book, "Laugh Like a Kid Again," joins us for a conversation about the profound power of laughter and how it can break down barriers, open hearts, and bring light to even the darkest situations. Phil shares personal stories, including how humor helped him navigate the challenges of his wife’s battle with Huntin...

Amberly Neese is a speaker, comedian, and author of several books, including Common Ground: Loving Others Despite Our Differences. In this conversation, Amberly shares her insights on finding common ground with our neighbors to help us all drop our defense mechanisms. We also discuss practical approaches to navigating jealousy and conflict in relationships. Order: Common Ground Visit: Amberly Nees...

Zack Eswine, pastor of Riverside Church in St. Louis and author of Spurgeon's Sorrows and Imperfect Pastor, joins us to discuss loving our doubting and deconstructing neighbors. He and his wife Jessica recently co-founded Sage Christianity, a ministry providing resources and opportunities for people to explore doubts and questions about faith through the wisdom of Jesus. Our discussion centers on...

We are excited to welcome back Alan Briggs, a leadership coach, consultant, and author of the new book "Anti-Burnout: A Lighter Way to Live and Lead in a Heavy World." Together, we discuss the complex nature of burnout, exploring various definitions and how it is perceived across different cultures. Alan emphasizes that burnout often results from the voluntary overextension of oneself. He offers p...

We’re thrilled to welcome USA Today bestselling author and keynote speaker Craig Cooper, co-author of "Glad You're Here." Craig shares the inspiring story of his unexpected friendship with neighbor and Grammy-nominated country singer Walker Hayes. Once an atheist and struggling musician, Walker’s journey to faith in Christ reminds us that God uses neighborly love in ways we could never predict or...

The Beatitudes not only invite us into the way of Jesus, but they also provide us with a template for prayer. In this Guided Prayer Walk, we pray through each Beatitude, asking Jesus to shape us into neighbors who receive and offer His alternative way of flourishing for our neighborhoods. Order your copy of Neighborhoods Reimagined 10ofThose FamilyLife Today Podcast Weekend to Remember Marriage Co...

Let's recap with a Cliffsnotes episode! You’ll be relieved to know there’s no test coming at the end of this podcast, but a little recap will help us remember all that we've discussed about Jesus’ upside-down (but beautiful) beatitude vision for our communities. This review sesh will hopefully move this meekness and mercy content into our hearts, our longterm memories, and out into our neighborhoo...

In the final episode of our “Neighborhoods Reimagined” series on the Beatitudes, we explore the eighth beatitude: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Joined by Patrick Miller, pastor at The Crossing and co-author of Truth Over Tribe, we delve into what it means to count the cost of following Jesus by facing persecution.   Patrick sha...

In this episode of our Neighborhoods Reimagined series, we look deeper into the seventh Beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God," with Keith Simon, co-lead teaching pastor at The Crossing and co-host of the Truth Over Tribe podcast. Keith shares insights on the importance of peacemaking, especially in today's divisive climate, and discusses how peacemaking invo...

What does it mean when Jesus invites us to be pure in heart? He states, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Today, we are joined by our sister-in-law, licensed therapist Kelli McKinney (MA, LPC, NCC, PMH-C), who specializes in developmental trauma and perinatal mental health. In this episode, we explore Jesus's call to holiness through wholeness, emphasizing the importance of b...

Today explore the fifth Beatitude, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy," with Kim Marshall, a therapist from the Global Counseling Network. Drawing on over 25 years of experience, Kim shares her journey into therapy and the importance of mercy and forgiveness in relationships. She explains her process of creating a safe space for reconciliation and highlights the transformative...

In today's episode of Place for a Purpose, we continue our Beatitude series with the fourth Beatitude, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." Our guest is Jennifer Prophete, Program Director for the Hopeful Neighborhood Project, an initiative dedicated to improving neighborhood well-being globally by encouraging neighbors to use their gifts for the...

Dr. Mike Austin, a professor of philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University and a Bonhoeffer Senior Fellow at Hebrew College's Miller Center for Inter-religious Learning and Leadership joins us for a conversation on humility and meekness. Dr. Austin discusses his new book, "Humility: Rediscovering the Way of Love and Life in Christ," exploring the deep connections between humility, character, and th...

In today's episode, we are joined by Shelly Mayer, who oversees the care ministry at our church, The Crossing. The care ministry encompasses over 15 teams and programs like Grief Share, Divorce Care, and support for those with chronic health issues. Shelly helps us think through how we can be there for our neighbors who are hurting and discusses the vital role of community in dealing with grief an...

Today we're joined by the legendary Jane Armstrong, who has dedicated nearly five decades to guiding college students in their faith at Miami of Ohio. Known for her one-on-one discipleship meetings over Cokes at Bob Evans, Jane has profoundly impacted many, including Elizabeth, who was discipled by her for six years. Jane shares her insights on the Beatitude principle of dependence and being "poor...

Today we're going behind the scenes for our new book, Neighborhoods Reimagined: How the Beatitudes Inspire Our Call To Be Good Neighbors. We're talking about why we wrote the book in the first place and—SPOILER ALERT—we conclude that the way we live matters. Imagine if Jesus reset our neighboring default settings... what would change in our neighborhoods? What if, as believers, we offered pardons...

Can kids engage in the mission of God? Today we've brought on four experts (OUR KIDS!!) to help us see how small acts of kindness (that even a child can do!) can be used by God to bring his kingdom to our neighborhoods. Annie (9), June (10), Pearl (12), and Ginger (14) share about their experiences in serving, praying, loving neighbors from different backgrounds and worldviews, and even engaging i...

Since hospitality is both a posture and a practice, we’ve invited the founders of Hospitality Matters—Dave and Jennifer Collie—to help us flesh out what this important discipline looks like with our next-door neighbors. They encourage us in the “doing” of hospitality by challenging us to reflect more on our neighborly interactions and consider how God might want to replace our loneliness with conn...