The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast

In this podcast, Pete shares 6 unique contributions Emotionally Healthy Discipleship brings to the challenge of bridging barriers of race, culture and class and shares the final four contributions of EH Discipleship to this pressing global issue that confronts us as the church in the 21st century. Learn more about the EH Global Leader Conference 2026: http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/conference

The first Christians viewed themselves as part of world-wide family that transcended national, class, cultural, and racial barriers. They understood Jesus, through his blood shed on the cross, had destroyed these barriers and created new people, the church (Eph. 2:14-15). Pete shares his story in coming to grips with this complex reality as a new believer and how it led him to plant New Life Fello...

It has been said that all of life is one person handing off their anxiety to another. There are few places this applies more clearly than in leadership. In chapters 6 & 7 of the gospel of John, Jesus' brothers come to Him frantic with worry that Jesus' ministry is in deep trouble and urge him to go to Jerusalem so the crowds can see his miracles and he can rebuild his following. Jesu...

Pete and his wife Geri sit down to reflect on the 7 Marks of an Emotionally Healthy Wedding. On August 17th of this year, Pete and Geri hosted an international wedding with 20-25 guests coming from the other side of the world. As a result, a one-day wedding grew into a larger five-day event and offered a window into a unique, high-level application of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship.   Learn more...

Each of us encounters storms and circumstances we cannot overcome. In this podcast, Pete talks about moving beyond an intellectual belief in the resurrection of Jesus to a practical trust that transforms our obstacles into gifts. In John 11 Jesus asks Mary a question: Did I not tell you that if you trust, you will see the glory of God? (John 11:40). He asks us the same question today. Learn more a...

The whole core of the Christian life can be summed up as praying, abiding, and being with Jesus. Our first work in life is not to get something from God but to be with God. In this podcast Pete shares a message from John 2 on prayer and trusting in a wine that never runs out. May it be an encouragement to you to trust in Jesus and cultivate a life of deep connection and being with Jesus each day....

"We must not give to others what we have received for ourselves; nor must we keep for ourselves that which we have received to spend on others. You fall into the latter error, if you possess the gift of eloquence or wisdom, and yet—through fear or sloth or false humility—neglect to use the gift for others' benefit. And on the other hand, you dissipate and lose what is your own, if withou...

Being a disciple is an on-going shaping and molding by God. In this podcast based on a recent sermon, Pete shares how Jesus wants us to "stick with Him," allowing Him to radically transform and reorient our lives. Learn more about the EH Global Leader Conference 2026: http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/conference

We've reached the last podcast reviewing the final chapter in The Emotionally Healthy Leader : Endings and New Beginnings . Integrating endings and new beginnings is a critical leadership task. Learn how to master transitions in God's way with his timing.   Learn more about the EH Global Leader Conference 2026: http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/conference

It was the lessons learned from pain around "Power and Wise Boundaries" that initially served as the impetus for the writing of The Emotionally Healthy Leader . Almost every church, nonprofit organization, and Christian community bears deep scars and hurt due to a failure to steward power and set wise boundaries. In this podcast Pete gives many examples of ways we can do this in a health...

One of the primary tasks of a leader is to create a healthy culture with healthy teams. For Christian leaders, this task is even more demanding because the kind of culture and teams we create are to be radically different than those of the world. Pete builds on the four characteristics of emotionally healthy culture and team building from The Emotionally Healthy Leader , expanding on each with per...

Making plans for God without listening to him has been standard practice for thousands of years. In this podcast, Pete talks about the 3 indispensable questions he asks to stay anchored in making plans and decisions that flow out of deep inner life with God – whether they be in personal leadership or with a team. Learn more about the EH Global Leader Conference 2026: http://www.emotionallyhealthy....

The integration of Sabbath delight in the midst of an active, missional life is one of the more subversive, radical and powerful gifts we can offer our people and the world we aim to serve. In this podcast Pete explores a number of related Sabbath applications and tangents and answers a number of common FAQ's. Learn more about the EH Global Leader Conference 2026: http://www.emotionallyhealth...

Pete continues his series on The Emotionally Healthy Leader by sharing a sermon on Sabbath. Sabbath is God's foundation for our work. It guards us against the powerful idol of making our work the center of meaning for our lives, protecting us from defining ourselves by our work. Learn more about the EH Global Leader Conference 2026: http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/conference

Pete builds on the chapter, "Slow Down for Loving Union," from The Emotionally Healthy Leader , offering additional insights on how to allow Jesus full access to our lives in a posture of openness and surrender and offers a larger perspective on the unique challenges of leading when, at the same time, we're seeking to deepen our abiding in Jesus. Learn more about the EH Global Leade...

This podcast explores the second pillar of building a deep inner life out of which we lead for Jesus: lead out of your marriage or singleness. Pete begins by reviewing briefly a theology of marriage/singleness as a sign and wonder that bears witness to God's love for the world then talks about four challenges we encounter as we embark on this journey. Learn more about the EH Global Leader Con...

In part 2 of this series on The Emotionally Healthy Leader , Pete explores the first pillar of building a deep inner life out of which we lead for Jesus: face your shadow. This requires confronting those parts of who we are that we prefer to neglect, forget, or deny, and it is our most difficult leadership task. Pete builds on the material found in book and provides additional avenues to get at th...

This launches the first of 10 podcasts from The Emotionally Healthy Leader book on "The Emotionally Unhealthy Leader." Pete describes the four characteristics of an emotionally unhealthy leader and the unhealthy commandments which dominate our Christian leadership cultures. He invites us to let the simple but profound truths of this podcast go deep into our bones, to go from our head to...

Few leaders have an awareness of, let alone reflect on, the nature of their power. In this podcast, Pete shares a reading from the chapter on power and wise boundaries in The Emotionally Healthy Leader , discussing the complexity of dual relationships and power. To download a free e-book on Six Marks of a Church Culture that Deeply Changes Lives visit www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchculture. Lear...

Abraham and Sarah, out of their impatience, birthed a physical son - Ishmael. We too, out of our own impatience, often birth "Ishmaels" as well. This podcast explores The Ishmael Test , four questions to ask ourselves before we launch large decisions for God and his work. To download a free e-book on Six Marks of a Church Culture that Deeply Changes Lives visit www.emotionallyhealthy.org...

Reflecting on our mistakes and regrets can be a gift if we learn from them. This podcast is Part 2 of Pete's biggest regrets over the last 40 years of leadership. He shares 6 more regrets and discusses discretion  (i.e. discernment) in leadership. To download a free e-book on Six Marks of a Church Culture that Deeply Changes Lives visit www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchculture.   Learn more a...

Pete answers the question "what has been your greatest regret in leadership?" by sharing his top four regrets over the last 40 years. This is part 1 of a 2-part series. To download a free e-book on Six Marks of a Church Culture that Deeply Changes Lives visit www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchculture. Learn more about the EH Global Leader Conference 2026: http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org...

Pete talks about the ancient practice of the Daily Office as one powerful means to carve out sufficient time to be with Jesus and to be with ourselves – out of which we go and offer our lives as a gift to the world. This is not a superficial being simply to stay functional but to a deep waiting on Jesus – a life with deep stillness and silence that serves to center our leadership. He also breaks d...

Pete begins by talking about reading for wisdom and not simply for information – suggesting we re-learn how to read - then shares a list of key books he has read in last six to twelve months. To download a free e-book on Six Marks of a Church Culture that Deeply Changes Lives visit www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchculture. Learn more about the EH Global Leader Conference 2026: http://www.emotional...

It is possible to build a church, an organization, or a team by relying only on our gifts, talents, and experience. But Jesus says that our efforts are worth nothing unless they flow out of a relationship of loving union with him (John 15:5). In this podcast, Pete shares an excerpt from the audio version of The Emotionally Healthy Leader where he talks about slowing down for loving union with Jesu...