The Parable Podcast with Danielle Zapchenk

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Today's episode is packed with such nuggets of wisdom.  You are going to love my conversation with the Lead Pastor of Forest City Church, Eric J. Parks share about one of his hidden treasure epiphanies. Eric would consider himself a futurist, one who enjoys looking ahead at the possibility of what is to come.  He shares about the last three years of building a...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Has anyone told you that you are not smart enough?  Or possibly told you that those dreams of yours are not going to happen.  Meet Dr. Karen Hurula, she is an overcomer who offers life experience and training that make her both unique and a needed voice for the church.  She grew up a missionaries kid in Mexico, surviving an earthquake, studying several languages, an...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Today I am sharing one of my last messages for our Summer Sermon Series.  We will be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week. Thanks for switching gears a bit to allow us at The Parable Podcast a little space to enjoy these last few days with our kids before school starts. This message was a previous message I shared at our home church of West Ridge . ...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Today I am sharing one of my messages for our Summer Sermon Series and there will be a few sprinkled over the course of the summer with a couple from the archives as well.  Thanks for switching gears a bit to allow us at The Parable Podcast a little space to enjoy playing games with our kids, sipping iced coffees, and relaxing on our back porch. This message was a p...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Well , here we are at the 100th EPISODE of The Parable Podcast!  GAAHHH! Whether this is your first, tenth, or one-hundredth episode, thank you for being a listener of The Parable Podcast. The fact that your ears have heard these parable stories and you have seen God in your own, is remarkable.  If you are like me, you have probably asked the question, "God, wh...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Today I am sharing one of my messages for our Summer Sermon Series and there will be a few sprinkled over the course of the summer with a couple from the archives that as well.  Thanks for switching gears a bit to allow us at The Parable Podcast a little space to enjoy playing games with our kids, sipping iced coffees and relaxing on our back porch. This message was...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Are you, not one to surrender easily? Many of us never want to wave our white flag because we don't want to ask for help.  Meet the CEO of Just One International and Kids Ministry Director Maddie Trncic and what surrender looked like in her life. If I really want Him to take control, it might mean He is moving me in a different direction than planned. And that...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Today I am sharing one of my messages for our Summer Sermon Series and there will be a few sprinkled over the course of the summer with a couple from the archives as well.  Thanks for switching gears a bit to allow us at The Parable Podcast a little space to enjoy playing games with our kids, sipping iced coffees, and relaxing on our back porch. This message was fro...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever had a season where you feel completely absent from God in your life? I know I have and it is hard to walk through that.  Meet my guest Lindsey Jodts, Groups Life Pastor at Willow Creek South Barrington Campus. She is a writer, sometimes academic, teacher, strategic consultant, yogi, and self-proclaimed nerd. As an Enneagram 4, she has a special love fo...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever thought about what it looks like to stay intentionally small in your life?  We are going to dig into that, on this episode of the Parable Podcast, I’m your host Danielle Zapchenk.  Right now you are going to meet Luke Kuepfer, Campus Pastor of The Bridge, speaker, and coach share about how Biblical alignment became so important to him  Jesus said, &quo...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever felt like the rug has been pulled out from under you by God?  Meet Jodi Otto who is the First Impression and Connections Director at National Community Church in DC who shares how God used an unlikely dream of hers for so much more. I know for myself it can seem selfish or unnecessary to come to God with the things rolling in my head. However, if He lo...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever had a conversation where someone said, "I see this in you."? Sometimes it comes out of nowhere or you are kinda shocked because certain qualities you see in yourself are just everyday.  Meet Kristi Bramlett who is a certified movement coach and professor at Columbia College who helps communicators have a greater impact the world. Kristi share...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever wondered if you could forgive someone that has caused you pain?  Join me today as we hear from Author, Theresa Reiff as she shares about the pain from her childhood and how God is still there.  One thing that Theresa said was knowing whether we have actually forgiven.  We have all had to answer that at some point in our life.  Did we really forgive?  I...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Would you say that you're living your life glass half empty or glass half full? Can't wait for you to listen in from Jackie Glass. She is an energetic coach, magnetic leader, experienced communicator, and mama of 4, made to lead moments that spark transformation.  Jackie has experience as a licensed clinical professional therapist, health coach, pastor, an...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Dr. Daryl Merrill Jr. is the Lead Pastor of Christian Life Church and President-Elect of Christian Life College (formerly Chicago Bible College).  I met Daryl over 15 years ago when I was working in radio and he always has a special place in my heart because of his genuine care that is bigger than himself.  Daryl’s heart is to see people continually grow deeper in t...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever experienced burnout in your relationship with God?  Glad you found The Parable Podcast and joining me today is author, church advocate, and entrepreneur Ericka Andersen discusses faith burnout and how God is in the details of our lives.  She shares how she was shocked to see the statistics of what burnout looks like in the local church, especially for...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Can you remember a moment in your life when God showed up?  Today you will meet Ashley Cochrane Olson who is the Founder & Executive Director of Crowned for Ashes, a dream she formed along with her husband Chris in 2014. Ashley will share on today's episode that she spent 5 years as Chris’s caregiver following a series of medical issues arising from a 2013...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever looked at your life and wondered how did I get here? It has definitely happened more than a few times. Today you are going to meet my friend Kelsey Brooks. I met her 17 years ago as a high school student who lit up the room with her smile and now is an amazing woman.   "It was more just me realizing I don't know a lot about myself.  And That...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Do you have a phobia or a fear of anything?  Mine is clowns.  It is probably because I coursed my mom into letting me stay up later and watch IT when I was in elementary school.  Not a great choice on my part.  Today you are going to meet my former intern when I worked in radio, Junior Ziegler who is now the Lead Teaching Pastor of The Bridge Community Church .    &...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever felt stuck, numb, or wondering is there more for your life? Today I have a conversation with my new friend Sara Emmerson who shares that just because you are a Christian, doesn't mean hardships are out of the question. God has grown me in the struggle. When hardship happens, my relationship with Him flourishes. My relationships with others flouris...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever wondered how your faith gets formed?  Do your emotions even matter when you are trying to grow closer to Jesus?  Today you will meet Alex Gowler who had a breakup with his own emotions early on in his life. We have a full conversation with Alex to hear if that really worked out for him in the end.   I made the decision that emotions were way too unpred...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Can you remember a moment in your life when you felt unseen?  Meet my new friend Louise Goodwin who is the NoVA First Impressions Director and Sozo Inner-Healing Prayer Ministry Lead at National Community Church in northern Virginia. Who at a young age God shared with her that her life is worth living even when she felt unimportant and misunderstood. Louise talks br...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever thought your voice doesn't matter? We may not say it out loud, but on the inside, we all wrestle with that thought. It was a joy to talk with Danielle Kelly on this episode.  Danielle is a Writer, Speaker, Podcaster, and Life Coach who shares how she discovered that her voice does matter. She wondered how her own natural abilities, the things we c...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text Have you ever asked yourself, "Am I really free and fully living?" It is easy to live every day trapped in a life that feels bound because that becomes your normal.  However, my next guest, Karrie Garcia is not afraid to wade through deep waters and wants to bring those who are hurting along, so they too can experience the freedom that leads to flourishing...

Send The Parable Podcast a Text *** Trigger Warning - Erica shares about her suicide attempt briefly (24:31 - 27:20), if that is triggering for you please fast forward. Do you know your master truly? I am so excited to introduce you to Erica Schwartz who shares vulnerably how post-partum depression and childhood trauma brought her to a place she never imagined. Erica challenges us on who our maste...