Unhurried Living | Helping Christians Rest Deeper & Lead Better

Last December Alan interviewed John Mark Comer. His episode has remained near the top of our 10 most downloaded shows. So we thought we’d replay it for you today. I think it’s because John Mark is singing the same song as Unhurried Living and Alan’s book, An Unhurried Life. John Mark wrote The Relentless Elimination of Hurry and we are delighted to share the replay of Alan’s conversation with him now. John Mark Comer lives, works, and writes in the urban core of Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Tammy, and their three children.  He is the pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church and has a master’s degree in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary.  John Mark is also the author of God has a Name,  My Name Is Hope, Loveology, and Garden City. Alan so enjoyed having a conversation with John Mark, hearing the story behind his book, and interacting about some of his key insights about following Jesus’ unhurried way of life and work.Connect with John on his website or via social at:JohnMarkComer.comFacebook @johnmarkcomerInstagram @johnmarkcomerTwitter @johnmarkcomer Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We live in a profoundly wordy world. I sometimes feel utterly surrounded by words: social media, emails, text messages, news feeds, websites, television, radio. And it seems rare that words are being used to simply tell the truth and describe reality. In his sermon on the mount, Jesus had some profoundly powerful words to say about how we speak. Alan Fadling, (MDiv),serves as a frequent speaker and consultant with local churches, national organizations and leaders internationally. His content is approachable, usable and transferable. He shows leaders how to get perspective so their leadership flows from a full soul and out of healthy rhythms of rest and work. A trained Spiritual Director, Alan is author of An Unhurried Life (IVP 2013) and An Unhurried Leader (IVP 2016).Connect with Alan on social:Facebook @alanfadlingInstagram @alanfadling Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We live in a visual culture. Just a few years ago the Internet Trends Report shared that an average of 1.8 billion images were uploaded to the internet daily. That adds up to 657 billion photos in one year. Every two minutes, people take more photos than existed in total 150 years ago.With all of that imagery floating through our consciousness every day, how might we use intentional imagery to grow closer to God? If a picture is worth a thousand words, is it also conducive to prayer?I’m welcoming Brenda Renderos on the podcast today. Brenda has been kind enough to “interview” me about Inviso. And I am also going to interact with her about how she uses Inviso in her own life. Brenda Renderos is a spiritual mentor with a degree in Christian Studies and 13 years of experience including ministry leadership, soul care, speaking and teaching, as well as guiding interns exploring vocational ministry. Brenda sees the immense need for soul care and spiritual formation and she's devoted her life to growing and sharing in this area. She also greatly enjoys life with her husband and their three kids. You can catch her on Instagram @brenrenderos.Download a sample of Inviso. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Author, Greg Holder, in his book Never Settle, suggests that “while we don’t consciously choose a less-than-life, it happens.Little by little, we start putting down roots in a land of less than: less than satisfying, less than interesting, less than helpful, and certainly less than hopeful. Before we know it our faith is lukewarm, apathetic, bland.Never Settle is a tangible reminder that every choice in your day is crackling with God’s redemptive power –God is calling us—you and me—to participate in what God is doing in his world. Can you think of a more significant and exciting invitation. I hope you’ll listen as we talk about resisting the temptation to become lukewarm.Greg Holder is a pastor, author, speaker, and story-teller. He has been the Lead Pastor for 20+ years at The Crossing, a multi-site church that reaches 8,000+ people across four campuses in the St. Louis, Missouri area and a thriving online community. He is the author of The Genius of One, Advent Conspiracy, and translator of the book of Jeremiah for The Voice Bible. The Genius of One Conference has trained 1,000+ pastors across India, Kenya, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. With a diverse assortment of interest, gifts, and training, including degrees in psychology and counseling, Greg brings unique insight into the development of God-honoring relationships. Connect with Greg on Social Media at:Facebook @GregHolder0Instagram @gregholder_Twitter @gregholder_ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Can you believe that What Does Your Soul Love? released just a little over a year ago? With 2020 being what it is, that seems like an entire lifetime ago. Today, I’m sharing with you a bonus episode and it’s a bit different than usual. It’s different because I’m on the other side of the microphone in this conversation. And I loved this interview so much that I wanted to share it with you, here, on the Unhurried Living Podcast.Enjoy other episodes of Girls Talking Life podcast with Yohonna Smith.  You can connect with them on social:Instagram @girlstalkinglifeFacebook @girlstalkinglife Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Most of us would agree that 2020 continues to be one of the most trying years in our adult lives. So much change. So much pain. So much conflict. I’m talking to a lot of leaders these days who are just plain tired. They are struggling to be hopeful. We need a vision of how this year could actually be an opportunity and not just a challenge. That’s why I’m especially glad to be sharing my recent conversation with Tod Bolsinger about his book, Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of Change. Many of us just might say that we’ve experienced more change in this single year than we had faced in just about any previous year. Sometimes change can be refreshing and envigorating, but a lot of the change we’ve faced this year has been painful and draining. I’ve needed to gain the perspective of living in an eternal kingdom in the midst of a very challenging season. That’s why I’m so glad to share a recent conversation I had with Tod Bolsinger about his latest book, Tempered Resilience. He uses the core image of a blacksmith turning scraps of iron into beautiful and useful tools to describe how God just might use seasons like the one in which we find ourselves to help us remember who we really are and to engage in the very good work God has actually entrusted to us. We have good reason to be very hopeful. Tod Bolsinger is the vice president and chief of leadership formation and associate professor of leadership formation at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory, It Takes a Church to Raise a Christian: How the Community of God Transforms Lives, and Show Time: Living Down Hypocrisy by Living Out the Faith. A frequent speaker, consultant, and blogger, he serves as an executive coach for corporate, nonprofit, educational, and church organizations in transformational leadership. Tod and his wife, Beth, have two children. Connect with Tod on social:Facebook @Tod-Bolsinger for his blogFacebook @Tod.BolsingerTwitter @todbol Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The Enneagram has been more widely circulating for a few years now and most of us have a basic understanding of the types. But once you learn the types, the real question is, so what? What do I now do with all of this great information? What difference can the Enneagram make in my life?My dear friend, Mary Linam, is a trained and highly skilled Enneagram coach. I’m sharing her with you today because I want you to glean from her wisdom and to be in touch with her if you want to dig into the Enneagram further. I’ve known Mary almost as long as I’ve known Alan, and you know that’s a long time. Mary has taken her life with God very seriously and has made her relationship with God, and his formation of her soul, the center of her life. This is what sets her apart in this field. Mary merges her deep soul work with the process of the Enneagram. And so you get spiritual director level care as she walks you through the process. Our conversation today is out beyond the types and is more Enneagram 201 than 101. So buckle up and enjoy our conversation.Learn more about Mary on social:Facebook @mary.g.linamInstagram @choosinggrace Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the book Longing For Revival, authors James Choung and Ryan Pfeiffer remind us of a simple and encouraging reality: Revival begins with God. It happens in our lives and we cooperate with what God is doing, but God is the reviver of our souls, our communities, our world. In this season that feels so straining and wearying, God wants to refresh, renew and revitalize our lives so we can join God in the good work of the kingdom. Gem and I have been grateful to have been given moments of encounter with God along the way that have revitalized our souls and transformed our work. We’ve come to believe that these were moments or even season of God-given revival. We often remember these moments when we hit hard places in the journey. I’m so glad that James Choung and Ryan Pfeiffer have written a book to help us understand, enter into and even lead others into the reality of revival. James and I had a conversation recently about Longing For Revival, which I’m pleased to be able to share with you today. Rev. Dr. James Choung serves as Vice President of Strategy & Innovation — overseeing evangelism, discipleship, planting, growth, missions, multiethnic initiatives, and the Creative Labs — at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship USA. He is also ordained with the Vineyard USA, and has written both True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In and its follow-up, Real Life: A Christianity Worth Living Out. He speaks frequently at campuses, churches, seminaries, and conferences, and teaches seminary classes on culture, leadership development and evangelism. James, his wife and two sons live in Los Angeles, CA. Connect with James on social:Facebook @jameschoungInstagram @jameschoungTwitter @jameschoung Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

2020 has been a rough year. And that is an understatement. It may seem counterintuitive to at least some of us, but one thing that can help us is to see this year up against the expansive backdrop of God’s eternal presence. Christ crucified is a witness to everything we are seeing. Christ crucified is present in our pain, our outrage, our anxiety, our fears. Let’s dig into a practice that can help us envision God’s presence and expanse now. Before we dive in here, I want to be sure you know that I’m not trying to paint a rosy picture or act like nothing is wrong. I am living in this culture and watching the news, just like you. I see what is going on and I feel it. The anger, the injustice, the contempt. It’s all right there for us to see. The word “but” is not coming next. Instead of the word “but” I want to use the word “and.” AND, in the midst of the difficulty and overwhelm, we can stand firmly on the realities of the kingdom of God. It is not impossible. I know this because God’s people did it all throughout scripture and Jesus consistently modeled this for us. There is a phrase of scripture in the Old Testament that says, “Is the Lord’s arm too short?” This was in the context of God making a way for his people yet again. And now is just as good a time as any to bring that phrase to the front of our minds: Is the Lord’s arm too short?You can follow Gem on social:Facebook @gemfadlingInstagram @gemfadlingUnhurriedLiving.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There are so many reasons we might feel that cultivating a deep life of prayer is just impossible. We feel too busy. We feel we don’t deserve such a life. We imagine that kind of prayer is for someone more spiritual than me. But today, John Starke, author of The Possibility of Prayer, will remind us that prayer is always possible because prayer is a gift we receive more than a life we achieve. A mentor of mine, Chuck Miller, often reminded us that prayer isn’t so much something I do as it is Someone I’m with. Prayer is more about a Person than it is about a practice. We listen. We pour out whatever it is that fills our hearts and minds. And God listens. We are cultivating a conversational relationship with God. But it’s a gift and not an achievement. These are just a few of the themes John and I touched in our conversation about his book The Possibility of Prayer. Let me take a moment to tell you a little more about John Starke. He grew up in the Midwest but has lived in Arizona, South Carolina, Kentucky, and now lives in New York City with his wife Jena and their four children. He pastors Apostles Church Uptown in Manhattan. In addition to The Possibility of Prayer, John has written for for Christianity Today, Books & Culture, Comment Magazine, and others. Connect with John on social media:Facebook @jbstarkeInstagram @john_starkeTwitter @john_starke Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.