Chrissy Chang

Healing from Heaven | Discerning God With Us Episode 02

Discerning God with Us, The Discerning Leader Podcast / /

Co-Hosts: Steve Macchia and Matt Scott

“We want his healing, his strength, his comfort, his mercy. We want the gifts that only he can provide for us as we find ourselves hurting and sometimes, hopeless.” —Steve Macchia 

Healing for others. Healing from sickness. Healing in our communities. We long to see the healing power of God in our lives and in the lives of those whom we love. What does it look like to pray for healing? Episode 02 of Season 33 invites you to lift your eyes heavenward and look to Christ for healing in our bodies, minds, and souls.  

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

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Heartache and Hunger | Discerning God With Us Episode 01

Discerning God with Us, The Discerning Leader Podcast / /

Co-Hosts: Steve Macchia & Matt Scott

“Everybody has a bucket of tears right next to them, and we need to acknowledge for each of us, there’s heartache, pain, suffering, and sorrow. And those don’t come to an end just because it’s Christmas.” —Steve Macchia 

Season 33 begins with an invitation to notice this Advent season what often goes unattended: our heartache and hunger. Are you facing overwhelming grief? Do you have unmet longings and desires? Have you lifted up prayers that seemingly remain unanswered? In this conversation, Steve Macchia and Matt Scott invite you to consider the hopeful reality that God is with us and lovingly meets us in the deepest longings of our soul.  

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

 

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Rich Villodas | November 2024 Special Edition, Episode 02

Special Edition Nov 2024, The Discerning Leader Podcast / /

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Rich Villodas

“The greatest gift we offer the world around us is our ongoing transformation in Jesus Christ.” – Rich Villodas 

In this special edition episode of The Discerning Leader podcast, Steve Macchia sits down with author, speaker, and pastor Rich Villodas. Their conversation explores how to order our lives around a particular pace, grow a capacity for interior examination, and live a deeply formed life through spiritual practices. You don’t want to miss this conversation! 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

 

Steve Macchia (Podcast Host)
Founder and President of Leadership Transformations
Steve is the author of The Discerning Life,  Becoming a Healthy Church, Broken and Whole, Crafting a Rule of Life and several other titles. Steve has over 40 years in ministry and two postgraduate degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Rich Villodas (Guest)
Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with more than seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. Rich holds a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. He enjoys reading widely, preaching and writing on contemplative spirituality, justice-related matters, and the art of preaching. He’s been married to Rosie since 2006 and they have two beautiful children, Karis and Nathan. His most recent book, The Narrow Path, is now available wherever books are sold.

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A.J. Swoboda | November 2024 Special Edition, Episode 01

Special Edition Nov 2024, The Discerning Leader Podcast / /

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: A.J. Swoboda

“The invitation to sabbath offends just about everything we value as Americans.” – AJ Swoboda 

In this special edition episode of The Discerning Leader podcast, Steve Macchia has a conversation with AJ Swoboda, writer, professor and pastor. AJ shares about the subversive power of sabbath, how we can care for creation, and the formative power of our daily patterns and habits. 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Steve Macchia (Podcast Host)
Founder and President of Leadership Transformations
Steve is the author of The Discerning Life,  Becoming a Healthy Church, Broken and Whole, Crafting a Rule of Life and several other titles. Steve has over 40 years in ministry and two postgraduate degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

A.J. Swoboda (Guest)
A.J. Swoboda (Ph.D., Birmingham) is an associate professor of Bible and Theology at Bushnell University and lead mentor for the Doctor of Ministry Program on Spiritual Formation and Soul Care at Friends University. He is the author of many books, including The Gift of Thorns (Zondervan), After Doubt (Brazos), and the award-winning Subversive Sabbath (Brazos). He hosts the “Slow Theology” podcast (w/ Dr. Nijay Gupta) and writes the widely read “Low-Level Theologian” Substack. A.J. lives and works on an urban farm with his wife and son in Eugene, Oregon.

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Suz Skinner | Discerning God in the Garden of the Soul, Episode 3

Discerning God in the Garden of the Soul, The Discerning Leader Podcast / /

Co-Hosts: Steve Macchia and Matt Scott, Guest: Suz Skinner

“A good gardener listens and watches and wants to work with what God is already doing” – Suz Skinner

Suz Skinner is a member of the Emmaus Faculty, Abide Faculty, and a Spiritual Formation Associate for Leadership Transformations Inc. and the Pierce Fellowship at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Suz joins Steve and Matt to talk about what it means for God to be the gardener of our souls. Using the garden as a motif, Suz shares how the big story throughout the Bible is of God’s desire to dwell with humanity. Reflecting upon the parable of the fig tree, Suz reminds us that the Gardener has a heart of mercy. Finally, Suz shares how wise gardeners are aware of what is already happening in the garden.

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

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Fyfe Blair | Discerning God in the Garden of the Soul, Episode 2

Discerning God in the Garden of the Soul, The Discerning Leader Podcast / /

Co-Hosts: Steve Macchia and Matt Scott, Guest: Fyfe Blair

“Understanding the pruning that is happening with Christ. Yes, it’s hard, but there’s deep soul care work here going on. It’s about your fruitfulness” – Fyfe Blair 

Fyfe Blair is a faculty member of LTI’s Selah Certificate Program in Spiritual Direction (Europe cohort). Fyfe is also the Project Lead for “The Caim” – a large garden in the small village in rural Scotland where he resides. With hands-on knowledge of horticulture, Fyfe joins Steve and Matt to share reflections between tending to a garden and tending to the garden of the soul.  

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

 

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Matt Scott | Discerning God in the Garden of the Soul, Episode 1

Discerning God in the Garden of the Soul, The Discerning Leader Podcast / /

Co-Hosts: Steve Macchia and Matt Scott

“Are you creating space in your life to be alone, to be quiet, to be reflective, to be relational, to put technology away, to hang out with those you love and to be loved?” – Steve Macchia 

The Bible is full of agrarian imagery. The words of Genesis, the prophet Isaiah, Apostle Paul, and Jesus himself all talked about gardens, plants, trees, seeds and soil, and farming. We see dry and dusty, sun-scorched land; we also see fertile, thriving, flourishing gardens. In Jesus’s parable of the sower, He emphasized the state of the soil. This parable can also be understood as a metaphor for the state of our souls. Season 32 will consider what it looks like to discern God in the garden of our soul. In this first episode, Steve and Matt share insight about what factors contribute to souls that are hard, rocky, and thorny versus souls that are receptive to God.  

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

 

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Slow Down. Be More Curious. | Discerning God in Slowness, Episode 7

Discerning God in Slowness, The Discerning Leader Podcast / /

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott

“When was the last time you’ve been awed by God?” – Steve Macchia

How can slowing down help us embrace the mysterious work of God? In this episode, Steve and Matt tackle this question as they invite you to  “slow down and be more curious.”  

Our technological, information-rich age can make us resistant to wonder. What do we gain from surrendering control of knowing everything? Looking at the encouragement from  Romans 11:33-35 and Job 31, Steve and Matt talk about how wonder releases our sense of control, deepens our dependence on God, and enables us to worship God more fully.  

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

 

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Slow Down. Be More Content. | Discerning God in Slowness, Episode 6

Discerning God in Slowness, The Discerning Leader Podcast / /

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott

“A humble person is a content person.” – Steve Macchia  

How does our hustling lead to entitlement? In this episode, Steve and Matt tackle this question as they invite you to  “slow down and be more content.”  

When we are hustling, this leads to entitlement. Entitlement fuels our discontent. Looking at the encouragement from the apostle Paul found in Philippians 4:10-13, Steve and Matt talk about how contentment is found not in circumstances or possessions but when we are at home with God and with ourselves. This episode includes personal stories of learning to be content through loss and practical advice to be more content.  

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Slow Down. Be More Detached. | Discerning God in Slowness, Episode 5

Discerning God in Slowness, The Discerning Leader Podcast / /

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott

“What are we gripping in our hands that may simply be worth a penny in comparison to the abundant life God offers us.” – Steve Macchia   

How do we release the things that make for false self identity? In this episode, Steve and Matt tackle this question as they invite you to “slow down and be more detached.”  

Henri Nouwen talked about the false self gripping to 1) what we do (our work) 2) what we have (our possessions) 3) what others say about us (our image). This conversation looks at practical ways to detach from these things that we build a false sense of self around. Looking at the encouragement from Jesus found in Luke 9:23-26, Steve and Matt talk about denying ourselves in order to receive the fullness of the abundant life in God. 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

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Mitzi Mak

Selah-West Faculty & Emmaus Faculty

Mitzi started her professional life as a high school social studies teacher. She and her husband Jerry then served cross-culturally for ten+ years, living abroad first in India and then Kurdistan, N. Iraq. In addition to being a Spiritual Director, she now serves as a Formation and Care pastor in her local church in Houston, TX. She has graduated from LTI’s Selah Spiritual Direction training as well as LTI’s Emmaus Formational Leadership Program.

Mitzi enjoys engaging conversation, reading fiction, doing jigsaw/crossword puzzles, ocean gazing and exploring the world with Jerry through food and travel.

God has two main callings in Mitzi’s life: to care for those who care for others and to be a guide in helping others have a healthy relationship with the Trinity – recognizing God’s loving presence and activity in their lives and how to faithfully respond.

“Selah was a transformative experience for me – allowing the contemplative within to emerge and to beautifully co-exist with my extraverted personality.“