Why retreat? | Discerning God on Spiritual Retreat Episode 01
“A holy place to draw away to a space and time dedicated solely to God, to be present to God.” – Jeremy Stefano…
The Discerning Leader podcast is for Christian leaders who are interested in discovering the joy of “practicing a preference for God” in all aspects of their personal lives and relationships, their leadership and service to others.
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Season 7: Discerning God on Spiritual Retreat
Host: Steve Macchia | Guest: Jeremy Stefano
In season seven, Steve Macchia welcomes guest Jeremy Stefano back to the podcast to discuss discerning God on Spiritual Retreat in the following episodes:
When to retreat? | Discerning God on Spiritual Retreat Episode 02
“Turn away from other things that pretend to satisfy the soul and find rest in the Lord…in repentance, quietness and trust.” – Jeremy Stefano…
What to do on retreat? | Discerning God on Spiritual Retreat Episode 03
“Spiritual retreats place us in a position to receive what Jesus is already doing in our behalf.” – Jeremy Stefano
Who and Where to Retreat? | Discerning God on Spiritual Retreat Episode 04
“Sometimes people think we need to be all put together in order to come into the presence of God, but that’s simply not true.” – Jeremy Stefano
How to Prepare for Retreat? | Discerning God on Spiritual Retreat Episode 05
“ The Lord has his way of weaning us from our attachments or affections in this world, and cleanse the air, helping me face the dilemmas of my heart on retreat.”– Jeremy Stefano
Season 6: Discerning God in Seasons of Suffering
Host: Steve Macchia | Guests: Cynthia Fantasia and Ted Wueste
In season six, Steve Macchia welcomes guests Cynthia Fantasia and Ted Wueste to the podcast to discuss discerning God in seasons of suffering in the following episodes:
Suffering and Surviving | Discerning God in Seasons of Suffering Episode 01
“I determined to live on the other side of eternity as a caregiver for my beloved husband as he suffered through his terminal Alzheimer’s… disease. My goal was to preserve his dignity and my sanity.” – Cynthia Fantasia…
In The Lingering Light | Discerning God in Seasons of Suffering Episode 02
“Remember that the present loss doesn’t override the richness of the past. We had 45 years of amazing memories and 3 years of sickness and suffering.” – Cynthia Fantasia…
Courage and Hope for the Alzheimer’s Caregiver| Discerning God in Seasons of Suffering Episode 03
“When we choose to trust God, then we find him, and begin to see his fingerprints on everything.” – Cynthia Fantasia…
In His Grip | Discerning God in Seasons of Suffering Episode 04
“The Lord prepares us for our times of suffering so we can walk with Him through our suffering. With God we can walk through anything.” – Ted Wueste…
A Powerful Grace | Discerning God in Seasons of Suffering Episode 05
“The ways of God are mysterious, but the person of God is reliable, trustworthy – even and especially in times of suffering.” – Ted Wueste…
Season 5: Discerning the Spiritual Health of the Church
Host: Steve Macchia | Guest: Rick Anderson (Episode 5)
In season five, Steve Macchia discusses discerning the spiritual health of the church in the following episodes:
The Church Today | Discerning the Spiritual Health of the Church Episode 01
“I want to caution us against being so enveloped by the culture that we forget the real purpose of the Church. What does it mean to be a spiritually healthy family of God today?” – Steve Macchia…
Life of Worship | Discerning the Spiritual Health of the Church Episode 02
“How are you contributing to the health of the Church today? We are oaks of righteousness called of God to display his splendor!” – Steve Macchia…
Life of Love | Discerning the Spiritual Health of the Church Episode 03
“What does it mean to love one another, to be the body of Christ, the family of God, preferring one another in Christ?” – Steve Macchia…
Life of Service | Discerning the Spiritual Health of the Church Episode 04
“We as the people of God, his dearly loved ones, are to be like salt and light in the world we are called to love and serve in Jesus’ name.” – Steve Macchia…
Assessing Spiritual Vitality | Discerning the Spiritual Health of the Church Episode 05
“An honest diagnosis and a hopeful prognosis is needed for local congregations today. The Church Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) will help you get there.” – Rick Anderson…
Season 4: Discerning and Celebrating God in Creativity
Host: Steve Macchia | Guest: Suz Skinner
In season four, Steve Macchia welcomes guest Suz Skinner to the podcast to discuss discerning and celebrating God in creativity in the following episodes:
Created to be Creative | Discerning and Celebrating God in Creativity Episode 01
“We are creative beings, reflecting the creative God who made us in his image.” – Suz Skinner…
Seeing God in Scripture and Imagination | Discerning and Celebrating God in Creativity Episode 02
“It’s important that we are in the Word in order to see how God makes himself known to us.” – Suz Skinner
Beauty and Creation | Discerning and Celebrating God in Creativity Episode 03
“Seeing the sunrise and sunset never gets old. They are the fingerprints of God each and every day.” – Suz Skinner…
Images in Prayer | Discerning and Celebrating God in Creativity Episode 04
“How can we pay greater attention when God uses images, metaphors, parables, stories, songs, and poetry in his Word that invite us to pray and respond?” – Suz Skinner…
Cultivating Creativity | Discerning and Celebrating God in Creativity Episode 05
“We need to give ourselves permission to become childlike and enjoy the wonder, awe, and joy of playfulness.” – Suz Skinner…
Season 3: Discerning God in Sabbath Rest
Host: Steve Macchia | Guest: Susan Currie
In season three, Steve Macchia welcomes guest Susan Currie to the podcast to discuss discerning God in sabbath rest in the following episodes:
God’s Priority | Discerning God in Sabbath Rest Episode 01
“Discernment is about being with God, paying attention to God, letting our every word and effort come from attentiveness to God. Sabbath is the place that nurtures that attentiveness.” – Susan Currie…
Ceasing | Discerning God in Sabbath Rest Episode 02
“Sabbath ceasing is meant for everyone and every living creature our lives touch: our children, our animals, all in our household. God rests in order to delight in his creation. So too are we made to rest in order to engage our creational identity.” – Susan Currie…
Resting | Discerning God in Sabbath Rest Episode 03
“You have been set free (in God), so keep the Sabbath! This is what Sabbath rest is all about. We don’t want to lose our memory for tasting the goodness of God.” – Susan Currie…
Embracing | Discerning God in Sabbath Rest Episode 04
“We realize our deepest, truest, eternal part of us as God’s dearly loved children when we rest. What God does in us when we rest is carried into all aspects of life.” – Susan Currie…
Celebrating | Discerning God in Sabbath Rest Episode 05
“In the celebration of Sabbath, we explore the command and accept the invitation to dwell with God with a deep, resounding yes – with gusto!” – Susan Currie…
Season 2: Discerning God in the Spiritual Practices
Host: Steve Macchia | Guest: David Vryhof
In season two, Steve Macchia welcomes guest David Vryhof to the podcast to discuss discerning God in the spiritual practices in the following episodes:
Relationship with God | Discerning God in the Spiritual Practices Episode 01
A discerning leader understands that service to others is based upon a relationship with God and thereby prioritizes the nurture of the soul…
Silence and Solitude | Discerning God in the Spiritual Practices Episode 02
We live in an incredibly noisy world. Distractions abound, vying for our attention all throughout our days. Choosing a subversive, counter-cultural pursuit of exterior and interior silence is what separates a discerning leader from society’s norm…
Lectio Divina | Discerning God in the Spiritual Practices Episode 03
Instead of studying the Word to preach or teach it, Lectio Divina invites us to simply listen and receive the Word as a gift of love from God to us, his beloved children…
Listening Prayer | Discerning God in the Spiritual Practices Episode 04
Prayer is a huge, somewhat daunting subject. No one has mastered prayer. In fact, if we’re honest, we are all simply beginners…
Reflection and Examen | Discerning God in the Spiritual Practices Episode 05
Reflection is an important spiritual discipline, inviting us to notice, remember, and give thanks. It is practiced in a variety of ways, from journaling to photography, and especially in the ancient practice of Examen…
Season 1: Discernment as a Way of Life
Host: Steve Macchia | Guest: Jeremy Stefano
In this first season of The Discerning Leader podcast, Steve Macchia and Jeremy Stefano explore discernment as a way of life through the following episodes:
The Road to Emmaus | Discernment as a Way of Life Episode 01
On this inaugural episode, Steve and Jeremy recount one of the pinnacle accounts of discernment in Luke 24. The Road to Emmaus is a wonderful example of discernment as a way of life, and not simply a way to make decisions…
Recognizing Jesus | Discernment as a Way of Life Episode 02
Continuing the conversation about spiritual discernment, Steve and Jeremy look at how Jesus’ mother and disciples were either kept from or open to his presence and mission…
Love Abounding | Discernment as a Way of Life Episode 03
Beginning with the prayer of the Apostle Paul to the Church in Philippi and ending with his prayer to the Colossians, Steve and Jeremy unpack some of the most essential ingredients of prayerful discernment…
God-Attentiveness | Discernment as a Way of Life Episode 04
Psalm 139 reminds us that God discerns all of our ways out of his abundant and unconditional love for us. His attentiveness toward us evokes a response of attentiveness to him…
Transformed Leaders | Discernment as a Way of Life Episode 05
Imagining what it would be like if the Church were filled with discerning leaders, Steve and Jeremy dream together about a Church filled with those who regularly turn to God…
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