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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The Common Rule | Discerning Our Personal Rule of Life Episode 07


Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Justin Whitmel Earley

From being totally overwhelmed by my schedule, the house of my life was decorated by my Christian calling but the architecture of my life was built like everyone else, on an unsteady foundation…simple habits radically changed my life.” – Justin Whitmel Earley

Justin Earley, author of The Common Rule (InterVarsity Press), introduces his suggested Common Rule, made up of eight habits, four daily and four weekly. The daily habits are: kneeling prayer at morning, midday, and bedtime; one meal with others; one hour with phone off; and Scripture before phone. The weekly habits are: one hour of conversation with a friend; curating media to four hours; fasting from something for twenty-four hours; and Sabbath rest. Each habit corresponds to two different spectrums: love of God and love of neighbor.

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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Steve Macchia

Steve Macchia (Podcast Host)
Founder and President of Leadership Transformations
Steve is the author of Becoming a Healthy ChurchBecoming a Healthy DiscipleBroken and WholeCrafting a Rule of Life and several other titles. Steve has over 40 years in ministry and two postgraduate degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Tom Griffith
Tom Griffith (Season Eight Guest)
Clarity and Spiritual Leadership Coach
Tom Griffith is a Clarity and Spiritual Leadership Coach and the founder of GreaterFormation.com. He helps people in transition to Get Clear, Get Focused and Be Fruitful. He served as an urban pastor in Boston for 34 years, and serves as a spiritual formation mentor with Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston.

Ken Shigematsu (Season Eight Guest)
Pastor and Author
Ken Shigematsu is senior pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver, B.C., a trustee for World Vision Canada, and author of God in My Everything: How an Ancient Rhythm Helps Busy People Enjoy God (Zondervan).

Justin Earley (Season Eight Guest)
Lawyer and Author
Justin Earley is a business lawyer in Richmond, VA where he lives with his wife and four sons, and is the author of The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction (IVP).

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Steve Macchia

Founder & President

The Rev. Dr. Stephen A. Macchia is founder and president of Leadership Transformations, Inc. (LTI), a ministry serving the spiritual formation, discernment, and renewal of leaders and learners since 2003. For more than 20 years he has been the Director of the Pierce Center for Disciple-Building at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Doctor of Ministry Program. From 1989-2003 he was the president of Vision New England, the largest regional church renewal association in the country. Earlier in his ministry life, Steve was a member of the pastoral staff of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts for 11 years. He is the author or co-author of 17 books, including The Discerning Life (Zondervan Reflective), and Crafting a Rule of Life, Becoming A Healthy Church (LTI), and Broken and Whole (IVP).  He and his wife Ruth live in the Boston (MA) area and are the proud parents of two married children and grandparents to three adorable grandchildren. Steve’s personal website is www.SteveMacchia.com.

My soul comes alive singing the great hymns of the church and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. I’m in awe of God for fulfilling the dream for LTI that he birthed in my heart, for the team he has assembled, and the transformational impact experienced in the leaders and teams we serve.

Detailed Biography
Articles by Stephen Macchia
Author Website
Schedule a one-on-one with Steve

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.