Rusty George Podcast

Author, speaker, podcaster, and entrepreneurial coach Jo Saxton is on a mission to inspire leaders to own their voice, lead confidently, and to make a difference; and this unforgettable conversation is no exception. In this episode, Jo shares her personal journey of discovering her gifts, the process and vision that took place in writing her books, and even her love for Target. We discuss women empowerment in the church and workplace, a powerful and necessary topic. If you're looking for jolt of inspiration, a leader worth following, and even a good laugh, I know that you'll love this episode.

The Covid season has forced church leaders to make some of the most difficult and controversial decisions of their ministry career. But specifically, the question has been: "When do we move church back inside?" ... Do we wait until it's legal? Do we stay outside for the betterment of our community? Do we move indoors for the betterment of our community? What does the Bible say about this problem? My co-host Brad Williams and I have an honest discussion in this episode about how we ultimately decided to move Real Life Church and all of its campuses back indoors.

We all have questions about the afterlife... Will I be myself? Will I see friends and loved ones? What will Heaven look like? What is God like? What will we do forever? What about children and pets? John Burke is the New York Times best-selling author of "Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future that Awaits You". As the lead pastor of Gateway Church and the founder of Gateway Leadership Initiative, John is a powerful leader and minister of the gospel, who's insights into life after death will leave you with awe and excitement of the life to come. John answers the most pondered questions with confidence and grace, steering us to the Bible and sharing unforgettable near-death experiences where people have seen glimpses of heaven. I know this episode will leave you stronger in your faith, and more confident than ever in the eternity to come spent with our savior. Do you have questions about the afterlife that you would like John Burke to answer in Part Two of this episo

We want to take some time this year to discuss an important topic: mental health. But, more specifically, practical and doable ways that we can all build better, stronger mental health in 2021. This last year took quite a toll on all of us... Statistics of depression, anxiety, and suicide are through the roof as the world attempts to recover from the stress and difficulty we all experienced. So how can we recover, heal, and reclaim our mental health? Jim Beebe, LMFT has been a practicing licensed counselor for 34 years. Jim is passionate about helping his clients seek wholeness spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. And in today's episode, he guides us through just that. I believe this episode will bring healing to you today, and I pray that our conversation on establishing better mental health will guide you towards healing and wholeness.

Did Jesus Christ really raise from the dead after three days? And if yes, how can we really know for sure? This Holy Week, I'm joined in this rerun episode by best-selling author and former investigative journalist, Lee Strobel. An atheist-turned-Christian, Lee has sought answers to all of the questions that come with the Christian faith. His best-selling novel "The Case for Christ" details his conversion to Christianity. For the last twenty-five years, his life’s work has been to share the evidence that supports the truth and claims of Christianity, and to equip believers to share their faith with the people they know and love. Lee and I honestly and openly discuss the facts and the evidence on Christ's resurrection, the entire crucifixion account, and much more. I believe our conversation will illuminate your path of faith, and will help you grow in both understanding and a deeper faith in God.

Tuvya Zaretsky, a leader at "Jews for Jesus", joins me to discusses the importance & significance of The Passover for Christians today. A rerun episode from last year, we discuss Tuvya's background in Judaism, his faith transformation to becoming a Christian, and what we can learn from Jesus' growing up as a Jew. I know that Tuvya's message will illuminate your path of faith this Holy Week.

Tim Celek from Stadia Church Planting Group joins me in this episode today to discuss everything that church planters need to know in 2021. Tim has pioneered and planted churches that have reached thousands for the gospel, with a keen understanding on how to make the modern church refreshing and new for young believers. Tim is a personal hero of mine, and I'm so glad that you're getting to meet and hear from him today. We discuss everything from a practical breakdown of a church plant timeline, to Tim's hardest and greatest moments in his church planting ministry. If you're at all interested in planting a church in California, please reach out to me and my team at rgeorge@reallifechurch.org

Nona Jones is a global thought leader, author, executive, and pastor taking the social media world by storm. But what's her mission? To share the kingdom impact that social media can have... As well as to shed light on the darker side. Author of "From Social Media to Social Ministry: A Guide to Digital Discipleship", Nona quite literally wrote the book on digital ministry. Our conversation today is honest and deep, opening the door to the impact that social media is really having on you, your kids, and those around you. But it's not all bad news - Nona is quick to share the impact we can have as Christians in the social media world, and how we as believers can best use these platforms for Kingdom-minded impact.

ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jimmy Dykes joins podcast host Michael Hinton and myself to discuss filling out our NCAA March Madness brackets this season. Jimmy, former basketball player and coach, gives us the expert advice that we're all looking for. We're answering all of the questions you can think of during March Madness, and I can't wait for you to listen. Jimmy is a follower of Jesus and the author of the book "The Film Doesn't Lie: Evaluating Your Life One Play at a Time"

Hearing from God... Is it possible? Is it an audible voice? Writing on the wall? How do you really *know* when God has spoken to you? My friend and co-host Brad Williams joins me in this episode to discuss our personal experiences in hearing God and what we believe the Bible teaches us about listening to His voice. A special welcome to our friends at Charisma Podcast Network! I'm honored to have joined your platform and team.

How is your mental health really doing? Anxiety, stress, suicide, and prescription medication statistics are on the rise at an alarming rate. And since the beginning of Covid-19, things have only gotten much, much worse. So, how do we get our mental health back on track? Dan Broyles(LMFT, Social Worker, and Care Pastor)joins me today to share how we can all have strong mental health in ourselves and in our families in 2021. In this important conversation, we talk about comfort addiction, anxiety, avoiding conflict, understanding different conflict styles, acknowledging our new fears Covid-19 has brought on, and much more. We're in this together, friends. I believe that today's conversation will be a light in the darkness that many are experiencing in their mental health journey today.

Stress less. Accomplish more. Win the day. Who doesn't want more of all of that? Well-known author of "The Circle Maker" & lead pastor of National Community Church, Mark Batterson joins me in this episode to discuss the life-changing lessons and habits he's learned on winning the day in writing, fatherhood, leadership, and pastoral ministry. We discuss his best "Jedi mind tricks" for writing and publishing books, his secrets to hitting points home in sermons, his (very unexpected) favorite book, and the shelf he runs to when he first walks into Barnes & Noble. Mark is a wealth of knowledge for habits and structures you can implement into your life and leadership to "win the day" every day.  This conversation was so unforgettable for me and has truly transformed my daily habits -- I know it will be just as life-changing for you too.

Sean Morgan, KC-10 Air Force pilot and Executive Pastor, joins me in this episode to discuss crisis leadership lessons he's learning in flight, as well as learning to embrace discomfort and unpredictability in life, work, and ministry. Sean has spent the last few years inspiring leaders and pastors as he merges his ministry background with his vocational leadership as the podcast host to "Leaders in Living Rooms", where he meets with top-notch leaders from all over the world.  You don't want to miss hearing Sean's story and what he has to say about "decision fatigue" and constant stress in 2020/2021. I know this episode will be life-changing for anyone feeling burnt-out and looking for ways to lead with vision clarity.

Brad Williams and I tackle one of the most difficult questions in Spirit-led leadership: How do I discover God's timing for all of my leadership decisions? It's been a difficult year, and many of us are desperately seeking ways to make the best leadership decisions possible for better outcomes than 2020 brought us. We want a better year, and we want it now. But are we operating and making decisions out of our own timelines, or in God's timeline? Why is it so hard to trust God? Tune into this episode and join our honest conversation as we tackle these difficult questions.

Every leader knows that good leadership doesn’t come without experiencing pain… But are we equipped to handle that pain with the right kind of thinking? Dr. Sam Chand (a personal hero of mine and the President Emeritus at Beulah Heights University) knows the ins and outs of leadership success and struggles. His manyHis powerful life-journey and his many books and resources has helped leaders all over the world learn to release dreams, build a healthy team, and strong leadership development. He joins us in this episode to ask the real questions: “What does church growth have to do with leadership?” “How can I differentiate between good growth pains and my own stupidity causing pain?” “As a leader, what questions should I be asking my team in meetings?” “How can I handle change to the best of my ability?” Dr. Chand says it best: “There is no growth without change, no change without loss, and no loss without pain.” I can’t wait for you to listen.

Andy Stanley, founding pastor of North Point Community Church, joins the podcast to talk leadership and his new book Better Decisions Fewer Regrets

132: Praying in the New Year after a Year of God Seeming Silent by Rusty George

Bonus Episode: Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. talks family, faith, forgiveness by Rusty George

131: Jonathan Pokluda on Helping Teens Become Adults, Date, and Find a Church that they Connect with by Rusty George

What are those things you are praying for in 2021? Let me share a few things that I am praying for this year.