Rusty George Podcast

On today’s episode of Leading Simple, we’re joined by Andy Wood. Andy has been the lead pastor of Echo Church in Northern California for the past 13 years, and has learned a lot of lessons along the way. You’ll get to hear him talk about what he'd do differently during COVID, leading a multi-site church through the pandemic, and finding a sense of work-life balance.

If you're a parent who's sent a kid off to collage, you may have asked yourself these questions before: Are my kids safe? Did I teach them enough? Will they be connected to their faith? If you can relate, you’ll love this episode of Leading Simple with Brian Marshall. He is the campus pastor at the University of Kentucky. You'll get to hear him share about what campus ministry is actually like. He also discusses the assumptions parents might make about their college-aged kids and how to help your college students find and keep their faith.

This week's guest isKay Warren, an advocate & author. After the tragic loss of her son and leading a church alongside her husband Rick in the middle of a global pandemic, Kay knows a thing or two about navigating difficult seasons while holding tightly to her faith. But it hasn’t always been easy. If you find yourself wondering how she’s done it, you’ll get to hear her share on this episode of Leading Simple. Kay also shares her insight on what it’s like to find yourself in someone else’s shadow, dealing with mental health and abuse issues, and what life has for her and Rick after Saddleback. If you or someone you love is struggling with their mental health or suicidal ideation, know that you don’t have to go through this alone. Reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for help at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to speak to someone immediately and confidentially.

In this bonus episode of Leading Simple, Richmond Wandera shares his story of growing up in Uganda. At only eight years old, he and his family encountered devastating loss and poverty. Despite that, it paved the way for him to experience the incredible love of Jesus through one 15 year old girl's babysitting money. Special thanks to our sponsor, Compassion International. If you want more information about how to sponsor a child, go to compassion.org/rusty.

What's in a name? For Dr. Michael Youssef, a name is the very thing that can help us connect with God. On this episode of Leading Simple, Rusty and Dr. Youssef sit down as he shares his incredible insight into understanding the names of God and how that impacts how we relate to Him. They also discuss the rich history of the Christian church in Egypt and Dr. Youssef's incredible work with Leading the Way.

We all have had a moment where we've looked at a celebrity or leader and thought to ourselves, "if I had that kind of platform, here's how I'd help the world." Well, what if you could leverage your voice to influence the influencers? Over the last few years, Pastor Mark Weigt has had the chance to do just that for one of the most influential people at one of the most successful sports organizations. In this episode of Leading Simple, Mark and Rusty sit down to talk about all things influence. We also discuss how he founded The Ridge Community Church and how one simple step can lead to a more significant impact where you least expect it.

If you’ve ever heard of Compassion International, then you know of the incredible work they do to support children through sponsorships. But have you wondered what the impact of those sponsorships actually is? On today’s bonus episode of Leading Simple, we get a glimpse into how people's generosity can positively influence a child's life, thanks to Keewani Vallejo-Cook. Keewani and I sit down as she shares her story of growing up in the Philippines, connecting with a sponsor through Compassion International, and experiencing the love of Jesus in a real way. If you'd like more information about how to sponsor a child, visit compassion.com/rusty

Rusty and Brad talk all things NBA for the 2021-2022 season. Who's the best in the league? Best Coach? Exciting Rookie? How the Lakers stack up against the competition. Plus, what the NBA can teach us about leadership.

170: Rewriting the Soundtracks in Your Head with Jon Acuff by Rusty George

In today's episode, Jenni Catron joins Rusty and shares her lessons on her path from the Christian music industry to ministry leadership. She also shares great insight on how to thrive in this post-pandemic season and what it means to lead with your whole self. As a writer, speaker, and leadership coach, Jenni Catron is in the business of inspiring others to lead well. As Founder and CEO of The 4Sight Group, she consults with individuals and teams on leadership and organizational health. In every role, Jenni is a leader who loves "putting feet to vision."

On Leading Simple this week, Joseph Barkley, lead and founding pastor of Radius Church, joins Rusty on the podcast to chat about church planting, pastoring through COVID, making the jump from the entertainment industry, and raising a child actor. Often, when people think of church planters, we may think of someone who grew up in the church, went to seminary, or started working as a youth pastor. But Joseph's story is a little different. Take a listen as Joseph shares his experience over the last few years.

Glen Keane, a 38-year animator and Academy Award winner who created many beloved characters such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Beast, and more, joins Rusty on Leading Simple. They talk about everything from his family, time at Disney, animation, including working with Kobe Bryant on Dear Basketball, and how he weaves the gospel through his art.

Dave Dummit, the Senior Pastor at Willow Creek Community Church and a longtime friend, joins Rusty on the podcast and talks about church planting, how he decided to leave 2|42, following a legend, and the bumps of moving beyond scandal and creating healthy environments.

On this episode of Leading Simple, Rusty talks with Douglas Cob and asks a question that seems to be prevalent with all the chaos going on today, are we living in the end times? Douglas has written an incredible new book titled, And Then the End Will Come. If you're discouraged about the craziness, you see in the world today, And Then the End Will Come will offer you hope for better things soon to come -- things so great that the Bible says no one can imagine how awesome they will be.

Rusty and co-host Brad Williams discuss how to lead when your boss is not a leader. What do you do when you feel like your boss is phoning it in? How do we respond as Christians lovingly and biblically?

Former NFL player and Hall of Famer, Bruce Matthews, joins Rusty on the podcast to talk faith, family and sports.

162: Practical Steps for Protecting Your Kids Against Human Trafficking with Alan Smyth by Rusty George

As cultural and societal norms continue to shift, change, and adapt in our world today, the Christian leaders are often found asking the question: "What should we do about _____?"  ... What should we do about masks, Covid, and ongoing restrictions?  ... What should we do about the LGBTQ+ community?  ... What should we do about conflicting political opinions?  The list goes on. I'm joined today by Caleb Kaltenbach, the Research Pastor at Shepherd Church, to delve into the messy truth of Christianity in our world today. We dive deep into the content of his new book: Messy Truth: How to Foster Community Without Sacrificing Conviction, which releases on August 10th, 2021.  We're all looking for truth that pertains to the shifting world around us, and my prayer is that this conversation with Caleb is a guiding light to illuminate Jesus' answers for the questions we're facing in our world today.

Schools back, can you believe it? The summer of 2021 has absolutely flown by, and we're met yet again with the beginnings of fall, the school year, and another season of half-normalcy. But with Covid restrictions continuing on and the Delta variant on the rise, going back to school can bring a lot of different emotions with it... Loneliness, anxiety, fear, depression, confusion, isolation, and so much more. Dr. Paul Alexander joins me in this episode to share simple and applicable steps for how we can have good mental health going into this new school year, from both a psychology perspective as well as a Biblical perspective. So whether you're a student, a teacher, a parent, a sibling, or a leader... I know that Paul's steps for achieving better mental health will be foundational for us all in this new season of 2021.

“I didn’t sign up for this!” “I can’t do this anymore!” “That’s it - I’m done!” Have you ever said or thought these things? Are you feeling disconnected in your marriage, not knowing what the next step holds? Toni Nieuwhof is an author, speaker and law mediator, whose powerful voice in Christian leadership is shaping influencers and leaders around the world. She joins me in this episode to discuss the steps for finding what you really want to save the future of your marriage, based on her new book "Before You Split".