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Today's conversation on Back Porch Theology is going to be a huge helping of gratitude. Whether or not you practice the traditional American holiday called "Thanksgiving" which takes place this week - it's always celebrated on the last Thursday in November - I believe image bearers the world over can benefit from a generous serving of gratitude on a regular basis. In fact, there are multiple secular, scientific studies proving that gratitude - that is when we are intentionally thankful for something or someone - has physiological benefits like improved sleep, digestion, and cardiovascular wellness, as well as psychological benefits like decreased stress and an increased sense of overall well-being.
Case in point, my road manager, Sharon, and I have come up with a simple game when we're traveling and one of us notices that the other one is being especially grumpy or negative. We call it the "Stop and Give Me Ten" game - and I assure you that in spite of the title, it has nothing to do with push-ups. Frankly, if I attempted ten push-ups in a row right now it's quite possible I'd break my nose after collapsing to the floor. The "ten" in the title of our game refers to all the fingers on two hands worth of things we're grateful for. Recently, after a long day of delayed flights we got to our destination airport only to discover that the car rental company had given away the SUV we'd confirmed and they only had compact cars left. So, after breaking a nail trying to cram all our luggage and several boxes of books into a two-door designed for petite people, I climbed into the passenger's seat with a huff. Then I began to complain about all the inconveniences we'd endured thus far that day - the unappetizing yet overpriced airport food, how particularly rude our gate agent had been, how both men I'd sat next to on our flights were armrest hogs.
After listening to my whiney chorus for a few minutes, Sharon turned to face me and said: STOP AND GIVE ME TEN! I stopped - partly because she was driving in Dallas traffic and I was afraid she was going to rear-end the car in front of us - but then Holy Spirit poked my fault-finding heart into a real pause and after a moment I held up both hands and counted off all ten fingers in quick succession:
* I'm thankful our flights were only delayed instead of cancelled
* I'm thankful we're in a car instead of on foot
* I'm thankful I make enough money on the road to pay my mortgage
* I'm thankful I get to see women launch themselves into the arms of Jesus for the first time almost every weekend
* I'm thankful I got to make it home in time to be with Dad before he passed away
* I'm thankful for Missy's physical health
* I'm thankful I have family and friends who've experienced my plethora of shortcomings and yet still love me
* I'm thankful our God's faithfulness doesn't wane when I'm being such a weenie baby
* I'm thankful I wore stretchy pants today instead of stiff jeans
* I'm thankful we're staying at a decent hotel tonight
And it's amazing how just 36 seconds of practicing gratitude totally changed my mood. I went from Eeyore to Tigger in less than a minute!
I know it's a much more serious thing to practice gratitude when your husband walks away, your loved one dies, your cancer returns, or your company's downsized. But I promise - more importantly - God promises in His Word that extending past the trouble of life to reach for the truth of His abiding peace, unconditional love, and transformative joy is worth the stretch. Thanksgiving is a facet of the Fruit of the Spirit God that I like to imagine like a big, four-wheel-drive truck with a winch because it has the power to pull us out of whatever ditch we find ourselves stuck in. Today's going to be a good one y'all because those nasty emotional termites that try to reduce our hope to rot like pessimism, scarcity mindsets, and entitlement are going to get walloped by the promises of God, baby! So please grab a cup of coffee, apple cider, sweet tea, or seasonal eggnog, and your Bible - if you can find it among all the Christmas decorations you've now dragged out of the attic but have yet to put up - and come hang out on the porch with us. Your presence is one of the ten things Ally, Doc H. and I are counting ourselves grateful for today!
In this episode, Christine Caine draws wisdom from the book of Acts that will encourage you and equip you to trust that, with God on your side, something good can emerge from something bad. Life's painful moments can leave us feeling discouraged and bitter, but by keeping our focus on Christ and staying committed to His purpose, we can rise above feelings of rejection, abandonment or loss. God is always faithful, and He will guide you toward His plan for your life. This episode will empower you with knowledge, wisdom, and encouragement to trust that God knows exactly where you are and where He's taking you. Keep trusting, keep going, keep sowing, and never give up. Get your free Episode Reflection Guide here.
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Christine Caine is a speaker, activist, and best-selling author. She and her husband, Nick, founded the anti-human trafficking organization The A21 Campaign. They also founded Propel Women, an initiative that is dedicated to coming alongside women all over the globe to activate their God-given purpose. Each week she brings you a Gospel-centered message filled with Biblical truths that will equip and empower you to step into the life God has for you.
Hello friend. I hope you're doing well today.
This week on the podcast we're looking at an issue that plagued the Philippian church-legalism. They trusted the work of Jesus but were trying to add a little something on their own. If you ever find yourself looking for "Jesus plus" something else, the apostle Paul says to you what he said to the Philippians: "Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law, but because I believed in Christ. God uses my faith to make me right with him."
During today's conversation on Back Porch Theology, we're going to honestly explore how Christians can do better caring about and caring for the precious people who are leaving mainstream churches. It's a given that some are walking away from communities of faith for sinful reasons but what about the saints who are leaving our sanctuaries because they've been deeply betrayed by a spiritual leader or they simply can't reconcile the Jesus of Scripture - who hugged lepers, welcomed outliers, and compassionately advocated for the poor - with the sociology of the affluent, seemingly inwardly focused congregation they were raised in. Pastor and modern theologian, Dr. A.J. Swoboda made this wise and gracious observation about some who are leaving the church: they have tasted Jesus, and rigid religion has proven to be a poor substitute. Before we go any further, I want to state what I hope is blatantly obvious here at Back Porch Theology and that is: we are passionately, unashamedly, enthusiastically PRO-CHURCH. Dr. Howard pastors a local church in Dillon, CO and Allison and I are life-long church girls. All three of us have spent a good chunk of our lives serving on church staffs or parachurch ministries. We wholeheartedly believe the Christian church is one of the main means of grace our Creator Redeemer uses to accomplish His kingdom purposes. We also believe the Bible is crystal clear regarding how important it is for God's people to gather on a regular basis as a community of faith for centralized worship, corporate prayer, biblical instruction, water baptism, relational encouragement, and to celebrate the sacrament of communion. But, and this is a big but, we also think Christ-followers can do a much better job of caring for and listening to the men, women and teenagers who are leaving our churches for reasons that should give us pause - mainly, that sometimes our corporate gatherings of faith no longer resemble the Savior we're singing about or the wholistically redemptive message of the Bible we profess to base our belief system on. Not everyone who walks away from a local church is an angry rebel or a selfish prodigal or a divisive opponent, much less a dangerous heretic. Some sheep are hurt and scared and lonely and they thought they'd get closer to the Good Shepherd if they joined our herd, but unfortunately their wounds have gotten worse, as a result of hanging out with us and they don't feel like they have any other option except to limp away to a less painful pasture. If someone you love has walked away from church disappointed, disillusioned, and is quite possibly in a season of deconstruction we believe today's conversation can help you maintain a genuine relationship with them as they sort out what they believe to be true about God, even if they pull away from church for the time being. And based on the some of the excruciatingly honest emails we've received here at BPT, we understand that some of you - who purely by the grace of God trust our motley crew enough to hang out on the proverbial porch with us - are nursing fresh wounds from a bad church experience. Please know that you're especially weighty on our hearts today. We've prayed that Holy Spirit will use this conversation to bring you a tangible sense of His comfort. That it will serve to remind you that while Christ followers are notably flawed, Jesus - our incarnate Savior - was without sin, not a man that He could lie or change His mind, according to the Old Testament book of Numbers. Yes, human love is conditional, but God's love is unconditional and immutable - it doesn't change. He is not fickle He is perfectly faithful. Although some of you might feel cruelly judged or completely forsaken by a particular church or cadre of Christians, our Creator Redeemer will never leave or forsake His Beloved. According to the Psalms, the God who breathed our universe into existence inclines His ear to listen to you...your words matter to Him. So do your wounds. He really is close to the brokenhearted. So please grab your Bible and a cup of coffee, or hot chocolate, or apple cider, or a matcha latte - although I don't get the appeal of those, because they taste like lawn clippings to me! - and come hang out on the porch with us. We're really, really glad you're here today.
Dive into this heart-to-heart with John Eldredge, author of Wild at Heart. Levi explores the transformative power of intentional fatherhood, the healing of the masculine soul, and building resilience in a fast-paced world. From life lessons to practical tips on nurturing our families and finding joy in simplicity, this episode will inspire men and women alike. Plus, hear John's Thanksgiving traditions and why wild game holds a special place at his table.
Connect with us on social!
John: @wildatheart
Levi: @levilusko
Jennie: @jennielusko
Fresh Life Church: @freshlife
[Links]
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The Sacred Romance: https://bit.ly/4g2lAhA
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Time Stamps
08:01 - Beauty and Awe Heal the Soul
16:25 - Fatherhood and Masculine Wounds
22:45 - Raising Resilient Kids
30:57 - Margin and Recovery Tips
37:20 - The Secret to a Life with God
42:30 - Embrace Your Warrior Heart
Hello friend. Thanks for joining me on the Encouraging Word Podcast.
We're tackling a new topic today. For the next few weeks we'll be talking about living a God-centered life. Now that might sound simple, but living a God-centered life means not living a me-centered life. Not quite so easy, but with God as our helper, it's possible.
Natalie LaBorde and Christine Caine first met when Natalie was at LSU and heard Christine speak on "being about the Father's business." Implementing Christine's counsel has led Natalie on an unprecedented path, watching God work in miraculous ways, and now working as the Executive Counsel of the Louisiana Department of Corrections. Whatever obstacles you're facing, this episode will challenge you to persevere in faith - even when you don't understand the road ahead - and watch God do "above and beyond what you could ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20).
SHOW NOTES:
Blessed Beginnings
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend upon your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Sixteen years after its inception, God has abundantly blessed A21, which now has 19 offices in 14 countries. Our responsibility is obedience - God brings the fruit.
Abundant Growth
A dream that was birthed in the Caine's kitchen now hosts walks all over the world to raise awareness about human trafficking. Walk For Freedom has rallied more than 350,000 participants at thousands of walks since 2014. (To learn more, head to A21.org/Walk) In what areas of your life is God calling you to bold faith and obedience?
Following God
Natalie challenges us to steward life wisely. Identify your strengths and passions and allow those to be your roadmap. There isn't a formula for faith, but God leads us each step of the way when we surrender our plans and submit to the Holy Spirit.
Follow Natalie @Natalielaborde
Follow Christine @ChristineCaine
Get your FREE reflection guide for journaling prompts or use it as a discussion guide with your community at PropelWomen.org/Podcast.
Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and don't forget to leave a review! See you next week on the Propel Women Life & Leadership Podcast.
You can connect with us further at PropelWomen.org or on Instagram, Facebook, X, and Threads @PropelWomen. We can't wait to hang out with you in your car, during your workout, or wherever you listen to podcasts!
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Propel Women is an initiative of Equip & Empower Ministries founded by Christine Caine.
We EMPOWER women with biblical wisdom and encouragement, EQUIP women with practical training and education, and MOBILIZE women by providing hands-on leadership opportunities.
No matter where a woman has influence - in an office, in her community, at home with her family, or in ministry - Propel is driven by a calling to equip and mobilize women to become effective co-laborers with Christ and make a difference within their unique spheres of influence.
In this episode, Christine Caine will empower you to be an agent of peace tovthose around you. Being a peacemaker is something we're instructed to do in Scripture, but we often find it is easier said than done. It requires trusting the goodness and the timing of God. So often, we run ahead of God in our frustration of waiting for Him to come through for us. But God has not forgotten one of us. He sees each of us. He knows and cares for us in all things and will fill us with His peace no matter the circumstance if we ask for it. This episode will equip you not only to walk in faith and trust in God's timing but also to be filled with the peace of God so you can carry it to others. Get your free Episode Reflection Guide here.
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Christine Caine is a speaker, activist, and best-selling author. She and her husband, Nick, founded the anti-human trafficking organization The A21 Campaign. They also founded Propel Women, an initiative that is dedicated to coming alongside women all over the globe to activate their God-given purpose. Each week she brings you a Gospel-centered message filled with Biblical truths that will equip and empower you to step into the life God has for you.
Hello, my friend. I hope you're having a good day. 1 Corinthians 13:7 says, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things." God calls us to walk out sacrificial love. I pray this message encourages you.
