Send us a text

What if “all are welcome” still leaves people standing alone? Statistically, chances are high that either you or someone close to you lives with a disability. Yet far too often, people with disabilities find themselves pushed to the margins. This special episode comes from The Leader's Journey Podcast, where Mac and Josie open up about parenting their son Griffin, who has Down syndrome and likely autism. His life has forced them to rethink ability, achievement, and what church is for.

They further explore how ableism shows up in ordinary moments: the rushed band tryout, the inaccessible bus plan, the Sunday greeting time where some are always left out. They talk candidly about the limits of inclusion, the harm of disability blindness, and why pity and programs can’t create the mutuality needed. Instead, they point to Jesus’ pattern of noticing, honoring dignity, and disrupting the crowd’s anxious order—and what that means for pastors, volunteers, and anyone who wants their community to reflect the kingdom.

If you’re a tired leader wondering how to start, take a breath. You don’t need another ministry to manage. You need a fresh lens and an asset-based posture that surfaces the gifts already in your congregation, especially from people with lived experience. Practical ways to guide attention, reduce anxiety, and build real friendships are shared. Along Mac and Josie's journey, Griffin has taught them that persistence opens doors, belonging transforms rooms, and joy can be loud, off-beat, and exactly what the body needs.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, leave a review, and be sure to check out The Leader's Journey Podcast for more great content.

Send us a text

What if the only true measure of spiritual maturity is love—and not the easy versions? We bring our series on mental models for missional discipleship to a close by naming love as the plumb line that aligns everything: discipleship, mission, leadership, and daily life. Not the Hallmark fuzzies, not constant affirmation, not Midwest nice. We look to Jesus who had grace and truth in full measure, self-giving at the cross as the standard that straightens what our culture and our churches often bend.

Together we build a thicker vision of “God is love.” Love isn’t one attribute balanced against holiness, justice, or power; it’s the very nature through which God expresses all of them. That reframe changes how we read the Bible, how we think about divine power at Christmas, and how we set goals for our churches. From hospitals and universities to abolition and peacemaking, we celebrate the quiet, steady legacy of cruciform love. Then we tell the truth about our failures: empire-chasing politics, us-versus-them religion, judgmentalism, and scandals that misuse God’s name and wound the vulnerable.

Finally, we get practical. We share simple practices to receive before we try to give, because loved people love people. Try a daily examen of love to notice where God met you and where love flowed through you. Then, each morning, choose one person to intentionally love with words and actions calibrated by grace and truth. Over time, these small, steady moves align our lives to the straight edge of Jesus-shaped love and deepen our witness in a world hungry for the real thing.

If this conversation challenged or encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review so others can find it. What’s one way you’ll measure your day by love this week?

Send us a text

What if the kingdom of God isn’t an exit plan but a present reality that disrupts our politics and reorders our lives? We open with a bold claim: God’s kingdom looks like Jesus’ ministry. That means good news to the poor, freedom for the oppressed, healing for the sick, and a reconciling community that previews the world to come. We unpack the “already and not yet,” grounding it in Luke 4, Luke 17, the Lord’s Prayer, and the sweeping arc of Scripture that refuses to pick between personal transformation and systemic change.

From there, we wade into contested terrain. We challenge the left’s impulse to pursue kingdom values without the King, outsourcing shalom to institutions while neglecting discipleship and abiding. We also confront the right’s habit of rejecting biblical terms—justice, peacemaking, reconciliation, creation care—because they sound “woke,” forgetting these are ancient, central commands. Policy is complex, and outcomes matter, but abandoning Scripture’s core is not an option. We show how overhearing and underhearing distort what’s said, and how to listen beyond soundbites with humility and courage.

The conversation lands with practices that move us from votes to vocation. Examine your loyalties and ask where party identity is discipling you more than Jesus. Act locally: engage foster care, food insecurity, mentoring, and community partnerships with a long obedience and real relationships. Rehumanize the “other side” by buying a meal and only asking questions. The kingdom advances through Spirit-filled people who embody justice and mercy right where they live, becoming a living preview of heaven meeting earth.

If this resonates, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who’s ready to trade outrage for presence. Then tell us: what one practice will you start this week?