At the Frontier

Could you use a good word from the Good Word?

In this episode, Reverend Eugene Cho is bringing us the Word from John 21:1-14.

Eugene is the President and CEO of Bread for the World, a non-partisan, Christian advocacy organization based in the U.S. that advocates for policy changes to end hunger. He preached here at a gathering of Salvation Army youth leaders from all across the West.

And he says this is one of those stories from Scripture that he returns to often.

In the passage, a group of seven disciples are together when Simon Peter says, "I'm going fishing." And so they do and they encounter Jesus. But it's not just a fishing story, Eugene says. If you peel off the layers, it's a vulnerable story of doubt, confusion and grace.

And Eugene shares five things we can learn from this story.

Here's a good word from the Good Word with Eugene Cho.

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Anxiety.

We all have it.

And it's not always a bad thing—it's a natural response to facing the unknown that can protect us.

But it can also go too far.

The American Psychological Association said in late 2020 we're facing a national mental health crisis that could see serious health and social consequences for years to come. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 1 in 5 American adults are affected by an anxiety disorder—that's some 40 million people.

And yet, freedom from anxiety is learnable.

That's what Jason Cusick will tell you.

He's the Pastor of Journey of Faith in Southern California. Formerly a hospital chaplain, he's passionate about the connection between faith and wellness.

He has a new book—"The Anxiety Field-Guide: Healthy Habits for Long-term Healing"—and is on the show today to share his own experience with anxiety and how to effectively engage it.

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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Did you know more than 2 million people volunteered with The Salvation Army across the U.S., according to the organizations' 2021 National Annual Report?

That's 2,052,933 people, to be exact, who freely gave of their time and skills simply to help—to do something.

And that gift is not isolated to The Salvation Army. In fact, the World Happiness Report found in 2021 global rates of helping strangers, volunteering and giving to charity were nearly 25% above pre-pandemic levels.

What about you?

Have you ever found yourself wanting to volunteer, but perhaps were unsure of what to do or how to go about it?

Here's the key: You can make an impact in the Fight for Good with whatever time and skills you have.

Adriana Thiele is the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator for The Salvation Army in San Diego, California. She's on the show to share more about her experience working with volunteers, how things have changed in recent years and how you can get involved.

And we've put together a guide on how to be an impactful volunteer with nine habits to help you make a difference in the lives of others. Grab your copy at caringmagazine.org/volunteer.

When you strive to do good, you help build a safer world for all and give others a lasting display of the love behind your beliefs.

And studies show it's good for you, too.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

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STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Happy Easter!

We're coming to you this Easter Sunday with a good word from the Good Word with Commissioner Doug Riley.

Commissioner Riley is the Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army in the western U.S. You may remember him from previous episodes of this podcast on gratitude and the Christmas story.

Now, he's bringing us the good news: Christ the Lord is risen today.

Listen in for more on the empty tomb as an enduring symbol of the resurrection—plus what it means to see the life of Christ come alive in you.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Way back on episode 8 of this podcast, we heard from Pastor Dr. Mark Moore on Why Understanding the Bible Better Makes Your Life Better and how to go about it.

He had just released "Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Build Your Bible IQ in a Year." In an approachable format, the book helps you master the passages with the greatest potential for practical application—from creation to heaven, money, God's will and grace.

As a former New Testament professor at Ozark Christian College and now the teaching pastor at Christ's Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Mark has spent more than 40 years helping people make sense of Christianity.

And now, he is back with a new book: "Quest 52: A Fifteen-Minute-A-Day Yearlong Pursuit of Jesus."

It offers a simple plan to experience the life and heart of Jesus as never before, addressing questions like: Does Jesus really care about your pain? And how can you hear God's voice?

And this Easter week, we get to hear directly from Mark on another question: Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

As he says, if this claim isn't true, then none of the rest of it matters. So what would it take to believe in the resurrection? What do we know?

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army has a long history of responding when disaster strikes.

Drought, wildfires, flash flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, and the manmade kind too. Every disaster is unique and creates its own special needs.

That's why the heart of The Salvation Army's disaster response is to meet the immediate needs of a survivor and the emergency responders there to help with food, clothing, shelter, communications, donations management, cleanup, training and more. And every step of the way The Salvation Army offers emotional and spiritual care.

For more than 20 years, John Berglund has been on the frontlines of Salvation Army disaster response. He's served as the Emergency Services Director at The Salvation Army's U.S. National Headquarters, in the Greater New York Division, and in the Intermountain Division based in Denver before his current role as the Emergency Disaster Services Coordinator of The Salvation Army Western Territory. He also serves as a team leader and trainer for International Emergency Services through The Salvation Army's International Headquarters in London.

And at recording time, he's about to deploy to Eastern Europe to assist in the on-the-ground assessment of needs and how The Salvation Army can best help right now during the humanitarian crisis unfolding in and around Ukraine.

He's on the show to share more about what's happening in the current disaster response, what he'll be doing from Moldova and to give us a better context for how The Salvation Army counters disaster.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

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FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

The message of The Salvation Army's call to "Love Beyond" is simple: When we love beyond hunger, love beyond shelter, love beyond disasters, and more, we can provide hope and help for millions who need it.

And, notably, whoever you are and wherever you are, there is a place for you in The Salvation Army—to join with us and Love Beyond all else.

This call is being sent across the U.S. and communities are finding creative ways to bring attention to it.

Like in Colorado Springs, where a three-week scavenger hunt had people all across southern Colorado looking for a red box from The Salvation Army.

Captain Doug Hanson is the County Coordinator and Corps Officer, or pastor, in Colorado Springs. He's on the show today to share more about this creative effort and the deeper meaning behind the call to Love Beyond.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

We are back with a whole new rallying cry. Have you heard it?

The Salvation Army is issuing a call for everyone to "Love Beyond."

The message of this call is simple: When we love beyond hunger, love beyond shelter, and love beyond disasters, we can provide hope and help for millions who need it.

It all comes from 1 Peter 4:8: "Above all, love."

Listen in for more on what it means to Love Beyond, and how you can join in.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

Could you guess the most popular undergraduate course at the University of Notre Dame?

If you guessed a philosophy class, titled "God and the Good Life," you are correct.

But it's not the Philosophy 101 you may have taken in college. It's "built on the idea that philosophy is care for our souls."

That our day-to-day stressors and everyday questions about what's good and what makes a good life are in fact philosophical questions.

And now you can sit down for class too, but in a fun and approachable way through a new book, titled "The Good Life Method: Reasoning Through the Big Questions of Happiness, Faith and Meaning," co-written by Notre Dame philosophy professors Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko.

Turning to figures like Aristotle and Plato, you'll explore love, finance, work and faith as you dive into the big questions and create your own "good life plan."

As Meghan says, philosophy belongs everywhere. And she's on the show to bring some of it to us today.

Dr. Meghan Sullivan is the Wilsey Family College Chair in Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, director of the God and the Good Life Program, and director of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study. She studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and went on to earn a doctorate in philosophy at Rutgers University.

Meghan has worked with thousands of students to help them start to articulate a purpose and how to hold onto it. She's here to help us reflect on happiness and meaning, too.

So allow me to introduce to you today Dr. Meghan Sullivan

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.

This season, we've been talking a lot about hope in The Salvation Army.

Hope, by definition, is a feeling of optimism—it's based on expecting a positive outcome.

That's what Commissioner Doug Riley will tell you.

He's the Territorial Commander of The Salvation Army in the western U.S.

He was commissioned as a Salvation Army officer—or pastor—alongside his wife Colleen in 1995. He holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and has now spent nearly three decades in pastoral leadership.

And he'll also tell you, our hope is in Christ.

This is the time of year we celebrate the power of hope, the most wonderful time of the year—Christmas.

And just as there was great hope for those living in the time of Jesus' birth, there is great hope for us today.

Commissioner Riley is on the show today to share more about the hope we find in the Christmas story and its reminder that darkness will give way to the light.

EPISODE SHOWNOTES: Read more.

WHAT'S YOUR CAUSE? Take our quiz.

STUDY SCRIPTURE. Get inside the collection.

GATHER WITH CARING MOMS. Join the group.

BE INSPIRED. Follow us on Instagram.

FIGHT FOR GOOD. Give to The Salvation Army.