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Belle wanted nothing to do with her parents’ faith in Jesus. In college, she proclaimed herself an agnostic and sought to live without God. But a breakup with her boyfriend and growing depression sent her on a downward spiral. She thought of ending her life.

In those depths of despair, she thought of her parents joy in Christ, and eventually trusted Him as Savior. Later, she heard a man speak about a people group in China who had never heard the gospel. She wanted to go there to tell them, but some people discouraged her because of the danger. She went anyway. Together with a young man she met in college and eventually married, Belle spent the rest of her life taking the gospel to people in China and Thailand. Thousands of people trusted Jesus, and the legacy of this woman, Isobel Kuhn, lives on in those lands.

Who gave a young woman a new life and hope and walked with her as she dealt with difficult life challenges? Jesus.

Are you wondering what life is about? Perhaps questioning your existence? Turn to Christ—"God’s one and only son” (John 3:18) who died for you (Romans 5:8). He loves you enough to provide life that lasts forever (John 3:16). Yes, “whoever believes in [Jesus] has eternal life” (3:36). And when we believe in Him, as Belle did, He will be with us as we face life’s challenges and help us extend His love to others.

In this episode, I sit down with Hannah Miller King to talk about hope when life doesn’t resolve neatly. We explore what it means to live in the now and the not yet, how grief, loss, and unanswered prayers shape our faith, and why Christian hope isn’t the same thing as optimism. We talk about the table, the Eucharist, and the idea that salvation is less about transaction and more about union with God. This conversation wrestles honestly with suffering, expectancy versus expectation, and the courage it takes to keep loving and hoping in a broken world - without rushing past the pain.

Hannah Miller King is an Anglican priest and writer in western North Carolina. She is the associate pastor of the vine Anglican Church and author of “Feasting On Hope: How God Sets a Table in thr Wilderness” (IVP)

Hannah's Book:

Feasting on Hope

Hannah's Recommendations:

Between Two Kingdoms

The Teacher of Nomad Land

Connect with Joshua: [email protected]

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You’re competing with thousands of brands every day—and most brands just get ignored. In this episode, you’ll learn how to create a logo that’s memorable, intentional and consistent so customers notice you now and remember you later when they’re ready to buy.

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Most of us avoid hard conversations. We tell ourselves it's not worth the tension. We don't want to look needy or rock the boat, so we let things slide. At work, at home, with friends. But every time we stay silent, something inside us shrinks. Resentment builds, and the relationships that matter most slowly drift off course. We don't lose influence because we lack talent. We lose it because we lack the courage to say what needs to be said. And that silence costs us opportunities, connection, and even our identity. But what if your next big breakthrough is waiting on the other side of one honest conversation?

In this episode, Don sits down with negotiation expert Kwame Christian to explore how difficult conversations shape our confidence, relationships, and success. Kwame shares how overcoming people-pleasing transformed his life, why respect matters more than being liked, and how negotiation is about connection, not manipulation. You'll learn why many negotiations fail before they start, how to plant seeds instead of dropping bombs, and why great negotiators focus on long-term trust over short-term wins. Listen in for a masterclass in how to protect your identity and create better outcomes, one conversation at a time.

Hire Kwame at: https://kwamechristian.com

Connect with Donald Miller on social media: https://www.instagram.com/donaldmiller/ https://www.facebook.com/donaldmillerwords http://StoryBrand.com

Building a StoryBrand 2.0 is now available! https://buildingastorybrand.com/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=&utm_term=cb&utm_content=SB_Framework

Make your marketing and messaging work with the StoryBrand framework—and you can do that with the updated version of the book, Building a StoryBrand 2.0, now available!

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Fear turns some parents into paranoid prison guards who monitor every minute and check the background of every friend.  A family with no breathing room suffocates a child.

On the other hand, fear can also create permissive parents.  Fearing that their child will feel too confined or fenced in, they are high on hugs and low on discipline.  They don’t realize that appropriate discipline is an expression of love.

Permissive parents.  Paranoid parents.  How can we avoid the extremes?  We pray. Jesus’ big message to moms and dads?  Bring your children to me. Pray that your children have a profound sense of place in this world and a heavenly place in the next. Parents, we can entrust our kids to Christ.

Read more Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

My cousins, who lived only two miles away when we were growing up, weren’t allowed to interact with my family. They never came to reunions or talked to us at the local grocery store. Their parents said it was because we didn’t attend church and we’d be a bad influence on them. What a surprise when many years later, a cousin attended my eldest brother’s funeral! He approached us one by one and humbly apologized for their attitude. Our relationship with him began to be restored. 

Jacob needed a humble heart to seek restoration with his twin brother, Esau. Jacob, the second born, had connived against Esau: he stole his brother’s birthright (25:19-34) and deceived his elderly father into giving him the firstborn’s blessing (26:34–27:40). Furious, Esau threatened to kill him, so Jacob had run to another country.

Years later, Jacob wanted to return home but was afraid the deep division between him and his brother wouldn’t be resolved without bloodshed (32:6-8). When he and Esau finally met, he humbly “bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother” (33:3). He feared Esau would kill him, but instead Esau came running “and embraced him” (v. 4).

Whether we’ve harmed another or have been harmed, it takes humility, openness, and often much work to heal the brokenness. But God can and will help us.

Stradivarius violins, cellos, and guitars are among the most treasured musical instruments in the world. Crafted during the 17th and 18th centuries, the pieces are rare and invaluable. Something so precious deserves the utmost care. So, when a Stradivarius cello—worth more than $20 million—fell off a table during a photo shoot, it was truly shocking!

Just as a Stradivarius must be handled carefully, so must our relationships. We’re to love others because Christ demonstrated His love toward us. In John 13:34, Jesus gave His disciples a command that requires careful attention: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Why did Christ call it a new command? It was new because it was rooted in the way Jesus loved people. This new command to love wasn’t careless or casual but intentional, precious, and sacrificial. Loving this way would lead to discipleship, self-denial, and possibly even death for the disciples. This care for one another would be how they survived in a difficult and hostile world after Christ’s departure. And Jesus told them, “Everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (v. 35).

Let’s carefully and sacrificially love others—reflecting Jesus’ precious and priceless love.

One of the most dramatic and mysterious love letters of all time was penned by composer Ludwig van Beethoven and was only discovered after his death in 1827. The hastily handwritten letter is full of passionate lines like, “My eternally beloved . . . I can only live either wholly with you or not at all.” Tragically, it appears the letter was never sent, and his intended recipient remains unknown. 

Beethoven’s letter is treasured by readers who can identify with his desperate yearning for love. We seek love and fulfillment in many people, things, and experiences that cannot fully satisfy. But far greater than a fleeting romance is the love of God for His covenant people, to whom He showed great love for the sake of all people. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God declared, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3). Because of His great love, God promised a future of rest and favor (v. 2) and the restoration of anything that was broken (v. 4). Despite their repeated rejection and rebellion, God vowed to bring them back to Himself (v. 9).

Many years later, that same everlasting love motivated Jesus to endure death for sinners, even before we ever returned His love (Romans 5:8). We don’t have to search for love or try to earn it. We’re already loved with an everlasting love!

In this episode, I sit down with Michael Leach for a thoughtful conversation about fear, faith, and what it looks like to keep moving forward when clarity is hard to come by. We talk about his journey from growing up on the South Side of Chicago to working in the NFL and serving in the White House, but more importantly about how faith is formed through practice, resilience, and trust in uncertain seasons. We explore purpose and identity, calling versus assignment, burnout and boundaries, and why connection matters more than simply having the right words. This is an honest, grounded conversation about choosing faith over fear and learning how to live with courage and moral clarity in a complicated world.

Michael Leach is a distinguished leader whose career spans the NFL, national politics, and the White House. Born on the South Side of Chicago, his journey has shaped him into one of today’s most trusted and relatable voices on faith, leadership, and resilience. He began with the Chicago Bears, advanced to NFL Headquarters, helped lead and build the most diverse presidential campaign team in U.S. history, culminating in a historic victory, and later made history as the first-ever Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of the White House. Now Founder & CEO of BridgeTrust Partners, Leach helps leaders and organizations strengthen trust, purpose, and impact across industries.

Michael's Book:

Faith Over Fear

Michael's Recommendation:

The One Thing

Connect with Joshua: [email protected]

Go to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.

Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTube

Consider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link below

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