CLA+

Many leaders secretly believe their value comes from what they do. But what happens when the title disappears, the ministry ends, or life takes a turn you never expected?

In this deeply personal conversation, Steve Cummings shares his journey through ministry leadership, addiction recovery, job loss, financial uncertainty, and ultimately discovering a deeper identity as a beloved son of God. 

From sitting in rehab at age 55 to working at Home Depot and eventually launching Bringing Kingdom, Steve offers hope for anyone learning to trust God in a season they never planned for.

00:00 Friendship, ministry history, and Steve's background

01:30 Seminary, missed opportunities, and unexpected career turns

03:45 Building a career in nonprofit ministry

06:00 Hidden struggles, addiction, and personal collapse

08:00 Rehab, recovery, and discovering the deeper issues

11:00 Losing a ministry position and starting over

12:30 Working at Home Depot and confronting identity

16:00 Launching Bringing Kingdom

21:30 The Father Eclipse and understanding father wounds

28:00 Helping men discover their identity

31:30 Financial uncertainty, faith, and trusting God's provision

40:30 Is there life after ministry?

If you're navigating a leadership transition or difficult season, start a conversation with a specialist at Ministry Transitions. Learn more about Steve's ministry at Bringing Kingdom.

We would love to pray for you! Please send us your requests here.

--------

Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org.

Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Most people have small thoughts about God. In an effort to see God as our friend, we have lost his immensity. In our desire to understand him, we have sought to contain him.

The God of the Bible cannot be contained. With a word he called Adam out of dust and Eve out of a bone. He consulted no committee; he sought no counsel. He has authority over the world, and he has authority over your world. He’s never surprised. He has never, ever uttered the phrase, “How did that happen?”

God’s goodness is a major headline in the Bible. If he were only mighty, we’d salute him. But since he is merciful and mighty, we can approach him. If God is at once Father and Creator, holy—unlike us—and high above us, then we at any point are only a prayer away from help.

Read more Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Free Resource: Rule of Life for Emotionally Healthy Leaders → emotionallyhealthy.org

You were made for glorious work. But you were also made to stop.

Most of us know how to produce, build, plan, and push through. What we struggle with is the hidden life. The stopping. The surrendering. The trusting when no one can see it.

In this episode, Pete Scazzero explores one of the most countercultural truths in Scripture: you are not God. And that is the best news you'll hear all week.

Drawing from Genesis, the life of Jesus, and two ancient disciplines (Sabbath and the Daily Office), Pete unpacks why our refusal to stop is rooted in the same rebellion as the garden. And why living in God's rhythms isn't weakness. It's the path to freedom, fruitfulness, and true maturity.

If your calendar is driven by fear, your ministry by insecurity, or your pace by the crowd's demands, this episode is for you.

Stop. Listen. Be free.

Learn more about the EH Global Leader Conference 2026: emotionallyhealthy.org/conference

“He has a sugar face!” our vet exclaimed as she gave our young dog his annual checkup. “A sugar face?” I asked. “It’s a term used for retrievers whose faces turn prematurely white,” she replied, smiling. “It’s just a sign of the sweetness inside.”

Reflecting on that moment later, I thought about what shows up on my face when others meet me. Do they catch a glimpse of “the sweetness inside,” the transforming power of Jesus’ love in my heart and life? The Bible tells of the breathtaking moments when Moses came down from Mount Sinai after spending days in God’s presence. Moses “was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord,” so radiant that the people “were afraid to come near him” (Exodus 34:29-30). To avoid frightening them further, Moses “put a veil over his face” and removed it when “he went in to speak with the Lord” (vv. 33, 35).

Moses was of course literally speaking with God “face to face” (33:11), a unique moment in the Bible. But Scripture also reminds us that we who know God through Christ “are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). His presence within us can be winsome to others—a work of God’s love. Our faces may not shine like Moses’ did, but as we spend time in God’s presence, He’ll become increasingly evident in us.

Send us Fan Mail

From hiring decisions and culture fit to team meetings, accountability, and leadership communication, this episode explores the challenges leaders face every day and offers practical guidance for building healthier, more effective teams. 

This summer, we're replaying some of the most useful episodes from the StoryBrand Podcast — episodes that can help you clarify your message so your marketing can actually drive sales.

Today's replay is about cognitive load. The idea is simple: It basically means if your marketing makes people think too hard, they don't buy. This episode dives into the science behind why that is. You'll learn how high cognitive load messaging is hurting your business, and how to make your message easier to understand, remember, and act on.

Donald Miller breaks down the concept of "cognitive load" and how it silently kills marketing efforts. You'll learn how to simplify your messaging, why "putting the cookies on the lower shelf" works, and how a billion-dollar company shifted gears by making its value proposition crystal clear. Whether you're running a political campaign, pitching investors, or just trying to sell more sweaters, this episode shows you how to make your message lighter, clearer, and more effective without dumbing it down.

Ready to clarify your message and grow your business?

Attend StoryBrand Your Business LIVE to learn how to explain what you do in a way customers instantly understand:
https://storybrand.com/live/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=sbyourbusiness&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_workshop 

Visit StoryBrand.com for business training, messaging tools, and resources to help you grow:
https://storybrand.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=storybrand&utm_term=sbpod&utm_content=SB_home 

Follow on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/storybrand

Connect on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/storybrand

Figure out your business's next steps in a free consult call with an EntreLeadership® team member: https://ter.li/cjk4u0

If your team doesn’t understand how the business makes money, they’ll never feel connected to the mission. 

In this episode, you’ll learn how to introduce profit sharing the right way, communicate financial performance without creating confusion or entitlement, and build a culture where everybody wins together.

Next Steps:

·      Enter the EntreLeadership® Small-Business Sweepstakes for a chance to win $4,500 to host a company retreat for your team: https://ter.li/entreleadershipsweepstakes

·      Create a profit-sharing plan with tips from this article: https://ter.li/cpivjm

·      Have a question for the show? Call 844-944-1070 or send us a message: https://ter.li/ask-us

·      ✉️ Become a better leader in six minutes a week. Get tactical tips sent to your inbox every Friday: https://ter.li/enl

·      Don’t wing it. Get a coach that helps you lead and grow with confidence: https://ter.li/eqlowqqk

·      Attend EntreLeadership Summit: https://ter.li/summit-leadership

·      Attend EntreLeadership Master Series: https://ter.li/masterseries-conference

·      Order Dave’s book, Build a Business You Love: https://ter.li/b4kru2

Connect With Our Sponsors:

·      Go to Belay Solutions or text ENTRE to 55123 for their free resource! Plus, in celebration of America's 250th anniversary, get started with BELAY for just $250 (regularly $995) through July 17.

·       Go to Christian Healthcare Ministries and use code ENTRE for a 50% credit toward your first month of membership.

·      Visit NetSuite today to learn more.

Listen to More From Ramsey Network:

️ The Ramsey Show

The Ramsey Show Highlights

The Dr. John Delony Show

Smart Money Happy Hour

George Kamel

Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send Us Your Prayer Requests

--------

Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org.

Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

When my eldest daughter was 13, she flubbed her piano piece at a recital. The silence in the auditorium was broken only by the pounding of her parents’ hearts. She hurried off the stage, threw her arms around me and buried her face in my shirt. “Oh, Daddy.” That was enough for me. At that moment I’d have given her the moon, and all she said was, “Oh, Daddy.”

Prayer starts here. Prayer begins with an honest, heartfelt, “Oh Daddy!” Jesus invites us to approach God the way a child approaches his or her daddy.

Here’s my challenge for you: every day for four weeks, pray four minutes. Then get ready to connect with God like never before.

Read more Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.