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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.

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Pride and shame. You’d never know they’re sisters. They appear so different. Pride puffs out her chest. Shame hangs her head. Pride boasts. Shame hides. Pride seeks to be seen. Shame seeks to be avoided.

But don’t be fooled, the emotions have the same parentage. And the emotions have the same impact. They keep you from your Father. Pride says, “You’re too good for him.” Shame says, “You’re too bad for him. Pride drives you away, shame keeps you away.

If pride is what goes before a fall, then shame is what keeps you from getting up after one. God, the sinless and selfless Father, loves us in our pride and shame. 2 Corinthians 5:19 (NKJV) says, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.”

Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

With branches of scraggly leaves growing upward like hands raised to the heavens, the unique trees we saw while hiking Joshua Tree National Park in California intrigued us. Many believe the trees were dubbed “Joshua Trees” by pioneers, who were reminded by the trees of an Old Testament story where Joshua lifted high a javelin as a sign of God’s presence and help.

After entering Canaan, the Israelites needed God’s help in battle. After being defeated at the city of Ai due to their sin (Joshua 7:11–12), the Israelites were likely afraid to fight the city again. But God encouraged Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (8:1). Then God told Joshua to “hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand, for into your hand I will deliver the city” (v. 18). Joshua obeyed God and “did not draw back the hand that held out his javelin” until the battle was won (v. 26). It wasn’t the javelin in Joshua’s outstretched hand that secured the victory. Instead, it was a symbol of God’s promise to help them and be with them.

Reminders of God’s presence with us can be helpful when we face difficult challenges. A Bible verse displayed in our homes, a stunning picture of God’s creation, a cross necklace: these things don’t provide assistance, but God can use them to remind us of His promised presence and power.

Fostering lasting impact by aligning with God’s purposes.

When our prayer life, character, and daily decisions flow with God’s heart, multiplication becomes a natural overflow instead of a forced result. When leaders pray with alignment, lead with integrity, and invest in others, their ministries reproduce fruit that lasts.

Dr. Peggy Banks serves as the Vice President of Global Field Operations for International Christian Concern. With over 25 years in ministry leadership and trauma counseling, she equips global leaders to serve the persecuted church with character, prayer, and purpose, multiplying Christ-centered ministries that bring hope and transformation around the world. Learn more at persecution.org. Contact Peggy at [email protected].

Dr. Peggy Banks will lead a workshop entitled “Pray. Lead. Multiply.” at The Outcomes Conference 2026 in Dallas, April 28 – 30. Learn More and Register >>

What happens when unforgiveness quietly shapes your workplace culture?

In this episode of Called to Flourish, Tara VanderSande, Senior Engagement and Talent Consultant at Best Christian Workplaces, explores why forgiveness is not just a personal spiritual practice—but a leadership discipline that directly impacts trust, innovation, and organizational health. Drawing from engagement survey data, Scripture, and real-world leadership experience, Tara explains how unresolved offenses create fear, secrecy, and disengagement within teams. This conversation offers practical and spiritual guidance for leaders who want to build cultures marked by humility, accountability, and freedom.

You'll gain insight on:

• How unforgiveness affects trust and collaboration

• The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation

• How leaders balance grace with accountability

• Practical rhythms for building awareness and addressing offense

Subscribe to Called to Flourish and share this conversation with a fellow leader. Access full show notes, resources, and transcript at: https://workplaces.org/podcast/forgiveness-in-the-workplace-how-leaders-build-trust-heal-culture-and-strengthen-teams

In this episode, I sit down with Bethaney Wilkinson to talk about the pressure so many of us feel to move faster, do more, and carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Bethaney shares her own story of burnout and how that crisis forced her to rethink the pace of her life, the way she pursued justice, and what it means to live faithfully in a chaotic world. We explore why constantly staring at the problems of the world can slowly deform our souls, how beauty and attention can help reorient us toward love, and why slowing down and tending to our inner lives might actually be one of the most important ways we can become a healing presence in the world.

Bethaney B. Wilkinson (MA, Fuller Theological Seminary) is a writer, spiritual director, podcaster, and facilitator who is passionate about slow, sustainable, and soul-nourishing living. She has led conversations on spirituality, race, and social change at Google and the Chick-fil-A Foundation, and her work has been featured on Getaway House, The Plywood podcast, and Pantsuit Politics. Bethaney is the author of The Diversity Gap and lives in rural Georgia.

Bethaney's Book:

A More Beautiful Way to Live

Bethaney's Recommendations:

Against the Machine

Pride and Prejudice

Connect with Joshua: [email protected]

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If marketing feels overwhelming, you’re not alone.

In this episode, you’ll learn simple, practical marketing techniques for small businesses—how to get the word out, stay consistent, and grow through low-cost, high-trust strategies.

Next Steps:

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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!

Visit www.joniradio.org for more inspiration and encouragement!

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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.

It would have been nice if God had let us order life like we order a meal. I’ll take good health and a high IQ. I’ll pass on the music skills, but give me a fast metabolism. Would’ve been nice, but it didn’t happen.

When it came to your life on earth, you weren’t given a voice or a vote. But when it comes to life after death, you were. In my book that seems like a good deal, wouldn’t you agree? Have we been given any greater privilege than that of choice?

You’ve made some bad choices in life, haven’t you? You’ve chosen the wrong friends, maybe the wrong career, even the wrong spouse. You look back and say, “If only. If only I could make up for those bad choices.” Well… you can. One good choice for eternity offsets a thousand bad ones on earth. The choice is yours.

Read more He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.