Curious Living

It certainly feels good to help others in need. We donate food, money, and even time to help those who are less fortunate than ourselves. And, oftentimes we assume that we have done what's best for them. But was it the best for them? Or, was it something that made us feel good in the moment? This is a tough question to ponder and our guest on this episode shares some incredible insights and wisdom to help us tackle it.

Guest Info

Kevin Ward is the Director of Youth, Young Adults, and Missions at Williamson's Chapel UMC in Mooresville, NC. He is married to Amy Ward and has two children, Anna and James. Service and mission is not only important to Kevin but to his whole family. Kevin has worked in the United Methodist Church full-time or part-time for 27 years. Throughout the last 27 years, connecting folks to healthy missions has been a passion of Kevins. Having led or participated in over 40 week-long mission trips, Kevin has seen missions done in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Reflecting on how mission trips and work have impacted both those serving and those being served has helped Kevin develop a healthier model of mission and service work. Kevin believes that being involved in mission and service is something that every Christian is called to do on an ongoing basis. Mission and service should move beyond charity and into something woven to our faith's fabric. It may get messy, but in the mess is where we most often find Jesus. Some suggested reading on the subject: "From Relief to Empowerment" by Laceye Warner and Gaston Warner "When Helping Hurts" by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert "Toxic Charity" by Robert Lupton "Get off Your Donkey!" By Reggie McNeal

Is it acceptable to question God or Christianity if you call yourself a Christian? Does doubt mean you're not truly a Christian? Should faith be so unwavering that questioning is off-limits?

These were questions I wrestled with in my youth, and I believe that misconception still lingers today. In this episode, our guest will help us explore the beauty of curiosity and how asking questions can deepen our faith.

Guest Info

Mandy Pallock passionately believes that lives will change as people engage with God's Word. She is happily married to the man of her dreams, Peter, and they are raising three children together in South Texas. She's a writer, speaker, and podcaster at presentlyengaged.com.

Mandy is a co-creator of Life Purpose Planning, a tool to help high schoolers and young adults understand and live out their God-given life purposes. She knows that discovering our purpose starts with asking a good question.

Mandy has over 20 years of professional experience in print and digital communication in the non-profit sphere. She has written for and supported Bible Study Fellowship, Splendeur Magazine, Character Training Institute (now Strata Leadership), and more. And she's cheering for you as you live out your God-given life purpose!

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mandy_pallock/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/presentlyengaged Presently Engaged Podcast

We all love TV or movies in some way, shape, or form. Entertainment is a form of enjoyment for most of us. I believe we'd all agree, however, that a movie or TV show today looks vastly different than it did just 20 or 30 years ago. Our guest on this episode produces wonderful and educational Christian films and even worked in Hollywood for a time. His insight is invaluable and he provides us with great things to consider as we mull over our curious question.

Guest Info

Craig Dehut is a seasoned freelance video producer with over fifteen years of experience. In 2015, he co-founded Appian Media alongside his business partner, Stuart Peck, driven by a shared concern for the lack of engaging biblical media for young people. Their vision was to bridge the gap between the youth and Bible study through professionally produced, accurate, and free content. Appian Media has since produced multiple award-winning series, podcasts, workbooks, and children's videos, reaching millions worldwide.

Links

www.appianmedia.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIwxpYkgLhE&t=3s https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdehut/ https://www.instagram.com/appianmedia/ https://www.facebook.com/appianmedia

This episode is intentionally released just before election day. We know that voting season can sometimes bring out the worst in even the kindest and most loving individuals. In quieter moments, it's easy to love and accept others. However, when those around us express beliefs and feelings that differ greatly from our own—especially when they openly voice those differences—it can be challenging to maintain that "loving feeling."

How do we navigate the complexities of loving others in a time of such diverse opinions? Our guest is here to help us explore this topic, offering valuable insights and practical tools for fostering understanding and compassion.

Guest Info

Kim Gilson was born to be a teacher. As far back as she can remember, she played school in her room, teaching dolls and stuffed animals from a chalkboard, and holding parent/teacher conferences with those who struggled. As she grew older, the stuffed animals became real students, to whom she taught band and then math. As her career in public education blossomed, Kim learned her passion was teaching adults, making difficult topics easier to understand and enjoying laughter in the process. The sudden loss of her husband, Paul, to a blood clot in 2014 sent her on a personal journey of grief and a battle to reclaim joy in her life for her and her sons. Wanting to share her zeal for life with others, she became a certified Zig Ziglar trainer, speaker, and coach. After retiring from public education in 2022, she felt a calling to utilize her teaching and speaking skills to revitalize the hearts, minds, and dreams of people, activating them towards fulfilling their God-given purpose.

https://excellivate.com/

This is an uncomfortable topic - especially for clergy and others who serve the church. We understand anger toward the church. We get it. But how do we help those who are angry at the church and angry at those within the church keep their faith strong? It's hard ... especially in today's divisive world. Our guests today have some amazing insights to share and they do a great job exploring this curious question!

Guest Info

Pastors Wes and Toni Ruth Smith are the lead pastors of Williamson's Chapel United Methodist Church in Mooresville, North Carolina. They have been serving the church for over 20 years and bring with them incredible wisdom and love for God and for the church. Their daughter attends Appalachian State University and their son is a junior in high school.

Links from this episode:

Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown

** This episode addresses more adult concepts and may not be suitable for a younger audience. Addiction is more prevalent in our society than we may realize. And, addiction is not limited to certain demographics - it touches them all. When we are in a relationship (any type of relationship) with someone who is struggling with addiction we may wonder if we will perpetually be the person picking our loved one up, getting them out of trouble, or being devasted by their actions. We wonder, "Will they ever heal and recover from this?" Our guest on this episode is a recovering addict and shares his experience with us. It's powerful. He donates his time and energy helping other men who struggle with addiction. This episode is full of hope if you find yourself in a relationship with an addict. Guest Info:

Logan is a born & raised Alaskan, married to his gorgeous bride Carrie, who herself is a 4th-generation Alaskan; and together they are raising 4 amazing but crazy little monkeys. Their life is a simple one - they love their family time, their dogs, and exploring the beautiful Alaskan wilderness. And yet, absolutely none of this should be possible today. For years, Logan did just about everything in his power to destroy his marriage and his life. Logan was a raging sex addict. Porn, affairs, hiring prostitutes, and more had simply become a way of life for Logan. He thought he had no hope. In 2016, God began to change all that. Through Recovery, God transformed Logan's life and his marriage. Logan and his wife Carrie each now lead Recovery groups, doing what they can to give back by sharing the gifts that God has given.

Logan's Website

Logan's Instagram

Many parents have pondered this question. And, especially in today's financial climate, full-time working parents is becoming more of the norm. Yet there are increasing demands for our kids - the sports they participate in and the other extracurricular activities. Not to mention trying to help our children develop a deep faith and grow within a faith community. How does a working parent manage all of this? Anna has a lot of wisdom to share with us on this subject.

Guest info:

Anna McLaughlin is a homeschooling mother of four, life coach, podcaster and investor. Over a decade ago, Anna left her demanding career as a corporate lawyer to be more present with her family. She became a reluctant entrepreneur a year later as she realized the kingdom impact of building something to serve others while helping her family financially. Combining her strategic bent as a former lawyer with her insights as a coach as well as her Holy-Spirit-led intuition, Anna encourages women of faith to uncover and own their unique God-given identity in all areas of their lives, so that they might serve with purpose and passion both at home and beyond. You can find her at sheconsidersafield.com or on her podcast, She Considers a Field. Overwhelmed to Overcomer guide: https://sheconsidersafield.com/overwhelmed-to-overcomer-optin-via-flodesk/ The John Mark Comer book she mentioned: https://amzn.to/3UIlORY

No one likes to be uncomfortable (if you do, I'd love to interview you for my next episode!). Many of us may even go to great lengths to avoid discomfort. But what if discomfort is how we grow, how we transform? What if we are missing out on great things when we avoid the hard things?

Guest Info

Erik Allen, raised in a broken home, battled addictions, jailed at 18, and became bankrupt at 21 only to turn everything around. Gave his life to Jesus at 24 and is now 19+ years sober, has a beautiful wife, and two kids, and is breaking the chains of divorce, abuse, addiction, and rejection. He is the host of The Erik Allen Show, and John Maxwell Certified Coach, helping men of faith feel confident in sharing their redemption stories & realizing our past and other people's opinions of us don't define our future.

http://erikallenmedia.com/

Our world has so many great tools and resources for those who are married. In many ways, our culture is geared toward married couples much more than toward single adults. And, in today's digital age, the dating scene has become one of skepticism, unrealistic expectations, and disappointment . . . especially for Christian singles seeking likeminded partners. Our guest on today's show encountered this while she was single and felt God's call to do something about it. This episode is eye opening and provides a great deal of hope for Christian singles seeking their life-long mate.

Guest Info

Michelle Apples is the visionary founder of The Christian Singles Hub, a pioneering platform uniting Christian singles globally. Born from her passion for fostering meaningful connections within the Christian community, the Hub provides resources, events, and networking opportunities tailored to singles' unique needs. Michelle's leadership and commitment to empowering singles reflect her belief in the transformative power of faith and community, making her a respected mentor and advocate in the Christian dating sphere. Her beautiful journey of overcoming trauma, obstacles, and limitations to pioneer new endeavours and develop leaders is an inspiration to women and aspiring dreamers everywhere. Also here is the link to my website: https://thechristiansingleshub.com/

How does God interact with us? How would God like us to see and perceive Him? What type of relationship would God want to have with us? How do WE want/need to connect with God? Great questions that many followers of Jesus ask as they work toward deepening their faith. At times, we struggle to answer this question because we were brought up believing that God is beyond us and out of reach so having a "relationship" with God sounds strange. Others of us are simply trying to determine God's will in our lives and how that ties into how we are choosing to lean in and deepen our relationship with God. Either way, it's a great question that is explored in this episode with someone who has explored that question for himself and leaned into it so deeply that he has committed his life to helping others answer this question for themselves.

Guest Info

Shawn Paul has been a devoted believer in Christ Jesus for over 30 years. He is known as an encourager of people and his passion lies in inspiring individuals to run their race in Jesus. He is the founder of LifeisJesusChrist.com, a website where he encourages people through podcasts, videos, and blog posts.

He offers a diverse range of experiences to share, from being a Christian business owner to serving as a full-time missionary in the mission field. Today, he impacts people's lives around the world.

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