God In The Ordinary

Is it true that we can share the good news of Jesus no matter what kind of job we do?  Today’s guest proves there are always ways to reveal God in our everyday.  Joe Altebaumer is a financial advisor, husband, father of adult twins, and volunteer.  Joe conducts his business day in the same way he conducts his private life – he is open about his faith in God and takes every opportunity offered to him to speak about the gospel.  We learn the simple, yet significant ways Joe tells the truth of Jesus with his clients.  Do you recognise how important it is for men to be committed to following Jesus?  Joe shares with us why it’s vital for men to be fully submitted to God; bears witness to the huge difference his faith has made not only in himself but also in the life of his family; and shares stories of how much change he's witnessed in people who have been in great need.  Joe also talks about his involvement in a men’s ministry that has seen many put a stake in the ground with regards to their Christian faith, how the lives of individuals have been changed, and then how the lives of whole families follow.  Join us as we chat with Joe and learn new ways to bring faith into our everyday lives.

Presented by Sharon Tedford.  Produced by Gary Dell.  Find out more about us at www.anchor.fm/god-in-the-ordinary and www.61-things.com/gito

Living in a new culture can sometimes make us want to hide away from all the differences we experience.  Our guest for this edition chose to allow God to use her when she and her family moved to another country.  She tells of the practical steps she took as she allowed God to reveal Himself through her to her new neighbours.  This episode will encourage you to look for God in every area of your life as Sadie Chamberlain tells how the Lord has used her varied skills for His glory.  Sadie tells of how her professional dance career impacted her own walk with God; and how losing her mum to mental illness taught her how to find God’s peace in the most difficult of circumstances.  Sadie’s determination to stick close to Jesus despite her changing circumstances is inspiring, and her practical steps to evangelism will give you plenty to think about.

Presented by Sharon Tedford.  Produced by Gary Dell.  Find out more about us at www.anchor.fm/god-in-the-ordinary and www.61-things.com/gito

Although God may have made it possible, have you ever found your dream job isn't what He had in mind for you all-along - but that He equipped you through that for His service later on?  That's the story of our guest in this edition.  Jen Swallow gained an unusual university degree that enabled her to train animals for the movies!  Now, as the parent of a son with special needs, she uses that experience to help other parents of similar children.  Jen talks with us about her childhood journey from England to the USA - and back again; how living in California enabled her to study for her dream job in the film industry; how her USA qualifications helped her work on Disney movies filmed in the UK; and about the reality of working as a believer in the film industry.  She shares openly about her journey as the mum of a child with special needs; where she finds God in all of that; and how He enabled her to start special needs provision at the church she now works at.  As someone gifted with the voice of an angel, Jen shares about her love of worship music and how worship enables her to get closer to God.  If you have the same heart as Jen, you'll love listening to this episode - her enthusiasm for God's love and care for us, and for life as a believer is infectious!

Presented by Sharon Tedford.  Produced by Gary Dell.  Find out more about us at www.anchor.fm/god-in-the-ordinary and www.61-things.com/gito

Happy birthday to us!  How have we reached our ONE YEAR mark already?!  God In The Ordinary is one year old and we’re celebrating by sharing inspiring and insightful clips from lots of episodes over the past year.  We’ve had excellent guests from all areas of life so it was a hard job to choose some of the best bits; but we know that what we’ve put together will really encourage you.  Our guests all have something important to say about how we live our lives, being transparent in how we share the truth of Jesus with others.  One of our favourite things about this episode is that we got to record it together in the same room.  Sharon lives in Dallas but was on a visit to England so there were rare sightings of Sharon and Gary together!  You’ll hear from host Sharon Tedford and co-producer Gary Dell as they share their thoughts on the last year.  Don’t miss this episode, and make sure you catch up on past shows as you celebrate our one-year anniversary with us.  THANK YOU for joining us on this great podcast adventure.  We certainly do appreciate you!

Presented by Sharon Tedford.  Produced by Gary Dell.  Find out more about us at www.anchor.fm/god-in-the-ordinary and www.61-things.com/gito

Have you ever wondered if you have the skills to serve God?  Do you think that should be left to the 'professionals'?  Is it time for you to join in with the Jesus’ great mission and share the good news of the gospel?  Our guest is passionate about enabling Christians to share the good news.  In fact, he’s keen that we see it as “great news”!  Dennis Pethers is the founder and ministry leader of The Rooftop, a global organisation that exists to encourage Christians to share their faith in every area of their lives, beyond the walls of their church buildings.  Dennis shares how he met Jesus on a train – an interaction that changed his life forever; how he believes prayer should be central and foundational to every activity carried out by people of the Church; is keen that we understand the difference between church as a building, and Church as the family of God; and helps us understand that God is already on the move, and our role is to join Him where He is working – to see where the Kingdom is in our towns, cities, work-places, schools, and homes.  God has a plan, and He invites us to unite with Him, and each other, in it.  This inspirational episode will boost your faith and provide a specific way you and your church can join The Rooftop for an exciting initiative in October 2022.

Presented by Sharon Tedford.  Produced by Gary Dell.  Find out more about us at www.anchor.fm/god-in-the-ordinary and www.61-things.com/gito

Have you ever found yourself so busy that life just feels out of control?  What if you had to lay down some of your responsibilities to find a bit of sanity again?  Could you do it?  Our guest for this edition is a well-known, and much-loved leader in the world of Christian authors, speakers, and podcasters.  Thomas Umstattd Jr. is a great teacher and enthusiastic advocate for those working in and through Christian media.  His professional skills range from website building, to training podcasters, to educating authors about the craft of writing.  Thomas found himself overwhelmed by the many facets of his career.  On the day he simply he couldn’t get out of bed, he realized things needed to change.  Thomas shares how he’s now modified much of his professional and personal time – all with excellent outcomes; helps us find how we can share God in the ordinary rhythms of our lives, whether that’s as a business leader, a website builder, a parent or the friend of someone who may be needing support through a difficult time.  Not only is Thomas a keen teacher, but he’s also an enthusiastic and engaged husband and father.  I was so encouraged by my chat with Thomas.  We know you will be, too.

Presented by Sharon Tedford.  Produced by Gary Dell.  Find out more about us at www.anchor.fm/god-in-the-ordinary and www.61-things.com/gito

Have you ever been desperately trying to hold on to everything whilst at the same time feeling utterly swamped?  Have you ever felt so overwhelmed in your parenting that you didn’t know where to turn or what to do next?  Do you ever wonder if God really is with you in every moment of your day?  Our guest for this edition is Tina Smith, founder of Raising Kids on Your Knees.  Tina tells of some great tips on how to reveal God to your children no matter what your family dynamic looks like; how she inspires others to use prayer as a fundamental and central key to raising kids to know and love Jesus; helps us see how prayer can fit beautifully within our ordinary days; and gives some excellent advice on how to keep the Word of God in our hearts and minds throughout the day.  If you’re not raising kids at the moment, you’ll still want to listen in. Tina’s passion for Spiritual warfare is clear and she offers us strategies on how we can all include it during our daily rhythms.  Tina’s story of brokenness to being fully rebuilt in Christ, will encourage you.  Her joy is tangible and we're sure you’ll feel refreshed and revitalized by our conversation as we talk about unconditional obedience, and intentional focus on Jesus.

Presented by Sharon Tedford.  Produced by Gary Dell.  Find out more about us at www.anchor.fm/god-in-the-ordinary and www.61-things.com/gito

Have you ever been so involved in a beloved hobby that it starts to steal time from your family and threatens to take a front seat in your faith?  Have you ever allowed God to intervene in your business life and specifically asked for His advice when you got stuck?  And how does your faith in Jesus impact your marriage?  Does a Christian marriage look different from non-Christian marriages?  Join us today to hear answers to these varied and important questions as I chat with Terry Thomas, also known as - my Dad!  Terry tells us how he spent his early years in another country, and how his time there introduced him to a lifelong love of spearfishing; how his hobby became larger than life, and how he needed to put it in its proper place after he became a Christian; shares how he became a Believer as an adult and how his faith impacted his whole life, including his career and home; and shares how his perspective shifted and how he involved God in every ordinary rhythm of his day.  Sharon's parents have been married for over 50 years, and in this episode my Dad shares some simple yet profound truths about how to have a good Christian marriage.  He sets out two clear steps sure to help you have a successful marriage founded on Jesus, too. 

Presented by Sharon Tedford.  Produced by Gary Dell.  Find out more about us at www.anchor.fm/god-in-the-ordinary and www.61-things.com/gito

Do you find it difficult to express your Christian faith in a business setting?  Are you struggling to stay on mission as you serve your customers?  Today we meet Becca Spradlin of On Mission.  Becca talks with us about how she consults with non-profits and businesses, helping them understand that through their work they have the opportunity to advance the Kingdom of God.  She’s passionate about seeing God’s glory shared globally.  We talk about how we can all be agents of reconciliation regardless of our sphere of work; how we can help alleviate poverty that occurs in more ways than just physical; and we learn why it’s important to guard against ‘mission drift’.  You’ll be inspired as Becca reminds us again that God uses ordinary people who love Jesus, to share the gospel in all kinds of situations; tells us how abiding in Christ leads to great wisdom, and how she uses that truth as a businesswoman and at home; how she’s teaching evangelism skills to her young daughters with a simple tool; and how something as simple as a book, led to a surprisingly impactful conversation at a bus stop!  So please join us as we discuss some wide-ranging topics - you’ll be sure to leave with a tool or two tucked in your belt!

Presented by Sharon Tedford.  Produced by Gary Dell.  Find out more about us at www.anchor.fm/god-in-the-ordinary and www.61-things.com/gito

Do you ever feel like your support role is unimportant?  Perhaps you think what you do behind the scenes is wasted, and has no real impact on the Kingdom of God?  Is the negative direction of the media industry generally discouraging?  This episode brings together a delightful set of delegates from the National Religious Broadcasters convention - the NRB - held in Grapevine, Texas, in June 2021.  The short interviews with them reveal how they’re using their skills in partnership with others to bring the Good News of Jesus to the world.  Spark Media Podcast Conference director, Misty Phillip; podcast mentor, Dave Jackson; NRB press secretary, Elizabeth Bristow; and others, tell about their passion for using media and business to spread the Gospel.  Presenter/host, Sharon Tedford, also tells us how this all fits in with the message of Isaiah 61.  You’ll be reassured that there's still great hope for the media industry as our guests express how they’re continuing to stand strong on the Truth of Jesus.  Regardless of whether you work in the media industry or not, this week’s edition will be sure to inspire you to continue finding ways to reveal God in your everyday.  And please stick around until the end of the episode for some very exciting news!

Presented by Sharon Tedford.  Produced by Gary Dell.  Find out more about us at www.anchor.fm/god-in-the-ordinary and www.61-things.com/gito