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  • Behold Him | Marco Ramos

    You pray. You trust God. So why do you still feel anxious?

    Marco Ramos joins Paul Radke for an honest conversation about panic attacks, loss, and learning to recognize God’s presence in the middle of a hard season. Marco shares the ER visit that opens his book, Behold Him: Unshakable Peace When Your World Falls Apart, and why he’s willing to talk about the struggles people don’t always see.

    50 min
  • More Than I Do | Woody Hingle

    Paul chats with Pastor Woody Hingle (Lighthouse For Christ Church) about marriage, parenting and pastoring. How can you balance it all? Find out on the LifeSongs Podcast as we continue to celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month!

    Pastor Hingle is pastor at Lighthouse For Christ Church in Lakeview. They are in the middle of a six-week marriage course that meets every Friday night, based on the Timothy Keller book The Meaning of Marriage. The course is free and everyone is invited!

    Churches – connect with LifeSongs. Learn more HERE!

    *Transcript provided by Google Gemini

    LifeSongs Podcast Transcript

    Speakers: Paul (Host) & Pastor Woody Hingle
    Topic: Marriage, Ministry, and Relationships
    —
    [00:00 – Introduction Clip]
    Pastor Woody Hingle: There are times when couples may love each other, but they don’t particularly like each other. Sometimes couples don’t even go through conflict, they just kind of go on almost like they’re two ships passing in the night. It’s like the family becomes a small business, you know? You pay your bills, meet your priorities, get the kids to school, you get dressed and get bathed, and you go to church and do all these things, but you’re not really meeting each other emotionally. And that’s why it’s important. That way you can—you can hear each other, and you can share what’s going on in each other’s lives.
    —
    [00:34]
    Paul: I’m joined today with Pastor Woody Hingle. He’s with A Lighthouse for Christ Church in Lakeview, New Orleans. Pastor Woody, thank you so much for taking the time to join me today.
    Pastor Woody Hingle: Thank you for having me, it’s an honor to be here.
    Paul: I was going through your website and saw your bio, and at the end of your bio, it has with a big exclamation point: “I love pastoring!” And I just had to ask you, what is it about pastoring that you love so much?
    Pastor Woody Hingle: Well, I love—I love the two parts of ministry, which are: I love God’s Word, and I love seeing how it applies in people’s lives. And so I love people. And being a pastor, it’s—it’s extremely relevant to every issue in life, going from birth to grave.
    And as a pastor, I have the—the honor, really, of being a part of that, and kind of seeing behind the veil of people’s lives and—and—and get to know the real person. And whether it’s in the hospital or with counseling them on something, and—and being able to apply God’s Word to it and see the relevance of that, it’s a real joy to see that.
    And so it’s—I remember the—yeah, I remember the first year I was a pastor, there was an elderly woman who would hand me my paycheck every other week. And I remember there were a number of times I’d say—she’s handing me something and I’m like, “What is this? What are you handing me?” And she’s like, “Uh, your paycheck.” I’m like, “Oh, I try to get paid for this!” You know, so it was like, kind of a surprise that I was enjoying it so much that—that it didn’t dawn on me really that I was being paid for this for a while. But it was—so it’s a—it’s a joy to be able to do that.
    And I love history, and the Bible is, you know, about real people in real history and God’s interaction with them. And just kind of seeing that, you know, the—the history of the time, you can read about Tacitus and—and Roman histories and Josephus and so on, and see a lot of these things overlap.
    Paul: That’s so interesting. I love that sort of thing, too. Something you just said really, you know, resonated with me is that you like to see behind the veil. And we live in a culture that is very much so—you know, we like to put on a good front, and we have, you know, our social media presence and—and we like to present ourselves as—as being put together and all of this. What tool do you use to get past that facade with people? How—how do you connect with them in a—in a way that they allow you in?
    Pastor Woody Hingle: Well, it takes time. I think as a pastor, it takes less time probably than just a parishioner or someone in the pews, and—and that’s part of the, you know, the privilege of being a pastor is, you know, you’re—you’re immediately kind of in a position that they can trust. But also it takes time just when they get to know you.
    I’ve been at the particular church where I am right now since 1999, so, you know, I’ve had over 25 years with them. So they kind of—they know me, warts and all, you know? They know the good things and the not-so-good things, you know, and then, you know, but they—they love me, and they know that I love them. And so that’s kind of—I—I believe in the idea of a longer pastorate.
    You know, I’m from the United Methodist Methodist background where you stay for about three years, three to four years, and then you move on, and the bishop moves you. We left the United Methodist Church about four years ago, so we’re an independent church now. I’m ordained in the Global Methodist Church. But, you know, so I have the privilege of being able to stay here continually through this time. So you get that trust. You get to know people, and visiting them in difficult times and—and in joyous times, and sometimes of celebration.
    And so all of that allows for the—knowing people through the years. I’ve known them now for over two decades, and many of the people, and a lot of new people. And so that’s been part of the privilege of being a pastor.
    Paul: Yeah, you get to really connect with people. You know, the longer you know each other and the more that relationship develops, you get to connect with people in a deeper way. You just—you’re in the middle of actually doing a marriage course at your church. Tell me, what were you seeing in the community that led you to do this marriage course? Was there a moment that really brought that need into focus?
    Pastor Woody Hingle: I—I wouldn’t say a specific moment. I’d just say kind of knowing human nature, you know? [Laughter] And we’ve done a marriage course before on a different book, a book by a guy named Dr. Willard Harley, His Needs, Her Needs. And—and that was very helpful for a lot of people. And I had heard a lot about Tim Keller’s book, The Meaning of Marriage.
    And I—I knew that at some point I’m going to have to read this book and—and—and use it. And—and it’s been great because I really—it’s a book that’s—that addresses a wide variety of issues dealing with romance. It deals with single people, and single people and—or people who are not even dating, or those who are dating and thinking about marriage are quite welcome to be a part of the class, because it’s really geared toward them as well. And as well as people who are married and married for several years.
    My wife and I, Elena and I, have been married for 37 years. And it’s kind of ironic that as I’m reading Tim Keller’s book, he says that he’s been married to his wife now for 37 years. So it’s interesting that his perspective and kind of comparing what he has says in there and what I’ve been through and what my marriage has been like, and the joy and—and struggles and things where you—you learn through God’s grace to love each other and—and you grow, and you—you change.
    And, you know, so I—I see that as—as I finished the book, I thought, “Well, this is extremely relevant for all of the couples and—and people in our church who are not married.” And—and so I thought this would be very helpful. There’s a line in the book I’d like to read to you, if that’s okay.
    Paul: Yeah, that’d be great.
    Pastor Woody Hingle: And that’s—I thought it was really quite appropriate, really kind of leapt off the page. Tim Keller says that he and his wife, Kathy—he says, “My wife Kathy often says that most people, when they are looking for a spouse, are looking for a finished statue, when they should be looking for a wonderful block of marble. Not so you can create the kind of person you want, but rather because you see what kind of person Jesus is making.”
    And I think, you know, when I first got married, I wasn’t really thinking that. And I think most people don’t think that. They think, “Okay, this is the person I’m going to marry, and it’s going to be the same person for the rest of my life,” which is great. But you go through a lot of seasons in life. You go through the loss of parents and loved ones, you go through illnesses.
    And, you know, my—my wife had a—a brain aneurysm about six years ago. Unexpected, you know, for me. Her father had had that, but I didn’t think that she would. And so those type of things catch you off guard. And—and God sees you through this. So the seasons of life add layers and layers of love and grace in the relationship. And—and so we end up being different from the people when we first got married and said “I do.”
    And by—by God’s grace, it becomes something that reflects His character. I love what it says in Ephesians 5, and this book really is built on Ephesians 5, verses 21 and following, where—where it talks about marriage very explicitly. It says—but it begins with “Surrender to one another, be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.” And then it talks about the wife’s role, and a lot of people look at that role and they remember that for being under the authority of the husband. But they forget that the vast majority of the passage, which deals with the husband’s role, which is: “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.”
    And—and that is—is a key component to any type of authority in marriage or relationship between man and woman where you’re surrendering to one another out of reverence for Christ to honor Him. That’s the goal. And my goal as a husband is to make my wife, or to try to help my wife, to grow into Christlikeness. And how can I serve her in that, and lead her in that?
    Paul: Yeah, that’s awesome. I heard someone say once that when you get married, you’re not marrying the person that you know, you’re marrying someone you’ve never met before, because people change and they alter.
    How has being married, and—and maybe learning more about relationships—has that impacted your relationship with God and how you view God’s relationship with us as individuals?
    Pastor Woody Hingle: Yes. You know, and I think, you know, the longer I’ve been married, the more I see that it’s kind of God’s means of shaping me, and taking those rough edges of my personality and my priorities and—and helping to smooth them off, and—and to make it compatible, and to make it surrendered to Him, and reflective of His character.
    And—and so that’s, you know—so Elena’s been a—a tremendous blessing to me in my life, and she’s a woman who’s after God’s heart. And so she really is patient and—and loves me and helps me to see areas where I need to grow. And—and serving Him together has been a joy.
    And, you know, that helps me to also—a great advantage of when I do counsel with couples who are married and going through different struggles, to be able to relate to what they’re going through. And we live in such a culture that I think that our culture is in love with love, but it’s not necessarily God’s love. It’s—it’s a love of what you can do for me and please me and make me happy and meet all my needs.
    And no one can do that. It’s really the Lord. And so that takes a lot of pressure off in my marriage that, you know, when I—I love my wife, and I care for her and talk to her, and we make priorities and we make plans for things, you know, it’s out of surrender to Christ first. And wanting to please Him, and therefore I know how—and more appropriately, how to be there for my wife and—and to care for her and to seek out her best.
    And I’ve noticed that a lot in my studies and New Testament, and—and also in preaching, is that that analogy of marriage is an analogy that closely resembles our relationship with Christ. And it’s a commitment, it’s till death do we part, and you’re selflessly loving one another, and you don’t know what’s going to happen, just like you said. You don’t know what will happen to that person over the—the decades that you’re together, or years you’re together. And—and but God will give you the strength for that.
    Paul: Yeah, and it really does… You know, I’m married seven years now, almost eight. And, you know, starting out, I definitely struggled with—because I’m an ambitious person, we were pastoring at the time, and, you know, I was ready to go full steam ahead and—and accomplish great things. And it took me a while to realize—probably too long—that I needed to slow down, because in my charge to accomplish all of these great things for God, I was leaving my family and my wife in the dust, and—and putting a lot of pressure that was undue into that situation.
    And that situation really taught me about God’s love for us in a way that I wouldn’t have understood without having gone through that situation. Because it showed me a God that is patient and kind and is willing to bear with people through things that He doesn’t agree with and things that He wishes were different, or would want to be different. But He loves us to such a degree that, you know, as it says in Scripture, “while we were enemies of God, He still died for us.” And I—I love that marriage gets to be a picture of that for people, or should be a picture of that for people.
    And, you know, being in ministry—being married is its own challenge. Being in ministry and being married is a whole other level of challenge, I feel like.
    Pastor Woody Hingle: It kind of makes you appreciate when the Catholic Church has priests who are celibate! Well, I—I pity them for that, you know, and—but I can see that, oh, that it can be all-consuming. And you do, you have to make—you have to be intentional, because it—it’s a joy to be in the ministry. And it’s a joy to be there. And sometimes people are applauding you, and you do it because you want the applause, you know? It feels good, you know, you’re doing things well, sermons are going well, people like you.
    And—and it’s easy that the family can be put on the—on the shelf a little bit. And—and one thing my—my wife and I try to do is have a date every week, and be very intentional about that. And it’s not a double date with other couples. You know, when we go on vacation, it’s—it’s, you know, it’s with the family, and—or it’d be she and I on the date—or on the—on the trip.
    Because I—I just want to put a hedge around that family and the marriage, because I know things can—can enter, and—and Satan, you know, can easily try to put little—little temptations in there. And it’s important to just put a hedge around the marriage, and that’s one way to do it. So we always—I mean, it may not be an expensive date, we may go to Burger King, you know, and live it up there! [Laughter] And—and that’s great, we love that.
    But it’s just something where we get out for a few hours and just talk, and get out our calendars and talk about how things are going in our lives. And—and so it’s—been good.
    Paul: Can you zoom in to that a little bit for me? What—what is it that taught you how important that is in your years of ministry?
    Pastor Woody Hingle: I remember when I was in seminary, there was a—one of my teachers—I went to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary up in the Boston area. And it was a great, great time there. And so one of the—the people, the teachers there told about the pastor of a large church there around the Gordon-Conwell area. A lot of seminary professors attended the church, so you can imagine that for the pastor, it was, you know—his large church, he was well known, well respected.
    And—and he shared that even though, you know, we all knew about the church, said, “You know, he’s going through a struggle with his son.” His teenage son’s kind of rebelling, and he really hasn’t spent much time with him. He’s just been kind of all-consuming. He gets—the pastor gets to church on Sunday mornings like at 6:30 in the morning, goes over his sermon, goes over everything, and real—very strong work ethic. But so much that he got out of balance there.
    And so he had to take some time off ministry. I don’t know if it was a sabbatical or he just took fewer hours during the week, but spend intentional time with his son. And I always thought, you know, I could see the danger in that, and early on in the ministry, because it—you know, Satan can make it, you know, even if it’s a good thing, of being well respected and liked in ministry, it can be intoxicating, and it can feed the ego.
    And that’s why every day, you know, I think we just need to get on our knees and say, “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the evil one.” It’s very relevant for me. It was relevant for my dad, I remember my dad telling me that. You know, he was someone I respected a great deal. And—and he was an attorney and a CPA and—and taught Sunday school. And asked him about his walk with Christ, he said, “You know, he prays regularly, ‘lead me not into temptation.'” And I was thinking, “You, Dad? You don’t seem to struggle with that.”
    But—but if he did, then I knew that—that that would be something that would be important to remember. And those are the type of things I hear about as pastors, you know, you hear about marriages that have hit the rocks, and—and you can see why.
    And—so I think it’s important we don’t… We live in a culture, I ask so many people, “When’s the last time you had a date with your wife, just one-on-one?” And for those couples who have children, I usually get the deer in the headlights look, like—[Laughter] “I’m not sure.”
    And—and that—that is a red flag. That’s a—a big red flag. You have to keep dating your spouse. You cannot just simply take for granted their love. They said “I do” back then, I said “I do,” and that settles it. No, every day you’ve got to keep loving and—and wooing and courting your spouse.
    And when children come is especially when it gets more difficult. And—and they’re a great blessing, children are, but they can easily take over and become more important in the marriage than your spouse.
    Paul: Yes. I have a 15-month-old daughter, and it’s a whole new world, these past 15 months, in—in some of the most beautiful ways, and in some of the ways that have really, you know, showed the fracture lines.
    And, you know, someone’s inevitably listening right now that’s really struggle—struggling in their relationship. Maybe, you know, their marriage has hit the skids, you know, maybe they just had a kid and they’re trying to figure out how to be married and have children at the same time. If they were with you right now, could you take about a minute, and what would you want to say to them? How would you encourage them?
    Pastor Woody Hingle: Well, I would say… you know, keep going to the—the fountain of love, and that is the Lord. And be refreshed in Him, and He will refresh you to build love for your spouse. And, you know, there are—there are all times when, you know, couples may love each other, but they don’t particularly like each other. And, you know, that’s not something that’s out of the norm. I think it is kind of the norm. There are—there are those times when you have that.
    And that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be married to each other. It just means God’s working on an area in your marriage where you’ll need to address that.
    And, you know, learning how to be able to fight—or not fight, but—but go through conflict in a way when you argue in a way that’s fair and—and respectful of each other. Don’t say things like “You always do this,” “You are always late,” “You’re always insensitive,” “You’re always thinking of yourself.” That doesn’t really go anywhere. It—it just kind of tries to put people in a box that—that God wants to take them out of.
    And you can say, “You know, when you—when you say that to me, it makes me feel this way,” is a better way to respond. “And this is my experience of when you lose your temper, it makes me feel afraid,” or, “it feels unloved.” Or when you spend—when you spend so much time at work, it makes me feel like you don’t really care about me that much.
    And—and so it’s important to be able to work through conflict. Sometimes couples don’t even go through conflict, they just get—they just kind of go on almost like they’re two ships passing in the night. It’s like the family becomes a small business, you know? You meet your bills, meet your priorities, get the kids to school, you get dressed and get bathed and you go to church and do all these things, but you’re not really meeting each other emotionally.
    And that’s why it’s important to have that one-on-one date every week. Not every other week, I say every week, and if you can do it more, great. But at least once a week. That way you can—you can hear each other, and you can share what’s going on in each other’s lives, and minister to each other.
    And so that’s—I would encourage, be sure the way you handle conflict is a way that’s respectful to each other, and that you take time out to be together.

    25 min
  • Before You Know | Stephen Daigle

    Pastor Stephen Daigle (Home Church) speaks with Paul about feeling lost, remaining faithful and praying for decades before seeing friends and family join the Church.

    21 min
  • Being Known | Ryan Rice

    Pastor Ryan Rice talks with Paul about overcoming perfectionism and embracing servant-leadership as LifeSongs continues to celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month.

    31 min
  • MercyMe | Morning Show

    Josh & Mike (MercyMe) chat about new music, tours, the next generation, Jeremy Camp's muscles and praying Milo Ventimiglia into the Kingdom of God!

    10 min
  • Walk By Faith Not By Sight | Julie

    I’m at the age when doctors ask you, “Have you recently had a fall?” Or they explain away an ailment as normal “for your age.” One of those ailments is declining vision. That started for me about two years ago with reading glasses, and I was grouchy about it. But I had no idea how bad my vision could actually get.

    Last summer, while on a getaway with my son, I started losing vision in my right eye. Thanks to Dr. Google, I was pretty sure my retina was detaching. We rushed home, my husband took me to the ER, and I had surgery that night.

    It happened so quickly I didn’t have time to process the recovery. Before surgery, the resident doctor casually mentioned I’d need to lie face down for a few days. I kind of laughed it off, which was a big mistake. I ended up face down for four weeks. I won’t go on about it, but to be honest, I did not handle it gracefully.

    Since my first surgery 14 months ago, I’ve had cataract surgery on both eyes and two additional procedures. It’s been tough, physically and emotionally. I’ve battled so many fears: Will my vision get better? Is this as good as it gets? Is it going to get worse?!?

    Lately, 2 Corinthians 5:7 has taken on a whole new meaning: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

    Without clear vision, everything is blurry and distorted. You have a limited perspective, and in the dark or rain, you can’t fully process what you’re seeing. You just have to squint and trust what’s ahead.

    Faith is like that. It isn’t seeing the whole picture clearly or knowing what’s coming on either side. It’s having confidence in God even when the path is confusing.

    As Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” It’s not wishing on a shooting star; it’s believing God will fulfill His promises:

    -He will never leave you (Deuteronomy 31:8).
    -He will supply your needs (Psalm 23:1).
    -He offers peace in times of trouble (John 16:33).
    -He promises to renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31).

    At LifeSongs, we hold tight to those same promises. As we enter our Fall Shareathon, our faith is being tested once again. As a listener-funded ministry, we can’t physically see how God will provide for the season ahead—but we trust that He will, just as He has for the past 47 years.

    Will you join us in prayer for this upcoming Shareathon? And will you ask God what role He might have you play in that provision? If you feel led to give, you can support this ministry RIGHT HERE.

    As for my eyes, the journey continues. I still can’t see as well as I’d like, and more procedures are likely on the horizon. But even if my vision doesn’t improve, I know God remains faithful. He is with us in every step, offering strength, peace, and good plans for our futures—even when we can’t see the way forward.

    3 min
  • 25 & Trusting | Abby

    Turning 25 and Trusting God

    September is so fun to me for many different reasons. Fall begins, football season is back, Dancing with the Stars returns, and it is also my birthday month!

    I am turning 25 this year, and I know that 25 is not an “old age”, but this is the first birthday in my life that has really hit me differently. Maybe it’s the “quarter-life crisis” talking, but 25 is a big age to me. I can finally rent a car, I can run for the U.S. House of Representatives, but it also means I am halfway done with my 20’s. And to be completely honest, that kind of scares me. It means I am getting older, which can lead to some anxiety and questioning.

    What is my life going to look like when I’m 30? Will I feel fulfilled? What does God want to use me for? Am I doing everything I’m supposed to be doing at this age?

    All these questions and more can lead to anxiety on any given birthday you and I may have. Or maybe anxiety and worry is showing up in other aspects of your life. Luckily, we have the Bible to encourage us when we are feeling anxious about anything.

    Matthew 6:25-27 says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”

    These verses and the rest of Matthew 6 really remind us that being anxious will not help anything. Instead, we need to turn to our loving God. I know that is easier said than done sometimes. Maybe the first thing we want to do when we get anxious or worried is block it out or turn to friends and family. But the first thing we should always do is turn to God. Not just on a birthday but on any given day. The God of the universe loves us more than we can fathom. Birds don’t reap or sow and yet our Father feeds every single one of them. So imagine how much MORE God loves and values us. He knew who we were before we even existed. He has saved us from our sin and shame through His Son, Jesus. So why not go to Him when you are feeling anxious?

    Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

    We don’t need to be anxious about anything. Not birthdays, not business meetings, not even financial struggles. What we can do when we feel anxious about these things is pray. With humility and thanksgiving, we can pray to God and surrender everything to Him. When we do this, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus like this verse says.

    So as fall begins, let this remind me and you that when we feel anxious, when we feel excited about our next birthday but are scared for the future, or when we simply do not know how we are going to get through to the next day, we can pray and call on our amazing God. We can talk to Him like the loving Father He is. When we do, He will give us peace that won’t make sense to you or me, and He will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

    4 min

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