Pursuing Life

Dave Ross has served as the Pastor of Worship Ministries at Calvary Church for the last seven years. If you’re a regular attender of Calvary, you see Dave on stage most Sundays, but chances are, you probably don’t know his story! Today, Dave is sharing about his church background, his history with Calvary Church, how God very clearly drew him into ministry, and why he loves leading worship at Calvary Church.

Tammy McDaniel is no stranger to struggles with mental health. What started with a dark season of battling postpartum depression has turned into over 20 years of Tammy learning how to manage and care for her mental health through many different seasons of life. In the last few years especially, Tammy has taken intentional steps towards being mentally healthy, and she has learned about the interplay between spiritual and mental health – as well as emotional and physical health – that have helped her to understand how depression and faith can coexist, and how she can partner with God in seeking to be healthy in all areas of life.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

Strong Like Water by Aundi Kolber

Try Softer by Aundi Kolber

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.

The Place We Find Ourselves Podcast with Adam Young, LCSW, DMiv

Kim Jack is the Calvary Church librarian, and for the last ten years, she has been intentional about making sure that we have all kinds of resources available to help us grow in our pursuit of Christ. Kim loves books, but more than that, she loves stories. Today, she’s sharing with us her story of coming to know Christ, and how God directed her path to bring her to the Calvary staff.

To wrap up our series on everyday habits and rhythms, we’re joined by Adam Derus, Calvary’s Director of Young Adults, who is here to give us a few practical ways to take a personal inventory of our relationship with technology. Adam has sought to take ownership of his time and set healthy boundaries with technology, and today he is sharing with us some of what he’s learned as we seek to do the same for ourselves.

Disclaimer: There are some topics discussed in this episode that may not be appropriate for little ears. Parents, we advise you to listen through this episode before sharing it with your children.

Listen to Adam's C4 message about technology here.

Resources shared in this episode (and more!):

- Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Early

- Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

- Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

- Digital Liturgies by Samuel James

- Tech-Wise family by Andy Crouch

- 12 Ways your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke

June is graduation season! Every year, we prayerfully send off dozens of high school seniors as they enter into a new season of life. It is our hope and prayer that each of them would go forward with Jesus as their foundation, looking to Him as their source of direction, wherever they go in life. This week on Pursuing Life, we talk with a few of our seniors about how God has been at work in their lives, where they sense Him leading in the future, and how they want to continue to grow in their pursuit of life in Him.

Beth Weaver’s journey with Scripture memory began when she was just a young girl. When she was in middle school, she began attending bible memory camps, and by high school she had memorized an entire book of the Bible. We know that as we get older, our brains process differently, but that hasn’t stopped Beth from finding new ways memorize. In fact, she’s memorizing more in retirement than she ever has before! Today, Beth is sharing with us the practical ways that she continues to incorporate the habit of Scripture memory into her everyday life, and how we, too, can use our unique learning styles to do the same.

Resources shared in today’s episode:

Read the story of Beth’s mother, Marjorie Isobel Harrison Jackson.

Read stories from Beth’s time in Ukraine.

Contact Beth at [email protected]

About two years ago, Josiah and Olivia Huss began hosting a monthly “hobby night” at their home. What started as a way for friends to get together and play games turned into a regular time where the Huss’s open their home for anyone to come spend time together over shared hobbies. Essentially, they have created a habit of hospitality. Today, they are sharing with us their heart behind regularly inviting people into their home, barriers they’ve had to overcome, and what they have learned in the midst of it all.

Kevin Gushiken is a college and seminary professor, former pastor, husband, dad, and Calvary Church member. A few years ago, the Lord prompted Kevin to begin researching how play intersects with the Christian life. His research impacted not only his view of God, but encouraged him to cultivate not just a habit, but a lifestyle of play. Kevin has become so passionate about this topic, and today he is here to share with us why he believes play so important and how it’s impacted his own life.

Be sure to pre-order your copy of Kevin’s upcoming book, A Theology of Play: Learning to Enjoy Life as God Intended, available on June 25!

Tune in starting Monday, May 6, for our new series, Every Day! These stories will go hand in hand with our next sermon series, as we dig into what it looks like to cultivate healthy habits and rhythms for spiritual growth. Make sure you’re following Pursuing Life so you are notified when new episodes release!

Bethany Zipprick is our newest Global Ministries staff member! Over the last few months, she has come on board to assist with a variety of different tasks – from email communication to event planning! As a young adult seeking to pursue God’s calling for her life, Bethany is actively considering the part that she plays in going into God’s world. Today, she is sharing how God brought her here, and what her role has been teaching her about His heart for the nations.