In this episode, we invite you to pause with us and look honestly into your soul as Christmas draws near. Together, we reflect on the kind of grace that doesn’t wait for us to reach upward, but instead comes down into the real places where we struggle, hope, and long for God’s touch. We explore how that grace has met us—how it has softened what was rigid, lifted what was heavy, and brought light into places we thought were beyond repair.

And then we turn outward. We challenge ourselves—as a community—to let that same grace flow through our lives this season. Christmas isn’t just something we remember; it’s something we embody. Every act of kindness, every moment of forgiveness, every quiet step toward someone who feels forgotten becomes another way grace comes down into the world.

This episode is an open invitation: as we let God meet us where we truly are, we also step together into the calling to carry His grace to those who need it most. Let’s enter this season ready to be part of the healing our world is longing for.

This episode of Soul Talk with Pastor Rick Qualls and Matt encourages listeners to look beyond the surface of Thanksgiving dinner and focus on true gratitude for God's gifts. Pastor Rick outlines three essential steps to help listeners have a more meaningful and God-centered holiday season:

1. Be Present with God: Slow down during the busy season to be still, acknowledge dependence on God, and actively remember His blessings.

2. Shift Your Perspective: Move from focusing on scarcity (what you lack) to abundance (what you have). Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life and turns what we have into enough.

3. Pass It On: Gratitude should be an action, not just a feeling. Share your thanks, forgiveness, and grace with others to positively impact your community and reflect God's love.

In this Soul Talk episode, Pastor Rick and Matt reflect on Thanksgiving—not as a seasonal holiday, but as a posture of the heart that endures through every circumstance. They begin with lighthearted conversation about family traditions and planning for Thanksgiving, then move into Scripture to see how different biblical figures modeled gratitude in both joy and hardship.

In this episode of Soul Talk, Pastor Rick explores the transforming power of thanksgiving. Drawing from history, he tells how Sarah Josepha Hale’s persistence during the Civil War led to Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation—not during abundance, but in a time of national pain. Pastor Rick reminds listeners that thankfulness is not a feeling but a deliberate choice that brings peace, unity, and healing.

In this episode of Soul Talk, Pastor Rick and Matt discuss “the battle for our minds”—the struggle between truth and deception in a world filled with misinformation, fear, and distraction. Pastor Rick explains the connection between modern “cognitive warfare” and the Bible’s teaching on spiritual warfare from Ephesians 6:12, reminding listeners that the real fight is not against people but against lies that target our minds. Together, they explore how the enemy uses media, misinformation, and isolation to distort truth and create anxiety, and how believers can counter this through daily renewal of the mind, guarding their input, prayer, and community. They conclude with the armor of God—truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation—as the tools to stand firm and think clearly in Christ.

In this episode of Soul Talk, Pastor Rick and Matt reflect on the importance of gratitude and contentment. Pastor Rick encourages listeners to pause and ask, “How is your soul?”—reminding us that our souls guide every part of our being. Through Scripture and stories, he highlights how thankfulness transforms ordinary moments into blessings, teaching us to “count what counts.” Drawing from Philippians 4:11, Psalms 103, and 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Pastor Rick emphasizes that contentment is learned through trusting God, not in having more. As the holiday season approaches, he invites listeners to take a “holy reset,” notice hidden blessings, and let gratitude shape their hearts daily.

In this episode of Soul Talk with Pastor Rick Qualls, Pastor Rick explores the importance of discernment in a world overflowing with misinformation and emotional manipulation. He reminds listeners that followers of Jesus are called to love God not only with their hearts but also with their minds—developing wisdom, discernment, and humility in an age where falsehoods spread faster than truth.

In this episode of Soul Talk with Pastor Rick Qualls, Pastor Rick reflects on the “black dog” of depression—a phrase made famous by Winston Churchill—to describe seasons of discouragement, anxiety, and burnout that can follow even those who deeply love God. Drawing from Scripture, he reminds us that figures like David, Elijah, and even Jesus experienced sorrow and weariness.

In this episode of Soul Talk with Pastor Rick Qualls, Pastor Rick and Matt discuss why change in the church is often difficult and how leaders can approach it with grace and understanding. Pastor Rick explains that the brain naturally resists change as a form of self-protection and that people don’t resist change itself—they resist loss.

In this episode of Soul Talk, Pastor Rick explores the true source of happiness—not wealth, fame, or possessions, but the deeper truths that both Scripture and science affirm. Joined by his engineer Matt, Pastor Rick reflects on the 85-year Harvard study on happiness, which found that good relationships are the greatest predictor of health and joy. Together, they discuss how the Bible has long pointed to these same principles: building strong relationships, serving others, cultivating emotional wisdom, caring for our bodies, and living with purpose.

Pastor Rick also shares simple, practical habits rooted in Scripture—connecting with loved ones, practicing gratitude, serving, caring for your health, and praying daily. The episode closes with an encouraging reminder: happiness isn’t an accident but a daily choice to walk with God and live out His truths.