The #AskSteveAustin Podcast

In Episode 48 of the #AskSteveAustin Podcast, Benjamin L. Corey, author of the new book, Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith, joins Steve Austin for a powerful conversation about rethinking everything about faith.

Dr. Benjamin L. Corey is a two-time graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and holds his doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is also the author of the new book, Unafraid: Moving Beyond Fear-Based Faith, which is available wherever good books are sold. www.Unafraid-book.com

Show notes:

What would you say to someone who doesn't know what they believe anymore?

Put the Theological Gas Cans Down

How do you turn a crisis of faith into an awakening? How do I move forward?

How do we begin to reframe our faith after deconstruction?

What if you're a faith leader and you find yourself in a crisis of faith?

Benefits of secular mental health counseling or therapy for ministers

How do we help people stop living the miserable Christian life?

Have we made an idol out of the Bible?

Does what we believe about the future matter?

What's the hardest thing you've ever lived through? And how have you reconciled that with your belief in a God of love?

When we have our faith ass-backward, how do we start over?

The #AskSteveAustin Podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you're looking for affordable, accessible, quality help for your mental health, go to BetterHelp.com/AskSteveAustin today.

Connect with Steve Austin:

Listen to the #AskSteveAustin Podcast on iTunes (just click here).

Follow the GraceIsMessy Blog.

Check out iAmSteveAustin.com today.

Sign up for Steve Austin's weekly email newsletter and get a FREE chapter of his upcoming book, Overwhelmed.

 

STEVE AUSTIN IS AN IN-DEMAND LIFE COACH, SPEAKER, AND AMAZON BEST-SELLING AUTHOR. 

IF YOU ARE READY TO: CLARIFY YOUR VISION, DISCOVER YOUR PASSION, OWN YOUR STORY, EMBRACE INTENTIONALITY, CULTIVATE RESILIENCE, AND ROLL YOUR CHAOS INTO CALM...CONTACT STEVE TODAY!

LIFE COACHING WITH STEVE AUSTIN TURNS ICEBERGS INTO ICE CUBES. THROUGH A SERVICE-ORIENTED APPROACH AND HONEST CONVERSATION, STEVE EMPOWERS CLIENTS TO CREATE HEALTHY PATHWAYS TO LIVE WELL: MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT.

Background Music by BenSound.com

Ending song: "Dream" by Act of Congress

The second episode of 2018 is all about vision, which Dr. Jeremy Lopez says begins with a journey inward.

Dictionary.com defines the word “vision” as - the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be; And those of us who have grown up in the church most of our lives have constantly heard things like, “Without vision, the people perish”.

But what is the importance of having a vision in 2018?

Quotes you can’t miss:

The outward is just an overflow of the inward.

You attract what’s in your heart.

Your body is one big memory bank.

All emotions have a foundation. When you feel strongly about something, you are just projecting the highest vibrational frequency of that particular energy.

What you behold, you become.

All of us create monsters or demons every day because we don’t understand our creative power.

Visualization means to peak, view, or give your attention to something. It’s from the same Hebrew root as the word Behold.

Vision combines attention and intention.

Everything in your life right now is a manifestation of what you have said, done, or thought.

Manipulate your mind. Manipulation is not always bad. Convince your mind of what it should think or look like.

Presentation to God is everything. What are you presenting to God?

My dream is to know the highest version of myself.

If you want something outwardly, you always have to go inward.

Frustration is trying to tell you something.

Get to know yourself.

Today's guest is Dr. Jeremy Lopez, Founder and President of Identity Network, one of the world’s largest prophetic resource websites. He is an entrepreneur, successful dream and life coach, motivational speaker, humanitarian and teacher. His love and passion for discovering and teaching people how to release the mindsets that holds them back from achieving their fullest potential is what drives him and gives his life purpose and meaning.

The #AskSteveAustin Podcast is brought to you weekly by the folks at BetterHelp. If you’re looking for accessible, affordable, professional help, go to BetterHelp.com/AskSteveAustin. BetterHelp will match you to one of 2,000 licensed therapists. Get feedback, advice and guidance from your counselor.

Steve Austin is a life coach, speaker, and author of Self-Care for the Wounded Soul. Steve’s goal is to help you create a lifestyle of focused emotional health and clarity. Subscribe to Steve Austin’s free weekly newsletter by clicking right here. Looking for more? If you’re ready to change your life, email [email protected] today.

Music by Bensound.com

In Episode 46 of the #AskSteveAustin Podcast, Steve Austin talks with Logan Tyler Nelson about the power of embracing and cultivating intentionality in our daily lives. Today's big question: Is life happening to you, or for you?

Show Notes:

Dictionary.com defines the word “intention” like this - an act or instance of determining mentally upon some act or result; another definition is this: purpose or attitude toward the effect of one's actions or conduct:

Oprah says this, “The #1 principle that rules my life is intention. Thought by thought, choice by choice, we are cocreating our lives based on the energy of intention.”

But what about that quote we’ve heard all our lives, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”? What’s missing between Oprah’s perspective and this old adage about the road to hell?

In Oprah’s book of quotes, The Wisdom of Sundays, Gary Zukav describes the difference between an INtention and an OUTtention. What most of us think of as an intention is actually the outward version of that. Gary’s example is this, “I want to get another job, so I can have more money.” But the INTENTION, as Oprah says it, is the WHY beneath the why. It’s the motivation for getting the new job or more money that counts. It’s the energy you use for doing the intended thing.

Click here to read this week's blog by Steve Austin, "3 Powerful Ways to Create the Life You Want".

Quotes from today's show:

"We create our own world. We are responsible for our attitude. That’s the reason you have the reality or the life you are living right now."

"If your life stinks you had something to do with it and the opposite is true. If your life is good you had something to do with it."

"Time is finite."

"To make a life worth living is to save someone from negative thinking."

"Knowing your why is very important, but we have to know the action steps to get there."

"Quality of life comes down to quality of questions."

"To create a life worth living requires a bit of patience and clarity."

"Is life happening to you, or for you?"

Oprah Winfrey, “Intention is one with cause and effect. Intention determines outcome. And if you’re stuck and not moving forward, you have to check the thought and the action that created the circumstance.”

Donald Miller said, “It is not so much the aim of the devil to lure me with evil as it is to preoccupy me with the meaningless.”

Logan Tyler Nelson is the creator of Scratch You Own Itch podcast, Performance Enhancement Expert, and Published author on Thrive Global.  He inspires and motivates you to “Scratch Your Own Itch” so you can grow personally and professionally.

Logan equips people with the tools necessary to live CREATIVE and EPIC lives, and leaves people better equipped to manage change effectively.  His WHY is he's a suicide survivor, and shares his powerful testimony globally.

Connect with Logan:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn

Website

Music by BenSound.

The #AskSteveAustin Podcast is brought to you weekly by the folks at BetterHelp. If you're looking for accessible, affordable, professional help, go to BetterHelp.com/AskSteveAustin. BetterHelp will match you to one of 2,000 licensed therapists. Get feedback, advice and guidance from your counselor.

Steve Austin is a life coach, speaker, and author of Self-Care for the Wounded Soul. Steve's goal is to help you create a lifestyle of focused emotional health and clarity. Subscribe to Steve Austin's free weekly newsletter by clicking right here. Looking for more? If you're ready to change your life, email [email protected] today.

Episode 45 is THE BIG YEAR-ENDER! This is one awesome and random mashup of messy grace and mayhem. In this episode, Steve Austin chats with musical guest, Devin Balram, plus his friend (and fellow heretic), Tracy Kane, AKA Ukulele Tracy.

Show Notes:

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp.com - Looking for a licensed counselor or therapist who is accessible, affordable, and ready to help? Visit BetterHelp.com/AskSteveAustin today.

Devin Balram is a singer-songwriter and photographer who calls himself a resilient failer. Download Devin's music (and leave him a hefty tip) at Noisetrade.com/devinbalram

Tracy Kane is THE ukulele darling of progressive Christian podcasts.... And lung cancer advocate, marathon finisher, vegan cookie eater, and pit bull walker. Follow Tracy on Twitter @ukuleletracy.

Thanks to each of who you sent me messages via email, text, or social media for my birthday on Tuesday. It was a perfect day!

From messygrace.com - Celebrating Christmas When Your Faith is Full of Doubt - To read the rest of this Christmas Confessional, go to messygrace.com today

Speakpipe voicemails I want to hear from you! Got questions, kudos, or criticism about this podcast or my blog? Leave me a voicemail! Just go to SpeakPipe.com/AskSteveAustin.

Want to join the Messy Grace Tribe? Sign up for as little as $1 per month by going to patreon.com/iamsteveaustin

Also from the Messy Grace Tribe this week:

Stephanie Long shared a powerful reflection on her open heart surgery in poetry and I’ll share the link in the show notes.

Ed Bacon has written a powerful new blog on Medium, Being Radically Awake in a Roy Moore Alabama and a Donald Trump US

Top 3 Listener-Favorite Episodes of 2017:

How Do I Get More Sex?

How to Survive When Your Spouse Tries to Die by Suicide

6 Ways to Defeat Discouragement Today

Lyrics to, “Weak Sometimes”:

 V1

You’re put to together, you’re so well & put together

That even on your tragic days, you seem fine

You try so hard, to hide that there’s a fight inside

But I can see it in your eyes, that you seem fine

 

Chorus

Who ever said, it was wrong to be weak sometimes,

To cry yourself to sleep, & wake up with your tears barely dry

You might feel like you’re dying, that the end is no where in sight

Who ever said, it was wrong to be weak sometimes

 

V2

You say that pain just gets in the way

Just let it sit, it’ll dissipate

You say that no one’s had a better day,

By dealing with their shame.

Download Devin’s music today - https://noisetrade.com/devinbalram/

Coming up in 2018:

Benjamin L Corey

Carol Howard Merritt

Jay Bakker

And we’re getting close to my 50th episode - stay tuned!

Steve Austin is an Amazon best-selling author, life coach, and self-care consultant. Feeling stuck, stressed, or overwhelmed? Get your copy of Self-Care for the Wounded Soul on Amazon today!

In Episode 44, Steve is joined by friend of the show, the Rev. Ed Bacon. This episode is also packed full of your stories! Check this fun-filled episode out for Christmas carols with Ben and Cara, plus favorite Christmas memories from listeners. And don't miss Ed Bacon's thoughts on why Christmas still matters. This is a holiday celebration for the whole family!

Show notes:

Grab Ed Bacon's book, 8 Habits of Love, today on Amazon.

Follow Ed's new blog on Medium!

Sign up for Ed's newsletter!

Follow Ed on Facebook and Twitter.

Steve's 2017 Christmas List

New blog: Celebrating Christmas When My Faith is Full of Doubt

Join the Messy Grace Tribe today!

Become a Patron of the show!

Follow Steve on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Steve Austin is an Amazon best-selling author, life coach, and self-care consultant. Feeling stuck, stressed, or overwhelmed? Get your copy of Self-Care for the Wounded Soul on Amazon today!

In Episode 43 of the #AskSteveAustin Podcast, Steve is joined by Scott Watkins - an ex-pastor, and former co-host of the Holy Heretics Podcast. In this conversation, the guys talk about to talk about life after Christianity and what it means to be a secular humanist.

Most folks who listen to this podcast love to throw around the word "deconstruction", but most of them still call themselves some kind of Christian. But what happens when you deconstruct your faith and what you're left with is no longer appealing? Deeper than that - what happens when it no longer feels like Truth? What do you do when you deconstruct and no longer call yourself a Christian?

Highlights from today's episode:

"If you love everybody, then you don't love anybody."

"When your religion becomes toxic, you need to run from it."

"Religion is simply a meaning-making device."

"Spirituality isn't about answers, but meaning."

"I'm not against Christianity, but I'm for humanity."

"I don't think Church is about following Jesus. I think it's about the consolidation of power."

"God is just a projection of the deepest part of our self; and quite frankly, so is the Devil."

"We should absolutely say that people matter more than beliefs."

"Life a life useful."

Got kudos, questions, or criticism? Leave Steve a voicemail!

Sign up as a Patron at patreon.com/iamsteveaustin for as little as $1/month. Various reward levels give you perks, including: bonus material, guided meditation, original music, and more!

Music by Bensound

ORDER YOUR COPY OF SELF-CARE FOR THE WOUNDED SOUL: 21 DAYS OF MESSY GRACE, BY STEVE AUSTIN TODAY ON AMAZON.

STEVE AUSTIN IS A LIFE COACH, SPEAKER, AND AUTHOR OF SELF-CARE FOR THE WOUNDED SOUL. STEVE’S GOAL IS TO HELP YOU CREATE A LIFESTYLE OF FOCUSED EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND CLARITY. SUBSCRIBE TO STEVE AUSTIN’S FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER BY CLICKING RIGHT HERE.

In Episode 42, Steve has way too much fun with the best-selling author (and ok, fine, his friend, Natalie Can-I-Get-Your-Autograph Brenner).

So, in many instances, the AskSteveAustin podcast has become the place where progressive Christian authors and artists come to share their work. And let me tell you - Natalie Brenner has written a book that I love. This Undeserved Life: Uncovering the Gifts of Grief and the Fullness of Life is beautiful. The writing...omg...it’s beautiful. There are a few writers I know whose words like sing right off the page, and they are, Sarah Robinson, Anne Voskamp, and Natalie Brenner.

When books make me silently weep, without fanfare, just cry those big fat releasing tears because my soul is saying yes - that’s a good book. That’s a really REALLY good book.

Questions about the gifts of grief:

You talk about Jesus in a very genuine and loving way - but your heart at times has nearly been crushed under the weight of grief. How do you reconcile the two? And what the heck do you mean when you say the gifts of grief?

Can we talk about the struggle with church hurts when all you really want to do is love Jesus and his people?

Who is Jesus?

Why is it so important to create a safe space for others to be vulnerable?

What’s it like to parent a child of a different race?

Autographed book giveaway! Retweet this week’s pinned post on twitter @iamsteveaustin for your chance to win a personalized, autographed copy of This Undeserved Life by Natalie Brenner

Compassion means to co-suffer. OMG. Yes, she said that.

NatalieBrennerWrites.com

Music: Bensound.com

Get all of Steve Austin's info at iamsteveaustin.com

In Episode 41 of the #AskSteveAustin Podcast, Steve Austin talks with David P. Gushee, author of the brand-new book, Still Christian: Following Jesus Out of American Evangelicalism. Tony Campolo says, "Still Christian takes us on the journey of a Christian leader who endeavors to maintain his integrity while navigating his way from a rigid fundamentalism with its right-wing political agenda into a progressive worldview.” Listen now at AskSteveAustin.com or on your favorite podcasting app!

A piece of my journal from March of 2016 says this:

I’m too liberal for the Republicans and too conservative for the Democrats. I’m a 30-something Southerner, born and raised in the buckle of the Bible Belt. I was dunked by the Baptists, spoke in tongues in the Assemblies of God, went to a Church of God college, returned to my Baptist roots as a youth pastor, became a Methodist, and now agree with about 80 percent of the Catholic Church’s teachings. I attended George W. Bush’s first inauguration as a senior in high school but have voted Democrat in the last election. I study the King James Bible with a concordance but I read The Message on my iPhone for enjoyment, while having a glass of wine and smoking a cigar.

I’m a walking contradiction.

Maybe there was once room for people like me. Maybe everyone is like me, if we’re all honest with each other. But our culture no longer allows contradictions. I run from discussions with other Christians because it almost always ends poorly. A loss of friendship, a loss of faith, a loss of fervor. I’m tired of being burned.

When many people of faith force it to be an either/or battle of choosing sides, how do you find your voice without losing your soul? This is what today’s episode with David Gushee, author of Still Christian, is all about.

Some questions from today’s conversation:

What’s it like to become a born-again Christian in 1978, during the Presidency of Jimmy Carter and the formation of the Religious Right?

How has stepping away from American Evangelicalism impacted the way you pastor and parent?

What is life like for you, as a pastor or Christian leader, when church life in America seems to be on the decline?

Do you have any advice for folks like me, who are in the midst of a personal deconstruction of faith...on how to hold onto their faith, while not abandoning their intellect or ignoring the questions?

Is the Bible literally true?

How similar were the religious wars of the 1980’s to whatever we’re experiencing today with the marriage of President Trump and the Religious Right?

If we look at life through the lens of American Christianity, politics, and culture in 2017 - when do we compromise, and when we do we stand our ground?

Do you have any advice for Evangelical Christian pastors who feel stuck, Sunday after Sunday, with the obligation to support their family pressing right up against their secret affirmation of the LGBT community, or their support of women, or their disdain of the President?

You have been described as “every liberal’s favorite evangelical” and you have also been described as “every liberal’s least-favorite evangelical”. Which one would you rather be, and why?

You are an anti-torture, pro-environment, LGBTQ-affirming, academic...and yet you seem to still consider yourself a Baptist? If so, how and why?

After all that you’ve been through, how is this not just a book about a disillusioned ex-Christian?

Favorite quote? “I’m disillusioned. But I’m not an ex-Christian.”

Music: BenSound.com

“Hey Jesus” by Trey Pearson

You can also listen on iTunes.

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In Episode 40 of the #AskSteveAustin Podcast, Steve Austin shares some encouragement from his own life for folks who feel hopeless. If you're ready to give up, tired of running, or feel like you're drowning, please listen to this very personal bonus episode.

Want more?

Advice for When You Are Drowning

From Pastor to a Psych Ward

Self-Care for the Wounded Soul

Sign up for self-care coaching with Steve!

This Holiday Bonus Edition of the #AskSteveAustin podcast features Steve Austin and Robert Vore, chatting about several snarky (but honest) self-care tips for the holidays.

Self-Care Tips for the Holidays

The holiday season is upon us. I can hardly stand the excitement of family get-togethers and out-of-town guests. No, really...I can hardly stand it. If you dread the holidays as much as me, today’s bonus episode includes a whole list of ways to guard yourself against the holiday chaos everyone somehow looks forward to every single year.

Music: Bensound.com

Intro by Alex and Jason (or is it Jason and Alex?) of Not Your Pastor's Podcast.

Robert Vore has worked for various ministries & non-profits in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and England. His writing has been featured on The Mighty, Relevant Magazine, Charisma News, Thought Catalog, Patheos, and more. Robert also co-hosts a podcast on Christianity & mental health called CXMH, as well as being a certified QPR Suicide Prevention Instructor for groups of any size. He is currently working towards his Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Get Steve's book, Self-Care for the Wounded Soul, at myselfcarebook.com today!