The Bridge Austin

Teens today are growing up in a world of online communication, constant negativity and shallow “expert” voices — leaving them hungry for real connection and honest guidance. Mark explains that parents often miss what teens truly want because they react to behavior instead of the deeper needs behind it. The nonstop criticism and shallow praise of social media make teens sensitive to correction and blind to needed truth. He urges parents to deepen relationships, engage face-to-face and speak truth in love to help their teens grow into grounded, responsible adults.

Would you like to ask Mark questions about parenting your teen? Visit markgregston.com to submit a question today!

Parenting Today's Teens is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be, visit parentingtodayteens.org. 

With the extra dose of chaos that the holiday season usually brings, it’s easy to lose sight of what Christmas is all about. Dr. Robert Jeffress brings us back to the heart of Christmas by looking at three symbols that reveal its true meaning: the cradle, the cross, and the crown.

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Dr. Gregory Jantz addresses the increasing anxiety being experienced in modern culture. 1 in 5 adults struggle with anxiety and 1 in 4 teens. With his whole-person approach, Jantz unpacks the myriads of reasons for this trend and shares practical solutions for healthy living. He will help you to attack the three-headed monster of worry, anxiety, and stress by asking you to take personal inventory, choose healthy habits and diet, and address your spiritual needs through God’s Word, prayer, and Christian community.

Receive the book The Anxiety Reset and the audio download of the broadcast "Overcoming Anxiety: Finding Peace in a Hectic World" for your donation of any amount! Your Gift DOUBLES to Help Deliver Hope and Joy! Save 2X the marriages and families this Christmas with your life-changing gift today!

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Are you living at your best—or simply getting by? For many believers, chronic exhaustion has become a quiet norm. Yet Scripture reminds us that burnout isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a warning light. When life feels out of balance, it may be a sign we’re pushing beyond the limits God lovingly designed for our good.

Today, we sat down with Carey Nieuwhof—pastor, bestselling author of At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor, leadership expert, and host of the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, as well as the founding pastor of Connexus Church—to talk about how Christians can pursue biblical rest and renewed purpose. Carey’s insights come not from theory, but from the deepest valley of personal experience.

Carey’s story began two decades ago, during a season of explosive ministry growth. His church was thriving, opportunities were multiplying, and by every outward measure, life was “on top.” But amid this success, his inner world was collapsing.

After returning from a high-profile speaking event, Carey hit a wall:

“It was like I fell off a cliff. I lost motivation, passion, and energy. I met all the symptoms of clinical depression. My body declared a finish line I had refused to acknowledge.”

People around him saw the signs. He didn’t. And that’s often the story behind burnout—others notice the warning lights long before we do.

Carey describes burnout as “the gap between what you’re capable of and what you’re carrying.” Early in ministry, he assumed that increasing responsibility meant increasing hours. It was an unsustainable equation.

Yet today, two decades later, he leads a much larger platform with far more influence—without living exhausted. Why? Because he restructured his life around a biblical rhythm of rest, limits, and intentional focus.

Many Christians feel that better time management will fix their overload. But as Carey points out, time is a fixed asset—everyone gets the same 24 hours. Energy, however, rises and falls.

Every person has what Carey calls a “green zone”—a few hours each day when they are at their best mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. For him, it’s morning. For others, it might be midday or evening.

His challenge is simple: Do what you’re best at when you’re at your best.

When he writes in his green zone, he gets exponential results. When he tries the same work in his “red zone,” productivity crashes. This principle applies to everyone—from CEOs to parents, pastors, and business owners.

Stewarding energy also requires boundaries. That means saying no—not out of selfishness, but out of faithfulness.

Carey explains:

• Saying yes to every request eventually forces you to say no to the people who matter most.
• Delegation is a spiritual discipline.
• Some opportunities, even good ones, don’t align with God’s call in a particular season.

By categorizing his decisions—like eliminating breakfast meetings that compete with his green zone—Carey reclaimed the margin he had been missing for years.

For many Christians, rest feels like something we “earn” after working ourselves to the edge. But biblically, rest is part of our calling.

Carey describes Sabbath not just as rehab

Questions in this episode:

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Text ASK to 90398 to submit a Bible question to Pastor Mike.

When you're out of answers and can't hang on, Chip reminds you: God is with you in your darkest circumstances, offering a resource to help.

The principle = “Don’t ask why, ask what.”

Three “what” questions survivors ask:

1. What can I control when my world falls apart?

2. What must I do to make it through today?

3. What hope do I have for tomorrow?

The answer = God’s sovereignty + goodness = He will take my worst circumstances and use them for my best if I will trust Him and not bail out of His spiritual maturity process.

I. The problem: sometimes we get “stuck” in our pain.

II. The solution: God promises help for those who are “stuck.” -Jas. 1:5-8

• God’s offer = supernatural WISDOM
• Our responsibility = to ASK
• God’s attitude when we come = OPEN & GENEROUS

III. The one condition: We receive God’s wisdom only when we “ask in faith, without any doubting.”

Conclusion: Four things you must do to get unstuck

1. Admit you’re stuck

2. Admit you can’t do it on your own

3. Ask God for supernatural wisdom

4. Be willing to do whatever God’s wisdom demands of you

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Hope in the Night - Forgiveness

In this episode of The Creative Connection, Ed Young explores the destructive nature of betrayal and revenge, illustrating through personal and biblical stories—especially Joseph’s journey—that while betrayal can cause deep pain, trusting God’s justice and grace leads to restoration and purpose beyond the hurt.