The Discerning Leader Podcast

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott

“Not setting realistic expectations of what we can accomplish within a day creates unnecessary hurry and angst inside each of us.” - Matt Scott

How does our inability to slow down rob us of attentive presence? In this episode, Steve and Matt tackle this question as they invite you to “slow down and be more attentive.” 

Too many relationships and roles can make us overwhelmed and over-extended in life. This conversation looks at practical ways to slow down and focus our attention on God and others. Looking at the encouragement from Hebrews to fix our eyes on Jesus, Steve and Matt talk about practices that can deepen our awareness.

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott

"It is hard to do the 'one-anothering' of the New Testament when we are in a hurry" - Matt Scott 

How does hurry hinder humility? In this episode, Steve and Matt tackle this question as they invite you to  “slow down and be more humble.” 

Exploring the reality that hurry drives our selfish ambition, this conversation looks at practical ways to slow down and consider the needs of others above and before our own. Looking at the example of Jesus in Paul's letter to the Philippians, Steve and Matt talk about practical ways that humility is the starting place to serving, loving, and caring for the needs of others. 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott

“How are we going to know God with heart, soul, mind, and strength if we don’t know Him in the inner core of our being - our soul?” - Steve Macchia 

In this second episode of Season 31, Steve and Matt talk about the practice of silence. The goal of silence is to know God in the core of our being. Practices that lead us to silence include stillness, solitude, sabbath, and surrender. Every day, there are increasing distractions that challenge the practice of silence. Silence can also be difficult because paying attention to the things that weigh heavy on our hearts is disorientating at times. But this is where God meets us. One of the greatest gifts we can give one another is not our speaking but our silence, simply our presence. 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott

“I think the biggest danger of hurrying is that it pours fuel into my addiction to be busy, to be hurried, to be productive, to be noticed.” - Steve Macchia 

Season 31, entitled ‘Discerning God in Slowness’, begins by exploring a phrase that is central to who we are as an organization: Slow Down, Be More. In this conversation, Steve and Matt answer the question “What is the danger of hurrying?” And in addition, they dialogue around the fruit and spiritual transformation that comes from learning to live more slowly. Gleaning from the words of Matthew 11, this podcast episode invites you to embrace Jesus’ invitation to slow down, recover your life, and learn to live freely and lightly.  

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Co-Hosts: Steve Macchia and Matt Scott

“I’ll spend the rest of my life helping people notice God and discern His presence, His power and His way.” - Steve Macchia 

This special 200th episode is a celebration of what the Lord has done through this podcast. With listenership in over 130 countries, all fifty of the United States, and almost 200,000 downloads we are grateful for you - the listeners. Steve and Matt reflect that for the majority of Leadership Transformations Inc.’s 21-year history, we have come alongside people primarily in person. This podcast was started in 2020 and is one of the first ways we equipped leaders online. Steve and Matt reflect on highlights from the past 30 seasons, including 75 unique guests. Moving forward, we hope to hear more from you, our listeners.

Let us know what topics you would like to hear more about. In celebration of 200 episodes, we have a gift for the first 200 people who email us at [email protected]. Thank you for celebrating with us. 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Hosts: Steve Macchia & Jeremy Stefano

“So much of the work of God in my life contains so much mystery. God is at work doing amazingly deep things that are unseen.” - Steve Macchia 

Throughout the summer, team members of Leadership Transformations Inc. have shared a favorite psalm. This week, we swap seats and Jeremy Stefano interviews Steve Macchia to hear about one of his favorite Psalms - Psalm 139. Steve first heard this psalm as a teenager as a part of a gospel presentation and he was moved to ask Jesus into his life in a more significant way. Many years later, this Psalm continues to be meaningful to Steve. Steve reflects on how God’s all-knowingness causes us to be willing to admit our own brokenness and need for God. Finally, Steve encourages the listener to pray the Psalms, using the language to help us reflect our own experiences back to God in prayer. 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Chrissy Chang

“In the middle of busyness and life, how do I enter into this retreat-like presence?” - Chrissy Chang 

Chrissy Chang is the Online Ministry Coordinator for Leadership Transformations, Inc. a trained spiritual director with LTI’s Selah certificate program, and the Associate Director of Mosaic Network with Mosaic Formation. Chrissy joins Steve for a conversation around Psalm 131. The Psalms, and this one in particular have been to Chrissy, a gateway to the monastery of the heart - the place where we can meet with God in a retreat-like space amidst the responsibilities of life. Psalm 131 invites the reader to release the things that occupy the heart and the mind and release to them to the Lord who has control over them. This Psalm teaches us how to have a calm and quiet soul.  

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Suz Skinner

“Can I stand up to evil and say, ‘I’m not afraid’?” - Suz Skinner 

Suz Skinner is a member of the Emmaus Faculty, Abide Faculty, and a Spiritual Formation Associate for Leadership Transformations Inc. and the Pierce Fellowship at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Suz joins Steve for a conversation around her favorite Psalm - Psalm 23. Suz shares that this familiar Psalm is meant to help us understand and know what it is to live a with-God life. This Psalm is rich with language showing God to be the one who comforts, shepherds, guides, overflows, protects, and leads us. Suz shares what the Psalms have meant in her life and how Psalm 23 continues to be a source of growth and trust in her life.  

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Susan Currie

“As we become present to Him, He re-orients us to His rule, to His righteousness, His justice, His abundance, His blessing, and praise rises within us, and we worship” – Susan Currie 

Susan Currie is the Director of Selah and a Minister of Spiritual Formation for Leadership Transformations Inc. Susan joins Steve for a conversation around her favorite Psalm - Psalm 65. Even when chaos abounds in the world, Psalm 65 reminds us that we can come into God’s presence. As we become fully present to Him, he reorients us by taking all the legitimate concerns and starts forming in us an obedience to His rule, His righteousness, and His justice. Rather than ignoring the broken places of the world, we bring them into our worship, God turns our hearts to sing His praise and we sing His rule into being. 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: James Hauptman

“It’s not a flippant thing to remember the goodness of God. God has been present and overseeing even the hard and difficult times.” - James Hauptman 

James Hauptman is the Executive Assistant for Leadership Transformations Inc. James joins Steve for a conversation about his favorite Psalm – Psalm 90. This Psalm written by Moses reminds us of the faithfulness of God. Throughout all generations, God has been the dwelling place for His people. This Psalm teaches us to number our days. James keeps a record of how many days he has been alive as a practice to remember the faithfulness of God. Finally, James shares how he and his family count their days in both big decisions and in the daily minutia of life.  

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.