The Doug Elks Podcast

Most of us work for approval: parents, coaches, bosses, followers. Colby Maier talks about why that's a trap and how to work from approval instead.

Colby grew up in British Columbia, where basketball was his whole life. He played on the provincial team alongside future NBA players and sent highlight tapes to D1 schools. Underneath all of it was one question he couldn't shake: am I good enough? Then, at the last practice before the tournament where college coaches were coming to see him play, he tore the ligaments in his ankle.

Stuck on the couch with his foot in a bucket of ice, he flipped to DreamWorks' Joseph: King of Dreams. It was the first time he had heard the story. Within three months he had read the Bible cover to cover, and at 17 he gave his life to Jesus.

What got him was three words Jesus said on the cross: "It is finished." For someone who had performed his whole life for coaches and parents, it meant the work was already done. Nothing left to prove to people, or to God. As Colby puts it, "We don't work for approval, we work from approval."

Colby and Doug also talk about AI and what it does to a generation that finds its worth in output, why technology "only amplifies the heart of the one who holds it," why even Jesus received His identity before He did a single miracle, and the fear of man versus the fear of God. They close on why urgency matters if Jesus really is coming back, and Doug offers an invitation to anyone ready to follow Jesus.

Colby is a content creator and the founder of the Academy of the Bible, an online catalog of courses on Scripture, apologetics, emotional healing, and the core teachings of the Christian faith. Recorded at the Holy Landings Creator Retreat in Washington, DC.

Explore the Academy of the Bible ➡️ https://academyofthebible.org

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In this episode Doug talks with his good friend Dustin Rivenbark about their recent trip to Rikers Island to preach the gospel and minister across 4 different jails. Dustin shares some powerful testimonies of their time in the jails and also some of the messages that were shared with the men! We pray this conversation blesses you and encourages you to follow Jesus and tell others about Him! All glory to God!

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Most people wait to feel motivated before returning to God. Dayne Kamela says that's backwards. Here's what actually works.

Dayne Kamela is an entrepreneur, content creator, and author who has spent over a decade building his life around prayer. He's been healed from a mental illness with no physical cure, built an audience through daily public prayer on social media, and written two books, including his latest 60-day devotional, "The Devil Hates This Prayer."

In this conversation with Doug Elks, Dayne opens up about going through knee surgery last year and how it disrupted his spiritual routine in ways he didn't expect. What started as forced stillness became a case study in what it actually takes to rebuild a prayer life from scratch.

They talk about why so much of the church feels spiritually weary right now, why faith is a daily decision and not an emotion, and how remembering what God has already done is one of the most underused tools believers have.

Doug shares a story from a night in Mexico City before preaching, when every anxious thought hit him at once. What happened at 5am the next morning changed how he understood God's faithfulness.

Dayne's first book, "Choose Prayer Not Despair," was built around Philippians 4:6-7. His newest, "The Devil Hates This Prayer," works through 60 of the most common lies people believe about themselves and arms readers with Scripture to pray over each one.

This is a conversation about what it looks like to keep showing up for God on the hard days, not just the electric ones.

Watch the episode on YouTube here ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@Dougelks

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In this episode Doug answers questions that were sent in from individuals. The questions range from boldness to burnout, favorite country to evangelize in, how God answers our prayers differently, and more.

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It made no sense on paper: a sick newborn, no savings, no home waiting. Pastor Bobby Chandler moved his family across the country on faith alone, and explains what real risk actually looks like.

Bobby Chandler is the founding pastor of Authentic Church in Hickory, North Carolina. He and Doug talk about what it costs to move by faith: leaving Louisiana with a daughter who needed surgery just to breathe, starting a church in a backyard on Facebook Live, and learning that faith always means risking something you can't get back.

They dig into the Abraham story as the blueprint for faith without guarantees, why patience matters more than we want it to, the comparison trap of chasing followers instead of God's approval, and how to guard your heart in a culture built to hijack it. This is a conversation about worldview, conviction, and what it actually costs to follow God into the unknown.

Whether you're standing at a decision that doesn't make sense on paper, or just wondering if you've gotten too comfortable, this episode speaks to that.

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In this episode of the podcast, Doug teaches through Philippians 2 on the topic of humility! He breaks down how following the example of Jesus should cause believers to live humble lives that lead to service, sacrifice, and surrender!

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He won a Stanley Cup and Olympic gold in the same year, and says neither one filled him. Here is what actually did.

Jaccob Slavin is one of the NHL's most respected defensemen: an 11-year Carolina Hurricane, a 2026 Stanley Cup champion, and an Olympic gold medalist with Team USA. On paper he reached the top of his sport in every category in a single season. In this conversation with Doug Elks, he opens up about the part nobody sees: an injury that nearly ended his season before it started, the quiet pressure of performing for everyone's approval, and the difference between happiness that comes from a win and joy that a win can never touch.

Doug and Jaccob get honest about identity, the trap of tying your worth to your results, and why the verse Jaccob opened to as a nervous 21-year-old rookie still steadies him today. They talk discipline that flows from love instead of fear, keeping a real routine when life is chaotic, marriage and adoption, and holding everything you have with open hands.

If you have ever gotten the thing you chased and felt strangely empty afterward, this one is for you. It closes with Doug sharing the good news of Jesus and a moment to respond wherever you are.

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In this episode Doug shares on the topic of HOPE! When our hope is in Jesus, He changes us now and what is to come! He offers joy and peace in our present moments while also giving us assurance of our enteral life with Him! Please join us at the Festival of Hope in Monroe, GA taking place Sept 20-23rd!

The mission of Doug Elks Ministries is to boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and win souls all over the world in person, digitally, and by any means possible to the glory of God!

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Three brothers posted one video from their mom's phone and woke up to 100,000 views. No hooks, no strategy, no chasing the algorithm.

Kaden, Till, and Gage Helms are triplets, Division 1 wrestlers at Gardner-Webb University, and the faces behind 3n1 Trilogy, a Gen Z content account with a following near 900,000. It started with one video from their mom's phone that hit 100,000 views overnight, and it grew from there. In this conversation with Doug Elks, they talk honestly about what it actually cost to get here, and why the numbers were never the point.

They open up about a health scare that nearly took one of them, a wrestling loss that broke Kaden's whole idea of who he was, and the moment God asked him a question he couldn't shake: "Are you here for Me, or are you here for you?" They talk about walking away from social media at their peak, trusting that reach and meaning don't come from a hook or a strategy, and why comparison quietly steals the joy out of everything.

This is a conversation about faith, identity, and what it looks like to stay grounded when the world is watching. Whether you follow Jesus or you're just curious what these three actually believe, there's something here worth sitting with.

Donate to the Doug Elks Ministries - One Time or Monthly (tax deductible)Visit ➡️ https://www.dougelks.com/donate

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In today’s episode Doug shares some reflections on his recent ordination as a minister of the gospel through the Summit Church. He shares a testimony and story of the first door God opened to preach in the ministry and the lessons he learned from it. He also gives a ministry update about what God has done since that day and calls for prayer requests!

The mission of Doug Elks Ministries is to boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and win souls all over the world in person, digitally, and by any means possible to the glory of God!

Donate to DOUG ELKS MINISTRIES One-Time or Monthly! (TAX DEDUCTIBLE)

Visit ➡️ https://www.dougelks.com/donate

Join the Kingdom Partners ➡️ https://www.dougelks.com/kingdompartners

Book Doug to Preach ➡️ https://www.dougelks.com/bookingform

Doug's Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/dougelks/

Doug's TikTok ➡️ https://www.tiktok.com/@dougelks

Doug Elks Ministries Instagram ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/dougelksministries/