If people depend on you… This episode is for you.

In this conversation with Jamin Rathbun, we talk about the hidden weight carried by high-capacity people, leaders, parents, business owners, coaches, pastors, and the “steady ones” everyone else relies on.

Why do the most responsible people often have no one responsible for them?

We unpack:

• The pressure of being the reliable one

• Why strong people quietly burn out

• What pastoral care actually means

• Why busyness can be avoidance

• The difference between having friends and being truly known

• How to build a life that can hold the weight you’re carrying

This isn’t about weakness.

It’s about wisdom.

You can be competent and still need care.

You can be strong and still need support.

And if no one is checking on your soul… it might be time to ask why.

There are moments in life that change everything.

In this episode of The Pulpit & Porch, we sit down with Jennifer Schoondyk from Karis Heart Foundation to talk about loss, faith, and what it looks like to move forward when your world has been shaken.

Jennifer shares the story behind Karis Heart Foundation and how tragedy became a calling. This is not just a conversation about grief, it’s about purpose, community, and how God can redeem even the most painful chapters of our story.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• How do you keep your faith when life doesn’t make sense?

• What does healing actually look like?

• Can something beautiful come from something devastating?

Pull up a chair. Grab a glass of sweet tea. This is a front-porch conversation you won’t forget.

About Karis Heart Foundation

Karis Heart Foundation exists to honor Karis’ life by supporting families and spreading hope through tangible acts of love and service.

Learn more or connect:

https://karisheartfoundation.org

[email protected]

The Pulpit & Porch Podcast

Honest conversations about life, faith, leadership, and purpose — all from a Christian worldview.

Subscribe & share with someone who needs this story.

This week, we’re back with our annual Super Bowl follow-up, the one episode everyone seems to want to talk about the next day, whether they watched the game or not.

We’ll unpack:

The game itself - not just the score, but what it reveals about how connected we get to sports and story.

The commercials - the mini cultural sermons that tell us a lot about what brands think will move us, shape us, and define shared moments. 

The halftime show - including the conversation around Bad Bunny’s performance that drew massive viewership and equally massive debate about culture, identity, and artistry. 

A look at the alternative halftime event (Turning Point USA’s show) and what it says about cultural fragmentation and audiences self-sorting. 

We’re not just reacting, we’re unpacking what these moments say about us, what we celebrate, what we defend, and what we consume. Whether you loved it, hated it, or couldn’t care less, there’s something here for you.

Pull up a chair… this one’s fun, thoughtful, and maybe a little controversial.

Subscribe, drop a review, and share it with someone who needs to have this conversation too.

#SuperBowl #HalftimeShow #BadBunny #SuperBowlCommercials #CultureChat #Podcast

This week didn’t go according to plan.

A foot of snow.

Roads shut down.

Driveway blocked.

Guest canceled.

Momentum paused.

And it got us thinking…

What happens when life slams on the brakes and you don’t get a vote?

In this episode, we talk about forced pauses, the ones we didn’t schedule and wouldn’t have chosen. The moments when plans stall, control slips, and we’re left sitting still whether we like it or not.

We unpack:

• Why we resist slowing down

• What stillness reveals that busyness hides

• How pauses can recalibrate what actually matters

• And how to re-enter life differently when the road opens back up

Sometimes the delay isn’t a punishment.

Sometimes it’s protection.

Sometimes it’s preparation.

If you’re feeling stuck, snowed in, delayed, or just tired of pushing, this conversation is for you.

Pull up a chair.

If this episode encouraged you:

• Subscribe

• Leave a review

• Share it with someone who might need permission to slow down

We’ll see you next week, right here on

The Pulpit & Porch.

#FaithInRealLife #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #ChristianPodcast #SlowingDown #PurposeInThePause

Most people don’t fail because they’re unqualified.

They fail because they never start.

In this episode of The Pulpit & Porch Podcast, we sit down with Dylan Shelton to talk about the courage it takes to take the first step, especially when you don’t feel ready, equipped, or certain about the outcome.

We talk about:

• Why waiting for “perfect timing” is usually just fear in disguise

• What actually happens when you take the first step before you feel ready

• The quiet momentum that comes from obedience over confidence

• Why starting small can still change everything

This is a front-porch conversation for anyone who’s been stuck in the almost, the someday, or the what-if. If you’ve been waiting for permission, clarity, or a sign, this might be it.

So… why not start?

Connect with Dylan Shelton & Mobile Ministries

Instagram: @Mobileministries1

TikTok: @mobile.ministries

YouTube: @mobileministries1

Connect with The Pulpit & Porch Podcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pulpitandporch

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulpitandporch/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePulpitandPorch

If this conversation encouraged you, challenged you, or gave you the nudge you needed, share it with a friend and join us back on the porch next week.

This week on The Pulpit & Porch, we sit down with Brett Catrett, a business owner, husband, and dad who lives his life on mission, even when the road takes unexpected turns.

What started as an RV adventure and homeschooling journey turned into a surprising calling to East Tennessee. Then came business struggles, a difficult move back to Florida, and eventually… a return to the very place God first stirred their hearts.

In this conversation, Brett shares what it looks like to walk in faith when obedience doesn’t lead to easy answers, how purpose is shaped through setbacks, and why God often uses detours to deepen our trust.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Did I hear God right?

• What if obedience costs more than I expected?

• Can purpose survive disappointment?

This episode is for you.

Pull up a chair, grab some sweet tea, and join us for a real, honest conversation about faith, calling, and trusting God with every chapter of your story.

#ThePulpitAndPorch#FaithJourney#CallingAndPurpose#ChristianPodcast#LivingOnMission#RealFaith#FrontPorchConversations

In Part 1, we talked about how not every moment becomes a story, but in Part 2, we go deeper.

This episode is all about the truth beneath the event. The part we usually skip. The part that makes us uncomfortable. The part that actually changes us.

Tony unpacks how real stories aren’t built on what happened, but on what was revealed about ourselves, our faith, and the way God shapes us through everyday moments. We talk about why some stories fall flat, how reflection gives our experiences meaning, and why Jesus taught with stories instead of explanations.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your story matters…

If you’ve ever rushed past the hard part to get to the lesson…

If you’ve ever felt like your story wasn’t “big enough”…

This conversation is for you.

Pull up a chair, grab some sweet tea, and let’s talk about the story beneath the story.

#ThePulpitAndPorch#FindingTheKernelOfTruth#FaithAndStories#ChristianPodcast#Storytelling#FrontPorchFaith#RealConversations#FaithInRealLife

Most of us think the story is the event.

The trip. The moment. The experience.

But what if the real story isn’t what happened…

It’s what it revealed?

In Part One of this conversation, Robert puts Tony in the hot seat to talk about why some stories stick with us, and others fade fast. They unpack the difference between an account and a story, explore what Tony calls the “colonel of truth,” and wrestle with why meaning isn’t found in the moment itself, but in what it changes inside us.

Along the way, they hit on vulnerability, reflection, faith, and why the most powerful stories usually cost the teller something. Plus, they bring back the fan-favorite Porch Picks segment with a mix of laugh-out-loud takes and “wait… that actually hit” moments.

Pull up a chair.

The porch is open.

#ThePulpitAndPorch #FrontPorchFaith #StorytellingMatters #FaithAndLife #ChristianPodcast #TruthOrTrash #RealTalk #FaithConversations #MeaningOverMoments #PorchTalk

As the new year begins and the noise quiets, we do something that feels both rare and necessary: we pause.

In this episode of The Pulpit & Porch, we take a look back with gratitude. Not a highlight reel. Not a victory lap. Just an honest reflection on what this year gave us, what it took from us, and what it taught us along the way.

We talk about the moments worth celebrating, the lessons we didn’t ask for, and why gratitude isn’t about pretending everything was good, but recognizing that God was present in all of it. We also share how this season of reflection is shaping the direction of the show, the conversations ahead, and why we believe these front-porch conversations matter now more than ever.

Grab a cup of coffee.

Take a seat on the porch.

Let’s look back with gratitude, and forward with hope.

#ThePulpitAndPorch,#LookingBackWithGratitude,#EndOfYearReflection,#FaithAndLife,#ChristianPodcast,#GratitudePractice,#ReflectAndReset,#FrontPorchConversations,#FaithInEverydayLife,#HopeForTheNewYear

Christmas is technically over…

but the feelings aren’t.

The decorations are still up.

The house is quieter.

And we’re left in that strange space between what was and what’s next.

In this porch conversation, we go back to the Christmas TV specials many of us grew up with, not for nostalgia, but for meaning.

Charlie Brown.

The Grinch.

Rudolph.

Why do these stories still resonate after the gifts are opened?

Why does Linus drop the blanket at “Fear not”, and then use that same blanket to hold together a broken little tree?

And what do these simple stories teach us about fear, fragility, and hope as we stand on the edge of a new year?

This episode is for the quiet week after Christmas.

For the tired ones.

For the reflective ones.

For anyone who knows the magic fades, but the meaning doesn’t.

Pull up a chair.

Let’s talk about the stories that still preach, especially when the season winds down.

#ChristianPodcast #FaithInCulture #ChristmasStories #CharlieBrownChristmas #MeaningfulConversations