What if the thing God is asking you to build isn't a wall?

In Nehemiah 8, the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt—but the people still needed something deeper. They gathered together, stood together, listened to God's Word, and began to understand what God was doing in them.

For those who wear the badge, answer the radio, respond to the call, or serve on the front lines, there's a lesson here:

You can spend your life protecting structures while God is calling you to help build people.

The job isn't just about holding the line. It's about who you're becoming while you stand there. It's about the people beside you. It's about the people coming behind you. And ultimately, it's about allowing God's Word to shape the way you lead, serve, respond, and live.

We're building people instead of walls.

Join Chaplains Potter, Stephenson, Hughes & Investigator Brady on this week's Digital Ride Along as we walk through Nehemiah 8 and ask what it means to stand tall while God is building something bigger through you!

Everyone walks through dark valleys.

For law enforcement officers and first responders, those valleys can come in many forms—critical incidents, officer deaths, traumatic calls, difficult scenes, loss, burnout, family struggles, and the personal battles that often remain hidden behind the badge.

In Season 3, Episode 2 of The SHIELD Armory, we walk through Psalm 23 and take an honest look at what it means to walk through the darkest seasons of life. We talk about the things our officers and first responders experience, the weight they carry, and the importance of taking care of ourselves along the way.

But Psalm 23 reminds us that the valley is not the end of the story.

God doesn't promise that we will never walk through dark places. He promises that He will be with us in the midst of them. We are never abandoned, never forgotten, and never alone.

When the calls are hard, when the memories don't go away, when we experience loss, and when life outside the uniform becomes overwhelming, the Good Shepherd is still there.

Join us as we walk through Psalm 23 and discover what it means to keep moving through the valley—not because the valley isn't dark, but because God is with us every step of the way.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” — Psalm 23:4

Welcome to Season 3 of The SHIELD Armory Podcast!

It's hard to believe that 2 seasons are already done and we are now entering this new season. Along with that, after talking with officers about the previous seasons, we had quite a few requests for something specific.

More officers are specifically requesting to know how the Bible and Faith intersects with their calling as a Police Officer.

Needless to say, we are so excited to get these questions and to be able to dive into that truth during this season of The SHIELD Armory.

Here on Episode 1, we are looking at the life of Joshua. We specifically look at the truth that, "Courage isn't the absence of fear." It's totally normal that courage and fear can live in the same space. It's normal to be courageous but to have fear and we see that specifically in the life of Joshua.

Join Chaplains Potter, Stephenson, Hughes and a new 4th Voice at the table this season: Investigator Ryan Brady with the Roanoke City Police Department. We can't wait to sit down with you and talk about what it means to live these truths out on the job!

In January of 2025, SHIELD Chaplaincy was requested, by mutual aid of Virginia State Police, to respond and assist at Regan National Airport during the incident involving the crash between an American Airlines Jet and a Military Blackhawk Helicopter.

As a result of our service during that tragic time, our team was requested to come and share about our experience serving alongside of over 90 different agencies there, as well as the things we learned that could be helpful to others as we all continue to prepare ourselves for large scale incidents we could potentially face.

Join in and listen LIVE with Chaplains Stephenson and Hughes as they share with those attending the 2025 Virginia CIT Conference at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, VA.

Sleep....it's a rare commodity in the Law Enforcement and First Responder World. Long shifts, overtime, special events, and many other things make it anything other than easy to get sleep.

This is where our guest on this episode comes in! Meet Jennifer Boileau!

She is a Mindfulness Coach who specializes in helping Law Enforcement and First Responders learn practical ways to help them start sleeping again, slowing down their minds, lowering stress levels and more!

In this episode of the SHIELD Armory, Chaplains Potter, Stephenson and Hughes sit down with Jennifer to learn practical ways to help get to sleep, stay asleep and make that an everyday habit.

Along with all the advice she's given us, she has also sent some resources to hopefully help you as you continue in your career. Simply click on any of the resources below to have full access to what she's shared.

Progressive muscle relaxation: https://on.soundcloud.com/7lFWuz180UO937QW9d

iRest for sleep support: https://on.soundcloud.com/pPQaYKle5dKOZHl6QB

iRest for sleep: https://on.soundcloud.com/8vWn9hokm9rffKYqjl

Let's face it...law enforcement officers are put into situations that others could never dream of or will never experience. One of the worst situations they could ever find themselves in is the moment that lethal force becomes necessary.

The use of lethal force is something that every officer knows comes with the job. It's something they must work out in their mind and heart long before graduating the police academy and stepping foot in a patrol car.

In this episode, Chaplains Potter, Stephenson and Hughes sit down to have a very candid conversation about the moral and biblical case for the use of lethal force. Join them now and take a listen as they process this in ways you might not expect.

Let's face it, most people who enter the world of Law Enforcement do so with the plans to retire from that career one day. While retirement may be a long ways off, it's still the plan and one that preparations are starting to be made for on day one.

However, what happens when things don't go the way you plan? What happens when there is a detour and your long-term plan doesn't unfold the way you thought it would.

For Patrick Perkins, that is exactly what happened. Law Enforcement, the military...those were his plans for a career. However, when unexpected and unplanned physical injuries showed up, it became apparent that finishing those careers and retiring from them were not possible.

Join Chaplains Potter, Stephenson and Hughes as they sit down with everyone's favorite photographer, Patrick Perkins. Hear his story about how he not only learned how to deal with the injuries, but how a new plan for his life has given him both hope and purpose. Maybe, just maybe, you'll see that the same thing is possible for you if you were to ever find yourself in similar shoes.

Let's face it...in the Law Enforcement world, there has been a stigma for years when it comes to mental health. No one has wanted to talk about it....no one has wanted to deal with it...and everyone was afraid if they did, their career would be over.

Those days are over!

The world we live in now is much different. The resources available, the conversation around it and the willingness to get those who need it help is far greater than it's ever been.

In this episode, Sgt. Stephen Foutz of the Roanoke County Police Department opens up about his journey with mental health, depression and his path to healing as a way to bring hope to others who may be dealing with this silent battle within.

Join Chaplains Potter, Stephenson and Hughes for this episode and a very vulnerable conversation that could be the very starting point for the healing you, or someone you know, may need.

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!! THE EPISODE EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAITING ON!!!!

We truly believe that this will be our most listened to episode to date!

While our Chaplains may not be officers, we work anything other than normal schedules, we spend countless hours in patrol cars standing shoulder to shoulder with the men and women who wear the uniform. We carry the weight of the world as we shoulder the needs of our families, as well carrying the weight of many others.

And just like you, we have wives waiting at home for our safe arrival, who are making dinner that will be waiting for us when we get home, who are taking the kids from place to place.

Join Chaplain Hughes as he sits down with Melanie Potter, Courtney Stephenson and Amber Hughes for a very honest and raw conversation. In that you will hear them talk about things such as:

-The wives love for the spouses of officers, dispatchers and first responders.

-The weight they carry as they walk beside of their Chaplain husbands

-Get the inside scoop on what life is like for them

-Much MUCH more!

If you are serving and have a spouse at home, we want to encourage you to share this with them!

Police Officers stand out...the uniform, the badge, the radio and all of the other equipment you wear makes it very obvious who you are.

But, there is someone just as important who isn't as easily seen: the spouses at home waiting for you to walk through the door so they can breathe a sigh of relief that you're safe.

While officers carry the weight of the calls for service, your spouse carries a different kind of weight.

In this 2 part series, we will hear from two different LEO spouses, who sit down and open up about what it's like for them as they spend a lot of time away from their spouse, the toll it takes when they hear about critical incidents but haven't heard from their loved ones yet and much more.

Join in with Chaplains Potter, Stephenson and Hughes as they sit down for a very candid conversation with Aaron Doyle, the husband of Officer Lindsey Wyatt of Roanoke PD.