The Watching World

In this episode, Les Norman chats with special guest host Cathy Erickson about grief. Cathy is a grief coach and the leader of Abundant Life's GriefShare group. Cathy became a widow after forty-six wonderful years of marriage to her husband Dan.

After Dan passed, Cathy attended GriefShare and found comfort for her grief. She went through two rounds before she was asked to lead GriefShare. Now she is so thankful for the opportunity and responsibility of helping others through their tragedies.

If you're grieving, Cathy found hope in Jeremiah 29:11: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

Even when you feel like you can't go on, God is not done with you.

Connecting with people you trust, who can help you through this time, is also important. GriefShare provides a safe place to talk through your feelings and connect with others experiencing grief. Visit the Abundant Life website for details and meeting times.

Abundant Life

https://livingproof.co

In this episode, special guests Ryan and Megan McGaughey share their journey through the foster-to-adopt process, the challenges and rewards they’ve faced along the way, and an exciting new ministry coming to Abundant Life.

James 1:27 says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Adoption is a calling and another way to share the love of Jesus.

If you feel led toward this calling, the McGaugheys encourage you to pray about this choice constantly, connect with others in the adoption community, and learn about the process as much as you can.

Bringing new children home can present many unexpected challenges. Some of these children have faced trauma and do not trust adults. Your relationship with your spouse and other children may be stretched as well. Finding a Christian licensed counselor can be a valuable resource to help with this transition.

Are you considering adoption or looking for more support? Abundant Life has exciting plans to launch a foster/adopt ministry soon. Visit the Abundant Life website to sign up for the upcoming interest meeting on November 20th, at 1:00pm.

Abundant Life Family Ministry: Foster/Adopt

https://livingproof.co/ministry/family/

Abundant Life Counseling Center

https://livingproof.co/ministry/counseling/

In this episode, guest Jenna Doll shares a valuable evangelism tool: the My SharePal app. Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This is our great commission, yet according to a recent study, less than 2% of believers share the gospel. Of that group, 95% have never led someone to Jesus.

Jenna and her family have a heart for evangelism. They created My SharePal to help believers share their faith confidently and clearly in a conversational way.

The app takes you through the evangelism process step-by-step. First, it prompts you to ask questions that encourage a spiritual conversation. These questions will help understand the person you’re sharing the gospel with and show that you care about their opinion. Next, the app displays scripture that reveals different aspects of the gospel. Jenna says this is important because it keeps your conversation on point and doesn’t bog it down with your own opinions. Finally, the app gives you closing questions and a prayer if the person is ready to accept Christ. My SharePal also features evangelism training and community features.

If you're nervous about sharing your faith or aren't sure how to, check out My SharePal. You can visit the website to learn more or download the app on the Apple or Google Play store.

My SharePal

https://mysharepal.com

Abundant Life

https://livingproof.co

In this episode, a couple preparing to serve overseas shares their journey to faith and how the Lord called them into international missions.

Acts 1:8 tells us, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

While this couple was involved in a thriving ministry in the United States, neither considered becoming international missionaries. Recently, God broke their hearts for a section of the world without access to the gospel. He led them to interact with locals who hadn’t even heard of Jesus Christ.

At first, they were uncertain if this was really God’s calling. They decided to inventory the idols in their lives or the things that hindered their growth in Christ. Soon after, the Lord opened the door and their plans finalized.

While not everyone is called to become a missionary, they encourage us to look at our lives and see what gets in the way of our relationship with Jesus. Ask what keeps us from obedience when God’s command is difficult to follow.

This young couple asks for prayer moving forward. They want us to pray that the Lord will be with them, their marriage, and the people that they share the gospel with.

Abundant Life

https://livingproof.co

Three out of four students in public schools are unchurched.The students brave enough to share their faith are often called names or victimized. In this episode, special guest hosts Season Tingler and Stephen Summit introduce us to First Priority of America, a nationwide organization dedicated to taking the hope of Christ to every student. First Priority educates, trains, and provides resources for students who want to legally form clubs and share the gospel with unbelieving students on the public school campus.

First Priority is gospel-oriented, student-led, strategy-based, and exists to unite and partner with the church. Their goal is to funnel students from the club into the local churches.

To do this, students in the First Priority club go through the EPIC program (Equip, Prepare, Invite, and Connect). During weeks one and two, students learn effective evangelism techniques and how to share their testimony with their peers. For the third week, students invite their friends to visit the club. This week is the “secret sauce” because it allows members to share their faith and opens the door for unbelieving students to hear the gospel from a friend. Connect week helps new believers find the churches they need to grow in their faith and be discipled.

First Priority recently opened operations in the Kansas City area. If you’re interested in starting a club or you’d like to learn more about additional partnership opportunities, contact either Season or Stephen.

First Priority of America

https://firstpriority.club/kansascity

Abundant Life

https://livingproof.co

Welcome to part 2 of our interview with guest host Debbie Stiegler. Debbie is the Executive Director of Ministry at Abundant Life and the author of Beyond Survival: Finding Hope, Healing, and Happiness After Any Setback Because Surviving Isn’t Enough. After experiencing several losses herself, Debbie wrote Beyond Survival to help others learn how to thrive after tragedy. In the previous episode, we talked about key topics from her book, like owning your story and finding a purpose in your pain.

In this final episode, Debbie shares how we can overcome bitterness after a loss, find soul prosperity, and gain perspective with our story so we can impact others.

Remember that your loss does not define you. It is part of a portrait that God sees from His seat. He uses the journey of your life to impact others, not the destination. Sometimes we go through painful detours, but if we yield to God, He will get us to our ultimate destination.

If you’d like to grab a copy of Debbie’s book, Beyond Survival: Finding Hope, Healing, and Happiness After Any Setback Because Surviving Isn’t Enough releases August 28th. Visit her website for more information.

Debbie Stiegler

https://debbiestiegler.com

Abundant Life

https://livingproof.co

In part one of this two-part series, guest host Debbie Stiegler walks us through finding purpose and hope in the face of hardship. Debbie is the executive director of ministry at Abundant Life and the author of Beyond Survival: How to Find Hope, Healing, and Happiness After Any Setback Because Surviving Isn’t Enough.

Debbie never saw herself as an author, but as she faced several difficult circumstances over the years, she began to take notes on the lessons the Lord taught her. She believed that there had to be a purpose for her pain. In a season when she felt buried, she realized that God was planting her and growing her into what He needed her to be.

To survive a difficult incident, sometimes we must unbecome who we are so we can become who God ultimately wants us to be. After surviving this tragedy, we might feel stuck. Gracefully moving past who were is the mark of a mature person whose heart is longer broken into pieces. Through God, we can move from survival mode into overcoming mode.

Beyond Survival releases on August 28th. To learn more about Debbie or her upcoming books, check out her website below.

Debbie Stiegler

https://debbiestiegler.com

Abundant Life

https://livingproof.co