📝 Free Church Culture Assessment: How is your church doing in these 6 core areas? https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchhealth

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Leadership is hard. And confronting the elephants in the room—the inappropriate behaviors, unhealthy patterns, and unresolved tensions we all want to ignore—is even harder.

In today’s episode, I’ll share why true leaders must resist the temptation to avoid these challenges, and why doing so is essential for real discipleship and healthy leadership development. You’ll hear stories from my own failures, lessons from decades of ministry, and biblical wisdom that calls us to courageous, loving leadership.

We’ll talk about why confronting elephants is messy, time-consuming, and uncomfortable—but why it’s also the only way to build a spiritually vibrant, emotionally healthy community. You’ll walk away with hope, a greater sense of purpose, and practical first steps you can take right now.

If you want your church culture to reflect Jesus instead of toxic patterns, this episode is for you.

Don’t miss Part 2, where we’ll go even deeper into why this work is critical for your joy, peace, and lasting fruit.

📝 Free Church Culture Assessment: How is your church doing in these 6 core areas? https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchhealth

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After decades of leadership, I’ve walked through two major successions—first as Lead Pastor of New Life Fellowship Church, and now, as President of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship. In today’s episode, I pull back the curtain on what I’ve learned about leadership transitions—not from a textbook, but from the trenches.

Healthy transitions are rare. And they don’t happen by accident. They require deep inner work, Spirit-led discernment, and a long view that stretches beyond your lifetime. Whether you’re handing over a pulpit, a nonprofit, or a small group, the principles are the same.

In this conversation, I share seven lessons that make—or break—a leadership transition, why emotional maturity is non-negotiable, and how Jesus models the kind of surrender we’re all invited into. This isn’t just theory. This is about stewarding your life, your leadership, and your legacy—God’s way.

If you care about the future of your ministry, you need this episode.

Dig deeper by going through the book Emotionally Healthy Leader. Get the book and discussion guide here. This book was written to help you lead from a deep, inner life with God.

👉 Take the free EHD Maturity Assessment: emotionallyhealthy.org/mature

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Most pastors and leaders are trained to preach, strategize, and serve—but few are ever taught how to lead from a deeply anchored, differentiated self. And yet, this is the foundation for every healthy team and ministry.

In today’s episode, I unpack one of the most overlooked killers of team health and mission: low differentiation. Drawing from Family Systems Theory, the leadership of David and Jesus, and my own hard-earned lessons over decades, I’ll share four critical reasons why low differentiation sabotages your team—and what you can do about it.

When leaders overfunction, avoid hard conversations, or build their identity on others’ approval, it fractures their soul and destabilizes the team. But when you lead from a solid self—rooted in God, not the demands around you—you raise the maturity level of everyone around you.

This is the crucible of spiritual leadership: becoming yourself in Christ, for the sake of others.

Listen in. It may change how you lead forever.

📝 Free Church Culture Assessment: How is your church doing in these 6 core areas? https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/churchhealth

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Are you leading out of true power—or false power?

Far too often, we mistake activity for effectiveness, urgency for wisdom, and influence for true authority. When we operate out of false power—power rooted in our own ambition, hurry, or need for approval—we’re actually moving backward, not forward. We might look like we’re leading well, but deep inside, something is off. Anxiety rises, peace disappears, and we start measuring success by numbers instead of names, by comparison instead of calling.

In this episode, I unpack five countercultural ways to guard your heart and leadership against the trap of false power. We look at Paul’s struggle with the “super-apostles” and how weakness—not strength—is the pathway to true kingdom power. We explore why embracing slowness, humility, and deep discernment is the only way to keep your leadership aligned with Jesus.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted, driven, or subtly addicted to success—this episode is for you. True power is found in surrender. Let’s learn to lead from a different kind of strength.

⚡FREE WEBINAR: Join us for our next webinar – How to Build an Emotionally Healthy Church from the Ground Up – https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/webinar/

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Too many pastors and leaders get caught in a subtle but deadly trap—chasing a form of power that looks impressive on the outside but leaves us spiritually hollow. It’s a trap Paul confronted head-on when facing the so-called “super-apostles” of his day. They flaunted their visions, eloquence, and achievements, yet Paul boldly declared that true power is found in weakness.

In this episode of The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, we begin a two-part conversation on five ways to avoid the trap of false power. You’ll discover why weakness isn’t a liability in leadership—it’s a requirement.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing more than God asked of you—this episode is for you. The way forward isn’t about working harder or proving yourself. It’s about letting God’s power be made perfect in your weakness.

Listen now. And don’t forget to register for our upcoming webinar: How to Build an Emotionally Healthy Church from the Ground Up on March 12 at 4 PM ET.

📍 DOWNLOAD FREE E-BOOK: “LeaderShift” - Discover the 8 Pivotal Breakthroughs of Emotionally Healthy Leaders https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/leadershift

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In leadership, weakness is often seen as a liability. A roadblock. Something to overcome. But what if weakness is actually the platform for God's power in your life?

In this episode, we continue exploring one of the most misunderstood and countercultural truths of the gospel—God’s power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). The world—and even much of the church—chases after strength, size, eloquence, and success. But Paul’s life and leadership tell a different story. The super-apostles of Corinth flaunted their credentials, spiritual gifts, and influence. Paul? He boasted in his suffering, his limits, his thorn in the flesh—because that was where the power of Christ rested on him.

As leaders, we often think, If only I were stronger, more gifted, more influential… But what if God’s way isn’t about making us stronger but about making us weaker, so His power can be revealed?

Join me as we dive deep into this paradox that could transform your leadership—and your life.

📍 GET FREE E-BOOK: “Ancient Disciplemaking” - Your quick start guide to reclaiming the last 2,000 years of church history. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/ancient

Most pastors and church leaders wrestle with this question: How do we measure success if not by numbers?

For the next two episodes, we’re diving into one of the most radical truths of the gospel—that God’s power is made perfect not in our strengths, but in our weaknesses. Paul lived this. He was battered, abandoned, mocked, even questioned as a true apostle. Yet, it was precisely in his weakness that God’s power was most fully displayed.

This isn’t just theological. It’s deeply personal. I’ve spent my whole life trying to overcome my weaknesses. But what if they were never obstacles to success—what if they were the very platform for God’s power?

Join me as we unpack this paradigm-shifting truth, straight from 2 Corinthians 10-13.

📖 FREE E-BOOK: “Ancient Disciplemaking” - Your quick start guide to understanding the last 2,000 years of church history. https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/ancient

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In today’s episode, we’re stepping into the rich, untapped wisdom of church history. As modern Christian leaders, many of us unknowingly skip over a critical part of our spiritual heritage—believing God’s work jumped straight from the Book of Acts to the Reformation or Azusa Street. This way of thinking has left us with shallow discipleship and an anemic church.

It’s time to reclaim the “genogram” of the church. Together, we’ll explore the first 1,000 years of Christian history, learn from the four major branches of the global church, and discover how ancient practices like silence, stillness, and grief can transform the way we lead and disciple others.

We’ll also address blind spots in our evangelical tradition and the immense lessons we can glean from brothers and sisters across time and culture. The past isn’t just history—it’s alive, shaping us even today.

Ready to strengthen your leadership and rediscover an ancient path to disciple-making? Download our free eBook at emotionallyhealthy.org/ancient and take your next step toward a deeper, transformative faith.