LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 333: WHEN THE KNIFE GOES DEEP
When betrayal comes from someone close, it cuts in a way nothing else does. Betrayal isn’t a scratch . . . it often creates a deep wound. And in those moments, forgiveness can feel like surrendering the case, like letting them win. But it’s not. Forgiveness is...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 332: THE FOUR SKILLS EVERY PASTOR NEEDS TO DEVELOP
Many pastors were trained primarily to preach and teach. Some were also equipped to provide pastoral care. But in today’s ministry environment, faithful and effective pastoral leadership needs something more. Pastors are increasingly called to live at the intersection...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 331: LEADING IN AN AGE OF OUTRAGE
Coming back from vacation should mean easing back into rhythm—but instead, I walked into six or seven different crises. Different churches, different situations, but the same underlying reality: people are angry. Boards are tense. Congregational conversations escalate...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 330: BEACH CHAIRS & BREAKTHROUGHS
Earlier this year, Laura and John were given the rare gift of three uninterrupted weeks away. They rented a condo on the ocean, where each morning began with coffee on the balcony and the sun rising over the Atlantic, the steady rhythm of the waves setting the pace...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 329: DELEGATION TIPS & TRAPS
Sharing the ministry load doesn’t always come naturally to a pastor. And if you’re both a pastor and a perfectionist, you’ve got double trouble. It’s easy to fall into familiar thoughts like, “No one can do this as well as I can,” or “It’s just faster if I do this...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 328 – THREE TRUTHS EVERY PASTOR MUST UNDERSTAND
Leading a church can be one of the most meaningful callings in the world—but it can also quietly cost you the very things God never intended you to lose. In this episode, we’re narrowing the noise down to three truths every lead pastor must understand to stay healthy...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 327: WHY PASTORS DON’T ASK FOR HELP
Pastors and church staff regularly call others into community, vulnerability, and asking for help—but many of us struggle to live that out ourselves. The expectations are high, the roles are visible, and the pressure to stay strong can quietly lead to isolation. In...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 326: 3 QUESTIONS TO RESOLVE DISPUTABLE MATTERS
In Paul’s letter to the Romans and his first letter to the Corinthian church, he spends a significant amount of time addressing what he calls disputable matters—those behaviors and choices that aren’t clearly spelled out in Scripture. For many lead pastors, this...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 325: WHEN LIFE & LEADERSHIP DISAPPOINT
What do you do when the season you’re living in looks nothing like the one you prayed for? When your personal life, your ministry life—or both—feel swallowed by disappointment? Life doesn’t always unfold the way we envision, but that doesn’t mean hope is off...
Leading From Alignment Podcast Episode 324: Radical Unavailability – An Interview with Michael Forney
Pastors, ever feel like your phone has a spiritual gift for ringing at the worst possible moment? In this episode, we dive into the holy art of becoming—brace yourself—radically unavailable. Yes, we’re talking about saying “no,” ignoring notifications, and trusting...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 323: SHORT-TERM OR LONG-TERM PAIN?
Fractured relationships may heal when we address them—and sometimes they won’t. But either way, their grip on our health begins to break the moment we stop punting. In today’s episode, we explore how unresolved tension shapes leaders, how to face hard conversations...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 322: THE TWO HATS EVERY LEADER WEARS
In ministry, every pastor wears two essential hats: the shepherd and the leader. Jesus modeled this perfectly—coming “full of grace and truth”—and Paul echoed it when he urged us to “speak the truth in love.” The challenge? Most leaders naturally lean toward one hat...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 321: RESTORING PURPOSE IN A DISENGAGED WORLD – INTERVIEW WITH JENNI CATRON
Today we welcome Jenni Catron to the podcast. Jenni is recognized as a trusted leadership voice in both church and marketplace worlds. In today’s conversation, we explore the growing challenge of disengagement among staff and volunteers—looking at what’s driving it...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 320: ALWAYS ON: WHY LEADERS WON’T UNPLUG
Many of the moral failures we hear about—and countless more that never make the news—can be traced bacK to just two forces: isolation and exhaustion. Time and again, we’ve watched gifted, capable leaders make shockingly unwise decisions simply because they were alone...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 319: THE CHALLENGE OF GETTING YOUNGER
In 2020, Lifeway Research revealed that the biggest concern among evangelical pastors wasn’t budgets, programming, or even attendance—it was the challenge of reaching a younger audience. In this episode, we’re diving into the challenge of getting younger: what the...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 318: MY MOST IMPORTANT AHA IN 2025
Every January, John reflects on the biggest “aha moments” from the past year. Normally, he would share three or four major insights, but this past year, one stood out so strongly that it deserves an entire episode of its own. It’s a deep one—personal, vulnerable, and...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 317: THE MYTH OF “ARRIVING”
Happy New Year! We are so excited for another year of podcasts with you! Let’s kick off the new year with a challenge that could change everything: what if the biggest barrier to your growth isn’t your strategy, resources, or talent—but your mindset? In this episode,...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST 316: WHAT REALLY MATTERS – A CONVERSATION WITH HAL DONALDSON – CONVOY OF HOPE
How do you stay healthy while serving a world in need? In this episode, Hal Donaldson, the founder and president of Convoy of Hope, shares powerful, down-to-earth insights on leading with compassion without burning out. It’s an honest, hope-filled conversation you...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 315: LOVED, CHOSEN, ENOUGH – PART 2
Last week, Jim unpacked the first four of seven daily declarations that shape how he lives, leads, and relates to God. Our words carry incredible power — not just the ones we speak to others, but the ones we whisper to ourselves about who we are. Here are the four...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 314 – LOVED, CHOSEN, ENOUGH – PART 1
Every journey of faith begins with a question of identity — not who we think we are, but who God says we are. Over the next two weeks, we’re going to unpack seven declarations from Jim’s life. These aren’t just words to repeat — they’re invitations to see ourselves...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 313: YOU & BOUNDARIES
If you can’t remember the last time you felt “off-duty,” this one’s for you. We’re talking about boundaries, burnout, and the courage to step out of compulsion and back into calling. Learn how to protect your soul, your relationships, and your joy—because faithfulness...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 312: LEADING ON EMPTY
More than a few pastors and leaders are leading on empty—spiritually dry, but outwardly active. They’re still preaching, leading, praying, and showing up for their people, but inside, the well has run dry. In today’s episode we explore the reasons why this phenomenon...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 311: WHEN PRODUCTIGITY BECOMES A DISGUISE
Have you ever been in a season where everything looks good on paper—your ministry is thriving, your schedule is full, your people are happy . . . but you feel empty? You’re functioning fine but not feeling much. You’re getting things done, but you’ve stopped being...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 310: YOU & ISOLATION
Have you ever noticed that the higher your influence rises, the smaller your circle seems to get? You’re surrounded by people, yet somehow… you feel unseen. Unheard. Unknown. Today we’re talking about isolation—one of the quietest and most dangerous realities in...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 309: WHEN MINISTRY LOSES ITS JOY AND WONDER
For many of us, ministry started with passion. It was an adventure. We felt called, alive, and grateful that God would use us in His work. But somewhere along the way . . . something changed. For some leaders, ministry has become maintenance. Vision has turned into...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 308: THE FIVE PEOPLE EVERY PASTOR NEEDS – INTERVIEW WITH DAVID COOKE
In this powerful and practical conversation, David Cooke shares his story—from his salvation experience to his call into ministry—and the five essential relationships every pastor needs for long-term health, growth, and sustainability. Leadership can be lonely, but it...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 307: GETTING TO THE HEART OF PASTORAL LEADERSHIP
It’s easy to blame our staff, our church, or our circumstances for ministry stress. But often the real issue lies deeper—in our own hearts. In this episode, we unpack how unchecked ambition, workaholism, and misplaced identity quietly undermine pastoral health. With...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 306: GUARDING THE FLOCK (AND OURSELVES) FROM CULTURAL CURRENTS
Pastors live in a world overflowing with smart-sounding ideas, leadership hacks, and cultural “truths.” But as a pastor, how do we discern what aligns with Christ—and help the people we lead do the same? In this episode, we explore Paul’s warning in Colossians 2, the...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST EPISODE 305: INTEGRATING A MARKETPLACE MIND WITH A MINISTRY CALL
Have you ever felt the tension between running your ministry like a mission and running it like a marketplace entity? Some pastors worry that a marketplace mindset will strip away the heart of ministry. Others fear that a lack of marketplace acumen will leave the...
LEADING FROM ALIGNMENT PODCAST 304: TRANSITIONING INTO THE LEGACY STAGE OF LIFE & MINISTRY
There comes a point in life when the chase for paychecks, promotions, and possessions fades into the background. What once drove us no longer defines us. Instead, a deeper question rises to the surface: What legacy will I leave behind? In this week’s podcast, we’re...