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Today's conversation on Back Porch Theology in our on-going series on the theology of worship is a continuation of last week because we had such an awesome time leaning into all that Scripture reveals Jesus to be, learning from each other's stories - especially the difficult chapters - and laughing that we simply had to have a part two of this conversation! Aren’t you grateful that being serious about our faith and being serious about ourselves aren’t synonymous? I thoroughly enjoy getting to spend time with people who are fully devoted to Jesus Christ but aren’t full of themselves! And saints who feel free enough to laugh at themselves are my absolute favorite kind of people. Which aptly describes the girl gang we’re hanging out with again today. Hope Darst, Tasha Layton, Hillary Scott and Rita Springer are too young to be called legends, but they have written and sung a multitude of songs that have shaped the musical landscape of worship. Between them they’ve won multiple Grammys and CMA’s and Doves and KLove Fan Awards, and yet this foursome reeks humility. They are much like the Skinhorse in the story of the Velveteen Rabbit...life has worn them thin enough to recognize that whether they have a number one song or fall completely off the charts, Jesus is the only Hero of humanity’s story and commercial success apart from intimacy with our Creator Redeemer is devoid of any real meaning. Mind you, as we continue to emphasize in this series, music is only one facet of how we worship as Christ followers - in fact, the Bible describes worship more as the posture of our hearts than the melody that falls out of our mouths. Which is why the theme of today’s conversation is less about melodic tunes than it is about biblical truths. What does worship look like when we aren’t singing or listening to Christian music? How do we maintain the posture of worshipping God when we’re dealing with deep disappointment, disillusionment, or debilitating depression. Is it possible to have a broken heart and hands raised in praise at the same time? It’s going to get raw and real today y’all, so please grab your Bible, a notebook, and some yummy snacks - I always find chocolate to be an excellent companion when taking raw and real adventures - and come give that great big, beautiful heart God placed in your chest some time and space to exhale on the porch with us. We’re really, really glad you’re here.
In this episode, Christine Caine empowers you to live a fruitful life and reflect God's love to those around you. True fruitfulness means becoming more like Jesus and bearing witness to the living God. And the good news is, we don't have to do that in our own strength. His Spirit on the inside of us empowers us to be transformed from the inside out so we can live an extraordinary, fruitful life for His Kingdom. And the hidden blessing is, when we are focused on being fruitful, we become less concerned with the unimportant things in our lives. The things that try to distract us or steal our peace. This episode will equip you to lean on the Holy Spirit to live a fruitful and fulfilled life. Get your free Episode Reflection Guide here.
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Christine Caine is a speaker, activist, and best-selling author. She and her husband, Nick, founded the anti-human trafficking organization The A21 Campaign. They also founded Propel Women, an initiative that is dedicated to coming alongside women all over the globe to activate their God-given purpose. Each week she brings you a Gospel-centered message filled with Biblical truths that will equip and empower you to step into the life God has for you.
In this episode, Christine Caine welcomes Jenn Brown, Vice President of Collaborative Partnerships at OneHope. Jenn encourages women to embrace that you cannot separate your gender from your leadership - it's ok to bring all of yourself into your participation in the mission of God. This episode will encourage you to lead from the heart of who God created you to be and show up well in your strengths.
SHOW NOTES:
Heart-led Leadership
Jenn emphasizes the value of female leadership due to their natural bend toward connectivity. Women also, at their best, often lead from their heart, drawing people together and cultivating unity in a world bent toward isolation. Heart leadership is motivated by empathy, courage, vulnerability, and connectivity, which is innate for women.
The Condition of Our Hearts
Christine stresses that women are in no way better, less sinful, or more capable than men. Sin is genderless. Both men and women must lead from a healthy heart that is redeemed by the Lord. Christian leadership is NEVER a competition, rather we should be working together.
Transparency and Accountability
Those leading from the heart are naturally honest and authentic in their communications with others. Additionally, Christine and Jenn remind us that leaders need to have discernment about what to share publicly versus privately. It's wise to discern what conversations are meant to be had in close relationships, and what is meant to be shared with wider circles.
Follow Jenn @Jmeganbrown on Instagram. Learn more about OneHope at www.onehope.net
Follow Christine @ChristineCaine
Get your FREE reflection guide for journaling prompts or use it as a discussion guide with your community at PropelWomen.org/Podcast.
Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode, and don't forget to leave a review! See you next week on the Propel Women Life & Leadership Podcast.
You can connect with us further at PropelWomen.org or on Instagram, Facebook, X, and Threads @PropelWomen. We can't wait to hang out with you in your car, during your workout, or wherever you listen to podcasts!
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Propel Women is an initiative of Equip & Empower Ministries founded by Christine Caine.
We EMPOWER women with biblical wisdom and encouragement, EQUIP women with practical training and education, and MOBILIZE women by providing hands-on leadership opportunities.
No matter where a woman has influence - in an office, in her community, at home with her family, or in ministry - Propel is driven by a calling to equip and mobilize women to become effective co-laborers with Christ and make a difference within their unique spheres of influence.
Carlos Whitaker joins Levi and Jennie Lusko for a heartfelt and hilarious discussion about the parenting wisdom hidden in the beloved kids' show Bluey. From unexpected tears during "Sleepy Time" to lessons on savoring the little moments, this episode explores how simple joys can change everything. Plus, hear about Carlos' bold screen-free experiment, Amish e-bike adventures, and his reflections on family, faith, and connection.
Connect with us on social!
Carlos: @loswhit
Levi: @levilusko
Jennie: @jennielusko
Fresh Life Church: @freshlife
[Links]
Get the 5 Gallon Bucket: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY
Get the Lusketeer Sticker: https://bit.ly/sdl4sHY
Register for MVMNT Conference at MVMNT25.com
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Want to be on the next Q&A episode? Send us your questions! https://bit.ly/3RonhJI
Time Stamps
06:00 - Carlos cries over Bluey.
10:50 - Parenting lessons from Bluey.
16:30 - Carlos' family life updates.
32:07 - Living screen-free with monks and Amish.
44:08 - Reconnecting with faith and family.
Today's conversation on Back Porch Theology is all about the contextual biblical scaffolding for a series we're calling the Theology of Worship. But lest you think we're going to be talking about the three or four songs before a sermon or our preferred style of music, let me assure you this conversation isn't just for people who can carry a tune or for those who know how to navigate their Apple music ap! Frankly, our tendency to associate worship solely with music is like limiting ourselves to one food group for every single meal for the rest of our lives - I love Tex Mex y'all, but if I had to eat chips and queso three times a day, every day, for the rest of my life it would be sadly and unnecessarily reductive! In the Christian context, worship is so much wider and deeper and more comprehensive than a song list or a musical genre. Case in point, listen to what one of our favorite theologians here at BPT - Dr. N.T. Wright - says about the centrality of worship: "All kingdom work is rooted in worship. Or, to put it the other way around, worshipping the God we see at work in Jesus is the most politically charged act we can ever perform. Christian worship decares that Jesus is Lord and that therefore, by strong implication, nobody else is. What's more, it doesn't just declare it as something to be believed, like the fact that the sun is hot or the sea wet. It commits the worshipper to allegiance, to following this Jesus, to being shaped and directed by him. Worshipping the God we see in Jesus orients our whole being, our imagination, our will, our hopes, and our fears away from the world where Mars, Mammon, and Aphrodite (violence, money, and sex) make absolute demands and punish anyone who resists. It orients us instead to a world in which love is stronger than death, the poor are promised the kingdom, and chastity (whether married or single) reflects the holiness and faithfulness of God himself. Acclaiming Jesus as Lord plants a flag that supersedes the flags of our nations, however 'free' or 'democratic' they may be." In other words, WORSHIP is the fruit and fuel of our faith, the flagpole we rally around as those who've been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Worship is the very essence of our spiritual DNA. Just as a half dozen and six communicate the same number of eggs, to have faith in Jesus Christ and to be a worshipper should be synonymous. Worship isn't simply a verb for the musically inclined among us, it should be the passionate preoccupation of God's people. Okay, as you can tell we're pretty fired up today so you'd better grab a cup of something caffeinated and your Bible - unless you're listening to this while simultaneously trying to figure out how to increase the incline on the treadmill at the gym you just joined because you're determined to ditch the Spanx in 2025 - and come hang out on the porch with us for some genuine, digital community and hopefully some real encouragement. We're really grateful to get to spend this time hanging out with y'all.
In this episode, Christine Caine will empower you with the encouraging reminder that God is bigger than any circumstance in our lives. He is bigger than our past. He is bigger than our greatest failure. He is bigger than what others have done to us or said about us. And He is bigger than any setback or challenge we may face. When we put our lives and our circumstances into His hands, we can live in freedom and peace. This episode will equip you to trust God with your life and rest knowing He is the One who holds all things...including you. Get your free Episode Reflection Guide here.
+ + + + +
Christine Caine is a speaker, activist, and best-selling author. She and her husband, Nick, founded the anti-human trafficking organization The A21 Campaign. They also founded Propel Women, an initiative that is dedicated to coming alongside women all over the globe to activate their God-given purpose. Each week she brings you a Gospel-centered message filled with Biblical truths that will equip and empower you to step into the life God has for you.
Today's Happy New Year conversation is akin to dancing with a 500-pound gorilla with balance issues because most of us are going to get our proverbial toes pinched! The reason why is we're going to get real about how our daily digital gluttony ~ from scrolling through social media, Googling down one rabbit trail after another, perusing the pretend aisles of Amazon Prime, and reconnecting with old high school flames who slid into our DMs ~ is making us heartsick. Multiple highly regarded scientific studies over the past few years have revealed that the excessive time most of us spend staring at our phone screens has a negative impact on our neuro-pathways, as well as our primary relationships. Plus, there's irrefutable proof now that adolescents' brains ~ which are still developing ~ become more sensitive when anticipating social rewards and punishments over time with increased social media usage. In other words, the measurable result of all those hours our kids are spending on TikTok and viewing reels, is a heightened sense of insecurity and self-doubt. Not installing boundaries on the amount of digital data we're consuming every day is the neurological and emotional equivalent of giving a hungry fox the key code to our chicken coup, y'all! So here's the deal ~ after hanging out with my pastor today, Dr. Darren Whitehead ~ who's an expert when it comes to the corrosive consequences of the constant digital barrage of modern culture ~ we're going to invite you to join us for a relatively brief digital detox here at the beginning of 2025 and learn how making our smart phones a little dumber will make our relationships with God and each other a whole lot richer! For some of you saints this single conversation has the potential to change the trajectory of '2025 and not only redeem huge chunks of time locusts have devoured in your life but quite possibly begin the closing the intimacy gap you've unwittingly allowed your phone to create between you and the people you love. So please grab a cup of coffee, your Bible, and a notebook or journal and pull your chair up on the porch with us for this caboose of 2024 conversation. Happy New Year ~ we're really happy you're here.
