Making It Work: God and Your Work – Details, episodes & analysis

As humans, we are the stewards of story. The stories we tell apply meaning to our own lives and to the lives of those around us. Stories can move people to tears, to joy, and even towards change. So those with the privilege to communicate stories to an audience have a special responsibility. Storytelling, particularly telling other people's stories, requires great care and integrity. Today we're talking with someone whose job is telling stories. Our guest is Marcus Goodyear, Senior Director of Communications at the Howard E. Butt Foundation. He is also the Managing Editor of Echoes Magazine, a quarterly publication reaching 24,000 subscribers with encouraging stories about local friends and neighbors. He's here today to discuss his experience telling stories with kindness, authenticity, and a love for God and others.

We'd like to thank the HE Butt Foundation for supporting this series. You can find out more about their work by visiting congregationalcollective.org.

Scripture References

• Hebrews 2:10
• Numbers 4:1-20

Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute 

We talk with guest Reverend Dr. Gary Green about the theology of sports as a spiritual experience, the use of the term beast to describe black male athletes, and the places in the Bible where we see God interrupting the stories we tell ourselves. Dr. Green is an assistant professor of pastoral theology and social transformation and director of anti-racist initiatives at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He hopes to help religious communities become more socially engaged around issues of justice and social ethics. He has facilitated public conversations about theology, sport and justice. 

Scripture References

• Genesis 1:27

• Isaiah 62:12

• Galatians 3:28

Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute 

The enneagram, a personality typing system, has exploded in popularity in recent years. For followers of Jesus, the enneagram can be a useful tool on the road to healthier relationships with God, yourself, and others on your team. Guest Jesse Eubanks is a certified Enneagram coach and host of The EnneaCast, a podcast exploring personality and relationships through the lens of the Enneagram. Jesse is also the founder and executive director of Love Thy Neighborhood, a nonprofit mobilizing people to follow Jesus and serve the poor in modern culture. Relevant named him one of the top 50 Christian artists and activists who are making an impact on culture in the United States. 

Scripture Reference: John 8:32 

Additional Resources

• How We Relate by Jesse Eubanks https://theologyofwork.christianbook.com/relate-understanding-yourself-others-through-enneagram/jesse-eubanks/9780310365211/pd/122762EB
  
  
• Relate Better: www.relatebetter.com
  
  
• The Enneacast podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatebetter-presents-the-enneacast/id1410031710

Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at www.theologyofwork.org/contribute 

Transcript available at  https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/the-enneagram-building-better-relationships-at-work-jesse-eubanks/

Research shows that forgiveness may positively impact your experience of the workplace and the people around you. Guest Dr. Loren Toussaint is a Professor of Psychology at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He directs the laboratory for the investigation of mind, body and spirit, that studies virtues, especially forgiveness and their relationship to health and well-being. He is the Chair of the Discover Forgiveness Advisory Council for the Templeton World Charity Foundation, President of The Forgiveness Foundation, Associate Director of the Sierra Leone Forgiveness Project, and a consultant to Mayo Clinic Cancer Treatment Centers of America and Boise State University. He encourages everyday forgiveness to build resilience and to minimize stress in families, schools, healthcare, workplaces and communities. Loren Toussaint welcome to the podcast.

Scripture References

• Matthew 6:14-15
• Matthew 12:43-45

Additional Resources

• The Forgiveness Foundation https://forgivenessfoundation.org/

Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute

Transcript at https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/the-power-of-forgiveness-at-work-loren-toussaint/

If you’re a follower of Jesus suffering with chonic pain at work, you may find yourself asking, where is God when I’m in pain?  According to the Harvard Business Review, studies suggest that up to 40% of American workers experience chronic pain - pain that persists for more than 3 months - sometimes unbeknownst to managers and co-workers. For workers, chronic pain can be debilitating and discouraging. 

Today we talk with guest Grant Hoffecker. Grant has worked for LinkedIn as a Senior Software Engineer and Google as a Developer Relations Engineer. He was a leader for LinkedIn's inChrist workplace fellowship group and is an advisory board member for Faith and Work Movement. His passions include reconciliation in the workplace, basketball, and adventuring outdoors. He writes about faith and tech at granttheyeti.medium.com and co-hosts the Grape-Nuts Podcast, where he has lighthearted conversations about the small things that stir up our passions and bring joy to the new day. 

Grant has worked with chronic pain for the past 3 years, seeking God in the midst of his pain. 

Scripture References

• Psalm 42
• Job 23:8-10
• Lamentations 3:16-23

Additional Resources

• Grant’s Blog: granttheyeti.medium.com
• The Grape-Nuts Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/grapenutspodcast

Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute

Transcript at https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/trusting-god-in-chronic-pain-grant-hoffecker/

Anxiety and uncertainty about finances is part of most people's lives, even followers of Jesus. Our choice of work, our feelings about money and our faith are constantly intertwined in changing and complicated ways. Guest Katrina Miles started her own company, a step of faith that has challenged her to trust in God's provision to pay the bills while seeking God's kingdom in her work. Her company, Inkyverse Media Group is a creative management agency focused on the fields of fine art, illustration, media and publishing. You can find them at Inkyverse.world. Katrina was featured in The Missional Disciple, Pursuing Mercy and Justice at Work, a six week workbook and video course exploring the intersection of mercy and justice at work. The course was created by the Global Faith and Work Initiative at Redeemer City to City and is available for purchase. You can learn more at www.globalfaithandwork.com/missionaldisciple

Scripture References

• Psalm 112

Additional Resources

• Inkyverse Media Group: inkyverse.world

• The Missional Disciple: Pursuing Mercy and Justice at Work: www.globalfaithandwork.com/missionaldisciple

Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute

Transcript at https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/trusting-gods-provision-katrina-miles/

How do you find purpose in your work? Does your faith give your work purpose? Or does your work give you perspective on your faith? We explore what the Bible has to say about the purpose of your work with guest Tom Lutz. Tom brings decades of entrepreneurial experience to his work coaching marketplace leaders. He also teaches biblical studies at Metro Atlanta Seminary and leads workshops to help Christians work with purpose. Tom is the co-author of the book Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose in Their Work.

• Matthew 5:1-12
• Ephesians 2:8-10
• Ephesians 4:11-13
• Genesis 50:20
• Mark 4:1-20
• Matthew 7:24-29
• Matthew 25:31-40
• Genesis 1:26-30
• Genesis 3:1-19
• Revelation 21:9

Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose in Their Work, by Tom Lutz

Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute

Transcript at https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/gods-purposes-for-your-work-tom-lutz/

Guests Denise Daniels and Shannon Vandewarker discuss connecting with God when working from home and their new book, Practices for Working in the Presence of God: A Guided Journal.

Scripture References

• Matthew 9:1-22
• Psalm 62:8
• Proverbs 16:9

Additional Resources

• Practices for Working in the Presence of God: A Guided Journal by Denise Daniels and Shannon Vandewarker (2022)
• Working in the Presence of God: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Work by Denise Daniels and Shannon Vandewarker (2019)

Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute

Transcript at https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/experience-gods-presence-when-working-from-home-denise-daniels-shannon-vandewarker/

Whether you work in management, customer service, as a teacher, or as a parent, no matter what your job is, the daily pressures of work can get to you. You may react in ways that hurt others or don't feel consistent with the person you want to be. If you're interested in improving how you respond when the pressure is on, our guest today is here to help. Recently named among the top 30 most influential psychologists, Dr. Rob McKenna is the founder and CEO of WiLD Leaders. He's worked with thousands of leaders across corporate, not for profit, and university settings, has given him insight into the real and gritty experience of working under pressure. His latest book, Composed: The Heart and Science of Leading Under Pressure, focuses on the specific strategies leaders can use to stay true to themselves and connect to others under pressure.

Scripture References

• James 1:19
• John 21:15-18
• Philippians 2:6

Additional Resources

• WiLD Leaders Website
• Dr. Rob McKenna's Speaker Page
• Dr. Rob McKenna's LinkedIn
• Dr. Rob McKenna's TEDx: Whole Leaders Under Pressure

Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute

Transcript at https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/staying-composed-under-pressure-rob-mckenna/

Over 15 million people in the United States work in the hospitality industry today. You may not typically think of working in hospitality as a particularly powerful job, but this work holds great power when we connect it to God's hospitality and God's powerful welcome to all people. Guest Teena Dare, spent 10 years in the restaurant industry, where she learned to love the rhythms of hard work and hospitality. 

Scripture References

• Genesis 1-2

• James 2:1-9

• Roman 12:13
• 
Luke 22:7-21

Additional Resources

• The Missional Disciple: www.globalfaithandwork.com/missionaldisciple
  
  
• Teena Dare’s Blog: www.shakingspirits.com
  
  
• Faith, Work and Rest Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/faith-work-rest/id1356221317

Donate. This podcast is made possible through the financial support of people like you. Your gift of any size will enable us to continue resourcing Christians with high-quality biblically-based content that applies to everyday work. Donate at https://www.theologyofwork.org/contribute

Transcript at https://www.theologyofwork.org/makingitwork/episode/the-power-of-hospitality-teena-dare/