By His Grace
Doris Swift: Purpose and Calling

Doris Swift: Purpose and Calling

On this episode of the By His Grace Podcast, I interview my friend Doris Swift. Doris is an author, speaker, and podcast host who has a passion for encouraging women in their callings. She is the host of the Fierce Calling podcast where she encourages women to take action where their passion, and conviction intersect. Doris is living proof that you you are never too old to follow God and chase your dreams. We discuss the importance of  calling, God’s faithfulness, and how He equips us for a purpose. 

Key Takeaways

  • “If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll never do it.” 
  • “The world needs your gifts.” 
  • “In God’s eyes, things are significant.”   
  • “God didn’t leave things that were hard out of the Bible.” 
  • “Never stop learning.” 
  • “Whatever you feel called to do right now, do something with it.” 
  • “Jesus was the king of kings and Lord of Lords and he had a small beginning.” 
  • “The things that God sees as significant are not what God says are significant.” 
  • “You can continue to move in His will, even when you’re standing still.” 
  • “God will show you the way.” 
  • “The word surrender is so key.” 

Resources

Connect with Doris on Social Media! 

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

Athena Dean-Holtz: A Story of Redemption

Athena Dean-Holtz: A Story of Redemption

In this episode of the By His Grace podcast, I interviewed Athena Dean Holtz. Athena is the Diamond Sponsor of the 2021 Spark Media Conference. She is a podcaster, former radio host, author, speaker, publisher, bookstore owner, and a pastor’s wife. She is active in her small-town community and recently served as president of Northwest Christian Writers. She helps women who’ve been wounded by the church or other traumatic life experiences so they can learn to trust God again. On this episode of the show, we discuss Athena’s journey of faith, the faithfulness of God, and how Athena relied on Jesus throughout her life. We also discuss Athena’s conference, She Writes for Him and her publishing company, Redemption Press. 

Key Takeaways 

  • “What was wrong with me that I believed a lie was the truth and exchanged everything for it?” 
  • “God redeemed and restored everything.” 
  • “If we do anything for the Kingdom, we need to give it our all.” 
  • “If you are not having intimate time with the Lord, you will have nothing to give.” 

Resources

She Writes for Him Bootcamp: Www.shewritesforhimbootcamp.com 

Redemption Press: Www.redemption-press.com

Athena’s website: https://athenadeanholtz.com

All Things Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things/id1495658347

Redeemed and Restored Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/redeemed-restored-with-athena-dean-holtz/id1536205024

Connect with Athena on Social Media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athena_dean_holtz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AthenaDeanHoltz/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/athena_holtz?s=20

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

Rachael Flick: Defunding the Police is a Terrible Idea

Rachael Flick: Defunding the Police is a Terrible Idea

On this episode of the By His Grace podcast, I interview Rachael Flick. One thing that is unmistakable for anyone who meets Rachael, or hears her speak, is her passion. Growing up, Rachael dreamed of being a doctor. While her educational path diverged from medicine, Rachael continued to support wellness journeys for others as a high school P.E. teacher and a personal trainer.

Tragically, Rachael lost her husband of ten years on February 5, 2018. Deputy Sheriff Micah Flick was killed in the line of duty while attempting to arrest a car thief. On the day of Micah’s funeral, Rachael stood before thousands of uniformed police and a globally streamed audience to call a broken nation to a return to honoring. Filled with the power of God, Rachael spoke into the highly charged cultural conflict that has resulted in the intentional murder of law enforcement.

Rachael’s Story

Rachael and I discuss her profound loss, the redemption that the Lord brought forth out of her dark season, how we, as citizens, can counter anti-police rhetoric, and how she found hope amid hardship. 

Key Takeaways

  • “I felt the tangible touch of God on my chest.” 
  • “You will be obedient, and you will speak what I say for you to say.” 
  • “80 to 90 percent of law enforcement encounters occur with 10 to 20 percent of the population.” 
  • “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” 
  • “The police don’t want to be the bad guy to your children.” 
  • “The power of the empathetic presence is healing.” 

Resources

Connect with Rachael on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachael.flick/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRachaelFlick

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rachael_flick

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelflick/

TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdV3oBM7/

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring, and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

Hormoz Shariat: Iran’s Great Awakening to Jesus

Hormoz Shariat: Iran’s Great Awakening to Jesus

On this episode of By His Grace, I sit down with evangelist and pastor, Hormoz Shariat on the expo floor of  The National Religious Broadcast Convention. Hormoz was born into a Muslim family in Iran and came to the United States after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, where he came to Christ while earning his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering. He is the founder of Alive Ministries and he is passionate about bringing the truths contained within scripture to muslims in Iran and around the world.

As the fastest growing Christian community in the world, Iran is at a crossroads.  Iran is no longer a Muslim nation – as only 1/3 of the population identifies as Muslim.  It is facing incredible changes internally, and now the government is facing increased pressure to negotiate with the US and Israel.
Dr. Shariat grew up in Iran, chanting “death to America.” He had a revelation after moving to the US to get his Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence and accepted Christ. After his teenage brother was executed by the government in Iran, God showed Dr. Shariat that the best way to respond was to dedicate his life to sharing the Gospel with as many Iranians as possible.

We discussed the work that Hormoz is doing to bring the gospel to Iran, the impact that the Lord is having on the people and nation of Iran, and the ways that He is changing the cultural and religious climate of the country. In this episode, we also discuss ways that Christians in America can practically help those who are being persecuted. 

Key Takeaways

  • “Jesus is not the prophet that Islam introduces.” 
  • “The message of the gospel is the answer to all kinds of problems.” 
  • “Jesus came to heal and to set free.” 
  • “All muslims are not the same.” 
  • “In a practical way, show interest in their beliefs.” 

Resources 

Hormoz’s website: https://hormozshariat.com

Iran Alive Ministries: https://iranaliveministries.org

Hormoz’s new book: https://www.amazon.com/Irans-Great-Awakening-Convert-Revival/dp/1733749047

To receive encouragement related to this episode, text IRAN to 50700. 

Connect with Hormoz on social media! 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/hormozshariat

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hormozshariat

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

Sam Sorbo: Education & Raising the Next Generation

Sam Sorbo: Education & Raising the Next Generation

On this episode of By His Grace, I interviewed Sam Sorbo live from the Spark Media Conference at the National Religious Broadcaster’s Convention at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. Sam Sorbo is a filmmaker, radio host, actress, international model, author, wife, mother, homeschool advocate and education activist. We discuss the importance of indoctrinating the next generation of children and young adults with God’s word. We discuss cultural trends in regards to education, the importance of self-schooling, and the impact that serving God has on us as parents. 

Key Takeaways 

  • “In our culture today, we dilute young women into thinking that they can have it all.” 
  • “You can’t have it all. Everything in life is a compromise.” 
  • “What are you willing to sacrifice for the good that you know that you need?” 
  • “Education is the pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness.” 
  • “Don’t give gifts from God to someone else to open for you.” 
  • “God’s wisdom is more than my wisdom.” 
  • “We serve God, not the government.” 
  • “Words have power.” 

Resources 

Connect with Sam on Social Media! 

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

Pastor Jarrett Stephens: The Always God

Pastor Jarrett Stephens: The Always God

In this episode of By His Grace, I interview my head pastor, Jarrett Stevens. Jarrett serves on the Ministry team at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. He shares his testimony, how God led him to ministry, and the lessons that He’s learned on the journey. We discuss his new book, The Always God, and he reminds listeners of any His Grace that God never changes and that they are not forgotten. 

Key Takeaways

  • “If you preach to people who are broken and hurting, you’ll never lack for an audience.” 
  • “When God gives you a message, you have got to get it out.” 
  • “He hasn’t changed. You are not forgotten.” 
  • “You never have to lose hope when God’s in your corner.” 
  • “Even in death, there’s a resurrection.” 
  • “The call of our life as followers of Jesus is to trust God.” 
  • “The call of our life is to trust and entrust.” 
  • “Even if it doesn’t change, I’m going to trust you and entrust myself to you.”
  • “We live tethered in two worlds. This is not our home.” 
  • “Ultimately, God’s dream for us is to conform us to the image of Christ.” 
  • “Jesus, you are the always God.” 

Resources 

Connect with Pastor Jarrett on Social Media! 

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring, and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

Rabbi Jason Sobel: Conversation with a Messianic Rabbi

Rabbi Jason Sobel: Conversation with a Messianic Rabbi

In this episode of By His Grace, I interview Rabbi Jason Sobel. Rabbi Jason Sobel is a thought leader, spiritual guide, and Jewish follower of Yeshua (Jesus). He is co-founder of Fusion with Rabbi Jason, a ministry dedicated to sharing teachings and resources that reconnect ancient Jewish wisdom with the teachings of the New Testament.

In this episode, Jason and I have an important discussion about the Jewish roots of the Bible, their historical significance, and their significance as related to both the Christian and the Jewish faith. As a Jewish follower of Yeshua, Jason brings a unique and much-needed perspective on the Messiah and the work that He came to do. Listen in to this powerful message to be encouraged, equipped, and inspired to engage the scriptures and to appreciate their Jewish roots. In addition to the message, be sure to listen to the conclusion of the show where Rabbi Jason prays a traditional Jewish blessing over the listeners.

Key Take-Aways

– “The Chosen takes a different look at the life of Jesus than many of the other portrayals of Him.”

– “The most Jewish thing you can do is believe in Jesus.”

– “Satan thought he was foiling the plan of God, but He was actually fulfilling it.”

– “My heart’s desire is for all of the Jewish people and all of Israel to understand that Yeshua is the promised Messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures.”

– “He came the first time as a suffering servant,  as the lamb, but He’s returning as the son of David, as the lion of the tribe of Judah.”

– “When you see the Jewish roots, you see the Bible in high definition.”

Resources

– Jason’s website:https://www.fusionglobal.org

– The Chosen TV Series: https://watch.angelstudios.com/thechosen

– Jason’s new book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BYYV13Q/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Connect with Jason on Social Media!

– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rabbijasonsobel/

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rabbijasonsobel/

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/rabbijasonsobel

 

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring and we’d love for you to leave us a review.
Anne Watson: Shake Off The Critics

Anne Watson: Shake Off The Critics

In this episode of the By His Grace podcast, Anne Watson and I discuss facing critics, handling our inner critic, and the importance of loving ourselves as Jesus commands us to. 

Key Takeaways 

  • “When you begin getting critics is actually when you know that you are stirring the waters, that you’re making a difference, you’re making an impact, you’re having influence because you are creating emotion in people.” 
  • “If I loved myself, how would I respond in this situation?”
  • “If you would not talk to somebody else that way, don’t talk to yourself that way.”
  • “Love God, love your neighbor, love yourself.”
  • “The whole Bible is a love letter to us. We have to start by believing it.” 
  • “We have to give ourselves permission to shake it off.”
  • “If Jesus can’t escape the critics, neither can we.” 

Resources

Anne’s website: https://annemwatson.com

Scripture References:

Matthew 10:4, Matthew 10:15, Luke 9:5, Mark 6:11

Connect with Anne on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annewatsontx/

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring and we’d love for you to leave us a review. 

Mazi Robinson: Conquering the Inner Critic

Mazi Robinson: Conquering the Inner Critic

On this episode of By His Grace, I interview Mazi Robinson. Mazi is a Licensed Professional Counselor and speaker specializing in helping women discover their true voice as they navigate self-worth challenges, relationship concerns, and life stage transitions. In addition to her work as a Therapist, Mazi maintains an active motivational speaking schedule, presenting workshops on topics such as anxiety, healthy relationships, self worth, personal growth and healing, purposeful living, and life stage transitions. 

Mazi is also the Founder and Director of Cultivate Atlanta. Cultivate’s mission is to give women both the access and opportunity to pursue emotional, mental, and spiritual health, so they can cultivate a life of joy, courage, and freedom.

In 2017, Mazi and her team began hosting bi-monthly Gatherings, which serve as a place and resource for the women of Atlanta to learn and grow together. She is also the host of Cultivate’s podcast, Rooted & Established, which expands on the conversations that begin in counseling sessions and at the Gatherings, and provide another resource for women looking for emotional health insights and encouragement. 

Mazi and I discuss the inner critic, how to identify it, where the inner critic comes from, how to combat it, and how to let failure be a teacher for us. She provides practical strategies and insight that is applicable to anyone struggling to conquer the fear of failure and the inner critic. 

Key Takeaways 

  • “Some of our inner critics may be louder than others, but we all have an inner critic.” 
  • “There is a direct correlation between our anxiety level and the volume of our inner critic.” 
  • “There is a great connection between procrastination and our inner critic.”
  • “We recognize that our inner critic shouting is actually a symptom of us being courageous.” 
  • “Your inner critic never shouts truth.” 
  • “Inner critics are nocturnal.” 
  • “Our inner critic always comes from someone else’s voice.” 
  • “The goal of the inner critic’s goal is to get you to stop being brave.” 
  • “The inner critic’s goal is to get you to stop being vulnerable.” 
  • “Replace the lie with the truth.” 
  • “You are loved. There is no failure on Earth that can change that.” 
  • “If you live brave enough, you’re going to fail.” 
  • “Failure takes on meaning when we allow it to teach us and we allow it to be redeemed.” 

Resources

Mazi’s website: https://mazirobinson.com/about-mazi

Cultivate Atlanta: https://www.cultivateatlanta.com

Connect with Mazi on social media! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultivateatlanta/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mazirobinsonlpc/

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

Lucas Miles: The Christian Left

Lucas Miles: The Christian Left

In this episode of By His Grace, I interview Lucas Miles.

Lucas is a trusted voice in the American church who has consistently addressed some of the most challenging topics in theology, politics, and culture. He is the host of Faithwire’s The Lucas Miles Show and a cohost of The Church Boys podcast. Lucas and his work have been featured in books and on TV and radio programs, as well as syndicated in articles across both political and religious news outlets. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed book Good God: The One We Want to Believe In but Are Afraid to Embrace.

An ordained pastor with over twenty years of ministry experience, Lucas has been involved in dozens of church planting efforts in the US and in remote locations not least of which is his local ministry, Nfluence Church, where he and his wife, Krissy, have been serving since planting the church in 2004.

Key Takeaways
“This isn’t a Republican or Democrat thing for me. This is really about what do we believe about scripture? What do we believe about Jesus?”
“I think that our faith can guide our politics, but our politics should not dictate our faith.”
“Just because something is called Christian, doesn’t mean all Christian content is equal.”
“If you’re a disciple and a Christian, it should lead you to a pro-life position.”
“To love someone is to have grace for them and it’s also being willing to speak truth to them.”
“The only way to break the cycle is to die to ourselves.”
“Here’s the beautiful thing about Christianity. I speak love to everyone.”
“If we don’t tether ourselves to something, we have a tendency to get carried with the current.”
“When we’re connected to the source, we can find unity in the body of Christ.”

Resources

Lucas’ website: https://lucasmiles.org
Lucas’ latest book: https://lucasmiles.org/books/
Lucas’ church: https://nfluencechurch.org

Connect with Lucas on Social Media! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrlucasmiles/channel/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrLucasMiles/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lucasmiles

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

Emily Lex: Identity in Christ

Emily Lex: Identity in Christ

On this episode of By His Grace, I interview artist and author, Emily Lex. Emily believes our passion and purpose   play out over the seasons of our life.  Our conversation centers around, the importance of knowing our identities in Christ, and tells us about the freedom and lightness that is found in Christ.She shares her journey of becoming an artist and working with watercolors. She believes the job of an artist is to look into the world, find God’s beauty and capture it, and share it with the world. At the end of this episode, Emily offers a beautiful prayer for the weary woman. 

Emily shares about her journey of spiritual formation,She explains spiritual formation begins with acknowledging the way that you’ve been doing things is no longer working and letting go of the external things. So you can live open-handed to allow God to put back into your hands the things that are from Him.. Living open-handed allows her to give the good things that she’s received back to the world.

Acknowledge there is a problem. Let go of the things that are keeping you bound, and keep you looking for your identity in places it can never be found. Learning to trust that God is good and accept the good gifts that he has for you so that you can give those to the world.

In her newly released book, Freely and Lightly:God’s Gracious Invitation to a Life of Quiet Confidence chronicles her of journey waking up to the ways she was searching externally for validation  and significance in external places it could  never be found, and the beautiful way God invited to live the life of quiet confidence. 

Key Takeaways 

  • “The Christian faith is all about allowing Him to continually transform us.” 
  • “When God looks at us, He sees His son.” 
  • “If you are tired, you can come to Him.” 
  • “As I follow Him, He will continue to offer freedom and lightness.” 

Resources

Connect with Emily on social media! 

The Harmon Brothers on Entrepreneurship

The Harmon Brothers on Entrepreneurship

In this episode of By His Grace, I interview three of the Harmon Brothers. We had a powerful discussion on God and business. They shared insight into the strategy that helps them to work together as brothers, where they find their value and success, and how to handle failures in business and in life.

VidAngel Co-Founders Neal and Jeffrey Harmon discuss success with their projects Dry Bar Comedy and The Chosen, the largest crowd-funded television series in history. There new global brand Angel Studios is crowdfunding a film studio platform that helps creators come together with viewers to create high-quality TV and film without Hollywood.

Harmon Brothers are the Provo, Utah-based ad agency behind the greatest viral ad in internet history. Since 2013, the company has created numerous groundbreaking, distinctive social media spots, which collectively have over 1.3 billion views and have helped their clients to sell over $350 Million in products and services. 

Key Takeaways 

  • “Relationships are more important than business and money.” 
  • “Nothing sells better than the truth.” 
  • “Each Christian has our own cross to bear and call on Christ for His help to bear.” 
  • “Our value doesn’t come from success or failure, our value comes from the growth that we have as we fail and as we learn from our failures.” 
  • “Eventually, we will succeed. That’s our destiny as children of God.” 
  • “We don’t derive our value from the fact that our business failed or the fact that our business succeeded.”
  • “I do think it’s possible to maintain your values and remain in business at the same time.” 

Resources 

Connect with the Harmon Brothers on Social Media! 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmon.brothers/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harmonbrothers

Twitter: https://twitter.com/harmonbros

Harmon Brothers Bios

Jeffrey Harmon is the Chief Content Officer at Angel Studios, the new platform for community-backed film making. In this role, Harmon has led the development of the hit series The Chosen as well as Dry Bar Comedy and will work to help creators with more than 300 new projects over the next five years. He was co-founder of VidAngel, a streaming platform empowering parents to remove distasteful elements from movies and TV shows streamed on Netflix, Amazon, and HBO on Prime, and also a co-founder at Harmon Brothers, one of the world’s leading creative advertising agencies known for hit campaigns like Squatty Potty, Chatbooks, Lume, and Purple. 

While still a student at BYU, Harmon earned a reputation as an early digital marketing pioneer when he emerged as the primary architect of a YouTube campaign advertising a product called Orabrush. With more than 50 million views, that campaign was ranked in the top ten social media campaigns of all time and catapulted the Orabrush Tongue Cleaner from zero retail presence to being stocked on shelves in more than 30,000 stores in 15 countries, proving that products could be marketed digitally to consumers.

Daniel Harmon is Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Harmon Brothers, a Provo, Utah-based ad agency behind the most viral ads in internet history. Under Harmon’s creative direction, the agency’s groundbreaking ads have collectively driven more than 1 billion views and over $350 million in sales.

While receiving his degree in Advertising, Harmon learned from his door-to-door sales job that the key to successful salesmanship was truly believing in the product. Harmon then started his ad career as a copywriter at DDB Chicago and VSA Partners where he worked on campaigns for global brands such as McDonald’s, Dell, Caterpillar, Harley-Davidson, Avery Dennison, and GE Healthcare. Following this, he transitioned from business to business sales manager for an interstate battery franchise, where Harmon learned how to develop and nurture long-term relationships with customers.

But it was his work on a breakout campaign for Orabrush that paved the way for the definitive work that would follow. In 2013 as a co-founder of Harmon Brothers, he helped write and creatively direct a campaign for Poo~Pourri that revolutionized the way products are marketed. Harmon Brothers have produced internet advertising blockbusters such as Squatty Potty, Purple, Chatbooks, FiberFix, and Poo~Pourri.

He is also the host and creative teacher at Harmon Brothers University, a new school for creators seeking to learn the Harmon Brothers method.

Neal Harmon is CEO and co-founder at VidAngel. Prior to VidAngel, Neal served as Co-founder, COO, and Board Member at Orabrush as well as co-founder at Harmon Brothers, a marketing services company responsible for a variety of viral ads, for clients such as PooPourri and Squatty Potty.

As CEO of VidAngel, Neal has led the company through a variety of challenges and successes, including major lawsuits from Hollywood studios, bankruptcy, the development of VidAngel Studios, the creation of Dry Bar Comedy, and distribution and growth of The Chosen.

Neal is proficient in 10 computer programming languages and has a bachelor’s degree in American Studies and a master’s degree in Instructional Psychology and Technology.

Thank you for listening to the By His Grace podcast today! Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Sharing is caring and we’d love for you to leave us a review.

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