The Leighann McCoy Podcast

In this episode Leighann shares some "behind the scenes" reflections on her (and her husband Tom's) recent transition out of 35 years as senior pastor and wife at Thompson Station Church. Learn about her exciting new ministry adventure at Hope4America.us and hear about Charm'd, the new series coming up on the Leighann McCoy podcast.

In this final episode of the 3-part series where Leighann discusses deconstruction, she shares how loving a person who's deconstructing their faith affects you. This episode is for the parent, friend, sibling, spouse or other person who used to share the Christian faith with someone who is deconstructing their faith. Books mentioned are: A Visual Guide to the Bible: Seeing and Knowing God’s Word by Tim Challies and Josh Byers Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at Good and Evil of Christian History by John Dickson

Just a reminder to tune in next week for the final episode where Kaleigh/Selah and I debrief regarding these 3 episodes. And be watching for the release of our new podcast, "Love works! (HARD)"

In this episode Leighann shares 5 cultural realities that impact deconstruction; then tells you the two reasons people choose to deconstruct their faith; and what we can do in response to them. This episode isn't for the person deconstructing their faith but rather for the person who loves them. This is part 1 of a 3 part series.

We wrap up our conversation with Mikel and Kaleigh in this episode. The girls give pastors and their wives some great advice and encouragement and then they share what they would tell their younger selves and what they want to say to other PKs. We had such a good time recording these episodes that we will probably have some more conversations in the future. ENJOY!

In this episode Mikel and Kaleigh give ministry parents advice on how to create safe space for their children to process and develop their own faith in the messy middle of the ministry home.

In this episode Mikel and Kaleigh continue sharing their experiences of growing up in the ministry. Their honest reflections present a challenge to the church. Let's take Jesus' words to heart when He exhorted us to love each other well, don't forget that He said the world would know we are His disciples by how we love one another.

On this podcast my mom talks about a lot of things—mostly prayer but also spiritual warfare, parenting us, her adult kids —even though we might not need it as much as she thinks we do, she also shares what it’s like be a “church lady” in an increasingly post-Christian world. And don’t get me started on church ladies! 

  This is the place where mom admits that she contemplates things that are too wonderful to comprehend and where she shares interviews with people whose lives have greatly influenced hers. Just wait til you hear the interviews she did with my sister and me! 

  Mostly she wants to remind us that no matter what we’re going through, “God’s Got This!”  

I’m Mikel McCoy and this is my mom’s podcast.

As a pastor's wife and mother of PK's I have often wondered at the unique blessings and challenges the life of ministry creates for us and our children. In this season when the church is being challenged, it's good to hear from those whose lives have been most affected by it. Leighann has invited her daughters Mikel and Kaleigh to share their reflections of what it was like growing up PKs.

In our final episode of the advent series Leighann shares her reflections on the love of God demonstrated in the perfect gift of Jesus. It's our prayer that you and your family take some time to worship Him as you celebrate the love you share this Christmas.

This is week 3 of advent and we light the pink candle. In this podcast Leighann shares her thoughts on JOY and how its anchored in the steadfastness of God's power and love.

I know we can't really even begin to get inside the mind and heart of another person, especially one that we disagree with--but, with enough research we can gain insight into what they might be thinking and feeling. In this episode Leighann shares what might be going on inside the people you love who are deconstructing their faith. This is part 2 of our 3 part series on deconstruction.

As a reminder, I postponed the publishing of this series until now (February rather than November). As it turns out, this series is a great segway into the exciting new podcast my daughter Kaleigh/Selah and I are doing together called "Love works. (HARD)" She and I are preparing to launch this new podcast together where we will share what we've learned throughout the tumultuous journey her deconstruction has taken us on. That's not all we're going to talk about, but it is going to be our starting point.

If you know people who are in the deconstruction process, and/or parents and other family members they are leaving in their wake please share these episodes with them and invite them to join us when we launch our new podcast, "Love works! (HARD)."

We are celebrating the advent this Christmas season, and this week's word if HOPE. In this podcast you will learn that when we put our hope in God we will not be disappointed. For a devotion you can share with your family, go to my blog post on either of my websites: www.prayerclinic.com or www.leighannmccoy.com

For some people the holidays are not the most wonderful time of the year. Instead they are the most dreaded. Leighann offers hope, encouragement, compassion and practical tips for you if you're dreading the holidays this year.

Well, my friends...here's what's happening. I'm up to my ear lobes in creating content for a class Tom and I are teaching on Wednesday nights at our church. I thought it would be fun to video our daily lessons and post them for our class via email. It was in the process of posting these emails that I discovered that I've lost "day 3" so in an attempt to complete my task quickly, I decided to share "day 3" on my podcast platform. You are getting a brief peek into the work I'm doing for the class we're calling "Perfecting the Art of Parenting Our Prodigal(s)." I hope that you are encouraged by what I'm sharing here. If you'd like to continue the "deep dive" into the story of the prodigal--the one Jesus told in Luke 15--then go over to my website at www.leighannmccoy.com and check out the blog post series.

In this episode, Leighann shares how shirking personal responsibility seemingly shrinks free will. The devil wants people to consider themselves at the mercy of powers beyond their control so that he can keep them in bondage. Listen to how he subtly deceives people into thinking they don't have the power God's given them to make their own decisions. As always share this podcast with anyone who might benefit from hearing it.

Check out Leighann's blog post here: https://www.leighannmccoy.com/blog/why-it-s-important-to-take-responbility-for-the-choices-we-make-and-why-we-don-t-want-to

God doesn't always deliver what we ask for in prayer but He does always answer us when we pray. In this episode Leighann discusses how to embrace a right perspective in prayer. Using Job as an example, Leighann challenges you to let God take you on the adventure of intimacy with Him, not in spite of the hard times, but rather especially through the hard times.

You can purchase your copy of the Pray Right study at https://www.leighannmccoy.com/store

Learn more about the Prayer Clinic ministry and order resources to offer Leighann's 4 session course on prayer called Teach My Heart to Pray at www.prayerclinic.com

One of God's best ways of blessing us is by connecting our hearts with kindred spirits. That's exactly what God did for Leighann the week after Mother's Day when she and Tom spent a few days with their friends John and Tammy Murphy. It was after several good long walks that we decided that we had some good things to share with you! This podcast is filled with great advice related to caring for aging parents, loving our husbands well and learning to be good parents of our adult "children." If you have a friend you'd love to take a walk with, share this podcast with her. :)

You Version is the Bible app we talked about.

Sign up for retreats we are hosting at my "laughing place" in the NC mountains by going to: www.leighannmccoy.com/private-retreats

In this episode Leighann shares her final insight into the prayer life of Elijah inspired by her Mother's Day message at Thompson Station Church, 2023. Listeners will go on a journey through Elijah's prayer life and be encouraged that he was a man just like us who prayed fervently and God answered. This is a great episode to share with anyone who might find themselves stuck between the last great thing God did and the promise He's given them. Pray Until Something Happens! And know that something's gonna happen!

You will find the books Leighann recommends at the conclusion of this podcast (and others) here: https://www.leighannmccoy.com/store

In this episode, Leighann tells the story of Elijah and the widow from I Kings 17. By putting herself into the widow's sandals, Leighann reminds us that God is never offended by our honest "what the heck?!" prayers. This episode is part of 3 that give a bit more depth to the message Leighann shared at Thompson Station Church on Mother's Day, May 14, 2023.

In this episode, Leighann and her husband Tom share what they have learned in their first decade of parenting adult children. While parenting adults can be challenging, you have everything you need to succeed. Listen and learn 5 of the most valuable things Tom and Leighann have learned in their journey.

5 Things We’ve Learned in This World of Parenting Adults

1. It’s okay to be okay that they didn’t turn out the way you thought they would.

• Affirm who they are
• Be wide open to what God is doing in their lives (Isaiah 55:8-9)
• Enjoy the surprises (if you can).

2. Don’t blame yourself for their challenges and failures.

• What good does that do?
• When did you ever set out to mess them up?
• Part of them being their own person…and  might be God’s way of revealing Himself to them.

3. Hold on for the ride (and sit some of it out).

• Not your job to rescue, protect, or intercede anymore
• Offer advice but ask first
• Sometimes you might want to look the other way

4. Resign from being their teacher.

• They’ve graduated. 
• Nothing you can tell them now that you haven’t already told them before.
• They might resent your pounding them with the truth.

5. Love them (and their significant others) with no strings attached

• Remember when they were babies? Expect nothing more than what they gave you then.
• Don’t wait until—- to love them
• Express your love in ways that let them know there are no strings attached

2 Thessalonians 3:3

Psalm 36:5

I don't often address issues that might be divisive but decided to give my reflections on what the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee did a few weeks ago. Their actions directly impact women in ministry; more specifically, women who are serving in pastoral roles. In this episode I discuss how the SBC functions, what the "office of the pastor" is understood to be, and why the current leadership of the SBC decided to "oust" Saddleback Church.

Here are the articles I read from in this podcast:

A Very Dangerous Course (LA Times) https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-26/a-war-on-women-why-the-southern-baptist-convention-really-ousted-saddleback-church  

Southern Baptist Oust Saddleback Over Woman Pastor (AP News) https://apnews.com/article/baptist-church-us-news-california-religion-7970970aef44935329cd0fa4d3feceee 

Information on the Credentials Committee of the SBC: https://www.sbc.net/about/what-we-do/sbc-governance/credentials-committee/ 

This is part 1 of Session 2 in my 4-session study called Teach My Heart to Pray.

You can access all 4 sessions and participate in this study online at this link: https://www.prayerclinic.com/store/CvPJ8L9T 

You can purchase the companion book here: https://www.prayerclinic.com/store-prayer-clinic 

Go to www.prayerclinic.com to learn more about the Prayer Clinic ministry and what it can do for your church.

Please see www.prayerclinic.com/podcast for show notes including 5 prayers for the lost.

In this episode Leighann share the 2nd 3 ways to experience joy no matter what kind of chaos comes your way. The full list of 6 includes:

1. Float, don't paddle. Psalm 46:10

2. Know that darkness can't overcome light. John 8:12

3. Know that you serve a God who "sees you." Genesis 6:13

4. Remember God answers us when we pray. Isaiah 8:3-4--"And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, 'Call his name Mahar-Shalal-hash-baz; for before the boy knows how to cry 'my father' or 'my mother' the wealth of Damascus and to spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the kind of Assyria.'" 

5. Have faith like a child. Matthew 18:3--"Then He said, 'I promise you this. If you don't change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.'" 

6. Live like you know, "God's Got This!" Proverbs 19:21--"You can make many plans, but God's purposes will prevail." 

To learn more about the Prayer Clinic ministry go to www.prayerclinic.com

To learn more about Leighann McCoy go to www.leighannmccoy.com 

In this episode Leighann discusses her determination to discover the Joy that is ours in the Chaos that is inevitable. This is the first part of a 2 part lesson. In this lesson Leighann will discuss how to:

1. Float don't paddle. Psalm 46:10--"Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." 

2. Know that darkness can't overcome light. John 8:12--"I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life." 

3. Know that you serve a God who "sees you." Genesis 6:13--"She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her, 'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have seen the One who sees me.'" 

To learn more about the Prayer Clinic ministry go to www.prayerclinic.com

To learn more about Leighann McCoy go to www.leighannmccoy.com 

In this podcast Leighann discusses what it means to be the "tiny little branch" abiding in the Vine that is Jesus. 

www.prayerclinic.com

www.tsclife.org/21days

www.serveisrael.com 

This is our 2nd week of advent and the word for this week is PEACE. Listen as Leighann shares her thoughts regarding peace. Consider sending podcasts to your friends instead of Christmas cards this year. Give them a gift for their ears rather than their eyes. :) 

Quick shout out from the Mountain of Blessing where I visited with HaYovel. Visit their website to learn more at www.serveisrael.com 

I recorded this on Thanksgiving as I was taking a pre-turkey dinner walk. In this episode you will hear what I'm planning to bring you in December, and you're going to learn about the new name for our podcast!! And why we decided to change the name. Happy Thanksgiving a day late. :)