Living Your Dash Podcast

Are you in the midst of a fire you can't outrun? Has the blaze taken everything from you except your existence? Or are you watching helplessly from the shore, watching a friend or loved one struggle to reach the shore in the storm? Why does this have to happen? Why does disaster (literal or relational), disease, financial ruin, depression, anxiety, and unceasing pressure exist? Didn't God promise to protect us from all that? Or did he say something else?

"Where is God when it Hurts?" is the series that takes a no-punches-pulled look at the whys and what-nexts of life's unwanted events - and finding that the purpose is so much bigger and grander than we could ever imagine.

Make sure you listen to the conclusion of the podcast of this powerful series.

Dallas Willard, a UC Berkley professor of epistemology and philosophy died in 2013 after a tough battle with pancreatic cancer. He was also a deeply devoted disciple of Jesus Christ. "The reason the book of Job is in the Bible partly is to help us understand we're in a battle. You might think if you read the book of Job it would be a good idea not to call the devil's attention to yourself by being too good, but testing does come. In the time of testing, we want to cling to God, not doubt him, but cling to him ... You want to understand that sometimes the suffering doesn't come for that reason; it comes because there is an enemy who wishes to make you doubt God."

In this new series, "Where is God When it Hurts?" Pastor Rick Hale embarks on a 30,000 foot level study of the book of Job. Make sure you make all of the series, but especially this first message: "Behind the Curtain".

The late Tim Keller wrote: “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.” Keller believed in the hope Jesus brought to us, that when he died, his departing words were: “There is no downside for me leaving …”

Easter changes everything. It's not an occasion to remember a dead religious figure, it is the triumphant climax of the crescendo of the "earthly" ministry of Jesus - one that still continues!

In this fitting discussion of Mark's Gospel account of Jesus' resurrection, we see Jesus as Lord over death and the grave, and what that means for you and me!

We all want the right answer. But the right answer can be useless if we don't understand the question. CS Lewis brought this up: "Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. How many hours are in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we ask - half our great theological and metaphysical problems - are like that."

But one man had a TurningPoint because he asked all the right questions. Listen to Rick's message, then come back and listen to his conversation with Sean.

Have you ever felt like you weren't enough? Dr. Brene Brown triumphantly declared war on the war we wage on ourselves: "Sufficiency isn't two steps up from poverty or one step short of abundance. It isn't a measure of barely enough or more than enough. Sufficiency isn't an amount at all. It is an experience, a context we generate, a declaration, a knowing that there is enough, and that we are enough." But Dr. Brown is the first. The Apostle Paul had to figure it out, too, and what he discovered uncovers for us this powerful truth: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" Listen to this great podcast with guest speaker, Alan Gedde.

His name was Levi. But that's probably not what others called him. To them, he was collaborator with the enemy, villain, turncoat, traitor, or profiteer. He must have been a lonely, and unhappy man. What respectable family would allow their daughter to marry him? If he was married, what of his children? Perhaps you have very little in common with a first century tax collector, but we all have this in common: we need a champion, we need someone who values us, and we need grace.

Don't miss this great conversation on the calling of Matthew/Levi!

We don't know her name. We can only guess at what her life was like before, and we don't hear much about her after. But her turning point conversation with Jesus was one of the most remarkable in the New Testament. Thanks to her experience, so many of us have hope, security, and refreshment!

This week's Living Your Dash Podcast is a conversation about one of the most famous "water cooler conversations" ever. Don't miss the message, but then afterward, don't miss this podcast!

Imagine you've worked all night in the cold and water.

You're exhausted. Your body aches. The morning sun is bouncing off the water making you squint - and you're probably dehydrated and getting a headache.

Suddenly a guy is at the bow of your boat asking if he could use your boat as a platform to speak. Maybe you're a little annoyed at this uncouth request. Maybe all you want to do is just go home and sleep. But for some reason, you listen to him. You take a chance, not realizing that he's taking a chance on you ...

And you end up becoming an important part of world history.

God uses ordinary people. People like you and me. But we need to be willing to be directed - to pivot on the Turning Point he prescribes. Will we take it? Listen to this lively and and important podcast!

Do you love surprises? Probably if it's fun or positive ... but how about an ominous diagnosis, a loved-one in a car wreck, an unexpected budget buster, or a sudden death. That's the kind of surprise we don't appreciate. On Feb 11, 2024, a freak snow storm blew in to ordinarily arid Roswell for just a few hours - unfortunately shutting down Grace's church services. Since Living Your Dash is based on those messages, it forced us to adapt to today's content. We decided: "Why not talk about unexpected circumstances? How can we be prepared for them?

Maybe you're going through an unwanted surprise right now? Maybe you want to be prepared for - not if, but WHEN - the unexpected and unwanted shows up at your door? Take a few moments and ponder that with us.

John Wesley, the prime mover of the Methodist Revival, wrote: "Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can." (Letters of John Wesley) Generosity should flow from a disciple as freely as possible because it is not only expected by Jesus, but he proved that generosity can never be drained. He proved that his very blood - and he gave it all - had no limits.

So how do we live a life of generosity and joy? Listen to this fantastic conversation with Rick and Sean.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” Martin Luther King Jr.

“To give real service, you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money.” Douglas Adams

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” Mahatma Gandhi

Three very different people: One a pastor and civil rights leader, the other a satirical author, and third global civil rights leader. Only one of them is a Christian - one is radical athiest. Yet all agree that serving others is the pinnacle of what a person can contribute to their nieghbor. Service to others, it seems, is as much a law of the Universe as gravity, motion, and standing in line at the DMV.

In this pocast, Chris VanDyke and Sean sit down and discuss his recent message on the Red Letter Challenge of Jesus to serve. Don't miss it - and make sure you take time to serve someone today!

CS Lewis brilliantly cut to the chase about WHO Jesus is - and of crucial importance - what HE wants to make of us when he famously penned:

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (Mere Christianity)

The "red letters" - the accentuated words of Jesus - were not meant to make us feel good or bad or cross-stitched on a pillow. They were said to transform mankind and elevate our destiny in ways that we could never ask or imagine.

In this incredible series Rick brings, we can focus on what Jesus says and why he says it.

Don't miss this incredible series or this enlightening conversation!

Lebanese poet and artist Kahlil Gibran famously wrote: "An eye for an eye, and the whole world would be blind." Forgiveness. We want to receive it - and at our altruistic best, believe that we'll grant it. But then the exceptions come ... the justifications become easier. We sigh. We wonder: "Why even try?" But as our ragamuffin friend, Brennan Manning would say, “To live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark ... In admitting my shadow side, I learn who I am and what God’s grace means.” 

In walking with Jesus, wading through his words, we understand: we truly cannot live apart from him and we must allow the fruit that must punch through tough and bitter bark.

Join Rick and Sean as they discuss his latest message and the importance of forgiveness.

While it's important to have life goals and even more important to have a life purpose statement, those things don't live in a vacuum. They must be expressed in the real world, past the words, and in with the lives of people. Perhaps this is why pastor JD Greer wrote: "Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future."

"Well, nothing is more important than fulfilling your life goals!" Maybe? What if it is that, and your eternity? It's not just one is more important than the other - they are linked and both important.

Perhaps it is profoundly important, then - perhaps, more than we realize - that when Jesus says: "Remain in me and I will remain in you," he's saying that being with him is preeminently important for today - and also for forever?

In this fascinating and deeply practical podcast, Rick and Sean uncover the meaning of what it means to be with Jesus.

What does Martin Luther, Rick Hale, and Bing Crosby have in common? Not only are all three good looking and smell nice, people pay attention to what they have to say at Christmas!

With apologies to Bing, Rick borrows from the famous Latin phrases of the Reformers to frame Christmas in its purity: Sola Fide: Faith Alone; Sola Gratia: Grace Alone; Sola Scriptura: Scripture Alone, and this week: Sola Christus: Christ Alone.

It seems obvious, doesn't it? Don't we sing about it? "Joy to the World the Savior reigns ..." or "O come let us adore him Christ the Lord ... " or "Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today ..."?

French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal gave us a warning: "Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it."

Listen in on this important podcast!

"Salvation" is defined as "preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss. It's a common theme in literature, movies, music and art. What would summer super hero movies be like without the salvation by caped crusaders?

But our need for some ONE to deliver us from ultimate harm, ruin, or loss is what Christmas is all about. It is not the celebration of wonder, or innocence, or cultural affects of warmth and human achievement. Those are not bad things - but we must be careful not to miss the point.

What is he point? The Reformers were wise to show the critical importance that Christ is not only the Savior we want and need ... he's the only One there is.

It's a fascinating podcast discussion you won't want to miss!

What does the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE), and an American manufacturing theorist have in common? The Deming Prize! Established in Japan in 1951 by the JUSE consortium, the prize is given to individuals who contribute excellency in the production of goods and services. Because of Deming's principles, names like Honda, Toyota, Nissan, and others have become household names. The irony is that while American automotive manufacturers in Detroit could have benefited from adapting Deming's principles, they chose not to change, and well, a small glimpse into Detroit will show you what happened. "It is not necessary to change;" Deming would later quip. "Survival is not mandatory."

What does this have to do with Christmas? Christmas is mankind's only opportunity to change for the good, for good. We mustn't get caught up in the materialism, emotional attachment to cultural affects, and certainly not to a "Jesus-less" Christmas.

In this fascinating talk between Rick and Sean, they discuss Rick's message, "How to Miss Salvation" and conclude the necessary ways we must change.

Happy 25th Anniversary to Grace Community Church! Anniversaries are important because they commemorate an important event. To "commemorate" is literally a "mindful remembrance," in Grace's instance, the relationships and shared covenant of purpose; the shared ups, downs, highs and lows as we face them together. After twenty five years, a lot of babies are born, some move away, some pass away, and some find that - truly - we are better together! And of course, there's the unexpected and funny surprises - like when Rick tried to open the Time Capsule ... (must see the video!)

Join Rick and Sean as they think about the past twenty five years of Grace!

Ever heard of Tesla? Of course you have. Depending on who you ask, it's either the most inflated company in the world, or the most groundbreaking. But, like "Jack Sparrow," you HAVE heard of it! Did you know that Elon Musk, it's founder, went bankrupt with the company and almost lost it all? He resorted to never going home and sleeping on the factory floor. Today, Tesla is one of the most profitable and innovative companies in the world. But Musk came just a razor's edge from losing it all.

Sometimes, that's how it goes. And for every "come back" story there are four very sad endings.

So how do we approach failures and fatigue?

In this episode of Living Your Dash, Alan Gedde talks about his message and the lessons learned he couldn't share from the stage. It's a great wrap-up to a great series!

It's a common, "folksy", thing we've heard: "Never pray for patience because God will answer that with lots of trouble!" As if to say, what? God is bumbles around, capriciously looking for ways to make our life harder? If that's true, how can we trust God with help during our most desperate times? What if patience - and its conveyance, delays and difficulties - is exactly what he wants? What if he in fact demands that we learn it for not only our good, but also the fulfilment of His greatest plans? This week, Rick let Sean Lee talk about this "difficult" topic on Sunday, and we dug a little deeper into its meaning.

Delays. Whether it's a stop light, road construction, a post-poned or cancelled flight, or much needed job or money, delays seem to suck out the joy and peace in our lives.

But delays are not only a fact of life, they are also an important part of God's process in resolving the dreams he's placed in our lives.

It's understandable: who wants to wait? But if you're serious about following God's plan God's ways, there's going to be an important growth element requiring faith, trust ... and waiting with hope through the delay! Check out this important podcast!

❤️‍🔥 - It's our 200th episode! Help us break the old record of 143 listens! Pass this on!

Noah was told to build a giant ship. Moses was told to go back to Egypt and demand the Hebrew's freedom - with no means to compel their slave masters. Gideon defeated 135,000 Midianites with just 300 men, and some torches. Jesus was going to cover the world with his disciples starting with just 12 (eleven, actually, since Judas ... well, you know). God seems to always seem to do things in unexplainable ways. He is under no obligation to let us in on the secret. But he does gives us a path and builds us in the process. "Wisdom," the Bible Dictionary comments, is "a process of attainment and not an accomplishment." So our clue is NOT that it's not so much to BE wise as we pursue the dream God gives us, but SEEK His wisdom and act wisely.

In his message covering the topic of wisely seeking God's Wisdom, Chris VanDyke helped us to give proper focus. Join us in this really fun talk! Then Rick and Sean talk about some great things happening at Grace.

❤️‍🔥 - We're heading to episode 200! Help us break the old record of 143 listens!

🎧EXTRA: Check the bonus beginning montage!

Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Did it ever occur to you that only humans (as far as we know of) imagine the future, dream dreams of something that could be, or should be, or must be? In fact, our imagination is a gift and creation of God. God dreams! Think about it: the Gospel is the powerful focus of His dream for all humanity.

Are we meant to dream dreams that God means to use for humanity's future? In this series and this podcast, Rick and Sean talk about this overlooked but powerfully important part of our lives that literally effects everything we do. Don't miss this podcast!

❤️‍🔥 - We're heading to episode 200! Help us break the old record of 143 listens!

To define culture is an adventure of sorts because it can mean a lot of things. It's a sample of bacteria. It's the expression of arts and literature. It's the standards and mores of a society. At the end of the day, you can scratch your head and be puzzled in it's definition, but know exactly what it is - or what it is not.

Enter the Gospel. What the world didn't know at the time was that it was a singularity event of culture. The Gospel was a new definition of culture. Was it a religion? Yes, and no. Were there expectations of behavior and acceptance of others? Yes, and no. It didn't matter what political boundary it crossed, what age of discovery, or technological advance. The "culture" of The King Jesus and his disciples would mix seamlessly into the context of wherever and whenever they were, and yet find absolute similarity.

This is not a theory or dream. This is history for the last 2,000 years. In this podcast, Rick and Sean talk about the Kingdom of God expressed in how it doesn't want to change culture, per se, but it must. Sound like a contradiction? No. Listen-in and find out more!

Dr. Dallas Willard wrote "The most important thing in your life is not what you do; it’s who you become." According to Jesus' own word, the only way that truly happens is when we are born from above. Jesus did not mean some kind of ephemeral, philosophical, state of mind, he meant that we need to be supernaturally reborn through the Spirit, empowered by his sacrificial, vicarious death and resurrection. This is the Gospel he, himself, prescribed.

But that presupposes that life is precious - not just to the individual, but to the One who started it all. The sad fact of the matter is that neo-darwinianism, based solely on naturalist phenomenon, will always render one towards nihilism: nothing matters. That is the opposite of good news. Who can - literally - live with that?

In this fourth installment of The Fourth Word, Rick discusses the topic of the specialness, holiness, and consequence of life that began with God. You are not an accident or an abberation: you are prized and preferred by Majesty and are uniquely designed and lovingly created for His purpose! Don't forget to check out the special links below!

Welcome to Season 5 of the Living Your Dash Podcast!

Congratulations, listeners, for making it this far with us! It all started off as an interesting side-project, but it has become a favorite (at least to the show's co-host!)

We've already started to talk about a series that Rick started: The Fourth Word. This week's focus? Even though the culture would love to "self-identify" nearly everything, for it be true to the Scriptures, the Biblical Covenant Marriage must match in form (one man and one woman), in function (publicly and legally for life), and in faith (true to the intentions and design of our Creator). That is the VERSION God handed to us. Anything else is a PER-version. And the stakes are quite high. Don't miss this important podcast as a follow-up to Rick's message!

In his satirical masterpiece, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams wrote: "In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." Funny guy! However, nothing could be more important than origins because otherwise - well - you wouldn't be reading this. Origins is much more than the physical universe. It determines our philosophy of life; our teleology, ontology, and epistemology (you know, all those big words you have to Google!). It's not simply anecdotal. It's primary.

The Bible, God's revealed Truth, within just a few paragraphs, reveals everything we need to know about the basis of all reality, physical and metaphysical. This great series will take is through the cornerstones of what we need to understand about God's intention for the Universe.

RECOVERY is defined as "a return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength or the action or process of regaining possession or control of something stolen or lost." It can apply to the economy, business function, physical strength after accident or illness, as well as reclaiming that stolen bike or car. It also applies to our character - which if you're a sinner - everyone is in recovery. "The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy," Jesus told us, "I have come that you might have life and have it to the full." The church, if nothing else, is a recovery node. It's really all it does. Recently, Grace had a special Celebrate Recovery Sunday where we focused on Christ's power of deliverance and recovery in our lives. Make sure you watch it, and then listen to Barry and Sean talk about it.

Then, Rick and Sean talk about the upcoming series, THE FOURTH WORD, where we talk about the single most important factor that brings clarity and power to our lives.

Leadership author John C. Maxwell wrote about the Leadership Law of Magnetism, which is "Who you are is not determined by what you want. It’s determined by who you are." Whether we're leading the person in the mirror, your family, your work group or an organization, it's the quality of the person INSIDE that matters, not what you say. Hopefully, the two align!

In this episode, Rick and Sean discuss the all-important work of structuring the build of the leader so that - whether it's the individual or the organization - there is fruit and productivity.

Don't miss this insightful episode of Living Your Dash!

"Commitment is what transforms a promise into a reality." Did Abraham Lincoln say it? We don't know. What we do know is that it's the truth. Promises are easy to make and say - but commitment of time, effort and resources into real action is what makes it happen.

What about YOU? What kind of promises do you make to yourself? Your family? Your church? To the Lord? We can say a lot of things that we believe, but in the end, if we don't DO something - even if it fails - it doesn't matter.

In this energetic podcast, Rick and Sean talk about the importance of commitment in leadership: leading ourselves, our families, our work, our church, and ultimately, our world.

Passion gets a lot of street cred, these days. We're encouraged - rightly so - to follow our passions. Wisely. That's where purpose comes in. But passion alone can get one into a lot of problems! But purpose with out passion is just a plan. So what brings life and fruit into a purpose with passion? Devotion. Devotion to the Purpose-Giver Person, of course, but devotion wins out when the road gets pitted with potholes, when people are taking pot shots, and the way is hazy with the fog of uncertainty. Jesus calls us to an amazing, fruitful, life. Devotion, is an essential part of self-leadership, leadership in your influence, and leadership in your organization.

This was a fun podcast to produce - we hope you enjoy it!

James Clear did us a service by asking a defining question: "Life is a series of tradeoffs, and greater results usually require greater tradeoffs. The question is not, "Do you want to be great at this?" The question is, "What are you willing to give up in order to be great at this?"

The Disciple's Calling - generally, as we fit into "His Kingdom Come and Will be Done", as well as specifically, how we personally make the difference in how that is done - is the signature of our life and we spend our life's ink to make sure it's done beautifully ... or randomly.

What do you want to do? Because of the cost paid by Paul and Timothy, we are literally talking about it all over the world two thousand years later.

Sean and Rick and a great time talking about this!

"Honesty," wrote Warren Buffet, "is a very expensive gift. Don't expect it from cheap people." And when we think about it, a person who is honest is more than someone who tells the truth. It is a person who has done his best to integrate his values, convictions, beliefs, behaviors, and actions into a single person. It is very difficult to do; we spend our life perfecting it. They are "expensive" or "wealthy" in the investment they made in themselves. They are golden people to know and they are always adding value to our lives. The contrary is - unfortunately - negatively true: a person without integrated character cannot be trusted, cannot be generous, and is prone to destruction.

Whether it is self-leadership, leading one's family, or leading a multi-billion dollar company, integrity of character is a MUST with a leader!

We hear it quite often: "Around here? We're FAMILY!" But if you're also a customer, they expect to get paid; If you need technical support or warranty fulfillment, prepared to spend a lot of time with a guy in an east Asian country; if there's an economic down-turn, they might just lay-off a family member ... But FAMILY in the Bible is a Christian distinctive! God has definite promises and expectations based on this pattern, and he is "betting" the future of the Universe based on FAMILY, not a corporation, not an organizational structure, not a stratified hierarchy ... but, FAMILY.

Former vice-president Al Gore once challenged America to stare into "The Inconvenient Truth." In actuality, the truth isn't concerned about one's convenience with it - it simply is. The world has never been keen to the acceptance of truth. Time and again, the world has proven that we'd rather restructure, repackage, or destroy that which is culturally, socially, or politically repugnant or a threat to power structures. But the truth doesn't care. "We have nothing to fear from the truth," a brave soul once said, but "in-truth" they were naive. Unless we go forward with courage.

In this podcast, Sean talks with pastor Barry Anderson about the humble adherence leaders must have toward the truth. If we want to be leaders of integrity, we must stick with our commitment to the truth.

Leadership expert, John Maxwell, wrote: "Effective leaders sacrifice much that is good in order to dedicate themselves to what is best." Think about it: leaders sacrificially give; great leaders give sacrificially (in some cases, not in a healthy way!).

You ARE a leader - whether of yourself, your family, a work team, a ministry team, or t-ball team ... but EVERYONE leads. The question is: Are we leading well? In this great podcast, Rick and Sean discuss the important principle every leader must possess: they will give up, to go up.

Stephen Covey wrote that a leader is the one who climbs the tallest tree, surveys the entire situation, and yells, 'Wrong jungle!' To the rest of the group under the canopy, we just want out of the jungle as quickly and as painlessly as possible. We certainly don't want to hear: "We need to restart!" But that's why we need leaders. And those leaders must persevere in the hardest circumstances, convincing others that it is our moral duty to realign. Wow!

That's why Rick's message is tremendously important. Join this conversation he has with Sean as we discover why perseverance is a leader's best friend!

"Everything rises and falls on leadership," wrote John Maxwell, whether it is a Fortune 500 company or the person staring at you in the mirror every morning. Leadership, the vector into the future, the vote into the person you want to be - or your organization it must be ... it takes careful, consistent, and knowledgeable leadership. You'll find no better guide than God our Shepherd, and no better guidebook than the Holy Scriptures.

Rick is launching this new series - start your base, here - and then make the shift in leadership!

The Psalmist declared and commanded: "Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!" (Ps. 66:1-2) What does it mean to make his praise glorious? Sean attempted to talk about that when he took the pulpit on May 28, 2023, but in this very special podcast, Sean, Kenny (Grace's Worship Pastor) and Rick (Grace's Senior Pastor), sit down and talk about what it means to sing to the Lord and make his praise Glorious. It's fun, it's revelatory, and if you always wanted to serve on worship team but thought it was only for "singers" - you'd be wrong! Check out this podcast!

Easter is about the Resurrection of Christ after he laid down his life as The Atoning Sacrifice for our sins. But have you ever thought about the particular days in "Holy Week"? Thursday has a special title: Maundy Thursday; Friday has a title: Good Friday; Sunday is Easter Sunday ... but Saturday is left nameless. That is the title of Rick's Easter Message and the topic of this week's podcast.

If you've ever wondered what "The Day With No Name" is all about ...

If you've ever what that means for us on a practical level ...

Listen to this podcast!