Transformed & Transformational

What does it look like to wait with intentionality rather than apathy or impatience? For the final episode of season 5, co-hosts Heather and Keane are joined by TeachBeyond Executive Vice Presidents Howard Dueck and Brian Delamont as they reflect on Acts 1 and waiting with urgency. Acts 1:4-26 "Waiting for something definitive is so much different than waiting for something that's undefined." -Brian Delamont "The fact that they are together in the waiting brings growth to one another in that time." -Brian Delamont Romans 8:22-25 Pursuing God's Will Together by Ruth Haley Barton "It's our transformation in the waiting that actually enables us to act with love and wisdom in the world. There's no quick and easy way to get there." -Brian Delamont "He has given me accountability and responsibility to be involved in some level of decision making, but the Kingdom does not hinge on the decision I'm about to make in that moment, and that helps right-size the decision for me." -Brian Delamont "Our hope isn't on ourselves or our plans, but it's on the Lord." -Howard Dueck The Critical Journey: Stages in the Life of Faith by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich "Take this period of waiting as a period of eager anticipation of what God [is] going to do next, as opposed to slipping into apathy or impatience or precipitated action. That's where our whole soul is being shaped in that time." -Howard Dueck "God is combusting something new within us." -Howard Dueck "Rather than being stuck in this empty void of life, we have the opportunity to do what we can do because in God's sovereignty, in His love and care for you, in His shepherding, you are right where you are and He's right there with you." -Brian Delamont "There's this inner compulsion that builds with the waiting [...] and this growing our longing and capacity for the fullness of the Spirit so that then He can speak through us." -Howard Dueck "Who you are wherever you are in that waiting stage is exactly what you're going to be able to bring to wherever that other place may be." -Brian Delamont "This is your time. Seep yourself in Scripture, in your craft that you're learning, become all that you can be within your time of waiting. This is your apprenticeship." -Howard Dueck Matthew 25:14-30 Complete our Season 5 survey here. Thanks for your feedback! MONTH Reflection: What am I waiting for? What's changing our lives: Keane: Kids packing their own lunches Heather: Savannah Bananas baseball on streaming platforms Brian: Learning from and doing life with others in TeachBeyond Howard: Grandparenting Weekly Spotlight: TeachBeyond Opportunity Board  We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Dr. Helen Vaughan, author and long-time educator, shares a definition for transformational education and fleshes out what this can look like in different educational environments. This conversation is foundational to understanding how we can live out our faith in the classroom in an authentic, impactful way! The Handbook for Transformational Education “The Holy Spirit transforms; we’re there as co-laborers.” “Transformational education is an education that creates learning environments where a student is encouraged by every aspect of the environment to embrace wholeheartedly and in every dimension of life God’s amazing design for him or herself. It’s God’s empowerment for a full, rewarding, and impactful life now and in the life to come.” “We are transformed for now, and it’s not just a question of what happens when we die.” “A full, whole transformation is when a learner, a student, bows before Jesus as Lord and Savior in their life. That is the epitome of a transformed life.” “I feel so much more freedom to love and embrace people and know that God’s got this. My role is to follow God and not just immediately try to jump in and convert people.” “Transformation is an ongoing process.” “Transformational education is founded upon a distinctly Christian worldview; however, it is more encompassing than instruction in worldview assumptions or propositions or upon our gaining information about our duties and behavior. Transformation is formational - the student is changed - and that rarely happens by information alone. The teacher must live out the worldview.” “How can I create a condition that cultivates transformation?” “We’re not in charge of manipulating kids or adults or campers or players into faith.” “I love Jesus passionately, and [...] I want people to have what I have because of Jesus.” What’s changing our lives: Keane: Gathering with coworkers in person Heather: New nephew Helen: Chair yoga Weekly Spotlight: International School of the Caucasus We’d love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast  Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/   

Why do I always feel awkward sharing my faith? What could it look like to have intentional spiritual conversations? Author Kevin King shares about the power of living authentically and letting the Lord lead. Living Out Loud by Kevin King Deuteronomy 6 Luke 10 "Living out loud is not living obnoxiously." "If you're not awkward about your spirituality, they won't feel awkward about it." Matthew 10:19 "This is not about a strategy for how to get to the Gospel. It will get to the Gospel for people who are interested. It's just about feeling comfortable in our own spiritual skin, dismantling all of this false narrative and false belief that we have built up. Become comfortable, live out loud, and you will actually find out that the harvest is plentiful." "It's not even about evangelism; it's really just about being genuine spiritual people, and then the result is that Gospel conversations happen." "Be who you are without an agenda."   Access Living Out Loud resources for churches here! What's changing our lives: Keane: Having an opinionated 2-year-old Heather: Celebrating 15 years with TeachBeyond Kevin: Verses app and getting more done with a new team member Weekly Spotlight: ESL/TEFL Teaching Positions We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Are we really called to "be perfect"? Brian Delamont unpacks the meaning of "teleios" and how God's own completeness becomes our refuge and righteousness. Matthew 5:48 Greek: teleios Colossians 1:28-29 "It's the work of God Himself in Jesus on the cross and in His resurrection power, which enables us to be complete and filled with His Holy Spirit." 2 Samuel 22:31 "God uses His perfection as a shield for those of us who come and take refuge in Him." Deuteronomy 32:4 Hebrew: tāmîm "A perfect spotless lamb in the Old Testament points toward the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in the New Testament." "Perfection is not something God has to work at; it's something He is. It's His nature." "We come to take refuge in Him because we're not perfect, and so it's His righteousness, His completeness, His perfection that is applied to you and me by the complete work of Christ, and we are empowered to live in this completeness by the Holy Spirit." Matthew 19:16-22 Lead by Paul David Tripp "The perfection that Jesus is asking [for] isn't perfect behavior. That's not what God ever demands from us because He knows we can't deliver on it. The perfection Jesus is hoping to see is the perfection of complete commitment, to be fully devoted, to be all in." 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Psalm 19 "The perfect God who made the universe and more, the One who reveals Himself in the Law and the Prophets, is the One who is so complete that He can be trusted all of the time. That's perfection." Hebrews 10:14 Romans 12:2 November Reflection: When you think about God and yourself in relationship with Him, do you see Him accepting or rejecting you? Is it based on who you are or what you can do for Him? What's changing our lives: Keane: His kids enjoying swinging Heather: The launch of Go Beyond Brian: New pages in his refillable journal Weekly Spotlight: Art and Music Positions We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Hear from Rio Handley, Associate Regional Director of East Asia and Oceania, about how God has been at work as she has lived in different homes and held different roles over the course of her years in missions. "I feel at home where God has placed me. I feel at home at the center of His will." "I've seen the grace of God in my life, and I've seen how God moves." "Missions is not just the missionary's responsibility; missions is the church's responsibility." "We cannot put missionaries on a pedestal because we are all part of one Body, and when God calls people to missions, it has to be the whole church in support of that." "Being a teacher and being intentional in doing missions is very important." "Being a teacher is having that connection in the lives of your students and that opportunity to change lives and let alone the opportunity to share life [and] Jesus Christ." What's changing our lives: Keane: Reading Father Brown mysteries Heather: Scheduling posts and chats in Microsoft Teams Rio: Learning how to drive Weekly Spotlight: East Asia and Oceania Region We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

It takes humility, intentionality, and the power of the Holy Spirit to create a workplace of trust and unity amongst school staff. Hear from members of the team at GDQ International Christian School in Albania about their experiences with navigating conflict. "We want to have the school be a safe place so that people can voice disagreements that they have and know that someone will listen to them." -Lori "One thing that helps to resolve conflict is, on some level, to expect there to be at least different perspectives." -Nate "Continue to build into relationships among the staff so when you have to come with things like that, it's not just negative all the time, but you do have these trust banks to pull off of." -Lori "You really do need to have a culture of unity in place to be able to handle things like this." -Nate "Unless people see you acting in a way that is healthy in resolving conflict and in communicating, then any policy that you have, any professional development is useless." Lori "You have to be able to say, 'This is not against me. Same team!'" -Lori James 1:19 "Something that is really helpful for me when I am offended is to remember how much God has forgiven me." -Peter "We have to give glory to God for being our captain." -Nate What's changing our lives: Keane: Finishing the entire Chronicles of Narnia series Heather: Autumn scenes on YouTube Nate: Using ChatGPT to wean off of coffee Peter: Hot cocoa with homework, fresh persimmons, and pumpkin pie Lori: Cozy blankets Weekly Spotlight: GDQ International Christian School We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Katie Davis Majors, bestselling author and founder of Amazima Ministries, shares about the experience of following Jesus one step at a time into a story she couldn't have imagined. Hear the remarkable story of childlike faith and community impact through education and discipleship. Amazima Ministries "Meeting people's needs is good and is right and is what Jesus calls us to do, to make sure that our neighbors do have access [...] but also, we don't want to give people those things without giving them the hope and the truth of the gospel." "Jesus says to have faith like a child, and I think as children, we are bolder and we are less afraid, and we are more trusting. I really did just see a need in front of me and think, 'I could do something about that.'" "I can step confidently into those things, even without knowing specifics, because Jesus has already given me the instruction to do so." "There are people who need the gospel, who need the love of Jesus, right outside all of our front doors, and as we kind of slowly step into meeting other people's needs and sharing the love of Jesus with others, I really believe that God is going to refine that and narrow that. As we just keep taking steps, He writes these stories that we never could have come up with on our own." "He was growing my dependence on Him and my relationship with Him as I kept stepping into these impossible things and seeing Him be faithful." "We're not going to end poverty, but we obey Jesus by stepping into the things that He puts in front of us, and in the process, we are made more into His image." "For anyone who's just feeling so paralyzed [...] It really is just a drop in the bucket… and that can't keep us from kindness and obedience to Jesus." "Living authentically and living your life for Jesus in front of other people causes such a ripple effect." "[Education] is such a great way to disciple a child and share the gospel." "I need to be dependent on God to achieve anything at all." "To step into what God puts in front of you, just one day at a time and one moment at a time really can lead to such a beautiful life." "I want what You want for me, God." What's changing our lives: Keane: Cricut machine Heather: Late-blooming dahlias Katie: Having a puppy Weekly Spotlight: Elementary Teaching Positions We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Have you ever thought that "calling" was just for certain people or wondered if you had somehow missed God's call for your life? Or, do you worry that God might call you to something you don't want to do? Brian Delamont joins Heather and Keane to tackle the myths about "calling." 1 Timothy 2:4 "God calls people to Himself." "Once we know Him and His truth, we become a part of His body, a part of the Church, and as His disciples, we enter into a lifelong process of becoming who He knows we can be and doing what He asks us to do." Matthew 28:18-20 "Calling rests on a lot more than just me and my understanding. God's calling is always part of God's plan, and this includes His plan for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth and in the life of each individual who hears this call and then follows." Matthew 4:18-20 "We always have to give up something because we give up our old life, we give up our old self, to become what God is calling us to be and become." "Who knows me better than the God who made me? He will be the One who calls and leads." "'God doesn't call the equipped; He equips the called.'" Redeeming Work By Brian Dik "God does call the equipped, and He's also the great Equipper Himself." Luke 10:45 Ephesians 2:10 "God has a powerful and a long history of taking human action and redeeming it for His divine purposes." Genesis 50:20 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 "It's our God who makes us worthy of His calling, not the other way around." Judges 6:14 Isaiah 6:8 "A clear call from God does not necessarily mean that things will look successful from a human perspective. We may only see difficulty, and yet that doesn't negate God's call or God's presence."  John 10:27 Mark 8:34 Exodus 3:10-14 Deuteronomy 31:23 October Reflection: What am I waiting for? What's my role in this, and what is God's role? How can I help break down the myth of calling in my community and call out the gifts I see in others? What's changing our lives: Keane: Joining a film group at church Heather: Embracing "hygge" Brian: Spending time with TeachBeyond National Directors Weekly Spotlight: Asuncion Christian Academy We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Teachers have been missionaries throughout history! Learn today about Lottie Moon, a missionary who used education in bringing the Gospel to China. Lottie Moon: The Girl Who Reached the World by Amy Whitfield "We've always been open to if the Lord would send us overseas, we would go, but for now He's called us to point people here [...] to the other side of the world." "I think it's imperative for us to know the stories of the past, particularly those who have gone on before us in the church, to get the context, the history that we have come from." "It matters to know the story of how the Gospel has spread to places around the world." "She had one idea, and now missionaries all over the world are supported because of it still." "Reading missionary biographies or reading missionary journals helps people to see, to understand the need, but then also to see how the Holy Spirit is working in these places." "It's important in our churches that we are educating our kids about the Bible, about the doctrines of the faith, and about the call to go and make disciples." "A lot of times, I think people don't understand the role that we all play in the Great Commission, even in sending." "God woke her up to know Him, and she didn't rest until she told the world His story. Through the simple acts of baking cookies and writing letters and quite a bit of feisty determination, Lottie's dream of reaching the world for Jesus came true." "I really think it begins with opening your eyes and saying, 'What's one thing I can do this week, and what's one thing I can do next week?'" "We are called to be the church out there – every day, everywhere we are." What's changing our lives: Keane: Tzatziki sauce Heather: Single Today by Ryan Wekenman Amy: Matin music from Jess Ray Weekly Spotlight: Opportunities in Creative Access locations We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Zoe and Chris Fletcher share their inspiring story of serving at the International Christian School of Budapest – the impact of their school, Chris's childhood that shaped his perspective on cross-cultural living, a powerful moment that led Zoe to move to Hungary, and how they aim to live open-handedly following the Lord. "This is the right place that God was guiding me to [...] and so this was the place that, in the end, it worked out. Doors were opening, and that's where I ended up." -Chris "Everything leading up to it was so obvious to everyone else, and to me, I was the last person to realize what was happening." -Zoe "I know that this is God, and I know this needs to happen." -Zoe "God has given us so many passports between us, and how can we maximize that for His glory?" -Zoe "Our citizenship is in heaven [...] When we're not tied down to a specific [home], it actually frees us up to say yes to God and to obey Him wherever that is and to just be more tied to heaven than to earthly things." -Zoe "Hungary is where God has us. He'll let us know if it's not." -Zoe "Just because we're here now and just because we don't see that there's any chance that we're moving home in the foreseeable future doesn't mean that we're not going to or that God won't send us somewhere." -Zoe "I felt that call, and I was obedient. I just wanted to be obedient to God." -Chris "God calls us to a radical life. [...] Don't be afraid of living radically for God, whatever that would look like." -Chris "The cost is great, but You are worth it [...] What does the cost look like now? How can I be bold?" -Zoe "It's an immense privilege to be able to teach the kids of missionaries." -Chris "I went into being a teacher because I knew that education happens everywhere in the world, and I was just wanting to go somewhere overseas. I think education reaches places, ministering to so many different nationalities and families." -Chris International Christian Educators Conference What's changing our lives: Keane: Writing date of replacement on lightbulbs Heather: Asking myself the question, "What does 'space' look like now?" Chris: Making yogurt at home Zoe: Anticipating oldest daughter going to preschool Weekly Spotlight: International Christian School of Budapest We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

How might everyday classroom moments become places where God's presence is made known? In this conversation, Dr. David I. Smith invites teachers to see their ordinary practices, from prayer to assigning work, as sacred opportunities for faith to shape learning. Learn more about Dr. David I. Smith "Getting a job at a Christian school doesn't instantaneously transform the way you think about how to teach your discipline or the way you think about how to organize your classroom or how to manage classroom relationships [...] Becoming intentional about that is a lifelong project." "If I'm going to have integrity as a Christian teacher, I have to figure out how I'm going to live with the teaching process wherever I teach." 1 Corinthians 12 Acts 2:44-45 "What story am I providing for my students about what it is that they are doing right now?" "Assignments [are] about trying to be intentional about how I actually want my students to grow - intellectually, morally, spiritually, socially - through the task that I'm giving them." "What is my vision for how students grow?" "The way you use pauses are part of how you communicate what you value and who you value." "Talk yourself out of the idea that your faith is primarily your words about faith." 1 Peter 3:15 "What human being are you becoming? Who are you going to be in five years, and how is what we are doing here contributing to who you are going to be in five years?" Practical next steps: Which of my assignments actively and explicitly teaches students how to care for one another while doing the work? Identify the student who might be finding it hardest to learn in your class. Take him/her out for coffee to hear their perspective. What pictures do my students see on the screen during the semester, and what vision is that giving them about who human beings are? Ask a fellow teacher to try this with you! Visit TeachBeyond on Instagram or Facebook to enter the giveaway for a copy of Everyday Christian Teaching for you and a friend! What's changing our lives: Keane: Sister getting married Heather: Participating in the trial for the new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport David: Spending sabbatical reading and translating the works of Comenius Weekly Spotlight: Santa Cruz Christian Learning Center We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

There's no mistaking that God is moving in university students today. Hear from Mark Matlock, Executive Director of Urbana Missions Conference, a conference for university students and young adults, as he shares about Gen Z, the impact of conferences, and the future of missions. Learn more about Urbana Missions Conference here! "What am I doing, and how am I connected to this global Church and what God is doing around the world? And that's what Urbana is all about." "I believe that this generation is going to have a new imagination for what it means to fulfill the Great Commission in the world and take the Gospel across cultures so that people can hear the Word of God." "We want to increase the sending capacity of the church." Listen to the Urbana Podcast Carey Nieuwhof's Podcast on Gen Z in Revival and Retreat "God doesn't fill us just to fill us; He fills us to be fruitful." "There's something about discovery in community with others that I think the Holy Spirit really uses to help guide us and move us." What's changing our lives: Keane: Breaking down tasks into smaller pieces Heather: Adding a trellis to my garden Mark: Working collaboratively with Gen Z Weekly Spotlight: HopeSeed School We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

We're back… well, almost! Co-hosts Heather Brown and Keane Fine share what has been changing their lives since the end of Season 5. Then, hear from some past and upcoming guests with tips for beginning the school year. Be sure that you're subscribed or following the show so you don't miss the start of Season 6 in October! We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Michèle Phoenix returns to the podcast to share about her new book, Pieces of Purple, based on personal experience and years of ministry with children of missionaries. This is a must-listen for parents, caregivers, teachers, and friends of Third Culture Kids (TCKs)! Find Michèle's book, Pieces of Purple, here! "Even parents who have lived cross-culturally for thirty or forty years will never fully understand in an embodied way what it means to have grown up with all of these cultural and experiential and all of these other inputs shaping who you are." "Being a TCK is indescribable. It is hovering darkness; it is glimmering light. May we embrace the wonderful as we wrestle with the hard. And may the God who cherishes His purple people reach through the layers that make us so unique to touch the parts that need His love and free us up to flourish." "We need to tell our stories so that they know that there's an after picture and that this is not the end. We can be the embodiment of hope to them. We can point to other people [...] we know who have been through challenges like this and who have found their footing again." "I actually believe that our greatest strength is in mostly belonging, not fully belonging. If we can mostly belong in multiple places, we become bridge builders and change makers." "I don't think we realize how much just living in proximity to us is teaching the TCKs in our care about life and faith and holding the tension that we all feel." What's changing our lives: Keane: Getting up earlier Heather: Daily devotional from the Worship Initiative Michèle: Learning about attachment theory and baking sourdough bread Weekly Spotlight: Schools serving Third Culture Kids (TCKs) We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

In this bonus episode, Keith Carey shares about his work with Joshua Project, defining unreached people groups, and reaching the unreached through prayer. Learn more about Joshua Project! Learn more about the 10/40 Window here. "We're praying according to God's will because He wants every one of those tribes, tongues, and nations to be reached." Perspectives on the World Christian Movement What's changing our lives: Keane: Painting bedrooms in his house Heather: Vegetables growing from seed  Keith: The Holy Spirit and cross-country running through desert scenery Weekly Spotlight: 10/40 Window and the SEND Campaign We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Have you heard the term Fernweh (German "fern-vay") or Wanderlust? What if God is calling us beyond a desire to explore far-off places? TeachBeyond member Natalie Kardol shares her story of longing to travel the world before she knew Jesus and longing to reach the world with the Gospel now that she does. Natalie's story invites us to consider how we are using our gifts for God's glory, whether at home or far away. "As long as I can think of, I always had this longing to go." "When I became a Christian, I thought, 'Wow, I wasted all these years traveling to these different cultures just because I wanted to be there, and I wasted it and wasn't able to share Jesus [...] If I ever have a chance again to do anything like this, then I just want to do it for the Lord and share the Gospel with people around the world.'" "I don't think it has really changed; I just didn't know in my younger years that it was God's calling on my heart." Check out TeachBeyond's Annual Report! "I translated the annual report, and that just opened my eyes, and I saw more and [thought], 'Wow, this is an amazing organization.'" "God is working in the background." "However fast or slow the process works, God is in charge. I cannot take credit for it; I am not fully responsible for the outcome of it." "It's an honor when you can connect people. It's not about you." "I don't know what God is all of a sudden deciding to open up or not. I've learned by now that I cannot [...] plan what God has in store for me. It's okay to not have it all figured out." Complete our Season 5 survey here. Thanks for your feedback! What's changing our lives: Keane: Better Internet Heather: Working from a friend's house during a power outage Natalie: Ability to travel with her husband on his work trips Weekly Spotlight: Short-Term Opportunities We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

How are you commemorating the end of the school year? What does it look like to reflect, celebrate, and anticipate rest? Listen in for inspiration from our Season 5 guests and a special reflection from Mark Giebink, TeachBeyond's Director of Global Member Care. Ruth Chou Simons: Begin thinking now about how you will rest by learning something new. George Durance: Daniel 12:3 Wyndy Corbin Reuschling: Do something different and get some rest. Heather Powers: It's okay to admit that you're tired and looking forward to a break. Brian Delamont: Do something accomplish in 15 minutes or less. Katy Boatman: How you spend your time outside of school is just as important as your time in school. A more rested you will be a more impactful teacher. Lori Neumann: Your impact is well beyond how it may feel! Ruth Mbennah: You have the opportunity to impact lives. Emmanuel Mbennah: 1 Corinthians 15:58 Kevin McClintock: You are respected and loved more than you know. Mark Giebink: Keep a healthy doable pace, keep your eyes focused on God, and serve as an act of worship. Dave Totman: Philippians 1:6 Complete our Season 5 survey here. Thanks for your feedback! Weekly Spotlight: Guided Journal We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Dr. Arianna Molloy shares hopeful and practical guidance as we seek to understand and live out our calling. Arianna defines key terms, unpacks professional research, and shares personal anecdotes to cast a vision for a healthy, reflective practice for flourishing in work and in relationship with the Caller. Healthy Calling by Dr. Arianna Molloy | Learn more from Arianna Molloy "As believers, our primary calling is to love God and love others, and to do that well in everything that we do." "[God] is a personal, intimate designer, and He has equipped each of us with skill sets and passions." Work as a calling: meaningful, identified Caller, skill set and passion, and pro-social "Passion alone is fine, but it makes you a great fan; passion and skill set make you a great employee." "It becomes unhealthy when we confuse our relationship with the Caller with the calling, when we become so consumed with the calling that we forget about the people that we're impacting on the other side." "An unhealthy kind of calling in the workplace is not work as an expression of who I am, but work as the definition of who I am." "The virtue of humility enacted [...] keeps us on the healthy calling path." Micah 6:8 "Deep shame comes from the idea that work is a calling, and when you don't want to do it anymore, it's not the task that you don't want to do anymore, it's that relational connection that feels severed [...] It's not 'I don't like what I'm doing anymore, it's I don't know who I am anymore.'" Communication when stressed: withdrawal, reduced awareness, physical tension "Burnout doesn't go away on its own, so we have to stop romanticizing pushing through." Saundra Dalton-Smith's Seven Types of Rest "Sabbath is not meant to just be for a day; we're meant to live a Sabbath lifestyle. Sabbathing is turning our hearts and minds to the Lord, and remembering that all of the time all of the resources that we have are His, and we are not God and He is enough." "Because calling is a process, even jobs that don't feel exciting at all can teach you something about yourself." Make Your Job a Calling by Bryan Dik and Ryan Duffy: task crafting, relational crafting, cognitive crafting "Calling is about relationship. Focus on and pursue the relationship, and the Lord will clarify your calling." What's changing our lives: Keane: The Power Broker by Robert Caro Heather: Yuka app Arianna: Voice messaging with her husband Weekly Spotlight: Residence Life Positions We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

Brian Delamont returns to the podcast as we explore the Biblical theme of creation, beginning in the garden of Eden and culminating in the city of God. Drawing from voices like Alistair McGrath and Albert Wolters, we consider what it means to live as faithful stewards of God's world and reflect His image in our spheres of influence. From Genesis to Revelation, we are invited to participate in God's ongoing work of transformation, restoration, and renewal. Listen to "Christ Be Magnified" by Cody Carnes Genesis 2:8-20 Creation Regained by Albert Wolters  "God gives humanity the occupation of partnering with Him in order to bring this garden to the fullness that God envisions for it, to partner with God in transformation." Revelation 22 Psalm 19 Romans 1:20 "God's revelation of Himself is so clearly seen that humanity is without excuse to know that there is a God and that He exists." Romans 2:15 "To be created in God's image means that we have these echoes of God's design and God's intention innately connected and integrated into our humanness." "God wants us and created us and designed us to live integrated lives. There's nothing that doesn't have His fingerprint on it." "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, 'Mine!' - Abraham Kuyper "The Kingdom has come – it's here – and yet there is more to come." "When we bring care or compassion or provision to others, we're making small transformations that point to the King and point to the Kingdom, both now and the Kingdom to come." Creation by Alistair McGrath "Stewarding creation is an expression of love for God because God loves what He has created." "We don't worship nature or creation, but we esteem it." The Parable of the Faithful Steward in Luke 12:42-48 Jeremiah 29:4-7 "When we try to make God look like us, we are miscreating, but when we understand that we are created in God's image, it enables us to integrate our faith, our spirituality, with the physical world, because that's the way He intended it from the very beginning, all the way through Scripture." "Science is never going to threaten God. How we apply science can threaten our understanding." "What evidences do I see in creation for Him? What evidences, like Psalm 19, do I see in the law of God?" Revelation 21:1-5 "What started in a garden does become a city." "In God's city, there is life and light. The river that flowed in Eden now flows from the throne, and it's the water of the river of life that is there for all nations. It's part of our inheritance, it's part of our sonship and daughtership with God." 2 Corinthians 5:17 May Reflection: Am I actively engaging in God's creation mandate for the part of the world that I'm able to influence? What sphere of influence has God given me? What am I stewarding? What's changing our lives: Keane: Water flavor drops Heather: Marking Bible passages while watching The Chosen  Brian: Springtime and tulips blooming Weekly Spotlight: Bible Teacher Positions We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/ 

On this Good Friday, author Justin Schell traces the mission of God as seen in the sacrifice of Christ – to reveal Himself to humanity so that we may know Him in the world He's made – and calls the Church to witness to this Master who invites us to feast with Him. Learn more about Lausanne's Younger Leaders Generation "Mission is one of those things in ministry and in Christianity that so easily can become about other things than about God." "The mission of God is Him revealing Himself to humanity so that we might know Him in the world that He's made." "That's our role as a Church – we are witnessing to the God who has made Himself known." John 12:23-24, 31-32 "You want to see the glory of God? You want to see the defeat of evil? Look at the cross." "The cross is ground zero for the mission of God." 2 Corinthians 2:14 Romans 12 "Our suffering isn't a hindrance to the Gospel going forward; it's actually the way it goes forward." "God will use your fragrance, your sacrificed life, to bring men and women to know Him and to join the procession." "There is no Christian ministry that isn't cross-shaped. There is no such thing as true Christian ministry that's not a dying to ourselves so that Christ might live through us." "What will we do for Him if we will not feast with Him?" - Richard Sibbes "We can only serve the master for so long if we don't actually enjoy Him." "Don't pray for perseverance, pray for joy, because you're going to persevere in anything that you have joy in." 2 Corinthians 4:17 John 11 "The Church is growing and being missional, even in the midst of their suffering." "Christ is worth everything, and when things get hard, that's a time to be on mission. We can be confident calling the world to Jesus, no matter what it costs, because it's worth it." "If you feel insignificant, you might finally be prepared to be someone who can witness to the all-sufficient God." Luke 14 "The Master's heart is set on a feast." "Do you know how good the Master is? Do you delight in Him? Do you think you could have a ministry of inviting people to a feast? If so, that's what mission is." "Whatever capacity you think you need, whatever brilliance you think you need to develop or that you're missing – that's not what you need. You need to know the heart of the master, and then with joy, go out and invite men and women [to] come [...] That kind of evangelism is Biblical evangelism." "If you can spend your days allowing your heart to be warm in the sunlight of Jesus and then go out and invite people to enjoy Him with you, then you're ready to be a missionary." What's changing our lives: Keane: Sons learning to ride bicycles Heather: Microsoft Translator app Justin: Discovering a jazz radio station and sharing the book God Shines Forth  We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/