Podcasts from Ambassador Ministries

Before D. L. Moody became the greatest evangelist of the 19th Century, he ran a storefront Sunday School to reach some of the street kids of Chicago. The story is told of one tough little guy who was seen on Sunday after Sunday. He lived a long way from his destination. Well, on one brutally cold and snowy Chicago day, one man saw the boy walking into the wind, making his usual Sunday morning journey to Moody’s Sunday School. He asked the boy why he would make that effort every Sunday, even on a day when no one else was out, especially when he passed by a lot of churches that were a lot closer to his home. The boy’s explanation was pretty clear and pretty simple, “I go there Mister, because they really make a fellow feel loved there.” I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “A Leader’s Real Assignment.” The first portrait of Jesus I can ever remember seeing as a child was one that portrays Him as the Good Shepherd, with His sheep following Him closely and this one little lamb cuddled in His arms. Interestingly enough, now that I’m in Christian leadership, I realize that picture is also what I’m supposed to be about. And you, too, if God has entrusted you with any kind of influence or direction in people’s lives. Your template is supposed to be that of a shepherd of whom people say, “He or she sure makes a person feel loved.” Listen to 1 Peter 5, beginning with verse 2. It’s our word for today from the Word of God, and it’s a picture of leadership worth planting deeply in your heart. Writing to those in leadership God says, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers...” OK, quick timeout here! Notice whose sheep your people are—your children are. They’re God’s; they’re not yours. Don’t ever start acting like they’re yours. And notice, too, that they are given to you to be under your care, not under your thumb. Peter goes on: “Not because you must, but because you are willing…not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” OK, what’s the Biblical picture of being a leader? Right, shepherding. Leading the sheep, not lording it over them. Loving the sheep, not using them for your own ends. Modeling more than demanding. So if you’re a shepherd, what should you be doing? Well, a shepherd always leads the sheep to what they need. If you’ve been entrusted with people to lead, it’s your job to gently direct them to what they need emotionally, spiritually, physically, mentally, and to know when they need encouraging, and when they need correcting, and when they just need loving. Christian leadership is all about you meeting their needs, not them meeting yours. Shepherding also means keeping your sheep from wandering—establishing clear boundaries and pulling them back at the first sign of wandering. Being a shepherd also means protecting your sheep from the enemy. A few verses later in this passage, Peter talks about resisting the roaring lion who’s looking for someone to devour. It is the Christian leader’s job to keep his eyes open for where Satan might get in and then to defend his flock from the stalking of the lion. And Jesus taught us one other thing the “good shepherd” does. He said, “He calls His own sheep by name” (John 10:3). I love that! In other words, if you’re a good shepherd, you will give each of His sheep individual attention, the kind that street kid in Chicago must have felt at D. L. Moody’s Sunday School. Make each one feel like the most important person in the world when they’re with you. There’s nobody else for you right now, than them. Don’t treat them just like another nameless face in the flock. Jesus was a shepherd, and now He’s called you to be one, trusting you with some of the sheep that He died for. Your children, your grandchildren, your

Love the show? Text us your feedback! How does a man build a legacy that outlives him? It’s not through image or comfort, but through Scripture, prayer, and the kind of courage that shows up when it costs something. This week we sit down with three generations of the Benham family to talk about Father’s Day, legacy that actually lasts, and why kids follow what we embody more than what we say. Bailey shares what it’s like to grow up with a “spiritual inheritance” and why more young men are suddenly rethinking marriage, family, and generational impact. Flip takes us through his story of redemption, from being raised in the saloon business to meeting Christ and becoming a bold voice in pro-life advocacy. We unpack why the pro-life worldview is not merely political but biblical, including the conviction that life begins at conception. We discuss the real-world cost of public faith: arrests, harassment, prayer vigils, and how watching a father stand firm can ignite courage in the next generation. If you want practical motivation to lead your home with a biblical worldview, build spiritual habits that last, and model faith your children can “catch,” this conversation is for you. Subscribe for more, share this with a dad who needs it, and leave a review with one lesson you want to pass down.Support the show

How does a single parent work through discipline challenges with his or her kids? Linda Ranson Jacobs spent years as a single mother, and she talks with Jim Daly about a concept called step-back parenting. Then, Danny and John share a few insights on helping single parents work through technology concerns with their children. Find us online at focusonthefamily.com/parentingpodcast. Or call 1-800-A-FAMILY. Receive the book The Single Parent for your donation of any amount! Take the 7 Traits of Effective Parenting Assessment Finding Hope and Joy While Single Parenting PluggedIn Download the Godcaster App Support This Show! If you enjoyed listening to the Focus on Parenting Podcast, please give us your feedback.

No description provided.

Week 3 of the Series Come to the Table. A Message by Landon Eades.

On this WPN Call #553, Dr. Jim Garlow is joined by Christy Stutzman, the wife of Indiana Congressman Marlin Stutzman. She is a former member of the Indiana State House of Representatives herself, a trained opera singer, and a producer of Broadway shows. Christy discusses the Broadway musical she has written called Washington's Ring of Spies: A Musical Revolution, which brings to life the story of how George Washington assembled a secret network of ordinary Americans — farmers, merchants, a tavern keeper, a laundress, and a woman of courage — to pass intelligence behind enemy lines in occupied New York during the Revolutionary War. Website: https://ringofspies.com/index.html Dr. Jim Garlow has partnered with Pastor Mario Bramnick and Terry Barnes to bring you World Prayer Network (WPN), which seeks out Holy Spirit given strategies for how to be an effective and contagious Christ-follower in our present national situations. WPN hosts weekly prayer calls to seek out strategies for the transformation of nations, including our own. During these live calls, we share briefings from key leaders and then pray into what we see and hear from the Lord. Follow us on social media: facebook.com/wellversedworld twitter: @wellversedworld instagram: @wellversedworld www.wellversedworld.org

What if you could learn about Jesus from someone who spent years walking beside Him? The Gospel of John offers exactly that perspective. Written by one of Jesus' closest disciples, it gives us a firsthand glimpse of His glory and grace. Join David Wollen, along with John Schafer and Brennan McPherson—the creators of a new animated film about Jesus—for a special episode of The Great Stories Podcast, Jesus Through the Gospel of John Part 2.