Craft & Character

Latest Episodes:

Preaching Faith as a Spider Web with Meredith Miller Aug 08, 2023

Show notes

Teaching kids about God is one of the greatest tasks of our lives. Even with good intentions, It’s easy to slip into behavior-driven moralism that emphasizes good behavior while neglecting the heart of God.

This disconnect一between head and heart一is why Meredith Anne Miller wrote her forthcoming book, Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From. In this episode, she explains to Steve Carter some of the simple shifts that can help you disciple kids better:

Simplify: limit the amount of info and the length of the lesson
Age appropriate: emphasize ideas kids can actually grasp developmentally
Make God the focus more than “what kids should do”

Kids are not an afterthought in our ministry; they are first in line to the Kingdom. Does your ministry reflect Jesus’ heart to disciple children? This episode will help you get there.

EPISODE LINKS

Meredith’s book: Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From

Website: meredithannemiller.com

Church: Pomona Valley Church

Ask Away podcast

@meredithannemiller

@steveryancarter

@craft_character

When the World Breaks with Jason Miller Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

The world is broken. When we see and feel that brokenness, it sometimes feels impossible一even illogical一to cling to faith. In this episode, Jason Miller, lead pastor of South Bend City Church in Indiana, describes his own journey with loss and how it led him past hollow platitudes into a deeper, more sacred space with Jesus.

His new book, When the World Breaks: The Surprising Hope and Subversive Promises in the Teachings of Jesus, is a refreshing reminder that God’s love sustains us in life’s darkest seasons.

Weary of injustice? Aching for renewal, in yourself and the world? Wondering why you can’t shake the sting of loss or disappointment? In this conversation with Steve Carter, Jason unpacks how the beatitudes opened his eyes afresh to the wonder of Jesus.

This podcast, along with Jason’s book, will remind you that you can bring your full self to God, knowing that一in Jesus, Immanuel一you always have his full heart.

EPISODE LINKS

Jason’s books: When the World Breaks

Website: jasonadammiller.com

Church: South Bend City Church

@jasonadammiller

@steveryancarter

@craft_character

How to Reach Urban Youth with Tommy Nixon Jul 08, 2023

Show notes

Steve Carter chops it up with his best friend Tommy Nixon一CEO of the Urban Youth Workers Institute一about how to reach the next generation for Christ. Tommy unpacks 20+ years of urban ministry, including:

What to do about the 1.2 million young people leaving the church every year
How to communicate effectively to a church that’s increasingly young, urban, and multiethnic
The two key ingredients for communicating to urban youth
Why suffering must shape our lives and message
How to use humor to connect with your audience, deliver hard truths, and show humility
Why honest feedback is crucial for your soul

Tommy’s voice is punchy and prophetic, courageous and catalytic. This episode will equip you to love your neighbor and communicate the gospel like never before.

EPISODE LINKS

Website: www.tommynixon.org

Urban Youth Worker Institute: uywi.org

Tommy’s Church: www.onelifecitychurch.org

Where Tommy got his stats: www.greatopportunity.org

@tommyuywi

@uywi

@onelifecitychurch

@steveryancarter

@craft_character

Having Something to Say with Michele Cushatt Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

Every communicator must decide: Am I going to be the person pretending I don’t have flaws, or am I going to be someone with something to say?

For Michele Cushatt一author, speaker, and communication coach一three bouts with tongue cancer, which left her with only two-thirds of her tongue and a permanent lisp, have taught her it’s the foundation of her life, not a polished facade, that makes her a transformative communicator.

Michele’s conversation with Steve Carter explores the unwanted pain life inevitably brings and the healing work God does in the midst of it. Drawing from her own story, vulnerable about her own weakness, Michele usher us onto the holy ground between despair and denial一where we can lament, rejoice, and speak with conviction that only comes from abiding in Jesus.

How can you build a stronger faith foundation? Pick up a copy of her book, A Faith That Will Not Fail, which unpacks ten simple practices to connect you with God.

EPISODE LINKS

Michele’s books: A Faith That Will Not Fail, Relentless, I Am, Undone

Website: https://michelecushatt.com

@michelecushatt

@steveryancarter

@craft_character

Master the Art of Storytelling with Nick Benoit and Paul Johnson Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

If you’ve ever felt creatively fatigued from the demand to preach week after week, meet Bravingbird: a go-to resource to help you communicate the gospel story with more clarity, beauty, and authenticity.

In this episode, Steve Carter interviews Nick Benoit (creative director) and Paul Johnson (executive director) about why the art of storytelling is a powerful communication tool for churches and organizations:

Storytelling makes room for artists in the church who are often overlooked and undervalued.
Storytelling pierces our defenses, moving truth from head to heart.
How preachers can tell stories with more impact.
The lingering potency of stories in an age of information overload.

Jesus told a lot of stories一to answer questions, field criticism, and teach profound truth. If compelling narratives flowed from the greatest teacher in human history, shouldn’t pastors today be experts in the craft of storytelling too?

EPISODE LINKS

Website: https://www.bravingbird.com

@bravingbird

YouTube channel Watch Nick performing “Stronger Stuff” at Willow Creek

@steveryancarter

@craft_character

Find Healthier Ways to Preach on Sex with Sheila Wray Gregoire May 23, 2023

Show notes

Sex is designed by God to be a gift, but tragically, it’s horribly misused to objectify women一not only in the world at-large一but also in the church. In this episode, Sheila Wray Gregoire, author of The Great Sex Rescue, She Deserves Better, and The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, explains some heartbreaking trends in evangelicalism:

Why sex has become about male entitlement and female obligation, rather than an mutual expression of intimacy and pleasure
How gender stereotypes about sexual drive and wiring have damaged women
What many of the prominent evangelical books and curriculums about sex get terribly wrong (and the cost of those mistakes)

Based on years of extensive research, Sheila also explains to Steve Carter how the church can recover from the blunders of purity culture:

How the church can talk about sex in a healthy way
Tips for pastors offering premarital counseling
Advice for honeymooning couples who feel crippled by pressure to perform on their first night together
Five essentials to help align a couple’s libido in a way that’s considerate, not manipulative

God’s heart for us, sex included, is to find healing and wholeness. So listen well. Learn. Pray that God’s Spirit will transform the broken perceptions and practices we subconsciously (or intentionally) embody. It’s only when we recognize (and repent of) what’s marred and broken that we can savor what’s beautiful.

EPISODE LINKS

Sheila’s books: The Great Sex Rescue, She Deserves Better, The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex

Her ministry: Bare Marriage

Website: https://sheilawraygregoire.com

@sheilagregoire

@steveryancarter

@craft_character

Finding Streams in the Wasteland with Andrew Arndt May 09, 2023

Show notes

Andrew Arndt had an airtight plan for his life: keep preaching at the same church as lead pastor until his final breath. But when God led him out of his small, artsy community into a megachurch, while grateful for his new assignment, he found himself disoriented and mourning the loss of his former role.

That’s when a friend recommended, “You should read the Desert Fathers and Mothers.” So he did, and it changed everything.

The Desert fathers show us that in the midst of disorientation is an invitation一not to suppress what’s inside, but to welcome God into it. Andrew explains to Steve Carter some of his key learnings, which will help anyone struggling through a disorienting season:

How simple gratitude reconnects us to God
Why embracing the mystery of God frees us from ego-driven expectations
How to preach deeply and supplant the superficiality of our age
How to replace perfunctory preaching with Scripture-sparked fire

Many of us long to benefit from the wisdom of the Desert Fathers, but aren’t sure where to begin. This episode, along with Andrew’s book, Streams in the Wasteland, will plunge you into their world. Chances are, like Andrew, you’ll never be the same.

EPISODE LINKS

Andrew’s book: Streams in the Wasteland, All Flame

The book he read about the Desert Fathers/Mothers: Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Website: https://andrewarndt.com

Church: https://north.newlifechurch.org

@theandrewarndt

@steveryancarter

@craft_character

Preaching the Centrality of Christ with James Forsyth Apr 25, 2023

Show notes

Every time James Forsyth preaches, his goal is to set hearts ablaze一like Jesus in Luke 24, when he opened the scriptures with his disciples and their “hearts burned within them.”

As the senior pastor at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN, James is not interested in conjuring a response in himself or his people but wants to genuinely encounter the living God through Scripture.

In this episode, James explains some of his best preaching practices一from prep to delivery一with Steve Carter:

● How and why to schedule your preaching calendar for the whole year

● How to use your theological chops without getting too technical in the pulpit

● How to preach with clarity so people can follow you

● Why the last 10% of message prep makes all the difference

● Why preaching is just as formative for the preacher as it is for the congregation

EPISODE LINKS

James’ podcast: Live Deeply

Church: Cedar Springs Presbyterian

@jameswforsyth

@steveryancarter

@craft_character

Having Words with God with Addison Bevere Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

Prayer is the one thing we know we’re supposed to do, but often the thing we don’t know how to do一or if we’re 100% honest一the thing we don’t always want to do.

In this episode, Steve Carter talks with Addison Bevere, who’s forthcoming book Words with God tackles questions like: How should we pray? Why isn’t God answering? Why do other Christians seem to hear from God daily, while we experience silence?

Drawing from the prayers of Jesus himself, he also offers practical pointers: our prayers should be specific, steadfast, and surrendered. And yet, Addison reminds us that prayer is not a formula, but rather an invitation to wrestle with the God who loves us. This conversation will equip and encourage you to seek God in new ways, trusting that he is for you.

EPISODE LINKS

Addison’s new book: Words with God: Trading Boring, Empty Prayer for Real Connection

Other books: Saints: Becoming More Than “Christians”

Website: addisonbevere.com

@addisonbevere

@steveryancarter

@craft_character

Preaching Theology for Everyone with Joel Muddamalle Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

Knowledge often produces hubris, not humility, which is why Joel Muddamalle is such a refreshing theological voice. As the Director of Theology and Research for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and a preaching pastor at Transformation Church in South Carolina, his passion is to show how theology can be lived out in everyday life.

With grandparents who were missionaries in India, and parents who immigrated to the U.S., Joel grew up learning how to toggle between two social-ethnic worlds. He masterfully brings this cultural sensitivity to the Bible一a Book which feels foreign to many people一and helps translate the ancient world of Scripture into modern terms people can understand and apply.

Joel was part of a feedback forum for Steve Carter’s most recent book, The Thing Beneath the Thing, where they discovered a mutual love for Scripture and communication. In this episode, they chop it up about how to responsibly approach historical context in a passage, balancing confidence with humility, and why it’s important to surround yourself with people who know and love you apart from any platform or achievement.

EPISODE LINKS

Website: https://muddamalle.com

Church: https://transformationchurch.tc

Proverbs 31 Ministries: https://proverbs31.org

@muddamalle

@steveryancarter

@craft_character