Pastors and Preachers

Latest Episodes:

5 Life-Changing Benefits of Hiring A Coach Aug 06, 2018

Show notes

Brief Overview

Call them mentors, trainers, coaches - we all have people who have helped us grow into the best versions of ourselves in different parts of life. But far too many leaders don't have coaches, leaving them operating at less than full capacity. So on this episode, Matt and Tal talk about the life-changing benefits of coaching and why the smart move for you is to hire a coach.

Benefits of Coaching:

Great coaches slow you down. Your life is moving fast. Your coach should create space for you to take time to look around and see what's happening in your life and leadership.
Great coaches help you focus. You can't work on everything today, so your coach should help you determine what matters most right now.
Great coaches lock out shame. Your coach should proactively ask how they can help you.
Great coaches keep you honest. Your coach should help you know your limitations and what to do when you've bitten off more than you can chew.
Great coaches play the long game. Your coach should help you clarify and take the next right ste in your life and leadership.

Vic Doss on Losing 50 Pounds, Leading College Students and Why He Loves Oprah Jul 30, 2018

Show notes

Brief Overview

Matt sits down with Vic Doss from Watkinsville First Baptist Church to talk about leading college students, what's missing in evangelical politics and the holistic transformation that took place in Vic's life over the past 12 months.

Listen To Learn:

How Vic lost 50 pounds in a year
The moment Vic decided to stop using his phone for a month
How a church of 200 people has become a spiritual home for more than 2,500 college students since 2006.
The one question church leaders should be asking about politics

Resources

FREE RESOURCE: The Healthy Practices of Leaders, Volume 1
GET HELP: Ask Matt and Tal a Question
CONNECT: Five Factors Facebook Group
FOLLOW: Matt (com/mattadair) and Tal (twitter.com/talprince)

Should I Use A Smartphone? Jul 23, 2018

Show notes

Brief Overview

In the last of four episodes on how healthy leaders use their smartphones, Matt and Tal answer listener questions about the challenges and benefits of smartphone use.

Here are the questions Matt and Tal answer:

Is smartphone addiction a real thing?
What's available to protect me from porn on my smartphone?
Should I ask people in our church not to use their phone when I preach?
Any tips on social media fasts? Are they helpful or just a placebo?
What are the spiritual benefits of healthy smartphone use?
Should I ditch my smartphone?.

Resources

PODCAST - "Your Relationship With Your Smartphone? It's Complicated!"
PODCAST - "Take A (One-Day) Digital Detox"
PODCAST - "How To Get The Most From Your Smartphone"
APP - Moment (iOS)
APP - Quality Time (Android)
APP - Circle
FREE RESOURCE: [The Healthy Practices of Leaders, Volume 1](ADD LINK)
GET HELP: Ask Matt and Tal a Question
CONNECT: Five Factors Facebook Group
FOLLOW: Matt (twitter.com/mattadair) and Tal (twitter.com/talprince)

How To Get The Most From Your Smartphone Jul 16, 2018

Show notes

Brief Overview

In the third of four episodes on how healthy leaders use their smartphones, Matt and Tal talk about the challenges we face in how we use our phone. Plus, they share a simple framework that you can use today to multiply the benefit you get from your phone.

How To Get The Most From Your Phone

Fence. Set boundaries around the time when you use your phone and stay away from your phone.

Focus. Leverage tools on your phone to help you stay away from distraction and the myth of multi-tasking.

Fill. Make sure that your most significant work makes it into your calendar.

Filter. Determine whether your current task requires the use of your phone.

Resources

PODCAST - "Your Relationship With Your Smartphone? It's Complicated!"
PODCAST - "Take A (One-Day) Digital Detox"
APP - Moment (iOS)
APP - Quality Time (Android)
APP - Circle
FREE RESOURCE: The Healthy Practices of Leaders, Volume 1
FREE RESOURCE: Maximize your phone's benefits
GET HELP: Ask Matt and Tal a Question
CONNECT: Five Factors Facebook Group
FOLLOW: Matt (com/mattadair) and Tal (twitter.com/talprince)

Take A (One-Day) Digital Detox Jul 09, 2018

Show notes

Brief Overview

In the second of four episodes on how healthy leaders use their smartphones, Matt and Tal talk through the details of taking a 24-hour break from your smartphone. They talk about why we get hooked on our phones, the benefits of taking a 24-hour break from our phones and how to take the next steps to freedom.

Benefits of a Digital Detox:

Freedom from FOMO: The fear of missing out (FOMO) is a problem compounded by the way our phones tap into our neurochemistry. A consistent break from your phone disrupts that connection and helps to create healthier phone habits.

Freedom from Overwork: Show us the person who is always on their phone, and we'll show you a person who is working more than they should.

Freedom for Praying: Few challenges are more difficult to overcome than disconnecting from the constant distraction of your phone to make room for focused times of prayer.

Freedom for Play: When you have an entire day disconnected from your phone, you find time to enjoy unhurried opportunities for fun and leisure with family and friends.

Resources

PODCAST: Your Relationship With Your Smartphone Is Complicated
FREE RESOURCE: The Healthy Practices of Leaders, Volume 1
GET HELP: Ask Matt and Tal a Question
CONNECT: Five Factors Facebook Group
FOLLOW: Matt (com/mattadair) and Tal (twitter.com/talprince)

Rate & Review the Podcast

Reviews for the podcast on iTunes and greatly appreciated! They help us build awareness for the show, which in turn allows us to bring value to more listeners like you. Not only that, but they help us better understand what matters the most to you so that we can constantly improve. If you received value from this episode, it would mean the world if you could take a moment and leave your honest rating and review. You can do that by clicking here!

Your Relationship With Your Smartphone? It's Complicated! Jul 02, 2018

Show notes

Brief Overview

In the first of four episodes on how healthy leaders use their smartphones, Matt and Tal show you the possibilities of using your smartphone in a different way. In the face of increased concerns about the holistic impact of smartphone use, healthy leaders are reimagining their relationship with their phone.

Benefits of Better Smartphone Use:

Heightened sense of security and gratitude. Research shows that smartphone use increases the risk of loneliness and depression. Mentally healthy leaders limit the time they spend on their phone.
Improved sleep. Your phone emits a level of radiation that disrupts the quality of your sleep. Physically healthy leaders keep their phone in another room at night.
Better connections in relationships. Our relationships are damaged by decreased eye contact as we scroll our phones. Relationally healthy leaders set boundaries on their phones when they're spending time with people.
Better able to hear God. Your phone creates untold number of distractions from time you spend listening to God through the Scriptures and responding in prayer. Spiritually healthy leaders consider the cost of using your phone to fuel your relationship with God.
More productive at work. Your productivity will increase and you will feel better at the end of the day if you are not glued to your phone. Vocationally healthy leaders limit their access to work-related apps on their phone.

Resources

FREE RESOURCE: [The Healthy Practices of Leaders, Volume 1](ADD LINK)
GET HELP: Ask Matt and Tal a Question
CONNECT: Five Factors Facebook Group
FOLLOW: Matt (twitter.com/mattadair) and Tal (twitter.com/talprince)

Rate & Review the Podcast

Are You Addicted To Work? Jun 25, 2018

Show notes

Brief Overview

In this last installment of our series on work, Matt and Tal answer five questions that church leaders should wrestle with related to how much they work. We live in a world that celebrates 'the hardest workers in the room' but when does our hustle become a problem? What are the warning signs that we are becoming addicted to work? How do we put Pandora back in her box if our schedule is out of control and our heart is out of alignment with the way of Jesus?

Evaluation Questions:

Do you get more excited about work than your family or anything else? Misplaced love is a symptom of addiction.

Do you take work with you to bed, into the weekend and/or on vacation? When work spills into parts of life not intended for work, you squeeze out critical components of your health.

Do you believe it's ok to work long hours if you love your work? Would you believe it's ok to excessively drink or play video games just because you love it?

Do you get irritated when people ask you to stop working to do something else? If you get irritated when someone asks you to stop doing something, that's a sign your body and soul is becoming hooked.

Have your long hours hurt your family or other relationships? We dare you to ask your spouse or children...

Resources

ARTICLE: "Choose Health Over Hustle: A Simple Plan To Get The Most Out Of Work"
GET HELP: Ask Matt and Tal a Question
CONNECT: Five Factors Facebook Group
FOLLOW: Matt (twitter.com/mattadair) and Tal (twitter.com/talprince)

You Are Not A Tetherball Jun 18, 2018

Show notes

Brief Overview

Pastoral The needs of the people we serve rarely fit easily inside of a tightly wound schedule. There is a level of flexibility that we must maintain in order to be with our people where they are, yet if we're not careful we will find ourselves only doing surface-level work with little time and energy to focus on our best work. On this episode, we help you find the right strategy to focus on your most significant work and maintain accessibility to your church.

Big Ideas:

Distracted work is disappointing work. When you are distracted the quality of your work suffers. You were not made to multitask and focus deeply on your work. And while everything you do does not require a significant level of focus, eliminate distractions when you need to do deep work.

Different people need different strategies. Schedule deep work in hourlong, half-day or full-day installments. Use another account on your computer. Create a work environment that helps you focus and avoid distractions.

Great work manages distractions. Pay attention to the times of day and type of work when you feel frustrated by distractions. Use the ideas in this resource to develop and execute on a simple action plan. Don't try to create the perfect plan - just take the next step and give yourself permission to make progress!

No More Saturday Night Specials Jun 11, 2018

Show notes

Brief Overview

We all know that having a schedule and keeping a schedule are important for pastors. But far too often, we don't make the best use of our schedules and this damages both our preaching and our health. If you want to thrive as a preacher, here are a few ideas that will help you make and stick to your schedule.

Big Ideas:

Scrambling increases stress that damages your health. Forced, last minute sermon preparation increases anxiety, reduces the amount of time you sleep, challenges relationships and pushes time with God in prayer to the side. This is how you become a talking head.

Schedule your sermon preparation. Clarify the steps in your preparation process. Get each step on your calendar. Show up when that time is scheduled.

Schedule your sleep. Embrace your limitations and decide well in advance when you're going to bed. Not only is this an act of worship, it's a declaration of sanity. Your best work consistently happens when you get a good night's sleep.

Resources

BOOK: Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson
BOOK: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
GET HELP: Ask Matt and Tal a Question
CONNECT: Five Factors Facebook Group
FOLLOW: Matt (twitter.com/mattadair) and Tal (twitter.com/talprince)

How's Work Going? Jun 04, 2018

Show notes

Brief Overview

Church leaders aren't scared to work but struggle to do their best work. We feel guilty for not working harder, we're frustrated that we're not better at certain aspects of our work, and we feel like everyone else in our church thinks we don't work hard enough. On this episode of the Five Factors podcast, Matt and Tal tackle those struggles head on and map out a better way to work.

Big Ideas:

The secret to great work is a leader who embraces their limits. Too many church leaders are always available, do work that belongs to someone else and are consistently distracted. Smart leaders create boundaries, priorities and focus on what matters most.

Audit your schedule. Make sure you're clear on how much work you're doing by tracking how your time is spent for a week. How many hours did you work? What exactly did you do during those hours? What did you accomplish at the end of the day?

Ask other leaders about their work. Ask five leaders in your church about their work. What time do they start and stop? How do they create boundaries, priorities and focus in their work?

Resources

BOOK: Deep Work by Cal Newport
BOOK: Essentialism by Greg McKeown
GET HELP: Ask Matt and Tal a Question
CONNECT: Five Factors Facebook Group
FOLLOW: Matt (twitter.com/mattadair) and Tal (twitter.com/talprince)

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