Pursuing Life Podcast
Ep. 96 Meet Our Staff | A Love for Books and How They Help Us Grow with Kim Jack
June 17, 2024
Kim Jack is the Calvary Church librarian, and for the last ten years, she has been intentional about making sure that we have all kinds of resources available to help us grow in our pursuit of Christ. Kim loves books, but more than that, she loves stories. Today, she’s sharing with us her story of coming to know Christ, and how God directed her path to bring her to the Calvary staff.
Ep. 95 Every Day | Six Questions to Take Inventory of Your Relationship with Technology with Adam De
June 10, 2024
To wrap up our series on everyday habits and rhythms, we’re joined by Adam Derus, Calvary’s Director of Young Adults, who is here to give us a few practical ways to take a personal inventory of our relationship with technology. Adam has sought to take ownership of his time and set healthy boundaries with technology, and today he is sharing with us some of what he’s learned as we seek to do the same for ourselves. Disclaimer: There are some topics discussed in this episode that may not be appropriate for little ears. Parents, we advise you to listen through this episode before sharing it with your children. Listen to Adam's C4 message about technology here: https://calvarychurch-pennsylvan.http://subspla.sh/bqvh3t3 Resources shared in this episode (and more!): - Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Early https://a.co/d/eIX3X9R - Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend https://a.co/d/34hRl7T - Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer https://a.co/d/2MDcfFr - Digital Liturgies by Samuel James https://a.co/d/a2ljp8K - Tech-Wise family by Andy Crouch https://a.co/d/hamPRqN - 12 Ways your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke https://a.co/d/35jmkdW
Ep. 94 Celebrating Our 2024 Graduates
June 3, 2024
June is graduation season! Every year, we prayerfully send off dozens of high school seniors as they enter into a new season of life. It is our hope and prayer that each of them would go forward with Jesus as their foundation, looking to Him as their source of direction, wherever they go in life. This week on Pursuing Life, we talk with a few of our seniors about how God has been at work in their lives, where they sense Him leading in the future, and how they want to continue to grow in their pursuit of life in Him.
Ep. 93 Every Day | Renewing Our Minds by Memorizing Scripture with Beth Weaver
May 20, 2024
Beth Weaver’s journey with Scripture memory began when she was just a young girl. When she was in middle school, she began attending bible memory camps, and by high school she had memorized an entire book of the Bible. We know that as we get older, our brains process differently, but that hasn’t stopped Beth from finding new ways memorize. In fact, she’s memorizing more in retirement than she ever has before! Today, Beth is sharing with us the practical ways that she continues to incorporate the habit of Scripture memory into her everyday life, and how we, too, can use our unique learning styles to do the same. Resources shared in today’s episode: - Warriors of the Word: The Bible Memorization Battle Guide for Winning Spiritual Victories (Aaron & Emily House): https://a.co/d/ewkdaj1 - Seeds Kids Worship: https://seedskidsworship.com - Dwell Differently: https://dwelldifferently.com - VerseLocker: https://scripturememory.com/verselocker/home/index.php Read the story of Beth’s mother, Marjorie Isobel Harrison Jackson: https://a.co/d/6tfs94c Read stories from Beth’s time in Ukraine: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kcmysebpiqkz083194gjw/ukraine-stories.pdf?rlkey=xlrm7rv5prqdvqulcq15px21t&st=xyqo396q&dl=0http://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kcmysebpiqkz083194gjw/ukraine-stories.pdf?dl=0&rlkey=xlrm7rv5prqdvqulcq15px21t&st=xyqo396q Contact Beth: mailto:beth.weaver@worldteam.org
Ep. 92 Every Day | Opening Up Your Home & Opening Up Your Life with Josiah & Olivia Huss
May 13, 2024
About two years ago, Josiah and Olivia Huss began hosting a monthly “hobby night” at their home. What started as a way for friends to get together and play games turned into a regular time where the Huss’s open their home for anyone to come spend time together over shared hobbies. Essentially, they have created a habit of hospitality. Today, they are sharing with us their heart behind regularly inviting people into their home, barriers they’ve had to overcome, and what they have learned in the midst of it all.
Ep. 91 Every Day | Permission to Play with Kevin Gushiken
May 6, 2024
Kevin Gushiken is a college and seminary professor, former pastor, husband, dad, and Calvary Church member. A few years ago, the Lord prompted Kevin to begin researching how play intersects with the Christian life. His research impacted not only his view of God, but encouraged him to cultivate not just a habit, but a lifestyle of play. Kevin has become so passionate about this topic, and today he is here to share with us why he believes play so important and how it’s impacted his own life. Be sure to pre-order your copy of Kevin’s upcoming book, A Theology of Play: Learning to Enjoy Life as God Intended, available on June 25! https://a.co/d/6vSMfdH
Every Day | Series Trailer
April 29, 2024
Tune in starting Monday, May 6, for our new series, Every Day! These stories will go hand in hand with our next sermon series, as we dig into what it looks like to cultivate healthy habits and rhythms for spiritual growth. Make sure you’re following Pursuing Life so you are notified when new episodes release!
Ep. 90 Meet Our Staff | Being Canadian, Working 2 Jobs & Being a Good Sender with Bethany Zipprick
April 22, 2024
Bethany Zipprick is our newest Global Ministries staff member! Over the last few months, she has come on board to assist with a variety of different tasks – from email communication to event planning! As a young adult seeking to pursue God’s calling for her life, Bethany is actively considering the part that she plays in going into God’s world. Today, she is sharing how God brought her here, and what her role has been teaching her about His heart for the nations.
Re-Release | Ep. 56 Global Focus | Preparing to Go to the Mission Field with James & Nica Yates
April 15, 2024
The final track of Cross Training is called Establish, where candidates meet with the elders for final approval to become a Global Partner. During this track, candidates are working to meet the requirements of their chosen agency, while also continuing their connection to Calvary Church. Our newest Global Partners who are finishing out the Establish track are James and Nica Yates. You may remember hearing from James & Nica last spring, but now that they have officially been commissioned and are preparing to move overseas to Cambodia, we wanted to re-release their episode so you can be reminded of the ways God has been at work in their lives and pray for them as they are getting ready to go.
Ep. 89 Global Focus | Engaging with the Unreached with Noah Anderton
April 8, 2024
The third track of Cross Training is called Engage. This is where a candidate determines a mission agency, people group, and ministry focus. Noah Anderton is one of the candidates currently in Engage. He grew up as a missionary kid in Cameroon, where his parents sought to integrate into the Baka community, meeting needs and showing people the love of Jesus. Now, as an adult, Noah is obediently following God’s prompting that he, too, can engage with the unreached in practical ways, just like his parents did. Today, Noah is sharing about the ways God has worked in his life to bring him to this point in the Cross Training program.
Ep. 87 REST | Depletion is Inevitable, Therefore Restoration is Essential with Philip & Lynn Jackson
March 11, 2024
Global Partners, Philip and Lynn Jackson, have been living and doing ministry in Macedonia for nearly 30 years. About fifteen years ago, they were on home assignment, when the college-aged son of another Global Partner couple asked Philip to help him with a class assignment on solitude. This discussion on solitude was door that would open both Philip and Lynn to the regular rhythm of Sabbath, which they have been practicing ever since! This past summer, they also had the chance to take a Sabbatical, where they intentionally took extended time to rest, worship, and refresh themselves for the next season of ministry. Today they are sharing how this practice of Sabbath combats burnout, how they work it into their personal weekly rhythms, and what they learned from their summer Sabbatical.
Ep. 88 Global Focus | Exploring God's Call with Sam
March 18, 2024
As we enter our spring Global Focus, we’ll be joined on Pursuing Life by a few of our Cross Training candidates. Cross Training is a program with four sequential tracks, designed to prepare individuals to take the gospel globally across cultures. The first track of Cross Training is called Explore, and its purpose is exactly as you might guess! It’s a chance for those who sense God might be calling them to cross-cultural missions to explore their interest through intentional, foundational activities. Today’s guest, Sam, is in the beginning of his Cross Training journey, and has been working his way through the Explore track for about a year, though he’s really been exploring God’s call for his life since he became a believer in college. Since then, he has had various opportunities to develop a large array of skills that culminated into his decision to apply for Cross Training. While it took many years, many careers, and many location changes for Sam to arrive here, he is confident that no part of his journey has been wasted. Hear from other Cross Training candidates featured on Pursuing Life: Ep. 76 with Katina Ep. 70 with Kyle Matteson Ep. 66 with Allyson, Hadassah, Melea
Ep. 86 REST | God Values Us Whether We’re Producing or Not with Stan Maughan
March 4, 2024
Pastor Stan Maughan began observing Sabbath on Sundays when he was in seminary. Prior to this, Stan’s understanding of Sabbath didn’t go far beyond attending a church service. But, by intentionally taking time every week to stop working and rest, Stan found that one day was actually sustaining him through his seminary education. Over the years, Stan’s Sabbath day has looked different, and he has wrestled through his convictions based on what the Bible says and what Jesus taught in the gospels. Today, Stan is sharing with us what Sabbath looks like for him currently, why it’s important, and how it has been shaped theologically.
Ep. 85 REST | Living Life from a Place of Peace and Gratitude with Laura Leigh Kinley
February 26, 2024
Laura Leigh Kinley serves as Calvary’s Communications Manager, and you may remember her from Episode 51, where she shared her testimony and about her work at Calvary. Today, Laura Leigh is back to share with us how Sabbath has become an important practice in her life. After reading John Mark Comer’s book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, she was deeply impacted and encouraged with some practical steps to regularly stop, rest, and worship. To learn more about The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, click here. https://a.co/d/iYYdxrP Click here to listen to John Mark Comer & Jefferson Bethke’s podcast, Fight Hustle, End Hurry. https://open.http://spotify.com/show/4rvav8ik4vwarcmrp18f8d?si=fd45df5dddef46d8
Ep. 84 REST | What is Sabbath and Why Does it Matter? with Scott Messner
February 19, 2024
Today we are kicking off our REST series with a special introductory episode to help us lay a foundation for our understanding of Sabbath. Pastor Scott Messner is here to help us unpack what Scripture says about Sabbath, how our understanding of it shifts between the Old and New Testaments, and how we can apply its practices to our lives today. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: - Embracing the Rhythms of Work and Rest (Ruth Haley Barton): https://a.co/d/7RlAn55 - The Rest of God (Mark Buchanan): https://a.co/d/d70612a - Sabbath: The Ancient Practices (Dr. Dan B. Allender, PLLC): https://a.co/d/4wTXv6c - Perspectives on the Sabbath: The Four Views (Donato, Arand, Blomberg, MacCarty, and Pipa): https://a.co/d/1Jt58lw