Rusty George Podcast

This week, Rusty is joined by Al Lopus, the founder, and CEO of the Best Christian Workplaces Institute, on the podcast today. Rusty and Al sit down to talk about workplace health as well as Al's brand new book, Road to Flourishing: Eight Keys to Boost Employee Engagement and Well-Being. You can find it anywhere you buy books on April 19th, 2022.

In this episode of Leading Simple, Rusty sits down with Richmond Wandera as he shares his story of growing up in Uganda. At only eight years old, he and his family encountered devastating loss and poverty. Despite that, it paved the way for him to experience the incredible love of Jesus through one 15 year old girl's babysitting money. Special thanks to our sponsor, Compassion International. If you want more information about how to sponsor a child, go to compassion.org/rusty.

Rusty sits down with Kevin Queen, the lead pastor of Crosspoint Church as they talk about developing as a leader and getting creative in crisis. Kevin shares his experiences leading through a leadership transition, changing church culture, and a tornado.

Is it possible to prove the resurrection? Rusty sits down with J Warner Wallace for this week’s episode. They discuss about the impact that Christ had on history, science, and the modern world. Rusty also also had the chance to get his insight on how to talk to the next generation about why Christ matters.

Matt Allman joins Rusty on the podcast today. If you’re a pastor who’s ever wondered how to promote Easter, then this episode is for you. Rusty and Matt get the chance to talk about Easter. They also dig into how the COVID-19 pandemic affected Matt as a pastor and church planter so he could serve his people better. Matt also gives us the inside look at the two times of year you could be missing out on to help grow your church.

Rusty shares a story of a mistake he made while leading and the lessons he learned from it to be a better leader today.

Our guest on the podcast this week is Mitchel Lee. He's a speaker and the lead pastor of Grace Community Church. He is also the author of Even If: Trusting God When Life Disappoints, Overwhelms, or Just Doesn't Make Sense, a book that is particularly relevant in the world we're living in today.  Mitchel joins Rusty to share his experience leading a multi-ethnic church. They also chat about his new book and what it means to have an "even if" kind of faith.

I've got a short bonus episode today to kick off this new month. This Lent season, I'd like to invite you to go on a 40 day journey to Easter with me and Real Life Church.If you want to learn more about what this 40 days devotional journey to Easter will look like, then take a listen and register here. 

Many of us will come to a crossroads about our careers. So, how do you decide to leave a job you love for the unknown? We're seeing people wrestling with this question a lot more in the past few years as they take a look at their priorities, goals, and dreams. Clay Scroggins faced this himself as he made the decision to leave the role he loved to pursue his passion. Clay is a speaker, author, and leadership expert who knows firsthand what it takes to leave a job you love. He left an incredible role at North Point Church to follow his dream of entrepreneurship. Clay sits down with Rusty to talk about the whys and hows of his journey, as well as some advice if you’ve found yourself in a similar situation.

Have you ever wondered how to put together a talk, message, or speech that would compel people towards action? How to tell a story that inspires people and connects them? Then you’ll really enjoy today’s episode with Steve Ryan Carter.  Steve is an expert communicator who was the former lead teaching pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. No matter what kind of group you’re speaking in front of, you’ll be able to learn something new and applicable from this episode. Steve shares about how he got started in ministry. We also talk about the lessons he’s learned from the different churches he’s been a part of over his years of speaking and teaching. 

From following a legend to sitting down with one, it was an absolute honor to have Dr. LeRoy Lawson on Leading Simple. He is revered as one of the godfathers of the church and known for his wisdom and integrity. We sat down to talk through his life in ministry. There are lessons in his story for everyone, no matter what stage of life you may be in. Maybe you’re facing your first foray into a leadership position. Or you’re making a transition from one industry to another, looking to reinvent yourself. Perhaps you are even navigating a significant loss. No matter what stage of life you are in, take a listen to hear Dr. Lawson's incredible insights in this episode.

Nate Ross has faced the unique challenges of leading an organization after his father retired from the role. Take a listen as Rusty and Nate sit down to talk about what that process was like. Nate shares some of the lessons he learned along the way, including transitioning well into a new role and overcoming some of the insecurities that can arise when following in your predecessor’s footsteps.

Eric Geiger joins Rusty on the podcast to share his insights. Eric is the Senior Pastor at Mariners Church in Irvine, California. He's also authored several books, including Simple Church (co-written with Thom Rainer). Rusty and Eric talk about what it was like for him to take over for Kenton Beshore, a pastoral legend, and how he led Mariners through the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, they discuss the research that prompted him to write Simple Church and the one thing Eric hopes to change about how the Church does discipleship.

"How do I start something and do something that gives my life tremendous significance?" Years ago, Scott Harrison asked himself that question. It led to him finding his purpose. He decided to start Charity: Water, a nonprofit with a mission to provide clean water to every person on the planet. Scott sits down with Rusty as they talk about the lessons he's learned while leading Charity: Water. He also shares three dos and don'ts when talking to high-capacity givers that will simplify the way you approach potential donors.

Pastor Brian Tome joins Rusty to talk about a question that so many pastors are wrestling with: "How do we connect men to the church?" Brian is a pastor out of Cincinnati, Ohio. He has a podcast called The Aggressive Life, he’s had a motorcycle show on Amazon Prime called Phantom Lake, he’s broken horses on stage. He has gone above and beyond to really connect with guys far from the church. Brian shares more about his passion for reaching men both in and out of the church and his insights on how to think outside of the box when it comes to doing ministry.

At one point or another, we've all asked ourselves how we can figure out God's will for our lives. If you've been wrestling with the question of how to follow God's will, whether that be in marriage, work, or any other facet of your life, then you'll want to hear Chris VandeLinde's insights on this episode of Leading Simple. Chris VandeLinde is a pastor out of St. Louis, Missouri, and leads Cornerstone Christian Church. Rusty and Chris sit down to talk about family and sports team loyalties. But more importantly, they talk about how to make finding God's will simple and what it looks like to trust in the Lord wholeheartedly when faced with major life decisions.

2021 has been a wild year. It left a lot of people with a lot of questions. "What does this mean for us? "Where's God in all of this?" "Where's the Church in all of this?" Mark Moore, a previous guest on the podcast, has written Core 52. In this book, Mark took the 52 core principles out of the bible that you need to know. Each one helps you to understand what the bible is about. Follow us on this journey over the next 52 weeks, starting in January 2022. We also want to take the time to thank everyone who has helped make Leading Simple happen from week to week. From my co-host, Brad Williams, to everyone working behind the scenes to Charisma for partnering with us. And last but not least... thank you all for listening, sharing, and supporting Leading Simple.

Merry Christmas from Rusty and the entire team at Leading Simple. Rusty joins you this week from the stage as he delivers Christmas Eve Service at Real Life Church.

Leading Simple is all about simplifying faith and inspiring leaders. But what does leadership look like when you’re leading through a crisis? This is a question so many of us have had to ask in the past year, including guest, Joel Thomas. Joel sat down with Rusty to chat about what it was like to be a part of Andy Stanley’s team during his time at Northpoint. Joel also shares his insights on leading a church through crisis, obedience when things are unclear, and why he ultimately returned to Northpoint.

We’ve spent time each month talking about mental health, and the holiday season is a critical time to do so. Every one of us has felt the impact of suicide in some capacity. Dr. Matthew Sleeth is our guest this week. Newsweek named him as one of the premier thinkers in America. And his new book, Hope Always: How to be a force for life in a culture of suicide, gives Christians a necessary look at how we can offer hope to those who are struggling. Take a listen as Rusty & Matthew discuss how he came to know Christ, warning signs we can look out for in our loved ones, and what the Church can do to better support those affected by suicide.