Two Life Changing Podcasts - Change Your Perspective : HopeStreamRadio

Two Life Changing Podcasts – Change Your Perspective

What is your perspective on life. Steph Nickel recommends a couple of podcasts she believes will change your perspective on life.

What podcasts have you enjoyed recently? Tell us about what you are enjoying. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.

Two Life-Changing Podcasts

I’ve recently begun listening to two life-changing podcasts.

As we all know, believers in Jesus Christ don’t see eye to eye on every issue—not even believers who are diligent students of God’s Word. Still, there is room for respectful, loving dialogue.

Matt Chandler

Our discipleship pastor recommended that I listen to a particular message given by Matt Chandler of the Village Church. I was encouraged and built up and look forward to listening to more episodes.

This man is gracious and respectful yet, makes it clear where he stands on even the difficult, “hot button” topics facing Christians.

Margaret Feinberg

The second podcast I began listening to is Margaret Feinberg’s “Joycast.”

I became aware of this podcast some time ago and subscribed using my iPhone’s Podcast app—and then, promptly forgot about it.

I listened to a number of episodes in a single day. Each is less than half an hour.

As you can imagine from the name Joycast, the episodes are upbeat and encouraging. Yet, they do not avoid life’s challenging issues—discrimination, cancer, sex trafficking, and several others.

You might wonder how anyone could emphasize joy and positivity in the face of such evil and heartache. Yet, Margaret Feinberg and her guests do just that.

Approach to Life

I came across this precious sister in Christ when our church purchased a subscription to RightNow Media. I was hooked by her approach to teaching the Scriptures and her approach to life.

Margaret Feinberg has written several books and Bible studies and is, herself, no stranger to the struggles and challenges of this life. In response to her battle with cancer, she wrote Fight Back with Joy. Like her other works, this book overflows with joy and happiness—two things she believes are intertwined.

The Joycast Podcast

The Joycast podcast overflows with that same positivity and centres around her newest book, Taste and See: Discovering God Among Butchers, Bakers, and Fresh Food Makers.

In the face of whatever life dishes up, God is faithful and we can rejoice in Him.

God’s reminder to listen to this podcast was incredibly timely. It’s so much easier to address the evil “out there” than it is to confront ungodliness in our own community—and, sometimes, within our own family.

Do we Have to Become Overwhelmed?

Overwhelm is pretty much a guarantee if the state of the world around us and the struggles we face every day don’t drive us to our knees. When I read something on a Facebook group I belong to that could have sent me spiralling into a state of denial and depression—because I had listened to these two programs—I was reminded that there is joy in the face of life’s biggest challenges.

I do pray that God will give me the wisdom I need to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:14 ESV) as I have opportunity—instead of sticking my head in the sand and denying my personal responsibility.

Taking a Stand for the Truth

Will we lose friends and alienate family members if we take a stand for the truth?

As much as I wish it wasn’t the case, this is bound to happen. Because of this, we must remember Matthew 10:37-38, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (ESV).

These are challenging words, but true, nonetheless.

Do We Have to Lose our Joy?

I find declaring the truth easy—when writing a podcast episode or blog post or when speaking with fellow believers.

In the face of it all, do we have to lose our joy and positivity in order to do so? Absolutely not!

In fact, lasting joy and happiness stem from our relationship with the Lord. With Nehemiah we can say, “The joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10 ESV).

But when it comes to speaking up when I feel I don’t have the right words, when I feel it will only lead to conflict, that’s when I struggle.

A Change of Perspective

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God used Matt Chandler’s message and Margaret Feinberg’s chats with her friends to build me up. I still don’t know exactly what I’m going to say or do, but I feel more equipped than I would have if I hadn’t listened. Plus, I will be praying much more about these issues than I have in the past.

Now that I’m listening to more podcasts, I look forward to listening to more episodes of these two programs as well as exploring several right here on HopeStreamRadio.

These programs can truly be life-changing.