Grace, Grit & Grounds

Covered in the Dust of the Rabbi | Grace, Grit & Grounds
In the days of Jesus, disciples did not just attend lectures. They followed their rabbi everywhere. So closely that the dust from his sandals would settle on them. It was a sign of devotion, proximity, and transformation.
An ancient blessing from the Jewish world said it this way:“May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi.”
In this episode of Grace, Grit & Grounds, we explore what true discipleship looked like in the first century and what it means for us today. Following Jesus was never meant to be a part-time activity or an intellectual exercise. It was a way of life.
As we move toward Easter and beyond, this conversation challenges us not to focus only on the celebration of the resurrection, but on the life of discipleship that follows it. The goal is not simply to know about Jesus, but to walk closely enough with Him that His life shapes ours.
In uncertain times, the world doesn’t need more noise. It needs people whose lives bear the marks of walking with Christ.
Are you close enough to Jesus for the dust of the Rabbi to reach you?
Scripture MentionedLuke 6:40John 8:31John 14:15Acts 2:42
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Grace, Grit & GroundsReal faith. Real life. Real conversations about following Jesus in everyday moments.
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The world feels loud right now.
The news cycle never stops. Crisis replaces crisis. Everything feels urgent, uncertain, and overwhelming.
But the Church has been here before.
For nearly two thousand years believers have walked through seasons of chaos, conflict, and uncertainty. And through it all the Church has held onto something steady… ancient rhythms.
In this episode of Grace, Grit & Grounds, we explore the quiet wisdom of Lent and the deeper meaning behind tradition. Not as empty ritual or rigid religion, but as spiritual memory that anchors our souls.
Drawing from Scripture, personal reflection, and the rhythms of everyday life, we talk about why ancient practices like prayer, fasting, confession, and reflection still matter today.
We also wrestle with the tension many of us feel. The struggle between resisting rigid religion while still longing for the grounding power of sacred rhythms.
In a world driven by speed, outrage, and constant noise, Lent quietly invites us to slow down, remember who we are, and return to God.
If your soul has been feeling restless or overwhelmed, this conversation is for you.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do in anxious times is return to the ancient paths.
Scripture MentionedPsalm 90:12Joel 2:12–13
Grace, Grit & GroundsFaith. Reflection. Real conversations about walking with Christ in the everyday moments of life.
Subscribe for more episodes exploring Scripture, discipleship, and the rhythms that shape a faithful life.
#Lent #ChristianPodcast #FaithInUncertainTimes #SpiritualFormation #ChristianLife #GraceGritGrounds #Prayer #ChristianFaith #SlowDown #FaithReflection

In moments of global conflict, it’s easy to react before we reflect.
This Special Edition Espresso Shot of Grace, Grit & Grounds is not a political commentary. It’s a pastoral response to conflict in the world and the tension many of us feel when headlines turn heavy.
As a pastor, a father, and someone who has walked alongside men and women in uniform, I carry both a deep respect for those who serve and a deep lament for the cost of war. Every life matters. Every soul matters. And in times like these, we are reminded how fragile and precious that opportunity for faith truly is.
In this episode, we talk about:• How Christians should respond when nations clash• The tension between defending what is right and grieving what is lost• Why our first instinct should be prayer, not panic• How to stay grounded in Christ when the world feels unsettled
This is about faithfulness in uncertain days. Not fear. Not outrage. Not political noise.
Just a steady call to be people of prayer, conviction, and hope.
Grace in tension.Grit in uncertainty.Grounded in Christ.
#GraceGritGrounds #ChristianPerspective #FaithInUncertainTimes #PrayForPeace #ChristianLeadership #BiblicalResponse #PastoralVoice #ChristianPodcast #FaithAndCulture
 
 
 

In a world that rushes everything, we’ve even learned to rush Scripture.
We skim. We highlight. We move on. We prepare lessons. We build sermons. We gather content. But somewhere along the way, many of us have forgotten how to simply sit with the Word of God.
In this episode of Grace, Grit & Grounds, we explore the discipline of theological reflection. Not study for production. Not reading for performance. Just you, the Bible, and the Spirit of God.
Using passages like Psalm 23, Psalm 51, and Romans 8, we talk about what it means to slow down, repeat a phrase, ask honest questions, and allow Scripture to shape us instead of us shaping it.
This practice is powerful during Lent, but it’s just as essential in the ordinary rhythms of daily life. It’s about being unhurried with the Word and letting it read you.
In this episode, you’ll learn a simple, repeatable framework:• Read a short passage• Repeat a phrase• Reflect with two key questions• Respond in prayer
Grace speaks first.Grit slows down.Grounds keep us rooted in truth.
If you’ve been living rushed, even in your spiritual life, this episode is an invitation to breathe.
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I set out to turn a cedar vase.
I shaped it smooth. Cut it clean. Mounted it solid. The outside looked finished. The plan made sense.
And it shattered anyway.
In this episode of Grace, Grit & Grounds, I talk about what happens when our plans splinter, when the workaround fails, and when surrender becomes more than a word we use in church.
Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that we plan our way, but the Lord establishes our steps. James tells us to say, “If the Lord wills…” Psalm 127 reminds us that unless the Lord builds it, we labor in vain.
Sometimes God is shaping the craftsman more than the wood.
If something in your life has cracked lately…If the foundation you trusted snapped…If the second attempt failed too…
This one is for you.
Plans may splinter.God does not.
📖 Scriptures referenced:Proverbs 16:9James 4:13–15Psalm 127:11 Samuel 16:7
Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of faith, craftsmanship, grit, and grace.
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Some days feel like walking through fog.
You can’t see far ahead. You don’t know how long it will last. And you’re tempted to ask the question David asked in Psalm 13:
“How long, O Lord?”
In this episode of Grace, Grit & Grounds, we step into the discipline of lament. Psalm 13 gives us permission to speak honestly about sorrow, confusion, and waiting. It reminds us that lament is not weakness. It is covenant faith that refuses to walk away.
On a foggy day, we talk about what it means to pray when clarity is gone, when answers are slow, and when the only thing you can do is take one faithful step at a time.
Lent doesn’t rush past sadness. It teaches us how to bring it to God.
#GraceGritGrounds#Psalm13#LearningToLament#FaithInTheFog#LentJourney#ChristianPodcast#SpiritualFormation#HowLongOLord#HolyWeekPreparation#BiblicalLament#FaithInHardSeasons

Growing up in a small Episcopal church in Jacksonville, I remember making palm crosses behind the church before Palm Sunday. As kids, we handed them out to celebrate the King entering Jerusalem.
What I didn’t understand at the time was that those same palm branches would later be burned. The ashes collected. And the following year, those ashes would be placed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday.
In this Espresso Shot episode, we explore the history of Ash Wednesday, the biblical symbolism of ashes, and why this ancient practice doesn’t have to feel foreign to evangelicals. Ashes are not about earning grace. They are a visible reminder of repentance, mortality, and our need for Christ.
Tradition isn’t the enemy. But tradition without memory can become hollow.
Whether you’ve observed Ash Wednesday for years or have never experienced it at all, the invitation is simple: remember you are dust, repent, and prepare your heart.
Grace. Grit. Grounds.
#AshWednesday#Lent#ChurchHistory#ChristianLiving#SpiritualFormation#Repentance#PalmSunday#Evangelical#FaithExplained#GraceGritGrounds#ChristianYouTube#PrepareYourHeart

Most of us have heard of Mardi Gras. Fewer of us have heard of Shrove Tuesday.
While serving in Belgium, a British friend introduced me to something called “Pancake Day.” At first, I thought it was just a fun tradition. Turns out, it runs deep in church history.
In this episode, we explore the roots of Shrove Tuesday—where it came from, what “shrove” actually means, and how this day was meant to prepare believers for the season of Lent. Long before it became about celebration, it was about confession. Before the fast began, hearts were examined. Before the simplicity, repentance.
You don’t have to be liturgical to appreciate rhythm. Sometimes the old paths still have something to teach us.
If you’re looking for a simple way to prepare your heart for Lent, maybe it starts with pancakes… and an honest prayer.
Grace. Grit. Grounds.
#ShroveTuesday#PancakeDay#Lent#ChurchHistory#ChristianLiving#SpiritualFormation#FaithAndRhythm#GraceGritGrounds#ChristianYouTube#PreparingTheHeart#AshWednesday#LiturgicalCalendar

In this video, I’m in the backyard working two pieces of cedar, layering on a simple blend of oil I call Bench Butter. As the wood absorbs what it needs, we talk about preparing our own hearts for Lent.
Silence and service are not flashy disciplines. They are slow, quiet layers. Like oil worked into dry grain, they soften what has hardened and strengthen what has grown brittle.
As we approach Easter, maybe the invitation is not to add more noise, but to step back. To listen. To serve without recognition. To let God work below the surface.
Sometimes preparation looks simple. Sometimes it smells like cedar.
#Lent#SpiritualDisciplines#SilenceAndSolitude#ChristianFormation#PrepareYourHeart#BenchButter#WoodshopWisdom#FaithInPractice#HolyWeekPreparation#ServantLeadership#TheCraftsmansPath#GraceGritGrounds

From Pews to Practice
In this conversation, I sit down with my friend and fellow pastor Chris Field to talk about something the modern church cannot afford to ignore: discipleship.
As Baptists, we have long been strong in evangelism. We know how to call people to faith. But what happens after that? What happens after the baptism, after the excitement, after the first steps?
Chris has walked a unique path. After serving as a senior pastor, he now works a full-time secular job while strengthening churches as an interim and pulpit supply pastor. He has seen the inside of struggling congregations and thriving ones. He has seen what happens when churches focus on decisions but neglect formation.
Together, we explore why discipleship often stalls, what maturity really looks like, and how moving beyond the pew into real community engagement can transform both believers and neighborhoods.
This episode is for pastors, leaders, and everyday believers who want more than attendance numbers. It is for those who believe the Great Commission includes not just going, but growing.
If you care about raising disciples who live their faith outside the building, this conversation is for you.
#FromPewsToPractice#DiscipleshipMatters#ChurchLeadership#PastoralMinistry#BeyondTheWalls#ChristianFormation#GreatCommission#ChurchGrowth#FaithInAction#BaptistLife#StrengtheningChurches#ChristianPodcast