Come Close, Draw Near | Season 39, Episode 3

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott "Rhythms of rest and prayer and play and presence take you to a deeper place and form and shape you into the truest you that God would have for you." — Steve Macchia In this episode of The Discerning Leader Podcast, Steve Macchia and Matt Scott explore the practice of healthy self-care as an essential expression of stewardship. Together, they consider the difference between life-giving rhythms of restoration and coping mechanisms that leave us numbed, depleted, or disconnected from God and others. From rest, nutrition, and meaningful relationships to our habits around technology, achievement, and adrenaline, Steve and Matt invite us to examine where we turn for comfort and what truly restores our souls. They challenge us to move beyond the relentless pursuit of productivity and approval and rediscover the gifts of prayer, play, beauty, Sabbath, and presence. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott "God loves to take broken things and bring them to greater wholeness." — Steve Macchia What does it look like to come home to the person God created us to be? In this episode of The Discerning Leader Podcast, Steve Macchia and Matt Scott explore the journey of returning to our truest identity in Christ. Drawing from Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, they consider how our pursuit of significance, accomplishment, and counterfeit sources of identity can leave us exhausted and far from the life our souls truly desire. Through humility, confession, repentance, and the generous gift of grace, we can begin to release the false selves we've constructed and rediscover our belonging, dignity, and communion with God. This conversation reminds us that coming home isn't about earning our way back. It's about recognizing our need, turning toward the Father, and receiving the love that has been waiting for us all along. Is it time for you to return home? Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott "All of these self-centered preoccupations keep us from a healthy self-awareness." — Steve Macchia How often do we make ourselves the center of the conversation—sharing our stories, offering our opinions, displaying our accomplishments, or subtly managing how others perceive us? In this episode of The Discerning Leader Podcast, Steve Macchia and Matt Scott explore the spiritual dynamics beneath self-referencing and the insecurity, attachment, and desire for recognition that often fuel it. Together, they consider how power, persona, and possessions can become ways we construct and protect a false self. More importantly, they invite us toward a different way of being: surrendering our agendas, listening more deeply, holding our identities and accomplishments more loosely, and becoming more genuinely present to others. As we learn to rest more securely in God's love and delight, we become increasingly free to step out of the center of every story to make room for others. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott "What are we holding on to that God may be asking us to release?" — Steve Macchia When does self care become selfish care? In this episode of The Discerning Leader Podcast, Steve Macchia and Matt Scott explore the "mirror of the soul"—the invitation to develop a deeper, more honest awareness of who we are, what is happening within us, and how our inner lives shape our relationships with God and others. Together, they explore the difference between self-awareness and self-absorption, the role of trusted community in helping us see our blind spots, and the importance of slowing down before reacting. They also consider the difference between healthy self-care and selfish care, and how humility, listening, and honest reflection can lead us toward reconciliation and deeper spiritual maturity. The journey toward discernment begins with awareness: noticing, naming, and bringing what is beneath the surface into the presence of God. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott "The lie that we've bought into [is] that we need to be pushing and shoving ourselves into a being-seen place." — Steve Macchia What happens when our desire to be seen, known, and significant quietly becomes the thing that drives us? In this episode of The Discerning Leader Podcast, Steve Macchia and Matt Scott explore the seduction of significance—the subtle ways we compete, self-promote, measure our worth, and seek validation through achievement, visibility, and recognition. From social media and the "me monster" to the contrast between the stage and the cave, they invite us to examine whether our ambition is rooted in self-promotion or in a deeper desire to contribute, influence, and serve. Rather than striving to make a name for ourselves, what might it look like to find our significance in being fully seen and known by God? This conversation is an invitation toward a holy ambition that is God-honoring, deeply rooted, and focusing on the flourishing of others. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.