Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

We live in a world built for speed—instant answers, constant connection, and endless noise. But what if all that “progress” is quietly costing us something deeper?

In this episode, Paul explores the tension between the fast-paced superhighways we’ve grown used to and the ancient paths God invites us to walk. Through a simple but powerful question—Could you go back to life without your smartphone?—we begin to uncover just how much our habits have shaped us.

Anchored in Jeremiah 6:16, this conversation doesn’t just highlight the beauty of the ancient path—it confronts the reality that most people won’t choose it. But for those who do? There’s a kind of rest waiting that no amount of speed or convenience can ever provide.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Faster isn’t always better
  Just because something is efficient doesn’t mean it’s forming you in the right direction.
• Our habits shape our expectations
  What we’ve grown used to (speed, convenience, distraction) has rewired what feels “normal.”
• Spiritual depth requires a different pace
  Stillness, silence, and waiting aren’t setbacks—they’re pathways.
• Most people won’t choose the ancient path
  Not because they can’t—but because they won’t slow down enough to walk it.
• Rest is promised—but only on that path
  God doesn’t just offer direction… He offers restoration.

📖 Scripture Focus

• Jeremiah 6:16 – The invitation to walk the ancient paths—and the sobering reality that many refuse.

💡 Reflection Questions

• Where in your life have you traded depth for speed?
• What feels hardest about slowing down right now?
• If you’re honest, are you admiring the ancient path… or actually walking it?
• What’s one small step you could take today to choose a slower, more intentional rhythm?

🛠️ Simple Practice (Start Today)

5-Minute Reset

• Put your phone in another room
• Sit quietly with God
• Read a short passage of Scripture
• Don’t rush—just notice His presence

It might feel unfamiliar… but that’s how new (ancient) rhythms begin.

🔁 Share & Subscribe

If this episode challenged or encouraged you, share it with a friend who might be feeling the weight of a fast-paced life. And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.

🎙️ Closing Thought

The world will keep inviting you to move faster.
God is inviting you to walk deeper.

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure to read the stuff I'm writing on my blog.

Rather watch the video? Head over to The Reluctant Leader Podcast on my YouTube channel.

Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

We live in a world that rewards speed, noise, productivity, and visible results. So it makes sense that a lot of us have learned how to do things for God without really slowing down to be with God.

In this conversation, Paul talks with Angela, a fellow doctoral cohort member, counselor, and woman of deep wisdom, about what it means to move beyond a checkbox faith and into a life of presence. Angela shares her story of coming to the helping professions later in life, how she bridges faith and counseling, and why intentional time with God changes the way we show up with people.

They talk about the difference between information and transformation, the contagious nature of anxiety and peace, the tension between being and doing, and why the presence of God is not a luxury for helpers, but oxygen.

This episode is especially for pastors, leaders, counselors, and caregivers, but really, it’s for anybody who knows what it feels like to be busy, spiritually dry, and hungry for something deeper.

Key takeaways

• You can do helpful things without being deeply anchored in God, but it changes the quality of your presence.
• Being with Jesus is not wasted time. It shapes what you carry into every room.
• A non-anxious, non-pushy presence is one of the greatest gifts we can offer people.
• Spiritual practices are not meant to be dry checklists but relational spaces of encounter.
• Gratitude, walking, music, Scripture, stillness, and even imagination can all become ways of meeting with God.
• Identity must inform activity, not the other way around.
• Our culture trains us to chase information, but transformation often comes through presence.
• God is not frustrated with our slowness; He is patient, present, and inviting.

Memorable lines / pull quotes

• “You can do without being, but it’s going to affect the integrity of your doing.”
• “When I’m connected with God, I feel like I have more to give.”
• “Has the good news reached your face?”
• “God has a non-pushy presence.”
• “Their quiet time was with Him.”
• “Identity informs activity.”
• “We are so busy doing things for God that we don’t even think about what we’re bringing into those things.”
• “It’s not just the fuel for the rest of your day. Jesus is going with you for the rest of your day.”

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure to read the stuff I'm writing on my blog.

Rather watch the video? Head over to The Reluctant Leader Podcast on my YouTube channel.

Got questions or comments? Text them to me!

Leadership pressure is unavoidable. Expectations, decisions, criticism, responsibility—it all adds weight. Most leaders spend their energy trying to reduce pressure, avoid pressure, or escape pressure.

But what if pressure isn’t just something to eliminate?

In this episode, we explore a different lens from James 1: pressure produces something in us. When handled well, the very things that squeeze leaders can actually shape their character, deepen their faith, and strengthen their endurance.

Instead of asking, “How do I get rid of this pressure?” we learn to ask a better question:

“What is God forming in me through this?”

If you're leading anything—a church, a team, a family, or a ministry—this conversation will help you see leadership pressure in a whole new light.

1. Pressure Reveals What’s Already in Us

Pressure acts like a spiritual MRI. It exposes what’s happening inside our hearts—our fears, our trust, our patience, and our insecurities. What rises under pressure shows us where God is still forming us.

2. Pressure Builds Leadership Endurance

Strength rarely grows in comfort. Just like muscles develop under resistance, leaders develop perseverance through the weight of responsibility and the challenges they face.

3. Pressure Deepens Our Dependence on God

Pressure has a way of reminding leaders that the mission isn’t sustained by our strength alone. The moments that push us hardest often pull us back toward deeper reliance on God.

James 1:2–4
“Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”

Luke 6:45
“For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.”

2 Corinthians 1:8–9
“This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God.”

Instead of asking “How do I escape this pressure?”, try asking: “What might God be producing in me through this?”

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Thanks for listening to The Reluctant Leader Podcast with Paul Jenkins! Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and be sure to read the stuff I'm writing on my blog.

Rather watch the video? Head over to The Reluctant Leader Podcast on my YouTube channel.