Episodes

If you fly often, you might be tempted to tune out the safety demonstration that happens before takeoff. But I just love the part where the flight attendants remind everyone that if the oxygen masks drop, you have to put your own on first. Why? Because if you don't, you won't be of any use to anybody else. To take care of others like we do, you have to take good care of yourself first. We live in a world that's obsessed with so-called self-care. Bubble baths, binge-watching, and buying that lat...

Emmett Rhodes might just be one of the most talented people that you've never heard of. This guy was absolutely incredible. He wrote all his own songs, he played every single instrument on his albums, sang all the vocals, and he recorded everything himself in his home studio. Talk about a one-man show. He literally did it all, and he did it brilliantly. But here's the thing, just because you can do everything doesn't mean you should. Do you ever feel that pressure on the job or at church? Like ...

Psalm 84 paints this gorgeous picture of what life looks like when we make God our home base: "Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." Whether we ever set foot in the actual Israel or not, we're all on this journey toward deeper connection with Him. And every Sunday, every shift we work, every quiet prayer we whisper behind the scenes—we're helping clear the path for someone else to take their next step on that journey. We're not just holding doors and s...

There will come a time for each of us, just like it did for the first disciples, when we find ourselves surrounded by the metaphorical wolves of this world. And honestly, if we're doing our work right, we're probably encountering them more often than most people. Jesus was telling his team, Hey guys, you are gonna get dragged into court, beaten up and face off against powerful people who might want you dead. Any questions? Not exactly the kind of job description that gets people lining up, righ...

I'm one of those people who could sit and stare at a campfire or a set of flickering candles just for hours. There's something about that dancing light and that soft little crackling sound that just seems to melt my stress away. But flames aren't exactly comforting for everyone, and that makes me think about Isaiah watching an angel coming at him with a burning coal. That would terrify me! But God, in his incredible mercy, used that burning coal from the altar to cleanse Isaiah instead of consum...

Jesus calls Himself both "the Gate for the Sheep" and "the Good Shepherd," and honestly, both descriptions nail what we do. Think about gates for a minute—they've got two jobs. When they're shut, they keep out thieves, troublemakers, and anything else that has no business being there. When they're open, they invite everyone who's seeking refuge and life to enter. That's us in a nutshell: standing watch to keep danger out while warmly welcoming those who come to worship. Jesus warns about peopl...

Let me ask you something. Have you ever pulled traffic duty for an event? Oh, the joys of standing in a parking lot with a reflective vest trying to convince people that yes, you do know what you're doing, and no, they can't just park wherever they please. Drivers aren't paying attention. Shocking, I know. Bad weather turns everything into a slippery mess, conflicting directions from well-meaning volunteers can lead to frustration and sometimes even full-blown road rage right there in the parki...

We can learn a lot from Paul's description of the "Man of Lawlessness": when he shows up (whenever that is), he'll consider himself above all law and completely without responsibility to others. He'll worship power instead of serving God, and he'll serve himself instead of serving others. Sound familiar? We might not know who the ultimate Man of Lawlessness will be, but we've definitely seen people who fit this profile. Satan isn't called the Father of Lies for his charming personality. Anyone ...

This is Shielded- short, weekly devotions where faith meets the frontline. Hosted by church security advocate, Lori Morrison who talks about the calling police and security personnel have answered and the God who stands watch with us. Every week we're gonna tackle something real, something you've been thinking about at 2:00 AM or you've processed on your drive home. We'll dig into scripture. We'll get practical, and we'll make sure that you are staying spiritually sharp, not just tactically rea...

As first responders and security people, we're wired to handle everything ourselves first and ask questions later. It's literally in our DNA to assess, respond, and protect. But sometimes we face storms that are bigger than our tactical training, our situational awareness, and our carefully crafted emergency procedures combined. The disciples were competent professionals who got blindsided by something beyond their expertise. Sound familiar? The difference is, they had the good sense to turn to...

Protectors keep people physically safe, but we're also called to be spiritually and emotionally strong, building people up in whatever ways we can. We're not just protecting bodies, we're protecting hearts and spirits too. God asks us to reach people, and people come with baggage. Lots of baggage, messy, complicated. Sometimes downright exhausting baggage. We need God's supernatural endurance and encouragement to be able to tackle those problems, and really, if we're being brutally honest, to ...