When we pray, should we start with praise… or go straight to our requests?

In this episode, we unpack a listener question about prayer and explore why praise and petition were never meant to compete with each other. From the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer to the structure of historic collects and prayers of the church, we talk about how thanksgiving shapes our perspective, deepens trust, and changes the way we bring our needs before God.

We discuss why many of us naturally jump straight to “God help me,” what happens when praise is missing from our prayer life, and how gratitude and request actually work together to form a deeper relationship with God.

Because prayer isn’t just about getting answers. It’s about drawing closer to the One we’re praying to.

Our community is hurting.

It feels like every day there’s another tragedy. Another shooting. Another family grieving. Another life lost too soon. This past week, our city experienced the loss of a police officer in the line of duty, while violence among our youth continues to rise.

In this episode, we have an honest conversation about the violence we’re seeing in Greenwood and communities everywhere. We talk about the condition of the heart, the loss of community, the need for hope, and why the teachings of Jesus matter now more than ever.

Because the answer to hate is not more hate.The answer is turning back to God and back toward one another.

Is the church actually doing okay?

It’s easy to focus on church decline, cultural shifts, and everything that feels discouraging. But is that the whole story?

In this episode, we talk honestly about what we’re seeing in the church right now—and believe it or not, there’s a lot of hope. We see people searching for deeper meaning. We see hunger for God. We see people wanting more than just “going to church.” We see lives changing, people serving, and hearts turning toward Jesus.

The church isn’t perfect. But God is still moving.