In this episode, I talk to Dr. Sherwood Lingenfelter, co-author of "Ministering Cross-Culturally," as he shares profound insights on effective cross-cultural ministry. Learn the importance of humility, listening, and building trust to bridge cultural gaps, drawing from his experiences in Yap and collaboration with Marvin Mayers. Discover practical tips for missionaries and believers to communicate the Gospel authentically and make disciples worldwide. Perfect for those passionate about missions and cultural understanding.
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In this episode, I talk to my friend Aaron Lill. Listen as Aaron shares about his inspiring 10-year mission in Mozambique. We also talk about missionary burnout, cultural challenges, and family life. Learn about he and his family's transition to South Africa to support missionaries and his advice for aspiring servants.
 Webster’s Online Dictionary says that an algorithm is “a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end.” I don’t know how all of that stuff works, but it seems like a lot of my so-called “choices” are forced upon me by endless algorithms. A human is only free to do what a human can do. I can’t choose to fly like a bird. We think we chose that one movie, but the truth is, out of the offerings shown to us, we were only ever gonna choose that one anyway, right? It’s easy to not choose something you would never have chosen in the first place. It’s like people who brag about not doing this or that. If you have no inclination to do this thing or that, like doing illicit drugs or something, then what are you really bragging about? C. S. Lewis puts it this way, “Some of us who seem quite nice people may, in fact, have made so little use of a good heredity and a good upbringing that we are really worse than those whom we regard as fiends. Can we be quite certain how we should have behaved if we had been saddled with the psychological outfit, and then with the bad upbringing, and then with the power, say, of Himmler?” The point is, the very thing you love about yourself may in fact have less to do with you and more about your genetics and upbringing. Anyway, that's over my pay grade.
On some level, most of us are conscious of the digital algorithms that direct or at least greatly influence our daily lives…online, anyway. But what about in real life? James K. A. Smith, in his book, “Desiring the Kingdom,” writes, “Because our hearts are oriented primarily by desire, by what we love, and because those desires are shaped and molded by the habit-forming practices in which we participate, it is the rituals and practices . . . that shape our imaginations and how we orient ourselves to the world. . .That is, the visions of the good life embedded in these practices become surreptitiously embedded in us through our participation in the rituals and rhythms of these institutions.” In this instance Smith is talking about the simple act of going to the mall or maybe a ball game and the affect that has on our desires. What’s the point? Earlier he writes, “What if education wasn’t first and foremost about what we know, but about what we love?” That’s the point. We think everything begins in the mind or our worldview and flows from there, but what if, as Smith takes great pains to explain throughout his book, that it is actually the daily habits we engage in that form our desires, whether for good or bad? Thus, the algorithms of life. What are you DOING every day? It’s easy to deceive ourselves into thinking that doing this or that thing won’t affect us. But it will. Smith writes that, “what defines us is what we love.” And those loves, “the visions of the good life embedded in these practices become surreptitiously embedded in us through our participation in the rituals and rhythms of these institutions.” What rituals and rhythms are we engaging in? Where are we going? What are we doing? Webster’s says that an algorithm is “a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end.” What end are the rhythms of your life leading you to?Maybe, sometimes, a Ctrl-Alt-Delete is in order. To quote C.S. Lewis again, “We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. We have all seen this when doing arithmetic. When I have started a sum the wrong way, the sooner I admit this and go back and start again, the faster I shall get on. There is nothing progressive about being pig headed and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think if you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistake. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.” Join four dads as they share candid insights on fatherhood at 40, discussing the challenges of raising kids, balancing work and family, and fostering community. Explore practical tips on intentional parenting, managing screen time, and navigating family rules. Perfect for fathers seeking encouragement and real-world advice.
 5 Things I’ve Learned About Podcasting So Far
I started my podcast experiment in April (Yes, that’s my closet at home). Since then, I’ve recorded fourteen episodes. I’ve enjoyed every minute. Here’s five things I’ve learned so far. TLDR: Don’t wait! If you want to do something. Go for it! 1) The Odds are Not In Your Favor, But Who Cares? According to Grok, “Fewer than 1% of podcasts reach 100 episodes.” You can hear more about numbers like these on my interview with Email Asante (Episode #001) of “The Chad Bozarth Show.” Check out these other statistics from Grok: “Approximately 90% of podcasts don’t surpass 3 episodes, meaning most podcasts produce only a handful before stopping.” “Of the remaining 10%, 90% don’t reach 20 episodes, so only about 1% of podcasts make it to 21 episodes or more.” “Fewer than 1% of podcasts reach 100 episodes.” That means, that even if you just get past 3 episodes, you’re doing pretty well. 2) How You Define “Success” Makes All the Difference. Reframing what “success” means makes all the difference. I can tend to be a perfectionist, which gives me a great excuse to overthink everything. Overthinking is a great way to procrastinate and keep yourself from taking action. Many people have said this, but I have found it to be true. For this podcast experiment, I have rewired my brain to consider it “successful” as long as I am making forward progress. As long as I’m scheduling interviews, recording interviews, thinking about questions for interviews, editing interviews, creating thumbnails, whatever, I can feel good about it. I will continue to adjust as I go, but the key is to keep moving. 3) People Are Happy To Help. I think I’ve recorded fourteen episodes so far (15 if you count the one I did where I interviewed an AI voice assistant, but it didn’t sound great so I haven’t used it, maybe I will). Most of the people I have invited to record an episode with me have said “yes.” That is very encouraging to me. Not everyone has responded. That’s OK. So far, no one has flat out rejected the invitation (maybe no response is a rejection, but silence still leaves room for hope). I’m sure a direct rejection will probably happen at some point. That’s OK. My point is, it has been a great exercise for me to reach out to people. Yes, I have mostly contacted friends or people I at least know. I did cold email an author of a book that was of great interest to me and he said yes! Wow! Cold emailing works! That was an exciting moment for me. 4) Don’t Wait to Do Until You Learn. Just Do And Learn as You Go. I’m still trying to figure out how to be a good interviewer. I am almost done reading “Talk to Me: How to Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers, and Interview Anyone Like a Pro” by Dean Nelson. I’ve really enjoyed it and gleaned some wisdom from it. I try to prepare for every interview and have some questions ready to go, but I also like for the conversation to be organic. I’m still figuring that all out. 5) Sometimes Your Original Idea Just Requires a Little Tweaking. I’ve thought about doing a podcast for the longest time. I thought maybe the podcasting world was oversaturated. Again, check out my interview with Email Asante to find out that, despite what things may seem like, the podcast market is not actually oversaturated. Remember, 90% of podcasts don’t make it past 3 episodes. One thing that kept me from jumping in is that I am not smart enough, knowledgeable enough, or interested enough in any one subject to do a podcast on any one topic for too long. I’m interested in a lot of things and I realized that it would be great to just interview people about things I’m interested in and that they know about. I figured, if I’m interested in it, maybe other people are too. Even if it’s just a baker’s dozen who listen, I still get a lot out of the interview personally. I have made it my goal to be consistent. Like I said, “success” for me with this project is forward movement. I decided I would do my best to release one episode a week. So far so good. I can do that. Are you thinking about doing something? Reframe it in your mind as an experiment and just go for it! Who knows what could happen? Thank you to everyone who has allowed me to interview them and thank you to everyone who has listened, liked, subscribed, or left a review. I really appreciate it. I hope to keep putting out informative, entertaining, but most of all encouraging episodes for ya’ll. Episode 100, here we come! I always wanted to be in the top 1% …of something. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-chad-bozarth-show/id1814853643 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZLhpAJqmf4ogmeaVsbOzy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechadbozarthshow In this episode, I talk to Craig Muster, a former pastor turned business coach, as we dive into his journey from ministry to planting a church in San Diego and now thriving in business while staying grounded in faith. Craig shares powerful insights on finding community, overcoming loneliness in leadership, and being aware of God’s presence in every aspect of life—ministry, business, and family. Discover how to prioritize relationships, navigate challenges in ministry, and live with an awareness of God’s presence, even when feeling stuck.
 I was driving down the road the other day and saw something. I had to take a picture. I know you shouldn’t use your phone when you’re driving, probably especially when you're in, who knows how many lanes, in one of the busiest traffic areas of the city. Welcome to Dallas. Anyway, I still had to take the picture. I’m no Jimmy Olsen, but I know a good opportunity when I see one.
They say you can’t judge a book by its cover. Maybe that’s true, but most of us do, don’t we? That power washing truck was pretty dirty. Now, they might be the best power washers in Dallas. How do I know? Maybe how their truck looks is not at all a reflection of the work they do. Maybe they are just brilliant with their power washing. I guess I’ll never know. Sometimes we judge a book by its cover. Sometimes we don’t call a power washing company because their truck is dirty. But sometimes the situation is worse. Sometimes our trucks are clean, but our insides are dirty. That’s the problem some of the ‘clean’ folks back in the day had. Jesus told them, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:27-28). Whoa. Clean on the outside, stinky on the inside. And such a stink can’t be cleaned by a good power washing. Clean bones are still dead bones. Such a situation requires more. It requires a resurrection. It’s good to be clean on the outside. But “cleanliness is not always next to godliness.” It’s what’s on the inside that counts. It’s dangerous to take pictures on the highway. A person could get in a wreck doing such a thing. In this episode, I talk to my old friend J. Kyle Bilton. We reminisce about senior year of high school, a game-changing last-second shot, and the journey from hoops to life as a teacher and short-term rental host. Discover how a random conversation on a train in Poland sparked a teaching career, the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship with family life, and the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on education. Packed with nostalgia, life lessons, and practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and educators, this episode is a must-listen!
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AuthorHi, I'm Chad Bozarth. These are my encouraging, inspiring, uplifting and life changing words to help you change your life, become a billionaire, marry a supermodel and live forever. Archives
October 2025
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