Morning Conversation: MyBridge Radio

Do you want well-behaved kids? Or, kids with good character? Ideally, both. How do we get there? Too often, parents misguidedly prioritize behavior. Behavior modification does not guarantee good character qualities. 

In her latest book, Parent Differently, Kathy Koch says it’s character that influences decisions. It shows up in our speech, actions, and attitudes. It’s about who we are and what we do. As Christians, we want to see the character of Jesus Christ in our children. We want our kids to be brave, compassionate, and joyful. Whether a parent, grandparent, or teacher, we all want to see our children grow in humility, gratitude, and respect—for others and themselves. 

The founder of Celebrate Kids, Dr. Kathy Koch will help us define character and why it matters as she unpacks the crisis of character in our culture today. Listen for some great tips on steps we can take to teach and develop character in our kids.

So much of the trouble we can find in marriage points back to not communicating our expectations. In his 30+ years of marriage, Greg Smalley has learned from that mistake more than a few times. 

Words matter. Our words matter. In her new book, Well Said*, mom of seven and popular blogger Sarah Molitor explains why those words matter so much. Sarah shares how to make the most of our words and why doing so can change our lives. Through her own personal life stories, Sarah offers practical tips that are grounded in Biblical truth and convey God’s love for each person. 

Choosing to use our words to speak life allows the Lord to work in ways we never imagined or could dream for ourselves. While it’s not easy, nor is it instant, it will be life-challenging and life-changing.

The world first got acquainted with Colton Dixon during season 11 of American Idol. In the eleven years since his top seven finish, he’s become well known for hit songs like, “More of You”, “Through All of It”, and more recently “Build a Boat”.

A big change came to Colton’s life in August of 2020 when he and his wife Annie welcomed twin daughters into the world. 

We recently caught up with Colton in advance of his October 2023 visit to Nebraska to talk about life, ministry and the songs from his new project, Canvas.

The music of CAIN quickly became a mainstay on MyBridge radio when they released their debut single, "Rise Up (Lazarus)". Since then, the trio of pastor’s kids from Hartselle, Alabama ––  Madison Cain Johnson, Taylor Cain Matz, and Logan Cain –– have continued to be used by God through their ministry of music.

Madison is the middle sibling of the family trio known for their matching colorful outfits on stage. A mom of a toddler, Madison is learning more about the love of her heavenly Father as she raises her son and she’s thankful for parents that pointed her to Jesus. 

Currently on their 2023 Live and In Color tour, Madison sits down to talk to us about life as a mom, an artist, and their newest album, Jesus Music.

For the past 25 years, Focus on the Family has been ministering to singles and young adults through its Boundless ministry. When Lisa Anderson first got involved with Boundless 15 years ago, it was to host their podcast. A couple of years later, she assumed the role of director for the ministry.

In her role, Lisa helps today’s millennial and Gen Z generations to “grow up”, “own their faith”, and “date with purpose". In this episode, Lisa shares some of the reasons young adults don’t feel equipped for marriage. She also shares some eye-opening stats on couples waiting until marriage before moving in together as well as some encouragement about how these young generations are rejecting cultural Christianity.

Pastors and ministry leaders are some of the hardest-working people in the world--and they have a high rate of burnout to prove it. Leaders that aren't operating at peak efficiency and, also taking care of themselves, are setting themselves up for a crash. The reality is, that few in ministry feel they have the time to take a sabbatical or tend to their own physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. But healthy rhythms of work and rest are the key to a thriving, long-term ministry. In their book, Don’t Burn Out, Burn Bright, Jason Young and Jonathan Malm put their years of ministry leadership and consulting experience together to show us how to fine-tune leadership and organize life in such a way that you can become a high-capacity leader without the exhaustion and discouragement so many feel.

In her latest book, Recipes for a Sweet Child: Creative Bible-based Activities to Help Your Family Thrive, author Katie Trent combines her counseling and ministry expertise with her own parenting experiences to provide you with a creative guide to work past challenging childhood issues in a winsome way.

Searching for answers to help turn your children’s grumbling into gratitude? Trying to navigate ongoing issues like sibling rivalry, tattling, unforgiveness, peer pressure, or bullying? Katie will help you teach your kids how to apply biblical wisdom in any situation.

Discover simple tools to bring peace and joy into your home with easy, interactive activities and Bible lessons and enjoy making delicious recipes with your kids.

Meredith Andrews has been writing music and leading worship for nearly two decades. Known for songs like “Draw Me Nearer” and “Open Up The Heavens”, Meredith has served alongside the Vertical Church Band and, more recently, with her home church, The Belonging Co. in Nashville. 

Meredith opens up about marriage, and how it’s not always easy, about turning 40, and how it’s just a number. We’ll also dive in with Meredith about worship and why she writes songs for the church.

Although there are moments of beauty and goodness, more often than not, life is marked by fear, struggle, disappointment, and loss. And we don’t know what to do with it. We try to find hope and security in various people and places–but each proves unworthy of our trust. We need more. Something–or Someone–who won’t fail us when our world falls apart.

Michelle Cushatt presents a better way. In her book, A Faith That Will Not Fail, this author and Bible teacher explores powerful personal, historical, and biblical stories of people of extraordinary faith. She curates and shares practices to help you deepen your confidence and certainty in the God who can be trusted with your worry, questions, confusion, and grief. 

Connect with a woman who has been through immeasurable suffering and hear her compassion and practical insight.

For more information on Michelle’s book, go to: michelecushatt.com/faith/

The question isn’t whether you’ll face the hardest thing. It’s what to do when it’s staring you in the face. Dr. Lee Warren, a neurosurgeon from Nebraska, knows personally that trauma will reconfigure your life. After the tragic loss of his 19-year-old son, he knew he needed a plan and path back to a new season of hope, faith, peace—and even happiness. The first dose is hope—and it comes in the form of grace from the skilled hands of the Great Physician.

In Hope Is the First Dose, Dr. Warren offers tender empathy and hard-won insights to give you tangible hope. No matter what you’re facing, it doesn’t have to be the end of you.

Learn more about Dr. Warren and his new book:

https://wleewarrenmd.com/books/hope-is-the-first-dose/

Many of us long for the abundant life Jesus promised, but instead we feel stagnant and frustrated in our faith. More of us cultivate our view of God from our family of origin than from the pages of the Bible—and a faulty view of God will always be a barrier to a satisfying spiritual life.

Bryan Clark has served in pastoral ministry in Nebraska for more than 40 years. In that time, he’s observed a lot of, as he says, “messed up” views of God. In his unique and interactive book God’s Not Like That, our guest returns us to Scripture on a step-by-step journey to identify and then correct our misconceptions about God. 

Listen for specific ways our childhood influences our beliefs today and how to distinguish truth from fiction when it comes to personal beliefs.

Order Bryan’s book here: https://www.christianbook.com/not-like-redeeming-inherited-beliefs-finding/bryan-clark/9780830784394/pd/784395?event=ESRCG

It’s one thing to go to church. But, there are steps we can take to really get plugged in and find the kind of “community” we really crave…even if we don’t realize we crave it. Maralee Bradley of Lincoln, NE is a busy mom of eight children and has every excuse in the book to not commit to a life group (or small group) at her church. But, she and her husband have rearranged their schedules because they understand the impact their life group has had on their lives (not to mention the opportunity the get to invest in other couples).

On this episode, Stan and Maralee dive into how making small groups a priority can be one of the best decisions you can make for your own spiritual growth and connection to other believers.

Growing up in a missionary family in Romania, Asheritah CiuCiu began to have her life transformed as she learned to immerse herself in the Word of God. As a teenager with nothing but time on her hands, Asheritah would often spend hours reading her Bible and singing worship music. After being married and starting a family, free time was no longer a thing and Asheritah had to figure out what time with God could look like as a busy mom. The founder of the ministry “One Thing Alone” now helps other moms discover how to spend time with God when it feels like there is no time.

When it comes to character, we have choices to make. We can choose kindness, patience and politeness. Dr. Kathy Koch, the founder and president of Celebrate Kids, Inc, talks with us about the importance of setting an example for our kids when it comes to what we expect out of them. More is caught than taught. If we want to raise children with character, it starts with being people of character. Dr. Kathy will share her “Fine Five”, a tool families can use to open up amazing conversations with the kids to help find out what's going on in their hearts.

Singer, songwriter, worship leader and podcaster Christy Nockels recently released her first album in more than five years. Connect with Christy about the new project, “This is The Hour” and hear her heart about worship and the opportunity God gives us to respond to Him in both the mountaintops and the valleys. When God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want, He does still offer us a special gift which is perhaps the best answer we can get.

In this episode, Susie goes back to the beginning and shares her journey of falling in love with Jesus and tells about what she’s learned about God while facing chronic illness. Be inspired by Susie as she challenges our attitude about spending time with God. It’s more than something to check off the daily to-do list…it’s something we get to do. It’s an opportunity. Susie even shares some thoughts on how we can make the most of our time with God by journaling.

So much of the trouble we can find in marriage points back to not communicating our expectations. In his 30+ years of marriage, Greg Smalley has learned from that mistake more than a few times.

Are you snacking or feasting when it comes to spending time in God’s Word? Wendy Speake joins us to share encouragement on how to feast on the Word of God so that we taste and see God’s goodness.

Maralee Bradley, mom of 8 kiddos and champion of adoption and foster parenting, joins us today to tell us to stop lying to our children! – and why being appropriately truthful matters to our kids and builds a lasting, trusting relationship.

Our world worships control – from cruise control in our cars to climate control in our buildings, we think it’s our right to be in control and for things to go our way. Tim Sanford, pastor and Clinical Director of Counseling Services for Focus on the Family is here to share with us why that desire for control is causing so much anxiety.

GOYFC - Greater Omaha Youth for Christ - exists to introduce young people to Jesus at this pivotal time in their lives. They desire to reach young people with the hope of Christ by partnering with local believers to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus. We have the pleasure of serving alongside GOYFC and Jason Currie through MyBridge Momentum, having connected with them at a critical point in their ministry’s growth.

Michelle Nezat loves the Word of God. And, she wants to inspire others to discover and meditate on God's Word. Her unique approach to introducing God's Word is through Christian music. Our guest on this episode is the host of the "More Than A Song" podcast!

Being a youth today is not easy – what a challenging time to be growing up and navigating your faith amid everything that’s happening in our culture. In this episode, we share a conversation with Sadye Daniell, an 18-year-old from Lincoln, NE, who shares how she continues to fight for her relationship with Jesus and how her parents and mentors have made a massive impact in her walk with the Lord.

Mother of recent NBA champion, Steph Curry and author of her first book, Sonya Curry joins us to share about her new book, “Fierce Love: A Memoir of Family, Faith, and Purpose”. In this episode, Sonya shares her faith journey, how she lives “in the world but not of the world” and how she raised a family that prioritizes character over anything else.

We live in a challenging time right now. Civil discourse is anything but civil, and unity seems to be a word we now only dream about. Thankfully, Lisa Anderson from Focus on the Family is here to help us understand and learn how to have healthy discussions and relationships with people who hold different views than we do. There’s something for everyone to learn from Lisa Anderson on this episode of the Morning Conversation: The Podcast.

Plugged In, a media review and discernment ministry, has been helping families navigate the world of media for years! Today we get to talk with Adam Holz, who oversees Plugged In’s media reviews, and who has himself reviewed over 600 movies and hundreds of albums and songs! Adam is here to help us learn how to discern media today, how to talk to our kids about it and how to equip them for navigating it themselves after they leave home.

Mike Weaver, lead singer of Big Daddy Weave, shares from personal experience that even when all we can see is our struggles and grief, God is there, holding us together.

Brant Hansen, nationally syndicated radio host and author of his newest book, “The Men We Need: God’s Purpose for the Manly Man, the Avid Indoorsman and Any Man Willing to Show Up”. He also hosts a podcast with his friend Sherri, “The Brant and Sherri Oddcast” and he leverages his platform to advance the healing work of CURE, all while having honest, comedic and Kingdom-centered discussions around topics such as public policy, culture, sports, Asperger’s Syndrome and faith.