Loneliness, Calling, and the Ache of Being Alone

In this episode, Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds welcome Steve DeWitt for an honest and deeply personal conversation about loneliness, leadership, and faith. Drawing from his book Loneliness: Don’t Hate it or Waste it. Redeem it., Steve shares how years of singleness, ministry, and leadership shaped his understanding of loneliness and the spiritual ache many people quietly carry. Together, they discuss why loneliness has become so widespread in today’s culture and how God can meet people even in seasons of isolation and aloneness. This episode offers compassion, wisdom, and hope for anyone navigating loneliness in life or leadership.

https://www.thejourney.fm/

https://www.desiringgod.org/authors/steve-dewitt

Hospitality as Spiritual Practice and Everyday Witness

Continuing the conversation, Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds talk with Laura Murray about the spiritual practices that shape a life of hospitality and welcome. Laura discusses practices such as listening, humility, generosity, discernment, and prayer, showing how these rhythms form people who genuinely care for others. The conversation also explores practical ways churches, ministry leaders, and small groups can create spaces of deeper connection and belonging. This episode offers both spiritual insight and practical encouragement for anyone wanting to embody God’s welcome more faithfully in everyday life.

https://laurabmurray.com/

Welcome, Presence, and the Formation of Hospitality

In this episode of Next Step Leadership Podcast, Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds welcome Laura Murray for a thoughtful conversation about hospitality, belonging, and spiritual formation. Drawing from her book Becoming a Person of Welcome: The Spiritual Practice of Hospitality, Laura reflects on the experiences that shaped her understanding of welcome and why hospitality is about much more than opening a home or hosting an event. Together, they explore the longing people carry for connection and the invitation to become people whose lives reflect the welcoming presence of God. This episode offers encouragement for leaders, churches, and individuals seeking to cultivate authentic belonging in a disconnected world.

https://laurabmurray.com/