Brian talks with Dr. Margaret Diddams, former provost at Wheaton College and co-author with Shirley Mullen of the new book Tried and True: The Countercultural Virtues of Christian Leadership. Drawing on her background in organizational psychology and years consulting with senior pastors, Margaret describes what she calls the "four horsemen of self-deception" — exhaustion, isolation, defensiveness, and entitlement — that drive so much of the moral failure and burnout plaguing church leadership today. She diagnoses the root problem as an individualistic, strengths-based leadership model borrowed from the business world rather than one oriented toward God's kingdom, and uses the life of John Wesley as a case study in surrendered, God-facing leadership rather than self-reliant leadership. Margaret unpacks the book's framework of surrender, stewardship, and servanthood, connecting it to the biblical vision of the "common good" — humanity made in God's image to steward creation toward flourishing and shalom.

Brian talks with Dr. Margaret Diddams, former provost at Wheaton College and co-author with Shirley Mullen of the new book Tried and True: The Countercultural Virtues of Christian Leadership. Drawing on her background in organizational psychology and years consulting with senior pastors, Margaret describes what she calls the "four horsemen of self-deception" &mdash; exhaustion, isolation, defensiveness, and entitlement &mdash; that drive so much of the moral failure and burnout plaguing church leadership today. She diagnoses the root problem as an individualistic, strengths-based leadership model borrowed from the business world rather than one oriented toward God's kingdom, and uses the life of John Wesley as a case study in surrendered, God-facing leadership rather than self-reliant leadership. Margaret unpacks the book's framework of surrender, stewardship, and servanthood, connecting it to the biblical vision of the "common good" &mdash; humanity made in God's image to steward creation toward flourishing and shalom.

The idea of “the common good” has a rich history within the Christian church. It’s the notion that, as we pursue Jesus in our lives and in the lives of others, we are fulfilling God’s purposes for His creation. This pursuit can be messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and creating space for hard conversations about real issues that impact our lives. Things like parenting, marriage, finances, politics, art, and culture. On The Common Good, Brian From creates space to have these conversations, to sit with the big questions that we all have, to sometimes disagree, but to always look for the chance to create common good, by following after Jesus. Brian welcome listeners to join them in these conversations, to bring their own questions, hopes, and struggles, and to ultimately share in a journey to see God’s design for all of us fulfilled.

The idea of &ldquo;the common good&rdquo; has a rich history within the Christian church. It&rsquo;s the notion that, as we pursue Jesus in our lives and in the lives of others, we are fulfilling God&rsquo;s purposes for His creation. This pursuit can be messy. It means rolling up our sleeves and creating space for hard conversations about real issues that impact our lives. Things like parenting, marriage, finances, politics, art, and culture. On The Common Good, Brian From creates space to have these conversations, to sit with the big questions that we all have, to sometimes disagree, but to always look for the chance to create common good, by following after Jesus. Brian welcome listeners to join them in these conversations, to bring their own questions, hopes, and struggles, and to ultimately share in a journey to see God&rsquo;s design for all of us fulfilled.