In this challenging and introspective episode of the Creative Potential Podcast, host Chris Decker is joined by Todd Miechiels, a passionate advocate for story stewardship. The conversation dives deep into a critical question: why do so many Christians hesitate to share their personal stories of faith? Todd unpacks the two primary barriers—pride and fear—that keep believers silent, from the fear of being seen as a hypocrite to the false humility that masks a reluctance to be vulnerable. Together, Chris and Todd explore the transformative paradigm shift of viewing one's platform not as a stage for performance, but as an altar for authentic testimony. This episode is a compelling call to action for individuals and church leaders to embrace the sacred responsibility of stewarding the powerful stories God has written in people's lives.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Pride and Fear are the Core Barriers: The primary reasons believers don’t share their stories boil down to pride (often disguised as false humility, e.g., "I don't have it all together") and fear (of judgment, ridicule, being called a fraud, or negative career impacts).
• Your Platform is an Altar: Instead of treating public platforms like social media as a stage for performance, view them as altars. This reframes sharing as an act of authentic, transparent offering to God, designed to point others to Him rather than to yourself.
• Success Is Obedience: True success isn't measured by worldly metrics like organizational growth or public acclaim but by simple obedience to God's specific calling. Faithfulness to the mission, even a simple one like "keeping an idea alive," is the ultimate goal.
• Embrace the Role of Story Midwife: The church has a massive opportunity to actively help people "birth" their testimonies. This requires "story midwives" who guide people through the resistance of sharing and "story shepherds" who help shape the narrative with clarity and reverence.
• Lean Into Discomfort: Conversations about faith and calling are not always comfortable. Leaning into that discomfort, asking yourself why you feel challenged, and then deciding what to do about it is a powerful catalyst for genuine spiritual growth and action.

QUOTES

• “How could I not? How could I not testify to what the Lord has done for me?”
• “The short answer to your question, it all boils down to pride or fear.”
• “Success equals obedience and obedience equals success.”
• “I don't wanna hear what you can't do... Just give us your blessing to do what we can do.”
• "If I had a chance to go back and redefine success, it would be obedience, plain and simple."
• "...the testimonies in your lives are what I'm going to use to help bring and lead people to me. And you're sitting on these testimonies. Right, wake up."

Connect with Todd Miechiels and continue the conversation on LinkedIn.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miechiels/

Learn more about the mission to help believers share their stories at stewardingstories.com.

Topics Discussed

00:00 Introduction: Introducing Todd's Mission to Share Stories
02:10 The Core Problem: Why Don't Christians Share Their Testimonies?
04:30 Unpacking the Barriers: How Pride and Fear Manifest
09:05 A New Perspective: Viewing Your Platform as an Altar
13:45 The Role of a "Story Midwife" and "Story Shepherd"
17:10 Story Stewardship: A Missed Opportunity for the Modern Church
21:30 Todd's Personal Calling: A 15-Year Journey to "Keep the Idea Alive"
25:00 Redefining Success: When Obedience is the Only Metric
29:50 A Challenge to Listeners: Lean into the Discomfort of the Message
33:15 Final Thoughts and How to Connect

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In this heartfelt episode of the Creative Potential Podcast, host Chris Decker and his wife, Taylor Decker, sit down with the Bryant family—Bobby II, Ava, Bobby III, and Joseph. As a family new to homeschooling, Chris and Taylor seek wisdom from the Bryants, who have successfully navigated their children's entire education from home. The conversation explores the profound benefits of a faith-centered education, from building a strong Christian foundation to the flexibility that allows children to discover and pursue their unique passions like coding, tennis, and content creation. The Bryants also share the inspiration and collaborative process behind their children's book, "Trust in Timothy," which tackles the modern-day temptation of cheating and underscores the eternal value of integrity and hard work.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Homeschooling Builds a Strong Foundation: The primary motivation for homeschooling can be to provide an education centered on non-negotiable Christian values, ensuring that children learn to see the world through a biblical lens, a foundation often unavailable in public or even private schools.
• Flexibility Fuels Individual Passion: A homeschool environment allows for the flexibility to cater to each child's unique learning style and pace. This freedom gives them the time and space to explore interests deeply, turning hobbies like coding or sports into potential career paths and life skills.
• True Success is Earned, Not Cheated: In an age of instant answers and AI shortcuts, the most valuable success is the one that is earned through hard work and integrity. Doing things the right way, even when it’s harder, builds character and leads to a more rewarding sense of accomplishment.
• Family Collaboration Creates Stronger Bonds: Working on a significant creative project as a family, like writing a book, strengthens relationships. Navigating different opinions and creative styles through discussion and mutual respect fosters a deeper connection and produces a result that reflects the whole family.
• Putting God First Brings Order to Life: When you prioritize seeking God and His Word above all else (Matthew 6:33), everything else falls into place. This principle applies to parenting, education, and life's challenges, as God opens the right doors and provides the wisdom needed for every situation.

QUOTES

• “If Moses can go to Egypt and free a whole civilization of people, like I think I can figure out how to do numbers and letters.”
• “When you work hard for something, it's actually more rewarding than if you do it the quick way... you don't really appreciate it as much.”
• “True success comes when you give your best and you work your hardest, not when it just comes easy to you.”
• “We need to remember to take it slow and remember the Lord will guide us through, and if we're patient, then we'll eventually get to the success that He truly wants.”
• "First, seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything else will be added to you."
• “If you try to do it your way, then it's just gonna fall apart because we're not perfect, but God is perfect and his way is the best way.”

Connect with the Bryant Family:

Learn more about their children's book, "Trust in Timothy", which teaches kids the importance of integrity and making the right choices.

The first 20 listeners to email chris@creatorspark.com will receive a free copy of the book, courtesy of the podcast!

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction: Chris and Taylor Share Their Own Homeschooling Journey
01:45 Welcoming the Bryant Family
03:15 Why We Chose Homeschooling: Building a Christian Foundation
05:30 The Kids' Perspective: Socialization, Flexibility, and Discovering Passions
10:30 Honoring Different Learning Styles
14:10 The Family's Book and the Message of Integrity Over Cheating
17:05 Navigating the Temptation of AI and Easy Answers
20:15 The Rewarding Feeling of Working Hard for Your Success
23:10 The Creative Process: How to Write a Book as a Family
27:45 The Vision for the Future: More Books and Spreading God's Word
32:00 An Offer for Listeners: Get a Free Copy of "Trust in Timothy"
32:30 Final Encouragement: The Power of Putting God First

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In this powerful episode of the Creative Potential Podcast, host Chris Decker welcomes Steven Dossou, a speaker and coach whose life story is a profound testament to the power of resilience and faith. Steven shares his incredible journey from extreme poverty in Togo, West Africa, to becoming a top business leader in South Africa, only to lose it all and start again. He breaks down the "three demons" of fear, self-doubt, and low self-esteem that hold us back and provides a simple, actionable morning routine to conquer them. This conversation goes beyond motivation, offering a spiritual and practical blueprint for anyone feeling stuck, unfulfilled, or limited, and provides the tools to connect with your Creator and unleash the limitless potential within.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Purpose is Found in Service: The path to discovering your God-given talents and achieving true fulfillment is embedded in serving others. When you use your gifts to improve the lives of others, you activate your own purpose and potential.
• Overcome the Three Inner Demons: The primary internal enemies that prevent growth are fear, self-doubt, and low self-esteem. These can be defeated through intentional practices like autosuggestion (talking to yourself with purpose) and prayer.
• Transformation Requires a Daily Routine: A consistent morning routine that addresses the physical (exercise), mental (positive audio/reading), and spiritual (prayer and stillness) is the ultimate tool for building discipline, confidence, and a victor's mindset.
• You Are the Soil, Your Actions Are the Seeds: Your life is fertile ground. Every positive action, word, and thought is a seed planted within you. By watering these seeds with prayer and consistency, you can cultivate a life of limitless impact, just as one seed holds the potential for a thousand trees.
• Choose to Be a Victor, Not a Victim: Life will present challenges, but your response is your choice. By building a spiritual and mental armor through daily practice, you can shift from a victim mentality to that of a victor who overcomes any obstacle.

QUOTES

• “Everything you do when you put all yourself in it, when you do it well, somebody is always watching.”
• “The torture of being in a place or doing... some works of which you are not fulfilled, that torture is far worse than having... millions of dollars in your bank account.”
• “When you give yourself to others, God... not only gives you more of yourself, but he also shows you the life within.”
• "Those voices, I called them fear, self-doubt, and low self-esteem... and my friend believed that those are the three toughest demons that mankind deal with ever."
• "God should break me away from the mindset of limitations."
• "You can either go to life by being a victim or a victor."

Connect with Steven Dossou:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-dossou-action-man-3623b5106/

Timecodes

00:00 Introduction: Learning to Talk to Yourself
01:45 Steven's Background and Journey from Togo
03:20 Growing Up with Humility and Hearing the Voice of "More"
05:15 The 18-Month Journey to South Africa and Hitting Rock Bottom
07:00 A Chance Encounter and the Power of Helping Others
09:30 From Selling Vacuums to Leading a $25 Million Team
11:45 When It All Crashed: Losing Everything and Finding a New Path
14:00 Transformation Begins with Listening to the Voice of Go
15:20 The Difference Between the Creator and the Creation
17:00 Nature's Lesson: Your Purpose is to Serve Others
21:00 The Conflict Between Purpose and Survival (Making Money)
25:10 Why Soul Fulfillment is More Important Than Financial Gain
29:00 For Those Who Have "Made It" But Are Still Seeking: The Answer is Service
32:20 Addressing the Inner Roadblocks: Fear, Self-Doubt, and Low Self-Esteem
36:00 The Practical Power of Autosuggestion
42:30 Steven's Three-Part Morning Routine for Lasting Transformation
51:00 The Soil and Seed: A Powerful Analogy for Personal Growth
57:00 Final Thoughts and How to Connect with Steven

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