In this episode of the Shepherd Press Podcast, Shannon Kay McCoy sits down with Dr. Stanley Gale to explore how the book of Ecclesiastes speaks honestly to life “under the sun” while directing us to rest in God’s sovereign care.

Throughout the conversation, Gale highlights how themes like vanity, joy, work, grief, and the fear of the Lord shape a faithful, grounded life. Ecclesiastes teaches us to embrace our creaturely limits, reject idolatry, and enjoy God’s good gifts without depending on them for ultimate meaning.

This episode is especially helpful for pastors, counselors, and everyday Christians seeking biblical wisdom for navigating hardship with humility and hope.

1. What “life under the sun” really means
2. Why embracing human limitations leads to rest and wisdom
3. How the fear of the Lord anchors emotional and spiritual stability
4. How Ecclesiastes speaks to suffering, grief, and unmet expectations
5. How enjoyment of life fits within a God-centered worldview
6. How Ecclesiastes ultimately points us to Christ and eternal hope

Under the Sun: Redemptive Reality in the Book of Ecclesiastes by Stan Gale

Also by Stan Gale: God's Good News-The Gospel for Life

In this episode of the Shepherd Press Podcast, host Shannon K. McCoy sits down with Jon Scurtu, ACBC-certified biblical counselor, pastor at Logos Baptist Ministries, and author of Growing Out of Sin and Into Holiness, to unpack the doctrine of sanctification.

Jon helps listeners move beyond common extremes of either self-effort or passivity, grounding growth in holiness in the believer’s union with Christ and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. Rather than presenting sanctification as self-improvement, this conversation reframes it as a grace-driven process that unfolds through Scripture, prayer, community, and suffering.

Throughout the episode, listeners are reminded that sanctification ultimately flows from delight in Christ, not mere duty.

This conversation unpacks:

1. What sanctification is—and why it is often misunderstood
2. How union with Christ produces lasting growth
3. The balance between God’s work and our active effort in the Christian life-
4. The empowering role of the Holy Spirit in everyday obedience
5. Why identity in Christ must precede effort and behavior change
6. How Scripture, prayer, community, and faithful routines function as God’s means of grace
7. The role of suffering and trials in producing spiritual maturity

Growing out of Sin and into Holiness by Jon Scurtu

In this episode of the Shepherd Press Podcast, our host, Shannon Kay McCoy, speaks with biblical counselor, mother, and author Johanna Presley to explore how God’s Word speaks hope and clarity into autism in children.

Drawing from both personal experience and biblical counseling practice, Johanna helps listeners understand autism through a gospel-centered lens—one that points us to a framework rooted in biblical identity, discernment, and the sufficiency of Scripture. She also equips listeners with practical ways to share the gospel with children with autistic traits.

This conversation is especially encouraging for parents, counselors, and church members who desire to walk more faithfully alongside families affected by autism.

This conversation unpacks:

1. Creative and accessible ways to communicate the gospel to children with autistic traits
2. How biblical counseling differs from secular counseling models when addressing autism
3. Unique challenges families with members with autistic traits face
4. Encouragement and practical help for parents, biblical counselors, and church members
5. Biblical identity rooted in Christ, not a diagnosis

Resources to equip you:

1. Biblical Counseling and Autism in Children by Johanna Pressley
2. Critical Issues in Biblical Counseling Series— Ernie Baker, Consulting Editor
3. Biblical Counseling and Common Grace by Heath Lambert
4. Biblical Counseling and Mental Disorder Diagnosis by Jenn Chen
5. Biblical Counseling and They Psychologies by Ernie Baker