How to Better Serve Singles, Finding Contentment, and the Permission to Change Your Mind with Ryan Wekenman- Episode 932

In case you haven’t been with us for a while, once a month we’re recapping each of the last 10 years in honor of the 10th anniversary of That Sounds Fun, so this month, we’re recapping 2022... but what we actually do is talk about anything else. Today we talk big about the World Series and (mainly Shohei Ohtani), Lin-Manuel Miranda, AI, and water because why not.  Also, let us know on Instagram what you would with 41 million dollars!!! . . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . .  Join us for our Advent series, Stay Tuned!  . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN today to get 10% off your first month.  KiwiCo: Get up to 50% off your first crate at kiwico.com, promo code THATSOUNDSFUN. . . . . . If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learning how to be a person of faith in 2024 seems very challenging and the center of a lot of conversations these days. Today felt like the perfect time to talk to my friend Phil Manginelli about what's going on in the world, in the US, in our faith, and where those all meet. Phil equips churches and organizations teaching internationally on navigating the cultural landscape of a post-Christian world and following Jesus in a secular age, and serves as the Lead Pastor of The Square in Smyrna, GA. I think you all will love this conversation and his new book You Are Not Alone: A Guide To Following Jesus In A Secular Age.  . . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! AG1: Try AG1 and get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/soundsfun. Thrive Causemetics:  get an exclusive 20% off your first order at thrivecausemetics.com/TSF. Orgain: Go to orgain.com/THATSOUNDSFUN for 20% off and make sure you use my promo code, THATSOUNDSFUN. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/soundsfun.  Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/TSF and using code TSF at checkout.  . . . . . If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. . . . . . Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave us a brief review! You can do the same on Spotify as well. Your ratings and reviews help us spread the word to new friends! And your feedback lets me know how I can better serve you. . . . . . If you liked THIS episode, you will LOVE this one: The Spiritual and Cultural War on Men with Jon Tyson – Episode 887 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going there today! My friend Ryan Wekenman and I talk about how to help our churches and pastors understand how to serve the single people in their church. Ryan’s a pastor at Red Rocks Austin and he’s also the author of Single Today, which came out earlier this year. We also talk about finding contentment and being present in your current season, finding community, and permission to change your mind in big life choices. No matter your season or relationship status, I think you'll find this conversation really helpful.  If you’re single (or know someone who is), our open registration season for Single Purpose League is coming to a close next week (on Oct. 28th), and it won’t open again until the New Year, so make sure you come join us, especially because you’ll get to go through our Advent series, Stay Tuned, together. You can find all the details at singlepurposeleague.com. There's a resource that I want to give you, too, at anniefdowns.com/pastoringsingles. It's a short PDF that offers some ideas to help your pastor connect with the people who aren’t married in their church.  . . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN today to get 10% off your first month.  Lumen:  Go to lumen.me/TSF to get 15% off your Lumen. . . . . . If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. . . . . . If you liked THIS episode, you will LOVE this one: Singleness in the Church with David Platt- Episode 857 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of my BFFs, Danielle Walker, is back and this is her 5th time on That Sounds Fun, so you know what that means, right?! HALL OF FUN induction.  Her new cookbook is called Make It Easy: A Healthy Meal Prep and Menu Planning Guide and I’m telling you.. If you’re already building your Christmas wish list, put this on it. Especially those of you who like a meal prep plan. She’s got you covered. Y’all know I don’t cook much, but when I do… Danielle’s my girl for all the recipes. We also answer some of your questions you asked her on our AFD Week In Review!  Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! other topics we cover: Infant Loss Awareness Day, insecurities, New York Times Bestsellers, favorite New York restaurants, and Disneyland . . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join us for our Advent study this year at anniefdowns.com/advent! . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! AG1: Try AG1 and get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/soundsfun. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/soundsfun.  Daily Look: Head to Dailylook.com to take your style quiz and use code THATSOUNDSFUN for 50% off your order. . . . . . If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You 90s CCM lovers are in for another treat! Michael Tait (from DC Talk) and Adam Agee (from Audio Adrenaline) are here today and share how they became apart of Newsboys. With over 10 million records sold, I know you’re no stranger to Newsboys! I think we can really learn something about faithfulness and obedience through their long careers in Christian music. Part 1 of Newsboys latest album, World Wide Revival, is out now and part 2 comes out tomorrow!  . . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN today to get 10% off your first month. Hiya Health: Receive 50% off your first order at hiyahealth.com/thatsoundsfun. . . . . . If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. . . . . .  Spread the Word. Leave a Rating and Review. It would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast on Apple Podcasts and leave us a brief review! You can do the same on Spotify as well. Your ratings and reviews help us spread the word to new friends! And your feedback lets me know how I can better serve you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Advent season rolls around every year, the theme that always leads the way is waiting with anticipation. Waiting with excitement because the birth of Christ is near. But sometimes that’s hard because Advent is ANOTHER season of waiting for a lot of us. How do we level up excitement and joy around WAITING when it feels like waiting is our whole year? That’s why we’ve created Stay Tuned: An Advent Series For Those Already Waiting—a series designed for anyone struggling with unanswered prayers and hope that feels a bit worn out. Whether you’re single or simply navigating a tough season, this Advent, we’ll face the challenges of waiting together and discover the beauty and purpose in the midst of it. Join us for three weeks of devotionals (available in written form, audio, and video), prayers, and reflection questions on how to wrestle with the waiting, find hope in it all, and celebrate the faithfulness of God as we anticipate the arrival of our King. For all the Advent details and to purchase this series: https://www.anniefdowns.com/advent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we get to sit under the wisdom of a mothering voice who understands long obedience in the same direction. What a gift. If you don’t know her already, Darlene Zschech is a Christian music LEGEND. She's an acclaimed Australian composer, worship leader, pastor, author, and speaker who helped pioneer the modern worship movement in the Church from the 1990’s onwards. Her new album “Testament” marks the milestone 30-year anniversary of “Shout to the Lord,” her song that became an anthem for the church worldwide. Her voice and that song has absolutely shaped my faith, and I got to tell her today (yes, I cried). . . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! Liquid IV: Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to liquid.com and use code THATSOUNDSFUN at checkout.  Fatty15: You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/TSF and using code TSF at checkout.  KiwiCo: Get up to 50% off your first crate at kiwico.com, promo code THATSOUNDSFUN. . . . . . If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. . . . . . If you liked THIS episode, you LOVE these episodes! Episode 465: CeCe Winans on How the Holy Spirit Changes Everything, Perseverance, and Building Your Legacy in the Church Episode 302: Michael W. Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Lysa Terkeurst’s 4th time here on the podcast and she’s that friend to all of us who just isn’t afraid to talk about the real and hard things that she’s walked through and what God’s taught her through it. Her brand new book came out this week… it’s called I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t… so we’re going in on broken trust and what to do with it. After several painful friendship breakups, the death of her marriage and other devastating betrayals, Lysa realized she was caught in a cycle of distrust and this book is the journey to figuring out how to move forward from it.  I have no doubt there’s someone who’s broken your trust before (and maybe even recently), so you’re going to learn a ton from this book and this friend. . . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN today to get 10% off your first month.  Ritual: Get 25% off your first month at ritual.com/THATSOUNDSFUN. Great American Family: Go to pureflix.com to start your free trial! . . . . . If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends.  . . . . . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, I get to talk with my friend, Kendra Adachi or better known as The Lazy Genius. Y’all know Kendra has helped me Lazy Genius all the things.. my kitchen… basically my whole life. And y’all are going to LOOOVE her new book on time management called The Plan. She says, “you’re not starting something today, you are starting with where you are today.”  It doesn’t matter if you’re working full time or part time or managing your home or school work, this book is sooo helpful. I always love learning from Kendra and I think you will too. . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . Subscribe to Let's Read the Gospels with Annie F. Downs HERE. . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! AG1:  Try AG1 and get a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3K2 AND 5 free AG1 Travel Packs with your first purchase at drinkAG1.com/soundsfun.  Thrive Causemetics:  Right now, you can get an exclusive 20% off your first order at thrivecausemetics.com/TSF. Wayfair: Wayfair is your one-stop-holiday shop for everything on your to-do list this season. Head to Wayfair.com right now to get your home holiday ready.  Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at Shopify.com/soundsfun.  If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. . . . . . If you liked THIS episode, you LOVE these episodes! Discernment and Decisions with Emily P. Freeman – Episode 869 Episode 280: Emily Ley + Growing Boldly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, I get to catch up with one of my favorite dudes, Mack Brock. This is Mack’s third time back with us, but his first time flying solo! He and his wife, Meredith, have been here twice for our couples series in 2019 and 2021. I have no doubt you’re already listening to Mack’s music and probably singing them at church, but don’t even realize he wrote them. Mack was one of the founding members of Elevation Worship, but we get to talk about his brand new full-length album that just released last week called This is Holy. Y’all. The lyrics. The music. The song his daughter got to be a part of. We’re going to talk about all of it.  . . . . Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Head on over to our YouTube Channel and be sure to like and subscribe!  . . . . Subscribe to Let's Read the Gospels with Annie F. Downs HERE. . . . . . Join our Patreon community Single Purpose League as we tackle the question: What is my single purpose and what is my purpose while single? . . . . . Sign up to receive the AFD Week In Review email and ask questions to future guests! #thatsoundsfunpodcast . . . . . Thank you to our sponsors! BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/THATSOUNDSFUN today to get 10% off your first month. Hiya Health: Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/thatsoundsfun. Thrive Causemetics: Right now, you can get an exclusive 20% off your first order at thrivecausemetics.com/TSF.   . . . . . If you’d like to partner with Annie as a sponsor for the That Sounds Fun podcast, fill out our Advertise With Us form! . . . . . NYTimes bestselling Christian author, speaker, and host of popular Christian podcast, That Sounds Fun Podcast, Annie F. Downs shares with you some of her favorite things: new books, faith conversations, entertainers not to miss, and interviews with friends. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices