Intimacy with God and Others – Interview with Pastor Daniel So (Episode 3)
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26 responses to “Intimacy with God and Others – Interview with Pastor Daniel So (Episode 3)”
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Thanks for the interview Pastor Daniel – one thing that struck me was the interesting story of how a pastoral search interview spawned both a mentorship AND a church plant! Praise God!
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There are two areas where I totally agree with Ps. So. These include prayer as being the lifeline of one’s ministry, and the leaning on the Holy Spirit to find mentorship connections. When I lived in South Korea, I learned that many believers go to church on weekdays for early morning prayer before heading to work. I decided to give it a try and at first it was extremely challenging. I would be physically exhausted from work the previous day, and my flesh did not want to get up. I disciplined myself to get and every time I reached the sanctuary, listened to the sermon, and prayed simultaneously with the congregation, I felt my spirit awaken. After becoming more consistent at attending, I noticed the days I skipped it and went to work were more draining. I was not empowered by prayer and God’s word and was going to work in my own strength. I believe without prayer, I can end up doing ministry in my own strength or wisdom.
For mentorship, I began by asking God, “Lord, please lead me to the right person who can become my mentor.” God impressed on my heart a pastor who I did an interview with for a class assignment in the past. I called him up, and it turned out he had recently retired and now had more time to invest in others to mentor them for ministry.
Gene Takana
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The part that stood out most to me was the part where he started pastoring at a young age, took a detour for schooling and other areas, but came back to vocational ministry because he realized he missed the pulpit and couldn’t think of a better job than to study and spend time with the word of God.
This reminded me of the quote from Frederick Buechner where he says, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” This pastoral calling is one where our passion to serve God and the world’s need for ministry meets.
I felt this also as I came back from serving at a Christian private school in Korea 2 years ago and started to reconnect with my home church here in Vancouver. I spent months looking for jobs and attending church, but my heart was not at rest simply waiting around on the weekdays and sitting in the pews during church services. My heart did not feel at peace until I started to serve again at church and also serve the next generation through working at Vancouver Christian School.
– Moses Choi
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I enjoyed listening to this episode and found a lot of encouragement from the interview. Like Gene, I appreciated how Pastor So reminded the listener that “intimacy with God is the lifeblood of ministry.” If we are to have a heart for people, we need the blood of Christ flowing through us, which is only possible through seeking God in our rhythms. I also found Pastor So’s statement that our number one goal should be to be the best sons of God we can be a beautiful reminder. The takeaway that when we are finished here, we trade the ministry vestments for the resurrection clothes was poignant. As Pastor So drew this picture, of how this reality should lead us to long to be devoted sons of the Father, I was taken by the image. When my son or daughter does the things I do in their childlike way, it warms my heart. How good is God that we can worship him in those ways as we follow him? This sort of eschatological image of trading the pulpit for the robes of the resurrection is very encouraging to me
Rob Schmidtke
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Thank you for this conversation. I resonate deeply with my classmates who described prayer as the “lifeblood of ministry.” Without prayer, we lose our connection to the very reason we minister in the first place. Ministry without Christ quickly becomes dead works, driven more by effort than dependence.
I also appreciated Pastor So’s honesty about how challenging it can be to get up each morning to attend these early morning prayer times, but he confesses that they are worth it as he has never left one of those gatherings without feeling refreshed. This exposed one of my own current struggles: beginning my day with prayer and Scripture. I have fallen into the habit of hitting snooze, falling back asleep, and then rushing to get everyone ready and out the door on time. As a result, my own devotional time with the Lord is often neglected. This conversation served as a much-needed reminder that what feels “impractical” in the moment is often what is most spiritually sustaining.
I was also struck by Pastor So’s approach to friendships within the congregation. His posture of openness, paired with a healthy hesitation, deeply resonated with me. I too find myself cautious about forming deep friendships within the congregation. Two particular dangers come to mind. First, there is the risk of special favour—where a congregant may seek preferential treatment or pressure a pastor or elder to act against their discernment in order to keep the peace. While strong boundaries can help mitigate this, the risk still remains.
Second, there is the concern of oversharing. Sharing personal frustrations with a congregant, even unintentionally, could lead to misunderstandings or broader issues within the church body. These reflections have helped me recognize the importance of wisdom, boundaries, and intentionality when navigating relationships in ministry.
Thank you again for the conversation.
Dylan Parkhurst
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One of the key points that stood out in terms of Daniel’s approach to intimacy with the Lord is the prioritization of being the beset son of God, rather than a pastor. This is the driving force of any Christian to flourish, not just a pastor. The foundational identity of a Christian is being adopted into sonship and having the inheritance from the Father is what grounds us in being able to serve and minister to others. Having the guarantee of the Holy Spirit that is in us allows us to be empowered for the services of God, and to grow in intimacy to God as well. We are able to deepen our relationship with him through different spiritual practices, but especially in prayer and reading His word. I like how he has a very dedicated and regular rhythm of prayer with a prayer mat.
As our intimacy grows with God, we can also extend our relationship to others in building the kingdom of God. Daniel’s approach to his intimacy with his congregation was also notable in how he gauges his closeness depending on the needs of that church and doing so with care.
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Through this podcast, I would like to express my gratitude to Pastor Daniel and Professor Piva for providing both engaging and insightful reflections. While this podcast reminded me of many important things, the statement that stayed with me the most was, “Rather than trying to become a good pastor, we must first become good sons.”
Before deciding to pursue ministry, I spent a long time seriously thinking about the question, “What makes a good minister?” Is a good minister someone who pastors a large church? Or someone who is an excellent preacher? Eventually, I came to this conclusion “a good minister is the one who loves God the most, regardless of circumstances or environment.”
However, in order to love God the most, I believe one must live according to God’s Word, walk with Him, and maintain a deeply intimate relationship with Him. When we ask the question, “What is a good son?” the first thing that usually comes to mind is someone who listens to their parents and lives according to their guidance. In the same way, living according to God’s Word and walking closely with Him is what makes someone both a good minister and a good son.
In addition, as mentioned in the podcast, I believe that spiritual rhythms and spiritual disciplines are essential requirements for becoming good sons of God. Listening to this podcast today gave me valuable time to reflect on what kind of minister I should become and how I should pray more specifically moving forward.
Thank you.
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Pastor Daniel’s ministry overview was an encouragement for me. This is because ministering a Korean-Canadian ethnic church is what I vision for my church as well. My church is an almost-full Korean ethnic church with very minor Canadian-English presence.
Pastor Daniel’s stumbling blocks to intimacy with God is breaking the rhythm and spiritual routine. I resonate with this as the routine is also crucial to my life. This includes not only prayer time but eating time, study time, family time, and community gathering time. This also includes the morning prayer meeting time that Pastor Daniel mentioned, and how this was a key to his intimacy with God. My church has the same prayer meeting, but we do it in the evenings, instead of mornings, and this also has been an impactful and a restful time with God where I devote my time in His presence
Pastor Daniel and Dr. Piva reflected on how male pastors tend to develop intimacy with others mostly when they have a common vision or goal with others. As a brother in Christ, I agree in the sense that I do not make a lot of friends to a deeper extent, but still have two brothers whom I can really say that I can lay my life for them and theirs for mine.
Thank you Pastor Daniel and Dr. Piva for your inputs on intimacy with God and others.
Sunghoon KimLikeLike
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Thank you, Dr. Piva and Pastor So, for discussing this topic. I enjoyed hearing So’s understanding and example of how the church cultivates intimacy with God. I would love an early morning organized prayer service locally where I could attend. I really liked the story of how the interview at a church led to the planting of a new church. It’s always beautiful to see how God is working in ways that are different than our plans to build up his church. I agree with his assessment that prioritizing tasks over people would be a primary reason that leaves little room for friendships. That, along with not wanting to open up and possibly not wanting to appear to show favoritism? I also found the conversation on the necessity to maintain safe friendships or boundaries helpful. Thank you again for the conversation.
Jacob Enns
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What stood out to me most in the interview is Pastor So’s comments on friendship in the local Church. His position of taking the matter as a case by case basis I think is entirely the right choice.
I have heard stories of ministers who cultivated friendships in their congregations and fell foul of the old adage “familiarty breeds contempt”. In these cases we are reminded all to suddenly that due to our office we have a great responisiblity on our shoulders. We cannot then always be everyone’s friend, and where being their friend stops us from being their shepherd we have stepped out of bounds.
Yet, Scripture provides no hard rule against them. General wisdom cannot be held dogmatically or else the best benefit of wisdom is lost, which is the ability to evaluate circumstances. So it is I know some pastors who have been able to carefully cultivate close connections in a congregation.
Pastor So’s experience being able to connect closely to his associate pastor seems a natural path. Brothers in arms have naturally the same concerns and goals. These circumstances should be sought and cultivated whereever possible. It is my hope to do just that in my congregation.
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The interview deeply reshaped the way I think about intimacy with God and others. One statement that struck me most was the reminder to “be the best son of God that you can be,” not merely to focus on the role of being a pastor. Titles and ministry positions will not matter when we come before God; what matters is our identity as His children. This challenged me because it is easy to measure my spiritual life by what I do for ministry rather than who I am before God. I realized that God cares more about my heart and my relationship with Him than my performance or effectiveness in serving others.
Another point that convicted me was the encouragement to make being with God my number one priority and to pray for myself. I often pray about my desires, responsibilities, or the needs of others, but I rarely pray for God to change me, shape my character, and transform my inner life. This reflection helped me see that I sometimes neglect my own spiritual formation. I want to learn to pray more honestly for my own growth and allow God to work deeply in my heart.
The interview also highlighted the importance of rhythm in intimacy with God. Staying in a steady rhythm of prayer and Scripture is difficult for me. Busyness, compromise, and distractions often get in the way. Sometimes I tell myself I will pray or read the Bible later when I “have more time,” but that time rarely comes. Gradually, devotion becomes dry. I realized that compromise is a real trap for me. To stay in rhythm, I need discipline, sacrifice, and even the help of others to keep me accountable.
I was also impacted by the discussion about intimacy with others. Pastors, especially male pastors, often become isolated because they are goal-oriented and focused only on ministry tasks. This can lead to loneliness and a lack of vulnerability. I learned that building friendships beyond ministry work is important. Spending time resting, playing, and simply being human together helps create true connection. Ministry should not replace friendship. I want to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit in forming relationships and to intentionally seek healthy, safe friendships where I can be open and supported.
Thank you this great interview.
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It is challenging to hearing that Pastor Daniel changed his mind about the church position ( which could have a closer connection to his mentor physicaly). Sometimes God challenges people to put aside their own plans for His purposes.
The morning prayer part is also very challenging, but inspiring and encouraging too. This reminds me how powerful are those rhythm and spiritual disciplines, as I used to have morning prayer meetings once a week in Cru, and those moments help us prioritise time with God and train us to hear His voice instead of being overwhelmed by busyness and tiredness. Jesus modelled this for us by praying on mountains, even when He could have been doing more physical ministry to heal or preach.
“God cares about our being more than our doing” echoes Pastor Daniel’s encouraging words from his mentor: Be a child (son) of God > be a pastor. We are to wear the robe of a son, not of a pastor.
Lastly, the conversation reminds me that we should build relationships beyond task-oriented goals. Sharing life together strengthens relationships and rapport because it allows more observation and a deeper understanding of a person.
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I come from a Chinese/English bilingual congregation as well, so I can resonate with how Pastor So described the unique challenges of a multilingual and multigenerational congregation.
Here are some of my key takeaways:
- Where does our identity come from? Our identity isn’t based on your role or performance, because we won’t be pastors anymore in the resurrection. Incidentally, our identity as children of God is the only thing that can’t be taken away because it is as firm as God’s promise of salvation.
- How does we get that identity drilled into our head? So mentioned the practice which I call “Time Alone with God”. I was first introduced to this discipline when I first attended SYC in 2003. It doesn’t take long. It’s only 15 minutes a day, but once that habit is built, so is my intimacy with God.
- Why can’t men cultivate friendship like women do? The biggest pitfall is treating the means as an end. In other words, if we treat common activity, interests and goals as friendship itself, we stop short. These things are bridges to friendship, and we should not dwell there.
- What’s common between intimacy with God and intimacy with People? The answer may be more surprising and simple than you think: It’s shared worldview, and from which shared values develop. Friendship goes above and beyond shared activities and goals, and if we treat our intimacy with God as simply asking God to help us with our tasks, then that attitude will inevitably reflect onto your relationship with people.
- How to balance between openness and discernment when choosing friends? Personally I don’t think there is a conflict to be balanced because they are actually two dimensions. Openness is your willingness to be vulnerable, like how people in Korean sauna are all naked. Discernment is about setting healthy boundaries, just like how the naked men and naked women are separated in the sauna. Discernment comes first, then openness. It’s not about deciding who to let on your bus, but rather who to keep off your bus.
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Lots of sobering reminders especially for people entering vocational ministry. I love what Pastor Daniel said, that losing the rhythm of your spiritual disciplines is danger. This reminds me how important it is for us to have that rhythm, that space for connection and intimacy to happen. Rhythms in our lives keep us running – heartbeat, breathing, waking and sleeping. If we are not too careful, losing our rhythm can easily lead us to a downward spiral.
Another reminder is that we should always remember who we are first and foremost – sons, children of God – instead of whatever it is that we do, whether that is pastoring or leading or teaching. I think it’s a slippery slope when we get busy with all these ministries that we end up letting what we do define who we are. Being comes before doing.
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Thank you for this rich and honest conversation. One theme that stood out to me across the episode was the reminder that intimacy with God is not a supplement to ministry but rather it is the foundation of it. Hearing prayer described as the lifeline of ministry resonated deeply with me. It’s sobering how easily ministry can slip into functioning on discipline, gifting, or busyness and even dependance on self rather than dependence on the Spirit. What feels inconvenient or impractical – early mornings, stillness, unhurried prayer is often what most reorients the heart.
I was especially struck by the phrase, “Rather than trying to become good pastors, we must first become good sons.” That reframes everything. Before competence, calling, or visibility, there is relationship. Without a lived, daily walk with God, even faithful service can slowly become hollow.
I also appreciated the honesty around mentorship and relationships in ministry. Especially the importance of seeking guidance prayerfully, while holding wisdom and boundaries in community. This episode served as a needed reminder that spiritual rhythms aren’t an add-on to the christian life, but rather they shape who we are becoming.
Grateful for this conversation and the invitation to reflect more intentionally on intimacy with God.
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Grateful for the chance to hear from a pastor in the greater Vancouver area since I live here to. Incredible to hear about his process from being a pastor at 21, to quit, then regaining a desire and remembering the call to go back.
His heart for morning prayer re-ignited that desire in me. Doing it Tuesday to Friday is a neat idea. This practice felt even more essential when I heard what he said next:
“Be the best son of God that you can be, it is more important that you become the best son of God that you can be. When you go to heaven… you wear the sons robe.”
I loved this line. It encouraged me. Before being a minister, I am son. After being a minister I am a son.
A beloved son of God, 24 hours a day. This is the core of our identity and it should not only be known to us but communicated to those we minister too. I think making sure the church knows we have this understanding would be very valuable.
His heart to prepare sermons that are not from a dry heart and mind challenged me. Overall grateful for what he shared.
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Thanks for the talk, Prof. Piva, it was really inspiring to listen to about the various ministerial aspects. I admire and completely agree with most of the thoughts shared by Pastor Daniel, especially maintaining the spiritual discipline, having intimacy with God and with others, having an active prayer life and giving time to yourself to rejuvenate the strength to minister God’s people more effectively.
However, I slightly disagree from his ministerial/pastoral goals.
11:45-58, he says a few such things which might sound appealing but i do not find any biblical backing or convincing teaching to support these thoughts which he shared;
“To be the best Son of God, he can be. It is more important to become best son than of becoming a best pastor. You shall not enter heaven wearing the robes of a Pastor, you will be wearing the robes of a son. Your no.1 goal should not be to be a good pastor, but your priority should be to become the best Son”
My opinion would be
The Bible mentions only about Jesus, whom the Father calls, ” His dear Son in whom He is well pleased”. It is only by accepting this Son as our Lord and Savior, we no longer remain slaves but become children of God and co-heirs with Christ.
The Bible doesn’t specifically mention ‘robes of a son’; however, we do read about the garment of righteousness, holy garments, and garments washed in the blood of the Lamb. But, all of these are solely grafted in the mighty act of God in His Son Jesus, not by one’s personal achievements or accomplishments, but by the mercy of the Almighty.
Denying the pastoral role and focusing solely on being ‘the best son’ is again contrary. Jesus called Peter and assigned to him a threefold ministry: ‘Feed my lambs, Take care of my sheep, and feed my sheep.’ (John 21:15-17).
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I really enjoyed listening to this conversation as it gives a real perspective on how pastors maintain their intimacy with God and others. The quote that said, “When you meet your Father in heaven, you won’t see him with the robe, but you will come to Him as His son. Your number one goal is to be the best son you can be,” deeply convicted me as I am someone who struggles with legalism and sometimes put my worth in how well I serve God. It reminds me of John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” This encourages me to stay intimate with Him, abiding in Him, and to not compromise my time with Him. I’m interested in creating or finding a spot to simply pray, similar to how Daniel has a prayer mat.
I’m thankful that God has given me core friendships that reflect the love of Jesus. However, this podcast reminded me that it is good to do enjoyable things together, without having to only focus on being driven by the ministry goals. It’s a blessing to delight in both, I hope to intentionally make time in my relationship to also do fun things.
Thank you for your honest thoughts!
Anita
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I really enjoyed this conversation because there were a few things that spoke to me and my experiences directly. The first is that I also grew up in a non-english speaking church, although our pastors never tried as hard to acommadate both languages. In fact, some romanian churches I have visited care more about retaining the romanian language among the youth than actual discipleship or evangelism. Romanian pastors also tend to do as much as they possibly can for as long as they can, believing that burn-out is a sign of unreliance upon God. Now, to give them credit, most of them really do it out of love for their congregation, but the result is usually the same dissapointing result. Hearing you speak about spiritual rest and solitary retreats with the Lord was exactly what I always knew we needed to learn how to do in this day and age.
The other thing that stuck out to me was the lack of male friendship among pastors. I wonder how many of the friendly pastors we know, have a true friend they can count on, share burdens with, cry with, and even just hang out with. I believe true friendship is the cure to many infirmities of the heart, and I believe this because I know what it is like to lack true friends for a time, and I have experienced true friendship.
Overall great episode, thank you!
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For the longest time, I saw prayer as secondary to intimacy with Christ. Hearing Pastor Daniel’s perspective on prayer, and the traditions he and his church practice, gave me a fresh appreciation for its importance—especially having intentional time set aside for it.
I also appreciated his clarification that intimacy with God through prayer isn’t meant to be legalistic or rigid. What matters most is intentionality, not structure. It was interesting to hear how he uses structure to create freedom in his prayer life—not as a formula, but as a guideline.
Hearing Pastor Daniel share openly and enthusiastically about his ethnic background was encouraging to me. As a third-generation Canadian, this personal touch meant a lot. Our country, our churches, and our church leaders are growing more diverse, and by naming the cultural differences that can exist between churches and leaders, he pointed out a real barrier many of us as ministry leaders face in building intimacy with others.
I also agree that intimacy with fellow believers matters, particularly within our own congregations. As ministry leaders, it’s easy to default to our pastoral role rather than genuine friendship. I’ve found the deepest intimacy comes from doing life with others in ministry—not necessarily at my own church—where I can confide without gossip or slipping back into problem-solving mode.
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The opening question for Pastor Daniel captured me immediately, when asked about his perspective on “intimacy with God” he immediately points to it being the “Life blood” of a pastor. How can a pastor thrive without relying on the vine? Daniel makes it clear that a pastor is not capable of being effective apart from true dependance and reliance on Christ.
Often times pastors succumb to the temptation of relying and depending upon one’s own abilities and strength, which is foolish. A pastor is a mere undershepherd of Christ but when we rely on our own strength and ability we are attempting to strip the church from his control, believing that we can do it apart from the one who is the head, who is Christ. Pastors need to begin on their knees, depending fully on Christ to lead his church and guide the pastor as to where they ought to go. Daniel makes it clear that a pastor cannot lead a church apart from a close and intimate relationship Christ.
I love what he said about how when a pastor enters the kingdom of heaven he won’t enter with the title “pastor,” he will enter with the title of “son,”. Pastors need to recognize their first role which is an adopted son of most the most high God not a pastor. He is a pastor to his people and must walk as such with his people. But his primary call is as a son of God, bought by the precious blood of Christ.
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The podcast was great. One of the main things that stood out to me was Pastor Daniel’s perspective on what intimacy with God looks like.
Intimacy is not just knowing, but the slow continual getting to know God better. I think Pastor Daniel hinted at this when he described what his intimate time with God looks like on his prayer mat at the altar. He mentioned that there is where “everything happens,” implying that there is constant change and constant movement, not just a 0-100 idea of intimacy once we open our Bibles.
I also appreciate how mandatory that practice had become for him. Recently I have been trying to take at least 30 minutes of my day to slow down and just be in solitude with God. No Bible, journal, sometimes no prayer, just being still. I have noticed that on the days I don’t, it feels like I slowly am starting to forget what it feels like to be with God. So the focus on his isolated prayer time being non-negotiable and something that he delights in because he wants to is something I find interesting.
Pastor Daniel also mentioned how he doesn’t do the same thing over and over in a legalistic manner, but in a routine manner. That he makes sure to do it like that every time because that is what works for him. I have heard people make judgments before because “you should be able to pray anywhere,” but I like his approach of there being nothing wrong with having a place where you feel closest to God.
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I really appreciated this interview with some great insights into intimacy with God. I liked how Pastor Daniel really highlighted how intimacy with God is about cultivating those habits and disciplines in your life. That is something I know I often struggle with. I tend to be quite undisciplined and don’t put structures into place unless forced (e.g. if I have some kind of deadline coming up to motivate me).
One of the things that resonated with me from this interview, being a youth pastor, is that it is harder to see that need for relationship and connection with God. As Pastor Daniel reflected on his ministry as a youth pastor, it often doesn’t feel like there is a ton of responsibility or weight in that role. A lot of the time you are just kind of having fun with it. It makes it easier to almost think that this is something you can accomplish on your own. But I think it is vital to see past that and realize that even as a youth pastor I desperately need to cultivate a strong relationship with God, just like anyone else, whether in vocational ministry or not.
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This podcast gave me a lot to ponder as Pastor So was so candid about his experiences on where he was meeting God. It was not some fancy ritual; it was intentional, done with care and humility. Intentional because he took time out of his day to meet God, to pray on his prayer mat, kneeling and quietly developing his intimacy with God. It was not some loud declaration or a legalistic obligation but rather a tender moment where it is just Pastor So and God alone together.
I found it touching, because in a world where everything is rushed and chaotic at times, God wants us to slow down, to rest, find Him and meet Him regardless of where we are at. It reminded me of Psalm 139:1 – 4 “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.” This podcast with Pastor So has shown me that prayer is not about using the right words for God already knows my heart and thoughts. I can just show up and He will be there.
I always thought there was supposed to be some formal setting or rules to follow before I could go before God. This belief has often gotten in the way of setting up a time for me to get to know Him. I often put it off, trying to find the right moment or the right words, emulating what I saw as a child in church settings or on TV, as if prayer required long, eloquent strings of words. I can remember sitting on the edge of my bed, wanting to pray but not knowing the right way to start, and so I didn’t.
This podcast also shone a light on where I can improve my relationships and the importance of fostering deeper connections with others. I hope to continue to grow both closer with God and with others as I continue this journey.
Thank you for reminding me that intimacy with God and intimacy with people means slowing down, showing up, and allowing friendships to foster and bonds to grow deeper.
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One thing that stood out to me was when Dr. Peva and Pastor So were discussing the friendships and intimate relationships that they each have developed from working with individuals who share a common vision/goal (e.g. through works such as mission trips), and whether there is a need for pastors to develop different types of intimate relationships that do not stem from having common tasks in ministry. What caught my attention was when Dr. Peva stated task-oriented pastors still need to carve out time to build friendships that are beyond the task. This was a reminder that no matter how a relationship starts, we still need to make time and effort to cultivate these relationships.
Something else that stood out to me was what Pastor So was talking about the importance of not losing the rhythm of keeping and nurturing an intimate relationship with God, and that compromising with the busyness of life is one way that we can lose this rhythm.
I find that it is easy for me to get caught up in the busyness of life, and am constantly needing to be aware to not neglect my relationship with God as a result of being busy. I am constantly reminding myself that although I might be busy, I still need to recognize the importance of setting apart time in my day to spend with God through prayer and reading the Scriptures, as well as have the discipline to do so.
What a great podcast, there were many amazing points that were made.
Thank you.
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This conversation was enjoyable to listen to. I related to a few different things Pastor Daniel said. His personality and values are clearly presented as he answered questions. Sometimes it seems like there is an obvious answer but Pastor Daniel pushes back when he feels differently. His perspective has been shaped by years of experience in ministry but also by his personal relationship with God. It was nice to hear how God shaped him in such a unique context.
Pastor Daniel’s morning routine stands out as radically obedient and necessary. It’s “where everything happens”. Not in the meetings or studying or even the sermon writing but in his personal time with God. A time that is no longer negotiated. I appreciate how he honestly mentions that he does not always feel like engaging but resolves to do regardless. I relate to this and struggle to be as disciplined as him. However it is nice to have an example to aspire to. Ultimately his life represents his relationship with God.
I respect Pastor Daniel’s perspective on intimacy with others. I find it interesting how it contrasts his intimacy with God. Over time, his relationships with others needed balance and boundaries but his relationship with God was non-negotiable. I like how each commitment with others should be thought out and prayed over. Intimacy cannot be ignored in any ministry context if we want to be fruitful and intentional. For my own life, I hope to find that balance while prioritizing my personal relationship with God.
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