Reality LA Podcast: The Drop In

Dorcas Adewole drops in to share her journey from Brazil to the UK to LA, Reality LA's prayer team, the temptation to be performative in prayer, asking God for the small things in addition to the big things, surrendering control, and following rather than trying to lead the Holy Spirit when we pray.

Dawnchelle Holmes drops in to share the story of losing her mom to cancer, how God meets us in our sorrow, how grief will always be part of life in a fallen world, the importance of community during times of loss, and how to best love those who are grieving. If you are in need of care, visit reality.la/care.

Pastor Jonathan Fitzgerald drops in to discuss rethinking presence, understanding rest as a gift, an unhurried life, and how God does significant work even in the most mundane situations.

Pastor Jeremy drops in to discuss grieving our city's losses and needs, participating in God's restorative activity through the combination of practical work and dependent prayer, and how all of this relates to our sermon series through the book of Nehemiah.

Reality LA Administrative Assistant Danielle Devlin (whose voice you may recognize from leading worship on Sundays!) drops in to discuss fear of disappointment that God won't answer our prayers, the Holy Spirit praying on our behalf, the freedom and boldness to ask God what we want, and trusting God's presence in our lives during hardship.

In this episode, Nathan and Michael discuss our church family's vision for the coming year as shared Sunday by Pastor Jeremy. The wide-ranging conversation covers how our leadership develops vision, the relationship between Luke and Acts, and our church values of desperate prayer, whole-life discipleship, and sacrificial service. Download our "10 Days of Prayer" guide. See how our 2025 events tie into our Discipleship Pathway and stay updated on their details and registration.

While "desperate prayer" is one of our foundational values, there are some seasons of life that remind us more than others of our constant need for and dependence upon God. In light of the uncertainty, grief, and ongoing difficulty our church family and city are currently experiencing in the LA fires, we've recorded this special episode to encourage one another and prompt us toward unity in desperate prayer.

This week, Leauretta Simmons and Jeffrey Burnell drop in to discuss giving for the sake of giving, the simplicity of obedience, the connection between growing faith and growing generosity, and how honest reflection on WHY we're doubtful or suspicious about giving can tell us volumes about what's going on in our hearts.

This week long-term pastor and financial consultant Greg Gibbs drops in to discuss what a capital campaign is, how one works, why one of Jesus' favorite subjects is often our least favorite, and the connections between our generosity, our hearts, and our discipleship.

Reality LA staff members Milla Nieminen (Executive Director), Chaundra Hitchens (Director of Care and Community), Mary Beth Lattimore (Director of Operations), and Heather Fischer (Communications Director) drop in to describe their roles and responsibilities on staff, why a church staff exists in the first place, and why such roles matter. They discuss how our church's different ministries and departments integrate and support one another, their mission to equip the saints, the work that goes into carrying out that mission, and how—most of all—their heart behind everything is love for God and God's people.