The Leader’s Cut with Preston Morrison

In this lifetime, pain is inevitable, but it’s not always easy to understand why it happens. If God loves us, why must we experience pain? Why is pain inescapable? Why is pain necessary? What are the dangers of pain? And what steps can we take towards healing our pain?

Because we live in a fallen world, it’s inevitable, at some point in our lifetime we all experience hurt. The impact and lasting effects of hurt all depend on how we handle and see the purpose in it all. Why do things happen a certain way? Where is God in the midst of it? What is He doing? Why must we go through this? And ultimately, how can we be healed?

As we walk throughout this life with the Creator of the Universe, we constantly get a greater understanding of just how good He is. What happens when we consistently walk in intimate fellowship? What is possible when we open up areas of our life that we may hold in shame? And what can God do when we bring the cares of our world into the sovereignty of His?

Wisdom: the ability to judge correctly and apply the best course of action based on knowledge and understanding. Wisdom is a choice -- and it begins with overcoming the influence of the “fool” in our lives. This week, we explore the path to wisdom by identifying and understanding the key characteristics that define a truly wise person. What behaviors and habits set them apart? How we can adopt these qualities in our own lives? And what are the traits that the wise consistently avoid?

Good news and bad news. Bad news...you’re a fool. Good news, just not all the time. We all have tendencies that the Bible would define as foolish, but how do we learn to combat those in the opposite spirit? First, we must understand what is a fool? What does a fool do? And what can happen when we let the fool die?

Roadblock: something that blocks progress or prevents accomplishment of an objective We all have goals in life, dreams and expectations of where we want to be and what we want to do. But in an upside down Kingdom, we all know it doesn't always happen according to plan. And many times, the reason that could be preventing it, is us -- our ego, our insecurity, our hopes, our dreams. So what does it look like to live a divinely aligned life? And what happens when break through the roadblocks and start living the life we were designed to?

God can be trusted to keep His promises - but that doesn't mean it will always happen when we think it should. Sometimes God makes promises which seem impossible because He simply loves building more evidence that nothing is impossible for Him. Although that perspective? It's not easy to see when we're in the waiting. So why does He make us wait for promises? And what do we do while we wait?

Most of us are familiar with the verse in 1 Corinthians that says our bodies are the "temple of the Holy Spirit," urging us to "honor God with our bodies." But what does this look like in everyday life? In this episode, we sit down with Preston’s trainer, Justin King, to discuss how we can best steward our bodies, share lessons learned along the way, and offer small, practical steps you can take to begin honoring God with the gift of your body.

Understanding who we truly are is crucial to living as a child of God, but that's not always easy to discover in a world where identity can be so easily masked and confused. What happens when you build your life on the wrong identity? What is your identity NOT built on? What happens when you build your life on the correct identity? And what actually IS the identity of EVERY believer?

When we have the faith to "step out of the boat" and keep our eyes focused on Jesus, He can respond in miraculous ways. But how do we cultivate that kind of faith? First, we must understand: what is faith? Why is faith important? What can weaken our faith? And finally, what can grow our faith?

As we walk out the call of God on our life, it’s crucial that we walk step in step with Him. But what does that look like practically? How do we have patience throughout the process? And what can happen when we lean into Him in FULL obedience?

In this life, we all encounter temptation, and giving in to it can lead us down a slippery slope of sin. However, the more we learn to identify and respond to it when it arises, the more we can walk in a life aligned with God. As we explore the story of David and Bathsheba, there are crucial lessons to uncover about temptation, sin, and redemption. When does temptation typically happen? What happens AFTER it happens? And what can HE do about what we’ve already done?

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind…” We tend to focus on the first two, but what about the third? Our brain drives everything we think, say, or do — how well do YOU know your brain? Preston sits down with Dr. Daniel Amen, a pioneer in the field of brain health and psychiatry to discuss why understanding your brain is crucial for personal growth, mental health, and our spiritual well-being. Dr. Amen shares insights into the five brain types, the intersection of faith and science, practical strategies to enhance your brain health and what could actually happen if we all started talking our brain health seriously.

At some point in life, we all face setbacks. Whether it's losing a job, the end of a relationship, or unmet expectations in a situation we were hopeful about, these 'two steps back' moments are inevitable. But how we handle these setbacks is crucial to our future progress. If approached in the right way, they have the potential to propel us forward into success. So, how do you get there? What steps do you take? And how can you turn 'two steps back' into ten steps forward?

Your life is shaped by experiences. Your story is shaped by how you respond to them -- and when you get a glimpse of how everything fits into God's plan and purpose for your life, everything changes. But how do you get there? What must you do? And what breakthroughs can happen when you shift your perspective?

As children of God, we are all given assignments throughout our walk with Him. But some of them can be more difficult than others. So what do we do when God hands over a hard assignment? How do we navigate through it? Who do we bring into it? And how do we embrace His process, even through the difficult or 'not yet' seasons?

Criticism is a vital aspect of personal and professional growth, but its impact is dependent on how we actually receive and give it. But to truly do it in a healthy way, we have to first be a healthy human. So how do we get there? What is required for us to be able to grow from criticism? And what does “healthy criticism” even look like?

At some point in our lives, we all encounter rejection — but it’s how we process and deal with it that determines how it impacts our life. How do we know if we’re dealing with a root of rejection? How did Jesus handle rejection? And how do you heal from rejection?

Following God can take us to new heights and places that we never expected to go. But to fully step into His destiny for our lives, we must first give Him permission to do what only He can do. But how do we do that? What does it look like? And what can happen when we fully submit to His plan?

Living in a fast-paced world, a hurried and busy life has become normal. And there’s one thing for certain, the fast pace is the most stressed pace. But if we look at the other side of the coin — the slow pace is the most blessed pace. Jesus never ran anywhere. So why do we hurry? How do we adjust our pace? And what actually happens when we learn to slow down and walk with Him?

One of the primary things the Father sent the Son to do was to heal broken hearts. Then, the Son sent YOU on His behalf to carry it on...Think about that for a moment — You — are sent by the Son — to help heal hurting hearts — on His behalf. That’s quite the mission. But how do we do it? How do we not create hurt in others? How do we navigate our own hurts? And how can we partner with the Holy Spirit to bring healing to everyone around us?

When we're going through a difficult season, life can seem upside down. Thoughts enter our mind that in a previous season, we would have never even entertained. No matter how we end up there, to get out of it, we must shift our perspective to navigate the lies. But how do we recognize it? What are some practical steps to combat it? And how can we bring God alongside to walk with us through it?

For many of us, it's easy to get caught up in the need for man's approval. Whoever it is, whether a boss, a pastor, a parent -- it can be a trap and a distraction for what God truly wants for our lives. So to be set free from it, we must first answer these questions. How does one know they struggle with fear of man? What are the dangers of it? Why does one struggle with it? How do you deal with it? And, what's is the #1 antidote?

We all want to grow -- but growth never comes easy. It can be hard, painful, and sometimes take us to unexpected places. But if we want to grow into the man or women that God has called us to be, we MUST understand the path it takes to be open for growth. How do we become aware of where we need to grow? How do we eliminate the pieces of our life that stifle growth? And how do we accept our assignment, and fully step into the person we are called to be?

Stress, we all deal with it from time to time. Whether it's a season, or what seems like a never-ending weight, it's never an easy burden to bear. But to best manage it, we must first answer four questions to change how we see it. How should we see stress? What causes it? What’s the best way to handle stress? And how do we minimize it?

We all know that life doesn't happen in a straight path. We all have highs. We all have lows. But the question is, how do we respond to those unexpected obstacles? And how do we use adversity to further build us into the person that God is calling us to be? This week, we sit down with Darleen Santore to discuss overcoming, resilience, and having the mentality to walk in confidence with God.

Excess...we all experience seasons of it, whatever the reason may be. Whether it's something we reach for too consistently, too much in measure, or both -- it always leads down a dangerous path. But to get through it, we must first understand what exactly it is. Why does it happen? Where does it come from? And how do we handle it?

If we want to become the person that God created us to be, we MUST be congruent in everything we say and do. But what does a life of congruency look like? How do we know if we are incongruent? And what steps can we take to consistently walk out what we are called to do?

When you're in a season of darkness, it can be heavy...blinding...overwhelming. But if we want to overcome it, we must first understand how we got there. Where does darkness come from? How does it enter? Why does the enemy love the dark? What does the darkness sound like? And once we understand it, we can then look at the roadmap of necessary steps to make it flee.

It happens all the time. Just when we think we have everything figured out and we know where we're going, something drops from out of nowhere and "seemingly" throws us for a loop. We call them curveballs -- a mini-season between two big seasons; a life transition you don’t see coming. But where do curveballs come from? How are curveballs good for us? And how do we learn to ultimately dominate the curve?

When you choose to follow Jesus, there’s no promise it will ever be easy. It can be hard. Painful. Excruciating. It’s an upside down Kingdom. And oftentimes, you know you’re getting it right when everybody thinks you must be doing it wrong. So how do we actually live like Jesus? What is the goal of every child of God? And what practical steps can we take to accomplish it?

One of the marks of the people of God is they are those who allow the pruning of God. Pruning is part of God’s process — but that doesn’t mean it’s pain free. How do you know you’re being pruned? How do you discern why? What do you do in the midst of it? And why is pruning actually a good thing?

It's impossible to pull off the call of God on your life all by yourself. But as a leader, what practical steps can you take to build something together with the people God has placed around you? How do you create a healthy environment for others to thrive? This week, we sit down with Todd Lane to discuss the elements of a heathy team.

If you’re going to pull off the call of God on your life, there’s one thing for certain, you can’t do it alone. You’re going to have to bring people along with you. But whether you are building a family, a team, or a business — where do you start? How do you do it the right way? This week, we sit down with Tim Ross to unlock the cheat codes to building something God’s way.

There are some rooms God is going to take you into which are going to seem like you absolutely positively do not belong there. There’s a feeling you may be prone to feel once you’re in the room…it’s called Imposter Syndrome. What is the evidence of it? Why do we experience it? What are the dangers of it? And how can you overcome it before it overtakes you?

As this year comes to a close and we enter into a new year, how can you both assess where you are and determine what God wants to do in this next season? Doing the deep work and asking yourself these seven essential questions might just set yourself up for a supernatural 2024.

Every relationship has seasons. Seasons of ups. Seasons of down. Seasons of growth. Seasons of feeling stuck. How do we consistently navigate through them? How do we recognize the enemy’s attempts to divide? And what does it look like when we make the choice to push through no matter what?

Where does preparation begin? Whether we're coming to the end of a season, in the middle of a transition, or stepping into something new -- knowing when and how to prepare for what is next is crucial to the success of what's to come. How can we change our perspective? Who can we invite in? And what are the steps we can take to put us in the best situation for what happens next?

Life doesn't always come easy. Sometimes things get heavy. And a lot of times when it feels that way, we must recognize that we may be under spiritual attack. But how do we get out of it? What steps can we take? And what are the things we MUST do if we're going to navigate those seasons of life?

When you walk with God, things rarely happen the way you expect them to. Sometimes you stumble into something that you never saw coming, simply because of your proximity to Him. Preston sits down with Tim Ross to discuss what life looks like walking with God. What is His pace? And what happens when you say ‘yes’ to it?

Sometimes, for whatever the reason, we may have a tendency to "mail it in." But here's what we we have to remember...the level at which you do things matters. And it especially matters to God. This week, we break down how to steward well what is in our hands, with a spirit of excellence. How do we define excellence? What does it take? And how does it involve the people we love most?

"But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private." This week, we sit down with our friend Michael Bethany to discuss what a life of intimacy with the God of the Universe looks like. How do we develop a healthy prayer life in the secret place? How do we establish the rhythms of divine intimacy? And what are some practical tools and applications that we can use to cultivate an atmosphere to connect with God?

“Well done, good and faithful servant” are words that we all want to hear once our race is finished. But how do we live a life that’s worthy of that statement? What are the daily steps we can take? And what does it look like to live a faith-filled life, regardless of the season you are in? This week, Preston sits down for a conversation with Pastor Tom Lane.

Something wonderful is coming. Something supernatural. Something holy. Something God wants YOU to play a role in. But it can't happen until we first deal with our "trash" - the sin in our life which is holding us back. Why do we put repentance off? What happens when we put repentance off? And what’s the best way to deal with my trash?

How do you build a life which can withstand life’s biggest opportunities? How do you prepare for your moment, your race, your calling? In this week's Leader's Cut, Preston walks through what to expect and the best way to prepare for the opportunities and season that God has next for you.

Preston sits down with Todd Lane (Executive Leadership Institute) to discuss empowering leadership. What are the dangers of micromanagement? Why is character more important than competency? What can we learn from our failures? And what's the difference between transparency and vulnerability?

Preston sits down with Tim Ross to discuss seasons where it feels like you’re stuck in a funk, those times where it feels like a dark cloud is hanging over your head and nothing that you attempt seems to make it go away. How do we get out of it? How do we move past a posture of cowering to a posture of standing? And how can we invite God into the process?

Preston sits down with Cody Carnes to look back over the past 15 years of Cody's journey, including his time spent as the first worship pastor for Gateway Scottsdale/Pillar Church. How do you prepare in the field of anonymity? How do you step out in obedience when you may not want to do what God is asking of you? And how do you steward well what God has placed in your hands?

This week, we're talking anointing oil - one of Heaven's biggest cheat codes for man. But the big question is, how do you access it? How do YOU find YOUR what and where? And once you have it, what on Earth do you do with it?!

Preston sits down with Tim Ross to have a discussion about courageous conversations. When we have to have communicate hard things or hard truths to a friend, family member or co-worker, how can we take a healthy and loving approach? How do we create a safe space? And what are some practical tips we can take into the conversation?