Ocf Crosspoint Podcast

What do you think of when I say, “Military Sisterhood”? That was the question Kristin Goodrich posed to about 50 women at the beginning of a weekend retreat last March at OCF's White Sulphur Springs Conference Center. One West Point cadet’s response stood out amid the varied responses, "Sisterhood? What sisterhood?" Today you’re going to hear from Kristin, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who is now the Executive Officer for Planting Roots, a ministry for Christian military women. She will talk about the importance of building community among women within OCF, the importance of friendships, and will zero in on a couple points of author Peter Scazzero’s list of the “Top 10 Symptoms of Emotionally Unhealthy Spirituality.” You can also read more from Scazzero in his book “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.” A second Leading Women Retreat is scheduled in 2020 from March 26-29 at White Sulphur Springs Conference Center in Pennsylvania. So mark your calendars now. Check out the OCF and White Sulphur Springs websites

May a Christian serve in the military? When it comes to taking the life of an enemy combatant, how does someone reconcile that with Jesus’s command to love your enemy and to pray for him? This past August in Pensacola, Fla., a group of military men and women came together for a panel discussion that addressed a topic they titled “Can you be a Christian and serve in the military?” About 40 to 50 people attended the event, and you can watch the full 90 minutes of the discussion here. One of the members of the panel was COL Chet Arnold, USMC (Ret). He and his wife, Michelle, are the OCF field staff reps in Pensacola. Today, you’re going to hear from Chet as he addresses the topic of not only being a Christian and serving in the military, but also being a Christian and killing while serving in the military. Chet will also talk about what it means to live a distinct life within the military culture, biblical truths about serving in the military, and other questions that came up during the panel discussion.  What w

The story of Captain Nick Koza, USMC, has a few striking similarities with that of the apostle Paul when he was converted on the road to Damascus. However, that’s not to imply Captain Koza was going around persecuting and arresting Christians—because he wasn’t—but the fact that he wasn’t a believer, then was blinded and cared for by some guys he hardly knew, and through that process became a follower of Christ... well, the resemblance to parts of Paul’s story is pretty remarkable. As you listen to the conversation with Captain Koza, pay close attention to not only the similarities with the story of Paul, but also to the themes of fellowship, friendship, and faith through his interactions with Matt Haskins and Kory Defore. I’d like to hear from you—tell me what you think about Captain Koza’s story, or maybe you have a story of your own you’d like share. Send an email to podcast@ocfusa.org.   // What we talked about Capt. Koza talks about his background, growing up in a Catholic family, and why he signed up wi

// Episode 44 show notes What comes to mind when you hear that someone had a “mountaintop experience”? Maybe you think about Moses, who hiked back down the mountainside literally glowing because he had been in the presence of God. Or Peter, James, and John—the inner circle of Jesus—who saw Jesus in His true, divine nature as he was transfigured right in front of them. You might recall that was an event that impacted Peter so deeply that he wanted to camp out and build a few memorials for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. The point is this, we regard mountaintop experiences as those moments when God moves in such a mighty and unexpected way, that, at least figuratively, we come back glowing like Moses or wanting to build a memorial like Peter. And while a mountaintop experience can take place anywhere, for some people, such an event actually takes place on a mountaintop. Take for example my guest today—First Class Cadet Brigit Jogan, a senior at the United States Coast Guard Academy. During her time at Rocky Mountain

Have you ever thought about what it means to be a good steward of your time? Maybe you can recall getting to the end of a day and thinking, “Why did I waste so much time?” Joining me on the show to talk about time stewardship is LTC Gil Jacobs, USA (Ret.). He was also my guest back in episode 18, when we talked about transformational leadership. Today, LTC Jacobs and I will talk about his new book called “Time for Christ.” // Book giveaway LTC Jacobs has given me three copies of “Time For Christ” to give away for free. If you’d like to be entered for a chance to win one of the copies, send an email to podcast@ocfusa.org and mention “Time For Christ book giveaway” in the subject line. Deadline to enter is 30 September. Winners will be selected and notified by 4 October. // What we talked about Here are a few of the questions LTC Jacobs and I discussed: What led you to write the book? What does stewarding your time look like? Why is it important to be good stewards of our time? Talk more about the 7 ways of ti

//About today’s guest Jeff Struecker enlisted in the United States Army as an Infantryman at age 18 and retired as a Chaplain with over 22 years of active federal service. In 2017, he was inducted into the US Army Ranger Hall of Fame. He served for ten years in the 75th Ranger Regiment in positions from Private to Platoon Sergeant. While serving in this unit, Jeff competed in and won the David L. Grange Best Ranger Competition in 1996. He taught ROTC at the University of Louisville and was recognized in 1998 as the US Army ROTC, Noncommissioned Officer of the year. Jeff spent his final ten years in the US Army serving as a chaplain in Airborne and Ranger units. Throughout his career, Jeff has attended numerous professional military schools and has received many awards and commendations. Some of his awards include the Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Master Parachutists Wings, Military Freefall Master Parachutist Wings, several foreign jump wings and the Combat Action Badge. He has bee

My guest today is Michelle Qureshi. Michelle is a graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy, and she served 9 years in the military, leaving the Coast Guard as a Lieutenant. If that last name sounds familiar, then it’s probably because you’re familiar with speaker and author Nabeel Qureshi. He’s Michelle’s late husband who wrote two NY Times bestsellers, “Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus” and “No God But One,” and who died in 2017 after being diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer in 2016. Michelle’s story of military life at the intersection of faith, family, and profession is one that deals with such topics as stress, hardship, and discouragement, but more importantly, it’s a story of how she has experienced what she calls “incredible hope amidst suffering.” What we talked about Where does your story begin? Why she joined the Coast Guard, how she met Nabeel. "Trials have a way of giving you opportunities to grow." Regarding that first assignment aboard the law enforcement cutter in 2008. What was that

November 23, 2014. Does that date ring any bells for you? Unless it happens to be your birthday, or a loved one’s birthday, or an anniversary, or some other impressionable event, then for most of you, November 23, 2014, likely was just another fall day only a few days before Thanksgiving. For my guest this episode— Col Rich Tatem, USAF (Ret.)—that date will forever be etched into his memory as the day his son, Brennan, committed suicide. It’s a date with an emotional connection that he likens to how a person might recall an event like 9/11—a day that, for most of us, is so vivid even nearly 18 years later that if someone were to ask, “Where were you on 9/11?” you’d immediately remember certain details of that day. Details that, on any other day, are nearly forgotten as quickly as they happen because they’re so mundane or so routine. Today, Col Tatem will share Brennan’s tragic story with you, and he’ll also challenge you to do several things—and these things apply whether you’re a junior officer, a flag offic

When it comes to applications, hardware, computers, and other such devices, plug and play technology is awesome. It allows the discovery of a hardware component in a system without the need for physical device configuration. For example, when you plug in that USB headset, or new mouse, keyboard, or similar device, chances are your computer's PNP technology almost instantly recognizes that new device. Let’s apply the PNP process from a biblical perspective: Does wisdom work the same way? When you read through Proverbs, can you just take a single proverb and plug it into a situation and then expect immediate results? That's part of what we're talk about in this episode. And that phrase "plug and play" is one that you'll hear my guest use several times when talking about the application of wisdom. We'll also talk about using Proverbs chapters 1-9 as the interpretive lens for the rest of the book. My guest today is Pastor Keith Peck. He has over 40 years of pastoral ministry experience, and recently retired as pa

In this episode, Crosspoint host Josh Jackson chats with pastor and author Chris Plekenpol, who recounts an incident with a suicide bomber in Iraq and also talks about God's word, God's spirit, God's people... finding God's will. Chris graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1999 and served in the Army for seven years. Upon God’s call in his life to ministry, he attended Dallas Theological Seminary and received his Masters in Theology (ThM.) Chris traveled as an evangelist and missional group trainer with iamsecond.com for two years before becoming the Lead Pastor of Wells Branch Community Church.  Chris is the guest speaker during week 7 of Summer RNR at White Sulphur Springs. If you haven't made summer plans, or if your plans suddenly change, check out the White Sulphur Springs and Spring Canyon websites for availability this summer, or start planning ahead for the fall and winter programs we offer at both conference centers. OUTLINE // Here are some of the topics Chris and Josh t

In this episode, pastor and author Dr. Gary Phillips discusses a topic he has titled “Basic Training for the Family: Biblical Principles for Navigating Cultural Minefields.”   Gary is senior pastor of Signal Mountain Bible Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he and his wife, Betsy, have served since 1985. Gary earned degrees from Vanderbilt University, Dallas Theological Seminary, and Grace Theological Seminary. He’s also the guest speaker at White Sulphur Springs Conference Center during Week 5 of Summer R & R, which runs from July 5-12. If you haven’t made plans for that week, or for the rest of the summer, be sure to check out the White Sulphur Springs website for details about how you can get signed up for Week 5 when Gary is speaking, or get more information on all of our summer sessions.   What we talked about Gary talks about how he has seen the military family change during the roughly 36 years he’s been involved at OCF and as a speaker at WSS. What’s different? What’s still the same? The topi

In this special Memorial Day bonus episode of OCF Crosspoint, we deviate from our typical episode format of sharing stories of military life, and instead, bring you a devotional from "Leader, Draw Near," a weekly devotional written by Col Larry Simpson, USAF (Ret.), and his wife, Bobbie. The Simpsons are also the OCF field staff reps in the Puget Sound area. The book is available on Amazon in ebook format only. If you'd like a soft cover print copy, contact the OCF Home Office at 800-424-1984. To quote from Bailey Suzio on the website, herviewfromhome.com... "Memorial Day is not just about the freedom we’ve been given but about the high, high price it has been bought at. It is a day to stop, survey the beauty, and recognize the cost. So please, this Memorial Day, stop and pass down the legacy of the fallen. I encourage you to come alongside those in grief. Find a way to support Gold Star Families. Tell your children what and why Monday is a day off work. Savor the time you have as a family and do something to

According to the Barna Group, 51% of U.S. churchgoers have never heard the term Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:18-20. Furthermore, only 37% could pick it out from among a group of Bible verses.  So whether you’re in the group who has never heard of the Great Commission, or if you know the Great Commission backwards and forwards—while reading it in Greek—stick with us today as our guest, CH LTC Dan Holcomb, USA (Ret.), talks about how the Great Commission relates to what he calls “Disciplines of a Warrior.” CH Holcomb is also a guest speaker at Spring Canyon Conference Center during Week 4 of Summer Celebration. He began his military career in 1975, retired in 2013, and is now a Professor of Practical Theology at Covenant Bible Seminary in Lakewood, Washington. Summer registration links at both OCF conference centers: Spring Canyon  White Sulphur Springs    What we talked about Here are some questions that CH Holcomb answers this episode: Tell us your story. How did you recognize that it was God calli

Today, we’re talking about spiritual warfare, and our guest is MG Kurt Fuller, USA (Ret.). MG Fuller served 26 years as a paratrooper, 12 years in the Ranger Regiment, and 6 years in combat, including Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Haiti, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He’s also the guest speaker for week 2 of Summer Celebration, which runs from June 15 to June 22, at our Spring Canyon Conference Center. If you’re listening to this episode before June 15, you can get more information and register for Week 2 of Summer Celebration at the Spring Canyon website, or be sure to browse the other summer sessions. Summer registration is also open at White Sulphur Springs Conference Center. Click here for details. If you have never visited an OCF Conference Center, both locations offer discounts for first-time guests, but you’ll need to contact each location for more details. What we talked about More about MG Fuller. Is spiritual warfare real? What is it? Where do we see spiritual warfare mentioned in Scripture? Are a

Have you made summer plans yet? What I’d like for all of you to do is to go online to springcanyon.org and whitesulphursprings.org and check out our lineups for summer programs at both locations. Several weeklong sessions have already filled up, so if you’re still trying to decide what plans to make this summer, I encourage you to go online and check out the variety of programs we offer for everyone—not just families. And when you find something you like…sign up now while there’s stil

In this episode, Chaplain Bill Appleton is going to focus on the life of Nehemiah and the leadership qualities we need to pay attention to today, and he'll also share the story of how he became a Christian.

Today, you’re going to hear from Major Tim and Kimberly Tormey, USMC (Ret.), as they share a story of God’s goodness and kindness to them. Their story centers around part of Tim’s difficult deployment to Iraq in 2014 that ultimately ended in tragedy. It’s a difficult story, but as Major Tormey puts it, quoting from the song “My Story” by Christian band Big Daddy Weave, “To tell of our story is to tell of Him.”

In episode 32, we chat with Commander Brian Haggerty, USN, and he’s going to talk about biblical leadership using the analogy of tools you might find in a toolbox. These tools are based on an article Commander Haggerty wrote for Command magazine a few years ago. In that article, he talked about 9 tools that a Christian officer can reasonably draw upon while serving in uniform, but today, we’re going to focus on Commander Haggerty’s top 3 tools from that toolbox. Commander H

EPISODE 31 SHOW NOTES Major Derrick Brown and Major Will MacKenzie, USA, discuss several topics during their conversation with LTC Colin Wooten, USA.—friendship, being a Christian in the military and killing an enemy combatant, serving in the military as Christians, and what it means to actively live out your faith and integrate your faith in all areas of life. To receive a free copy of LTG Harrison's booklet, "May A Christian Serve in The Military?" contact the Home Office at 800-424-1984 an

EPISODE 30 SHOW NOTES In this episode, we’re going to talk about worldview as we continue our conversation with Dr. Bill Brown, senior fellow of worldview and culture at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. How would you define your worldview? Would you say that you have a biblical worldview? How do you know? And when it comes to integrating a biblical worldview into your military profession, what does that look like? How can you steward everyone that you lead—even those