Meant for Good | Donna Snow

03/04/23 • 19 min

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, host Elizabeth Pittman welcomes Donna Snow back as a guest to discuss her newest book, Meant for Good: A Study of Joseph, and the magnificent story of Joseph as he faithfully waited for God’s plans to come together.

Find out more about Donna’s new Bible study by visiting books.cph.org/meant-for-good.
Show Notes:
Joseph’s life and its portrayal in Genesis is an epic journey through Scripture. In this episode, Donna talks about what listeners and readers can expect to learn from her upcoming Bible study that focuses on the life of Joseph – a phenomenal character laid out in Scripture. Donna also shares her love of pulling history and culture together to help a Bible story make sense in today’s world. Listen to the full episode to hear Donna’s reflections on what she found fascinating in Joseph’s story, how she describes “spiritual dehydration”, and more.
Questions Covered

· What can readers of your previous studies expect from your newest study?

· Your latest study is set in ancient Egypt. Your introduction does a great job setting the reader up with historical and Biblical context for both Joseph and Egypt. Ancient Egypt in Joseph’s time sounds fascinating – what were some of the most interesting tidbits about ancient Egypt or Joseph’s life that you uncovered as you prepared to write this study?

· You wrote in your introduction about Joseph being one of the most Christlike figures in Scripture. Can you elaborate on this point?

· Joseph found himself in a dark spot when he was sent to Egypt. Even when we’re in the midst of dark circumstances, there can be benefits. What are some of the benefits these situations can teach us? How did that play out for Joseph?

· You write about experiencing spiritual dehydration (in the context of experiencing seasons of famine that Joseph’s dreams foretold). Can you define what you mean by this? You share concrete warning signs of spiritual hydration – course talk, fatigue, anger, the presence of sin, and poor decision-making; are there any other warning signs to watch out for? And what guidance can you share for those who are experiencing spiritual dehydration?

· What are some lessons about forgiveness we can take away from Joseph’s story?

· How do we know if we’re actually forgiven someone? You share four litmus tests for this in (Week 4, Day 2) that are very helpful. Can you talk about these tests a little more? (As a recap, those 4 tests are: general thoughts test, failure test, revenge test, and opportunity to help test.)
About the Guest

A soul-stirring, engaging speaker, author, Bible teacher, and worship leader, Donna Pyle has a passion for studying and teaching God’s Word. Her clear, down-to-earth style encourages women of all ages to wholeheartedly love, serve, and live for Jesus Christ. Since launching Artesian Ministries in 2007, Donna has scratched out over 20 Bible studies and enjoys the incredible privilege of traveling throughout the U.S. and internationally to speak and teach where the Lord opens doors. Donna writes regularly on her blog, Hydrated Living, as she seeks to find beauty in the quiet and sacred in the chaos, treasuring that this path is a holy experience planned by God before the beginning of time. A native, life-long Texan, Donna fuels her incredible journey with the Word, coffee, chocolate, family, friends and worship.

· What can readers of your previous studies expect from your newest study?

· You wrote in your introduction about Joseph being one of the most Christlike figures in Scripture. Can you elaborate on this point?

· What are some lessons about forgiveness we can take away from Joseph’s story?

Previous Episode

The Art of Nonprofit Governance | Dr. Kurt Senske

Dr. Kurt Senske joins host Elizabeth Pittman in this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast to talk about his newest book, The CEO and the Board: The Art of Nonprofit Governance as a Competitive Advantage. Dr. Senske discusses the key points made in his book regarding the relationships between CEOs and boards and how strong governance models are made.

Get a copy of his new book on cph.org.
Show Notes:
The world is increasingly uncertain, complex, and competitive. The governance model that many boards and CEOs are currently using may not be best suited for their future.

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Senske reveals how the time has come for leadership teams to collectively work together to implement an evolving, adaptive model of governance that is tailored to the current situation of their unique organization. Laid out in his book, Dr. Senske gives listeners a preview of how he goes through different facets of how nonprofits can make effective changes to craft an intentional relationship between the board and the CEO for organizational success. He also discusses the inspiration for the book, how he came to write it, and his experience on 11 different boards of directors through the years.
Questions Covered

What has it been like have a new book launched during your retirement?

What are some of the most common questions you are getting about your book?

What would you say to a consultant who tells an organization that there is one governance model that they should be using?

When it comes to choosing the right model, what are the roles and responsibility of every board and CEO, regardless of the model that they're going to use?

You talk about appropriately diverse boards for your situation. What do you mean by that?

You mentioned three non-negotiables for every board member. Tell us about those.

Tell us more about emotional intelligence and what it is when it comes to boards.

Tell us some of the hallmarks of both positive and negative leadership.

How can an organization cultivate that servant leadership?

Why is it so important that we not only name the elephant in the room, but we deal with it?

What does a healthy CEO board relationship look like?

What is the competitive advantage that organizations will gain as they master this art of governance?

What do we have as a unique advantage in this as Christian organizations?

How can you see your book being useful to pastors and church leaders?

About the Guest
Dr. Kurt Senske spent twenty-three years as CEO of Upbring, where he more than quadrupled the size of the agency and steered the once-troubled agency back to financial strength. Dr. Senske is the founder and now principal of CEO-Board Services, a consulting firm that specializes in working with mission-oriented organizational leaders and boards around issues of governance, strategy, organizational structure, succession planning, coaching, and mergers and acquisitions.

Next Episode

The Overlooked Gift of Church | Christa Petzold

In this episode of The Concordia Publishing House Podcast, author Christa Petzold joins Elizabeth Pittman to discuss her book coming out this May, Gathered by Christ: The Overlooked Gift of Church. During their discussion, Christa helps listeners see the church through the eyes of Christ.
Find out more about Christa’s upcoming book by visiting books.cph.org/gathered-by-christ.
Show Notes:
Through our fallen world of sin, humans—including those within the Church—can hurt others and push people out the door rather than inviting them in. Christa Petzold empathizes and understands how Christians in the Church have hurt others, but she brings light and emphasis to the ways that Jesus sees the Church as His community of believers, founded securely on Him and His Word.

During the episode Christa dives into why many have felt rejected by the modern Church and why it’s important to remember who created the Church – God Himself. Listen to this episode to hear Christa explain why the Church is a blessing, what regular church attendance looks like, how Jesus sees the Church, and more.
Questions Covered

· What are the benefits of studying the history of those who came before us in the faith?

·You remind us that the church is created by God and not by man. How can remembering this inform the way we view and participate in our own congregations?

·Why is the Church referred to as she/female? What’s with the Church/bride analogy?

· What role does the pastor fill in the life of the Church?

· What are some ways that we can honor the office of pastor and support our pastors in our churches? What do you think are some of the challenges pastors and their families face in ministry?

· Lex orandi, lex credenda. Why do our practices in our local congregation matter so much?

· For those who don’t know, can you define what church hopping is and why it’s not a good approach to church attendance?

· Your book explains why the Church is both necessary and a blessing in the lives of Christians. Do you have suggestions about how we can lovingly and kindly broach the necessity of Church with people in our lives who have fallen away from attending the Church?

· Speaking of Church attendance, a recent study from Lifeway Research found that most Protestant pastors and churchgoers define regular church attendance as twice a month or more - wondering what your thoughts are on this. (Article about the survey: https://research.lifeway.com/2023/02/21/most-pastors-churchgoers-see-more-than-monthly-attendance-as-standard/?ecid=PDM265108&bid=1771054513)

· In a nutshell, how does Jesus see the Church?

· What is your favorite part of Church and why?

About the Guest
Christa Petzold is a pastor’s wife and stay-at-home mother of four. She holds a master’s degree in theology from Concordia University Irvine and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and Lutheran secondary education from Concordia University Wisconsin. She lives with her family in Bartlett, Illinois, and spends her time homeschooling, teaching theology, writing, reading, and studying Church history. She and her husband, Jonathan, are the authors of Male and Female: Embracing Your Role in God’s Design.