For My King His Kingdom Podcast: Recent Episodes
Dean Thornton
My weekly podcast is a Christian podcast to encourage athletes who deal with mental health issues. I take current issues within the sports world involving mental health and give Biblical encouragement to those athletes.
Don't worry about being left behind in your spiritual walk. God knows your heart and wants us to know that in each one of our spiritual journeys, that its a distance race, and that it will take time to mature your faith.
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God knows us, and He softens our hearts so that we can see our sins, which enables us to repent to Him, so we can live our lives free of regret.
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Jesus wants us as believers to show humility and kindness towards our fellow man just like He did when He washed the disciples feet. It is that type of selflessness and love He wants us to show on a daily basis.
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On today's episode we have 2x Olympic Triple Jump Gold Medalist, 4x World Champion, and 7x Diamond League winner Christian Taylor on on the show. We talk about his faith journey as well as an amazing athletic journey as he prepares for another Olympic run this year.
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It is good to thank God for all of the things He has brought us through in all of our journeys. We have to be able to look back and understand where we have been in order to understand where God is taking is taking us too. Complaining about the blessings He hasn't given us, will keep us from seeing what He potentially has in store for us.
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Being close with God, fills our heart with both joy and peace, and we should take that joy and let people see it, and take the peace to calm our minds and heart.
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It is important that as believers we fill our hearts with The Word of God, to be able to have His love, grace, and mercy so that we can help share that to others who may need to be encouraged. We know how God’s kind words have comforted us in our troubles, so it makes it even more important that we share that.
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Life can drain us both physically and spiritually, leaving us feeling like we have no energy to do another task or be there for a loved one. The Lord wants us to feed off His Word and call on Him daily in order to regain that strength that we need to go about our day and week. Like a battery life will constantly drain us, but with the Lord as our constant energy source we have continued hope.
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It's important as believers that we do not get discouraged in growing in our faith, or even in our physical well being. The Lord sees our hard work being done for Him and He will honor us with blessings in time.
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When those with good judgement receive knowledge, they want to continue to actively seek it to gain wisdom.
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It is important as Christians to develop a strong faith that can endure not just through the good times but also the bad so that you can continue to grow strong, and go the distance.
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It is important that we constantly seek the Lord for His help and guidance, and He will deliver us from our struggles, and renew our spirit.
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God wants us to grow both in wisdom and understanding, so that we can show humility in our actions to others.
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It is important that as believers, that we are not hesitant with asking the Lord for help. Be humble and confident, He is our Heavenly Father, and is waiting to accept us and help us with anything that we may face.
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When you feel the pressure of life’s issues bearing down on you like a defensive back, continue having faith in God protecting you with his offensive line, while also showing you His plan.
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It’s important that as believers that as we start off this new year, we ask God to teach us His laws, His understanding, and direction as we tackle what’s ahead of us. We need His mind and the proper guidance, to be able to turn our hearts towards what He wants and not for our own selfish gain.
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As we start off this new year, we can't let ourselves fixate on the problems we have faced in our lives or in society , and try to fix them ourselves. God has seen us battling in the wilderness, He has seen what we are facing, we have to give up that control to Him. He is our light for us to be able to see in order to get out of that wilderness.
Focus this year on giving up your control and let God shine His light, so that He can give you the proper direction.
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This Christmas, keep in mind the true Christmas Story, of Christ's birth. God provided for His son Jesus and for His mother Mary and Father Joseph, during times of uncertainty and danger during Christ's birth, and all the way up to when He was fully grown and made the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
God is doing the same for all of us as believers, helping us and guiding us as we mature in faith, and battle life's obstacles. Call on Him today, He is ready to listen.
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Jordan graduated from Kennesaw State University where she was a 10x Conference Champion and 4x All-American in NCAA Division I Track and Field.
Jordan competed at the NCAA Championships, USA Championships, the Thorpe Cup in Germany x2, The National Women's Decathlon Championship x2, and the Open De France. She also just earned a Bronze Medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in the Heptathlon.
She is the American Record Holder in the Women's Decathlon, as well as the Women's Decathlon 100m Dash, and Long Jump American Record Holder. She also is the World Record Holder in the Women's Decathlon Long Jump.
Jordan is currently working towards helping get women the opportunity to compete in the Olympics in the Decathlon. Jordan is a Grace Ambassador for Heaven to the Yeah Podcast.
Jordan’s strong faith in Christ has molded her into the woman and competitor that she is today. She strives to use her platform to help spread Gods love as much as she can.
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Understanding that God is with us through our life journeys, through the ups and downs, and the dark times. We can't hide from God, but we also have to know that when we are struggling, we aren't alone, He is ready to guide us and to provide us strength.
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During this holiday season, keep in mind to show Gods love in helping those who may be struggling. We can’t keep Gods love all to ourselves, it’s important that we share it, and show it.
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We conclude celebrating our 100th episode month with our returning guest former Cleveland Indian, my dad, Andre Thornton. We talk about how God wants us to show thankfulness, hold each other accountable in our faith, and how an athlete can move on once it’s time for their athletic career to be done.
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Thanksgiving is a time for thankfulness, and what better way as believers to show our thankful hearts is to give praise back to the Lord for all that He has done for us. Not just in prayer but in songs of praise in communion with others. Look at what God has done in your lives today, and show your thankfulness with songs of worship.
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Welcome listeners, we celebrate our 100th episode month with having Marshall Softball Head Coach Morgan Zerkle on the show with us today.
Morgan is from West Virginia, and went to Marshall University where she earned All-American honors as a shortstop in softball.
She was Conference Player Of The Year, and Conference Regular Season Champion in 2017. She won two silver medals with team USA and was a Pan American Champion. She was drafted to play professionally in 2017. She currently plays in the pro league called Athletes Unlimited, and is the current Head Coach for Marshall.
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Contentment for believers is understanding that God is walking by your side providing for you, and giving you what you need when you need it, and finding peace in that.
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Making big plans like moving, can take a tole on you mentally and physically. That is why it is important to have God at the center of your plans, so that when things get too much, you can listen for His voice to guide you.
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Adversity can hold us back and even lead us away from God, but God is still ready and waiting to accept us back, and to give us help when we ask for it. He strengthens us to overcome that adversity so that we can have our own comeback season.
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Whether you are facing strenuous challenges on or off the field of play, the God can prepare you to face them and give you the strength to come through them. Keep your eyes on Him and not on the struggles.
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When society shows a lack of God's love and grace with each other, know that when you call on God, He will show up for you no matter the situation.
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When God gives us a gift to pursue, He also provides us skills and helps guide us on how we should use and grow that gift.
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Marcus Farris joins on the show today. We talk about his veteran non-profit work with Mission 22, his faith, his time in the military, and sports.
Marcus Farris is an author, counselor, health coach, and Army Reserve officer. He currently works full-time for the veteran non-profit, Mission 22 as the Post Traumatic Growth Director. In his time away from his full-time work, he trains for ultra marathons and CrossFit competitions while working for the 320th PSYOPS Company out of Clackamas, Oregon as a Reserve Officer.
He has his undergraduate degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and holds his Masters of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. He is also a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach.
Through his research, field testing, and writing, he now serves Veterans through healthy living programs and content creation.
He is an author of the book called: No Less Faithful: How the scars of Divorce Reveal the Heart of God. https://www.amazon.com/No-Less-Faithful-Divorce-Reveal-ebook/dp/B08XN3PW5D/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=No+Less+Faithful&qid=1695492314&sr=8-1
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In today's episode we discus the importance of "staying on the path of purity", and living by God's Word. Keeping His scripture on our hearts will keep our minds off of what is happening in the world, and focused on where God is guiding us.
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On the outside our bodies may take hits that may harm us negatively, but on the inside of us, our faith is still keeping us strong to take those hits because God is fighting for us. We have faith in a Heavenly father that is unseen, but He sees us every single day and knows what we are going through and has blessings waiting for us in the end.
God wants us to have a cheerful heart that has hope in Him, a broken spirit can hurt us emotionally and physically. Turn to Him for His help so you can then give out His love.
Everyone deals with hesitation in certain moments at times. We face tough challenges daily, it's important to continue to keep our focus on God so that He can show us that when we push through those indecisive times, He can give us our blessing.
In this weeks episode we take a look at God's covenant with Abraham, and how God chose Abraham to be "the father of many nations," and how the promise should encourage us, with how God gave us a promise in His sacrifice, and resurrection of His son that gives us eternal life. He will continue to show us His love and everlasting grace.
Athletes aren't defined by wins/losses, or by how fans and analysts view them. Athletes are people just like you and me, they are made perfect in God's image just like the rest of us. No matter the outcome of a sporting competition, God's love is ready and waiting to lift us up.
There will be times when God is not happy with our sin, that anger is only temporary, because He is ready to help us get back on the right track and fix those those struggling areas of our life. His everlasting love for us never fails.
My friend Dr. Randy Vince joins us on the show today. We talk about faith, sports, his journey as a doctor and much more. Tune in to this weeks episode.
Dr. Vince recently began a new position at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University as an assistant professor of Urology and the Director of Minority Men’s Health. He was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and as the oldest of four siblings, he developed a passion for athletics. Dr. Vince attended Towson University, where he was a Varsity Letterman in Football. At Towson University, he double majored in MB3 (Molecular biology, Biochemistry, and Bioinformatics) and Chemistry. He later attended Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, where he earned his M.D. and subsequently completed a Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health Systems residency. He developed a passion for Urologic Oncology after his grandmother's passing in medical school. While at the University of Michigan, he earned a master's degree in computational medicine and bioinformatics. He has a keen interest in using precision medicine to combat the concept of racial biology and evaluate the intersectionality of environmental exposures and gene expression on tumor biology.
Dr. Vince actively participates in research and community outreach events to promote health equity and eliminate healthcare disparities. He has a personal philosophy that he applies to his career and life, leadership through service, and he is extremely excited to serve the people of Northeast Ohio and beyond.
When burdoned with dealing with at home projects you need to get done, just remember Gods creation story, and how He made life, and you specifically. On that seventh day He rested and saw all that He created was good. Know that when you complete your project, you will also be happy in knowing you finished and that you also did good.
God does not want us to become weary in doing good and spreading His love to others, but to be encouraged in knowing that giving out that love is the same love that He has showed us in His sacrifice.
God wants us to not be hot headed, but slow to listen and to speak. Stay away from the evil desires of this world, and be humble in The Word.
Johnathan Drayton joins us on the show this week. Johnathan is a Christian philosopher and an aspiring Lawyer. He Triple majored in college in : Philosophy, History, and Political Science. He loves Jesus and enjoys unpacking the Word of God through serveral different lenses. He has his own biblical podcast called 'The truth of the matter is' with his brother and they believe Christians should always be ready in evaluating how we can use the Word of God to maneuver through life. Johnathan believes that we live our lives on levels that arrive in stages, and it happens in seasons. Therefore, we ought to pursue being like our Lord Jesus Christ every day while having a willingness to learn from others and hear what they have to say.
Here is a link to Johnathans podcast: "The Truth Of The Matter Is."
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-of-the-matter-is/id1575310563
Evil is all around us, it is important to be able to call on God during those times where it attacks us, He will comfort us, and will destroy our enemies.
Wisdom is not easy to learn at times but is essential in order to grow in understanding. Fathers take part in raising their kids with wisdom, love , and instruction, which all came from our Heavenly Father. Happy Fathers Day!
Andy Howard joins us on the show today. Andy for 20 years has served in ministry as a youth pastor and marriage ministry pastor. Andy is an advocate for mental health awareness as he has known the heaviness of depression himself.
At his heaviest Andy weighed 345 lbs and his wife Tiffany weighed 317 lbs. Together, they have lost over 350 lbs combined and have co-founded a health coaching business called Taking Back My Life where they have helped thousands of people get healthy as well. Through this journey, Andy has become passionate about fitness and working out. Author of the book called, "When Words Don't Come Easy", and also host of the Words Don't Come Easy podcast on Apple and Audible.
Amazon Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/When-Words-Dont-Come-Easy/dp/B0BD9CM46M/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VNXKXQDU66OQ&keywords=when+words+don%27t+come+easy&qid=1685245449&sprefix=when+words+dont+come+easy%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-1
Understanding that as believers our faith is anchored in Christ and that His sacrifice secures our future with Him.
A mothers love comes from God, and her care for her children and family is God also watching over them.
Carolyn Moos joins the show with us today, and we get to talk about her professional basketball career, mental health, faith, and her career in health and wellness. Carolyn Moos played USA basketball, FIBA/WNBA, B.A. Stanford,M.A. USC Health Communication Management. She's a Certified personal trainer. She believes in healthful lifestyle choices as her consistent rock. She believes adversity is a gift as it gives us strength and wisdom to help others through times of change and transition. Having faith in God’s plan for our lives is essential during times of transition. Her work can be found via www.fitforlivinglife.com , and www.fitforlivinglife.thinkific.com. She provides pre recorded yoga workouts and nutrition content. Her email is c.moos@standfordalumni.org.
Don't let worldy emotions like jealousy and anger keep you and your faith from growing.
Temptation can lead us down many wrong paths, its during these difficult trials that we have to ask God for His guidance to keep us from sin both on and off the field of play.
As we celebrate Christ being raised from the dead today on Easter, find comfort in the Lord always being by your side, even through the difficult times, there is no need for us to fear or doubt.
To help you cope with the business of your schedule, take time and remind yourself that God created everything, and that anything you are going through He will help you with.
Athletes are considered clutch when they are able to perform their best when the moments counts the most. Christ made the ultimate clutch moment by sacrificing His life, so we can live.
When faced with difficult times, don't run from God, put you trust in Him so He can help you get through them.
Trusting the Lord and the people He puts in your life to help provide His vision of the future.
My friend James Cunningham joins us on the show today. James is retired from a 14 year career in financial services with American Income Life. He is a former NCAA champion in track and field and in football at Mount Union University. He also has won titles in bodybuilding. He currently coaches his daughter in track and her schools team. He also is an Author and is about to release his first book called: "You Can Do It". He is also a producer on the upcoming animated motion picture called "Adam and Eve".
As an athlete, don't just fill your body with healthy food, fill your soul with God's spiritual food, His Word.
God has given us the Holy Spirit, and with it, we can live a more loving, disciplined, courages life .
Being a Christian doesn't mean you will live a perfect life, or be free from hate, or criticism. Believing means that the Lord will help guide you, and comfort you throughout your journey.
When we come together to pray, the Lord listens, He sees our strong faith and responds.
As we start a new year, know that tough days and obstacles may come, but the Lord is still here waiting on us, to fully trust Him with faith stronger than gold.
Jazlyn Pipkins joins us on the show today. Jazlyn is the owner of Jazleticz LLC, and a Virtual Peak Performance Mentality Coach of Jazleticz Academy that helps athletes to master Mental health and achieve Peak Performance on and off the court. We talk about helping youth manage sports on and off the court as well as with their faith.
https://www.jazleticz.com/
When you have to battle through something and feel you have limitations, continue to trust in the Lord, he will be your strength when you feel that you have none.
Showing peace during times of conflict with those who want to question or mock ones faith.
Nicky Billou joins the show today, and we talk about faith, the difficulties he faced being born in Iran, to leaving and settling in Canada. We also discuss tips on being a succesful entrepreneur, author, and podcast host.
This Thanksgiving let us stop, and put down those things that may distract us, so that we can focus on being thankful for all that God has given us.
Making sure that you are not just working on your athletic goals but also your spiritual, to help with continued growth as a whole.
When given a platform to reach many, make sure you ask God for both wisdom and guidance in saying the right things, so that they can help those who need it, and not use it to tear down.
My friend Ryanne Haditsch stops by the show with us today. Ryanne is an athlete, Olympic Qualifier, winemaker, and stonemason. She is a former professional skier and ski instructor who has worked with thousands of aspiring skiers including coaching children who grew up to become Olympians. We talk about faith, her athletic career, her personal hardships with a horrible accident, and her journey back to her sport and to good health. (Minor Audio difficulty)
When you are emotionally and physically tapped out, take the time get Gods spiritual nourishment to help build your physical nourishment.
Even though life may have its potholes at times, that may slow us down, God wants us to know that He sees us and the tough times we are facing and will provide help.
Louie Vito is a pro snowboarder on the half-pipe and a 2 time Olympian and 6 x X Games medalist, 4 x Grand Prix World Champion, and 2x Winter Dew Tour Champion. He also is an actor and he has also competed on Dancing with the Stars.
No matter what season of life you may be going through, know that God is there to strengthen your bones when you are weary, and He can satisfy any need that you may have.
When you are given gifts by the Lord, do not take them for granted, and use them to the best of your abiliy so He can bless you.
KellyAnne Judd from The Challenge and The Challenge All-Stars joins the show today, and we talk about a range of topics from faith, health and wellness, and how to foster dogs and how to donate to dog fostering organizations. Below I have links to some of the dog fostering organizations that she supports:
@bubblesdogrescue
@pupculturerescue
@bellavitarescue
@pibblesnchis
@frostedfaces
Finding the next talent you want to pursue, while strengthening your relationship with the Lord.
Nic and I talk about life, friendship, our track careers and his battle with ADSD(Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia. A few of his books he has authored are listed here with the links:
Learn To Love Yourself Again https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Yourself-Again-Step-Step-ebook/dp/https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Yourself-Again-Step-Step-ebook/dp
Communicate Your Feelings(Without Starting A Fight) https://www.amazon.com/Communicate-Feelings-without-starting-fight/dp/B08M1QXZ5P
Levi's Living Water https://www.amazon.com/s?k=nic+saluppo%2C+Levis+living+water&crid=3AJCUS214SWL9&sprefix=nic+saluppo%2C+levis+living+water%2Caps%2C100&ref=nb_sb_noss
Giving all of your concerns and worries to the Lord, and trusting in the Lords protection.
Having faith in God through overwhelming life issues, trusting He will always provide in some form.
Coach Day and I talk about Servant Leadership and personal growth with mental health.
Here is a link to his book on Amazon The Servant: Correcting a Flawed Design https://www.amazon.com/Servant-Correcting-Flawed-System/dp/1678153559
Being able to learn that we need to trust God and His timely plan for our lives and not our own.
Through Gods creation, we can see that no matter what we may deal with in life, there is no problem to big for Him to solve.
Former Cleveland Indians ball player Andre Thornton joins the show today to talk about mental health in sports, and how his faith helped him handle the ups and downs as a professional athlete and in his personal life.