The Millennial Spark Radio: Recent Episodes
Caleb & Jared McCool
“It’s not hard to know what you believe in. Millennials today have such a hunger and, at the same time, such an opportunity to change the world. It’s especially true in our region of eastern Kentucky where poverty is prevalent – not just in reference to finances, but especially in spirituality. This ministry is called the Millennial Spark because we believe us as Christian Millennials have a chance – a spark – to make a difference. Not just temporary service, but rather a legacy. One that our children and grandchildren will remember. One that our heavenly Father will be proud of. One that will fulfill our desire for purpose and meaning...
We all have the beauty and privilege of our own distinctive journey in life. Our own interests, talents, experiences. On and on... It’s through I and my brother’s experience that we want to share a gift with you and the world. Despite whatever society may say, it’s not hard to know what you believe in. All you have to do is look. All you have to do is begin the journey. And we want to help you with such...
Insight, aspiration, and mission. We have the ability to know who we are, to know why we press on, and to know how to transform work into beauty. Our engine in this ministry is to inspire you – not us – to figure these things out. I and my brother wish to point you in a direction. But we ask for your strength, your energy, and your time in order to reach that destination. And you have the capability to do that! We hope you find spiritual freedom from the guidance of the Millennial Spark ministry. Just know this: You are unique. You have potential. And you will find a way to fulfill your God-given mission.
That’s what the Millennial Spark is all about...”
In this episode, we tackle a personal and essential topic—bridging the gap in understanding between me, as a teacher, and my audience. Early on in the Millennial Spark ministry, I noticed a pattern: many of my readers were misunderstanding or misinterpreting my content. This realization was further validated through personal messages from those who sought clarity on my teachings.
As I searched for the cause of this disconnect, I began to see how my own personality played a role. Living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) means that I experience emotions, motives, and intentions in ways that are likely very different from those without BPD. This difference creates a "fracture" between how I intend to communicate and how my audience interprets my words.
In this episode, I share my journey of better understanding my BPD and the impact it has had on the ministry. I discuss the steps I’ve taken to bridge this gap and offer insights on how we can move forward with empathy, clarity, and mutual understanding. The goal is simple: to heal the fracture and strengthen our connection as we continue this ministry together.
Join me as I open up about the challenges, insights, and solutions I've encountered, and how we can all learn to connect more authentically in the midst of our differences.
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Follow Millennial Spark:
📘 Facebook: @MillennialSpark
🐦 Twitter/X: @MillennialSpark
🔗 More Info: Linktr.ee/MillennialSpark
📧 Email: TheFounders@millennialspark.org
🌐 Website: https://millennialspark.org/
📖 Check out my book "The Millennial Spark's Beginnings" on Amazon and support the ministry!
Welcome back to the Millennial Spark podcast, where we dive deep into the heart of faith, authenticity, and our God-given missions. In this episode, host Caleb McCool takes us beyond the surface to explore the core principles that set Millennial Spark apart from other ministries.
Caleb delves into the transformative power of three foundational concepts: First Principle Thinking, becoming our own leader, and valuing our internal experience. These mindsets and emotional drives are the keys to unlocking genuine spiritual growth and becoming the strong spiritual leaders God meant for us to be.
First Principle Thinking challenges us to strip away assumptions and seek the fundamental truths of our challenges, fostering innovation and authenticity in our faith journey. Becoming our own leader means actively seeking and testing beliefs to ensure they align with God's truth, resulting in a personal and grounded faith. Valuing our internal experiences allows us to connect deeply with our faith, guided by self-honesty, self-love, self-identity, self-confidence, and self-control.
Join Caleb as he shares personal insights, including his journey with borderline personality disorder and how it has shaped his understanding of internal experiences. Discover how embracing these principles can empower you to live authentically, stay true to your God-given mission, and ignite your inner spark.
If you find this episode meaningful, please share it with others who might benefit from our message. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Millennial Spark podcast for more insights and inspiration. Keep seeking truth, stay authentic, and let your inner spark shine brightly.
Listen now and embrace the journey towards deeper faith and authentic living.
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Follow Millennial Spark:
📘 Facebook: @MillennialSpark
🐦 Twitter/X: @MillennialSpark
🔗 More Info: Linktr.ee/MillennialSpark
📧 Email: TheFounders@millennialspark.org
🌐 Website: https://millennialspark.org/
📖 Check out my book "The Millennial Spark's Beginnings" on Amazon and support the ministry!
This podcast episode is a special episode. it’s directed towards new people who happened to have stumbled across our ministry. So if you’re new here, then welcome. Welcome to the Millennial Spark ministry. For today’s episode, I want to talk about where me and my brother come from whenever we make content for the ministry. In short, it’s going to center around authenticity. To do this, let’s first tell a story.
There was a man, an evangelical pastor, named Paul David Tripp, who was considered hard-working, productive, and successful. Paul would serve as an event speaker throughout the country. He was very influential, and made an impact wherever he went. But eventually, he started to experience trouble with his health. It wasn’t much. Only minor health symptoms. But Paul made an appointment with his doctor anyway, to see what the issue was.
When he went to see his doctor at the appointed date, his condition worsened in an instant. He began having severe, painful full-body muscle spasms. He was admitted into the hospital, and continued to have these painful spasms for the next 36 hours. Paul would learn later that the cause of this episode was the fact that he was experiencing acute kidney failure. So he went into emergency surgery and, as a result, was unable to return to work. In fact, his sickness had forced him to cancel many of his public speaking engagements. It was a major blow to his finances. But worst of all, it was a major blow into how he saw himself. How he defined himself. And it would only get worse from there. He had a second surgery. Paul elaborated on the life-changing event by writing a book called “Suffering.” And in this book, he expressed himself and how he viewed this second needed surgery. I want to get this wording right, so let me give you a quote from his book. He said this before his second surgery began:
“I knew I would be knocked back physically and have to start the recovery process all over again. I knew that my life and ministry would be put on hold again. And I knew that I had no power whatsoever to keep all that from happening.” After saying that, Paul then went on to say this: “I didn’t recognize the person I had become and couldn’t relate to the level of inability I felt.”
He finished the chapter by saying one last quote. He said this:
“So this book will place the gorgeous, honest, and hopeful theology of suffering, which is a core theme of the redemptive story, into the context of an actual sufferer’s story. Beautiful truths will be presented and understood in connection with real human pain and struggle. Remember that the theology of suffering in Scripture is never, ever an end in itself but is designed as a means to the end of real comfort, real direction, real protection, real conviction, and real hope.”
With all that said, I wish to conclude this podcast episode with two different talking points. The first point I wish to mention is a mental health disorder called Borderline personality disorder, or also referenced as BPD. Borderline personality disorder has multiple signs and symptoms. It’s known as a rather distressed condition, which is evident in the symptoms themself. These symptoms include a chronic feeling of emptiness. Self-harm. Suicidal ideation. Impulsivity. Affective instability. These symptoms can lead to further troubles for BPD patients. Unstable relationships. Fear of rejection. Lack of self-identity. Intense dissociative episodes, or also called moments of brain fog. In the end, it still has a similar characteristic of Paul Tripp’s trouble with kidney failure. It’s something that’s uncontrollable. It’s something that is heartfelt. It’s something that’s real.
The second point I wish to mention is the motives behind creating content. The sole purpose of a written article, recorded video, or any created content is to project a valuable idea to the audience. The one and only purpose is to serve the audience with the transformation and growth that they desire. To make things clear, the basis of this one podcast episode is to show you where me and my brother come from whenever we create content here at the Millennial Spark - a place of authenticity. In 2019, I was diagnosed with BPD - which has encouraged me to be rather transparent when making content. So all podcast episodes, recorded videos, and written articles that I or my brother post here at the Millennial Spark all tie in with our one, major value - transparency. The idea of authenticity, The idea of empowerment to become our own thought leader. We appreciate any trust you have in us. But more importantly, we ask that you learn to trust yourself. To wrap everything up, the purpose of this podcast episode is this: Any written articles, podcast episodes, or recorded videos here in the ministry are sincere and from the heart. It’s here to serve you and for your sole benefit to grow as a person.
So with all that said, thank you for joining me in this podcast episode. Make sure to send me a message on our Facebook page. Let me know what you thought about this episode. And let me know how I can improve my content in this ministry. For those who don’t know, my name is Caleb McCool, and I’m an ordained preacher. I’m joined with my brother named Jared McCool, who is a religious scholar from the University of Pikeville. And our mission here in this ministry is to go out to Christian Millennials and teach them to be a spiritual leader within their community. Thank you for listening to this episode, and I look forward to talking with you again.
God bless.
Follow the Millennial Spark!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MillennialSpark
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MillennialSpark
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MillennialSpark
WhatsApp: +1 (727) 697-727
Email Us! : TheFounders@MillennialSpark.org
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Follow the Millennial Spark!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MillennialSpark
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MillennialSpark
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MillennialSpark
WhatsApp: +1 (727) 697-727
Email Us! : TheFounders@MillennialSpark.org
Whether it be a different church denomination across the street or a version of the bible that we've never read, it's vital to know how to react with different theological beliefs. How can we know who to trust? How can we determine if we're sitting among God's people, or among so-called "wolves in sheep's clothing?" Does God want us to trust those who holds a different theological belief? Or perhaps it's best to push them away - for the safety of our own faith. It's an interesting discussion that we tackle in today's podcast.