The Signpost Inn Podcast

The Dream That Died and the God Who Didn't Stop It

"By any human measure, Jesus' life was an abject failure." If he ever dreamed of a successful career in ministry, or of being hailed as king. That dream died. 
What about you? Which of your dreams have died?
Brandon, Liv, and Matt explore a hard but hopeful truth: God is in the habit of making good things come out of death. This episode digs into Brandon's article of the same name, wrestling with what it means when God doesn't stop the death of our dreams.
We talk about the importance of grieving, how to sit with people in their pain without trying to fix it, and why the pattern of Jesus' life, from failure to cross to resurrection, is the pattern for ours too.
If your life feels like a failure, if you're stuck in a season that doesn't make sense, this one's for you. God's not done yet.
Links:
Read the article: "The Dream That Died and the God Who Didn't Stop It" https://www.signpostinn.org/blog/the-dream-that-died-and-the-god-who-didnt-stop-it 
Free Webinar — Reading the Gospels with Your Imagination (March 21st): https://www.signpostinn.org/events 
Brandon's Book — Changing the Conversation: Learning to Dance Instead of Fight: https://amzn.to/3PfFLkd 
Donate to Signpost Inn: https://www.signpostinn.org/donate
Connect with us: Email us at podcast@signpostinn.org
Facebook www.facebook.com/SignpostInn
Instagram www.instagram.com/signpostinn
Check out our website www.signpostinn.org for more resources!
Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com

Is the God of the Old Testament a Monster? (With OT scholar Adam Hensley)

"The God of the Old Testament is a monster." If your teen or adult child has said something like this, you know how it feels. And if you're honest, part of you might wonder the same thing.
Today Brandon sits down with Old Testament scholar Adam Hensley to tackle the hardest questions head-on. How can the God who commands "utterly destroy" be the same God who says "love your enemies"? What do we do with passages like the Canaanite conquest or Jephthah's daughter? Is the OT really about law and judgment while Jesus is about love and grace?
This isn't about winning an argument with your kid. It's about understanding what they're wrestling with, and finding real answers you can hold onto yourself.
Honest. Compassionate. Hopeful. Your child's hard questions might be an invitation for both of you.
Links:
Called to be God’s People by Andrew Steinmann
Join us for an event: https://www.signpostinn.org/events
Donate to Signpost Inn: https://www.signpostinn.org/donate
———————
Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/SignpostInn and Instagram www.instagram.com/signpostinn/. Check out our website www.signpostinn.org for more resources!
Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com

Why Disagreement Feels Like the End of the World (And What Actually Anchors You)

Why do disagreements with my kids, or anyone I love, feel like the end of the world?       
When my kid comes at me with 'Dad, you CAN'T believe that!' It feels like everything is on the line. Like if we can't agree, we're done. Have you felt that way recently?
Brandon and Liv explore the concept of a "relational home"—that safe emotional space where we can hold pain without being destroyed by it. The problem? We often make our kids that home. Their approval becomes our anchor. And when they challenge our faith, our politics, our identity, it feels like an existential threat.
The solution isn't better arguments. It's a better anchor. Drawing from 2 Timothy 1:12, Liv shares how when God is your relational home, you can hold space for conflict without it threatening your existence. You're free to stay in the room, stay curious, stay loving—because your security isn't on the line.
Links:
FREE Download — The Surrendering Prayer: https://u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZm9vd5ZymrayTkfJ5JbEWqkm6KI4bwa41zV
Spiritual Direction with Brandon: https://www.signpostinn.org/spiritual-direction
FREE Webinar — Heal & Deepen Your Relationship with Your Kids: https://www.signpostinn.org/webinar
In Prayer by CPH https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.cph.indevotion.android
Free Lectionary readings (Complementary) https://www.biblegateway.com/reading-plans/revised-common-lectionary-complementary/next?version=CSB 
Readers bible
10 minute consultation calls
Join us for an event: https://www.signpostinn.org/events
Donate to Signpost Inn: https://www.signpostinn.org/donate
Connect with us: Email us at podcast@signpostinn.org
Facebook www.facebook.com/SignpostInn
Instagram www.instagram.com/signpostinn
Check out our website www.signpostinn.org for more resources!
Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com

When Your Kids Become Your Measure: How to Stop Seeking Their Approval

Here's an uncomfortable reality: we parents can easily idolize our kids.
When your teen or adult child is distant, critical, or just doesn't seem to like you, it cuts deep. You want their approval, their friendship, their gratitude. That's not wrong—it comes from love! But what happens when their opinion of you becomes the measure of your worth?
Brandon, Liv, and Matt explore the common trap of needing our kids' validation—and why it always backfires. When your child's approval becomes the sun in your identity solar system, you become grasping, controlling, or bitter. The very thing you're doing to win their love pushes them away.
The solution isn't trying harder. It's letting God be your source of validation so you're finally free to love your kids without needing anything back. That's when you can give them what they actually need: compassion, patience, and a parent who isn't desperate.
Practical. Honest. Hopeful.
Links:
How to Read the Gospels with Your Imagination Workshop: https://www.signpostinn.org/events/gospel-imagination-mar-21
Free Webinar — Heal & Deepen Your Relationship with Your Kids: https://www.signpostinn.org/webinar
Brandon's Book — Changing the Conversation: Learning to Dance Instead of Fight: https://www.signpostinn.org/book
Join us for an event: https://www.signpostinn.org/events
Donate to Signpost Inn: https://www.signpostinn.org/donate
Connect with us:
Facebook www.facebook.com/SignpostInn
Instagram www.instagram.com/signpostinn
Check out our website www.signpostinn.org for more resources!
Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com

Help! My kid doesn’t want to go to church! (And the problem might be me!)

Your kid doesn't want to go to church. Before you panic or strategize, take a breath. This episode isn't about fixing your kid. It's about looking in the mirror first.
Brandon, Liv, and Matt explore why kids resist church (some reasons are healthy, some are legitimate critiques, some are heart resistance) and then ask the harder question: What implicit theology are you modeling at home? Your kids notice the gap between what you say about God and what you show them.
The good news? You can become what your teen actually needs: a "safe haven" where doubts are welcomed and a "secure base" that encourages exploration and offers forgiveness when they stumble. That's how God relates to you. And it's what you can offer your kids.
Practical. Honest. Hopeful. It's not too late.
Links:
Join us for for an event: https://www.signpostinn.org/events
Donate to Signpost Inn: https://www.signpostinn.org/donate
 
———————
Follow us o nFacebook www.facebook.com/SignpostInn and Instagram www.instagram.com/signpostinn/. Check out our website www.signpostinn.org for more resources!
Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com

Your Kids Aren't Your Report Card (The freedom of releasing outcomes to God)

Have you ever stood in your kitchen, listening to your kids scream at each other, and thought: "A good parent wouldn't have kids like this. Did I screw them up?"
How about the holidays with family? Was it like a Hallmark movie, or were there disagreements and fights? Did you feel a little helpless and wonder if you failed your family?
Today we're going to talk about this feeling, because if you've ever asked it, you're not alone. Somewhere along the way, most of us started believing a lie: our kids are our report card. If they turn out well, we pass. If they struggle, fight, or walk away, we failed.
Links:
Not Home Yet: Audio book link
Changing the Conversation Book link
Join us for for an event: https://www.signpostinn.org/events
Review the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-signpost-inn-podcast/id1583479686    
Donate to Signpost Inn: https://www.signpostinn.org/donate
 
———————
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Check out our website for more resources!
Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com

Is pain more real than joy? (Attending to the God who is already home)

Why does pain feel like "reality" and joy feel like a vacation? 
It is December 26th. The wrapping paper is in the trash, and for many of us, that "magical" feeling—if it was there at all—is starting to fade into the gray reality of winter. When the Christmas lights come down and we discard the tree we often feel like we are "homeless" in a broken world again. 
Join Matt and Brandon as they discuss how sorrow sometimes feels more real than joy. The boys think we have it backwards. They think the incarnation means that God has made this world his home, and that his presence is actually the most real thing of all!
Join us for a workshop on trusting God, or for one of our 4 week intensives here: https://www.signpostinn.org/events
Links/References
That Thing Liv Wrote - Liv’s Substack (https://livbooth.substack.com/)
Take our audience survey! (https://myformflow.io/signpost-inn-ministries/survey)
Matt’s recommended song: God With Us by We Are Messengers.(https://open.spotify.com/track/4iaksnylPofkl5A1MpEsnS?si=g8ODsV1xRi27KmapweP6tg)
The Mystery of Christ & Why We Don’t Get It by Robert Farrar Capon (https://amzn.to/3NchwCi)
Review the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-signpost-inn-podcast/id1583479686    
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Check out our website for more resources!
Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com

Is your pain actually a prayer? (Finding God in our Deep Longings)

We tend to believe that trials and times of fear or grief, mean we've done something wrong. We feel that if we just prayed more, were more faithful with our spiritual disciplines, etc, we would feel fine, even through the worst!
But Scripture offers a different picture. Feeling our grief, fear, and pain, while lifting it all to God is prayer. Feeling bad is NOT a sign that I am bad. It’s an honest experience and expressing it to God is a powerful and intimate connection with God. 
And more than that, our deep longings point to a deeper, more real reality that is waiting for us in the resurrection!
Join us for a workshop on trusting God, or for one of our 4 week intensives here: https://www.signpostinn.org/events
Links/References
Mockingbird Ministries - https://mbird.com/
Brandon’s Advent Music Playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2RjWQlIIUrXi0vcCTwfzZp?si=Qn_ENutRTjqEE84cODKxBg
That Thing Liv Wrote - Liv’s Substack - https://livbooth.substack.com/
Review the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-signpost-inn-podcast/id1583479686    
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Check out our website (http://www.signpostinn.org) for more resources!
Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com

National Pie for Breakfast Day (Finding God's delight in your leftovers)

🥳 Donate to our matching fund drive! https://www.signpostinn.org/donate
Happy "National Pie for Breakfast Day." Or as most people call it... the day after Thanksgiving!
How is your soul doing this morning?
Maybe you woke up a little cringe? Maybe you’re wondering "Why did I bring that up?" "Why was I so awkward?" 
Psychologist Brené Brown calls this a "Vulnerability Hangover." That regret we feel after we’ve been seen, or after we’ve tried to connect with family and it felt messy. 
We often mistake this emotional exhaustion for spiritual failure. We think because we feel bad today, we must be bad!
Today the Signpost Inn gang is is going to help you with that hangover with a little theology… and a slice of pie.
📌Join us for a workshop on trusting God, or for one of our 4 week intensives here: https://www.signpostinn.org/events
Links/References
Download the Navigating Emotions Toolbox: https://www.signpostinn.org/emotions-toolbox
Check out SmartHerNews: https://smarthernews.com
See Liv’s Picture on our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/signpostinnpodcast
Please give us a 5 star review!: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-signpost-inn-podcast/id1583479686    
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Check out our website for more resources!
Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com

The Podcast That Never Was (And the 5-Year Story We Had to Tell)

A technical glitch becomes a beautiful opportunity. This week, Brandon and Liv pull back the curtain and invite you to the back porch for a special, from-the-heart conversation. In celebration of Signpost Inn's 5th birthday, they share the real story of the ministry's journey: the unexpected joys, the raw and honest struggles, and the passionate vision that fuels it all. 
It's also a chance to partner with us. Through December 31, 2025, every gift to our ministry will be doubled thanks to a generous $12,500 matching grant. Your support helps us raise the $25,000 we need to continue providing resources like this podcast, workshops, and spiritual direction.
Listen in for the full story, and find out how you can pray for us, give to the matching fund, and share the message of grace.
Give today: www.signpostinn.org/donate 
Links/References
Buy Brandon’s book: Changing the Conversation: How to Dance Instead of Fight in Everyday Conversation.
Get Brandon and Liv’s book as an audio book!
Get email summaries for the show on PodSnacks! (https://www.podsnacks.org/show?id=37a58158cbc54f779d5d2bad01306947)
Review the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-signpost-inn-podcast/id1583479686    
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Check out our website for more resources!
Thanks to Rex Daugherty for creating the original theme music for this podcast. He's an award-winning artist and you can check out more of his work at rex-daugherty.com