This episode, we’re out of our usual space and recording from Neighbor Books in McKinney, Texas. We sit down with owner Joey Honesco to talk about place, calling, and the quiet power of presence.

Joey shares his journey of opening a bookstore rooted in community—a “third place” where people connect over books, coffee, and shared rhythms. We reflect on how God uses proximity and intentionality to shape us, drawing from our own stories of friendship, college memories, and the sacred ordinary.

We also dig into the tension of urban life—mobility, isolation, and what it really costs to belong. Through it all, we keep coming back to this: community takes work, but it’s worth it. Especially when we see it as preparation for the kingdom to come.

• (00:00) – Why Place Matters: God’s Intentional Design
• (12:31) – Proximity + Presence: How Real Community Happens
• (15:56) – Life Together: Practicing Connection in a Disconnected World
• (19:51) – Belonging Hurts: The Cost of Community
• (33:32) – The Beauty in the Broken: When Community is Worth It
• (40:47) – Resilience + Shalom: Holding On When It’s Hard

• neighborbookstx.com
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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

What does leadership look like when no one’s watching?

In this episode, we sit down with Alan Hooton — educator, elder, and faithful presence at Citizens Church — to explore leadership shaped not by titles or accolades, but by consistency and character. After 19 years in the same classroom, Alan invites us to see leadership as something slow, relational, and deeply rooted in presence.

We talk about leading in the home and in the church, not through platform, but through service — cultivating space for others to grow and gifts to flourish. Alan reflects on marriage, family, and ministry, reminding us that leadership is less about being in charge and more about being faithful.

As the conversation unfolds, we consider how walking with others through pain and healing mirrors the life of Christ. This episode is a reminder that faithful leadership often looks like simply showing up — again and again — with humility, hope, and open hands.

• (11:29) - Leadership as Character Formation
• (26:55) - Learning and Leading With Love
• (43:50) - The Value of Faithful Leadership
• (49:57) - Modeling Obedient Character Formation

• Playing God: Redeeming Power

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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co

In this episode, we’re joined by Jenna Hernandez from Citizens Church, who shares how her work in college ministry and prison discipleship is all about meeting people right where they are. Whether she’s leading a Bible study with students at UT Dallas or walking with women behind bars, Jenna brings a grounded, relational approach to spiritual formation—one that’s shaped by presence, patience, and hope.

We talk about the unique challenges young adults are facing today—performance pressure, identity confusion, and constant noise—and how the Church can step in not with quick fixes, but with faithful presence. Jenna’s stories remind us that real transformation often begins in the quiet, overlooked places.

• What are college students really up against right now?
• How do we meet students where they are and invite them into something deeper?
• What prison ministry is teaching us about dignity, identity, and hope.

• Jenna's work at UTD is made possible by support from people like you. Please consider supporting her!
• Follow: Citizens College Life

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Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. If you would like to sponsor this show, email sponsor@thegoodpodcast.co