Living Influence with Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd

Do you feel that you deserve love? Do you struggle to accept love from others?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore the process of spiritual maturing, defining it as the shift from doing more for God to trusting what God says is already true about our identity in Christ. They discuss how shame-based beliefs distort identity and influence behavior, especially in emotional triggers. Bill invites us to be loved, regardless of how we feel. Receiving love from God and from others can result in true transformation.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode:(00:33) The theme of spiritual maturity and how it involves believing who we are in Christ.(03:43) Shame creates false self-messages that people often learn to trust as reality.(08:35) Challenging performance-based thinking by suggesting maturity is about trusting truth instead of doing more.(14:58) Realizing a huge problem can be not knowing how to be loved.(16:49) Bill highlights how experiencing love in relationships is essential for growth and transformation.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

What expectations have you had to live up to? Has it helped you grow and mature, or has it actually hindered you?In this episode, Bill and Scott discuss how living up to others’ expectations, especially in leadership, parenting, and relationships, can actually hinder genuine growth. They talk about how people tend to perform in order to meet expectations, rather than develop true transformation rooted in trust. Instead of growing in maturity, expectations often produce performance-based behavior that masks deeper issues and prevents us from learning how to trust truth for ourselves. Real maturity comes through trust, not effort or compliance. When we can learn to trust truth rather than conform to expectations, we have the amazing opportunity to experience authentic transformation, rather than surface-level behavior change!Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:32) True maturity is rooted in trust rather than personal effort or striving.(02:21) Allowing others to live by your expectations can hinder their development.(05:14) Leaders can unintentionally create performance-based followings instead of mature individuals.(08:05) Contrasting competency-based leadership with human-centered leadership.(12:05) A story about leaders resisting mutual expectations, revealing deeper leadership issues.(17:54) How unmet expectations serve as a deep source of emotional pain.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

What would change if you acted on what you already know?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore the critical difference between simply knowing truth and trusting it, emphasizing that real maturity comes through experience, not information. They challenge us to shift from trying to change ourselves on our own power, to learning to trust truth in everyday life. They also highlight how love and trust create powerful environments for growth, both personally and in leadership. Transformation happens when truth is experienced through action, not merely understood intellectually.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode:(00:38) Maturing is a process that should not push people beyond their pace of growth.(01:12) Teaching without experience leads to knowledge without true maturity.(04:07) Transformation comes through experiencing truth, not just knowing it.(09:14) How traditional systems of theology often fail to help individuals truly mature.(12:30) Loving others is the primary way to practice righteousness.(14:47) Leadership lesson question… the answer - lasting success is built on loving people.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How would your life change if you were trusted and loved in spite of your behavior?In this episode, Scott and Bill discuss the detrimental effects of behavior-based accountability groups, which often act as shame incubators, rather than places of healing and growth. They explain how true Christ-like maturity stems from being fully known and loved in a safe community where judgment is replaced by grace. They challenge each of us to rethink Church and community as a safe place where we can be fully known, in spite of what is true about us. A place without fear of judgment. A place where we don’t have to fear losing fellowship.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode:(00:53) Heart for a grace-based theology that focuses on love and trust, rather than legalism.(01:50) A listener’s letter describing a behavior-focused accountability group that became a “shame incubator.”(04:42) Accountability is helpful for business and tasks, but harmful when applied to relationships.(05:40) Trust, not failures, is what creates true safety between people.(08:33) A safe place values the person over their behavior, and removes the need to hide.(12:54) A vision for Churches to become places of love and trust, regardless of what is known about a person.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Imagine you could stop working on your life, and step into a life that was already yours. We’re talking about how to rebuild your faith if your faith has been rocked. What do you think of this statement?In this episode, Scott, Bill, and Waldemar explore how to rebuild faith when it has been shaken by life’s challenges. They discuss the concept of rebuilding faith by shifting from a performance-based lifestyle to stepping into the life and identity God has already provided. They also talk about the dangers of "sin management theology,” which traps us in a cycle of shame and self-effort. Remember that circumstances don’t define you… God does. Let Him transform your person.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode:(01:50) The question of how to rebuild faith when life circumstances shake belief.(02:21) The concept of “imagine” is introduced as a parallel to faith—believing in what is not yet seen.(03:07) The “upside-down mountain” in the Living Influence logo emphasizes trust over accumulating principles.(05:43) The difference between trusting God for forgiveness versus trusting Him with one’s identity.(10:48) Feelings of inadequacy, shame, and worth are connected to environments that reinforce performance-based identity.(14:10) Adding personal responsibility to spiritual growth undermines grace.(18:11) The power of authentic storytelling in building trust and creating environments of grace.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, Waldemar Kohl, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Can you imagine finding a community where it is actually safe for you to be fully known?In this episode, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar explore the struggles young adults face as they wrestle with shame, confusion, and questions about identity. They explain why behavior-focused thinking often leaves people trapped in hiding and why discovering the true significance of one’s person brings freedom. They emphasize embracing a message of grace and the life-changing power of safe relationships where young adults can be fully known and guided toward hope and a real identity in Jesus.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode:(01:28) Young adults feel overwhelmed by shame, confusion, and uncertainty about how life and belief actually work.(04:36) The story of a young man who asked, “What do I do now?” after becoming a believer, which changed how Bill viewed responsibility for guiding others.(06:40) The goal is not to fix young adults but to come alongside them and honor the significance of their person and who God says they are.(10:55) The tension many young adults feel between their sense of failure and the possibility of a completely new way of living.(19:14) Today’s young adults are highly sensitive to what is fake and are searching for something real and authentic.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, Waldemar Kohl, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Why is experiencing a crisis before adulthood actually beneficial for children?In this episode, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar explore the importance of grace-based parenting by challenging the idealization of the "perfect" Christian family and, instead, encouraging parents to be real with their children. They discuss how children need parents who respond to mistakes with wisdom and compassion, rather than shock or shame. The conversation emphasizes building trust and openness so children can process crises and strengthen a child's character, preparing them for the realities of adulthood.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode:(01:37) Raising five young children and feeling pressure to do everything “the right way.”(05:38) How children quickly learn to hide when parents react with shock or condemnation toward their mistakes.(07:39) Why it can be helpful for children to experience major crises while still living at home so they can learn how to process them.(10:56) How sharing openly about his own life helped his children begin to trust him more.(14:26) The transition from rules to guidelines as children grow, including research suggesting age nine is a key turning point in development.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, Waldemar Kohl, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Are your children experiencing your love, or simply responding to your authority?In this episode of Living Influence, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar unpack the powerful role trust plays in parenting. They challenge parents to move beyond authority-driven compliance and instead cultivate authentic relationships rooted in vulnerability and love. By risking being authentically known - struggles and all - parents can create an environment where children experience love and genuine transformation, rather than outward conformity.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode:(02:40) Questions Parents Often Wrestle With, Including Struggles With Authenticity And Fear Of Being Exposed.(06:15) The Greatest Gift A Parent Can Give A Child Is To Become Someone They Can Trust.(07:50) Warning to Parents Against Using Authority Alone To Control Behavior Rather Than Building Relational Trust.(11:22) Your Children Need To Know Your Struggles and Why.(13:46) A Personal Story About Waldemar’s Children Struggling With The Idealized Image They Had Of Him.(16:34) How Idealizing The Christian Life Creates Compliance Without Heart Transformation.(18:07) Compliance vs True Submission, And A Warning That Compliant Children Often Walk Away Later In Life.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, Waldemar Kohl, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Who is Jesus, and can you really trust Him with who you are?In this episode, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar explore why believers often find themselves in crisis, and why the church and striving to lead “the Christian life” frequently fail to provide the necessary relief. They challenge us to shift our focus from religious performance to the person of Jesus. They also invite us to consider that healing often begins with trust and vulnerability, as well as being loved by Jesus and others. Bill, Scott, and Waldemar highlight the freeing power of vulnerability, trusted relationships, and allowing love to reach the places shame has kept hidden.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode:(02:19) The Real Question Many Christians Are Asking Is Why Christianity Isn’t Working For Them.(04:50) The Difference Between Striving To Live The Christian Life And Resting In The Reality That Believers Are Already Made Righteous.(07:31) The First Critical Step In Crisis: Admitting That You Are Actually Hurting And Need Help.(09:24) Shame Keeps People From Being Known - Bringing Darkness Into The Light Breaks Its Power.(10:50) The Connection Between Trust And Love Is Explored, Emphasizing That The Degree Of Trust Determines The Degree To Which Love Can Be Experienced.(17:34) Honestly Asking Whether Jesus Has Been Blamed For The Crisis and The Freedom That Comes From Realizing Faith Is About Who Is Being TrustedThis episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, Waldemar Kohl, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How would your life change if you truly believed that God is delighted in you right now?In this episode of Living Influence, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar address the quiet frustration of the exhausted believer who wonders why faith doesn’t seem to “work.” They discuss why many feel their faith is failing when they rely on personal effort over the finished work of Jesus. The hosts explain that true rest and joy come from shifting focus from "becoming" to simply living out of one’s established identity in Christ. By embracing humility and being authentic with God and others, believers can finally step into a life defined by grace and mutual love.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode:(02:14) Challenging the phrase “my faith is not working” and questions whether faith has subtly become effort rather than trust.(04:21) Exploring how turning spiritual growth into self-effort leads directly to exhaustion.(06:28) The difference between striving to become godly and expressing who you already are.(09:39) Can you trust that God is already delighted in you?(10:54) God actually enjoys His people and offers them His joy.(15:17) Grace is given to the humble and defines humility as trusting God “with me.”(18:39) Scott describes the powerful experience of being fully known in a safe community and discovering love instead of rejection.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How often do you measure your worth by what you are doing rather than who you are?In this episode, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar unpack why so many believers feel spiritually exhausted despite doing all the “right” things. It’s a deep-seated fatigue many feel when they attempt to maintain their standing with God through constant effort and "doing." They reveal how a performance-based theology and the internal voice of shame quietly drain joy and hope. Through a renewed understanding of grace and identity, they offer a path toward hope, freedom, and living without condemnation.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode:(01:44) The concept of the “exhausted Christian” is introduced, including the struggle to feel joy despite spiritual effort.(03:19) Empathy for those who feel worn out and questioning whether exhaustion stems from misunderstanding identity in Christ.(06:28) How constant spiritual activity, achieving a sense of worth, and “trying to be right with God” create deep fatigue.(07:51) Trying to be right with God through effort inevitably produces discouragement and exhaustion.(10:48) The internal critical voice is identified as shame, shaping identity apart from God’s truth.(13:19) Trust that Christ’s finished work fully secured your right standing with God.(15:19) Unresolved shame fuels frustration, anger, and inner turmoil.(19:20) Romans 8:1 is presented as God’s counter-voice to shame: no condemnation for those in Christ.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, Waldemar Kohl, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How can suffering actually accelerate your maturity?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore the profound relationship between spiritual maturity, suffering, and the willingness to take risks for the benefit of others. They challenge the assumption that obedience guarantees safety and comfort, emphasizing instead that it often leads to risk-filled purposes. Ultimately, they encourage listeners to move toward a Christ-centered life where they trust God with their unknown futures and embrace the influence they have on those around them.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode:(01:10) Suffering as an intentional part of God’s process of maturing people.(02:14) The difference between knowing information and obeying truth.(03:54) The difference between suffering common to humanity and suffering unique to believers.(05:10) Challenging the belief that obedience always leads to comfort or blessing.(06:16) Are you willing to take risks for the benefit of others?(08:26) Taking risks to care for your family.(10:46) Trusting God with the future.(13:01) Mature leadership and owning the influence one has on others.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Are you living out what the Bible says for you or are you living out what others expect of you? In this episode, Bill and Scott challenge the assumption that spiritual or personal growth comes from knowledge alone. They explore how trust, not compliance, leads to lasting transformation and authentic maturity. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (03:11) How knowing the right answers does not equate to making right choices in life.(04:19) The difference between teaching knowledge and teaching trust in truth.(06:33) How acting on trusted truth leads to transformation and changed choices.(10:06) How compliance often produces judgment and a lack of love.(12:33) The idea that people adapt themselves to the expectations placed upon them.(14:48) How children raised to meet expectations often grow up compliant but unprepared.(22:44) Warnings against turning trust into rigid patterns instead of teaching principles of truth.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How do you know which stage of maturity you’re experiencing right now? Also, is it possible to have different levels of maturity in different aspects of your life?This episode reframes maturity as a trust-based process rather than a time-based achievement. Bill and Scott unpack why truth transforms only when it is trusted and why growth often happens repeatedly in different areas of life. They also highlight how safe, relational environments are essential for people to stop hiding and experience real transformation.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode:(01:39) Why maturity follows a “trust line,” not a timeline.(02:14) Contrasting truth-based transformation with performance-driven practices.(04:33) Why growth can’t happen without another person involved.(06:20) The need for safe places, especially for young believers.(07:38) The difference between defining safety and learning how to create it.(09:23) How modeling vulnerability creates safety in performance-driven cultures.(12:10) Why hiding prevents maturity and reinforces false identity.(20:35) How isolation leads to failure and why safe community interrupts that spiral.The Living Influence team is proud to announce the creation of Living Influence Leadership: https://www.livinginfluenceleadership.com/Attend the Living Influence Leadership conferences and cohorts (also known as peer groups), and you’ll:* Lead from identity.* Cultivate trust that strengthens culture.* Gain clarity that fuels lasting influence.* Integrate who you are, and your God-given purpose, with how you lead.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Are you willing to trust God with your future, even when it feels like the scariest step of all?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore what it truly means to trust Christ with your future and why this step of maturity can feel so unsettling. They reveal how freedom grows out of believing who God says you are and learning to trust both God and the new heart He has given you. This conversation will challenge you to move from control, fear, and obligation into trust, freedom, and shared growth.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:06) The three phases of spiritual maturity. (01:52) Bill shares a personal story from his marriage that illustrates love meeting needs. (03:17) How trust allows influence in relationships without manipulation or control.(04:45) Why trust is required before truth can be heard without feeling like criticism.(06:25) Connecting workplace leadership to relational trust. (07:30) Understanding Christ-centered living as loving others the way Christ loved. (09:01) Why growth in relationships must be processed together rather than fixing one person independently.(12:31) Living in freedom is being rooted in who God says you are, not what you ought to do.(14:52) The importance of trusting the new heart given through Christ instead of viewing oneself as deceitful.(18:11) Why trusting God is foundational before pursuing His purposes for your life.The Living Influence team is proud to announce the creation of Living Influence Leadership: https://www.livinginfluenceleadership.com/ Attend the Living Influence Leadership conferences and cohorts (also known as peer groups), and you’ll: * Lead from identity.* Cultivate trust that strengthens culture.* Gain clarity that fuels lasting influence.* Integrate who you are, and your God-given purpose, with how you lead.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How might a renewed understanding of trust and authenticity elevate your leadership and transform those you lead? The Living Influence team is proud to announce the creation of Living Influence Leadership: https://www.livinginfluenceleadership.com/ Attend the Living Influence Leadership conferences and cohorts (also known as peer groups), and you’ll: * Lead from identity.* Cultivate trust that strengthens culture.* Gain clarity that fuels lasting influence.* Integrate who you are, and your God-given purpose, with how you lead.Join Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl for a transformative experience helping Christian executives lead from trust, authenticity, and the freedom of their God-given significance.Bill Thrall: For more than 40 years, Bill has helped senior executives around the world lead from identity, authenticity, and grace.Scott Boyd: Over the past 29 years, Scott has built a thriving business by shaping a culture of trust, grace, and empowered leadership.Waldemar Kohl: For nearly 20 years, Waldemar has worked with executives to create healthy, and high-performing organizations.Learn about Living Influence Leadership: https://www.livinginfluenceleadership.com/

How does trusting God with yourself reveal spiritual maturity?This episode explores what it truly means to become a Christ-centered believer through the process of spiritual maturity. Bill and Scott unpack how trust in God leads to humility, healing, and a willingness to take risks for the sake of others. As believers grow, their lives increasingly reflect joy, purpose, and a deep concern for the flourishing of those around them.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode:(00:05) The progression from being self-focused to becoming Christ-centered.(01:24) The shift from receiving love to extending love toward others.(01:59) Why maturity cannot be forced but must begin with personal trust in God.(03:42) Trust is the central operating principle in all relationships.(05:11) Fear of trusting God with the future.(08:33) Purpose-centered living as a hallmark of Christ-centered maturity.(10:12) Taking risks for the benefit of others as evidence of deep spiritual growth.(15:12) Healing and joy as signs that trust and maturity are taking root.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

What happens when personal growth shifts attention away from yourself and toward others?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore the movement from a self-focused faith into an others-centered life marked by healing, trust, and love. They unpack how maturity is not achieved by striving, but by learning to receive love and allowing that love to overflow toward others. As believers experience healing, they become freer to care, lead, and influence without being consumed by themselves.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode:(02:00) How personal crisis opened Scott’s life to grace, vulnerability, and deeper growth.(04:03) The difference between trusting with sin and trusting with one’s whole person.(06:05) How experiencing grace leads to feeling loved and then loving others.(07:15) Scott recounts how confession and affirmation became a turning point toward healing.(08:59) How letting oneself be loved is essential to experiencing real healing.(10:28) Immature love compared to mature love.(14:44) Healing as the evidence of maturity and freedom to love others.(18:28) Bill describes maturity as awareness of influence and care for how one affects others.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team.Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYILearn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/booksFollow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media:* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast* TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast:* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast* Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYIThis episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How can we create a place where ourselves and our loved ones hide nothing? In this episode, Bill and Scott examine why shame teaches people to hide and how even Christian environments can unintentionally reinforce that fear. They also explore what it takes to create truly safe spaces where people can be known, trusted, and loved without pressure to perform or fix themselves. At the heart of the conversation is the hope that emerges when trust replaces hiding and maturity begins through relationship rather than self-effort.Please consider attending the Living Influence Leadership Seminar: https://www.livinginfluenceleadership.com/ Join Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl for a transformative experience helping Christian executives lead from trust, authenticity, and the freedom of their God-given significance.In this seminar, which will be held on March 11-13 in Scottsdale, Arizona, you’ll discover the power of authentic leadership. You’ll walk away with a renewed understanding of how trust and authenticity elevate your leadership and transform those you lead. Learn more at https://www.livinginfluenceleadership.com/services#section-1762312239710 This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How does striving to perform for God interfere with the growth God intends for you?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore what it truly means to mature, distinguishing growth from performance-based sanctification. They explain why maturity is not about earning life but about growing into what is already given. The conversation highlights how love, safety, and honesty create the environment where genuine growth can happen.Please consider attending the Living Influence Leadership Seminar: https://www.livinginfluenceleadership.com/ Join Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl for a transformative experience helping Christian executives lead from trust, authenticity, and the freedom of their God-given significance.In this seminar, which will be held on March 11-13 in Scottsdale, Arizona, you’ll discover the power of authentic leadership. You’ll walk away with a renewed understanding of how trust and authenticity elevate your leadership and transform those you lead. Learn more at https://www.livinginfluenceleadership.com/services#section-1762312239710 This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How do we transition from living in our flesh to becoming alive in the Holy Spirit?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore what it means to move from living in the flesh to becoming alive in the Holy Spirit. Through Romans 7 and 8, they reveal why sin management and self-effort leave people stuck and discouraged. The conversation points to trust in the Spirit as the foundation for real hope, freedom, and transformation.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (02:19) How Romans 7 describes the ongoing reality of the Christian life. (03:03) The power of sin in the flesh as something humans were never created to manage.(05:00) Why self-effort and discipline can’t overcome the power of the flesh.(07:35) How people become desperate after exhausting themselves trying to fix themselves.(08:37) How working on sin will never resolve sin. (10:30) Why believing Christ is alive within changes how issues are addressed.(11:22) How grace produces hope.(17:24) How trusting the Holy Spirit allows Him to put the deeds of the flesh to death.(19:08) Maturity as defined by God.Attend The Living Influence Leadership Seminar: https://www.livinginfluenceleadership.com/ Join Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl for a transformative experience helping Christian executives lead from trust, authenticity, and the freedom of their God-given significance.In this seminar, which will be held on March 11-13 in Scottsdale, Arizona, you’ll discover the power of authentic leadership. You’ll walk away with a renewed understanding of how trust and authenticity elevate your leadership and transform those you lead. Learn more at https://www.livinginfluenceleadership.com/services#section-1762312239710 This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Is it possible to live in a state of being forgiven? Can you actually live in that reality?This episode explores the difference between knowing you are forgiven and actually living forgiven in daily life. Bill and Scott discuss how shame shapes identity and how God provides two gifts—repentance and forgiveness—to cleanse the ongoing effects of sin. Together they show how this leads to freedom with God, others, and even yourself.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:09) How being affected by sin becomes the foundation for how people see themselves, God, and others.(02:38) Wrestling with whether forgiveness is only granted when someone explicitly asks for it.(04:08) How the blood of Jesus cleanses all sin.(07:07) The false teaching that Christians will have their sins read aloud in heaven.(09:19) Bill recounts helping a woman process childhood trauma and finally feel clean and free.(11:20) How being cleansed broke the bondage of Bill’s shame.(13:25) How Scott’s father’s alcoholism shaped harshness toward himself.(16:30) How trusting God’s cleansing allows you to live open, transformed lives with others.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How might your life change if you truly believed you were no longer a slave to sin?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore how faith—given to us when we were “dead in sin”—forms the foundation for a new identity in Christ. The conversation reframes spiritual growth from striving to sin less into trusting the truth of who God has already made us to be.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:41) How Christians often miss the obvious truth that faith is a gift.(02:39) The cycle of striving to sin less and hiding failures, and why it traps believers in defeat.(03:53) How Jesus not only died for sins but took believers into His death to give them new life.(05:13) Bill shares the short prayer that helped him believe he truly had the ability to serve righteousness.(06:20) Scott and Bill discuss the shift from “freedom from sin” to “freedom to live into God’s purposes.”(07:08) Bill begins unpacking 1 John 3 and what it means to be called children of God with the DNA of Jesus.(09:23) Bill explains why believers are righteous now, even though they are not yet fully mature.(12:41) Bill warns that focusing only on avoiding sin without embracing new identity leads to immaturity and defeat.(17:55) Bill prays for God to teach believers to trust their ability to love, and Scott shares how grief awakened his desire for shared love and community.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How much of your spiritual struggle comes from trying to manage your sin instead of trusting your identity?In this episode, Bill and Scott unpack why so many believers live stuck in shame, hiding, and sin-management even though they’ve been given a new identity. Through stories, Scripture, and vulnerable examples, they show how experiencing love—not effort—is what transforms the heart. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:00) Scott shares how misunderstanding grace left him feeling imprisoned during his wife’s cancer battle.(02:40) How trying to use the law to become godly cuts Christians off from grace.(04:20) Bill describes the years he believed God loved him but never experienced that love personally.(06:00) How conflict with others can impact whether we view ourselves as a saint.(08:00) How passiveness was secretly the voice of Bill’s anger. (09:50) How transformation means the old patterns no longer own you, even if reactions still occur.(11:20) How hiding sin made Bill a slave to it. (15:20) Scott describes a leadership program that revealed how his self-protection was rooted in fear.(18:40) How shame awakens hopeless striving, and why a new reality is the only solution. This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

How do I move from seeing myself as a sinner to living as someone dead to sin?This episode explores what it truly means to be dead to sin and alive in Christ. Bill and Scott challenge the deeply ingrained belief that Christians are still defined by their sin, revealing how that mindset robs us of joy and love. Together, they unpack how trusting God with your new identity leads to freedom, love, and a life rooted in grace instead of fear.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:29) How believers can move from seeing themselves as sinners to being dead to sin.(01:04) How seeing yourself as a sinner keeps sin your focus, but seeing yourself as a saint makes love your focus.(03:42) Faith in Christ gives believers a new identity under grace.(05:33) Why being dead to sin means living out righteousness through love.(07:05) How churches often reinforce a sinner mindset instead of grace.(10:49) Bill explains that the Christian life is not behavior change—it’s death to the old self.(14:03) What it means to trust Jesus not just with sin, but with your whole life.(18:51) Success comes from loving people.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

How have you been influenced by grace?In this episode, Bill and Scott reflect on how grace has shaped their lives, leadership, and communities. Scott shares how discovering grace changed his business culture, replacing control with trust and empowerment. Bill tells stories of how grace led to the founding of Open Door Fellowship, where commitment, love, and valuing people created a movement of transformation and freedom.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:40) How Scott’s company built a culture where people felt valued and empowered.(03:20) How grace-based leadership helps businesses thrive.(06:30) Seeing value in people, and how that challenges old frameworks of sin management.(11:30) On choosing to be “for, not against,” and how that simple conviction is transformative. (18:10) How grace expands people’s potential and inspires communities built on love, trust, and possibility.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

Have you ever thought about how your theology is influencing you?This episode explores how many Christians have unknowingly built their theology around sin management rather than grace. Bill and Scott reflect on the harm caused by striving to become godly instead of trusting who God already says we are. Through personal stories and heartfelt reflection, they reveal that transformation begins not with working on sin, but with receiving and living from love.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:03) The idea that theology shapes how people see themselves and God.(01:15) How sin management creates pride or despair, depending on whether someone feels they’re “winning” or “failing” at holiness.(02:43) How striving to sin less never works; instead, love naturally reduces sin’s grip.(05:49) A personal story about how sin management led to painful separation from friends in pursuit of false godliness.(09:38) The discussion exposes how fear-based theology leads Christians to isolate from the world rather than engage it with grace.(13:12) How legalism grows from a theology that refuses to see saints as saints.(15:27) Sin management never touches our reality—only grace does.(16:03) Scott shares a personal story about how grace began transforming him during his wife’s cancer journey.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

Are you discovering solutions to the lies that you've believed were true about you?This episode explores how the lies we believe about ourselves are often discovered within the stories we tell. Bill and Scott reveal the powerful connection between permission, trust, and the discovery of truth. Through vulnerability, questions, and grace, they invite listeners to move from false realities into a new way of seeing themselves and others.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:17) Discovering lies happens through telling and hearing our stories.(01:27) How permission grants genuine access to another person’s story.(02:09) Asking thoughtful questions becomes a key way to gain trust.(05:09) The danger of “fixing” others without permission. (06:03) How shame can keep learning and asking for help out of reach.(07:39) Knowledge used humbly can build trust.(10:17) Bill shares childhood memories of false family stories that created a false sense of reality.(12:55) Discovering truth through faith in Jesus becomes a turning point for freedom and identity.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

What are some of the lies you've believed? Are there some convictions that you believe in that actually might be lies?This episode explores the deep and personal lies we believe about ourselves—and how love, not effort, is what truly heals them. Bill and Scott share intimate stories of loneliness, shame, and healing through trust, friendship, and being known. Together they reveal that grace through love is the only path to freedom from the lies that once defined us.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:02) How early lies can shape identity and self-worth.(02:39) The cycle of shame and insecurity. (03:55) How love, not self-effort, begins to dismantle lifelong lies.(05:31) Experiencing love for the first time. (06:45) How the fear of being hurt leads to putting conditions on love and acceptance.(09:25) The healing power of being loved without conditions. (11:19) A reflection on hiding and shame leads to the realization that safety, not effort, ends the cycle of hiding.(13:22) How vulnerability in a trusted community builds compassion.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

Who in your life is taking a risk on you? Also, who in your life has influenced you?This episode explores how influence is born out of trust, vulnerability, and the willingness to take risks for someone else’s benefit. Through honest stories and reflections, Bill and Scott show how the people who have most shaped our lives are those who dared to believe we were worth the risk. Influence, they reveal, is not about control or teaching—it’s about choosing to love and trust in a way that invites transformation.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:22) The idea that both positive and negative influences can shape us. (03:06) How the influence of Bill’s wife, Grace, changed his life through love and honesty.(04:35) A pivotal moment unfolds when Grace tells Bill, “You won’t let me love you.” (06:04) Many people hide parts of themselves because they fear rejection if truly known.(07:38) The myth of self-sufficiency. (09:48) How hiding our needs keeps us from experiencing true relationship and healing.(12:19) The phrase “love can handle sin” reframes what it means to be known. (15:59) How influence extends outward. This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Are you willing to risk trusting the influence of God in you for the benefit of others?This episode explores what it means to risk trusting God’s influence within you for the benefit of others. Through stories of business, family, and faith, the conversation reveals how courage, grace, and trust reshape how we lead and love. Bill and Scott invite you to act upon the truth that God’s influence in you is meant to influence others.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (0:00) Risking trust in God’s influence for the benefit of others.(1:18) How fear of failure keeps people from stepping into the game of life and leadership.(4:27) Coaching children to take small risks and how it shaped leadership philosophy.(5:53) Creating cultures of trust and removing fear of mistakes in business environments.(7:19) The power of believing in others and helping them feel valued.(8:25) How trusting people transformed a company’s growth and culture.(11:45) The danger of minimizing God’s work within us through “worm theology.”(13:44) A story about leading a young Jewish man to Christ and the lessons that followed.(17:17) The lifelong influence that came from helping others grow in purpose, not just direction.(21:04) The call to act upon the reality of God’s influence in us—and risk trusting it.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

Do you live your life looking for opportunities and open doors, or do you live it based on your convictions?Bill and Scott unpack the difference between living by open doors of opportunity versus living by convictions rooted in truth. Bill shares formative stories of discovering conviction, divine interruption, and learning to trust God without knowing outcomes. Together, they invite you to consider how God’s influence shapes your past, present, and future.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:24) How Satan can use opportunity to distract from God’s purpose.(01:53) Mother Teresa’s decades of silent struggle were lived through conviction.(03:59) Bill recounts being invited to Bible college after becoming a Christian.(08:43) The importance of looking back at life to see God’s influence.(10:36) How our Creator’s presence is in our hearts to trust.(11:20) Bill’s first experience sensing God’s presence as a teenager.(16:53) How God brings people through suffering when they trust Him.(19:08) Unless we experience grace, we won’t truly understand God or ourselves.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

How are you influenced? Also, do you disregard influence and purpose based on circumstances, or do you remain undeterred by struggle?In this episode, Bill and Scott share personal stories of how God has influenced and interrupted their lives in unexpected ways. They also reflect on the difference between blessing and success, and how true blessing always leads to purpose—sometimes through suffering. Together, they remind us that trusting God’s interruptions is the path to discovering our destiny and learning to influence others with humility and authenticity.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:03) How blessing is often mistaken for success and shows how true purpose involves suffering.(03:41) God is always the initiator and introduces the idea of divine interruption.(06:51) Why God values humility more than excellence.(09:56) How Bill’s brothers were first influenced through a boys’ club.(11:13) Bill’s salvation at 17 after being asked, “What are you going to do with Jesus?”(13:31) Scott contrasts his Lutheran roots with how his wife and stepmother’s influence deepened his faith.(17:57) Trusting God when He interrupts and redirects life.(19:43) Obedience means trusting God and surrendering the results to Him.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

What possibilities open when you embrace God’s purposes for your life?In this episode, Bill and Scott unpack what it means to live in freedom rather than in the bondage of shame. Drawing from Scripture and their own experiences, they highlight how trust in God’s truth reshapes identity, relationships, and daily choices. Together with guest Waldemar, they invite listeners to step out of the cage of familiarity and embrace the endless purposes of God.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode: (00:03) Freedom in Christ(01:43) Experiencing Bondage vs. Freedom(03:56) Possibilities and Purpose in Freedom(07:48) Saying Yes to God’s Purposes(12:20) Living Out Freedom DailyThis episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Does God declare who we are, or are we on a continuous improvement plan?In this episode, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar explore how theology directly shapes our experience of either bondage to shame or freedom in Christ. They unpack the difference between reading Scripture as a list of “shoulds” versus embracing it as a declaration of who God says we are. The conversation highlights the life-changing reality of grace, the gift of a new heart, and the freedom to live without condemnation.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode: (00:03) Theology, shame, and living in freedom through Ephesians 4.(01:27) How theology can keep believers trapped in shame or free them to live without condemnation.(03:01) The shift from “I ought to” toward “I can” as the language of grace.(06:06) Waldemar’s personal story of moving from self-punishment to freedom in prayer and grace.(08:09) Scott reframes repentance and forgiveness as gifts of grace rather than commands to keep God happy.(09:33) The feeling of “not enough.”(11:07) Focusing on the harder work of love—loving neighbors and enemies—rather than just avoiding sin.(12:34) Gifts, strengths, weaknesses, and the pitfalls of “sin management” theology.(15:01) How a theology of a deceitful heart keeps believers trapped, while a new heart in Christ brings lasting freedom.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

Is Jesus able to give you new life? Did He really rise from the dead? Is the resurrection of Jesus the proof of all He accomplished?In this episode, we explore what it truly means to be alive in Christ. We discuss how shame and condemnation no longer define believers because of the resurrection and the indwelling Holy Spirit. We also highlight that righteousness is evidenced by love, and that new life in Jesus brings both healing and purpose.Topics that Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode: (00:08) The Question of Being Alive* The idea of resurrection life and God’s declaration of a new identity.(04:12) What It Means to Be Holy* Believers often resist believing they are holy or righteous.* How misunderstanding identity leads to confusion and doubt.(06:47) The Holy Spirit as Evidence* The Spirit cannot dwell in an unholy place.* The Spirit’s presence proves believers’ holiness.(10:52) Love as the Proof of Righteousness* Love, not morality or striving, is the evidence of new life.* The vulnerability of receiving love and its healing power.(17:30) Purpose in the New Life* Scott shares his experience teaching grace despite resistance.* Bill concludes with the Great Commission, calling believers to live their new purpose through influence and love.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

At Calvary, is Jesus able to bring me into His death? And, what does it mean when I say, “I am crucified in Christ”? In this episode, Bill, Scott, and Waldemar explore the radical reality of being crucified with Christ. They unpack what it means to die with Him—leaving behind shame, condemnation, and the law—and to begin living under grace. This conversation will invite you to trust God’s finished work and discover the freedom of a new identity.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode: (0:30) – The Reality of Death in Christ* Galatians 2.* At Calvary, believers were brought into Christ’s death, freeing them from shame and sin.(3:30) – Surrender vs. Death* Challenging the idea of surrender as the solution, emphasizing that death is the ultimate surrender.(6:19) – Dead to Law, Alive to Grace* If we are dead to the law, then shame and condemnation no longer define us.* Experience does not define identity—God’s declaration does.(11:31) – It Is Finished* Reflecting on Jesus’ words, “It is finished.”(17:15) – Freedom Through Grace and Love* How love covers sin and creates healing relationships.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Are you defined by God or your experience? Also, if you’re defined by your experience, is your experience your God?This episode dives into the roots of shame and its lingering presence even after becoming a Christian. Bill, Scott, and Waldemar discuss how sin management, comparison, and fear are often signs of unresolved shame. Through biblical truth and personal stories, they explore how the redemptive work of Jesus offers a new identity free from condemnation.Topics Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and Waldemar Kohl discuss in this episode: (00:00) What Is Shame?* Bill contrasts guilt and shame and explains how shame rewrites identity.* How shame distorts the way Christians see themselves despite God's truth.(04:12) Sin Management Theology* “Sin management” keeps Christians in shame.* Churches may preach grace but still convey a message of needing to “measure up.”(07:49) Adam and Eve* Genesis 3 and sin management.* How fear and hiding reveal shame hasn’t been healed.(10:00) Shame, Blame, and Comparison* How shame leads to blame and relational distance.* Shame often causes us to see others and ourselves through the wrong lens.(15:20) Wearing the Coat of Righteousness* The symbolism of God clothing Adam and Eve with animal skins.* Personal stories of when shame distorted how Scott and Bill saw themselves.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

What if shame or condemnation no longer had the power to define you?In this episode, Waldemar Kohl joins Bill and Scott to explore how grace offers a radical alternative to a life shaped by shame and condemnation. They also discuss what it means to trust Jesus not just with sin, but with our insecurities, failures, and fears. Topics Waldemar Kohl, Bill Thrall, and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (0:33) Waldemar’s Story * Waldemar’s early life of performance-driven faith and corporate success.(5:56) From Shame to No Condemnation* Thinking of trust as the bridge between belief and transformation.(10:01) The Object of Our Faith* Trust isn’t about quantity—it’s about the One you’re trusting.* Jesus can not only forgive sin but also take on shame itself.(14:21) The Power of Safe Community* Grace-based environments create safety, allowing people to be known.* When shame loses its grip, people discover trust through vulnerability.(20:15) Redefining Theology and Identity* Many Christians are still living as sinners instead of saints.* Learning to be loved leads to loving more—and sinning less.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

What if your destiny isn’t about what you do for God, but what He does in you and for you?This episode explores how grace radically shapes our destiny—not through performance, but through trust. Bill and Scott discuss how identity, humility, and influence are transformed when we receive God's view of us. They challenge listeners to stop fixing themselves and start receiving the life-changing truth of grace.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:03) Grace and Destiny* Doing things for God is not the same as receiving from Him.* Influence begins with how we see ourselves—either through shame or through God’s view.(03:16) Humility and Transformation* True humility is trusting what God is doing in you, not minimizing yourself.* God wants to exalt us because we are saints, not sinners trying to perform.(07:54) Strategic Plans vs. Divine Declarations* God’s declaration of who we are is more powerful than incremental improvement.* Our purpose begins with trusting that God's choice of us includes a calling.(16:22) Influence That Earns Trust* Our destiny includes earning people’s trust so they can receive our love.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

For you, what creates a safe place, a place where you're not afraid to be known? This episode explores how grace is not just a theological concept but a lived experience—especially within a community. Bill and Scott reflect on what it means to belong to an “environment of grace” and how mutual dependence leads to maturity, unity, and purpose. They challenge listeners to trust others, embrace their own needs, and believe that grace is meant to shape every relationship around them.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:03) What Is an Environment of Grace?* Grace allows people to live beyond their circumstances and meet others’ needs.* Communities shaped by grace express love as their defining characteristic.(04:45) The Difference Between True and Pseudo Community* A true grace-based community meets needs and cultivates joy and purpose.(08:52) Spiritual Gifts Are for the Community* Believers are gifted by God for the benefit of others, not self-expression.* Without a grace environment, spiritual gifts remain unused.(12:31) Maturity Requires Community* Hiding weaknesses blocks the maturing process and isolates believers.* Grace invites vulnerability and leads to growth.(14:53) Mutual Dependence Is Leadership* Submitting to one another’s strengths is an act of grace and trust.* Experiencing grace means learning to give and receive it—including with yourself.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2F2RSvXKfU08Q5LVTCyIYI Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

As yourself: Am I experiencing grace and love in my life? And if I'm not, how can I do that?Grace is not just a theological concept—it’s the foundation for every meaningful relationship of love. In this episode, Bill and Scott unpack how trust unlocks the experience of love and how grace enables us to lay down our masks and let our needs be seen. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (04:09) The Connection Between Trust and Love* Love is the process of meeting needs.* How God meets our deepest need for security.(08:05) Designed to Be Loved* Bill shares how his insecurity made it difficult to believe he mattered.* God’s love is given, not earned—because He is love.(12:14) Choosing to Be Loved* Bill reads from Revelation 3 and reflects on Laodicea’s self-sufficiency.* Jesus doesn’t fix people—He loves them into healing.(15:18) The Healing Power of Love* Grace leads to healing through safe, consistent love.* Love shifts our focus outward and helps us live transformed lives.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4hUd9pM Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

What happens when you begin to believe you are lovable?In this episode, Bill and Scott continue their discussion about how grace becomes the foundation for spiritual maturity, identity, and calling. They reflect on personal stories of shame, self-worth, and trust, revealing how deeply grace can shape our understanding of who we are. They also invite listeners to stop measuring themselves by behavior and start believing who God says they are.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:05) Maturing Through Grace* Scott’s scandalous feeling of saying, “I believe I’m worthy.”* How believing you're a saint transforms your self-perception.* Ephesians 1 and the challenge of seeing yourself as holy.(05:54) Identity vs. Behavior* How measuring yourself by shame leads to self-centeredness.* The importance of imagining what God says is true.(10:09) Lovable and Trusted* How Scott’s past shaped his ability to receive love.(14:15) Set Apart With Purpose* Galatians 1:15 and Paul’s purpose as a parallel for all believers.* What it means to be called by grace to know Christ.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4hUd9pM Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

How does trusting grace impact your spiritual growth?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore the role of grace as the foundation for our maturing in Christ. They challenge performance-based spirituality and invite you to embrace a new identity rooted in trust, love, and divine truth. Through personal stories and rich theological insight, they unpack what it means to mature not by striving but by receiving.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (0:02) Grace as the Basis of Maturing* Grace is not just the way to salvation—it’s also the way we grow.* Justification and sanctification are both rooted in grace, not effort.(8:24) Who Am I? Defining Identity* God sees beyond behaviors.* Christians must move from shame to identity in Christ.(14:52) Love as the Evidence of Maturity* Jesus gave us a new commandment we’re now able to live.* Love is the fulfillment of the law.* The fruit of grace is love, and love heals.* Love replaces shame and drives transformation.* The foundation of all maturity is God’s grace at work in us.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4hUd9pM Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

If God is going to give this immense gift of grace to the humble, who are the humble? In this episode, Bill and Scott explore what it means to trust God with the truth of who you are. They unpack why grace is more than forgiveness—it’s the means by which we stop striving and start receiving. Through Scripture, personal stories, and honest dialogue, they reveal how letting go opens the door to transformationTopics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (0:05) Trust and the Nature of Humility* Bill reflects on 1 Peter 5:5 and what it means to be humble.* Trusting God begins when we realize we can’t do what’s best for us.(2:44) Fears About Trusting God* Scott’s fear: “What if God makes me do something I don’t want to do?”* Trust is something to do—not passive surrender.(9:15) The Scope of Grace in Romans 5* Scott reads Romans 5:15–21. * Jesus’ gift of grace outweighs Adam’s sin.(14:43) How We Limit Grace* Bill points to Romans 11:6—grace ceases to be grace if works are added.(19:41) God’s Grace* Transformation comes when we stop defending ourselves.* Grace changes how we see ourselves, God, and the world.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4hUd9pM Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

Is grace the only means for our salvation?In this episode, Bill and Scott open up about their personal journeys of discovering grace and meeting Jesus. Through powerful stories—one marked by fear and redemption, the other by slow awakening—they illustrate how grace is not a concept but a person. Their reflections show us how authentic encounters with Jesus can change the trajectories of our lives. Topics Bill and Scott discuss in this episode: (0:43) Bill’s Fearful Introduction to Grace* Bill recounts his first encounter with grace at Bible camp, rooted in fear of hell.(5:33) When Grace Became a Person* Bill describes the moment his brother asked him, “What are you going to do with Jesus?”(8:19) Scott’s Journey of Awakening* Scott recalls being disenchanted with both Baptist and Lutheran traditions.* Seeing his stepmom’s intimate relationship with Jesus was transformative.(13:37) From Salvation to Calling* Bill reflects on how grace compelled him to share Christ.(17:44) Grace That Shapes a Life* How grace transformed Bill into a saint, not just a saved sinner.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4hUd9pM Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books Follow and like the Living Influence podcast on social media: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginfluencepodcast * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinginfluencepodcast * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61576202821527 This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

What does it mean that grace began within the Trinity before creation? And how does the incarnation reveal the nature of grace?Grace didn’t begin as a response to sin—it originated in the very nature of God. In this episode, Bill and Scott explore the stunning truth that grace began within the Trinity and was brought to us in the person of Jesus. Through Scripture and personal reflection, they show how grace is not only how God treats us—it’s how God treats God.Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:12) Grace Originated in the Trinity* The Gospel of John reveals that Jesus came full of grace and truth.(05:25) Grace and Truth, Not Law* The law was given through Moses, but Jesus brought grace and truth.(08:53) The Throne of Grace* Hebrews invites us to approach the throne of grace with confidence.(12:35) Grace in Our Suffering* Grace doesn’t erase hardship but meets us in the midst of it.(15:37) Grace That Establishes Us* God restores, confirms, strengthens, and establishes us.This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4hUd9pM Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

How does our view of God shape our ability to receive grace? What if we truly believed that God loves us, without conditions?In this episode, Bill and Scott explore the depth of grace, challenging common misconceptions about God’s love. They discuss how shame distorts our ability to receive grace and how understanding God’s nature can reshape our self-perception. This episode invites listeners to embrace a grace-filled life, where love is not earned but freely given.Topics Bill and Scott discuss in this episode: (0:28) Understanding Grace* Having the right view of God is essential to understanding grace. * The core concept of grace is rooted in the statement, “God is love.” (3:29) God’s Love and Grace* God's love and grace involve Him wanting to give us His best. * The hosts address the feeling of not deserving God's best and how it hinders experiencing His grace. * Grace and truth are interconnected and should not be separated. (6:34) Worthiness to be Loved* Scott shares his journey of understanding grace and realizing his worthiness to be loved by God. * God’s love extend to both our “person” and our “stuff” (our actions and circumstances). (10:57) Your Relationship with God * God is the initiator in the relationship.* The hosts address questions about God's unwavering commitment and love. (17:30) The Language of Shame* Hope is tied to feeling loved. Not having hope can lead to feeling like the world is against you. * How “I’m not enough” is one of the phrases in “the language of shame.” This episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4hUd9pM Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/ 

How can reflecting on past experiences reveal God’s influence in your life?In this episode, Bill and Scott share stories of how God’s presence and timing have shaped their lives and ministries. Bill recounts his journey from becoming a Christian at 17 to leaving a career to follow his calling, emphasizing the importance of living by conviction. Together, they reflect on God's provision, the value of faith-based decisions, and the affirmation found in trusting Him.Topics Bill and Scott discuss in this episode: * The importance of reflecting on how God has worked in our lives to find Him in the future.* Bill’s first encounter with the presence of God and the sense of destiny it inspired.* Trusting God’s timing, even when it spans years.* Lessons learned from living by conviction instead of pursuing open opportunities.* How seemingly small moments can reinforce faith and purpose.* The impact of mentoring and inspiring others within their community.Chapters: (01:27) Bill Becoming a Christian at 17(06:43) Starting a Ministry(11:14) Bill’s Phone Call from Washington DC(12:53) Living with Conviction(18:07) Imagining God In Your LifeThis episode was brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team. Learn about Living Influence: https://www.livinginfluence.com/ Subscribe to the Living Influence podcast: * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingInfluencePodcast * Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4kP9Mm2 * Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4hUd9pM * GodTube: https://www.godtube.com/livinginfluencepodcast/ Learn about Bill Thrall’s books: https://www.livinginfluence.com/books This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/