Living Influence with Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd

Have you ever wondered if you can really trust your own heart? For many of us, we've spent years in church hearing that our "hearts are deceitful." But when we come to Christ, He gives us a new heart. And learning to trust what He's already done can change so much about how we see ourselves and relate to others. In this episode of Living Influence, Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd have a thoughtful conversation about shame, trust, and the freedom we have in Christ. Bill also shares from his own life as they explore what Scripture teaches about our new identity and the Holy Spirit living within us. It's a beautiful reminder that we can keep growing in the truth of who God says we are and learning to live with greater freedom, grace, and love. Join Bill and Scott for this encouraging conversation on Living Influence. In this episode: 00:00 Welcome to Living Influence 01:48 Recognizing the Voice of Shame 04:34 How Do We Experience Who God Says We Are? 05:02 Did God Give You a New Heart? 06:32 How Shame Affects Trust and Love 07:47 When Shame Silences the Voice of Truth 09:55 Romans 6: Receiving Truth from the Heart 10:32 Bill's Journey from Shame to Trust 12:12 Will I Love You or Use You? 12:46 Finding Love After Loss 15:41 Galatians 5: The Difference Between Law and Grace 17:34 Is Your Theology Keeping You in Shame? 18:53 The Holy Spirit's Power Over Shame 20:31 Why Grace Changes Everything 21:07 Recognizing the Hidden Voice of Shame If this conversation encouraged you, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who needs the reminder that they are not defined by shame

One of the most important conversations you'll ever have is the one happening inside your own mind. In this episode, Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd explore the hidden voice of shame—the internal narrative that quietly convinces us we're not enough, causes us to strive for approval, and shapes the way we relate to our spouses, children, coworkers, and friends. They also discuss the hope found in the gospel: that through Christ, we're invited to live from a different voice—one rooted in truth rather than shame. When we begin trusting who God says we are instead of the stories we've believed about ourselves, everything changes. If this conversation encouraged you, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who needs the reminder that they are not defined by shame. In this episode: 00:00 Introduction: Why this conversation matters 01:31 The hidden voice that's quietly shaping your life 03:25 How shame convinces us we're never enough 08:05 A childhood story that shaped identity 11:24 The difference between the voice of shame and the voice of grace 14:20 What if the cross freed you from shame—not just sin? 16:34 Can the voice of truth become louder than the voice of shame? 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 brought to you by Bill Thrall, Scott Boyd, and the Living Influence team.

What is the fundamental difference between punishing a child's bad behavior, and lovingly disciplining them back into alignment with who they truly are? In this episode, Bill and Scott explore the difference between punishment and discipline, emphasizing that healthy discipline is intended to bring a child back into alignment with who they are, rather than simply punishing undesirable behavior. They discuss the vital role of truthful affirmation in helping children understand their identity, including how a lack of affirmation can create a hunger for significance and achievement that usually isn’t easily found. Bill and Scott demonstrate how parents can help their children feel deeply known and established in who they are. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:15) How discovering grace gives the freedom to accept correction without feeling the need to justify yourself. (01:59) Connecting discipline and grace to scripture, and understanding what it really means. (04:38) How rigid rules and structures tend to incite rebellion, rather than guide behavior. (07:06) Punishment does not correct people. (10:02) Affirmation is a crucial counterbalance to correction and how children who grow up without affirmation can struggle to understand who they are. (13:13) Genuine affirmation must be rooted in truth. (17:02) Affirmation touches the heart, rather than the ego. 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 can you establish healthy consequences for your kids while maintaining a strong personal connection with them? In this episode, Bill and Scott explore how grace changes the way parents respond to their children's behavior. They share that grace does not remove consequences, but allows parents to remain connected to their children, without defining them by their behavior. They also talk about how grace is never soft on sin, but rather provides the relational safety necessary to discipline children while honoring their hearts, and protecting them from shame. Bill and Scott encourage parents to trust God with themselves, so their children can learn to trust their parents, their own hearts, and the relationship they share. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:10) Grace is never soft on sin, but rather serves as the ultimate answer to sin while maintaining real consequences for behavior. (05:19) God's grace goes beyond trusting Jesus with sin and includes learning to trust Him with who you are. (09:04) How experiencing grace allows parents to love their children unconditionally. (13:20) The importance of creating a safe environment where children are not afraid to be known. (16:16) Allowing children to see a parent's genuine struggles creates space for them to exercise and trust their own hearts. 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 viewing yourself as a saint instead of a sinner change how you parent? In this episode, Bill and Scott discuss how viewing yourself as a sinner, rather than a saint who sins, causes parents to parent out of shame and fear. This can lead parents to focus on compliance and behavioral control. As a result, children tend to respond by losing trust and developing resentment. Scott and Bill share a different, and Biblical, perspective by embracing God's truth of being a saint who is dead to sin. This allows parents to stop managing behavior, build deep trust, and extend genuine love to their children. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:40) The difference between defining yourself as a sinner versus a saint who sins. (02:39) Bill describes how a theology based on self-control and willpower can convince parents that they are masters of their own behavior, ultimately allowing shame to define them. (06:38) Parents who do not trust themselves may parent from authority and raise children toward compliance rather than helping them mature into healthy adults. (10:22) How shame creates contradictory messages—telling people to try harder while simultaneously convincing them they will never be enough—and how this dynamic can affect parenting. (13:15) Hiding standardizes distrust, which prevents children from experiencing true parental 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/

Are your rules helping your children mature or keeping them dependent? In this episode, Bill and Scott talk about the vital distinction between child compliance, enforced by rules, and heart-level obedience rooted in trust. They discuss how parenting can gradually move from protecting children with rules toward giving them guidelines, choices, responsibility, and opportunities to participate in their own development. By fostering authentic trust, and allowing children to participate in choices and consequences, parents can guide their children toward true freedom, maturity, and healthy identity. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:04) Whether children should be compliant or obedient. (02:38) How parenting should gradually move from rules to guidelines. (05:07) Obedience means acting upon the love, trust, and guidance of someone who is trusted. (08:33) Develop, rather than squash, children's individual tastes. (14:49) How guidelines can include consequences while allowing children to participate in determining those consequences, helping them take greater ownership of their choices. (16:11) Freedom is a byproduct of obedience, and grace is experienced through trust. 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 is defining you right now? Your shame, or what God says about you? In this episode, Bill and Scott explore how shame can become a defining force in a parent’s life, producing exhaustion, isolation, defensiveness, and a constant need to justify being right. They talk about how parents can move from being defined by shame and condemnation to living in the freedom God provides. They discuss the importance of trusting that believers have died with Christ, received a “new heart” and the Holy Spirit, giving them freedom to be known and loved, rather than remaining hidden and protected. Parents can now live in grace, forgiveness, and who God says they are, so they can love and nurture their children from a place of freedom. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:31) The Biblical promise of no condemnation and why many believers still let shame define their daily lives. (04:45) Shame is an exhausting master that creates a need to be justified, and robs people of joy. (06:36) Believers must recognize that they died with Christ. Shame and sin then lose their authority when a person embraces that reality. (10:03) How the Holy Spirit dwelling within believers provides a power over sin that self-effort cannot achieve. (12:28) How practicing quick forgiveness prevents past hurts from triggering shame and returning to a life of condemnation. (14:22) Live the Christian life defined not by how little they sin, but by God and for the benefit of 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/

Are your children's reactions revealing unresolved issues within you? Children often expose the unresolved issues and shame that parents carry, making parenting an unexpected opportunity for personal maturity and growth. In this episode, Bill and Scott discuss how listening, trusting God, and confronting the roots of shame can transform the way parents respond to their children. Parents can mature, rather than reacting defensively or passing blame onto them. Scott and Bill also share how forgiving yourself and others will break the cycle of shame by trusting God with your own brokenness. This allows parents to relate to their children with freedom, trust, and emotional healing. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:40) Scott shares how repeating his son's words back to him helped diffuse arguments and build trust. (03:00) Children have a unique way of exposing a parent's unresolved shame and internal issues. (07:41) Parents need to live out who God says they are, rather than allowing past shame to define them. (12:34) How shame is connected to unresolved pain. Encouragement to forgive those who hurt you, and forgiving yourself for your past actions. 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 your children see you trusting and living out the truth you teach them? In this episode, Bill and Scott challenge parents to move beyond behavior modification and focus instead on building trust that opens a child's heart to truth. They discuss how parents must personally experience and act upon the truth they teach so it can be authentically passed down to the next generation. Additionally, parents need to allow God to heal their own wounds and regrets, so they can become vehicles of healing for their children. God's grace can break destructive generational patterns and create a different future for the generations that follow. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:28) Why an important part of parenting is maturing a child rather than using behavioral techniques to control behavior. (04:18) Bill discusses the danger of teaching children biblical knowledge without helping them develop genuine trust in the truth being taught. (05:51) How trust opens the heart to receiving truth that genuinely transforms a person. (08:14) Parents help children trust truth by actively modeling that they believe that truth, and have acted upon that truth themselves. (11:32) How the miracle of forgiveness and repentance breaks generational patterns of dysfunction. 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 think your child would respond if you were more honest with them about your own imperfections? In this episode, Bill and Scott begin a new parenting series by asking a foundational question: Do your children trust you? They explore why trust grows when parents are willing to be known, honest about their imperfections, and intentional about earning relational access, rather than only exercising authority. Scott and Bill challenge parents to prioritize connection, share their stories, ask permission to speak into their children's lives, and become people their children can trust enough to receive love, truth, and guidance. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:22) One of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is becoming someone they can trust. (03:57) The common fear parents hold about admitting past mistakes to their children. (06:28) Children do not need perfect parents, but need to see how their parents deal with imperfection. (09:09) How Jesus laid aside His authority to be known as a person serves as a model for authentic parenting. (15:54) This kind of parenting requires time, intentionality, and a willingness to prioritize children within the life a parent is living. 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 ask the people you influence how you are affecting them? Each of us has influence, and healthy leadership begins with having the courage to own that influence by asking others how they are being affected. Bill and Scott explore how leaders can protect the people they influence by standing alongside them when their weaknesses and limitations become visible rather than allowing those limitations to define them. They also discuss how creating relational safety can help people honestly examine their experiences, learn difficult lessons, and preserve the strengths that make them valuable. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:22) Everyone has influence and that influence is best measured by the effect a person has on others. (04:48) Owning influence means being willing to receive honest feedback, honor the courage it takes to give that feedback, and respond wisely rather than defensively. (07:59) People will often hide their limitations when they do not believe they will be protected, causing those limitations to eventually emerge through dysfunction. (10:51) How leaders can come alongside people after they make mistakes by separating the person's behavior from the relationship. (15:01) Bringing individuals to a neutral setting, outside the workplace, to reflect on difficult experiences together. 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 hidden expectations creating unseen conflict and emotional reactions in your interactions? In this episode, Bill and Scott explore how unacknowledged and unmet expectations create relational conflict and emotional disappointment. While expectations are a reality in humans, some become demands that are usually defended as “right”. They discuss creating safe spaces for honest conversation, and moving from a “me” to a “we” mindset. Scott and Bill challenge us to reframe individual demands into shared goals. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:19) Expectations are an innate part of being human, but unmet expectations are a major source of wounding and pain. (02:54) How we can build trust by becoming honest about our expectations while avoiding the temptation to declare those expectations right. (05:03) Shifting from discussing individual expectations of one another to discussing shared expectations. (12:40) How hidden expectations remain unspoken, continue to produce disappointment, and can eventually create dysfunction in relationships. (18:02) Relational freedom does not mean eliminating disappointment, but learning to face the disappointments caused by unmet expectations together. 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/

2 Questions this week! How would your relationships change if you defined love as actively meeting the inherent needs of others? AND, how did your life change by someone else loving you unconditionally? In this episode, Bill and Scott explore what it means to practice love by intentionally meeting the needs God designed into every person. Genuine love provides security, acceptance, affirmation, and commitment, allowing people to experience freedom and healing. This also means meeting those needs unconditionally rather than requiring individuals to change before being loved. Scott and Bill challenge us to both receive love deeply, and then intentionally extend that same love to others in practical, life-giving ways. Even the difficult people and “enemies” in our lives. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:22) Practicing love and freedom by defining love as the process of meeting human needs. (03:37) Commitment and affirmation are powerful expressions of love that build trust, significance, and healthy relationships. (08:17) How God accepts people with an unearned love, and why believers should extend that same love. (12:43) How we can love God by serving the weak and hungry. (15:02) How we and the church should teach people how to love, even as sinners, rather than focusing on how to deal with our sins. (16:24) Practicing genuine love requires both receiving love from others, and reaching out to meet the needs of others, including enemies. 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 can you learn to distinguish between compliance to authority versus a genuine, heart-level decision to obey out of trust? In this episode, Bill and Scott explore the amazing connection between obedience and freedom, defining true obedience as a heart-level response to trust and a trustworthy God, rather than rigid compliance. They discuss how acting on God's direction transforms knowledge into lived truth, while equipping people to influence others authentically. Scott and Bill encourage us to cultivate an intimate relationship with God by learning to trust His leading, and experience the freedom that follows obedience. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:04) The surprising relationship between obedience and freedom. (03:34) Truth only transforms lives when it is trusted and acted upon. (07:42) Practicing obedience gives us the freedom to teach truth. (12:54) How obedience gives us the credibility to encourage others. (17:01) Discerning God's voice requires faith. It’s worse to miss God's direction than to mistakenly step out in faith. 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 trying to change people before earning access to their hearts? In this episode, Bill and Scott challenge common misconceptions about submission by defining it as the voluntary choice to let trusted people love, guide, and influence your life. They discuss that permission and trust are essential for meaningful relationships, as genuine influence never comes through control or manipulation. Scott and Bill also emphasize that grace addresses the person first with affirmation before dealing with brokenness or sin. It’s important that we believe people so they can dwell in the reality of their own answer. Once they come to that reality, we’ll be available to talk and show true, Biblical grace. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:05) Submission simply means "to let" and points to Jesus as the perfect model of willingly letting God lead Him. (02:57) How the church has historically misused and abused the concept of submission with women. (07:12) How mutual submission allows trusted friends to speak truth into each other's lives and strengthen character. (10:49) The principles of submission and trust to leadership, explaining how healthy organizational culture grows through mutual influence. (12:34) Permission is granting another person access to your life and explains why even God seeks permission rather than forcing change. (16:26) Affirming a person's value before addressing their behavior removes fear of condemnation, and opens the door for meaningful transformation. (19:14) You should never ask for permission to speak into someone's life if you are not willing to receive a "no". (21:05) Respecting a person’s refusal to submit, demonstrating that honoring another person's freedom builds greater trust than manipulation. 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 using your freedom to pursue trivial desires, or are you letting it become the outward voice of your love for others? In this episode, Bill and Scott begin a new series exploring Galatians 5:13-15 and the freedom that Jesus gives us. This freedom is intended to build trust and serve others, rather than satisfy selfish desires. They discuss how unresolved personal issues and shame distort our view of God and others, keeping us isolated and afraid of being fully known. Forgiveness and repentance allow us to resolve the past, experience healing, and live without being defined by old pain. Bill and Scott encourage us to move beyond self-protection and discover that genuine freedom naturally produces healthy, trusting relationships. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:08) Galatians 5:13-15 - freedom is given to be used in loving and serving others, rather than pursuing selfish desires. (02:51) Unresolved shame distorts the way people view themselves, God, and others, making trust impossible to experience. (05:47) Freedom from unresolved sin is never meant for self-centered living but is intended to build trust with other people. (09:06) Don’t reduce freedom to getting what you want but to use it as an expression of love that helps free others. (10:55) Living in fear because of past hurts vs choosing to enter relationships because genuine love makes trust possible. (13:15) Nothing from a person's past is beyond redemption, and experiencing this freedom naturally produces trust in 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/

Why is isolation the single greatest threat to your effectiveness as a leader? In this episode, Bill and Scott continue their discussion on maturity by explaining that the ability to love others begins with first allowing yourself to be loved. They talk about the vital roles that trust, vulnerability, and receiving care play in healthy relationships, parenting, marriage, and leadership. Isolation is the greatest cause of failure in leadership. Meaningful feedback and influence into your life transforms both you and those around you. Also, receiving love - from God and from trusted people - is what empowers someone to genuinely care for, serve, and influence others. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (01:35) Why people who have never truly received love often struggle to genuinely love those around them. (05:09) Allowing trusted people to make significant contributions to your life as the foundation for influencing others. (12:19) Competency can never satisfy relational needs nor can leaders lead from isolation. (14:20) Bill shares a personal story about receiving honest feedback from his children and discovering how his impatience affected them. 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 allowing others to speak into your life, serve you, and reveal what you cannot see? In this episode, Bill and Scott discuss how mature leaders must continuously choose vulnerability by remaining lifelong learners who are open to receiving from others. They explore how allowing others to speak into your life, correct you, care for you, and meet your needs requires humility and vulnerability. It also requires not feeling the obligation to repay what is received. Allowing others to meet your needs, serve you, and offer care is a vital leadership principle that directly fosters growth and maturity in the person giving. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:04) Mature leaders demonstrate vulnerability by remaining open learners who let others speak into their lives. (03:12) The danger of ceasing to learn, noting that refusing to learn and receive from others halts a leader's personal maturity. (05:47) Becoming a receiver is a critical part of maturity because growth comes through what people receive, not just what they know. (07:28) How receiving care without feeling indebted is difficult, but necessary because love is not meant to be transactional. (10:47) Many people find it easier to receive critique than care because critique focuses on actions while care focuses on who they are. (13:16) Vulnerability is not about exposing everything publicly but about allowing others to speak, serve, and meet needs. 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 happens when another person's strengths feel encouraging instead of threatening? In this episode, Bill and Scott explore one of the defining characteristics of healthy leadership: the ability to appreciate, trust, and submit to the strengths of other people instead of competing with them, or fearing them. Leadership reaches a new level when people begin to appreciate and empower the unique strengths that others bring to the table. Bill and Scott discuss how empowering capable people creates healthier organizations, stronger teams, and better decisions. They challenge leaders to replace insecurity with trust and discover the freedom that comes from leading alongside others instead of above them. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:04) Mature leaders do not fear other people's strengths; they understand, appreciate, and submit to them. (02:17) Growing organizations can outgrow leaders who become threatened by stronger team members instead of developing them. (05:43) The Biblical model of Saul and David illustrates that fear of another's strengths is evidence of leadership immaturity. (10:36) Leadership roles and titles do not automatically provide the capacity to make every decision. There is freedom found in sharing responsibility. (13:50) Honoring people for who they are and trusting their abilities strengthens both individuals and the entire organization. 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 changes when relationships become more important than behavior? In this episode, Bill and Scott discuss how mature leaders protect others through love, grace, and relational honor rather than through control or authority. They explore the importance of seeking permission before offering guidance, emphasizing that meaningful influence only occurs when people willingly grant access to their lives. Ultimately, by examining how Jesus modeled vulnerability and grace, the discussion challenges us to honor others by prioritizing relationships over performance. What a powerful thing to consider. Do we consider a relationship with another more important than their performance? Wow. Mature leaders, parents, and friends come alongside others in their vulnerability, creating environments of grace, rather than judgment. Topics Bill Thrall and Scott Boyd discuss in this episode: (00:04) Mature Christians protect and honor people by seeking permission before attempting to influence them. (03:03) Protection is honoring people by coming alongside them in their vulnerability rather than judging them. (05:12) When people experience true grace, relationships will always take priority over outward behavior. (07:36) Permission is a person's decision to allow someone else to affect their life and heart. (12:11) Jesus led strictly from His person in humility rather than relying on position or knowledge. (14:30) Parents can protect teenagers more effectively by seeking relational access rather than relying on authority alone. 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/