The Storytellers - Episode 024: Joel Stepanek

Joel Stepanek grew up believing that humility required shunning success, never accepting praise, and embracing a crummy life so that God would reward him in heaven. Then he became successful—at being a missionary. On a quest to find balance, Stepanek discovered powerful wisdom hidden within a nineteenth-century prayer that radically changed his life: the Litany of Humility. He shows you what he has learned about true Christian humility and how to right-size your expectations for living this crucial virtue.


As Stepanek, director of resource development at Life Teen, began to study and pray with the Litany of Humility, he discovered a pattern for spiritual growth that now anchors the way he lives. In Chasing Humility, he helps you explore eight essential aspects of humility in the life of a Christian: authenticity, confidence, gratitude, love, praise, empowerment, mentoring, and breaking barriers.


In addition to humorous and engaging stories and theological reflections, each chapter gives you practical exercises for spiritual growth such as:



  • creating an authenticity diagram to explore how you see yourself, how you think God sees you, and how you believe others do;
  • learning to keep a gratitude journal; and
  • developing habits of speech that acknowledge and praise others for successes, rather than remaining focused on your own accomplishments.



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