Leaving the Lifeboat: Faith, Leadership, and Answering the Impossible Call
Leaving the Lifeboat: Faith, Leadership, and Answering the Impossible Call
In this powerful episode of Crazy Unbelievable Faith, Brian and Kersha Owen sit down with education leaders Dr. Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley to tackle a profound question: What happens when God asks you to leap out of the boat? This isn't just a discussion about career changes; it's a deep dive into the nature of radical obedience. From leaving a secure CPA profession for the classroom to walking away from a 21-year career to start a new venture, our guests share their personal stories of trusting God's "tug" over worldly logic. This is a raw conversation about what it truly means to step out in faith when comfort and security are on the line.
The conversation unfolds into a masterclass on servant leadership and unwavering faith in the face of crisis. Jim shares his vulnerable journey of leading a school district while battling a life-threatening diagnosis, revealing how his steadiness became a powerful testimony that impacted his family and colleagues. Nathan provides a firsthand account of witnessing that faith and explains how it shaped his own leadership and courage to take his own leaps. This episode is a must-listen for anyone feeling called to something more, facing a daunting career decision, or navigating a personal storm. It’s a candid look at how our private faith has a public impact and how true leadership is forged in the fires of trust and obedience.
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🔥 What You’ll Learn:
Leaving the Lifeboat: Hear the incredible story of leaving a secure, high-paying CPA career for the uncertainty—and purpose—of becoming a teacher and coach.
Trusting the 'Tug': Learn how to recognize and respond when God is pulling you out of your comfort zone, even when it doesn't make logical sense.
Leadership Through Crisis: A powerful testimony of leading with steady faith through a life-altering health diagnosis and its profound ripple effect on others.
The Heart of a Servant Leader: Discover what it means to lead like Jesus, fostering a culture of grace, purpose, and shared mission in the workplace.
Find a Way, Not an Excuse: How to adopt a powerful mindset shift that focuses on faithful action over justifying inaction in the face of challenges.
The Ripple Effect of Your 'Yes': Understand how your personal obedience and the way you walk through trials can be the very thing that leads someone else to faith.
God Equips the Called: Practical encouragement for when you feel unworthy or unprepared for the task God has given you.
💬 Memorable Quotes:
Jim: "That was certainly a time where I felt like God pushing me in a direction, and I knew I kind of jumped out, leave the lifeboat and see if I could swim in another way."
Nathan: "All those people in those relationships that you're worried about, it's not your job to take care of them. It's mine."
Nathan: "God for me knows that I don't just need a push. Sometimes I might need a jackhammer."
Kersha: "These stories are for you to have light shone into your dark places. To know that you're not alone, even in that darkness."
Nathan: "If you chose me for this, then I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna go all in."
Nathan: "Find a way or find an excuse."
Jim (on what makes a successful life): "If you can count those solid friendships, solid relationships that you've had, you've lived a successful life."
🛑 Reflect + Apply: Questions to Ask Yourself
Where is God asking you to "leave the lifeboat," and what fears are holding you back?
Are you listening to God's persistent "tug," or are you letting logic and comfort drown out His call?
In your current sphere of influence, are you a positional leader or a servant leader? How can you better serve those around you?
How can your response to personal challenges become a testimony of faith for others to witness?
Are you in a season of "finding excuses"? What's one step you can take today to "find a way" forward in faith?
Who have you invited to your "table" to pray with you and for you through the rocky waters of life?
Scripture Focus:
This episode is a practical application of key biblical principles, including:
Servant Leadership (John 13:1-17): The episode is a real-world example of leading by serving, mirroring Jesus washing the disciples' feet.
God Works for Good (Romans 8:28): Quoted by Nathan, this verse is the anchor for trusting that even difficult paths are part of God's purpose.
Walking by Faith, Not by Sight (2Corinthians 5:7): Both guests made life-altering decisions based on a calling they couldn't fully see, embodying what it means to walk by faith.
God Qualifies the Called (cf. 1Corinthians1:27−29): The theme of feeling unworthy but stepping out anyway rests on the truth that God chooses and equips us for His mission.
🙌 Join the Movement
If you’ve ever felt that God's plan for your career or life seems illogical, risky, or just plain crazy, this episode is for you. Jim and Nathan’s stories are a testament that our greatest impact often lies on the other side of our biggest fears. This is a call to redefine success not by your title or salary, but by your obedience and the quality of your relationships. It’s an encouragement to lead with grace, navigate crises with steady faith, and trust that your "yes" to God can create ripples you may never see this side of heaven.
Meet Our Guests
Dr. Jim Cummins brings together a decade of CPA experience and over 25 years in education leadership, having served as a teacher, coach, principal, superintendent, and college Vice President of Finance. He is passionate about helping education leaders grow through financial consulting, leadership coaching, and practical tools. Known as a jock in high school, many find it amusing that he once modeled band uniforms for a local company and played a comedic role in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Dr. Nathan Manley has over 20 years of K–12 leadership experience, including roles as a teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent. He partners with school leaders to build people-first cultures and is passionate about empowering educators with the vision and skills to foster thriving schools. Fun fact: he can juggle—an unexpected skill that always surprises his colleagues.
💼 Consulting Business
Jim and Nathan also lead a consulting business that supports education leaders and organizations through leadership coaching, financial consulting, and strategic guidance.
📧 Contact Info
Nathan Manley – [email protected]
Jim Cummins – [email protected]
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