ToddTalks--Spirit By Design: Your Weekly Survival Guide

Hosted by Todd Andrewsen

Business Entrepreneurship Education Health FitnessInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

214

Latest episode

Sep 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

ToddTalks--Spirit By Design is for those of you who desire to increase your spiritual wellness, utilize spiritual gifts, and overcome spiritual obstacles. If you struggle to maintain your spirituality, your beliefs, your testimony, in this chaotic world, come listen in and learn some things that can change your life. Maybe you can't make it to church due to your responsibilities whatever they may be. Maybe you struggle with your Testimony or beliefs and are looking for help. Maybe you just need someone to give you ideas on how to build and strengthen your faith. This podcast is to help you design your spiritual life. Spirit by Design means you are in charge of your life. You surrender it to God and allow him to help you design the life you desire. By developing and strengthening your spiritual side, you will find peace, joy and serenity in this chaotic world that is only getting worse.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 11, 2026Episode 4828 min

Consistency-Simple, Not Easy: Building Spiritual Strength Through Daily Habits

Send us Fan Mail You can feel inspired in a single day, but you don’t rebuild a life that way. Real transformation comes from the quiet work you repeat when nobody is clapping for you and when progress feels slow. We dig into the power of consistency and why the small choices you make daily are the choices that eventually shape your body, your mindset, your relationships, and your discipleship of Jesus Christ. We start with a simple truth from lived experience: inconsistency brings inconsistent results, while steady effort compounds. That’s true with exercise, better eating, and mental toughness, and it’s just as true with spiritual habits like daily prayer, scripture study, gratitude, and listening for promptings. We connect practical habit building to scripture and teachings such as “be not weary in well doing” and “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass,” plus the idea that spiritual growth works like compounding interest. Then we get practical and honest about the part most people miss: consistency is not perfection, it’s persistence. Missing a day isn’t the end, quitting is. We talk about why intensity burns people out, how simple routines and accountability make change sustainable, and how repeated actions become identity over time. If you want a clear next step, we invite you to pick one spiritual habit and one life habit and commit to them for 30 days. Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday, share this with a friend who needs momentum, and leave a review so more people can find it. What two habits are you choosing for the next 30 days? Support the show You can reach me anytime at email: tandrewsen.monat@gmail.com Instagram @toddtalks_ig

September 8, 2026Episode 4721 min

What Makes A Good Man or Woman?

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever wondered why someone can look impressive and still feel hollow, this conversation gets straight to the point: goodness is not a brand, a bank balance, or a perfectly curated life. We start with a simple idea that came out of real-world talks with pilots about judgment and character, then move into the question that actually matters for Christian living: what makes a good man or a good woman? We pull from Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and Aristotle to explore virtue, self-mastery, and the power of repeated habits, then place those insights next to scripture and modern prophetic counsel. President D. Todd Christofferson’s teaching that Christlike character grows out of a Christlike heart reframes the whole project. Behavior is the fruit, but the heart is the tree. That leads to a practical self-audit: if God could change one thing about your heart, what would you ask Him to change? From there, we get concrete. Goodness shows up when it costs something, when strength is paired with restraint, and when integrity holds in private. We talk about meekness as real power under control, the danger of “curated character” in a social media age, and why honesty is more than not lying. We also connect President Russell M. Nelson’s call to be peacemakers with the daily chain that builds character: thoughts, words, actions. Finally, we name what philosophy can’t supply on its own: grace. The hope isn’t manufacturing perfection through willpower, but coming to Christ and being changed from the inside out, “even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27). If this helps you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us what daily habit you’re choosing to practice this week. Support the show You can reach me anytime at email: tandrewsen.monat@gmail.com Instagram @toddtalks_ig

September 4, 2026Episode 4619 min

Don’t Judge Me Because I Sin Differently Than You!

Send us Fan Mail The fastest way to feel righteous is to find someone else’s weakness, but it’s also one of the quickest ways to lose the Spirit. We dig into a trap that shows up in real Christian life: spotting “obvious” sins in others while missing the quieter sins in ourselves like pride, sarcasm, gossip, and the need to feel superior. Matthew 7 doesn’t let us stay comfortable. Jesus teaches that the judgment we use will come back to us, then gives the sharp picture of the mote and the beam. We talk about what righteous judgment actually means and what it doesn’t. Standards still matter. Truth still matters. Repentance still matters. The challenge is learning to judge righteously without condemning identities, without pretending we know someone’s heart, and without using another person’s failure as evidence of our own goodness. Modern prophetic guidance brings this down to street level. We explore the difference between intermediate judgments and final judgments, why it changes everything to “judge situations rather than people,” and how Christ models uncompromising truth with remarkable compassion. You’ll also get a practical self-check: five questions to ask before you criticize, plus a Golden Rule reset for how you want others to treat you when you fall short. If you want stronger relationships, cleaner discipleship, and a more Christlike way to talk about sin and grace, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs more mercy in their feed, and leave a review to help more people find the show. Support the show You can reach me anytime at email: tandrewsen.monat@gmail.com Instagram @toddtalks_ig

September 1, 2026Episode 4546 min

What If Doubt Is Part Of Faith? Interview With Lila Willardson

Send us Fan Mail Some prayers are peaceful. Some are honest enough to sound like a fight. Todd sits down with his close friend Lila Willardson for a real conversation about spiritual discipline, hearing the Spirit, and what it looks like to keep turning toward God even when you don’t feel confident, energized, or certain. We start with the Old Testament and the reminder it keeps repeating: God consistently works through imperfect people, which means He can work through us too. We dig into the daily habits that actually change a life, including morning scripture study, conference talks, and building a routine that makes it easier to recognize and act on spiritual promptings. Lila shares what it means to put God first through prayer and covenant keeping, and why a covenant is more than a promise. Then we go somewhere many people avoid: frustration, doubt, and the “what if God isn’t real?” questions. Instead of treating doubt as failure, we talk about bringing it into the relationship and letting God meet you in it. Joy shows up in a surprising place: service. We explore why helping others can be a steady source of meaning, especially in seasons when you can’t name a single “passion.” We also reflect on family, love through hard times, and the kinds of small, quiet choices that shape who we become. Lila closes with a mission insight from Mexico: even brief spiritual moments can create eternal ripples you may never see. If you want practical faith, honest prayer, and a stronger ability to hear and follow personal revelation, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review with the habit that helps you put God first. Support the show You can reach me anytime at email: tandrewsen.monat@gmail.com Instagram @toddtalks_ig

August 28, 2026Episode 4424 min

Making And Keeping Covenants Is How You Grow Stronger Spiritually

Send us Fan Mail Covenants can feel intimidating until you realize what they’re designed to do: connect you to Jesus Christ so His power can change you. We talk about why spiritual strength isn’t accidental and why simply learning more isn’t the same as becoming more. Using the analogy of physical fitness, we break down how repeated, faithful “training” builds endurance, capacity, and resilience over time, especially when life gets hard and you feel spiritually tired. We define what a covenant is: a two-way agreement where God sets the terms and then binds Himself to bless, sustain, sanctify, and transform us as we choose Him. From there, we walk through the Abrahamic covenant as a bigger purpose for blessings, not just personal comfort but being strengthened to bless others. We also connect the baptismal covenant in Mosiah 18 to real daily discipleship: bearing burdens, mourning, comforting, and standing as a witness of God. We explore the sacrament as weekly spiritual recovery through repentance and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, then discuss temple covenants with care for what is sacred while still teaching the principles: ordinances, commitment, consecration, and deeper access to the power of godliness. You’ll also hear five practical outcomes of covenant keeping, including stronger resistance to temptation and an anchored identity in a chaotic world. If you want a stronger marriage, a stronger family, and a steadier soul, this is a clear roadmap for covenant living as spiritual fitness. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a five-star review so more people can find it. Support the show You can reach me anytime at email: tandrewsen.monat@gmail.com Instagram @toddtalks_ig

August 25, 2026Episode 4323 min

When God Is First Everything Else Falls Into Place

Send us Fan Mail Your life can be full of good things and still feel out of order. We’re talking about one change that acts like a master switch: putting God first. Not as a vague intention, but as the real first priority that becomes the filter for your time, money, attention, relationships, and goals. Using Matthew 6:33 as the anchor, we explore why God isn’t another item on the list. He’s the foundation that makes the list make sense. We walk through what “God first” looks like in the places that matter most. In marriage, it turns winning into covenant love and replaces the pressure to be “made happy” with Christlike service and loyalty through hard seasons. In family life, it reframes parenting as stewardship and challenges the idea that the best gift to kids is more stuff, more activities, or more status. Instead, we model faith, love, and ordered priorities they can actually copy. We also get practical about fitness and finances. Health becomes stewardship instead of vanity, so exercise and nutrition support spiritual strength and real-world service. Money becomes a tool instead of a master, and we ask the heart-level question that exposes our true priorities. Tithing shows up as a lived declaration that God comes before income, and abundance is tied to freedom to do good. If you’ve been craving clarity, this is your reset. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s trying to get life back in order, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show You can reach me anytime at email: tandrewsen.monat@gmail.com Instagram @toddtalks_ig

August 21, 2026Episode 4220 min

What If Busy Is Your Biggest Temptation - Coose Between What’s Good, What’s Better, and What’s Best!

Send us Fan Mail Something feels off even when you’re doing all the right things. You’re working, serving, learning, staying active, showing up for family, and trying to be a better disciple of Jesus Christ, yet there’s still that quiet sense that something is missing. We go straight at the uncomfortable possibility: some good things might be blocking the best things God wants for your life. We build the conversation around President Dallin H. Oaks’ “Good, Better, Best,” then get painfully practical about time management and spiritual priorities. Time is not renewable, so every yes automatically becomes a no somewhere else. That changes the question from “Is this good?” to “What am I becoming because of what I’m doing?” We walk through the Martha and Mary story, and we look at how Jesus consistently chooses people over pace, showing us the difference between being inefficient and being intentional. To make it actionable, we share a clear framework you can use today: four questions to run your habits and commitments through, plus a five-year lens that exposes where tiny choices are shaping identity. We talk about opportunity cost, the danger of “winning at the wrong game,” and a simple hierarchy from Matthew 22 that keeps God first, people next, and everything else in its proper place. You’ll leave with a concrete exercise: write your own good, better, best list and replace one distracting habit with something that produces eternal value. If this helps, subscribe for more Spirit by Design, share it with a friend who feels overloaded, and leave a five-star review so more people can find the show. Support the show You can reach me anytime at email: tandrewsen.monat@gmail.com Instagram @toddtalks_ig

August 19, 2026Episode 4122 min

Personal Revelation - God Teaches You How To Think With Him

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever second-guessed a prompting, you’re not alone. We get honest about what personal revelation actually feels like when it shows up in normal life: a thought that lands with quiet clarity, a feeling of peace that won’t let go, or that moment when your mind and heart agree and you know you need to act. We talk about why God expects us to think, not outsource our agency to algorithms, anxiety, or anyone else. The pattern is simple but demanding: study things out, pray, ask, listen, then act. Along the way we connect scriptures and modern counsel, including Doctrine and Covenants 8 on revelation in the mind and heart, Joseph Smith’s James 1:5 question, and President Russell M. Nelson’s warning that we won’t be able to function in the latter days without the Holy Ghost. In a world of deepfakes, fake news, and constant noise, spiritual discernment is not optional, it’s survival. We also unpack a powerful analogy from Elder Dale G. Renlund: revelation works within a framework, like aviation. Inside the laws, you can safely use incredible capability; outside the framework, you crash and burn. That framework includes scripture study, prayer, covenants, and stewardship. And we push on the practical challenge many of us face: getting quiet enough to hear God. Stillness, reflection, and even meditation can create space for the Spirit of truth to guide us. If you want a clearer way to recognize promptings and trust what you receive, listen now, then share this with a friend, leave a five-star review, and follow Todd Talks Spirit by Design so you don’t miss the next episode. Support the show You can reach me anytime at email: tandrewsen.monat@gmail.com Instagram @toddtalks_ig

August 18, 2026Episode 4016 min

God Prepares You For A Moment Like This - Esther

Send us Fan Mail The moment you’ve been avoiding has a question attached to it: will you choose what’s right even if it costs you something? We dig into the kind of courage that doesn’t come from hype or fearlessness, but from discipleship rooted in Jesus Christ. If you’ve ever felt pressure to stay quiet, blend in, or trade conviction for comfort, this message is for you. We walk through Esther’s defining decision and Mordecai’s timeless challenge from Esther 4:14, “such a time as this.” Esther doesn’t rush in on adrenaline. She fasts, invites others to fast, seeks divine help, and then moves forward without knowing the outcome. That pattern becomes a practical roadmap for anyone trying to follow the Spirit through hard choices, especially when personal revelation feels urgent and the stakes feel real. From there, we bring courage into everyday life: standing for truth when others stay silent, refusing dishonest practices, protecting your marriage, repenting when pride wants to hide, and choosing moral cleanliness when it’s unpopular. We connect Captain Moroni’s Title of Liberty to modern covenant living, share a real story about navigating storms by instruments, and end with three simple principles that build spiritual strength over time. Subscribe for more, share this with someone who needs courage today, and leave a review with the phrase you’re choosing to live by this week. Support the show You can reach me anytime at email: tandrewsen.monat@gmail.com Instagram @toddtalks_ig

August 14, 2026Episode 3920 min

God’s Glory Is Intelligence - Seek to Constantly Grow Intelectually

Send us Fan Mail God’s glory isn’t wealth. It isn’t raw power. It’s intelligence, light, and truth and that single idea can change how you treat learning, creativity, and ambition as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I challenge the belief that “getting more spiritual” means caring less about education, innovation, and building meaningful things. Heaven teaches the opposite: the more we learn, the more prepared we are to become like Him and to bless His children. We dig into modern scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 93 and 88 to show why God ties spiritual strength to intellectual growth, and why “study and faith” belong together. I talk about how faith without study can become shallow, how study without faith can become prideful, and how combining both produces wisdom you can actually use in real life. I also share why creation is divine and why building, writing, inventing, and solving problems can be expressions of discipleship when your motives are righteous. From the brother of Jared proposing a solution before the miracle, to the parable of the talents warning against burying gifts, the pattern is consistent: God partners with creators. We also look at how inspired innovation has blessed the world, and why comfort and fear are often the real enemies of spiritual progress. Then I leave you with practical invitations for the week, including daily study, naming your hidden dreams, praying for a solution you can develop, and creating something that increases your capacity to serve. If this message helps you, subscribe to Todd Talk Spirit By Design, share it with a friend, and leave a five-star review so more people can find it. Support the show You can reach me anytime at email: tandrewsen.monat@gmail.com Instagram @toddtalks_ig