First Shallowater: FIRST THINGS FIRST

Never Alone: Morgan Castillo’s Story of Trust, Healing, and Surrender

In this heartfelt conversation, Pastor Brad Miles sits down with Morgan Castillo—wife, mom, teacher, and longtime member of First Baptist Shallowater—to talk about her powerful journey of faith, healing, and trust in God.
Morgan shares how the Lord met her in seasons of loss, fear, and waiting, gently breaking down walls and reminding her: “I’ve always been here.” Together, Brad and Morgan reflect on how God redeems pain, the beauty of community, and what it means to truly believe that Christ is enough—even in the waiting.
Whether you’re walking through loss, struggling to trust, or learning to rest in God’s timing, this episode will remind you that you have never walked alone.
Tell us how we can pray for you.
Find out more about First Shallowater.

Nancy Dipprey talks about finding freedom from trying to measure up

Join us as we sit down with Nancy Dipprey for a heartfelt conversation about one of the most freeing truths of the Christian life — the freedom of self-forgetfulness.
Nancy shares with honesty and grace how God has met her in seasons of striving — the times when her worth felt tied to performance, success, or the approval of others. Through those struggles, she’s discovered a deeper rest and joy that come from releasing control and remembering that life is not ultimately about us, but about Him.
Together, we explore:
What it really means to live in the freedom God intends for His children.
How to let go of striving and find peace in God’s sufficiency.
Practical tools and spiritual rhythms Nancy uses to stay grounded in truth.
The beauty of allowing God to work in us and through us — not by our effort, but by His grace.
This episode is an encouragement for anyone who feels weary from trying to measure up — a reminder that true freedom begins when we take our eyes off ourselves and fix them on Christ.
Listen in and be refreshed by the simple, freeing truth: You don’t have to strive for what God has already given you.
 
Resources mentioned in the podcast
Allen, J. (2020). Get Out of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thoughts. WaterBrook.
Allen, J. (2023). Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It. WaterBrook.
Allen, J. (n.d.). Stop the Spiral [Video teaching series]. IF:Gathering / RightNow Media.
Keller, T. (2012). The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy. 10Publishing.
Krasowski, T. (2019). The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible. Bethany House Publishers.

I Surrender All with Susan Swinburn

👉 Listen to “I Surrender All” with Susan Swinburn—now streaming on First Things First.
 
What happens when life doesn’t go according to your plan? This week, we’re joined by Susan Swinburn, who opens up about lessons learned in surrender—recognizing that our plans aren’t always God’s plans.
In this honest and hope-filled conversation, Susan shares how learning to say “I Surrender All” transformed her outlook, helped her uncover the root of anger that often comes when things don’t go as we think they should, and reminded her of the deep importance of community along the way.
Tune in for encouragement, reflection, and a gentle reminder to trust the One who holds it all together.
 

WHAT IS HE THINKING? With Pastor Brad

Pastor Brad Miles is joining us this week to give a sneak peek at his upcoming sermon, “Christian-ish.”
Ever wonder what it really means to follow Jesus instead of just going through the motions? Pastor Brad digs into what it looks like to move from a “Christian-ish” life to a faith that’s fully Christ-centered—and why it matters in our everyday lives.
Tune in for a real, down-to-earth conversation about faith, growth, and living out what we believe.
👉 Catch our chat with Pastor Brad Miles on First Things First!
 

Shannon Cowley: Trusting God in the Storm

Sometimes the things that we find ourselves facing in our lives can leave us discouraged, anxious, even angry at God. Maybe that’s where you are right now. On this episode, Shannon Cowley talks about being overwhelmed by the magnitude of God’s love, and learning to lean on that love when things get really hard and uncertain.
 
If you’ve ever found yourself questioning God, or feeling generally hopeless, Shannon’s story will be an encouragement to you!
 
Listen now and be encouraged to remember God’s love for you, especially when life get’s really hard.
Find out more about First Shallowater.
Tell us how we can be praying for you.

Brody Williams talks about Finding Purpose Beyond the Game

In this powerful episode, Brody Williams opens up about discovering God’s presence in seasons of hurt and loneliness and how shifting his identity from football to faith transformed his life. He shares what it truly means to have a relationship with God—and how surrendering his own plans led to peace, purpose, and a deeper understanding of who he is in Christ.
If you’ve ever wrestled with disappointment,loneliness, church hurt, identity, or direction, this conversation will remind you that God’s plan is always better than our own.
✨ Listen now and be encouraged to trust God’s purpose—even when the path looks different than you expected.
Tell us how we can pray for you!
Find out more about First Shallowater!

REPLAY: Rodney Vincent talks about the value of Christian mentors and seeing the Kingdom purpose in your vocation.

NOTICE: This episode is a rebroadcast of our previous conversation with Coach Rodney Vincent. In honor of football season, enjoy this awesome conversation with an awesome guy!
There are people in our lives who profoundly change our course because of their faithfulness, their compassion and their sincere commitment to Christ. Rodney Vincent is now, and has been for a long time, one of those people for a lot of folks. During his 20+ years of coaching, Rodney has influenced countless young people to work hard, dream big, be team players, and to follow Christ. On this episode, though, he talks about the people in his life who did that for him. You are going to love hearing these stories and getting to know Coach Vincent a little bit better.
For more information about First Shallowater, click here.

Melissa Green talks about flourishing through surrender.

What if flourishing isn’t about fighting harder—but surrendering deeper?
In this powerful episode, Melissa Green shares her journey of discovering the freedom that comes when we stop trying to win battles in our own strength. She opens up about the power of surrender, what it means to find your true identity in God, and the spiritual weapons that helped her fight through fear and discouragement to live fully in Christ.
If you’ve ever felt like the battle is too big, or wondered how to truly flourish in your faith, this conversation will inspire and encourage you.
✨ Listen now and be reminded: you don’t have to fight alone, and you are already equipped to stand strong in God’s truth.
Tell us how we can pray for you.
Find out more about First Shallowater.
 

Kyler Kleibrink talks about the power of serving, and finding real accountability

This week on the podcast we are joined by Kyler Kleibrink. Kyler and his Meisha have been members at First Shallowater for several years (make sure you check out Meisha's episode of the podcast). Kyler is a proud member of the Lubbock Fire Department. He volunteers in our youth group, and is involved in men's ministry at our church. You are going to love hearing Kyler's story!
If you are a man looking for sincere, authentic friendships with other men in our church, Kyler would love to talk to you. He told us we could share his phone number. Call him! (254) 253-1994.
Find out more about First Shallowater!
Tell us how we can pray for you.
Learn more about Fight Club!

Amy Smallwood shares how things can be well with our souls even when things around us are not okay

Join us this week as we visit with Amy Smallwood. Amy is a Licensed Professional Counselor and will be our guest speaker at our It Is Well Conference on September 21st. Her experiences as a believer and a counselor help us have great insight into how we can find rest for our souls in our daily lives! You won’t want to miss this episode!