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Do the Work Before the Work
Posted on: Tuesday December 09, 2025

In this episode of the Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast, Pete Scazzero challenges pastors and leaders with a simple yet radical invitation: "Do the work before the work."

This is more than a productivity principle. It's a call to integrity—where your outer leadership flows from your inner life with God. Through a compelling reflection on Jesus' own rhythms of solitude, limits, and Spirit-led decisions, Pete explores how the greatest threat to your leadership may not be your church, your staff, or your context—but your own unexamined inner life.

You'll hear the ancient tale of The Woodcarver, brought to life through Thomas Merton's lens, and discover how it mirrors the kind of inner work Jesus modeled in the wilderness.

If you've ever felt the pressure to perform, the pull of others' expectations, or the pace of a life without margin, this episode offers a pathway back to wholeness—and a leadership that's both fruitful and free.

 

Archives:
Tuesday October 20, 2020

In today's podcast, Pete concludes a three-part series on how Scripture invites us to live and lead in such deeply polarizing times. Throughout this series, we are exploring a total of six radical invitations.

Tuesday October 13, 2020

In last week's podcast, Pete explored how our overly-politicized climate is not different from when Jesus walked the earth. Today, he continues the conversation by offering the next two radical invitations from Scripture that will help leaders navigate this moment with health, wisdom, and maturity.

Tuesday October 06, 2020

In the first episode of this three-part series, Pete explores how our overly-politicized climate is not different from when Jesus walked the earth. He offers six radical invitations from Scripture that will help leaders navigate this moment with health, wisdom, and maturity.

Tuesday September 29, 2020

Following up on last week's podcast called "Relax. It's going to be ok.", I continue the theme by entering into God's invitation for us found in Psalm 23.

But how do we rest in a time like this? Listen along to find out.

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Have you noticed that everyone is a little on edge? (This may be the understatement of the year!)

Tuesday September 15, 2020

In today's podcast, Pete shares with you a message from the book of Revelation that has grounded him for years - especially in times of uncertainty.

Tuesday September 08, 2020

In today's podcast, Pete dives into the story of Moses and explore the excuses that could have kept him from responding to God's call on His life.

Tuesday September 01, 2020

In this podcast Pete and Geri address topics such as revival, anxiety, and the need for well-differentiated, non-anxious leadership.

Tuesday August 25, 2020

In today's podcast, I explore a revelation that came to the prophet Isaiah in a time of great change. In this vision, he saw God on a throne and that a great future was going to spring out of an unlikely place.

Monday August 17, 2020

In today's podcast, I share with you a sermon based on Isaiah 43 exploring God's divine purpose in a season of disorientation and how we can step into the plan of God.