Let me ask you: What does your faith look like on Monday morning, beyond Sunday?
Welcome back to Beyond the Rut, the podcast about helping married Christian men create a life worth living in your faith, family, and career. I’m your host, Jerry Dugan, and author of the book titled, Beyond the Rut: Create a Life Worth Living in Your Faith, Family, and Career. Join me as we dive into Week 2 of the Beyond the Rut Journey with a focus on Faith Beyond Sunday. Grab a notebook and a pen and let’s get started!
For so many of us, faith gets boxed into Sunday mornings—worship, sermons, and community prayer. But what happens when the week starts, and you’re back at work, managing deadlines, dealing with coworkers, or trying to balance the demands of family life?
In this episode, we’re diving into what it means to take your faith beyond Sunday and live it out in every area of your life. Because here’s the truth: God’s plan for your faith doesn’t end when you leave the church parking lot. It’s meant to shape your decisions, relationships, and even how you handle challenges in your career.
Table of Contents
Faith Beyond the Pew
In my book Beyond the Rut, I wrote:
“Faith isn’t about perfect attendance on Sundays; it’s about showing up for God in every part of your life.”
What does that mean? It’s about moving beyond being a “Sunday Christian” and letting God’s Word guide you in your day-to-day life.
Example 1: Faith in Work
• Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”
• When you view your work as an act of worship, you bring excellence, integrity, and humility to the table—not for the approval of others, but as a reflection of your faith.
Example 2: Faith in Family
• What does faith look like in your home? Is it visible to your kids? Your spouse?
• Small actions, like family prayer, reading Scripture together, or serving your community, can be powerful ways to model faith beyond Sunday.
The Challenge of Living Faith Daily
Let’s be honest—it’s not always easy.
• Work stress, fatigue, and the noise of daily life can make it hard to keep God at the center.
• Sometimes we separate faith from the “real world,” thinking, God doesn’t care about this spreadsheet or that school project.
But here’s the truth: God cares deeply about every part of your life.
On Beyond the Rut episode 325, I interviewed a leader named Johnny Sirpilla who realized he had been compartmentalizing his faith outside of work. He was deeply faithful in his struggle with his wife to have a baby, but at the same time, he was running a business that wasn’t living up to the values he held for himself.
As a result, the company suffered issues ranging from customer complaints to employee turnover, and the erosion of the legacy his father had built. While he was a bold Christian on Sunday, he hesitated to live out his beliefs at work. That all changed when Johnny recognized that work-life and home-life inevitably bleed together.
He made a commitment to let his values guide him at work, just as they did in his personal life. He created a declaration of values for his company’s leaders and employees, made himself accountable to his staff, and began holding others accountable for behaviors tied to those values.
At first, some employees chose to leave voluntarily, but what followed was remarkable: employee engagement, performance, and productivity improved, which in turn boosted customer satisfaction.
Johnny eventually sold his RV business to Camping World, where he stayed on as CEO until his retirement. For Johnny, every task, interaction, and challenge became an opportunity to glorify God—and everything changed, both for him and for the people around him.
Practical Steps to Take Your Faith Beyond Sunday
1. Start Your Day with God:
• Dedicate the first 10-15 minutes of your day to prayer, Scripture, or quiet reflection. Ask God to guide you in your work and relationships.
2. See Your Work as Worship:
• Whether you’re crunching numbers, managing a team, or serving your family, remind yourself that your work honors God when done with integrity.
3. Serve Others Intentionally:
• Look for small ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus in your everyday life.
• Example: Encourage a coworker, help a neighbor, or volunteer in your community.
4. Bring Faith into Your Family Life:
• Start small: Pray together at dinner, read a devotional as a family, or discuss what God’s been teaching you.
Action Step for This Week:
Choose one area of your life—work, family, or personal time—and intentionally bring your faith into it this week. Journal about what changes you notice.
Living your faith beyond Sunday isn’t just about doing more—it’s about being more. It’s about letting God’s love and truth transform the way you live, love, and work.
Next week, we’ll take another big step on this journey and talk about how to prioritize your time and energy to focus on what truly matters—your family.
Until then, remember: Life is too short to live stuck in a rut. Let’s go beyond it.
Journal Prompts for Week 2: Faith Beyond Sunday
Prompt 1: Reflect on Your Current Faith Practices
- How do you typically express your faith during the week? Is it different from how you live on Sundays?
- Are there areas of your life (work, family, relationships) where you feel hesitant to bring your faith? Why?
Prompt 2: Envision Faith Beyond Sunday
- What would it look like to fully integrate your faith into your daily life?
- How could your actions at work or home reflect Christ’s love and truth more clearly?
Prompt 3: Take Action
- Write down one specific way you’ll live out your faith this week—at work, in your family, or with your community.
- What challenges might you face in doing this? How can you prepare for them?
Resources:
Past episodes you may like from Beyond the Rut related to this episode.
Reframing Mindset During Difficult Times – BtR 325
3 Reasons Why Living with Faith Is So Important – BtR 314
Faith at Work: Practical Strategies for a More Meaningful Career – BtR 418
Want to design a personalized map toward your life’s success, then download this free tool, Measure It to Make It and get started today.
Listen to Beyond the Rut on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
