Monday Feb 10, 2025

370: Jeff Haanen and Faith in Technicolor

What was the experience for you that changed your faith dramatically?

Our guest today shares the moment that moved his faith from his head to his heart and how it changed how he sees everything.

Jeff Haanen is a writer and entrepreneur. He’s the founder of Denver Institute for Faith & Work, an educational organization that creates content and experiences around topics related to faith, work, the economy, and modern culture.

Today, Jeff shares how he found faith while recovering from an injury, his funny response to praying aloud for the first time, and how he started thinking about faith and work. Plus, Jeff shares his process as he learned humility.

Jeff's story reminds us the Gospel is best infused into every aspect of our lives.

Listen to Jeff's story anywhere you get your podcasts! 

Stories Jeff shared:

  • Growing up in a Minnesota without a strong faith experience

  • Getting hurt before his senior year and reading the Bible and other books

  • Praying in a group for the first time

  • Joining a missions organization and going to Ecuador

  • Learning how to pay attention to people

  • Deciding to go to seminary with an insatiable curiosity

  • Starting the Denver Institute for Faith and Work

  • Noticing “cracks” in his armor

  • Realizing that he was looking for his identity in his work

  • Going on a self-awareness journey

  • Deconstruction how he lived his Christian life

  • Leaving Denver Institute for Faith & Work

  • How serving is crucial for work

Great quotes from Jeff:

My brain was way ahead of my heart and that's been a lot of my own faith journey. 

We need to go on a journey of seeking deep spiritual health.

A critical element of that self awareness journey is simply opening ourselves to what is and noticing what's there and not trying to fix it. 

Resources we mentioned (Affiliate links):

Related episodes:

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