The Cultivate Podcast

 

Tammy and her husband, Pastor Matt Brown, founded Sandals Church with the vision of helping people to be real with themselves, God, and others. Out of that vision came Tammy’s personal burden to inspire and challenge women to cultivate kindness toward one another.

Tammy’s heart is to come alongside women SO THAT they can grow spiritually wise, relationally kind, emotionally healthy and connected in community. Join her for a weekly podcast as she invites you into real conversations about what God’s word has to say and what it looks like for us—REAL women—to cultivate it into our everyday lives.

 


 

Listen to The Cultivate Podcast

 

 

Episode Descriptions
For past episodes, kindly visit our archive library.


September – November 2021 | Cultivating YOU: Real Enneagram Conversations:

Episode 47 | What’s the Enneagram? Part 1, featuring Pastor Matt Brown: The Enneagram can’t save you, only Jesus can do that. But the Enneagram will help you better understand yourself, God and others SO THAT you can live the life you were created for. Tammy Brown is joined by Pastor Matt Brown, Lead Pastor of Sandals Church and author of A Book Called YOU: Understanding the Enneagram from a Grace-Filled, Biblical Perspective. Listen in and learn what the Enneagram is, what your style says about you, and how biblical self-discovery can help you cultivate spiritual growth and healthy relationships.

Episode 48 | What’s the Enneagram? Part 2, featuring Pastor Matt Brown: The Enneagram will never replace God’s voice in our life. Why? Because God isn’t the issue, we are. This personality assessment tool reveals both the beauty and the brokenness within us SO THAT we can invite God to help us heal, grow and embrace the life He created us for spiritually, emotionally and relationally. In part 2 of their conversation, Tammy Brown and Pastor Matt Brown, Lead Pastor of Sandals Church and author of A Book Called YOU: Understanding the Enneagram from a Grace-Filled, Biblical Perspective, share why the Enneagram can help us discover our REAL identity in Christ. 

Episode 49 | Good, Right and True According to YOU. The Enneagram Type 1. You love a good checklist, know your right from your wrong and nobody can load a dishwasher like you. Life simply wouldn’t be as orderly without the One. But life is measured by more than perfect details and if you’re not careful, your inner critic will rob you of God’s goodness and grace. Whether you are a Type 1 or want to learn how to love one well, join Tammy Brown and Nancy Salley, our resident Enneagram 1, for a REAL conversation on the beauty and the brokenness of life as a Reformer.

Episode 50 | Help for Me, Help for You. The Enneagram Type 2. You have a heart to serve and you’re the first to raise your hand to help. We can count on the Two to be with us and for us in our times of need. But we’re each so much more than what we do and left to their own devices, the Helper can avoid their own needs and wants to the point of pride, bitterness and burnout. Listen in as Tammy and Megan Renck, our Sandals Moreno Valley Campus Lead and an Enneagram Type 2, talk about setting helping boundaries, investing in self-care and finding rest in God’s love regardless of what you do for Him or others. 

Episode 51 | Gotta Win or Lie Trying. The Enneagram Type 3. You are a visionary – focused, determined and driven to succeed. The Three brings hope, agility and passion to the pursuit of their goals and will gladly help us achieve ours too. But success can’t come at any cost and the fear of failure can cause the Achiever to struggle with their inherent worth leading to deceit of self, God and others. Tammy welcomes Christina Crowley, our Sandals Production Director and an Enneagram 3, to share her pursuit of healthy success in life, family, and ministry. 

Episode 52| All the Feels. The Enneagram Type 4. You see beauty in things that most of us take for granted. The Four has an intuitive ability to express their creativity and help us embrace what’s beautiful in ourselves, God and others. But that sensitivity can be a double-edged sword as the Individualist balances the tension of high emotion, self-doubt and envy. Tammy welcomes Kennedy Waldrop, Sandals Artist in Residence, an Enneagram 4 and her daughter, for an insightful conversation on embracing creativity, seeking self-awareness and channeling emotions in a healthy way.

Episode 53| Well-Prepared and Wise. The Enneagram Type 5. You are thoughtful, perceptive and observant in your pursuit of knowledge. While the Five may not be the life of the party, their generosity, wit and wisdom leave us wanting more. A need to privately process and avoid incompetence can, however, cause the Observer to isolate and hoard the goodness they offer the world. Lori Zimbardi, ROGO Foundation Manager and self-proclaimed “fiviest five in five town,” takes to the mic with Tammy for a smart, honest and delightful conversation on life through the eyes of a five. 

Episode 54| Faithful with a Side of Fear. The Enneagram Type 6. You are a loyal, reliable and trustworthy guardian of truth. The Six might have a pension for worst case scenarios, but no one will be better prepared. But, life in pursuit of safety can leave the Loyalist anxious, insecure and on the outside of opportunity. Tammy welcomes Diane Huntsman, a fellow Enneagram 6 from the Cultivate Team, to share the journey from fear to faith, and the practice of believing the best of self, God and others along the way. 

Episode 55| Life to the Fullest. The Enneagram Type 7. You are fun, engaging and oh, so full of joy. The Seven inspires people and projects with their vision, versatility and uncanny ability to help us find joy too. But the pursuit of pleasure can make the reality of pain a difficult and dark road for the Enthusiast to travel. Kelli Welzel takes to the mic with Tammy for an honest conversation on balancing the beauty and brokenness of life as an Enneagram 7. 

Episode 56| Be Direct and Get it Done. The Enneagram Type 8. You’re confident, assertive and a fierce, but tender protector of your people. But unrefined power and uncontained strength can keep the Challenger from being REAL with self, God and others. Tammy welcomes Melody Workman, her dear friend and Executive Director of Story and Experience at Sandals Church, for a conversation on embracing vulnerability, harnessing strength and cultivating health as an Enneagram 8. 

Episode 57| Keeping the Peace. The Enneagram Type 9. You’re inclusive, patient and have the beautiful ability to consider multiple perspectives. But real life comes with conflict and your desire to pursue peace can leave you indecisive and unwilling to share your voice and needs. Tammy invites Madison Moses, Sandals Youth Creative Lead and her firstborn daughter, to share what she’s learning about doing REAL life as a Peacemaker.

Episode 58| Ask Away! Listener Q&A – Part 1. Tammy Brown answers your REAL life questions and curiosities about the Enneagram. In this episode she takes your questions on how to use this personality assessment tool to pursue “personal spiritual formation,” what your “wing” is and why it matters. She’ll also share ways to encourage a spouse or family member to cultivate health in their style and how to handle negative stereotypes about your own style. 

August 2021 | Fan Favorite Series:

Episode 43 | Fan Favorite #1 – REAL Friendship: In our #1 downloaded episode of all time, Tammy Brown and Melody Workman answer the question “is REAL friendship possible?” While friendship isn’t always easy breezy, with reasonable effort and honest intentions, we can learn how to cultivate healthy, authentic friendships in our lives. Originally aired August 1, 2019.

Episode 44 | Fan Favorite #2 – How to Be Bold and Not Be a B, featuring Lisa Bevere: It’s one of our most popular episodes for a reason. How do we speak our mind and still honor Christ? How do we share our opinion without silencing others? International speaker and best selling author, Lisa Bevere, joins the conversation to help us learn how to be bold without crossing boundaries and sacrificing kindness. Originally aired June 1, 2019.

Episode 45 | Fan Favorite #3 – How to NOT be Ridiculous on Social Media: If your scroll is killing your soul, you’re not alone. Social media use is at an all time high and so is comparison, anxiety and unkindness. This fan favorite is a heart check on what we need to STOP and how we should START treating social media SO THAT we are responsible, honest and yup, you guessed it…kind! Originally aired May 1, 2019.

Episode 46 | Fan Favorite #4 – How to Share Your Faith, Featuring Pastor Matt Brown: We all have people in our lives who need to know Jesus, so how do we share our faith and maintain our relationships? Pastor Matt Brown joins the conversation to help us learn how to take ownership of our spiritual growth SO THAT we can share the truth, promise and hope of Jesus. Originally aired November 1, 2020.

Summer Series | June – July 2021 | Finding REAL Freedom:

Episode 35 | Finding REAL Freedom – You Are Free to be REAL: Summertime lends itself to a more relaxed pace and vacation vibes, but just because you’re on the go, doesn’t mean you can’t grow. Wherever you are this summer, join The Cultivate Podcast for a special 9-week series on finding REAL freedom thru cultivating your best life spiritually, relationally and emotionally. The Bible says that “if the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:36) and there is no greater authority on living that out with self, God and others than our Founding Pastor, Matt Brown. Join the first couple of Sandals Church for an incredible one-on-one conversation about the REAL freedom we find when we cultivate authenticity into our lives, as well as the consequences if we choose not to. 

Episode 36 | Finding REAL Freedom – You are Free from Other People’s Opinions: It’s Week 2 of our summer series and if you live tangled up in what other people think, it’s time to find REAL freedom. Tammy Brown is joined by Diane Huntsman, our Cultivate Ministry Lead, for a conversation on growing in truth and self-awareness while releasing the need to manage everyone’s opinions, ideas and expectations. They’re also getting REAL about the flipside just in case you’re the one sharing your opinions like they’re the gospel truth. We’re learning what it looks like to live free by cultivating accountability to God, rather than everyone else!

Episode 37 | Finding REAL Freedom – You are Free to be Still: As our journey to REAL Freedom continues, we consider one of the greatest, but often most difficult pursuits in our Christian life: stillness. We live in a culture of instant gratification and constant busyness, so much so that if we’re not careful, our identity becomes rooted in what we do rather than who we belong to – Jesus. Tammy welcomes Pastor Alfredo Ramos back to the podcast for an honest conversation on what it looks like to cultivate peace and stillness into our lives. They’re talking about the art of listening, accepting interruptions and giving ourselves the freedom to disconnect so that we can reconnect with God.

Episode 38 | Finding REAL Freedom – You are Free to be Brave: For some, cultivating courage looks like going after what you want and for others it means asking for what you need. REAL freedom is found when we have the courage to be vulnerable with ourselves, God and others. Tammy Brown is joined by Morgan Teruel, Sandals Church Online Campus Supervisor, for a conversation on being brave enough to ask for help and authentically invite others into our lives, as well as the consequences of choosing self-sufficiency over vulnerability.

Episode 39 | Finding REAL Freedom – You are Free to be You: With everyone’s life on scroll it can be downright hard to resist the temptation to compare our lives to the latest and greatest version of the next gal’s. But comparison is a slippery slope that leads to confusion, competition and ultimately chaos in us and around us. REAL freedom is found in focusing on what God has called us to do as well as celebrating the good things He’s doing in others. Melody Workman joins Tammy Brown as they share their wisdom and insight on battling insecurity, overcoming jealousy and becoming women who choose not to compare.

Episode 40 | Finding REAL Freedom – You are Free to Have Fun: The journey to REAL freedom would be nothing without some fun. God has called us to both grow to know Him and to enjoy the life He’s called us to live. That’s good, right and fun! But there’s a difference between chasing happiness and cultivating joy into our lives. Tammy and Kelli Ayotte, our Sandals Church Kids Creative genius, chat about the freedom that is found in pursuing Jesus, making room for joy and finding fun even in the unexpected.

Episode 41 | Finding REAL Freedom – You Can Find Freedom from Fear: If you’re someone who struggles with all the what-ifs and worst case scenarios in this life you may also find yourself paralyzed by fear. God’s word tells us not to fear, not because there’s nothing to be afraid of, but because He is with us and He goes before us in all things. Join Tammy Brown and Tiffany Parry, our Cultivate Ministry Supervisor, for an honest conversation on facing our fears and finding freedom by trusting God, cultivating His truth into our lives and, rather than watching for the worst, believing in the best He can do. 

Episode 42 | Finding REAL Freedom – You are Free to Dream: God’s word is full of instruction and direction for this life, but He very much wants us to bring Him our deepest desires, our biggest dreams and our greatest hopes. Because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, hope is God’s promise to us. But how do we create space for hope in a world that does not always feel hopeful? Tammy is joined by Bek Deal, from our Sandals Church Worship Team, for a beautiful and honest conversation on pursuing our dreams, harnessing hope from God’s word and inviting Jesus into the things we’re dreaming of now and in the future. 

May 2021 | Forgiveness Series:

Episode 31 | The REAL Story on Forgiveness: Our Spring 2021 Cultivate Book Study has Sandals Church Women learning what the Bible says about being forgiven and forgiving others. Our teaching team is joining us on the podcast for REAL conversations on the personal side of their forgiveness journey – how they’ve practiced it, what they’ve learned and things they wish they knew sooner. We’re kicking off this month-long series as Tammy Brown, Lori Albee and Melody Workman talk about being brave, believing the best and becoming women who willingly say “I’m sorry.” 

Episode 32 | It’s Hard to Say I’m Sorry: Loyalty, justice and truth are vital pursuits in our Christian life, but mingle in pride and they become obstacles to cultivating forgiveness into our lives. But God…He gives grace and He calls us to as well. So what does it look like to choose His way even when our feelings haven’t caught up? Tammy is joined by Donna Martin to discuss what they’ve learned in their own life and relationships about the practice and discipline of forgiveness, even when it feels really hard to do. 

Episode 33 | How to Forgive REAL Pain: We are broken people living in a broken world, so it goes without saying that pain is a REAL thing. God not only wants to meet us in our hurt and grief, but He offers to redeem them with mercy, grace and forgiveness. So how do we hold our hurt and still find the joy and peace that Jesus wants us to know in this life? Tammy sits down with Becca Boganwright and Melody Workman for a REAL conversation on what it looks like to embrace sorrow while aligning our heart with God’s SO THAT we can be women who both receive His forgiveness and give it away.

Episode 34 | Letting Go and Leaving Room for Forgiveness: God calls us to be quick to forgive, but too often that looks like a quick sorry without really letting go. They say “don’t sweat the small stuff,” so how much energy do we burn hanging on to every little offense? While there is a difference between small annoyances and big hurt, God’s call to forgiveness is still a command. Tammy invites Christina Crowley to the mic to close out our May forgiveness series as they talk about why REAL forgiveness means keeping short accounts and doing the hard work of letting go. 

April 2021 | Kindness Series:

Episode 26 | Kindness: It’s More than Being Nice: We live in a world that’s pressuring us to mold our image to fit its ideas. Sure, it’s great to be nice, but what does it mean to pursue kindness as a demonstration of our convictions and character? Kindness is more than a trending hashtag, it’s a calling from Jesus and the story our lives tell. We’re kicking off a month long series on all matters of kindness by busting kindness myths. Join Tammy Brown and Melody Workman for a REAL conversation on what kindness is, what it is NOT and how we can choose to live it out for ourselves, God and others.

Episode 27 | Why Kindness? Because it Matters to God: Kindness is more than something we do. Rather, it’s the way we live. When we choose kindness, and when we don’t, we send a message about who God is to us and how He’s at work in our lives. We can talk to people about Jesus, but they’ll actually listen when they see Him in the way we speak, act and live. If kindness matters to God, it should matter to us. Join Tammy and special guest, Christina Crowley, for a REAL conversation on cultivating kindness into our lives as a spiritual discipline and response to what God has done for us.

Episode 28 | Surviving Unkindness: Even though we wish it wasn’t so, unkindness happens. We can’t control what others do BUT we can choose how we respond. Will unkindness define us or refine us? Will it make us bitter or better? No one understands unkindness more than Jesus and so, there’s no one who can help us handle the hurt like Him. Join Tammy and Melody for a REAL conversation on how we can not only pursue truth, but seek growth and healing when we invite God into the process of surviving unkindness. 

Episode 29 | What Men Wish Women Knew About Kindness: This is a conversation you CANNOT miss! We’re all about kind women, but what do guys make of this pursuit of kindness? Tammy invites Pastor Alfredo Ramos, our Sandals Church Palm Avenue Campus Pastor, to the mic for a REAL conversation on what men see in kind women and yup, what they make of unkindness among us. Tune in for some mic drop moments and a perspective on kindness that will have you thinking twice about choosing anything but.

Episode 30 | Your Kindness Questions: We’re wrapping up our kindness series by taking a few of your questions. What does it look like to live out your faith with kindness when the people around you aren’t on the same page? And…one of our most asked questions – how do you choose kind and set healthy boundaries in family relationships. Tune in as Tammy tackles your questions and offers some wisdom on the road to kindness. 

March 2021 | Gatekeeping Series:

Episode 22 | No More Spiritual Snacks! Gatekeeping Your Spiritual Growth: The Cultivate Podcast is going weekly! We’re kicking off a month long conversation by learning what it means to be a gatekeeper, both cultivating and protecting our spiritual growth. If we want to grow in our relationship with God it’s vital that we learn the difference between a good thing and a God thing. Tune in as Tammy and Melody are joined by Diane Huntsman, the Cultivate Ministry Lead, for a REAL conversation on discipline, sacrifice and the consequences of compromising our spiritual health and growth.

Episode 23 | Setting Boundaries or Building Walls: Gatekeeping your Relational Health: We continue our series on gatekeeping by taking a closer look at our relationships. Whether you’re already setting wise boundaries or you’re too busy building walls, if you long for healthy and whole relationships, this is a REAL conversation for you. Tammy is joined by Melody Workman to talk friendship, feedback and following through on what is most healthy for you. 

Episode 24 | Protecting your Peace: Gatekeeping Your Emotional Health: Being a gatekeeper of our lives takes practice and discipline, especially when it comes to our emotional health. Healthy boundaries begin with us learning how to process our feelings through our faith, then cultivating the truth of God’s word into our lives. No one else can order our priorities and protect our peace. Are you the “fixer” of everyone who is left weary and worn? Is your social media scroll stressing you out? Does your body pay the price for your runaway thought life? Join Tammy, Melody and special guest, Vivi Diaz, for a REAL conversation on the blessing of boundaries and how God can use them to protect us mind, body and soul.

Episode 25 | How To Gatekeep Your Life with Gratitude NOT Guilt: We’re concluding our series on gatekeeping by tackling the g-word…guilt. As with any discipline, gatekeeping takes practice. It’s about progress, not perfection. Too often, we’re plagued by guilt for choosing what’s healthy for us over what makes everyone else happy. Our life matters and Jesus gave up His own SO THAT we can live with fullness and abundance, with gratitude not guilt. Join Tammy Brown, Melody Workman and Tiffany Parry, our Cultivate Ministry Supervisor, for a REAL conversation on how to steward our boundaries and support others in the pursuit of theirs. 

February 2021:

Episode 21 | Getting REAL about letting go? What do you need to leave in the past? As women, we carry things – sometimes longer than we should, sometimes because we think no one else can. The new year lends itself to fresh starts, resolve and looking forward, but what about letting go? Tammy and Melody are challenging us to get REAL and ask ourselves what we’re carrying that needs to be laid down as we head into a new year. Maybe it’s a relational offense, personal loss or past hurt. It could be a choice that requires change, a discipline we need to cultivate or a boundary it’s time to set. If you find yourself hanging on, chasing after or living in the past, it’s time to get REAL about letting go SO THAT you can grow wiser and stronger moving ahead.