Markus Watson and How Suffering Transforms

Markus Watson is a pastor and host of Spiritual Life and Leadership podcast. Today, Markus shares the story of how he found a new life with Christ after nearly losing his career. Markus tells us the story of how he gave up his Hollywood dreams, became a pastor, and suffered through false accusations of child porn. The accusations ultimately cost Markus his job but the experience led him to a richer, less performance-based faith. This story reminds us that suffering is often the tool with which the Lord shapes us.

• Growing up in Los Angeles as a pastor’s kid
• Being a little judgey as a young Christian
• The stages of making a decision to live for Jesus
• Joining Campus Crusade for Christ and learning leadership skills
• Working in Hollywood and finding his priorities
• Discovering his passion when he started seminary
• How the ordination process helped him to let go of his Hollywood dream
• Moving to Kentucky to become a pastor
• Going home to California
• The call from the executive presbyter that changed his life
• Being accused of porn addiction and the resulting investigation
• The dark night of the soul he experienced during the investigation
• How this experience messed with his self-worth
• Meditating on God’s love for him on a surfboard
• Losing his job to false accusations
• How suffering has changed him and his ministry

Great quotes from Markus:

To embrace preaching meant that I was letting go of something that I’d been holding on to.

I’ve always believed God loves me unconditionally but in that moment, I finally understood.

When I think of discipleship, I think of it in terms of becoming more fully ourselves.

Resources we mentioned:

• Markus’ website
• Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World by Henri Nouwen
• The Critical Journey, Stages in the Life of Faith, Second Edition by Janet O. Hagberg & Robert Guelich
• The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming Your Inner Life Will Deeply Transform Your Church, Team, and the World by Peter Scazzero
• Surrender to Love: Discovering the Heart of Christian Spirituality (The Spiritual Journey) by David Benner
• Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World by Henri Nouwen
• Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging by Brennan Manning

Related episodes:

• Mary DeMuth and the Safest Place for Sexual Abuse Survivors
• Jim Barnard Finds Hope in Suffering through Community
• Misty Phillip and the Counterintuitive Ways of God