{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsportslifeleadershippodcast.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fmark-batterson-vAc_VDeJ","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Mark Batterson: Chasing God-Sized Dreams","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/33ad8dc9-4063-421c-b8f1-e050e4846e9e/ae48b10c-e50d-4822-a4fc-bde5a28ffe16/cover_thisislife_thumbnail.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/ec8b84cb-0a8a-4df6-a90c-a24fa95c81d7\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"Mark Batterson: Chasing God-Sized Dreams\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"Mark Batterson has spent his life challenging people to dream bigger, pray harder, and think longer but before becoming a New York Times bestselling author and influential pastor, he was a college basketball standout whose competitive drive helped shape his approach to faith and leadership.\n\nIn this episode of This Is Life, Jimmy Page sits down with Mark to explore his journey from the basketball court to leading National Community Church in Washington, D.C. They discuss the defining moment when Mark stopped asking Jesus to follow his plans and fully surrendered to following Him, how competitive sports prepared him for ministry, and what it means to pursue God-sized dreams without playing it safe.\n\nMark also shares how leaders can remain faithful through unanswered prayers, build healthy teams instead of merely successful ones, protect unity amid disagreement, and lead with holy courage in a divided culture.\n\nDream Big. Pray Hard. Think Long. This is Mark Batterson’s story.\n"}