Jun 23, 2021
Dustin Plantholt’s “Life’s Tough—YOU can be TOUGHER!” podcast this week features Pastor Neil Tomba, Senior Pastor of Northwest Bible Church of Dallas, Texas, who cycled nearly 3,000 miles across the country from California to Maryland on his quest to reach out and listen to people and sharing the Jesus he loved through conversations with others.
During his recent interview with Dustin, Pastor Tomba shared how he had "met 150-250 people" in total—and had "116 recorded conversations" about faith and Jesus in 30 days—with people from all walks of life. Some of these total strangers were very open—and others very skeptic about this cycling preacher—shared with Tomba "their life experiences, griefs and struggles, while others wanted to give back" to their communities. Some even openly discussed with him about faith, their experiences with the church, and matters of the soul.
Tomba also learned how "true connection is possible when we truly listen to others, instead of rushing to judgment or trying to provide answers to their questions. This provided him a chance to learn of these people' search for and substance by listening to their stories without judgment, and to lead conversation out of curiosity and love,” adds Tomba.
Pastor Tomba's incredible and physically stressful month-long journey was captured by a professional film team led by Jonathon Link and became a documentary series in 2020. This remarkable story and what he learned about the power of listening was also documented in his newly published book earlier this month: The Listening Road: One Man's Ride Across America to Start Conversations About God.
To learn more about Pastor Neil Tomba, visit www.neiltomba.com, and join us for new episodes of Life’s Tough: You Can Be TOUGHER! here on the “Life’s Tough” channel!
Dustin Plantholt is founder and CEO of Life’s Tough. Surviving a traumatic childhood and now raising a family of his own, he is dedicated to helping others find their voice through sharing their story. Dustin says “Together, we are sparking a movement and changing the world, one heart at a time. It’s life … life is tough … but YOU can be TOUGHER!”