Month: August 2020

Episode 26- Why The Local Church Matters with Luke Tolbert

When you consider your responsibility as a Christian to engage the world around you with the gospel, you may think about apologetics training or mission conferences. But, Luke Tolbert argues that the church is the most important ingredient in training Christians to engage the world with the gospel. The church is God’s institution to carry the gospel and fulfill the Great Commission. Local churches are the proving ground for missionaries and the sending agencies that can best support international efforts.

We also discuss how a local church can minister to missionaries, cold beet soup, and SEC football (Luke is a Clemson fan, but he acknowledges the supremacy of the SEC). If you have ever questioned the importance of belonging to a local church, this podcast may help to answer some of your questions.


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God Showed Up Anyway

Sunday is usually my favorite day of the week. I get up before anyone else in my house, get ready, and get out the door to the church building. I try to shut myself in my office for a few hours before services, review my sermon, pray, and prepare to preach. I’m not superstitious, but …

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Anger Is Easy. Brokenness Is Biblical.

In May of this year as protests raged and violence erupted across our country, I woke up early and prayed for our country. Then I sent the following text to a friend who I hadn’t seen in a few months: Hey brother. I’m watching the country burn and it breaks my heart. It has made …

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Episode 25-Be Still And Know: A Conversation With Dr. Brian Gregor

Do you feel rushed, hurried, and unfulfilled? Brian Gregor argues that part of the reason may be our unwillingness to set apart special times for special things. Increasingly in American culture, time is not viewed as special, but rather as an “empty container…Everything is available all the time. At first this feels liberating–no need to wait–but it’s really enslaving because it gives no rest. No genuine leisure. No time or space to be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10).”

On this Episode of the podcast, Dr. Gregor and I discuss how the answer to your lack of fulfillment may not be in doing more things, but in doing fewer things in more intentional ways. Along the way we discuss books, Canada, a California heat wave, and how a 19th century atheist may be a good guide for helping you to grow in your spiritual life.

The book discussed on this episode of the podcast is The Cross Before Me.

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Anxious Much?

Anxiety seems to run rampant. This is not a new thing during COVID-19, but it seems to have become amplified during these unique days. First, let’s be honest, not all anxiety is bad, nor does it arise to a level of medical concern. One definition for anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, …

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Episode 24: Marketplace Ministry With Jason Fletcher

Have you ever felt like your pastor was the only real minister in your church? Maybe you’ve doubted your ability to make a difference for the kingdom on your job or in the ordinary areas of your life. On this episode of the podcast, I chat with Jason Fletcher who left vocational ministry to manage his family business in North Carolina and volunteer at a new church plant. He shares how this move has opened doors for ministry. Along the way he also helps to dispel some myths about the pastorate and explains how challenging the spiritual struggle is for many of you working in the secular world.

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A Good Snake Is A Dead Snake

Routines can be very good things. My morning routine helps me to make sure I don’t leave home without the essentials. I get up, brush my teeth, fix coffee, take a shower, put on deodorant, brush my hair, get dressed, and then go downstairs. I am careful to not do things out of order, because …

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An Anchor In The Storm

Normally, during this time of year, our church is celebrating the coming school year and discussing how we can engage our schools in prayer and with the love of Jesus. This year, the start of school is delayed and parents are facing decisions about whether or not they want to send their kids to school …

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