TJP_FULL_Episode_1606_Wednesday_41526_James_and_the_Giant_Preache

On today’s episode, we discuss what a healthy, biblical church actually looks like, as James, Jimmy Williams, Chris “the giant preacher” Witt, Glenn, and Mark debate the roles of pastors, teachers, evangelists, and ordinary members in making real disciples instead of passive spectators. Jimmy argues from Ephesians 4 that “pastor‑teacher” is one calling whose job is to equip believers for works of service, and he critiques churches that entertain crowds on Sunday but never actually train people to pray, study Scripture, or discover their ministry, sharing his own experience teaching welcome classes, adult Sunday school, and home groups without canned curriculum. Chris counters that pastors also must be visionary leaders, telling stories from Cabin Creek, West Virginia and decades in Ruston where bold, confrontational preaching, constant altar calls, and “big days” on holidays grew congregations and produced visible conversions, insisting that if a church isn’t increasing, something is wrong in the mirror, not just the pews. Glenn brings in his leadership and systems lens, arguing that churches need structures of repetition and discipline—weekly worship, daily habits, and identity‑shaping practices—so believers don’t become “spiritual trash compactors” who only hear truth but never do it, and Jimmy presses that if longtime deacons still “aren’t comfortable praying out loud,” that’s a failure of pastoral discipleship, not just personal shyness. The conversation closes with practical tests—like whether there’d be “enough evidence to convict you” of being a Christian if it became illegal, and whether you choose Christ over family, comfort, or culture—as the group agrees that every believer has a specific ministry, pastors will answer for how well they equip people to do it, and that numbers matter only if they represent growing, serving disciples, not just bigger audiences. Don't miss it!