The Average Pastor Podcast

Jeff, Mark and Jake put on their "law expert" caps, and give their opinions on what questions they think more people should be asking.Also, check out this article one of our listeners wrote on Substack! https://thequietcenter.substack.com/p/a-view-you-didnt-earn?triedRedirect=trueIf you want to reach us, send us an email at [email protected]

Jeff, Mark and Jake discuss how "unfiltered" pastors should be in how they speak and shepherd. Jeff brings up a concern with President Trump's recent use of religious imagery and grapples with how Christians should respond.

Drew Stevenson joins Mark, Jeff and Jake as they discuss how embracing weakness enables us to boast in Christ, and how to discern the difference between holy ambition and desire for personal gain.Got a question or comment for the average pastors? Reach out at [email protected]

Drew Stevenson is back on the podcast! On this episode, Mark, Jake, Jeff and Drew use a lot of fun vocabulary words like "aseity," "asceticism" and "antinomianism." They also talk about when it makes sense to cancel a ministry gathering - should we ever divert from regular rhythms to accommodate cultural events? Be sure to listen to the end for a great discussion on 1 Corinthians 15 and the nature of resurrection as we prepare to celebrate Easter!We would love to hear your thoughts, questions or ideas for future conversations! You can reach us at [email protected]

Long episode alert!! Mark and Jeff invite Ryan Hamby and Drake Epkes onto the fireporch to talk about Ryan's time in Iowa City and give him an Average Pastor send-off as he sets out to plant a church in Santa Barbara, California.To learn more about Veritas Church Santa Barbara, go to http://sbveritas.orgQuestions or comments for the podcast? Email us at mailto:[email protected]

Back at the fire porch again, Mark, Jeff and Jake discuss the tension of efficiency while seeking intentionality. Mark opens the floor to air out everyone's personal rants and follows with a discussion on how we can discern God's voice from our own.Also, Jake Each's new children's book, "The Unusual and Adventurous Raising of Charlie Finely" is now available to purchase on Amazon!

Mark, Jeff and Jake are back in the fire porch to discuss what it looks like for the church to act as a family and how Christians should think about their relationship with the world. Also, if anyone knows Nate Bargatze, please reach out to him and tell him he should be a guest on our podcast! If you want to connect or have a topic suggestion or question for the show, drop us a line at [email protected]

The average pastors discuss the pressures that come with church growth and how pastors should steward their ministries. The business world pursues growth as the ultimate objective, but what should pastors pursue as the goal of their work?

Mark, Jeff and Jake catch up after the holidays and talk about what qualifies a person for ministry. What do they look for when hiring people, and what does it mean that God uses weak vessels to accomplish His purposes?

The average pastors welcome lead pastor of Veritas Dubuque and retired detective Jon Turbett! While sharing stories from years in the field, Jon tells how Veritas Dubuque began and what faithfulness looks like while looking ahead to a new chapter of life as their lead pastor.

To cure Marks reading slump, the average pastors share their favorite book recommendations and discuss the church's role in bringing up mature disciples.

Jeff's back from Zambia! On this episode, the average pastors exchange "coffee testimonies," talk about upcoming Advent teaching series, unpack Jeff's Zambia trip and even unveil Mark's Spotify Wrapped!

Mark, Jake and special guest Ryan Hamby discuss what it means to pass "The Faithfulness Test" and learn from voices from the past, such as William Tyndale and Alexander MacLaren.If you'd like to send a message to the crew or suggest a discussion topic for the podcast, send us an email at [email protected]

Jeff has gone to a better place (Zambia)! In his absence, Mark and Jake are joined by Ryan Hamby, who will soon be planting a church in Santa Barbara, California.

On this episode, the average pastors field questions from listeners on all sorts of topics. If you’d like to ask a question for a future episode, shoot us an email at [email protected].

The Average Pastor Podcast is one year old! Mark surprises Jake and Jeff with a gift, then the pastors discuss the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination and how to shepherd through current events.

In this episode, the average pastors give dating advice, discuss how our culture idolizes the concept of youth and process how pastors should think about discipling "fringe" people in their churches.

In this episode, Jake, Mark and Jeff talk about the importance of reaching college students and how to think about the "tone" of preaching - when to boldly confront and when to come alongside with compassion.

On this episode, we dive into the mailbag and answer some questions we've received from listeners. If you'd like to reach out with a question of your own, drop us a line at [email protected] to the Walter Hooper interview mentioned in today's episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slMLk4dhh0M

Mark, Jake and Jeff talk about how believers should prioritize holiness in a world that draws us toward compromising our beliefs.Here's a link to the Gospel Coalition article mentioned: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/faithfulness-neutrality-french-gaines/Got a comment or question for us? Shoot us an email at [email protected]

Mark, Jeff and Jake are back with Drew Stevenson at a friends' lakeside cabin, discussing the legacy of John MacArthur, how Christians should think about patriotism and giving sneak peeks at the books they're working on.

Jeff, Mark and Jake are joined by Drew Stevenson (Lead Pastor of Redemption Church in Minneapolis, MN) on a special lake-side episode of the podcast. Listen in as they discuss church growth as a measure of success, modesty in clothing and what it looks like to be transformed by grace.

In today's episode, Mark, Jake and Jeff find themselves in yet another spot of Jeff's house to reflect on their stances of AI and consider the practices of both communion and baptism in the church.

In this episode, Mark, Jeff and Jake discuss the difference between worship that honors God and worship that caters to our own desires, as well as how to shepherd through anxiety. The pastors share their viewpoints on distractions in church services and how we should approach teaching church history to our congregations.

Join Jake, Mark and Jeff as they get sucked into blackholes and discuss how Christians should interact with new technologies, specifically the onset of Artificial Intelligence.

Despite the sounds of playgrounds, woodpeckers and even tornado sirens, Mark, Jeff and Jake put the pursuit of average to the test, discern humble ambition and share how they came to seek God's glory through joy in Christ.

The average pastors talk about if and when it's appropriate to offend while preaching and the importance of being a member of the church family. On this episode Jeff becomes less average, Jake becomes more average and Mark attempts to land a plane blindfolded.If you have any topics or questions you'd like to hear on the podcast, leave them in the comments!

Mark, Jeff and Jake discuss what it means to honor Jesus's teachings in both preaching and listening and reevaluate the pastoral 'job description' as the summer approaches.

Mark, Jake and Jeff catch up after Mark's trip to Spain and Jeff's trip to Turkey and Greece, and discuss the roles of strategy and the Holy Spirit in church leadership.Link to Johnnie Each's writing mentioned in this episode: https://johnnieeach.substack.com/p/church-planter-please-dont-forget?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=3785451&post_id=160582128&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=5b57ge&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

Opening with Psalm 131, the Average Pastors speak on leading with humility before Christ and give their thoughts on the current culture's understanding of worship.

Mark, Jeff and Jake take it back to the study to navigate the pros and cons of optimism and pessimism, the essentials to preaching and how to shape our hearts for godliness in giving.

Mark, Jeff and Jake discuss how we should think about spiritual warfare and demonic forces in our day-to-day lives, and they reflect on their parenting - specifically the crucial role that father's play in the lives of their children.

Mark, Jeff and Jake return to the fireporch to talk about the dangers of seeking a platform. what it means to be a "post turtle," and what their greatest fears are in ministry.

On this episode, Jeff reads an excerpt from his book, Gospel 101, and Jake shares a writing about the difference between knowledge and discernment.

Jeff, Mark and Jake discuss what it means to do the Lord's work in the Lord's way, and how that impacts their approach to discipleship, fundraising and more.

On this episode, Mark, Jeff and Jake discuss plans for the new year, what it means to live adventurously and what they want to preserve about their church cultures.

On this episode, the average pastors hang out on Jeff's fireporch, discuss Christmas traditions and look back over life events in 2023.

Mark, Jake and Jeff discuss several topics, including: how to shepherd generosity in the church, how they've grown over the years and how to tell the difference between flattery and encouragement. Stick around until the end to hear what's in everyone's "candy aisle!"

Jeff gives an update on his recent trip to Zambia, Jake recaps his Parenting Conference and the average pastors discuss the question: "How do I know if God is calling me to something?"

Jake wrote a book! On this episode, Mark, Jeff and Jake talk about his new book, "God the Prize: The Key to Grasping the Gospel." You can purchase it today in paperback, e-book or audiobook!

With the election just days away, Mark, Jeff and Jake discuss how Christians can faithfully engage with political issues. This podcast was originally recorded for the Veritas Cedar Rapids Equipping podcast. You can subscribe to that podcast here!

Mark Arant, Jake Each and Jeff Dodge introduce The Average Pastor Podcast. In a world obsessed with "amazing," what would it look like if Christians aspired to be average?