All Episodes
Trench Talk — 302 episodes
Ep. 324: Remembering our Ministry Mentors
Ep. 323: When a Church Doesn’t Revitalize
Ep. 322: Pastors Leading Through National Holidays
Ep. 321: When it’s Hard To Love Certain People
Ep. 320: Life Giving Activities for Pastors
Ep. 319: The Unhurried Pastor Revisited with Ronnie Martin
Ep. 318: Different Approaches to Discipleship
Ep. 317: Doctrinal differences with a pastor and church
Ep. 316: When elders disagree with each other
Ep. 315: Older women caring for younger women
Ep. 314: Introducing the Seasoned Pastor Collective
Ep. 313: Pastors Caring for Younger Men
Ep. 312: Pastors Caring for Older Men
Ep. 311: Cultivating Friendships
Ep. 310: Mending broken relationships
Ep. 309: Expectations for a New Year
Ep. 308: Younger pastors leading older pastors
Ep. 307: Keeping your heart faithful
Ep. 306: Pastors caring too much or not enough
Ep. 305: Cultivating Joy in Our People
Ep. 304: Life and Ministry with Dr. Robert Smith Jr.
Ep. 303: Good fears for faithful pastors
Ep. 302: The pastoral pressure to address current events
Ep. 301: Dealing with disagreements among elders
Ep. 300: Church building programs, the good and bad
Ep. 299: The church and foster care
Ep. 298: Gospel work in the urban poor
Ep. 297: Life and Ministry with Alton Hardy
Ep. 296 The importance of hobbies
Ep. 295: Pastors knowing and being known by their people
Ep. 294: Pastor Pivots in a Changing Church Culture
Ep. 293: Younger Pastors Hurt by Older Pastors
Ep. 292: Pastoral Blindspots
Ep. 291: How to stay refreshed and hopeful
Ep. 290: The finding and function of deacons
Ep. 289: Pastoral vision versus pastoral plodding
Ep. 288: Growing through the seasons of Ministry
Ep. 287: Ministry to kids this summer
Ep. 286: Careful and gracious membership process
Ep. 285: An announcement about Advancing the Church
Ep. 284: Doing ministry while caring for aging parents
Ep. 283: The importance of pastoral application in sermons
Ep. 282: Shepherding and Social Media
Ep. 281: How long should a pastor preach?
Ep. 280: Ministry tips to aspiring pastors
Ep. 279: Expectations on Lay Pastors and Staff Pastors
Ep. 278: Evaluating Ministry Effectiveness
Ep. 277: Pastoral Ministry Convictions with George McDearmon
Ep. 276: Life and Ministry with George McDearmon
Ep. 275: Ministry in the second half of life
Ep. 274: End of year church budget conversations
Ep. 273: The tension of prophetic voice and gospel warmth
Ep. 272: The blessing of older pastoral mentors
Ep. 271: Thriving pastors roundtable
Ep. 270: Understanding administration and delegation
Ep. 269: Preparing our people to suffer well
Ep. 268: Pastoring as the election draws near
Ep. 267: Pastors battling spiritual warfare
Ep. 266: Becoming life long learners
Ep. 265: Learning from ministry falls
Ep. 264: Advancing the Church
Ep. 263: Feeling enslaved to the study
Ep. 262: Am I called to be a missionary or pastor?
Ep. 261: Planning for the next pastor
Ep. 260: Walking with the Grieving
Ep. 259: Caring for seasonal visitors
Ep. 258: The Kingdom-minded Pastor with Joel Littlefield
Ep. 257: Decisions around missions giving
Ep. 256: The pastor and counseling the flock
Ep. 255: Advancing the Church
Ep. 254: Pastors and Reading Books
Ep. 253: The Peril of Pastoral Perfectionism
Ep. 252: Dealing with Pastoral wounds
Ep. 251: Revitalizing or Revitalized?
Ep. 250: The Unhurried Pastor
Ep. 249: Where should a pastor live?
Ep. 248: Pastors caring for other pastors with Ronnie Martin
Ep. 247: Pastors fixing what we break
Ep. 246: Caring for those with Mental disabilities
Ep. 245: Caring for the sick and dying
Ep. 244: Managing Expectations
Ep. 243: I feel called, but no one will hire me
Ep. 242: Joy, sorrows, and surprises of ministry
Ep. 241: Writing Books together with James Carroll
Ep. 240: Bullies against the Pastor
Ep. 239: Bad ministry advice we've been given
Ep. 238: Evaluating accusations against a pastor
Ep. 237: Evaluating a lack of ministry fruit
Ep. 236: Pastors using Social Media
Ep. 235: Unjustified Pastoral Termination
Ep 234: Reflecting on 15 Years of Practical Shepherding
Ep. 233: When your wife is done with ministry
Ep. 232: Welcoming new members well
Ep. 231: Pastors comparing themselves to other pastors
Ep. 230: Pastors doing ministry outside their church
Ep. 229: on Pastoral Lament
Ep. 228: Life and Ministry with Robert Briggs
Ep. 227: Importance of friendship among elders
Ep. 226: When to hire a second pastor
Ep 225: Pastoral Backsliding
Ep. 224: Pastoral Grit
Ep. 223: Should I leave or join a denomination or network?
Ep. 222: Signs of pastoral burnout
Ep. 221: Caring for older members
Ep. 220: Pastoral Temperament and knowing yourself
Ep. 219: Pastors and Hot Takes
Ep. 218: The pressure of the pastoral fishbowl
Ep. 217: How to earn and spend your pastoral collateral
Ep 216: Pastoral frustration with an immature congregation
Ep 215: Getting back into pastoral ministry
Ep. 214: Pastors and the call to hospitality
Ep. 213: Pastoring people who don't want your ministry
Ep. 212: Pastoring in a season with little kids
Ep. 211: Pastors Living a Balanced Life
Ep. 210: Pastors caring for victims of abuse
Ep. 209: The small church pastor who does everything...help
Ep. 208: Pastoral gifts compared to congregational size
Ep 207: When Pastors shift on doctrinal beliefs
Ep. 206: Defining Membership Commitment
Ep. 205: Fighting Pastoral Discouragement
Ep. 204: Pastors and Deacons working together
Ep. 203: The Qualifications and Roles of Deacons
Ep. 202: Pastoral Planning for the new year
Ep. 201: A first among equals
Ep. 200: 50 Years of ministry with Pastors wife Mai Walker
Ep. 199: 50 years of ministry with Austin Walker
Ep. 198: Caught between the academy and the church
Ep. 197: Dealing with Traditionalism in a Church
Ep. 196: Middle-aged pastoral transitions
Ep. 195: Dealing with the Dones
Ep. 194: The Pastor's Salary
Ep. 193: The Sunday Sports Dilemma
Ep. 192: Battling Shame and Negative Self-Talk
Ep. 191: Pastoring an Established Church
Ep. 190: The Billy Graham Rule
Ep. 189: Pastoral Friendship
Ep. 188: Establishing a Church Membership Process
Ep. 187: Vacation Policies and Profitable Uses
Ep. 186: When Celebrities Pastor Your Church
Ep. 185: When Pastors Face Adversaries
Ep. 184: Brian and Jim Take Your Questions...5 of them
Ep. 183: Pastors Battling Loneliness
Ep. 182: Preparing and Writing Sermons
Ep. 181: Summertime Attendance Lull
Ep. 180: The Pastoral Pain of Members leaving
Ep. 179: On Funerals
Ep. 178: On Lay Elders - an interview with Charlie Hall pt. 2
Ep. 177: On Lay Elders - an interview with Charlie Hall pt. 1
Ep. 176: Moving as a Solo Pastor to Plurality
Ep. 175: Surviving the Pastoral Grind
Ep. 174: I feel trapped in my ministry
Ep. 173: Why is ministry uniquely hard?
Ep. 172: What if I preach a bad sermon?
Ep. 171: Developing an Off Switch
Ep. 170: Investing time in Unhealthy Sheep
Ep. 169: Why are Mondays so hard?
Ep. 168: What Pastors Lost During the Pandemic
Ep. 167: Raising up future pastors
Ep. 166: How Should I use my Sabbatical?
Ep. 165: The Importance of Pastoral Patience
Ep. 164: What if I want to Quit?
Ep. 163: Preaching with Children in Mind
Ep. 162: Pursuing a Multi-Generational Church
Ep. 161: Maneuvering through end of year member's meetings
Ep. 160: Leading Without Lording
Ep. 159: Jim Reflects on his Sabbatical
Ep. 158: Life and Ministry with Ronnie Martin pt.2
Ep. 157: Life and Ministry with Ronnie Martin
Ep. 156: Caring for those who are dying
Ep. 155 Who is Sufficient for these things?
Ep. 154: Pastoral Sabbaticals
Ep. 153: Preaching when you're not feeling it
Ep. 152: Interview with Doug Logan Pt. 2
Ep. 151: Interview with Doug Logan Pt. 1
Ep. 150: Evaluating True Conversion
Ep. 149: Do I need to get another job?
Ep. 148: When Pastors in a Church Disagree
Ep. 147: Brian and Jim Reflect on hearing their kids interviewed
Ep. 146: A Conversation with the Croft Kids
Ep. 145: A Conversation with the Savastio Kids
Ep. 144: Engaging in Cultural Confrontation
Ep. 143: Reasons for a Pastor to Leave a Church
Ep. 142: Pastoral Plagiarism in sermons and writing
Ep. 141: Disappointment and Disagreement Among Staff and Leaders
Ep. 140: Being Autobiographical in Sermons
Ep. 139: The Roles of a Lay Pastors
Ep. 138: Shepherding Single Moms
Ep. 137: Humor in the Pulpit
Ep. 136: When Should A Pastor Leave His Vacation?
Ep. 135: Developing Pastoral Fellowships
Ep. 134: Should Pastors Have Friends In The Church?
Preaching in Weakness
Legal Protections for Churches
A Church's Understanding of a Pastor's Role
Guilt Amidst Pastoral Rest
Celebrating Healthy Sheep
Pastors Pursuing Writing and Advanced Degrees
Measuring True Spiritual Fruitfulness in your Ministry
Business Models and the Sufficiency of Scripture
Safeguards around ministry success
Finding your Preaching Voice
Battling Pastoral Anger and Guilt
Shepherds Feeling Disconnected from their Flock
Overwhelmed by Hurting Sheep
Pastoral Expectations, Realistic, but Hopeful
Creating an Intentional Preaching Atmosphere
When to Re-enter Ministry
Doctrinal Agreement When Looking to Pastor a Church
Preaching Pressures Around Christmas
Caring for the Grieving during the Holidays
A Conversation on Covenants and Constitutions
Reflections on a Completed Ministry
Shepherding your Harshest Critics
Deliverance from the Fear of Man
Pastoring in an Election Year
Pursuing Straying Sheep
Pastoring those in different seasons of life
Pastoring in the "New Normal" with COVID-19
Being a Safe Pastor in a Safe Church
Cultivating a Culture of Prayer
Pastors Leaving Well
Do Pastors Need to Look Poor?
The Pastor's Family: Lead or Follow?
The Pastor and Social Media
Episode 100: The Unique Joys of Shepherding
Pastoral Obligations to Non-Members
Pastoring through contentious times
Why Plant a Church?
The Pastor's Bookshelf
Encouraging a church to embrace a plurality of Elders
Ministry transitions in the midst of a pandemic
Pastoral Perplexities in the pandemic
Practical Steps to Reopen your Church
Dealing with sin in your church
Cultivating a Culture of Authentic Community in Your Church
Pastoral Productivity
Shepherding the flock in crisis
Ministering the Word in a Crisis
Pastoral Vulnerability
Pastors with Thick Skin and Tender Hearts
How to Choose What Books of the Bible to Preach
Facing Pastoral Loneliness
What is Pastoral Ordination?
Leading our people to be readers of good books
Pastors Caring for Pastors
Confronting Pastoral Cynicism
When the Pastor's Kids are the only Kids in the Church
Premarital Counseling
When the Pastoral "Blahs" do not Lift
Meaningful in-home visits with Members
Thinking Through Weddings
Pastoral Advice to Our Younger Selves
Silence and Solitude
Pastoring and Church Planting with Al Pino
Introducing your Church to Church Discipline
How does a Pastor grow as a Preacher?
What is Church Membership?
Practicalities to Help the Needy
Principles to Help the Needy
Difficulties in Ministry-The Flock
Difficulties in Ministry-The Preacher
Caring for the Fainthearted and Weak
Caring for Widows and Widowers
Caring for the Sick in the Hospital and Home
Should Pastors Receive Gifts from Church Members?
The Pastor as Evangelist
The Deadliest Pastoral Sin
Dealing with Criticism
The Story of Practical Shepherding Pt. 2
The Story of Practical Shepherding Pt. 1
Tensions of Pastoral Faithfulness
Pastors Suddenly Laid Aside
Insights on the Global Church with Conrad Mbewe
Life and Ministry with Conrad Mbewe
Pastors Giving Account for Individual Souls
Pastors and Deacons Working Together
The Office and Role of a Deacon
Pastors Feeding on the Word
Pastoral Priorities in the Early Years
Pastoral Depression, Anxiety, and Suicide
Pastor Caring for His Physical Body
Finding Joy in Small Churches
Processing Pastoral Falls
The Pastor as a Churchman
When Pastors Need Help to Help Others
Preaching with Flexibility
Church Planting vs. Church Revitalization
When a Member Wants to Leave Our Church
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Protecting Children in the Church with Rachael Denhollander–Part 1
Protecting Children in the Church with Rachael Denhollander–Part 2
The Pastor’s Schedule
Stewarding Church Finances
Receiving Members From Another Church
Safety and Security
Caring for Women
How to Pray for the Flock
How Much Should a Pastor Tell His Wife?
The Pastor’s Salary
Bi-Vocational Pastor
Pastoral Recreation
Pastoral Rest