Podcasts about fellowship bible church

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Todd Wilson, co-founder of Exponential and a leader at Multipliers, where he helps churches and ministry leaders pursue multiplication and greater Kingdom impact. Todd has spent decades studying church planting, disciple-making, and movements, and his latest book, How Did We Get Here? Looking Back to Look Forward, explores the evolution of the American church growth movement and what it may mean for the future. Are churches working harder while reaching fewer people? Have our systems become better at producing activity than disciples? Todd challenges leaders to examine the operating system beneath modern church ministry and consider what needs to change if we want to see true reproduction and multiplication. We have a disciple-making problem. // For years, Todd has championed the goal of seeing more churches reproduce. Research once showed that fewer than 5% of U.S. churches were reproducing, and while that number has improved, multiplication remains rare. But Todd believes church planting is ultimately an outcome of a deeper issue: most churches do not have a functional culture of disciple-making. If disciples aren’t reproducing disciples, churches will struggle to reproduce churches. Reproduction has to become generational. // Multiplication begins when reproduction continues beyond the first generation. One disciple makes another disciple, who then makes another, and the process keeps going. The same is true with churches. A church plants a church, which plants another church, which plants another. Once reproduction moves across multiple generations, addition becomes multiplication and the potential for movement begins to emerge. The church growth system has slowly changed. // Todd’s research traces roughly 75 years of church growth history, beginning with missionary Donald McGavran. McGavran originally studied why some churches on the mission field grew while others did not and developed principles aimed at helping missionaries reach more people. Over time, those ideas moved into the American church and blended with seeker-sensitive ministry, the megachurch movement, purpose-driven strategies, multisite, church planting networks, and other innovations. Much good came from these eras, but Todd believes the system gradually shifted toward institutional and programmatic growth. Good intentions can still create the wrong outcomes. // Todd is careful not to blame previous generations of church leaders. Many of the people who shaped modern church ministry were deeply evangelistic and sincerely wanted to reach people. Yet over time, the dominant definition of success increasingly became bigger attendance, larger programs, and expanding organizations. The unintended result is a consumer-driven model that can attract people effectively but struggles to produce disciples who reproduce. The angst leaders feel is real. // Todd hears a growing frustration among pastors: churches are spending more money, employing more staff, and working harder while seeing less fruit. Even churches that appear successful can sense something isn’t right beneath the surface. Todd believes much of that angst comes from trying to produce multiplication through an operating system designed primarily for addition. Naming the problem is an important first step toward changing it. Leaders must model what they want reproduced. // Todd believes transformation has to begin with senior leaders. If disciple-making is going to become the church’s growth engine, lead pastors and elders must personally participate in a simple, reproducible disciple-making process. Rather than merely preaching about discipleship, pastors should be able to name the people they are actively discipling and allow those relationships to shape the way they lead and teach. Keep the process simple and reproducible. // Whatever model a church chooses, Todd believes it must be simple enough for anyone to reproduce. The goal isn’t another sophisticated program but a way of following Jesus that can move naturally from person to person. The same approach should work for a lead pastor, a volunteer, or even a teenager. Simplicity increases the possibility of multiplication. Give the next generation permission to experiment. // Todd isn’t calling churches to abandon everything they’ve inherited. Instead, he encourages leaders to learn from the past, retain what is fruitful, and recognize that the current operating system may be losing effectiveness. Churches should create space for younger leaders to experiment, learn, and discover more reproducible approaches to disciple-making without being forced to preserve every assumption of previous generations. To learn more about Todd Wilson, visit multipliers.org. You can also download a free PDF or audio version of How Did We Get Here? Looking Back to Look Forward at church-growth.org or pick up a paper copy on Amazon.com. In addition, check out Todd Wilson’s conversation with Carey Nieuwhof, and the interview A Simple & Scalable Way to Reproduce Christians with David Putnam. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Portable Church Your church is doing really well right now, and your leadership team is looking for solutions to keep momentum going! It could be time to start a new location. Maybe you have hesitated in the past few years, but you know it's time to step out in faith again and launch that next location. Portable Church has assembled a bundle of resources to help you leverage your growing momentum into a new location by sending a part of your congregation back to their neighborhood on Mission. This bundle of resources will give you a step-by-step plan to launch that new or next location, and a 5 minute readiness tool that will help you know your church is ready to do it! Click here to watch the free webinar “Launch a New Location in 150 Days or Less” and grab the bundle of resources for your church! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. I am so glad that you have tuned in today for this reason, friends, lean in. um I want you to be a part of the conversation that we’re having today. The leader that we’ve got on the phone, on the I don’t know why say the phone because we have not been on phones for podcasts in, you know, 10 years, but on the line is really pressing on an issue that I know that a large portion, you know, almost 90 percent of the churches in the country need to be doing what we’re talking about today. And they’re not. And I really want you to lean in and learn from Todd Wilson. Rich Birch — If you do not know Todd Wilson, he has been the founding and co-founding member of a number of faith-based organizations, including Exponential and Multipliers. He has designed a number, and been a part of the launch of a multiple of national church planting networks. He’s currently a team member, or team leader at Multipliers and serves leaders and ministries who are pursuing multiplication, helping them develop vision and strategy ultimately for a 100 X impact. You know that I love that. Rich Birch — Recently, he wrote a book that caught my attention that I want to dive in on and kind of um unpack some of the core lessons for us today. It’s called, How Did We Get Here? Looking Back to Look Forward. And it’s really looking at the whole conversation, American church growth movement. Todd, welcome to the podcast. So glad you’re here.Todd Wilson — Rich, it’s great to be here with you. I’m really looking forward to this conversation.Rich Birch — Yeah, me too. So why don’t we start with kind of giving us a picture of Multipliers and the work that you’re focused on now, kind of set the context for us.Todd Wilson — Sure. It’s probably good to have the context, you know, at at my core, my own personal calling. I am an entrepreneurial engineer at my core. I love to envision, envisage opportunities, seek strategies and opportunities of the future. And so where I like to do it anywhere, there’s potential for a hundred X kingdom impact. And that’s what gets me in trouble often is the, wherever there’s potential for a hundred X kingdom impact.Todd Wilson — When I came out of the marketplace over 25 years ago into full-time ministry, the most natural hundred X place for me, in addition to being in the local church was, was church planting. I was just drawn to church planting. I got to spend almost 20 years, ah you know, leading Exponential and co-founding there.Todd Wilson — And in recent years, really trying to get even more focused really on the 100x impact. I want to spend my next decade as I’m getting older here, you know, what’s it look like for every hour, for every dollar, for every bit of energy, to see 100x return.Todd Wilson — And so the idea of Multipliers, and it’s a small team of us that, you know, we have a definite bias within the kingdom space to the disciple-making as the mission and engine of the church. And what’s it look like to get back to Jesus style disciple making. But then church planting and multiplication, what does it look like to be doing things that that are even capable of reproduction that can lead to multiplication and ultimately movement. So our goal is to just help champion at the personal level through personal calling, at the church level through disciple making and cultures of disciple making that can ultimately produce movements.Todd Wilson — And so we are a champion and advocate for that.Rich Birch — That’s fantastic. You and I are are similarly wired. And over the years, you know I’ve heard people talk about, you know, and they always they’ll do like a series at a church on spiritual gifts. And I’ve often wondered because of the kinds of things I’ve been involved in, if, you know, if I have some sort of apostolic gift, just because of the stuff I found myself doing and, you know, launching campuses and all that.Rich Birch — And it’s interesting that gift over the years I’ve heard, which is similar to the kind of work you’ve been doing over the years is the only gift that I’ve ever noticed that preachers, they seem to talk down about it. And they’re like, stop starting things like, you know, they’re like, they always, you know, are like on the negative side of, you know, being the guy who wants to be entrepreneurial and see new things.Rich Birch — And that’s a part of what I admire about you and the good work you’ve done. When you were at Exponential over those, you know, with you that you co-founded, you know, that almost 20 years, you know, they had this, they saw some amazing things happen there under your leadership, where this idea of moving church reproduction from under 5%, really trying to push us towards 16%.Rich Birch — So for people that are unaware of this, I think this is good context to kind of take a step back and talk about why that number, why are we actually, why are you giving decades of your life towards this idea of trying to move towards 16%? What do we mean by that when you you know talk about that? Because I think that’s a good foundational idea for today’s conversation.Todd Wilson — Yeah. I think it’s important it to understand, again, context for me. I didn’t grow up a Christian. I never had a dream to be in full-time vocational ministry. I’ve never wanted to be a lead pastor of anything. You know, ministry was the farthest thing from my mind growing up. When you’re asking kids, what do you want do when you grow up? Todd Wilson — So when God brought me into full-time vocational ministry, and I’m going to say kicking and screaming, I wanted to go start a company. I wanted to go make money. I wanted to go change the world. And so coming into full-time vocational ministry, why in the world would I want to see anything except movements happening? Rich Birch — That’s good.Todd Wilson — We read about movements in the New Testament. Why do I want to be personally satisfied if God’s calling me into a new life of ministry with anything less than seeing movements?Todd Wilson — And so that was my context of stepping in and and leading at Exponential and what was driving us. And your question from 5% to 16%. Well, Houston, we have a problem.Todd Wilson — If movements are multiplication, and multiplication is generational reproduction, and we, at the time we were starting Exponential, there were less than 5% of U.S. churches were reproducing. You just got to let that sink in.Rich Birch — Yeah.Todd Wilson — 95% of churches just 25 years ago, 95% of churches in the U.S. are not reproducing. It’s physically impossible, both mathematically and biblically, to see multiplication and ultimately movements if less than 5% of churches are reproducing.Todd Wilson — So the answer to where’s the 5 to 16, for me personally, God’s called me into a new life and a new ministry. I don’t want to be satisfied with just status quo, but the state of the U.S. church is such that we physically can’t see 100x impact in the operating system of how things are working. Todd Wilson — So the 5 to 16 was very simple. Let’s measure where we’re at. And so the 16% sociologists say that if you can get 16% of an audience acting a certain way, behaving a certain way, it will become normative for everyone else. I like to say, if you’re in a room and you start quacking like a duck to talk, if you can get 16% of the people in the audience quacking like a duck, then everybody’s going to communicate by quacking like a duck.Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — And so it just became a conviction. Let’s move the needle from less than 5% to 16%. And then the language we would use is, at 16%, healthy church reproduction would become such a normative thing that we would see multiplication happening.Todd Wilson — Now, the little bit of an elephant in the room before we move on, church planting is just the outcome. So that 5% number, it’s an outcome of the system and what’s happening.Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — The more ornery number is that the national studies that we did on what percentage of U.S. churches have a disciple-making culture. That’s also less than 5%.Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — So 95% of churches don’t have a functional mission of disciple-making, and that’s their normative growth engine through disciple-making. So in reality, we have a disciple-making problem, not a church-planting problem. And so those two became very tied together, as as will become evident as we have this interview.Rich Birch — Yeah, absolutely. and And just can you define generational reproduction for folks that are listening in? When you when you when you say that, like, hey, we’re trying to move churches towards generational reproduction, kind of just unpack that a little bit more.Todd Wilson — Yeah, let’s let’s start at the personal level of disciple-making. If one person makes a disciple of another person, you’ve got one generation. If that person goes on to make another disciple two generations, that person makes a disciple three generations. We see that biblically. We see that in the leadership pipeline with Paul, that you know we need to see disciples who make disciples who make disciples.Todd Wilson — Once you get to the third or fourth generation of something reproducing itself, if you drew that on paper, one becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes eight, eight becomes 16. That is an exponential or a multiplication curve. So all you have to do to go from addition to multiplication is have healthy reproduction broad and wide multiple generations into the future.Todd Wilson — Now we just take that to the church level, a church that plants a church that plants a church that plants a church broad and wide.Todd Wilson — Now you’ve gone from one church to 16 churches. And now look at the collective attendance of those 16 churches. That’s what you call healthy growth. That’s what you call multiplication when you keep reproducing it over and over.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. And there’s actually been progress against this. This is one of the things that I’ve loved as a person just sitting on the outside looking in as you and the team, you know, Dave and the broader Exponential community have really been hammering away at this. You know, we’re not at 16% yet, but we’re seeing progress, which is which is amazing.Todd Wilson — Right. It’s in the studies that we did, and it’s been repeated a couple of times, the needle has moved to at least 7%. That may not sound like a lot, but if you go take the number of churches we’re talking about…Rich Birch — Yes.Todd Wilson — …and that needle moving from less than 5% to 7%. And we’re not taking credit for all that at Exponential. Rich Birch — Right. Todd Wilson — We’re getting to ride a wave that really started around 2000. Prior to 2000, denominations planted churches, not really churches or networks. We saw the birth of networks around 2000 in the U.S. It’s hard for people to realize, but like in the church planting world, groups like City to City and GlocalNet and Acts 29 and ARC and Church Multiplication Network and Stadia and New Thing Network, none of them existed.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Todd Wilson — Literally in a five-year time period, we saw the birth of all these church planting networks, and that happened to coincide with that we saw that need to start Exponential to serve those networks.Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — So We we were a little bit the right group at the right place, advocating for the right thing.Todd Wilson — And I do think that generally the the wonderful thing is that as that needle is starting to move and the visibility is getting more and more, the next generation wants it. Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah, I would agree.Todd Wilson — They want the scorecard of that. So I feel very optimistic that we’re still a ways away from 16%, but the needle is moving in the right direction.Rich Birch — Yeah, I would echo that too. I think there is, um you know, one of the couple years ago, I had one of those ages in my life flip over with zero on the end that you kind of notice and you reflect back on life a little bit. And I would say one of the things I’ve noticed over, you know, almost 30 years of ministry is this issue is has become more normative. Like it’s it’s a part of the conversation. It’s not that everyone’s doing it, but it’s in the dialogue, which I think is is wonderful.Rich Birch — Well, I, so you know, there’s, you interact with a lot of church leaders across the country. You interact with a lot of people, you have a pulse on a lot of, you know, what’s going on. And there’s a growing sense, you have flagged that there’s a growing sense among leaders that there’s just something wrong. It’s like, you know, there’s like a stink in the bottom of our, our, garbage that’s like, oh it’s a little bit stinky. It’s not like overwhelming, but we can’t put our finger on exactly what that is. Rich Birch — They can’t necessarily name it, but we feel it. We kind of see that there’s maybe something in the way we’re doing what we’re doing that isn’t working. What are you hearing as you sit across the table from church leaders in across the country, you know, around all of these things that we’re talking about?Todd Wilson — Let me describe it a couple of different ways. I think the the word I would put on it is an angst. I think if you look at the definition of an angst, there’s a there’s a growing and an underlying angst. um I’m going to say, if I’m descriptive of the angst, that might not be the way people would exactly say it but it’s how I translate what I’m hearing.Todd Wilson — We are working a lot harder to reach less people and we don’t like the cultural Christian product we’re getting. We’re working a lot harder. We’re spending more money to reach fewer people. And we’re just having this angst that the product we’re producing is a little bit too much consumer cultural Christian as we’re working harder and spending more money. And that leaves somebody full time, know, if I mean, if you’re a full time vocational pastor, there’s an angst that sits in the middle of that dynamic going on. Todd Wilson — My mentor and friend, Robert Lewis, who led Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock for years, Robert’s handed off the leadership back in 2005. Robert describes it this way. He did the foreword on my recent book, and when he read and reviewed the book, he said, Todd, oh my goodness, this is first and foremost a walk down history lane. It’s like going back and looking at history. Todd Wilson — But he said, here’s the thing. I had this angst in 2005. Everything was up and to the right. We were growing. We were doing new campuses. We had started a church planting. Like we’re doing all of the stuff. People are turning to us. They’re looking at what we’re doing. We had started a leadership conference. And I just had this angst that something wasn’t right.Todd Wilson — And he said, I couldn’t name it. He said, I needed a therapist. But where does a megachurch pastor who’s having nothing but success with up and to the right, who’s feeling angst about the system, where do you go for therapy in that? He’s like, I didn’t know whether to feel like I was being ungrateful or what.Todd Wilson — And his words were, as you’ve traced the 75 years of the church growth movement and its evolution into a consumer-driven operating system, you have named my angst. I wish I would have had this book in 2005 to name my angst because half the battle is getting our hands around understanding why we’re feeling the way we do.Rich Birch — Yeah, I was talking to denominational leader within the last year to kind of add a bit more flavor even to that angst, who was saying, and this is a fantastic denomination, you know, Jesus loving, you know, fantastic group of people um and have, you know, very similar what you’re saying, like lots of good things going on.Rich Birch — And this was one of those like, After dinner conversations, you know, long ah a long ways away from a bunch of leaders, we were just chatting on the sideline. And he said, you know, the interesting thing, when you look at our tribe, his movement, he rattled off all their stats. We have a certain number of churches. We have a certain number of pastors. We have a certain number of, you know, baptisms every year. It rattles all that off.Rich Birch — And he said, you know, if you were to look at where we were 20 years ago, the number of churches is the same, the number of, and rattled off all these stats that are the same. Like we’re baptizing the same number of people, the attendance is the same, the the like all these things. He said, the only thing that’s gone up in the last 20 years is we’ve doubled our staff head count. There’s twice as many staff today as there was. And when I read, heard about your book and you talk about this angst, I was like, ooh, that’s exactly what he was describing. He’s like, wait a second. what’s happening here. And him as a denominational leader, he had the same read, hey, there’s something wrong with the way we set this thing up. Rich Birch — So your book, let’s actually dive into a little bit. It starts really at 70 year arc from Donald McGavron from 1955, all the way to today. And so for a leader who’s never really stepped back and thought about the history of like, what, how did we get here? It’s the name of your book. Why does knowing what got us to where we are today, this kind of consumer operating system that you describe, why does, how does understanding that help us as we think about the future?Todd Wilson — It’s a really good question. And I’m not sure, honestly, that I when I, when I set out to write this book, that, that that was even driving me to begin with, but very quickly that became the, I realized that’s why I need to write this book.Todd Wilson — So let, let me explain. And I need to give you a little bit of background to explain, because it’s an important question.Rich Birch — Yep, yep, for sure.Todd Wilson — So when I think about the moment that, that I realized we had a problem. Like that that, okay, we’re on this trajectory, things are moving the right direction to the 16%, and I’m back in the leadership of Exponential now. And I’m realizing, oh my goodness, we really do have a problem. And here’s here was what that looked like. Todd Wilson — I believed we had started learning communities and we had very vibrant learning communities And our learning communities got started because we felt like we need to shift the paradigm of people’s measure of success in the scorecard of church. It was very much about we need to shift paradigm. Alan Hirsch was involved with this on how do we shift from just growing large things to growing decentralized things that saturate. And it was very much about scorecard.Todd Wilson — And if you think about it, we’re wanting to move the needle from 5% to 16%. That’s a scorecard thing. So our initiating event was scorecard. But as we got into these learning communities, which in my opinion were the best things we were doing at Exponential. I mean, they were six to eight month learning journeys and we would rock people’s paradigm.Todd Wilson — We really would. People would go through it and be like, Oh my goodness, I got to have a different view of success in the church.Rich Birch — Right. yeahTodd Wilson — And guess what? They’d go home and Sunday’s coming. Rich Birch — Right. Todd Wilson — There’s, services to run, there’s people to pastor, there’s things to do. And the aha moment for me came, Rich, when I realized the the whole definition of insanity, that if you just keep doing the same thing over and over and hope for a different outcome, but that’s insanity. And here I am trying to lead a national organization to see a change in scorecard to move the needle to 16%.Todd Wilson — And I remember the day that I realized we’re not going to get there with the operating system we have in place in church right now. This operating system is not capable of getting us to the 16% number.Todd Wilson — That was a personal crisis. I’m leading an organization that’s up and to the right that the needle is moving. But as a futurist, I’m realizing we’re not going to get where we need to be with the operating system in the church. So the the operating system part was what drove me to start writing this book. I’ll let you ask a question there, and then we’ll circle back to the how does it relate to understanding how we got here, though.Rich Birch — Yeah, so ah just to underline what you’re saying there, um you know in in other conversations, I’ve heard leaders say, you know it’s like, um you know what you know what you reach people with is what you end up keeping them with. And so if what I hear you saying, just putting, I think, other language around it, but correct me, is kind of a consumer-oriented or a consumer cultural operating system that we’ve we’ve used as a church… Todd Wilson — Right.Rich Birch — …you know, obviously by definition, if you ah use a um consumption-based model, that doesn’t, leave you it’s very difficult to turn around and say, okay, now become a multiplier. You know, we got you here as a consumer. Okay, now how do we make you a multiplier? Is that the core pain?Todd Wilson — It is. And Rich, you’re painting the picture of why looking back to understand how we got here is important. If it’s true, that are ah If it’s true, and I want to suggest people ought to go look at it for themselves, that the underlying operating system that has evolved over the last 75 years, it’s not where it started with Donald McGavern in 1955. And there was never bad intentions by any of the good people through the 70 years.Rich Birch — Yeah, right.Todd Wilson — We have evolved from what was originally one thing. into a consumer model that is way more focused on success is growing big, success is making converts, not necessarily disciples. And we we can diagnose that if there’s a problem today, and I suggest there is a problem today, then how we got here and understanding how over 70 years, what was intended to be one thing, gradually (like the frog getting boiled in cold water) turned into something else.Todd Wilson — We’ve got to go through the the, if we really want to change the operating system, and I’ve seen how hard it is, guys can have the paradigm shift. We need to change. Then they go back home into the operating system that they’re operating in. And it is really, really hard to just throw off one operating system and embrace another oneTodd Wilson — And I wouldn’t even encourage people to do that. Don’t go home and just change your operating system overnight. But if you do want to make thoughtful, progressive change, the best way to do it is to start by going back and learn the lesson of how did we get where we are?Rich Birch — Yeah.Todd Wilson — How did things get off track to where to where we are?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Todd Wilson — And that’s what ended you know, I started out the book really to go after understanding the operating system itself. And very quickly came to the conclusion, oh, we I’m not sure how we’re going to move to a new operating system if people don’t go through the hard work of looking back and understanding how well-intentioned people over time have delivered for us what we have today in a flawed system.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. You know, I know, again, from my own personal experience, not to bring this back to me, but to my own personal experience, again, it’s been interesting to see similar patterns. You know, every couple years, there’s like some new idea that comes up in the church. And oftentimes I’m like, yeah, this is just like of rehash of a thing I saw 10 years ago or 15 years ago or 20 years ago.Rich Birch — It’s like, oh, this is is brand new. It’s like, ah, it’s echoes of things we’ve seen in the past. So why don’t we just kind of give people a flyover or a walkover of the kind of eras that you kind of define as you went through the book, just to give people a high level. Rich Birch — Ultimately friends, you know, I’m encouraging you to to do two things out of today. One is to pick up, I think this could be a great book for you and your team to go through. You and your leadership team, buy copies of this, read it. I think it could be an interesting book for you or, and go and listen to Todd’s interview with Carey as well. Carey just takes longer in his podcast and has more time. So there’s going to be, there’s lots packed into that as well. Rich Birch — But why don’t you kind of give us a flyover of the eras? And then maybe when you think about each one of those, something that was like, really positive that came from that area something like hey there’s something good there or maybe there’s something there that we’ve got to be cautious about as we think about the future.Todd Wilson — Yeah. And just to be clear, Rich, you know this, ah I’m a local church guy. My calling is a local church. I’m still on staff at a local church. I love the local church. So this part of the, difficulty for me in spending two years and over a hundred hours of interviews and putting this timeline of history together is I love the church.Todd Wilson — And I I, don’t know that I’d be sitting here talking to you if it weren’t for several of these eras I’m getting ready to name to you. So you’ve got really, I think a common thread through across these areas as we jump into them is typically apostolic, evangelistically driven leaders who really want to reach people. Hell is real. Lost people are going there. We got to reach them. And I think that’s the driving factor across all these eras is well-intentioned people…Todd Wilson — And if I can start with the end point, I think we’ve sort of co-opted the more holistic disciple-making growth engine that’s capable of generational disciple-making with strategies for institutional programmatic growth that are not capable of reproduction. They’re very good at growing large things and reaching lots of people, but not necessarily making, you know, through relational disciple making, disciples who make disciples who plant churches that plant churches.Todd Wilson — So here’s how I would do the flyover. When I got started writing this history, I thought I was doing one chapter of this history in another book. Rich Birch — I love it.Todd Wilson — And one chapter turned into two chapters and three chapters. And eventually my editor said, Todd, you just need to do a full book.Rich Birch — Well, that’s a book.Todd Wilson — And it ends up turning into the longest book I’ve written because of the 75 year history. And ah Rich, seriously, don’t, people don’t need to feel bad if they don’t know all the history. I, I’m like a where’s Waldo through a lot of this history. I’ve had a seat at the table for a lot of the stuff through these eras.Todd Wilson — Until writing this book, I did not know how all the dots connected across these eras. And then it became there were so many, oh, oh, oh. So here’s here’s the shot I’ll give to you. Ididn’t really I knew I had heard of Donald McGavern. I knew he was considered the father of the modern church growth movement. I’ve never, prior to writing this book, read about him, gone off and studied him. Gary McIntosh is his by is Donald McGavern’s biographer. So I spent a lot of time with Gary. He pointed me in the right directions.Todd Wilson — And here’s what I learned. Donald McGavern, born in the late 1800s, international missionary in India. um His father and mother were missionaries in India. He came from the mission field and his context was the international mission field. Todd Wilson — Now, get this as the starting point in 1955. He’s an international missionary. He has planted 15 churches himself in his career, none of which ever grew to more than 100 people. So you got to let that sink in. The father of the modern church growth movement planted 15 churches, none of which grew to more than 100. And yet he’s the father of what we consider now the modern church growth movement.Rich Birch — Right. Interesting.Todd Wilson — So the kind the context was, he became fascinated after reading a research report on why some churches in provinces in India were growing and others weren’t. Sometimes churches in the same village that were growing and just down the street, others weren’t.Todd Wilson — So he kind of took a scientific approach, the study of church growth. Like let’s study this like it’s a science, like what’s causing some churches to grow. And he he had very clear conclusions out of that, but you know, a handful of conclusions of what’s causing that.Todd Wilson — And so ultimately, when he came off the mission field by 1960, 61, he started the Church Growth Institute, not for U.S. pastors, but for international missionaries who were on furlough to come home and learn about church growth principles that they could take back to the international mission field. He had no interest in U.S. pastors. Todd Wilson — So for multiple years in the 60s, he was doing that. And when Fuller wanted to start their International School of World Missions, one of their best faculty member ratings was Donald McGavern. So they invited him to come become the founding dean of the the Fuller School of World Missions.Todd Wilson — But he only agreed to do it if he could bring the Church Growth Institute with him. So by 1970, you’ve got that up and running. He’s built his team. He invited a guy called C. Peter Wagner off the mission field to come be on his faculty staff. And in 1970, 71, Peter Wagner convinced Donald McGavern that they ought to run one class for U.S. pastors on church growth.Todd Wilson — And the rest is history. That one class, it just turned into, Imean, people were very interested in it. Denominations became interested. And literally within a couple of years, you’ve got this up and to the right people latching on to church growth science.Todd Wilson — And that starts the process, you know. Even from the beginning, you start to see a little bit of co-opting away from McGavern’s things. Not fast, but a little bit. Todd Wilson — So right on the heels of that, in the 70s then, you’ve got this young kid, ah Bill Hybels… Rich Birch — Right. Todd Wilson — …who’s running you know going to go into business and he’s running a street ministry with youth. He’s being mentored by Robert Shuler.Rich Birch — Yes.Todd Wilson — And Shuler’s got the possibility thinking, think outside the box, very apostolic. Turns out Shuler not only mentors Hybels, but there’s some mentoring of Rick Warren. And so you’ve got the birth of the seeker-sensitive era then.Todd Wilson — You know, if the first era was the McGavern-Roots era, now we’ve got the seeker-sensitive era. And, you know, that can be a positive or a negative stigma. For me, in 1976, I’m in middle school going into high school, not a Christian, live down the street from this movie theater called the Willow Creek Movie Theater. Rich Birch — Right. Right.Todd Wilson — And my mom drags us kicking and screaming into the Willow Creek Movie Theater. We were the avatar family for the Seeker Sensitive family movement.Rich Birch — Right. Movement.Todd Wilson — From Seeker Sensitive, you get out of that the what Peter Drucker and Bob Buford would call the large church phenomena and the birth of Leadership Network then with the large church phenomena, which became the megachurch phenomena.Todd Wilson — You’ve got Rick Warren and his masterful work with the purpose-driven church. Rick’s able to put handles on this church growth part, but Rick was a disciple of Donald McGavern, so he’s got the McGavern roots. Todd Wilson — You’ve got Hybels with the Shuler roots. And in that 80 into the 90s with the birth of the Global Leadership Summit and the other, you’ve you’ve got this very influential large church phenomena, purpose-driven, being shaped by, you know, in large part, the combination of Leadership Network, Hybels, Rick Warren… And that brings us up to you know about 2000. Todd Wilson — And just as a flyover, I would then call the era of the externally focused church. You’ve got the rapid fire birth of church planting networks. You’ve got multi-site. People don’t realize prior to 2000, there’s less than 50 multi-site churches.Rich Birch — Yeah.Todd Wilson — Leadership Network engages it in 2000. And from 2000 to 2010 you see an up, I mean, radically up and to the right.Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — The externally focused church, same thing. Rick Russo has book right in that time period. The missional guys, right in that time period. So the common theme between these church planning networks, the missional guys, the externally focused guys, the multi-site, is we’re now looking outside of ourselves.Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — But in large part, we’re still looking outside of ourselves as growth strategies for our things. If you really go look under the hood of a lot of those.Todd Wilson — And then I would say coming out of the externally or outwardly focused era, 2015 to 2025, I just have no other name than the disruption era. As I was doing the research on this book, um I had to stop at like 12 major disruptions that happened in that time period with COVID right in the middle. Rich Birch — Right. Todd Wilson — And so that’s the…Rich Birch — Political upheaval. There’s a bunch in there in that same, you know, yeah, that there’s been a schism.Todd Wilson — You’ve got deconstruction of faith.Rich Birch — Yep.Todd Wilson — You’ve got cynicism. You’ve got platformed individualism with the birth of social media. Now anybody can be their own, you know, playlist influencer. There’s just so many disruptive factors in there.Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — Now you look at all those disruptive factors with the evolution of what’s happening in the church and the church operating system. And it leaves us on a very shaky foundation at that point that, you know It kind of brings us up to where we are now, and you can either be a pessimist at that or an optimist. And I choose the optimist path that we’re poised for a new day and a new operating system is my prayer.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s amazing. And friends, as you can see, you just got a real thin slice of, you know, just all the various phases that you do such a great job unpacking for us to help us really understand how we we got here. It was It was wild, it’s wild thinking about a lot of that because I remember, you know, various phases of those over the last particularly 25 years, you know, seeing that up close and seeing, you know, kind of the impact that has had and then wondering about the future and where we go from here. Rich Birch — So thinking about the future and, you know, obviously you’ve, um you know, you’ve you’re making a clear clarion call around, hey, we’ve got to think differently than the consumer driven operating system. We’ve got to we’ve got to come up with something different. After all of that, um and we’ve kind of covered this already, but I’d love to make sure we kind of hone on this, have this resonate with people that are listening in. Why is it so difficult for that system, for the consumer-driven operating system to to really ultimately produce healthy reproduction and multiplication and in churches? What’s structurally ah broken about it? And what what would be some first steps we should be thinking about change to the future as we think about, okay, where we go from here? Todd Wilson — Yeah.Rich Birch — How do we, you know, build on the positive stuff, but also look for something different as we look to the future? Todd Wilson — Yeah. I think we don’t have to make it complex, Rich, if we just keep trying to come back to simplicity for a minute. Like the system that has evolved has actually become pretty complex when you think about it. I would say if we could just focus on, I’m not even going to say changing overnight, but if if I’m a lead pastor, if I’m on staff at a church, I’m really focused on disciple-making as the core mission and growth engine of the church. Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — Like what is it, most churches are going to say our mission is disciple making or it’s going to be part of it. They’re going to say we have a culture of disciple making, but it is not what the data shows. Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — You know, again, 95% of churches do not have a culture of disciple-making. They have a culture of program activity. Rich Birch — Right. Todd Wilson — And so I’m not an advocate of changing everything overnight, but if you want to shift from a culture of program activity to a true culture of disciple-making‚ it has to start with the lead minister having a simple, reproducible, in-practice disciple-making approach that is being modeled for the… I don’t mean discipling the staff. I mean there’s people the lead pastor are personally discipling, modeling that simple, reproducible process. Todd Wilson — Where we’re starting to see traction and where I think the breakthroughs are going to come in getting us to the new operating system of the future, it is going to start, and it’s it’s happening right now, with pastors who say, you know, if I’m really honest, I’ve been preaching the last 52 weeks. I’ve been leading meetings. I’ve been doing, I’ve been doing, I’ve done, but I’m not really personally making disciples. Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — And I think it’s going to start with the lead pastor, the elders, senior people saying, If we could only have one metric of success in the next 12 months, it’s not growth, it’s not the activities we do, it’s not the new building. If we only have one measure of success, it’s how many disciples have I personally, relationally been involved in? me Not how many have I preached to, not how many outreach events have we done where we’ve got, but what have I personally done on the disciple-making front?Todd Wilson — And I don’t want to make it more complicated than that. That’s what we’re missing right now.Rich Birch — That’s good. No, that’s really good. Yeah, that’s good. I love the practical takeaway of, um yeah, it’s like, who are the three people in your life that you’re actually discipling? Let’s start there. Rich Birch — So this is kind of a sidebar to it.Todd Wilson — Can I just look real quick?Rich Birch — Yes. Yep. Push back. Yep.Todd Wilson — So David Putman, who’s part of what we do at Multipliers, David’s longtime kingdom guy.Rich Birch — Yep.Todd Wilson — You should have him on as an interview here. David is completely focused on what he calls the 5-3-2 right now. Five simple reproducible principles, three rhythms, and and two relationships. So it’s a triad of three people that just keeps reproducing.Todd Wilson — Anybody can do it. A ninth grader can do it. A lead pastor can do it. I’m watching this model take different groups by storm right now. And whether you embrace the 5-3-2 or some other model like it, the key is going to be having a simple, reproducible process that works for the lead pastor and anyone else in the church. Same model.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Yeah we had David on back in 2020 and I’m like we got to get him back on uh the podcast. Rich Birch — So sidebar issue, so this is not something we’d you know kicked around ahead of time but it’s kind of adjacent to this. So I am not a I'm not a teaching pastor. Similar to you. I’m not, i never saw myself as a lead pastor. I’ve always been in the like, Hey, my job’s to be in the second chair, cheering for other lead pastors. I’ve worked for um really over my career as an XP three incredible communicator lead pastors who it would appear like, and it is, they, all three of them, God gifted them with this ability to speak and gather crowds. Like that was like core. And, and I, I’ve spent a lot of time like listening to them and watching them. And part of it just appears to be like, it’s definitely a gifting that’s going on there.Rich Birch — And I, over time, ah questions like the following would come up that I would I'd struggle with, where it’s like, it would appear like this person can gather a lot of people, and we can build more chairs in front of that person and people will hear that person and they’ll they’ll take steps towards Jesus. Rich Birch — And I understand that that’s not, or that’s not a full picture of discipleship. That’s one piece of the discipleship puzzle, but it’s not… And the the kind of organizational pressure is, okay, let’s keep figuring out how to build more seats in front of this person and and their gift. How do we get them to leverage their gift well? Rich Birch — And to be honest, I’ve been in conversations where I’ve been the voice of like, I want to line 100,000 people up in front of this person to hear this person speak because I think the way they talk about Jesus is different than what I’ve heard other people say and it it’ll make a difference. Rich Birch — That is, I think, at the center of this tension that there’s some there seems to be something about the gift of teaching that it’s not, I don’t know whether it’s not evenly distributed, or there’s like a brokenness in humanity and we only want to listen to certain kinds of people. I don’t know whether it’s one of those two things. So all I’ve done is describe a problem and I’m going to say, comment on it, Todd.Todd Wilson — Yeah. I think you’re right on the mark. I think I want to affirm that, you know, I mean, everybody has their definitions. I believe the preaching role is, and and the teaching and reaching is a piece of the discipleship equation.Rich Birch — Yep.Todd Wilson — I think if I’m defining the problem statement, We have made it the biggest piece… Rich Birch — Sure. Todd Wilson — …instead of a piece or a playing a role in it. So I think the issue is that how big we’ve made it. Like you, I was an executive pastor for years. And when I look back on that time, my role was not about holistic relational disciple making that could be the growth engine of the church. and it It was how do we get as many people in seats in the auditorium on Sunday? We need great marketing. We need great outreach.Todd Wilson — And again, I think all of those play a role in the disciple-making process ultimately. But let’s just be honest, that’s not disciple-making itself. It plays a role in the disciple-making process.Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — So the elephant in the room here is, how do we scale disciple-making? If I if I could be If I could be the czar of this, I’m not, but if I could be, I want the genius at the end. I want the unique gifts that are represented across the whole mosaic and the church, starting with that dynamic creature that can attract the crowd. I want it. Todd Wilson — But I also want those senior leaders of the organization I really want to be focused on what is our growth engine and what is our holistic disciple-making process. Rich Birch — Right.Todd Wilson — And the number one thing I want from those senior leaders is not their unique gift. I want their modeling, their personal modeling of the simple, reproducible, disciple-making growth engine that anybody in the church can do. Rich Birch — That’s good.Todd Wilson — I mean, that that preaching gift you’re talking about, that that one lead pastor can do, how many other people in the church can do that?Rich Birch — Right. Not many. Yep.Todd Wilson — So there’s their paradigm. So we need them doing it.Rich Birch — Yes.Todd Wilson — But I would argue what we need them doing even more than that inspiration is modeling the simple reproducible disciple making thing that people know that’s how we’re going to win here.Rich Birch — Yeah. Well, and I’ve that lines up, I’ve said it at probably, well, not a thousand times, but hundreds of times with lead pastors over the years that in the context of this conversation, I would rather them weave in the discussion about their discipleship relationships as like just a normative part of conversation rather than the, we’re doing six weeks on discipleship and how to become disciple making. I’m like, if you just pepper that stuff in week in, week out, it just is a normative part of the conversation that changes culture. Rich Birch — The kind of like, we’re going to make it a program. We’re going to brand it. We’ve got a great name on it. And my experience has been, it’s it’s a little bit like nailing jello to the wall. There’s there’s actually some of that containing of what we’re talking about actually kills the exact thing that we’re trying to do. And so, man, I think there’s a real tension there. And how do we help those people? Rich Birch — Because it’s not like we want them to do a worse job. It’s not like, hey, if you could stop talking in a way that attracts a crowd, that’s not the answer. But we’ve got to, like you say, how do we move them into those personal relationships? That’s fantastic.Rich Birch — Well, this has been a great conversation…Todd Wilson — My question would be, Rich, what what would happen…Rich Birch — Yep.Todd Wilson — …if an average lead pastor went on a one-year journey to to of disciple-making themselves? Call it a triad, call it four, five. They’re always, over the next year, going to be in a disciple-making small micro group… Rich Birch — Yep. Todd Wilson — …and all of their preaching is going to be informed.Rich Birch — Yep.Todd Wilson — That’s their laboratory of learning.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s their paradigm. Yeah, that’s good.Todd Wilson — That’s their paradigm. And now they’re bringing it to life, not just as periodic examples, but, you know, my whole frame of reference of my library is what comes out of that experience. Rich Birch — Yeah.Todd Wilson — And our problem right now is that’s just lack. It isn’t that it’s inserted a little bit. It’s just lacking.Rich Birch — Right. Yeah, that’s good. Yeah, this has been great. what ah What a great conversation. And as you can tell, friends, there’s a lot we could talk about there. And a lot you know just there’s a rich conversation that could be had around this. Rich Birch — Let’s let’s pivot and kind of talk a little bit about the book specifically. i want to make sure people pick up copies of this. Again, the name of it is How Did We Get Here? Looking Back to Look Forward. People can get this on Amazon. Are there other places that you would send people if they want to pick up copies of this?Todd Wilson — Yeah. So if they go to church-growth.org, church-growth.org, that’s the book’s homepage. You can actually get the free PDF there. You can get the free audio version there. There’s a full wiki there that people can contribute to. What you kind of mentioned it in passing, but I’ll highlight, it is impossible to read this book and not see yourself in it. Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah.Todd Wilson — Anyone who’s been a Christian for a while, they, the editor of the book said the power of this is going to be, she said, I can tell you the page in the book that I entered the story. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. Todd Wilson — So you’ve got the free PDF, the free audio, the wiki, and then for people that just want the paper versions, you can get it on Amazon.Rich Birch — That’s great. And we’ll link to that friends so that you can, you know, find that quickly in the show notes and, and friends, I would encourage you again, to me, I think this could be a great resource to do with your leadership team, as I mentioned earlier. It would be a great kind of conversation starter and really context setter for us to think through these issues as we think about the future. Rich Birch — So kind of as we, as we come to close up today’s conversation, any final words as we wrap up today?Todd Wilson — Rich, I just appreciate the work you’re doing. I want to be an encouragement to pastors. Don’t let this book be, it’s not a deconstruction book. It’s not, oh my goodness, the church has fallen apart.Rich Birch — No, yeah.Todd Wilson — We need to keep plugging away doing what we’re doing, but we also have to have an eye on the future that this operating system that has evolved, everything has a beginning and an end. And this operating system, I believe, is in its final days. I think we’re we’re seeing you know less and less effectiveness with it. And I think we just need to be in a posture of giving permission to the next generations to do some trial and error and experimentation and not be locked into the paradigm of the of the past inheriting previous things.Rich Birch — No, fantastic, Todd. I appreciate you being here. And I would echo that, you know, you’re you’re the kind of leader that’s in our corner trying to help us get better. And so I appreciate the voice that you’ve had for for decades. And so I really appreciate that. Rich Birch — If people want to track with you, get connected, follow along with Multipliers where do we want to send them online?Todd Wilson — Multipliers.org can get me to all the different ways from email to phone to social media. So multipliers.org.Rich Birch — That’s great. Thanks so much, Todd. Appreciate you being here, sir.Todd Wilson — Thank you, Rich. Appreciate it.

Will Blanchard shares the four characteristics found in churches that consistently multiply leaders, disciples, and new churches. Drawing from years of church planting experience and doctoral research, he explains why fewer than one-half of one percent of churches in North America are truly multiplying—and what every church leader can learn from them. Will serves as Teaching Pastor and Multiplication Team Leader at Fellowship Bible Church in Northwest Arkansas, where he helps equip leaders to plant churches and build multiplying ministries. In this conversation with Greg Nettle, he unpacks the four vital components that emerged through years of studying multiplying churches across North America. Together, they discuss how churches can intentionally build a multiplication-focused identity, develop a disciple-making culture, create leadership pipelines, and establish clear pathways for assessing, equipping, and sending church planters. Rather than relying on programs or quick fixes, Will demonstrates how multiplication becomes part of a church's DNA through intentional leadership and long-term investment in people. Whether you're planting a new church, leading an established congregation, or hoping to become a more sending-oriented church, this episode offers practical principles to help your ministry move beyond growth and toward lasting Kingdom multiplication. Resources Mentioned Fellowship Bible Church: https://www.fellowshipnwa.org/ Exponential: https://exponential.org/ Stadia Church Planting: https://stadiachurchplanting.org/ Table of Contents 00:00 – 04:20 Introduction to Will Blanchard and his church planting journey. 04:20 – 08:45 The research behind multiplying churches and why so few actually multiply. 08:45 – 12:45 Vital Component #1: Building a multiplication-shaped identity. 12:45 – 19:10 Vital Component #2: Creating a disciple-making culture. 19:10 – 22:50 Vital Component #3: Developing intentional leadership pipelines. 22:50 – 26:40 Vital Component #4: Establishing a pathway for assessing and sending church planters. 26:40 – 27:25 Final encouragement: Why the future of the Church is still full of hope.

Guided Question When it comes to spiritual experiences and gifts, are you allowing Scripture—not personal experience, emotion, or cultural expectations—to determine what you believe and how you practice your faith? Summary This episode concludes a series on the ministry of the Holy Spirit by focusing on the controversial gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. Dr. Robert Lewis begins by acknowledging the strong emotions and differing experiences surrounding tongues, but emphasizes that experience can never be the final authority for the church; Scripture must be the final court of appeal. He reviews several biblical observations about tongues: the gift is presented as a supernatural ability to speak unknown human languages, it primarily functions publicly as a sign to unbelievers, it is directed toward God, and it is not a gift given to every believer. Lewis then explains why tongues may have held such prominence among the Corinthians. Their culture had a long history of mystery religions and ecstatic speech, creating a natural association between ecstatic experiences and spiritual depth. Paul therefore had to help the Corinthians separate their cultural understanding of spirituality from the proper biblical use of the gift. Turning to 1 Corinthians 14, Lewis highlights Paul's emphasis on edification, clarity, interpretation, and order. Prophecy is presented as the greater gift because it communicates clearly to the church and builds up believers. Tongues, when used publicly, require interpretation so that the entire church can understand and be edified. Without interpretation, the speaker should remain silent in the gathered church. The episode then follows the historical record of tongues from the New Testament through church history and into the Pentecostal and charismatic movements of the twentieth century. Lewis observes that tongues became far less prominent after the apostolic period, while also cautioning that history alone cannot establish theological conclusions. Scripture, rather than historical patterns, must determine whether God can still give the gift. Finally, Lewis addresses how Fellowship Bible Church should respond to tongues today. He argues that the church should neither automatically reject the gift nor naively accept every claim of tongues as genuine. Because ecstatic speech can be counterfeited or psychologically induced, spiritual experiences must be tested against Scripture. Any public use of tongues should demonstrate the characteristics Scripture requires, including genuine supernatural ability and interpretation. The episode closes with three priorities for church leadership: remain faithful to God's Word, protect the flock, and promote individual spiritual maturity. Outline Why Tongues Are Controversial Conflicting experiences and opinions Scripture as the final authority The Biblical Gift of Tongues Supernatural human languages A sign to unbelievers Directed toward God Not given to every believer The Corinthian Context Influence of pagan mystery religions Ecstatic speech and perceived spirituality Paul's correction of cultural assumptions 1 Corinthians 14: Proper Use Prophecy prioritizes edification Clarity over unintelligible speech Interpretation required Order in corporate worship Tongues Through Church History Early New Testament manifestations Decline after the apostolic period Historical outbreaks Pentecostal and charismatic movements Evaluating Tongues Today Scripture does not explicitly say the gift has permanently ceased Ecstatic speech can be counterfeited Gifts must be tested Fellowship Bible Church's Approach Neither forbid nor blindly accept tongues Require biblical testing and interpretation Protect the church and promote maturity Key Takeaways Scripture is the final authority. Spiritual experiences, emotions, and personal testimony must be evaluated by God's Word rather than treated as proof of truth. Tongues are not a universal gift. Paul explicitly teaches that not every believer speaks in tongues; the Holy Spirit sovereignly distributes gifts according to His purposes. Edification should govern spiritual gifts. In the gathered church, gifts should benefit the body rather than become opportunities for personal spiritual display. Public tongues require interpretation. Without interpretation, the church cannot understand or be edified, so Paul instructs the speaker to remain silent in the gathering. God's gifts must be exercised orderly. Paul's final instruction is to pursue prophecy, not forbid tongues, and ensure that everything is done properly and in an orderly way. History informs but does not determine doctrine. The historical absence or resurgence of tongues cannot by itself establish whether the gift has ceased. Scripture must make that determination. Spiritual experiences must be tested. Not every experience that feels supernatural is necessarily a work of the Holy Spirit. The church is called to test what it encounters and distinguish the genuine from the counterfeit. Church leadership has a responsibility to protect the flock. Testing spiritual gifts helps preserve biblical order while protecting both the congregation and those who believe they possess a particular gift. Scripture References 1 Corinthians 12:30 — Not every believer receives the gift of tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:1–5 — Prophecy is emphasized because it builds up the church. 1 Corinthians 14:6–19 — Spiritual communication should be understandable and edifying. 1 Corinthians 14:20–25 — Gifts should serve God's purposes and lead people toward Him. 1 Corinthians 14:26–28 — Tongues in the church require order and interpretation. 1 Corinthians 14:36–40 — Spiritual gifts must operate according to God's commands and in an orderly manner. Acts 2 — Tongues appear as known languages and serve as a sign that draws attention to the gospel. Acts 10 — Tongues accompany the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Gentile believers. Acts 19 — Tongues are again associated with the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 13:8–10 — The episode considers whether this passage teaches that tongues have ceased. 1 John 4:1 — Spiritual claims should be tested rather than automatically accepted. Recorded 9.26.82

The Ride Home is a podcast of Fellowship Bible Church of NWA.

Guided Question Are you growing older in your faith—or truly growing up through intentional application of God's Word? Summary In this sermon from Fellowship Bible Church, Dr. Robert Lewis challenges believers to examine whether they are spiritually maturing or merely aging in the faith. Drawing from Epistle to the Hebrews 5, he addresses Christians who had followed Christ for decades yet remained spiritually immature. He describes three evidences of spiritual stagnation: dull hearing, an ailing appetite for truth, and failing discernment. Spiritual truth is never neutral—if not applied, it hardens the heart. Using the parable of the talents from Gospel of Matthew 25, he emphasizes that unused truth is eventually lost. The heart of the message centers on intent and application. Maturity is not measured by biblical knowledge but by practiced obedience. Christianity becomes boring when it is merely acknowledged—but becomes an adventure when lived. Through a powerful real-life story of a woman who chose obedience during a painful divorce, the sermon concludes with a compelling reminder: abundant life cannot be defined without application. Outline I. Introduction: Growing Older vs. Growing Up Age does not equal maturity. Christians can expend energy yet remain spiritually stagnant. The “spiritual treadmill” problem. II. Context: Hebrews 5 and Spiritual Immaturity Written to believers mature in years but immature in growth. The writer pauses discussion of Melchizedek to address stagnation. III. Three Evidences of Spiritual Stagnation (Hebrews 5:11–14) 1. Impaired Hearing (Dull of Hearing) Spiritual calluses form when truth is not applied. Two root causes: Utility — Failing to see Scripture as useful. Intent — Never intending to fully live it out. If truth is not used, it is lost (Matthew 25 principle). 2. An Ailing Appetite (Milk Instead of Meat) Stuck on elementary principles. Immaturity is lack of experience, not lack of knowledge. Maturity = practiced obedience, not accumulated information. 3. Failing Faculties (Lack of Discernment) Without practice, life becomes guesswork. Repeated conflict and instability often stem from lack of biblical discernment. Meditation integrates Scripture with daily living. IV. The Proposal: An Exciting Christian Life The difference between reading about something and experiencing it. Christianity is not a job—it's an adventure. Radical obedience breeds: Joy Freedom Anticipation Abundant life V. Illustration: Obedience in Divorce A woman applies 1 Corinthians 6 instead of retaliating. Intentional obedience brings freedom and restoration. Application leads to true spiritual adventure. VI. Conclusion Abundant life cannot be defined without application. Choose adventure over boredom. Apply one specific truth this week. Key Takeaways Growing older in Christ does not guarantee spiritual maturity. Spiritual truth is never neutral—it either softens or hardens. If you don't use what you've been given, you lose it. Maturity is measured by practiced obedience, not Bible knowledge. Discernment comes through application. Christianity without application is boring. Christianity with radical intent is an adventure. Abundant life begins where obedience begins. Scripture References  Hebrews 5:11–14 — Spiritual immaturity revealed through dull hearing, spiritual infancy, and lack of discernment. Matthew 25:14–29 — What is not used is lost; faithful application leads to growth and joy. Proverbs 14:12 — What seems right without wisdom leads to destruction. Psalms 1:1–3 — Meditating on God's Word produces stability and fruitfulness. 1 Corinthians 6:7 — Better to suffer wrong than abandon obedience among believers. 3 John 1:4 — True joy comes from walking in the truth. Recorded 3.14.82

What does it look like to pastor with a long view in mind? In this episode of the Timothy Project Podcast, Chad Hunsberger sits down with Jason Cook, senior pastor of Fellowship Bible Church, for an honest conversation about ministry, leadership, church unity, and surviving the difficult seasons of pastoral life. Reflecting on his first five years as lead pastor, Jason shares lessons learned through transition, burnout, leadership challenges, and the slow work of building trust in a local church. The conversation explores the tension of leading through change, the beauty of churches partnering instead of competing, and the importance of finding identity in Christ rather than ministry success or failure. Jason offers encouragement for pastors navigating criticism, church transitions, and the emotional weight of shepherding God's people — reminding listeners that faithfulness matters more than personal recognition. This episode is a refreshing and deeply pastoral conversation for church leaders longing to lead with humility, endurance, and gospel-centered perspective.

After 336 episodes and six and a half years of conversations, this week marks the final episode of Sermon Spotlight…for now.In this episode, Mark, Micah, and William dive deeper into 1 Corinthians 15 and the resurrection hope that gives lasting meaning to every part of life. From fears of living in vain to the confidence believers have because Christ is risen, this conversation reminds us that nothing done for the Lord is wasted.The team also reflects on the impact Sermon Spotlight has had over the years and shares a glimpse into what may come next for podcast ministry at Fellowship Bible Church.Thank you to everyone who has listened, watched, shared, and joined these conversations over the years. We're grateful for how God has used this platform to encourage our church family and point people to Christ.“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” — 1 Corinthians 15:58We don't know exactly what the next season will look like yet, but we're excited to see what God has ahead.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/#SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Discipleship #FollowingJesus #FaithInEverydayLife #resurrection #nomorefear #fear #fearoverfaith 

What happens when life feels uncertain?In this week's episode of Sermon Spotlight, Rose Lauck sits down with Caleb Pearson and Cole McQuaid to dive deeper into Sunday's message, “The Fear of Uncertainty,” from Colossians 3:1–4.Together, they unpack what it means to set our minds on things above and how our identity in Christ transforms the way we face fear, instability, and the unknown.This episode is a reminder that our certainty is not found in circumstances, outcomes, or control—but in Jesus Himself.

In this week's episode of Sermon Spotlight, we unpack 1 Peter 1 and the powerful truth of a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.Mark Francis is joined by apprentices Josh Patterson and Michael Wiseman. This conversation explores what it means to live in light of the resurrection—not just in theory, but in the middle of real-life suffering, uncertainty, and fear.We wrestle with questions like: Why does God allow suffering?  How does fear connect to the anticipation of pain?  What does it actually look like to trust God in difficult seasons?  How does the resurrection change the way we face trials? From personal stories of job loss and growth to deeper theological reflection, this episode reminds us that suffering isn't meaningless—and that our hope is grounded in something real: a risen Savior.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/#SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Discipleship #FollowingJesus #FaithInEverydayLife #kindness #Godiskind #kindnessofGod #resurrection #nomorefear #fear #fearoverfaith

In this week's Sermon Spotlight, we continue our “No More Fear” series by diving deeper into one of the most foundational truths of the Christian life: identity.Tim Sanford is joined by Jessica Oplack and Mark Francis for an honest and practical conversation about fear, faith, and what it really means to be “alive to God.” Together, they wrestle with questions many of us are asking: Is fear a sin—or something more complex?  What do we do with anxiety, trauma, or emotional reactions?  How does our identity in Christ reshape the way we think, feel, and respond? Through real-life examples, personal stories, and biblical truth from Romans 6, this episode challenges us to move beyond surface-level thinking and into the freedom that comes from knowing who we are in Christ.If you've ever struggled with fear, people-pleasing, anxiety, or finding your worth in the wrong places—this conversation is for you.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/#SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Discipleship #FollowingJesus #FaithInEverydayLife #kindness #Godiskind #kindnessofGod #resurrection #nomorefear #fear #fearoverfaith

Hunter Mayo (Pastor of Family Ministry), Brian Weir (Pastor of Kids Ministry), and Caleb Pearson (Director of Student Ministry) explore the importance of partnering with parents in faith formation, passing the torch to the next generation, and creating opportunities for meaningful family and church engagement. They share vision, strategies, and upcoming events to strengthen family ministry at Fellowship Bible Church.

In this episode of Sermon Spotlight, we take a deeper dive into the message “From Fear to Faith”—part of our No More Fear: Living Life with the Living Savior series.Join Rose, Tim, and Cole as they unpack one of the most thought-provoking questions from the sermon: Is fear actually sin?This conversation doesn't shy away from the tension. Instead, it leans into it—exploring the difference between emotion and response, the role of our thought patterns, and what it really looks like to trust God instead of trying to “fix” ourselves.Ultimately, this episode points us back to the hope of the resurrection—reminding us that we're not just saved from something, but into a life of peace, rest, and growing trust in Christ.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/#SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Discipleship #FollowingJesus #FaithInEverydayLife #kindness #Godiskind #kindnessofGod #resurrection #nomorefear #fear #fearoverfaith

What if the way the Gospel of Mark ends is actually meant to challenge you?In this episode of Sermon Spotlight, the team dives into one of the most unique—and unsettling—endings in Scripture: Gospel of Mark chapter 16. Why does it end in fear? And what does that mean for us today?As Fellowship Bible Church begins the new series No More Fear, this conversation explores the tension between fear and faith, the reliability of Scripture through textual criticism, and the life-changing power of the resurrection.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/#SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark15 #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Discipleship #FollowingJesus #FaithInEverydayLife #kindness #Godiskind #kindnessofGod #easter #resurrection #nomorefear #Mark16 

What does it actually mean that Jesus is alive?In this special Easter episode of Sermon Spotlight, the team reflects on the power of the resurrection and why it changes everything—not just for eternity, but for how we live right now.After walking through the book of Mark for over a year, this conversation brings it all together:The Suffering Servant and Mighty MessiahThe reality of the empty tomb Why the disciples responded with fear—and how we often do the same How forgetting the resurrection leads us back into fear and self-reliance What it looks like to live with confidence, hope, and bold faith today You'll also hear reflections on Easter weekend, the beauty of the church body working together, and how God uses every detail to point us back to Him.The message is simple but life-changing: 

In this episode, we explore Mark 15 and reflect on the weight of Holy Week—unpacking powerful themes like the fulfillment of Psalm 22, the suffering of Christ, and the profound reality of substitution through Barabbas. Together, we wrestle with what Jesus endured, why it matters, and how it shapes the way we live today.As we reflect on the cross, we're reminded: Jesus didn't just die—He chose to suffer in our place.Take time this week to sit in the weight of what He has done—and let it draw you closer to Him.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark14 #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Discipleship #FollowingJesus #FaithInEverydayLife #kindness #Godiskind #kindnessofGod #easter 

Suffering for the Glory of God(1 Peter 4:12-19) For the bulletin in PDF form, click here. Message SlidesPsalm 13 - Tremper LongmanPsalm 13 - A Crisis of Lament - Personal ReflectionThe Cry of Lament - Allen RossRest in Him - SwindollThe Problem of Pain - C.S. lewisINTRODUCTION: “How Long Oh Lord” (Psalm 13)The Joy of SufferingSuffering for Christ is a privilege, blessing, and joy.•Inevitable: Don't be surprised when suffering and trials arrive. (4:12).•Connected: When you share the suffering of Christ, you also share in the joy (4:13).•Assisted: The Spirit comes alongside during suffering to provide a blessing (4:14).•Motivated: Suffering as a Christian is a cause for praising God (4:15-16).The Enigma of SufferingSuffering has different purposes for believers and unbelievers.• Comparison: If believers must suffer, how much more will unbelievers suffer (4:17)?• Contrast: The righteous are saved by grace; the Godless person has no hope (4:18).• Conclusion: Trust God in the midst of your suffering (4:19).Suffering as a Christian provides us with an opportunity toidentify with Christ, find assistance from the Spirit,and praise God for the opportunity.Home Church QuestionsNot Surprised by Suffering (4:12)• What expectations about the Christian life have made suffering harder for youto process? How might adjusting those expectations shape your faith goingforward?Sharing in Christ's Sufferings (4:13)• Have you ever experienced a deeper sense of closeness to Christ throughhardship? What made that connection possible?The Spirit's Presence in Suffering (4:14)• Where have you sensed God's presence most clearly during difficult seasons?What helps you remain attentive to the Spirit when life is painful?Suffering That Leads to Praise (4:15-16)• What does it look like to suffer faithfully rather than resentfully?How can suffering become an act of worship instead of bitterness?The Seriousness of Judgment (4:17-18)• How does this passage shape your understanding of God's justice and mercy?In what ways does it deepen your urgency for faithful living and witness?The Enigma of God's Purposes• Suffering serves different purposes for believers and unbelievers.How do you wrestle with the mystery of God's purposes in suffering withoutlosing trust in His goodness?Entrusting Yourself to a Faithful Creator (4:19)• What does “entrusting yourself to God” look like today? Where is Godinviting you to trust Him more deeply right now?FinancesWeekly Budget 34,615Giving For 03/15 28,133Giving For 03/22 37,881YTD Budget 1,315,385Giving 1,654,475 OVER/(UNDER) 339,090 Crucifixion DinnerYou're invited to join us this Good Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. for a meaningful evening of reflection as we remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross. If you're able, we encourage you to fast during the day and then gather with us in the evening to break the fast with a simple meal of broth and bread. Together, we'll pause to reflect on the depth of His love and the hope made possible through His suffering. Childcare is available for children ages six and under by texting Shanna at 501-336-0332; please ensure children are fed before drop-off. Let's come together with grateful hearts as we remember the great price that was paid for us.New to Fellowship?We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Holy Week on Hogan StreetPastors from several churches along Hogan Lane have come together to host a special Holy Week gathering, March 30–April 3. Participating pastors include Herschel Richardson of Grace Methodist, Larry White of Woodland Heights, Chase Moser of Cornerstone Bible, Jim Hays of Grace Presbyterian, along with Chris Moore and Ken Wilson from Fellowship Bible Church. You're invited to gather each weekday of Holy Week from 12:00–1:00 pm at Grace Methodist for a brief time of worship, a devotional message from one of the pastors, and a shared meal. Donations will be accepted and directed towards local missions. Fellowship 101 - April 12 | 9:00 a.m Whether you've been visiting Fellowship Conway for a few weeks or a few months, we'd love to invite you to take the next step in getting connected. Come hear our heart as a church — who we are, what we do, and why we're passionate about it. It's also a welcoming space to ask questions, meet others, and discover how you might grow and serve alongside us. Please register at fellowshipconway.org/register so we can plan well and keep you updated with reminders or any details about the class. If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to Michael Harrison at mharrison@fellowshipconway.org — we'd love to help you get connected. Fellowship Men's MusterMen's Muster is April 17-19, 2026. Senior Teaching Pastor, Chris Moore, will be our speaker, and the weekend promises to be great for growing spiritually and connecting deeply with other men. Cost is $135 or $85 for a college/High School student. Registration deadline is April 6. If money is an issue, please check the “contact me” button. Register at fellowshipconway.org/men .Join the Worship Tech TeamHelp create a space where people can encounter the Lord through worship. Our Sunday morning Tech Team is looking for a few more volunteers to serve behind the scenes with audio, visuals, and livestream. No experience is needed—we'll provide all the training and support you need. If you'd like to be part of the team and are college age or older, contact Jordan Mays at jmays@fellowshipconway.org.thaWidows' Spring LuncheonWe're delighted to share that Ken and Dawn Wilson will be our special guests at this year's Widows' Spring Luncheon! Join us for a sweet time of food, fellowship, laughter, and a few surprises along the way. We'll gather at the home of Ambra Austin on Thursday, April 23 at 12:00 p.m. Kindly RSVP to Ambra at 501-730-6795 by Thursday, April 9.

In this episode of Sermon Spotlight, we take a deeper dive into Mark 14 and the powerful picture of Jesus' costly kindness in His final hours before the cross.Caleb Pearson is joined by Mark Carey and Jessica Oplack, as they explore what stood out from the weekend sermon, including: The difference between being nice and being truly kind How Jesus chose to spend His final moments—with purpose, sacrifice, and truth  The depth behind the trials of Jesus and the fulfillment of Scripture  What it means that Jesus remained fully in control—even in suffering  The tension between His humanity and His mission As we approach Easter, this conversation helps us slow down and reflect on the weight of what Christ endured—and the kindness He extended to us through it all.

The End of All Things 1 Peter 4:7-11 “The end of all things is at hand ” (v.7)Message SlidesFor the bulletin in PDF form, click here. What Does This Mean? What Should We Do? 1. Be self-controlled and sober-minded (v.7) 2. Keep loving one another (v.8) 3. Show hospitality to one another (v.9) 4. Use your gift to serve one another (v.10)FinancesWeekly Budget 34,615Giving For 03/08 48,411Giving For 03/15 28,133YTD Budget 1,280,769Giving 1,616,594 OVER/(UNDER) 335,825 Fellowship Men's MusterMen's Muster is April 17-19, 2026. Senior Teaching Pastor, Chris Moore, will be our speaker, and the weekend promises to be great for growing spiritually and connecting deeply with other men. Cost is $135 or $85 for a college/High School student. Registration deadline is April 6. If money is an issue, please check the “contact me” button. We will reach out to see what you are able to pay. Register at fellowshipconway.org/men .New to Fellowship?We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Fellowship 101 - April 12 | 9:00 a.m Whether you've been visiting Fellowship Conway for a few weeks or a few months, we'd love to invite you to take the next step in getting connected. Come hear our heart as a church — who we are, what we do, and why we're passionate about it. It's also a welcoming space to ask questions, meet others, and discover how you might grow and serve alongside us. Please register at fellowshipconway.org/register so we can plan well and keep you updated with reminders or any details about the class. If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to Michael Harrison at mharrison@fellowshipconway.org — we'd love to help you get connected. Holy Week on Hogan StreetPastors from several churches along Hogan Lane have come together to host a special Holy Week gathering, March 30–April 3. Participating pastors include Herschel Richardson of Grace Methodist, Larry White of Woodland Heights, Chase Moser of Cornerstone Bible, Jim Hays of Grace Presbyterian, along with Chris Moore and Ken Wilson from Fellowship Bible Church. You're invited to gather each weekday of Holy Week from 12:00–1:00 pm at Grace Methodist for a brief time of worship, a devotional message from one of the pastors, and a shared meal. Donations will be accepted and directed towards local missions. Crucifixion DinnerYou're invited to join us this Good Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. for a meaningful evening of reflection as we remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross. If you're able, we encourage you to fast during the day and then gather with us in the evening to break the fast with a simple meal of broth and bread. Together, we'll pause to reflect on the depth of His love and the hope made possible through His suffering. Childcare is available for children ages six and under by texting Shanna at 501-336-0332; please ensure children are fed before drop-off. Let's come together with grateful hearts as we remember the great price that was paid for us. Join the Worship Tech TeamHelp create a space where people can encounter the Lord through worship. Our Sunday morning Tech Team is looking for a few more volunteers to serve behind the scenes with audio, visuals, and livestream. No experience is needed—we'll provide all the training and support you need. If you'd like to be part of the team and are college age or older, contact Jordan Mays at jmays@fellowshipconway.org.Widows' Spring LuncheonWe're delighted to share that Ken and Dawn Wilson will be our special guests at this year's Widows' Spring Luncheon! Join us for a sweet time of food, fellowship, laughter, and a few surprises along the way. We'll gather at the home of Ambra Austin on Thursday, April 23 at 12:00 p.m. Kindly RSVP to Ambra at 501-730-6795 by Thursday, April 9.

This week on Sermon Spotlight, Rose Lauck is joined by Tim Sanford and Cole McQuaid for a thoughtful conversation diving into Mark 14:12–42. Join the conversation as they unpack the depth of Jesus' final moments with His disciples, exploring the weight of His obedience to the Father, the humanity He experienced in the garden, and the powerful contrast between Christ's faithfulness and our tendency toward weakness in the flesh.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark14 #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Discipleship #FollowingJesus #FaithInEverydayLife #Gethsemane #LastSupper

The Blessing of Suffering Well(1 Peter 4:1-6) For the bulletin in PDF form, click here. Message SlidesStanding Out in the Crowd - SwindollThe Liberty of Salvation - Edmund ClowneyApplication: 1 Peter 4:1-6 - Scot McKnightINTRODUCTION: Patterns for Preaching in Peter and PaulFollow this ExampleBe willing to suffer rather than sin.• Example: The suffering of Christ is the supreme example (4:1a).• Commitment: Be ready and willing to suffer instead of sinning. (4:1b).• Submission: Be ready and willing to suffer to live for the will of God (4:2).Do Not Follow This ExampleLeave your past life behind.• Out of Time: Your pre-conversion life is in your past (4:3a).• Out of Control: Your pre-conversion life was out of control (4:3b).• Out of Sync: Your post-conversion is strange to others (4:4).• Out of Appeals: Everyone will eventually give an account (4:5).• Out of Excuses: Everyone will be judged fairly (4:6).Choosing to follow in the footsteps of Christ's sufferingmay alienate you from the world as you avoid sinful livingbut provides you with the satisfaction of identification with Christ.‘Make the Application“Read the Scriptures, not as one who goes to a wardrobeto take an inventory of clothes, but as one who goes thereto find something to wear.” John DonneHome Church Questions1. Read Philippians 2:1-11. This parallel passage to Peter's teaching in 1 Peter 4:1-2 expands on the truth found there. Both passages encourage us to follow the example of Christ. How does Philippians 2:1-11 give you additional hope, confidence, and courage for your own suffering?2. In the Bible Belt, how do you resist the pull of the American Dream while still accepting that suffering is often part of God's will for us? How do you pursue faithfulness to Christ when the surrounding culture constantly pressures you to seek comfort, success, and security—especially when Scripture teaches that hardship and self-denial are frequently God's will for believers?3. In the most practical way you can, articulate what it means to “arm yourself” with the same attitude Christ had when He suffered? Can you give any examples of when you have done this?4. Jesus, far beyond any of us, suffered when He did not deserve it. How does this frame our response when we recognize that our suffering is also undeserved? Are we entitled to a life of blessing?5. Have you ever experienced rejection by a past community because you chose to live according to your Christian convictions? Have you ever remained quiet about your Christian practices in order to avoid this?6. What about your current way of living as a believer and faithful follower of Christ is seen by unbelievers as, in the words of Nijay Gupta's book, “Strange Religion?”UPG FOCUS: Pray for the Tai Do in LaosThe Tai Do are a small ethnic group living primarily in central Laos, with a few communities in Vietnam. They follow traditional animistic beliefs, seeking to appease spirits for protection and blessing. Only a small number of believers are known among them, and Scripture translation has just begun. Pray that the growing number of Tai Do Christians would remain strong in faith, that the gospel would spread to every village, and that many would come to know Jesus as Lord.FinancesWeekly Budget 34,615Giving For 03/01 22,132Giving For 03/08 48,141 YTD Budget 1,246,154Giving 1,588,461 OVER/(UNDER) 342,307Fellowship Men's MusterMen's Muster is April 17-19, 2026. Senior Teaching Pastor, Chris Moore, will be our speaker, and the weekend promises to be great for growing spiritually and connecting deeply with other men. Cost is $135 or $85 for a college/High School student. If money is an issue, please check the “contact me” button. We will reach out to see what you are able to pay. Register at fellowshipconway.org/men .New to Fellowship?We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Fellowship 101 - April 12 | 9:00 a.m Whether you've been visiting Fellowship Conway for a few weeks or a few months, we'd love to invite you to take the next step in getting connected. Come hear our heart as a church — who we are, what we do, and why we're passionate about it. It's also a welcoming space to ask questions, meet others, and discover how you might grow and serve alongside us. Please register at fellowshipconway.org/register so we can plan well and keep you updated with reminders or any details about the class. If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to Michael Harrison at mharrison@fellowshipconway.org — we'd love to help you get connected.Holy Week on Hogan StreetPastors from several churches along Hogan Lane have come together to host a special Holy Week gathering, March 30–April 3. Participating pastors include Herschel Richardson of Grace Methodist, Larry White of Woodland Heights, Chase Moser of Cornerstone Bible, Jim Hays of Grace Presbyterian, along with Chris Moore and Ken Wilson from Fellowship Bible Church. You're invited to gather each weekday of Holy Week from 12:00–1:00 pm at Grace Methodist for a brief time of worship, a devotional message from one of the pastors, and a shared meal. Donations will be accepted and directed towards local missions. Crucifixion DinnerYou are invited to join us on Good Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. for a meaningful evening of reflection as we remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Together, we will share a simple dinner of broth and bread, setting aside time to consider the depth of His love and the hope made possible through His suffering. Childcare is available for children ages six and under by texting Shanna at 501-336-0332. Please be sure children are fed before being dropped off. Let us gather with grateful hearts as we reflect on the great price that was paid for us. Join the Worhip Tech TeamHelp create a space where people can encounter the Lord through worship. Our Sunday morning Tech Team is looking for a few more volunteers to serve behind the scenes with audio, visuals, and livestream. No experience is needed—we'll provide all the training and support you need. If you'd like to be part of the team and are college age or older, contact Jordan Mays at jmays@fellowshipconway.org.Prayer During ServiceWe love praying for one another. After the message, members of our prayer team will be at the front of the Auditorium under the Hope and Love signs, ready to pray with you. During the first worship song following the message, please feel free to come forward if you would like prayer or encouragement.

Pastor Tim Sanford is joined by Mark Francis and William Orth as they unpack this week's sermon from Mark 14:1-11 and the continuation of the theme of God having our hearts - He is worthy of it all!Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark14 #BibleTeaching #ChristianPodcast #FaithInEverydayLife #Discipleship #FollowingJesus #worthy #Biblestudy #worthyofitall 

Christ Also Suffered1 Peter 3:18-22Message SlidesWho Are the Sons of God in Genesis 6?- Cook For the bulletin in PDF form, click here. We can be confident in suffering because Christ also suffered. We can be confident in suffering because of Christ's victory. We can be confident in suffering because it is the path to glory.Home Church Questions1. What is an example of a time in your life when you have experienced suffering? Why does suffering often shock us and knock us down?2. One reason we can be confident in God in our suffering is that Christ also suffered (1 Peter 3:18). Why should it encourage us in our suffering to know that Christ also suffered? 3. What are some examples of ways that our suffering is like His suffering? Read 1 Peter 3:18 and highlight some ways Jesus' suffering is different from our suffering? 4. Have you ever considered walking away from the faith because of suffering you have experienced? What encouragement would you give to someone who was wrestling with this?5. While we might not be able to answer all the questions we have about this passage, one clear point is that we should be encouraged in our suffering because of Christ's victory (1 Peter 3:22). Since God is in control in our suffering, we can learn some valuable lessons. What are some lessons God wants us to learn in our suffering? What are some lessons you have learned?6. Another reason we can be confident in our suffering is that it is the path to glory. Christ's suffering led to glory, and we are called to follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21). One way we follow Him is by getting baptized (1 Peter 3:21). Share with the group about your baptism experience and your understanding of what it means.7. We experienced communion this past Sunday, and we said baptism and the Lord's Supper are related. What are some similarities between baptism and the Lord's Supper? How should our experience of baptism and the Lord's Supper encourage us when we are suffering? Pray for the Unreached: The Deha in IndiaThe Deha are a small Hindu people group in northern India who speak Hindi as well as their own community language. Traditionally known for weaving winnowing fans, many now sell cloth and work in small trades. They worship Hindu deities such as Kali and rely on their own religious specialists for ceremonies. Though the Bible and gospel resources exist in Hindi, there are no known believers among them. Pray for spiritual openness, growing literacy, and for the Deha to discover lasting hope in Christ.FinancesWeekly Budget 34,615Giving For 02/22 30,796Giving For 03/01 22,132YTD Budget 1,211,538Giving 1,540,050 OVER/(UNDER) 328,512 Fellowship Youth & College Silent Auction | TONIGHT | 4 pm - 6pmJoin us tonight for a fun and meaningful evening as we support our mission trips to Arlington, TX, and the Czech Republic! Don't miss the chance to bid on delicious baked goods, service certificates, gift baskets, overnight stays, and more—all for a great cause. Light refreshments will be provided as you browse and bid. Childcare is available for ages 6 and under by request (contact Shanna at 501-336-0332).New to Fellowship?We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Fellowship Men's Breakfast - March 11 | 6:00 a.m.Join us for a great breakfast, fellowship around the table, and time of prayer with other men from our body. As men, we are called to know, love, and serve God, and this is just one opportunity to gather with other believers to live out that calling. Please RSVP to Michael at 501-339-4222 if you are able to attend. Hope to see you on Wednesday, March 11th! Fellowship 101 - April 12 | 9:00 a.m Whether you've been visiting Fellowship Conway for a few weeks or a few months, we'd love to invite you to take the next step in getting connected. Come hear our heart as a church — who we are, what we do, and why we're passionate about it. It's also a welcoming space to ask questions, meet others, and discover how you might grow and serve alongside us. Please register at fellowshipconway.org/register so we can plan well and keep you updated with reminders or any details about the class. If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to Michael Harrison at mharrison@fellowshipconway.org — we'd love to help you get connected.Fellowship Men's MusterMen's Muster is April 17-19, 2026. Senior Teaching Pastor, Chris Moore, will be our speaker, and the weekend promises to be great for growing spiritually and connecting deeply with other men. Cost is $135 or $85 for a college/High School student. If money is an issue, please check the “contact me” button. We will reach out to see what you are able to pay. Register at fellowshipconway.org/men Holy Week on Hogan StreetPastors from several churches along Hogan Lane have come together to host a special Holy Week gathering, March 30–April 3. Participating pastors include Herschel Richardson of Grace Methodist, Larry White of Woodland Heights, Chase Moser of Cornerstone Bible, Jim Hays of Grace Presbyterian, along with Chris Moore and Ken Wilson from Fellowship Bible Church. You're invited to gather each weekday of Holy Week from 12:00–1:00 pm at Grace Methodist for a brief time of worship, a devotional message from one of the pastors, and a shared meal. Donations will be accepted and directed towards local missions. Crucifixion DinnerYou are invited to join us on Good Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. for a meaningful evening of reflection as we remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Together, we will share a simple Crucifixion Dinner of broth and bread, setting aside time to consider the depth of His love and the hope made possible through His suffering. Childcare is available for children ages six and under by texting Shanna at 501-336-0332. Please be sure children are fed before being dropped off. Let us gather with grateful hearts as we reflect on the great price that was paid for us.

This week on Sermon Spotlight, host Rose Lauck is joined by Abby Linaburg and Pastor Mark Carey to unpack a powerful follow-up to Mark 13.Building on Jesus' teaching about His return in the Gospel of Mark, Pastor Mark led us to 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 — where Paul echoes the same themes of watchfulness, hope, and readiness.In a world filled with global tension and uncertainty, this conversation reminds us that Christ's return is not meant to create fear — but confidence.Because Jesus died for us, we are not destined for wrath.Because He is coming again, we are called to stay awake.Because we belong to the day, we live differently.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark13 #BibleTeaching #ChristianPodcast #FaithInEverydayLife #Discipleship #FollowingJesus #DayoftheLord #escatology #Biblestudy 

Living My "Blessed" Life(1 Peter 3:8-17)For the bulletin in PDF form, click here. Message SlidesApologetics 101 - SwindollApologetics Card - WilsonNine Virtues - SwindollINTRODUCTION: Blessed with blessings so that you are blessed.(בָּרַךְ - bārak) with (שָׁלוֹם šhālōm) so you are (אַשְׁרֵי - ashrei)"Enriched with wholeness so that you are enviable."The Inner Qualities of'a Blessed LifeBelievers should actively make decisions in step with their identity.(1 Peter 3:8-12)Virtue: Righteous character is the foundation of a strong community (3:8-9).Blessing: Righteous character is a double blessing (3:9b-10).Discipline: The Lord opposes Christians without righteous character (3:11-12).The Blessed Life of Unjust SufferingSuffering for doing good is worth the trouble & leads to blessings.(1 Peter 3:13-17)Safety: You have no one and nothing to fear if you are doing good (3:13).Value: Suffering for righteousness results in blessings (3:14a).Perspective Be committed to Christ and live above the fray (3: 14b-16).Options: It is better to have God on your side through unjust suffering than to suffer for doing what is wrong (3:17).The truly blessed life is having God on your side when the road is bumpyas a result of your display of righteous character rather than having the world on your side under God's discipline."Present Suffering and Future Glory"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.For the creation waits in cager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. Romans 8:18-19Home Church QuestionsRedefining "Blessed"1. When you hear the word blessed, what do you normally think of? How did this message challenge or reshape your definition of the blessed life?2. How is God's definition of blessed different than ours?Choosing Character on Purpose (1 Pet. 3:8-9)3. Peter lists inner qualities like unity, compassion, humility, and blessing others. Which one is hardest for you to live out consistently?Blessing Those Who Wrong You (1 Pet. 3:9)4. What does it look like in real life to not repay evil for evil, but instead give a blessing? Can you share a time when you saw it done well?Pursuing Peace with Discipline (1 Pet. 3:10-12)5. Peter connects a "good life" with guarding speech and pursuing peace. What habits, attitudes, or words most often threaten peace in your relationships?Unjust Suffering and Fear (1 Pet. 3:13-14)6. Peter says believers shouldn't fear when suffering for doing good. What kinds of fear tend to rise up in you when obedience leads to discomfort, conflict, or rejection?Living Above the Fray (1 Pet. 3:14b-16)7. How would someone describe your "tone" when you face pressure-online, at work, in family conflict, or around unbelievers? What would it mean for you to show both gentleness and respect in those moments?God on Your Side When Life Gets Bumpy (1 Pet. 3:17)8. What helps you choose the path that keeps God "by your side and or your side" even when the road is bumpy and people are against you?9. Are you ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within you? What do you need to do to be prepared? Why is this important?UPG FOCUS: The Khorasani Turk in Iran The Khorasani Turk live in the remote Khorasan region of northeastern Iran. Most work as farmers, craftsmen, and carpet makers within close-knit family communities. They are entirely Muslim with little access to the gospel since Scripture translation is only just beginning. This is a largely forgotten people, yet not forgotten by God. Pray for the message of Jesus to reach them through creative means, for believing families to live among them, and for the Khorasani Turk to encounter Christ as Lord.FinancesWeekly Budget 34,615Giving For 02/15 62,919Giving For 02/22 30,796YTD Budget 1,176,923Giving 1,517,917 OVER/(UNDER) 340,994 Fellowship Youth & College Silent Auction | March 8 | 4 pm - 6pmJoin us for a fun evening supporting our mission trips to Arlington, TX, and the Czech Republic! Bid on baked goods, service certificates, gift baskets, overnight stays, and more. Light refreshments provided. Childcare available for ages 6 and under by request (contact Shanna 501-336-0332). New to Fellowship?We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Fellowship Mens breakfast - March 11 | 6:00 a.m.Join us for a great breakfast, fellowship around the table, and time of prayer with other men from our body. As men, we are called to know, love, and serve God, and this is just one opportunity to gather with other believers to live out that calling. Please RSVP to Michael at 501-339-4222 if you are able to attend. Hope to see you on Wednesday, March 11th! Fellowship 101 - April 12 | 9:00 a.m Whether you've been visiting Fellowship Conway for a few weeks or a few months, we'd love to invite you to take the next step in getting connected. Come hear our heart as a church — who we are, what we do, and why we're passionate about it. It's also a welcoming space to ask questions, meet others, and discover how you might grow and serve alongside us. Please register at fellowshipconway.org/register so we can plan well and keep you updated with reminders or any details about the class. If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to Michael Harrison at mharrison@fellowshipconway.org — we'd love to help you get connected.Fellowship Men's Muster Men's Muster is April 17-19, 2026. Senior Teaching Pastor, Chris Moore, will be our speaker, and the weekend promises to be great for growing spiritually and connecting deeply with other men. Cost is $135 or $85 for a college/High School student. If money is an issue, please check the “contact me” button. We will reach out to see what you are able to pay. Register at fellowshipconway.org/men Fellowship Kids P.J.'s and Pop-TartsIt's that time of year again! Sunday, March 8, we are springing forward AND losing an hour of sleep. Don't worry about getting your kids dressed or feeding them breakfast. You bring them in their pajamas, and we will provide the Pop-Tarts. We will be waiting for all of your sleepy heads!Holy Week on Hogan StreetPastors from several churches along Hogan Lane have come together to host a special Holy Week gathering, March 30–April 3. Participating pastors include Herschel Richardson of Grace Methodist, Larry White of Woodland Heights, Chase Moser of Cornerstone Bible, Jim Hays of Grace Presbyterian, along with Chris Moore and Ken Wilson from Fellowship Bible Church. You're invited to gather each weekday of Holy Week from 12:00–1:00 pm at Grace Methodist for a brief time of worship, a devotional message from one of the pastors, and a shared meal. Donations will be accepted and directed towards local missions. Day Light Saving - Next Sunday, March 8We're Springing Forward! Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, March 8. Be sure to move your clocks ahead one hour so you don't miss worship.

This week's sermon from Mark 13 is unpacked by Mark Carey with Mark Francis and guest Drew Sanford, as they discuss how we can have confident hope in the Lord by knowing what Jesus shared with his disciples on the Mount of Olives just before His death and resurrection. Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark13 #BibleTeaching #ChristianPodcast #FaithInEverydayLife #Discipleship #FollowingJesus

This week, several of our global partners at Fellowship Bible Church joined us for a panel discussion. They walk with Brent and Kenzie about what it is like to be a global worker overseas, what God is doing across the world, how to know what God is calling you to do, and so much more. At Fellowship, our goal is to make disciples who make disciples who live by God's grace and for his glory at home and across the world, and on this panel we got to see a glimpse at how God is using Fellowship to make a global impact! We hope you're encouraged by this podcast! If you have questions about our church or what it means to follow Jesus, we'd love to hear from you! Check out our Instagram @fellowshipya, website www.fellowshipar.com/young-adults, or send us an email at youngadults@fellowshipar.com.

Life in a Great Marriage(1 Peter 3:1-7)Message SlidesHousehold Expectations in the First Century - NIV Study BibleGod, Sex & Marriage - SlatteryBeyond Crotchety Husbands and Onery Wives - SwindollPeter on Marriage - Allen RossThe Significance for Marriage Today - Karen JobesMarriage - J.I. PackerSubmission - Jim SamraFor the bulletin in PDF form, click here.Definitions: • Marriage: One man and one woman in a covenant relationship of mutual submission and love for life. • Wives: God's gracious gift of beauty, reflecting His grace given to men as an asset to complete and redeem them. • Husbands: God's gracious gift of strength, reflecting God's power given to women as an asset to complete and redeem them.Words for WivesSubmit to God's will for your husband. • The Command: Submission is a proper response to authority which maintains dignity, honor & equality as a reflection of the Trinity and takes place in the context of mutual submission (3:1a) •. The Context: Disobedient Husbands—ἀπειθεω (apeitheo) disobedient, antagonistic, apathetic to the Word and will of God (3:1b) • The Outcome: Won Over to God's Will —the goal is spiritual growth (3:1c) • The Manner: Quiet and Gentle Spirit—without nagging, but with quiet confidence in the Lord and your love for your husband on full display (3:1d-2) • The Misunderstanding: Outward Beauty vs. Inward Beauty—Character counts more than physical appeal with these important matters (3:3-4) • The Example: Sarah in Genesis —she knew God's will for Abraham and moved toward the realization of that goal 18 (3:5-6a) • The Challenge: Fear— (3:6b)Help for HusbandsWith growing insight, respect your wife as a gift from God. • The Command: Be Considerate—γνωσις keen knowledge, insight, and tact (3:7a) • The Context: You Live with Them—a growing relationship of honor & dignity (3:7b) • The Manner: Treat Them with Respect—απονεμοντες τιμην (rendering honor, respect), acknowledging their value with gratitude, honor, respect (3:7c) • The Need: Fragile Equal Partners—equal but different (3:7d) • The Outcome: Answered Prayer—The health of your marriage is a spiritual matter (3:7e)Marriages with spiritually strategic, submissive wivesand intentionally insightful, respectful husbandsmake the gospel look good.“Sanctify Christ as Lord in Your Heart”Furthermore, it is my firm conviction that we have placed the wrongemphasis on the word “submission”; we have also been preoccupiedwith “what we can do” and “what our rights are,” whereas the biblicalinjunction is that the wife ought to give her life to her husband, “to serve andcherish him” and the husband ought to lay down his life for his wife. Scot McKnightHome Church Questions 1. How does Peter define marriage in this passage—as a personal relationship, a spiritual partnership, or a gospel witness? How does viewing marriage primarily as a platform for God's glory reshape our expectations of it?2. How does the fact that we are to submit to God's will for our marriages—not our spouse's will for us—change your view of your role in your marriage?3. In verses 1–2, why does Peter address wives first, and how does submission function as obedience to God rather than submission to sin or abuse?4. What does Peter mean when he says a husband may be “won without a word” (3:1)? How does godly conduct communicate the gospel more powerfully than arguments or pressure?5. How do verses 3–4 challenge cultural ideas of beauty, worth, and influence—especially for women? What does cultivating a “quiet and gentle spirit” look like in today's fast-paced and opinion-driven culture?6. Why does Peter point to Sarah as an example in verses 5–6, and how does faith-driven obedience overcome fear in marriage? What categories of fear commonly hinder trust in God's design for marriage today?7. According to verse 7, what responsibilities does Peter place on husbands, and why is spiritual leadership inseparable from consideration and honor? How does treating a wife as an “equal heir of the grace of life” challenge passive or authoritarian models of leadership?8. Peter warns that mistreating one's wife can hinder prayer (3:7). How does this connection between marriage and spiritual life reinforce the idea that marriages with submissive wives and respectful husbands make the gospel visible and credible?UPG FOCUS: The Mussali in PakistanThe Mussali are a marginalized Muslim people in Punjab, Pakistan, historically forced into Islam and carrying low social status. Many work in sanitation and other overlooked jobs. Though New Testament resources exist in their language, few have heard the gospel. Pray that God would stir spiritual hunger among the Mussali, raise up workers, and reveal Christ as their true hope.FinancesWeekly Budget 34,615Giving For 02/01 378,325Giving For 02/08 60,963YTD Budget 1,107,692Giving 1,424,238 OVER/(UNDER) 316,546 Fellowship Youth & College Silent Auction | March 8 | 4 pm - 6pmJoin us for a fun evening supporting our mission trips to Arlington, TX, and the Czech Republic! Bid on baked goods, service certificates, gift baskets, overnight stays, and more. Light refreshments provided. Childcare available for ages 6 and under by request (contact Shanna 501-336-0332). New to Fellowship?We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Fellowship Men's breakfastJoin us for a great breakfast, fellowship around the table, and time of prayer with other men from our body. As men, we are called to know, love, and serve God, and this is just one opportunity to gather with other believers to live out that calling. Please RSVP to Michael at 501-339-4222 if you are able to attend. Hope to see you on Wednesday, March 11th! Fellowship 101Whether you've been visiting Fellowship Conway for a few weeks or a few months, we'd love to invite you to take the next step in getting connected. Come hear our heart as a church — who we are, what we do, and why we're passionate about it. It's also a welcoming space to ask questions, meet others, and discover how you might grow and serve alongside us. Please register at fellowshipconway.org/register so we can plan well and keep you updated with reminders or any details about the class. If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to Michael Harrison at mharrison@fellowshipconway.org — we'd love to help you get connected.Fellowship Men's MusterMen's Muster is April 17-19, 2026. Senior Teaching Pastor, Chris Moore, will be our speaker, and the weekend promises to be great for growing spiritually and connecting deeply with other men. Cost is $135 or $85 for a college/High School student. If money is an issue, please check the “contact me” button. We will reach out to see what you are able to pay. Register at fellowshipconway.org/men Fellowship Men's Ministry Game NightMen, this night is for you. Bring your favorite game and snacks, kick back, and get ready for some friendly competition. Men's Game Night is Friday, February 27, from 6-9 p.m. at the church. If you want a little taste of what Men's Muster is like, here's your chance.Fellowship Kids P.J's and Pop-Tarts It's that time of year again! Sunday, March 8, we are springing forward AND losing an hour of sleep. Don't worry about getting your kids dressed or feeding them breakfast. You bring them in their pajamas, and we will provide the Pop-Tarts. We will be waiting for all of your sleepy heads!Holy Week on Hogan StreetPastors from several churches along Hogan Lane have come together to host a special Holy Week gathering, March 30–April 3. Participating pastors include Herschel Richardson of Grace Methodist, Larry White of Woodland Heights, Chase Moser of Cornerstone Bible, Jim Hays of Grace Presbyterian, along with Chris Moore and Ken Wilson from Fellowship Bible Church. You're invited to gather each weekday of Holy Week from 12:00–1:00 pm at Grace Methodist for a brief time of worship, a devotional message from one of the pastors, and a shared meal. Donations will be welcomed and directed toward supporting local ministries.

This week on Sermon Spotlight, host Rose Lauck is joined by Pastor Tim Sanford and Cole McQuaid to reflect on a sermon that stepped slightly outside our journey through the Gospel of Mark — but not really.After studying Mark 12:41–44 (the widow's offering), this episode continues exploring giving — not as a fundraising pitch, but as a lens for discipleship. Why does the topic of money come with so much baggage in the church? What does it mean to give out of grace rather than guilt? And how do we guard our hearts from both stinginess and over-giving?This conversation ultimately points back to grace: following Jesus isn't about earning His favor. It's about trusting Him to grow us — even in the messy, uncomfortable areas of discipleship.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark12 #BibleTeaching #ChristianPodcast #FaithInEverydayLife #Discipleship #FollowingJesus

Mark sits down with Tim Sanford (teaching pastor) and Jessica Oplack (guest) as they unpack Mark 12:41-44 as Jesus shares a final discipleship lesson to his disciples of stewardship and a heart of dependence on the Lord.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark12 #BibleTeaching #ChristianPodcast #FaithInEverydayLife #Discipleship #FollowingJesus

This week on Sermon Spotlight, the conversation centers on Mark 12:35–40, as host Rose is joined by Cole McQuaid and Caleb Pearson. Set just days before the cross, this moment in Mark's Gospel marks Jesus' final public teaching in the temple—a powerful confrontation that exposes false religion and reveals the true authority of the Messiah.This thoughtful, honest conversation challenges listeners to move beyond surface-level belief and ask hard questions about where assurance, worship, and obedience truly come from.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark12 #BibleTeaching #ChristianPodcast #FaithInEverydayLife #Discipleship #FollowingJesus

This week on Sermon Spotlight, host Mark Francis is joined by Abby Linaburg and Pastor Mark Carey to take a deeper dive into Mark 11–12, a pivotal section of Scripture that takes place during the final week of Jesus' earthly ministry.The conversation explores Jesus' authority, the relentless questioning by the religious leaders, and the profound meaning behind some of His most challenging teachings — including the parable of the tenants, paying taxes to Caesar, the greatest commandment, and the rejection of the Messiah.Rich with theology, biblical insight, and practical application, this conversation encourages listeners to move beyond surface-level faith and live out the truth of God's Word with conviction and hope.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark12 #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Fellowship #faithineverydaylife #followingJesus #Discipleship

Mickey and Robert discuss the beginnings of Fellowship Bible Church of NWA.

This week on Sermon Spotlight, we take a deeper dive into Mark 11:12–26, with Rose Lauck, Mark Carey, and Abby Linaburg.The conversation explores Jesus' cursing of the fig tree, the cleansing of the temple, and what it truly means to “have faith in God.” Together, they unpack the symbolism, Old Testament connections, and theological depth behind this passage—moving beyond surface-level readings to see what Jesus was teaching His disciples (and us).Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark11 #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Fellowship #faithineverydaylife #followingJesus #Discipleship

Mark Francis sits down with Tim Sanford and Mike Thomas as they unpack the weekend where guest preacher, Scot Keen, taught on how the book of Mark has displayed that Jesus is both the Mighty Messiah and Suffering Servant - and we are called to follow Him!  The story of Christ's triumphal entry is now furthering the narrative that He has come to Jerusalem to suffer and to die.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark11 #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Fellowship #faithineverydaylife #followingJesus #Discipleship

This week on Sermon Spotlight, Rose Lauck is joined by Caleb Pearson and William Orth to reflect on the final message in our Light of the World series and what it truly means to walk in the light as followers of Jesus.Drawing from 1 John 1 and the weekend sermon, the conversation explores the difference between position and condition, relationship and fellowship, and why joy — not guilt or legalism — is meant to mark the Christian life.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/ #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #LightOfTheWorld #WalkInTheLight #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #JoyInChrist #Fellowship #faithineverydaylife

We are Better Together! This has proven true for Fellowship Bible Church throughout 2025 as we have experienced God's grace, goodness, and growth!  Join with us this Sunday as we begin a two-week sermon series entitled, "Fixing our eyes on Jesus: Celebrating the Past, Commissioned for the Future."  We will look into Hebrews 12:1a to understand the importance of celebrating God’s faithfulness to His people. 

In this week's episode of Sermon Spotlight, Rose Lauck and Abby Linaburg sit down with Mark Carey to reflect on the first message in our mini-series, “The Light of the World.”Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/   #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #LightOfTheWorld #Advent #ChristmasSeries #BibleTeaching #IdentityInChrist #ChristianPodcast #HopeInDarkness

A harmony of the scriptures in the foretelling and telling of the birth of Christ. The Ride Home is a Fellowship Bible Church of NWA podcast.

Mark Francis and Cole McQueen sit down with Tim Sanford to unpack topics of faith, miracles, dependency on Christ, and more with a conversation that reviews the sermon from Mark 10:46-52.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/   #SermonSpotlight #FBCVA #FellowshipBibleChurch #Mark10 #Bartimaeus #Advent #LightOfTheWorld #ChristianPodcast #FaithJourney #SeeingJesus #ChristmasReflection

In this episode, Caleb Pearson and Abby Linaburg sit down with Pastor Mark Carey to unpack Mark 10:32–45 and explore what it means to follow Jesus during a season filled with expectation, celebration, and service.Mark also gives historical context that brings the passage to life — from the hopes of first-century Jews to the disciples' struggle to unlearn old assumptions. It's a rich conversation about humility, surrender, and the upside-down kingdom Jesus came to establish.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/   #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark10 #FollowTheStar #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #Servanthood #JesusOurRansom #GospelOfMark #FaithInRealLife

In this episode, Rose Lauck is joined by Pastor Mark Carey and guest Drew LeMay as they unpack Mark 10:17–31 and the story of the rich young ruler — one of Jesus' most memorable and challenging conversations.Together they explore what this passage reveals about: • Our longing for eternal life • The sincerity behind the rich young ruler's question • How the law exposes the true condition of our heartsThis conversation digs beneath the surface of the text and offers clarity, encouragement, and pastoral insight for anyone wrestling with faith, obedience, and the shape of a grace-filled life.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/   #SermonSpotlight #FellowshipBibleChurch #FBCVA #Mark10 #RichYoungRuler #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #GraceOfGod #FaithJourney #Discipleship

Crawford is leading us through a series of messages called, “For His Kingdom”… it’s a study in the NT book of Matthew. In a few moments, we’ll hear the rest of the message Crawford began last week about retaliation. The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus day were known to pull this on occasion in order to maintain their perverted desire to manipulate people while appearing to be righteous. But before we get to the rest of the message let’s check in with Crawford real quick here. We’re in Matthew 5: 38 thru 42. Crawford, we’re seeing how Jesus has been outlining several ways in which the Scribes and Pharisees come up short in their religious posturing. Here’s Crawford speaking to the congregation of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA. Part 2 of his message titled, A Good Fight here on Living a Legacy. Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/livingalegacySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Caleb Pearson sits down with Tim Sanford and Abby Linaburg to walk through Mark 10:13–16 and the themes of childlike dependence, discipleship, appropriating grace, and what it really means to battle a hard heart in everyday life.From discipleship stories to parenting moments to practical theology, this conversation is an encouraging reminder that God is constantly shaping us—even in small, ordinary moments.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/   #FellowshipBibleChurch #SermonSpotlight #Mark10 #ChristianPodcast #Discipleship #AppropriateGrace #HardnessOfHeart #FaithJourney #BibleTeaching #Sanctification #CommunityGroups

Mark Francis joins Pastor of Local Outreach, Scott Santmier, for an informative and engaging conversation filled with stories and insights into community interactions here at Fellowship Bible Church, including updates on the Fellowship Send ministry and what to expect at this year's Follow the Star.

Episode 12 | Wisdom from Experience Leadership Lesson with Wayne Taylor Wayne Taylor, a leading pastor of the Calvary Chapel movement in the Pacific NW and around the world, shares his thoughts about faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13). Wayne is the founding pastor of Calvary Fellowship Seattle (now called Mountlake Church) where he was lead pastor for 41 years. Interview Excerpt with Jeff Gipe Pastor Daniel talks with Jeff Gipe, Leader of Local and Global Outreach at Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, TN, about the importance of connectivity and relationships in ministry.

Rose Lauck hosts this week, joined by Cole McQuaid and Mark Carey, as they debrief the sermon from Mark 10:1–12. Together they explore:Why the Pharisees' “trap question” about divorce matteredThe real meaning of Deuteronomy 24What Jesus actually corrected in their interpretationHow believers can faithfully engage thorny cultural issuesWhy asking good, clarifying questions matters more than winning argumentsWhat Scripture — and the hardness of our hearts — reveal about our posture toward othersFull of pastoral insight, practical wisdom, laughter, and honest discussion, this episode helps equip you to approach difficult conversations with truth, humility, and discernment.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/   #SermonSpotlight #Transfiguration #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #FaithInAction #ListenToJesus #BiblicalWorldview #Scripture #JesusChrist #ChristianCommunity #ChurchPodcast #FaithJourney #GrowInFaith

This week on Sermon Spotlight, Caleb Pearson, Mark Francis, and Tim Sanford dig into Mark 9 and what it really means to live as a disciple of Jesus.Together they unpack the phrase “discipleship is helping another appropriate the grace of God”—and explore how humility, dependence, and intentionality are all central to following Christ. The conversation dives deep into the heart of Jesus' teaching moments with His disciples, offering a clear and practical picture of what true discipleship looks like today.Listen to the sermon we're talking about: fbcva.org/current-sermon-series or fbcva.org/podcastsBe a part of the conversation by submitting your thoughts and questions: fbcva.org/sermon-spotlight-podcastWatch this episode and subscribe on YouTube:  @fellowshipbiblechurchvaFind out more about Fellowship Bible Church: fbcva.orgSubscribe to emails from Fellowship: fbcva.org/subscribeEngage with us:Facebook: facebook.com/groups/fellowshipfamInstagram: instagram.com/fellowshipbiblechurch/   #SermonSpotlight #Transfiguration #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #FaithInAction #ListenToJesus #BiblicalWorldview #Scripture #JesusChrist #ChristianCommunity #ChurchPodcast #FaithJourney #GrowInFaith