Podcasts about Maturity

The Blood of Christ and the Courtroom of Heaven – Part 1 | KIB 520 Kingdom Intelligence Briefing   Description In KIB Episode 520, Dr. Michael and Mary Lou Lake address the spiritual intensity surrounding this season (Purim, "blood moon," and heightened occult activity) and then go deep into a foundational subject the remnant must understand: the power of the Blood of Jesus. This is not superstition. It's not a chant. It's not a ritual. The Blood of Jesus is covenant reality—a legal transaction that secures redemption, silences accusation, and anchors spiritual warfare in heaven's courtroom. In this episode: Why the enemy pushes believers toward formula-based "churchianity" Passover blood: covenant protection before judgment falls (Exodus 12) "The life is in the blood" and substitutionary atonement (Leviticus 17:11) The Blood of Jesus: eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12) Why the Blood "speaks better things than Abel" (Hebrews 12:24) How victory works in warfare: Blood + testimony + covenant fidelity (Revelation 12:11) Why spiritual maturity requires depth in the basics

Here's what the internet says only becomes attractive after your frontal lobes develop.

We live in a moment where feelings rule, rights are weaponized, and identity is endlessly redefined. And the church isn't immune. SUMMARY 1 Corinthians 6 confronts the modern obsession with rights, autonomy, and self-defined identity. Paul makes it clear: believers don't belong to themselves—body, identity, and freedom all belong to Christ. Maturity means surrendering self-ownership and living for God's glory. REFLECTION & SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Why do personal rights feel so important in our culture—and how can they compete with Christian witness? What does Paul mean when he asks, "Why not rather be wronged?" How do lawsuits among believers damage the gospel's credibility? Where do you see the lie of false ownership showing up in the church today? Why does Paul treat fraud as a theological issue, not just a moral one? What stands out to you about the phrase, "And such were some of you"? How does identity received from God differ from identity constructed by the self? What's the difference between freedom from sin and freedom to sin? Why does "my body, my choice" collapse under biblical scrutiny? What would it look like this week to genuinely glorify God with your body?  

It's important to understand where we are, now, in our spiritual maturity, in order to grow into what we could be. In this message, Adrian Rogers explains how the Bible categorizes our growth as Christians, and how to use Scripture as a road map for maturity. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/135/29?v=20251111

It's important to understand where we are, now, in our spiritual maturity, in order to grow into what we could be. In this message, Adrian Rogers explains how the Bible categorizes our growth as Christians, and how to use Scripture as a road map for maturity. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/135/29?v=20251111

In this week's episode, Darren begins a journey through what he refers to as the four pillars of UX by explaining the connection between UX maturity and heuristics and the expectations we should have based on a practitioner's UX maturity level. REMINDER: Video is available for this episode via select resources. #ux #podcasts #cxofmradio #cxofm #realuxtalk #worldofux #worldoux Bookmark the new World of UX website at https://www.worldoux.com. Visit the UX Uncensored blog at https://uxuncensored.medium.com. Get your specialized UX merchandise at https://www.kaizentees.com.

Welcome to episode #259!

Interview by Ali WilliamsSome bands talk about changing the world. Others actually try to rewire the power source. When HEAVY's Ali Williams caught up with Lime Cordiale's Ollie Leimbach, he was literally on the floor, charging his laptop somewhere five hours north of Sydney. Very rock 'n' roll. Very Northern Rivers. Very “I may or may not be barefoot and slightly stinky.” Which, frankly, checks out. Between laughs about weather patterns and mild coastal smugness, Ollie casually dropped the fact that Lime Cordiale are putting the finishing touches on album number four . Not that they're rushing it. “We're not a three-week studio band,” he admits. This one's only taken about a year. Growth. Maturity. Slightly less agonising perfectionism. But the real headline here isn't just new music. It's Lime Green Festival, their upcoming off-grid, battery-powered, 5,000-capacity experiment-slash-party happening April 18 off the coast of Adelaide . Yes, battery powered. As in, no diesel generators chugging away backstage. As in, the band is fully prepared to risk a blackout mid-set in the name of progress. Bold. Slightly terrifying. Excellent content. The Lime Green concept was born out of a crisis of conscience. During COVID, the band were working on a farm on the Mid-North Coast, diving into regenerative agriculture and learning how to reduce their footprint. Then touring came back. Planes. Diesel buses. Global laps. Cue existential whiplash. Rather than retreat into eco-guilt or write twelve reggae protest songs (no dreadlocks involved, he promises), Lime Cordiale decided to tackle the industry from within. Their approach is refreshingly non-preachy. No finger wagging. No “stop living your life.” Just practical shifts. They've trialled biodiesel buses in Europe, slashing touring emissions by around 98 percent. They've put a dollar from every ticket toward environmental causes they genuinely connect with. In Adelaide, that means supporting awareness around the current algal bloom crisis devastating local waters . Dead fish, stinging water, beaches people can't swim in. Not exactly tourism brochure material. The Lime Green Festival, though, is the big swing. Fully off-grid. Fully battery-powered. A case study in proving that you can run a major event without defaulting to fossil fuel generators. The battery companies are confident. The production crews are cautious. Ollie seems almost excited about the possibility of chaos. “If there is a blackout halfway through, that's part of the journey,” he shrugs . That's the spirit. Punk rock, but with renewable infrastructure. The lineup includes The Dreggs alongside Adelaide locals Alexia, Pash, and a Triple J Unearthed winner . Capacity sits at 5,000, which would make it Australia's largest fully battery-powered festival to date . Casual. Beyond the headline tech flex, Lime Green will feature practical green initiatives: better waste sorting, encouragement to bring reusable bottles, conscious messaging. Not exactly radical ideas, but when you've ever seen a post-gig floor that looks like a plastic tornado hit a bar fridge, you understand why it matters. Throughout the chat, Ollie keeps circling back to one core idea: don't shame people into change. Don't demand everyone bin their petrol cars tomorrow. Replace things when they break. Upgrade when it makes sense. Let progress feel possible, not punitive. It's a refreshingly pragmatic take in a space that often devolves into moral Olympics. At the end of the day, Lime Green will still be what everyone actually shows up for: good music, a crowd, and a reason to forget your inbox for a few hours. The difference is that it might also quietly prove that the industry can do better without killing the vibe. Album number four is brewing. The future might be battery powered. And if the lights flicker mid-chorus on April 18, at least you'll know you're witnessing a social experiment in real time. Tickets for Lime Green Festival are available now at limegreenfest.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Contact us at: thewavecolumbus@gmail.com, or www.thewavecolumbus.com or daniel@thewavecolumbus.com ContentJohn 13:34 Love like Jesus love he is the standardRomans 5:5 We need the Holy Spirit to loveLOVE IS THE MEASURE OF THE CHURCH, not services, not our preaching or our songs Matthew 16:18 (NASB)“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.”Jesus does not delegate the building of the Church. He claims it.“I will build My church.”The Church is not a human project, it is a divine work.Contact us at: thewavecolumbus@gmail.com, or www.thewavecolumbus.com or daniel@thewavecolumbus.com

Do you feel stuck in your romantic relationship or marriage? Do you want to know how to have rock solid self confidence in yourself? Would you like to be so confident that you never feel like you're walking on egg shells around your wife or girlfriend - where you can say or do anything you want and just be confident in your honesty and self worth? In this episode I talk about the foundation of self confidence and how we go about creating confidence by doing and achieving and how that approach falls down when we're faced with the challenges of intimate relationships.In our coaching, we help men get a powerful new mindset that empowers you to give, love and connect more deeply because you're finally doing that within yourself first. This mindset allows empathy, trust and connection to happen because you're confident in who you're being. We teach skills and knowledge that nobody ever teaches men when we're younger. Skills and knowledge that make you feel confident and in control even when chaos is going on around you. It's amazing what you can achieve when you make yourself a priority. Most men don't.   They are too busy taking care of everyone else.  Too busy minding the store and making the money.   They are focused on the "outside game" of winning life. But their "inside game" of confidence and clarity is suffering badly. You can only improve your inside game with other men. We would love to help you become more calm, more strong emotionally and more confident and happy in who you are as a man. Come and join us, either through 1-on-1 coaching with my colleague Dan Dore or me, or in our group coaching program with other amazing men who are travelling the same path as you right now in our Men's Live Coaching Roundtable. There's an amazing tribe of guys in this group with us, supporting and helping each other through this process of growth and self realization. https://goodguys2greatmen.com/goodguys2greatmen-live-coaching-roundtable/ If you're facing possible divorce, we have an online course which is specifically for you - Defuse the Divorce Bomb: https://mojopolis.thinkific.com/courses/HDDB-preview?ref=a53950 What if this next year everything changed for you? That's what we want for you brother, We love teaching men these tools - how to be better, how to know who you are, what you stand for, what you want and how to CREATE it in your life through our Masculine Confidence coaching programs. Dan and I are here to guide you on this mission.https://goodguys2greatmen.com/mens-relationship-coaching/ Steve's book Straight Talk Tools for the Desperate Husband will help you to lead yourself and your relationship back to good health. Understand why your partner acts the way she does toward you and learn how to lead your life in the direction you want it to go. You CAN have the relationship you want, fulfilling all your desires while maintaining love and respect.https://goodguys2greatmen.com/straight-talk-tools-for-the-desperate-husband/ We also have a free e-book to help men learn how to lose their fear and be more bold in their marriage to create the love and connection they want. Get The Hard to Swallow Truth About Saving Your Marriage: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/ If you want to learn more about how to take a bigger step toward being a clear-headed, confident man of action, then find out more here: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/mens-relationship-coaching/ We would be thrilled to help you get there - our first discovery call is always free and always gives you a BIG boost of confidence. You WILL become a clearer, stronger, more confident man only through other men. Your woman cannot take you there - and she doesn't WANT to...trust us on that. Sign up to receive our email newsletters for lots more free tips and advice here: https://archive.aweber.com/stevemain Subscribe to be notified whenever we upload a new video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC13h36xaBvyTPVAES4-4rXw?sub_confirmation=1 You can watch all our videos here: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/video-library/ Or read our blog articles here: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/blog/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/goodguys2greatmen-podcast--4650431/support.

In this episode of Sober Awkward, Vic sits down with Recovery Jimmy from the After Hours podcast to ask a big question, does sobriety actually make you grow up?They swap stories of peak immaturity, from Vic's 25 year blur of zero self preservation, to Jimmy's wine fuelled, one way escape to Majorca after watching Into the Wild. What felt rebellious and “rock and roll” at the time now looks a lot like avoidance, selfishness, and being emotionally frozen at the age they started drinking.Together they unpack how booze can keep you stuck, convincing you that you're wild and fun, when really you're avoiding responsibility, feelings, and growth. They talk drinking culture, hating sober people in bars, and the slow realisation that maybe the “boring” friends were just maturing.It's honest, funny, and reflective, a reminder that growing up does not mean losing your sense of fun. It means finally caring about yourself enough to change.Find out more about Jimmy and his Podcast here - Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/recovery_jimmyTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@recovery.jimmy?_r=1&_t=ZN-93qNaF7fVBeAfter Hours with Jimmy Thistle https://afterhours.buzzsprout.comAnd you can find all my other links at:https://linktr.ee/jimmythistle

YouVersion Notes: http://bible.com/events/49568145

In this passage, we are reminded of the necessity to focus on Christ and to allow him to grow us individually and as a church toward a mature unity. The post Unity that results in maturity (Eph. 4:1-16) appeared first on PLEASANT HILL COMMUNITY CHURCH.

2 Peter 3 (ESV)Andrew and Edwin discuss how a maturing Christian must grow in grace and knowledge. They have a special emphasis on what it means to grow in grace.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=24507The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

In Christ: Who We Are and How We Live - Gifts of Maturity | Ephesians 4:11-16 | Jared Osselaer | February 15, 2026

We often talk about attraction secrets such as learning how to lead your relationship if you want more intimacy and passion with your partner. In this episode I discuss the difference between leading and being controlling and why it's important that men learn how to dance with the subtleties of intimate connection if you want to know what kind of leadership to bring to any moment within your relationship.In our coaching, we help men get a powerful new mindset that empowers you to give, love and connect more deeply because you're finally doing that within yourself first. This mindset allows empathy, trust and connection to happen because you're confident in who you're being. We teach skills and knowledge that nobody ever teaches men when we're younger. Skills and knowledge that make you feel confident and in control even when chaos is going on around you. It's amazing what you can achieve when you make yourself a priority. Most men don't.   They are too busy taking care of everyone else.  Too busy minding the store and making the money.   They are focused on the "outside game" of winning life. But their "inside game" of confidence and clarity is suffering badly. You can only improve your inside game with other men. We would love to help you become more calm, more strong emotionally and more confident and happy in who you are as a man. Come and join us, either through 1-on-1 coaching with my colleague Dan Dore or me, or in our group coaching program with other amazing men who are travelling the same path as you right now in our Men's Live Coaching Roundtable. There's an amazing tribe of guys in this group with us, supporting and helping each other through this process of growth and self realization. https://goodguys2greatmen.com/goodguys2greatmen-live-coaching-roundtable/ If you're facing possible divorce, we have an online course which is specifically for you - Defuse the Divorce Bomb: https://mojopolis.thinkific.com/courses/HDDB-preview?ref=a53950 What if this next year everything changed for you? That's what we want for you brother, We love teaching men these tools - how to be better, how to know who you are, what you stand for, what you want and how to CREATE it in your life through our Masculine Confidence coaching programs. Dan and I are here to guide you on this mission.https://goodguys2greatmen.com/mens-relationship-coaching/ Steve's book Straight Talk Tools for the Desperate Husband will help you to lead yourself and your relationship back to good health. Understand why your partner acts the way she does toward you and learn how to lead your life in the direction you want it to go. You CAN have the relationship you want, fulfilling all your desires while maintaining love and respect.https://goodguys2greatmen.com/straight-talk-tools-for-the-desperate-husband/ We also have a free e-book to help men learn how to lose their fear and be more bold in their marriage to create the love and connection they want. Get The Hard to Swallow Truth About Saving Your Marriage: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/ If you want to learn more about how to take a bigger step toward being a clear-headed, confident man of action, then find out more here: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/mens-relationship-coaching/ We would be thrilled to help you get there - our first discovery call is always free and always gives you a BIG boost of confidence. You WILL become a clearer, stronger, more confident man only through other men. Your woman cannot take you there - and she doesn't WANT to...trust us on that. Sign up to receive our email newsletters for lots more free tips and advice here: https://archive.aweber.com/stevemain Subscribe to be notified whenever we upload a new video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC13h36xaBvyTPVAES4-4rXw?sub_confirmation=1 You can watch all our videos here: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/video-library/ Or read our blog articles here: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/blog/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/goodguys2greatmen-podcast--4650431/support.

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This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Oberle Risk Strategies⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Insurance Broker and Insurance Due Diligence Provider for Search Funds and Other Small-to-Medium-Sized Businesses⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠B⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠oulay, the industry standard for Quality of Earnings, tax, and audit services, serving search fund entrepreneurs for 20+ years⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*In the acquisition entrepreneurship ecosystem, it's well understood that the companies that we acquire often undergo change, maturation, and evolution under the watchful eye of the new CEO. What I think we tend to under appreciate, however, is the change, maturation and evolution required of the CEO herself. When I think back to the CEO that I was in year 6 of my own hold period, that person is almost unrecognizable relative to the CEO that I was in my first 6-12 months at the helm… and that evolution wasn't just specific to commercial considerations, though there were plenty of examples of those. A lot of it concerned the personal, psychological, and emotional realities of being both a leader and an entrepreneur. My guest today, Jennifer Garvey Berger, is the Author of Changing on the Job (among several other books), and has introduced a framework that shows what she thinks are the four rather predictable stages of leadership maturity. In our discussion today, we discuss what those stages are, what fundamentally changes from one stage to the next, why it's important for a leader to know which of the 4 stages that they're currently in, how to self-diagnose, where she most commonly sees high-performing executives or new leaders get “stuck”, and whether leadership maturity is simply a function of the passage of time.

Thirty years ago, Joshua Harris became the cheerleader for purity culture with his book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye." Since then, he's apologized for the book, exited from ministry and his marriage, and announced he's no longer a Christian. He talks to Skye about his journey from fundamentalism to deconstructionism, and back toward curiosity about Jesus. Also this week, how the Trump administration is making paganism great again, why secular progressives are rediscovering the benefits of religion, and how Christians in Springfield, Ohio, have organized to protect Haitian immigrants from deportation. Plus, cannibal jellyfish are taking over Venice, and Phil has seen the wrap light.   Holy Post Plus: Joshua Harris Bonus Interview: https://www.patreon.com/posts/151002394/   Ad-Free Version of this Episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/151013259/ 2:15 - Theme Song   2:37 - Sponsor - Rocket Money - Find and cancel your old subscriptions with Rocket Money at https://www.rocketmoney.com/HOLYPOST   3:42 - Sponsor - Poncho - If you've been looking for the perfect shirt—something breathable, fits great, feels even better, and stands out in a good way—give Poncho a try. Get $10 off and free shipping your first order by using this link: https://www.ponchooutdoors.com/holypost   8:52 - Cannibal Jellyfish Attack Venice!   14:18 - Springfield Christians Help Haitian Immigrants   24:04 - Donald Trump, the Pagan King   35:19 - Secular Progressives Miss Religion   50:48 -  Sponsor - PolicyGenius - Secure your family's tomorrow so you have peace of mind today. Go to https://www.policygenius.com/HOLYPOST to find the right life insurance for you   52:00 - Sponsor - BetterHelp - This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off your first month!   53:04 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 50% off your first order of Sundays. Go to https://www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST50 or use code HOLYPOST50 at checkout.   54:09 - Interview   58:35 - Teenage Fame   1:09:52 - What Wisdom Does Joshua Wish He Had?   1:14:50 - Value of Slowness   1:20:22 - Trump and Deconstruction   1:26:55 - End Credits   Links Mentioned in News Segment: Cannibal Jellyfish Attack Venice! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15511319/Venice-invaded-cannibalistic-jellyfish-vanishing-anus.html   Ohio Churches Help Haitians: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/us/springfield-ohio-haitians-deportation-threat.html   Donald Trump, Pagan King: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/opinion/donald-trump-pagan-king.html   Other Resources: Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/   Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus   Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost   Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop   The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  

Prefabrication has moved beyond proof of concept. In this kickoff episode of Prefab, Unfiltered, recorded live at Advancing Prefabrication, Todd Weyandt explores what it really means to enter the execution era of prefab. The debate is no longer about whether prefabrication or modular construction works. It's about scale, repeatability, and partnership. From data centers driving massive MEP prefabrication growth to owners rethinking procurement and risk models, the industry is shifting from experimentation to operational maturity. In this episode, we unpack: Why data centers are accelerating prefab adoption How scale changes the economics of modular construction What true construction partnership actually looks like Why culture and contracts may be the next barriers to innovation If you care about prefabrication, offsite construction, BIM-to-fabrication workflows, or the future of construction innovation, this conversation sets the tone for what comes next. The execution era has begun. MEET OUR GUEST Amy Marks is a leading voice in prefabrication and industrialized construction, with more than a decade of experience advancing offsite construction, modular strategies, and large-scale MEP prefabrication. She has played a significant role in helping owners, contractors, and manufacturers move beyond transactional project delivery and toward scalable, repeatable partnership models. Her work has been especially influential in mission-critical sectors such as data centers, where standardization and scale are reshaping how projects are delivered. Amy focuses not only on components and assemblies, but also on the culture, procurement models, contracts, and executive alignment required to make prefabrication successful at scale.   Todd Takes Prefabrication Has Entered the Execution Era For years, the industry focused on proving that prefabrication works. That debate is over. Prefab works. Modular construction works. Offsite strategies work. The real question now is whether we can execute consistently and at scale. Can we repeat results across projects? Can we move from isolated success stories to operational maturity? The future of prefabrication is no longer about experimentation. It is about discipline, ecosystem alignment, and getting better with every project. Prefab is no longer experimental. It is professional. Partnership Is a Business Model, Not a Buzzword The construction industry talks about partnership often, especially in prefabrication and modular construction. But there is a difference between transactional vendors and true partners. If five companies are bidding every project, that is procurement. It is not partnership. Real partnership involves shared risk, shared reward, executive-level communication, transparency when challenges arise, and a long-term commitment to scale together. In data center construction and other high-volume sectors, partnership is becoming structural, not optional. When both sides are fully invested, prefabrication scales. Scale Changes Everything Scale is the unlock for industrialized construction. When companies move beyond living project to project, they gain the breathing room to invest in systems, standardization, workforce development, and repeatable prefab workflows. Data centers are currently driving that scale, especially across MEP prefabrication and modular assemblies. The lessons being learned in data center construction today will influence healthcare, semiconductor, commercial, and even housing in the years ahead. Scale creates maturity. Maturity creates repeatability. Repeatability drives the future of prefabrication.   More Resources  Thanks for listening! Please be sure to leave a rating and/or review and follow up our social accounts. Bridging the Gap Website Bridging the Gap LinkedIn Bridging the Gap Instagram Bridging the Gap YouTube Todd's LinkedIn Amy's LinkedIn Compass Datacenters   Thank you to our sponsors! Graitec North America Graitec North America LinkedIn Autodesk's Website

A good start is half the BattleThis specially-designed series will equip us with fresh perspective so that we may appropriate God's blessing as we enter a new year.Support the show

Preparing the Bride Pt. 6 - How do you know you're spiritually growing? Sunday morning message from February 15th.

Is neutrality in leadership even possible? In Episode 669 of Daily Influence, Brian Smith challenges one of the most common — and most dangerous — myths in leadership: the belief that you can stay neutral. Silence is not the absence of influence. It is influence without ownership. When leaders avoid tension, delay difficult conversations, or choose not to clarify standards, they are still shaping culture. Silence communicates values. Silence signals what is tolerated. Silence protects systems — often at the expense of people. This episode launches a deeper season theme: Influence, Maturity, and Responsibility — moving beyond growth mechanics into consequence, awareness, and legacy. Because there is no off switch for influence. There is only conscious or unconscious leadership. Reflective Question: Where in your leadership are you calling something “neutral” that is actually a choice?

Do you get angry about the sexual rejection in your marriage? Does it piss you off when you get turned down for sex or intimacy? Do you get shamed for even "wanting" to connect with her in that way? In this episode I talk about why we get like this and how it makes you feel as well as how it makes her feel - plus some information about how to move forward in a better, more confident way that will also help you create more of what you really want in your relationship.In our coaching, we help men get a powerful new mindset that empowers you to give, love and connect more deeply because you're finally doing that within yourself first. This mindset allows empathy, trust and connection to happen because you're confident in who you're being. We teach skills and knowledge that nobody ever teaches men when we're younger. Skills and knowledge that make you feel confident and in control even when chaos is going on around you. It's amazing what you can achieve when you make yourself a priority. Most men don't.   They are too busy taking care of everyone else.  Too busy minding the store and making the money.   They are focused on the "outside game" of winning life. But their "inside game" of confidence and clarity is suffering badly. You can only improve your inside game with other men. We would love to help you become more calm, more strong emotionally and more confident and happy in who you are as a man. Come and join us, either through 1-on-1 coaching with my colleague Dan Dore or me, or in our group coaching program with other amazing men who are travelling the same path as you right now in our Men's Live Coaching Roundtable. There's an amazing tribe of guys in this group with us, supporting and helping each other through this process of growth and self realization. https://goodguys2greatmen.com/goodguys2greatmen-live-coaching-roundtable/ If you're facing possible divorce, we have an online course which is specifically for you - Defuse the Divorce Bomb: https://mojopolis.thinkific.com/courses/HDDB-preview?ref=a53950 What if this next year everything changed for you? That's what we want for you brother, We love teaching men these tools - how to be better, how to know who you are, what you stand for, what you want and how to CREATE it in your life through our Masculine Confidence coaching programs. Dan and I are here to guide you on this mission.https://goodguys2greatmen.com/mens-relationship-coaching/ Steve's book Straight Talk Tools for the Desperate Husband will help you to lead yourself and your relationship back to good health. Understand why your partner acts the way she does toward you and learn how to lead your life in the direction you want it to go. You CAN have the relationship you want, fulfilling all your desires while maintaining love and respect.https://goodguys2greatmen.com/straight-talk-tools-for-the-desperate-husband/ We also have a free e-book to help men learn how to lose their fear and be more bold in their marriage to create the love and connection they want. Get The Hard to Swallow Truth About Saving Your Marriage: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/ If you want to learn more about how to take a bigger step toward being a clear-headed, confident man of action, then find out more here: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/mens-relationship-coaching/ We would be thrilled to help you get there - our first discovery call is always free and always gives you a BIG boost of confidence. You WILL become a clearer, stronger, more confident man only through other men. Your woman cannot take you there - and she doesn't WANT to...trust us on that. Sign up to receive our email newsletters for lots more free tips and advice here: https://archive.aweber.com/stevemain Subscribe to be notified whenever we upload a new video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC13h36xaBvyTPVAES4-4rXw?sub_confirmation=1 You can watch all our videos here: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/video-library/ Or read our blog articles here: https://goodguys2greatmen.com/blog/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/goodguys2greatmen-podcast--4650431/support.

Dr. Vitz talks about getting real in our communication. (Originally aired 07-22-2024)

Guest: John Tamny. Tamny views the crypto market crash as a sign of maturity, predicting private money is the future and that 

BABY CHRISTIAN OR MATURE CHRISTIAN? Hebrews 5:12–14 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word ALL OVER AGAIN. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who LIVES ON MILK, BEING STILL AN INFANT, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (NIV) 1. MISUNDERSTANDING MATURITY 1 Peter 2:2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may GROW UP in your salvation, (NIV) SIGNS OF BEING SPIRITUALLY STUCK 1A. INFANTS DEPEND ON OTHERS TO FEED THEM 1B. INFANTS DON’T LISTEN AND APPLY WELL 1C. INFANTS ARE SELF-CENTERED 2. MISPLACED PRIORITIES Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (NIV) 3. MISGUIDED MOTIVATION 4. MISMANAGE SIN 1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (NIV) 5. MISREAD SITUATIONS Hebrews 5:14 1But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of DISCERNMENT trained by constant practice to DISTINGUISH good from evil. (ESV) 5A. THEY STRUGGLE DISCERNING SATAN’S SCHEMES 2 Corinthians 2:11 in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. (NIV) 2 Corinthians 11:14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. (NIV) 1 Timothy 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (NIV) 5B. THEY STRUGGLE DISCERNING THE VOICE OF GOD John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (NIV) John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep KNOW ME (NIV) 6. MISS MATURING 6A. MATURITY REQUIRES PRACTICE Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment TRAINED BY CONSTANT PRACTICE to distinguish good from evil. (ESV) James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (NIV) 6B. MATURITY REQUIRES CORRECTION 1. THE READING OF THE WORD OF GOD CORRECTS THE MATURE 2 Timothy 3:16–17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, REBUKING, CORRECTING, TRAINING in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God  may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV) 2. THE PREACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD CORRECTS THE MATURE 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (NIV) 3. THE PEOPLE OF GOD CORRECT THE MATURE Proverbs 15:31–32 If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. 32 If you reject discipline, you only HARM YOURSELF; but if you listen to CORRECTION, you GROW in understanding. (NLT) Proverbs 12:1 Whoever LOVES discipline LOVES knowledge, but whoever hates correction is STUPID. (NIV)

If this congregation can help you in any way, please contact us at www.normanchurch.com

Christian maturity is not achieved by striving harder or adding spiritual extras to Jesus—it grows as we surrender every part of our lives to His loving reach and reign. In this message, Rev. Terence Gray guides us through Paul's pastoral plea to the Colossian church, a community pulled toward influencers promising secret wisdom, higher knowledge, or spiritual shortcuts. Pastor Terence names the ways we, too, often protect certain areas of our lives from God—our wounds, habits, dreams, fears—and he reminds us that these untouched places become the very areas where immaturity takes root. Through Scripture, he invites us to trust the sufficiency of Christ, who alone can reorder our minds, restore what is broken, and lead us into wholeness. Maturity is not about perfection but about courageous surrender, allowing Jesus to touch what feels untouchable so He can form us into people who bear His character in the world. This sermon is a call to open our hidden places to the One who heals, cleanses, and transforms. May you find freedom in letting Christ shape every part of your life.

One of marks of a mature Christian is the pursuit of unity.

We would love to hear from you! Please send us your comments here. --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Steve and Charlie listened to LSU OF Jake Brown's media availability. Brown discussed the talent on the Tigers' roster, the opening day "jitters," and Casan Evans' elevation to the ace of LSU's staff.

You love the King James Bible.A friend asks you why.You know the arguments. You've read the material. You've heard the debates. You're ready. But somehow… the conversation doesn't end the way you hoped.Maybe it gets tense. Maybe it turns circular. Maybe you walk away thinking, “That didn't land like it should have.”So what can you change?In this episode, we're not re-arguing the entire manuscript debate. We're talking about how we talk about it. Tone. Logic. Maturity. Avoiding weak arguments. Learning how to actually persuade instead of just repeat slogans.If we believe the KJV is worth defending, then it's worth defending well.If you haven't yet, make sure you check out our booklet - "Making the Bible Version Debate SIMPLE" - for a concise, simple overview of why we defend the KJV as God's Word! You can find it on our Resources page and read/download it for free TODAY!https://sandycreekstirrings.com/resources/

So much of life is a study of cause and effect. We wonder why we get so many speeding tickets. Hmm . . . could it be that we drive too fast? Or wonder why it’s so hard to get up in the morning. Maybe it’s linked to how easy it is to stay up late the night before. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us study cause and effect as it relates to success in the Christian life. Jesus paid the price for our salvation, but we’ll see maturity and spiritual growth are up to us. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sign up for our e-newsletter today! --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

So much of life is a study of cause and effect. We wonder why we get so many speeding tickets. Hmm . . . could it be that we drive too fast? Or wonder why it’s so hard to get up in the morning. Maybe it’s linked to how easy it is to stay up late the night before. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us study cause and effect as it relates to success in the Christian life. Jesus paid the price for our salvation, but we’ll see maturity and spiritual growth are up to us. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Chad and Robert continue the conversation around living in God's presence by focusing on authenticity in prayer. Drawing from the Psalms, they remind us that God doesn't ask us to clean ourselves up before coming to Him, He invites us to come as we are.Subscribe to receive our latest videos!Website: https://www.sunvalleycc.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunvalleycc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunvalleycc/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sunvalleyccTo support Sun Valley and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: https://www.sunvalleycc.com/givingGod loves you no matter who you are, what you've done, or what's been done to you. This is the vision of Sun Valley Community Church, led by Pastor Chad Moore and based in Gilbert, AZ with multiple locations throughout the Phoenix valley.Chapters:00:25 Authenticity in God's Presence01:04 Why the Psalms Matter in Prayer01:46 When You're Mad at God02:01 Telling God the Truth02:24 Honesty Opens the Door to Peace03:41 Bringing Everything to God05:09 God Is All-Loving and Patient06:15 Fighting God vs Surrendering06:47 Trusting God When You Can't See07:35 God Working Behind the Scenes08:45 Anger and Maturity in Faith09:35 Pain as a Path to Growth10:28 Endurance and Faithfulness11:18 Trusting God's Heart12:21 Honest Prayers in the Psalms13:08 Finding a Psalm for Every Emotion14:26 Breaking Out of Routine Prayer15:06 Practical Ways to Pray Honestly16:35 God Is With You Everywhere

It is often said that good UX is invisible. UX's concepts are also abstract — not obvious and easily understandable to the non-practitioner. This week, Darren explains the abstract nature of UX, shares examples of how UX maturity levels mix with the abstractions, and how to bring value despite these challenges.REMINDER: Video is available for this episode via select resources. #ux#podcasts#cxofmradio#cxofm#realuxtalk#worldofux#worldouxBookmark the new World of UX website at https://www.worldoux.com. Visit the UX Uncensored blog at https://uxuncensored.medium.com. Get your specialized UX merchandise at https://www.kaizentees.com.

Investment in space infrastructure hit a new record in 2025, reaching $22.2 billion, according to Space Capital's latest report. This level of investment surpassed the previous record of 2021.  Chad Anderson, CEO and founder of Space Capital, joins On Orbit this week to share his takeaways from 2025 from Space Capital's recent Space Investment Quarterly report, alongside predictions for 2026.  Anderson says the record levels of investment in 2025 show the market has transitioned from skepticism to industrial maturity and proven utility.  He also shares some of the trends driving momentum for 2026, like the uptick of investment in geospatial intelligence capabilities aligning with AI investment, and how a SpaceX IPO in 2026 could impact the rest of the space investment landscape. 

You make your choices and your choices make you.

Press On To Maturity (Hebrews 6:1-8)

Community is an essential part of our walk and growth in Christ. Without it we can’t fulfill the command to love one another. But how do we build that? From Romans 16 & Galatians 6.

2 Peter 1:16-21 (NKJV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss inspiration and Scripture.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=24363The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Juan and Tim grab a beer and rant about decision intelligence and context graphs, MCP vs Skills, and how companies really have a work problem (not a data/AI problem) and what is the maturity model to get that work doneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 Peter 1:6-7Maturity is a life-long process, and it's often through times of testing we mature the most. Some people never get it.

Political maturity is finally admitting to yourself that the angriest, most disconcerting communist you've ever met was pretty much right about everything. If you learn enough, stay humble enough, and pay close enough attention, eventually that's what happens. You realize that, generally speaking, the really high-octane commies have the most lucid understanding of the world out of any group out there, and the only reason this wasn't always obvious to you was because you live under a capitalist power structure which aggressively indoctrinates its populace from birth into believing that communism is No No Bad Bad. Reading by Tim Foley.

2 Peter 1:12-15 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss Peter's diligence to put the reminders on paper so we can remember the qualities of Jesus and grow to spiritual maturity through the knowledge of Jesus.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=24348The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're talking with Jeremy Baker, Lead Pastor of Elevate Life Church in Connecticut. In just over three years, Elevate Life has grown from 70 people to more than 2,000 weekly attendees, becoming one of the fastest-growing churches in the country—especially remarkable in a region widely known as spiritually resistant and unchurched. Jeremy shares the honest, behind-the-scenes story of how God has moved, and what his team has learned about loving people well, building invite culture, and helping people take meaningful steps in their spiritual journey. Is explosive growth possible in spiritually dry regions? How do churches keep the focus on people instead of preferences as momentum builds? Jeremy offers a refreshing reminder that growth is less about formulas and more about faithfulness. Humble beginnings and a clear calling. // Jeremy and his wife left a comfortable ministry role at a large church in Dallas after sensing God's call to the Northeast—one of the least churched regions in North America. With no church-planting playbook and their personal savings on the line, they launched Elevate Life with high expectations and a large marketing push. When only 70 people showed up on launch day, disappointment could have ended the story. Instead, it became the starting point. Jeremy describes the journey as a “God deal” from the beginning—marked by prayer, obedience, and a willingness to go after people rather than polish programs. Loving people from the street to the seat. // One of Elevate Life's defining values is making people feel seen, heard, and celebrated. Jeremy believes every person walks in carrying an invisible sign that says, “See me.” That belief shapes their entire guest experience. From banner-waving parking lot teams to outdoor tents for first-time guests (even in winter), the church treats arrival as sacred ground. Volunteers walk guests through the building, help with kids check-in, offer tours, and even escort people to their seats. The intentional warmth sends a clear message: you matter here. Taking people where they are. // With nearly 4,000 first-time guests in a single year, Elevate Life assumes nothing about biblical knowledge or spiritual maturity. Rather than pushing people toward instant maturity, the church focuses on meeting people where they are. Grow Track, life groups, and clear next steps help people move forward at a sustainable pace. Jeremy warns that churches often forget how far they've traveled spiritually—and unintentionally expect newcomers to keep up. Invite culture that never lets up. // Elevate Life's growth hasn't come from direct mail or massive ad budgets. Jeremy says he'll never do mailbox ads again. Instead, growth flows from a relentless invite culture. Every service, hallway conversation, life group, and ministry environment reinforces the same message: Who are you bringing? Invite cards, QR codes, social media ads, and consistent language keep invitation top of mind. Jeremy believes repetition—not creativity—is the secret. Reaching people over protecting preferences. // As the church has doubled in size, Jeremy is vigilant about guarding its mission. Growth brings new pressures—parking shortages, crowded services, limited space—but he resists shifting focus inward. If churches aren’t careful, they’ll trade purpose for preferences,. Elevate Life's mission—making heaven more crowded—keeps the team outwardly focused. Jeremy regularly reminds leaders that people are not problems to solve; they are people to pastor. A challenge for church leaders. // Jeremy closes with a simple encouragement to pastors: love people deeply, steward what God has given you, and don't lose sight of why you started. Churches don't grow because they chase growth—they grow when leaders refuse to give up on people. In regions others have written off spiritually, God is still moving—and often through ordinary leaders who simply refuse to stop caring. To learn more about Elevate Life Church, visit elevatelifect.com or follow them on Instagram @elevatelifect. 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. Pumped that you have decided to tune in today. We’ve got a very good conversation. I’m really looking forward to leaning in and learning from this leader and the story that God’s been writing at his church in the last two and a half years.Rich Birch — Elevate Church in Connecticut has grown from 70 people to over 2,000 on a weekly basis. It’s been named one of the fastest growing churches in the country. I love their mission and purpose is really simple: making heaven more crowded. Today we’ve got Jeremy Baker with us. He is the lead pastor. Jeremy, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here.Jeremy Baker — Thank you so much for having me. So excited. And what a great privilege and honor to be on on live with you today. So thank you.Rich Birch — Yeah, I’m excited that to unpack this story a little bit. It is not normal for a church to grow from 70 to 2000 in any part of the country, but even more so in Connecticut. I can say as a guy who served in New Jersey, I’m Canadian, you know – don’t hold that against against me. Jeremy Baker — Let’s go.Rich Birch — So I understand the spiritual context that you’re in a little bit. But why don’t you unpack the story? Kind of tell us a little bit what’s gone on over these last couple of years. For folks that don’t know, tell us about the kind of spiritual, you know, climate in Connecticut. Talk us through those issues.Jeremy Baker — Yeah, I first of all, it’s a God deal all the way. And I know a lot of people are asking me, hey, give me some handles, what’s some formulas, what’s some how-tos.Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — I’m just blown away by what God’s done. And I think it’s really just the heartbeat of God is going after his people and serving the community really well. So we’re in an area, I’m 30 minutes away from Yale University.Rich Birch — Okay.Jeremy Baker — I’m not too far away from New Haven, Connecticut. I’m in in a town about 100,000 people. Rich Birch — Wow.Jeremy Baker — Matter of fact, the building is actually in between two cities. Rich Birch — Okay. Jeremy Baker — The building is divided right down in half. One half being, yeah, it’s crazy. One half being Meriden, one half being a town called Wallingford. And so in those two cities is about 100,000 people. Rich Birch — Okay. Jeremy Baker — So three and a half years ago, I’m working at a big church in Dallas, Texas, mega-world, mega-church, on staff, XP, and the Lord just pressed on our heart, me and my wife that we’re comfortable. We’re we’re living the good life, we’re living the Dallas life, the big Texas life, and there’s more, you know. And nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with the Dallas life, the big life, the Texas life, nothing wrong with big churches – God loves this, the capital “C” church, you know. And so long story short, prayed for about a year, and we said, we’re going to the Northeast. Rich Birch — Wow. Jeremy Baker — This is where my wife is originally from, the Connecticut region, this area, actually called a little town called North Haven. And we’re going to go back up here because there’s a group of people that need the Lord. And, you know, the Northeast, New Jersey, you know, New York, Maine, Vermont, Pennsylvania, these kind of, this region up here in this New England region is ah is an unchurched region. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — There’s great people that are God-fearing people, great good Bible-believing churches, but there’s it’s not known as a Southern, you know, Christianity. Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — Like everybody goes to church in the South, but up here, it’s a little different region. So we came up here. We didn’t know how to plant a church, honestly.Rich Birch — Love it.Jeremy Baker — I’m just giving you all the honest, the the real, real.Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — I wish I could tell you that I wrote the book on it and I know how to do everything perfectly. Rich Birch — Love itJeremy Baker — But i could I could tell you every horror story what not to do, you know? So we we pulled out our life savings and we started a church and we had 70 people on our launch date. Rich Birch — Wow. And we put about $100,000 into our launch date thinking we would have… Rich Birch — Wow. Jeremy Baker — …you know, 800 people, a thousand people are going to show up. We put mailers in everybody’s mailbox. So long story short, we had 70 people. Rich Birch — Wow, wow.Jeremy Baker — And then out of that, we have just been going after our city. Out of that, we have just been reaching people, inviting people to God’s house, serving our community, clean days, outreaches, food ministry, backpack giveaways, Christmas, Thanksgiving. I mean, just every major holiday, we have just attacked our community. And this last week, we had over 2,400 people in attendance.Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Praise God. Jeremy Baker — And and so in three and a half years, it’s just been wild. And there’s so much in that story I could tell you.Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — But that’s kind of been from where we were, planning humble beginnings. God, what do you want to do? And it’s not about the size of a church, as you know, because I know there’s great churches out there that are ministering very well to the size that is in their community, and they’re doing a really good job shepherding people, caring for people.Jeremy Baker — But it’s just, you know, I always believe, God, let me not mess this up. Lord, if I can steward this well, you’ll keep bringing them to me. And so we have a brand new team, new staff. I like to call us the the misfits of Toy Island, if I could use the if i could if i could use the Christmas kind of you know… Rich Birch — Yes. Jeremy Baker — …thought process, you know. We don’t know what we’re doing, but we’re loving people well. We’re serving. We’re discipling to the best of our ability. We’re preaching the full gospel now. I don’t want people to think that we’re not preaching the gospel.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — We’re preaching from Genesis to Revelations, and we’re preaching the whole Bible, the whole council. And but that’s kind of that’s a little bit of kind of like how the beginning happened, but it’s been wild.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool.Jeremy Baker — It’s been wild, man.Rich Birch — Yeah. And I know, you know, we know that, well, all of our churches, you know, they they have the impact they do because God chooses to use what we’re doing at the end of the day. It’s got nothing to with us. It’s got everything to do with him. Jeremy Baker — Right. Rich Birch — But he is choosing to use something that you’re you’re doing. He’s clearly blessing something. He’s working through something. When you step back and think about the last couple of years, two or three years, What would be some of the things that you’ve seen him use that are like, hmm, this seems to be a part of the equation of what he’s pulling together.Rich Birch — And that’s not from a like, hey, we want to replicate all this, but it’s like, hey, here’s here’s your story. This is what God seems to be using in your context to reach your people. What would be some of those things that bubble up to your mind?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, great question. I would think the first thing for us is people want to be seen. People in the world that we live in today want to know that someone cares about them, that someone loves them.Jeremy Baker — We like to say it around here. We have little cultural sayings. We see you. We hear you. We celebrate you. We see you, we hear you, we celebrate you. I love what Mary Kay said, the the makeup organization. She had a quote, and if I can quote her right, she said, everybody has an invisible sign around their neck that says, see me. Jeremy Baker — And and I think it’s important. I think it’s real important that we see people the way God sees them. You know, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever would believe in him. So the whole thing is about seeing people the way God sees them, not seeing them through their lens of brokenness or through the lens of maybe a divorce or the pain or the regret or the shame. No, we got to see them through the grace and the mercy of God, through through what Jesus wants to do in their life. So we’re just loving people really well from the street, if I could say it like this, because I know it’s been said in church conferences, but from the street to the seat, we’re just loving people really well, you know, how to how to make people feel like they’re the big deal. Rich Birch — Right, right.Jeremy Baker — You know, that God does love them. So that would be probably one thing that I would say would kind of be our bread and butter of just loving people well… Rich Birch — Yes. Jeremy Baker — …helping people find hope, especially in a season like this, you know, holiday season. It’s like, a you know, a lot of people are hopeless and we need to give hope to people. And so that would be a big thing. Jeremy Baker — I say think the second thing I would say is taking people on the spiritual journey where they’re at. You know, I’ve been a ministry for 30 years. My dad’s a pastor. So I’ve been in church for a long time. And I think sometimes, you know, we can as as as church kids, or if I could say it that way, or church people, we are called the shepherd. We’re called to minister. We’re called the guide. But sometimes we want people to be on the road that we’re on. And and they don’t realize… Rich Birch — That’s so true. Jeremy Baker — …we have we have we have been on this journey for a long time. There’s been a lot of going to the mat, dealing with us, God doing a work in us. Like David said in Psalms 51, Lord, create me a clean heart. Help me help me grow, Lord, as a leader, as a mature, you know. Put away childish things. I, you know, I want to grow. So so we’re taking people on their journey. Okay, you’re new to faith, so we need to start you on this road or this path, if I could say, you know. Oh, you’ve been walking with God for three years. Okay, we’ve got to make sure that you know some of the foundations, some of the basics. Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — You know I think that’s been some of our greatness of helping people stick, find community, be a part. So those are, I think those are two things. Understanding people need to be seen. And the second one is taking them on a journey of where they’re at, you know?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. I love that. The let’s let’s unpack that a little bit. I’d love to start with the loving people well thing – a little bit more detail. Jeremy Baker — Yeah.Rich Birch — When you say that, so what does that mean from the street to the seat? How are you how do you feel like, oh, this is something that Elevate Life’s doing well to love people as they’re coming, as they’re arriving, as they’re a part of what’s going on at the church?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so great. So for me, it’s going to be guest experience. Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — What does it look like when people pull on your parking lot? You know, do we have parking lot – we don’t call them attendants. We call them parking lot banner wavers. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. Love it.Jeremy Baker — They’re waving a banner, a blessing over your car. Now, it’s going to be a little charismatic a little bit. There’s going to be a little bit of a, you know, my background is, you know, is I’m I’m very very energetic, very enthusiastic…Rich Birch — Sure.Jeremy Baker — …passionate as a leader. So I want people to know it’s a big deal that you’re on property today. Rich Birch — Right.Jeremy Baker — It’s a really big deal that you brought your family, that you showed up. You didn’t have to show up. You didn’t have to be here. You could have stayed home. You could have did what you wanted to do, but you gave God some time today. And so what we do is we we we we really pray that as the tires hit the parking lot, that miracles take place in people’s lives.Jeremy Baker — Whatever that miracle might be, miracle of salvation. A miracle of of of a mindset change, a miracle of restoration. So banner wavers in the parking lot, loving on people. Jeremy Baker — We have a team called the Impact Team that’s in the parking lot. They’re what we call our first time guest experience connection moments. So when they when there’s tents outside, of course, even in the winter, we got tents outside with heaters outside. You know, we just got four inches of snow the other day, but they’re still outside.Jeremy Baker — So the commitment from our servant leaders is there. The commitment from our staff is there, just to make people seen and feel loved. So as they’re walking into the property, if they’re a first time guest, our team has been trained how to identify a first time people, even with the amount of people that are coming. And they’ll walk up to them and just say, so glad you’re here.Jeremy Baker — Is this your first time? No, I’ve been here for about a month. OK, do you need anything? How can I serve you? How can we help you? Do you know how to check your kids in? Or, hey, can i can I walk you to your seat? I mean, we literally have a team over 100 plus people that are helping people walk into a building… Rich Birch — Wow.Jeremy Baker — …get a free get a get a cup of coffee, find them to their seat, make them feel loved. If they’re new, hey, let me take you on an experience tour is what we call it, an experience tour. You’re walking into a brand new building. You’ve never been into the building before. You know, lot of churches, it’s all love, but might not have the right signage of communication of where restrooms are, kids check-in nurseries, nursing mother’s room, you know, special needs, whatever. So we have these people that go and walk these people through this building. And, you know, we don’t have a large building. We’re we’re adding on to our building, but we’re about 28,000 square feet.Rich Birch — Okay.Jeremy Baker — And so even in that size, you know, you can get lost in a building that size… Rich Birch — Right, right. Jeremy Baker — …you you know, especially where there’s hallways and doorways you don’t know. And so we’re having people walk through. And then people walk up all the way to their seat.Rich Birch — Wow.Jeremy Baker — And then when they’re in their seat, we got people that are on the host team, which we’d call modern day ushers. We call them host team members. They just walking up to them. Hey, good to see you. How you doing? Good morning before service starts.Rich Birch — I love that. Yes.Jeremy Baker — So we’re creating this we’re creating this interaction culture. Now, if you’re introverted, I’ll be honest with you, it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be hard, man.Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — It’s going to be hard. If you’re more introverted in your personality and your style, you’re going to feel overloaded at a level, you know what I’m saying?Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — So so that that’s some of the feedback we get.Jeremy Baker — Like, hey, I love the church… Rich Birch — It’s a little much. Jeremy Baker — …but I got 18 people talking to me, man, before I even find a seat. And it’s like, I get it, I get it, I get it. But, you know, we just want you to feel seen and feel loved. So that’s part of what we do.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s very cool. I love that.Jeremy Baker — Yeah.Rich Birch — Super practical. That’s cool. And then I like this idea of talking to people where they’re at. I think that can be a concern we run into or a it’s like we’re not even aware that in our our churches we’re we’re we’re using language or or we’re assuming everyone’s at a certain place. What does that look like for you at Elevate Life? How are you helping? Because that’s a lot of people in a short period of time to both get to know and then also try to communicate in a way that actually connects with where they’re at. Talk us through what do you mean by that when you say we’re trying to talk to people where they’re at in their spiritual journey?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so if it so if you’re new, let me just give you context. This year alone, in 2025, we’ve had 3,919 first-time guests walk through our doors. Rich Birch — That’s great.Jeremy Baker — This year alone. Rich Birch — Yep. Jeremy Baker — So for us, we know as a new plant, as a new church, we’re going to have to really walk people through this spiritual journey. Some of these people maybe have some form of God, maybe they have been walking with God. Maybe they’ve been out of church since, you know, let’s just talk about pre, know, after or during COVID. Maybe they haven’t been back to God’s house because that’s really real in the Northeast. Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — I mean, some people are just now coming back to church in the Northeast that have not been in church for the last four years. You know, it’s like, oh yeah, I’ve been out of church for about three and a half years and I’m just now getting back into the rhythm of getting back in my faith.Jeremy Baker — So there’s so much I can talk about that. Like how how do we make our services flow? Like I always introduce introduce myself, hey, my name is Jeremy, and I have the privilege to pastor this church, and I just want to say welcome. If if this is your, you know, 52nd welcome this year or if this is your first welcome, I just want to say welcome. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — Because i want I want them to know that we’re real, that we’re authentic, and we want to help them on their spiritual journey. Rich Birch — It’s good.Jeremy Baker — So we offer stuff like, you know, first-time, you know, decision, if you made a first time decision, let’s go, let’s go into, you know, who is Jesus? You know, what does Jesus, you know, want to do in your life? So there’s, there’s, there’s classes, there’s paths that we offer there. Jeremy Baker — Grow track, you know, we have grow track that we offer every month. Hey, hey, won’t we want to teach you a little bit more about faith, who Elevate Life is, what, what our mission is, what our vision is, what, what the values of our church is. And so we walk them through that.Jeremy Baker — And then, and then what we have is we have life groups. And these life groups are from all different walks. Deep dive of Revelation, deep studies of the Old Testament. Or, hey, we’re just going to go through the book of John. We’re just going to start in John 1 and learn what Jesus, you know, who Jesus is. And we’re to start there. Or if you’re more intellectual, we’re going to go a little bit deeper. You know, so we we we we we have these these life groups, we call them, because we’re Elevate Life. So we call them life groups. We want we want these groups to bring life to people.Jeremy Baker — And and so ah so we just we we have people, we encourage them to sign up, to get involved. That’s our conversations always in the hallways. Hey, are you are you serving on a team? Are you in a life group? Here’s here’s why. The goal for me is not just gathering large crowds. The goal for me as as a shepherd, I would just say as ah as as the lead pastor now in this season of my life, is is to help people develop spiritually… Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. Yeah, definitely. Jeremy Baker — …to help people find their personal walk with God, not just come and hear a good word. You know, motivating, it’s inspiring, it’s it’s helpful. Yes, it’s practical. I’ve got handles I can live my life by throughout the week. But my my heart is, don’t just take a Sunday and give it to God, but give God every day of your life. Rich Birch — So good.Jeremy Baker — You know, sometimes we just turn the surrender switch on on Sunday, not realizing the surrender switch needs to be on every day of the week.Rich Birch — Amen. So true.Jeremy Baker — So I’ve got to turn that surrender switch on every day. And just like you a natural thought when you turn the light switch on when you’re in the room, you turn it off when you leave the room. Well, a lot of people look at church that way. I’m going to turn my surrender switch on today. It’s Sunday. I’m going to go to God’s house. And then on when they leave Sunday, they leave away the property. They pull away. The surrender switch turns off. And I think that’s where the consumer mindset, especially in the Western part of the country… Rich Birch — Sure. Jeremy Baker — …you know, we have gotten, you know, we’re, we’re inundated with consumerism. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — And so, and so how, do how do we help people really become disciples of of Christ? So the second part of our mission statement is making disciples that follow Jesus. So the goal is making heaven more crowded, but making disciples that follow Jesus.Rich Birch — So good. That’s great. Let’s talk about a bit like up the funnel a little bit, like at the top end, where, how are people learning about Elevate Life? You talked about when you launched, you did a bunch of marketing stuff. Has that continued to happen? Is this just like, you’re really good at Facebook ads? Help me understand. What does that look like? How, why is the church growing?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, great question. I personally, I will never do an ad in a mailbox again. That was $25,000 that I think one person showed up, and then we had a bunch of them ripped up and mailed back to us and told us to never mail them and again. It’s the funniest story.Rich Birch — Wow. Yes.Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so it’s it’s all good. It’s it’s it’s this is not the South. I’m a Texas guy, and I’m living in the New England region, and it’s it’s night and day, you know.Rich Birch — Yes. Yes.Jeremy Baker — So what we have done really well at, I believe, causes some of the growth to happen is two things, is every week we’re encouraging people to invite somebody. That is a part of our culture. Invite culture. Who you bringing? Who do you know that’s far from God that needs the Lord right now? Who do you know that’s far from Him that you know that that you could bring?Jeremy Baker — So then the second thing is we’re doing really good social media ads. We’re spending about $1,500 a month on social media ads. And our team has done a phenomenal job. And all my team is 19, 20, 21, and 22-year-old young men and women that are running all of my social media.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great.Jeremy Baker — I’m 50. I want to act like I’m current. But I’m not. You know, there’s things I don’t, I’m not adverse in. There’s things that are constantly changing with technology.Rich Birch — Sure. Yeah, sure.Jeremy Baker — And and and I just got to trust this younger generation.Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — And they have done a phenomenal job.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — That’s been one of our huge success for us to put us on the map in this region, to put us, make us aware.Rich Birch — Let’s pull it, but pull apart both of those. When you say you’re encouraging people every week, so you’re like ringing the bell that I want to hear churches to hear more of. You’re inviting people every week to invite their friends. Give us a sense. What does that look like? How are you doing that every single week? What’s that look like?Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so part of that is in our services. It’s in language. Rich Birch — Yep. Jeremy Baker — You know, we always say, you know thank you for being here this morning. We pray that you have brought somebody with you. And then at the end of our service, we’re saying, hey, don’t forget to invite somebody back next week. So we’re always saying that in our language. So it’s become part of our our culture. It’s become part of of who we are as a church. We are a bringer church. We are an inviting church. We are a reach the lost church. We are the great commission. Because the goal for us is not just giving information, but we’re hoping that the people will receive the information that causes some type of revelation in their own spirit that leads them to the Great Commission. Rich Birch — That’s good.Jeremy Baker — Because we want them to be a part of what Jesus said. He you know he said in in Matthew 10, he goes, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. You know. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that he would send more laborers. So we are we are Ephesians 4, equipping the church to do the work of the ministry. We are we have to encourage people to build the local community of the church, the local house of God. And so that’s part of our language in our hallways. We have really practical things. We have invite card stands everywhere. Invite card stands everywhere. So simple. We have QR codes. You can scan. You can download all kinds of invite information. Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — You can invite our service times. So really practical steps like that have really helped us. And then in our life groups, it’s in it’s being said. In our midweek services, it’s being said. We do eight services a week. So that’s what we’re doing right now, eight services a week. And and and so in every service, it’s just been indoctrinated. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — It’s been just repetition, you know, over and over and over. Rich Birch — Yep. Jeremy Baker — And then And I think that’s a big part of why God’s allowed us to… Honestly, I don’t know church any other way. Rich Birch — Right. Sure.Jeremy Baker — I personally don’t know church any other way. I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer.Rich Birch — I don’t know about that.Jeremy Baker — I’m just I know I’m just appreciate the love. I mean I I’m a guy who barely graduated from seminary. I barely graduated, you know. I was like everybody looked at me, all the professors, like, oh, man. I hope you make it. You know, it’s like, it’s like one of those guys, it’s like, I just, I just love people well. And I want people to know Jesus. I mean, Jesus changed my life. I mean, he changed my life. He, he did something in me that no one ever has ever done or no one could ever do. And my life is I’m indebted to him.Jeremy Baker — I’m I’m living my whole life for him. That’s why 30 years of working through whatever I’ve got to work through in ministry and working through stuff as a as a young man, now as an older man. I’ve just stayed the course, stayed faithful. Not perfect, but stayed faithful, step moving forward every season of my life. And so I just love people well, and I think people hear the heart of that through our pastoral team, through our elders. Rich Birch — Sure. Jeremy Baker — They hear the heart of loving people well, that we want people to find Christ. So that’s the language I think helped us in this last season, you know, really in this last season, really grow. A year ago, a year ago, this time, we only ran, not not only, it’s great, but we were around about 900 people a year ago.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s crazy.Jeremy Baker — And then it’s last year, we’ve exploded.Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — We’ve doubled our church.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — I mean, we’ve doubled. I mean, we we we have no more parking. I mean, we we we have 345 parking spots. And then two out of the five weekend experiences, because we do other services throughout the week, two out of the five weekend experiences, we have to turn people away, which just breaks my heart as a pastor because it’s like…Rich Birch — Right. Yeah. Yes.Jeremy Baker — …we can’t build fast enough. We’re looking for bigger venues. Again, I could go on that, but we want to make more room. We want people to find hope. It was never about being big. I told a pastor locally, I said, and he was he was coming here to, you know, just to encourage us to keep going, which was very kind of him. But I said, pastor, it was never about being big. It’s always been about reaching the lost.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s great.Jeremy Baker — It’s always been about reaching the lost.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jeremy Baker — So I don’t know if that makes any sense.Rich Birch — It does. It does. There’s a lot there that you, that I, you know, I, I, I didn’t want to interrupt because there’s so much packed in there that I think was so helpful for people. And, you know, that singular focus on, Hey, we’re trying to reach people. I want to come back to that in um in a minute. I want you to kind of speak to, leaders on that. Rich Birch — But I want to underline one of the, it’s a simple thing that um we miss in too many churches. And I’ve done a bunch of study on invite culture and you’re doing classically, you’re doing the best behavior classically. You’ve got to keep invite in front of people. We can’t, you can’t let up the gas pedal on that one. You’ve got to keep that in front of people, make it super practical, give them tools, all that like invite card stuff, all of that super important.Rich Birch — Years ago, I was talking to a lead pastor of a church that was growing very rapidly. And this wasn’t on a podcast. We were talking sidebar and I was like, Hey, asked a very similar question. What’s God using? And he’s like, Oh, it’s a little embarrassing. I don’t want to say it. And I’m like, no, no, tell me, what do you think he’s using? And he said, well, every weekend for this last year, We put invite cards on every single chair in every auditorium for the entire year. And we told people, take those and invite people. And he’s like, I really think that that is like just the intensity…Jeremy Baker — That’s it.Rich Birch — …of we’re keeping it in front of people. We can’t let up. So I want to I want to encourage you and that and listeners. Jeremy Baker — Thank you. Rich Birch — Hey, friends, that is that is a key part of this. Talk to us about the the focus on reaching the lost or reaching people who are far from God or unchurched people. Talk talk us through that. Rich Birch — Because what what’s happening at your church, I know we’ve kind of we’ve referenced this a few times, is super unique in in, you know, New England. What would be some of the challenges that you’re facing to keeping that singular focus of reaching unchurched people, people far from God? What’s been the challenge there and how are you having to adjust and kind of keep your culture focused on that as you continue to grow?Jeremy Baker — Such a great question. I mean, such a great question. I would, man, you’re such a great question asker, if I could say it that way.Rich Birch — Oh, that’s nice. Thank you.Jeremy Baker — Yeah I mean, a great question.Rich Birch — Sure.Jeremy Baker — I would think for me, for me, I got into ministry so that people’s lives could be changed by the good news. There’s no other way there’s no other reason why I’m in ministry. I’m here because I want people’s lives to be changed the way my life has been changed. So the the thing I’m always projecting from the the the the platform that I get to walk in, the the place that I get to stand, is it’s got to be about people. That’s why Christ came. He came and he and he died on a cross so that people would find eternal life, so that people would find hope.Jeremy Baker — And so we’re always pushing that agenda from the front. And, you know, whatever said from the platform stage, whatever you want to, however you want to articulate it, is is is is being pushed for a reason, I believe. So we’re constantly pushing this from the stage. We’ve got to reach people. People are dying and going to hell every day. And this is where I think the church sometimes trips. We got enough people now. So now let’s get let’s let’s stop making it about people and let’s start making it about preferences. Rich Birch — Come on.Jeremy Baker — And I think that’s the danger that’s the danger where guys like me can, you know, I was just having an elder meeting a few days ago, and I andI was telling our elders, because now we’ve got to implement some other pathways of discipleship, some other handles to help people grow and mature faster. And I said, you can’t push maturity. Maturity takes time.Jeremy Baker — If we’re not careful, we’ll we’ll lose the vision of what got us here. And then what happens is we’ll become inward focus rather than outward focus. said, I’ve seen it, guys. And I was talking to my elders. and I was just opening up my heart to them. I said, I’ve seen us do this. I’ve been a part of big churches where now it’s about the building. It’s about the butts.Rich Birch — So true.Jeremy Baker — It’s about the budgets. It’s about, you know, I’ve seen that. And I’m like, let us never lose the very thing that God’s allowed us to be a part of in in this season. Rich Birch — Yep, so true.Jeremy Baker — I never woke up one day and said, hey, let’s go and have one the fastest growing churches in America in the New England region. I woke up one day said, God, I’m comfortable. And I don’t want to be comfortable anymore. Rich Birch — So good. Jeremy Baker — I want you to use my life for the rest of my life until I see you to bring an impact in this region, whatever region that you send me. He sent us to the Northeast. Rich Birch — Yep.Jeremy Baker — He sent us back home to where my wife was from. And so that’s our prayer. And I want to keep the main thing the main thing. I don’t want to drift because there is a difference between, there is a difference between preferences and then and then purpose, you know. The purpose of Elevate is to make heaven more crowded. The purpose of Elevate is to make disciples that follow Jesus. The purpose is to reach our community, to make an impact. But but if you’re not careful, you’ll you’ll get you’ll get satisfied with the people. You’ll settle. You’ll get complacent. We got enough people now.Jeremy Baker — But what if but what if God really wants to change? What if God, this is my question I’ve been wrestling with, and maybe maybe you have answers for me, but I’ve been wrestling with this question in my own spirit. Like, is it possible that one church could really change a community? Is it possible that one church could, God could use a church, a group of people. Not not I’m not talking I’m not talking about domination. I’m talking about just a group of people that are passionate about making heaven more crowded, that God could use a group of people that would change the facet of a community. Rich Birch — So good.Jeremy Baker — You know? That would that that that’s the that’s the thing I’ve been wrestling with. Can God use Elevate Life in this region? What if God wants to use us to help Yale? What if God wants us to use us to, you know, to to to get on college campuses and see a revival, you know, at Yale University?Rich Birch — So good.Jeremy Baker — You know, and I mean, that’s an Ivy League school. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — I mean, people from all over the world go to that school. And we haven’t even, I feel like, scratched the surface. So that’s part of my my always, I got to keep the main thing the main thing. It’s got to be about people. So one of our values is, people is our pursuit. That’s what we’re, we’re pursuing people.Rich Birch — That’s so good.Jeremy Baker — And not programs, not not preferences. I got preferences. I mean, I’m sure we all got preferences. Rich Birch — Yes.Jeremy Baker — But I’m putting down my preference so that I can carry the purpose of the good news. I hope that makes sense.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Makes total sense. And yeah, super encouraging. And yeah, I think I think God’s placed your church in a, you know, every community across the country is an important place. There’s people all over the world that need Jesus, obviously, but I i don’t think you’re, I think it doesn’t, it’s not surprising to me that the Northeast is a place that is, some call it a spiritually dead or spiritually dry part of the country, while at the same time, it is of global significance in a lot of different ways. Like the the communities that you’re serving are are different than other parts of the kind country from an influence point of view. You place like Yale, it’s not just another university.Jeremy Baker — Yeah.Rich Birch — You know. And so I think God’s placed you there for a real specific reason, which I think is you know, super encouraging. Well, this has been a a great conversation, Jeremy. I just want to encourage you, thankful that you would come on today and help us kind of peek behind the curtain a little bit. As we land today’s episode, any kind of final words you give to church leaders that are listening in to today’s conversation?Jeremy Baker — You know, the only thing I would encourage church leaders is my my my thing I always tell pastors and and people that I am connected with always is just make it about people. Make it about people. And I’ll say it this way. It’s not problems to be solved. It’s people to be pastored. It’s not problems to be solved. It’s people to be pastored. Sometimes pastors, and I get it because I’m talking to myself, sometimes we make people the problem, and the people are not the problem. The people are the purpose of why we do the pastoring. That’s why we do what we do. That’s why we do shepherding. Jeremy Baker — So, you know, when you’re dealing with when you’re dealing with people, it’s messy. It can be hurtful. There’s there’s different things that come with that, and we could list a thousand things in that. But I would just say, just love people well to the best of your ability. Give them grace. Give them mercy. Jeremy Baker — If they leave your church and they go somewhere else, just let them know the key under the mat. We’re on the same team. We’re part of the same family. We’re all going to go to heaven to we know one day. It’s not about who’s got the bigger church or who’s better? Who’s got the better kids program or who’s got ah the more youth? It’s not about any of that. It’s about just trusting God with what he’s given us stewardship over and in stewarding that really well and just loving the people that God brings.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. Pastor Jeremy, appreciate you being on today.Jeremy Baker — Thank you.Rich Birch — If people want to track with you or with the church, where do we want to send them online to connect with you guys and kind of follow your story a little bit? I would encourage people to follow your Instagram. So where can we find that and your website and all that? Jeremy Baker — Yeah, so our website is elevatelifect.com, elevatelifect.com, and that would be the same for our Instagram. And so thank you so much for having me. ‘m very grateful, and thank you for your time.Rich Birch — Thanks so much. Take care.

On today's episode, Andy and DJ are joined by entrepreneur and author Pejman Ghadimi. They answer your questions on how to calculate what risks are worth taking in life, how to decide between investing in new equipment or new employees when growing your business, and how to pick between choosing your own path to success vs. following someone else's blueprint.