The Two Talents Pod

It was an honor and a privilege to share the pulpit where many great men stood before. But how did it really go? Is this something long term or short term? What does it look like to prepare for a Sunday morning service? Take a look behind the curtain of what it was like to preach in a church for the first time and ride the roller coaster of emotions with us!

Life as a Christian can be hard. It's like adding one more task to a never-ending list. Should following Christ feel burdensome? What are some practical ways to mitigate stress and burn out? And what if you've been screwing up? Well, you're not alone! Let's work it out wombat together!

Sometimes it's cozy under your rock where nobody can see you. They can't see your thoughts, your actions, nobody will ever know. Right? WRONG! There is no rock and the sky is falling! Well, maybe it's not quite that detrimental. Jon and Danny have some thoughts on sin, how to combat it, and how to crawl out from under that rock!

Churches in America, in general, are on a downward trajectory. Numbers are dwindling, people are unmotivated, and the few who are volunteering are burnt out and overworked. What is the root cause of this sad trend? Are other churches experiencing the same? Is there any hope for revival in American churches? What can we do to help turn this ship around? Come and let us reason together!

Jesus is a conservative right? Well, maybe he would have leaned more left. Or maybe he wouldn't have been into politics at all! The world of Christianity and politics can be confusing, divisive, hurtful and downright depressing. How can we possibly navigate these topics with gentleness, kindness, love and compassion? Can you be a Democrat or a Republican AND a Christian? Danny and Jon have some thoughts that will help clear the muddy water.

Stephen has been boots on the ground for the start-up of a new church. Jon and Danny are stoked to pick his brain on what brought this new ministry about. How do you start a new church or new group? What are some struggles to expect and how do you overcome that? What strategies can we implement to bring growth to the church? HOW DO WE SOLVE ALL OF THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS?! Two talents has (some) of the answers.

Should everyone who attends church be volunteering their extra time? Who should be doing which jobs and how do you know if you're in the right place at your church? Volunteering can be a rewarding yet complex subject when talking about being a servant in the church. Let's try to break things down together and figure out the nuances of volunteering!

Being a Christian is hard. Being a leader is hard. Being a Christian leader? You guessed it, also difficult. How can you continue to push forward through all of the obstacles life throws at you? Was it meant to be this difficult? If you're struggling to continue running your race, this episode is for you!

Working for the Lord can be hard. It's often a thankless job. Most people won't see the blood, sweat and tears that go into being a youth leader, bible study host, pastor or any of the other jobs that keep a healthy church going. How can you cope with being undervalued or underappreciated? Is it normal or healthy to think this way? Is it a sin to feel like you should be valued more? If these questions hit home, you've found the right place!

What does biblical marriage look like in the real world? What are some practical ways to improve your marriage? Jon, Danny and Erin, Jon's lovely wife, talk about some pitfalls to avoid and things they have learned over the years in their marriages.