Since last podcast we need something lighter. Let me give some context. I grew up in Papua, Indonesia and have the fondest memories of traveling from one village of town to another thanks to a mission organization called Mission Aviation Fellowship. Like many missionary kids I longed to one day become a pilot, and while this podcast is not at all about that, I did fulfill that dream.  Twenty years ago I became a licensed pilot. But here is what I want to talk about today. I want to talk about the legacy of MAF and I am going to do that with some help. Today’s podcast will be light hearted but still deeply spiritually and encouraging. Today’s guest is David Fyock who serves in the UK with MAF International.

Dave and Hilda Fyock are missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship. Dave and Hilda have enjoyed over 25 years with MAF serving in Albania, Costa Rica and the US home office in Idaho. They currently serve in the UK with MAF International, a sister organization. Their two sons have remained in the US. Sean works for a tech company and Micah attends university.

Dave states, “MAF is about seeing isolated people physically and spiritually transformed in Christ’s name. Acts 17:26 indicates that God has set a time and determined the borders for every nation or people group so that they will come to seek His face. I am privileged to serve with an organization that focuses on the least accessible areas of the world.”

In September 2017 Dave was installed as the CEO for MAF International. His 12 years serving in various vice president roles in the US have given him a great foundation upon which to build as he leads this team of committed men and women.

God had been preparing Dave and Hilda from childhood for this ministry. Both became Christians when they were five years old and came from strong Christian homes. Dave was born in Pennsylvania, and lived in Venezuela with his missionary parents during his teen years. It was there that he felt called to the ministry. Dave received a B.S. degree in aviation technology from LeTourneau University in Texas. He is a licensed airframe and power plant mechanic as well as a commercial pilot.

The post Podcast Ep:76 The Legacy of MAF (Dave Fyock) appeared first on Before You Quit.

Like many of you I have been reeling from the stories that have come out in the last years of great Christian leaders, mostly men, who have fallen hard. How do we respond to these events? What is it doing for the church or to the church? Why does this even happen to people we look up to and admire and then find they have a completely double life. Why should this be good for our own faith where it forces us to look inwardly at our own tendencies and sins. How can this also be good for the gospel. Not long ago I ran into a blog online written by pastor Nick Stumbo entitled Ravi Zacharias and Sexual Misconduct Among Christian Leaders. I decided to reach out to pastor Stumbo to discuss this particular case but also more generally the question of what we can learn from it. As a third-generation pastor, Nick Stumbo started his ministry career at the East Hills Alliance Church in Kelso, Washington. Serving as their lead pastor for more than a decade, Nick observed the fallout of sexual brokenness and devastation in the lives of men and women in the church and recognized, like never before, the need for a culture of grace in the Church.Confronted with his own addiction to pornography, Nick and his wife, Michelle, found hope and healing through the counseling and group ministries of Pure Desire. It radically changed their lives! His public disclosure to his church body lead to a revival of forgiveness and healing, launching Pure Desire groups—of hope and freedom—for men and women. Following his healing, Nick stayed connected to Pure Desire through group leadership and has authored two books, Setting Us Free and Safe. Today, as the Executive Director for Pure Desire, Nick continues to believe that the Church can become a place of healing and that Pure Desire is leading the way. His passion for the Church and this ministry is evident.

The post Podcast Ep.75: When Christian Leaders Fail Us (Nick Stumbo) appeared first on Before You Quit.

I picked up and read best selling author Dave Harvey’s popular book “When Sinners Say I Do” about a year ago, and I loved it. How important it was to be reminded that problems happen in marriage because we are sinners, but there is hope because we have a Savior. Not long ago, I connected with Dr. Dave Harvey and asked if we could talk, for my podcast. He agreed, I was happy, and we had a great time talking also about his latest book, a devotional called, I STILL DO. My wife and I have enjoyed many early morning coffee talks around this wonderful devotional. Listen to this podcast and order the books from the links below.

DAVE HARVEY (D. Min – Westminster Theological Seminary) serves as the president of Great Commission Collective, a church planting ministry in the US, Canada and abroad. In his 33 years of ministry, Dave was president of Sojourn Network, oversaw church planting, church care & international outreach for Sovereign Grace Churches, was a lead pastor for 19 years, and pastored for a total of 33 years. He is also the founder of AmICalled.com. Dave presently serves on the board for the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF) and has traveled nationally and internationally doing conferences where he teaches Christians, trains pastors & church planters and conducts marriage events. Dave served as general editor for the Sojourn Network ‘How-To’ series and contributes regularly at The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, and For the Church.  Dave is the author of When Sinners Say I Do, Am I Called?, Rescuing Ambition, Letting Go: Rugged Love For Wayward Soul (co-authored w/ Paul Gilbert), and  I STILL DO! Growing Closer and Stronger Through Life’s Defining Moments. Married for 37 years, Dave and Kimm have four kids, four grandkids and lives in southwest Florida.

The post Podcast Ep. 74: When Sinners Say ‘I DO’. (Dave Harvey) appeared first on Before You Quit.

 I want to talk today about the gospel and the right kind of anger. Much of this comes from my own personal reflection on how we are to respond when so much seems so wrong around us.  Is it possible to act in love, to respond in love, motivated and driven by the gospel and still be angry by what we see around us? I hear often that as believers we should respond with understanding, but where is this line drawn when the gospel causes us to hate the evil around us. Does being loving mean we put up with wrong, or is this a time when a hard reaction is necessary? It’s fascinating to look at scripture and realize that we are called to hate evil and to speak strongly to evil doers. I hope this conversation I am going to have with two friends, Pastor Eric and Pastor Dan will awaken in us a biblical response that leaves room for the right kind of anger. 

Eric Anderson, is founding pastor of Lifespring Church, Crosby MN, (www.visitlifespring.com) where he has served for 11 years, previously he served as youth pastors for 7 years in the Evangelical Free Church.  He is husband to Miriam, father to 9 children.  He also is co-organizer of the Common Slaves Fellowship (www.commonslaves.com), a network of Reformed and Reforming churches and pastors in North East Minnesota.  Additionally, he hosts a Zoom meetings podcast called “a Place for Truth”, geared at laymen,  which gathers together experienced Reformed pastors and professors to discuss cultural topics. 

Daniel Samms trains house church leaders as planting pastor for Restoration House Church Network (www.restorationhcn.org) and equips scholars as a theology professor for Liberty University.  He also writes curriculum and teaches for Underground Seminary (www.undergroundseminary.net), a low-cost, subscription-based theological training system for people who want to be grounded doctrinally.  He loves his wife and kids, likes to build guns and cigar box guitars, and does not suffer heretics.  

A Great Source mentioned by Pastor Eric: A Catechism for Boys and Girls, by Errol Hulse

The post Podcast Ep.73: The Gospel and Right Anger (Dan Samms and Eric Anderson) appeared first on Before You Quit.

With so much changing in our church, as we seek to reach each other and reach culture around us what we want to talk about today is the role of biblical education in our church life. My encouragement to you as a pastor and church leader, is as you make changes, as you adjust, as you make room for growth and seek to reach better and serve better, don’t diminish your commitment to biblical education. I am excited to talk my good friend, Alan Wilson who speaks out of vast experience in helping churches remain strong in their commitment to christian or Biblical education. 

Alan Wilson, the U.S. Field Coordinator for Regular Baptist Press, has served Baptist churches in Florida, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and has ministered as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, youth pastor, associate pastor, and senior pastor. Currently Alan travels the United States, speaking and leading workshops in major conferences and in churches across the country.

Order STRONG CHURCH AT RBP BY CLICKING ON BOOK

The post Podcast Ep.72: Keeping Biblical Ed. In Your Church (Rev. Alan Wilson) appeared first on Before You Quit.

I recorded this podcast in February, just before COVID. Have a good laugh at my reference to the primaries in Maine. Seems like years ago, doesn’t it? I interview pastor Steve about his involvement with IPM (Intentional Pastoral Interim) and how best to help troubled churches. We don’t just talk about the role of the interim pastor, but also what is going in a church that might require intentional help from the outside. It’s a great conversation, and one that is just as relevant now, maybe more, than when everything seemed more normal.

Rev. Steve Kerhoulas (MA in Pastoral Counseling)
In 1970 the Holy Spirit drew Steve to the cross, and he became a Christian. After finishing college at Western Carolina University he was accepted into a one year program through New York Theological Seminary. That year was a turning point in his life. Upon its completion he began a journey that would lead him to be a group home parent with Youth For Christ, then off to Asbury Theological Seminary, and then to five churches as the senior pastor. He is married to Candi and has four grown children. Steve and Candi live in Sky Valley GA. Steve is also an active member of IMP. Check out their website here.

The post Podcast Ep.71: Troubled Church and the Interim (Pastor Steve Kerhoulas) appeared first on Before You Quit.

I have a question. Maybe two? What is happening to the church during COVID? What will happen to the church? We are hearing a lot about what COVID is doing to the church and to believers. (I A study done by The Barna Group suggests that because of this reason one in five churches will close post COVID (See source here.) Barna also anticipates that one in three Christians will likely stop attending church or already have. (See source here).  It comes as no surprise then that according to Thom Rainer a significant number of pastors plan to quit post COVID. I increasingly see friends not going back to church. Why? One theory is, it’s working for them. They can maintain a level of spiritual vibrancy, They aren’t messing up. It’s working just fine. I hope from my conversation today with Eddie Cole that this podcast doesn’t just explain why things are the way they are in church, but that this would also bring us back to the value of church. To why it matters and why it’s time to make church matter again.

Since 2019, Eddie Cole has served as the executive vice president of national ministries with the Evangelical Free Church of America. Prior to his work with the national office, Eddie spent 24 years in vocational ministry, serving first as a local church pastor and then as district superintendent of the Eastern District. Eddie and his wife, Jessica, love to support pastors and leaders as we pursue our mission to glorify God by multiplying transformational churches among all people.

The post Podcast Ep.70: Seeing Church Matter Again: Post-COVID (Eddie Cole) appeared first on Before You Quit.

Today is a hard topic but a necessary one. I want to talk about something the church needs to be more aware of than I think we are and that is the topic of opioid addiction. You will also find later in the podcast that this is a very personal subject for me as I choose this podcast to share publicly about my own struggle some years ago with dependance on prescription pain medication. I love the conversation I had with Kirk Driscoll on how church can be a healing community for those who struggle with addiction. It is very likely that you have a number in your congregation who struggle with drug addiction, particularly opioid addiction. I hope this podcast helps you to better reach those who live in isolation of addiction but also that it would offer courage to you, if you are in the midst of this lonely struggle yourself. I know Kirk will encourage you as he shares his own struggle with addiction and the insight he has gleamed that has helped many over come this tragic reality. My guest today is Kirk Driscoll who lives in Atlanta, GA with his family, and leads the Warrior Vision Church whose mission is to end addiction, everywhere. On their mission page it says this: The statistics related to drug overdoses on opiates alone is staggering. It is estimated that in 2017 nearly 49,000 people died from overdose caused by opiates alone and that number is rising. As an American you are more likely to die from an overdose than a car crash, or gun violence.The treatment of this affliction is multifaceted, we believe it should not bankrupt a person or family, and that a safe sober environment should be available to anyone who wants to recover. This is a needed conversation and I am so glad I connected with Kirk Driskell to talk about. Let’s join in that conversation right now. 

To contact Kirk go here

The post Podcast Ep. 69: Opioid Addiction and the Church appeared first on Before You Quit.

In this podcast I muse over the state of the gospel, post-Covid. I also encourage the pastor to commit to gospel-centered, Biblically-solid expository preaching. My suggestion is; the church that will remain strong are those who are committed to the gospel. I also look at some of the pressures threatening the church, distracting her from her mission, and the call to remain true to the sufficiency and authority of scripture. While I speak somewhat strongly toward some drifting even in my own denomination, some of the hyperbole I use is meant to capture our attention with hope that we will all be challenged by returning to the gospel in our preaching.

The post Podcast Ep.68: The Gospel and the Alliance (My own musings) appeared first on Before You Quit.

It’s Interesting how this podcast turned out. I asked around for someone I could interview on the subject of addiction, mainly the issue of addictions to opioids and how the church should understand it and respond and so someone was recommended to me. His name is Mark Danzey. I sat down with Mark and as we began this conversation the addiction we ended up mostly talking about was on pornography. And I agree. This is a needed conversation and one that few are willing to talk about. I sat down with a young man some time ago who said something like this. It’s weird to me that this is probably the biggest struggles guys face, but probably the one struggle no one talks about. So we are talking about it today, with Pastor Mark Danzey. Before we go to the interview let me in introduce Mark.

Mark has been providing pastoral counseling for the last 25 years. Passionate about his work, Mark has spent the last 10 years focused on working with couples in various scenarios from premarital counseling to crisis counseling. Mark is eager to help people looking to make positive changes in their life through personal relationship coaching, career coaching and executive coaching. Additionally, as a Certified Civil, Domestic and Divorce mediator, Mark helps to mediate difficult situations toward a path of peaceful and amicable resolution. 

Mark holds a M.A. in Pastoral Ministries, ordination in the United Methodist Church, as well as certifications with the International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals, the International Coaching Federation and the State of Georgia Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution.  

Mark and his wife Tammy, have been married for 16 years and have four grown children and one amazing grandson! 

Check out the websites that highlight Mark’s different ministry offerings:

Narrowgateefl.com

wisepathmlc.com

wisepathcoach.com

The post Podcast Ep.67: The Pastor and Pornography (Pastor Mark Danzey) appeared first on Before You Quit.