Every Day Matters w/ Pastor Jeff Simmons

What happens when ordinary people keep saying yes to an extraordinary God? Pastor Jeff Simmons sits down with two Justice and Mercy International national directors: Sarah Rodrigues, from the Amazon, and Gicu Luchian, from Moldova. 

Sarah grew up in Rio and planned to become a wealthy doctor who funded missionaries, not one herself. God had other plans, and for 18 years she has served river communities deep in the jungle. Gicu gave his life to Christ at a summer camp at age 12. After 14 years in banking and saying no to God’s call twice, he finally said yes with his whole heart.

Gicu shares how Moldova’s transitional living homes and child sponsorship program help vulnerable kids grow into independent adults with strong faith and healthy families. Sarah describes the overwhelming need across the Amazon and how God answers prayers through jungle pastors, medical care, education, and sponsorship. Together, they share stories of real transformation.

Sarah and Gicu remind us that God is still moving, whether in the jungle or the grocery store aisle. When the Spirit prompts you to pray for someone, serve, or go, don’t brush it off. Take a breath and say yes. You never know where one yes might lead.

-- 

Resources from the episode:
Rolling Hills Community Church
Justice & Mercy International
Justice & Mercy Amazon
Justice & Mercy Moldova
Sponsor a child through Justice & Mercy International
Justice & Mercy International Gala Livestream
Adrene's Story
Andrei's Story

Chase Baker, Next Gen Pastor at Rolling Hills Community Church, joins Pastor Jeff to talk about raising the next generation to know and follow Jesus. Chase shares how he gave his life to Christ at VBS when he was eight years old, shaped by faithful parents and a church community that poured into him. Now 15 years on staff, that same partnership between home and church fuels his passion for ministry.

Chase reminds parents that they are the primary disciplers of their kids. Church gets a few hours a week. Parents get thousands. Rooted in Deuteronomy 6, he shows how faith is passed on in everyday rhythms like car rides, mealtimes, and bedtime. He also opens up about his daughter Kit's rare liver condition as a newborn, and how his dad's prayers and 40 church members gathered in their home carried his family through crisis. Today, Kit leads preschool worship at 10 years old.

The goal isn't perfection. It's intentionality. Kids aren't just the church of tomorrow. They're the church of today, and faith is often caught more than it's taught. God chose you to parent your child, and He will equip you for every step. Because every moment invested in the next generation carries eternal weight.

-- 

Resources from the episode:
Rolling Hills Community Church
For The Kids Campaign Page
Kid's Ministry
Student Ministry
Young Adults Ministry

In this episode of Every Day Matters, Pastor Jeff sits down with Willie Robertson of Duck Commander and Duck Dynasty fame to talk about faith, family, and staying on mission. Willie traces his family's story back to his father Phil's transformation, from a broken, wild man running a bar in Arkansas to a devoted follower of Jesus after one conversation with a preacher his aunt sent to find him. That single moment of obedience, Willie explains, didn't just save his father. It held his family together and set the course for everything that followed, including the show that would reach millions.

Willie and Jeff dig into what it looks like to actually live out faith day to day. Willie shares the framework he leans on: faith first, then family, then vocation, in that order, and how each one strengthens the next when kept in place. He walks through conversations Jesus had in Scripture, the woman at the well, Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, as models for how ordinary people can bring up faith naturally, simply by paying attention and caring about who's in front of them. He also talks candidly about the pull to live distracted, hung up on the past or fixated on the future, and the discipline it takes to actually be present with the people God has put in your life right now.

Willie's story is proof that one act of obedience can ripple further than we ever imagine, and his challenge is simple: stay on mission, stay present, and let today be the day that counts.

-- 

Resources from the episode:
Rolling Hills Community Church
Duck Commander
Duck Dynasty
Willie Robertson Books

In this episode of Every Day Matters, Pastor Jeff talks with longtime friend Matt Frauenshuh, owner of 255 Dairy Queens across 14 states and founder of Truce, his own restaurant in Franklin. Matt shares about his family, married to his wife Beth for 16 years with four kids, and a faith story rooted since childhood in a Christian home in Minnesota.

Matt opens up about bringing faith into the workplace without apology, from Bible verses on every Truce table to crosses built into the floor, and training Dairy Queen teams to say "be blessed" instead of the usual sign off. He also shares why he pays his Truce employees a guaranteed wage well above industry standard, wanting people to feel the love of Christ through how they're treated, not just hear about it.

At home, Matt credits his wife Beth for keeping their family grounded in Scripture and shares the family mantra his kids live by: you don't have to be the fastest or the smartest, but you should be the kindest. His story is a reminder that faith shows up in a paycheck, a table tent, or a family poster on the wall, because when we live surrendered, every day really does matter.

-- 

Resources from the episode:
Rolling Hills Community Church
Truce Restaurant
Fourteen Foods

Pastor Jeff sits down with longtime friend, Diego Fua, who has been part of Rolling Hills since the church's earliest days, in this episode of Every Day Matters. Diego shares his journey from a childhood shaped by Catholic tradition to a real turning point in high school, and later a full surrender to Christ one Palm Sunday that led to an unforgettable baptism in a movie theater horse trough. Now a husband to Rebecca and father of three, Diego reflects on how that decision has shaped every part of his life since.

Jeff and Diego dig into what it looks like to serve wholeheartedly, whether at church, at camp, or in the workplace. Diego opens up about getting more comfortable being uncomfortable, from praying over coworkers to leading energetic rec time for hundreds of students at camp. He talks about raising his kids to know their spiritual gifts and use them for God's glory, and shares how walking through the loss of his own father has shaped his commitment to being present for his family. Through it all, he keeps coming back to Romans 15:13 and his personal mission to find joy and peace in every circumstance.

Diego's story is a reminder that serving isn't about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about showing up, using whatever gifts God has given you, and trusting Him with the outcome. His encouragement is simple: know your purpose, take the next step even when it's uncomfortable, and let joy be what others see in you. Because that kind of everyday faithfulness is exactly what makes every day matter.

-- 

Resources from the episode:
Rolling Hills Community Church

In this special back-to-school episode of Every Day Matters, Pastor Jeff welcomes his youngest daughter, Kate, a senior at Centennial High School, for a candid conversation about growing up in a pastor's home and navigating faith in public school. Kate shares her testimony of trusting Jesus at age seven and reflects honestly on the pressure she felt in middle school to appear perfect, along with the lie that people only valued her because of her dad. Over time she has learned that her relationship with God does not depend on performance, and that the church community around her has become one of the greatest gifts of her life.

Kate opens up about what it looks like to shine her faith daily among friends who do not share it, from praying with a classmate in chemistry to inviting people to church even after repeated no's. She talks about serving across multiple ministries at Rolling Hills, from preschool to student worship, and how that consistent involvement has shaped her confidence and prepared her for the eight international mission trips she has taken to the Amazon and Moldova. She also shares how her cookie business, Baked to Decorate, grew out of a desire to fund those trips and now helps her sponsor a child overseas, turning a simple hobby into a way to point people back to Jesus.

Jeff and Kate close with practical encouragement for parents and students alike: stay consistent in church, build godly friendships on purpose, and let daily time with God shape how you show up everywhere else. Kate's story is a fresh reminder that faith was never meant to stay inside the church walls. It grows in classrooms, cookie orders, and everyday conversations, proving once again that every day really does matter.

-- 

Resources from the episode:
Rolling Hills Community Church

In this new Every Day Matters episode, Pastor Jeff talks with his friend and fellow Rolling Hills staff member, Jacob Scrimpshire, who has served on staff for seven years and called Middle Tennessee home for two decades. Jacob shares about a chaotic season of wandering before God met him in a moment of total exhaustion in his mid-twenties, when he finally understood grace for the first time. That encounter launched him straight into a call to ministry, leading him from a back pew with a borrowed Bible to seminary and eventually to Rolling Hills.

The conversation turns personal as Jacob opens up about his complicated relationship with his late father, the prayers he still carries for his mother, and the grief of losing his firstborn son, Elijah, just minutes after birth. He speaks honestly about the fear that followed with his second son's own health scare, and how walking through both loss and answered prayer taught him that God is equally present in the valleys and the peaks. He credits his wife's steady faith and the church's tangible care during their hardest season with shaping him into a more compassionate father, husband, and pastor.

Jacob leaves listeners with a simple challenge: be intentional, tell your family you're proud of them, and don't wait to repair what's broken. His story reminds us that God holds everything together, even when life feels like it's falling apart, and that every day offers a fresh chance to love, learn, and lead well.

-- 

Resources from the episode:
Rolling Hills Community Church

Pastor Jeff welcomes Carrie Leake, wife of Rolling Hills Student Pastor, Dane Leake, for a heartfelt conversation on this episode of Every Day Matters. Carrie shares a glimpse into their family life, three young kids, a backyard full of chickens, and a home filled with gardening and homeschooling. She also opens up about growing up in a pastor's home and the moment in college when she truly surrendered her life to Christ, setting the foundation for everything that came next.

Carrie reflects on two of the hardest seasons of her life. Just weeks after she and Dane got engaged, her father was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. She moved home to help care for him, leaning on Psalm 42 as her lifeline through his decline and eventual passing. Years later, she and Dane walked through his battle with severe depression, a season that stripped away their plans and forced them to trust God with Dane's healing above their calling to ministry. Through it all, Carrie learned that God's past faithfulness fuels our hope for the future.

Now on the other side of both seasons, Carrie and Dane have rebuilt their family rhythms around Sabbath, healthy boundaries, and deep community. Her encouragement is simple: stay rooted in God's word, and don't be afraid to invite others into your hardest moments. Because when we live surrendered, every day really does matter.

-- 

Resources from the episode:
Rolling Hills Community Church

In this episode of Every Day Matters, Pastor Jeff sits down with longtime friend, decorated Air Force pilot, and financial advisor, Pat Moore, for a conversation about a lifetime of faith. Pat shares how he came to know Christ as a young boy and how his faith deepened through marriage, military service, and the influence of mentors and community. Then, in his early fifties, an unexpected encounter with The Purpose Driven Life challenged him to surrender a longtime struggle and embrace God's purpose in a new way.

Pat reflects on his years flying F-106 fighter jets, sharing the near misses and high-stakes moments that strengthened his trust in God's protection. Rather than looking for God only ahead, he learned to see His faithfulness in the "rearview mirror" and "side windows"—recognizing His presence in every season. That perspective carried him from the cockpit into a career in financial planning and eventually into full-time evangelism, fueled by a passion to share the peace only Jesus can give.

Now in his seventies, Pat co-founded Hope for America, a digital evangelism ministry that uses online advertising to connect with people searching for hope in the midst of loneliness, anxiety, grief, and more. The ministry has generated more than 1.5 million impressions and helped lead hundreds of thousands of people to pray to receive Christ. Pat's story is a powerful reminder that God never stops calling us, and that every day is an opportunity to point someone to Jesus.

-- 

Resources from the episode:
Rolling Hills Community Church
Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Hope 4 America

Pastor Jeff sits down with Rolling Hills Executive Pastor, Eric Rojas, to discuss the faith that shaped his life. Raised by a single mom in South Elgin, Illinois, Eric faced financial hardship and an absent father, but his mother introduced him to Jesus, a foundation that would guide his life and ministry.

Eric shares how a college rededication led to a clear call to ministry and how he and his wife, Rachel, intentionally discipled their three children through everyday moments. Now a grandfather of seven, he reflects on the joy of seeing generations of his family walking with the Lord.

He also opens up about a difficult season marked by chronic pain, multiple back surgeries, and depression. Through prayer, biblical counsel, and the support of his wife, Eric experienced God's faithfulness in the darkness. His story is a powerful reminder that surrender to Christ matters in every season of life.

-- 

Resources from the episode:
Rolling Hills Community Church
Care & Counseling Ministry
Serve at Rolling Hills
Join A Group
Watch Online