For the Church Podcast

For the Church Podcast episodes:

• 04.17.2024

  Episode 259: Why Stories Matter

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson talk about the importance of "story" as it pertains to our testimonies and to preaching and teaching, as well as the biblical and theological significance of the concept...

  
• 04.10.2024

  Episode 258: When a Church Changes

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss how mature Christians might learn to consider, process, and adjust when their churches change in a variety of ways, as well as how leaders might initiate change...

  
• 04.03.2024

  Episode 257: Grab Bag!

  The latest installment in our new Grab Bag! feature comes with a twist. This grab bag is a movie swap! Jared and Ross assigned movies to one another. Jared has to watch Ross's "Christian movie" recommendation. Ross has to watch...

  
• 03.27.2024

  Episode 256: What’s the Big Deal About the Resurrection?

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson talk about the ways some churches celebrate Easter that seem to have little to do with the resurrection of Jesus, how to re-embrace the power of the full...

  
• 03.21.2024

  Introducing the Heart of Pastoring Podcast

  Now available on the Midwestern Seminary podcast platform: The Heart of Pastoring, featuring hosts Jared Wilson and Ronnie Martin. Listen in week by week as Jared and Ronnie reflect on the biblical qualifications for ministry with spiritual insights, pastoral reflections,...

  
• 03.20.2024

  Episode 255: Raising Kids Who Love the Church

  Some estimates put the adult church dropout rate for kids raised going to church within evangelicalism at 70%! How do we help our kids love the church? On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson have...

  
• 03.13.2024

  Episode 254: Being a Good Listener

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss the art of listening. How can we make sure the people in our lives and churches feel heard? And why is that important? Included are some practical...

  
• 03.06.2024

  Episode 253: Ronnie Martin on the Pastor’s Inner Life

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson visits with returning guest Ronnie Martin about the inner life of our pastors.

  
• 02.28.2024

  Episode 252: Narcissism in the Church

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson talk about the problem with narcissists in the life and leadership of the church. How do we spot narcissism? What is the cause? Is there any remedy? And...

  
• 02.21.2024

  Episode 251: FTC Mailbag

  On this latest Mailbag installment of the For the Church Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson answer your submitted questions and topics. This episode features discussion of: pastoral priorities, church first impressions, thoughts on church "vision," planting vs. revitalization, tailoring...

  
• 02.14.2024

  Episode 250: Grab Bag!

  It turns out the Grab Bag concept was a hit! Y'all liked the first episode with this concept so much, we're going to make it a regular feature on the program. In the Grab Bag episodes, Jared Wilson and Ross...

  
• 02.07.2024

  Episode 249: Leading with Brokenness

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss the ins and outs of ministry brokenness. AW Tozer once said, "Before God blesses a man greatly, he must hurt him deeply." Is that true? How does...

  
• 01.31.2024

  Episode 248: Thinking the Best of Each Other

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson talk about a "hermeneutic of suspicion" in our relationships and the impact of viewing others this way upon our lives and local churches. Why should we "believe all...

  
• 01.24.2024

  Episode 247: FTC Mailbag

  A new mailbag installment is here! A couple good questions on preaching, whether it's ever permissible to "sprinke" rather than immerse, what to do with an unqualified elder team, how important is it to know the biblical languages?, moving a...

  
• 01.17.2024

  Episode 246: What Happened to the Gospel-Centered Movement?

  Is the gospel-centered movement dead? Are the young Reformed these days restless? What happened to gospel-centrality and why does it matter? Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss these questions and more on this week's episode of the FTC Podcast.

  
• 01.10.2024

  Episode 245: Resourcing Your Church

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson visits with Jonathan Carswell, CEO of 10 of Those, to talk about the unique ministry of effectively resourcing the church, the state of Christian readership, the importance of physical media, what...

  
• 01.03.2024

  Episode 244: The Problem with Resolutions

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss the problems we run into when we make New Year's resolutions -- or resolutions of any kind -- and how to best handle new commitments and new...

  
• 12.27.2023

  Episode 243: The First Ever “FTC Grab Bag” Episode

  We start a new feature this week we're calling the FTC Grab Bag. Unlike the FTC Mailbag, where we answer your submitted questions and topics, on Grab Bag episodes Jared and Ross will each bring "surprise" topics or questions they...

  
• 12.20.2023

  Episode 242: The Annual Christmas Episode

  Why do the more traditional Christmas songs feel the most timeless? Mr. Christmas himself -- pastor and author Dr. Ronnie Martin -- is back for our annual Christmas episode. This time he and host Jared Wilson discuss their favorite Christmas...

  
• 12.13.2023

  Episode 241: FTC Mailbag

  It's a Mailbag episode! On this week's For the Church Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson answer your questions and discuss your submitted topics, including how to handle burnout and ministry discouragement, advice for pastors who have unmarried couples who...

  
• 12.06.2023

  Episode 240: Church Size Dynamics

  Different size churches experience different cultural and communal dynamics. Different size churches need different kinds of leadership, as well. On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson talk about how church size affects church experience and...

  
• 11.29.2023

  Episode 239: The Great De-Churching

  We are currently experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in US history. It is greater than the First and Second Great Awakening and every revival in our country combined...but in the opposite direction. On this episode of the FTC...

  
• 11.22.2023

  Episode 238: An Attitude of Thanksgiving

  On this special Thanksgiving week episode of the For The Church Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson talk about cultivating a spirit of thanksgiving in the Christian life year-round.

  
• 11.15.2023

  Episode 237: The Trajectory of Apostasy

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss the peculiar tragedy of those who evidently "fall away." Are there warning signs before apostasy? What should we look out for and how can we address the...

  
• 11.08.2023

  Episode 236: When It’s Hard to Forgive

  What's the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation? Why is it so hard to forgive? Do we have to forgive everybody? On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared and Ross tackle these difficult questions and discuss why we have such...

  
• 11.01.2023

  Episode 235: FTC Mailbag

  In this Mailbag installment of the FTC Podcast, Jared and Ross answer your questions. This week's episode features discussions of devotional resources, whether pastors' parsonages are a good idea, reasonable vacational policies for pastors, the influence of global evangelicalism, ministering...

  
• 10.25.2023

  Episode 234: Can We “Do Life Together?”

  How can church members foster a greater sense of community with each other? What does it mean to "do life together," and is it even possible in our Western culture? Jared and Ross talk about the possibilities and the pitfalls...

  
• 10.18.2023

  Episode 233: Rediscovering Prayer

  Find it difficult to pray? Struggle with sluggishness or a wandering mind in your quiet times? You're not alone. On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared and Ross talk about ways to reinvigorate our approach to prayer.

  
• 10.11.2023

  Episode 232: Spiritual Warfare

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared and Ross discuss the biblical portrait of spiritual warfare and what it means for the everyday Christian life. Plus: a BIG announcement!

  
• 10.04.2023

  Episode 231: FTC Mailbag

  Everybody's favorite feature is back! On this FTC Mailbag episode, Jared and Ross respond to listener-submitted questions and topics like pastoring without seminary, terms for elders, restoring disqualified pastors, what happens to the soul when someone dies, whether SBC churches...

  
• 09.27.2023

  Episode 230: Our Most Influential Authors

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss the authors who have most influenced them and edified them in their Christian walk.

  
• 09.20.2023

  Episode 229: Congregation Pet Peeves

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson return to the popular "pet peeves" series and turn the tables! Instead of focusing on peeves about leaders, we look at some annoying habits in congregations, with warmth...

  
• 09.13.2023

  Episode 228: Caring for the Poor

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss the vital ministry of the church's care for the poor and marginalized. Why is it important? What does the Bible say about it? And how can our...

  
• 09.06.2023

  Episode 227: FTC Mailbag

  It's another Mailbag installment of the FTC Podcast. This time Jared and Ross discuss listener-submitted questions on patriotic worship services, difficult books of the Bible, communicating to a church a pastor's transition, discipleship with and for the disabled, how to...

  
• 08.30.2023

  Episode 226: Friendship with the Friend of Sinners

  Reunited and it feels so goooood! On this episode of the FTC Podcast, former co-host Ronni Kurtz returns as a guest to talk with Jared about Jared's new book Friendship with the Friend of Sinners and the remarkable possibility of...

  
• 08.23.2023

  Episode 225: Rediscovering Your Love for the Bible

  Has your Bible reading time grown stagnant? Feel like you're in a rut or stalled out in some way? In this episode, Jared and Ross talk about some ways to reinvigorate your Bible study time, including a few ways they've...

  
• 08.16.2023

  Episode 224: When Church Meetings Go Wild

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared and Ross talk about how and why church business/member meetings sometimes go off the rails and how both leaders and laity can pursue greater unity and more peace in these important events...

  
• 08.09.2023

  Episode 223: Christian Social Media Pet Peeves

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, the guys discuss the different "annoying" types one finds in Christian social media spheres and then offer some brief words of advice on how to enhance one's use of the platforms.

  
• 08.02.2023

  Episode 222: FTC Mailbag

  In this Mailbag installment of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson answer listener-submtted questions on life and ministry. This episode includes topics like the challenge of AI to ministry, how bivo pastors can manage preaching load, what to...

  
• 07.26.2023

  Episode 221: What the World Wants in a Pastor

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson look at the biblical qualifications for pastors and how both the culture’s and oftentimes the church’s expectations differ.

  
• 07.19.2023

  Episode 220: Most Embarrassing Preacher Stories

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss their most embarrassing moments in the pulpit.

  
• 07.12.2023

  Episode 219: What Does Revival Look Like?

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss the happenings at Asbury College and dig into the historical apprasial of genuine revival as our measurements for true revival today.

  
• 07.05.2023

  Episode 218: FTC Mailbag

  It’s another Mailbag installment of the FTC Podcast, with Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson answering listener-submitted questions and topics, including counseling baptism for children, pastoral recovery from pandemic burnout, and more. Due to technical difficulties, this episode’s recording was cut...

  
• 06.28.2023

  Episode 217: Bible Teacher Pet Peeves

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson return to a listener favorite segment — “peeves” — and share some ways small group leaders, Sunday School teachers, and other Bible study teachers can improve.

  
• 06.21.2023

  Episode 216: Ben Connelly on Reading the Bible, but Missing the Gospel

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson visits with ministry leader and author Ben Connelly about the ways churches sometimes train believers to read their Bibles without Jesus at the center.

  
• 06.14.2023

  Episode 215: Top 10 Christian Musicians

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson share their favorite Christian musical acts, plus a few honorable mentions.

  
• 06.07.2023

  Episode 214: Ronnie Martin and Donnie Griggs on Small Town Pastors

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson talks with pastors Ronnie Martin and Donnie Griggs about their new book on pastoring small towns.

  
• 05.31.2023

  Episode 213: How to Leave a Church

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss how Christians can leave a church wisely and charitably.

  
• 05.24.2023

  Episode 212: Drew Dyck on Christian Publishing, Part 2

  On this episode of the FTC Podcast, author and Moody Publishers editor Drew Dyck returns to talk about the ins and outs of Christian publishing, including plagiarism, ghostwriting, and more.

  
• 05.17.2023

  Episode 211: Books Every Christian Should Own

  Get a pen and paper handy! You'll want to write these recommendations down. On this episode of the FTC Podcast, Jared Wilson and Ross Ferguson discuss what ought to be included on every Christian family bookshelf.