On April 2 I'm launching my new daily podcast "The Practical Christian Podcast"

Make sure to subscribe to the new podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or TuneIn (Amazon Echo).

"I believe that the church's best days are yet to come. And I believe it's ordinary Christians doing extraordinary things that will get us there."

A year and a half of work has led to this moment.

Will I be able to go into the full-time ministry and fulfill my dream or will this opportunity pass my by?

Wanna say hi? Shoot me a message over at www.facebook.com/unlockyourgifts

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Music, or Stitcher. Learn more at www.ministrystartup.com

"I believe that the church's best days are yet to come. And I believe it's ordinary Christians doing extraordinary things that will get us there."

Theme song was written and performed by Flow Up: www.facebook.com/flowup623

Other music was written and performed by:

Michael Parallax: www.soundcloud.com/michael-parallax

I decided to create a new online course that would help church small group leaders lead thriving small groups, which was exciting.

But pushing into this new endeavor revealed something in my character that I needed to address.

Mainly, how do I respond to failure?

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Music, or Stitcher. Learn more at www.ministrystartup.com

"I believe that the church's best days are yet to come. And I believe it's ordinary Christians doing extraordinary things that will get us there."

Theme song was written and performed by Flow Up: www.facebook.com/flowup623

Other music was written and performed by:

Michael Parallax: www.soundcloud.com/michael-parallax

Harry Love: www.soundcloud.com/harrylove

Learn more about having a Fixed or Growth Mindset in Carol Dweck's book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success"

I found myself stuck without a clear path to grow my online teaching ministry. I needed a mentor, a guide, a Yoda. Someone who had already gone down the path and could show me what to do next.

This conversation with Steve Staten and the things I learned from him would give me that clarity and shape the next phase of Unlock Your Gifts.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Music, or Stitcher. Learn more at www.ministrystartup.com

"I believe that the church's best days are yet to come. And I believe it's ordinary Christians doing extraordinary things that will get us there."

Theme song was written and performed by Flow Up: www.facebook.com/flowup623

Other music was written and performed by:

Michael Parallax: www.soundcloud.com/michael-parallax

Harry Love: www.soundcloud.com/harrylove

After the unsuccessful initial launch of Unlock Your Gifts I was left searching for answers. But just as I was starting to pick up the pieces and chart a path forward, God introduced a new variable into the equation.

There was a new opportunity to work for my church, but it wasn't as straightforward a decision as I initially thought.

With it came a deeper question, one I would need to wrestle with for a while: is it better to be faithful or wise?

The answer was much harder to discover than I ever could have anticipated.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Music, or Stitcher. Learn more at www.ministrystartup.com

"I believe that the church's best days are yet to come. And I believe it's ordinary Christians doing extraordinary things that will get us there."

Theme song was written and performed by Flow Up: www.facebook.com/flowup623

Other music was written and performed by Michael Parallax: www.soundcloud.com/michael-parallax

After 10 months of hard work, my online teaching ministry is finally ready. On June 16, 2017, UnlockYourGifts.org went live to the world.

Will it become the wild success I'm hoping it will be?

Will I keep the momentum I gained from Unboxed and have a successful launch week?

Or will it sputter along on life support with no direction and no future?

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Music, or Stitcher. Learn more at www.ministrystartup.com

"I believe that the church's best days are yet to come. And I believe it's ordinary Christians doing extraordinary things that will get us there."

Theme song was written and performed by Flow Up: www.facebook.com/flowup623

Other music was written and performed by Michael Parallax: www.soundcloud.com/michael-parallax

As I continued to put myself out there and promote my new ministry I was faced with an unanticipated obstacle: lack of confidence in myself.

Would I become an expert in helping Christians discover God's calling for their life or would I go down as an imposter? A fraud?

This internal battle came to a head as I prepared for the most important speech of my life, played out on the biggest stage I could imagine.

Find out if I crash and burn or pass with flying colors as I deliver the closing keynote speech at the 2017 UNBOXED Conference.

Learn more about the UNBOXED Conference at www.unboxedconference.com

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Music, or Stitcher. Learn more at www.ministrystartup.com

"I believe that the church's best days are yet to come. And I believe it's ordinary Christians doing extraordinary things that will get us there."

Theme song was written and performed by Flow Up: www.facebook.com/flowup623

Other music was written and performed by Michael Parallax: www.soundcloud.com/michael-parallax

Is it possible to be TOO committed to God?

History is littered with ministers whose marriages disintegrated because they were too focused on pursuing ministry excellence and didn't properly prioritize the relationships in their life.

As my online ministry starts to take form, I too find myself slipping into this "tunnel vision." Will I realize my mistake in time to save my marriage or will I achieve my dreams only to realize I gave up too much to get there?

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Music, or Stitcher. Learn more at www.ministrystartup.com

"I believe that the church's best days are yet to come. And I believe it's ordinary Christians doing extraordinary things that will get us there."

Theme song was written and performed by Flow Up: www.facebook.com/flowup623

Other music was written and performed by Michael Parallax: www.soundcloud.com/michael-parallax

What separates my online ministry from the televangelists that prey on the desperate for their own financial gain?

Why would church leaders oppose a volunteer minister asking for financial compensation for their work?

How can I move forward when the very people I'm trying to help are opposing me?

Answering these questions is critical to the survival of my new ministry.

Scripture references:

Leviticus 23:22 - Leave the edges of your field unharvested

Proverbs 11:1 - Use balanced scales in your business transactions

1 Corinthians 9:1-14 - Those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Music, or Stitcher. Learn more at www.ministrystartup.com

"I believe that the church's best days are yet to come. And I believe it's ordinary Christians doing extraordinary things that will get us there."

Theme song was written and performed by Flow Up: www.facebook.com/flowup623

Other music was written and performed by Michael Parallax: www.soundcloud.com/michael-parallax

Televangelist sound clip provided by (ironically) www.youtube.com/muslimsince2003

What separates ineffective ministries from life-changing ones? What are the common ingredients you need to make sure your idea has the impact you want it to have?

(Hint: It's probably not what you would think)

In this episode, I meet with my web development team to hammer out the details of what my new ministry will be about and ask my wife Andrea how she feels about spending $4,000 on a website.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Music, or Stitcher. Learn more at www.ministrystartup.com

"I believe that the church's best days are yet to come. And I believe it's ordinary Christians doing extraordinary things that will get us there."

Theme song was written and performed by Flow Up: www.facebook.com/flowup623

Other music was written and performed by Michael Parallax: www.soundcloud.com/michael-parallax