The Daron Earlewine Podcast

Most of us are running our lives on an identity we never actually chose — one built to earn approval instead of received from God. Chris Hantla, coach and co-director of Identity Exchange's Catalyst Experience, sat down with Daron to tell the story of how a mission trip to a Baghdad war zone stripped away his false identity as a "successful missionary" and led him into a real, conversational relationship with God. Chris walks through the exact moment God spoke a new name over him, the wife's question that exposed his hidden pride, and the friendship that finally taught him how to love his enemies — and he closes with practical steps anyone can use to start hearing God's voice today.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚡️ False identity almost always shows up as negative emotion — fear, shame, and striving are signals, not just feelings, pointing to something untrue we're believing. ⚡️ Your calling and your identity are not the same thing. Chris's identity was never "missionary", it was learning to bear the character of Christ, and that distinction changed everything. ⚡️ You can start hearing God's voice today with a simple practice: notice what you're afraid of, ask God what's underneath it, and tell the truth about what you find.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Meet Chris Hantla And Identity Exchange 02:20 — Growing Up With An Approval Based Identity 04:17 — How 9/11 Sparked A Call To The Middle East 08:12 — Arriving In Baghdad And Meeting Jamie And Donna 18:24 — Learning To Hear God In The Middle Of Fear 24:05 — The Moment God Revealed His True Identity 33:52 — Feeding The 5000 And The Kingdom Worldview 47:04 — The Question That Exposed His Hidden Pride 54:22 — Practical Steps To Start Hearing God Today

CONNECT WITH US Website: https://daronearlewine.com Give to Blackbird Mission: https://blackbirdmission.com/give Book a Discovery Call with Rogue Collective Coaching: https://roguecollectivecoaching.com Website: identityexchange.com

JOIN THE CONVERSATION If this episode stirred something in you, don't let it stay a feeling — hit subscribe, and drop a comment telling us: what's one lie you've believed about yourself that God might be ready to replace with the truth?

HASHTAGS #DaronEarlewine #IdentityExchange #IdentityInChrist #HearingGodsVoice #FaithOverFear #KingdomMindset #ChristianPodcast #CreatedOnPurpose

Ty Earlewine spent his summer internship going through Identity Exchange, a program built around growing in knowledge of self and knowledge of God at the same time. In this clip, he and his dad Daron unpack a John Calvin quote that reframes what real spiritual growth looks like, and Ty shares how one simple shift, learning to just sit and listen in prayer instead of trying to say the right thing, became the biggest breakthrough of his summer.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚡️Growth happens when knowledge of God and knowledge of self grow together. Too much of one without the other leads to judgment or vanity. ⚡️Listening prayer means asking God what He wants you to know, then sitting quietly instead of trying to perform the right words. ⚡️Playing to your actual strengths, instead of forcing strengths you don't have, is a form of stewardship, not settling.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The Calvin quote and going through Identity Exchange 02:46 The listening prayer that changed Ty's prayer life

CONNECT WITH DARON Website: https://daronearlewine.com Give to Blackbird Mission: https://blackbirdmission.com/give Book a Discovery Call with Rogue Collective Coaching: https://roguecollectivecoaching.com

JOIN THE CONVERSATION If this hit home, subscribe and share it with someone who's still trying to figure out who God says they are. Drop a comment: what's one thing you feel like God's been trying to tell you lately?

HASHTAGS #DaronEarlewinePodcast #IdentityExchange #IdentityInChrist #ChristianFaith #ListeningPrayer #FaithAndPurpose #ChristianLeadership #KnowYourself

Ty Earlewine just wrapped his first internship with his dad, Daron, and it changed how he sees himself, his faith, and his future. In this episode, Daron and Ty sit down to unpack what it actually looks like to grow in the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self at the same time, why chasing spiritual "streaks" can quietly wreck your walk with Jesus, and what it means to discover your God given identity in the middle of an ordinary, uncertain season. If you've ever felt like you're behind in your faith or unsure who you really are, this conversation is for you.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚡️ Your identity in Christ isn't something you perform your way into. It's something you're invited to listen for, receive, and let other people confirm. ⚡️ Consistency with God isn't about protecting a streak. It's about stacking days, so a missed day doesn't erase the ground you've already gained. ⚡️ You don't need years of experience to have a genuine impact. You just need to be honest about what you actually know, and keep growing from there.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro and welcome back to the podcast 05:15 Expectations and fears going into the internship 12:20 What Ty learned about humility and confidence 19:00 Going through Identity Exchange this summer 25:35 Hearing "Calming Nurturer" for the first time 30:15 Confirming your identity with people who know you 38:25 Learning the rhythm between social time and solitude 45:00 A word for parents raising teens and college students 50:55 Stacking, not streaking, your faith 58:30 Closing encouragement

CONNECT WITH DARON Website: https://daronearlewine.com Give to Blackbird Mission: https://blackbirdmission.com/give Book a Discovery Call with Rogue Collective Coaching: https://roguecollectivecoaching.com

JOIN THE CONVERSATION If this episode encouraged you, subscribe to the channel and share it with someone who needs to hear that they don't have to have it all figured out today. Drop a comment and let us know what "stacking, not streaking" means for your walk with God this week.

HASHTAGS #DaronEarlewinePodcast #BlackbirdMission #RogueCollectiveCoaching #IdentityInChrist #ChristianFaith #FaithAndPurpose #DirtWorldMinistry #ChristianLeadership #IdentityExchange #FaithJourney

For five years, Kelly Camp went to church every single Sunday and refused to give his life to Christ. He sat in the back row, timed his arrival to avoid the greeters, and watched soccer on his phone during the sermon. Then one hungover Sunday morning in June 2015, a single sentence from his pastor broke through everything.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

⚡️ Showing up isn't the same as surrendering. Kelly attended church weekly for five years while actively resisting God the entire time. ⚡️Shame keeps people from receiving grace. Kelly avoided greeters and the pastor himself because he didn't feel worthy to be shown kindness. ⚡️Breakthrough often comes from being told the truth, not being told to clean up first. "Jesus doesn't care if you're hungover" was the sentence that finally ended Kelly's resistance.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — An ultimatum and a reluctant "yes" to church 02:00 — Five years of white-knuckling in the back row 04:00 — The hungover Sunday that changed everything 06:00 — The sentence that broke through 07:00 — Praying the prayer

CONNECT WITH DARON

Website: https://daronearlewine.comCoaching: https://roguecollectivecoaching.com Email: [email protected]Support the mission: blackbirdmission.com/give

Follow Jesus releases November. Free copies at the Dirt World Summit in Phoenix, and available wherever books are sold.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

If you've been "attending" but never really surrendering, share this clip with someone who needs to hear that Jesus doesn't care if you're not cleaned up first — He just wants you to show up. HASHTAGS

#DaronEarlewinePodcast #Surrender #FaithJourney #ChristianPodcast #Redemption

Kelly Camp grew up a pastor's kid in a legalistic home, learning early how to "play church" without ever having a real relationship with God. Then, at 18, a devastating diagnosis in his family became the moment that sent him running from God for decades. This is the origin of a story about isolation, anger, and how one unprocessed wound can shape a life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚡️ Growing up close to church and growing up close to God are not the same thing. Kelly spent 18 formative years around faith with no real relationship behind it. ⚡️ Isolation after a painful event can quietly set a life's trajectory. Kelly's choice not to talk to anyone about his father's diagnosis became a defining, decades-long turning point. ⚡️ Unprocessed pain doesn't disappear, it compounds. What started as private anger toward God became a pattern Kelly carried into his relationships for over 30 years.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — A pastor's kid and an "elite group" of PKs 02:00 — Growing up in a legalistic home 04:00 — The models of faith Kelly actually admired 06:30 — The diagnosis that changed everything 08:00 — The decision that started decades of running

CONNECT WITH DARON Website: https://daronearlewine.com Coaching: https://roguecollectivecoaching.com Email: [email protected] Support the mission: blackbirdmission.com/give

Follow Jesus releases November. Free copies at the Dirt World Summit in Phoenix, and available wherever books are sold.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION If you've ever carried a wound in silence instead of talking to someone, share this clip with a friend — and follow for the rest of Kelly Camp's story.

HASHTAGS #DaronEarlewinePodcast #PastorsKid #FaithJourney #ChristianPodcast #Redemption

Kelly Camp grew up a pastor's kid, spent over three decades running from God, and torched a 22-year marriage along the way. In this episode of The Daron Earlewine Podcast, Kelly shares how deep hurt, isolation and addiction nearly wrecked his life, how a hungover Sunday morning in 2015 became the turning point, and how he now runs the day-to-day staff and operations of the very kind of church he once refused to walk into.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚡️ Anger is almost always a secondary emotion. Underneath years of resentment toward God, Kelly discovered the real feeling was deep hurt and betrayal, not rebellion. ⚡️ Information alone does not create transformation. A weekly rhythm of talking through a Sunday message, practicing it, and reflecting on it with two other men is what actually formed Kelly into a disciple. ⚡️ Isolation is one of the most dangerous decisions a person can make after a wound. Kelly's refusal to talk to anyone about his father's diagnosis at 18 set the trajectory for the next three decades.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Introduction and welcome 02:00 — Meeting Kelly Camp and Worship on the Water 05:00 — Why scars are a first qualification, not a disqualification 10:00 — Growing up a pastor's kid in a legalistic home 15:00 — The diagnosis that triggered decades of running from God 22:00 — A torched marriage and a life dying on the inside 28:00 — The Sunday morning that changed everything 34:00 — What real discipleship with two other men actually looked like 41:00 — Spiritual bypassing versus real, slow redemption 47:00 — What Kelly's grandsons taught him about how God sees us 49:00 — From white-knuckling in the back row to running the church

CONNECT WITH DARON Website: https://daronearlewine.com Coaching: https://roguecollectivecoaching.com Email: [email protected] Support the mission: blackbirdmission.com/give Follow Jesus releases November. Free copies at the Dirt World Summit in Phoenix, and available wherever books are sold.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION If Kelly's story hit home, share this episode with someone who needs to hear that it's never too late to come out of isolation, and subscribe so you don't miss next week's conversation.

HASHTAGS #DaronEarlewinePodcast #Redemption #ChristianPodcast #FaithJourney #BlackbirdMission

Most people who get curious about Jesus never take the next step, because the next step they're offered doesn't fit their life. Working 80 hours a week, hundreds of miles from home, living in a camper on a job site. Sunday morning is not on the table.

Matt LeRoy joins Daron Earlewine to walk through Follow Jesus, a 50 day journey through the Gospel of Matthew built for exactly those people. Ten to fifteen minutes a day. A commute or a cup of coffee. Prayer, Scripture, reflection, prayer, response.

The result is a discipleship path that doesn't require a building, a background, or a seminary degree. Just a willingness to start.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚡️ The whole Gospel of Matthew has a discipleship arc built into it. Matthew 4 is the call, come follow me. Matthew 16 is the cost, take up your cross. Matthew 28 is the commission, go make disciples. Jesus says the last one to the exact people He called in the first one. ⚡️ The margin is actually the center. Jesus consistently goes to people others overlook. Which means the fringe is not the edge of the story. It is where the story has always been happening. ⚡️ Information is not the goal. Transformation is. Every week of Follow Jesus includes an action step, not just a reading, because we already have more information than we can use.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — The Discipleship Arc Hidden Inside Matthew 05:37 — What Comes After Volume One 11:04 — Jesus Found His First Disciples At Work 16:14 — The Call The Cost And The Commission 21:36 — Why Following Jesus Is Never Individualistic

CONNECT WITH DARON Website: https://daronearlewine.com Coaching: https://roguecollectivecoaching.com Email: [email protected] Support the mission: blackbirdmission.com/give Follow Jesus releases November. Free copies at the Dirt World Summit in Phoenix, and available wherever books are sold.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION Who is the one person in your life who is curious about Jesus but doesn't think church is for them? Drop their first name in the comments and let's pray for them together.

ENGAGE If this encouraged you, share it with someone who needs it and subscribe so you don't miss what's coming.

HASHTAGS #FollowJesus #Discipleship #GospelOfMatthew #DaronEarlewine #MattLeRoy #BlackbirdMission #DirtWorld #FaithAtWork #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast

Most people who are curious about Jesus never start, because they do not know where to begin. Genesis? A random verse? A church they do not know in a town they are only in for six weeks?

Matt LeRoy spent ten years building the answer. Follow Jesus is a 50 day walk through the Gospel of Matthew that takes 10 to 15 minutes a day. A commute. A cup of coffee.

In this conversation, Daron Earlewine and Matt LeRoy break down the discipleship arc hiding in plain sight in Matthew, why Jesus found His first disciples at work instead of at worship, and what it looks like to plant orchards of discipleship among 10 million people in the dirt world who have never seen a church that fits their life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚡️ The whole Gospel of Matthew has a discipleship arc built into it. Matthew 4 is the call, come follow me. Matthew 16 is the cost, take up your cross. Matthew 28 is the commission, go make disciples. Jesus says the last one to the exact people He called in the first one. ⚡️ The margin is actually the center. Jesus consistently goes to people others overlook. Which means the fringe is not the edge of the story. It is where the story has always been happening. ⚡️ Information is not the goal. Transformation is. Every week of Follow Jesus includes an action step, not just a reading, because we already have more information than we can use.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — The Discipleship Arc Hidden Inside Matthew 05:37 — What Comes After Volume One 11:04 — Jesus Found His First Disciples At Work 16:14 — The Call The Cost And The Commission 21:36 — Why Following Jesus Is Never Individualistic

CONNECT WITH DARON Website: https://daronearlewine.com Coaching: https://roguecollectivecoaching.com Email: [email protected] Support the mission: blackbirdmission.com/give Follow Jesus releases November. Free copies at the Dirt World Summit in Phoenix, and available wherever books are sold.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION What is the one thing that has kept you from reading the Bible consistently? Drop it in the comments. Matt answers a version of that question in this episode, and we read every reply.

ENGAGE If this episode encouraged you, share it with one person who is curious about Jesus but does not know where to start.

HASHTAGS #FollowJesus #Discipleship #GospelOfMatthew #DaronEarlewine #MattLeRoy #ChristianPodcast #FaithAtWork #BlackbirdMission #DirtWorld #BibleReadingPlan

Most of us are chasing a version of success nobody actually defined for us. Bigger platform, bigger title, bigger numbers. And when we get there, it still feels hollow.

In this clip, Ken Primeau, lead pastor of Mercy Road Northeast, offers a definition that reorders everything. Success is becoming who God created you to be, then partnering with him to do what he is calling you to do. He traces it through a chain of small yeses, a plane landing in Indianapolis, two words he never expected to hear, and a wandering desert people who only moved when the cloud moved. If home has always felt hard to name, this will land.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚡️ Success is becoming who God made you to be, not out-performing the person next to you. ⚡️ God often speaks in words you would never have chosen yourself. ⚡️ Home is not a place on a map. It is the presence of God.

CONNECT WITH DARON Website https://daronearlewine.com Coaching https://roguecollectivecoaching.com Email [email protected]

Where is home for you right now? Tell us in the comments, and subscribe for more full episodes.

HASHTAGS #DaronEarlewinePodcast #DefinitionOfSuccess #Purpose #FaithAndLeadership #Surrender #HearingGodsVoice #ChristianEntrepreneurs #BlackbirdMission #Discipleship #GodsPresence

A stranger emailed Wayne Jacobson with a claim that sounded like nonsense. The word righteousness is not really in the Bible. It turned out to be a translation problem 500 years in the making. In this clip, Wayne walks through how one Greek word came to be translated righteousness in our Bibles when it is translated justice everywhere else, and what changes when you put it back.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚡️ The Greek word behind righteousness is translated justice in every other text of its day, including Plato's Republic. ⚡️ Reading it as justice instead of righteousness reframes nearly every verse where the word appears. ⚡️ The Reformation resolved righteousness through the cross but left transformation unresolved, which is exactly the gap this reopens.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - A Stranger's Impossible Claim 01:15 - The Word That Means Justice Everywhere Else 03:00 - Why We Should Be Suspicious of Moving a Word 04:45 - What Luther Never Resolved

CONNECT WITH DARON Website https://daronearlewine.com Coaching https://roguecollectivecoaching.com Email [email protected]

Watch the full episode for the complete conversation on the messy middle, biblical repentance, and what to do when God feels distant.

If this hit you where you're stuck, share it with someone who needs it and subscribe for Part 4.

HASHTAGS #WayneJacobson #DaronEarlewine #JustLove #Righteousness #Gospel #Faith #ChristianPodcast