On this weeks episode, we get to hear from James Barnes, the Lead Pastor of Wrens Baptist Church in Wrens, Georgia. New to this pastoral role, James provides unique and insightful conversation as he talks about his new local congregation and some of the most influential people in his life that have provided wisdom and guidance in his pastoral ministry.

Keith Foskey, pastor of Sovereign Grace Family Church in Jacksonville, FL joins the Down to Earth Podcast and shares how he got into pastoral ministry, how he would like to see his local congregation grow spiritually, and how he would encourage new pastors entering the ministry to "smell like sheep" as they lead and shepherd their congregations.

Lately I have wanted to be more intentional about having practical definitions of words or phrases that are commonly used in the Bible, at church, or in Christian circles. Words and phrases like “blessed”, or “abiding in Christ”, or “fellowship”, etc. Sometimes, we can be so familiar with a word or phrase that we forget the actual meaning, weight, or depth of it.

In this episode, with the help of a book recommendation and a few pastor friends of mine, we are going to look at what the gospel is and what the implications are for those who believe it.

Thankful to have the opportunity to sit down and talk with my little brother, Shaun Forrester, and reflect on how good and faithful the Lord has been in his life and how the Lord has been using him to teach and disciple students!

Big thanks to my friend, Trevor Hoffman, teaching pastor of Ridgewood Church in Greer, SC for joining the podcast! In this episode we talk a lot about the true meaning of biblical community and fellowship, and why it is important for Christians to be intentional about loving and serving one another, both inside and outside of the gathering on Sundays.

What started as a simple interaction with a customer, quickly turned into a Jesus-honoring friendship. Listen in as Bishop Harry Williams shares his story and how the Lord is using him and his church to meet both the spiritual and physical needs in their community!

The first book recommendation of season two is here! Listen in to the brief overview of one of my favorite books so far in the 9 Marks series, Building Healthy Churches. Does the why, when, and how of the corporate worship gathering really matter according to the Bible? Why does God gather Christians to worship on Sundays? Is worship really more than just the singing section of the worship service? These are questions that Matt Merker answers as he helps us look to the Scriptures to see what God has to say about why God gathers His people together for worship.

The first season recap of the podcast! Take a few minutes to listen in to some encouraging themes and common ideas that were present throughout the first season; another book recommendation, specifically about how church members can serve their pastors; and lastly, a few updates about the future of the podcast!