Wisdom for the Wilderness

In this heartfelt final episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness with Pastors Zack and Josh, they sit down to tell the full story of Overland Church — from the very beginning to where it stands today.

Pastor Zack shares how the Lord moved his heart toward church planting while serving at Buck Run Baptist Church in Kentucky, the difficult decision to leave the Bible Belt for Fort Collins, Colorado, and the bold step of faith their family took in 2017. Hear the stories of the small core team that moved west, the miraculous way God provided their building, the challenges of early preview services, growth through COVID, major leadership transitions, and the joy of sending out new church plants to Durango and North Fort Collins.

This episode is packed with encouragement, laughter, and powerful reminders of God’s faithfulness — including how the name “Overland” was chosen and the church’s core values: Proclaim, Disciple, Serve, and Multiply.

Whether you’ve been part of Overland’s story or you’re simply encouraged by real church-planting testimonies, this is a powerful reminder that Jesus builds His church.

Thank you, Pastor Zack, for your obedience and leadership. The best is yet to come.

*Wisdom for the Wilderness will take a break over the summer of 2026. Lord willing, the new version of WFW will return in the fall.

In this episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness, Pastors Zack and Josh tackle the growing conversation around Protestants—especially young men—converting to Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and high-church traditions. They examine the actual data (spoiler: Catholicism is flat or declining overall, and more Catholics are becoming evangelicals than the reverse), the cultural and emotional attractions to liturgical worship, and the real frustrations many feel with modern evangelicalism’s seeker-sensitive, entertainment-driven approach.

The pastors then dive deep into the core theological differences: justification by faith alone versus faith plus works, the authority of Scripture versus tradition and the Pope, purgatory, Marian dogma, the priesthood of believers, and more. They explain why these aren’t minor preferences but represent fundamentally different understandings of the gospel itself.

Whether you’re curious about the trend, considering a switch, or want to better understand Catholic teaching from a Protestant perspective, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a strong call to return to the authority of God’s Word. Don’t base your faith on aesthetics or aesthetics alone—base it on truth.

In this episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness, Pastors Zack and Josh address one of the most powerful cultural forces shaping our world today: expressive individualism — the idea that your deepest feelings define you, and the highest goal in life is discovering and expressing your “true self” no matter the cost.

They explore:

• What expressive individualism really is and how it contrasts with healthy community
• Why it leads people to cut off family, leave churches, and demand the world affirm their feelings
• The surprising irony that “being unique” often makes everyone look and act the same
• How this mindset fuels consumer Christianity, church-hopping, and weak community groups
• The biblical balance between the value of the individual and the priority of the body of Christ
• Why emotions and “authenticity” cannot be our ultimate authority — Christ must be
• Practical wisdom on doing hard things, raising children, marriage, and building life on convictions instead of feelings

Drawing from Scripture (including the early church in Acts and the “one body, many parts” teaching in 1 Corinthians), the pastors show how the gospel offers a far better identity: not found by looking inside ourselves, but received as sinners saved by grace and called into God’s family.

If you’ve ever felt the pressure to “be true to yourself,” wondered why community feels so hard today, or want to help your kids navigate this cultural moment, this episode is for you.

A timely, hope-filled conversation that calls us back to Christ-centered living in a self-obsessed world.

In this episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness, Pastors Zack and Josh tackle the latest wave of UFO and alien headlines — including President Trump’s promised disclosures, congressional hearings, and claims that alien revelation could shake people’s faith or drive them to church.

With honesty and biblical clarity, they discuss:

• Why conspiracy theories and government secrecy stories keep resurfacing
• Whether intelligent extraterrestrial life would challenge core Christian doctrines like the image of God, the incarnation, and salvation
• The fine-tuning of Earth that makes alien life statistically improbable
• The real possibility that some phenomena could be demonic deception in a materialistic culture
• How God’s sovereignty over the seen and unseen world gives believers peace instead of hysteria

They also explore the sufficiency of Scripture, the danger of obsessive hidden knowledge, and practical encouragement to stay grounded in God’s Word rather than getting pulled into distraction or fear. Whether you’re skeptical of the whole topic or secretly fascinated by it, this episode offers a calm, gospel-centered framework for thinking about “things outside this world” without losing sight of the One who rules over it all. Perfect for anyone wrestling with faith, culture, and the unknown.

In this heartfelt and transparent episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness, founding pastor Zack Thurman and Pastor Josh sit down to share the difficult news of Zack’s upcoming departure from Overland Church. With honesty, tears, laughter, and deep pastoral care, they walk the church through the emotions and practical realities of transitioning from its founding pastor to the next shepherd.

Zack opens up about the internal wrestling, the Lord’s clear leading, and the mixed feelings of deep love for Overland paired with obedience to God’s new assignment in West Palm Beach, Florida. He shares the timeline of how the Lord stirred his heart and opened doors, including the opportunity to coach church planters and help a multiplying church network reach more neighborhoods with the gospel.

Together, Zack and Josh give the church a clear, biblical roadmap for this season:

• Celebrate and send the Thurman family well (we don’t say goodbye — we send)
• Grieve the loss together
• Then refocus on the mission with renewed energy

They offer practical encouragement for church members: stay faithful in attendance, keep serving and giving, protect unity, refuse gossip and unfair comparisons, pray for the search team and staff, love the next pastor, and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus — the true Head of the Church.

This episode is filled with hope and a strong reminder that Overland’s future is secure because Christ builds His church.

Whether you’re an Overland member processing this change or a leader facing transition in your own church, this conversation offers comfort, clarity, and gospel-centered direction for walking through pastoral change faithfully.

In this episode of Wisdom for the Wilderness, Pastors Zack and Josh sit down with special guest Chris Parrish, pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church and their sending church leader. Drawing from years of pastoral experience and deep friendship, they explore one of the most practical and biblical questions in church life: What makes a good church member?

They begin with why meaningful, formal church membership is thoroughly biblical—not a country club, but a covenant community modeled after the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians. Chris and the hosts unpack the real difference between simply attending church and fully committing as a member, including accountability, mutual belonging, and the ability to live out the New Testament’s “one another” commands.

Chris shares heartfelt insights on the marks of faithful members he’s seen at Buck Run:

• Loving Jesus first and foremost
• Wholeheartedly singing in worship (especially the men!)
• Eagerly obeying what they know from God’s Word
• Being thoughtfully opinionated while approaching leadership with humility and trust
• Committing to prayer for pastors and the church
• Actively caring for one another and bearing burdens
• Sharing the gospel and inviting others in
• Extending grace to less mature believers in the family of God

Filled with encouragement, pastoral wisdom, real-life stories, and even a few light-hearted moments, this conversation will challenge listeners to move beyond consumerism and embrace the joy of wholehearted belonging to the body of Christ.

Whether you’re a longtime member, considering membership, or a church leader, this episode offers rich biblical truth and practical application for healthier, more vibrant local churches.

In this timely episode, Pastors Zack and Josh tackle one of the most discussed worldviews of our generation: Islam. With headlines involving the new mayor of New York City (Zohran Mamdani), immigration debates in Europe and the U.S., conflicts like the recent Operation Epic Fury against Iran, and ongoing cultural shifts, Christians need a clear, biblical understanding of what Islam actually teaches.

The pastors explain:

• The origins of the Quran: Muhammad’s revelations starting in 610 AD, delivered in trances and compiled (not in chronological order) as the final, infallible word of God in Arabic
• Key differences from Christianity: One God (Allah) with no Trinity; Muhammad as the final prophet; Jesus honored only as a prophet, not the Son of God or Savior
• Salvation in Islam: A works-based system (Five Pillars—Shahadah, prayer 5x/day, fasting during Ramadan, giving to the poor, pilgrimage to Mecca) with no assurance, only hope in Allah’s mercy and a weighing of deeds
• How Islam spreads: Historically by conquest and the sword; today through immigration, higher birth rates, charity tied to dawah (invitation to Islam), and the goal of eventual global dominance under Sharia
• Major branches: Folk Islam (most common, syncretized with local beliefs), Sunni (majority), and Shia (dominant in Iran, with unique eschatology involving the hidden 12th Imam)
• Challenges with the Quran: Historical and textual questions, internal contradictions, and misunderstandings of Christian doctrine (e.g., the Trinity as God, Jesus, and Mary)

They address the common claim that “Islam is a religion of peace,” noting that while many cultural Muslims live peacefully, the religion’s foundational goal is conquest and submission of the world to Islamic rule—making it incompatible in key ways with Western ideals like religious liberty and separation of mosque and state.

Importantly, the pastors draw a clear biblical line:

• The state/government has a responsibility to vet immigrants wisely and protect constitutional values.
• Individual Christians and churches must love Muslim neighbors, show hospitality, build relationships, and boldly share the gospel—the greatest act of love.

They highlight real hope: The gospel is advancing among Muslims worldwide (including explosive church growth in Iran), often through dreams, visions, and faithful witness. Stories from the church’s early days at Overland Church illustrate practical ways to engage Muslim neighbors and international students.

This episode equips believers to avoid both naive multiculturalism and fearful alarmism, instead responding with truth, love, and confidence in the sovereignty of God and the power of the risen Christ.

Resources Mentioned:

• A Concise Guide to the Quran and A Concise Guide to the Life of Muhammad by Ayman S. Ibrahim
• The Quran with Christian Commentary (recommended for further study)
• Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi (testimony of a former Muslim)

In this timely and weighty episode, Pastors Zack and Josh explore just war theory—a historic Christian framework for thinking about when (and how) war can be morally justified in a broken, sinful world. Drawing from Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Romans 13, and the Sermon on the Mount, they walk through the classic criteria of justice before war, during war, and after war.

As the podcast releases roughly 44–45 days into Operation Epic Fury (the U.S. and Israeli campaign against Iran that began February 28, 2026), the conversation applies these principles to real headlines: preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, targeting military capabilities while minimizing civilian harm, the challenges of fighting an apocalyptic ideology, and the high cost of conflict (including U.S. casualties and tragic civilian losses).

You’ll hear honest discussion on:

• The spectrum between pacifism (over-realized eschatology) and “might makes right” imperialism
• Key just war criteria: just cause, legitimate authority, last resort, right intention, probability of success, proportionality, and discrimination between combatants and civilians
• Historical examples like World War II, the atomic bomb, and the messy realities of the War on Terror
• Why a Christian worldview that affirms humans are made in God’s image fundamentally shapes how we evaluate war
• The importance of justice after war—restoration, reconciliation, and pursuing lasting peace (as seen in post-WWII Japan and Germany versus other conflicts)
• How radical Islamist ideology (explored more in the next episode) complicates traditional just war thinking

The pastors emphasize that Christians are not warmongers—we should be among the hardest to convince to go to war and the most eager to pray for peace and human flourishing. Yet in a fallen world where evil exists and governments bear the sword (Romans 13), sometimes force is a tragic necessity to protect the innocent and restrain wickedness. True peace is the goal of any just war.

Whether you’re wrestling with current events, military service, or how to pray amid global conflict, this episode offers biblical clarity without simplistic answers.

In this episode, Pastors Josh and Zack tackle a listener question about boycotting businesses that promote non-biblical values—especially around LGBTQ+ issues like Pride Month displays at Target. But they quickly move to what they see as the bigger, more personal issue: How do Christians faithfully navigate secular workplaces when companies push agendas that conflict with biblical convictions?

Topics covered include:

• The practicality (and limits) of boycotts in a globalized economy
• Working as salt and light without withdrawing from the world
• The difference between a company selling certain products vs. requiring employees to affirm or celebrate sin (e.g., wearing pride pins, using preferred pronouns, teaching gender fluidity)
• How to stand for conscience without being combative or a poor witness
• The importance of integrity, hard work, and character before you take a stand (Daniel in Babylon as a model)
• When it might be wise to leave a job—and when to stay and endure
• Legal protections for religious liberty and resources like Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)
• The Protestant view of vocation: every job is a calling from God

The pastors emphasize that Christians cannot find a “perfect” workplace, but we are called to live with clear conscience, bold conviction, and humble faithfulness—being in the world but not of it.

This is practical, pastoral advice for teachers, corporate workers, and anyone facing increasing cultural pressure at work.

In this follow-up to Pastor Zack's sermon on 1 Timothy 2:11-15, Pastors Josh and Zack sit down to answer your questions about women in the church, complementarianism, and what the Bible teaches about gender roles in leadership, the home, and beyond.

They recap the key passage—"Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man..."—and explain why Paul grounds his instruction in creation order (Adam formed first, then Eve) and the Fall, rather than temporary cultural issues in Ephesus.

The pastors affirm that men and women are equal in dignity, value, and worth before God, while exploring:

• The differences between egalitarianism, complementarianism, and patriarchy.
• Practical applications: Can women be CEOs, worship leaders, or kids ministry directors? What does "exercising authority" actually mean in the local church?
• Missionary contexts where qualified men are lacking.
• The beauty of distinct male and female callings, including the high value of homemaking, nurturing, and childbearing as part of God's good design.
• How healthy male leadership and delegation foster flourishing for everyone.

This episode is pastoral, biblical, and hopeful—encouraging the church to be faithful rather than cultural, and calling men to step up as servant leaders while honoring the vital contributions of women.

Sermon on 1 Timothy 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9WeTVuROtI