Grounded & Growing

In this episode Julian is joined by Nolan Martin and Bryce Wenger to review and recap our recent series  Why Does Church Matter?   Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more theological content, visit theologicaltouchpoints.com .

In our final interview we talk with Merle Burkholder, a pastoral mentor from Ontario, about how Christians should respond when their leaders fail. We think about what contributes to leadership failure, how leaders can guard against failure, and how we can respond redemptively when the worst happens. This conversation includes practical steps for helping leaders who have failed and those who have b...

Todd Neuschwander, pastor of Living Water Mennonite Church, joins us to talk about pastors. We discuss what a pastor does, who is qualified to pastor, and why preaching supports his work as a spiritual shepherd. Toward the end we talk about pastoral burnout and how pastors — and those who love them — can help prevent it. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn m...

In this episode we talk with Wendell Nisly, pastor of King's Table Church in Harrisonburg, VA and artistic director of Oasis Choral, about Christian worship. We discuss why Christians gather to worship God, how our theology shapes our worship, and what should be included in our worship services. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword &...

Join us as we talk with Rick Bauman, pastor of Woodlawn Mennonite Fellowship and mentor with Servant Institute, about building healthy church relationships. We discuss how we can care for each other, ways we can navigate church conflict, and how we can build a culture of discipleship in our local churches. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The S...

In this episode we talk with J. Mark Horst, pastor of Faith Community Fellowship and Bible Teacher at Heralds of Hope, about who has the authority in the local church. Listen as we discuss God's authority structure for the local church, how a church's leaders and members can work together, and why church affiliations are valuable. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Mi...

Melvin Lehman joins us to talk about church membership, baptism and excommunication, and the unique (and complex) challenges of living together in committed Christian communities. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more theological content, visit theologicaltouchpoint...

Join us as we begin our next series of conversations with Anabaptist pastors and thinkers. In this episode we talk with Val Yoder about the church — what it is and why it exists. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more theological content, visit theologicaltouchpoints...

Self-control is more than discipline for its own sake. It is control with a purpose — to glorify God. Listen as we think about what makes Christian self-control unique, and how we should ask God's Spirit to produce it in us. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For mor...

While we often think of gentleness in connection to actions , it is deeper than that. Paul describes gentleness with a word that encompasses both our attitudes and our actions. Listen in as we discuss how God's Spirit makes us humble so that we can be people marked by gentleness. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Min...

A faithful person is someone who can be trusted. This means more than “do no harm.” Faithful people support and stabilize others. They are like the keel and ribs of a ship that provide structure for the whole vessel. Listen in as we think about how we can be faithful in our words and in our actions.  Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword &...

Goodness means living according to God’s will. Listen as we discuss different ways we sometimes think about goodness, and how God teaches us what it really is and how we should live it out. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more theological content, visit theological...

What does kindness look like in normal life? Though we can easily imagine being kind to people "out there in the world", kindness is meant to apply in our everyday relationships with our neighbors, families, fellow Christians, and even our employers, employees, and customers. Listen as we think about God's kindness to us — and how He helps us show the same kindness to others. Suppor...

Being patient is more than keeping a smile on our faces when we’re stuck in the drive-through at Chick-Fil-A. It means continuing to trust God even when people irritate us, ignore us, or directly attack us. Join us as we consider how the Holy Spirit helps us be patient in every kind of circumstance. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword &a...

Are you fearful, anxious, insecure, or uncertain? Jesus wants you to experience peace instead. Listen as we think about how God's Spirit helps us rest in our kind, sovereign God who knows us, loves us, and cares for us. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more the...

What gives you joy? Is your joy as stable as your God, or does it rise and fall with your circumstances? In this episode we think together about what joy is, what it is grounded in, and how we can experience the kind of joy that persists no matter what. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & T...

What is love? Is it a mindset, an emotion, or an action? Join us as we think about how God calls us to love Him and others with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more theological content, visit theologicaltouchpoints.com .

Obeying God requires more than discipline and effort; we need the Holy Spirit's help. Listen as we talk about how we rely on God's Spirit so we are able to bear healthy spiritual fruit. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more theological content, visit theol...

How does God change us so we love Him more than we love our sin? Join us as we discuss how the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us through Scripture and renews our hearts so we can receive Him. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more theological content, visit theologica...

Galatians 5 describes two possibilities for our lives. We can live according to our natural desires or according to God’s Spirit. Listen to learn why we need God's Spirit to change our desires before we can live in a way that pleases Him. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Web...

Join us for this final episode in the What is an Anabaptist series as Julian, Nolan, and Bryce wrap up the series with a conversation about what we learned and how Anabaptists can continue that legacy of faithfulness. Support the show A production of The Sword and Trumpet Ministries. To learn more about The Sword & Trumpet Ministries, visit the Sword & Trumpet Website . For more theologica...

Join us for a discussion with Todd Neuschwander on the state of the Anabaptist church in the 21st century. We explore the movement's 500-year journey, from its Reformation-era origins and free church convictions to its development in North America. Todd discusses the enduring strengths of Anabaptism and gives practical wisdom for strengthening the movement by instilling biblical knowledge tha...

Join us for another conversation with Daniel Zimmerman as we discuss how Protestantism began and developed through the influence of Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin. We talk about the core concepts of the Protestant reformers and how they relate to the Anabaptist movement. Where did the Anabaptists and Protestants agree and where did they part ways? We explore the good reforms the Pr...

What core beliefs bound the various parts of the Anabaptist movement together? And how are these movements different? Join us for another interview with Marcus Yoder as we discuss the distinct streams within Anabaptism and how leadership, culture, and political developments shaped differing expressions. And hear how these convictions give modern Anabaptists a unique opportunity to share Christ&apo...

Join us for a conversation with Daniel Rutt as we discuss what Anabaptists believe about salvation, exploring the early Anabaptist view of the gospel and identifying contemporary imbalances. We talk about what makes the Anabaptist view of salvation different from Catholic and Protestant views. We discuss how Anabaptists connected salvation to living a new life of obedience, avoiding both cheap gra...