Back to Rurality

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, rural pastor TJ Freeman talks about the purpose we can find in everyday tasks, from chores to work to school, by recognizing God's greater plan. He shares personal anecdotes, including his time working in a freezer, and biblical insights to encourage listeners to see all of their actions as expressions of God's glory. He emph...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: I n this episode of Back to Rurality, TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, reflects on the holiday season's mixed feelings and emphasizes making the most of it to point people to Christ. He shares personal stories, traditions, and practical steps to help listeners glorify God during the holidays. Using the acronym 'GLOW,' Freeman encourages his audience to remember...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of the podcast, TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, addresses the challenge many Christians face of not regularly engaging with the Bible. He shares personal stories of his own struggles and how finding a different translation helped him understand Scripture better. TJ emphasizes the importance of prioritizing time for Bible reading, offers practical tips for inte...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, delves into whether Christians should listen to Christian radio. He shares that we should listen to songs, radio hosts, and radio preaching with discernment. TJ also shares some helpful examples through his own experience with radio. If you feel like this might be a silly question to ask, this episode is for...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, delves into the endless pursuit of satisfaction in worldly things and its futility. He shares his own experiences of chasing material things and legalistic spirituality, only to realize true fulfillment comes from a deep relationship with God. TJ encourages listeners to focus on knowing and delighting in God...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, challenges the reliance on personality tests to define identity. He shares personal struggles with identity crises and emphasizes the importance of understanding one's worth as being made in God's image. He encourages listeners to root their identity in their relationship with God and to live out G...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, host TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, delves into dealing with life's hardest challenges, from severe diagnoses to financial struggles. Sharing personal stories and biblical insights, TJ discusses practical ways to trust God and maintain hope when everything feels like it's falling apart. Through prayer, seeking God's perspec...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, rural pastor TJ Freeman delves into the paralyzing effect of 'what if' worries and the importance of embracing God's grace for today. Listeners are encouraged to focus on 'what is' and let go of future anxieties.  Key Points: God's Presence: Matthew 6:24 and 2 Corinthians 12:9 show us that God is with us a...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, TJ Freeman discusses the importance of love as outlined in scripture, emphasizing that love starts in the mind and often requires intentional, sacrificial actions. He shares practical tips for loving neighbors and handling difficult relationships. This episode also concludes our Rural Reset Series! Key Points: Not Sure How to Love Your...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary:  Rural pastor TJ Freeman explores what it means to feel the Holy Spirit's presence. He emphasizes that spiritual conviction often surpasses fleeting emotions. Through personal stories and biblical insights, he encourages trusting in God's promises and recognizing divine work in our lives, even when feelings are ambiguous. Key Points: Do you feel left out? Maybe...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, delves into the common anxieties of showing hospitality, particularly in small towns. Through scriptural insights and practical advice, TJ encourages Christians to see hospitality not as an obligation, but as an opportunity to live out their faith, break down barriers, and experience joy. Key Points: What If...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, delves into the concerns and misunderstandings surrounding the Lord's Supper. He explores who should partake in it, the meaning behind the practice, and how it should be a joyous, communal act for believers.  Key Points: Who is Communion For? Communion is for believers. We are taking the Lord's Sup...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, addresses Baptism. He addresses common questions such as whether believers should get baptized, the legitimacy of infant baptism, and the significance of baptism in the Christian faith. Key Points: Baptism as a Covenant: Baptism is a sign of entering into a covenant relationship with God, akin to a wedding r...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, addresses the common challenge of sharing the gospel, especially in small towns. He shares personal experiences and practical steps to help Christians overcome fear and awkwardness when evangelizing. Key Points: Evangelizing in a Small Town: Sharing the gospel in a rural area can be difficult for many. You m...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, host TJ Freeman discusses the challenge of making big decisions, especially for Christians living in small towns. He explains the common struggle of wanting direct guidance from God to make decisions easier. Through recounting his own experience of deciding whether to move from Florida to Pennsylvania, he emphasizes the importance of d...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: This episode of Back to Rurality, hosted by TJ Freeman, addresses the common reluctance many experience towards singing in church. Freeman highlights the biblical imperative to sing as an act of worship, encouragement for others, and a reflection of genuine faith and transformation through the gospel. Key Points: Why People Aren't Singing: There are various reasons w...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: This episode of the Back to Rurality podcast, hosted by TJ Freeman, focuses on how to wisely invest in a local church, especially in rural areas where options may be limited. Freeman acknowledges the challenges of finding a healthy church and discusses the pitfalls of approaching church selection with a consumerist mindset. Key Points: The Problem of a Consumerist Mindset...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary:  In this episode of 'Back to Rurality,' TJ Freeman, a rural pastor, discusses the concept of church membership. Freeman explains how church membership helps Christians to clarify, participate, demonstrate, and identify with their local churches. Key Points: Common Questions: Freeman addresses whether church membership biblical. He also begs the question whether...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary:  This episode of the Rural Reset series, hosted by TJ Freeman, addresses the common question of whether attending church is necessary for worshipping God, especially for those living in rural areas with limited church options. Freeman argues from scripture, particularly Ephesians chapters two and three, that while individual worship is valid, full worship and honoring God...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of Back to Rurality, hosted by rural pastor TJ Freeman, listeners are guided on how to combat persistent and challenging sins by understanding and utilizing the ordinary means of grace provided by God.   Key Points: The Deceitfulness of Sin: Freeman discusses how sins deceive us, using examples such as anxiety, addiction, and anger, and emphasizes the dest...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary:  In this podcast episode of 'Back to Rurality,' host TJ Freeman explores the universal struggle against temptation by sharing one of his own personal battles. Freeman offers biblical insights, particularly focusing on 1 Corinthians 10:13, to encourage listeners that they are not alone in their temptations, that God is faithful, and that there is a way to endure...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of 'Back to Rurality,' rural pastor TJ Freeman explores the struggle between the Christian's focus on a relationship with Jesus and the plethora of rules often associated with the faith. He shares personal experiences of growing up with strict Christian rules and discusses the challenges of guilt and pride that come with viewing Christianity...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of 'Back to Rurality,' host TJ Freeman discusses the common feeling of distance from God and offers practical tools to help listeners reconnect with their Heavenly Father.  Key Points: Potential Causes for this Distance Feeling: Their can be various causes to this feeling including unconfessed sin, unmet expectations, or comparison to others. God...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of 'Back to Rurality,' TJ Freeman discusses spiritual gifts, their importance, and how to identify and use them effectively. He emphasizes that every Christian has unique spiritual gifts meant to glorify God and build up the church. Key Points: One Body, Many Parts: In Romans 12 we read that the church is one unified body made up by many differen...

Host: TJ Freeman Summary: In this episode of 'Back to Rurality,' TJ Freeman discusses the common confusions and questions people have about prayer, addressing both theological and practical aspects. He emphasizes the importance of prayer for Christians, especially those in rural areas, and provides foundational insights into why and how to pray effectively. Key Points: Common Struggles w...