Elder My City, with Tim Schmoyer

In Luke 19, Jesus tells his servants to "engage in business" until he returns. Not pray, not read the Bible, not serve the poor (all good things), but engage in business. I've been saying I'd come back to this, and here we are. I'm wrestling with why Jesus chose this directive. I think it's because business is the only arena that simultaneously pressure tests every dimension of character that God-...

Most of us have learned a version of repentance that works great in the moment: say the right words, feel the weight, promise change. But Exodus shows a terrifying pattern: Pharaoh confesses twice, sounds sincere, and then hardens again as soon as the hail stops. This episode is a gut-check for me, because I’ve been quick to confess and slow to change more times than I want to admit. I’m not just...

Most of us inherited one model for spiritual growth: a quiet room, a Bible, and solitude. It works for some people. Tim's wife has a prayer closet that proves it. But for many men, that format produces obligation more than transformation. In this episode, Tim makes the case that scripture never required solitude — and that the primary way God-fearing men have always engaged the Word looks a lot mo...

Self-sufficiency feels like stewardship, but what if it's actually working against the very thing God designed the body of Christ to do? In this episode, I share how a living room Bible study in 1 Corinthians 12 exposed something I'd been avoiding: our family doesn't need anyone, and I built it that way on purpose. Paul's body analogy isn't a nice illustration. I think it's a direct challenge to t...

Your wife sees what you don't. She watches how you handle stress, how you show up (or don't) for your kids, and the tone you use when you think no one's listening. She has a front row seat to the man you actually are, not just the man you're trying to become. In this episode, we unpack three questions I'm starting to ask Dana on our Monday night dates: What do you need from me? (The leadership gap...

Most men make decisions by asking, "What's the smartest choice?" But what if your decisions aren't just problems to solve, they're training for something you haven't been shown yet? In this episode, I walk through three real decisions I'm facing right now — an investment property, relationship priorities for a family of nine, and whether to compete in a BJJ tournament against my doctor's advice —...

A jacked 23-year-old put me in a chokehold last Friday. I'm 45. Most people call Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a hobby. I've started seeing it as elder training. Eldership isn't formed in a seminary classroom or a church board meeting. It's formed in the ordinary rhythms you refuse to quit — the budget meetings, the bedtime Bible readings, the conversations with your kids you'd rather avoid. In this episode...

Most Christian men have a fuzzier picture of the Kingdom than they do of their next vacation. Clouds. Harps. Maybe endless singing. But Jesus talked about the Kingdom over 100 times and what He described looks nothing like that. The prophets describe cities. Governance. Land and property. Work that actually lasts. And Revelation says we'll reign forever. Not floating around with equal status, but...

Comment on the full post here: https://read.timschmoyer.com/p/i-found-my-job-description-in-scripture Questions? Thoughts? Comments? Leave me a voicemail message to use in a future podcast episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/timschmoyer Subscribe to get new blog posts and podcast episodes in your Inbox: https://read.timschmoyer.com/subscribe Follow Tim on the socials: - Instagram: https://www.insta...

Questions? Thoughts? Comments? Leave me a voicemail message to use in a future podcast episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/timschmoyer Comment on the full post here: https://read.timschmoyer.com/p/divine-assignments-to-the-underprepared A few weeks ago, I was texting with a friend about this “Elder My City” project. He mentioned that I’m “taking up the mantle to lead fathers in this direction” in o...

Questions? Thoughts? Comments? Leave me a voicemail message to use in a future podcast episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/timschmoyer Comment on the full post here: https://read.timschmoyer.com/p/you-dont-have-what-it-takes A podcast listener named Christopher sent me a voice message and asked a very critical question about how we, as God-fearing men, actually gain the ability to live out a vision...

Questions? Thoughts? Comments? Leave me a voicemail message to use in a future podcast episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/timschmoyer Comment on the full post here: https://read.timschmoyer.com/p/training-for-authority-i-dont-have I’ve really appreciated the feedback I’ve received lately from people who are following along as I explore this “eldership” role in more detail, especially the critical...

Questions? Thoughts? Comments? Leave me a voicemail message to use in a future podcast episode: https://www.speakpipe.com/timschmoyer Comment on the full post here: https://read.timschmoyer.com/p/business-makes-kingdom-men ---- I used to believe business existed mostly to fund ministry, that the people in the pews wrote checks so the people on staff could do the real Kingdom work. I grew up in a p...

Post URL: https://read.timschmoyer.com/p/the-cost-of-having-no-elders Lead a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/timschmoyer Now that I’m thinking about city eldership more intentionally, I’m starting to notice what we’ve lost by not having it as a normal part of our life. Kind of like how I don’t notice the humming of the ceiling fan until I turn it off, I didn’t notice the impact of missing...

Leave a voice message for me here: https://www.speakpipe.com/timschmoyer I recently had the opportunity to speak about the “father, elder, ruler” progression at a men’s breakfast. Afterwards, with tears in his eyes, an older man told me this: “I used to be a leader in my career and in my home, but now that I’m retired and my kids are grown up, all I do is sit at home and care for the dog.” Somethi...

As I’ve shared this progression idea of, “Father in the home to elder in the city to ruler in the Kingdom,” I keep getting the same question. They say, “Tim, I get the ‘father in the home’ part, but elders and ruling part doesn’t make sense.” Yeah, I understand why. Most people think “elder” means church board member, and “Kingdom of God” means an eternal vacation in heaven. There’s some truth to...

After a year of writing about whatever was on my mind—business, marriage, family, faith, asset management, coaching—I finally found the through-line connecting everything: eldership . But not the version you're probably picturing. In this episode, I share how biblical eldership connects all the areas I've been exploring and why it matters for men who want to lead their families, influence their co...

You have an amazing product to sell, but there's so much to still figure out. How much do you charge? And then, how do you pitch it in a way that people understand the value and feel like they would be stupid NOT to buy it? In this episode, you will learn how to create a minimal viable offer, find the right price for your products, and make sure you're making a profit so your business can thrive....

Maybe you’re like me, and you’ve made the mistake of thinking that just because you have an audience on YouTube, they’ll buy whatever you sell them. Trust me, this is not true. -Especially if you’re launching the wrong product. But how do you know that you’re launching the wrong product? And more importantly, how do you not waste your time and make sure you’re launching the RIGHT product? Watch th...

YouTube has changed so much over the past decade, and what used to be a goldmine a few years back now barely brings in a few cents. In this episode, I break down how the creator economy has evolved and tried to make sense of the whole "business model" thing. I talk about different ways you can create value with your content, how to deliver that value to your audience, and most importantly, how to...

Mentorship in any endeavor so important. There have been some incredibly important people over the years that have had key roles in shaping my business journey. But how do you find a good mentor and how to you get them to mentor you??  In this episode of Creator Business Labs, I’ll be answering questions regarding how to find and secure valuable mentorship in the creator economy.  I’ll also share...

For the past 10 years, I've been in the trenches with content creators, hearing the same dreams over and over: more family time, ability to travel, and sharing their passions with the world. But here's the catch: even after they've figured out how to make YouTube their full-time gig, they end up feeling stuck—overwhelmed, running in place, and not really living the life they imagined. Growing a ch...

My goal on this podcast is to share what I have learned about business to help you create the systems you need to make life feel free again. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit read.timschmoyer.com Get the free guide, "The Elder's Decision-Making Framework: A Step-by-Step Guide for Godly Leadership," by subscribi...

I started my business because I wanted freedom: Freedom of time and finances. I had a passion for my business and wanted to share it with the world. But after years of grinding, I realized I was driving so hard for my dreams that I could never take time off to rest and enjoy the dream I was trying to create. I was not free at all, but a slave to my business. Instead of owning a business, my busine...

What is community? Is it the people in your church that you say hi to on Sunday? Is it the families in your small group? Is it your neighbors? What if you live out in country? What does community look like then? How do you engage in your community? What is your purpose in your community? How do you use the gifts God has given you to serve your community? How does hospitality play into all of this?...