Ministry Deep Dive

Travis Michael Fleming and Mark Sayers do a cultural apologetic deep dive into one of the structures influencing church today and how we have become a platform society. They discuss Sayers' book, "Platforms to Pillars," which examines the evolving nature of leadership in the modern world. They start off their conversation with an eye-opening revelation from a United Nations report indicating that...

Travis Michael Fleming and Marcus Warner delve into the intricate dimensions of Rare Leadership, underscoring that true leadership is predicated on emotional maturity and relational health. They contend that the prevailing paradigm of leadership, often characterized by charisma and performance metrics, must be supplanted by a model that prioritizes emotional resilience and relational integrity. Th...

The conversation between Travis Michael Fleming and Dr. Marcus Warner centers around the principles delineated in their book, "Rare Leadership," which emphasizes the paramount importance of joy and maturity in effective leadership. They elucidate how the absence of joy leads to a toxic atmosphere in organizational settings, particularly within churches, resulting in high staff turnover and a cultu...

In the final segment, the discussion shifts towards practical applications of these concepts within church leadership and congregational life. Wilder introduces the RARE leadership framework—remaining relational, acting like oneself, returning to joy, and enduring hardship—as a strategy for leaders to navigate the complexities of ministry. This framework serves as a guide for maintaining authentic...

Travis Michael Fleming and Jim Wilder discuss the intricacies of spiritual formation and how our relationships (i.e. attachments) affect how we live and what we believe. Together, they examine how our understanding of God, ourselves, and our interactions with others shapes our spiritual landscapes. Wilder invites us to reconsider the foundational elements of our faith, arguing that while theologic...

Travis Michael Fleming and Malcolm Guite continue their conversation on the Christian imagination. They explore the historical context of imagination within Christian thought, tracing its evolution from the Enlightenment to the present day. They discuss how figures like Coleridge and Kant influenced our understanding of imagination, positing that imagination is a necessary faculty for discerning m...

Travis Michael Fleming and Malcolm Guite's conversation offers a rich exploration of the Christian imagination and its pivotal role in spiritual life and cultural discourse. Guite reflects on his transformative experiences with poetry, particularly the impact of John Keats on his understanding of beauty and transcendence. He emphasizes the necessity of imagination in articulating the complexities...

Travis Michael Fleming and Jerry Root delve into the inspiring legacy of C.S. Lewis, particularly as it pertains to the realm of evangelism. They discuss how Lewis, despite his scholarly acumen, possessed a unique ability to communicate complex theological concepts in an accessible manner, thereby inviting individuals from various backgrounds to engage with the Christian faith. Root emphasizes tha...

Travis Michael Fleming and Jerry Root engage in a conversation on the intersections of C.S. Lewis's literary imagination and the practice of evangelism. Central to their discussion is the assertion that Lewis's imaginative prowess facilitates the understanding of complex theological concepts, making them accessible to a broader audience. Root explores how Lewis employs narrative and metaphor to pe...

Join the Blueprint Cohort – Starting May 28! Are you ready to go deeper in your faith and discover how to live out God's Kingdom in today's world? Sign up for the Blueprint Cohort, a 5-week guided journey through Blueprint: Kingdom Living in the Modern World . We’ll meet Wednesdays from 12–1 PM ET, starting May 28 via Zoom. 🗓 Meeting Dates: May 28 June 4 June 11 June 18 June 25 Whether you're a pa...

Join the Blueprint Cohort – Starting May 28! Are you ready to go deeper in your faith and discover how to live out God's Kingdom in today's world? Sign up for the Blueprint Cohort, a 5-week guided journey through Blueprint: Kingdom Living in the Modern World . We’ll meet Wednesdays from 12–1 PM ET, starting May 28 via Zoom. 🗓 Meeting Dates: May 28 June 4 June 11 June 18 June 25 Whether you're a pa...

Love God. Love people. Sounds simple, but in many churches today, the Great Commandment has largely been unintentionally overlooked. Today's conversation is about rediscovering the Great Commandment, which calls us to love God with the entirety of our being and to extend that love to our neighbors. But it's not about love in abstract theory, but everyday practice. It's a call to learn the skills o...

The primary focus of this podcast episode is the evolving nature of evangelism and discipleship in light of contemporary cultural shifts, as articulated in Travis Michael Fleming's book, "Blueprint: Kingdom Living in the Modern World". The discussion emphasizes that traditional methods of evangelism, once effective in a more monocultural context, are now inadequate due to the increasing pluralism...

A holy week devotional and prayer for those going about the Lord's business.

Travis Michael Fleming embarks on a profound exploration of his book, Blueprint: Kingdom Living in the Modern World , addressing the prevailing crisis within evangelicalism. He articulates a sobering assessment of the current state of the church, underlining the alarming statistics that indicate a significant exodus from church attendance, quantified at over 40 million individuals in recent years....

Travis Michael Fleming and Christopher J.H. Wright engage in a profound discourse concerning the implications of Chris' book, "The Great Story and the Great Commission". Central to their conversation is the assertion that the Great Commission must not merely be perceived as a task to be completed, but rather as an enduring invitation to partake in God's ongoing narrative of redemption. They elucid...

In this enlightening episode of "Those Who Serve the Lord," Travis Michael Fleming engages Christopher J.H. Wright in a thought-provoking discussion that centers around the latter's book, The Great Story and the Great Commission . The discourse emphasizes the importance of a coherent understanding of the biblical narrative, which is essential for effective ministry and discipleship. Wright articul...

Travis Michael Fleming engages in a profound dialogue with Dr. James Davison Hunter regarding the pressing themes articulated in Hunter's seminal work, "Democracy & Solidarity: The Roots of America's Political Crisis". Central to their discourse is the assertion that genuine political change is inextricably linked to the deeper structures of culture, which politics alone cannot transform. As t...

In this episode, Travis Michael Fleming sits down with Dr. James Davison Hunter to unpack the deep fractures in our political and cultural landscape—fractures that don’t just divide Republicans and Democrats but also cut through the pews of our churches. How can Christian leaders navigate these landmine differences without blowing up their churches or losing their way? Dr. Hunter, the author of De...

The more we are online, the more disembodied we are. As Christians, we want to be rooted in a time and in a place. In The Art of Living in Season , Sylvie Vanhoozer invites readers to join this community of little saints and to follow them not only at Christmas but also throughout the whole year. Each chapter introduces a new santon (little saint) and opens up another aspect of our annual pilgrima...

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 What if the help that you are giving to people in the community or on a mission trip actually do the exact opposite of what you want? In other words, what if your helping hurts? Today's guest is Dr. Brian Fikkert. Dr. Fikkert is Professor of Economics and Community Development and the Founder of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. He is coauthor of the best-selling...

In this second conversation with Michael Wear, Travis and Michael continue discussing his book, The Spirit of Our Politics: Spiritual Formation and the Renovation of Public Life . Travis and Michael discuss abortion, same-sex marriage, partisan politics, how politics is spiritually forming us, political exhaustion, helplessness, Dallas Willard, and so much more. Michael Wear is the Founder, Presid...

We are in the political season and every election cycle, we hear that there is so much at stake and that this election is the most important ever. We hear about one scandal or another, and we hear about the issues (which are extremely important), but it's gotten to the point where it is a zero-sum game, and Christians are being used to engage in politics in a way that denigrates their testimony an...

We are in a time where the cultural topography is shifting. The message hasn't changed, but our position in the culture has. Is there an example we can look to to find inspiration? Stephen O. Presley believes so. Drawing upon the first three centuries of Christianity, Stephen takes us on a journey into the mind of the early church of the first few centuries, showing us that their time is not so di...