The Downline Podcast: Gospel Driven Discipleship

New episodes are coming this fall when Downline Institute kicks back up at the end of August — and we can't wait. Until then, we're revisiting the conversations our listeners have loved most, dropping every other week all summer long. Consider this your summer listening list. What if the most confrontational book in the New Testament is exactly what the church needs right now? Pastor Jason...

New episodes are coming this fall when Downline Institute kicks back up at the end of August — and we can't wait. Until then, we're revisiting the conversations our listeners have loved most, dropping every other week all summer long. Consider this your summer listening list. We welcome Dr. Greg Smalley from Focus on the Family to discuss what creates healthy, lasting marriages. Greg addre...

New episodes are coming this fall when Downline Institute kicks back up at the end of August — and we can't wait. Until then, we're revisiting the conversations our listeners have loved most, dropping every other week all summer long. Consider this your summer listening list. Kristi McLelland is a Bible nerd in the best possible way. She's been taking people to Israel for 20 years, tea...

We tied a bow on Season 2! As we head into the summer, now is the perfect time to catch up on any episodes you may have missed, share your favorites, and get ready for Season Three launching later this year. We’ll also be re-releasing some of our fan favorite episodes from this season, biweekly. Thank you for listening, subscribing, and helping us continue making disciples to the ends of the earth...

UFOs, AI, polyamory, and the Mariana Trench; not your typical podcast topics, but Dr. Al Mohler ties them all back to what it means to follow Jesus faithfully in a world that's losing its footing fast. Resources Mentioned: The Briefing:  https://albertmohler.com/the-briefing Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear more! Subscribe to never miss an episode, leave a review, and visit  downlin...

Suffering has a way of exposing what we really believe about God. In this episode, Mark Vroegop explains how biblical lament creates space for honest prayers, deep grief, and renewed trust in God’s faithfulness even when life feels overwhelming. Resources Mentioned: •  Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop •  Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Devotional Journal Tune in to The Downline Podcast now to hear...

What happens when success starts costing you what matters most? Entrepreneur and Downline alum Rodney Kenner shares the moment that stopped him in his tracks, and led to a major shift in how he approaches work, family, and faith. From long travel seasons to rediscovering presence at home, this conversation dives into what it looks like to trust God with your career and live on mission right where...

Most Christian men are bored and Larry Watkins isn't afraid to say it. In this episode, Larry joins Jamie to talk about why so many believers are stuck on the sidelines, and what it actually looks like to get off the bench. From leaving a six-figure sales career to building a movement of bold, mission-minded men, Larry's story will challenge everything you thought "doing ministry"...

How do you actually disciple your family without it feeling forced or overwhelming? In this episode, Melissa Kruger talks about simple, powerful ways to pray for your spouse and kids, build meaningful rhythms at home, and create space for real conversations about faith. From praying Scripture to navigating doubt and parenting without panic, this episode is packed with practical wisdom for leading...

Wisdom isn't passive, and it isn't a formula. Courtney Doctor joins Jamie to explore what Proverbs actually calls us to; a grace-driven, active pursuit of God's ways in God's world. They discuss the book's structure, the two women at the heart of it, the role of trust, and how to practically use Proverbs in discipleship. Resources mentioned: The Gospel Coalition Women's Con...

Kristi McLelland is a Bible nerd in the best possible way. She's been taking people to Israel for 20 years, teaches at Williamson College in Tennessee, and has made it her life's mission to help everyday Christians understand the Bible in its world. In this episode she brings that same energy to early church history, tracing the story from a Spirit-filled room in Jerusalem all the way to t...

Your money is either serving God's kingdom or competing with it; there's no third option. Randy Alcorn joins the Downline Podcast to cut through the noise on biblical stewardship, generosity, and why most financial conversations Christians have are missing the point entirely. Resources Mentioned: Money, Possessions and Eternity  — Randy Alcorn All God's Creatures   — Randy Alcorn (rele...

Riley Patterson has played for nine NFL teams, survived countless cuts, and kicked in some of the most pressure-packed moments in professional football. But the Miami Dolphins kicker will tell you the best moments of his life have come on his knees, not on the field. Riley shares how discipleship transformed his faith, his career, and his calling; and why he's committed to making disciples for...

Ashley Collins never imagined she'd spend 14 years doing jail ministry; she grew up sheltered, surrounded by people just like her. But a chance visit to a nonprofit and a Holy Spirit nudge changed everything. In this episode, Ashley shares how her perspective on incarcerated women was completely transformed, why women behind bars are often more spiritually open than those sitting in church pew...

Part two of Lecrae's live podcast at The Downline Summit is here! Lecrae has rapped on the BET Cypher alongside Kendrick Lamar. He's performed on  The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon . He's been recognized in the middle of the most famous crosswalk in Tokyo. He's also come home from the Grammys to a flooded shower, a honey-do list, and kids who genuinely cannot believe that people a...

Recorded live at the Downline Summit, Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Lecrae joins Jamie to tell stories you haven't heard before; from prophetic dreams that led him to Christ, to bombing at his eighth-grade talent show, to Snoop Dogg kicking him out of Jamie Foxx's house (for his own good). Lecrae opens up about battling depression, navigating brutal public criticism, and why he writes from...

Dr. Steve Winstead joins Jamie to share the story of leaving a thriving ministry in Memphis to pastor a 1,500-member, 60-nation church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Steve opens up about the family challenges of uprooting four boys, navigating his son's painful transition overseas, and learning to trust God's clear leading at every crossroads. Now preparing to move to Germany, Steve reflects on...

Jamie talks with Old Testament scholar Dr. Iain Provan about the wisdom of Ecclesiastes. Dr. Provan challenges the translation of "vanity" as "meaningless," showing how the book teaches us to embrace life as fleeting and beyond our control; not worthless. This conversation explores how Ecclesiastes calls us to receive life as a gift rather than something to grasp, find joy within o...

Jamie talks with Brett McCracken from The Gospel Coalition about navigating movies as a Christian. Brett shares his framework for deciding what to watch: does this move me toward loving God and neighbor, or away from it? They discuss why secular art often wrestles with deeply theological questions about meaning, suffering, and what it means to be human; even when filmmakers don't realize it. F...

What should we be certain about, and where can we disagree? Dr. Cole Huffman guides listeners through the landscape of theological tensions, distinguishing between essential gospel truths, denominational distinctives, secondary matters, and issues of Christian liberty. Avoid the extremes of fighting over everything or caring about nothing. Resources Mentioned: Finding the Right Hills to Die On  by...

Jamie talks with Dr. Todd Korpi, author of "AI Goes to Church," about navigating AI as Christians. Beyond questions like whether pastors should use ChatGPT for sermons, they discuss what it means to be human when AI shapes our world. They explore how to find biblical wisdom for questions Scripture doesn't directly address, the tension between efficiency and genuine human connection, an...

Ever feel like Revelation is written in a different language? Jen Wilkin thinks the problem isn't the book; it's that we've lost our Old Testament literacy. The early church heard it once and got it. We've got charts, timelines, and still can't agree on what it means. Jen unpacks why our confusion reveals more about our Bible literacy than we'd like to admit, and how readin...

How do you hold grace and truth together when algorithms are designed to make you outraged and culture demands you pick a political tribe? J.D. Greear and Jamie tackle the false choice between compromise and combat, exploring why Jesus was so truthful they wanted to kill him yet so graceful that sinners loved being around him. They discuss why faithfulness is less about which lever you pull every...

The rules around sex were never meant to be a list of don'ts; they're a roadmap to something far more beautiful. But an entire generation has been discipled by pornography, and the church is playing catch-up. In this episode, Dr. Juli Slattery (clinical psychologist and founder of Authentic Intimacy) joins Jamie to explore what's really happening beneath the surface. Here's what mo...

We're taking a two-week break, but while we're away, enjoy a few of our top-rated episodes. We'll be back with brand new content in the New Year! The culture war narrative says faith is dying. The data says something completely different. In this episode, Jamie and Justin Brierley reveal the spiritual comeback that's rewriting the rules of belief in America. Hear the stories behind...