Creating The Future with Brent Simpson

What if the very thing you’re doing to feel more secure is actually making your life smaller? We all want control. We want to know our kids will turn out okay, our relationships will last, our plans will work, our health will hold up, and the future will unfold the way we expect. But there’s a paradox: the more certainty you demand, the fewer risks you can take. In this episode of Creating the Fut...

What if your calling was never meant to stay inside the walls of the church? In this episode of Creating the Future, Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Laurie Skipper, author of The Seven Mountain Mandate: Taking Your Place of Influence, to explore what it looks like for believers to bring Kingdom influence into every area of culture. Together, they unpack the Seven Mountain Mandate, the difference...

What if the words you speak are shaping more than you realize? In this episode of Creating the Future, Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Dr. Shirley George, author of The Creative Power of Your Words: Minding What Holds the Power to Shape Your Destiny, for a powerful conversation about the connection between our thoughts, words, faith, and the direction of our lives. Dr. Shirley shares from her own...

Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with one of the newest members of the ARISE pastoral team, Dr. Scott Pfingston, Global Ministries Pastor, for a conversation about revival, calling, missions, decades of ministry, and following God when His plans look different from your own. Dr. Scott grew up in church and was surrounded by the presence of God from an early age. Revival s...

Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Mike Braddock our ARISE South Lakeland Location Pastor for a conversation about faith, family, ministry, healing, and learning what it truly means to experience the presence of God. And before we get into the deeper parts of his story, we learn a few things about Pastor Mike, including his love for the TV show Bones, his musica...

Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Keren Emmanuel, Riverview Location Pastor at ARISE Church, for a conversation about identity, calling, family, ministry, and the unexpected places where God meets us. And if there's one thing you should know about Pastor Keren, it's that if Denzel Washington is in it, he's probably watching it. In the words of Denzel himself, "...

Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Josh Jordan for a conversation about family, faith, sports, ministry, and the moments when God's plans took his life in a completely different direction. First, we learn one very important thing about Pastor Josh: he loves sushi! Pastor Josh shares what it was like growing up, including eight years of his childhood spent on a f...

Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor José Medina, Pastor of ARISE Español, for a conversation about faith, family, ministry, restoration, and the unexpected ways God can use every part of our story. If Pastor José could take his dream vacation anywhere, there's one place at the top of his list: Israel. His dream is to one day walk where Jesus walked and experience...

Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Jeremiah McAnulty, Youth Pastor at ARISE Church South Lakeland, for a conversation about growing up in church, finding his own faith, discovering his call to ministry, and seeing God work through the next generation. And before we get too serious, we learn one very important fact about Pastor Jeremiah: he's team Cocoa Pebbles....

Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Pete Kramer, Teaching Pastor at ARISE Church, for a conversation full of laughter, incredible stories, and practical wisdom about serving Jesus through the local church. From growing up in a Christian home to being a proud product of the church van ministry, Pastor Pete shares how God used faithful people and consistent service...

Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with the man, the myth, the legend himself, Pastor Ken McAnulty, Executive Pastor at ARISE Church. Have you ever wondered what an Executive Pastor actually does? In this episode, Pastor Ken gives an inside look at his role, shares the story of how God called him to ARISE Church, and reflects on nearly three decades of ministry. Growing up...

The Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Jonny Turpin, Connections Pastor at ARISE Church, for a conversation filled with laughter, powerful testimony, and the faithfulness of God. Born and raised in Bartow, Florida, Pastor Jonny shares what it was like growing up as a true country boy. From spending his days outdoors to life in a pastor's home, he reflects on the val...

Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Danny Izquierdo, Youth Pastor at ARISE Church's Brandon location, for one of the most honest, heartfelt, and entertaining conversations of the season. From growing up between Venezuela and Tennessee to his unforgettable love for Nutella (yes, it counts as his favorite "candy"), Pastor Danny shares the story of a childhood marke...

Our Summer Series continues as Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Jason Vega, Worship Pastor at ARISE Church, for an honest and inspiring conversation about faith, family, worship, and the journey that brought him into ministry. Get to know Pastor Jason beyond the platform as he shares stories from his childhood, how he came to know Jesus, the moment he gave his life to Christ, and the experi...

This summer on Creating the Future, Dr. Brent Simpson is sitting down with some of the incredible pastors who help lead ARISE Church. In this first episode of the series, he welcomes Pastor Jeff Allen, Brandon Location Pastor, and Pastor Marilee Allen, Children's Pastor, for a candid conversation about faith, family, ministry, and God's faithfulness through every season. Together, they share the s...

Many people believe in God but quietly struggle to trust Him. For some, that struggle comes from painful experiences with earthly fathers. For others, it comes from years of seeing God primarily through the lens of judgment, disappointment, fear, or performance. In this episode, Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Chuck Ammons of Overflow Church in Valrico, Florida, to discuss his new book Rec...

What makes some churches flourish while others struggle? Why do some congregations experience sustained growth, spiritual vitality, and revival while others slowly decline? And what does decades of church research have to say about it? In this unique episode of Creating the Future, we're doing something we've never done before. Using AI-generated audio based entirely on my doctoral research at Lib...

What does it actually look like to walk away from God? After our recent Sunday message on conditional security, one question kept surfacing: "How does someone actually drift away from their faith?" In this episode, Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Pete Kramer to explore what the Bible says about spiritual drift, apostasy, and how believers can recognize warning signs before they find themse...

The baptism in the Holy Spirit has been one of the most debated, misunderstood, and life-changing experiences in the Church for generations. In this episode of Creating the Future, Dr. Brent Simpson and Pastor Ada Simpson sit down for an honest, biblical, and practical conversation about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, spiritual empowerment, and how the Holy Spirit transforms...

In Part 3 of this powerful 3-part series on women in ministry, Dr. Brent Simpson and Pastor Pete Kramer, Teaching Pastor at Arise Church, tackle the two passages most commonly used to prohibit women from speaking, teaching, or leading within the Church. For many Christians, these verses have shaped the entire conversation surrounding women in ministry. But are these passages being interpreted corr...

In Part 2 of this important 3-part series on women in ministry, Dr. Brent Simpson is once again joined by Pastor Pete Kramer, Teaching Pastor at Arise Church, for a deeper conversation, exploring the positive biblical evidence for women serving in ministry, and leadership roles within the Church. Throughout church history, this topic has sparked passionate debate, difficult questions, and strong o...

In this episode of Creating the Future, Dr. Brent Simpson sits down with Pastor Pete Kramer, Teaching Pastor at Arise Church, for Part 1 of a powerful 3-part conversation on women in ministry and women leaders in the Church. Why is this conversation so important right now? Why do some Pentecostal churches affirm women in ministry theologically, but struggle to fully practice it practically? And ho...

Welcome to Creating the Future with Dr. Brent Simpson, where we dive into stories, truths, and deep questions that help shape our faith, our families, and our future. What’s Really Going On? You’re not crazy. You’re not weak. And you’re definitely not alone. We are living in the most informed generation in human history…—and somehow also the most anxious, overwhelmed, and divided. In this episode,...

In this episode of Creating the Future with Dr. Brent Simpson, where we dive into stories, truths, and deep questions that help shape our faith, our families, and our future… In 399 BC, a man was sentenced to death in Athens. No army. No violence. His only crime—he asked too many questions. So why does society feel threatened by someone whose only weapon is an idea? In this episode, we look at a p...

In this episode of Creating the Future with Dr. Brent Simpson, where we dive into stories, truths, and deep questions that help shape our faith, our families, and our future…What if the challenges we’re facing today aren’t new at all? What if they were identified over 2,000 years ago by a man who paid for his ideas with his life? In this episode, I kick off a new philosophy series by looking at So...