Leading Conversations

Brett and Karla Burner, from Spring Valley, California near San Diego, are from two different backgrounds and countries. They met at a summer camp and have been together ever since. Brett jumped into ministry. Bible studies led to teaching, which led to pastoring. Their journey will encourage you. And if you ever see Swell soda on the menu or in a store, you can thank Brett. Send us Fan Mail We wa...

Jim began his walk with Jesus as a seventh grader in Cookeville, Tennessee, when he walked the aisle during a revival meeting and received Christ as his Savior and Lord. He later answered God’s call to the pastorate between his Junior and Senior years in college. His journey with Jesus has spanned five decades and has taken him across the country three times, serving as a lead pastor in four churc...

A coach at heart, Steve Clifford lived the “Friday Night Lights” life as a high school football coach in Texas. But it was an invitation to a summer camp that changed his life in high school. There, he committed his life to Christ and didn’t look back. Early work in Young Life eventually led to a two-year volunteer commitment to help a church. That two-year commitment turned into a lifetime spent...

If the state of Arizona were a dartboard, the city of Payson would be in the bullseye. It is located near the geographic center of the state. Dr. Aaron Walp, who goes by “Walp” because of serving in law enforcement earlier in life, is J.D.’s guest today. Walp currently serves as the head administrator for a Christian school. Like so many kids, he experienced divorce in his parents’ marriage, and t...

If you were thinking about planting a church, the last place you might consider is Flint, Michigan. It just so happens that Steven and Katrina Bentley followed God’s lead and did just that. From their first date at Taco Bell to enjoying grandchildren today, the Bentleys have always sought after what God wanted them to be doing. Even when people around them said they weren't making “smart” cho...

If you ever wanted to know someone who was from Peoria twice, J.D.’s guest, Jim Powell, is your man. He is currently serving as the Senior Pastor of Palm West Community Church. While he grew up in a Christian home, Jim went through all the mechanics of the Luther church his family attended. But he never really understood what it meant to have a relationship with Christ. In college, Jim worked as a...

You may have never wondered where Panhandle, Texas, is located. If you wanted to find it on a map, think out the square top of Texas, and it’s right in the middle of that. J.D.’s guest on this episode is Brent Warren, pastor of The River in Panhandle. Running from an abusive father when Brent was three, his mom took him and his sister to live with his Godly grandparents. At an early age, he felt t...

J.D.'s guet on this episode is Tom Mercer. Odds are, if you have worked in ministry, you have probably read at least one of Tom's many books. He gew up in a Christain homa and his father was a pastor. Tom had always thought he would go into the “family” business of ministry. However, he witnessed the mistreatment of his father by the church he was serving in, and decided he wasn’t going...

Sometimes, what makes you different makes you who you are. While that may seem obvious, that cannot be truer for Eric Gamero, the pastor of The Local Church in South Florida. Eric had a Cuban father and a Korean mother. The culture clash eventually led to his parent's separation. Spending weekends with his mom meant that he grew up in a Korean church. Accepting Christ at 12 while at a summer...

Our guest today comes all the way from Holland. Not the land of Tulips, Holland, Michigan. Travis Rae is the Discipleship Pastor at Central Wesleyan Church and the Director of Waters Edge, a church building and planting organization. It truly is a miracle that you can hear from Travis today. His parents (mom pregnant with Travis) were traveling in Eastern Europe on April 26, 1986. The date may not...

Jamal Jones knows he was fortunate to be raised in a Christian home with both of his parents. The youngest of five children, he learned early that he wanted to dedicate his life to serving the Lord. He wasn't sure what that would look like. A successful high school football experience led to a scholarship to play for the Fresno State Bulldogs. While at Fresno State, he became involved with th...

J.D.'s guest today is Pastor Jeremy McGarity. Growing up in a non-Christian home, Jeremy loved sports, but mostly baseball. He was drafted out of high school into the Minor Leagues as a pitcher. On the team, Jeremy noticed that the third baseman handled life differently than all the other players. A conversation led to an invite to a Bible study. This led to Jeremy leading the study, and his...

Yes, it's true, J.D.'s guest today was in fact named after the Old Testament prophet Micah. It's in the Bible if you don't remember. It's that one, just past Jonah. As you hear Micah, the one from Fresno, CA, share his journey. You can see how God can take life's challenges and turn them around for his purpose. Growing up in and around ministry, Micah took on several...

In this episode, JD has a conversation with Dr. John Jackson. He is currently serving as the President of William Jessup University. In his ministry life, he has been a church pastor, a church planter, and a mission leader of a denomination. He has a passion for the local church and a passion for leadership. His ministry experience has taught him valuable lessons about himself and what is essentia...

Some people have been in ministry for a long time and have been a part of some great movements, and then there is Jack Hamilton. He has done both and more. In today's conversation, you will hear Jack's story from the beginning and how God carried him through ministry and service to others ministering. You won't want to miss Jack's story. Listen, and you will truly be inspired....

Joining the conversation today is no stranger to the Excel Network. Dave Bennet has raised more money for churches than most of us will earn in a lifetime. In today's podcast, Dave shares the life-altering moment when his doctor spoke two words, cancer and malignant. Initially feeling abandoned by God, Dave tells JD how he saw purpose through the challenge and how it has changed his life. Lis...

You will want to hear Elisha's story. It is so easy to think about church planting in the context of the United States. Most planters are thinking about how they will start, grow, and reach their communities for Christ. Imagine all those goals in Africa. Elisha Confronted family mysticism to find Christ and then to find the passion for planting churches. You won't want to miss this conve...

You might be surprised about the content of today's interview.  Jonathan Singh is the pastor of Tribe City Church just outside Phoenix, AZ. With parents that immigrated to the United States, he spent his childhood on the rough street corrners of Queens, NY. Jonathan would hand out tracts while his father preached the gospel. Throughout a journey of ministry service, Jonathan always knew in hi...

Today's conversation is with TJ and Jess McCall from Buckeye, AZ. Thier journey has led them through multiple leves of ministry from youth work, associate pastorship, and finally as a lead pastor. It also took them around the country, from Monterey, CA to Paducah, KY, and points in between. They are currently working on a new church plant in Palm Springs, CA. Traveling between Arizona and Cal...

Today's conversation is with Casey and Aimee Graves. Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, they felt led to settle in Temecula, CA. In 2019 they planted The Refinery Church. Throughout their marriage, they served as the principal leaders in starting and reimagining ministries that have proven to be effective in helping people come to know Jesus and grow in Him. Temecula has a diverse popula...

Today's converastion is with Jim Smith, President of the Pacific Church Network. He has been the President since March, 2006. Jim and his wife, Vicki, have 4 married children, and 11 grandchildren. He has been in active pastoral ministry since 1979, serving as a youth pastor and ultimately as a Senior Pastor. His ministry has taken him to many countries around the world on short-term mission...

The man, the myth, the legend, Daniel Nunez is the the guest on the podcast today. His journey has been one of faith in an audacious goal of planting 50 churches in the Mexico. It was just crazy enough that only God could make it happen. With a lot of prayer and a lot of work, by the grace of God, church number 50 was launched last month. Learn how how it was done and how Daniel has set up the fut...

Today's guest on the podcast is Jay Stovall. From the "jewel of the inland empire," Redlands, California. Does life sometimes feel like you are in a perfect storm of challenges? Then you will appreciate Jay's journey. Recently, the Stovalls had insurance claims out on their car, their house, and their medical insurance. During all of this, his wife gave birth to their third chi...

It's an epic episode. Brad and Anne Brucker from Epic Church in Sherwood, Oregon, are interviewed by J.D. It all started with a dance on a rooftop. In addition to EPIC church, they are planting churches and serving African communities with medical care. If you are wondering if you are ready to plant a church, the Brucker's would tell you to "get in the game!" God is doing work...

In today's episode, J.D. interviews Julian and Daisy Delmore. As you listen to their story, you will be encouraged to know that God works beyond what can typically be a statistic. Julian and Daisy are a testament to how faith and trust in God, no matter the challenge or the impossibility of a situation, is rewarded when God makes everything come together in his own way. Julian and Daisy seek...