Today we've got Gateway Seminary vice president Dr. Kristen Ferguson for a fascinating conversation that ranges from women's ministry, to being a pastor's wife, and concludes with a moving discussion of special needs ministry in the church AND special needs MINISTERING TO THE CHURCH. We will also have JC, the Cal Baptist Ministry student, back to review the World's Hottest Soda with us - does it live up to the hype? Does it injure us? We also have a great Spanish language interview at the end with Dr. Chris Smith and Pastor Humberto Hernandez on the state of the Hispanic church in the West.

Great pod today, with some fascinating topics and guest hosts and guest reviewers. We've got a review of a Scottish Soda - Irn Bru, made with steel girders, apparently, and a great guest reviewer there AND ALSO a listener question from Robin F., who asks about the Apocrypha - those mysterious books that are in some Bibles, absent from others, and are the centerpiece for tons of conspiracy theories about the church. What is the Apocrypha, and should you be reading it? WHY is it no longer in most Protestant Bibles? The Truth is out there…and today we begin a multi-part series on the Apocrypha. By the way - what Giant of the Reformation quoted a book from the apocrypha, and called the speaker, and the namesake of that book a "prophet" We will find out!

Before that, our main interview is with Dr. Chris Smith of the Great Commission Association, a former missionary to Spain, and current mission consultant with the GCA and president of the Great Commission Training Institution, which is an online training school that is VERY affordable for pastors and church leaders. Check out www.GCASBC.org for more. Dr. Mike Stewart, our co-host today and the senior director of California's Great Commission Association, and I will talk to Dr. Chris Smith about front-stage vs. Back-stage ministry, and also his favorite food from Spain, and - perhaps most importantly- the difference between Spanish tortillas and Mexican tortillas.

Our focus today is on The roots that nobody sees vs the flower that draws attention. If the flower isn't healthy, or it browns, or falls off - as long as the roots are healthy, the plant will be healthy, and that flower will grow again. But some flowers can persist for a time without any roots whatsoever - they can look healthy - for a time in a vase, or whatever, but their life is limited because their roots for accessing living water are gone. Similarly, there are times in ministry where leaders and pastors can have a healthy looking front stage or flower of ministry, but the back-stage or the roots are sick, failing or missing, and in that case, it is inevitable that a collapse will happen at some point. Most leaders pay more attention to the front stage - the flower of ministry - but we really should pay the far greater attention to our roots - our abiding in the vine of Jesus.

Our next two episodes are with Dr. Kristen Ferguson, VP Gateway Seminary, and we will discuss Christians and AI, Church leader education, online education, women in ministry and being a pastor's wife. Also coming soon: Dr. Cathie Smith on women in ministry and missions and missional complementarianism, Pastor Humberto Hernandez, and many other interesting guests. Stay tuned!

Are you at the end of your rope? Today we discuss how to know you are close to running out of rope and what to do about it. PLUS: Preacher Myths. Will the lion lay down with the lamb? Did Paul fall of his horse on the Damascus Road? Did Mary ride a donkey to Bethlehem? Did Jesus leave a coded message in His tomb with a folded napkin? Does sparing the rod spoil the child? We will cover these preaching myths and more!

Welcome to episode 14 of the Every Church Flourishing Podcast, sponsored by the Great Commission Association of California. If you are a California pastor or church leader looking for a home - get in touch with us through our website GCASBC.org - we would love to partner with you!

Today Senior Director of the GCA Dr. Mike Stewart and I interview Pastor Grant Combs of Lighthouse Baptist in Seaside, California. In addition to pastoring Lighthouse, Grant is an ambassador to other pastors and church leaders, and he is going to help us know when disaster is coming, and some practical steps to avoid disaster in ministry.

We have upcoming episodes on women in ministry, with Dr. Kristen Ferguson Vice President of Gateway Seminary, mom, pastor's wife, lady in ministry, and expert on the Christian use of AI. We will also be talking to Dr. Cathie Smith about women in ministry and women on mission coming very soon AND we are recording with Dr. Cameron Schweitzer, the director of Gateway Seminary's campus in San Liandro, this week, and we've got lots more great guests lined up also.

Lions lying Down with Lambs? The Danger of Preacher Myths and Urban Legends.

Credibility and integrity are important, and I don't think that any real Christian would disagree with that statement. Jesus spoke the truth, and identified Himself as a truth-teller in John 8. In fact, He noted that some of the Jews wanted to kill Him because He told them the truth. The truth isn't always popular. Today we examine five "preacher myths," that may not be true.