Episodes
We’re finishing up our special series on Disciple Making Culture with 2 special interviews with Brandon Guindon. Brandon is the founding pastor of Real Life Ministries in Texas and today he’s talking with Matt Dabbs about developing a disciple-making culture within your church by sharing his insights on the challenges faced in maintaining perseverance and the American pragmatism that often discourages long-term discipleship. Check out Real Life Texas at: reallifetexas.org  Registration to our...
Published 03/27/24
For Part 1 of this conversation click HERE In this episode, Matt Dabbs talks with Todd Wilson for part 2 on their conversation about the challenges the American church faces in creating a culture of disciple making. A national study shows only 4% of churches have a disciple-making culture, and Todd gives us insight as to why that is, focusing on the fact that churches with a lot of programs or consumer-driven churches actually hinder discipleship. We need a change in our church’s operating...
Published 03/25/24
We have the privilege of speaking with Todd Wilson in this episode. He’s the former founder of Exponential and the current directional team leader of the Renew Movement. Todd and Matt Dabbs dive into the challenges and statistics surrounding disciple making in U.S. churches. Our current plan to use church programs for church growth has created a barriers to a real disciple-making culture. Wilson argues for a shift towards relational disciple making as a primary way of growth, especially after...
Published 03/20/24
This episode features a conversation with Matthew Anderson, who has been instrumental in planting churches and making disciples in Utah through Plant Utah. Be prepared for an in-depth exploration of disciple-making and church planting in a region where Evangelical Christians represent a very small minority. Matthew shares insights into the unique challenges of ministry in Utah, emphasizing relational and experiential engagement over traditional apologetics. This conversation covers the...
Published 03/18/24
Exploring Discipleship.org: Free Resources, Podcasts, Events, and More You may not be aware of this, but discipleship.org is a great resource for disciple-making tools. In this episode, Matt Dabbs and Bobby Harrington discuss those tools and they cover our free and premium resources, including blogs, ebooks, podcasts, books, assessments, videos, and specific toolkits, all designed to facilitate disciple-making. This conversation also highlights some key figures in disciple-making, their...
Published 03/13/24
Understanding Spiritual Warfare with Marcus Warner Marcus Warner is the president of Deeper Walk Int’l and an author very familiar with spiritual warfare. In this episode, Matt Dabbs and Marcus talk about the often overlooked aspects of spiritual warfare like demonic possession in the battles of our minds, and also compulsive behavior and emotional struggles. Warner talks about the how weird it is that in American Christianity we don’t see this a lot, but there is an acute awareness of...
Published 03/11/24
Transforming Lives through Relational Discipleship: Insights from The Crossings Church In this episode we’ve got Ashlee Catizon, who, along with her husband RJ, leads the youth ministry at The Crossings Church in Missouri. Ashlee and Matt Dabbs discuss the church's successful, decades-long journey in disciple-making and integrating the youth through relational, intentional practices rooted in Christ's teachings. Ashlee shares insights into their discipleship approach, emphasizing relational...
Published 03/06/24
In this podcast, Dan Leitz of the Bonhoeffer Project, discusses the changing interpretations of the Gospel and the need for robust, shared definitions of key terms within our church communities. He raises issues around the contemporary Gospel narrative, highlighting the importance of understanding the historical and cultural context of original biblical texts, emphasizing the need for people to see the Gospel as a message given to them, rather than something they themselves can create and...
Published 03/04/24
Highlight – “Revival is going to come in your generation.” In this podcast episode we’ve got Grant Skeldon. Grant heads up the Nxt Gen Summit, and today he speaks with Matt Dabbs about his experiences working with churches and his observations on how generational gaps can be bridged. He discusses the role of mentorship and discipleship in helping younger generations grow up in faith, and shares in-depth insights into the various challenges that millennial and Gen Z generations face and how...
Published 02/28/24
Highlight – “Do you know what a disciple is?” In part two of our insightful conversation with Jim Putman, we delve deep into defining discipleship as per biblical context. Using Matthew 4:19 as a basis, Putman discusses how we must understand and apply Jesus' invitation effectively to cultivate a deeper relationship with disciples. He emphasizes realizing shared understanding, a shared process, and shared methodology to facilitate unified discipleship. By using Christ's transformed New...
Published 02/26/24
Highlight – “Out of the Being Comes the Doing.”  In this episode, Matt Dabbs engages Jim Putman, founder and senior pastor of Real Life Ministries, to have a meaningful conversation that offers valuable insights drawn from Putman's book 'DiscipleShift', uncovering the five critical shifts churches can make to inspire disciples who create more disciples. Putman encourages a shift from reaching people to making disciples, from informing people to equipping disciple-makers. This candid exchange...
Published 02/21/24
“There is a huge difference between a church with discipleship and a disciple making church. A disciple making church, or a church with discipleship, usually sees discipleship as another program that they add on to everything else they're doing. And in disciple making church,  discipleship is a part of it. But disciple making is all we do, not just one thing we do. It's all we do. – Ken Adams” In this enlightening podcast, Matt Dabbs from Discipleship.org is joined by Ken Adams of Crossroads...
Published 02/19/24
Highlight – “80% of all churches in North America have a functioning women’s ministry, less than 7 percent have a functioning men’s ministry.” In this interview, Chris Harper of Betterman discusses the concept of 'Discipling Men' in our churches. He highlights the fact that a small group study can be tremendously beneficial for a man, offering opportunities to engage in meaningful conversations about Biblical manhood and masculinity, but also that a lot of guys simply wouldn’t choose this...
Published 02/14/24
Today’s episode is a follow-up conversation between Steve McCoy and Matt Dabbs. They continue their discussion on fostering a culture of discipleship by utilizing everyday people within the church. They wanna help ordinary people like me and you with accessible tools for sharing the Gospel and for making disciples. This episode serves as an encouragement and guide for us individuals listening and also for churches to foster a more intentional approach to disciple-making by utilizing the...
Published 02/12/24
“Fight to have that David, Jonathan, Jesus, John, Paul, Timothy Relationship. An Everyday person can pick up the tools and just move with it, an everyday person can become a disciple maker.”  In today's discussion, Matt Dabs talks with Steve McCoy, the founder and lead pastor of the 360 Church in Sarasota, and developer of the Small Circle App. The emphasis is on the importance of personal, one-to-one discipleship, using the methods Jesus exemplified in his ministry. They explore the value of...
Published 02/07/24
Highlight – “Everything Jesus did was Discipleship.”  In today’s episode, Jason Shepherd discusses his revolutionary approach to Church Projects, a movement that started in 2010. He emphasizes the importance of distributing pastoral leadership, decentralizing church gatherings, and fostering diverse discipleship communities grounded in shared scripture. He also discusses the function of house churches and how they enrich the church community. Furthermore, he provides practical tips for...
Published 02/05/24
Today we continue the conversation between Bobby Harrington and Matt Dabbs looking into the book "Discipleship that Fits." They discuss the importance of different types of discipleship relationships, such as the divine space, public space, social space, personal space, and transparent space. They also mention the benefits of different church sizes and advocate for prioritizing the divine space and transparent space for leadership development. They discuss how different spaces can be used in...
Published 02/01/24
In this episode of Disciple Making Culture Matt Dabbs interviews the point leader of Discipleship.org Bobby Harrington. They’re talking about steps to help your churches make disciples who then in turn make other disciples. They explore the importance of shifting focus from informing to equipping, from program to purpose, from activity to relationship, and finally from accumulating to deploying. This episode instills the value of creating that disciple-making culture within your church and...
Published 01/31/24
Join us in this thought-provoking and inspirational conversation with Josh Howard, founder of Ignite and a worker with E3 Partners. Howard shares his experiences as a worker in South Asia, discussing the incredible results of 'crazy farming' -- the method of widely spreading the Gospel seeds. He highlights the importance of prayer and fasting, and outlines practical steps for intentional evangelism and discipleship. The conversation also includes comparisons between South Asian and American...
Published 01/29/24
Today Matt Dabbs is talking with Renee Sproles and throughout the discussion, they explore the importance of prayer, relationship, and actively involving women in discipleship. They also jump into the challenges of American cultural values versus what Scripture teaches us about discipleship. And as Renee shares her personal story with rigorous honesty, you’ll pick up on the significant role women have in discipleship and have some practical takeaways on how to start a disciple-making culture...
Published 01/24/24
“A disciple learns to follow, follows to learn, but never arrives.” Today on our series on Disciple Making culture Matt Dabbs and Anthony Walker delve into how discipline language and behavioral shifts can impact their ministry. They explore their past experiences, learning processes, and future aspirations concerning discipleship. They also discuss how people can adopt simple habits to enact discipleship more effectively. This script underscores the importance of following and learning from...
Published 01/22/24
In this episode, Bobby Harrington talks to Sean McDowell about the importance of defining and understanding core beliefs and values in the practice of discipleship. They highlight the importance of modeling these beliefs, building intimate relationships, and having meaningful spiritual conversations. They also discuss the impact of social media and culture on the faith and beliefs of today's generation and how the church can counteract this. If you are interested in taking an assessment on...
Published 01/17/24
In this in-depth discussion, Matt Dabbs interviews Brandon Guindon from Real Life Ministries in Texas. They dive into the principles of creating a disciple-making culture within the church body. Brandon shares his journey in ministry and how a focus on disciple-making, modeled by Jesus' example, transformed his approach and shaped the culture at Real Life Ministries. He provides insights into how he has successfully nurtured this in his own congregation and has imparted this approach to...
Published 01/15/24
“Disciple Making Requires Discipline.” In this episode we feature a cultivating discussion between Shodankeh Johnson, Bobby Harrington, and Matt Dabbs on their respective roles and strategies in implementing a disciple-making culture in their lives and organizations. They discuss the importance of disciplined daily prayer, devotion, and deepening one's relationship with God to truly become a follower of Jesus Christ that will inspire others to do the same. They also highlight the importance...
Published 01/10/24
“Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast.” In this kick off episode Bobby Harrington with guests Renee Sproles and Bart Shaw delve deep into the topic on disciple making culture. They discuss the need to create a culture that values Bible reading, memorization, sharing of faith, and personalized interactions. They also emphasize the important role of beliefs, behaviors, and narrative in shaping this culture. Additionally, they highlight the challenges in shifting from a consumer to a producer...
Published 01/08/24