the STOKE IT UP podcast

Lonnie Short is the Executive Pastor of Granbury Baptist Church, Granbury, Texas. Recently I was in a staff meeting with the team while Lonnie taught on setting goals. The outline is below. I recommend you copy and paste them into a note on your phone for you to review. Goal setting is a productive way to get things done. What is in your head and heart for God? If you could do anything for God, and not worry about resourcing it, What would you do? Yes, we ultimately need a strategy, but let's dream for God. God has a dream for you. Yes, goals represent that dream. Your dream needs to align with his Great Commission dream to reach people for Christ and see those people grow in the Lord. Now that we have you thinking, what's the strategy? Goals. Let's set some goals for 2024. Setting goals for 2024 Why are goals so important? 1. Goal-setting is my responsibility (Phil. 3:12-14) 2. Goals reveal and stretch my faith (Heb. 11:6) 3. Goals, give me focus and purpose (1 Cor. 9:26) 4. Goals give me hope to endure (Rom. 5:1-4) 5. Godly goals will be rewarded (1 Cor. 9:25) What kind of goals does God bless? 1. Goals that honor God (1 Cor. 10:31) 2. Goals, motivated by love (1 Cor. 16:14) 3. Goals that depend on God (Prov. 16:9) Smart Goals S - specific M - measurable A - attainable R - relevant T - time Four steps to accomplishing a GOAL! 1. Generate creatively (dream) 2. Organize clearly (plan) 3. Act consistently (do) 4. Look closely (review) SMART goals S - specific M - measurable A - attainable R - relevant T - time

The Pros and Cons of a Devotional Life  Welcome to the STOKE IT UP podcast.  A podcast encouraging you on your journey with God.  The stoke it up podcast is part of CGN Media, a podcast network that points to people to Christ. Check out cgnmedia.org for more great shows and ways to support the ministry.  The Cultivate Church Planting Website: https://cultivatechurchplanting.com The CGN Media Website: https://cgnmedia.org Pastors and Leaders Conference at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa https://conference.calvarychapel.com/ I’m Alan Stoddard and I am joined by Kenneth Priest for a conversation on the pros and cons of a devotional life. We are all spiritually formed by many influences. Should you have a quiet time? What does it look like? What do you do when you hit a dry season? Let’s jump into the conversation, and as we do, think about your own spiritual growth and disciple-making influences.  Summary In this episode, we discuss the pros and cons of a devotional life. We share personal experiences and insights on how to cultivate a meaningful devotional practice. We emphasize the importance of reading the Bible, listening to the Bible, using devotional books, and engaging in prayer. We also highlight the need for flexibility and grace in maintaining a devotional routine. Overall, we encourage listeners to prioritize their devotional life as a means of spiritual formation. Chapters Introduction and Personal Background 03:24 The Argument Against Devotions 09:16 The Importance of Devotions for Spiritual Formation 21:37 The Devotional Approach to Scripture 25:18 Plan B for Devotions 27:46 10 Ways to Stoke Up Your Devotional Life 38:20 Conclusion and Encouragement Takeaways Cultivating a devotional life is crucial for spiritual formation. Reading the Bible, listening to the Bible, and using devotional books are all valuable practices. Having a backup plan for devotions is important for busy or unpredictable days. Engaging in prayer and using different models of prayer can enhance the devotional experience. Flexibility and grace are key in maintaining a devotional routine.

Dr. Kenneth Priest joins the Stoke It Up Podcast as a co-host. Kenneth has a undergraduate degree in Theology and an Master of Religious Education (MARE) from Southwestern Seminary. He earned a D.EdMin from Midwestern Seminary in church revitalization. Today, we start to focus the podcast on spiritual formation. We want to encourage you in your journey with God. What does that look like? This about your own spiritual journey. Join the conversation.

How to create a Bible culture in the church Use a physical Bible. Use the Bible.com QR code on screen as you begin to preach. Turn up the lights in the room. Push physical with digital Bible use.  Use sermon-based small groups. Announce the version of the Bible, you’re going to use in the pulpit and get everyone to get that version. Offer a “how to preach” school of ministry course. Use social media as a tool to encourage people to engage the word. Use multiple Bible apps and show people how to do that. Model in your life, and in the pulpit, what you want others to do: Be expository. Be encouraging. Show the Bible is essential.

In this podcast with Aleise Elsenboss and Renea Kren, we talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of The Chosen.  We give a review of season four. What were our favorite scenes and what are the challenges? We also talk about some of the hard things like flags on set and problems with the Latter-Day Saints (LDS/Mormons). We delve into Christian movies and the whole scene.  Alan Parr interview with Dallas Jenkins. Calvary Global Network

In this episode, I walk pastors and leaders through possibilities for sharing the gospel and extending a response opportunity for Easter 2024.

The Stoke It Up! podcast is a part of the CGN media family. Check us out on our social media handles. I give you 4 things that can help you get ready for Easter. Take a listen. Share in social media. Give me your feedback. What will your takeaway be?

What is next? I have been in a busy dry season in some ways. How do we negotiate those seasons of life and move forward? The secret sauce is that we have inside help. God lives in us. Faith in Christ (Gal. 2:20) ignites the fire of God in us. Check this episode out. Check out the CGN media page. Check out the Calvary Global Network! Join us!

Welcome to the Stoke it up! podcast. This podcast exists to encourage you in your journey with God.  I am Alan Stoddard and I am your host. Today, I have James Walker on the podcast. He’s the executive director of Watchmen Fellowship. Today the topic is, “the Bible, atheists, and culture.“ Today we talk about why someone should believe the Bible and light of other scriptures in the world. We also talk about the Need to talk with atheists. But there’s a unique twist to this part. Take a listen and you’ll find it. We don’t want to just be conversing with atheists, but we want to… We no longer live in a culture with home turf for the gospel. We have to know why we believe what we believe.   Increase your ability to share the gospel within our context today, not yesterday. To do that we’re going to have to talk with the atheists, agnostics, and those who are hostile to Christianity.  I would be interested in your feedback, of course. Share this in the media circles where you think it can do some good.  The Stoke it up! podcast is a part of the CGN media family. I encourage you to go and follow CHN on our social media handles. 

Welcome to the Stoke it up! podcast. A podcast encouraging you and your journey with God. I’m Alan Stoddard and I am your Stoke Coast. Today we have Pastor Josh Black with us. Josh is the lead pastor of Victory Calvary Chapel in Menifee California. I met Josh at the Expositors Collective in Temecula California last August. We just happened to run into each other in the latte line. I jumped ahead of them kind of so I thought, “You should buy his latte.“ And the rest is history. He preached part of the Expositors' experience. He did the talk on Christ Center preaching and I was enamored with it. I knew I loved this dude. Well, the next day, I got to teach the Bible at his church. And I noticed something unique about this church. It was very stoked.  Let’s jump in and get some questions going and see what it might look like to lead a normal, but vibrant local church into 2024. As you listen, let’s listen to increase our leadership skillset.

Welcome to the Stoke It Up! podcast. A podcast encouraging you in your journey with God. In this week's episode, Dr. Dan Crawford discusses how to partner prayer with evangelism. As the days get late, churches would serve the Lord and themselves well to stoke the fires of evangelism and prayer. What does the Great Commission look like for you in 2024?

In this week's podcast, Elijah Abraham (not his real name. We must keep his identity protected) reveals what is happening in a hard part of the world. As you listen, consider how the gospel influences the Great Commission in your journey with God. You can check out www.livingoasis.org to connect further with Elijah. He would love that. He is not on social media. If you want to get even more connected than his website, contact me. I'll get you with him. To connect with use at Calvary Global Network, go here. Also, to www.instagram.com/cgn_media to see our podcast community.

Ellyn Cornell is a missionary with Cru at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I always like to check in with her on matters of disciple making. That is our high calling. All ministry and mission culminates in disciple making. To give to the Calvary Global Network, here is the link.

Welcome to the Stoke it up! podcast. A podcast, encouraging you and your journey with God.  I’m Alan Stoddard and in this episode I interview Pastor Mike Neglia. He is the pastor of ⁠Calvary Cork⁠, Ireland. He is also the leader of the ⁠Expositors Collective⁠, an initiative of the ⁠Calvary Global Network⁠. In this interview, I talked to Mike about what he’s learned about podcasting and preaching. And how the Expositors Collective podcast interacts with the Expositors Collective weekend. If you have not experienced an EC weekend with us, pray about it. Keep your calendar open and come be a part. It is the best experience you can get for the price and content.

The Stoke It Up! podcast is on full swing to stoke up the New Year and beyond. We want to encourage you in your journey with God. Season 4 Schedule Nov. 21 - Mike Neglia Nov. 28 - Ellen Kohler Dec. 5 - Elijah Abraham Dec 12 - Dan Crawford Dec 19 - Lonnie Short Dec 26 - Alan Stoddard January 2 - Manolo January 9 - Josh Black

Elijah Abraham, Executive Director (www.livingoasis.org) Elijah was born in the Middle East and grew up as a Muslim. He fled the Middle East as a teenager and lived in Europe for several years. Due to persecution in Europe and its spies, Elijah fled to the United States in mid-1980s Subsequently, he obtained a degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Since the Twin Towers and Pentagon terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, he has been educating his audiences in churches and civic groups on Islam and the Islamist threat. Elijah believes that Islam in the U.S. has mutated into a Westernized religion that is aggressively and successfully converting Americans to its beliefs. “ I am compelled by the Lord to expose Islam as a religion/ideology that embraces an antichrist spirit. As Christians, we must look at Islam as an aggressive ideology, but we must also look at the Muslims within Islam as our mission field.” He is helping evangelical congregations participate in God’s work around the world by encouraging them to be proactive in missions. Elijah has trained missionaries from the International Mission Board of the SBC and other organizations. His experience has taken him around the world to train and implement missions on five continents. Elijah appeared on national radio (Janet Parshall’s America, Today’s Issues with AFR Radio, Paul Revere Radio, Live the Word with John Neider on KDKR Dallas, and Stand up for the Truth with Mike LeMay on Q90FM Green Bay). Political party organizations, conservative PACS, Veterans’ groups, and American/international businesses are also seeking Elijah’s expertise and knowledge of the Islamic threat in the West. He has served two non-profit organizations over a period of seven years. He also served as a mission pastor at a local Baptist church for three years.

From traditional church pastor to contemporary church planter with Darryl Dash. Is this possible? Welcome to the Stoke It Up! podcast. A podcast encouraging you in your journey with God. Darryl Dash is the pastor of Liberty Grace Church in Toronto, Canada. Liberty Grace Church was planted in one of the toughest parts of Toronto, called, “Liberty Village.“ in this conversation. I talked to Darryl about his transition from a traditional church situation to church planting. The conversation is fascinating. It’s very encouraging and meant to encourage you as you think about living out the Great Commission in your life. Darryl has written a couple of great books. One is “8 Habits for Growth: a simple guide to becoming more like Christ. The other book is, “How to Grow: applying the gospel to all of your life.“ Here is the link. I encourage you to leave us a generous review in Apple podcasts. And let us know what you think of this content, and how it applies to your story. If there’s a way we can partner with you to see the Great Commission fulfilled in your life, let us know.

Is it possible for a traditional churches to become life-giving Churches? And what about those Independent Baptists? Are they not the ones where women wear dresses, men wear suits, and have a lot of rules at church? Whatever happened to those guys?  In this week’s podcast I interview Pastor Lonnie Lehrman. Lonnie has been the pastor at Granbury Baptist Church in Granbury Texas for 21 years. He is a graduate of the Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, we’re now he is the chairman of trustees. Pastor Lonnie not only serves as the pastor at GBC but also leads E3 church planting network. The network has started to all churches in Texas in the surrounding area of the globe and desires to plant 100 churches.

Welcome to the STOKE IT UP podcast. A podcast, encouraging you in your journey with God. One of the things the Lord wants us all to do is to shine light into the darkness. And it’s something we want to do. Yet it can be a real challenge at times.Do you struggle with evangelism? Does the word itself just cause you to cringe? In this week's podcast I interview Pastor Tyler Jones. He is the pastor of Evangelism and Outreach at Stonewater Church in Granbury, Texas. He’s a leader, who is actually doing Evangelism the streets. Listen in and discover some unique things about overcoming the fear of evangelism. Also, listening to realize there are some real ways to connect with people that are not as intimidating as we think.