Take Off With Thomas Clark

Thomas
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Christianity

I help equip you to bring the peace of God to places you live, work, learn, and play. All for His glory! 

  1. 1d ago

    Presence Before Strategy: Learning to See People Like Jesus

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Take Off with Thomas Clark, Thomas continues Season 10: Power, Outrage, Culture, and the Gospel. Episode 6, “Presence Before Strategy: Learning to See People Like Jesus,” explores why disciple-makers cannot faithfully serve people from a distance. Jesus did not simply observe people. He entered real places, walked among real people, noticed pain, listened, asked questions, identified needs, and responded with compassion, truth, prayer, and action.  Pasted text Too often, we can rush to start a program, create an event, offer an answer, or develop a strategy before we have taken time to understand the people and places Jesus has sent us to engage. But in disciple-making, presence comes before strategy, observation before action, discernment before design, and compassion before correction.  Pasted text Looking at Matthew 9:35–38, this episode shows how Jesus saw beyond the crowd to the real condition of people. What He saw moved Him with compassion, and that compassion led to prayer and the sending of workers into the harvest.  Pasted text You will also learn what cultural anthropology calls participant observation—being present enough to learn people’s stories, patterns, pain, hopes, longings, and losses—and why disciple-makers must stop guessing about people and start learning how to love them faithfully.  Pasted text And this episode makes an important distinction: faithful presence does not guarantee that everyone will follow Jesus. Even some who heard Jesus personally walked away. Our responsibility is not to control the outcome, but to remain faithful in how we observe, participate, love, serve, tell the truth, offer peace, and invite people to follow Him.  Pasted text Key Line: Presence before strategy helps us serve real people instead of imagined needs. I Will Statement: This week, I will spend time observing one place where I live, work, learn, or play and ask, “Lord, what are You already doing here?”  Pasted text Support the show Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples. https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.clark/ https://www.youtube.com/@taclark4 https://www.taclark4ministries.com/ https://x.com/TAClark4

  2. Sep 29

    Learn Before You Lead: Listening Before You Correct

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark continues Season 10: Power, Outrage, Culture, and the Gospel. Episode 5, “Learn Before You Lead: Listening Before You Correct,” explores why disciple-makers must learn people before trying to lead, correct, or help them. It is easy to assume that our way of speaking, thinking, worshiping, leading, or understanding the world is normal—and then judge people who do things differently. But assumptions can cause us to answer questions people are not asking, solve problems they do not recognize, and treat people like projects instead of people made in the image of God. In this episode, we talk about the difference between ethnocentric and ethnographic engagement and why missionary humility requires us to listen, observe, ask questions, and understand people in their actual context. Looking at Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4, we see that Jesus did not ignore cultural boundaries, but He also did not allow those boundaries to keep Him from offering living water. He engaged a real person, in a real place, with a real story—and that conversation eventually opened a door to an entire community. You will also learn four things disciple-makers should pay attention to in every context: people’s longings, losses, language, and lies, along with practical questions you can begin using immediately in the places you live, work, learn, and play. Key Line: Ethnography is not lowering truth; it is lowering ourselves long enough to understand the people we are called to love.  I Will Statement: This week, I will ask one person in my context a thoughtful question and listen without rushing to correct, fix, or teach.  Support the show Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples. https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.clark/ https://www.youtube.com/@taclark4 https://www.taclark4ministries.com/ https://x.com/TAClark4

  3. Sep 22

    When Outrage Takes Over How to Respond Like Jesus

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark continues Season 10: Power, Outrage, Culture, and the Gospel. Episode 4, “When Outrage Takes Over: How to Respond Like Jesus,” looks at what happens when anger, offense, frustration, or misunderstanding starts to control the way we respond to people. If Jesus is Lord, then He must also be Lord over our reactions. In this episode, we talk about how disciple-makers can slow down before reacting, listen before assuming, pursue peace without forcing it, handle conflict in a healthy way, and choose words that represent Jesus well. We also explore why people are not our real enemy, why we sometimes react to what we think someone meant instead of what they actually meant, and how listening carefully can help us stay faithful in the places we live, work, learn, and play. Key Line: Never let outrage decide your next step; let Jesus form your response before you act. I Will Statement: This week, I will identify one place where I am tempted to react in outrage, and I will ask Jesus to help me respond with wisdom, peace, and self-control.  Support the show Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples. https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.clark/ https://www.youtube.com/@taclark4 https://www.taclark4ministries.com/ https://x.com/TAClark4

  4. Sep 15

    The Power of Weakness Representing Jesus With Humility

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark continues Season 10: Power, Outrage, Culture, and the Gospel. Episode 3, “The Power of Weakness: Representing Jesus With Humility,” explores why disciple-makers do not need to dominate people in order to represent Jesus faithfully. In a culture where many people are suspicious of religious power, institutions, and leaders who claim to have all the answers, followers of Jesus must learn how to carry truth with humility, courage, and love. The Gospel is not weak. Jesus is not weak. The Kingdom is not weak. But God often chooses weakness as the vessel through which His power becomes visible. Looking at 2 Corinthians 4:7–10 and Philippians 2:5–8, this episode challenges disciple-makers to admit their limits, listen before correcting, repent where needed, serve without trying to control the outcome, and stay present with people in the places they live, work, learn, and play. Key Line: Weakness is not the absence of conviction; weakness is the refusal to use power in ways that do not look like Jesus. I Will Statement: This week, I will practice the power of weakness by listening honestly, admitting where needed, and representing Jesus without trying to control the outcome.  Support the show Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples. https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.clark/ https://www.youtube.com/@taclark4 https://www.taclark4ministries.com/ https://x.com/TAClark4

  5. Sep 8

    Sharing Power Like Jesus: Leadership That Equips and Releases

    Send us Fan Mail The episode focuses on helping disciple-makers use influence, knowledge, titles, platforms, and authority to lower power distance so others can participate faithfully in the mission of God. Buzzsprout Description: In this episode of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark continues Season 10: Power, Outrage, Culture, and the Gospel. Episode 2, “Sharing Power Like Jesus: Leadership That Equips and Releases,” challenges leaders, disciple-makers, pastors, parents, mentors, and mature followers of Jesus to think differently about power. If power is influence, then the question is not only whether we have power. The deeper question is: Are we using our influence to keep people dependent, or are we using it to equip people to obey Jesus? Looking at Matthew 20:25–28, John 13:14–15, Ephesians 4:11–12, 1 Peter 2:9, and Matthew 28:18–20, Thomas shows that Jesus did not use power to dominate, control, or keep people passive. Jesus used power to serve, equip, give life, and send His followers into the mission of God. This episode reminds us that the people do not belong to us. They belong to God. And because they belong to God, we must create room for ordinary followers of Jesus to pray, serve, share, disciple, facilitate, encourage, correct, witness, and participate in meaningful ministry where they live, work, learn, and play. Key Line: The goal of Kingdom leadership is not to make people need us more; it is to help people obey Jesus more. I Will Statement: This week, I will invite one person to participate in a meaningful act of ministry instead of doing it all myself. Support the show Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples. https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.clark/ https://www.youtube.com/@taclark4 https://www.taclark4ministries.com/ https://x.com/TAClark4

  6. Sep 1

    Using Influence Like Jesus: Power That Serves, Equips, and Releases

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark begins Season 10: Power, Outrage, Culture, and the Robust Gospel. Episode 1 asks an important question for every disciple-maker: What is power, who has it, and what do we do with it? Power is not automatically evil. Power is influence. The real issue is what we do with the influence we have when Jesus is not Lord over it. Parents, pastors, teachers, leaders, employers, friends, and anyone with relationships, knowledge, access, or spiritual maturity carries some measure of power. Looking at Luke 4:31–37, Thomas shows how Jesus used authority differently. Jesus did not use power to dominate, control, embarrass, or keep people dependent. He used authority to set people free. This episode will help disciple-makers recognize the influence they already have and ask how that influence can be surrendered to Jesus for the good of others and the mission of God. Key Line: Power becomes dangerous when it creates dependency, but power becomes missional when it equips and releases others. I Will Statement: This week, I will identify one area where I have influence and ask Jesus how to use that influence to serve, equip, and release others. Support the show Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples. https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.clark/ https://www.youtube.com/@taclark4 https://www.taclark4ministries.com/ https://x.com/TAClark4

  7. Aug 25

    APEST in the Neighborhood.

    Send us Fan Mail Based on the episode outline, this description highlights the main movement: APEST moving from leadership language into everyday mission in neighborhoods, workplaces, and third places. Buzzsprout Description: In Season 9, Episode 6 of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark closes the season “APEST and the Collective” with an episode titled “APEST in the Neighborhood.” In this episode, Thomas brings the whole season into everyday life by showing how the ministry of Jesus becomes visible through His people in the ordinary places where we live, work, learn, and play. APEST is not just something to discuss in leadership meetings, use for self-discovery, or keep as church language. It must become embodied in real places. The neighborhood, workplace, school, coffee shop, barber shop, gym, restaurant, and community space all become places where followers of Jesus can bring the peace of God. Drawing from Ephesians 4:11–16, this episode shows why the body of Christ needs more than one gifted person. The neighborhood needs apostolic sentness, prophetic alignment, evangelistic witness, shepherding care, and teaching formation working together for the mission of God. This episode will challenge listeners to ask: Where has my APEST function stayed in theory instead of becoming visible in the places I actually live, work, and gather? This week’s “I Will” challenge invites listeners to identify one first, second, or third place where Jesus wants them to show up more intentionally and take one step to embody their APEST contribution there. Be sure to click Follow and engage with the podcast on your favorite platform so you do not miss future episodes. Support the show Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples. https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.clark/ https://www.youtube.com/@taclark4 https://www.taclark4ministries.com/ https://x.com/TAClark4

  8. Aug 18

    Sent by Jesus: Moving from Maintenance to Mission

    Send us Fan Mail In Season 9, Episode 5 of the Take Off Podcast, Thomas Clark continues the conversation on APEST and the Collective with an episode titled Living an Apostolic Life. In this episode, Thomas helps listeners recover apostolic life not as a title, office, denomination, rank, or personality type, but as a sent life of obedience to Jesus. Apostolic life is about being available to go where Jesus sends, start what He gives, mobilize whom He calls, and equip the saints to serve. Drawing from John 20:21 and Ephesians 4, this episode shows that apostolic life begins with the peace and sending of Jesus. It is not frantic movement, self-appointment, or spiritual ambition. It is peaceful obedience under the Lordship of Christ. Thomas also explains how the apostolic function helps the church move from maintenance to mission. It lovingly challenges the body to ask: Where is Jesus sending us? Who needs to be equipped? What needs to be started? Where have we gathered without being sent? This episode is especially important for leaders, microchurches, missional communities, disciple-makers, and anyone who senses that the church is called to more than attendance, comfort, and maintenance. Apostolic life is not about one person moving ahead alone. It is about helping the body move together in obedience to Jesus. This week’s “I Will” challenge invites listeners to identify one place where Jesus may be sending them and take one intentional step of peaceful obedience. Be sure to click Follow and engage with the podcast on your favorite platform so you do not miss future episodes. Support the show Take Off is a disciple-making podcast designed to equip everyday followers of Jesus to live missionally where they live, work, learn, and play. Supporters help sustain this work and receive short bonus reflections each week that go deeper into the themes of the episode—offering additional insight, pastoral encouragement, and formation-focused teaching. Supporting is not about buying content, but partnering in the slow, faithful work of making disciples who make disciples. https://www.facebook.com/bishopthomas.clark/ https://www.youtube.com/@taclark4 https://www.taclark4ministries.com/ https://x.com/TAClark4

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About

I help equip you to bring the peace of God to places you live, work, learn, and play. All for His glory! 

Information

  • Creator
    Thomas
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Take Off With Thomas Clark
  • Show Website
    Take Off With Thomas Clark